Oh, Oprah...

No matter how hard I try, I just can't get over Oprah. I wasn't happy how she handled the whole Sarah Palin debacle and the farmer's daughter in me is (or should still be) bitter about the mad cow ordeal more than a decade ago. But, darn it, the woman is inspiring. She helps me more than she hurts me, or at least that's what I've come to terms with.

I have taken to reading her magazine again, only because I think it's one of the better women's magazines out there that provides a good perspective about life in general.

Here were five of my favorite things from the latest issue:

• An interview with the author of, "Enough Already! Clearing Mental Clutter to Become the Best You," which digs deeper into how/why some of us just accumulate way more than we need. He says, "A lot of clutter is a lack of acceptance that a moment has passed. Maybe someone has kept all her college English papers because she wanted to be a writer, but she never put in the time and energy to make it happen." (PS: I do have a lot of my college English papers, and I'm okay with that, but I did manage in the last year to get rid of my old college chemistry homework. Remember?)
  
  
• There's this little thing you can put on that vibrates when you need to improve your posture. It's a constant reminder to stand up straight. Mom, please do not buy this for me for my birthday. Or Christmas.
  
  
• This quote, from Nell Merlino's "Stepping Out of Line: Lessons for Women Who Want It Their Way in Life, in Love, and On Broadway": "In bathrooms, boardrooms, buses, bagel shops, and everywhere else, we all need to imagine a little girl following us around, repeating everything we say and everything we do. Think about all the things you want for yourself and your daughters, granddaughters, and girls everywhere--and teach them by living it yourself." (This is what I was trying to say a few weeks ago, but more eloquent.)
  
  
• If you've been working out and haven't noticed much of a difference (note-to-self), it could just be that your body is getting rid of your visceral fat first--what a gross phrase--that builds up on the trunk of your body. The article says this fat produces three times more bad chemicals than the other types of fat and it drains directly into your liver. Again, gross. And a reason to exercise even though you may "look" skinny.
  
  
• No matter how gorgeous a white blouse is, it's not worth $990, even if you consider it a "splurge." That's not a splurge, that's a vacation! The earrings she listed as a "good deal" were gorgeous, but still $350. Just goes to show, I guess, that even an inspiring woman like Oprah remains a little out-of-touch.