Good morning!  Care to take a stab at a t-shirt slogan for Hillary Clinton?  Her campaign started a contest for the best t-shirt message.  You can help her retire her campaign debt by buying one for $50.  For my money, the winning one is way too long.  Check it out: 

So let’s improve on it.  Any suggestions for a better Hillary t-shirt?  And while we’re at it, let us know your ideas for ANY t-shirt or the funniest one you’ve ever seen.  

Wanna talk about John McCain’s top economic advisor Senator Phil Gramm’s comments about us being only in a ”mental recession” and the country being filled with whiners?

Also, I hate to break this news here but…I’m going on vacation for the next 9 days.  I know, I know, how can I be so selfish?  Don’t worry, I promise to check in with you guys even during my sojourn.  And I’ll send some photos too.  Just as soon as I figure out how.

So here’s an interesting twist we’ve been batting around in the Greenroom this morning.  Rev. Jackson is no media novice, he knows his way around an open mic.  Is it possible that he didn’t mind his comments about Barack Obama being heard?  On the flip side, he did whisper it to the guest sitting next time him, so maybe it really was NOT for public consumption.  Is EVERYTHING that happens during a political campaign by design?  Or are we newscasters too cynical?  Yes, you can answer ALL OF THE ABOVE.

 So imagine this:  a 12-year-old surburban Jersey girl listens everyday to her favorite radio station to hear the voice of her favorite d.j. Jay Thomas.  He’s hilarious and sarcastic.  He pokes fun at celebrities and rock stars.  One time he has a charity auction of celebrity items and this starry-eyed adolescent schemes, along with her bestfriend, that they’ll bid a whopping $25 on Shawn Cassidy’s jacket.  She really just wants the opportunity to talk to Jay Thomas on the phone and she figures they can scrape together some cash if they win.  But she’s so flummoxed when Jay Thomas actually answers the radio station phone that she bids $100 dollars!  Ahh…I remember the fear it like it was yesterday (please don’t do the math).  My friend and I spent the next hour praying we’d loose the bid before having to confess my impulse bid to our parents (we were thankfully outbid).  After that phone call, I imagined that some day, somehow I could actually meet Jay Thomas.  And then that day happened.  He had an autograph signing at the mall in our little town.  There was Jay Thomas in the flesh and my and I were wildly starstruck.  He actually playfully bantered with me over the mall’s loudspeaker.  I kept that 8×10 glossy up in my room forever.  And this morning in the Greenroom I once again had the opportunity to chat with Jay Thomas (ok, stalk).  I recounted all of this for him and he, of course, remembers none of it.  In fact, he seemed somewhat petrified by my vivid recollections.   But he did pose for a photo with me.

So nice to have a long weekend!  We visited my sister-in-law in the burbs.  We ate great bbq chicken and soaked in the tranquility and quiet.  It was lovely, though not what I would term “relaxing”.  Teaching toddlers to swim is not a “stress reliever,” it’s a “stress creator.”  Luckily the twins have taken to the water like tadpoles.  They leap in fearlessly (again, not good for their mother’s bloodpressure).  How was your weekend?  Feel free to share some photos.  Just click on the box in the upper right corner that says “Hit us with Your Best Shot.”  I’ll do the same shortly.

Happy Fourth of July everyone!  Hope you’re all knee-deep in bbq and coleslaw but, hey, watch out for that watermelon (as we learned on Thursday).  Just wanted to remind you all, if you’re looking for something to do tomorrow, tune into FOX News Watch (6:30pm eastern on Saturday).  I’ll be hosting.

Did you hear what Brian just said was his?  Joannie Loves Cha-Chi!  That’s hilarious.  Or ridiculous.  What was your’s?  And what do you think Steve’s hair looked like in the 80’s.  Stay tuned.

It was great to hear the Smithereens out on our plaza this morning.  They sound exactly the way they did in the 80s and the lead singer told me that’s by design:  they work on preserving their sound and energy level.  Now if only we all still looked the same.  You can buy their new The Smithereens CD “Live in Concert! Greatest Hits and More” now.

Ahh…my favorite decade!  Remember the horrible haircuts (I had one resembling Joan Jett’s), the stone-washed jeans, the bad tv?  For all the ills of the decade, I maintain it had the best music.  Here’s what would have been on my IPOD (had that been invented back then):  Squeeze, the English Beat, Joe Jackson, Elvis Costello, the Ramones, the Sex Pistols, the Go-Gos!  And of course, who can forget Shrapnel?  You can, you say?  What’s Shrapnel, you ask?  My all-time favorite 80s band.  I followed them to the ends of the earth — or at least CBGBs.  Yeah, that teeny-bopper in the hot pink lipstick and leopard print shirt, dancing in the front row of the mosh pit, yeah, that was me.  Now tell me your favorite 80’s memories and feel free to send pictures!  (just click the “Hit us with Your Best Shot” box in the upper right corner to do so).  Can’t wait to see them.  As for my photos, you’ll have to tune in at 6am tomorrow to see some.  (and tomorrow I’ll put some here too!)

Good morning everyone! This is Audra blogging in for Alisyn today. She is out this morning, but wanted me to let you know she will be back tomorrow for all of the 80’s week excitement! No worries though….Patti Ann is here to get all of your news to you today.