I’m on a mission to locate gift my mom, dad, and sister can buy Gigi for Christmas. My daughter has asked for a lot of toys, but she already has so many and I purchased her top picks months ago. She is all set when it comes to toys. So, I just need to find some great ideas for other people to buy for her.

One of my favorite books when I was a child was this personalized book called “The Very Friendly Alligator”. It had my name and address it in, as well as my sister and cousin. I felt so special when I would read this book that had me as one of the main characters.

I found this website called Identity Direct, which specializes in Personalized Gifts for Children. They have Disney Princess books that can be personalized for your child. Actually, they have a whole line of Disney Princess items. How cool is that? Since Gigi is Princess obsessed, I am forwarding the link to my sister now. It will thrill her to see a book about not only Arial and Cinderella, but also herself.

I’ve got my eye on some of the personalized ornaments myself.

When children are being raised by parents who are immature and evil, do those children even have a chance at a life where they will ever know right from wrong?

I am pondering this because of an article I just read about Megan Meier. She was a 13-year-old who killed herself after a boy called Josh she met on MySpace suddenly turned on her and started sending her cruel messages.

It turns out the boy did not exist and his profile had been created by the PARENT of another child who lived down the street from Megan and her family.

Here is how this adult tried to justify her actions. She told the police she created “Josh’s” profile because she wanted to gain Megan’s confidence to know what Megan was saying about her own child online.

What kind of freak does that? Who created a fictitious online profile to fool a child and then uses that profile to terrorize her? What a sick woman this “adult” must be. She was intentionally toying with Megan’s emotions.

Megan already struggled with depression and attention deficit disorder. When “Josh” suddenly ended their online friendship and began sending cruel messages. This was followed by the posting of electronic bulletins calling Megan fat and a slut. “Josh” told Megan the world would be better off without her in it.

What makes it worse is that the woman who created the profile turned the sick little game into a family activity, allowing her daughter and at least one other person to send and monitor the communication between the “Josh” and Megan.

So, what kind of chance does the daughter of this sick woman even have to learn appropriate social behavior?

It’s time to weed out my checking accounts. I have too many! I have the one I love from my credit union, as well as one I use for most of my checking activity since it pays smocking hot interest rates on my balance, and I still have the joint checking account from back when I was married. We were using it to send child support back and forth, but we have found a new method so I really need to get my rear end to the bank and see how to close it out, since both names are still on it. I have no business doing business with three different banking institutions.

My problem is that I am always looking for the next best deal. There is a bank out there right now that round up all your check card purchases and moves the remainder to savings. That always tempts me. There is yet another bank that pays you back for all ATM feel incurred by using other banks’ ATMs. I have to be careful or I might actually end up with more accounts instead of cutting back.

There is something intriguing about staying in a hotel that was not always a hotel. One of my best hotel memories is when I was helping run a big trade show in Indianapolis and my business grade room at the Crowne Plaza Union Station was next door to a Honeymooning couple. I could hardly get any sleep with all the enthusiastic noise next door that first night. When I called the desk to inquire about a room change, they had nothing similar to offer me so they suggested I take a look at a few of their 26 authentic Pullman TrainCar sleeping rooms. Each is named and decorated after famous personalities from the early 1900s. I chose the Lillian Russell room and can say I had the best week-long hotel stay of my life. It was just so different and opulent.

Now, a new hotel in Boston offers a unique way to stay the night. The Liberty Hotel was once the Charles Street Jail and the architects involved in the renovation project made great efforts to preserve many features of the 156-year-old building. The prison guard catwalks, for example, are now a visible part of the hotel’s lobby. The hotel bar, Alibi, is located in the jail’s former drunk tank.

Not all of the 298 rooms in the hotel are actually located in the original jail, though. Only 18 hold that distinction. I have not seen pictures of the rooms, but I have to wonder what sort of furniture stores might carry pieces to fit the theme.

When will our politicians learn that they need to take very seriously the fact that they CHOSE a career that places their life in the public spotlight? If you are going to live a life that involves acts you would not feel comfortable with the entire world knowing about, you are probably not suited for politics.

Here in Florida, State Rep. Bob Allen has been known up until now for trying to pass tougher public lewdness laws since being elected in 2000.

Now he is just known as the creep who agreed to pay $20 to perform oral sex on an undercover police officer in the men’s room of a Titusville park. According to the undercover officer, Allen peeked over a bathroom stall at the officer back in July and asked the officer to go somewhere private with him. Then, the officer told Allen, “I’m looking to get some money. Can you hook me up with $20.”

Allens’ attorneys argued he was not looking for sex, but though the undercover police offer was going to rob him and therefore went along with the situation until he could get away.

Riiight. Freak.

He submitted his resignation to House Speaker Marco Rubio. Rubio has been pressuring Allen to resign since November 9, when a Brevard County jury found him guilty of soliciting for sex.

Good riddance.