May God Bless the Coolest Guy in the Universe

This sad news is from the LA Times …

Paul Newman is reportedly very ill with cancer

According to reports, Paul Newman, 83 and a former chain-smoker, has been diagnosed with terminal lung cancer.

The acclaimed actor is said to have been diagnosed at New York’s Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, where he is currently receiving outpatient treatment and is under a leading New York oncologist's care. One of the few to know about Newman's illness is his "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" costar and good pal, Robert Redford.

As well as being an acclaimed actor, Newman is also the founder of Newman's Own, which offers spaghetti sauce and salad dressing. The company donates all its earning to charity, with earnings reaching more than $100 million since its creation.

Newman has made major contributions to those less fortunate, including being on the board of directors for the Hole in the Wall Gang Camp, an organization that creates camps for terminally ill children.

No confirmation from the hospital or from Newman's camp.

Tuesday Tunes

"Too Darn Hot," as Cole Porter wrote so let's go with a bit of word association this week.

Remember tell us the first artist/song/album etc that comes to mind when you see the following words

jazz: Chicago's own Judy Roberts

cool: "Get cool, boy!" from West Side Story

swing: "You tell me that you've heard every sound there is, and your bird can swing," "And Your Bird Can Sing," The Beatles

club: Culture Club

street: The E Street Band

thank: "Thank You, Girl," The Beatles

rose: "Second Hand Rose," Streisand

party: "Tonight we're gonna party like it's 1999," Prince

sex: "Why Don't We Do It in the Road," The Beatles

water: "Smoke on the Water," Deep Purple

For more information, or to play along yourself, click here.

Kiss & Tell -- TMI Tuesday #1

It's my first time. Be gentle.

1. If you're in love with your partner, does it make the sex better?
Yes. Corny though that sounds. Although I have learned that if you enjoy sex with someone you're NOT in love with, God doesn't strike you dead, watches don't run backward, and the sun still sets in the west.

2. What is the most expensive sex toy you've ever purchased?
I paid about $20. But the most expensive sex toy I own was a gift. (Sigh. MasterCard was right; some things really are priceless.) I haven't used that one since we broke up. I can be very sentimental about sex.

3. If you knew ahead of time you would not have an orgasm, would you still have sex?
Depends on him. Am I in love? If I'm in love, it's always fun, even if it's not ideal. (See Question #1.)

4. What celebrity would you most like to have sex with if given the chance?
I have quite the active fantasy life, so I have two answers at the ready: Bruce or Bruce. Willis or Springsteen. Willis because anyone who is that confident and comfortable in his own skin simply HAS to be good in bed. Springsteen because he has both a great bod and the soul of poet, and I wonder if it's different with a poet.

5. Have you ever had sex while an audience watched?
My first answer was, "No! Of course not!" And then I remembered something and decided to amend it to, "Well, kinda sorta." A boyfriend/coworker and I were rather swept away at a conference happy hour and ducked out into the hall. We thought we were alone and private but discovered too late that we were facing the hotel employees' break room. He reasoned that hotel employees see that sort of thing all the time. He liked the idea of an audience but I didn't. I tried hard not to look over there because it would distract me, so I don't know for sure if anyone saw.

To play along yourself, and maybe even answer the Bonus Question (I chickened out), click here.