Absinthe Minded

11:26pm: United We Sink
The day after a plane crash landed into the Hudson River, I have to ponder something. Of course, kudos to the amazing job the pilot did at bringing down a plane with no engine power and without any fatalities or major injuries.

It is a bit scary however to think that a bird, or something equally as small, if sucked into the turbines, can render the engines useless and if enough debris is in the flight path, it could blow out both or all the engines. I don't know anything about aeronautics or anything, but couldn't some kind of mesh screen or something be designed that would guard the front of the engines so that only air can get through to make them work? There has to be some kind of safety precaution they can take. I mean, our cell phones can capture music and tag it to find out what it is and who sang it, we can update our myspace or facebook from it, TVs are so clear that EVERYTHING looks fake and we can't keep birds form flying into a jet engine and putting many lives at risk? Perhaps it's poetic justice, or dramatic irony, to think that in flight, the bird is David and our planes are Goliath.

7:54pm: Sanctity of Marriage
So given the upcoming election and so many hot button issues, I feel compelled to discuss a few topics.

One tremendously polarizing issue is that of gay marriage. This is one area in which I cannot believe the separation of church and state is not a more prominent point of discussion. Let's get one thing "straight" right away. Marriage, when used with the word "sanctity", is a religious institution, nothing more. The legal union has also been called marriage and therein lies the problem. Legal marriage is a let's-not-wait-for-7-years-for-common-law-partnership-to-take-place arrangement. It means tax benefits and other rights given apply to both members of the partnership equally, including property/estate, wills, medical visitation and decisions and so on.

I have to first address this "sanctity of marriage" business. Marriage, through most of human history has not at all been about any sanctified bond bestowed by some god, between a man and a woman. Rather, it has been arranged by parents, tribes, clans, royals and other groups in power to maintain the balance of power where they saw fit, for expansion of land and wealth, to keep the peace between separate groups or multitudes of other reasons, none of which have anything to do with love or some sacred blessing from on high. It is possible that this "business arrangement" procedure of marriage is what has since made the institution a legal affair, making the couple involved co-CEOs of the familial organization. Perhaps like most wars waged in the name of religion to garner support of the troops fighting in it when in fact it was all about wealth and power and empire to those behind it, so too, marriage was molded into a religious "sacrament" so that those involved would see a higher purpose behind their coupling, beyond what their parents each gained or their clans/tribes stood to gain by putting them together. The fact is, only relatively recently in human existence, was any marriage ever about love.

So now certain groups want to keep people who actually want to enter into that partnership for love first and foremost, from doing so and the reason against it is nothing more than religious ideology. Again, it's really about power. It's about giving up something people see as special to them, to another group of people who by all means, deserve it. Truly, where is the harm in allowing equal citizens of this country the same rights for tax benefits and so on, through the same legal partnership? Will a straight "married" couple lose their benefits and rights if this takes place? Absolutely not. From the legal, business-like standpoint, this is an argument that should not even be taking place, because it's ridiculous. Those who argue it undermines the sanctity of marriage must somehow fail to realize how often still, couples get together because of a pregnancy and some obligatory need to tie the noose, er... knot. Greencards, visas, golddiggers with wealthy partners, and people on marriage 2,3 4 or higher. Are these unions those blessed occasions you're talking about? Those are the people who likely don't "deserve" your precious financial benefits and so on that you're trying to deny those who constitutionally deserve it and shouldn't even need to be fighting for it.

The marriage most people are referring to when arguing against homosexual citizens having the same right, is the religious one. That is purely decided by each religion and has no bearing on legal rights, nor should it. If your church sees homosexual citizens of this country as unworthy, undeserving, an abomination or whatever, then fine... continue to be the hate mongering, judgemental hypocrites that your religions preach against being, and don't let them "marry" in your churches. Chances are, the gay and lesbian couples who wish to get married would not choose to do so in your church anyway. They're perfectly fine getting married by a judge or a minister who doesn't discriminate at a place of their choosing, which according to the laws of this country, they have every right to do.

Its about power, pure and simple. Those who have it, or have the perception that they possess it, are unwilling to part with it, even if it's something utterly intangible which in this case, it really seems to be. Who's had the power in the past? White men. Ok sure. Then women demanded what was rightfully theirs. Damn it. Give up a little power. The black people demand what is rightfully theirs. Damn them. More "power and prestige" lost. Was it really? We seem to be surviving with women and black people living in this country and living out their free and equal lives. Yes, life will go on once the law in every state is made to recognize what they already should and are constitutionally bound to, that gay and lesbian citizens, people of this country are not only allowed equal rights and treatment, but they deserve it. Religion has no say in this matter, except perhaps where the religious part of the ceremony takes place and is administered by whom.

Politicians may oppose it outright or say they believe in or support civil unions, because to use the term "gay marriage" is too upsetting and polarizing, because again, it speaks to the religious mind. But that's fine. A civil union from the standpoint of the law, is all marriage is anyway. Call it what you want. This isn't something that is going to go away folks. Citizens of this country who are denied their earned and rightful piece of the pie, will not lie down and stop fighting. Women didn't. Minorities of all types didn't. Why would you expect anyone else to? Consider this, the longer a group is denied what is already theirs, the more anger and frustration builds. Freedoms and rights can be given, no GRANTED, one of two ways, peacefully or by force. Wouldn't one way be easier on all? Don't think a great majority won't be willing to "fight" for what they believe in. It's been done before. Underestimating any group as weak, is a mistake.

Let's get over this debate by going back to the separation of church and state. It's there for a reason and the marriage issue just exemplifies it.

12:09am: Alcohol abuse, boots and the Ultamate shave cream
So some interesting happenings. Let's see, where to begin? Let's go back a bit. Recently, Absolut vodka had an ad outside the U.S. that showed a reworked map of the world, showing over half the U.S. as owned by Mexico. Of course the humorless and overly defensive Americans threw a fit, forcing Absolut to pull the ad. What's really ridiculous is that CNN was interviewing people who were pouring out their bottles of Absolut vodkas. This reminds me when we began our "war on terror", how people upset at France were dumping their expensive french wines down the toilet, eating "freedom fries", etc. Let's face it, the only point you're making by pouring out alcohol you already purchased, is what an immense idiot you are. How many people are really seeing your protest? The company or group of people you're angry at already got your money because you purchased the stuff you're wasting. If you're upset, so what they do in Europe, drink up!

Just quickly... how and why did it get popular for girls to walk around wearing snow boots? Now if you're from Colorado and it's winter, I can accept it. Somehow soccer moms and Vicki Beckham wannabes thought it would be fun to wear them with stretch pants, skirts, sweats and shorts. Furthermore, in LA and here in Vegas. How cold can your feet really get? It's now spring in Vegas and we already hit over 90 degrees. It's not hot ladies, give it a rest. Now I see galoshes in different colors and patterns on the shelves. I know the ice shelves are melting, but I think your feet will stay dry for a while yet.

So I needed shave cream and wanted this time, to get some really good, whippy cream, like the canisters from The Art of Shaving. I had this fair stuff from Target and made the mistake of getting their "Method" brand which pretty much sucks. I mean my poor face hates me for shaving, so I try to show it some love, with good aftershave lotions and a nice little brush to apply the shave cream. Mentioning this, a friend at work has a friend who works at Ulta, so she got me a coupon.

I go to Ulta and it's about 15 minutes before they close. The girls at the counter ask if they can help me find anything and I say "yeah, shave cream". A woman walking by, older than the "girls" at the counter, who I took to be a manager-type, responds with "Not the Gillette type of stuff you're looking for." Now it was Sunday and I was in a tee shirt, cargo shorts and flip flops, but is it really safe to assume I want some drug store shave gel? Why would I go all the way to an Ulta if that's what I was after and sold EVERYWHERE? I was kind of put off by the audacity and poor tact, btu I let it go rather than belittling her in front of her colleagues and customers. It was the sabbath after all.

Then, adding injury to insult, she has this girl walk me over the the shelves where they had all the shave creams, lotions, face soaps and so on, none of which touted itself as being "The best a man can get." I was short on patience, but somehow I bit my tongue and just stood there as she made it excruciatingly obvious that she was utterly unfamiliar with every product on that shelf, because she proceeded to read the label of anything that said "shave cream." Seriously. The bullets of features and benefits, parts of the instructions, as if I were Stevie Wonder needing to know the contents of every box. I do not see a bright future in the world of retail for her.

Guys out there, I settled on some shave cream and after shave, which is awesome! The cream is thick and very pleasant, smells good, feels good, all that. It's called Anthony and a portion of all their proceeds goes to prostate cancer research. That's a plus! So now you know which kind to get and you won't have to worry about asking the Ulta girls for assistance, because you now know what you could be in for.

Incidentally, when someone is obviously, blatantly standing right in the way, I have a new plan. This usually occurs in aisles and lately at the gym a lot, as people stand in the middle of the aisle with equipment on either side, talking, or one stands there talking to the one working on a machine. When you're in the middle of the aisle, that's rude and you know it. I don't think you deserve a "pardon" or "Excuse me." I think we should all just say with a slightly raised voice, "MOVE!" I think eye for an eye in this case is justified. If you do it at the gym however, just make sure you can take whomever you're shouting at, or at least are faster than!

8:13pm: Possessed fans and open eyes
So the first odd thing that happened today, occurred when I was at my parents’ house for dinner. My mom knows to let me know anytime she’s making meatloaf. So we’re hanging out before dinner and my sister calls. She says the range hood fan at the condo isn’t working. At first my dad and I ask "which one", because she is moving into her new house this weekend, unsure of which range hood wasn’t working.

So after establishing the fan at the condo didn’t work (it could just be unplugged... she never cooks so this is probably the first time in over a year of living there, she tried to turn it on), we sat down to dinner. Then, suddenly, the fan started running on my folks’ range hood/microwave without being activated, as we were all three sitting at the table.

Perhaps my sister flipped her switch and through some strange familial osmosis, the fan at my parents’ house came on. That, or my mom accidentally set the fan timer. I think the prior option is much more fascinating.

I thought recently, about doctors. I was just at the eye doctor for my regular yearly eye exam. It seems to me that eye doctors always tell you to protect your eyes from light, wear sunglasses, don’t look in into bright lights, don’t put things in your eyes, etc. So when you go to the eye doctor, what do they do? They put things in your eyes, numb them so they feel heavy then tell you to keep them open... wider, wider, keep it open! Then, they dilate them, making them blurry and super sensitive to light, and shine bright lights into your eyes, over and over again. They blow air at your eye. Are they trying to see if you’ll flinch? I would imagine everyone does! Yay, successful test!

Dentists tell you to not brush too hard, as it will hurt your gums, make them recede. Be good to your gums, gentle, nice. Then you go for a cleaning and they pick at your gums with a steel hook. Generally, there is a bit of blood involved.

When something hurts, you go see a doctor. They feel around, poke, prod and manipulate the area, then ask if it hurts. Wasn’t that why you went in the first place? Sheesh!

Open your eyes next time you go see one of the "practitioners"... well unless of course you’re at the eye doctor. They’ll put your eyes to sleep, THEN want you to keep them open.

11:07pm: Vapolyptus and Phish Food Surf & Turf
So this could be my last post, because the way I have felt the last couple of days, I am convinced I have the bird flu. I can’t even remember where I last ate chicken, so I don’t even know who to blame.

Given my ick-ness, I went to grab my VICKS Vaporub and caught a glimpse of the label. While I was dabbing my finger in to the gooey yet refreshing jelly, I noticed that it expired sometime in 2002. It still felt fairly tingly, so I guess it’s ok. I guess I don’t use it much, which does say something about my health, but says also a lot about my packrat-edness.

So I was at Walgreens getting some more Ricola, Gatorade and a new humidifier and I noticed in the freezer, they had Ben & Jerry’s Phish Food. Not only is that just about my favorite flavor of theirs, but it’s their 10 year anniversary edition. Normally, it’s chocolate ice cream, with carmel and marshmallow swirl and dark chocolate fish. The "Surf and Turf" version also has dark chocolate cows! That’s awesome. I love the folks at that place!

So in addition to the Zicam, lysine, daily multi-vitamins, Airborne and occasional Day or Nyquil, I thought Phish Food would be a nice "last supper" when the bird flu finally claims me.

And yes, I know about the Airborne lawsuit and I was never one of those dumbass people who thought it was a cure for the common cold. All I know is that it has great vitamins and aminos and helps a cold get kicked sooner. It’s fizzy effervescent goodness has always worked pretty well for me, so frivolous lawsuit be damned!

8:45pm: I Should Have Bought the Blue One
So when I was looking at getting a Prius, I found the exact model I wanted, in almost the same color blue as my Mazda was. Kinda of a lapiz metallic blue. Long story short, John Barr won't do "anything" to sell you a car and they wouldn't deal, so I got one from another dealership, but was only available in silver. Silver looks cleaner even when dirty, so that worked.

Trouble is, there are a lot of silver ones on the road. If I want to blend in, I am good. Gold, silver and powder blue are the most popular ones... they're everywhere. So today I go to the gym. I remember where I parked, so walking to the car after the gym, I am also undoing my armband with my iPod and headphones, etc. Once I get to the vicinity, I place my hand on the handle. With "smart key", this will cause a beep and the driver door will unlock. When I put my hand behind the handle, no beep, no click.

I think to myself, "Did I not lock the car when I got here?" So I open the door and I hear "Whoa! Excuse me..." What the darkly tinted windows didn't show me, was a man, sitting in the car. For a split second, I thought, "I just surprised the guy trying to steal my car." We looked at each other for a beat with the look on my face probably much more confused. Then I realized, my car is two cars over and this one, though silver as well, is dirtier than mine... noticeably so. With a "Sorry! There are too many of these in this parking lot.", I backed up and walked away.

Once I got into MY car, I laughed my ass off. Poor guy probably had a quick fear he was being hybrid-jacked. Probably as tense, yet fleeting as my "there's someone in my car" reaction. So as much as I love my Prius, I guess I should have bought the blue one.

8:06pm: Bye Bye Bell Pepper
So Wednesday I go under the knife. I can't wait to get my new breasts!

So kidding. Wednesday, 4 PM I go night night and the doctors remove this cursed, afflicted, stone-filled gallbladder of mine. First surgery of any kind, except my wisdom teeth being extracted, so I suppose I am kind of nervous, but not too much since I am SO anxious to get this painful little bitch out from inside me.

The good thing to come of this, is since I have been on a practically non-fat non-dairy diet, I have been trimming up and I even got to tighten my belt a whole new TIGHTER notch today! Now THAt was exciting, as are the comments from coworkers and clients of my slimmerness. So maybe I can hang on to some of these better eating habits, even once the bell pepper comes out.

5:08pm: Today's News
Well, at first, the biggest news of the day was I finally got scheduled for my gallbladder surgery! A week form tomorrow, that little bitch comes out. Woohoo! Did freak me out a bit when the hospital where it will take place is asking me about religious preferences and whether or not I have a living will, power of attorney, etc. Hope my surgeon has steady hands that day!

So I was all happy and relieved that soon this will all be over and I can get back to feeling good again. However, on the plus side, I am trimming down on this practically non-fat non-dairy diet! I might keep some of those habits! lol

After that news, I start hearing from everywhere about the sudden, unexpected death today of Heath Ledger. Either an accidental overdose or suicide, likely by sleeping pills they found, the entertainment world loses another great talent. Brad Renfro just dies last week, but I can't say that was all too shocking because he had a history of drug issues. We never heard that of Heath, so who knows? What is up with young Hollywood?! You're supposed to be emotional and have issues... that's where the art comes from! Use it in your creativity!! Well, I am not in their position, so I can't say how one should live, but sheesh. Oscar nominated actor. it will be bittersweet seeing The Dark Knight now. Very sad. He has a VERY young child too.

Jonathan Brandis, Bran Renfro, Heath Ledger. Sad losses all, whether they were in a red hot career or off the radar a bit, trying to come back. Why is so much of young Hollywood in such desperate times?

9:46pm: MLK Day thoughts
"A nation that continues year after year to spend more
money on military defense than on programs of social
uplift is approaching spiritual doom."

"Have we not come to such an impasse in the modern
world that we must love our enemies - or else? The
chain reaction of evil - hate begetting hate, wars
producing more wars - must be broken, or else we shall
be plunged into the dark abyss of annihilation."

"History will have to record that the greatest tragedy
of this period of social transition was not the
strident clamor of the bad people, but the appalling
silence of the good people."

"In the End, we will remember not the words of our
enemies, but the silence of our friends."

"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice
everywhere."

"Never forget that everything Hitler did in Germany
was legal."

"The means by which we live have outdistanced the ends
for which we live. Our scientific power has outrun our
spiritual power. We have guided missiles and misguided
men."

"Rarely do we find men who willingly engage in hard,
solid thinking. There is an almost universal quest for
easy answers and half-baked solutions. Nothing pains
some people more than having to think."

"The past is prophetic in that it asserts loudly that
wars are poor chisels for carving out peaceful
tomorrows."

"We may have all come on different ships, but we're in
the same boat now."

"We must learn to live together as brothers or perish
together as fools."

One man said all these things that as you can see,
still old true and are relevant now. We should think
on them this Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

9:12pm: Annoying Strepto-caucus
So I went to caucus on Saturday. I arrived at Opportunity Village at just after 11:00 AM and got in the big line. A lady with a clipboard asked my zip code and once answered, informed me that my line was "over there", which was alright by me because it was shorter.

After some playful banter about the barrage of phone calls from all the candidates' parties, we got signed in, got our ballots and were lack-of-directed in to sit down. I sat in the middle area. It quickly became apparent that the crowd to my left were Obama supporters, separated slightly by a narrow column of undecided/Kucinich supporters. I was in the Edwards section, which was OK, because I had planned to caucus for him anyway. To my right then, were the Hillary people. As I wasn't, it became obvious that no one was told where to sit, so people were asking and moving around. Already some of the Obama and Clinton people were mingling, trying to get people to their camp. Flimsy arguments though. The two black ladies who were for Hillary's campaign simply said "We need a woman, give us a chance and see what us women can do!" The Obama people just kept mumbling something about change.

So some exuberant fellow with a rubber mallet, thumped it down on a table to get everyone organized. He said we would start a bit late, so ensure all the people in line could get signed in and sat. Once that was done, he asked for volunteers, two each to stand at the door and make sure no one else came in. I was not in a caucus-bouncer mood, so my hand remained in my lap. We then got into how momentous it was, how great it was we were all there and he called in, putting his cell phone on speaker, as if any of us would be able to hear. It was a recording so very anti-climactic.

He then read a latter from Harry Reid, praising us for participating. They then read the agenda/rules and process. Then they had a letter from Clinton, which a Clinton supporter read somewhat audibly from her place. Then an Edwards letter read by a somewhat louder fellow in a pink shirt and leather biker's vest who smelled of cigarettes. Then a letter form Kucinich, read by his one supporter on my side of the room (the other precinct was across the tables, facing all of us in my precinct). Then an Obama supporter read his letter. Thank God everyone else had dropped out!

More talking. Not much happening. I noticed Nate Tannenbaum was in the other precinct, sitting across and slightly to the side of me, in the undecided section. He seemed bemused to be there, all wide eyes and smiles. The chairman kept walking up and down between the tables partitioning the room and when he faced the other side, ours couldn't hear and vice versa. We told him to stay put at the front and talk directly down the center, but he did that for about five minutes before resuming his prance back and forth.

Eventually, he made an announcement that since it was about quarter after 12:00, some people had said they needed to leave. He instructed those who needed to leave to fill in their ballots (both sides, regardless of if you were changing your alignment) and to turn them in. Then they could go and would be counted. Naturally since we had all been ther about an hour, 3/4 of the room got up, turned in their ballots and left. During this, the lady who was the second in command, vice chairperson or whatever, looked panicked. She went to the guy, they talked and apparently she then went and called the Nevada Democratic party. The party said that because the caucus is a headcount, the people had to be present and be counted for their votes to count and that due to the rules, they would not be counted. The room erupted.

The Clinton and Obama campaign reps were outraged and the rest of us were in agreement that they let all those people leave under incorrect pretense. To think, I had almost left as well! The citizens argued, the chairpeople argued. He pounded his rubber gavel more. He did eventually say he was taking full responsibility for telling those people to leave and that their votes would be counted. The other chair person and a fair number of people in the room disagreed and said the rules were the rules. The second chair lady made a comment about people being responsible to know how it worked, when she and her partner were supposed to be the ones guiding us. The room argued back and forth, sometimes orderly, sometimes not. Ultimately it was decide that we would proceed doing it the way outlined in the rules and the people who left would have their ballots kept and counted as a separate number just in case it went to the courts or whatever. At this point people were standing up, recording the mayhem on their cell phones and digital cameras. If not a record for legal purposes, I am sure it would make great youtube fodder.

The bulk of the following arguments were people missing what he said, because he again kept walking around speaking to only half the room at any given time. A woman next to me missed what was said, then I got the unappreciative glare from the nimrod running the show, as if I interrupted his chaos. I explained I had to repeat what he said because as we mentioned earlier, no one could hear everything, so I again asked him to stay at the front and speak down the middle.

Then at around 1:15 or 1:30 we sat and were counted in our sections. Edwards needed 6 people to be a viable candidate in our room and we only had five. I am sure we would have had more, but those people left, as did large portions of the two other large camps and a remarkable number of undecideds. As I had planned to do,in case Edwards didn't make it, I readied myself to move to the HIllary side, when the chairman started wrapping up. Those of us in the Edwards and undecided/Kucinich sections needed to realign and interrupted him. He then seemed confused why we thought that was the first count. Silly us, that was the first time we counted and tallied up anything! What were we thinking? He then asked us to raise our hands if we thought that was the first count. EVERYONE in the gym raised their hands.

We then realigned and were counted again. Hillary won our precinct and I somehow became a delegate for the county convention, which excited smoky motorcycle man, because he was also a delegate and planned to go supporting Edwards, even though we were technically delegates for Clinton. I had almost exercised my "freedom and liberty" to move for removal of him as the head guy, but didn't. I put that in quotes because when explaining his enormous mistake in letting pople leave before we had the counts, he kept repeating "they exercised their freedom and liberty to leave early," as if that made it all OK.

My friend who was waiting for me to finish to get lunch and hang out was texting me that CNN was calling it for Hillary while we were still in our first count. My other friends called. My mom called. All getting the same "I am still at the goddamn caucus" reply. I left there shortly after 2:00 PM, hungry and thoroughly annoyed. I wouldn't be surprised if they threw our entire precinct out. It was truly, a disaster of tragic greek proportions.

Harry Reid, thanks for the opportunity, but we need to have primaries from now on. This old town hall style caucus just doesn't work. Most people don't understand it and that's a problem when those are the people running the show. My caucus was at Opportunity Village. Perhaps they shouldn't recruit from the student body? Ok, that may be a bit out of line, but it was ridiculous! The Mormons... I mean, the Romney supporters were in and out and had the totals by the time our caucus started. I praise the Democrats for letting us sleep in, but sheesh!

9:14pm: Stoned Bell Pepper
So I had been having this problem. I have always had stomach issues, nervous stomach, whatever. Sometimes I am fine and can eat anything. Sometimes I eat a saltine and feel horrible. I think the first truly horrible episode was after the AIDS Walk this past April. I had really horrendous stomach pain for hours that night and I figured maybe I had food poisoning. It subsides on its own, which was good because NOTHING I did helped one bit.

A few weeks later, the night before my Mom's birthday, it happened again. I thought it was unlikely for food poisoning to strike again so soon. Now I thought perhaps it was stress, because it can build up on me. Years ago, I had issues with really excruciating abdominal pain and they never found anything wrong. I chalked it up, eventually, to stress, tried to chill out and it stopped happening. Only once in a great while did it happen, so I again, attributed it to stress.

It happened sporadically a few more times after spring. Then on my Mom's birthday, December 18th, I was awoken with a nagging pain, which I thought was indigestion. It progressed steadily worse, until I was writhing around in pain for a few hours. I tried to relax, nothing worked. Two days later on Thursday, it happens again. Wakes me up from a dead sleep, hurts for a couple hours, then stops. By now, I am thinking maybe it's my gallbladder, so I do some online research and talk to some people who have had stones and their gallbladders removed. The symptoms seem to mostly match up, as does the location of the most severe pain and tenderness. Trouble is, now we're into the holidays and my doctor is on vacation, as apparently, are all the doctors. I thought, if an attack happens, I will just go to the ER.

New Year's Eve comes and a few of my friends and I are discussing it. One friend misheard the other say "trouble with your gallbladder" and thought she said "trouble with your bell pepper." That made for some hilarity throughout an already drunken and ridiculous night. Of course, I didn't think, but after a brief bout of nausea from way too much wine and champagne and not enough water, the bell pepper kicks in. Yay, a few hours, post slight hangover, of sheer misery!

So I went to the doctor yesterday, they did blood and urine and sent me this morning for an ultrasound. I was right on with the diagnosis, because apparently my bell pepper is full of seeds. Ew. That is starting not to work for me. Would it be better to say my gallbladder is a maxed out storage facility for stones? More technically, little crystals of cholesterol and fats have congealed with bile sludge to form rocks inside my gallbladder, which block the flow of bile into my digestive system?

So anyway, I will be having laproscopic surgery soon to remove the gallbladder and let me tell you, it can't happen soon enough. It's really intensely painful when it acts up. So I am to eat a very lowfat diet until that happens, so maybe I'll develop better eating habits in the meantime and more good will come out of this than the removal of an essentially useless, malfunctioning organ (one we can do without anyway). Watch, next time you are at a salad bar or a mexican restaurant, you'll think for a second before noshing on that bell pepper! Glad I could help.

Want a laugh? Check out my videos on myspace and videos of New Year's Eve on youtube at schmingus24 or lisadawn24. Good drunken stuff. There is language, so if you're easily offended... don't fucking watch the goddamn videos.

8:17pm: Grime & Gore
So I have the Science Channel, the National Geographic Channel, I have seen "An Inconvenient Truth" and I am a huge fan of the car. I love classics and have always wanted a DeLorean. I love speed, power and style. I have owned a Camaro, a Firebird and a Mazda 6, so name the sportier cars. If I had the money, I'd likely be one of those people with a fleet of various cars, because I LOVE them.

I also love life. I love the simple pleasures of the natural beauty of our planet. I love being able to see for miles and miles. I love being able to breathe, albeit with allergies. I love the symbiosis of all the creatures and how the cycle of life has a delicate harmony and balance. I am really not an environmentalist, nor am I any type of activist. It doesn't take an activist to know that we are quickly heading towards a catastrophic series of events that will change life as we know it, and potentially, our planet, for what could be a very long time.

I work in sales and my job requires me to drive a lot. Selling, servicing current clients, it all means I drive a lot of miles. One thing that prompted me to take some more responsibility, was to get better gas mileage. I also wanted to do my part and in doing so, hopefully motivate others to consider what they might do to help in the fight against global warming and pollution.

Humans evolve, we get smarter. Though certain aspects of life and certain beliefs draw us back to the primal need to fight and kill and hate and basic traits like greed keep our focus on other things far from the betterment of humanity, we tend to make enormous strides in technological terms. It is incontrovertible, that the planet is in serious danger and it's our fault. We have, as the top of the food chain with our ability to industrialize, upset the delicate balance of nature and life on this planet. Yes, earth has cycles, droughts, rainy seasons, and ice ages. Climate shifts do happen and they change every aspect of existence on earth. Should we be responsible for forcing such a cataclysmic change in the climate? Should we be responsible for wiping out species of other living things? Should we really flood our coastal cities and change the face of the planet for the worst?

Consider some simple change you can make in your own life that all work toward the larger goal of slowing down global warming. Invest in technologies that use less energy and promote greener living. Change your light bulbs, if you're in the market for new appliances or electronics, buy energy-saving ones. If you're in the market for a car, buy a hybrid. We only have this one planet. Do we want to rely on making other planets or life in space a habitable one, or would we rather stay home? Think about it? Halloween is approaching. I just bought a ton of horror films on sale at Best Buy today. Of all that horror, perhaps the most terrifying thing I have seen in a long time, is the current state of things and how quickly we are headed for a very different life on this planet and likely a much shorter one.

Again, I LOVE cars and I just bought a Toyota Prius and couldn't be more excited. It's style is bold, but then it SHOULD drive attention to it. People should say, "look, there's one of those hybrids" and then have all their reservations or preconceptions changed. They are not slow, they are not weak and they are not so dramatically different, that they deter people from considering them. You can get them with leather, 6 CD changer with 9 speakers, navigation, hands-free Bluetooth phone right form the console, tons of space and 40+ MPG if you use it properly. They emit 70% less smog forming emissions into the atmosphere. If more people buy hybrids, the automakers will see what's in demand and move their focus in the right direction. We have to rethink the way we do things before any change can be made.

Do what you can. As little or as much as you can offer, everything affects change. Let's evolve.

11:36pm: Hybrids Across the Universe
So I went this weekend, to check out the popular hybrids, to get more information and such. I drove the Toyota Prius (pictured on the right) and the Honda Civic Hybrid (pictured on the left).



The Prius is awesome, I gotta say. Just as peppy as my V6 Mazda 6, but silent, vibration free and it's so bizarre, because most of the time, it isn't "on" and feels like te car has stalled. It's AMAZING stuff and fun to drive and TONS of room in the front and back seats.

The Civic was nice, a bit sleeker, but still, a basic Civic at much-higher-than-Civic prices. The transitions between electric and gas motors was more noticeable and I felt at first like I still liked it better, but perhaps that's because it's more like the cars I am used to, whereas the Prius is a VERY different car, inside and out. Drivers of the Civic are wanting a Civic, with hybrid technology, but not to stick out. Drivers of a Prius are saying, this car IS different, look at it, you SHOULD be driving one... this is the future.

Being that I work practically out of my car and drive a ton of miles every month, this is VERY tempting. Then again, 18 more payments and I will own my Mazda, but it is need of some stuff that I am not jazzed about paying for and it's about $40 every 5 to 7 days for a tank of gas.

On another more melodic note, saw "Across the Universe" today. Disappointing. Good cast, good singing and all that but the first 1/3 is a regular movie musical, already trying desperately to wrap a film story around the Beatles' music. The odd thing is, abruptly and really for no reason, they switch and then become a psychedelic, lets-play-with-the-camera-settings-and-editing-equipment "The Who's Tommy" kind of thing with some cool visuals and concepts, but overall, extremely incongruous.

It had ways in which it could have been really good. Perhaps if they weren't so obvious about their efforts to fit these songs into a storyline somehow and without naming most of the main characters according to them coming up in songs at some point. They maybe should have chosen one way to go and committed to it 100%. Now I can see where in the film, the regular stuff fits, then when they begin to get more free and experimental and exploratory in their lives, the style follows them, but it just was kind of jarring and confusing. Even when the more creative and interesting things come into play, they're still seemingly there to say "look what we're trying to do here. We're experimenting and playing with visuals and ideas." The comedic genius of Eddie Izzard was wasted. Salma Hayek has the smallest, strangest cameo ever. They did get most of my favorite sings in there, but leave it to the black folks singing one, for the songs to have much difference than a basic cover version, with some "special sauce" added.

Check it out if you want, but I'd wait for DVD if so. Some people seemed to like it, but then again, some people need to be spoon fed their metaphors and entertainment.

10:13pm: Sound it Out
So I was walking through the gym this evening, having just climbed the stairs, walking around the cardio area, to find an elliptical machine. I thought for a moment, that I was having a "What Women Want" moment, with the sudden mumbling voice of a woman in my ear. Just as I looked around, I realized that I was not suddenly struck with the power to hear women's thoughts. Instead, I noticed a petite little woman, a sprite-like woman really, probably due to her Julia-Roberts-as-Tinkerbell short hair, walking in a stepping machine, reading her book to herself out loud.

It took me back a bit. Remember that one kid in class who read out loud, under his or her breath? Yeah, kind of annoying. It's no surprise the machines immediately to her side were empty. Well, maybe I am being harsh. Maybe she is learning english and it helps her to sound out the words. Here I am being critical and she's just trying to make a better life for herself in a land that her people actually probably had anyway years back, but that the U.S. decided was theirs now. I am such a bastard. How dare I? I should have hopped on the machine next to her and offered to read along to help her out. That would have been the noble thing to do, especially since I don't particularly care for those machines. Working out is about sacrifice right?

Weird thing is, at the gym you always have those people doing weird squat-walks and other routines that the person's trainer put him or her on, not so much to trim down, but I think just to make them look ridiculous. Imagine the trainers standing by the juice bar, snickering amongst themselves with phrases like, "Look! She's doing it. I can't believe she actually took me seriously and is doing that, right there, in front of everyone! Wow!"

That's normal though, to see people doing weird workouts or using a machine utterly incorrectly, or making odd noises. But the people I encounter go well beyond this "normal" gym stuff. I can't complain though, it's just another bit of incentive to keep me going back!

10:22pm: Amish Gym Guy
So this evening, I returned to the gym after a day off due to a really sore knee. I think I overextended it or something. Anyway, I get there and the usual people, walking around, doing exercises, same old. I think it was some point after I got off the elliptical machine, that I encountered today's special moment.

Generally, I go into the restroom to wash my hands, then rinse off my face after spending 20 minutes sweating and holding the handles. As I was walking toward the restroom, a guy came out, probably somewhere between 19 and 26 years of age, carrying a book and a towel. He was dressed in a button down shirt and khaki-type pants. I figured maybe he was interested in joining and on a tour of the facility, but the towel in his hand then confused me. This guy, sort of a Poindexter in glasses, the type of button up shirt a teacher or junior detective might wear to "class it up" and those tan not jeans/not slacks.

My confusion grew later on, when doing my arm and leg regimen. He was seated a few machines down and across from me, neatly folded and apparently unused towel in his lap, with what looked like one of those "hero slaying dragons" or other sci-fi type of drama, paperback novel sitting neatly atop it. There they both rested on his knees, while he did some of the most spastic and odd looking arm curls I have ever witnessed.

I was confounded. Maybe he's a new member and doesn't yet own any workout attire. Maybe he just came form a job interview and was here to work off stress. Maybe he had an interview after and liked to impress the would-be boss with his natural essences and musty aura. Maybe he is horribly scarred all over his body and is timid about showing his skin in public. Perhaps he thought more clothing would build up a better sweat (and apparently catch it too, as his towel looked virtually unused, but then again, maybe he folded it neatly after every wipe of the brow.) Maybe he's from a culture or religion in which men do not wear shorts or t-shirts. The possibilities are multitudinal.

I would have asked him, but I did not want to upset his delicate apparel sensibilities, nor is what I am sure are, fragile feelings. Perhaps if I had asked what book he was reading, I could have broken the ice and gotten some more clues. Then again, with the Dahmer-like glasses and uber-preppy style with which he chose to exercise in, perhaps it's best I left him alone.

If I do see him there again, I'll be anxious to witness what kind of ensemble he comes up with next. Whatever the case, it made me ponder some interesting points. You never really know someone by his or her appearance, truly. He could be the next Stephen Hawking. Then again, he could be the next person I encounter at the DMV when renewing my license. Maybe he is a candidate for the Best buy Geek Squad, but hasn't yet reached the level at which they bestow you with a tie. Time will tell.

9:42pm: Karmic Umbrella
So my friend's mom, as a perk to her job, got a bunch of CDs sent to her and they gave me a bunch of them. Among these CDs, was Rhianna. I recall liking it ok, but I'd enjoy "Umbrella" much more without the annoying "ella ella ella ella" nonsense.

The other day, I was at a Chevron near me, filling up the seemingly always empty tank, and in the SUV next to me, I hear some girl singing the chorus, I think with her mother backing... "Umbrella ella ella ella..." I kind of laughed, then realized the first time I heard this song, on the CD, I was also at that same Chevron, filling up the tank.

It seems I cannot escape Rhianna and her resounding "ella's" when I need any type of petroleum products. Maybe by the time I need another oil change, it will have evolved to her new single.

Anyway, listen to James Blunt- "I'll Take Everything" and Darren Hayes- "Sing To Me" and "A Conversation with God". I am listening to those in VERY heavy rotation. Good songs in my estimation. Ciao

8:37pm: Washed Up


Ok, let's discuss something here. Washing your hands. If you go to a public fitness facility, wash your hands after using anything with handles, especially before you touch your mouth or anything that could touch your mouth.

Ok, I didn't call it a gym, because a gymnasium was the place old guys in Greece got together to discuss philosophy. Not much tae bo going on at those. Can you imagine old pasty guys kicking up their legs in togas?

So yeah, if you work out somewhere public, keep this in mind. We all know things lots of people touch are prone to germs, but it got worse today. I was in the bathroom, washing my hands and rinsing off my face. This has happened a few times before, but I was grossed out by it and then forgot about it. This time, two... not one, TWO guys came in, pissed at the urinal, then walked out. Just think next time you're gripping the handles of an elliptical or bicep machine, essentially, you could well be holding some guy's cock.

Come on people. Ew! I mean have some courtesy toward others. Most pople don't wash their hands every single time, let's face it. And I don't think it's all horrible, because I for one, don't normally pee on my hands. But when you're going to be shaking hands with others, sharing food or sharing some commonly handled things like a railing, bannister or something, then wash your hands!

I am not a hand sanitizer freak like some, because if we don't come into contact with a fair amount of germs on a regular basis, our immune systems can't handle things and go to hell. But given this new scenario, perhaps it wouldn't hurt to keep a little bottle with you when you work out. There should be room if you're a gym freak, because you know you wear that studly fanny pack!

8:42pm: Flipped a bitch!!
Two things that made today weird...

One. I had an industry association lunch meeting at the Tuscany Hotel and getting there from our offices, I take the big loop, then through the airport tunnel, onto Swenson and so on. After merging onto the tunnel road, a ways before we reached the tunnel entrance, the SU in front of me slowed down. At first it looked like a car full of lost, gawking tourists, but then EVERYONE slowed down quickly to a stop. The right two lanes pulled over toward the shoulder and the car in front of me stopped. I looked in my rear-view mirror to scope an emergency vehicle. Nothing. Then the SUV in front of me moves aside and I see, in front of it, a white Scion car, upside down on its roof. What's more, I see someone squirming around inside the cabin. This was an odd scene and as I watched in shock, the girl in the car got out through the door or window (not sure which) and walked to the landscaped area on the side, hovered a minute then sat down. She looked totally alright, albeit freaked out.

Looking at the scene, I cannot figure out how she lipped the car over. There didn't appear to be any other vehicles involved and the marks on the ground started form my lane, the leftmost side. My guess is, she was going too fast, over-corrected or something, or perhaps blew a tire or was just putting on makeup and lost control. Whatever the case, she rolled the car! Very luck she didn't appear harmed and no one else was involved. That could have created a major pileup with me in it!

So many people had stopped and one lady got out and walked up to her, so I figured I may as well start the flow of traffic again, because NO ONE was getting by. Plus, I had a meeting to get to! Get the subject/title of this blog now? hehehe

Two. Perhaps it's from watching the entire third season of "The Office" over the weekend, but I had a strange dream that B.J. Novak, who plays the temp-turned-employee Ryan, was being flirty with an ex in my house, which wasn't anywhere I have ever lived. It pissed me off. Just odd. Was I in fact jealous, or just upset that I wasn't in my own place in the dream? Hmmm. Any psychology majors want to interpret that one? Ah, don't bother. I probably don't want to know.

4:06pm: The Sky was Falling
On Monday the 27th, after a night-long thunder storm, I walked down the hall the next morning to hear a dripping inside. I noticed a large bubble in the paint in the second bedroom to the right of the bed and the dripping was landing on the bed, soaking the comforter, throw pillows, pretty much everything, as it turns out. Carpet was damp and the mattress was soaked through to the box spring. I tore a hole in the paint and poked a hole in the drywall, moving the bed against the wall and placing a bucket under the stream of water from the ceiling and went to work.




Because the ceiling fan had filled with water (see above light globe), I asked my friend James, who installed it, to come help me take it down. When I met him at my place, we both walked in and found the situation to have, well... worsened. Here's what we saw.






The ceiling, right over where I had moved the bed, collapsed. The already drenched bed and carpet were now covered in sheets of paint, drywall and chunks of insulation that all smelled like wet dog ass.

I called the HOA, because they had redone the roofs a few years back I heard, so they were to send out the construction company who did that work. In the meantime, I dragged the bedding, mattress and box spring all down to the trash. Thus losing the comforter, throw pillows, bed skirt, pillows and my 1000tc sheets. Mattresses are heavy and awkward anyway, but try trudging outside and downstairs with one full of water!

The company came, pulled the carpet pad, did a quick shampoo of the carpet, cut away the majority of the ceiling and parts of the walls and put a dehumidifier and a blower to dry up the room. That's where we are at now, pending more info from them. They are saying records show my building alone, had the roof redone by another company, but I can always just file a claim through my homeowner's insurance too. So now I have a room that's hot, stinky and in which I can look up to insulation, framing and the roof of the builing. Good times!

5:28pm: All about size?
Is it possible, that some warehouse stores are getting too big? For a while now, Costco and my regular place of bulk shopping, Sam's Club, were the large warehouse stores. Smart & Final was smaller, so I am not saying they don't count... just not in this example.

Now they have like these ultra mega Wal-Marts like the one I stopped at a bit ago. I needed some beach towels for a gift a client needs for work. This Wal-Mart is massive with full department store areas, full grocery store, full media store and oh yes, the regular Wal-Mart all wrapped into one.

I never really go in there, so I was lost. I asked a girl working in the toy section (where I ended up trying to scope out the linen section), where I could find a beach towel. For a moment, she just kind of looked at me. Then, we took off on a journey. Some other employee stopped her and they talked about her or his training, I'm not sure which. All I know is that it had nothing to do with me or my needed beach towel, so that made me a bit annoyed. We then took off and while at first, I thought she was looking for someone related to that section to ask, but I soon came to the conclusion that she was just snaking through aisles hoping to see where they might be. Mind you, this is what I had been doing myself before I FOUND SOMEONE TO HELP ME!

So we ended up in the bathroom/home section and I happened upon a bath towel that would suffice. Perhaps she was new, but I don't really blame her or anyone for not being familiar with where everything is. How could anyone possibly know every aisle of a store that big? They have some large signs directing you to certain types of areas, but I am sure everyone has had more than one instance of looking for something, finding it to be shelved in the oddest of places, thinking to yourself, "Why is this here? I'd have NEVER thought to look in this section for this particular item." Maybe as we and technology evolve, they'll replace the octogenarian greeters with a computer that scans your eyes, sees what you're after and sends you to the exact aisle where it lies. It would save time.

As it is now, I am more OK with making two or three stops to get all I need, because at least I know where the stuff is in those other places and it would probably still take less time. So do we pity the employees working in a store that has the same square footage as the Great Pyramid at Giza? Do we recommend not needing quite such large stores? Or is it that I am alone in this and everyone else frequents them enough to be familiar with them? I'd find that one hard to believe, since even the employees are rather clueless and who can really blame them?

9:53pm: Gnosis
I am not sure if I have ranted about this before, but I feel like doing it now, so enjoy again or for the first time.

Something ridiculous has happened in our current lexicon of english language. Gnosis is the greek word or knowledge. In english, it has come to mean direct, experiential knowledge of the supernatural or divine. Enlightened. Contextually, in ancient Greece, it meant the knowledge to influence or control, or indicated ones aptitude in a political sense. Higher intelligence akin to talent.

It is pronounced "no-sis". Simple. Right? Unfortunately, not so.

The "gnostics", who in many cases were early Christians, were called that because it was a matter of self-acquaintance, the goal being enlightenment. This gave a direct knowledge of God through awareness of the divine spark within all beings. Essentially, it means "insight." Intuitive knowledge. Privy to knowledge of the heart. Things of that nature. Those who know the truth, according to what their belief system is.

Now we come to the issue I have. The term "agnostic." Firstly, the pronunciation. Why, if the word is "gnosis" in which we do not pronounce the "g", do we say "aG-nostic?"

The second issue, perhaps due to people's own misconceptions about the meaning of the word or what it entails, is the loose definition of it. Most people say they are agnostic if they don't really believe in any god or gods, but aren't quite sure to the point of being an atheist. Fence-sitters if you will. The word, as defined in 1869 by Thomas Henry Huxley, paraphrased, means the belief or idea that humans cannot possibly fully comprehend or obtain absolute certainty, anything in the nature of a divine entity or power, because of our own limited exerperiences. The nature and attributes of god are beyond the grasp of our finite and limited minds. Yet, many religions have very agnostic ideas. Catholicism for example, know they they can never fully comprehend what they believe in, hence the mystery of faith and so on. It's that lack of understanding that makes the faith even stronger in those cases. Wikipedia mentions various types of agnosticism:

Strong agnosticism (also called hard agnosticism, closed agnosticism, strict agnosticism, absolute agnosticism)—the view that the question of the existence or nonexistence of God or gods and the nature of ultimate reality is unknowable by reason of our natural inability to verify any experience with anything but another subjective experience. A strong agnostic would say "I don't know, and neither do you."

Weak agnosticism (also called mild agnosticism, soft agnosticism, open agnosticism, empirical agnosticism, temporal agnosticism)—the view that the existence or nonexistence of God or gods is currently unknown but is not necessarily unknowable, therefore one will withhold judgment until/if more evidence is available. A weak agnostic would say "I don't know, but maybe you do."

Apathetic agnosticism—the view that there is no proof of either the existence or nonexistence of God or gods, but since any God or gods that may exist appear unconcerned for the universe or the welfare of its inhabitants, the question is largely academic anyway.

Ignosticism—the view that a coherent definition of "God" must be put forward before the question of the existence of God can be meaningfully discussed. If the chosen definition is not coherent, the ignostic holds the noncognitivist view that the existence of God is meaningless. It should be noted that A.J. Ayer, Theodore Drange and other philosophers see both atheism and agnosticism as incompatible with ignosticism, on the grounds that they accept "God exists" as a meaningful proposition which can be argued for or against.

Model agnosticism—the view that philosophical and metaphysical questions are not ultimately verifiable but that a model of malleable assumption should be built upon rational thought. This branch of agnosticism does not focus on a deity's existence.

Agnostic theism (also called religious agnosticism)—the view of those who do not claim to know existence of God or gods, but still believe in such an existence.

Agnostic atheism—the view of those who do not know of the existence or nonexistence of God or gods, and do not believe in them.

See people? It's a bit more complicated and far more varied than people treat it. If someone is asexual, they exhibit no desire for sex and find it unappealing. They want nothing to do with it. The way people treat agnosticism, is kind of that way. "I want nothing to do with it." Want nothing to do with knowledge?

People who have not chosen a faith, but have not really educated themselves on the different options can hardly call themselves agnostic. People who play the role of "waiting to see" can't really either, in my estimation.

Going back to the simplest most original form of the word, meaning "knowledge"... perhaps those who use the term agnostic as a definition of their beliefs or as a title could use some gnosis.

8:12pm: She She means spanks... I mean "thanks"
So I had myself a nice little four-day weekend and today was the last day of it. I was sitting, reading... yes, reading! Those who know me well know that I do NOT pleasure read, but I was so bored the other day, I picked up my friend's copy of HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERER'S STONE and am almost done now. I know it's a Scholastic book for kids... but hey, I am reading!

Anyway, I thought to myself, what should I do? And it came to me, either by pure inspiration or the nagging pain in my shoulders and lower left back... get a massage. So I went online and looked at a few places and I gound Good Hands massage, in Chinatown at Spring Mountain and Valley View. They had an internet special for $99 for a two hour, full body swedish massage and body butter scrub. I called and they said come at 4.

So I arrive and they're ready for me right away. It seems to be operated by a little Chinese family and eastern medicine has proven skills with massage, so I was like "yes." So I pay up front and the lady asked me if I had a preference of a male or female doing the massage. I did have a sudden flash of panic for being offered a "happy time, big finish", but it was all legit. Since my back is bothering me, I told her to give me whoever had the strongest hands and most skill. The little old guy came out and felt my spine and shoulders and said he'd do it. She then told me I could do deep tissue in place of the body butter. My body certainly doesn't need anymore butter, so that sounded good to me.

I guess I had never really had deep tissue before, because at various times, with direct pressure on certain areas, it was rather painful, but in a great pain sensation, stubbing-your-toe kind of way. I guess that makes the after-part even better. Plus, I know I had a lot to workout.

I never really know at those things, if you're supposed to keep undies on or just go nudie... so I kept my boxer briefs on. He does do your lower back and areas of your "gluteus", so I guess you should be nude, but oh well. He did a nice job and I was a complete noodle by the time that part was done. At the end he did this rhythmic slapping up and down the body. Yes, I got spanked by a little old chinese man.

So after that, I got dressed and directed into another room with about 6 big cushy easy chairs with ottomans. Not turks, it was a chinese massage parlor... those foot stools, just to be clear. He brought in a rectangular bucket with a plastic bag in it, filled with some kind of warmed liquid. It was kind of yellow. I tried to convince myself it was some herbal blend and not urine, but it didn't smell so I think I was OK.

I soaked a bit, then he came and did some kind of reflexology foot work. I was so comfy, I was really kind of drifting in and out of sleep throughoug, so I can't really tell you what al he did, but it was nice. At the end, I got another rhythmic "tap-down" from thigh to bottom of foot, but this time, with a mallet of sorts. Picture a large BBQ fork with a racquetball skewered at the end.

So harkening back to my time in China, I said "she she (shay shay)" which means thank you, tipped him and was on my way. I would recommend this place, they seem to have reasonable rates and do a good job. It was odd to be able to get a swedish massage from a chinese masseur, but whatever. That's all for now. Gotta finish Harry Potter. Dzai jen.

11:45pm: Mamma Mia and Damnit Rooney!!
So my friend Lisa's cousin Toni was in town this wekend and today her, her uncle Paul and I went to the Stratosphere to ride the two rides. The one, I think it's called Extreme, I had been on before, but Insanity was new. It was alright, but kind of like being flung around in the air with a giant blowdryer on you. Gets you a bit dizzy, but it was alright. They take your picture on the rides and her uncle Paul looked like he was going to cry on Extreme. That my friends, is awesome! lol There is photographic proof how terrified he was.

So after an afternoon of relaxing and de-queasing, we went to Del Taco (they don't have them in Toni's hometown in Ohio), then she and I sent to see "Mamma Mia", compliments of her aunt Peggy. It was fun. I don't know that I'd ever pay $110 to see it and that was always the deterrent even when good friends of mine were in the cast. I mean, I don't like ABBA music THAT much. And having gone to school with those folks, I had seen what they can do. Still, would have been nice to have seen them in those roles, but alas.

One thing I can say is that they need updated cast photos. There are SO many cast members using obiously outdated photos! The guy who plays Sky is by no means old or unattractive, but his photo looks like my headshot when I was 17. If you see it soon or have recently seen it, I am certain you can attest to the fact that a great many of the cast are using very old headshots. I mean, we see you on stage, duh! They're not just slightly outdated by a few years either... were talking remarkable differences. I kow actors revel in make-believe, but give ma a damn break!

P.S. Rooney has a new album out tomorrow the 17th. Get it. Theyre awesome. You can probably score their first record for like $9 at Best Buy or Target and the new one I bet will be great too. It's ben a long time coming. THey'll be at the Pearl inside the Palms on the 28th. Who wants to go???

Incidentally, the reference in the title of this blog, is from "Ferris Bueller's Day Off", in case you're wondering.

11:43pm: Waiting for the Doctor
A few of us in the office were discussing... well a couple of co-workers were and I was just eavesdropping because my desk is right there... the wait at a doctor's office. How some people get irate about waiting for long periods and it seems like the later in the afternoon you go for an "appointment", the longer the delays. I use the word "appointment" loosely, because is it really an alotted time if you sign in at 2:30 PM and you're face to face with a doctor at about 4 PM?

One theory I have is that general practitioners have so many maladies coming through their doors, they're never quite sure, so the delays come from the following. So you finally get called back and the sadist of a nurse weighs you... ugh. The nurse then takes all your vitals, then asks you what brought you in today. You go through your entire spiel, she takes a note in your file or two, then exodus. Then another round of waiting.

The doctor comes in, has your file in front of him, yet still asks you to repeat everything that "brought you in today." Maybe the nurse was just rehearsing us? So you tell the doctor, he or she gives you a couple of "could be's" and a bad doctor will prescribe antibiotics to "clear it up", regardless of what's wrong. A medoicre doctor will admit not being sure. A good doctor will tap you somewhere and make it all better instantly. Ok maybe not. But then the doctor scribbles a few notes and what usually happens is, he or she disappears. Generally to dictate, but could he or she perhaps be googling your condition or on webmd entering your symptoms? Do doctors have special areas and passwords for diagnoses? Whatever it is, it takes a really long time while we wait in ou little room with a four month old issue of Highlights or Modern Woman. It's read those or all the drug and possible reaction info on every poster, box of tissue, rolling paper on the bed, cannister, box of gloves and clock in the room. The drug companies scare me. Then, the door opens, the nurse hands you some hieroglyphs on a little piece of paper and directs you to the counter to pay. Maybe you see the doctor again, maybe you don't. It's an odd system.

Maybe the reason they keep you there so long, is in hopes that you'll end up catching something the other people are in there for and you'll be back soon. Really. havn't you sat for an eternity in the waiting room, with people all around you and the minute someone clears their throat, you think you're going to end up with tuberculosis or the bird flu? You breathe more shallow. You shift in your seat or get up and move altogether. And why not? We could be made to wait, simply being passively infected so the practice has return business. Makes you wonder. Well, it makes me wonder. You may think I am crazy, but pay attention next time. That, or start eating LOTS of apples.

11:42pm: A Song For Me





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