Here goes the monthly howdy do and there will be more of these, just have to get back into the rhythm of writing again. I'm working on the Blogspot blogs, too- (comedy one and MyDoctorISKillingMe.blogspot.com- which is one of my new books).

I completed the photos for the DECEMBER/JANUARY issue of Ladies Home Journal that does a focus on "odd careers". The Jana Cruder Photo team came in and did the make-up, hair, and even went through and wardrobe'd me. I am in the possession of 42 little ratties who are from rough backgrounds and had to bring in some more rats from the rescue who had been handled since birth. Fortunately in this business, the circle of trainers is small and we had a lovely gal Shaina Green, come in with 9 of the sweetest little beauties. Five of my best rounded out the herd, and a group of 8 females was kept in reserve for action shots- the gals like to play!

It's uncomfortable having my pictures taken for any reason- the Short Bus Comics pictures just make me cringe because I'm still not me yet. (shortbuscomics.com). I'm 40 lbs heavier than I wanted to be, but in the last seven weeks, I've dropped 13 lbs, with an apparent continued move in that direction. The Synthroid is working and my diet is filled with fruits now. (yeah, I love me some grapes, grapefruit, apples, and orangettes.) I've also increased my calcium and Vitamin D intake and I think that's done wonders for bringing the diet to a screech- the calories are still 1200 or less a day- but now my body believes it. So I'm hoping by Giftmas that I'll be down another 20 lbs.

Flash to last Monday. I grew up in a house where Gay was normal and anything else was a bit odd. Divine was a household word, and the club, Buddies was a regularly visited hang out since Dad did the lights there. I've always had and known drag queens, went to art school, and studied make up tips from a kid named TJ who really is the most stunning wom-male I've ever seen. (probably still is, gotta look that diva up). So Monday I get asked to perform a room called "after the show" which is run by Cashetta the diva drag magician. I love her because she's standing about 6'9" in her heels, and is done up with the puffy blonde bouffant. I felt at home immediately.

The gig was also Cashetta's birthday, so it was especially filled with my peeps. I got to go up second to last, and that meant watching some fun folks including Carole Channing-ish, and a lithe goddess who is in Zumanity and goes by Edie. Loved her. There were a few "what the??" but mostly fun entertainers that I got a kick out of, and my turn was a blast- the audience, filled with my ultimate crowd. I loved these folks from the minute I walked in the joint, and it was an apparent mutual feeling. I had fun and the crowd did too. Fortunately, I'm invited back anytime I want to play there. I like that.

This Saturday is the anniversary of the Short Bus Comics show and we've been donating money to the Nevada Children's Cancer Foundation, (we are firmly AGAINST cancer), so this last set of shows are extra special. We have to build another donation for an entry to the Danny Gans Memorial run- and that's going to be huge. Please come to the Greek Isles to support two great causes and see our really weird wild celebration- which includes a naked lady, and all the laughs you can stomach. *8pm show is pg, and the 10 is R.. and that's a full R.

Lastly- the new house updates. Well, we still live here, and paid the first mortgage payment so it's like owning a home now. We're still clearing the garage of boxes, and setting up rooms. There's also a new hobby I've picked up besides watching HGTV and figuring out what things should be painted like- and if we have cash to do any of it.. WOW it's expensive! We still owe so much to people who helped out, and that's only part of it- paying the fixit guy, fixing the a/c, the garage needs an opener etc... we're going to be very tightly budgeted for some time. Our first date in months happened because someone was nice enough to offer free tix to a show- (Sgt Peppers done by Cheap trick, and we got to go backstage too).

But, in all this, I picked up the one thing I wanted to do since my foster mom would let me planet seeds in a goop that sat in a petri dish. I'm now seeding small pots and starting to watch cactus, and drought friendly xeriscape plants pop up on our back patio. I'm not great at it, and have a bit of a somewhat beige thumb- haven't killed everything, but not everything is doing the best. It's hit and miss in the desert, so I'm happy that I get something at all. My instincts say "Water!" but that's how you kill desert wild flowers. Weird huh? Yeah, so that Italian instinct of "feed me" isn't always working. Meanwhile, kitties are enjoying that they test out the catnip. Nice. Maybe this time next year I'll know which plants are easy and which are torturing me. This is still a lot cheaper than other hobbies, and a lot more satisfying.

So there is this months' udpate!
cj

First the self promo- you may find me in the October issue of Ladies Home Journal. I did an interview earlier this summer on "creepy jobs" and the rats rated a high mark with the editors, so the photos are happening this week sometime, and then, we get the publication date. Should be fun. 

To say this last month has been stressful would be like saying there is electricity in a nuclear power plant- "no shit sherlock". But it hasn't been stressful for just me. Friends are losing family members, others are battling demons with their addictions, others are in hospitals, and still more are losing jobs. Friends are breaking up. One lost her child to a stupid illness- a flu! I can't fathom another time in my life where so many people I know each shared the common bond of "What the FUCK is going on in this world?" And yet, here we are.

Special notes- Celestia, an artist whose work is all over the place in our house, and in the homes of Penn, Teller, and quite a few of our friends, had her own  Captain Ass-Girl adventures similar but not quite the same as Jonesy's last bouts. And, during her hospital stay I was unable to be there for her for so many stupid reasons. The least of which- been throwing up nonstop after we got the keys to our new home. Please see Celestia on my friends' list and give her a howdy and get well.

Deb's hubby has been having a time of it in the hospital battling things. That sucks. And as I count family members in the hospital at the moment- I just have a head shaking that won't stop. Hang in there Jeff and Deb.

The good side of things- I went to Comic-Con and met hero Terry Moore, whose Echo books inspired me to write my own Meeker Manor. He is a man who somehow transcends his testosterone to put strong women characters in his stories. And I got to ask him why during a panel. Just floored at the amount of love he has for his wife, mom, etc.. Just a great artist.

Also got to hang out with dear friends James and Jodie and several others who write for Torchwood and Dr. Who and that includes tony lee.  Met a man named Ben McCool whose conversation was so permeated in every moment of his presence my ears are still wringing, wondering what it was he was actually saying and why- and if he heard anyone else at any point at all when he was around. Probably not.

We finally got keys to our new house the last day of July. Well, we had to ask a locksmith to break into the house because the selling agent, a charmer in his own right, apparently, thought it best to remove all access to the home before we occupied it. Same guy was making my life torture trying to assess my disability, but that's another story written in a great letter to his supervisors, and a reason why he is seething. Good. Fucker. (excuse my irish, but man he pissed us off).

My dad came out to visit, and it's usually YEARS between the times i get to see him. The last visit was two years ago- so we had Daddy's-girl dates- and I took him to see Mike working, and to see my show at the Greek Isles. We had brunches and lunches and a walk through Caesar's palace..well They walked, I was in the wheelchair.


That's another good thing- My show with the Short Bus Comics is now at the Greek Isles- the place I started the Women In Comedy Vegas Show. Small planet. Wheelchair wise- I'm back using it more, because my hip is now making a habit of popping out of joint, and that's too much to walk on, now. But, the good news is the synthroid is starting to undo the damage of the steroids and Hashimotos and I've started to lose about 10 lbs a month in the least two months. (throwing up must help there).

Back to dad- he offered to buy things for our house warming I never imagined he could including a Fridge, Washer/dryer and oh yeah, our SHED! That's a lot of cash from one person and I can't even talk because I get teary eyed over his generosity. Mike's dad also did us a solid- he sent us a Television that doesn't have glue on rabbit ears like the current set. It's a gorgeous Bravia-- and we're just floored there too.

Before the house Mike was the one who couldn't sleep, eat, or have a thought that didn't involve the phrase, "What If...". After we got the keys, and the reality of the stability I've known for the last five years is now once again a matter of boxes, trash cans and yard sales before I know what is mine-- that gave me the worst stressed belly since I was in high school dealing with IBS. Now Mike will mention boxing something and I run straight to the lavatory and watch whatever it is I managed to eat go sailing in a projectile fashion directly into Eljer's Mouth.

A friend came by the new house today to use the piano for a project and it was wonderful hearing it through the halls that are still empty, and waiting for our world to enter. Mike never really plays unless we have company, so it was a pleasure hearing that instrument sing again.

Another friend I hadn't seen in ten years arrived a few weeks ago, and he even played me a song on the bass I loved for so many years that is now out of my ability. I gave him the Ibinez, knowing it now had the best home possible. It's great having old friends around again, and better knowing that I can at least offer him something of the music we shared a lot of during the day.

The one bad thing about Comic-con- aside from it being a sea of arse-to-elbow people all in lines for the rare one of items at the tv/movie/game/comic booths- one of my silver ring splints somehow ended up at a parking garage thanks to an over eager valet who didn't let me look to see if I had everything before we moved my wheelchair. He was trying to help but really- I was flustered, and they're $150 each ring. Not good. Some scifi geek probably won it as a floor-find, assumed it's costume jewelry and is now gladly wearing my braces.

I stayed very far from downtown San Diego at Sycuan Golf Resort. For $70 a night- I saved hundreds, and still Comic-con was FAR too expensive. My wheelchair was ready to go when we loaded it, but at the con- the charger died a painful death, and I had to have the thing charged by the Disabled Services Department. I was SO glad Will Curtis and the gang were so nice to me! Didn't get to see John Barrowman- but got to be within feet of David Tennant. Saw Sig Weaver, Amanda Palmer, some friends from Calarts, and tons of great art. Even ran into NerdyBird, a comic book author who is also a wheelchair chick. Rocked on.

On Labor Day, we are probably having our house warming. By then I would have lived in the place for at least 10 days. I will have settled enough to not vomit constantly. I will make my pals Celestia and Rebecca cakes for missing events in their lives I needed to be part of and just couldn't.  I'll have the kitties under foot, and the rodents in the special house built JUST for them.

And... here's a last bit of news. Ladie's Home Journal did a story on me and the rats- and it was supposed to be "made to be really gross", so they're shooting photos in two weeks. AND, the kitties are now part of a book of cat names that will be published this year- their story and photos included. Animals always seem to center me.

Thanks for still reading. I'm on twitter, but only talk comic-book, comedy and writing there, @ratmando. Facebook fan page exists, (look for Cathe B fanpage). I don't really have  a public facebook page- just one for family.

Congrats to Jenn and Carl for finally having a set date of being reunited! Hugs to Sharon for surviving yet one more death in the family.

Let's all shake the shit-shadow off of us and have some better times soon!  As of tomorrow, Mike Jones is now 2 years older than me again! Happy birthday sweet man, and Congrats to Jessie M and Dean C for having the most beautiful baby boy!

cj

You ever get so close to someone that their very thoughts swim in your head? Yeah, I'm married to a guy who wears his emotions on his sleeve, shirt, hat, and even shoes. He's easy to get, but at the same time, the emotions are contagious and not always in a good way. There has been a total of 41 hours of sleep between the two of us over the last month or so. Why? We're househunting in  the craziest economy known to us. 

Okay, you already know I'm a sci-fi junkie, and an atheist. I'm watching Lost as I do, and since season one, it's bothered me how many biblical references there were, and oh yeah- did you get that the numbers are all bible verses, chapters, and psalms? If you missed it..go check out said christian babble and weed it out on your own. I've never read a Torah or a Koran, so I have no idea how much of that is embedded, but I've read several "buddhist" tomes, and even Quaker, Shaker, and Mormon stuff because I lived in areas around said peeps of those cultures. I don't look at religious stuff as ethical, moral, or even "laws" - I look at it as cultural choices made by people who have no idea that free choice is a wonderful thing. But that's something for another blog at another time.

Dr. Who and Torchwood have their "savior" characters- complete with resurrections and "gotta have faith" lines. I get that. It's sci-fi, which parallels cultural thought- and has since day one when Jules Verne and Wells used it as allagory to planet earths woes. Before sci-fi- there was "Nautical-Fi", which has less to do with robots and aliens and more to do with invaders and oceanic battles. The whole Illiad- same thing. Big scary monsters, morals to the stories- super heroic uber-human. All the same thing. It's just story telling.

Here's the gist of all stories. Someone is antagonist- the nasty character who creates turmoil, and pretty much makes the stories happen. Protagonist- usually an archtype of all things human- somewhat flawed, not always heroic- yet mirrors the every-guy as a "trying to do right". Then there is the great battle- could be alien, could be ships, could be with two parents in a courtroom- regardless- the battle is the core of the story. Then comes a false ending- you think things are going well, and whammo- secondary battle. Then comes the final resolve. Guy gets girl, teen survives Oz, cheese stands alone- whatever. And, you usually get a substory resolve like, Charlie Brown still doesn't get to kick the ball, or Richard Dreyfus may move into a spaceship but he can still swim away from a shark. Okay. So I get that. Romeo always has a Juliet. Oliver always has  Sykes. Luke has Darth Vader. Brian always gets a Stewie.

So, hearing people talk about Lost cracks me up. It's a very typical story. It's parallel to just about every religion written- Bad guy and good guy both try to lead people into - something purposeful. Bring in Jack, (of all trades), and Locke (horns with everyone). Then comes an uber antagonist, Ben (there done that). The mysterious Richard (yes, Dick, so what about it?) who never ages- hmm like Kazu in the Flintstones? Richard is sort of like an alter-narrator, to Hugo (not, not really dude). Then Sawyer serves as the alter Hugo- the wise-ass version. The women are virtous yet ballsy- but just on the outside, and inside they're corrupt, violated, human archtypes of everyone, too. The mom and dad- ala Adam and Eve, ala Bernard and Rose, also played by Charles and Eloise. It's the Waltons. It's Dallas. It's even Lost in Space.

Let's face it. Hugo and Sawyer represent every single audience member. Hugo is the one that is sitting next to you on the couch saying, "NO idiot, Look behind you! Can't you hear the scary music?" Sawyer is the one who is telling you, "You really think this is anything other than a fairy tale, snookums?"

Big mysteries- hmmmm. Ilana- the Mary Magdellan character- could be Richard's mother. Could be the banished evil woman who ate an apple. Could be just a hot chick who looks Soutn America, but talks like Mata Hari.

She's close to the evil guy "Jacob". He's the guy who keeps the island toghether. The island is compared to Hell. Uhm. Okay. So he's the guy at the gates of Hades, the St. Peter, the gargoyle at the gate. He decides who comes and goes- and reflects that as Shakespeare said over and over- it's the same role with different players. Esau, his brother in blue eyes, spends eternity trying to kill Jacob. (Cain and Abel, Luke and Sonny, Bobby and JR..etc etc etc.)

So the one thing we learned at the season finale- at the last shot of seeing Jack's eye  you are back at the shot of Jack during the Pilot episode. (pilate?) Jack has betrayed the only begotten Sun, and set the island back to the Twilight Zone episode that Miles warned about. It's not that you're changing things- you're resetting the cycle. It's like expecting a washing machine to suddenly become a Lamborghini after you load it with pants, shirts, bloomers, and Tide- turn the knob, and hear the water start.

We know Juliet, who worked to try to get others children, is now gone and childless- again. (And, barren gal is also the only one not visited by Psycho-Jacob).  We know that Jack is opening his eyes- maybe to the truth this time- that perhaps he's played this cycle over and over again. Hugo is still the wisest one, in the humblest of manners. Farraday is slain by his mother in sort of a reverse Oedipus complex. (Not quite Electra, she isn't killing her own father...) Kate always falls for her first love, like she did with airplane-toy boy, and again with Jack. We know that Locke, who started off as a nefarious character, is still a nefarious character, except he's driven by his inner Linda Blair instead of inner hyper christian.

Oh Christian. Wow. Can we just say, dad, tree, son apple? His name is the biggest easter egg (another xtian thing?) to the whole plot of the show. He's the good guy who saves lives, then he falls, and he dies, and rises again. He lives in the house that Esau lives in- meaning- Esau takes over his body from the plane the same way he did for Locke- and he "leads" people only after he dies. Hmm. Nothing very jesus-ish there, right? Claire- the mother who leaves her son so he can save the world.  Aaron goes out to the world to preach the word of the island as the only one of his kind- A-run, taken in by his non-mom- kinda mary-jesus-ish there too.

Okay..so this coming season is supposed to lead all of us addicted hopeless Hugo-fans to the final storyline. The Armageddon has happened- or has it? Maybe the cycle is starting again- only to an aware group of people. I don't know. That's Damon and Carleton's call.

Everyone is calling for Walt, Michael, and Charlie to reappear. I have "You all everybody" on my iPod. (yes Driveshaft MP3's exist..) The three wise men? The stooges? hmm. Sun and Jin- and baby- remember those babies left to the "real" world? Yes, I know. Orphaned by television. Charlotte died for the sins of Farraday. Miles found his father- sees him as the person his mother never told him about. Miles- named for the travel length of his arc to that truth. Aaron, Sun's kidlette, whoa- Juliet's sister? Remember she was supposed to have a kid? Yeah, I do to now.

Just like other huge shows- I see the careers of others heading toward Charlene Tilton land. Maybe someone will remember that Eddie Mekka of Lost. Maybe someone will look back into the trivial pursuit answer sheets to find the answer to "Who was the guy with the beard who ended up being a big gay cruiser who loved young boys in the city?" They're all hopping on the talk shows now- but we all know that Jorge Garcia will be the one star of the show with the longest lived career- he sings, writes, speaks like an intelligent person, and oh yeah- he's interesting. Those who had careers prior- will be even more likely to hit the next version of Xena.

How much of the Sci-Fi channel is filled with the pictures and movies, shows, and stories of the same 10 actors who were on Sliders? How many Stephen Baldwin movies make it there before someone asks the programming department- uhm, didn't he just do that before? "Yeah, but this time it's with FISH!". The Battlestar Gallactica casts are lining up with their Sci-Fi Saturday films, the way Famke did after that House On Haunted Hill movie. The Lost cast already has Terry O'Quinn who lived on Millenium, and made an X-Files appearance or two. Joss Whedon recycles his stars- and I know this show will do the same. Abrams started Lost but he moved on to "from the Makers of Lost..." in his credits. We won't lose Kate the minute the show airs for the final time, friends, no worries there.

I'm going to watch the last season of Lost. I like it. I like that it doesn't take too much to like the characters. Just like NCIS- I am addicted to the dialogue more than the storylines. I'm not going to join a cult-o-Island, or pray to the Egyptian statue with four toes. (Bad construction crew dude.) I like laughing with Hugo, and being a smartass with Sawyer. I don't think anyone is smarter than Vincent- and that's what makes it funnier to me. Richard Alpert- the Burl Ives narrator ala Ponce De Leon guy-- he's kind of interesting in a Buddha kind of way. Same kind of thing. Locke and Ben creep me out. I still think the Locke we saw last night was the "bad" one, bu the one Ben killed in Los Angeles was also the "Bad one" who lured Ben into the ultimate unforgiveable act.

But dude, it's TV, chill out. Get a burger or something. Dude. Read DispatchesFromTheISland.blogspot.com and get some great insights to the real Jorge Garcie. I think he's the key to the whooole thing.

Chronic illness has an unfortunate path- there are often relapses
caused by being on incorrect dosages of medication, the wrong
medications, or even at the edge of healing. You may feel as though you
are taking the cliched two steps forward and three steps back. For a
sweet moment there was a glimpse of what it would be like to feel
"normal" and then- everything that you were fighting and sometimes even
more comes back with a vengeance.

With genetic disorders and
syndromes it's hard to gauge when a flare up will return. First you are
battling your body's own make up. It only knows the genetics and
chemicals, hormones and functions that it has- and nothing more. When a
new chemical or hormone is introduced, sometimes the body will approve
of the change- and get well. But, there are many times that the body
decides your options aren't the correct ones. And that's when you are
stuck dealing with that reaction.

Over the last few months, my
body has determined that it will fight my attempts at finding "healthy"
by thwarted the purpose of the medications I've taken. First it started
with the sleeping medications - and I spent nights upon nights wide
eyed, watching sunrises, and hoping that a nap would suffice. Next came
the uprising against my pain medications, and I have been battling a
variety of new options in attempt to at least get down to a "7" on that
smiley faced scale. Finally, the hormones that have devoured my thyroid
gland, and brought me from a size 3/4 to a size 12, are working to
defeat the synthetic replacments that are startign to show signs of
working.

The last ten days have been a greater struggle than
the last ten years. The wheelchair is starting to get closer to the
door, and I'm struggling with the idea that I'm losing my ability to
maintain much physicality. The left hand swells up, then the bruises
appear, and next thing that I know- I'm back on the couch hoping the
clock will just shush for five minutes as I attempt to not migraine. I
find that standing is painful, and when I drive, my back ends up with
welts and large bruises because the bones shift and bang into each
other. Sitting upright is just impossible.

Of course, I can't
imagine telling my husband this over and over. He's the emperor of
patience and begs me to tell him what's wrong, as a good man should.
But I hate hearing it as much as I hate saying it. I hate admitting
that I'm failing at getting better. I hate admitting that no matter how
many new medications, new treatments, new options, or new doctors I
try- the genetics have a one-track mind.

There are days when I
get why people commit suicide over illness. I've lost friends and
family members to that disease- and can't see it as an option for
myself. But there are days when I wonder why I wake up if I know there
isn't anything but pain. Tonight, there was an episode of House, MD,
where a key character commits suicide- without explanation. Suicide
doesn't offer any explanations, and it never will- the choice of death
over pain is an option for some people. I'm not one of them.

Is
there ever an escape from chronic pain, chronic illness, and chronic
doctor visits? We can create inner escapes which help for at least
moments. For me, spending time with my pets seems to erase moments of
pain. A friend of mine has a daughter with whom she can finger paint
and read stories- and then her illness is gone for those moments. It's
those moments- the ones that make us feel human- that help the
relapses, help the lingering illnesses. We aren't cured, but we're in a
moment that isn't marred by pain and being sick.

Today's
questions- What can we do to get through relapses? What have you found
to help when you're in between doctors' visits and can't quite get
through your illness? Have you bounced back from an illness long term,
only to be surprised by its return?

It's been a few weeks since I blogged here. I've been battling a nasty cold, then followed that with side effects from morphine changes, then the influx of twittering and facebooking and you pretty much got my life in a nutshell. I'm also working on a new book, that  has more twists in it than a Bahama's Braiding Session. It's a video game/graphic novel, mystery etc..just weird.. and fun to work on.

IN the meantime- have you noticed there are now 30,000 more people on facebook? I've had that account for about as long as it's been around- and yet, didn't really use it until this past winter. Now I see everyone there, and I guess it's the place to complain about what it is in the first place. It's not Myspace, it's not twitter- and yet... people are complaining about it not being enough of either, or being too much of both. I kind of don't care- I like Myspace cos it's easy to use, and I don't think too much about doing anything here.

Facebook isn't exactly the private palace- I have a fan page there. Fan Page That's easy to use.

The fan page is fun because I really only use Facebook to keep in touch with people I went to college with, and some high school friends- the fan page is the better place to just chat and meet people who like comedy/writing/rats. It's not as "personal" as Myspace..but it's okay.

Then comes Twitter- I post a lot of graphic novel info there, and not much else. I have a lot of writer friends on that site, and there is NO privacy at all. Everything you say is viewable in one way or another. If you control your settings, all it takes is one person using "@" or "RT" and you're in the public again. So if you want to hear about books, you can twitter me @ratmando, but don't expect much else from me there.

This brings me to the Gloria Allred comment. Okay... Now I'm a fairly open-minded person, and I have the opinion that if you can't sit and listen to someone else's thoughts, regardless if you agree with them, you have the option of ignoring that person- or just debating. I don't debate. If I disagree with you and you don't agree with me- I won't argue you out of your thoughts- I would prefer to listen to why you think what you think. If you want to understand me, then do me the courtesy of letting me be heard. Ignore me if you want.. I'd prefer that than to hear argument after argument that starts with the words "Let me be devil's advocate..I hear what you're saying but..." 

I don't care for anyone's devil's advocacy. It's dull to me and says to me - "I can only relay MY opinion and I expect you to mindless follow my train of thought and never disagree with me." There are some great debates- and that involves not only listening but hearing. So I get to listen to Gloria Allred's latest move to make press- because, apparently- she's been awry in her tasks as a media pig- and now thinks the way to our homes is through catty comments on the Oct-o-Mommy.

This lawyer thinks it's her mission to interfere in people's lives, much in the way that Dr. Phil does- in public, using the media, and in all senses, in spite of our desire to avoid her at all costs. I personally have nothing to say about Litter-Woman except- the media which elects to put her on television constantly is completely detracting from real stories about real people going through real issues- didn't we have a war going on? Isn't there some medical breakthroughs to discuss? Aren't there yet more issues with the rebuilding of the Gulf port cities that could take center stage? Nope, we need to focus on a woman who was abused by a medical staff in order to breed a litter.

And, Gloria Allred is thriving on it. Her latest headling grabbing comments about ensuring she'd have this woman's kids put up for adoption are as horrifying as those who made it clear that Japanese people belong in internment camps. Making comments about the lives of others that is a statement of punishment rather than facing the reality- a woman with some mental issues was medically raped in many ways. Instead of confronting the doctor who played that game- Allred attacks the result. And, she's getting press. She makes me sick. I don't mean the "octo-mom" I mean Allred.

She makes me sick because she is turning the media into her personal sandbox, and if anyone disagrees with the sociopathic Allred, she goes on the warpath. Not a few months back, she was the one who offered to provide nanny service to the very same parent that she is publically targeting. She is one who expects others to blindly agree with her. There's no discussion. There's no listening. There's no hearing- it's just her opinion, and her reality.

And, social media is a great tool. In all senses it provides a path to her mindset, and it provides a path to debate. But, it also allows us to ignore the weird, stupid, useless, attention seeking idiots who abuse the media, and gives us the path to better thinking people. That's why she is part of this post.. not to be found coming out of my thoughts again.

http://icanhascheezburger.com

lolcats and funny pictures

I see the eyes of those who were afraid to speak. I see the eyes of those who are still afraid to speak. I see the eyes of those who are jailed for their genetic make-up and not their acts. I see the eyes of those who are known as heroes and yet never talked about in books.
I see Hiram Rhodes Revels. I see Sammy Davis, Jr. I see Rosa Parks. I see Crispus Attucks. I see John Baxter Taylor. I see Harriet Tubman. I see Frederick Douglas.

I see the Japanese internment camps. I see McCarthyism. I see Reagan. I see Bush 1.0, and 2.0. I see Ellis Island. I see Rowanda. I see Civil War, and General Lee. I see all of this.

I see it differently.

There is a change.

In hunting for websites and education resources for patients, I get emails from people trying to sell me their medications. I get emails from people who are trying to convince me that things like Goat urine and Emu oils are the cure I am seeking. And, I get emails from people who are also fighting their insurance companies, their doctors, and even their own families for an opportunity to simply be heard. And, every so often I get emails from book companies that offer ideas for different resources. It was through this email that I discovered a writer who understands the American medical system so well she wrote a book about it. No other book can compare and I need to recommend "Our Daily Meds" by Melody Petersen to anyone who is capable of reading, and an audio version to anyone is not.