Know what time it is?

Right...so I have taken a few days off of blogging because of being intensely and painfully busy at work; not to mention the remodel project...which is STILL going on...

Today I went blog surfing through my friends' blogs and discovered:
1.) Melanie lives vicariously though mine and Mira's livers.
2.) Kristin is presently avoiding rolling in dead chickens
3.) Sarah has a job were people wake her up multiple times a night...
4.) John doesn't post stuff to his blog for long periods of time and neither does Duane.

I also discovered that, whilst some would think of my drunken antics as insanely annoying and downright juvenile, my friends (and people I don't know who are listening in) seem to find my drunken phone calls in the middle of the Finnish night amusing... Who knew?! Seriously...I have this horrible habit...Okay WE have this horrible habit (aside from smoking) of having that 1 extra drink that puts over the "sensible and mature" behavior line and sends us at breakneck metabolism speed, reserved soley for alcoholic beverages, directly to making drunken phone calls across oceans, continents and time zones to those we love. Sarah even gave me her number after one drunken email to her explaining that I was drunk and wanted to call her but couldn't find her mobile number... The silly girl actually replied and GAVE it to me :) Ya get what ya give I say...

I am wondering if I should invest in this (from Geek.com):

"The folks at Virgin Mobile of Australia seem to be thinking outside the box. Just in time for the holiday season and its numerous parties, a new service will be provided by the wireless company that will prevent embarrassing late-night drunken phone calls. This seems to be quite a problem, considering the company surveyed 409 people and found that 95% of them have made drunken phone calls. Wireless customers will now be able to save themselves by dialing 333 then entering a number they would like to be blocked from calling. For US$0.25 that number will be blocked until 6 A.M. the following day. Now if a wireless company could only prevent you from hitting on your boss's wife at the company Christmas party and take your keys when your cellphone detects you've had too much to drink, it'd really be offering the holiday drunk a true suite of services."

..on second thought...Nahhhh....I like calling Kristin and telling her that I am drinking a lovely drink and she needs to go to work...I like calling Sarah and babbling about Mira eating carrots (not very "drunk" food I know Sarah..but hey..it was all that was worth eating in the house..and she LIKES carrots...ick), or Melanie and telling her that she is awesome and that I am drunk... and Beth...Oh poor Beth.. That woman gets calls from me at all frickin hours and random babble comes out of my mouth..and she puts up with it and still gives SUGA..

My friends ROCK ..seriously...

In case anyone was interested, my birthday was great...except for the throwing up part... Must have been something I ate.. Seriously. No joke. We went out for a lovely dinner... I had 2 glasses of wine and a fabulous asian fusion spicey noodle beef thinger to eat..it was yummy. Until about 10:12..when it came right back up. I have no idea why..

Oh..and also born on the same day as me (aside from Pepi..a friend's daughter who just turned 2)... :

1909 Ethel Merman, U.S. singer and actress, the "Queen of Broadway."

..might explain some cosmic reason for my big frickin mouth and loud voice...

Ah..Nostalgia

Okay my friend Hale is feeling old. She isn't even 30 yet and she is feeling that way (read her post on her blog to find out why). We had a discussion (which she references in her post) once about 80's movies. I was in High School (Lukio for you Finns) in the 80's. Beth was in Uni. Yeah she is older than I am, but as she will always point out: "It's not the age honey it is the milage." She is right btw..it is all about the milage.

Anywho, with my birthday fast approaching and after reading Hale's post, I have started thinking about our conversation regarding 80's movies... I remember going to see Purple Rain and being mesmerized by Prince up on the screen.. What young adult in the 80's doesn't remember: The Breakfast Club, About Last Night, Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Say Anything, Footloose, The Outsiders, Goonies, Better Off Dead, The Princess Bride, Some Kind of Wonderful... And for those of us who were into a more sophisticated fare: Against All Odds, The Accused, Amadeus, Blue Velvet, The Color Purple...and yes Steel Magnolias..

These are classics folks...seriously. Some of the best lines ever are from 80's movies...

"..say hello to my lill friend" - Al Pacino, "Scarface" - as Tony Montana
"..Demented and sad...but social" - The Breakfast Club
"Anyone..anyone..Bueller..Beuller" - Ferris Beuller's Day Off -
"You used to be fun. You used to be warped and twisted and hilarious... and I mean that in the best way - I mean it as a compliment! "- John Cusak - Say Anything -as Lloyd Dobler

"As you wish" - The Princess Bride
"We'll never make it.." Goonies
"2 dollars..I want my 2 dollars".. Better Off Dead

....One of my favorite exchanges in a movie ever!:
Clairee: *Here*!
[Grabs Ouiser by the shoulder and positions her in front of M'Lynn]
Clairee: *Hit this*! Go ahead M'Lynn, *slap her*!
Ouiser Boudreaux: [Taken aback and confused] Are you crazy?
Clairee: *Hit her*!
Ouiser Boudreaux: *Are you high, Clairee*?
Truvy: [In a frightened tone] Clairee, have you lost your mind?
Clairee: We'll sell t-shirts sayin' "I SLAPPED OUISER BOUDREAUX!" Hit her!
Annelle: [in a scared tone] Ms. Clairee, enoough!
Clairee: Ouiser, this is your chance to do something for your fellow man! Knock her lights out, M'Lynn!
Ouiser Boudreaux: [snatches away] Let go o' me!
Clairee: M'LYNN, YOU JUST MISSED THE CHANCE OF A LIFETIME! HALF O' CHIQUAPIN PARISH'LL GIVE THEIR EYE-TEETH TO TAKE A WHACK O' OUISER!

...ah...nostalgia... Warning to all of you who don't know this: Upon being in the same location for more than 10 mintues, K, Mel, Michael and I can go through almost the entire script of Steel Magnolias... Well to US it is amusing..and We ARE *THAT* funny!!!!!

My friends...

..are frickin hilarious. I think that they call me just to torture me. Today K decided to call me from an Irish bar in Seattle with John, Patricia and her husband Duane... They called because they were just about to have a Car Bomb and wanted to rub it in and figured if it was time for them to drink in the middle of the night half way around the world then it was time for me to get up for work (I was already there)... A car bomb...Ahhh the memories of Portugal with D and K...

Situation: D and K's honeymoon..in Portugal..I was there...(don't ask)..We went to an Irish bar and K was telling me about this drink...so I asked the Irish Bartendress if she knew how to make a "car bomb"...bad call I know...much maligning my intelligence (not by the bartendress but by my friends) ensued. Sooooo...I am of the firm belief that the bartender was sooo gay and soooo into me... the response I received from D and K that night..was sent again in a text message to me today: "You see gay people everywhere"...... WELL DUHHH!!!! We ARE everywhere!

THen I remember Pride in Tampere last year...OOOPS...I couldn't remember how to order one and the version I told the bartender to make would make ANYONE Hurl...

So..in case you were wondering.
Irish Car Bomb:
- 1/2 pint(s) Guinness Beer
- 1/2 oz Bailey's Irish Cream
- 1/2 oz Irish Whiskey

Finally!!!!

For those of you who don't know this..I am definitely NOT a morning person. I hate waking up, I hate getting out of bed, I am always cold and I am always whiney in the mornings. Seriously..I can't stand chipper people in the morning..they make my head hurt and my skin crawl. I have always been very honest about my lack of humor and down right groggyness in the morning...well now I know why.

Study: Waking up like being drunk
Wednesday, January 11, 2006;
Posted: 4:11 a.m. EST (09:11 GMT)

CHICAGO, Illinois (Reuters) -- If it takes a while to clear the cobwebs after waking up, that's understandable -- "sleep inertia" leaves some people so groggy they might as well be drunk, researchers said on Tuesday.

"For a short period, at least, the effects of sleep inertia may be as bad as or worse than being legally drunk," said researcher Kenneth Wright of the University of Colorado at Boulder.

That befuddled feeling usually lasts for at least a few minutes but may be detectable for up to two hours, Wright wrote in a report published in this week's issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

The findings are relevant to emergency workers such as firefighters, or for truck drivers and resident doctors who must spring into action after awakening from naps. A groggy driver is accident-prone, and a hazy doctor might make a mistake calculating a drug dosage, the report said.

Wright's study of 16 subjects found the most severe impairments were evident on performance tests taken during the first three minutes after awakening from an eight-hour sleep.

"We found the cognitive skills of test subjects were worse upon awakening than after extended sleep deprivation," he said.

There is evidence that the cortical areas of the brain thought to be responsible for problem-solving, complex thought and emotions take longer to wake up than other parts of the brain, Wright wrote.

...um...

FORT SUMNER, New Mexico (AP) -- A mouse got its revenge against a homeowner who tried to dispose of it in a pile of burning leaves. The blazing creature ran back to the man's house and set it on fire.

Luciano Mares, 81, of Fort Sumner said he caught the mouse inside his house and wanted to get rid of it.

"I had some leaves burning outside, so I threw it in the fire, and the mouse was on fire and ran back at the house," Mares said from a motel room Saturday.

Village Fire Chief Juan Chavez said the burning mouse ran to just beneath a window, and the flames spread up from there and throughout the house.

No was hurt inside, but the home and everything in it was destroyed.

Unseasonably dry and windy conditions have charred more than 53,000 acres and destroyed 10 homes in southeastern New Mexico in recent weeks.

"I've seen numerous house fires," village Fire Department Capt. Jim Lyssy said, "but nothing as unique as this one."


Score one for the little guys...but the poor 81 year old guy now has no home...let's just hope for an up to date home owner's insurance policy...

Jesus H. Christ on a Pogo stick

This cold is kicking my tail feathers... I sound like this guy!




...seriously...

and for those of you who DON'T know who he is. His name is Harvey Fierstein and he has a voice which makes gravel sound musical...

UGH!!!

Yeah yeah yeah.. I know I know

I know...it has been a while since posting and you are all sad that I haven't posted in a while...Well I was in the States for the whirlwind trip to see the family for the Christmas holiday (5 days of my family and no privacy).... It was actually greaat to see everyone, but I was so tired of not having my own space after 4 days I couldn't wait to get back on the plane home to Helsinki... The topper of the trip was lunch on the day we left to come home. Yes folks I ate 2 boiled lobsters at lunch. You read that correctly..2. And they were glorious!

New Year's celebrations were low key with Hale and the gang...thanks to a killer head cold (thanks Rodge you bastard) I was not really in the celebratory mood. All I wanted was some tea and my comfy pj's and my bed...

On a funny note, I was browsing my friend's blog and he mentioned this website that allows you to see which celebrity you resemble most. You can upload several different photos of yourself (no they don't keep them) and see which celeb you look like in that photo. The ruling was that I either look like:


or:

-

Now..I have nothing against looking like Annette Bening, but Ariel Sharon?!?! I look like an old fat jewish guy??!?! WOW...

Beth will say I look like:



and she will also regale me with strains of "Jessie's Girl" warbled until I scream "FOR THE LOVE OF PETE!!! STOP!!!"

So...there you have it..I resemble either an activist Actress, an 80's pop/soap opera icon or an old fat jewish guy...

sometims...

Sometimes I just like to remind myself of the liberties I have as a US citizen and how I really enjoy them...

From the AP:
By SUZAN FRASER Associated Press Writer
© 2005 The
Associated Press

"ISTANBUL, Turkey — The presiding judge halted the trial
of Turkey's best-known novelist Friday, saying the court would need the approval
of the Justice Ministry for the trial to proceed.

Orhan Pamuk is accused
of insulting Turkey's national identity, a free speech case that has divided the
nation.

He faces up to three years in prison for saying to a Swiss
newspaper in February that Turkey is unwilling to deal with painful episodes in
its treatment of the country's Armenian minority or its continuing problems with
its 12 million Kurdish citizens.



Turkish novelist's trial halted
The trial of Turkish novelist Orhan Pamuk, charged with insulting the
national identity, was halted when the judge said the court would need the
approval of the Justice Ministry to proceed.

The case has led to
widespread criticism from the European Union, and the case is seen as a test of
Turkey's commitment to European standards of free speech. ......"

See, I can sit here and say: THE US SUCKS WITH RACIAL EQUALITY AND HUMAN RIGHTS!. or GEORGE BUSH IS ONE CHROMOSOME AWAY FROM AN ORANGUTAN ..(although I think that is actually insulting the orangutan).. And not have to go to jail or to trial for "insulting the national identity"... Gotta love the 1st Ammendment :)

How can Turkey hope to join the EU when it will not even discuss the horrible dark periods of it's history? The US can not progress until it addresses it's deep seeded racial inequality and backwards thinking when it comes to human rights, or it's open and (even worse) hidden descrimination against gays and lesbians and neither can Turkey progress unless it recognizes the mistakes it has made specifically with respect to genocide, women's rights, treatment of gays etc.

Who knew...

Okay..so I find these assessment things based on your birthday or name or what kind of ceral you eat incredibly funny. Below is what MY birthday supposedly means.

Your Birthdate: Not Tellin (although I did put it in for the thing)

You're incredibly introverted and introspective. You live inside your head. Oh so true don't you think? MUHAHAHAHAH You spend a lot of alone time meditating and thinking. 10 people in Italy..'nough said People see you as withdrawn, and at times they are right. Withdrawn?!?! People can't get me to shut up! 4 words folks: "Bring it home Steph!" You are caring and deep, but it may be difficult for you to show this side of yourself. Okay caring and deep yes... difficult to show it? I cry at frickin Hallmark commercials for christ's sake!! Your strength: Your original approach to thinking Oh yeah..I am an original alright.. Your weakness: You tend to shy away from others In which universe? Your power color: Pale blue Not since 1979 honey! Your power symbol: Wavy line um...er...whatever.. Your power month: July I live in Finland..of COURSE July is my power month..the sun barely frickin sets during that month!

These things are a HOOT!

Pretty soon I get to see this guy


Oh..yeah..and my family... :) I have the world's most rockinest 87 year old grams... isn't she great?!!

Officially...

Officially according to me Kristin Thomas shall now be known as the venerable Kristin "I am smarter than those silly people in white lab coats" Thomas a.k.a Dr. K. I have visited the very nice IwentToMedicalSchoolSoIShouldKnowWhatYouHave person at the hospital today to get the results of my bone marrow test. It turns out (and I have an officially signed paper to prove it) that I should have listened to K all along. I am certified as a Freak. I am an exception to the rule of white blood cell counts. The standard deviation of a white blood cell count is + or - 2% in the general population. Meaning at least 2 % of the population is either above or below the standard "acceptable" range when it comes to your white blood cells.

My Dr. confirmed to me today what K has said all along: "You have lesbian cooties and are a freak." It is true. My Dr (all Harvard edgumakayted and crap) told me that I am the execption even to the standard deviation rule. My white blood cell count is just, for me, normally and genetically twice that of everyone else. I am 100% healthy...and a freak of nature.

I should have listend to K in the first place. Then I wouldn't have had to have steel instruments stuck into my bones, x-rays, ultra sounds, blood tests galore and I wouldn't have had to travel to a bazillion doctor's appointments.

oooooohhhh I have cooties!!!!

Gotta Love Hypocracy

Okay..my little activist side is all in a huff right now. I am all about to whip out the big gaigundo rainbow flag, pink triangles, drag kings, gender-bending friends, gay priests...anyone I can find.

For those of you who don't know, I am a supporter in the fight against Breast Cancer. My very dear friend K is a breast cancer survivor (ROCK ON K!!) and I have known several women in my life with breast cancer. You, who know me, also know I have a real love of the music of Melissa Etheridge (yes I play softball, wear flannel occasionaly, own power tools and can open any damned jar without the help of a guy). Now, Ms. Etheridge has been an out and proud musician with over 25 Million albums sold world-wide. She is also a breast cancer survivor. Her battle with the disease was one that was open and not hidden - just like everything else in her life. So was Kristin's. Two very strong women from different socio-economic backgrounds, different careers, different friends, different cricles but with 2 things in common - both women, both with breast cancer. Okay, K isn't THAT different. She isn't gay, but let's face it, when your bridal party at your wedding included 2 lesbians and a gay man, you aren't a closed minded person. Just the opposite. K is one of the strongest women I know. That woman had side affects from Chemo that NO ONE should ever go through.. She was bald, sick, throwing up, tired, sad, exhausted emotionally ...the list can go on. Chemo, from all accounts, kicks the ever loving shit out of you.

Fast Forward - Grammy's 2005 - Ms. Etheridge performs a tribute to Janise Joplin after just having finished her last chemo treatment - bald as anything. Her hair was a big thing in her image and she admitted at first she was a bit concerned people would make fun of her, aside from being exhausted from chemo. Well..she decided to do it anyway because she never hid before and wouldn't hide now. Her performance was talked about around the world as inspiring and courageous. She received letters and comments from women all around the world, walks of life and stages of cancer stating what an inspiration she was to them to continue their fight - that if a 42 year old woman bald from chemo can perform in front of millions of people then they will not be ashamed of their baldness or be afraid to talk about their disease.

SO inspirational was her openly public battle with breast cancer that a major auto manufacturer approached her. Ford approached Melissa in 2005 about recording a single to serve as an anthem for the fight against breast cancer. The result, I Run for Life, is a song written and performed by Melissa that describes her own experience with the disease and also the experiences of every woman who has ever been touched by breast cancer. Ford, on their website describes her as:

" Grammy®Award winner, wife, and mother, Melissa Etheridge, knows just how
breast cancer can threaten our most precious human relationships. She also knows
how it endangers the most precious human relationship of all—the one we have
with ourselves. Diagnosed with breast cancer in late 2004, today she is
cancer-free. Hers is a success story. She fought breast cancer with all she had.
And, she won..."

So what does Ford do?!?!?!?

DETROIT - Ford Motor Co. said on Tuesday that its luxury Jaguar and Land Rover brands will no longer advertise in gay publications,...

Ford’s move came nearly a week after the Tupelo, Miss.-based American Family Association canceled a boycott of Ford vehicles that began in May, when the group criticized Ford for being too gay-friendly.

“We are ending the boycott of Ford,” association Chairman Donald Wildmon said in a statement Wednesday on the group’s Web site. “While we still have a few differences with Ford, we feel that our concerns are being addressed in good faith and will continue to be addressed in the future.”

You ask an out and proud Lesbian who is a breast cancer survivor to write a song to show how much Ford cares about women's health, said artist contributes ALL of the royalties from that song to Breast Cancer Research and then you turn around and stop advertising in Gay magazines because the conservative Christian right threatens to boycott your product?!?!? You hypocritical bastards.

I know people will say: " It was a business decision." MY BIG FAT ASS it was. Pure and simple they caved. The gay community should stand up and be noticed in this. Gay market reports that 78 percent of gay online users prefer to buy from companies that advertise to the gay market. More affluent. The gay and lesbian market is perhaps the most affluent and loyal affinity group of all. More discretionary income. The average middle-class family spends over one million dollars to raise a child through age 22. Some gay people have kids. Most don't. Where are they spending that money? EVERYWHERE.... Take a look at THIS list FORD.. Seriously people...

Research shows that gay consumers are...

Over twice as likely as national index to be professionals or managers

Average household income over $85.4K

Are 3.4 times more likely to have household income over $250K

The 2000 Census showed gay men and lesbians living with partners in 99.3 percent of all U.S. counties

Research shows 9 percent of urban populations are gay and lesbian

Twice as likely to have graduated from college

Gay men and lesbians go out more, buy more, have more disposable income and are extremely loyal consumers

Gay and lesbian consumers purchase from companies/brands that advertise in gay media, deliver product messages in gay-specific advertising, support gay and lesbian community causes and are good to their own gay and lesbian employees

Four times as likely to spend over $150 on long distance monthly

Twice as likely to spend $250 on cellular service
Over 90 percent took a domestic trip this year

60 percent took a foreign trip in the last three years

65 percent identify themselves as having to have the "latest"

68 percent upgrade to a product's latest model

77 percent "believe in indulging in themselves"

57 percent "prefer to buy top of the line"

59 percent buy themselves whatever they want

I say hit Ford where it counts. In the WALLET.

At the behest of Sug

Okay here it is. In a conversation with my best friend the other day (gotta love a 10 hour and 30 degree F difference), we were discussing my blog. I know she reads it because she gives amusing and insightful comments. Okay not so insightful, we save those for actual voice conversations. As most of you know, I have the utmost respect for my Sug (aka Beth Martin) and we will discuss anything from religion to politics to the weather. I asked if she had read my post on the whole Vatican decree about gays in the priesthood and she had mentioned that she didn't want to offend anyone so she didn't put a comment. ..don't worry I told her she was being dumb. She then asked if I had followed the stories about the civil unrest in France. Okay Riots. Plain and simple riots. And I told her I had, but had refrained from commenting on them because...because....well..I don't know precisely why....which is when I promptly called MYSELF dumb. SO at the behest of SUG here goes.

The Riots in France
by: Me

Lots of people got mad and burned stuff. The end.

Just joking. Okay one of the things that I am in some perverse way happy about, is that these riots took place in France. Let me go on the record as saying Riots are never a good thing. Innocent people get hurt and in some cases killed; property gets damaged and lots of businesses, who otherwise were harmless and serve the community, get destroyed. Now that the disclaimer is done with. I am pleased that situations with horrible racial and economic inequality which result in unmitigated violence happen in countries other than the US as well. Seriously folks. I live in Europe. My mom is Portuguese and my Dad is French. The country that seems to think it has the greatest social system in the world just had 20 days of terror and bloodshed due to the economic and racial divide that exists between people of color (in this case also immigrants and muslim) and the white majority during the month of November. As many of you know, I am not usually the one to wave the American Flag around and shout from the roof tops about how great the US is. The US is a great country in many respects but also has a long way to go in others. HOWEVER, sometimes it gets my little ackadack (Sug's word for my portuguese heritage) blood boiling to so often be exposed to outright anti-American sentiment and hatred. I can not tell you how many times I have listened to the Anti-American-Bigger-Bully-Stupid President-War Mongering Bastards speech and politely turned the other way. Now it is time to say: Hey, we aren't the only country with racial and economic problems!


Well Mr Chirac, how about you look to your own country with it's 8973 vehicles burned and it's 2888 arrests! The inhabitants of the French suburbs (banlieue) suffer from unemployment at a much higher level than that of the rest of France. And according to data gathered by the BBC unemployment of people of foreign origin is 1.5 times higher than that of people of French origin, after adjusting for educational qualifications. An unemployment rate of 5% for French university graduates can be compared to the unemployment rate of 26.5% for university graduates of north African origin. Racial and religious discrimination against persons with dark skin or Muslim-sounding names has been cited as a major cause of unhappiness in the areas affected.

...see the US isn't the only country with problems.... I am not going to sit here and say I support the war in Iraq. I don't. I am not going to sit here and say that there isn't a problem with racisim in the US. There is. I am not going to sit here and say that there isn't a huge economic gap between white and black in the US. There is. I am not going to say that there isn't a problem with religious intolerance (ironic considering the 1st ammendment) in the US. There is. But I am going to sit here and say: No country is perfect so quit bashing the US all the time.

uh-oh..maybe I should get 2?

For those of you who don't know, I have a deadly allergy to nuts. I was surfing MSNBC today and oh my. Some people don't get it..they think..allergy=pop a claritin or allegra and you will be fine.


Maybe I should get another epi-pen?

"SAGUENAY, Quebec - A 15-year-old girl with a peanut allergy died after
kissing her boyfriend, who had just eaten a peanut butter snack, hospital
officials said Monday.

Christina Desforges died in a Quebec hospital
Wednesday after doctors were unable to treat her allergic reaction to the kiss
the previous weekend.

Desforges, who lived in Saguenay, about 155 miles north
of Quebec City, was almost immediately given a shot of adrenaline, a standard
tool for treating the anaphylactic shock brought on by a peanut allergy,
officials said...."

Damn you Paul Simon!!

Okay..strange title I know. But all that was going through my head today was Simon and Garfunkle's "Sound of Silence". It was kind of ironic actually. Okay morbid. If you have been reading this blog for a while, you know about the upteenmillion doctor's I have had to go see and the bazillion tests I have had to figure out why the hell my white blood cell count is over 100% higher than it should be. Yep, you guessed it..I had another test today. Let me just say that at least this internal specialist was honest with me when she said "This will hurt." No sugar coated "you may experience mild discomfort" crap. When a doctor says "you may experience mild discomfort", they mean pain. Plain and simple...pain.

...so back to Morbid. The test I had was a bone marrow test. The doctor who is treating me speaks English beautifully, but she wanted me to be sure I understood the test, so she asked me to look it up and make sure her description matched the one I found. Gotta love WebMD : "A bone marrow biopsy uses a special tool that twists into the bone. You may feel pressure at the site and hear a crunching sound as the tool twists into the bone " CRUNCHING?!?!?! CRUNCHING?!?! What the fuck!!?! (pardon my language). Not only that...I get the extra special: "In rare cases, a fluid sample is removed from the breastbone.."

And then I see this part about possible Risks: "Injury to your heart, a lung, or a major blood vessel if the sample is taken from the breastbone (sternum). However, most bone marrow samples are not taken from the breastbone, so this problem is not common. " - tell that to my sternum buddy!

Yes folks, they twisted a giant frickin pointy metal tube into my sternum this morning and then stuck a frickin long ass needle and pointy other thing and snipped and sucked out stuff that shouldn't be on the outside of ANYONE's body at any time. Not only that, the first sample wasn't enough..they had to do it TWICE! Lemme just tell ya..that shit don't tickle.

The whole time...I am hearing the crunching noise of my breastbone being drilled into fucking Paul Simon singing "..it's the sound...of Silence.." is going through my fucking head! This test hurt like a mo-fo and now I have this strange sensation of my sternum weighing MORE than it did before not to mention a nice hole in the middle of my chest. Doc says it's normal. Okay so was my Pulp Fiction-type nightmare -complete with John Travolta slamming one giagundo frickin needle in to my chest normal too?

...right...results on the 13th of December...

And to think I used to be a Catholic

This just in from CNN:

(CNN) -- In an eagerly awaited document, the Vatican has
reiterated its policy against gay priests, but has said it would allow those who
have "clearly overcome" homosexual tendencies to start the process of becoming a
priest.
In spelling out its position on Tuesday, the Vatican office that
deals with education within the Catholic Church made a distinction between
deep-seated homosexual tendencies and what it called "the expression of a
transitory problem."
"The Church, while profoundly respecting the persons in
question, cannot admit to the Seminary and to Holy Orders those who practice
homosexuality, present deeply rooted homosexual tendencies or support the
so-called gay culture," the document said.
But the document said when
"homosexual tendencies are only the expression of a transitory problem ... these
must be clearly overcome at least three years prior to diaconate
ordination." (see CNN for the complete article)

Okay.."overcome" homosexual tendencies....isn't that what the majority of gay priests have done? Those gay priests who keep their vow of celebacy have "overcome" right? They do not violate their vow, they do not have sex with other men, they preside over mass, hear confessions, perform sacraments, advise, comfort, listen....in other words they are a Priest! How can the Vatican honestly think that a priest who is gay and is keeping his vow of celebacy HASN'T "overcome". Straight priests "overcome" their heterosexual tendencies when they take the same vow for christ's sake! (pun intended). They can't take a gay man who has been sexually active (ie. practice homosexuality) but they can take a straight man who has been active but who also now hears the higher calling of God? The Church has always taught since the First Century of the 20th Century that homosexuality, aside from being a grave sin, is also "..an intrinsic disorder. A psychosexual disorder." So if we go along those thoughts, there are many priests with psychological disorders - depression. anxiety, complusion, bi-polar disorder - just to name a few, but they don't try to root out those individuals do they? I have priests in my family and while I have the greatest respect for their faith and dedication to their vocation, I personally don't really care if they are gay or straight. When a priest is ordained, he takes a vow of celebacy. How can a "psychosexual" disorder such as homosexuality even be relevant if the vow is upheld. Isn't it just as bad for a priest to violate his vow either way? Or is it more forgivable if he beds one of his female parishoners or better yet, Sister Mary Whatshername from the convent next door? Having sexual thoughts outside of wedlock is considered sinful in any form. Does the Vatican really think that the straight priests don't have a randy fantasy every now and again? Gimme a break.

Oh..and while I am at it..what the hell is a "transitory problem" as related to homosexuality? Seriously. I mean transitory...hmmm...does that mean transitioning from having sex with someone of the same gender to abstaining? Does it mean like, the visit to the gay bar on Friday was a transitory one so I am not really gay? I don't know any true homosexual, who identifies as a homosexual, that would ever say it is a "transitory" condition or problem. It isn't like they are gonna wake up in the morning tomorrow and say .. "Hmm..now I prefer women". Bi-sexuality is a different animal altogether. Does this tranistory problem mean that they transition from gay to straight and back again? Now, before you get all nasty with me, I know damned well what the definition of transitory is. I just can't believe the Church thinks being gay can be transitory. Of course I also can't believe the Church thinks that being gay is a choice.....

...oh yeah...sorry for not posting for a while...I have been hella busy.... So Hei to Hale and Mira, Suga to Sug, HI! to Sarah, Kristin, Mel, Duane, Laura, John, Patricia, Bryan (who I am sure doesn't read this), etc..etc... and so on...

My unpopular opinion?

From YLE the state news agency here in Finland:


Government Debates Fertility Rights Proposal
Published 09.11.2005, 09.49

The government begins grappling with its policies for fertility treatments on Wednesday. A controversial proposal by the Ministry of Justice would grant treatments to single women and lesbian couples, and make it easier to trace the identity of sperm and egg donors. The plan was written up by previous Justice Minister Johannes Koskinen, but is now being presented by his successor, Leena Luhtanen. After government ministers debate the proposal, it will be sent on to Parliament for consideration.The plan would allow married and single women, as well as lesbian couples, to seek state-sponsored fertility treatments and in-vitro fertilisation. The plan also loosens restrictions on the privacy of sperm and egg donors. If approved, the law would make it possible for people to find out the identity of their biological parents once they reached the age of 18. The government has been trying to put together some guidelines for fertility treatments off and on for the past 20 years. The previous attempt in 2003 failed over the question of whether sperm donors can be traced by their biological children.

Now, I am all for the right for women to try IVF and aritificial insemination no matter what their sexual orientation or marrital status is. What I am a bit concerned with is the privacy of the donor of the sperm. I am not so sure, if I were a guy (and thankfully I am not), that I would want an 18 year old popping up on my doorstep sayin "I am your child." .... It is a tough position to take, but I would vote for keeping the anonymous donor anonymous. I know it is probably an unpopular view, but if the child was conceived out of love and is raised knowing how he/she came into the world then I don't see how giving them the identity of the man who donated sperm is going to make a difference to them.

just sayin...

Dinner parties

Right, so I remember as a child when my parents would have a dinner party. They would be happy and the time was where their friends would arrive dressed up an looking sophisticated. My little green eyes would spy them from the bannister, women dressed in their skirts and sweater sets and their dates/husbands in crisply ironed white dress shirts and creases in their trousers so sharp they looked as though they could slice paper. Everyone looked so sophisticated with their gimlets and stingers...

Grown up me... Dinner parties are fun..but work... Especially if you are invited to a dinner party by new friends and all of a sudden you find yourself in the kitchen cooking the entire meal for 9 people! Isn't the answer to the polite query "Can I help you with anything?" "Not at all, have a glass of wine and relax. Have you met ".... ???????

Seriously..went to a dinner party..asked if there was anything I could do to "help" and the next thing I know I have prepared (chopping appropriate veggies included), Shitake Mushroom Soup, Steamed Veggies, Wild Rice and a lovely pan seared chicken with a spicey honey glaze...

My new friends are soooooo not good at the dinner party thing....

GRRRR

Okay..in an attempt to stop the spammers from posting how much they love my blog and I should check out their: real estate, single women, mortgage information, animal sitting, knitting etc etc blogs, I have turned on the comment verification feature of this thing... I know it may be inconvenient for all 6 of you who read my blog..but get over it..I am sick of spam

...now for a relaxing breakfast with Mira....TA!!

Mmmm mannequins

"The whole theme of the display was sadomasochistic and implied
lesbianism…I
felt like I was walking down a street in Amsterdam and watching the
prostitutes sitting in the windows trying to lure in customers. Victoria’s
Secret has pushed the envelope so far, where can they go next? Live sex acts
in
their windows? … We should not have to fear going shopping at a mall…”

--Traditional Values Coalition’s Executive Director Andrea Lafferty,
who,
armed with her camera, waged war on Victoria’s Secret at the Tyson’s
Corner Mall
in McLean, Virginia.

Shopping for underwear with Andrea Lafferty must be like having a root canal!

I don't get what she is so pissed about. A Victoria’s Secret window display, in which two mannequins are spooning in a bed, one mannequin is posed on its hands and knees as if crawling and one is tied up with ropes. Each mannequin is wearing the typical Victoria’s Secret fashion---gasp---unmentionables!!!

Unusual? Yes. But to wage a war on a store for a window display? In fact, I don’t know what’s more bizarre — “lesbian” mannequins slinky undergarments or Christian conservatives taking pictures of “lesbian” mannequins in slinky undergarments.

Next thing you know she will be jumping on that hysterically odd logic train that ultra conservatives seem to ride regularly and propose that "lesbian” mannequins who have “sex” with other “lesbian” mannequins will soon want to have “sex” with “animal” mannequins. Who knows...she may still do just that. Next stop Creepyville. It always amazes me how lesbians or gays getting married or as consenting adults are intimate privately behind closed doors in there home together always gets to the
"animals" stage. Seriously folks, and they say gay people are messed up?!?!?

How do you even determine if a mannequin is a lesbian? Is there a test of some sort that I don't know about?...

Feeling Philosophical

"Run for your life from any man who tells you that money is evil. That sentence is the leper's bell of an approaching looter. "

"So you think that money is the root of all evil. Have you ever asked what is the root of all money? "

- Ayn Rand -

Just cause..