so, ready to make that anti-war mix? the song currently running through my head is "Gun Shy" by 10,000 Maniacs...
here's a page of Anti War Songs...then there's the Anti-War Songs, à la Carte page...oh wait, we can't go there, the title has French in it, and we're not supposed to like them anymore...
Friday, March 21, 2003
Thursday, March 20, 2003
Thursday - Day Four as Robo-Lori...actually, i feel more like Pez Dispenser Lori...when i was out & about yesterday, it was interesting to see people's reactions to seeing me, particularly children...i was ooooooooooh so tempted to tell one kid with a horrified look on her face, "Do what Mommy says, or she'll try to cut your head off!" - but i refrained! don't wanna be responsible for paying for years of therapy for the kid...
amazing what ya learn about your body after surgery - i tend to sleep on my right side, but doing this changes the position of the VNS - it feels like it's jutting out of my body. don't know that it hurts as much as just plain freaks me out, so i've been sleeping in different positions.
my throat is still very sore, but the coughing up bloody chunks has subsided - now i just feel the urge to cough stuff up every few hours - sometimes i actually will cough something up, other times just coughing provides relief.
it's weird to find myself out of breath so much - it's mom and pooky that have been the asthmatics in the house all these years!!! i've been using the Voldyne 5000 that i picked up at Dr. Young's office yesterday - it's purpose is to help me with deep breathing...hell, maybe i can become a clarinet player after this! ;-)
my voice going back and forth between normal and raspy, sometimes it takes a lot of effort to get any sound out, other times it's just like it was before surgery.
i've been fighting a fever all day, so i suspect i'll head to the doc's office tomorrow - right now i've got a terrible case of the chills - brrrrrr! - but my temp's only 99.4
the left side of my chin is numb - hafta talk to the doc about that, to see if that's something that will be a long-term thing or if it's just temporary - either way, no biggie, just something i've noticed...
my throat is still very sore, but the coughing up bloody chunks has subsided - now i just feel the urge to cough stuff up every few hours - sometimes i actually will cough something up, other times just coughing provides relief.
it's weird to find myself out of breath so much - it's mom and pooky that have been the asthmatics in the house all these years!!! i've been using the Voldyne 5000 that i picked up at Dr. Young's office yesterday - it's purpose is to help me with deep breathing...hell, maybe i can become a clarinet player after this! ;-)
my voice going back and forth between normal and raspy, sometimes it takes a lot of effort to get any sound out, other times it's just like it was before surgery.
i've been fighting a fever all day, so i suspect i'll head to the doc's office tomorrow - right now i've got a terrible case of the chills - brrrrrr! - but my temp's only 99.4
the left side of my chin is numb - hafta talk to the doc about that, to see if that's something that will be a long-term thing or if it's just temporary - either way, no biggie, just something i've noticed...
Wednesday, March 19, 2003
went to the mandatory meeting, which wasn't exactly what i was expecting, and ended up getting pretty pissed off - they cancelled the 4:00 meeting but didn't bother calling to tell me. well, they forgot to cancel the interpreter for our deaf co-workers, so i got to sit in on the 4:00 meeting after all. argh. argh. argh. that's about all i can say.
meanwhile, i'm running a fever - think i'll be talking to dr. young tomorrow cuz i'm not sure i'm fighting off the infection like i should be...having difficulties breathing as well - not difficulties, i suppose, just that i find myself short of breath quite a bit...the pain is somewhat tolerable - i just wish i hadn't subjected myself to the typical work bullshit (even if it was for just an hour) and stayed the hell home.
meanwhile, i'm running a fever - think i'll be talking to dr. young tomorrow cuz i'm not sure i'm fighting off the infection like i should be...having difficulties breathing as well - not difficulties, i suppose, just that i find myself short of breath quite a bit...the pain is somewhat tolerable - i just wish i hadn't subjected myself to the typical work bullshit (even if it was for just an hour) and stayed the hell home.
wednesday morning - i'm in some pretty bad pain right now - probably cuz i slept and didn't keep up with doing the painkillers every 4-6 hours. at this point i'm not sure i can make it to the mandatory meeting at work, let alone stay and work a whole shift. i seem to have had a complication from the anesthesia - i've been coughing up lots of nasty bloody stuff. today i'm running a fever as well - 99.9 - somewhat high considering i usually run below the "normal" 98.6...if the fever doesn't subside, it may be time for a trip to the doc...
time for more details about the surgery...
so, Monday, March 17, 2003...St. Vincent's told me to arrive at 10:30, for my surgery that was scheduled at 12:30 - that definitely set the tone: hurry up and wait. Got there at 10:30 and they were surprised to find that all the paperwork they may have needed from me was taken care of when i did the pre-op bloodwork/ekg 4 days prior. so we (that's myself and mom) sit and wait. and wait. and wait. shortly before noon, they called my name and took me back to a pre-op waiting room - they tell me to get totally nekkid and put on the be-yoo-tiful hospital gown, blue hairnet and footies. they ask me yet again to make sure i'm not wearing any jewelry or anything (she actually asked if i had a belly-button piercing!) and i said no - i was only wearing what they gave me to put on. they start an IV on me, the nurse having difficulty finding a good vein - guess they've taken to hiding, what with all the blood donations and tests i've had done over the years! eventually she gets me stuck in my left arm. they checked all the other vital stuff too - my pulse, blood pressure, listened to my lungs, checked my temp, pulse-ox, etc etc...
so they brought mom back into the room and she waited with me until they took me to yet another waiting area, this one with curtains to separate patients rather than actual rooms. i'd see doctors look at me and walk by - how did they know who i was?!? well, apparently there was a dry erase board above my head behind me that had my name on it! i'm curious as to what else it said, because at one point the surgery department chaplain walked by, and stopped by the bed next to mine to talk to the woman having knee surgery. she said hello to me as she walked by, and said "We'll take real good care of you. I promise." was there something on the board above me that let her know i wasn't a religious person? not sure.
after some more waiting, i finally met Dr. Nouri - he told me he was going to be my anesthesiologist and would be putting stuff in my IV to send me off to sleep. then it was off to the operating room!
certainly wasn't anything like you'd see on er - the biggest thing i noticed was all the lights - big round lamps above me. certainly a good thing - i want the docs seeing what they're doing!! that's much more important than mood lighting like they show ya on tv. the other thing i noticed was the drastic temp change in the OR - it was very cool, maybe 60-65 degrees. there were several people scurrying about, getting things ready. as i was sliding onto the operating table from the gurney i'd been on, i saw Dr. Young, said "hi doc!" and that was the last i remember of him. dr. nouri had me slide into position onto the table, put a mask on me and told me to keep taking deep breaths...deeep breaths....deeeeep breaths. told me i was doing very good.
that's all i remember till after the surgery.
the next thing i remember is waking up in the room i'd been in before - everything was blurry. blurry blurry blurry. kept trying to focus my eyes, but it was all just blurry. the nurse was telling me i'd done a great job in surgery and everything was all right. they had put a breathing tube in during surgery, and it was already out when i woke up - my throat was SORE! the nurse fed me ice chips and asked me to rate my pain on the wong baker happy/sad face scale they'd shown me before - told her my pain was between 7 and 8, on a scale of 1 to 10. they gave me some morphine and something else through my iv - an anti-inflammatory whose name i've forgotten, it was something i don't recall having had before. eventually we graduated from ice chips to drinking some diet sprite - i was ambivalent about it at first, the thought of drinking something fizzy put me off, but apple juice and the other options given me didn't sound good either...the diet sprite was great, very refreshing. amazing how the simplest little things can mean so much - freakin ice chips felt like a gourmet meal!
alrighty, time for a break...i'll continue later....
so, Monday, March 17, 2003...St. Vincent's told me to arrive at 10:30, for my surgery that was scheduled at 12:30 - that definitely set the tone: hurry up and wait. Got there at 10:30 and they were surprised to find that all the paperwork they may have needed from me was taken care of when i did the pre-op bloodwork/ekg 4 days prior. so we (that's myself and mom) sit and wait. and wait. and wait. shortly before noon, they called my name and took me back to a pre-op waiting room - they tell me to get totally nekkid and put on the be-yoo-tiful hospital gown, blue hairnet and footies. they ask me yet again to make sure i'm not wearing any jewelry or anything (she actually asked if i had a belly-button piercing!) and i said no - i was only wearing what they gave me to put on. they start an IV on me, the nurse having difficulty finding a good vein - guess they've taken to hiding, what with all the blood donations and tests i've had done over the years! eventually she gets me stuck in my left arm. they checked all the other vital stuff too - my pulse, blood pressure, listened to my lungs, checked my temp, pulse-ox, etc etc...
so they brought mom back into the room and she waited with me until they took me to yet another waiting area, this one with curtains to separate patients rather than actual rooms. i'd see doctors look at me and walk by - how did they know who i was?!? well, apparently there was a dry erase board above my head behind me that had my name on it! i'm curious as to what else it said, because at one point the surgery department chaplain walked by, and stopped by the bed next to mine to talk to the woman having knee surgery. she said hello to me as she walked by, and said "We'll take real good care of you. I promise." was there something on the board above me that let her know i wasn't a religious person? not sure.
after some more waiting, i finally met Dr. Nouri - he told me he was going to be my anesthesiologist and would be putting stuff in my IV to send me off to sleep. then it was off to the operating room!
certainly wasn't anything like you'd see on er - the biggest thing i noticed was all the lights - big round lamps above me. certainly a good thing - i want the docs seeing what they're doing!! that's much more important than mood lighting like they show ya on tv. the other thing i noticed was the drastic temp change in the OR - it was very cool, maybe 60-65 degrees. there were several people scurrying about, getting things ready. as i was sliding onto the operating table from the gurney i'd been on, i saw Dr. Young, said "hi doc!" and that was the last i remember of him. dr. nouri had me slide into position onto the table, put a mask on me and told me to keep taking deep breaths...deeep breaths....deeeeep breaths. told me i was doing very good.
that's all i remember till after the surgery.
the next thing i remember is waking up in the room i'd been in before - everything was blurry. blurry blurry blurry. kept trying to focus my eyes, but it was all just blurry. the nurse was telling me i'd done a great job in surgery and everything was all right. they had put a breathing tube in during surgery, and it was already out when i woke up - my throat was SORE! the nurse fed me ice chips and asked me to rate my pain on the wong baker happy/sad face scale they'd shown me before - told her my pain was between 7 and 8, on a scale of 1 to 10. they gave me some morphine and something else through my iv - an anti-inflammatory whose name i've forgotten, it was something i don't recall having had before. eventually we graduated from ice chips to drinking some diet sprite - i was ambivalent about it at first, the thought of drinking something fizzy put me off, but apple juice and the other options given me didn't sound good either...the diet sprite was great, very refreshing. amazing how the simplest little things can mean so much - freakin ice chips felt like a gourmet meal!
alrighty, time for a break...i'll continue later....
Tuesday, March 18, 2003
I sent the Indianapolis Star a comment for their column, Let It Out, and it ran in Sunday's newspaper:
A scary concept: outpatient neurosurgery. Nonetheless, I'm going for it on Monday. Wish me luck!
A scary concept: outpatient neurosurgery. Nonetheless, I'm going for it on Monday. Wish me luck!
warning - nasty stuff ahead:
it's the day after surgery - pretty danged sore, but good overall...the vicodin's taking the edge off the pain for now...
throat's pretty sore, coughing up nasty chunks of blood/phlegm...moving my head to the right, stretching the part with the scars, is not very comfortable...the neck incision was larger than i thought it would be - when i got out of surgery, docs & nurses were raving about how good it was and how it'd be barely noticeable - it sure as hell is noticable now! looks like someone tried to cut my head off, and got about 1/3 of the job done before giving up.
pills are kickin in - time for a nap...
it's the day after surgery - pretty danged sore, but good overall...the vicodin's taking the edge off the pain for now...
throat's pretty sore, coughing up nasty chunks of blood/phlegm...moving my head to the right, stretching the part with the scars, is not very comfortable...the neck incision was larger than i thought it would be - when i got out of surgery, docs & nurses were raving about how good it was and how it'd be barely noticeable - it sure as hell is noticable now! looks like someone tried to cut my head off, and got about 1/3 of the job done before giving up.
pills are kickin in - time for a nap...
Sunday, March 16, 2003
Saturday, March 15, 2003
steph posted on her website about my queer as folk post, and i think it deserves some followup conversation:
first, a quick summary, for those interested:
on 3/9 i mentioned that Randy Harrison & Peter Paige are the only real gay men in the show that's predominantly about gay men, Queer As Folk - i said, "just seems a bit strange that there's this huge queer show and only 2 of em are really gay...not good strange, not bad strange, just strange...."
then steph responded in her 3:19pm, march 11, 2003 entry: "Here's my two cents: it's bad strange. I challenge you to go to any restaurant in Califor-ni-ay and not have your food served by a gay actor. There are thousands of them out there, if not hundreds of thousands. So it's not just strange that 98% of all gay characters on TV and in the movies are played by straight actors, while the gay actors wait tables. It's happening because of descrimination, for the same reason that Amos and Andy used to have black characters played by white people in black face. Because people aren't comfortable knowing the the guy playing the gay role is actually gay. But it's okay if it's all pretend.
Case in point: Several years ago, Spin City has a gay male character kiss a straight male character as a joke. It got huge laughs, and played in prime time with no objections. That same night, Ellen Degeneres' character kissed a straight female character as a joke. It did not get huge laughs. It was pushed back to a later time slot, and it got a parental advisory warning. What was the difference between the two? On Ellen, the actor playing the part was gay. On Spin City, the actor playing the gay character was straight."
my reply? well, i'm intrigued by the comment that it's a minstrel show - steph, were you saying that only in reference to the fact that they're hiring straight people to play gays (like the Amos n' Andy reference) or do you find that the show content degrades gay people as well? that's a recurring complaint i've heard from gay people that don't like the show - the characters are all assholes, druggies or somehow fucked up - but i have to say i know many more people like the characters on QAF than i see in other television shows. i think it's a very realistic show - granted, it's got some cheesy soap-opera tendencies at times - but i tend to agree with the disclaimer they put on every episode: it doesn't reflect all of gay society.
i've found myself much more offended by episodes of "Will & Grace" than anything I've seen on QAF. speaking of W&G, Sean Hayes refuses to state his sexual orientation in interviews - this article on gay.com spells it out: When it comes to his sexuality, Hayes doesn't really want the public to know. "I don't wanna say I'm straight or I'm gay," he told Hollywood Online in 1998, "I want to keep everything open so as no one can form any opinions about me, because this world that we live in isn't all that forgiving." don't you find that more offensive than a confessed straight guy playing the part of a gay guy? the way he says it seems rather cowardly - he's afraid that saying one way or another is going to require forgiveness in the future? this isn't to say i don't like Sean Hayes - i really liked him in Billy's Hollywood Screen Kiss and enjoyed the Jack character on W&G for a little while - but i think Jack's become more of the minstrel than anyone on QAF...
yeah, i guess it does suck that they're hiring straight people to play gays when there are plenty of gays out there that could take the parts, but i really wonder how much of that was a factor in casting QAF - a very explicit show about gay boys, based on a Brit series - really think they had tons of people interested in the roles? being made for Showtime hasn't really been something to shout from the rooftops - they don't quite have the air of respectability of a channel like HBO...so, who knows. if it takes a while longer for heteros to portray homos to at least get homos portrayed somewhat realistically on television, i don't think that's a bad thing - we've definitely got a ways to go, but maybe someday we could get to that idealistic world of all the gay waiter/actors hanging up the aprons to go into acting full time...
first, a quick summary, for those interested:
on 3/9 i mentioned that Randy Harrison & Peter Paige are the only real gay men in the show that's predominantly about gay men, Queer As Folk - i said, "just seems a bit strange that there's this huge queer show and only 2 of em are really gay...not good strange, not bad strange, just strange...."
then steph responded in her 3:19pm, march 11, 2003 entry: "Here's my two cents: it's bad strange. I challenge you to go to any restaurant in Califor-ni-ay and not have your food served by a gay actor. There are thousands of them out there, if not hundreds of thousands. So it's not just strange that 98% of all gay characters on TV and in the movies are played by straight actors, while the gay actors wait tables. It's happening because of descrimination, for the same reason that Amos and Andy used to have black characters played by white people in black face. Because people aren't comfortable knowing the the guy playing the gay role is actually gay. But it's okay if it's all pretend.
Case in point: Several years ago, Spin City has a gay male character kiss a straight male character as a joke. It got huge laughs, and played in prime time with no objections. That same night, Ellen Degeneres' character kissed a straight female character as a joke. It did not get huge laughs. It was pushed back to a later time slot, and it got a parental advisory warning. What was the difference between the two? On Ellen, the actor playing the part was gay. On Spin City, the actor playing the gay character was straight."
my reply? well, i'm intrigued by the comment that it's a minstrel show - steph, were you saying that only in reference to the fact that they're hiring straight people to play gays (like the Amos n' Andy reference) or do you find that the show content degrades gay people as well? that's a recurring complaint i've heard from gay people that don't like the show - the characters are all assholes, druggies or somehow fucked up - but i have to say i know many more people like the characters on QAF than i see in other television shows. i think it's a very realistic show - granted, it's got some cheesy soap-opera tendencies at times - but i tend to agree with the disclaimer they put on every episode: it doesn't reflect all of gay society.
i've found myself much more offended by episodes of "Will & Grace" than anything I've seen on QAF. speaking of W&G, Sean Hayes refuses to state his sexual orientation in interviews - this article on gay.com spells it out: When it comes to his sexuality, Hayes doesn't really want the public to know. "I don't wanna say I'm straight or I'm gay," he told Hollywood Online in 1998, "I want to keep everything open so as no one can form any opinions about me, because this world that we live in isn't all that forgiving." don't you find that more offensive than a confessed straight guy playing the part of a gay guy? the way he says it seems rather cowardly - he's afraid that saying one way or another is going to require forgiveness in the future? this isn't to say i don't like Sean Hayes - i really liked him in Billy's Hollywood Screen Kiss and enjoyed the Jack character on W&G for a little while - but i think Jack's become more of the minstrel than anyone on QAF...
yeah, i guess it does suck that they're hiring straight people to play gays when there are plenty of gays out there that could take the parts, but i really wonder how much of that was a factor in casting QAF - a very explicit show about gay boys, based on a Brit series - really think they had tons of people interested in the roles? being made for Showtime hasn't really been something to shout from the rooftops - they don't quite have the air of respectability of a channel like HBO...so, who knows. if it takes a while longer for heteros to portray homos to at least get homos portrayed somewhat realistically on television, i don't think that's a bad thing - we've definitely got a ways to go, but maybe someday we could get to that idealistic world of all the gay waiter/actors hanging up the aprons to go into acting full time...
yowza, so much to do...
thanks to guys like HowdyDave and various people from the Cyberonics discussion board, i've decided to journal my experience with the Vagus Nerve Stimulator...the info i've received has been very helpful in making sure that i'm making an informed decision - i think this will prove to be a very beneficial device!
it's getting implanted into me in two days - two days!!!
so now i'm trying to decide how to go about it - i've pondered just starting up a totally separate blog on blogspot, pondered upgrading all the blogs i have and doing blogger pro, or maybe just getting a totally new domain of my own...and on and on and on...
the audioblogger option has really intrigued me - one thing i want to focus on in particular is how this will affect my voice. the biggest side effect i've read about regarding the VNS is the change it will make to one's voice - reading one woman's description of how it made her sound "like Bea Arthur after a testosterone shot" made it vividly clear that it's quite a change, but unless you can really HEAR how things were before and how they are after, it's hard to imagine...now, it's not like i rely on my voice for anything...no public speaking things are involved in work, and it's not like i'll be killing my singing career - since i don't have one - but i think it'd be cool to give people a concrete example of what sort of changes can happen. i also thought some pix would be good as well, of the incisions and such...the more info i can give to people about this thing, the better.....
thanks to guys like HowdyDave and various people from the Cyberonics discussion board, i've decided to journal my experience with the Vagus Nerve Stimulator...the info i've received has been very helpful in making sure that i'm making an informed decision - i think this will prove to be a very beneficial device!
it's getting implanted into me in two days - two days!!!
so now i'm trying to decide how to go about it - i've pondered just starting up a totally separate blog on blogspot, pondered upgrading all the blogs i have and doing blogger pro, or maybe just getting a totally new domain of my own...and on and on and on...
the audioblogger option has really intrigued me - one thing i want to focus on in particular is how this will affect my voice. the biggest side effect i've read about regarding the VNS is the change it will make to one's voice - reading one woman's description of how it made her sound "like Bea Arthur after a testosterone shot" made it vividly clear that it's quite a change, but unless you can really HEAR how things were before and how they are after, it's hard to imagine...now, it's not like i rely on my voice for anything...no public speaking things are involved in work, and it's not like i'll be killing my singing career - since i don't have one - but i think it'd be cool to give people a concrete example of what sort of changes can happen. i also thought some pix would be good as well, of the incisions and such...the more info i can give to people about this thing, the better.....
Thursday, March 13, 2003
why the fuck would mcdonalds not promote this woman to manager? cuz she's got a birthmark.
granted, seeing her is quite a jolt at first, but this is fucking MCDONALDS people! would her customer service or cooking abilities be hampered by her face? don't think so.
granted, seeing her is quite a jolt at first, but this is fucking MCDONALDS people! would her customer service or cooking abilities be hampered by her face? don't think so.
good to know our reps in congress are busy with lots of really important issues, like renaming food in the cafeterias...no more French Fries, now it's "Freedom Fries"....huh?!?
so, just because france thinks we shouldn't blow iraq to oblivion we can't have anything with "French" in the name?
so, do we just change French to Freedom in every instance? after a hot night of Freedom Kissing and trying out that new Freedom Tickler in the boudoir - whoops, i mean bedroom! - we'll have some Freedom Toast for breakfast?
so, just because france thinks we shouldn't blow iraq to oblivion we can't have anything with "French" in the name?
so, do we just change French to Freedom in every instance? after a hot night of Freedom Kissing and trying out that new Freedom Tickler in the boudoir - whoops, i mean bedroom! - we'll have some Freedom Toast for breakfast?
*rofl* shoulda seen this one coming:
Gay Bear
Which Dysfunctional Care Bear Are You?
brought to you by Quizilla
Gay Bear
Which Dysfunctional Care Bear Are You?
brought to you by Quizilla
heh heh heh...
You have a dominant kiss- you take charge and make
sure your partner can feel it! Done artfully,
it can be very satisfactory if he/she is into
you playing the dominant role MEORW!
What kind of kiss are you?
brought to you by Quizilla
You have a dominant kiss- you take charge and make
sure your partner can feel it! Done artfully,
it can be very satisfactory if he/she is into
you playing the dominant role MEORW!
What kind of kiss are you?
brought to you by Quizilla
Wednesday, March 12, 2003
Green - You believe that small economic units
should control the goods, and that the
government should be permissive of
"victimless crimes," respectful of
civil liberties and very strict towards big
business. You also believe in either a
socialist tax structure or more power to local
communities. You think that environmental
policies should be written into law. Your
historical role model is Ralf Nader.
Which political sterotype are you?
brought to you by Quizilla
Tuesday, March 11, 2003
the Elephant Sanctuary in Hohenwald, TN gets my vote for best motto: "So they loaded up their trunks & they moved to Tennessee"...
Sunday, March 09, 2003
ticketmaster sucks ass...i know, another statement of the obvious, but i'm just cranky cuz i couldn't get jimmy buffett tix for me & clara this morning - even though i stood in line at marsh while mom stayed at home and tried getting through on the internet...
it's amazing the fucking fees they add onto ticket prices as well - i suppose this is actually a verizon fee, but the ticketmaster page said "$2.75 Parking Fee will be added on to each ticket purchased." - excuse me?!?!? every single person is driving alone? if not, how the can they tack that onto the ticket price?!? that's in addition to $4.50 venue fee (huh?) and $1 "SFC", whatever the fuck that is...evil bastards...
perhaps i'll wait till closer till concert time, to see how likely it is that clara's gonna be able to make it, then pay a fucking scalper for em...*shrug*
it's amazing the fucking fees they add onto ticket prices as well - i suppose this is actually a verizon fee, but the ticketmaster page said "$2.75 Parking Fee will be added on to each ticket purchased." - excuse me?!?!? every single person is driving alone? if not, how the can they tack that onto the ticket price?!? that's in addition to $4.50 venue fee (huh?) and $1 "SFC", whatever the fuck that is...evil bastards...
perhaps i'll wait till closer till concert time, to see how likely it is that clara's gonna be able to make it, then pay a fucking scalper for em...*shrug*
i'm now in the midst of disc 5 of the second season of queer as folk...what a show...took em long enough to get to season 3, but i guess it's been worth the wait...
interesting - the showtime website has a question in the FAQ - "Which of the cast members are gay in real life?" Showtime's answer: "Some of the actors are gay, and some of them are straight." - not mentioning who's who....i found a larry king interview with the cast, and it turns out only two of em, Randy Harrison and Peter Paige are truly fags...just seems a bit strange that there's this huge queer show and only 2 of em are really gay...not good strange, not bad strange, just strange....
interesting - the showtime website has a question in the FAQ - "Which of the cast members are gay in real life?" Showtime's answer: "Some of the actors are gay, and some of them are straight." - not mentioning who's who....i found a larry king interview with the cast, and it turns out only two of em, Randy Harrison and Peter Paige are truly fags...just seems a bit strange that there's this huge queer show and only 2 of em are really gay...not good strange, not bad strange, just strange....
Friday, March 07, 2003
ice cream headache explained here (or here - or even here if ya like lots of big medical words) - of course, if adam hadn't had 3 bowls of ice cream in 2 minutes at the chinese buffet, perhaps it wouldn't have happened... ;-)
'tis becoming a regular occurence - dinner with the bro on thurs or fri nite...very cool. *8-)
'tis becoming a regular occurence - dinner with the bro on thurs or fri nite...very cool. *8-)
been checking out some culture jamming websites this evening...
here's the culture jammer's encyclopedia to get ya started...
and then there's other stuff like:
Make your own Bush speech!
Terrorists are everywhere!
For the SUV owners out there...
here's the culture jammer's encyclopedia to get ya started...
and then there's other stuff like:
Make your own Bush speech!
Terrorists are everywhere!
For the SUV owners out there...
Thursday, March 06, 2003
VNS...it's getting even more real - Monday, March 17th at 11:15am!!! Hafta get there 2 hours early tho - what's up with that, is goin to the hospital like getting through the airport nowadays or something? It don't take me 2 hours to get nekkid and go to sleep...*8-)
i've got a good feeling about this - i think it'll do me good.
i've got a good feeling about this - i think it'll do me good.
Wednesday, March 05, 2003
ya know, i was wondering what the hell they were talking about here at work the other day, with the discussion of cunnilingus...er, nope, it was Colonel Angus!
more info on the Vagus Nerve Stimulator...
and answers to some frequently asked questions...
the patient's manual from the manufacturer...
and answers to some frequently asked questions...
the patient's manual from the manufacturer...
Sunday, March 02, 2003
ahhhh, the drunken blog...all is good with the world right now - i'm TANKED. well, i've sobered up a bit, the boys made me have breakfast with 'em at Peppy's, but i'm feelin no pain right now...
after mah-jongg, i went dancing with the boys...even met a woman, and encouraged her to dance - lil wallflower ME did that...dunno if janet will actually give me a call, but oh well...at least i'm getting out there...and it was fun to dance my ass off...i'm exhausted, but it feels soooo good...
let's just PRAY TO GOD that all will be good when i wake up...it just occured to me that the doc says no aspirin or tylenol - this could gonna be one BITCH of a hangover...
after mah-jongg, i went dancing with the boys...even met a woman, and encouraged her to dance - lil wallflower ME did that...dunno if janet will actually give me a call, but oh well...at least i'm getting out there...and it was fun to dance my ass off...i'm exhausted, but it feels soooo good...
let's just PRAY TO GOD that all will be good when i wake up...it just occured to me that the doc says no aspirin or tylenol - this could gonna be one BITCH of a hangover...
Saturday, March 01, 2003
woo hoo! Mah-Jongg night! finally, a saturday when we weren't snowed in, or the boys had something else planned, or somebody was feeling ill...
had chinese food for dinner - my fortune cookie was AMAZING - "Culture and customs of China attract you." - woah! in a fortune cookie! on mah-jongg night! what are the odds?!?!?
now i'm waiting on the boys to go home and get gussied up and then we're going to Talbott Street for drinking & dancing...woo hoo!
had chinese food for dinner - my fortune cookie was AMAZING - "Culture and customs of China attract you." - woah! in a fortune cookie! on mah-jongg night! what are the odds?!?!?
now i'm waiting on the boys to go home and get gussied up and then we're going to Talbott Street for drinking & dancing...woo hoo!
so, yesterday was the visit to the neurosurgeon, for the consultation about the Vagus Nerve Stimulator...
i dragged mom along to my appointment, cuz i knew she'd have a bazillion questions and i have a tendency to forget everything i wanna ask about when i get into a doctor's office...
so the nurse leads us into an exam room...right off the bat i'm thinking this is some sort of neuro test - the chairs are itty bitty, the cabinets are really short...well, just so happens they put me in a pediatric exam room! it's not a test checking for micropsia and/or macropsia (the symptoms Lewis Carroll had that appeared for form a basis for events in Alice In Wonderland) - it just so happened that the room they had open was intended for small children to visit.
so the doc walks in and promptly drops my file, sending papers scattering everywhere...he made a comment about being so clumsy and we said perhaps that wasn't too good for a neurosurgeon - we all had a good laugh.
he takes a look at my big list of medicines and tells me i'll need to stop taking the aspirin (the eye doc prescribes that) and the naproxen that i take for the carpal tunnel for two weeks prior to surgery - the anti-coagulant properties aren't really good to have in yer system when you're heading in to surgery, we don't need to have any extra bleeding going on there...so i ask him when to stop taking them, he tells me to go ahead and stop taking them now!! eeek - the surgery could be in two weeks!!! all along it's been a distant thing - last year dr. mohan, the neurologist, sent me home with a video and told me to think about it...then in january i met with a guy from the company that manufactures the VNS...the neuro calls the neurosurgeon for a consult, now VIOLA! in two or three weeks!
so he explained where they'd be cutting me (one incision in my neck, one on my upper chest, near my armpit) and that i'd be out of the hospital that day - won't even need to stay in for observation, as i'd read some other patients have had to do...shouldn't miss any work or anything (unless they schedule the surgery for a work day, of course). the scars shouldn't be too big and i'll still be able to wear my bikinis and tube tops, as well as make that last ditch effort for the Miss America crown... ;-)
i'm excited about it - mom's freaked. she says it's too soon. i don't think so, we just didn't expect it to get scheduled during THIS appointment. so now i just wait for them to call and tell me when and where i'll be getting carved up. the surgeon puts it in, but it's not turned on and programmed till i go back to the neurologist a couple of weeks later. the main risk after the surgery is of infection, but i should be fine & dandy...
woo hoo!
i dragged mom along to my appointment, cuz i knew she'd have a bazillion questions and i have a tendency to forget everything i wanna ask about when i get into a doctor's office...
so the nurse leads us into an exam room...right off the bat i'm thinking this is some sort of neuro test - the chairs are itty bitty, the cabinets are really short...well, just so happens they put me in a pediatric exam room! it's not a test checking for micropsia and/or macropsia (the symptoms Lewis Carroll had that appeared for form a basis for events in Alice In Wonderland) - it just so happened that the room they had open was intended for small children to visit.
so the doc walks in and promptly drops my file, sending papers scattering everywhere...he made a comment about being so clumsy and we said perhaps that wasn't too good for a neurosurgeon - we all had a good laugh.
he takes a look at my big list of medicines and tells me i'll need to stop taking the aspirin (the eye doc prescribes that) and the naproxen that i take for the carpal tunnel for two weeks prior to surgery - the anti-coagulant properties aren't really good to have in yer system when you're heading in to surgery, we don't need to have any extra bleeding going on there...so i ask him when to stop taking them, he tells me to go ahead and stop taking them now!! eeek - the surgery could be in two weeks!!! all along it's been a distant thing - last year dr. mohan, the neurologist, sent me home with a video and told me to think about it...then in january i met with a guy from the company that manufactures the VNS...the neuro calls the neurosurgeon for a consult, now VIOLA! in two or three weeks!
so he explained where they'd be cutting me (one incision in my neck, one on my upper chest, near my armpit) and that i'd be out of the hospital that day - won't even need to stay in for observation, as i'd read some other patients have had to do...shouldn't miss any work or anything (unless they schedule the surgery for a work day, of course). the scars shouldn't be too big and i'll still be able to wear my bikinis and tube tops, as well as make that last ditch effort for the Miss America crown... ;-)
i'm excited about it - mom's freaked. she says it's too soon. i don't think so, we just didn't expect it to get scheduled during THIS appointment. so now i just wait for them to call and tell me when and where i'll be getting carved up. the surgeon puts it in, but it's not turned on and programmed till i go back to the neurologist a couple of weeks later. the main risk after the surgery is of infection, but i should be fine & dandy...
woo hoo!
Friday, February 28, 2003
well, if i HAD an instrument lying around, i'd donate it...IPS has a shortage of musical instruments, and you can donate yours to "Band Together"...so do it...
statements of the obvious, brought to you this week by State Farm Insurance spokesman Joe Johnson: "A nuclear event has the potential to threaten the financial security of an insurance company," he said. "Obviously nuclear activity could really threaten any ability to pay our claims in the future."
errrr, if a nuclear bomb hits my Saturn, well then...guess i'll hafta get that nuclear war inclusion on whatever insurance i have so it'll be covered...
errrr, if a nuclear bomb hits my Saturn, well then...guess i'll hafta get that nuclear war inclusion on whatever insurance i have so it'll be covered...
Wednesday, February 26, 2003
Tuesday, February 25, 2003
and now, Carbonated Beverages in the news....
"PepsiCo said it will launch Mountain Dew LiveWire, a new orange-flavored Mountain Dew, to be available across the United States only through the summer.
Starting in the late spring, Sprite Remix will initially be sold in 20-ounce bottles, with additional package sizes available later in the spring and summer, Atlanta-based Coca-Cola said."
"PepsiCo said it will launch Mountain Dew LiveWire, a new orange-flavored Mountain Dew, to be available across the United States only through the summer.
Starting in the late spring, Sprite Remix will initially be sold in 20-ounce bottles, with additional package sizes available later in the spring and summer, Atlanta-based Coca-Cola said."
i'm setting the VCR!!!! next month, on game show network, it's “BIG BUCKS: THE PRESS YOUR LUCK SCANDAL” - maybe that bill murray movie about it didn't pan out...
Monday, February 24, 2003
while i don't think i'd necessarily agree with banning comic sans completely, the people at bancomicsans.com have a point, i suppose...
Saturday, February 22, 2003
Friday, February 21, 2003
useful link! - through sunday, you can go to this story about carfax reports, click on the little box in the article to get a FREE report - not just the freebie basic info either, the full report that usually costs 15 bucks...
interesting, my car was first purchased (i'm the 2nd owner) in missouri - wonder how it ended up here in indy....
interesting, my car was first purchased (i'm the 2nd owner) in missouri - wonder how it ended up here in indy....
a guilty pleasure of mine is "reality" shows...tonite was the 2nd episode of the new season of survivor: the amazon and i must say, it's different from previous seasons...
the whole girls vs. boys thing is an interesting twist, but i was worried in the first episode - these chicks are STUPID...as far as survival skills go, at least...let's take the drinking water and use it to wash our underwear - er, excuse me? if clean laundry is that important to ya, perhaps the amazon isn't where you should be...and their whole laziness thing and refusal to get a shelter built - ugh, when they got pissed at christy for suggesting they get to work on it, i couldn't believe it...
christy - she's the shit - and it REALLY pisses me off that she gets treated like crap because she's the "disabled" one...tonight's reward challenge involved all the tribe members being blindfolded except for one that was the guide, telling everyone where to find pieces to a puzzle - the girls tribe had one more member than the boys, so automatically they made christy sit out...that was just flat-out WRONG, in my oh so humble opinion...yeah, blindfolding her was obviously not a good idea, but was there any reason whatsoever that she couldn't have been the guide, telling everyone where to go? don't think so. i think some of her tribemates just find it easy to write her off and ignore because she's deaf...when in fact THEY are the ones that are disabled...oh, and when joanna went off on christy, ooh, that just irked me...joanna gets my vote for next one outta the jungle - i'm all for the strong black woman character they seem to think is mandatory (like ghandia last year) - but joanna's just a flat-out bitch!
i'm rooting for christy all the way - KICK SOME ASS girl!
the whole girls vs. boys thing is an interesting twist, but i was worried in the first episode - these chicks are STUPID...as far as survival skills go, at least...let's take the drinking water and use it to wash our underwear - er, excuse me? if clean laundry is that important to ya, perhaps the amazon isn't where you should be...and their whole laziness thing and refusal to get a shelter built - ugh, when they got pissed at christy for suggesting they get to work on it, i couldn't believe it...
christy - she's the shit - and it REALLY pisses me off that she gets treated like crap because she's the "disabled" one...tonight's reward challenge involved all the tribe members being blindfolded except for one that was the guide, telling everyone where to find pieces to a puzzle - the girls tribe had one more member than the boys, so automatically they made christy sit out...that was just flat-out WRONG, in my oh so humble opinion...yeah, blindfolding her was obviously not a good idea, but was there any reason whatsoever that she couldn't have been the guide, telling everyone where to go? don't think so. i think some of her tribemates just find it easy to write her off and ignore because she's deaf...when in fact THEY are the ones that are disabled...oh, and when joanna went off on christy, ooh, that just irked me...joanna gets my vote for next one outta the jungle - i'm all for the strong black woman character they seem to think is mandatory (like ghandia last year) - but joanna's just a flat-out bitch!
i'm rooting for christy all the way - KICK SOME ASS girl!
Thursday, February 20, 2003
how fuckin lazy do ya hafta be that you can't put salt and pepper on your food individually?
spepper seems like a stupid idea to me - generally, i use differing amounts of each on whatever food i'm eating...
so, ya buy yer spepper - then do ya put it in a salt shaker or a pepper shaker? and what do ya do with that leftover shaker now?
spepper seems like a stupid idea to me - generally, i use differing amounts of each on whatever food i'm eating...
so, ya buy yer spepper - then do ya put it in a salt shaker or a pepper shaker? and what do ya do with that leftover shaker now?
not for those with weak stomachs (well, not for any stomachs, actually) - it's THE BREAKFAST FROM HELL!!
my favorite fark headline of the day: "Carrie-Anne Moss is pregnant. Must have gone off the red pill"
Wednesday, February 19, 2003
everybody's talking about the johnny cash song "hurt" - what's amusing is that it's actually a cover - it's a song by nine inch nails...
happy birthday Amy Tan! the movie adaptation of her first book, The Joy Luck Club, is the only thing most people have as far as a knowledge of real mahjongg (the crappy tile matching game people play on the puter is NOT mahjongg!!!!)
Tuesday, February 18, 2003
"I have a dream that a guy who designs popup ads is having a major colonoscopy, and the proctologist is saying, 'It's the darnedest thing! Every time I snip a polyp, two more spring up in its place!'" - Dave Barry
i think Dave Barry's blog entry summed up the Joe Millionaire Finale very well:
FINAL JOE MILLIONAIRE UPDATE
In case you missed it, here's a transcript of the climactic two-hour episode last night:
"I, uh, there's, uh, two things, uh…"
Commercial
"I thought, uh, we, uh, really, uh…"
Commercial
"Uh…"
Commercial
"Uh…"
Commercial
Commercial
Commercial
Commercial
Without question the oratorical highlight was when Evan, in a complete sentence, made the following statement to Zora, apparently to explain why he had selected her (I am not making this statement up):
"The horseback riding was God-given."
The Surprise Twist Ending That Will Have All America Talking was so shocking and unexpected that I can barely type the words: They got money. Yes! On a TV show!
posted by Dave 9:08 AM
FINAL JOE MILLIONAIRE UPDATE
In case you missed it, here's a transcript of the climactic two-hour episode last night:
"I, uh, there's, uh, two things, uh…"
Commercial
"I thought, uh, we, uh, really, uh…"
Commercial
"Uh…"
Commercial
"Uh…"
Commercial
Commercial
Commercial
Commercial
Without question the oratorical highlight was when Evan, in a complete sentence, made the following statement to Zora, apparently to explain why he had selected her (I am not making this statement up):
"The horseback riding was God-given."
The Surprise Twist Ending That Will Have All America Talking was so shocking and unexpected that I can barely type the words: They got money. Yes! On a TV show!
posted by Dave 9:08 AM
google bought blogger - should we be scared? prolly not - they're 2 of my fave websites...but who knows...hope it works out...
hmmm....Years of fries, nary a burger flipped...33 years of working at McDonalds and she has never had a Big Mac - think she knows something the rest of us don't? the real "special sauce", perhaps?
the scariest part of this article is the guy that eats there 3 times a day and will buy food the day before holidays that McD's is closed so he can still have it - day-old reheated mcd's? ugh!!!
the scariest part of this article is the guy that eats there 3 times a day and will buy food the day before holidays that McD's is closed so he can still have it - day-old reheated mcd's? ugh!!!
Monday, February 17, 2003
http://www.dancecube.de/index.php?category=news&action=showArticle&Article_ID=75346
guess it's time to brush up on the german...oh wait, i never knew german....
http://babelfish.altavista.com/babelfish/urltrurl?lp=de_en&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dancecube.de%2Findex.php%3Fcategory%3Dnews%26action%3DshowArticle%26Article_ID%3D75346%26ContextCategory_ID%3D1%26ContextKeyword%3DNaptown%2520Renegade
guess it's time to brush up on the german...oh wait, i never knew german....
http://babelfish.altavista.com/babelfish/urltrurl?lp=de_en&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dancecube.de%2Findex.php%3Fcategory%3Dnews%26action%3DshowArticle%26Article_ID%3D75346%26ContextCategory_ID%3D1%26ContextKeyword%3DNaptown%2520Renegade
heh heh heh...
I'm an Atheist!
Which Enemy of the Christian Church Are You?
Take More of Robert & Tim's Quizzes
Watch Robert & Tim's Cartoons
Which Enemy of the Christian Church Are You?
Take More of Robert & Tim's Quizzes
Watch Robert & Tim's Cartoons
Sunday, February 16, 2003
better not send rice to the white house - they'll think it's anthrax...so how about clams for peace?
NEWSFLASH! check out Bush's REAL State of the Union Address...
it'd probably be even funnier if it weren't so damned close to the truth...
it'd probably be even funnier if it weren't so damned close to the truth...
interesting - Researchers Find It's Easy to Plant False Memories in Minds of Some People
"More than a third of subjects...recalled that theme-park moment [of meeting Bugs Bunny at Disneyland] - impossible because Bugs is not a Disney character - after a researcher planted the false memory. Other research, of people who believed they were abducted by space aliens, shows that even false memories can be as intensely felt as those of real-life victims of war and other violence."
'tis amazing what the brain can do...
"More than a third of subjects...recalled that theme-park moment [of meeting Bugs Bunny at Disneyland] - impossible because Bugs is not a Disney character - after a researcher planted the false memory. Other research, of people who believed they were abducted by space aliens, shows that even false memories can be as intensely felt as those of real-life victims of war and other violence."
'tis amazing what the brain can do...
Saturday, February 15, 2003
Friday, February 14, 2003
here are a few links for robin - can't email her since she cancelled her home acct, and somehow i don't think she'd like these sent to work...
hey robin, check ebay! you can buy your very own ice cream store!!!
and from fark - pix of nekkid men, weeners included...
hey robin, check ebay! you can buy your very own ice cream store!!!
and from fark - pix of nekkid men, weeners included...
Thursday, February 13, 2003
Wednesday, February 12, 2003
presenting, your terrorist attack grocery list:
A three-day supply of water - they say a gallon a day, per person...
Non-perishable, nutrient-rich foods - bring on the PB&J! and don't forget that old fashioned can opener!
3 days worth of prescription medications and/or baby supplies
Plastic sheeting and duct tape - gotta seal up them doors and windows if it's a biological attack...
Lots of batteries and flashlights, and a battery operated radio/tv - the storm last year made it abundantly clear how important this stuff is...
is it just paranoia that causes the glut of articles about this stuff these days, or is this stuff really going to be a necessity...only time will tell...
A three-day supply of water - they say a gallon a day, per person...
Non-perishable, nutrient-rich foods - bring on the PB&J! and don't forget that old fashioned can opener!
3 days worth of prescription medications and/or baby supplies
Plastic sheeting and duct tape - gotta seal up them doors and windows if it's a biological attack...
Lots of batteries and flashlights, and a battery operated radio/tv - the storm last year made it abundantly clear how important this stuff is...
is it just paranoia that causes the glut of articles about this stuff these days, or is this stuff really going to be a necessity...only time will tell...
Monday, February 10, 2003
You Are Fries. you're usually confused and
complicated. You have no clue where you are,
after all you came from an ugly potatoe, got
cut up and deep fried. Confused, but unique.
What McDonalds Menu Item Are You?
brought to you by Quizilla
Sunday, February 09, 2003
my new favorite TV show: "Penn & Teller: Bullshit!" - yup, that' s the name of the show...they've debunked alternative medicine, psychics, and ufo's in the shows thus far...the alternative medicine was a trip - they had a guy in the mall, giving free "snail mucus facials" to cure wrinkles - people had these slimy snails crawling all over their faces, then afterwards they swore up and down that their wrinkles were gone and they'd pay 25 bucks for that sort of thing at a spa...alrighty...of course, in this country Penn & Teller have no need to worry about running out of material - this place is full of bullshit!
so, the Mutual Friends CD Mix Mixer was a success! There were 8 (or was it 9) of us, everyone bringing a mix of fave tunes to the Abbey and hanging out and chatting about music and stuff and thangs...very cool - it's gonna be a somewhat regular occurance, i'm thinking every other month, or quarterly perhaps...
now i've got all sorts of cool music to listen to!
now i've got all sorts of cool music to listen to!
Saturday, February 08, 2003
well, decided to go with the Indiana Arts Trust license plate - we could certainly use more art and culture 'round these parts...besides, the mental health people weren't ever around to take my phone calls with questions...perhaps next year i'll just go with a personalized plate - suppose BIG DYKE is taken? ;-)
interesting article on slate about the whole specialty plate issue...
interesting article on slate about the whole specialty plate issue...
Friday, February 07, 2003
Thursday, February 06, 2003
saturday's the mutual friends music mix mixer - looks like there'll be about 8 of us swapping CD's at the abbey...
i'm refining my mix since i'm not totally happy with the first one i burned...figured i'd make it easy and do favorite songs to favorite soundtracks to favorite movies...now i'm finding more songs that should be added, and that the first mix i burned just didn't quite flow very well, so i need to take some tracks out...this may have to be a series of discs...hell, i've already made one disc of nothing but tunes from john hughes movies, and even that one didn't have em all...
i'm refining my mix since i'm not totally happy with the first one i burned...figured i'd make it easy and do favorite songs to favorite soundtracks to favorite movies...now i'm finding more songs that should be added, and that the first mix i burned just didn't quite flow very well, so i need to take some tracks out...this may have to be a series of discs...hell, i've already made one disc of nothing but tunes from john hughes movies, and even that one didn't have em all...
Wednesday, February 05, 2003
the death clock tells me i'll die on Monday, September 14, 2026 - meaning i have less than 744,856,800 seconds to live...hrmmmmm....well, that's the pessimistic outlook, at least....optimistically, i'm looking at 1,956,088,278 seconds, til Saturday, January 31, 2065....
Tuesday, February 04, 2003
Monday, February 03, 2003
the mail today brought me The Hunt a dvd about the university of chicago scavenger hunt, which happens to be the largest scavenger hunt in the world...perhaps it'll give some insights as to creating a spiffy hunt here in indy...
Sunday, February 02, 2003
"When you try to guess what's going on inside their minds, it's dark and it's cavernous in there." - David E. Kelley, referring to the evil bastard network execs that moved "The Practice" from its Sunday night slot...granted, i work sunday nights, but i've gotten into the habit of taping it and watching it when i get home...gonna be harder to do now that it's on monday night, up against another fave, Joe Millionaire....why do the networks do shit like this that alienates viewers?!?!?
and now, a joke from the Bob & Tom website:
Q - What did George Washington say to his men just before they got on the boat?
A - Men, get on the boat.
hahahahaha, i just love dumbass jokes like that one!
Q - What did George Washington say to his men just before they got on the boat?
A - Men, get on the boat.
hahahahaha, i just love dumbass jokes like that one!
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