Marshmallow Scars

(contains spoilers for a 20 year old movie plus a clothing spoiler for The Avengers)

One time back in college, we were hanging out in a dudebro’s room that my friend liked, and a guy came and knocked on the door. The dudebro answered it, and the guy at the door asked, “Have you seen The Crying Game?” (Yes, I’m almost that old – this was after it came out on video a year later.) (Also, shut up.) When dudebro answered No, the guy at the door said, “She’s a dude,” before walking on to the next door down the hall and knocking.

I feel like doing that with everyone, except about The Avengers, and no matter whether their answer is yes they’ve seen it or no they haven’t, I want to shake them and shout, “BLACK SABBATH SANG IRON MAN!” then move on to knock on the next door.

This post brought to you by reading one too many articles and internet posts mentioning that Tony’s wearing that shirt because they’re an old band and he likes classic rock. TONY STARK IS WAY MORE OBVIOUS AND NOT-SUBTLE THAN THAT.

After another long break of no content, I’m back.

On Friday night I went to see Thomas D. Jones, PhD, astronaut, give a presentation. Here are my disjointed thoughts and memories from the brief notes I took.

Read the rest of this entry »

Not really into Maroon 5, but then I saw this video:

Not only is it a catchy song that namechecks Mick F-ing Jagger the awesomest rock dude ever, but Adam Levine has no shirt on, he’s inked as hell, he really does have the moves like Jagger, and man is he HOT. I suddenly want to know everything about Maroon 5. Like the title reads…

Took this last September – U2360° at Soldier Field, Chicago

One of my favorite pictures from Disneyland a week and a half ago.

Started getting used to my meds (they still mess with me, though), and then I got hit with H1N1. I’m still not at 100% – every little thing makes me tired, and I seem to catch every last stupid bug that everyone brings into work because they want to save their sick days. I burned all of my remaining vacation time to keep them all healthy, and they’re coming in with bronchitis that they’re sure isn’t contagious. Uh huh.

That’s where I am. One of these days I’m expecting a nice surprise, like winning the lottery or something. My luck’s got to turn at some point, right? RIGHT?

I’ve been pretty sick for a while, and I finally browbeat my doctor into doing some tests and finding out that I have PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome). It’s pretty much exactly like it sounds. I’ve got one large cyst and a bunch of tiny pre-cyst formations on my ovaries. My oldest sister had the same thing, but she experienced pain and other issues, so she had a hysterectomy. I haven’t been having pain, so I’m going the medication route.

My meds KILL my stomach because I’m not used to them yet. Even taking them with a meal only slightly lessens the problem. It’s not as bad as when I first started taking them, but it’s still a nuisance. Tomorrow I get to start taking the main pill two times a day rather than once, so I will enjoy another long period of feeling like some evil little digestive-tract-dwelling elf is in there burning out the lining of my stomach with a blow torch. Happy fun times!

That’s where I’ve been. It’s not an excuse, but it’s been very difficult to be positive when I’ve been dealing with copays and deductibles and bitchass doctors with their heads up their asses. All I’ve felt like doing is whining, so I’ve not really been doing anything at all.

The only things that have been keeping me sane is playing Mafia Wars on facebook and rereading a bunch of novels that I had boxed away.

Been dealing with some medical issues. Hate having to pay a fricking huge insurance premium, ridiculous co-pays, then getting bills in the mail because my insurance doesn’t cover everything. AWESOME!

I’m tired of people who claim to be Christians but are whining about a public health care option because – horror of horrors! – their money will be used to provide quality medical care for people less fortunate than they are.¹ I can’t even begin to fathom the kind of cruelty and greed someone has to harbor in their heart in order to think that way; it literally makes me sick to my stomach when I think about it.

I’m not sure what Bible those people have been pretending to read, but the one I grew up studying had this guy named Jesus in it who taught that each person is equally loved by God as one of his children and, as such, deserves *our* love and kind regard, too.

Who are any of us to decide that hey, God was wrong, this person doesn’t deserve equal treatment because I don’t like (how poor he is/the color of her skin/who he kisses at night/the way she talks/etc.) ?

I’ll tell you – we’re nobody.

Here’s a tip from me to you: If you are a Christian, you’re not allowed to pick and choose which of Jesus of Nazareth’s teachings you want to follow; it’s all or nothing. None of this Well, He said to tend his flock and to love everyone and treat them how I want to be treated, but He couldn’t have meant for us to actually use some of our hard-earned money just to help sick people. They’re probably all crack addicts with ten kids anyway and should just get a job and save their own money. bullshit. Aside from the fact that there are plenty of hardworking individuals who would be helped by a public option, that does not matter. Even if every last person who would benefit was the racist stereotype of a welfare queen who is too lazy to work, you as a Christian should still support this anyway because it is ALL OR NOTHING. LOVE THEM ALL. TREAT THEM ALL LIKE YOUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS BECAUSE THEY ARE YOUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS.

Also, Jesus said so:

Then the king will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me,
naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.’
Then the righteous will answer him and say, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink?
When did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you?
When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?’
And the king will say to them in reply, ‘Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.’
Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.
For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink,
a stranger and you gave me no welcome, naked and you gave me no clothing, ill and in prison, and you did not care for me.’
Then they will answer and say, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or ill or in prison, and not minister to your needs?’
He will answer them, ‘Amen, I say to you, what you did not do for one of these least ones, you did not do for me.’
And these will go off to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”

- The Gospel of Matthew 25:34-46, New American Bible
    source: The Vatican

¹ Spoiler: We already have a system that does that! It’s just not as large in scale as the proposed public option in the bill currently before Congress.