Categories
Cats My News Photos

Goodbye Tala – Go Find Simba

I said goodbye to Tala a few hours ago. I am so incredibly lucky. I got Tala when she was 6 weeks old, when my aunt’s cat had kittens. I then got 19 incredible years with her. 19! I realize how lucky I am to have had such a long time with her, but it does make the loss harder in some ways; she has been with me for half of my life – nearly my entire adult life.

She and I took our big, brave, exciting road trip in 2004 moving to Colorado together, she had the center console and passenger side in that big yellow Penske truck. She was present for almost all of my relationships, and provided comfort for me when they ended. She was here when her sweet brother Simba came into our lives and was still here when he left it 15 years later. She outlived all of her siblings by many years, despite being the runt of her litter, and through it all never lost her sass.

Named after my dear friend, Wolf, Tala wasn’t much bigger than a large hamster when I brought her home and she remained tiny throughout her life. In her “chunky era”, she topped the scales at 8 pounds. Tala never could quite meow, something just wasn’t right with her vocal cords, so she would squeak at me – which gave her one of her nicknames, “Squeaks”. She was also sometimes known as “Little Lady” or “Little Miss” – small in stature, a giant in attitude and personality.

Being allergic to cats, I was 19 years old working at Target stocking the pharmacy department when I noticed that the allergy medication Claritin finally had a generic version! At last, something I could afford! I decided right then and there that I was going to get a cat. Tala ended up being that cat. I seemed to get more allergic as I got older, so I leveled up to two Zyrtec a day and long bamboo backscratchers all over my home, strategically placed so that I could give her (and Simba) a scratch behind the ears without having to run and wash my hands.

What a ride. What a sidekick. What a beautiful experience. What luck.

I have to give some very special thanks to Dr. Erica Rambus/Elysian Fields: In-Home Euthanasia for making this final experience a beautiful one. I did not know such a thing was an option when Simba passed, and I wish I had. Dr. Rambus took something so painful and distressing and guided it to being a peaceful, meaningful, and ultimately beautiful experience. Thank you, Dr. Rambus.

One of the last things Dr. Rambus said to Tala as she helped her on her journey was, “Go find Simba.” and that’s how I will leave this. Thank you Tala – go find Simba.

Resources That Helped Me

When The Moment Comes https://thecatsite.com/threads/when-the-moment-comes.237066/

The Biggest Mistake Pet Owners Make at the End https://www.huffpost.com/entry/the-biggest-mistake-pet-o_b_8166102

Categories
Healthcare Politics

Dear Conservatives, It’s Really Not That Scary

Communism America Propaganda

Dear conservative,

I see so many of you ranting and raving about the idea of Medicare for all, “HOW WILL WE PAY FOR IT?! SOCIALISTS! OH, THE HUMANITY!”

I believe your fear is sincere, but that makes it even more sad. Sad as in depressing, not sad as in pathetic, like our President uses the word.

Do you not have friends outside of this country? Through an internet based nonprofit I run I have the privilege of having friends in Sweden, Norway, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, Scotland, Australia, and Germany. You know what they don’t stress about? Healthcare. Despite the bad information you have gotten from Sean Hannity, Rush Limbaugh, and Laura Ingraham, people in these countries do not go months and months in urgent situations dying without being able to see a doctor. If you believe this, why don’t you ask some actual citizens of these countries instead of listening to someone who is paid to scare up television ratings or web views?

Know what else they don’t stress about? Going bankrupt from healthcare bills. They simply do not think about healthcare, it is just there for them if they need it and using it won’t haunt them for years to come.

Finally, the biggest busted myth you’ve been scared into believing, that they spend an arm and a leg for it, is also shown to be wrong by the numbers. They simply don’t – we spend far, far more.

Health Expenditure per capita, OECD Statistics 2013

If you are someone who is fiscally conservative this should be the number one or two issue for you, but not for the reasons you think. We already spend a great deal more than any other nation on healthcare and what do we get for our expense? We have a lower life expectancy than all of the countries I listed.

The facts and the numbers simply do not back up the hand-wringing. We’re into willful ignorance territory at this point, so I realize trying to convince you of anything is pointless. With that in mind, the best part about all of this to me is that my generation will make sure that your side will lose. It is inevitable. Just as your side stood in the way of racial equality and lost, stands in the way of female equality and is losing, stood in the way of marriage equality and lost, you now stand in the way of a fair, humane healthcare system. In this too, you will lose.

Sources:

The World Health Organization – https://www.who.int/en/news-room/detail/19-05-2016-life-expectancy-increased-by-5-years-since-2000-but-health-inequalities-persist

The World Bank: https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SH.XPD.CHEX.PP.CD?year_high_desc=true

Categories
Entertainment News WTF

Chris Brown’s Tough Life

Chris Brown has a documentary out covering how “hard” life has been for him since the Rihanna incident. It’s a masterful piece of PR work to whitewash this egomaniac’s behavior. The fact that any artist still collaborates with him or any radio station plays his music astounds me.

I didn’t know the extent of the attack until this past week, as a result of this documentary making the story news again. He didn’t “just” hit her. He damn near killed her and the truth was covered up very successfully by his publicists and label.

I believe people can change, people can improve and make better decisions, but profiting off of this, making it about how hard this all was for you, is completely tone-deaf and shockingly narcissistic.

Here’s text from a police report (emphasis mine):

Christopher Brown and Robyn F. have been involved in a dating relationship for approx one and half years. On Sunday, February 8, 2009 at 0025 hours, Brown was driving a vehicle with Robyn F. as the front passenger on an unknown street in Los Angeles. Robin F. picked up Brown’s cellular telephone and observed a three page text message from a woman who Brown had a previous sexual relationship with. A verbal argument ensued and Brown pulled the vehicle over on an unknown street, reached over Robyn F. with his right hand, opened the car door and attempted to force her out. Brown was unable to force Robyn F. out of the vehicle because she was wearing a seat belt. When he could not force her to exit he took his right hand and shoved her head against the passenger window of the vehicle causing an approximate one inch raised circular contusion. Robyn F. turned to face Brown and he punched her in the left eye with his right hand. He then drove away in the vehicle and continued to punch her in the face with his right hand while steering the vehicle with his left hand. The assault caused Robyn F’s mouth to fill with blood and blood to splatter all over her clothing and the interior of the vehicle.

Brown looked at Robyn F. and stated, “I am going to beat the shit out of you when we get home! You wait and see!” Robyn F. picked her cellular telephone and called her personal assistant, Jennifer Rosales at [redacted]. Rosales did not answer the telephone but while her voicemail greeting was playing, Robyn F. pretended to talk to her and stated, “I’m on my way home. Make sure the cops are there when I get there.” (This statement was made while the greeting was playing and was not captured as a message). After Robyn F. faked the call, Brown and looked at her and stated, “You just did the stupidest thing ever! Now I’m really going to kill you.” Brown resumed punching Robyn F. and she interlocked her fingers behind her head and brought her elbows forward to protect her face. She then bent over at the waist, placing her elbows and face near her lap in attempt to protect her face and head from the barrage of punches being levied upon her by Brown. Brown continued to punch Robyn F. on her left arm and hand causing her to suffer a contusion on her left triceps that was approximately two inches in diameter and numerous contusions on her left hand. Robyn F. then attempted to send a text message to her other personal assistant, Melissa Ford. Brown snatched the cellular telephone out of her hand and threw it out of the window onto an unknown street.

Brown continued driving and Robyn F. observed his cellular phone sitting in his lap. She picked up the cellular telephone with her left hand and before she could make a call he placed her in a head lock with his right hand and continued to drive the vehicle with his left hand. Brown pulled Robyn F. close to him and bit her on her left ear. She was able to feel the vehicle swerving from right to left as Brown sped away. He stopped the vehicle in front of [redacted] and Robyn F. turned off the car, removed the key from the ignition and sat on it. Brown did not know what she did with the key and began punching her in the face and arms. He then placed her in a head lock positioning the front of her throat between his bicep and forearm. Brown began applying pressure to Robyn F’s. left and right carotid arteries causing her to be unable to breathe and she began to lose consciousness. She reached up with her left hand and began attempting to gauge his eyes in an attempt to free herself. Brown bit her left ring and middle fingers and then released her. While Brown continued to punch her, she turned around and placed her back against the passenger door. She brought her knees to her chest, placed her feet against Brown’s body and began pushing him away. Brown continued to punch her on the legs and feet causing several contusions. Robyn F. began screaming for help and Brown exited the vehicle and walked away. A resident in the neighborhood heard Robyn F.’s plea for help and called 911, causing a police response. An investigation was conducted and Robyn F. was issued a Domestic Violence Emergency Protective Order (EPO).

Your affiant conducted an interview with witness Melissa Ford who advised on Feb. 8 2009 at approximately 0055 hours, she received a phone call from Robin F. from an unknown telephone number, later identified as the cellular telephone of Police Officer III Chavez. Robin F advised Ford that she had been assaulted by Brown. At approximately 0100 hours, Brown called Ford as if nothing happened. Ford advised Brown that she had already talked to Robin F. and was aware of what happened. Ford advised Brown that the neighbors had called the police and that they were with Robyn F. Brown asked Ford if Robin F. had provided police with his name and Ford advised him that she had. Brown hung up the cellular telephone and did not call back.

On February 8, 2009 at 1900 hours, Brown surrendered himself to your affiant and was arrested for 422 PC, Criminal Threats. Brown was given a copy of the EPO and advised not to contact Robyn F.

On February 17, 2009, Ford advised your affiant that she had received text messages from telephone number [redacted], a number that Ford recognizes as belonging to Brown. In the text message, Brown apologized for what he had done to Robyn F. and advised Ford that he was going to get help.

Your affiant is requesting the telephone records and text message data stored on the cellular telephones of Robyn F., [redacted] and Brown, [redacted] in an attempt to establish a time line of the events that occurred on the evening of February 8, 2008 and to further implicate Brown as the person who assaulted Robyn F.

Source: http://i.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2009/images/03/05/brown.warrant.pdf

National Domestic Violence Hotline

Categories
News Politics Videos

Kellyanne Conway Warned Us About Trump

HO-LY CRAP. Why hasn’t this been shared all over the place? I cannot believe this is the first time I’m seeing this. This should be spread far and wide.

Next time you see her spinning some bullshit for the administration, remember this. This is all within the last year.

https://www.facebook.com/newcenturytimes/videos/1819383464988796

Categories
Books

Book Review: The Interestings

The InterestingsThe Interestings by Meg Wolitzer

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

3.5/5 stars if I had the option.

I struggled initially to really get into this one, but it swept me up fairly quickly. Following the various lives from youth into adulthood, you feel as though you really get to know them, and you care for them, and you desperately want the best for them.

I liked it, but I didn’t love it, and that’s okay. I actually found out about this book because Amazon Prime had a pilot for a show based on the book and I had it in my watch list to give it a shot. Before I got the chance to Amazon removed it after deciding not to go ahead with the show. Disappointing, I think it could’ve made a great show.

View all my reviews

Categories
My News

What else can be said?

I haven’t posted in a while because every time I consider posting all I can think about is, well:

 

Categories
News Peace & Love Politics Videos

Let Them In

We are the world’s ONLY superpower. We are rich beyond the imagination of half of the globe. We have a moral responsibility to take in these people, 50% of whom are children. Don’t give me your bullshit about safety, these are the most screened refugees we have entering our country.

Omran Daqneesh, Aleppo, Syria
Omran Daqneesh, Aleppo, Syria

There is no fully-informed, fact-based argument against allowing them in that is not rooted in selfishness and/or racism.

 

Categories
News Videos

Gene Wilder

One of the legends that was supposed to live forever, in my mind. Thanks for the laughs.

Categories
Civil Rights LGBTQ Issues My News

Still Matthew

After all of these years I just found out that Matthew Shepard was a tiny 5’2″ in height. A bit in the news from Orlando’s Pulse massacre got me reading about him again and it broke my heart anew.

I remember being absolutely devastated by his story as a scared 15 year old with no hope of being able to tell anyone in my life who I really was or what I was dealing with. Matthew was me and I there wasn’t much hope.

Home was certainly unwelcoming for who I really was, I would find no solace there, and with Matthew’s murder it seemed the world was also against me. There were so many times I saw no possible positive future for myself.

I genuinely believed I was the only gay person in my town of 32,000 people. I thought there were maybe 7 or 8 gay people in my entire state of 4 and a half million. I was very, very alone.

Matthew Shepard

I persevered because regardless of my own inevitable unhappiness, I wanted to be able to make a difference in other people’s lives. I bounced around a bit on what I wanted to be: a high school counselor, a teacher, a youth pastor, and ultimately a social worker, but it was always my hope to be able to help adolescents. That remains something I still hope for today, and have been able to put into action in many ways, though not yet as a career.

I have vivid memories from a couple years after Matthew’s murder of sneaking off to my parent’s bedroom when MTV aired their “Anatomy of a Hate Crime” movie about his murder. I pretended to be watching the news when my mom checked in to see what I was doing, making fast use of the “last” button on the remote control to cover myself. I sat on the edge of my parents’ bed trying to keep my tears to a minimum in case one of them walked in.

Matthew Shepard

I felt like my chest was imploding from grief while feeling as though the rest of me were going to explode from the effort it took to prevent all out sobs. I wept for Matthew, but I also cried because there was a community at home and around the world that loved him and accepted him and didn’t think he deserved death as my church and my family had taught me he and all gays did. It was a glimmer of hope that I desperately needed. I wish I could beam a message back to that kid and tell him how much better things would get. To let him know that the community that loves him unconditionally is so much larger and stronger and warmer than he could possibly imagine, and to just hang on.

I read a series of tweets from an older lesbian earlier who was distraught over the Pulse massacre and recounted Stonewall and how the different generations after her have had their own symbols, including Matthew Shepard. Someone in the comments indicated they were in their early 20s and remarked that they had to look up who Matthew Shepard was because they had never heard of him. I guess it never occurred to me that there are young adults alive now who have never heard Matthew’s name. I don’t know why, but that hit me as incredibly tragic. It’s important to remember the names, the faces, the stories – they are all a part of our DNA as a community and a society and a reminder to work toward the kind of world we want for our children.

And though I never knew him, I will always mourn Matthew. I imagine the man he’d be today, that tiny, fragile frame having filled out some with age as he approached his 40th birthday this year. I wouldn’t know him, and that would be just fine because he’d be out there in the world happy and fulfilled living an ordinary life, not fated to being anyone’s tragic symbol.

Categories
Civil Rights Entertainment Humor LGBTQ Issues News Politics Videos

Throwing Shade Coming To TV!

I’ve been listening to the Throwing Shade podcast with Erin Gibson and Bryan Safi for a few years now after falling in love with Bryan’s “That’s Gay” segments on the show infoMania on the former Current TV. The show summarizes itself as “taking a weekly look at all the issues important to ladies and gays… and treating them with much less respect than they deserve.” It’s hilarious while also focusing attention on important issues in our culture.

The great news is now they’re branching out into late-night TV! The show will be on TV Land, but unfortunately we’ll have to wait until early 2017 to see it. I’m greatly looking forward to it, and I really hope they keep the same incredibly inappropriate edge they have in the podcast.

https://youtu.be/sbUqUtljbjk