Can you spare some change?
Current mood: contemplative
Category: Life

Change is everywhere.

From the gorgeous fall leaves, to the political scene ("Cha-cha-CHANGES" –B. Obama), to my goals, self esteem, and aspirations in life,… down to the wonderful little changes I see every day in my son.

For once in my life, I think I'll embrace the change.

I hate the south and all that encompasses its redneck nastiness,.. but goddamn, I'm going to try to love it for a while… and do it while the weather is tolerable, the fall aura is making me smile,... and while I have wonderful friends around me that make the atrocious parts more bearable.

Politics sucks ass. The economy even more so. I'm not going to say either of the potential douchebags are going to really do a HUGE amount of change (and most do know who I am leaning more towards anyway) – but GODS, either would be leaps and bounds better than the turd sandwich we have in right now. This change will be a step (baby step) in a better direction… that is, unless Palin gets in there (but I won't think of that, as I'm in too good of a mood right now!).

Ya' know, I've found that we're all walking contradictions to some degree. For those who shake their heads "no, not me!", they're the ones who are getting busy to midget porn in the closet while their spouse is sleeping. So shut up.  I sure as hell am in several ways. I absolutely love humanity, love the human body… yet consume myself more often than not with self disgust of my psyche, weakness and aesthetics. It's absurd that we do that (women more than most). But when you take inventory, objectively?  Most people plagued with major self esteem issues aren't the horrid cunts they think themselves to be. Although my body is post-baby stretched, devoid of notable rack, white as fuckin Casper, and peppered with spots of cellulite ---  it's mine, and hating it isn't going to do me much good. I may not make the right choices all the time,  my emotions may be haywire and aimed in questionable directions, and I may be living a lifestyle a LOT of people wouldn't agree with,… but it's mine to own – and I'm done being ashamed of it.

Too much of our lives are rooted in shame, regret and resentment. 

And the best part of this "change" – is my kid. Gods its astounding how an innocent little being can change you SO much; how they can make the world turn from putrid shit to utter joy with a single smile, a single "I lub yew!", or a soft hug at the most needed moment. It's just awesome. With each new word, new skill, new discovery I see in his eyes,… I become a little more whole as a person, a little more connected, and a WHOLE lot more wanting to make life as full and productive as possible. It's comforting to know that I helped make that little man a happy and adventurous little individual  -- to the point it has inspired me greatly to seek change in my own life to make myself happier,… even if it will mean a good bit of struggle and strife along the path. It's worth it. He's worth it. I'm worth it.

Hell, even my skin is changing…

All in all, I think it's due time we all sought to embrace a bit of positive change.

That is all.

Currently listening : Hell to Pay By Killwhitneydead

7:46 PM - 16 Comments - 28 Kudos - Add Comment

Well slap my ass and call me Loretta!
Current mood: indescribable
Category: Life

Random thoughts and happenings from the day, in no particular order…

-- Wearing a sweatsuit that has "Apple Bottom" across your ass is overkill (and self flattering?) when we all can clearly see that your ass is more resembling a melon. Just sayin'.

-- I need more adult interaction. If  i'm not listening to lectures, decoding toddler-talk, or yelling at Loretta (my car), I'm trying to understand the backwoods slang that riddles the south...  which makes me really question my sanity at the end of the day.

-- Obamas ears are really big… like, really fucking big. It took me having a dream of him taking flight with the bastards to grasp the gravity of their gigormousness.

-- I don't think I've ever felt so fat as I did this morning… when my son walked up to me, poked my love handles and arm fluff and yelled "BOOBIES"

--  …after above said point I ran out and signed up for a 24 hour gym…solidifying my quasi bipolar impulsivity.

-- All Wii games,… and really, all aspects of LIFE are better when integrated with random light saber battles. They should be incorporated into every facet of existence.

-- Giftmas is approaching, which is fucking awesome – I love stories of fat altruistic men and sipping spiked egg nogg; plus, now the dingleberry down the road who has had his Giftmas lights strung up consistently for the past 5 years will have a season of fitting in.

-- What possesses people to fly across 4 lanes of crowded traffic at the last minute to get to their exit… rather than go a half mile up the road and turn around on the next off? Is the 2 minutes saved really worth giving a half dozen people a fuckin' heart attack? To the cunt in the BMW: you deserve to be disemboweled by rabid ferrets.

-- I am frightened by the fact that I can drive for 40 minutes, and not remember any of the details of the trip when I arrive…

-- There is a small furry critter uprising going on in the south. Two squirrels and a bunny have gone fuckin' kamikaze on me and dove under my car in the last week. What's worse is, I felt horrible and teared up all three times. Gods I'm a puss.

-- Combovers and mullets should be illegal. I mean… really, what in the hell inspires people to do such aesthetically atrocious things?

-- The smell of Lysol mixed with fake chicken sangwiches is quite twitterpatting. I should bottle that shit.

--  Ebonics is nothing more than the verbal molestation of our intellect. I had the pleasure of overhearing a lady telling someone her phone number today… "meh digitiz b: na fa fo… fo fo na fa".Ugh.

-- It takes a LOT of tug to rip out an earring, but very little to trigger horrid pain sensors and illicit screaming of school girl proportions.

-- A door-to-door Jesus salesman stopped by this morning – and I found out that you get an equally unfavorable reaction when you tell them you're a Scientologist. Who knew.

-- I saw a mommy breast feeding her infant today while I sat in the doctors office waiting room; and I must say, it was a beautiful sight and made me tingle a bit with nostalgia. But after a few minutes,… I realized I was in a nutjob/happy-pill doctor office – gotta wonder if she was giving her little one their daily dose of Prozac? Eeeek.

-- A lady at the QT noticed one of my many bruises today…. and I told her that I got it being body slammed in my professional mud wrestling league. Am I the only one that likes to make up random shit when strangers bring attention to personal life shit?

-- Spiders, cats, rabid fundamentalists and unruly children are the most abysmal creatures in existence.

-- Pickle juice is delicious. 

-- Halloween is fantabulous. It's the one day of the year that you aren't questioned or criticized for the many masks you wear… that in reality are present all year round.

-- The desire for change cultivates some of the most interesting of emotions; fear, excitement, anxiety, hope, paranoia,…. the most stable and inspiring form of psychosis I've ever experienced.

...visual color vomiting: done.

Currently reading : The Last Lecture By Randy Pausch Release date: 2008-04-08

10:06 PM - 62 Comments - 60 Kudos - Add Comment

You’re just a pompous, arugula chomping, latte sipping ELITIST!
Current mood: focused
Category: News and Politics

There's a war being waged.

...but not the one you  think, I'm betting.  I'm talking about a domestic culture war; the wedge issue being intellect.  

Political buzzwords are flying everygoddamnwhere right now… which is expected given the nature of the beast that is politics. But one word really has really chapped my ass as of late: "elitists".

First off, before the last few years, wasn't elite considered to be a GOOD thing? To be "elite" is to be of a superior intellectual status; ie. SMARTER THAN AVERAGE. If you were elite, you were considered the most skilled of your given group. This is a good thing, people. Suddenly it's being redefined to include condescension and pompous self righteousness. That is NOT the intent of the word, and if by calling someone elite you're trying to insult… you're only insulting yourself. I really have to wonder when this 180 turn was taken and we've come embrace idiocy?

Honestly, is this the point we've sunk to? Do we really think that having knowledge about an issue is a liability? Have we learned nothing from the past eight flippin' years of Bushisms and international embarrassment? EIGHT years of EPIC FAIL dumbassery, yet we're still basing our political vote on the basis of who we'd "want to have a beer with"?

Is being smart or intellectually curious a bad thing? REALLY?!

The GOP has adopted the charming approach of throwing around charges of elitism, arugula eating, latte and martini drinking (not exaggerating, either) to show how democratic ticket- and by extension all democrats- are "out of touch" with "real" Americans (gods if I had a dime for each time I've heard that…).  It's an amazingly vapid argument-- by being too smart and thoughtful on issues, they just don't understand anything. Need proof? They nibble fancifully named appetizers, partake in ritzy salads, and sip cocktails. 'Nuff said.

Can we not think of real criticisms of these people instead of attacking their intellect? Their granddaddy's religion? Their name? C'mon, folks. It's downright embarrassing that most can't (thank FSM for the FEW out there who haven't resorted to this tactic) come to the table with valid and thoughtful discourse about their political platform, and instead resort to irrational ad hominems.  Address their lame tax policy, their gun control policy, foreign policy, health care plan… ANYthing that shows you have rational discrepancies with how their policy is faulty. Calling Obama a Muslim, saying he's an "elitist", and cutting down his irritating wife doesn't go very far… as it doesn't address anything of SUBSTANCE. If you think the man is unfit to carry out the job duties, then that's entirely fine and respectable.. .so long as you can explain WHY you hold that position without shallow pokes and nonsensical argumentation.

I most definitely do *NOT* want an "average" American leading this country. I want someone who is well acquainted with the facts, who is EDUCATED, who prides themselves on intellectual honesty and pursuit. And if they don't know something, they should have the fuckin intellectual curiosity to SEEK out the knowledge. Pick up a newspaper, a book, get online, and surround yourself with other intelligent people. [Yet McCain can't use the internet and Palin can't name a paper she reads. NICE.]

Lets cut the horseshit – we shouldn't give a damn if politicians don't seem fun or "folksy"- I don't want to have a beer with them. I want them to do their damn job and LEAD THE COUNTRY. "Going with your gut" is not a responsible option for this level of leadership. You're not hiring a damn landscaper here, you're hiring the individual who can make or break our already crippled country. Nifty talking points, sound bites or catch phrases may make you popular and charming to your fans, but it does NOT make you a good leader. I don't care if you hunt, are in the PTA,  wink n' smile at me, or spout maverick every other sentence; that simply does not matter in the here and now. I want you to be educated, competent, and the most SKILLED in body and mind (ie. be ELITE).

I would rather have someone who might be a bit dry and heavy on the facts than someone who is folksy, 'average' and as intellectually able as a damn rock.

< / rant >

Sam Harris sums it up SO nicely in the "When Atheists Attack" article in Newsweek:

Ask yourself: how has "elitism" become a bad word in American politics? There is simply no other walk of life in which extraordinary talent and rigorous training are denigrated. We want elite pilots to fly our planes, elite troops to undertake our most critical missions, elite athletes to represent us in competition and elite scientists to devote the most productive years of their lives to curing our diseases. And yet, when it comes time to vest people with even greater responsibilities, we consider it a virtue to shun any and all standards of excellence. When it comes to choosing the people whose thoughts and actions will decide the fates of millions, then we suddenly want someone just like us, someone fit to have a beer with, someone down-to-earth—in fact, almost anyone, provided that he or she doesn't seem too intelligent or well educated.

Currently playing : MySims Release date: 2007-09-18

11:29 PM - 157 Comments - 62 Kudos - Add Comment

PETA: if only I could hate it to death.
Current mood: irritated
Category: News and Politics

I fucking hate PETA.

For someone who is a staunch supporter of the ethical treatment of animals (ALL of them, even the human variety), and proponent of vegetarian diets...  I find it disheartening that I have to see the largest "ethical" animal rights groups parading around like idiots and making society even LESS likely to embrace actual ethical treatment. In reality, they do the opposite of what they say they're aiming to and make it damn hard for those who actually DO care about animals to get their point across in a rational way.

This time the fabracated outrage is about milk, cow milk that is.   Not only has PETA encouraged Ben & Jerry's to use human breast milk in their ice cream, but PETA has also decided to put up billboards blaming autism on the consumption of cow's milk.

Gods I dislike PETA with a passion, have I said that yet?

What COULD be a worthwhile group that works to alleviate unnecessary suffrage, is nothing more than an extremist group that twists and exploits science to fit their radical agenda.  It's a false connection, and really gives power to the idiotic Jenny McCarthy [the cunt] type individuals who hear one thing and run with it without waiting for the SCIENCE to substantiate it.

"Dietary treatment of children with behavioral disorders has had wide public appeal and been a source of controversy since the 1920..s. Yet, to date, there is little empirical evidence supporting the effectiveness of dietary restrictions in treating child psychiatric disorders, in particular, autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)." Pediatr Nurs.  2007;33(2):138-143.

The diet isn't only not harmless; it can cause a good bit of harm if people don't FULLY know what they're doing…

"Bone development, casein-free diet use, supplements, and medications were assessed for 75 boys with autism or autism spectrum disorder, ages 4-8 years ... The 12% of the boys on casein-free diets had an overall % deviation of -18.9 +/- 3.7%, nearly twice that of boys on minimally restricted or unrestricted diets (-10.5 +/- 1.3%, p < .04) .... Our data suggest that the bone development of autistic boys should be monitored as part of routine care, especially if they are on casein-free diets." J Autism Dev Disord. 2008 May;38(5):848-56.

Their anti cow-milk campaign is rooted in a few questionable studies.

The first:   "Our results lead us to hypothesise a relationship between food allergy and infantile autism as has already been suggested for other disturbances of the central nervous system." Panminerva Med. 1995 Sep;37(3):137-41.

When you read that, you have to take a few things into consideration…  first, the results are good for the formulation of a hypothesis. They are not, however, conclusive. That much is very obvious. Second, the study is fuckin' pretty old.  13 years old, in fact. To date, we can only say that the data does not support the hypothesis. But leave it to PETA to cherry pick an old study and draw irrational conclusions from it.

The second:   "A randomly selected diet and control group with 10 children in each group participated. Observations and tests were done before and after a period of 1 year. The development for the group of children on diet was significantly better than for the controls." Nutr Neurosci. 2002 Sep;5(4):251-61.

Main issues in my mind? SMALL single blind study. By no means can we justify some gigromous cow-milk autism linked billboard.

And yea… that's the 'evidence' PETA dredges up to justify their irrational fear-inducing connections. That's it.  It's craziness and exploitative dishonesty on a grand scale.

ANOTHER thing that has been chapping my ass lately: why does PETA use females SOoOooo very often in their bizarre ass protests, projects and advertising?

I mean, why don't guys get packaged like food…

Put in cages and pins….

And posed nekkid in adds…

[Okay, I lie… I think  I have seen Steve-O's ass in a PETA add once… but still, it's rare!]

A subconscious attempt to yank at the heartstrings of the more 'gentile' of sexes? I guess they don't account for the piss n' vinegar filled wenches like me who see through their disingenuous attempts to tweak emotion. Assholes.

Honestly, I think it amounts to nothing more than exploitation of women… something that is done enough in society without dillholes like them perpetuating it.  PETA's response to this criticism:

While cruelty to animals is a serious matter that should elicit widespread public outrage, efforts to reach the public through more serious means often fall on deaf ears in a world in which sex sells and there are both a war and an economic downturn.

Moshellie's bullshit decoder: "We don't give a rats ass about sexual exploitation of women. SAVE THE COWS!"

What it comes down to is: the respect and ethical consideration given by PETA is contingent,… on the fact that you're an animal that is not human. I mean, hell… why should they respect women when they don't even respect humanity?

Gods, I hate PETA.

In closing... this plump fucker gets my Kudos (despite the fact that fried chicken tastes like ass dipped in dirt. Gross.)

Currently listening : Projector By Dark Tranquillity Release date: 1999-08-10

6:30 PM - 84 Comments - 59 Kudos - Add Comment

This day in stupidity: Sarah Palin’s thoughts on the bailout.
Current mood: distractable
Category: News and Politics

Sarah Palin is as intelligent as a soggy biscuit. This isn't just because I don't like her stances (and gods do I not like most of them...), but have you HEARD the woman speak? Honestly?? It's painful.  A recent interview with Katie Couric provides a shining example of her superior intellect. Couric described the interview as "interesting" and said that Palin "isn't always responsive", which is putting it mildly after you see Palin blithering away in the following video clip:



In case you couldn't make sene of it...

Currently listening : Ashes of the Wake By Lamb of God Release date: 2004-08-31

7:29 PM - 117 Comments - 75 Kudos - Add Comment

Suffering and fat asses: blessings in disguise, obviously.
Current mood: bummed
Category: Life

The human psyche is a truly bizarre thing,... its potential is great, and so is it's ability to reach out and cling to the most irrational of concepts. We desire to find 'meaning' and justification in every single thing that happens -- and if it's not found, we fabricate it in order to maintain some sort of inner comfort.

The manifestation of said irrationality came to me in the form of a sick family member over the weekend. I got a call last night with the shattering news that my grandmother has a substantial leak in her mitral valve which has resulted in a very fucking scary case of congestive heart failure. Basically, her body is backlogging with blood and she is having to take a cocktail of potent drugs to make sure she can maintain blood flow and proper heart