things that make me want to poke my eyes out

[Rob]

Adam... before they poke our eyes out for thread hijacking, I posted my Firefly thoughts in the actual Firefly thread! It hasn't seen any action in quite a while, but now I can add to said thread...

[Arlene]

Rob having to undergo a second operation and deal with all that entails;

My 13 year old cousin, after spending over a year heroically battling leukemia, having a relapse-- she now has to undergo a bone marrow transplant in June;

The vultures (a/k/a "journalists") who have camped out outside of a hospital in NYC taking pictures of Natasha Richardson's family members, including her 12 and 13 year old sons, as they arrive to visit the actress; the same "journalists" who feel the need to publish the huge headline screaming that the actress is "brain dead;"

While there are about 22 million people in sub-Saharan Africa who are infected with H.I.V., the Pope continues to preach abstinence and argue against the distribution of condoms, opining that their widespread availability would serve to "increase the problem.”

[Rob]

Rob having to undergo a second operation and deal with all that entails;

My 13 year old cousin, after spending over a year heroically battling leukemia, having a relapse-- she now has to undergo a bone marrow transplant in June;

While there are about 22 million people in sub-Saharan Africa who are infected with H.I.V., the Pope continues to preach abstinence and argue against the distribution of condoms, opining that their widespread availability would serve to "increase the problem.”

As best I can, I'm dealing, counselor. Thanks for including me on the list of things that makes you want to poke your eyes out. I'm truly touched. But don't take the thread literally. You need your eyes to watch the awesomeness of Cody Ransom.

So sorry to hear about your cousin. While not battling leukemia, I know far too well the rigors of relapse. And I can't imagine the number of tests and such she'll have to undergo before the transplant. From one patient to another... I wish her all the best.

As to the people of sub-Saharan Africa, weird that you should mention them. I just mentioned their plight, but not in the context of HIV. I was debating someone on the issues of famine, murder, and rape in that area and how much coverage it receives relative to the massive scale of the problems they face. I won't bore you with the crux of the discussion, but suffice it to say, it's easy to Twitter and facebook from Israel. We drown in the minutiae of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as the 24/7 news cycle and connectivity of social networking envelops us and vies for our limited empathetic capacities. Not so much from, say, Darfur. Or the Congo. Or Chad. Or Zimbabwe. Twitter and facebook from these places on what's happening (if it's even possible) and face the horrors of true genocidal madmen. Thank god for Nick Kristof. And George Clooney.

As for Pope Benedict, well, until I find him in a pizza, I don't think much about him. But you're right, I'll have to add HIV in sub-Saharan Africa to my list of things that make me want to poke my eyes out (and interject it into my ongoing debate).

Maybe I'll just have pizza, instead. *sigh*

[outta]

God, I can't believe she died. I really can't believe she died. What horrible news to come home to.

It's been several days since I've spent any considerable time on the computer or watching news. I haven't even opened this morning's paper. Now, I don't think I will.

Damnit.

[TontoBronto]

OK, I admit this "poke-my-eyes-moment" is pretty insignificant compared to the major problems above, but I HATE splinters.
It always baffles me how some teeny, tiny, itsy bitsy sliver of wood under one's skin can be so painful for days and days and days.
So teeny that it's nearly impossible to find and always in a spot where only a contortionist can wield a needle to pry it out.


Oh, and I hate crying in public and using the word "boo boo" in adult company.

[lily]

Mine's minor too - but the fact that the YepRoc store is going SUPER slow… I want my Todd Snider album!

[RightOverThisMess]

I took my contacts out about 10 minutes after I picked up a jalapeno that fell out of my sandwich. My eyes feel like burning. And, no, this is not the first time this has happened.

[marybeth]

A crappy review. I KNOW I'm not supposed to let it get to me but I do. Luckily my name was not mentioned. Lol. I need my confidence, cause I'm going to play my most important gig ever in April at the Blue Highways Festival in Utrecht.

[Rob]

A crappy review. I KNOW I'm not supposed to let it get to me but I do. Luckily my name was not mentioned. Lol. I need my confidence, cause I'm going to play my most important gig ever in April at the Blue Highways Festival in Utrecht.

“The Beatles are not merely awful. They are so unbelievably horrible, so appallingly unmusical, so dogmatically insensitive to the magic of the art, that they qualify as crowned heads of antimusic.”

-- William F. Buckley, 1964

[LimeTwister]

I don't like The Beatles. But I like you, Marybeth!

[marybeth]

A crappy review. I KNOW I'm not supposed to let it get to me but I do. Luckily my name was not mentioned. Lol. I need my confidence, cause I'm going to play my most important gig ever in April at the Blue Highways Festival in Utrecht.

“The Beatles are not merely awful. They are so unbelievably horrible, so appallingly unmusical, so dogmatically insensitive to the magic of the art, that they qualify as crowned heads of antimusic.”

-- William F. Buckley, 1964

Thanks Rob. I needed that. And thanks Lime!

[outta]

That was pretty great, Rob. It made me laugh. It just goes to show how completely off target we can be. I guess somebody wasn't speaking words of wisdom and should have let it be. ha.

Marybeth, it's understandable that review would be upsetting. There's a host of people that support you and your music. Remember that when you read something less than flattering. I absolutely love your cd. To me, you're a gifted artist who evokes feelings through your voice, presentation and lyrical content. I want heart and soul ... you give that and more.

If you need confidence, go spin your cd. Listen to yourself. Listen to your lyrics. Listen to that voice. You're full of talent.

I just want to add, things that make me want to poke out my eyes are people who discourage rather than encourage. I understand we have critics and they serve a purpose, but for every bad thing that can be said about a person or their work, there's a dozen good things that are left unsaid. Why do we do this people? It drives me nuts. I'm not suggesting flattery or undo praise, but words can harm us in a brutal fashion. If we're not on this earth to support one another and extend acts of humankindness, then why are we here?

And, on another note, the shooting spree in NY. If people want to take themselves out, fine. I think that's about all I'll say on the subject because I want to sleep tonight ... unlike those who received eternal rest in a very unnatural way ... and unlike those who will be traumatized for years to come. Grrrrrrrrrrrrr .....

[marybeth]

You are the sweetest Theresa, thanks!

I don't understand why these shootings seem to be happening with increasing frequency. What happened recently in Germany was also beyond belief. We live in troubled times!

[Rob]

I don't understand why these shootings seem to be happening with increasing frequency. What happened recently in Germany was also beyond belief. We live in troubled times!

Well, we do. As to how to understand why these are happening with increasing frequency?

I think one simple way is to think of society and culture and events like a river. At the end of the river is a waterfall. People that are troubled are standing at the edge of that waterfall. In normal times, they struggle to not go over the falls, but suddenly, the current increases (troubled times). Those that can't fight anymore get swept over the edge. They snap. Sometimes with deadly results.

And now three cops dead in Pittsburgh at the hands of some lunatic.

[LimeTwister]

This damn paper on conflict resolution focusing on Sri Lanka...20 pages. I am gonna go insane.