Okay, so I really don't even know where to begin on this one. I support our troops even though I think this war was wrong from the start. Being pretty liberal, I've been appalled at the way the newly elected Democrats have padded legislation with funding for non-war-related projects while demanding deadlines to withdraw from Iraq (which are known to the enemy!?!) while stalling for months in approving funding for our troops and their welfare.
But what do I know? Basically, none of this makes any sense to me. For instance, who in their right mind tells the enemy when you're leaving? Huh? Who in their right mind lowers troop morale by saying we're not giving you any more money for defenses, implying that their safety is not a priority? Huh? Who pads war-related funding with pork that has nothing to do with supporting our troops? What the f**k?
Although I'm not a politician or government official or soldier or Halliburton excecutive and don't know how everything's run (or who's getting rich over all this crap), and I definitely don't like President Bush and haven't since he was the governor of our great state of Texas, and I think this war was wrong from the start, I still think you support our troops, period. In essence, the Democrats are really pissing me off at this point. (The Republicans and their rich-ass cronies did that a long time ago. After all, they made a ton of money off of this war.)
However, I just read an op-ed that gave me a bit of the other side's opinion (i.e., the side I usually agree with), and even though I think Mr. Olbermann's opinion is WAY over the top, it did make me think a little.
But, at the end of the day, I still don't see how all this infighting and political bullshit helps the situation in Iraq or our relationship with the Middle East, and more importantly, I definitely can't see that all this has been a positive morale booster for our troops regardless of which side you're on.
I may be a little weak on how our political system works or what it's like to be a soldier or how lobbyists, corporate buddies, and huge contributors affect you elected people instead of you remembering that you represent The People, but I can say one thing: Would all of you please get your shit together and quit acting like political assholes? Our guys and girls in uniform are more important than your damn egos.
Thanks, from a concerned US citizen who has no political or financial influence,
Sunny
Thursday, May 24, 2007
Monday, May 14, 2007
Breasts (even small ones) are nice to have....
Sunny here.
I just read an unfortunate report that more and more women, especially of "worrisome" later ages, are letting their mammograms slide by the wayside. Ladies, say it ain't so.
I'm 36 years old and, before last summer, had never even thought of a mammogram because women always hear you should get it done for the first time at 40 or 45 and then only if you're well-endowed or if breast cancer runs in the family.
Well, they're wrong.
I found a lump less than two weeks after my 36th birthday. I'm a double-A (AA) cup even though I'm in my thirties and weigh more than 135 pounds. Within one week after discovering the lump, I had a tactile exam, upon which the doctor immediately ordered a mammogram and sonogram for the next day at an expert facility. The next morning, after I had received those more specialized tests, the expert ordered a biopsy for that same afternoon as well as the implanting of titanium markers at the suspicious spots in my breast because he was convinced it was cancer, all within ONE DAY. My worried 60-something-year-old aunt and mother now declared me a member of the "Titanium Tit Club" and tried to laugh about it but were no longer as positive thinking as they had been.
After a week of waiting on the biopsy results, it turned out to be non-cancerous! (Woooo-hoooo!) I still ended up having a lumpectomy in October 2006 (larger lump than the surgeon thought, which meant a bigger scar, which meant more psychological damage to me, even if I did keep my boob), and I suffered through multiple, non-stop infections until December 2006, until my surgeon got me back up to snuff. I unexpectedly had one more infection in March 2007 (unexpected because it was after more than two months without infection, and I had no outward or inward signs of problems, and I wasn't feeling bad until the last minute). That infection's gone now, but I'm supposed to see an infectious disease specialist once I get my insurance in order. My point is that even when you don't have cancer and don't lose one or both breasts, it's more stressful than some people might think, and that diagnosis affects everything, including your job, friendships, family, feelings, and reactions.
Basically, I've found that most of your "older" female family/friends and their husbands and family members will tell you that they know all about lumps, and that they're some sort of "cystic" or "fibro-" something, which they can't really remember the name of, and that they're no big deal at my age (30-something). The doctors will tell you the same thing and say no more caffeine and that you need to eat more Vitamin E. Then they schedule an appointment for a month later or a little sooner if you're lucky.
Don't let them do that to you. The only reason I got taken so seriously was because I was very vocal and very scared because the lump appeared literally overnight (no joke), and it was as big as a marble and it hurt!
In fact, family and friends told me from the get-go that both pain and sudden appearance were good things since they don't usually indicate cancer. Well, they were right; there was no cancer, but my boob has been scarred for life, and I'm still going through it. I learned that I'd had a mammary gland infection for at least 6 months, which then turned into a cyst, which then abscessed, which then turned into a lump (overnight) after I physically strained myself, which then resulted in surgery and a lumpectomy, which then led to another three months of infection (not from the surgery or any sort of medical incompetence). In other words, it's been a minor hell for someone who does still have her breast and hasn't needed chemo and doesn't need radiation and is still alive, but just because it's not a worse outcome doesn't mean you don't suffer. People get paper cuts all the time, but they hurt, don't go right away, and cause stress in you life, right? You bitch about them every time they burn, right?
I'm grateful it's not worse, but don't play down my pain, please, you few in number.
Ladies, the point is, get mammograms and check-ups, please. Being a member of the Titanium Tit Club isn't terrible, especially when it turns out you're okay and your family is laughing not out of humor but out of relief, but I'd rather none of us be a member.
Lump? Get checked. Over 35? Get checked. Pain in your breast or nipple? Get checked. Funky drainage from your nipple? Get checked.
Told that any problem (pain, drainage, lump) is no big deal at any age? Get a second opinion. Have family members, friends, aunts, grandmothers, or even doctors say it's not likely at your age? Get a second opinion.
So it turns out to not be a big deal. Good for them and great for you! But what if everyone's wrong? Just check it out, okay?
Sunny
I just read an unfortunate report that more and more women, especially of "worrisome" later ages, are letting their mammograms slide by the wayside. Ladies, say it ain't so.
I'm 36 years old and, before last summer, had never even thought of a mammogram because women always hear you should get it done for the first time at 40 or 45 and then only if you're well-endowed or if breast cancer runs in the family.
Well, they're wrong.
I found a lump less than two weeks after my 36th birthday. I'm a double-A (AA) cup even though I'm in my thirties and weigh more than 135 pounds. Within one week after discovering the lump, I had a tactile exam, upon which the doctor immediately ordered a mammogram and sonogram for the next day at an expert facility. The next morning, after I had received those more specialized tests, the expert ordered a biopsy for that same afternoon as well as the implanting of titanium markers at the suspicious spots in my breast because he was convinced it was cancer, all within ONE DAY. My worried 60-something-year-old aunt and mother now declared me a member of the "Titanium Tit Club" and tried to laugh about it but were no longer as positive thinking as they had been.
After a week of waiting on the biopsy results, it turned out to be non-cancerous! (Woooo-hoooo!) I still ended up having a lumpectomy in October 2006 (larger lump than the surgeon thought, which meant a bigger scar, which meant more psychological damage to me, even if I did keep my boob), and I suffered through multiple, non-stop infections until December 2006, until my surgeon got me back up to snuff. I unexpectedly had one more infection in March 2007 (unexpected because it was after more than two months without infection, and I had no outward or inward signs of problems, and I wasn't feeling bad until the last minute). That infection's gone now, but I'm supposed to see an infectious disease specialist once I get my insurance in order. My point is that even when you don't have cancer and don't lose one or both breasts, it's more stressful than some people might think, and that diagnosis affects everything, including your job, friendships, family, feelings, and reactions.
Basically, I've found that most of your "older" female family/friends and their husbands and family members will tell you that they know all about lumps, and that they're some sort of "cystic" or "fibro-" something, which they can't really remember the name of, and that they're no big deal at my age (30-something). The doctors will tell you the same thing and say no more caffeine and that you need to eat more Vitamin E. Then they schedule an appointment for a month later or a little sooner if you're lucky.
Don't let them do that to you. The only reason I got taken so seriously was because I was very vocal and very scared because the lump appeared literally overnight (no joke), and it was as big as a marble and it hurt!
In fact, family and friends told me from the get-go that both pain and sudden appearance were good things since they don't usually indicate cancer. Well, they were right; there was no cancer, but my boob has been scarred for life, and I'm still going through it. I learned that I'd had a mammary gland infection for at least 6 months, which then turned into a cyst, which then abscessed, which then turned into a lump (overnight) after I physically strained myself, which then resulted in surgery and a lumpectomy, which then led to another three months of infection (not from the surgery or any sort of medical incompetence). In other words, it's been a minor hell for someone who does still have her breast and hasn't needed chemo and doesn't need radiation and is still alive, but just because it's not a worse outcome doesn't mean you don't suffer. People get paper cuts all the time, but they hurt, don't go right away, and cause stress in you life, right? You bitch about them every time they burn, right?
I'm grateful it's not worse, but don't play down my pain, please, you few in number.
Ladies, the point is, get mammograms and check-ups, please. Being a member of the Titanium Tit Club isn't terrible, especially when it turns out you're okay and your family is laughing not out of humor but out of relief, but I'd rather none of us be a member.
Lump? Get checked. Over 35? Get checked. Pain in your breast or nipple? Get checked. Funky drainage from your nipple? Get checked.
Told that any problem (pain, drainage, lump) is no big deal at any age? Get a second opinion. Have family members, friends, aunts, grandmothers, or even doctors say it's not likely at your age? Get a second opinion.
So it turns out to not be a big deal. Good for them and great for you! But what if everyone's wrong? Just check it out, okay?
Sunny
Friday, May 11, 2007
Little gifts are the best treasures....
A friend and her boyfriend just came back from a trip to New Mexico. Before they left, they mentioned that they would be going through Roswell. As an X-Files fan, I couldn't resist asking them to bring me a little something. She brought a keyring with the cutest little blue alien with big red eyes. I love it! But then she started apologizing that it was too "cheapy" and was sorry they hadn't gotten me something better or more expensive. Bullshit! I told her she couldn't have picked a better gift, and I meant it. I've spent the last week showing it off to everyone!
Anytime friends or family are going someplace new (especially if I haven't been there), I ask them to send a postcard or bring me a little something, and I've loved each and every gift from whichever part of these United States or the world they've come from.
I've gotten a postcard from India, an erotic whip keychain from Reno (don't ask), a Harrod's pint glass from England, a coffee table picture book from Germany, a Glenmorangie tin and miniature Scotch bottles from Scotland, a Harley tie-dye t-shirt from Sturgis, a postcard from England from a friend in the military, a homemade cassette of modern music from Germany, sausages and mustard from Minnesota, a Cheers cap and t-shirt from Boston (as with the Sturgis shirt, more expensive than usual, but greatly appreciated), plum schnapps from Germany, a little Buddha from Laos, a "Texas" mistletoe magnet from Minnesota (believe it or not), a children's book from Russia, and my new favorite alien keychain from Roswell, to name a few.
Anyway, what did we all learn growing up? It's not the gift but the thought that counts. Luckily for me, my friends and family put thought into each precious gift, which turns them into treasure.
Thanks again,
Sunny
Anytime friends or family are going someplace new (especially if I haven't been there), I ask them to send a postcard or bring me a little something, and I've loved each and every gift from whichever part of these United States or the world they've come from.
I've gotten a postcard from India, an erotic whip keychain from Reno (don't ask), a Harrod's pint glass from England, a coffee table picture book from Germany, a Glenmorangie tin and miniature Scotch bottles from Scotland, a Harley tie-dye t-shirt from Sturgis, a postcard from England from a friend in the military, a homemade cassette of modern music from Germany, sausages and mustard from Minnesota, a Cheers cap and t-shirt from Boston (as with the Sturgis shirt, more expensive than usual, but greatly appreciated), plum schnapps from Germany, a little Buddha from Laos, a "Texas" mistletoe magnet from Minnesota (believe it or not), a children's book from Russia, and my new favorite alien keychain from Roswell, to name a few.
Anyway, what did we all learn growing up? It's not the gift but the thought that counts. Luckily for me, my friends and family put thought into each precious gift, which turns them into treasure.
Thanks again,
Sunny
Wednesday, May 9, 2007
American Common Sense
Okay, so we're not supposed to profile in this country because of what happened to our Japanese countrymen during WWII. I would agree that they were mistreated 100%. However, now we've had six people arrested who wanted to attack/sabotage Fort Dix. Were they white? No. Were they black? No. Were they Hispanic? No. They were transplanted Muslims who may have been fine in their ideals when they moved here, but they changed their minds at some point and became radical Muslims.
I'm all for the democratic process, especially since I'm a liberal. But it's time we started examining the foreign people (illegal or otherwise) living in our country. They've never had it better (except for the damn gas prices), but they are brainwashed into believing the fundamentalist bullshit they hear from back home. So why do we continue to let malcontents and illegals stay here when they clearly don't appreciate the opportunities and choices they have? I don't care if they're students or refugees or immigrants or opportunists seeking a better life; if they get here and make little or no effort to learn English, or integrate into our society, or even try to become citizens, they need to go back home. I'm tired of hearing about and experiencing "little Cuba's" or "Chinatowns" or "Mexican" parts of town or the other "ethnic" sides of town where they don't even try to learn or speak English or embrace our way of life even though we're giving them opportunities to be a part of our culture, make money, become educated, and become American citizens.
Now, before you judge me, I totally think our ethnic groups should remember and embrace their heritages and languages and culture. Absolutely. But to ignore where you are now and who has given you such wonderful rights and choices, especially compared to where you came from, and then to turn around and bitch and piss and moan about how you're treated here, makes no sense. If you don't like it, then go back home. Period.
Be proud of your heritage but be even more proud of the fact that you have a chance for a better life here. Is it perfect? No. Do you (or I) always agree with our government? No. But if you didn't think you had chances for better education, money, health care, travel, and personal freedom here, then why did you come? If you just came here to bitch or cause trouble, go back to where you came from and bitch about us there. All I'm saying is at least make the effort now that you're here.
Immigrants and refugees should have a maximum time here to learn basic English and become citizens. If you refuse or have no interest in doing both after one year upon landing on our shores, you should be sent back home. We have a wonderful country and are letting ourselves get walked on by people who just take advantage of what we have to offer. Either appreciate what you've got and become Americanized (without forgetting your heritage) or go back home.
Sunny
I'm all for the democratic process, especially since I'm a liberal. But it's time we started examining the foreign people (illegal or otherwise) living in our country. They've never had it better (except for the damn gas prices), but they are brainwashed into believing the fundamentalist bullshit they hear from back home. So why do we continue to let malcontents and illegals stay here when they clearly don't appreciate the opportunities and choices they have? I don't care if they're students or refugees or immigrants or opportunists seeking a better life; if they get here and make little or no effort to learn English, or integrate into our society, or even try to become citizens, they need to go back home. I'm tired of hearing about and experiencing "little Cuba's" or "Chinatowns" or "Mexican" parts of town or the other "ethnic" sides of town where they don't even try to learn or speak English or embrace our way of life even though we're giving them opportunities to be a part of our culture, make money, become educated, and become American citizens.
Now, before you judge me, I totally think our ethnic groups should remember and embrace their heritages and languages and culture. Absolutely. But to ignore where you are now and who has given you such wonderful rights and choices, especially compared to where you came from, and then to turn around and bitch and piss and moan about how you're treated here, makes no sense. If you don't like it, then go back home. Period.
Be proud of your heritage but be even more proud of the fact that you have a chance for a better life here. Is it perfect? No. Do you (or I) always agree with our government? No. But if you didn't think you had chances for better education, money, health care, travel, and personal freedom here, then why did you come? If you just came here to bitch or cause trouble, go back to where you came from and bitch about us there. All I'm saying is at least make the effort now that you're here.
Immigrants and refugees should have a maximum time here to learn basic English and become citizens. If you refuse or have no interest in doing both after one year upon landing on our shores, you should be sent back home. We have a wonderful country and are letting ourselves get walked on by people who just take advantage of what we have to offer. Either appreciate what you've got and become Americanized (without forgetting your heritage) or go back home.
Sunny
Abu Ghraib and ABC Family Channel
Sunny here.
To our military leaders:
For future reference, I have the perfect torture technique. Let the prisoner watch a movie, making sure to include regular commercial breaks, and then let him/her wait and wait and wait the last 15 minutes of that movie to see the ending while running an endless loop of commercials that don't match the audio.
I was enjoying the movie Sister Act tonight until the very end. ABC Family channel began a full 15 minute loop of ads for their own shows, but the ads didn't match the audio. No big deal, right? Technical difficulties still happen even with all of our technology. But besides being tortured by endless ads that didn't match the words being spoken, I was then dismayed to find that they switched to the next program without showing us the last 15 minutes of the movie. Hello?!? You make a mistake, and I totally understand. But then you fix the problem. ABC Family channel, you suck. You should have delayed the next program so I (and thousands of other viewers) could watch the end of the damn movie we'd already invested almost two hours in. I don't care if I've seen it before or not; at that point, viewers are into it, or we would have changed the channel already. I know how it ends, but thanks to your not fixing your own mistake, I didn't get to see and enjoy that ending.
Thanks for nothing. Oh, and send me an original copy of that movie (not your ad-filled version), or I'll sue. Bastards.
To our military leaders:
For future reference, I have the perfect torture technique. Let the prisoner watch a movie, making sure to include regular commercial breaks, and then let him/her wait and wait and wait the last 15 minutes of that movie to see the ending while running an endless loop of commercials that don't match the audio.
I was enjoying the movie Sister Act tonight until the very end. ABC Family channel began a full 15 minute loop of ads for their own shows, but the ads didn't match the audio. No big deal, right? Technical difficulties still happen even with all of our technology. But besides being tortured by endless ads that didn't match the words being spoken, I was then dismayed to find that they switched to the next program without showing us the last 15 minutes of the movie. Hello?!? You make a mistake, and I totally understand. But then you fix the problem. ABC Family channel, you suck. You should have delayed the next program so I (and thousands of other viewers) could watch the end of the damn movie we'd already invested almost two hours in. I don't care if I've seen it before or not; at that point, viewers are into it, or we would have changed the channel already. I know how it ends, but thanks to your not fixing your own mistake, I didn't get to see and enjoy that ending.
Thanks for nothing. Oh, and send me an original copy of that movie (not your ad-filled version), or I'll sue. Bastards.
Friday, May 4, 2007
Common Sense
Readers,
I'm all for personal responsibility; in fact, I'm a firm believer in it, no matter how much I enjoy feeling sorry for myself. But self-pity and legal waivers aside, common sense must come into play sometime. If I'm a trained guide on a hardcore hiking trail encouraging military-style survival testing, with non-military paying guinea pigs, I'd like to keep my customers alive, wouldn't you?
Dave Buschow, a 29-year old who went to a survivalist school to test himself, is now dead. Why? Because he ended up talking to himself and seeing things (in other words, he was delusional) due to lack of water, and no one helped him (including the other hikers, just FYI). The school has blamed him rather than saying that their "trained" guides, who had emergency water on hand, should have helped the poor S.O.B. Shouldn't all that training for their guides have included signs of recognizing plain-and-simple distress? I know the point of the school was to push one's self, but what if a person, even a tough one who's a bit out of shape, just couldn't hack it? Nothing against Mr. Buschow, who had served in the military, but even Survivor has its limits. What you don't see on Survivor are divers and nutritionists and doctors and teams ready to rescue/aid someone who rolls into a fire or might be threatened by a shark or gets a paper cut or who just plain starts starving to death.
Even a former military person who's been trained doesn't always see what's happening to him/her, especially when that person wants to feel the testosterone or reach the summit or be pushed to the limit or save face. The point is, exactly BECAUSE of those feelings, the job of the drill sergeant or trail guide or dive master or team leader is to evaluate his/her team and followers.
The guides on this hike failed miserably in evaluating this man's fitness and physical state, and they can blame it on him for eating a buffet the day before, or say that it's his fault for not speaking up, or postulate that a former military man should have know better. The real point is that THEY should have known better. That was their job. And now a man is dead. Please quit blaming the deceased. That's like saying a woman wearing a short skirt and low-cut blouse brought rape upon herself. Bullshit.
He may have signed the waivers, and maybe he should have known better, but he trusted his own strength and trusted his guides to evaluate and examine that strength. His strength failed him and so did those guides. Do they deserve the death penalty, so to speak? Hell no. Do they deserve to suffer for their lack of observation? Yes, but I have a feeling they'll be beating themselves up for quite a long time without my help (along with the other hikers who thought about speaking up but did not). Does the company deserve to be sued? Yes; obviously, they didn't train their guides like they should have. Does Mr. Buschow deserve some blame? Yes, but only for believing his body still functions like it did 10 years ago, a normal human, especially male, response, to ignoring changes in strength and stamina; and even back when he was younger, he had a trained military drill instructor who kept an eye out for his welfare no matter how hard he/she pushed the young man. After all, part of a drill instructor's job is not only looking out for those who can't handle it personally or psychologically but who also check for those who are in physical distress through no fault of their own. That's their JOB. Which is my point about these negligent guides. The company treated this like extreme training, which implies a military style, which implies that their guides should have treated their hikers as tough as possible, but with the same eye to looking for physical, psychological, and personal distress. There is no excuse.
Sunny
I'm all for personal responsibility; in fact, I'm a firm believer in it, no matter how much I enjoy feeling sorry for myself. But self-pity and legal waivers aside, common sense must come into play sometime. If I'm a trained guide on a hardcore hiking trail encouraging military-style survival testing, with non-military paying guinea pigs, I'd like to keep my customers alive, wouldn't you?
Dave Buschow, a 29-year old who went to a survivalist school to test himself, is now dead. Why? Because he ended up talking to himself and seeing things (in other words, he was delusional) due to lack of water, and no one helped him (including the other hikers, just FYI). The school has blamed him rather than saying that their "trained" guides, who had emergency water on hand, should have helped the poor S.O.B. Shouldn't all that training for their guides have included signs of recognizing plain-and-simple distress? I know the point of the school was to push one's self, but what if a person, even a tough one who's a bit out of shape, just couldn't hack it? Nothing against Mr. Buschow, who had served in the military, but even Survivor has its limits. What you don't see on Survivor are divers and nutritionists and doctors and teams ready to rescue/aid someone who rolls into a fire or might be threatened by a shark or gets a paper cut or who just plain starts starving to death.
Even a former military person who's been trained doesn't always see what's happening to him/her, especially when that person wants to feel the testosterone or reach the summit or be pushed to the limit or save face. The point is, exactly BECAUSE of those feelings, the job of the drill sergeant or trail guide or dive master or team leader is to evaluate his/her team and followers.
The guides on this hike failed miserably in evaluating this man's fitness and physical state, and they can blame it on him for eating a buffet the day before, or say that it's his fault for not speaking up, or postulate that a former military man should have know better. The real point is that THEY should have known better. That was their job. And now a man is dead. Please quit blaming the deceased. That's like saying a woman wearing a short skirt and low-cut blouse brought rape upon herself. Bullshit.
He may have signed the waivers, and maybe he should have known better, but he trusted his own strength and trusted his guides to evaluate and examine that strength. His strength failed him and so did those guides. Do they deserve the death penalty, so to speak? Hell no. Do they deserve to suffer for their lack of observation? Yes, but I have a feeling they'll be beating themselves up for quite a long time without my help (along with the other hikers who thought about speaking up but did not). Does the company deserve to be sued? Yes; obviously, they didn't train their guides like they should have. Does Mr. Buschow deserve some blame? Yes, but only for believing his body still functions like it did 10 years ago, a normal human, especially male, response, to ignoring changes in strength and stamina; and even back when he was younger, he had a trained military drill instructor who kept an eye out for his welfare no matter how hard he/she pushed the young man. After all, part of a drill instructor's job is not only looking out for those who can't handle it personally or psychologically but who also check for those who are in physical distress through no fault of their own. That's their JOB. Which is my point about these negligent guides. The company treated this like extreme training, which implies a military style, which implies that their guides should have treated their hikers as tough as possible, but with the same eye to looking for physical, psychological, and personal distress. There is no excuse.
Sunny
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