We are Siamese, if you please...

[ebonlock]

I nearly caved in yesterday and purchased a lithograph of Si and Am, the two Siamese kitties from "Lady and the Tramp". Yes, we've got a house full of black cat stuff and now I feel the disturbing urge to add Siamese stuff. Does this put me a step closer to "cat lady" status, or is it just the latest harmless obsession?

Speaking of harmless obsessions, I know folks are all posting their generated haikus at the moment, but somehow I just didn't feel mine was quite good enough, so instead I'll post something that appealed to me greatly:


<td bgcolor="#000000">LJ User Name</td><td bgcolor="#DDDDAA"></td><td bgcolor="#000000">Favorite movie</td><td bgcolor="#DDDDAA"></td><td bgcolor="#000000">LOTR boy toy</td><td bgcolor="#DDDDAA">Elijah Wood</td><td bgcolor="#000000">Kinky sex toy used</td><td bgcolor="#DDDDAA">Furry handcuffs </td>

LoTR Boy Kinky One Night Stands by xecholaliax
Created with quill18's MemeGen!

I blame the following quote for this:
"I'd say the most sacred acting experience I ever had was at the top of Mt. Ruepahu, with Elijah Wood in my arms," Astin said in an interview at the recent Comic-Con International, referring to the New Zealand volcano that doubled as J.R.R. Tolkien's Mt. Doom.

I certainly wouldn't mind having me a sacred experience like that sometime...


*sigh*

Anyway, lessee, I was alarmingly productive at work yesterday, despite our ongoing network issues. It was kinda funny to see our IT guy stuck in the middle of our circle of cubes until he could reassure us that we weren't going to lose our connection again. After about ten minutes we finally let him leave, but after an afternoon of "Ok, I've got a connection...oh wait, now it's gone." can you blame us?


Beyond that I zoomed home to spend some time with the kitties and get a tiny bit of housework done, then I dubbed our music for that night, got changed and we took off for the Cupertino Senior Center performance. It was our first time and a fairly large group of folks had turned out for their dinner and entertainment night. The group was entirely made up of older Persian folks, some of whom had only a shakey grasp on the English language, but they certainly did make us feel welcome. We hung out "backstage" with Khajoula and Jemerah (sp?) before the show and their "body guard" a very nice fellow who handled our music issues for us. We all giggled and joked and made each other a little less nervous. It's funny but even in as relaxed a setting as it was, there were still some definite nerves. Though I have noticed that my own tension tends to be in an inverse relationship to that of Aelf's. If she's keyed up and terrified I tend to calm down in an effort too soothe her a bit.

I remember looking around at the room we were in and our stuff tossed between folded up tables and stacked chairs in the storage area, and thinking "Ahh, the glamour of bellydance". Next time we're determined to take a picture and lable it just that. We went on last and I think we did pretty well. I'm reserving judgement until I see the actual video evidence, but oh my god the space. Alyne wasn't kidding when she said it was the perfect dance space. Plenty of room, nice hardwood floors, huge ceilings. I mean we could probably easily fit all four members of Troupe Samiyah dancing together in there without the slightest difficulty. Aelf was smashing (as usual), and I had to coo over her regroups backstage. I've never seen such smooth ones in my life! And we got some very nice applause for which we felt pretty good. Afterwards we hung out a bit and Aelf got pulled out on the dance floor by a cute little old lady to dance with her.

It was, well in a word, fun. I think we're going to try to turn this into a monthly thing.

Aside from that we watched a couple of the dance sequences from the movie Satin Rouge (which arrived yesterday, yay!) and were fascinated by what we saw. I'm totally unfamiliar with Tunisian cabaret and what goes on in such places, and it was amazing to watch. The filmmaker is also a trained dancer so she really caught the spirit, mood, and beauty of the dance. It wasn't so much technical perfection as this incredible love of movement and music. The joy and passion of these women was just stunning to see, and watching the main character come out of her shell to wow 'em in the club was amazing. Can't wait to actually get to sit down and see the whole thing.


Was tempted to let Pye stay in my room last night, but I needed *sleep* and doubted I'd get it with him in there. If I can start leaving my window open a crack, that can change, and I may try him out with it this weekend to see how it goes. I don't think he'll do such a "trauma kitty" routine in the mornings if he gets some serious monkey time at night. It's hard for him to be so isolated most of the day, he's really a social animal and it's no wonder he spends a lot of his time desperately mewling. I hope Kage can learn to tolerate him, he needs the interaction.

And on the subject of Pye, I'm keeping my eyes open for a cat tree/condo, I'm looking for something very vertical, but with a little hidey-hole that he can crawl into. If anyone knows of a good place to find a fairly inexpensive one I'm all ears.

Aside from that I slept very poorly last night (maybe got 5 hours tops) and am subsisting on caffeine today. So if I respond to anyone in a nonsensical manner please understand that it's the sleep dep talking. But tonight I sleep!

Oh and this little tidbit caught my eye this morning, many thanks to odogoddess for pointing it out to me:
Seasonale: Fooling Mother Nature
New birth control pill is medicine for the sake of convenience

While many women would like to be rid of the inconvenience of periods, should it be part of medicine’s job to help women time their births to fit a busy schedule or to get rid of a messy and sometimes painful monthly experience?

Like it or not, the answer seems clear: Say goodbye to menstruation.

"Like it or not"? What the fuck is up with that? The more I read this piece the more pissed off I got, and I'll admit when I noted that it was written by a man my first response was, "Typical". Yeah you know what, I'm betting if he had to basically write off an entire week of each month because he knew he was going to be a physical basket case he'd be a helluva lot less likely to dismiss the importance of this drug. And that's just the women who don't have to go through an additional week of PMS with mood swings, bloating, cramping, and general discomfort.

You ask any woman out there if she'd trade 12 weeks of pain for 4 and I'm guessing 99.9% would happily sign up for that. I'm betting that percentage would hold up with most men as well. And you know what? If this sucker gets approved by the FDA I will be one of the first women in line to receive it. And not because a period can be "messy" or "inconvenient", but because they can be excruciating and incapacitating, and the concept of life without them every month sounds about as close to perfect bliss as I could hope for. The sheer freedom of it, is almost beyond imagining.

Here endeth the rant.

Comments

[centerfire.livejournal.com]

Reading the article I can understand your outrage at the dismissive tone, but by the same token I can kind of see where the author's coming from -- not so much about birth control, but definitely with respect to elective C-sections. Essentially he's saying that there are some ethical considerations vis-a-vis ob/gyn medicine that go beyond the patient's convenience and whim.

As somebody who'd like to keep abortion legal but doesn't support elective procedures after the fifth month, I have a hard time disagreeing.

[ebonlock.livejournal.com]

Reading the article I can understand your outrage at the dismissive tone, but by the same token I can kind of see where the author's coming from -- not so much about birth control, but definitely with respect to elective C-sections. Essentially he's saying that there are some ethical considerations vis-a-vis ob/gyn medicine that go beyond the patient's convenience and whim.

As somebody who'd like to keep abortion legal but doesn't support elective procedures after the fifth month, I have a hard time disagreeing.

And while I think elective c-sections are kinda dumb I think it's rather silly to lump that into the same category as addressing a very real physical complaint. Mind you it allows him to more easily dismiss both, but I don't think it's a very fair comparison at all.

I'd make the following comparison instead. Elective c-sections, if they are just used for convenience (and I would imagine that this is rather a minority of cases) would seem to me to be more like plastic surgery. I consider both frivalous vanities that might do more harm than good in the long run.

However, menstruation is more like a chronic disease. Yes it may be a "natural" thing, but then again so are migraines really and nobody would argue that one shouldn't treat those simply because they're a painful "inconvenience", right? If a painful, incapacitating complaint can be easily and safely treated, I say why not?

Warning: Rant to follow

[missjones.livejournal.com]

With respect to the subject of elective C-sections...to me this is the same argument as with abortion. It's only up to the woman having the procedure and her doctor to decide. No one else has any right to butt in about it. And let me tell you, coming from experience, there is nothing convenient about major abdominal surgery. For one thing, the woman is laid up for two weeks longer than with a vaginal birth, and for two, it's damned painful!! Once the drugs wear off you still feel like someone is tearing your insides to shreads everytime you move for the next few days. So there is nothing convenient about the procedure.

Re: Warning: Rant to follow

[centerfire.livejournal.com]

It's only up to the woman having the procedure and her doctor to decide. No one else has any right to butt in about it.

I will respectfully disagree.

Re: Warning: Rant to follow

[missjones.livejournal.com]

That's perfectly fine. It's your right to disagree. Differing opinions are what makes the world go 'round.

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

And on the subject of Pye, I'm keeping my eyes open for a cat tree/condo, I'm looking for something very vertical, but with a little hidey-hole that he can crawl into. If anyone knows of a good place to find a fairly inexpensive one I'm all ears.

I have one that goes from floor to ceiling (there's a spring thingie at the top to make it stay in place). Three ... um, "floors" (flat things where a cat can sit or stand) and a cave-like cubbyhole thing. It was about $100, which is pretty cheap when it comes to cat condo/tree things.

This is it: http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_Display.cfm?siteid=1&pCatId=2889

Hm, usual price is $139, but it's on special now for $107.

[eilonwey.livejournal.com]

I thought the tone of the article was extremely condescending. And it irks me to have someone who doesn't have to deal with a monthly period getting up on a soapbox about this issue.

Besides - he's rather behind the times. "Seasonale" is just new packaging of something that many women are already doing - taking birth control pills for three months in a row and then taking a break for their period - repeat. Some articles that I've read speculate that this regimen may actually be healthier for a woman's body than having a period every month. Mother nature intended us to be pregnant much more often than modern women are. When you're pregnant, you don't menstruate. So modern women have many, many more periods than nature actually intended. This may actually strain the body in certain ways.

I say that it's a personal decision. Personally, I haven't switched over to the three months on, one week off regimen because I like the reassurance of knowing for sure that I'm not pregnant each month. And in the case of an accidental pregnancy, I wouldn't want to unknowingly hurt the baby by continuing to take the pills for that long of a stretch. Having to remember to take pregnancy tests to avoid this scenario seems stressful, and a big hassle.

But those are all purely personal reasons having to do with my own peace of mind. The thought of only having a period four times a year has been a big temptation at times.

Re: Warning: Rant to follow

[esmerel.livejournal.com]

. For one thing, the woman is laid up for two weeks longer than with a vaginal birth

This definitely depends on the experience. My aunt's first child was a necessary c-section (the baby would have been breech), and she was up and moving around a few days later. She was so happy with her recovery that she was disappointed when her second child actually turned about two weeks before the due date, and her doctor refused to do a c-section.


Also, with the abortion thing, I think the father's wishes should at least be considered, assuming the sex was consensual. Ultimately, the woman *does* have the right to make the final decision, but it's hardly fair to ignore his feelings in the matter. Differing opinion, perhaps. :)

Re: Warning: Rant to follow

[aelfsciene.livejournal.com]

That's one thing I really didn't get, I've got to admit. Maybe it was just a time factor, in the case of the one (of how many polled?) woman quoted, but I'd have guessed, as you've said, that a C-section would be a lot more painful than natural birth, in the long run.

Not that I ever want to experience either, but hey. ^_^

Re: Warning: Rant to follow

[missjones.livejournal.com]

My c-section was done for the same reason (breech). And yes, it was much less painful then trying to push a baby out feet first! But I would hardly call it a convenient thing.

And I am torn on the other point on the father's wishes being considered in abortion. Yes, I think that he should at least have a right to know and express his opinion, but ultimately I think it has to be the mother's decision. She is the one who has to go through it all after all, and if they split then she most likely will be the one left with a child to raise. And if she didn't want the child to begin with then I shudder to think what the childs life would be like. It's such a touchy issue.

And I welcome differing opinions. Intelligent debate is a wonderful thing.

[tersa.livejournal.com]

If anyone knows of a good place to find a fairly inexpensive one I'm all ears.

If you find one, let *me* know. The only place I know about to buy one are pet stores, and they're hella expensive there.

I've heard of people making them. And if you can make them, they *would* be cheap.

[ebonlock.livejournal.com]

I've been checking eBay and Craigslist, and found a few on the former that didn't seem too bad, even with shipping. I may take a look around this weekend at a few garage sales and see if anybody is trying to unload one.

[ebonlock.livejournal.com]

This is it: http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_Display.cfm?siteid=1&pCatId=2889

Hm, usual price is $139, but it's on special now for $107.

That's so funny, we just got the catalog for this place last night and I was seriously considering that very one. The only concern I had was how sturdy it was. Would you say it's pretty well made and stands up well? I don't want to get something that's likely to tip over when Pye tries to climb it.

Shipping's really low on it too, hmm, this might just be too good a deal to pass up.

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

I buy lots of stuff from that company, they tend to have good quality stuff. While my cat doesn't use the tree too much (she's getting on towards elderly), when she does get full of the devil she races right to the top of it (above the cubby hole thingie) and sits up there. Because there's a spring at the top (inside the metal pole, like the highest foot of the tree), it shakes a little, but she got used to it in a day or two.

Will it tip over? I'd say it's totally impossible. When I moved from my last apartment, I could hardly make it tip over on purpose! I thought I was going to have to get some guy in to force it down. The spring at the top is really strong, so all you need to do is make sure it's straight when you put it up. Heck, even just "mostly straight" is fine, as it's not unlike a Christmas tree and is really hard to get straight. (But you have two people there, I believe? That would probably make it easier.)

There's just one thing to keep in mind with this, especially with what I've heard about Pye so far: My cat, as un-energetic as she is, tries to use it as a launching spot to jump elsewhere. On top of the bookshelves, onto to the top of the TV, all the places I don't want her to go. So make sure you have a spot you can put it.

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Look a few comments above yours. I explained about where I got mine and how good it is.

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Before I got mine, I checked eBay and Craigslist, but my big worry was what else I'd be buying (like fleas or something). New seemed safer and worth the money.

[mister-sunshine.livejournal.com]

It's SO none of my business...but...I hope that you do something with your blood--else your suffering is for naught.

[ebonlock.livejournal.com]

It's SO none of my business...but...I hope that you do something with your blood--else your suffering is for naught.

I rather doubt any of even the elder gods would be all that interested in it, I'm afraid *G*