(no subject)

* They found Conrad Murray guilty in the death of Michael Jackson. Looks fair to me. He's in jail pending sentencing and appeal. They suspect due to overcrowding and budget cuts in California, he'll serve house arrest instead of jailing on the grounds he's non-violent. during the trial, he lost his California medical license, but is still licensed to practice, but not prescribe in two other states, which is shameful, but what can you do. As i said before, I think this death was pretty much inevitable, but this does not excuse this particular doctor of criminal negligence and all around lack of principle. I think it is telling, that i as a non-CPR certified lay person know 1. You always monitor a patient under anesthesia. 2. You need to do CPR on a hard surface, not a bed. 3. You call 911 when a person stops breathing, not wait 15-20 minutes. It seems to me that someone who doesn't know these things shouldn't be practicing medicine, and certainly not doing dangerous things like administering anesthesia in a home setting. If his greed is this much stronger than his ethics, he should never be allowed near another patient again for the safety of the public.

* I saw one of the women in the Herman Cain sexual harassment scandal had a press conference today. It's good we are hearing the other side, as Mr. Cain had it all his own way up 'til now. So that's four women now. This one is a registered Republican.

My fear is that the Republican primary is about to get ugly racial. I hope they don't live down to their reputation, but I can already imagine how this is going to play in more backward areas of the country. I think it's important it stay in the realm of this sort of behavior is unacceptable from a person in power over another, especially with the alleged employment related threat, rather than devolve into some of the uglier stereotypes of African American men. I'll be watching to see if it goes there. Let's hope everyone involved, including other Republican candidates stay appropriate.

* Rush Limbaugh has already responded to the latest allegations by creepy ass sexually suggestive character assassination of the woman, in terms and sound effects so disgusting that I refuse to link it. I do not see that the civilized response to someone being sexually harassed is more sexual harassment on a national scale. May I add, "Eeeeew!"

* Remember Congressman Joe Walsh, the deadbeat dad who refused to vote to prevent job creation on the grounds he didn't want to burden his kids with debt? I mean,. he cared so much about his kids that he refused to pay to feed, clothe, educate, or get them health care, right? He just got an award from an anti-gay right wing group called the family Research Council for his unwavering support of the family. Charming.

* I forgot to make one of the key phone calls today until it was too late, but I got the other one. I also made it to my Doctor's appointment, hit the Social Security office just under the wire for their 3:30 close, hit the post office for more packing tape and change of address forms, picked up several groceries I missed last week, and started a roast to thank Greenwick with. (I really need the protein desperately anyway, and it's $10.00 tofurkey and gravy season at Trader Joe's, for those of you living in the right area. YAY food stamps!) I skipped out on another errand on the grounds that on less than five hours sleep, I have a hard time forming coherent sentences, and talking to my bank about the scary financial paper from last week clearly needs coherence.) I skipped out on a different errand that would have required an extra 1/2-1 hour given rush hour traffic, and a third errand involving going to the new apartment.

In the doctor's waiting room, I got buttonholed by a fragile little old lady who wanted to talk about her surgery. I didn't mind particularly as it's a surgery I will likely be getting in a decade or so. Unfortunately, she spent a couple of years watching FOX "news" before and after while she was laid up and wanted to tell me all about the Obama's death panels." *facepalm* I was raised to be polite to my elders, even if I wildly disagree, so after a very gentle sally in favor of truth, I just fell back on nodding and smiling. What else can one do? Luckily, I got rescued from the waiting room after about five minutes of that.

* It's looking like we have the van starting tomorrow for a few days. I do not think we can make best use of it, but it means we can move stuff Tuesday and Thursday at least. (Why not Wednesday? No one to help load and unload the van. It's fine. I could use the spoons for errands and maybe a little unpacking.) we are out of boxes and space to put them anyway, so it will be much easier to do next week's packing if more of the gear is over there. I have some hopes of moving my bedroom, even. commuting will be a bit of a pain in the ass, but having an empty room to stack stuff in will be a huge help.

* Assuming I understood the email communications coming in, it's looking like I can make Orycon after all. (Ninjakitten's letting me crash with her and joy_in_the_dark's giving me a ride and maybe a warm meal here and there. The kindness y'all are showing me despite the hard times consistently blows me away). I'm balancing the energy cost to my body against being amoung my chosen family for a weekend at a time when I could really use that and the calculation's coming up: burn the last of the food stamps on nuts for travel. I feel like an asshole for taking the time off from sorting things here, but I think I need it emotionally. Thanks to everyone who has expressed concern. i'm very much looking forward to seeing all of you

* il_volpe fopund, "How To Make Love to a Trans Person:" http://genderqueerchicago.blogspot.com/2011/02/how-to-make-love-to-trans-person.html?spref=fb

* Over on dreamwidth, we were discussing the need for communication that is both polite and straightforward when dealing with things like tech service over email. (I advocate this as a relationship skill as well). Even though indirectness is often read as politeness in verbal communication, it's really hard for people who can't see you and question you quickly and directly to figure out that you want Z fixed if you don't actually say it. Anyway, bodger cleverly suggested data in TNG as a good model for polite and straightforward communication.

Wow! Clever, right? So I thought I'd mention it here, because it is a very useful way to think about this sort of communication problem.

* Thanks to Captain Havoc for chipping in towards bills, etc..

* Why off year elections matter: Ohio edition: http://transgriot.blogspot.com/2011/11/ohio-handle-your-electoral-business.html

* Everything I've heard about this makes me want it to happen: http://arsmarginal.wordpress.com/2011/11/07/tulpa2012-ask/

* O.o http://neo-prodigy.livejournal.com/1021092.html

* I know I've posted both of these before at the end of October, but they are the only two things that I have found genuinely cheerful since mid-October:

(no subject)

* They found Conrad Murray guilty in the death of Michael Jackson. Looks fair to me. He's in jail pending sentencing and appeal. They suspect due to overcrowding and budget cuts in California, he'll serve house arrest instead of jailing on the grounds he's non-violent. during the trial, he lost his California medical license, but is still licensed to practice, but not prescribe in two other states, which is shameful, but what can you do. As i said before, I think this death was pretty much inevitable, but this does not excuse this particular doctor of criminal negligence and all around lack of principle. I think it is telling, that i as a non-CPR certified lay person know 1. You always monitor a patient under anesthesia. 2. You need to do CPR on a hard surface, not a bed. 3. You call 911 when a person stops breathing, not wait 15-20 minutes. It seems to me that someone who doesn't know these things shouldn't be practicing medicine, and certainly not doing dangerous things like administering anesthesia in a home setting. If his greed is this much stronger than his ethics, he should never be allowed near another patient again for the safety of the public.

* I saw one of the women in the Herman Cain sexual harassment scandal had a press conference today. It's good we are hearing the other side, as Mr. Cain had it all his own way up 'til now. So that's four women now. This one is a registered Republican.

My fear is that the Republican primary is about to get ugly racial. I hope they don't live down to their reputation, but I can already imagine how this is going to play in more backward areas of the country. I think it's important it stay in the realm of this sort of behavior is unacceptable from a person in power over another, especially with the alleged employment related threat, rather than devolve into some of the uglier stereotypes of African American men. I'll be watching to see if it goes there. Let's hope everyone involved, including other Republican candidates stay appropriate.

* Rush Limbaugh has already responded to the latest allegations by creepy ass sexually suggestive character assassination of the woman, in terms and sound effects so disgusting that I refuse to link it. I do not see that the civilized response to someone being sexually harassed is more sexual harassment on a national scale. May I add, "Eeeeew!"

* Remember Congressman Joe Walsh, the deadbeat dad who refused to vote to prevent job creation on the grounds he didn't want to burden his kids with debt? I mean,. he cared so much about his kids that he refused to pay to feed, clothe, educate, or get them health care, right? He just got an award from an anti-gay right wing group called the family Research Council for his unwavering support of the family. Charming.

* I forgot to make one of the key phone calls today until it was too late, but I got the other one. I also made it to my Doctor's appointment, hit the Social Security office just under the wire for their 3:30 close, hit the post office for more packing tape and change of address forms, picked up several groceries I missed last week, and started a roast to thank Greenwick with. (I really need the protein desperately anyway, and it's $10.00 tofurkey and gravy season at Trader Joe's, for those of you living in the right area. YAY food stamps!) I skipped out on another errand on the grounds that on less than five hours sleep, I have a hard time forming coherent sentences, and talking to my bank about the scary financial paper from last week clearly needs coherence.) I skipped out on a different errand that would have required an extra 1/2-1 hour given rush hour traffic, and a third errand involving going to the new apartment.

In the doctor's waiting room, I got buttonholed by a fragile little old lady who wanted to talk about her surgery. I didn't mind particularly as it's a surgery I will likely be getting in a decade or so. Unfortunately, she spent a couple of years watching FOX "news" before and after while she was laid up and wanted to tell me all about the Obama's death panels." *facepalm* I was raised to be polite to my elders, even if I wildly disagree, so after a very gentle sally in favor of truth, I just fell back on nodding and smiling. What else can one do? Luckily, I got rescued from the waiting room after about five minutes of that.

* It's looking like we have the van starting tomorrow for a few days. I do not think we can make best use of it, but it means we can move stuff Tuesday and Thursday at least. (Why not Wednesday? No one to help load and unload the van. It's fine. I could use the spoons for errands and maybe a little unpacking.) we are out of boxes and space to put them anyway, so it will be much easier to do next week's packing if more of the gear is over there. I have some hopes of moving my bedroom, even. commuting will be a bit of a pain in the ass, but having an empty room to stack stuff in will be a huge help.

* Assuming I understood the email communications coming in, it's looking like I can make Orycon after all. (Ninjakitten's letting me crash with her and joy_in_the_dark's giving me a ride and maybe a warm meal here and there. The kindness y'all are showing me despite the hard times consistently blows me away). I'm balancing the energy cost to my body against being amoung my chosen family for a weekend at a time when I could really use that and the calculation's coming up: burn the last of the food stamps on nuts for travel. I feel like an asshole for taking the time off from sorting things here, but I think I need it emotionally. Thanks to everyone who has expressed concern. i'm very much looking forward to seeing all of you

* il_volpe fopund, "How To Make Love to a Trans Person:" http://genderqueerchicago.blogspot.com/2011/02/how-to-make-love-to-trans-person.html?spref=fb

* Over on dreamwidth, we were discussing the need for communication that is both polite and straightforward when dealing with things like tech service over email. (I advocate this as a relationship skill as well). even though indirectness is often read as politeness in verbal communication, it's really hard for people who can't see you and question you quickly and directly to figure out that you want Z fixed if you don't actually say it. Anyway, bodger cleverly suggested data in TNG as a good model for polite and straightforward communication.

Wow! Clever, right? So I thought I'd mention it here, because it is a very useful way to think about this sort of communication problem.

* Thanks to Captain Havoc for chipping in towards bills, etc..

* Why off year elections matter: Ohio edition: http://transgriot.blogspot.com/2011/11/ohio-handle-your-electoral-business.html

* Everything I've heard about this makes me want it to happen: http://arsmarginal.wordpress.com/2011/11/07/tulpa2012-ask/

* O.o http://neo-prodigy.livejournal.com/1021092.html

* I know I've posted both of these before at the end of October, but they are the only two things that I have found genuinely cheerful since mid-October:

(no subject)

* According to today's paperwork, the rent is way lower than either the Landlord or I thought it could possibly be. Sso low, that I am having trouble believing it can be the case. As they rounded up from the highest possible rent I might have been charged before I could move in, they now owe me money, which is applied to future rent. I do not blame them for the over charge as it's reasonable to demand the full amount up front rather than having a brand new indigent tenant owing money, but this was the major contributor to this month's financial crisis.

If I can just cover everything this month, next month is going to be golden and we absolutely can start paying folks back who lent us money. If you sent money but did not say if it was a gift or a loan, please PM or email that to me so I can add you to the master list. Assuming the rent figure is correct, I'm hoping to pay back all small loans next month, and we intend to put something down on larger ones.

I wasn't kidding about this move being a game changer as far as financial sustainability goes. I can not guarantee to pay everybody everything next month, But I have hopes for January or at worst February.

Those who contributed towards phone, electric, etc., we still really to need that to get through this month, so do not feel your contributions were in vain.

I think it's really going to be okay. *fingers crossed*

* Today, we did two loads in the van. We are not filling the van all the way up, as it is difficult to steer and lacks power steering and I'm having enough trouble getting ist around curves, especially at hill bottoms. thwe owner is an SCA contact of Greewick's, and i am still shocked that she is letting a total stranger drive her van around town. It is from the '60's and quirky. I am getting the hang of it, but am sticking to surface roads and not even trying to park it anywhere needing maneuver to get in our out.

There is now room to move around the old apartment again, which means room for more packing. the cats are still wandering around dazed. All the sofa mests are buried under empty boxes for the next phase of packung. All the new box mest cliffs with their ambush heavy terrain are gone along with some bedroom bookshelves the cats like to sit on for window gazing and the tall living room shelves. There expressions remind of of survivors of some disaster, staring at where their house used to be. The Butt keeps trying to mate with the ladies, and is getting his ass kicked by Mache, in between bouts of exploring and knocking things over. (They are all fixed, but no one told the boys). Mache's mostly stretching out mid floor to reassert her control. LM has been yelling at Greenwick, who she clearly blames and is generally beating up the boys. Hector wants me to stay in arm 's length! OMG!

Tonight, I burned all the spoons carrying stuff, and the lower damaged section of spine and below hates me. I'm taking the best of the pain meds and trying to rest up. It is very lucky I protein loaded yesterday, as one day with a really good, protein heavy meal made a huge difference.

We could not have managed without Greenwick, both in getting the van and tirelessly carrying things up and down stairs. (I stick to the flats, as I need the crutch for sure going up and down. Carrying short distances on the flats is a bit dangerous, but if my legs give out, I won't crack my head open on concrete stairs). 200 points to Slytherin, 100 for the van, and 100 for everything else.

Tomorrow, I have errands, some poking about the new place, and likely some more packing and/or cleaning. We may take a load over or just load stuff in the van. We'll see.

We're going to try to take my room across Thursday while we still have the van, but best to try with three people, which we won't have tomorrow.

I'm hoping to move over there to live next week. I may or may not have connectivity for a random amount of time, also next week, so if I drop off the map, it means my modem is in moving limbo. I really hope not as I have ebay in the wind. Once I'm spending a majority of time there, we'll move the fish and beasties.

* To repeat, I am going to Orycon after all, thanks to the kindness of ninjakitten and joy_in_the dark. I'm looking forward to seeing many of you there. I could use a bit of something cheerful.

Finances and Moving Update

* According to today's paperwork, the rent is way lower than either the Landlord or I thought it could possibly be. Sso low, that I am having trouble believing it can be the case. As they rounded up from the highest possible rent I might have been charged before I could move in, they now owe me money, which is applied to future rent. I do not blame them for the over charge as it's reasonable to demand the full amount up front rather than having a brand new indigent tenant owing money, but this was the major contributor to this month's financial crisis.

If I can just cover everything this month, next month is going to be golden and we absolutely can start paying folks back who lent us money. If you sent money but did not say if it was a gift or a loan, please PM or email that to me so I can add you to the master list. Assuming the rent figure is correct, I'm hoping to pay back all small loans next month, and we intend to put something down on larger ones.

I wasn't kidding about this move being a game changer as far as financial sustainability goes. I can not guarantee to pay everybody everything next month, But I have hopes for January or at worst February.

Those who contributed towards phone, electric, etc., we still really to need that to get through this month, so do not feel your contributions were in vain.

I think it's really going to be okay. *fingers crossed*

* Today, we did two loads in the van. We are not filling the van all the way up, as it is difficult to steer and lacks power steering and I'm having enough trouble getting ist around curves, especially at hill bottoms. thwe owner is an SCA contact of Greewick's, and i am still shocked that she is letting a total stranger drive her van around town. It is from the '60's and quirky. I am getting the hang of it, but am sticking to surface roads and not even trying to park it anywhere needing maneuver to get in our out.

There is now room to move around the old apartment again, which means room for more packing. the cats are still wandering around dazed. All the sofa mests are buried under empty boxes for the next phase of packung. All the new box mest cliffs with their ambush heavy terrain are gone along with some bedroom bookshelves the cats like to sit on for window gazing and the tall living room shelves. There expressions remind of of survivors of some disaster, staring at where their house used to be. The Butt keeps trying to mate with the ladies, and is getting his ass kicked by Mache, in between bouts of exploring and knocking things over. (They are all fixed, but no one told the boys). Mache's mostly stretching out mid floor to reassert her control. LM has been yelling at Greenwick, who she clearly blames and is generally beating up the boys. Hector wants me to stay in arm 's length! OMG!

Tonight, I burned all the spoons carrying stuff, and the lower damaged section of spine and below hates me. I'm taking the best of the pain meds and trying to rest up. It is very lucky I protein loaded yesterday, as one day with a really good, protein heavy meal made a huge difference.

We could not have managed without Greenwick, both in getting the van and tirelessly carrying things up and down stairs. (I stick to the flats, as I need the crutch for sure going up and down. Carrying short distances on the flats is a bit dangerous, but if my legs give out, I won't crack my head open on concrete stairs). 200 points to Slytherin, 100 for the van, and 100 for everything else.

Tomorrow, I have errands, some poking about the new place, and likely some more packing and/or cleaning. We may take a load over or just load stuff in the van. We'll see.

We're going to try to take my room across Thursday while we still have the van, but best to try with three people, which we won't have tomorrow.

I'm hoping to move over there to live next week. I may or may not have connectivity for a random amount of time, also next week, so if I drop off the map, it means my modem is in moving limbo. I really hope not as I have ebay in the wind. Once I'm spending a majority of time there, we'll move the fish and beasties.

* To repeat, I am going to Orycon after all, thanks to the kindness of ninjakitten and joy_in_the dark. I'm looking forward to seeing many of you there. I could use a bit of something cheerful.