73 cents, by Regina Holliday. In memory of Fred Holliday.

Regina Holliday, muralist and medical rights advocate, is fighting for her husband, Fred Holliday, one of my sister’s favorite college professors. She is fighting for his story- a horrifying, case-in-point example of why we so badly need health care reform in America.

Fred Holliday, 39, was diagnosed with stage IV kidney cancer on March 27, 2009. He died on June 17, just three months later - ironically, the same day the health care debate began in the Senate.

Today, March 21, the House will convene to take action and vote on the healthcare reform bill. House leaders need 216 votes to pass it. We need those votes. Here is a reminder of why: http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2009/10/health-reform-learn-regina-holliday.html

Yes, it is a long article, but I promise it is absolutely worthy of your time (same with the video I posted below!), as it is exactly the kind of story we all need to know about and fight for. If people don’t know that this is happening all over the country, they won’t care about changing the system that so desperately needs reform.

Christmastime is here...

[these are not my photos]

let’s go to sleep with clearer heads and hearts too big to fit our beds.

~Ingrid Michaelson

I feel bad about ignoring this blog....

I've been spending a lot of time on Tumblr lately!

But just for the heck of it, I'll share one of my tumblr posts here:

http://blogs.abcnews.com/theworldnewser/2009/12/charlie-gibson-signs-off-from-world-news.html

Charlie Gibson has retired from being the anchor for ABC World News, after over 40 years in the business. I was sad to hear this…he has been a wonderful, trustworthy journalist and a real inspiration. He was warm and highly-respected but objective, too, and told it to us straight. I’ll miss his signature sign-off each week: “I’m Charles Gibson and I hope you’ve had a good day. For all of us here at ABC News — have a good night.”

tumblr! new blog! YAH!

I'll come back to blogspot, too, but for the moment, I'm enjoying posting my spaghetti brain/butterfly moments on my tumblr page. Check it outtttttt

tonight

***
do it.

burst
scream
hair down.
hands up.
*
*
hang on or hang up.
*
*
too much

pretending
shaming
mocking
nagging

leave it behind
*
*
livewithoutregret.
*
*
so much so much
feeling.
so much so much
life.
so much so much
love.
*
*
never leave me.
*
*
dreams
passion
burning
love.love.love.
*
together always
let’s run away
leave this town
*
*
never look back
*
*
growing pains
heartbreak
facing the truth.
facing the clichés.
*
*
giving up.
not giving in.
*
*
the night pulses
the energy never dies
feel my heartbeat
*
sparkling
forever
invincible
tonight.
*
*
closed ears.
open heart.
*
*
this is now.
***

[LIVE to the point of tears. -Albert Camus]

It's a fine time for a reunion

...with my blog, that is. I suppose. :]

I've got lots to talk about, so, being a professional spaghetti brain, I of course sporadically think of these things I would want to write about whilst walking down the street or eating yogurt or hanging upside down from monkey bars, then forget about them, then remember them more vividly than ever, then possibly write it down on a sticky note that isn't sticky, then lose that note, then type it on Microsoft Word, then go have a really hectic, wonderful time and not have time to write about it, then get really tired and put it off until tomorrow a la Scarlett O'Hara.

...Meaning, I've taken a hiatus, which has meant I've had quite a summer since we've last talked. Lots of great times.

So we'll talk later, okay? We'll catch up. Give me a call.
Life is too delicious to live it vicariously.

Blogger's Block

I have Blogger's Block.

I knew it had to hit eventually. But hey!
I'll just write about pointless things until worthwhile
things show up! Interestingly, I'm on summer vacation now,
which is the time that I'd said I'd be much more
able to write blog posts of note. Back in the school year,
I did as much as possible, but it was always when I was
supposed to be doing something else. So I apologize simply
because I feel bad for my poor Blogger account suffering due
to my somewhat-recent hiatus. I'm strange. The spaghetti is
more mushy right now. I'm sure that if I think really hard
(or maybe if I don't think at all)I'll have lots and lots of
spaghetti to share with my multitudes of readers.
Hah! Anyway, I suppose I'll update you...
1. School. is. finally. done! I really was not the biggest fan of
this year- at least the school portion. Outside school was pretty
good. And I don't mind hard work and working hard at all - it was
just non-stop. I'm really looking forward to next year, though!
2. My best friends graduated - which is bittersweet :/
They're all so amazing and so I congratulate them, but
I will miss them all terribly.
3. I might possibly hopefully have a job. Hoorah!
4. I've been watching lots of great movies I suppose I could write
about later on. My sister's been doing that faithfully ever
since she came home: check it out here!
5. I have plenty of boring little things that people might
often blog about but that is what a diary is for, I think,
or Twitter, which I think is sort of stupid, or Facebook,
and so I will refrain.

SUCH AS this: let's talk about Facebook. More specifically,
those RIDICULOUS Facebook quizzes. Yes, I've always thought
and still think they're absurd. (Also those surveys...)
However, I've done a few now that it's summer, I'm ashamed
to say. I suppose what annoys me most, though, besides the
fact that obviously, they're rigged, is when people always
publish their results onto the homepage- even if they're
completely embarrassing quizzes! (Let me tell you, there are
some pretty bad ones out there. I just don't understand why a)
you would take them, and b) why you'd want people to know you
are.) Anyway, I've taken a few that interest me. If the results
are in fact, *gasp!* true, according to Facebook I...

-am Hispanic (my "true ethnicity")
-am Swedish (my "true nationality")
-am British (my "Euro-persona")
-should live in Paris or Japan (two different quizzes)
-am Mia Farrow ("vintage beauty")
-am Audrey Hepburn ("classic actress")
-am Jasmine ("Disney princess")
-am Jane Eyre ("literary heroine")
-will be played by Angelina Jolie (in the the movie of my life)
-am a lyrical dancer ("Which type of dance are you?")
-belong in the 60s ("Which decade most suits your personality?")

I actually agreed with most of the descriptions, surprisingly.
I got British and Angelina Jolie solidly; I took those quizzes
several times with different answers and they didn't change.
However, I don't really know what the difference is between
the first three quizzes I listed. And I was quite
happy to get Audrey Hepburn as a result. :)
So there, isn't that spectacularly exciting?

I think yes.

I can't believe I resorted to talking about Facebook quizzes.
This post was a fail. Possibly an epil fail.
I suppose the underlying goal was to let you know...
I'm here :)

Progress!

GO NEW HAMPSHIRE.
Read more.

for the moments I feel faint

..what a perfect title. Basically, I'm in a giant "rut" in so many areas of my life. And I listened to this song for the first time in a while and it exactly describes what I'm feeling. I love when God somehow speaks through music.

Am I at the point of no improvement?
What of the death I still dwell in?
I try to excel, but I feel no movement
Can I be free of this unreleasable sin?

Never underestimate my Jesus
You're telling me that there's no hope
I'm telling you you're wrong
Never underestimate my Jesus
When the world around you crumbles
He will be strong, He will be strong

I throw up my hands
"Oh, the impossibilities"
Frustrated and tired
Where do I go from here?
Now I'm searching for the confidence I've lost so willingly
Overcoming these obstacles is overcoming my fear

I think I can't, I think I can't
But I think you can, I think you can
I think I can't, I think I can't
But I think you can, I think you can
Gather my insufficiencies and
place them in your hands, place them in your hands,
place them in your hands

("For the Moments I Feel Faint" by Relient K)