Let's Talk About BioWare

If any of you have been reading any part of my blog prior to this, you should know by now that I'm gay, and I'm in a same sex marriage.

You should also know by now that literature and video games basically are my two main hobbies in life.  Well, aside from being with my family and loving being married that is.

I reviewed one of my (now) favorite video games ever on here about a year ago - Dragon Age: Inquisition.  BioWare is one of the best game developers out there, along with Bethesda, Ubisoft, Valve, and Naughty Dog.  But the reason I love their games?  Because those games have a STORY - they're deeply developed, like reading a fantastic fantasy (the Dragon Age series) or science fiction (the Mass Effect series) novel, and getting to interact with it in all ways.  Another reason I love BioWare, and one reason the rest of the world does too, is because they offer intricately developed romance options in all of their games.  Ones where you have to actually woo the person you're pursuing, as well as be a real person and make decisions that could affect the outcome of your romance with this person.

But the hook, line, and sinker?  Their romance options include LGBT options!  How freaking cool is that?!  Not only do I get to battle dragons, make lifelong friends, and strut around in custom made armor and weaponry, I actually get to full on make out (among other things) with the same sex as my main character!  Bravo BioWare!!

So, with this, I recently played Dragon Age: Inquisition for the third time, and romanced the same option I always do in that game - Josephine Montilyet.  Hey - my female inquisitor and Josephine make a pretty sexy couple in my eyes.  So much so, that I even made a video ;).

Enjoy <3

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So...I Built My Own Computer

Over President's Day Weekend, I built my first computer desktop in over 15 years, and boy have things changed! I took extra care to make sure I handled each piece with delicacy and made sure to have my anti-static wristband and anti-static mat available every step of the way.  If you EVER attempt to do this on your own, make sure to have TONS of detailed instructions with you, and the anti-static wristband and mat.  DO NOT overstep these as they could be the saving grace to every component in your computer.  If you try to do the build without these things, you run a VERY high risk of damaging the parts before they are even seated in your brand new computer!

Here are the parts I put in to my desktop and the total cost in the end:

I built this system for a few reasons.

1. I used to be a strictly desktop person only back in my youth and high school days. Then I purchased a laptop when I went to college, keeping my desktop around until it decided to break down. Four years later, that first laptop broke down as well, so I went ahead and invested $1100 in a more customized HP laptop, leaving my desk empty of any desktop whatsoever. Now, 5 years later, that laptop is finally starting to fail on me, despite a complete refresh of its system and dumping all erroneous junk as much as possible. Thinking about the fact that I own a Chromebook, an older Dell laptop from a past job, a new Dell laptop for work, as well as my partner having her own laptop at home - I figured it was time to delve back in to desktops.
2. You can't customize anything anymore from Dell, HP, or even Alienware! So I just decided to bite the bullet and build my own dogonnit.
3. I didn't want to pay a bucket load for a more advanced system just because it was built by someone else and assembled. I'm pretty tech savvy and have engineering blood running through my veins, so I thought this was would be a great project to attempt, while also having a bit of fun.

The build took a long time, longer than I anticipated essentially. I expected to work on this beast for a good 6 hours or so - start to finish (finish being that I had the computer running completely). It ended up taking me 9 hours (10 hours total but I took an hour break for dinner).

I ran into a huge issue on my first attempt at startup...

The machine wouldn't turn on...!

However, the power button on my motherboard turned on, and I checked the voltage on all of the parts - they were all running fine. So it wasn't my power supply (which is usually the first culprit when a new machine won't turn on). 

At that point, I figured it was one of two things - either the graphics card wasn't inserted correctly, or my processor wasn't making appropriate contact with the motherboard through the thermal compound (a gooey, paste-like substance that assists in the processor powering the PC without overheating - can't make ANYTHING work without that gooey paste!).

I opened up the machine again and removed the CPU cooler, a big fan that helps with keeping the processor cool and stuck in its position without movement. As soon as I removed that and took a look at the processor, I noticed the problem. 

There was that gooey pastey thermal compound EVERYWHERE!! 

I removed the processor completely and took to it with my anti-static wristband, TONS of soft tissues, and a prayer or three. I wiped the processor clean of all of the thermal compound that it was basically caked in, wiped the mechanisms on the motherboard to keep the processor sturdy clean as well, and cleaned off the entire surface of the CPU cooler, also covered in compound. Once every piece was completely cleaned off, I went back to reassembling. I applied a MUCH thinner layer of thermal compound to the CPU cooler, spreading it evenly with a soft kitchen rubber spreader like you use to put frosting on cupcakes (still with my anti-static wristband on), and set everything back up. I plugged everything in to the power supply again, and made sure all of the connections were completely set and positioned properly one more time.

Upon my second attempt at powering on the system, it worked! I actually exclaimed "Hallelujah!" at the top of my lungs when it burst to life, and continued on with the initial setup and Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 64-bit installation.

The machine is beautiful and I'm quite happy with it. Once I get all of the drivers installed and am able to really stretch it's legs, I plan on putting my three favorite games Dragon Age, Mass Effect, and Tomb Raider on my SSD (Solid State Drive) for fast play and load times, and seeing what this baby can handle.

With all of the components, and spending more money in the right places, I hope to have this system for a long time, and build on it as I can through the years.

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Friends, Romans, Countrymen...

My Friends, Followers, Readers, and Dearest Darlings --

I owe you a massive apology for my absence as of late.

Life kicked me in the royal behind these past two months, and I've only recently been able to come up for air after drowning for so long.

But on to that later...first off, please accept my deepest apologies.

I'M SORRY

Many many things were left unattended during this time - practically all except for my day job.  My writing, my blog, my friends even...

So what happened?

Well...

My wife went to the emergency room back near the beginning/middle of January for some chest pain and severe heartburn/indigestion.  She has always suffered from GERD (Gastrointestinal Reflux Disease), a disease that causes constant heartburn and frequent issues with digestion and processing your food.  But she has been treated for it in the past, and has been on a daily medication to help control it for a few years now.  So this was rather unexpected and alarming that she couldn't get rid of the symptoms, and that they were causing some pretty intense pain.  Our health insurance's nurse's line suggested the visit to the ER, as they would be able to more effectively diagnose anything that may have been going on.

So, down she went on her own.  I had asked if she wanted me to go with her, but we didn't think anything would really be wrong.  With that being said, she did it on her own, telling me she was fine and just needed to make sure her medication was still working for her.

What we didn't expect was them finding masses on her liver after an ultrasound...

Cue the panic.

Turns out, my wife had a rare disorder, causing her to have to go through MRIs, CT scans, numerous outpatient procedures, and finally - a liver biopsy.  Her results from blood tests and scans were stumping all of the doctors that we saw (which were more than a few), causing the need for the biopsy to be done.  Unfortunately, that was an unfun experience for her, as the process required some pretty hefty surgical equipment, and my poor wife had to be awake for the whole procedure.

Then, we had to wait.
And wait.
And wait...

Last week, we received the results from the biopsy, and thankfully my wife is cancer free.  That was our biggest scare, and we are both so grateful that we can check that off the list.

From that though, they were able to determine exactly what IS wrong with her, and it's a very manageable disorder, but not without some pretty hefty work.

My wife has been diagnosed with HEPATIC ADENOMAS

These little guys are basically benign tumors that grow with any sort of increased estrogen either being released into her system from medications, foods, or, the like; or being created naturally by her body.

Why does this pose a problem?  It means she will have difficulty with pregnancy, and may be considered a high-risk.  This severely deters us from our plans to become parents, and was kind of hard to hear, even though we did get the good news of no cancer.

With me being Type 1 Diabetic myself, pregnancy would be a high risk for me as well, more so (originally) than my wife.  Also, being pregnant is not something I actually wanted in life.  I'd always even considered adoption instead of becoming pregnant before I realized I was gay.  My wife on the other hand has always known that she's wanted to experience pregnancy, and has known since she herself was a little girl.  Basically, our partnership worked out for the best for both of us.  In addition, my wife wasn't really concerned with the DNA of our baby (meaning she didn't care whether it came from my egg or hers), and since that was a bit more important to me because I am an only child and would like to continue my line down a little, we decided to have my egg transported to my wife, and have her carry the pregnancy with my egg instead of hers.

With all of this information about the tumors of my wife's liver, the possibility of having such complications with getting pregnant and keeping a pregnancy (on top of the already complicated procedure of becoming pregnant as gay women and the cost involved with that), this has brought a bit of an unhappy dark cloud over our household.

We haven't given up, no sir.  But it's definitely taken it's toll on us.  We're already looking at delaying our getting pregnant to a later date, which wasn't in our plans, and on top of that, it looks like it may be very high risk.

You'd think, with two gay women trying to get pregnant, you have more opportunity at conceiving and carrying a baby when you have two participating uteruses (uteri?), you know?  Talk about irony...

So - that has been my past 8 weeks, and my reason for being MIA from so many outlets in my life, including this blog.  My apologies to all of my followers and readers, as making sure I keep you updated and in the know about all the things you read from me is something I hold near and dear to my heart.  The only time life would get in the way of my connecting with you on a weekly basis as I'd like to would be something like this, when the health of the most important in my life to me has a health scare.

So, once again, my deepest apologies, and my thanks for bearing with me as I get back in the swing of things here.  I've actually quite missed blogging during this time away, and it will be nice to have this outlet again.

Love to you all, and thanks again ♥

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Bucket Lists and Their Purpose

Over the years (and as I'm grown older), the concept of a "bucket list" has always eluded me.

What, exactly, IS a bucket list?

buck·et list

noun

informal 

a number of experiences or achievements that a person hopes to have or accomplish during their lifetime. 

"making this trip is the first thing on my bucket list"

Until more recently, I felt as if bucket lists were used as a way for people to say "Wow, I wish I could do these things in my lifetime, but if it doesn't work out, that's okay too."  To me, that just doesn't make sense.  In addition, if there are items on someone's bucket list that rely on something or someone else accomplishing a particular item first (for instance, become a best-selling music artist would require one to be discovered and signed with a record label first, and then require people of the world to buy copious amounts of that record to throw one into the "bestselling" category), is difficult no matter WHAT the outcome might be in the end.  It would require means outside of yourself to accomplish this goal, and the only one you can really depend on to make your dreams come true at the end of the day is...well...yourself.

Now, I am pretty positive that not everyone views bucket lists this way.  In fact, I'm even more positive in thinking that I'm probably one of only a select few with that particular outlook.  But, due to this, I've never really been one to dwell on and then make a list of items that I don't believe in striving too hard to accomplish before I leave this Earth.

HOWEVER

I can see how a list, even a small one, of things I am adamant about accomplishing before I pass, especially if they are aspirations that solely depend on me to complete, is something worth thinking about and using to construct this said "bucket list" for myself.

So, with all that being said, the following list of items I am about to share with you shall henceforth be known as...



1. Finish My Novel

This one is rather self explanatory.  I want to finish my novel that I've been working on for the better part of two years now in order to have it ready to submit for publication consideration.  It may not seem like a monumental start to a bucket list of any nature, but to me, it would be one of the biggest accomplishments of my lifetime, even if I don't get published.

2. Visit Egypt

I would love to visit the country of Egypt in my lifetime.  I have always been fascinated with the ancient Egyptians and their way of life, as well as their history, philosophy, and growth as a nation over so many years.  The overall history embedded in the country, plus the mystery and enchanting unknown surrounding the entirety of the Egyptian pyramids and tombs, makes it one of the highest places on my list of such to visit, and also the one I plan to make a reality in my lifetime.

3. Visit Europe

Again, something pretty self explanatory, but also very important to me in accomplishing.  I have been to England once in my lifetime, when I was just 13 years old.  I went to visit family and celebrate two familial birthdays shared by two cousins - one from the US, and one from England.  It was a large family gathering from many different countries, and thankfully I remember most of it.  However, I know for a fact that I did not take advantage of the opportunity to be in a place I now long to go back and visit.  With that being said, I want to make sure I travel to as many European destinations in my lifetime as possible.  I won't make it a priority to hit a certain number of destinations to visit, but want to make sure that I make an attempt to see as many as I can, including England again.  The destinations above are some of the options I would always consider, London and Colmar being the two I most want to see, but any and all will be applicable to fulfilling this bucket list item.

This would also include using the rail as well to get to and from certain destinations.  European train travel is tied right up there with visiting Europe!

And last, but certainly NOT least...
4. Hike the Pacific Crest Trail

This...this is something I so desperately want to do in my lifetime, something I hold so dear to me that I can't help but think about it on a daily basis, almost every hour.  I know deep down that it will take a hell of a lot of planning, and I would need to be even more careful than most who complete this venture.  Being that I'm type 1 diabetic, it would be very detrimental to me, and to others for that matter, if something happened to me while I was on this trek.  Not to mention making sure I had enough supplies and treatment with me to make the expedition in the first place.  I would have to have care packages set up for me at each and every stop imaginable, make peace with the fact that my pack would be considerably weighed down by the supplies I would have to carry to treat myself for low and high blood sugars, and make sure I was under the strictest control of my life in order to eliminate as many possibilities of disaster as possible.

But with all of that being said, and all of that against me, this is still the one thing I want most to complete in my lifetime.  I don't care if I'm 32 or 62 when I do it, I just want to make it happen.  I don't want to do it alone either (mostly because of the diabetes thing again), but I do want to make sure I meet new people.

I blame a lot of this on Cheryl Strayed, the compelling and bestselling author of "Wild" - the book in which Cheryl does the same thing - hike the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT).  Recently, the movie based on the book hit theaters, starring Reese Witherspoon as Cheryl, and that film just helped fuel my passion for this to be a reality.  Seeing the trail through the lens of a film camera was the closest I've ever been to doing the real thing, and I can only imagine what it would be like to take those steps myself.


One day, this will be my biggest accomplishment in life



And with that, you have my bucket list.

Peace out, world.




If you're interested in reading Cheryl Strayed's amazing memoir "Wild", you can order it from Amazon right here:

Don't have a Kindle?  Buy one from Amazon Here!

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The FarNerdy Blog - Now on Pinterest!

Come check out the new Pinterest page for the blog!  Currently, we have only one board up, but it gives you an in-depth view of the inspiration behind the current novel I'm writing!

Feel free to leave suggestions in the comments here or by contacting me at any of the social media outlets.

Happy Pinning!

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I Need Your Help!

As some of you may have known, I just participated in the National Novel Writing Month's (NaNoWriMo) 50,000 word challenge - to write 50,000 words of a brand new novel in the month of November...and I won!

But now, there's more -

My beloved readers and followers - I need your help with something of the utmost importance!

MY BOOK TITLE

I have gone through so many names and work-in-progress (WIP) titles than I know what to do with, but I've settled on 3 to choose from as of now, and I need your help picking which one it should be!

As most are aware, there's A LOT that goes into a title for a book.  It has to tie in with the novel as it is, but it also has to have a sense of mystery at the same time.  You want your title to grab readers and make them think, "Yeah, I really want to read that book!"

I am purposefully NOT going to put a synopsis or blurb of my book here for you to look at, inspect, or base your choice off of in the end.  I truly want a completely raw and untarnished decision from anyone and everyone that answers the question for me.  Which title speaks to you the most WITHOUT having read the back of the book (or front flap for hardcovers)?

So - your input is IMPERATIVE!  Please, choose from the titles in the poll below, and send me any comments if you would like!  Share this poll as well with your friends, because I want anyone and everyone to have a say in it.  You are all going to be helping me tremendously.  Thank you all ahead of time from the bottom of my heart!

Which book title do you prefer?

The Fate of An Illusion

The Choice of Timid Hearts

The Unexpected Fate

Poll Maker

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Apologies...and a New Job

So I've been a right git lately.

I apologize to everyone on the lack of posts that I have had on here since July.  It's been a whirlwind of a few months.

Let's see...

So, last you saw me was in July - loving life in Los Angeles, having just started a new job, moved into a beautiful new apartment (you'll see pictures here!), and basically enjoying the summer as it was meant to be.

Thursday, July 24th, I was laid off from my brand new job.

Yeeeepppp - that was a fun day.  The company I was working for didn't really plan well when they decided to revamp their Creative Services department.  Hiring tons of new people to amp up their creative side means, in the end, that it's going to cost more money to run that department.  Well, my company didn't really think about that, and ended up firing 5-7 people off of my team...

...with me included.

So, alas - I was jobless, having just secured a new apartment (and therefore a new rent), purchased a whole apartment full of new furniture (and paying a rather high price), and still had all of my normal bills to pay as well. - including pay for my prescriptions (which are VERY important to a Type 1 Diabetic like myself!).

Things were not good - but hey, I kept my head held high, and hit the job market hard, applying for anything and everything that sounded interesting to me, as well as as many jobs that I could apply to for companies that had reputations for taking care of their employees.

Check in 2 months later - I'm receiving unemployment money - which is just barely making me able to pay my bills - I recently adopted a new dog (long story - but he's super cute!), my student loan repayments had finally kicked in (which eventually got deferred - but THAT was an ordeal) and, lo and behold, I still didn't have a job. I hadn't even gotten a nibble of a possibility.

Finally, after almost 3 months of searching, I found a position I really liked and, thankfully, they really liked me too. I'm now working as a Business Analyst/Social Media Manager for a company that manages charter schools here in California, as well as Illinois, Tennessee, and Louisiana in their Special Education department.  And I LOVE my job.

Anyway, I do apologize for the lack of posts recently - but to make up for it, here are some pictures of fluffy puppies and pretty places!  I'll be back in the next day or two with content posts of books I've recently read, games I've recently played, and movies I've recently seen.  Be prepared for overload!

Til then... <3

My new puppy - Mr. Sheldon

And my new apartment :)

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Appreciation Station: Borrow Lenses - and a Chance to Win a Free Camera

So, has anyone heard of the new company "Borrow Lenses" yet? (www.borrowlenses.com)  It's this great new idea where you can purchase, rent, and even talk to others in the photography/videography community of photo and video equipment.  You can purchase any of the products they have there, sometimes on sale for a "used" price, as well as RENT anything from them as well!  It'll be shipped and delivered to you as you determine, and will await its return from you once you are finished.  All of it is paid upfront - so all you have to do when you receive the rented equipment is go out and get your artistry on.

It's actually owned by Shutterfly - that awesome little photo company that prints your digital photos for a great price (and great quality) and helps you make those memory books of photos that you put together into a little story.  I love Shutterfly, always have, and have used it religiously in my past (along with PicMonkey).

Anyway, if you have any use for Borrow Lenses, I highly recommend them.  Whenever I need my next set of equipment, you'll be sure I'll be contacting them for quotes and how to get my gear to me.

In case you'd like to try and win a new camera from them (they're holding a contest for their launch), you can follow this link: http://bit.ly/1tVZu7K 

Among the prizes are a Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera, a Panasonic GH4 4K Mirrorless Camera, or a Canon 6D Digital SLR. There are many bonus prizes as well from:
Cinevate, Zacuto, Fro Knows Photo, Think Tank Photo, SmugMug, Peak Design, Nik Software, MyPublisher, SnapKnot, Fiilex LED, Peter Hurley, Moose Peterson, Lexar, Custom SLR, and Videopixie

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Return to Los Angeles

Well, it's true.

I've finally made it back to sunny Southern California.

I'm back in LA!

I recently returned from a road trip across the entire United States mainland, and am proud to say that it I am still married, still in love, and still have my head on after such a journey!  Don't get me wrong, it was a bit overwhelming - but we did it!

6 days...

We did it in 6 days!

From Washington, DC to Los Angeles, CA, we drove for 6 days and 5 nights.

I started my new job just three days after we arrived here.  And now my wife has a great job as well!  We're doing pretty well, although I have to say, I'm already ready for a new vacation!

We've already been to Disneyland, gorged on Mexican food, ridden our bikes along the beach, taken our puppy to the dog beach in San Diego, spent a weekend away on a mini vacay, purchased a grill and BBQ'd many of our meals, and become much more tan than when we were in DC.

In just a few months, we should have our own place secured, new furniture setup in our new home, jobs well underway and proving us well, and about to begin the baby process.  Yep, that's right!  By the end of 2015, I should be a parent :).  My wife and I will select and secure a doctor by the end of this year, and have the process lined up to start around the beginning of Spring 2015.

This has been a great move for us, and we are even more excited to watch what comes forth in what else it has to offer.  I am so happy to be home, and glad that my wife is adjusting so well to being here. :)

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I'm Back!! And Just Returned from AwesomeCon DC!

I know...I know...

It's been 

FOREVER

But you know, with the whole getting married and starting a life with someone else, as well as dealing with all the aftermath of a wedding (the honeymoon, gift opening, etc.) - it's been a busy time for me!  That, and I've recently began the process of moving across the United States from Washington, DC to Los Angeles, CA.  I leave next Friday!  I'm super excited and can't wait to get back to my home state.

However, I thought I would open back up this blog with my escapades into my first Convention ever - AwesomeCon DC.  I had never been to a comic, artist, entertainment convention before, so it was quite an experience!  I only went to this one because the star guest was Billie Piper of "Doctor Who" fame - she played "Rose Tyler" brilliantly in the beginning of the new series with Christopher Eccleston and David Tennant.

My experience was quite...interesting.  I loved every minute of it.  I loved looking at people participating in Cosplay, I loved talking to fellow fans of "Doctor Who" and Billie, or Harry Potter, or Game of Thrones, and more!  I loved seeing all the artwork, meeting all the celebrities, reading all the comics, looking at all the cool geeky stuff that was for sale.  It was, just as promised, AWESOME.  I walked away with a few goodies of my own (including a personalized signed t-shirt from Billie herself!):

In addition, I got to sit in on Billie's Q&A.  I purchased a VIP ticket for the convention for Billie, and boy am I glad that I did.  I got prime seating for the Q&A, a free autograph, and a free photo op (still waiting for that picture) - and it paid off.  The Q&A was ridiculous!  The line to get in to see Billie was longer than any line I've ever seen even at Disneyland (and the venue only allotted for 581 people).  But I got a great seat and got some great shots of Billie answering questions.

All in all, it was a great experience, and I look forward to attending other conventions in the future.  I'm not sure I'll be one of those people that wants to attend every one - it was a *bit* overwhelming! - but I do plan on attending more with people that I would truly love to meet, as well as attend them with my wife and family possibly down the road ;).

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Hiatus

I will be on hiatus while getting married, going on my honeymoon, and going through the holiday season.  Please stay tuned for when I can update again, and enjoy your holidays!

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It's That Time of Year Again...Halloween Season!

It's that time of year again - Halloween is fast approaching!!

October 1st starts off my favorite time of year.  I love Fall weather, and I love how the colder seasons open up with the Halloween celebration.  Also, October holds a lot of dates close and dear to me - my birthday, for one, is on October 30th, and after this year, my wedding anniversary will be on October 26th.  It will be a fun-filled week at the end of October every year for me!  

Anniversary, birthday, Halloween - FUN!

I also love November and December as well, so October is spent anticipating those months.  I love that November slowly eases us into Winter, my favorite season.  And I love the month of December because of the holiday cheer that everyone seems to get in the mood about.  However, I don't like how commercialized it's become, and I try to stay away from that part of the holiday season, including avoiding Black Friday like the plague.  Personally, I love the hot cups of cider next to a fire while talking with family, or cozing up with a cuddly blanket, a cup of hot cocoa, and a book next to a window with it snowing outside.  THAT'S what I love about the holiday season.

But as for October, November, and December - I also love all of the movies that are made for these seasons.

We start with Halloween.  I watch many of the traditional movies - "The Nightmare Before Christmas", "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown!", and "Halloweentown".  But my favorites are as follows:

Hocus Pocus

The story of the resurrection of the Sanderson Sisters in the 20th Century.  A true Disney classic.  I absolutely ADORE this movie and have loved it since the day it came out back in 1993,  Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimi are the trademark witches in my eye, and I can't help but laugh and have a good time every Halloween that I watch it.  Now that I live on the other side of the country from my parents, I actually arrange with my mother to start it at the same time every Halloween night - me at 9pm, her at 6pm (to accommodate the time difference), so she and I are still able to watch it together :).


ParaNorman

ParaNorman is a new one for me, having only come out in September of last year (2012).  But this movie is fantastic, and has become a part of my movie tradition list to watch during the Halloween season.  I saw it in theaters with my mom and my fiancee when my mom was visiting me last year, and we were all HOWLING with laughter!  It is touching, charming, extremely funny, and even has a great moment in praise for the LGBT community!  Not to mention, the scene where I almost peed my pants in laughter was well worth every second.  If you haven't seen this yet, I highly recommend it.  You will not be disappointed!

Happy Halloween everyone!

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That Time of the Month Again...

Not quite THAT time of the month again,

but what leads right up to it.

Yep!
PMS

This is the time of the month for me when everything starts becoming far more difficult to handle...

Everything becomes sore.

I get angry and upset so easily I amaze even myself.

I cry about EVERYTHING.

My emotions are off the charts.

And then the day just continues on.  Ugh - I hate when I'm like this.  I feel like I'm on the verge of tears 24/7, and that even the smallest thing will set me off on an upset rampage.

I'm not like this as a normal person, so I hate when I become the bitch on wheels just because a few more hormones are coursing through my body.

At this point, I just want my "real time of the month" to start so that all these PMSy things will go away.

I prefer that over this!

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And There Goes the Government...

**Update**: Just learned the my fiancee is directly affected by this as well.  She went home at noon EDT on Tuesday, October 1st, to wait around until the government opens up again, UNPAID.  Ugh...and right before the wedding...

Okay fellow readers, now I'm not one to usually spew about politics, but a huge event happened in the United States overnight, and that was the first government shutdown in 17 years.

And all of it over a little healthcare.

Now, I'm sure my readers who live in parts of Europe are laughing at the U.S. right now, and I don't blame you.  I think this whole thing is preposterous.  

Let me give you a little background:

So, in the past few weeks (not to mention months and years), the Affordable Care Act (aka "Obamacare") of health insurance coverage for everyone in the United States has slowly been creeping up on us, and was supposed to be enacted as of today, October 1, 2013.  However, the Republicans were not happy with the final version of the plan, so they have been battling with the Democrats in the Senate about what should be allowed and what shouldn't.  The fighting and debating got SO BAD that the Republicans started threatening a government shutdown if they were not given what they want.

Congress met Monday, September 30th, to try and come to an agreement and avoid a "stalemate", but eventually, it did not occur. Here is what happened:

The Democrats actually sat down with Republicans late Monday night, and started stripping away pieces of the Affordable Care Act that the Republicans had problems over. Now, granted, the Democrats were not willing to strip away the pieces that were important to them {like delaying Obamacare for another year - the Democrats wouldn't budge on that}, but they started to take away some of the aspects of the act in order to get the Republicans to come to a compromise and avoid the shutdown, including one of the biggest issues on the table - the medical device tax. But the Republicans wouldn't have it. Basically, they stated that if they didn't get their EXACT and SPECIFIED way (where they got everything they wanted and the Democrats had to bend to their every whim), they were going forward with the government shutdown. 

 Obama tweeted after midnight Monday night "The Affordable Care Act is moving forward. You can't shut it down."

Basically, no matter how hard the Republicans try, they're going to have to compromise at SOME point, because the Affordable Care Act WILL happen. They're only causing the shut down because the Republicans are not getting exactly what they want...

...and that's just ridiculous.

Here are my opinions:

I understand that the Republicans don't want certain parts of this bill being passed, and those are the things that the Democrats aren't willing to let go. But at least the Democrats came forward and gave the Republicans other options, even including one big one, still trying to compromise with the stubborn party, rather than just say "Well to hell with you!" and walk away because they didn't get what they wanted. NO ONE is going to get EXACTLY what they want, that's why there is compromise.

All the funding is already in place, and has been distributed, so no matter how the Affordable Care Act turns out, the money is already gone and spent on the program. Therefore, the government shutdown isn't having a huge effect for the Republicans to get their way, it's only hurting government employees, and BADLY.  That's one of the worst parts - the shutdown is only hurting the people right now - not the financial state of the country, or the economy (granted, it WILL if this goes on too long, but currently, we are alright). How messed up is THAT?

My fiancee stated that she thinks the Republicans are trying to hurt the economy so that Obama will have a very negative look in the future.  But this will hurt the government 3-5 years from now - whoever will be in office, not just today.  I completely agree with her.

In addition, because of this, Obama is going to have to "request" to have the "United States credit card limit" (the Debt Ceiling) of $17 billion allowed to be in debt lifted because, after this ridiculous shutdown, the national debt will be more than that (it's going to cost $1 billion a week to have this shutdown), seeing as currently the US is $16.666667 billion in debt. Then this whole thing will have to happen again, and if the Republicans deny the request to increase the limit, we could face another shut down. Then the Republicans will say, "Well if you had just given in to our demands in the first place, we wouldn't have had the first shut down, and now we're not going to allow the country to be even more in debt because of your bad choices." To me, that sounds like a bully.

As an American, I'm just pissed that the Republicans are acting like a bunch of children, and though the Democrats aren't bending to their every whim, the Democratic party is just pulling their hair out, wondering how in the hell they are going to get through this.

In the end,
Come on Republicans...

Stop acting like children,

And run the damn country

Honestly...

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