Thursday, April 13, 2017

Thursday Thoughts - Thanks Easter Bunny


1. City scenes this week - Old City on the way to Tuesdays With Toomey and from the front of the Comcast building on the way to the eye doctor.
2. I made the dentist appointment that I've been putting off so I'm expecting gifts from the universe as a reward. Dental fear is real. I also went to the eye doctor this week for the first time since I got LASIK many moons ago. I need a slight prescription, which I'm filling, but I'm also going back to the LASIK people to get them to weigh in.

3. From the gross files:  Sooo I bought this blackhead remover. Well while my pores are large, I don't have many actual blackheads. I used it to try to pop what I thought was a deep zit and ended up bruising my face and bringing a bunch of blood to the surface. I am now the person people look at like oh, that girl was the victim of a crime. I am an idiot. Do not try this at home. 

4. The past two weekends of shore house work wore me out and aside from the contact paper wall on the third floor I'm not doing any shore chores this weekend. Bike riding, beach sitting, and avenue strolling is in my future. And my mom is cooking so none of that either.
5. I'm proud of this blogger for sharing a vulnerable part of herself in an article that will help a reader she doesn't know. I'm glad my brother Stephen has retained gifts he's had since childhood: knowing when someone is feeling left out and bringing them in, noticing mood shifts in people, wanting everyone to be okay and doing what he can do to make sure they are, and just being there. A lot of times men sweep their penchant for kindness to the back of their resource pile, and he never has. Reading this made me really proud of the man he is but reminded me an awful lot of the sensitive little boy he was. Read this: An Open Letter to My High School Teacher. He doesn't like to be the center of attention but I'm sharing it because his former student's message is important. We all have the capacity to light a match for someone in darkness. None of us are alone here. We are responsible to each other: to, not for.
6. Have you seen this opinion piece on how Spicer's ridiculous, insane, and shameful remarks about the Holocaust tie to the white nationalist connections of this administration? I get it, we all have outrage fatigue, but these people and their blatant nazi attitudes do not belong in the White House in any position from chief advisor to press secretary to butler. And if you want to say he didn't mean it like that or he apologized, let me just stop you right there. There is zero excuse for this gaffe and no coming back from it. First, you don't need a degree in anything to know the horrors of the Holocaust and that concentration camps are not Holocaust Centers (that sounds like they were taking a fucking vacation) and that six million people died, many by gas. This is the person we want speaking for the POTUS? You're fired, Spicer. GTFO. Now's the time to use your infamous line, Donnie boy.
7. I'm not a foreign policy expert but it seems hypocritical to care enough about Syrian children dying to bomb their country yet still not want them here as refugees. We will not get into the fact that the children of Syria have been dying for years. It's timely for Cheeto Jesus to fire off missiles when his approval rating is in the shitter, Russiagate is spilling all over the administration, and he owns stock in the company that manufactures the missiles. You cannot continue to ignore the conflicts of interest of this president and how he financially gains every step of the way. Well, you can, but I hope you won't.

8. It's fucking hard to limit political things to one to three items each week. Everything is burning, what fire do I pay attention to first? Russia. Honorable mention: The similarities between Don the Con and Kim Jong Un - both insane rich kids handed everything by their fathers who enjoy playing with nuclear missiles; FBI FISA warrant monitored 45's adviser Carter Page on Russia; the March 27 letter to the US from the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights with concerns about bills in 16 US states that would criminalize peaceful protests and violate human rights (here...in America...the country that was literally built on the back of the right to assemble and protest - and not always peacefully). Picking what to include in this post is like choose your own adventure where everyone ends up with pants full of poop at the end with no extra clothes to change into.

9. Reminder: The most important part of every thing you do is simply showing up.

10. E-card of the week: For real.
Hip hop hooray, ho. You know how it goes.


30 comments:

  1. I have a friend who is terrified of rabbits/bunnies. All of them. Not just the Easter version.

    The open letter to the HS teacher...sitting here all choked up. The whole thing hit hard, and even though it's not the takeaway from the article, teachers do remember their students. I couldn't sit here & list all 1000+ kids I've had over the past 5 years, but if I saw a picture, ran into one on the street, or heard a name, we still remember that kid in class & the little things about them.

    Good for you for not doing chores a the shore house this weekend! Although, shore chores just automatically makes them sound more fun than plain old chores.

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  2. I heard commentary yesterday on Boston Public Radio that speculated that the Hitler comments spoke to his need to live in superlatives...that he wants to defeat the worst dictator, so in saying that "Even Hitler..." it makes it seem like he is going to one-up the Allied Powers from WWII.

    Like you said, the house is on fire.

    Enjoy the chore-free weekend, Steph. Happy Easter!

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  3. There's gotta be a reason for all of this. Vetting the bad world leaders, perhaps? Alcatraz can be reopened. No, that's too close. Anyway. Your momma is cooking and providing meals from local businesses like Boyars! Assembling a kind of Easter basket and baked goods abound. O.M.G. The good that has come from Rhiannon's open letter to Stephen. Caring and kindness are easy and vital. I'm so grateful for both of them.
    Wishing all a glorious Spring long weekend.
    Love. Your. Momma.

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    Replies
    1. You must be very proud! You've raised such COMPASSIONATE, CARING children.

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  4. I swear showing up is half the battle.
    I'm terrified to get lasik (and I refuse) but Scott bugs me about it all the time. He's thrilled with his PRK results and my brothers both had lasik...

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  5. every day i wake up thinking: i need to make my dentist appointment. so far, i'm going on just over a year of saying this to myself.

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  6. That e-card is LEGIT!!!! I always walk by the Easter bunny in the mall with side eye.
    OHHH GIRLLL> you know I'm sending you good luck for the dentist!

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  7. Spicer's comments (Holocaust Centers, WTF?) are so disturbing b/c they tell me that there is no line this administration won't cross. It is truly terrifying.

    But that letter to your brother was incredible, sniff. Thanks for the reminder that there is still a lot of good in the world!

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  8. I have a dentist appointment next week and it is freaking me out. I too hate going to the Dentist. However, my dentist is a big teddy bear and it really good with me about my fears. He tells the funniest stories to put me at ease. He is such a wonderful person. I will be sad when he retires. He is by far the best dentist I have ever had.

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  9. I loved the open letter to your brother. I'm watching that show and it is deeply affecting me. It makes me want to do something where I can interact with and help teenagers. I know your family is proud of your brother and I hope that letter encourages him to keep on doing what he's doing. It's working.

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  10. #5 gave me chills, tears and HOPE! I hope that EVERYONE reads it. Everyone that needs to and those who don't even know they need to.

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  11. That letter. So beautiful and honest and I'm crying. Your brother should feel 10 feet tall. It's true, just asking someone if they are okay and letting them know you care and see them can make so much difference. It sounds like he's a great teacher and an even better human being. So now tears are turning to tears or rage because #6, #7, #8. So many things wrong with Spicer. First up, just don't ever bring up Hitler. Don't try to say anyone is worse or as bad as him. Just don't. And especially don't when you somehow forget that Hitler exterminated German Jews, German Homosexuals, Germans with disabilities and German resistance. And if I am to understand correctly, it was okay to kill non-Germans from his argument? AHHHHHHHH!!!! It scares the living bejesus out of me that 3 powerful leaders are basically petulant toddlers.

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  12. When you were mentioning the letter, I immediately thought of 13 Reasons Why since I'm watching it right now. But I haven't finished, so I will read it once I'm done<3

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  13. Steph: "So many political issues, how can you even decide what's the craziest thing happening, look at all the insane things Spicer, etc. have been doing."
    Trump: "...hold my beer."

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  14. And you even wrote this before we dropped the literal mother of all bombs on Afghanistan.
    We need a new president in 4 years. If we live that long. What a fucking wreck.
    (We need a new president yesterday, but you get my point.)

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  15. When I saw what Spicer said, I just about lost my fucking shit. And then it just kept getting worse. We're all so screwed.

    You know how I feel about that letter and people like your brother...well, I'm glad they exist.

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  16. I HATE when I have a slight skin imperfection (which is often) and I make it wayyy worse by picking, poking and prodding. UGH.

    Work and life are insanely busy again which means I get my news in spurts and I don't think I'll ever NOT be floored at what goes on in this world. The Spicer thing is another level of awful. And Trump signed that bill affecting PP/health care services today, so there's also that. I hate everyone.

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  17. I am constantly picking at things on my face. I stay away from those types of things because I know this about myself. You deserve all the universe awards for making a dental appointment. I would like to say it inspired me, but it didn't. Still don't want to go. It sounds like you have a perfect weekend at the shore coming up! Enjoy!

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  18. The world has been scary and crazy lately. Sigh.
    But we need to keep showing up indeed. We need to put one foot in front of the other. :D

    Have a meaningful Holy Week!

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  19. I hate the dentist just as much as you for no unknown reason. Haha while the Easter bunny doesn't scare me, I know some people are deathly afraid of clowns. Neither of them I care for unless they're running towards me with a knife. Did you buy the blackhead remover toolkit or did you use something else?

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  20. I had no idea my letter would reach so many people. I honestly wanted to write it, slip it into your brother's email, and let it go unnoticed by the rest of the world, but it's blown up. I realize now the impact it has on people, and I'm proud of it. An idea I had while I was half asleep sparked so much inspiration in others. I'm humbled. Thank you for sharing it and thank you for your entire family. You are all incredibly compassionate and kind. ♥️

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    1. Sometimes it's the things we almost don't press publish on that impact others the most. Personally I usually find it's the stuff that's about being on the edge or outside of something - it's easy for others to see those places in themselves. I'm glad you decided to put it out there. I read your other pieces on MomentsZine & enjoyed them. I hope you keep writing! I couldn't find your email or I would've sent this to you directly. Thank YOU for your bravery.

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  21. I really can't deal with politics lately. I'm so enraged over the things going on lately and how downright HATEFUL people are. It scares me.

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  22. Holocaust centers... THEY WERE FUCKING DEATH CAMPS SPICER. Good Lord. On passover? Chag Sameach, y'all! I am going to the dentist tomorrow. My husband had to make my appointment because I keep putting it off. It was supposed to be next week but then those buttheads rescheduled on me at the last minute and now I have to go TOMORROW. Don't make me goooooooo!

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  23. The letter from your brother's student...whoa. Amazing. I've read it a few times since you've shared on fb and here. I appreciate your insight about what he was like as a child and now as and adult. It is a powerful message from his student.

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  24. #7 (first sentence) is where I struggle with the whole should we or shouldn't we have argument. The two just don't jive. And honestly, if we were so hell bent on helping children who were suffering in this world I can think of money better spent to really do that. I just don't understand how they keep getting away with all this :(

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  25. I saw when your mom posted about Stephen... freaking amazing and beautiful. You just never know how you're going to impact someone. My dad was really good about watching for the quiet ones, too. What you wrote about your brother reminded me of things I heard about my dad. In other news, Trump is full of shit on the Syrian mess. It's all a distraction and could not be more convenient as these Russia discussions progress. It worked though - no one's talking about that now... You don't get to have it both ways to be sure. As for Spicer... well, I've never been so embarrassed to be an American in Europe watching that shit go down.

    I've been rewatching The Newsroom. Sorkin tried to warn us. Now he needs to come back out of retirement and write us out of it... because obviously we were too stupid to pay attention. Seriously, go watch episode 3 (The 112th Congress)... yikes.

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  26. #5 - I'm so glad you shared that. It brought tears to my eyes and is such a good reminder that sometimes, just checking in with people can make a world of difference.

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  27. What a wonderful post about your brother from his former student. It sounds like he is not only a very intuitive and caring man, but that he is also in the exact right career for him. I love that she felt able to share that because I feel like there are definitely people out there that need to read it.

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