Below are the 20 most recent journal entries recorded in mdehners' LiveJournal:

[ << Previous 20 ]

Friday, May 25th, 2012
7:12 am	Vellly Intellesting;>...... I do find it Interesting that we(the US economy) didn't start firing folks until there was a single Republican candidate. I mean, Europe has been a mess for months but it didn't affect anything major here UNTIL "Frothy" and "RuPaul" pulled out. After all, I come from a family who had members go off into the desert when Carter became Prez so Conspiracy runs in our Veins;> Cheers, Pat Current Mood: awake (Comment on this)
Monday, May 21st, 2012
8:03 am	Baby Steps.... Well, we've pretty much switched the house over to non-toxic products with the exception of Dishwasher detergent(we have a big box store 6 month suppy under the sink;>) and SHampoo for both us and the dog. As we're doing this, I turned into my parents. I was looking for liquid Castile soap and when I found it THE PRICE! My last "spasm" of Organic Living was when I went Full Blown in the late 80's and it was cheaper than regular liquid soap. I heard WORDS come out my mouth that usually come from my folks when they go shopping;> Being me I checked out how to make it at house and the From Scratch recipes required Lye, which I can't get locally. However, I did find a quicky recipe to make it from bar Castile: 2 bars Kirk's Castile grated 4 Cups Filtered Water(I used our fridge's Pure) 1T Glycerin or Coconut Oil(I had the latter) The really easy way is to heat the water in the microwave on high for 5 minutes, then pour into glass, enamel or pyrex saucepan on med/low(below a simmer). Add grated soap and stir with wooden spoon until dissolved. Let cool then pour into dispensers.... I was a bit worried about "Mr Picky" but Chuck actually liked the stuff better than his usual Olay. It was more drying for him but since his skin is so dry that even using Olay soap he has to use a lotion this is no hardship for cheaper, healthier cleaning. He used it as a shampoo and his hair actually came out better than all the expensive crap he usually buys! Cheers, Pat Current Mood: creative (Comment on this)
Sunday, May 20th, 2012
7:11 am	Changes.... It's funny. While I've been Organic Gardening since the 70's I haven't applied the same principles in the rest of my life...outside a spazm of Vegitarianism in college and for a couple yrs after I became no longer hiv+ but having aids. Recently though, we began to realise that the day after Chuck cleaned the bathroom he was sick. Since he's a bit like my brother(at least bathroom-wise)on the tidiness scale, he uses strong cleaners. Between yrs of exposure and simple Aging he's developed sensitivity to some products so we're switching to non-toxic alternatives. We sorta did at least floor-wise when we bought the steam mop. The toxic bathroom cleaners are gone and we've switched to a commercial non-tox laundry detergent. As a new hobby, I think I'm going to start making my own liquid Castile soap. Have you SEEN the prices!?! Last time I bought any it was the CHEAPEST at the local healthfood store or coop. NOW!?! After all, I have a huge old crockpot that I don't use anymore except to add Humidity in Winter in the bedroom so the only problem is finding Lye, which due to it's use in making Meth has disappeared from store shelves here.... Cheers, Pat Current Mood: awake (Comment on this)
Saturday, May 19th, 2012
1:27 pm	Silly Season.... is in full swing again. Phone, TV, Paper. What adds to the annoyance factor here is that we live in a very Conservative area, so much so that most Republican candidates run unopposed. Even the Progressive nat'l orgs don't bother here until a couple weeks before the election. However, the COnservative orgs SPEND and SPEND and SPEND. Maybe they think their Voters are stupid that they need to be reminded a couple times a day per meduim each FOR MONTHS! Another big irritations is because there is really no opposition, even outright Lies don't get called. I admit, some of them are funny. I esp like the robo-call that "proved" that Obama was a Muslim because he went to Rev Wright's church and since there is "no such thing as a Black Church"... We've told the family to ring us 3 times 1st, hang up then ring us again because we're tired of running across the house only to hear how "Obamacare" is going to force (White) Christian women to have abortions..... Cheers, Pat Current Mood: aggravated (2 Comments |Comment on this)
6:44 am	DVD Recommendation: 'Princess, Princess'.... You all know the drill;>. Even as "Gay Friendly" as Disney is they wouldn't touch this one with a 10 ft Pole;>! A shy, "delicate" boy is trnsfered to an All Boy's school due to trouble. Thing is, this academy has discovered that without females to make males behave, they grow up to be poor members of society. However, being an all boy's school....they take the "prettiest" new admits and offer them jobs as Princesses;to dress and act as girls in exchange for both full coverage of school fees as well as an income. If agreed to, the student body votes on whether the new boy is "pretty enough" to be a Princess. If so... Sweet, Funny and actually pretty Deep, even though it's of another culture entirely, one without the strong Homophobia of ours. Cheers, Pat Current Mood: contemplative (2 Comments |Comment on this)
Thursday, May 17th, 2012
1:07 pm	Done(well, sorta;>) And the main Summer planting is done! Tis yr ALL Squash, Summer or Winter are newbies. The Winter I just planted were two from S America, ‘Geraumon Martinique’(well, from the Islands;>) and ‘Menina Rajada Seca’ . The other, ‘Musquee de Provence’ is an heirloom from France. The seeds of the two SA cultivars are actually planted in the two Garlic plots. Both will be ready to be Harvested before there are more than 2 true leaves on the seedlings. I’m Hoping this will help decrease Vine Borer which is a big problem here for most of the Squash/Cuke family. Of earlier plantings; the Summer Squashes(a “Lemon” and a Zuchinni) and Cukes are growing well with no noted problems at the moment. With our Heat and Humidity Powdery Mildew oft attacks but so far so good. Most of the Eggplants are Blooming and both Sweet and Hot Peppers have begun to Fruit. Also, about half of the Tomatoes! Cheers, Pat Current Mood: accomplished (Comment on this)
Tuesday, May 15th, 2012
12:23 pm	DVD Review: 'Descendents'... This Sci-Fi flick is one that I can't decide wether I like or dislike...it's one filled with WTF!!!!??!!. It's the future and about 8 yrs after the End of the World. Between now and then the climate and the atmosphere gets fukkt and epidemics affecting all life convert the planet to a weedy, buggy world. The last normal Humans live in arcologies and send soldiers out to kill anyone, infected by the last big bug, an airborn Zombie virus or healthy(being potential sources of Infection). A small percentage of children born are Immune to both the Zombie virus and the to toxins in the Air and Water. The Infected are not only disinterested in them, they find the children repellant. The young heroine wanders through this wasteland,losing her mother to both the soliders and the virus as well as meeting others like herself and trying to survive in a hostile world. Spoiler: The end of the film is a really WTF!?! moment;> Cheers, Pat Current Mood: artistic (Comment on this)
7:12 am	Closet Cases..... One of the most bizarre "perks" of dropping the last of my Conservative friends this yr has been to no longer be Lectured on how "Judgemental" I am about Closetted Gay men from Het men. Note that i stated Het MEN. Het women NEVER did this to me. This is probably because my main objection had to do with Dishonorable Behavior and I BELEIVE that decieving a person so that you can further your place in society OR to make your life easier is WRONG. I guess it says volumes about my COnservative Het male "friends" that they didn't think that big of a "deal" to Lie to a woman for yrs, for DECADES so that you could present a "Presentable" face to your community was OK. The women would try to get me to befriend these guys because they felt bad that they were "lonely". One:They were Married to WOMEN Two: I'm Married to a MAN. I'm also Monogamous and I've YET to run into one of these guys that Respected that. 'Course, they didn't Respect their Vows so why would they Respect MINE? I was sorta sympathetic with these guys back in the early 80's but it's fucking 2012! The Roy Cohn arguement that they're "Straight", just "into" having sex with guys is a LOAD. I'm soooo glad I no longer have to keep my mouth shut to "keep the peace" or to "agree to disagree". If you can't "read", you have no business doing book reviews".... Cheers, Pat Current Mood: angry (Comment on this)
Monday, May 14th, 2012
8:08 am	"Gay" Marriage.... I HATE the term. There is NO appreciable difference between the Civil and Religious Rites used to join couples, Het OR Homo. Simply that some of both the former and latter for Homo, all for Het. It always Amuses me because other than me and Chuck you have to go back to my Paternal Grandparents for a Religious Rite.Even my Maternal Grands had Civil Ceremonies. Truth is, like a lot of things with Humans it's "Playground Stuff". Someone has something Others don't have and either don't want to "Share" or if made to Resent having to.... Basic Human Behavior. Cheers, Pat Current Mood: irritated (Comment on this)
Friday, May 11th, 2012
11:21 am	Report;>! Well, it's been over a month since I discommed from Facebook. You know? The only thing I miss is Swain Wodening's Cute Captioned Cat pixes;>... Cheers, Pat Current Mood: amused (4 Comments |Comment on this)
Thursday, May 10th, 2012
6:18 am	Finally.... Obama came down off the fence. Probably because folks from the campaign had noticed that while it's true what His minions were saying about the more dangerous Choice as a Vote(like ANY self-respecting GLBT-person'd vote for Mittens of Reparative Therapy...), there is a difference between Voting for someone and Volunteering to do all the scut work for FREE. The MAJORITY of friends and aquaintences that Volunteered last election for Obama weren't BECAUSE of the 'tude that They had no place to go and should SHUT UP, get to the BACK OF THE BUS and GET TO WORK FOR YOUR BETTERS..... Cheers, Pat Current Mood: aggravated (Comment on this)
Monday, May 7th, 2012
7:17 am	Major Change..... I've been a big "cetacean rights" guy since the original 'Flipper' but that view has eroded quite a bit over the last 4 decades. Don't get me wrong. Cetaceans are incredible animals but unlike my younger self and my SIL I don't consider the least pod member a greater "soul" than the Buddha or Jesus anymore. I'm still a COnservationist but I no longer have quite the view that i had of these wonderful creatures. A big reason i have to admit for the change over the yrs has been their Advocates. Annoying, Bigoted, Rude, Nasty, etc folks that consider ANY view other than theirs the equivalent of Baby BBQing. I do get a "kick" when the "pot" calls the "kettle" "black" when folks who are being screamed at respond equivalently. Now, I'm not advocating Whaling or somesuch, just being a crazy arsehole doesn't endear others to your view(s). Besides, I like my Muktuk "dolphin safe";>.... Cheers, Pat Current Mood: aggravated (Comment on this)
Saturday, May 5th, 2012
1:24 pm	LOL....... I got an email in my inbox from our local Pagan list owner warning forlks not to post Political info on the list. This is a list that basically posts a handful of local and regional festival adverts every yr. Since I'm the only non-Pagan on the list(no Wiccans, no CR either)my posts tend to confuse most members so I generally respond to subjects brought up. Unfortunately, the last few yrs there hasn't been much. Actually, the last time was the last Presidential election! Sadly, very PC-folk don't like "Disharmony" and during the last election the Greens and the 2 Dem streams(Hillary and Obama) were too much "Diviersity" to TOlerate. Appearantly, the listowner wants to make sure that doesn't happen again. Even San Francsico wasn't this bad;>! Chers, Pat Current Mood: aggravated (Comment on this)
Friday, May 4th, 2012
1:13 pm	Glasses....... Humans always see things through their own Experiences, what I call "Me-coloured Glasses". There's nothing wrong with that UNLESS you refuse to Accept that you do. I'm lucky in that I had an abnormal Childhood. I've lived in everything from a full high tech home(circa pre 80's;>) to unheated where your chamberpot froze overnight(yes, CHAMBERPOT. Only for Peeing. I refused to poop in it;>!). With this experience, I tend to have a different definition of "substandard".It's one of the reasons I always got along with recent Immigrants from 3rd World countries. I had the same reaction to someone at work "bitching" because there was only one Bathroom in their home;>. Heck, the place my family spent 2 months a yr in when we were stationed in Turkey had Electricity a few hrs a week. I think my obsession with antique oil lamps comes from this time. I actually hav one of them still, my folks kept it and back in the 80's they were getting rid of "old junk" and I snagged it! Times change and so does one's "perscription". Looking through those "old glasses" is actually a "Good Thing" because you realise how much HAS CHANGED. When I was a Teen a Jewish person was considered a member of a "weird" religion. Today;>? When I was a Teen it wasn't at all surprising to read in the paper that a non-WHite suspect was killed "escaping". When I was a Teen that it was accepted that it to beat a Gay person to death than pay your taxes to the Federal gov't. Things have changed. Not as much as I'd have hoped but better than it was.... Cheers, Pat Current Mood: aggravated (Comment on this)
Thursday, May 3rd, 2012
5:53 am	Just Die! Harsh? I figure after more than a quarter century of coddling Eejits is more than enough. I AM DONE! If you can't be bothered to take care of yourself,don't bother me. If you can't be bothered with "Conventional Reality", don't bother me. My days of wasting my time trying to get you to follow your health care regimen is OVER. My days of trying to convice you away from some crackpot idea that allows you to avoid taking Responsibility is OVER. The nurse's office is CLSED. Cheers, Pat Current Mood: angry (2 Comments |Comment on this)
Monday, April 30th, 2012
10:59 am	Otaku-palooza! Thanks to a windfall Chuck recieved from the gov't;>,I have a bit extra this month and have decided to indulge my Otaku-self. I ordered the complete series of 'XXXholic'. Netflix originally carried it but I guess they lost the contract so I decided to get copies of my very own. While I do generally prefer to "Shop Locally", the local Comicbook store that carries Manga and Anime' wanted for a single volume what the whole series went for on-line(and that was standard rates, not some discount store). I you've never seen this series or read my previous review of it: Watanuki is a kid with a Curse; he can See, Feel and Communicate with Spirits and They are attracted to him....making his life even more stressfull than this high strung(and Queeny) kid is. Fleeing a pack of them he ends up in the shop of Yuko, a witch that grants any Wish.....for a price. His is to spend his weekends as her Domestic. The Domestic of a Witch that's a combo of Morticia Adams and RuPaul;>! Very much an 'Outer Limits' type show with each episode having a client who gets what they Needed or Deserved....along with their Wish. After bills, I'll probably get some new T's with my fav Anime' shows; 'Highschool of the Dead', 'XXXholic', 'Souleater', 'Ghost in the Shell', etc.... Cheers, Pat Current Mood: awake (Comment on this)
7:10 am	Eeeerrrrrrrrr!!!!!!! Sasquatches do not belong on a channel called 'Animal Planet'(neither do "Mermaids"). Space Aliens don't on a channel calling itself 'History'. Nuff Said. Cheers, Pat Current Mood: aggravated (Comment on this)
Sunday, April 29th, 2012
11:56 am	Spring Cleaning! continues, though slowly. As we run out of a product, we replace with a less Toxic alternative. I was happily surprised when I had to use an Organic Dishsoap to wash the truck because I'd run out of my usual auto soap. Truck cleaner and shinier AND my hands weren't all red after! Reaaaaalllly hate cleaning ceiling fans. Here in "The Dangly Bits", they're the only way you can keep comfortable without a large budget but they do get nasty. Add in dog, candles and incense burning and you get the equivalent of Smoker's Lung on a blade. The Humidity is already up to Summer levels and the Temp's are not too far behind which means Mold. I noticed a patch in the bedroom today while vacuuming.It's an area that always gets some, though when they resided the house SUPPOSEDLY that was going to end it. Every yr I debate whether to get one of those air filters and every time I look at them the price makes me think it's not so bad;>. On the Positive side, Chuck is fully on-board with the non-Tox switching. The stuff I got for him for the bathroom appearantly did morethan his "beloved" Scrubbing Bubbles and without the diarrhea the next day. Luckly, I don't have to worry about him going completely Organic and demanding Vegan meals and the dreaded Tofu-beast! Cheers, Pat Current Mood: accomplished (Comment on this)
Saturday, April 28th, 2012
12:50 pm	Humans..... are annoying. They'll say they respect someone who "fights the good fight" but in truth they only validate the "squeaky wheel". Now, I've been physically Disabled in some functional quality since the early 90's(not talking about the Immune System BTW). I've made it a point to live my life, "buck up" and not "whine"(generally;>)and folks SAY that's something to Respect but they don't. At least here in the States, if you don't Whine, your SDisability OBVIOUSLY isn't Real or as Bad. I think part of it is the "Smurfing" of America since the 80's where we take Pride in our "Compassion" and of course no one would take Advantage of such a thing....now would they? So, therefore, if you don't "Act Disabled",you AREN'T DISABLED. One of the saddest presentations of this has been as I've gotten older. When I was in my 20's and even 30's, needing a cane ment that I was "Obviously" Disabled. Now in my 50's, I'm not an appearantly claiming so at my age is somehow "Sad". 'Course, the blind OS and the 3 functioning fingers on each hand aren't obviously "Disabling", so I must be pushing for undeserved Sympathy. Funny thing, the Whiny twits on their pitty pots milking their situations for all that it's worth isn't in most American's minds. It does get "Old". Come the Zombie Apocalypse, we'll see how Useful their "tools" are against the Undead Hordes;> Cheers, Pat Current Mood: annoyed (Comment on this)
Thursday, April 26th, 2012
12:03 pm	Toxic.... As you get older, your body doesn't always Tolerate stuff it used to. Add in the meds we oft end up taking(and some of the Chronic Illnesses we get;>)and it's not surprising that ever so often our bodies get "cranky" dealing with the overload. Now, for yrs I've done the usual, baths, Chlorella, juices, etc. Unfortunately being a PWA, I can't take a drug "holiday" without major consequences. I've noticed that esp after my 40's my Toxic periods came more often. Last week Chuck wa sick again with Diarrhea. I realised that he'd been coming down with it pretty much the next day after cleaning the bathroom. Unfortunately, he fits in with the rest of my family in that they've never met a Chemical they didn't like. I remember as a kid that every time there was a warning that a particular -cide was being banned he'd run out and buy up as much as he could. As of a few yrs ago he had a looooonnngg expired can of DDT! Well,I decided after Chuck's illnesses and my increasing Toxic episodes that we're going to slowly replace our household chem with healthier alternatives. The hardest is going to get Chuck on-board with certain cleaning products because quite honestly he connects the smell of the cleaners with being Clean. My 1st purchase was today with a Toilet cleaner.Truthfully, if I can get him to accept that this non-toxic cleaner does as well ass his "beloved scrubbing bubbles", my task will be a much easier one;>.... Cheers, Pat Current Mood: contemplative (Comment on this)