Go Vote

If you happen to live in Florida, just get out and vote today. Our lovely state has the sometimes frowned upon reputation of deciding elections... so get out there and play.
I'll leave you with this amusing montage in which all candidates decided to be one nation under Bowie... sing it boys, and girl...

RAMBO

Awright, picture this...you are a 12 year old girl in Puerto Rico and someone... one of your big cousins perhaps, brought in a video from the store. They have seen the movie for a couple of times already, but today the adults are kinda busy and it's time for good old VHS to do the baby sitting.

There is this guy who just returned home from a war or something... the plot is too deep for you to catch on, but all of the sudden the guy brings out a big knife and thing gets rolling..while some of us are in awe of this man, some others are already jumping on the couch and twisting their mouth trying to follow Stallone's speech, which is way worse in Spanish translation... however you can live through it all because this bunch of little cousins are on the verge of constructing the most cherished of family traditions: from day one we were a bunch of savage Rambo fans.... we put up with everything, the mud baths, the long torture sessions, even in our ignorance we cheered when Rambo unknowingly helped Bin Laden by sigle handedly getting rid of the Russians in Afghanistan.

And now we find ourselves here... and it was bloody, gory and glorious as any child of the eighties deserves to find it.

I will put it together in few words... there is a war zone, some missionaries, a group falling victim of genocide, a group of mercenaries that include the necessary latino, a foul mothed Australian and a singing redneck. Ah! there is also this harmless boat captain... his name is john Rambo and he will kick your ass in a heart beat, when justice calls him to action. He will kick your ass, lay it down on you kebob style with the arrow, strip off your flesh with his bare hands and blow you off the face of the earth, point blank with an anti air machine gun.

It is a stress reliever like I haven't had in ages... I'm still smiling.

The quote will be in Spanish and it is not from the movie. This one comes from Michelle and it is profound as anything: "Rambo dejo chiquito a Rambo" (Rambo outshined Rambo) ponder it people, it's Meta-Rambo, and that is deep.

Heath Ledger... RIP, plus a bit of a rant

Heath Ledger died yesterday. I'm a movie fan girl, which means that I am very sad that a great actor is gone. My bets were ten years down the road he could have been an excellent character actor, I think Hollywood thought so too.

A man died yesterday. The circumstances of his death are still to be discovered. As it usually happens there will be an autopsy that will determine if his death was related to a cocktail of prescription drugs/ an overdose of recreational drugs/ both or other related circumstances. The people who are witness to his character will help determine whether or not this was an accident or an ongoing addiction that was well kept from the public eye. Ahhhh... wait, wait, wait... the man who died yesterday was a celebrity and there we must add the needed measure of morbidity and speculation.

I am slightly pissed at several interviews that I heard yesterday... mostly on the horrid Nancy Grace show in which I heard the classic "I knew there was something wrong with Ledger"... less than 24 hours after his death, there is a stream line of idiots that call themselves reporters talking about "tell-tale signs"... you know "the man was awful quiet... he hand were constantly shaking... he interrupted interviews for unexpected cigarette breaks " (stress the word cigarette as to insert another meaning...)

It is bullshit. That is the reason why tabloids will rot in the stands before I buy one, these people are fucking bloodhounds. I mean if I were a reporter and noticed these things. I would have crossed the line and say something, not to my stupid tabloid, but to the human being that according to my perception was breaking apart before my very eyes. Had I been the reporter to which Ledger made the declaration of taking TWO Ambien before bed... I would have had the decency to tell him off the record "bro, there is something wrong there, don't mess around with prescribed dosages." But it is a lot more fun to write that the man was breaking under the stress of playing the Joker.

I don't know were I am gong here, except for the fact that I am tired of people who get access to other peoples lives and do nothing about it... and at the fact that in less than 24 hours Heath Ledger has gone from being a promising actor to a "junkie"... in the mean time is like no one fucking cared that a father, a son, a man died yesterday.

This one is for Deirdre

Hello. If you happen to stumble upon this blog by chance, just read this note. It is not long, I promise.

I'll just tell you a story about a little girl called Deirdre Valeria.

I've always believed in the power of names, they are after all, at best one thing that the world commits to memory about us, when they find us interesting. Some people say our names seal our fate, that they define us. If that is true, then Dee Dee is blessed.

Deirdre has a wonderful name; a sharp Irish name with Celtic roots that means "she who speaks volumes." Her middle name is Valeria and it flows out of your lips with a swift, yet substantial sound to it. No wonder, it derives from the Italian root for Strenght.

In five months of life, Deirdre has spoken volumes to all of us about will and the strenght that derives from knowing that you are loved and needed. She is currently fighting a battle, and although it is complicated, she is not alone. Her family is beautiful, her friends loyal and true. And then there is you... a wonderful stranger that might become a friend ... get to know her and in the process, you might learn something from a little girl with a wonderful name...

Hello everyone,Please take a moment to read this urgent message.

I am asking for your assistance with this critical matter concerning the life of my 5 month old little baby girl. I would really appreciate if you forward this message to everyone you know because we have no medical insurance to cover the transfer and hospital expenses in US mainland.

You can also help by posting the flyers attached in this email in your place of work (if you need a copy of the medical record summary please contact us.)Our 5 months baby DEIRDRE V. MEDINA needs your help!

She has been diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy and needs to be taken to the United States for proper Non-Invasive treatment. The medical insurance does NOT cover any transfer or hospital expenses withing the US Mainland, so we need your help.

The funding account is at Banco Popular of Puerto Rico, checking account # 041-473272

What is Spinal Muscular Atrophy (Werdning-Hoffman Disease)?Werdnig Hoffmann disease is a type of spinal muscular atrophy. It is a rare, inherited progressive neuromuscular disorder of infancy characterized by degeneration of groups of nerve cells (motor nuclei) within the lowest region of the brain (lower brainstem) and certain motor neurons in the spinal cord (anterior horn cells). Motor neurons are nerve cells that transmit nerve impulses from the spinal cord or brain (central nervous system) to muscle or glandular tissue.Approximately 80% of SMA falls into the severe category (SMA1). Infants with SMA1 experience severe weakness before 6 months of age, and the patient never achieves the ability to sit independently when placed. Muscle weakness, lack of motor development and poor muscle tone are the major clinical manifestations of SMA1.

Infants with the gravest prognosis have problems sucking or swallowing. Some show abdominal breathing in the first few months of life. Muscle weakness occurs on both sides of the body and the ocular muscles are not affected. A twitching of the tongue is often seen. Intelligence is normal. Most affected children die before 2 years of age but survival may be dependent on the degree of respiratory function.For infants who appear to develop normally during the first months of life, muscles of the pelvic, trunk, and shoulder areas may initially appear to be disproportionately affected. With disease progression, diminished muscle tone and weakness may gradually spread to affect almost all voluntary muscles, with the exception of certain muscles controlling movements of the eyes. Intelligence is NOT affected!

Infants with Werdnig Hoffmann disease may lack head control, may be unable to roll over or support their weight, and tend to lie relatively still, with little or no movement (flaccid paralysis). In addition, they may develop difficulties sucking, swallowing, and breathing; have an increased susceptibility to respiratory infections; or develop other complications that may lead to potentially life-threatening abnormalities within the first months or years of life. For infants who appear to have normal development for several months prior to the onset of muscle weakness, the disorder may tend to have a more slowly progressive course.Werdnig Hoffmann disease is inherited as an autosomal recessive trait. Molecular genetic testing has revealed that all types of autosomal recessive SMA are caused by mutations in the SMN (survival motor neuron) gene on chromosome 5. Deletion of the NAIP (neuronal apoptosis inhibitory protein) gene that is close to the SMN gene is also associated with SMA. More patients with Werdnig Hoffman disease (SMA1) than other types of SMA have NAIP deletions.

The relationship between specific mutations in the SMN gene and nearby genes and the severity of SMA is still being investigated so classification of SMA subdivisions is based on age of onset of symptoms as opposed to the genetic profile.---We would be very greatful if you would contribute to this cause.

Please forward this message to all your contacts.

Thank you for your time.

Mark Medina. Cell: 787-806-7196

Vivian Rivera. Cell: 787-313-6955

Deirdres Blog: http://www.alittlemageinthefamily.blogspot.com/

This post has no glamour...

But being a movie fan girl, I guess I have to comment the Golden Globes were yesterday... it sucked, not because they had no ceremony, but because the prizes were just given out like no one cared. No single movie swept and I am still saying WTF? to the fact that Californication was even nominated...

Anyways, although my opinion doesn't count, I still say that no matter if it's a remake, 3:10 to Yuma was a virtual tie with Eastern Promises as the most interesting movies this year... yes I love them bad boys

Here is the winners list:

http://omg.yahoo.com/p/golden-globe-awards/winners/

This is not your regular Iraq Post

In a city Wearied by war, it is nice to know that there are people who can still enjoy these little time consuming trivialities....

I would say something more but the reporter from Associated Press and the people of Baghdad said it better...
A FIRST! SNOW FALLS ON BAGHDAD
By CHRISTOPHER CHESTER, Associated Press Writer

BAGHDAD - After weathering nearly five years of war, Baghdad residents thought they'd pretty much seen it all. But Friday morning, as muezzins were calling the faithful to prayer, the people here awoke to something certifiably new.

For the first time in memory, snow fell across Baghdad.

Although the white flakes quickly dissolved into gray puddles, they brought an emotion rarely expressed in this desert capital snarled by army checkpoints, divided by concrete walls and ravaged by sectarian killings — delight.

"For the first time in my life I saw a snow-rain like this falling in Baghdad," said Mohammed Abdul-Hussein, a 63-year-old retiree from the New Baghdad area.
When I was young, I heard from my father that such rain had fallen in the early '40s on the outskirts of northern Baghdad," Abdul-Hussein said, referring to snow as a type of rain. "But snow falling in Baghdad in such a magnificent scene was beyond my imagination."

Morning temperatures uncharacteristically hovered around freezing, and the Baghdad airport was closed because of poor visibility. Snow is common in the mountainous Kurdish areas of northern Iraq, but residents of the capital and surrounding areas could remember just hail.

"I asked my mother, who is 80, whether she'd ever seen snow in Iraq before, and her answer was no," said Fawzi Karim, a 40-year-old father of five who runs a small restaurant in Hawr Rajab, a village six miles southeast of Baghdad.

"This is so unusual, and I don't know whether or not it's a lesson from God," Karim said.

Some said they'd seen snow only in movies.

Talib Haider, a 19-year-old college student, said "a friend of mine called me at 8 a.m. to wake me up and tell me that the sky is raining snow."

"I rushed quickly to the balcony to see a very beautiful scene," he said. "I tried to film it with my cell phone camera. This scene has really brought me joy. I called my other friends and the morning turned to be a very happy one in my life."

An Iraqi who works for The Associated Press said he woke his wife and children shortly after 7 a.m. to "have a look at this strange thing." He then called his brother and sister and found them awake, also watching the "cotton-like snow drops covering the trees."

For a couple of hours anyway, a city where mortar shells routinely zoom across to the Green Zone became united as one big White Zone. As of late afternoon, there were no reports of violence. The snow showed no favoritism as it fell faintly on neighborhoods Shiite and Sunni alike, and (with apologies to James Joyce) upon all the living and the dead.

The Psychedelic Post

The following will make no sense at all...

First Official Post of the year and all is turning, turning , turning... I've been sick, I've lost a football bet (don't worry, Lightshadow, my hair is safe and still a solid color)... I am working on being in at least two places at the same time since Doc is putting on the year starter pressure. I am not evil, but the part of me that is miserable loves the company, thanks Lysania for helping steering the wheel of the crazy ship we've found ourselves in. Had a nice sort of ADD conversation with Rafa that struck me as odd when it was over. I mean, we haven't talked in 15 years and we got to it as if we just spoke yesterday... we decided that driving like cowboys define us as puertorricans, or something along that line. It was fun. I just re-started the 30 pound in sixty days challenge, because I just couldn't get over the fact that I gained ten pounds during the holidays, after actually managing to loose a bit of weight in Italy.I'm still in love with the world, although lately I've been running too much to whisper sweet nonsense .... talking about nonsense, I promised the post will be.... ahhh... the video is the quote, enjoy.