Bill O'Reilly Hates on Gays ...Again

This one from Media Matters is about a week old from good ol' Bill, but then again, I don't get time to blog on Sundays. Leave it to Bill to bring a non-issue to a fever pitch (no pun apologies today).

During the July 12 edition of Fox News' The O'Reilly Factor, host Bill O'Reilly responded to a viewer's email regarding his July 11 report on a gay pride night at the San Diego Padres' Petco Park the same night as a hat giveaway for children, during which O'Reilly called it "insane" to "cluster" gay men and lesbians during a "hat giveaway for any kid under 12." In his email, the viewer stated that O'Reilly's "position seems to imply that putting gays and kids together in one place is a bad thing" and claimed that "kids are around gays every day." O'Reilly responded: "But not thousands of them, sir. That can be confusing to children."

Bill, the kids went to a baseball game and most of them - and their parents - were certainly oblivious to any homosexual presence. That's because gay people look just like you and me. I know, it's a controversial view, but there it is.

Is it because you don't want a gay taint on something so traditionally American and Masculine as baseball? Is it because you have some long-defunct festering sore in your brain that still equates homosexuals to pedophiles? Either way, the issue is with you, Bill, not the kids, parents, or homosexuals that just want to enjoy a ball game. The "Worlds Collide!" banner during this story is the testament to your own sensationalism.

As for these kids being confused: if they were aware of the presence of homosexuals at the game and saw them enjoying baseball - just like they were - then they may have made a very real and humanistic observation that gay and straight are not so different after all. The only way this could lead to confusion would be if it were butting up against a previously indoctrinated and bigoted view of America, one which Bill O'Reilly apparently believes should be solidly in place.

Kids, Sex Ed, Obama Throws, Romney Ducks

Best article I could find on the topic was the ABC News version entitled "Sex Ed for Kindergartners?" (via Drudge).

Here's the rundown:

• Obama reaffirms an issue almost 4 years old with Planned Parenthood, stating "age-appropriate" sex ed should begin in kindergarten.
• Romney's all "No one in my state said there wasn't enough sex ed."
• Someone points out Massachusetts has sex ed plan that can begin in pre-kindergarten
• "We had not awareness, no input and certainly did not promote these curriculum frameworks," said Fehrnstrom, who served as Romney's communications director all four years that he was governor.
• Obama, sitting in his living room quietly whispers "Ooh, snap. I'm good."

As Obama stated, kids knowing the difference between good touching and bad touching is a good thing, and that would fall under sex education. Back in 2004: "If they ask a teacher 'where do babies come from,' that providing information that the fact is that it's not a stork is probably not an unhealthy thing. Although again, that's going to be determined on a case by case basis by local communities and local school boards.'"

Personally, I had the "puberty/boys 'n' girls/basic sex/ask me anything" talk with our daughter when she was in 3rd grade, just after she turned 9.

Take your moment to gasp. (Oh, the humanity!)

Why would I do such a thing? Because kids in 3rd grade are already talking about it, trading horribly incorrect information, whether from older siblings or something misinterpreted on Skinemax. Little girls in 5th grade are giving little boys in fifth grade blow jobs. It's not happening everywhere, but it's happening, and it only gets worse in Jr. High. And if you have kids, YOU need to be established as an approachable expert and authority concerning sex NOW.

We no longer live in the world where I grew up, where 7th grade started the bra boom, and we're eons from the reality in which Obama or Romney copped their first feel.

But if Mitt Romney wants to remain oblivious to reality around him and tell these children, their minds being torn asunder by hormones and emerging sexual identity, that they should just not have sex, to just say no to naughtiness, then that is his prerogative.

Personally, I'm not too worried. Should by some Joseph Smith revival miracle of asshattery Mitt Romney actually win the presidency, the best way to tell how a person will act in the future is to look at their past actions; he was so absent-minded and ineffective concerning sex ed policies in one state, how is he going to effect change in 50?

Synopsis: Obama runs away with this one.

And in a totally underhanded and unassociated train of thought deliberately designed to alienate Mitt Romney based on his religion: Did you know Mormons wear funny underwear?



Okay, not entirely unrelated; perhaps that's how they can be so nonchalant about abstinence: no one's getting laid in those.

Bush Wants Kids Sick?

From WaPo:

The president said he objects on philosophical grounds to a bipartisan Senate proposal to boost the State Children's Health Insurance Program by $35 billion over five years.

From WaPo: Bush struggles over waterproof keyboard - "Under water - so why don't it float?" he quipped, drawing attention from his inability to type. No, I don't know why the retarded keyboard pic was used to demonstrate this bill.

Anyone who has this quizzical look on his face about a waterproof keyboard should not be making "philosophical" arguments about poor kids getting free health care.

The 10-year-old program, which is set to expire on Sept. 30, costs the federal government $5 billion a year and helps provide health coverage to 6.6 million low-income children whose families do not qualify for Medicaid but cannot afford private insurance on their own.

About 3.3 million additional children would be covered under the proposal developed by Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) and Republican Sens. Charles E. Grassley (Iowa) and Orrin G. Hatch (Utah), among others. It would provide the program $60 billion over five years, compared with $30 billion under Bush's proposal. And it would rely on a 61-cent increase in the federal excise tax on cigarettes, to $1 a pack, which Bush opposes.

Damn.

Isn't the president supposed to keep our interests at heart?

Hahahahaha! Sorry. Just kidding.

Kucinich 2008

I'm getting more and more focused on the beauty of the Kucinich campaign, the real confrontations on the real issues, the "look at the root" as opposed to the dance-around and "let's treat the symptoms" talk, the anti-monarchy mentality that, well, Clinton and Edwards exhibit so wonderfully here (h/t to Blue Gal for this gem):



I've added a banner on my left (your left too) to nail home the point.

Put Kucinich on your list. He doesn't get off on this stop. We need him.

"I'm the kind of guy who believes I can win a rigged game."

You go, Dennis.

The Real News: The Promise

This is what I was hoping for in a YouTube format when I originally wrote on The Real News.

The idealism, the genuine heart, the need for this: it just about makes me weep.

Watch. Support. It's about damn time.

Blog Meme Tagging WTF? Okay, I'll Play.

I work all day on the internet (for that "real job" thing). I use Firefox and regularly CTRL-SHIFT-Click on links I see to "read later, or on lunch, or in ten minutes", often times with more than a dozen tabs open at once on this "I love it" memory sink we call a delightful browser.

Often times I lose track of sources.

Which is why I do not know how I came upon New Pairodimes (hey, Zeno's Pair of Doc's - sorry, really "When conservatives mention how much they love the 50's, they are referring likely to a time when blacks "knew their place" not to our tax structure." makes me want to pee myself), but there it was. And when I did (referenced in a previous post), I began reading and hit upon Tag You're It:

There is this evil scourge going round the internets, where you tag one another and force the other person to reveal things about themselves and then pass the tag along to eight other people. It's sort of like a chain letter, but for geeks.

And what are the rules? Basically, you list 8 things about yourself. Then you "tag" 8 people in comments to play the idiot game, whore your blog, etc.

Pairodimes puts the smackdown on the chain-blog-meme-stupid mess by refusing to hit eight other blogs. I agree, and I shall take this to the next level of listing 8 things about myself without ever being tagged...and ignoring the "tag 8 others" rule. Smartest supergeek ever.

Really, I just want to talk about myself.

Here we go:

1. When moving to Cincinnati this month, it is now the seventh Ohio city I've lived in. That makes me kind of sad.
2. When I was young, I wanted to be an astronaut and joined the Young Astronaut's Club in school. I still dream about traveling into space, but hope there is a better way, more like Stargate. Otherwise, only my children or grandchildren would live to see the destination (wouldn't that suck - being born on a ship as a sperm donor life bridge to get your great-great-grandchildren to a distant star? Talk about emo rage).
3. I met my wife in front of a community theatre stage. I broke 4th wall protocol after curtain call one night to propose to her in front of the audience. We got to pick our own audience over a year later when we were married on that same stage.
4. I am a licensed minister and practice reiki.
5. I stopped going to Catholic church when I was 16 and despite my lack of respect for organized religion, am neither an atheist nor agnostic.
6. I support the Cleveland Browns and Indians, but don't really like sports, yet I will spend at least two hours every winter Olympics watching Curling.
7. I was raised on reading and books - Mom would read to us or Dad, even though not home evenings, would record himself reading - and read the unedited version of Stephen King's The Stand in sixth grade. I remember deep lessons in humanity and the beauty gravity ads to boobs when a woman lies on her back. It took me 3 more years to verify that. I currently read 3 to 4 books at one time.
8. Cheese is my favorite food or food addition, but I can only eat it melted (best), a good mozzarella string stick (very good), or on something like crackers (tolerable); Chewing blocks of cold cheese makes me gag.

Love it long time. Hate it. You've got me.

And sign up, dang you, for the Feedblitz on the left.

Christ on a Bun! Ginormous Butter Jesus

Just to clarify: I did, in fact, say Ginormous Butter Jesus.

Travelling north on I-75 from Cincinnati to the middle of nowhere (Zanesfield) has few highlights: Dell distribution center, the skeleton of an emerging IKEA (amen!). But there it was. Mrs. Shambles had seen it before, called it the Butter Jesus. I was anxious; I had never seen a Butter Jesus and was imagining something low key like a smaller version of the Rio de Janeiro Jesus. Lord was I wrong:



Christ with a perm! Well, not literally, just as the Butter Jesus is not literally made of butter. It is "King of Kings," a Coriell Design for Solid Rock Church, standing 62 feet, which would put the Lord - should He so choose to rise out of the water like the Kraken in Clash of the Titans - at probably over 100 feet tall. That's a lot of Jesus, so much that He dwarfs the cross on which He was crucified.

I guess that's one way for a church to spend $250,000. Damn.

One more image with a little more perspective and a little less buttery goodness:



That's some good highway viewin'.

I never could've guessed.

PantsMan Roy Pearson Continues to Embarrass Himself

This is basically a repost with the change in bold. Mr. PantsMan actually appealed, saying they don't understand what "satisfaction guaranteed" means.

$54,000,000 pants makes me mad. It should make you mad. With all the BS spewed about increasing medical malpractice frivolous suits, real frivolous suits should make you mad too. So make a difference and make it loud.

At a time when SCOTUS is pissing away reason concerning free speech, religion and campaign finance cases, a new judicial plague is a foot; actually, it's a single judge as plague manifest: Roy L. Pearson, Jr. You've probably heard, but here's a brief synopsis:

• Roy takes suits to Custom Cleaners, owned by Ki, Jin and Soo Chung
• Roy picks up suits, notices pants are missing from one suit
• Roy wants $1,000 for the suit
• Chungs say "no"
• Roy sues for $67,000,000
• Chungs try to settle for $12,000
• Roy says "no," eventually bumps down suit to $54,000,000
• Court says Roy's a choad
• Choad appeals

Roy Pearson is a U.S. Administrative judge (although currently not hearing cases?) who has seriously financially damaged a hard-working family. I'm pleased that the court ruled against him, but now that he's appealed, I can't leave it alone. This should probably go further.

More info:

If you would like to leave a message expressing your outrage you can snail mail to:

Pearson, Roy L Jr
3012 Pineview Ct NE
Washington, DC 20018-1617

Or leave a message on his answering machine (he doesn't answer his phone directly anymore): (202) 269-1191

Or send him an email: roypearsonjr@verizon.net

...
According to Marc Fisher of the Washington Post, a legal defense fund has been established. You can contrubute through the Chung family's lawyer, Chris Manning.

Chris Manning
Manning & Sossamon PLLC
1532 Sixteenth Street NW
Washington, DC 20036
202) 387-2228
202) 387-2229 (Fax)
Email: cmanning@manning-sossamon.com

Remember to always be kind when expressing outrage.

Now, if CNN would just shut the hell up about the idiots suing the TB patient (with no actual damages), we might just have some real news.

Save Radio on the Internets! Last Chance!

I wrote about the old May 15th deadline where the Copyright Royalty Board was going to impose new fees that are absurdly larger than what regular radio and broadcast fees are. The extended date is July 15th.

That's Sunday!

Yes, that's Sunday. This is our last chance. And if we don't act, internet radio will die a fast yet painful death as they'll have to pay these sick fees retroactive to January 2006: immediate bankruptcy.

I like Pandora. I like streaming radio. I'd like to stick it to the money-whoring of the CRB. And I don't necessarily want to be the "I told you so" guy on Monday when none of these services are available because their owners are either trying to protect their business or their own personal funds...and houses...and families.

Look up your congressional representatives at Save Net Radio. Call them. Make it count.

I did.

The Bad Science of Dreaming

I caught a Weird Science blurb on MSNBC by Jeanna Bryner of LiveScience.com, and I had to do a double take and shake my head in disbelief:

In general, scientists agree that dreaming happens during your deepest sleep, called Rapid Eye Movement (REM).

No, no, no!

Yes, scientists agree most dreaming occurs during REM sleep, but this is actually the least deep of the stages of sleep. You can also see a diagram on this page showing how REM is at the top, and you hit that stage (and start dreaming) at about 90 minute cycles. The deepest sleep stages are N3 and N4, signified by pronounced delta brainwave activity.

I knew neuropsychology would come in handy down the road.

I have contacted Jeanna Bryner on the subject.

Dropping the Dollar to Hell

I'm no economist or even a business major, but take this into consideration: In April of 2002, the newly-monikered Mrs. Shambles and I traveled to the beautiful, charming country of Ireland. This is soon after the Irish punt was (reluctantly) surrendered to the new-fangled Euro. Trade between the dollar and the euro was similar to the Canadian dollar at the time: $0.89 would get you €1. Good stuff. Later that year - around November - they hit dead even ($1 = €1). Today, we saw a new record in that one-way see-saw: $1 will get you € 0.72.

Is this because the € is way cooler than the $? Well, not entirely; the article linked above cited the wonderful world of subprime lending! For those of you unaware of this practice, it basically allows those who have questionable credit to get a loan - usually a home loan - at a reasonable rate.

That's great! What a service!

Woah, hold on kids. It's not that noble. Here's the rub: While the first year or two of blissful home ownership may be manageable, the fine print jumps monthly payments soon after and keeps the raises coming. In many cases, the home owners can no longer afford the home and must sell or spiral into bankruptcy and surrender their houses. Foreclosure is at epidemic levels, sometimes decimating entire neighborhoods and lowering property values across the board. Hence the drop in the dollar.

True, people who cannot truly afford a house should not buy one. If they try, they should have a serious and complete understanding of the terms of the loan. But many don't. And the money-hungry banking industry is, in part, to blame. This is beyond capitalism in the way that pimping hos is beyond selling services. It's greed; it's money gluttony; it's shitting where you eat. But if all the springs are tainted with feces, the only way to stay alive is to drink poop water.

The interesting aspect to drinking poop water is that the poopers are not only polluting the landscape, but sinning as well.

I am not an economist, banker, or religious zealot, but I am aware of a word that does not get brought up enough: USURY. Usury (you-sa-ree), in old testament meaning, is charging interest. It is a sin. And no one seems to mind. My favorite quote:

He lends at usury and takes excessive interest. Will such a man live? He will not! Because he has done all these detestable things, he will surely be put to death and his blood will be on his own head.
- Ezekiel 18:13

Lending at usury means lending with a fee - taking an extra, heavy interest payment is a compounding of the betrayal and results in what Ezekiel calls, well, death.

How many of our banking magnates claim a Judeo-Christian life? How many of our local, state, and federal representatives claim a Judeo-Christian life while throwing us under the bus of corporate breaks and lenient laws? May the money lining their pockets burn out their eyes in the hell they have earned!

Sorry, was that too much? You're right. Usury at this point in our timeline has been relegated to "eh, not so bad." Why? Well, sure, God's Word was written about how it is a sin, but you've got to dumb it down a bit for the modern world, even if you keep every other word in the Bible as sacred and refuse to change interpretations when it comes to sex or contraception.

Even the Vatican has a bank.

But less cynicism: The good news is that the 17.80 I spent 5 years ago to purchase the €20 note I kept has now turned into a potential $27.78. That's a 56% increase in value. Oh, I should've invested in the €. Then again, I also should've invested in Chiquita when it was $0.10 a share (that'd be turning $100 into $18K at today's close).

Wah, wah, wah.

Real News Network: This Might Just Work

[Alternate YouTube Link]

This is the Real News Network, an emerging news station that deals with "NO advertising, NO government funding, NO corporate dollars, NO strings." It relies on $10/month from thousands of people all over the world. Think we can handle that?

I think it has a serious chance at working; people are sick and tired of being sick an tired of the alternative. And this is our shot. Take a look at "The Promise" video on their home page. Check out interviews on their YouTube page. And if you think it's worth it, if you think they're going to do what they say they're going to do, then volunteer. Support them.

Sometimes the river is so polluted that only by standing on the shore can we smell the stench. And then do something about it.

MoveOn.org's Town Hall on Climate Change

Check out MoveOn.org's Town Hall on Climate change. You can see videos on how the candidates answered questions. Then vote. You have about 12 hours left.

And who did I vote for?

Well, I am originally from Cleveland.

Seriously, I support Dennis Kucinich. He's the only candidate that seems willing to bring serious change to our country. Change we need.

More on support and endorsements and whys and hows to come. C'mon, we've still got 483 days left!

Smart Bombs in the Hands of Dumb People - Billy Bragg

"...if you got a website, I want to be on it..."

You've got it, Billy Bragg. via Blue Gal.

Bloody fucking brilliant. Watch and learn.

Is the Surge Working?

I don't believe I'd toss this into a News Salad, but even though just about everyone is dropping support from the administration, they're stickin' to their story and "plan" of heaving 21,000 troops into the hellmouth that is Iraq, with no plan of pulling out, even though, eh, there isn't much positive news coming out of Iraq. And 140,000 Turkish troops itchin' to kill 'em some Kurds, braced on Iraq's border isn't going to make things less complicated.

The administration's policy is like a sad, old man, like Dick Cheney. Grumpy curmudgeon, always muttering under his breath. But the muttering is signing statements and deception, and no matter what anyone else says or better plans are presented, he's going to keep on going the way it's always been, and that's that.

But is the surge working?

I'm going to tune into C-SPAN at 2pm today:

Now that the increase of troops is complete, the American Enterprise Institute takes an assessment of Pres. Bush's Iraq strategy. Danielle Pletka, AEI, moderates a conver-
sation between AEI Resident Scholar Frederick Kagan, former Acting Army Chief of Staff Jack Keane and defense Analyst
James Miller.

Updates on what they have to say later.

Christ on a Bun! Who is Helping Whom?

Self-gratifying Image Repost

In the official Vatican Information Service release of July 2nd, 2007 (yes, I subscribe), the VIS lays out "Benedict XVI's Prayer Intentions for July:"

His mission intention is: "That, aware of their own missionary duty, all Christians may actively help all those engaged in the evangelization of peoples."

Right now, I have a relative in a remote part of the world ruining cultures by evaporating their historical religions and traditions by taking over centers of worship and making them love Jesus instead; I'm not a fan of evangelization. But the Pope might want to look into his magic Popeball and define his terms with a bit more precision.

Otherwise, every Catholic just got the OK to play second fiddle to Ted Haggard. Well, not the gay stuff. Or the meth stuff....

Bush Commutes Libby's Sentence; I Yell at Television

Liberals's springs were still tensioned on the issue, and an overdue Bush finally sprung the trap: Georgie Porgie commuted Scooter's sentence.

This would be the only actual power Bush has over sentences of any kind ("All them words, they trip me up.") And no, it does not mean they carpooled yesterday.

President Bush decided - with complete legal right and no actual thought - to make Scooter Libby's punishment go away. Democrats pounced with good reason, but I'd like to look at this from a different angle.

Let's reduce this scenario: Imagine for a moment a "hypothetical" situation in which my daughter tells one whopper of a serious lie; Mrs. Shambles was asking her about something important, specifically warned her that lying would be an awful offense, and she lied anyway. Appropriate punishment in this case would be, say, 30 days grounded. But the next day, just before she was sent off to her room, I came out and said "No, the punishment was excessive. Why don't you go play with your friends - no grounding - but we'll be keeping an eye on you."

Aside from getting into a heated argument with the Mrs. for undermining our partnership of authority, I'd be undermining the very idea of justice.

Now, expand that to a national - nay, world - stage. Many people have made jokes about the impression our president makes on behalf of us, and this is a prime example. Let's close with the article:

Douglas A. Berman, a law professor at Ohio State University who is an expert on federal criminal sentencing policies, said it is "hypocritical and appalling from a president whose Justice Department is always fighting" attempts by judges and lawmakers to lower the punishment called for under federal sentencing guidelines. Berman said Bush's message amounted to "My friend Scooter shouldn't have to serve 30 months in prison because I don't want him to."

Our president is a complete asshat.

And, yes, I did yell at the television.

House Members Get What We Don't: a Raise

Cincinnatus

House members are seeking a "cost of living" raise.

Can I get a raise, too? I, too, am a lawmaker in the sense of voting for these choads.

Most members support the pay raise as a means of retaining experienced lawmakers and of making sure that Congress is not simply dominated by wealthy people. Many lawmakers maintain homes both in the expensive Washington housing market and back in their districts. On most days, they meet with lobbyists making far more than they do.

So by raising their own income, they will be "making sure that congress is not simply dominated by wealthy people."

What kind of idiot statement is that? They are already "wealthy."

But pushing it to $170,000 per year - what the shit?

Congress, you get the WTF Award for bullshit and greed.

I'm living in Cincinnati, named after Cincinnatus, the man who saved his country but after serving went back to farming. Where is that? Where is dedication to country with humility? And how can we tell congress that making a career out of "serving in office" is not an option? We'll have to vote you out. All of you. And only accept those who accept term limits as your replacements.

Or start a revolution. Seriously. Tear it down.

Any takers?

Book Burning, Bloodletting...

It's a long train, but it's worth the crash. From Jenkins Group, Inc., via Robyn Jackson, via New Pairodimes:

• 1/3 of high school graduates never read another book for the rest of their lives.
• 42 percent of college graduates never read another book after college.
• 80 percent of U.S. families did not buy or read a book last year.
• 70 percent of U.S. adults have not been in a bookstore in the last five years.
• 57 percent of new books are not read to completion.
• 70 percent of books published do not earn back their advance.
• 70 percent of the books published do not make a profit.

My initial reaction is sadness for the imaginations never ignited and worlds never explored through books.

This is immediately followed by a quick spout of stomach acid hosing the back of my throat and sadness for our country; these people vote.

And then inevitable, intellectual superiority.

I want to help motivate people to register and then vote. But what good is it if this many people have no understanding of the importance of books, in entertainment and history and science and literature, people who have never experienced the joy of losing four hours entangled in the language, the story, who have never felt the quiet dance of the author's words and the reader's imagination?

I feel a need to console words and receive consolation from them. Go hug a book. Then hug somebody you love. Then read them a book, or read with them.

Gary Oldman: Beethoven Bitten by Dracula, Cures Acting Bug?

I was going to go to bed, but got an email from a fellow Oldmanophile.

From cinematical:

In what I hope is fleeting, Luc Besson-sort of earnestness, Gary Oldman seems to be fed up with acting. Although he's had some super-successful mainstream stints recently in the Harry Potter and Batman franchises, the spark appears to have dimmed for the actor. He says: "I've had a great career, and I'm very lucky to do what I do. But I've been doing it a long time, and you can get tired. You might say I want to change careers or to do something else." He's tempted to return to the stage, but he fears that it's not just a movie-related disinterest: "I get misty-eyed about it, yeah. And I get offers. My love for acting... It's withered."

It has been 21 years since Oldman had his breakout role as Sid Vicious in Sid and Nancy. While two decades is a decent chunk of time, is it really enough for him to say adios? Since starring as the troubled music icon, he's made a great career, morphing into a myriad of roles -- one of the few chameleons that we actually have in the movie biz. He played Lee Harvey Oswald in JFK, vamped out for Dracula, took on dreadlocks for True Romance, became the maestro for Immortal Beloved, modernized as Zorg in The Fifth Element, played a Russian terrorist in Air Force One, tried a stint as Pontius Pilate on television, played a little person named Rolfe in Tiptoes and of course, he also plays a great Sirius Black and James Gordon. I really can't imagine a movie world without him, although it would be nice to see him in the meaty, gritty films of his past. While shining a bat signal or helping Harry Potter is fun, perhaps he'd feel better about his career if he could sink his teeth into another Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead, or Leon.

As an actor, I am saddened by this news, as Gary Oldman is one of the idols that I have held in what is the magic of Range. And I have craved his appearance in any film I have seen.

I was going to add some research on contacting Gary, but I think if he thinks it's done, it's done. If the acting has soured for him, it has soured. And there's no fan-pining we can heap on the man that will change anything. I respect his decision and only pray he can again find joy in the art that I can't even find the time to practice.

Or maybe that's a wakeup to me to stop living vicariously through amazing actors and pining - myself - for things that I could make happen, and making the time for it if I truly wanted to.

But we should weep.

"What's a Drexel?" indeed.