Perfectly Disgraceful

Halloween

 

For your viewing enjoyment

Philosophy and the modern Republican

I hadn't expected that the McCain-Palin ticket would send the Republicans into paroxysms of philosophy. I certainly hadn't expected that they would descend into empiricism, especially since empiricism inevitably leads to atheism. No, I hadn't thought that this bunch of God-fearing real Americans would start pondering on the unknowableness of the unexperienceable.

But they have. How can we really know where Barack Obama was born if we were not there to witness the birth? How can we really know whether or not he is a secret Muslim if we cannot experience his innermost thoughts? How can we really know if the policies he now promotes, namely progressive taxation for the wealthy and tax cuts for the rest of us, are what he will really pursue once in office, or if he will actually create some sort of Black Power welfare state?

And here I thought the Republicans were anti-elitist. But clearly they have been turning away from Fox News and opening their copies of The Critique of Pure Reason and A Treatise of Human Nature. Republicans, I salute you. You are batshit crazy, but I do so admire philosophers.

That sh*t was B-A-N-A-N-A-S

We always said the 215 wasn't your typical literary festival. For one, there is always booze, nothing worse than a sober writer. All that booze leads to some wackiness, of course. We've had people go back to hotels with best-selling novelists. Other, older, best-sellers have tried to hook up with young cuties and been shot down. Someone even got pregnant at a 215. For reals. Even when sex wasn't involved, I'm such a fan girl that hanging out with writers is delirious fun.

But last night may have been the craziest 215 ever. David Rees called it, it was a five alarm banger. And I don't even know what that means.

It began as one would expect. Rees was over-the-top funny. I mean, seriously. If you can catch him live (dates on the right) DO NOT MISS IT. Hodgman was his excellent Hodgman self, if slightly more serious than past performances. Still, the finger on the touchpad voting screen bit slayed me. Another don't miss tour. I adore that man.

But it was the afterparty that tore shit up. Ian Svenonius dj'ed arcane and insanely funky soul and blues. Lord Whimsy got his dance on. Random passersby joined in the dancing-- in the neighborhood of the Latvian Society, those passersby are going to be, well, interesting. At one point Rees thought some "greasers" were going to start throwing punches. Rees is excitable.

Then, just as the greasers were disappointing us with their pacifism, in walked the cake-taker. An androgynous female version of Omar from The Wire. She was fascinating. You couldn't take your eyes off her, and she was all over everyone. Dancing in our faces, up against our bodies, trying to hook up with us. She had a DSLR with a giant lens and took pictures of everyone. What I wouldn't pay to have some of those pictures. It was when she entered the scene, dancing her ass off, in her cowboy hat and briefs peaking out of tight jeans, that Rees called it. A five alarm banger.

But when she sat down next to Rex and me, took off a boot and produced a what looked like, to my untrained eye, a big black Glock hand gun, well, shit got bananas. She tried to get my number after that, and let me tell you, it's hard to say no to a heat-packing plate of sex even when you are happily married. Unless, like me, guns scare the living shit out of you.

Best 215 ever? Oh yes. I think so.

215 Festival

It's tonight and tomorrow. It's at the Latvian Society (7th and Spring Garden). John Hodgman, David Rees and Patrick Borelli will be there at 9:00 tonight. Ian Svenonius will DJ at 11:00 tonight. Then there's all kinds of awesome stuff tomorrow and Sunday. Don't miss it!

More info here and at Philebrity.

Beta doubling

It was 189 on Tuesday and is 404 today, so that's good news. The other good news is that my progesterone is high enough that I don't have to take any supplements. Because the supplements? Whether oral or suppositories? Suck. They suck a lot. Also? There is no serious scientific evidence that progesterone supplementation is efficacious unless you start taking it immediately after ovulation, which I didn't.

I wish I had a better memory, or kept better records, but I'm pretty sure that none of my three miscarriages ever had good betas. One was that thing they call a chemical pregnancy, a name which really annoys me, and two were long slow miscarriages that necessitated D&Cs. Not a big fan of those either.

No medical professional has been able to say why I had the miscarriages, especially since at least one of them had normal chromosomes, meaning that it didn't self destruct. I do have two medical issues that cause miscarriage: a small oddly shaped uterus courtesy of DES (which I just learned was synthesized from coal tar, gross); and a MTHFR mutation (homozygous c677T, if you must know) that causes clotting problems. In the past I also had low progesterone and a diagnosis of antiphospholipid antibody syndrome, which also causes clotting. Apparently I don't have the either anymore.

I'm taking a high dose of folic acid and a low dose of aspirin to combat the MTHFR (I'll let you sound that out yourself). I'm also getting acupuncture at this place because Steven Mavros is some kind of acupuncture genius/magician. I tell everyone that he got me pregnant with the Younger Child. Only not thatway. If you have never had acupuncture? OMG, it it so awesome that it makes me use teenager shorthand.

Prior to the Younger Child, I also had two years of unexplained infertility, which seems oh so slightly amusing now that I am embarking upon a sixth pregnancy. Feeling my Irish Catholic roots these days.

Now that I have a good reason to feel nauseated and tired, I will commence complaining. Although, still not out of the woods, yet. Ultrasound and another beta on Monday. Stay tuned.

Pillow talk

While watching Monday's Daily Show wherein Jon Stewart throws a bit of a rant about that Other Party calling those of us who live in northeastern cities "un-American," Rex comments "I really think that the Right has slipped into some deep deep psychosis."

 

Goth, baby, goth

I was ready to enthusiastically embrace either a boy or a third girl. You know, healthy, blah blah blah. But now. After discovering Makie Clothing. Well now, I simply must have another girl. So that I can dress her in these frocks:

 

 

 

 

She will be very pale with long dark curls, and very serious. I shall name her Wednesday. Who would like to fund Wednesday's insanely expensive wardrobe?

My best friend's wedding

My best friend got married on Saturday. Here she is with her personal dress designer (yes, that's how we roll in South Philly, none of this off the rack crap) in front of the church. I enjoy how the Blessed Virgin appears to be giving her a little poke in the ear.

 

Sign of the times

 

This is how Rex and I react to an economic crisis. We get irrationally exuberant.

For those playing along at home, this is pregnancy number six. Note that I only mention two children in this blog and it's not because the other three are kept chained in the basement. Can you say recurrent miscarriage? We won't get excited until about week nine. Mostly we, or rather, I, just get annoyed about not being able to drink. Stupid fetal alcohol syndrome, you ruin all my fun.