the blood test didn't find anything. which means either, she's got cancer, or nothing's actually wrong and she just lost her appetite for some reason. i'm pretty torn up. i really really really hope that it's nothing, but i'm afraid that's not likely. i can't stand this.

took my cat to the vet today. he agrees that the weight loss isn't good. they took blood, and should have the results tomorrow. he says it's usually either diabetes, thyroid problems, or renal disease. if the bloodwork doesn't show signs of any of those, then we do an ultrasound to look for cancer. the chances that nothing is wrong are slim to none.

i'm scared. it's gonna be a long night.

my cat is losing weight. she was 10.5 pounds in january, and 9.5 pounds when i took her to the vet last week. the vet (who was the younger, less experienced one there) said a pound in 5 months isn't a big deal, but i can't say for sure that she didn't lose it all in the last month. she's eating less than she used to, but then again she used to gorge herself until she puked. (this is the "fat cat" i named my business after.) she has a waist for the first time since she was a year old. i realize that her current condition/weight would be ideal for most cats. i'm just concerned about why she's not eating. a vet told me once that when an overweight cat loses weight really fast, they can get a fatty liver and then go into liver failure. that's what i'm scared about. i have a call in to the vet we normally see, whom i trust a lot.

she's 14 years old. i realize that's quite old, and that i might not have her much longer, but i can't stand the thought of actually losing her. i love this cat more than any pet i've ever had.

the ironic thing is that i'm ready to go public with my website, ilovefatcats.com.

( article about Terry Schiavo case behind cut, regarding public opinion polls )
My two cents:
1. I agree that the spouse should make the decision instead of the parents, and 2. I believe they should let her die.

The scariest part is that we have no way of knowing what public opinion really is, except listening to and believing the media. All we know is what we think, and what our friends and acquaintances think. When we’re told that general public opinion differs from that, we just assume that our social circle must be outside the norm. As long as the corporate-controlled government can convince us that public opinion supports whatever they are doing, we let them keep right on doing it. They learned long ago that they can do whatever they want as long as they convince us that no one else cares.

There are companies that exist solely to “shape public opinion” so that corporations won’t lose market share. And it’s far more insidious than just putting some ads on TV that say “this company isn’t really so bad, look at the good things they’re doing”. The spin doctors will create an organization posing as a group of concerned citizens, which approach the issue from a different standpoint, but still help to change public opinion in ways that benefit the corporation. Or, they’ll send people out to public events to pass out fliers that badmouth the competition’s products or business practices, pretending again to be “just a group of concerned citizens, trying to protect their fellow man”. It has even gone so far, in a few cases, as monitoring the AP newswire for upcoming stories; when a story is being prepared that would be unfavorable to the client, a phone call is made to contacts at the AP, saying, “I think you might be approaching this from the wrong angle, and this is why...”

As long as this sort of thing is allowed to happen, we’ll continue to be vulnerable to such manipulation.

wow. a list of which businesses donated most of their money to republicans... and democrat alternatives:
http://buyblue.org/
http://www.choosetheblue.com/main.php

wish i'd had this before i did my christmas shopping.......

biggest disappointment? amazon.com. bastards. here's a good article summing the whole thing up:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/gate/archive/2004/12/22/notes122204.DTL

( political stuff behind cut )

OH MY GOD I FUCKING LOVE THIS:
http://www.fuckthesouth.com/

The associated press article about roller derby is a really cool, big thing. but i'm especially excited that I GOT MENTIONED for the first time! it's only in a few versions of the story, but they use my skate name as an example of our "theatrical" names. yay!!

http://abcnews.go.com/wire/Living/ap20040712_1172.html
http://www.boston.com/yourlife/health/fitness/articles/2004/07/12/roller_skating_event_makes_comeback_with_a_new_twist/

ok, i did a little shopping for my costume for the devil's backbone benefit. so far it looks like i'll be wearing a red plaid skirt, black torn fishnets, a torn fishnet tank top, and a black bra. and boots.

does that sound good? of course i'll have to try it all on to be sure.

doing a lot better. it's surprising what eating three normal meals a day, adequate sleep, and some good nookie will do for ya.

working on getting things set up for the housewarming party... gonna get the keg tomorrow... gonna invite (or at least warn) the neighbors...

i'm getting the opium den in shape. it's really coming along! just takes a while to make all those pillows. red walls, saris draped around the windows, a moroccan lamp hanging from the ceiling, tons of pillows made of silk/satin/brocade/velvet... going for sensory overload here.

got a work happy hour tonight. whee.

um, that's about it.

i just want to say... i. love. beer. no really. i do. actually i guess i love a beer buzz, not actually the taste of beer itself. but that's because i'll drink whatever beer you put in my hand.

thank god for fermentation.

ok this is really damn weird. http://www.gayfuel.com/gf/

i want to know, what makes it gay? does it have sex with "its own kind" rather than the gatorade on the next shelf? OR, does it make you gay when you drink it? hmmmmmmm... maybe we should use it to spike the baptism tank at fundamentalist churches.... bwahahahaha.

yeah, i know, it's got rainbows, and apparently part of the proceeds go to AIDS charities. but ya gotta admit it is kinda odd.

Attention, office workers of the world. Let's get something straight. IT or MIS or whatever you call your computer people are here to assist with technical problems. We are not here to do your work for you. We aren't usually even here to teach you how to do your work, although we end up doing that a lot in the hope that we can make you self-sufficient.

So stop sending us presentations and asking that we "add some graphics and/or visual appeal." That's what you are getting paid for. Maybe you should ask the graphic designer for help... Oh, wait, you fired her, that's right. Sucks to be you, huh.

regarding the federal marriage amendment:

It's been several months since George Bush announced he is trying to lead this country by endorsing a discriminatory, unnecessary and undermining amendment to the U.S. Constitution. We just learned that an actual vote on this proposal has been scheduled in the United States Senate just three weeks from now. You and so many others have been great. But it is time to turn up the heat - click here!

Contact your Senators right now - even if you have already done so. We must win this vote and win it big. Members of Congress tell us they're hearing from the other side by a 10 to 1 margin right now. That's why your action today is so critical.

During the next few weeks, we intend to get 250,000 people to oppose the Constitutional amendment. That's right: 250,000. We need new people - but we also need you to repeat your opposition, even if you have done so dozens of times already. Even if your legislator already opposes the Amendment. Persistence makes a difference. It tells our leaders that we will not stop, no matter what.

Click here to voice your opposition to any discriminatory constitutional amendment. Again. And then - invite everyone you know to turn up the heat with us this summer and win this critical battle.

even though i am not lucky enough to have the day off, like so many people i know... i'd like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a happy dead reagan day. i wonder if hallmark makes a card for this?

the insides of my eyelids itch. it's been driving me crazy.

in other news, i found this very funny:

i'm sure you've been wondering, "how could i craft my own vulva coinpurse?", or, "i want to try something new, what kind of pubic hair sculpting ideas can you give me?"

here you go - vaginal arts & crafts. http://myvag.net/zine/2004summer/

not that i'm surprised... but, wow.
Book: U.S. Military Drafted Plans to Terrorize U.S. Cities to Provoke War With Cuba
http://abcnews.go.com/sections/us/DailyNews/jointchiefs_010501.html

man, i am wound. up. not sure why, except maybe an adrenaline rush from being frustrated and mad at a whole bunch of work people. it's been hell today. i'll spare you the details... just go read some random dilbert strips, any of them are applicable.

my head is pounding. my arm is in a splint so i've been typing one handed all day. my desk and office floor are covered with paper and computer parts and computers and cds. nobody will leave me alone so i can finish anything, ever. the phone keeps ringing.

ok, i'm just gonna shut up now, this isn't helping.

my friend just told me about a new drive thru salad/wraps place in south austin. i haven't been yet, but i def. will soon. it's called Baby Greens, and it's at S. 1st and Oltorf. the menu looks yummy, and not badly priced.

it's about time somebody came up with that! just thought i'd share the info.