If You Could Only Feel The Pow-er!



Somebody made a "Hello Kitty Darth Vader."

I don't want to know what part of "The Force" created that!

Does it have a white fur saber?



Best Wishes,
Allen

Not In The News Friday (NITNF)



NITNF will usually be a bit of trivia that I found interesting and thought you would like. It may be IR-related and it might not -- but should always be fun...or at least fascinating.

Featured This Week: A unique take on the life and career of Mariah Carey!

Excerpts from Free at last: Mariah Carey—the voice. The marriage. The multiracial drama. The so-called breakdown. The return

In some ways Mariah Carey, 35, is everything you would expect a pop diva to be who has sold 150,000,000 albums -- comes third behind Elvis Presley and the Beatles -- for most weeks spent on the Billboard Hot Singles chart and who emerged from her decade-and-a-half career as the best-selling female artist of the 1990's.

Others' responses would often take Carey by surprise. After all, it was impossible to know when her "of color" status was going to make someone flip. "My struggles began when I was 5," she recalls. Two moments crystallized this for Carey: The first was when two White teacher's assistants laughed at her for trying to draw her father with a brown crayon. The second was Carey's taking her 6-year-old best friend to her father's house and her friend's bursting into tears at the sight of a Black man hugging his now obviously not-White daughter.

She says: Her relationship with Tommy Mottola is at the center of "one of the greatest misconceptions" about her. "People think I've had this fairy-tale life," she offers quietly, "that I met this rich prince who gave me a life in the lap of luxury, put me in a mansion, made me a star. It wasn't that way. In fact, it almost killed me."

She and Mottola met at an industry party in 1988, where Carey was an 18-year-old waitress. When she wasn't clearing tables, she was furiously writing songs on the side and singing backup for 1980's dance music sensation Brenda K. Starr.

There's a reason fairy tales usually end with the wedding. "It was an emotionally abusive relationship," Carey says simply, though she admits that it was "good in the beginning." She adds, "Tommy represented something I'd never had, stability. There was mutual respect and his passion for me and my music."

Somewhere along the way, Mottola's love for the woman and her music morphed into a Svengalian desire for total control. "I was in a beautiful house surrounded by beautiful things, but I couldn't be who I really was."

Still, life after Mottola was no picnic. Carey chose to stay on his label, a move she now realizes was unwise: "I was literally fighting against a system run by powerful people who had an agenda to see me fail." Eventually Carey moved on from her manager and lawyer -- both were Mottola-affiliated. Forced to micromanage her own career, Carey left Sony in 2000 and signed to Virgin Records for a cool $80 million.

To make matters worse, Carey's winning streak seemed to grind to a halt with her acting debut, Glitter. The movie received (deservedly) scathing reviews. The sound track, released on September 11, 2001, made very little impact on the charts. And the next year her Island/Def Jam debut, Charmbracelet, fared no better.

The consummate workaholic, Carey responded by going into overdrive -- meeting every request her fame demanded. Finally, after five days of a grueling schedule and public appearances where she clearly seemed less than herself (most famously on MTV's TRL, where the media reported she did a striptease, but Carey says it was a planned spoof), Carey finally collapsed at her mother's home in Long Island, New York. She was hospitalized for exhaustion. The press ran nasty stories about her waning sanity. Virgin reportedly gave her $28 million to leave the label.

Now she realizes that her much-hyped breakdown was the proverbial blessing in disguise. "it forced me to put the brakes on everything and admit my life wasn't working," she says. "I had to reevaluate myself and get recentered." Slowing down also helped her shed some personal baggage. "I discovered that my desire to make music came from the need to heal myself. My desire to become famous came from the need to feel worthy and accepted. And that made me more of a freak than I ever was."


Source: Essence, April 2005 (Author: Joan Morgan)

Spidey 3 Is Coming! Spidey 3 Is Coming! Woohoo!



Looks intense! And no, this is not today's Not In The News Friday
(NITNF is still coming)!

This 'Awwwwww!' Moment Is Brought To You By Cute Overload...



What does this have to do with IR Haven? Well, um, consider the picture symbolic -- um, of peace between people of different colors! Yeah, yeah, that's it!

Yes, I know there are more black dogs than white dogs. So what?

...and no, they are not dead.

Best Wishes,
Allen

Here, Have A Dose Of Cuteness To Make That Election Day Pass Quicker!



And check Cute Overload out while you're at it (you can make hours go by!)

Best Wishes,
Allen

Wow...Is Election Day Over Yet?



If you read/watch/listen to different media source, you'd think today was the be-all/end-all of days...but I just can't bring myself to be moved.

I did actually want to vote, even though absolutely no candidates in any election have intrigued me. But I recently had a schedule change at work, so I won't be available to vote today anyway.

That's not to say that there probably aren't any interesting political races this year anywhere. I just haven't taken interest in politics in a while. And what I have seen has reminded me why I lost interest.

Don't worry, though...since I didn't vote, I won't complain, either. I just want it all to be over with.

One thing was cool, though: it was free to ride the bus today! Woohoo!

Best Wishes,
Allen

Not In The News Friday (NITNF)



NITNF will usually be a bit of trivia that I found interesting and thought you would like. It may be IR-related and it might not -- but should always be fun...or at least fascinating.

This week's feature...I wrote a poem today. Yup! I done got cree-ay-tive! I hope you like it...

Grateful
By Allen Steadham

I can't help it
I have to smile
This warm feeling that comes from my heart
for her
my one and only love
my wife

Anywhere I am
I feel this way for her
a good kind of pride
and joy
for my best friend in
the world

This is the one
so special to me
who gave me two beautiful children
such love
a blend of our worlds
our lives

Gifts from above
eyes filled with hope
reflections of ourselves mixed
with them
What potential
they have

I can't help it
I have to smile
The feelings that I can't contain
for them
the ones who earn my heart
My family

Not In The News Friday (NITNF)



NITNF will usually be a bit of trivia that I found interesting and thought you would like. It may be IR-related and it might not -- but should always be fun...or at least fascinating.

Duelling Quotes of the Week (featuring Halle Berry):

"I never wanted to be a model. My modeling career was nothing but a stepping stone to my acting career and that's all I ever saw it as. A pointless rock in the river that has to be stepped on in order to get to the meaningful oasis of acting." - Halle Berry

"What is my real purpose here? I've looked at what I do. I make believe and make movies. I entertain people and get paid for it. Sometimes it seems like such a shallow existence. How insignificant in the scheme of life." - Halle Berry

Source: Biography for Halle Berry - IMDB.com

This is not to pick on Halle, but hey, sometimes truth is stranger than fiction...

Best Wishes,
Allen

Finally Feeling A Little Better...



Thanks for waiting on me! (And thank goodness for Cute Overload!)

No NITNF This Week



My apologies but I've just barely been making it through my work days the last few days. I'm getting over my cold, slowly. I will definitely be taking it easy for a few days after I finish work tonight (on my days off, of course).

NITNF (Not In The News Friday) will return next Friday.

*cough* *wheeze*

Best Wishes,
Allen

Illin'


yukimura - unwell + unfinished by
~kogepanM on deviantART

By Sunday evening last week, I started getting that "scratchy" feeling in my throat. I wasn't feeling ill yet, but I was worn down. We'd had our Middlefaire trip Saturday. Sunday, we performed at an after-church dinner as First Light. The dinner went off very well and we had a great performance. Monday, I did a fill-in shift for a coworker who swapped with me so I could have Saturday off. The shift was 1:00pm to midnight. By the time I finished the shift, I felt bad!

I spent all day Tuesday with fever and sinus problems (fortunately -- or maybe not so fortunately, Tuesday is one of my days off). I did get rest and plenty of liquids and forced myself to eat a couple of times, so by Wednesday, I was capable of working. I made it through Wednesday's shift pretty well.

This morning, I started out okay. I still had some congestion and sinus but I was feeling decently well. By the time I got back from lunch, though, things have kinda been on a slow descent. I'm not sure if I'm feverish or not but it does feel icky. With less than an hour to go on my shift, I know I can make it but I'm concerned about tomorrow.

I do hope I'm well enough to work tomorrow; I don't like taking off sick from work.

Best Wishes,
Allen

Middlefaire



Last Saturday, I took the day off from work (well, swapped shifts with a co-worker) and took Angel and the kids to a renaissance fair in Hillsboro, Texas called Middlefaire. We were invited by a friend of mine who put the event together. Hillsboro is about 2 hours north of Austin and it was the kids' first "long drive" away from home. The kids had been to one rennaisance faire in Austin that was hosted by the SCA, but this was this faire's maiden voyage (and thus, a treat!)

The weather was a bit overcast and rainy on the way up there but by the time we got parked, the rain was subsiding. The event was held on farmland, which meant it was fairly removed from civilization and flat as far as the eye could see. The whole area for the faire was the size of a large Walmart, with several different stages and vending areas. Although we kept our distance from the "Tavern" area (not for kids), everything else was pretty neat!

Shortly after we arrived, they even had a parade with all the different performers and groups from the faire. When some of them saw Adam (my oldest son) holding his "sword" (a thick stick he'd carefully selected) in noble recognition of their parade, some of them invited him to join the parade, but he stayed back. I would have gone with him, but I guess he wasn't sure if we'd approve (I would've gone with him).

After initially checking out some of the vendors, we decided to see a few of the entertainers. There were some very good singers and musicians, and it was generally a very nice crowd (both in numbers of people and their personalities). We didn't see much of our friend who invited us, as he was busy making sure the behind-the-scenes work got done, but it was nice to finally meet both him and his adult son (who looks astonishingly like his dad, down the same type of beard, etc.).



The best musical group by far (although every musician and singer there was talented, as I said) was the Brobdingnagian Bards (pronounced "brob-din-nahg-EE-en"). They were lyrically very clever and their personalities really shined through their performance (they were hilarious, too)! They were musically talented as well, with one of the bards (Andrew) switching between recorder and mandolin (in the same song!) and the other bard (Marc) played autoharp while singing. It was a fun 30 minute set. Heart of Oak and the Abilene Pipers also deserve worthy mentions.



Angel got a very nice medieval-style torquoise-colored dress and hand-made tiara from the vendors. She very much looked the part of the beautiful upper class lady. I bought the boys some kid-sized shields and rings per their request. I got to be odd man out, as I wasn't prepared to drop down $100 for an outfit this time around (maybe next year). I do want to add that the merchandise was nice quality, with much of it being hand made.

Lunch was burgers from a local caterer. There was a huge turnout to the event, so it took an hour of waiting in line to get them. Now, in all fairness, the caterers were grilling/smoking them four at a time and they were at least 1/3 pound burgers (pretty tasty and not over- or under-cooked). So, to pass the time, my sons entertained everyone with their mock sword-fights, which covered about the area of 1/4 of a football field. Adam really got into it, so much so that I had to ask him to curtail his enthusiasm just a bit. There were also lots of butterflies flying around and landing on any brightly colored clothing (and there was plenty of that).

About mid-afternoon, Josey got to be part of the entertainment! While seeing the Emerald Dragon Crew's show, Josey was asked to be part of the show. He became "Pirate Curly" and was one of two audience volunteer pirates (another boy, a few years older than him, was the other "pirate"). They were asked to give their best pirate "Arrrrh!" At first, Josey was classic "kid shy." Then Angel shouted "Go, Josey!" and he let out with a loud, enthusiastic "Arrrrrrrrhhhh!" The other kid was asked to do the "Arrh" and he made a decent effort. They were asked to do so again. Again, Josey was very shy and again, Mom shouted "Go, Josey!" and he growled "ARRRRRRHHHHH!!!!" Shortly after that, Josey was voted "Best Pirate." He was so proud...and we were, too. It was all very cute.



After watching the bagpipers again, we found that the gatewatchers had "abandoned their post" (left their chairs unoccupied), so we kindly relaxed. The boys chose to take on the role of guards at the main entrance to the faire. About this time, the sun came out in full force (which gave me some lovely sunburn by evening) but since the temperature was still in the 70s, it was pretty nice.

About 6:00pm, we decided to head home. We'd had a full day, made some fun purchases (thus supporting the vendors) and we had all been thoroughly entertained and met some interesting and fun people (some of the entertainers came from as far away as Tennessee and even Canada). We arrived back in Austin around 8:00pm and went out to IHOP (International House of Pancakes) for supper. Needless to say, noone had any trouble sleeping that evening...



Best Wishes,
Allen

Not In The News Friday (NITNF)



NITNF will usually be a bit of trivia that I found interesting and thought you would like. It may be IR-related and it might not -- but should always be fun...or at least fascinating.

Okay, so it took until slightly after midnight on Saturday...but I still consider it Friday! (Does that count?) Anyway, this week will be a short but sweet feature: Some facts about interracial marriage, children and relationships.

Multiracial children are one of the fastest growing segments of the U.S. population. The number of mixed-race families in America is steadily increasing, due to a rise in interracial marriages and relationships, as well as an increase in transracial and international adoptions. Publicity surrounding prominent Americans of mixed cultural heritage, such as athletes, actors, musicians, and politicians, has highlighted the issues of multicultural individuals and challenged long-standing views of race.

Changing Times

• About two million American children have parents of difference races.
• In the United States marriages between blacks and whites increased 400 percent in the last 30 years, with a 1000 percent increase in marriages between whites and Asians.
• In a recent survey, 47% of white teens, 60 % of black teens, and 90 % of Hispanic teens said they had dated someone of another race.

Source: The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) "Facts For Families" Multiracial Children - No. 71; Updated October 1999

Twister!


(Generic picture of a tornado, not my picture.)

So I'm driving Angel to work this morning and the weather is getting nasty-looking but still seems driveable. There were some dark clouds and rain, plus a bit of lightning and thunder. But one light-colored cloud moved across the sky much faster than the others, disturbingly fast -- and then we both saw it rotate and turn into a very clearly defined funnel cloud! It was in front of us and it moved rapidly east, away from us (or so it seemed).

I pushed ahead and got Angel to work, since it was only a few blocks away. I got Angel inside, then I took off to head home. I turned on the radio and found out that a full-fledged damage-causing tornado was spotted less than a mile away only minutes after what we'd seen. And the debris was being thrown over 100 feet in the air! Shortly after that was seen, the tornado went back in the clouds.

As I was driving back down the same street, I saw a trash can knocked down, it's contents strewn all over the street. Had the (still weak) twister circled around behind us before pushing towards the highway? Who knows. I just thanked God for keeping us safe! You never know how things might go...



The local AM radio station I listen to was asking for eyewitness accounts from people who had seen anything, so I called in. I got through right away and got to be on the radio with the morning show crew and the Weather Channel meterologist for a few minutes. That was interesting. The weather people could not admit it was a tornado or call it that because it "didn't show any of the tell-tale signs on their equipment." I found that very amusing. People are telling you they saw it form and others saw debris being rotated into the air at high speed in what looks like a tornado -- but since it evaded the radar, it just can't be. It was just "strong winds." Yeah, right. *shakes head*

That's okay. The important thing is that nobody got hurt and the damage wasn't worse. I'm grateful.

Best Wishes,
Allen

Not In The News Friday (NITNF)



NITNF will usually be a bit of trivia that I found interesting and thought you would like. It may be IR-related and it might not -- but should always be fun...or at least fascinating.

This week we feature the "Bill of Rights for Racially Mixed People" By Maria P.P. Root

"While completing those [Census 2000] applications was a mere formality to some, it challenged me personally, and questioned whether I was really a valued person. To have the chance to identify myself as biracial validated me and my experience, something that rarely happens for biracial people."

I Have the Right ...
Not to justify my existence in this world.
Not to keep the races separate within me.
Not to be responsible for people's discomfort with my physical ambiguity.
Not to justify my ethnic legitimacy.

I Have the Right ...
To identify myself differently than strangers expect me to identify.
To identify myself differently from how my parents identify me.
To identify myself differently from my brothers and sisters.
To identify myself differently in different situations.

I Have the Right ...
To create a vocabulary to communicate about being multiracial.
To change my identity over my lifetime — and more than once.
To have loyalties and identification with more than one group of people.
To freely choose whom I befriend and love.

Source: Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory (NWREL) Child and Family Program Early Childhood Education eNewsletter Vol. 3 No. 8, March 2004

Such A Bummer...



Today is my youngest son's 8th birthday, which should be great -- except he got food poisoning from a bad piece of lettuce last night and is pretty miserable, healthwise. Angel is staying home from work with him today and his older brother is home because it's a school holiday ("Day Before Columbus Day?"), so he has plenty of company. But it reeks to be sick on your birthday!

Still, Angel and I came up with some neat traditions for their birthdays some years ago. Since their birthdays are only 2 days apart (Josey's is on October 6th and Adam's is on October 8th), we give them the majority of their presents on October 7th...but they also get presents on their respective birthdays, too. And on their individual birthdays, we (usually Angel) hide several presents around our residence for them to find. They really love the "scavenger hunt" for presents! So far today, Josey has found four of his. Unfortunately, he's had to stop to sleep/rest in-between from not feeling well.

I'm sure Josey will be feeling better by tomorrow. He's a healthy boy and this is his first time getting food poisoning. It's just a bummer it had to happen today. ("Concerned Dad Sigh")

Best Wishes,
Allen

P.S. - I do still plan to do a NITNF today!

Interracial Pregnancy Led To Kidnapping, Teen Says



I wish I could say this surprises me, but it doesn't. I'm just glad the daughter got away and the parents were apprehended. If you have to break the law and try to force someone -- especially your own daughter -- to do something they don't want to do, just because you have a prejudice, then something is terribly wrong and you deserve the fullest prosecution of the law.

Best Wishes,
Allen

The Associated Press
Published: Sep 20, 2006

SALEM, N.H. - A Maine couple accused of tying up their 19-year-old daughter, throwing her in their car and driving her out of state to get an abortion were upset because the baby's father is black, a Maine sheriff said Tuesday.

Katelyn Kampf, who is white, told Cumberland County Sheriff Mark Dion that her mother "was pretty irate at the fact that the child's father was black, and she had made a number of disparaging remarks about that," he said.

Kampf escaped Friday at a Salem shopping center and called police, who arrested her parents, Nicholas Kampf, 54, and Lola Kampf, 53, both real estate developers from North Yarmouth, Maine.

The Kampfs were apparently taking their daughter to New York to try to force her to get an abortion there, police said.

The parents were arraigned Monday on kidnapping charges. The judge set bail at $100,000 each and ordered the Kampfs to have no contact with their daughter. They posted bail Tuesday afternoon.

If convicted of kidnapping, the Kampfs face 7 1/2 to 15 years in prison. Dion said he expects to bring charges in Maine also, after investigators consult with the district attorney today.

Defense attorney Mark Sisti said Tuesday that a sworn statement by police who interviewed Katelyn Kampf and her parents said nothing about the race of the baby's father.

Katelyn Kampf escaped from her parents after persuading them to untie her so she could use a Kmart bathroom, police said. She used her father's cell phone, which she had taken, to call 911.

The boyfriend, Reme Johnson, 22, last week began serving a six-month sentence for theft at the Androscoggin County Jail in Auburn, Maine.

Johnson also has previous felony convictions for burglary and for receiving stolen property, the Portland Press Herald reported.

Source: TBO.com: Interracial Pregnancy Led To Kidnapping, Teen Says

More Video -- Upcoming "Star Trek: Of Gods And Men" Web Mini-Series Trailer

For all my fellow Trekkies, I found this on the web today and wanted to share. Looks pretty good! Here's the website.

After All These Years, He's Still Got It...Wierd Al's "White And Nerdy"

I love the Donny Osmond cameo...

'Survivor' Ends Segregation Game



By DAVID BAUDER
AP Television Writer

NEW YORK

All the hubbub about the "Survivor" ethnic experiment turned out to be pretty worthless.

Why? Because after only two episodes, producers merged the black, white, Asian and Latino tribes into two mixed-race gangs. No explanation was given for the quick abandonment of segregation; it seemed to pass by so quickly as to mean nothing.

"We're back to America. We're a melting pot," said Parvati, a boxer on the new Raro tribe. "I love it."

A Little Humor For A Friday...

Realizing that my last several blog entries have been very serious, I thought I'd try to lighten things up a bit. I found these on another blog and thought they were worth sharing for a laugh...

Thanks, Rain!

Best Wishes,
Allen

Not In The News Friday (NITNF)


Eartha Kitt, her daughter Kitt and granddaughter Rachel


Eartha Kitt and daughter Kitt on The Merv Griffith Show

NITNF will usually be a bit of trivia that I found interesting and thought you would like. It may be IR-related and it might not -- but should always be fun...or at least fascinating.

This week we feature Eartha Kitt!

Eartha Mae Kitt was ostracized at an early age because of her mixed-race heritage (she was the out-of-wedlock daughter of a white dirt farmer and a black Cherokee mother, as would have to be the case given the laws regarding miscegenation at the time). At eight years old, she was given away by her mother and sent from the South Carolina cotton fields to live with an aunt in Harlem.

In New York, her distinct individuality and flair for show business manifested itself, and on a friend’s dare, the shy teen auditioned for the famed Katherine Dunham Dance Troupe. She won a spot as a featured dancer and vocalist before the age of twenty and toured worldwide with the company. During a performance in Paris, Miss Kitt was spotted by a nightclub owner and booked as a featured singer at his club. Her unique persona earned her fans and fame quickly, including Orson Welles, who called her "the most exciting woman in the world." Welles was so taken with her talent that he cast her as Helen of Troy in his fabled production of Dr. Faust.



In 1967, Miss Kitt left her indelible mark as the infamous Catwoman in the television series, Batman. She immediately became synonymous with the role and her trademark growl became a part of pop culture. Thanks to the popularity of the series, Miss Kitt can still be seen as the famous villain on TV LAND and cable re-broadcasts.

Singing in ten different languages, Miss Kitt has performed in over 100 countries and was honored with a star on The Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1960. In 1966, she was nominated for an Emmy for her role in the series, I SPY.

In 1968, Miss Kitt’s career took a sudden turn when, at a White House luncheon hosted by Lady Bird Johnson, she spoke out against the Vietnam War. For many years afterward, she was blacklisted by many in the U.S. entertainment industry and was forced to work abroad where her status remained undiminished. (Sidenote: The statements were so negative that Lady Bird Johnson began to weep uncontrollably.)

In 1974, she returned to the United States, professionally, in an acclaimed Carnegie Hall concert and, in 1978, received her second Tony nomination for her starring role in the musical Timbuktu.

In 1984, she returned to hit music with a disco song, "Where Is My Man"; the first certified Gold record of her career. Her 1989 follow-up hit "Cha-Cha Heels" (featuring Bronski Beat) received a positive reponse from UK dance clubs and reached #32 on the pop charts.

In 2000, Kitt again returned to Broadway in the short but notable run of the revival of the 1920s-themed, The Wild Party, opposite Mandy Patinkin and Toni Collette. In 2003, she replaced Chita Rivera in Nine. In the late 1990's she appeared as the Wicked Witch of the West in the North American national touring company of The Wizard of Oz.



One of her more unusual roles was as Kaa the python in a 1994 BBC Radio adaptation of The Jungle Book. Kitt lent her distinctive voice to the role of Yzma in Disney's The Emperor's New Groove and returned to the role in the straight to video sequel Kronk's New Groove and the spin-off TV series The Emperor's New School. She is currently doing other voiceover work such as the voice of Queen Vexus on the animated TV series My Life as a Teenage Robot.

In recent years, Kitt's annual appearances in New York have made her a fixture of the Manhattan cabaret scene. She takes the stage at venues such as The Ballroom and, more recently, the Café Carlyle to explore and define her highly stylized image, alternating between signature songs , which emphasize a witty, mercenary world-weariness, and less familiar repertoire, much of which she performs with an unexpected ferocity and bite that present her as a survivor with a seemingly bottomless reservoir of resilience.

Source: Eartha Kitt official website - biography page
Source: Eartha Kitt Wikipedia Page
Source: Eartha Kitt's page at IMDB.com

A Topic I've Been Avoiding...



I don't mind talking about my life or about my family or even my views on things. But I have been very reluctant to blog about my own pain. I don't mean emotional pain. That's private and I share that in my own way. Physical pain, however, is much more difficult to discuss. I suppose part of that is an instinctive "guy thing" -- not wanting to seem like a "whiner" or someone who can't handle "a little pain." I also do not like pity nor do I want it. And yet, I do have pain and/or discomfort, sometimes a lot of pain, every day.

Why? Well, I'm not entirely sure. I can give you a little bit of medical history on me. When I was 11, I was diagnosed with familial polyposis. Here's the textbook definition from WebMD:

Familial adenomatous polyposis is a group of rare inherited disorders of the gastrointestinal system. Initially it is characterized by benign growths (adenomatous polyps) in the mucous lining of the gastrointestinal tract. Symptoms may include diarrhea, bleeding from the end portion of the large intestine (rectum), fatigue, abdominal pain, and weight loss. If left untreated, affected individuals usually develop cancer of the colon and/or rectum. Familial adenomatous polyposis is inherited as an autosomal dominant trait.

For those of you who may be thinking "thanks for sharing, Allen," my apologies. Facts are facts. Fortunately, I did not have the worst of those symptoms but it was detected nonetheless. On my dad's side of the family, the males have a history of colon cancer. My grandfather died of it when my dad was 2 and my father passed away from his second bout with cancer at the age of 56. After I was diagnosed with polyps, I had a bunch of examinations (*shudders at the memories*) and they determined that I was at high risk for later developing colon cancer. My father, who by this point, was an expert on the conditions, treatments, etc. presented me with what he felt was the best choice: new and fairly radical surgery.

The doctors would do a two-part operation on me (keep in mind, I was 12 at this time). In the first operation, they would remove my large intestine (which includes the colon) and set me up with a temporary colostomy. I would then heal for six weeks (a very slow six weeks). Then I went in for the second operation, where they reconnected me internally with what I call a "bionic intestine," a plastic replacement that they somehow made work perfectly. All I needed was a couple of over-the-counter (OTC) medications to regulate my metabolism. It took me six more weeks to recover from the second operation but medically, it went flawlessly.

Emotionally, I was a very traumatized puppy after the Summer of Operations and Recovery. I guess that's understandable, considering it was the summer before high school and I'd never had that kind of major surgery before nor long, sometimes agonizing recoveries. (Is it any wonder I did pot my freshman year?) I refused to speak about either the condition, the operations or the recovery...for the next five years. Period. No exceptions.

Still, the surgeries did their job. I had absolutely no complications from the surgery for almost exactly 20 years (the surgeries took place in 1983). In the Fall of 2003, I started getting sick and I had no idea why. It took until March for me to learn that I was lactose intolerant. I learned that both my sister and my mother have that condition, so clearly I inherited it, too. And my sister did not develop it until she was an adult, too (which is both weird and interesting). About a week or two after I cut out dairy products, I started feeling a good deal better.

But I started developing other symptoms over the next couple of years that weren't quite so easily explained or dealt with. I would have stomach discomfort and pain and I didn't know why. And since I was only working temp jobs and didn't have any benefits, seeing the doctor was cost-prohibitive, especially since my wife was not working yet. It was never severe enough to go to the hospital and I only missed maybe a couple of days of work in a 2 year period.

Fortunately, my current job went permanent in December and benefits kicked in on January 1 of this year, so I started seeing a doctor and he got me in touch with a wonderful gastrointologist. I had to go through a new series of tests and x-rays and finally, an out-patient surgical endoscopy a few months ago. What they were able to determine is that I have benign polyps in the small intestine and stomach, which the doctor said was fairly common with people who have had polyps in the large intestine.

I'm not sure which was more difficult for me, the relative reminiscence of "surgery" (even though it was exploratory and not 'cutting' surgery) or the news that I had more polyps (albeit benign and much less aggressive than the ones that had been in my large intestine). I took a breather from seeing the doctor for a few months. Admittedly, that probably wasn't wise but psychologically, it was necessary for me.

Nevertheless, my symptoms have continued and in some ways, gotten dramatically worse at times, so I can't get in denial about this. I've set up a new appointment with the gastrointologist to see what our next steps are in dealing with this. I still don't understand what tiny polyps have to do with the symptoms I've experienced, since the doctor confirmed they are not cancerous or even pre-cancerous. Or if it's somehow related to the lactose intolerance-? I don't know.

Anyway, why am I finally sharing this with you -- the blogosphere? Good question. Well, first of all, I know I'm not the first person who's ever experienced this and I certainly won't be the last. I also know that I'm not the only person dealing with bodily pain on a regular basis. I also want it publicly known that this does not diminish my quality of life. I still work full time and I haven't missed one day for being sick since I went permanent. I still volunteer run ISAA. I'm in First Light. I am active with my family (and we have a great time) as often as possible. I enjoy my life.

But I'm not Superman. I've had to accept that I can't do some things like I used to. I have to allow myself to slow down and take it easy, not push myself as much as I used to (and had grown accustomed to).

It's taken a lot of support. There are times when prayer is all that gets me through. I'm deeply grateful for the daily support of my wife, my kids and my friends who know what I've been going through. It means the world to me. I've learned that pain tends to isolate you. I can see why people get depressed or even angry about it, although I haven't felt either of those emotions about it. I do get frustrated sometimes and confused about the cause, what it really means (which I still don't know). But I know that pain does not control my life, I don't give it that control. I'm just making it day to day, as best I can.

Thanks for listening.

Best Wishes,
Allen

I Need To Discuss This...



I guess one of the hazards of blogsurfing is that you will come across all kinds of opinions. And it is perfectly okay to disagree with those opinions or ignore them or whatever. But sometimes, you run across something you don't expect, something that (make room for the Texan in me) really chaps your hide.

This evening, while drumming up traffic for IR Haven blogsurfing, I ran across reactions to the fifth anniversary of 9.11.01 -- and they were cold. Unlike the 9-11 Truth conspirators, who at least sympathize that people died, what I happened upon were the "What's the big deal?" and "The U.S. doesn't really care about the people who died, it just got its ego bruised" crowd. I won't dignify the blog site with a link...

For the people who would trivialize 9.11.01, especially to those from other countries such as Canada and Europe and elsewhere, let me put things in a bit more universal -- or global -- context for you:

• If 3000 of your neighbors, fellow countrymen and women -- your mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters were wiped out in a couple of hours, dying in terror and confusion, would you not grieve for them?


• If it were an attack unlike any other in the history of your country, using a method designed to cause the most damage and death possible in the area struck, would you not memorialize the day to honor those who died?


• Even if you did not lose one of your relatives or close friends in the attack, would you not feel an ounce of sympathy for those who did? Children who no longer have parents, wives who no longer have husbands and vice-versa, people who no longer have people whom they loved more dearly than their own lives?


• And what about the people who suffered devastating injuries and disfigurements, even though they survived? Those people will have to live with that the rest of their lives, in addition to any loved ones they lost. That can't be trivialized or ignored. None of this can...but people try and I feel obligated to appeal to those who might not have considered these points.

I'm not talking politics here, I'm not talking reasons why it happened, I'm not talking the Iraq war or the Middle East conflict. I'm talking about basic regard for Life and Love. I'm talking about Family and Friendship.

I'm talking about what it means to be a Human Being, regardless of personal ideologies, preferences, ethnicities, genders or any other differentiating factors.

If we lose our ability to empathize with the suffering of others, then we lose a part of our humanity. In that moment, we become self-important judges of who deserves our sympathy and respect, who deserves to live and die. That's what leads to the rise of true dictatorships. That's what breeds true extremism. When life loses its value and meaning.

I know for a fact I am not any better than anyone else. I am just one of billions of human beings traversing the sands of space and time on this world, hoping to contribute a little something good along the way.

I find value in every life, even the ones who don't share my point of view. I hope you do, too.

Best Wishes,
Allen

Not In The News Friday (NITNF)



NITNF will usually be a bit of trivia that I found interesting and thought you would like. It may be IR-related and it might not -- but should always be fun...or at least fascinating.

This week we feature Angela Chao Roberson, third princess in the 2006 Miss Los Angeles Chinatown Pageant. Roberson is biracial, Chinese and African-American.

Angela Chao Roberson, 22, knew she did not exactly look Chinese, with her cocoa-colored skin, her bushels of curly hair and her curvy figure. But she had no doubt she belonged in the same room with 17 other young women vying for the title Miss Los Angeles Chinatown.

Sure, she ate soul food when her father's African American relatives came to visit her family in Victorville, but her family was much more likely to eat rice and stir-fried tilapia with garlic and soy sauce. And she loved Chinese New Year.

Angela scanned the young women sitting around the circle at the orientation session. There was one other girl whose complexion was close to her own. But the other girls resembled more closely the Miss Chinatowns of the past — slender, fine-featured young ladies with pale skin and silky straight hair.

"I'm kind of brave if you think about it," she said, flashing an unassuming smile. "But I've always accepted odd challenges."

The Miss Los Angeles Chinatown Pageant, organized by the Chinese Chamber of Commerce of Los Angeles, aims to pick an ambassador for the largest Chinese American community in the U.S.

And for most of its 40-year history, despite changing outfits, hairstyles and makeup, the contestants have looked remarkably the same: willowy Chinese American girls with flowing black hair.

But as Chinese intermarry, the contest is attracting more girls of mixed race. It started with girls whose backgrounds were white and Chinese. A couple had Hispanic last names.

This year, Angela became the first contestant with an African American father.

Most of the 18 girls chosen as contestants after a preliminary interview, including Angela, could speak at least a few phrases of Chinese. They hailed from such communities as El Sereno, Monterey Park, Hacienda Heights and Anaheim, the daughters of packaging company owners, restaurateurs and seamstresses.

Almost all of them had parents who were both ethnic Chinese. There were two of mixed races: Angela and Kaye Ponnusamy, whose father was an ethnic Indian who had grown up in Malaysia and whose mother was from Taiwan.

That first day of orientation marked the beginning of weeks of preparation.

Angela's father, Harry Roberson, a wiry 60-year-old electronics technician at Ft. Irwin Army base, worried how she would be treated. But Angela didn't see herself as making history or knocking down barriers. She thought she could win.

"I'm not scared to walk into an all-Chinese place," she said. "They might be surprised that I'm there, but I'm not surprised I'm there."

...

"Please give it up for Contestant No. 3, Angela Roberson!"


Angela is third contestant from the left (click to enlarge)

At a glitzy ballroom downtown, the contestants were being introduced one by one on a stage festooned with gold and red banners celebrating the Chinese new year, the year of the dog.

The crowd of hundreds clapped as Angela Roberson made her way across the stage in a red and white hibiscus swimsuit. Mandarin- and Cantonese-speaking emcees announced Angela's name for the benefit of the non-English speaking audience: Chao An Qi Er, or Chiu Ang Kei Yee.

Angela, whose almond-shaped eyes were accentuated with dark eyeliner, greeted everyone in slightly imperfect Chinese: Da jia hao.

Many in the crowd leaned forward or stood up to get a better look. They had puzzled looks on their faces. Some of them whispered that they thought she was too curvy. Others tried to figure out what percentage of her background was Chinese.

Angela didn't notice. She was just trying not to look scared.

She directed her wide smile toward the judges.

When the emcees interviewed her on stage, Angela didn't stumble. She was asked whether she thought herbal supplements ought to be approved by the Food and Drug Administration. "It's very important that we know what we're putting in our bodies and where it's coming from," she said.

When the 18 contestants were called to the stage for the announcement of the winners, they plastered nervous smiles on their faces. First they announced Miss Friendship, whom the contestants themselves chose. Then Miss Photogenic, chosen by the Chinese media. Then the title of fourth princess.

"And the Miss Los Angeles Chinatown Third Princess is … Contestant No. 3, Angela Roberson!"

Angela broke into a broad, stunned grin as she accepted her rhinestone crown and sash. She was ecstatic, even though she wasn't the queen. That honor went to Melody Cheng, a somewhat shy, svelte 19-year-old from Hacienda Heights who was crowned in a burst of red and gold confetti.

With Kaye also winning a place on the court, it turned out to be the most diverse court the pageant had ever picked.

The winners "are a really true reflection of Chinese Americans in Southern California," said Terry R. Loo, one of the judges. "It's a mixed group these days."

"I'm glad she did it," said Harry Roberson. "This tells the community there's more out there than just pure Chinese."

Angela and the other winners have been making public appearance across Los Angeles County since the court was crowned in January.

Last week, they attended a Chinese folk dance recital in Azusa, and Angela was struck by how normal it felt to be part of the pageant court, representing the Chinese community.

"It's kind of naive of me to say nobody notices," Angela said. "But I don't think it concerns them to make a point that they notice."

Her parents' lives have changed as well. Her father, who for months had kept Angela's pageant entry to himself, now proudly trumpets to co-workers her success and how much it meant to him.

"They asked how many mixed-race [contestants] there were, and I said she was the first black and Chinese to be in the competition — and then she actually won," he said Thursday. "I was proud of that."

Recently, the pageant court helped children at the public library in Chinatown make lanterns. Angela was smitten by a 6-year-old girl who was part African American and part Chinese.

This girl had great hair, she thought. It fell like a wavy waterfall and was certainly less curly than her own hair.

"I was happy for her," Angela said. "She gets to grow up in Chinatown, surrounded by other Chinese people. In Victorville, the Chinese people were only in Mom's close circle."

Maybe, she thought, this is what a future Miss Chinatown might look like.


Source: LA Times: Tiaras, Sashes, Diversity
(April 22, 2006)

Video As Social Commentary...

Rarely would I think that a music video could convey relevant social commentary, but the message in Evanescence's "Everybody's Fool" is worth sharing. Don't know what's with me and the videos today but I just kinda felt like it. The first was funny, this one is (mostly) serious...

In 1966...The Future...Was Funky!

I loved this. Sure, it's a commercial for the Star Trek TOS (The Original Series) DVD set, but it's made in the grooviest 70's style!

Not In The News Friday (NITNF)

NITNF will usually be a bit of trivia that I found interesting and thought you would like. It may be IR-related and it might not -- but should always be fun...or at least fascinating.

This week we will have a little trivia: Did you know the following people were biracial or multiracial?

Bob Marley: Black, White and Cherokee	Tina Turner: Black and Native American
Faith Evans: Black mother, White father	Malcolm X: 1/2 Black, 1/4 Grenadian, 1/4 White
Naomi Campbell: mother is Black (Jamaican), father is Multiracial, part Chinese	Soledad O'Brien: father is Australian, mother is Black Cuban

Source:

And This Was 1989...



This picture of me and my dad was taken in during Fall 1989. It is yet another picture rediscovered during our move this summer. It is true that a picture -- and the memories it contains and inspires -- is worth more than a thousand words.

So much happened that year...a lot of firsts.

1. My first love...and yes, it was an interracial relationship. She was Black, four years older than me, introduced me to the music of Sade (who is biracial btw, Nigerian and British) and had issues that I will not go into. I had issues, too, plus I was 19 and very naive.
   
   This was my first test of what lengths I was willing to go to in order to make an interracial relationship work. Note to readers: sneaking around and lying to family is not a good recipe for the success of a relationship. (It took me years and some serious problems before I learned that.)


2. My first time living away from home (see picture above). Like most teens, I got sick of living at home and wanted "my own place." I had a steady job, so, I made a deal with a friend of mine to rent the upstairs bedroom of his dad's house. At first, it was great! I was indeed away from my parents, I could microwave or heat up my food (cooking? what is this?), listen to music or just chill out. I even recorded some music on a four-track portable recorder during that time.
   
   I ended up moving out after about two months, though. Like many roommate scenarios, personality differences and miscommunications led to a mutual desire to end the arrangement.


3. My first time in therapy (see #1). After my first love relationship crashed and burned after nearly six months, I was in sorry shape, mentally and emotionally. I really didn't know what to do. I was never suicidal but I was depressed and angry and confused (the makings of a great album, right?). Fortunately, I had a friend who referred me to a local counselor who didn't charge too much and had a flexible schedule. She happened to be gay and a little more New Age than I was accustomed to, but she was a tremendous help at a time when I needed it. After less than a year, I was stable and focused enough to no longer need her services, which I think should be the goal of every mental health professional.

By 1990, I had finished recording a studio album titled "Dreams & Wishes," which included a couple of songs recorded during 1989. In the Spring of 1990, I recorded a song about my first love and even titled it after her. It was the only country song I've ever recorded and it was pretty-sounding while lyrically a song of regret and a little bitterness. But it served it's purpose. You might even call it therapeutic.

Memories...



I visited New York City for the first (and thus far, only) time in March 1987. I was a senior in high school visiting the city for a journalism conference with my journalism teacher. In our spare time, we visited many places including Greenwich Village (we got a tour by a native Brooklyner), the World Trade Center and the Empire State Building.

I took the picture from the top of the Empire State Building. Here's an enlarged version:



It was about 6 in the evening and there was just a haze that day, which makes the towers look eerie, ghostly. For the longest time, I still had my ticket from the World Trade Center. Sometimes it's hard to believe they're (the people and the towers are) gone, especially on this day, the fifth anniversary of 9.11.01.

My heart and my prayers go out to the families who were directly impacted that day...from NYC to the Pentagon to Pennsylvania.

Best Wishes,
Allen

You Are Emerald Green

Deep and mysterious, it often seems like no one truly gets you. Inside, you are very emotional and moody - though you don't let it show. People usually have a strong reaction to you... profound love or deep hate. But you can even get those who hate you to come around. There's something naturally harmonious about you.

What Color Green Are You?

You Are: 60% Dog, 40% Cat

You are a nice blend of cat and dog. You're playful but not too needy. And you're friendly but careful. And while you have your moody moments, you're too happy to stay upset for long.

Are You More Cat or Dog?

Arty Kid

Whether you were a drama freak or an emo poet, you definitely were expressive and unique. You're probably a little less weird these days - but even more talented!

Who Were You In High School?