Thinking about...

I can't sleep. Not my first time at that rodeo. I have a headache, and there's some stuff that's just absolutely making me buzz anyway. So I decided to share some of what I'm thinking about with y'all.

* I'd love to say something smart about the health care vote, but can't. I'm still working out how I feel about it, and what it's all going to be called when it's at home. Part of my day job involves processing benefits paperwork, and I know that's going to change. I only really know that things can't get worse for many people, especially in this economy, and I hope things get better for some. Senate's gotta vote on it first anyhow.

* At least the recession's led to fewer burglaries nationwide!

* Same-sex marriage vote in the New York State Senate tomorrow!!!! I have that roller-coaster sick feeling about it, elated and excited and scared all at once. We just lost marriage in Maine, to a slight majority of voters, in an incredibly nasty high-stakes popularity contest. I don't want to propel the "pro-family" crowd, which always overlooks *our* families and children, to vote on our marriages in New York. Great Green Gaia, we've had two years of that shit in a row! Yet it's ridiculous that we can be considered legally married in New York, but have to go out of state to get married. I'll bet some politicians would simply like to get some marriage license money and make sure some wedding money stays in the state! I know L'Ailee and I would love to have gotten married close to home in Brooklyn instead of having to go to Massachusetts, where we'd never even *been*. (Well, that or go to the Daytona International Superspeedway and marry in the infield right before the Daytona 500, but that dream simply was *not* going to happen for me.)

Living in fear sucks. It's my favorite T-shirt for a reason. My therapist tells me I worry ten steps ahead, and anyway, I don't actually want to surrender to fear or bigotry. Governor Paterson is willing to be brave. Mayor Bloomberg, even though we don't like him, is also standing up for same-sex couples' right to marry. We like him a bit better tonight. There are still some state senators who are officially undecided, and still some time to contact their offices.

* A lot of people are thinking about the Fort Hood shooting for a lot of very good reasons, but Jason Rodriguez' shooting up his former office in Orlando is what made all the blood drain from my face. I'd just been to Orlando for Samhain, and I used to work very close to that office building a few years back. Initial reports said that two people were dead and 17 were injured. One dead and 5 injured is still horrible, especially to their families, but still. TTG, the injured victims are starting to recover.

* Fashion seems like a really trivial thing sometimes, except that there are places where a person can be beaten, arrested, even subjected to amputation or death for their choice of clothing, makeup, and accessories. Pakistan is one of those places, particularly in areas where the Taliban dominate. Last week, they had Fashion Week in the capitol city of Karachi. The designers, models, and stylists knew the security risks and had fun with it anyway. The combination of beauty and bravery is a true inspiration.

* I meant what I said about the NASCAR Sprint Cup season being over for me this year. I worked on an interior decorating project that just seems to keep on growing. But it wasn't over for L'Ailee. Kyle Busch had already won the truck race on Friday and the Nationwide (second-tier) race on Saturday, so L'Ailee wanted to watch her boy go for the weekend trifecta. Nobody's won that yet--poor Kyle ended up just a few laps shy of it because he ran out of gas, and his brother Kurt won the Sprint Cup race instead. Anyway, L'Ailee demonstrated just how well she knows and loves me. She texted, "J johnson crashed out!!!! Only 3rd lap! Hopeless 4 him in race! Game changer!"

Well. I ducked into a closet and called her. I never, ever let myself gloat over a wreck--I consider it very bad karma, for lack of a better word, and anyway, I didn't know Jimmie Johnson's condition. My first question, of course, was, "Is he hurt?" L'Ailee replied, "He is perfectly fine. There was never a problem with him, only his car. You may smile now." Damn if I didn't smile!

* Why the fuck won't the Heroes writers kill Sylar and Matt and Nathan for good, preferably in a really painful and embarrassing fashion?!?! WHY?!?! I am so sick of them all. Most of their female characters stay dead, after all (except Charlie the waitress, for now, and a kazillion super-powered and weak-minded women who all look like Ali Larter). That show is definitely a poor woman's The 4400.

* The remake of V got off to a decent start, though. I fondly remember how the first one gave me nightmares when I was 10 years old and had to sneak to watch it. Speaking of The 4400, I love that the actor who played Tom Baldwin on that show is on V. But oh, Anna (the "visitor" spokeswoman/leader) is deliciously creepy and creepily delicious. She's what Zachary Quinto and the Heroes writers are trying to do with Sylar. I usually don't get crushes on actresses, but damn, Morena Baccarin is fiiiiiiine! I might've made a few tasteless jokes about "doing it reptile style" last week.

* We have five very good Pittsburgh Penguins players who are out due to various injuries. Max Talbot, Tyler Kennedy, Evgeni Malkin (that was the one who made me cry), Sergei Gonchar, and now Kris Letang--three forwards and two defensemen. That is enough to play a game if you add in a goalie, and knock on wood, no goalies will be added. I'm going to TiVo V and watch Tuesday's game anyway, pausing only to see how the Senate vote, if it happens, goes.