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November, 2009

  1. Well Worth Going Back To Dairy For

    November 29, 2009 by Katie Schwartz

    I have been OCD’ng on Harvey Milk’s last quote (Will) from the movie MILK. It’s resonating so hard for me, personally, with respect to Dear Thyroid and with what’s happening politically and health care wise in this country.

    Sometimes I forget that all of our individual voices collectively make up millions of voices that have the power to invoke change.

    Thanks to my good pal @SoCalVillaGuy for finding this quote for me.

    I wanted to post about it and I wanted us to discuss. So, discuss.

    Last week I got a phone call — –from Altoona, Pennsylvania, and the voice was quite young, and the person said… Thanks.” You’ve got to elect gay people so that that young child and the thousands upon thousand like him know there’s hope… hope for a better world… I ask this… If there should be an assassination, I would hope that five, ten, one hundred, a thousand would rise. I would like to see every gay lawyer, every gay architect come out– –If a bullet should enter my brain, let that bullet destroy every closet door… And that’s all. I ask for the movement to continue. Because it’s not about personal gain, not about ego, not about power… it’s about the “us’s” out there. Not only gays, but the Blacks, the Asians, the disabled, the seniors, the us’s. Without hope, the us’s give up– –I know you cannot live on hope alone, but without it, life is not worth living. So you, and you, and you… You gotta give em’ hope… you gotta give em’ hope.


  2. No Shortage Of Stuffing Pie Hole Here, Metaphorically Speaking

    November 28, 2009 by Katie Schwartz

    I broke up with J Crew, but we got back together.

    I’ve noticed that a lot of Born Agains are starting to follow me on Twitter. To be clear, I don’t mean Christians or Catholics, I mean Zealarellas (zealots). I’m wondering… What part of me screams save me?

    One broad told me that she loved everyone. Shocked, I asked everyone, I mean, every single person?! Yes, everyone, and with conviction. In 140 characters, I couldn’t go into detail, so I will here. While I think it’s a lovely, altruistic notion to love everyone, in my mind, it’s literally impossible.

    I don’t love George Bush or what he did to this country and I think he should be tried for war crimes, along with his sick fuck side kick, Dick Cheney and Donald bottoming-for-Bush-and-loving-it Rumsfeld, et al. I don’t love the people cock blocking Universal Health Care from passing. They’re willing to spend our tax dollars on weapons, but not our health?! Can you spell fucktardsquared?! I don’t love hard core republicans. In fact, I hate what they stand for. I don’t love doctors who mistreat their patients and lie to them. I don’t love insurance companies — I hate them. I don’t love murderers, pedophiles, or rapists. I don’t love assholics. I don’t love people who embrace censorship and who want the government to determine what’s appropriate for me to view, listen to, and read. I don’t love people who want to infringe on my choice to have an abortion. My list is endless and I won’t bore you with it, but you get the gist of what I’m saying. I think love is a gift. I couldn’t love everyone, not because I’m a hate junky. It’s simply unrealistic.

    Another person told me that if I didn’t follow him back, I wouldn’t be saved from Armageddon. If I don’t believe in Armageddon, how will his 140 character tweets save me? What am I missing? Oh, did I mention that I’m a Jew? Aren’t we the chosen ones at the minute, the gateway or something? I can’t remember. I’ll have to email The Postal Service of the Saved for clarification.

    Someone else assured me that it wasn’t too late to be Born Again. Thanks. But, I’m willing to take my chances, I said.

    Why can’t I be a Jew? Perhaps that’s the issue I have with this lot of followers, intolerance and a lack of regard for my beliefs. Everything is cloaked in a threat, if you don’t, than you won’t. I digress… I intolerance.

    Now, let’s discuss the rectal warfare that took place in my intestines last Friday morning. My intestines weren’t arguing, they were waging “Shock and Awe”, careening towards my pucker pellet at the speed of light. I still can’t figure out why or what I ate that made my intestines have a, yes I’m going to go 80′s on your ass, COW. Everything came out just dandy, thanks for asking. Though, for a moment I thought that my intestines were going to fly out of my tuchas. Fortunately, we’re still together.

    Friday, I was at Cedars for blood work and there was no fucking parking. One of the lots closed due to construction. I have never seen so many cars trying to get into parking lots in my life. LA drivers don’t give a shit about who is behind them. They stop in the middle of the road, la-de-da’ng on the phone or talking to someone on the sidewalk, even though you’re behind them with ten other shmucks. Please, in NY, in less than a minute, baseball bats would be smashing these cars.

    After 30 minutes, I was ready to shoot myself (that would’ve cost a bundle, so I passed). Mind you, it only took me 10 minutes to get there. I finally found a lot that I was able to squeeze into, though it was a valet lot, I was Despy Desperalla and her twin sister Tranta Gavant.

    This super homeless guy, like scale of 1-10, definitely a 10 on the homelessesque scale, approaches me and says, “I’ll take your car.”

    Right. Cause I’m stupid.

    Meanwhile, there’s a guy in the booth at the valet stand, wearing a white shirt with the name of the p-lot co. on it and I was trying to get his attention. Homeless guy says, “What? You don’t trust me? Give me your car!”

    I kindly asked him to unzip his jacket and show me his shirt. If it was the same as the guy’s standing in the booth, great, I would’ve given him my car. Most valets don’t sit on the ground with their dressers duffel bags.

    He says, “Why I gotta unzip my jacket? I wouldn’t ask you to take your shirt off.”

    Um. Okay, let’s review. I’m now late for my blood draw. I need to get it done. I’ve been driving in circles for 30 minutes with shitty drivers who want to be FIRST, FIRST, FIRST. I’m profoundly irritated.

    “In this situation, I believe I’m entitled to ask to see your shirt before I hand you the keys to my car.” I said.

    He responds by saying “You don’t trust me because I’m black. You’re a racist.”

    I was so fucking angry at this point, I got out of my car and screamed, “HEY, I HAVE SYSTEMIC TRUST ISSUES. IF YOU DON’T BELIEVE ME, CALL MY PSYCHIATRIST AND ASK HIM. YOU THINK YOUR FUCKING RACE OR GENDER MATTERS TO ME? YOU COULD BE A PURPLE, HERMAPHRODITE GNOME AND I STILL WOULDN’T TRUST YOU.”

    Cedars security came out, and instead of asking what the problem was, he exacerbated the issue by telling us to take it elsewhere. Seriously, hospital-mall-cop?!

    I ended up at another lot because I bribed the gatekeeper with a $20 to get me in.

    You’d think I was trying to get into some hot restaurant, not that a $20 would cut it, but you get where this is going, right? Right.

    Caitlin will not stop emailing me. All week, I’ve been receiving emails from her:

    Hi!

    and

    Hey, I analyzed the name ‘caitlin’ using the iPhone Name Analyzer.

    It means:

    Cute

    Awesome

    Inspirational

    Tipsy

    Lovely

    Imperfect

    Naughty

    Seriously?! This improves the quality of my life?

    Someone signed me up for Millsberry.com as Justice4Ever. I can create my own buddy and join the city. The site is for tweeners at best, so of course I’m a perfect fit. I’m sure they’d welcome Justice4Ever calling CutsieTeenyTot snatch for moving into my crib and boosting my gluten free pretzels.

    This concludes my rant fest.

    If you haven’t read @SoyGoy‘s interview, check it out. Coming up next, Elissa Stein and her new book FLOW, followed by, In The Belly Of The Fail Whale. I’m plotzarella.


  3. Midgets, Siblings And Masturbation, Oh My

    November 14, 2009 by Katie Schwartz

    The non-sequitur post from hell.

    The emails I’ve received for the wrong KatieGirl@gmail.com are worth reporting:

    UPDATE: Received today 11/14 “I can’t poo any longer i thought my butt was stronger! but I need your help to tacke this deamen out! Juust stick your hand up there and move it everywhere until u u puulll it.  Ouuuuttttt ooooo ya ya yaaaa!!!!!!!!!”

    I bought software from StreamingFlix.com under the name Katherine. For the record, it’s Katie Louie Schwartz, mothah fuckah.

    I received this religimail from Jonah “Hi Katie how are doing do you have Ewan yet i do i am on discovery 2:6 verses, john 1:1 Ecclesiastes 7:20, acts 4:12, psalm 86:11,then i will be on discovery 3:1. I don’t mean to be stickler, but shouldn’t John be capitalized? Who is Ewan?

    Xoung sent me a gazillion fucking images that his father, the graphic designer created. Oh, and this is so neat, about 30 additional images of watermelons and eggs. Good stuff.

    Jalen, a teenager, or tweenager, keeps sending pictures of himself to me, standing in a uniform behind the American flag. In each of his emails, he assures me that he’ll be coming for a visit in 31 days. Though I’ve emailed him repeatedly to tell him that I’m the anti-Christ, I mean, the wrong Katie, he forges on with his correspondence. I admire his commitment.

    Kimkubugirl signed me up for GamesGames.com. So excited, definitely a screen name I would’ve chosen for myself, right?

    Katherine is looking for jobs in the government sector and generously signed me up, what a honey. I think my writing skills will get mad play working for the FEDs or the CIA. The only thing I worry about is that my reports would be too loquacious. I guess I should wait and see what kind of govy gigs I’m offered first. Though, seeing my resume would be helpful. Too bad she didn’t post that. Oh well.

    Penelope created the sweetest Waverly Place Postcard for me. My screen name is, “Urapooop”, at the Disney Channel, also known as Duckow

    Someone graciously signed me up for IKnowThat.com, “The Internets most innovative children’s learning website”. Seems like a fit, right?

    While Blair was testing his emails, he included me in his “test” list, which also included a newsletter of his updates. I think it’s great that he’s made progress in trying to stop chewing his toenails and peeling the skin off of the bottom of his feet. I said as much, but I never heard back.

    This is by far my favorite: You are receiving this e-mail because you are a Christian (What gave it away for you, the nickname Jew Girl, the original blog “All The Way From Oy To Vey”, or the fact that I have I’m a Jew plastered all over my fucking blog?), and you might be interested in being kept up to date on relevant, progressive Christian news and media (To be clear, zealotry is the antithesis of progressive. The two are not synonymous. You can thank me later.). As a member you will also benefit from regular email delivery of FREE invitations and coupons for national and local events, and concert tickets (To tent revivals? Will there be snakes? I’m totally down for the serpent gig.). You will also receive free money saving printable coupons directly to your inbox for popular Christian ran businesses (Thank you. In this economy, coupons are a girl’s best friend. What about non-Christian businesses that are going under faster than you can say Psalm, do we get coupons for those, too?).

    I should’ve listened to Cormac… What was I thinking creating the email addy I did?!

    Recently, it occurred to me that people standing alongside American Flags are, of course considered patriotic, but more than that, they are associated with being republicans. Whereas liberals who are seen with the American Flag as it is; or as a form of flag art are considered unpatriotic. Weird. This bugs the shit out of me. Whether I’ve wrapped my Jew x 4, buck naked ass in a flag, or something else, why does public perception deem me as less patriotic?

    Why does it seem like Born Again Christians (not Christians), have the highest rate of children that skew retardedish? Having read more Born Again blogs, like hundreds, I’ve noticed that each always depicts an over abundance of discerning subtext that to me, reads like, If only I coulda, shoulda, woulda thrown myself down a flight of stairs when I was knocked up. Of course this is hidden under the gushy gushiness about their, not one, not two, at least three blessings (out of 5-10 loin fruit) that drive them mad. But, but, but, they love them oh, sooo much, despite the fact that they each have a panoply of disorders like, MR/ID, Down Syndrome, ADD, ADHD, Turrets, Tic disorders, Elimination Disorders (yes, shitting), Anxiety and mood disorders, and that’s just the tip of that retardoberg. Forgive me for being so retardarific and not realizing how rewarding a twitching, clucking, catch-me-if-you-can, shitting machine can be.

    It’s no secret that I love midget jokes, fat jokes (hey, I’m a Jew x 4 and have been for the past 3-4 years now, I can make fat jokes), Jewish jokes (again, heebarella here), ethnic jokes, retarded jokes, religious jokes; pretty much everyone is fair game, myself included. In fact, I am the brunt of 90% of my jokes.

    All of that being said; midgets hold a special place in my heart for a myriad of reasons. Namely, midgets are bad ass.

    I’ll never forget when I did stand-up at my first Gay Pride event, I saw a black, gay midget (word). He inspired the hell out of me. Talk about overcoming obstacles, he epitomized just that, and with great style, humor and intelligence loved him. I killed that night, and decided that perhaps midget sightings might be good luck for me.

    Over time, whenever something major of concern was happening to me, if I saw a midget, everything worked out. To this day that holds true. If I need to see a doctor for a big test or I’m at the hospital for a medi-crisis, or waiting on test results, I ask my dead dog for a sign that everything will be okay. If I see a midget, a cripple, or someone with an oddly dangling, misshapen, or missing appendage, that’s my sign that everything will be okay. Oh, sorry, I forgot to mention those other things. Oops. Again, I’m enamored with their perseverance. If the roles were reversed, I’m too much of a pussy, I’d shoot myself. Louie Jew knew me well, maybe better than anyone, so he knows what I need to see to know that I will be okay. And, yes, I ask him for a sign, always. When the guy delivered his ashes to me, I knew he was sent by Louie, he had a short misshapen arm.

    The last time I was in the hospital, I was so terrified, too many unexplained things were happening in my body I didn’t know if I’d be walking out. Please, who the fuck walks into a hospital these days thinking they’ll walk out, outside of a body bag and with minimal collateral damage anyway?!

    I digress

    During my last hospistravaganza, about two-hours into sitting in the waiting room, in what felt more like a psych ward, though it was a pleasant disposition Jewish hospital, a beautiful midget strolled by without a leg in a wheelchair. I smiled and said to my ma and my sister, I’m going to be okay, look”, darting my eyes at the dame in the chair and saying, It’s a sign from The Kid.

    You can imagine my heartbreak when I learned that retard and midget were politically incorrect words.

    Kerri sat me down and explained that she had bad news. Oy vey, was I ready for a shit storm of epic proportions. Retard is socially unacceptable; it’s politically incorrect to call someone retarded, especially retarded people, she said.

    I asked, What about crippled retards, they’re exempt, right? Throw me a bone, Ker.”

    Flippantly, Kerri asked, How frequently do you run into crippled retards?

    Funny she should mention that. Recently, I had run into a crippled retard or just a crippled prick. I was walking by, as he was rolling by, and he grabbed my shirt and called me Fat 

    I turned around and said, Stop rolling, criptard. Don’t you fuckin call me fat. At least I can lose weight and walk. What can you do?!

    His response was so flawless, I can roll around and call people names and they can’t do shit to me cause I’m confined to a wheelchair.

    Wheelchair or not, you’re an asshole. I said.

    In my opinion, what he said was so tragically beautiful, “I know, but nobody sees me.

    That made me think.

    We sat at a coffee shop for an hour, laughing our asses off. I even showed him my jacked Lady Balls.

    Masturbation yeah, not really working out for me these days. Not sure if it’s thyroid related or what. If I’m lucky enough to come up with a fantasy, I have to Blackberry it in or I’ll forget what I wanted to spin my yarn about in the hope of achieving, even a sordagasm. Even then it’s impossible. I lose focus and forget what I was fantasizing about. I miss those days of getting in and out of my box in under 10 minutes.

    I think I’m done venting now… Don’t hate me.


  4. Fertility Of Mind

    November 13, 2009 by Katie Schwartz

    I’m in my mid-late thirties.

    Throughout my life, when asked if I wanted to have kids, my response was “I think so. I don’t know. Maybe. I’m still on the fence.

    Though not much has changed, the latter has been, and still is, my default answer. Adoption has always been on the table as a choice, as has the idea of getting knocked up.

    Being raised by a single mother, in my mind, if I want kids, I will have them with or without a man. I never plan to get married again. I had a starter marriage for 5-minutes, it didn’t take. Marriage and weddings make my gums itch, my knees weak and make me breakout in hives. I love and support my friends and family who want to get married and are into weddings. I happily attend, support, you know how you do.

    I want to fall in love again. I want to be in a relationship and live with someone. I think love lasts as long as it’s meant to, and so do relationships. I’m happy to fall in and out of love many times, and have.

    Today, I went to see my doctor (she is great, by the way). The nurse hocked me about my ovum. The conversation went something like this:

    • Nurse (21-years-old): (Snidely/bordering shock), When was your last period. Wait, are you even menstruating?!
    • Katie’s inner thought: Snatcharella, aren’t I little too young for you to be asking me if my ovum have broken out the crates for Shiva? Conversely, is that an appropriate question? I was at a doctor’s office, so, yeah. Right? I mean, right?
    • Katie: I am still menstruating. I am not in menopause.
    • Katie’s inner thought: Even if I was in menopause, why can’t I be fertile in other ways? Why is fertility tied to my worth? Why is a woman’s identity tied to her womb and lactating knockers instead of her mind? (PS: I know, way too deep for a fucking doctor’s appointment. There’s a point, stay with me.)

    As I waited for the doctor, I was so deep inside my head; an earthquake wouldn’t have rattled me. And earthquakes scare the shit out of me. I’m the one screaming at the top of my lungs during tremors.

    Before it wasn’t a sensitive topic; before, it wasn’t something I took issue with; before I was on the precipice of finding out whether or not I am fertile and if this disease has taken that option from me, among others.

    On the third day of my period this month, I will know if I am fertile, womb wise, that is. So, yeah, it’s a sensitive issue. Who knew?!

    Generally speaking, I like options. The idea of not having the option to procreate is suddenly an issue. I didn’t think it would be. Conversely, never once have I felt that I wasn’t pregnant with possibilities. My worth has never been wrapped up in marriage and children. I define my worth. I am fertile with ideas, fertile with hope and possibilities, overflowing in brain ovum, in fact.

    Recently, while talking to a friend of 20-years about fertility, my fertility, she asked me if I regretted having an abortion when I did at 21. I thought what an odd question. How do you correlate the two? So, I asked. I was markedly stunned by her response being the liberal feminist that she is.

    “Katie, if you didn’t have an abortion, you’d have a child. If you can’t have kids, maybe God is punishing you.

    JAW. FLOOR. NAUSEAS.

    Did you just step out of a 1950′s sitcom?! Who are you right now? Are you new?! Have we met?! I have never regretted my abortion or the privilege of having the choice, and I never will. Additionally, what’s with the God punishing me thing? On Yom Kippur after my abortion, I didn’t even mention it in prayer. We’re Jews. Since when have we practiced God guilt? When did you stop being a feminist and why didn’t I get the memo? Grow an untwisted set of ovaries, sister. Wait I’m not done. I was in college. I made the right choice. You supported me then. Why aren’t you lending the same support now?

    Her response is irrelevant. Here’s what isn’t Yes. I’m scared. I don’t know how I’ll react if I am infertile. Shit, I don’t even know if I want kids. Still. I know I want the fucking option. What I am also certain of, is that my fertility has never been ensconced in the recesses of my womb or my disease addled, vintage ovum. If my lady eggs have broken out the crates, I’ll cross that shrouded mirror when the time comes.

    • Nurse: Do you have kids?
    • Katie: No. Do you?
    • Nurse: No. I want them so badly. Do you want kids?
    • Katie: I don’t know. I might not be able to have kids.

    Silence…

    Image courtesy of Creativity of Mind