Today In "Are You Fucking Kidding Me?"

At last night's Republican Presidential debate, a question was asked by Stephen Hill, a gay soldier serving in Iraq.  At the time his question was submitted via YouTube, he would have had to have asked it anonymously.  However, since the repeal of Don't Ask Don't Tell went into effect on Tuesday, Hill is now able to serve openly.

He asked, "Under one of your presidencies, do you plan to circumvent the progress that has been made for gay and lesbian soldiers in the military?"

Listen to the reaction from some members of the crowd:



Of course the question went to Rick Santorum, who by far spews the most anti-gay rhetoric of all of the GOP candidates.  He said that "any type of sexual activity has no place in the military", which is true, but has absolutely nothing to do with allowing gays and lesbians to serve openly.  This is the man that said that gay marriage would lead to "man on dog" relationships.  In his mind, the repeal of DADT is an anal rape free-for-all in the barrack's showers.

What's worse?  Not one of the candidates spoke up to defend the soldier.  I don't care if you disagree with someone's lifestyle.  I don't care if you disagree with the policies of this administration.  I don't care if you disagree with the concept of war or the reasons why we are currently in the Middle East.  YOU DO NOT BOO A SOLDIER.  PERIOD.  Those men and women are risking their lives every day, doing a job that most Americans are unwilling to do.  What a vile thing to do.

Well, at least this time the crowd wasn't shouting to let the uninsured die:

After 31 Years, R.E.M. Call It A Day

It is a sad day that was inevitable, I guess.

In a statement issued on the band's website, singer Michael Stipe said:

"A wise man once said--'the skill in attending a party is knowing when it's time to leave.' We built something extraordinary together. We did this thing. And now we're going to walk away from it. 

"I hope our fans realize this wasn't an easy decision; but all things must end, and we wanted to do it right, to do it our way. 

"We have to thank all the people who helped us be R.E.M. for these 31 years; our deepest gratitude to those who allowed us to do this. It's been amazing." 

My favorite memory of R.E.M. was in January of 1993.  MTV was producing a concert celebrating the inauguration of Bill Clinton, and a band called Automatic Baby took the stage.  It was Michael Stipe and Mike Mills of R.E.M., along with Larry Mullen Jr. and Adam Clayton of U2.  At the time each band had an album out.  R.E.M. with 'Automatic for the People', and U2 with 'Achtung Baby'. (Get it? Automatic Baby?)  They performed an acoustic rendition of 'One' that, to this day, is easily the best version of the song I have ever heard.




They told us that "It gets better", 18 years before It Gets Better:



R.E.M. will leave a legacy as one of the most prolific and influential American bands of the 20th century.    It's hard not to turn on the radio today and hear a little bit of their songwriting style permeate it's way through modern music.  From contemporary country to Radiohead, R.E.M.'s style has become commonplace to the world.  It's unavoidable.  From Nirvana to The White Stripes, R.E.M. has set the model as the American rock band.  They will be missed.

Video: Could You Possibly Think Of A Better Morning?

From Norwegian banker, DnB NOR.



The ad translates:

"Some people are lucky in life.  For the rest of us, saving up can be smart."

No kidding.

We Can Rebuild Him...

Seriously, though.  When talking to my surgeon's assistant prior to the first surgery last week, he estimated that between the three procedures, and a combined six months of follow up appointments involved, their office would likely be billing my insurance provider somewhere in the ballpark of $2 million this year.  He said that they would probably only receive $250-300k of that.  But still.

Steve Austin doesn't seem that special in 2011.

And.....This Sucks

Things aren't progressing exactly as planned. My surgery yesterday was almost 8 hours instead of 4. My pain level continues to increase. I am numb on my left side, with no way of even knowing if I'm holding anything in my left hand.

I was supposed to be up and walking today. I was able to get to the door without passing out. That's as far as I could get. The catheter is still in. I'm so hopped up on pain meds that I'm loopy. It looks like I may be going to a physical rehab facility for a few days before home.

When I am not flat on my back, I will go into more details.

Still Here...

Surgery went well this morning, though it was slightly awkward to have my lower back and "bikini line" shaved by an older nurse. Guess it's a good thing I got that tramp stamp laser removed last year. Now, I have been flat on my back since noon.

I am in so much pain, (front, back and middle), that I am nearly passing out. I am on an automatic delivery system for Dilaudid every ten minutes, and have had absolutely no relief. They can't figure out why I'm in so much pain.

Surgery number two is at 8AM tomorrow.

Tweet Of The Day

I just realized...this was when I became an Atheist.

Goodnight.

Blackout...

So Long. Farewell. Auf Wiedersehen. Good Night.

Things will be quiet at "The Twitch" for the next week or so.  Since I will be hospitalized, I will not be doing much in the way of posting.

I will do my best to at least do a quick post so that you know that things are well.  I will have Wi-Fi access in my hospital room, but will likely be sedated until Wednesday or Thursday.  If I am unable to get onto my laptop, I will at least update my Facebook status through my cell phone.

If all else fails, my wife will update things for me.

Thank you for your thoughts and well wishes.

Adam

If you would like to "friend" me on Facebook, you can reach me at www.Facebook.com/thetwitchonline.

Update: Surgery Rescheduled - I'm Going Under Tomorrow

Messy.  Confusing.  Hectic.  Such has been my life in the last 72 hours.

I was scheduled to have surgery on my spine next Monday, the 19th.  It was supposed to be in West Phoenix, more than 90 minutes from where my wife is now working, and where my daughter is being taken care of during the day.  The hospital is supposedly top of the line, but designed for same day surgeries.  I was scheduled for a 5-7 day stay.  The hospital was so far away, I was expecting no visitors, and the hospital had no internet access for patients!!  In 2011?!  FML.  Needless to say, I was not looking forward to my stay.

I received a phone call on Thursday morning from my surgeon's office.  He had a last minute cancellation for a surgery this Monday morning.  Considering the recent complications I have been experiencing, and the major inconvenience the location of the other hospital would pose upon my family, he was offering me the first chance to take the place for the cancellation.

Mashup Monday - 'Folsom Prison Gangsta'z' (Sunday Edition)

In today's edition of "Mashup Monday", we have a tale of two men that were considered outsiders during their respective times.  Separately, they were the cornerstones of their musical genres.  Together, they make a damn good tune.  Take one part Johnny Cash, one part Eazy-E, and you get 'Folsom Prison Gangsta'z'.



Individual tracks:

Johnny Cash - 'Folsom Prison Blues'
Eazy-E - 'Luv 4 Dem Gangsta'z'

Video: State Farm's 'Empire State Of Mind' (Remembering 9/11)

Today State Farm is debuting a heartwarming new commercial.  Directed by acclaimed New York City director Spike Lee, it features nearly 150 NYC area schoolchildren between the ages of 8 and 11.  They walk throughout the city, stopping at four firehouses along the way, singing 'Empire State of Mind'.  It's an extremely touching tribute to the city of New York, and to those that risked, and lost, their lives to save others ten years ago.

Grab a tissue.



For those who were wondering, many of the kids in the video were part of the PS22 Chorus at one time.

Sunday Confessional: How 9/11 Changed Me

This is the third year in which this article has been posted.  It was the first story published on "The Daily Twitch".

Growing up as a Jehovah's Witness, I was always told that it was wrong to salute the flag. I wasn't allowed to say the Pledge of Allegiance. I had to remain seated for the National Anthem. It's not that I had been intentionally disrespecting or desecrating the flag as a child. My parents never instilled in me the reasons why the symbols of our country, and the flag in particular, should be respected.

You can imagine the uncomfortable situations I had found myself in growing up. In the classroom everyday for years. At school assemblies. At sporting events. Countless dirty looks. People making comments under their breath. Even the occasional thwack to the back of the head with the words, "What's wrong with you? You a Commie or somethin? Stand up boy".

In my younger days, I saw it as an opportunity to "witness". To share my beliefs with others.  I would tell them that I wasn't standing because my religion wouldn't permit me to. Usually, that would be as far as I got. The offended spectator would turn a more enraged shade of red and that would be my que to face forward for the rest of the event and not make eye contact with anyone for the next 3 hours.

As I got older, I got wiser. I realized that by being in my seats during the National Anthem, I was only asking for trouble. So, I would generally take that time of the pre-game to go to the bathroom or grab a drink or a souvenir. Most times, I would just intentionally show up late to a game - skip the first 2 minutes of the period or the top half of the first inning altogether.

So how does this tie in to 9/11? I'll get to that in a second. But first: February 13, 1983. The Forum, Irvine, California. It was the NBA All Star Game. For some reason my dad was watching it on TV. I never remember him being much of a basketball fan. I've never been much of one either. But something special happened that night. The time came for the National Anthem. This is what we saw:




It gave me chills. As a 7 year old, I didn't know why. I had a feeling then that I couldn't put into words, that I wouldn't feel again until 18 years later. I left the church in 1996, but, out of habit I guess, continued my "tradition" of not standing for the National Anthem.

Then came September 11th, 2001. It's a day that, 8 years later, I still think about on a daily basis. We all tend to re-live the shots of the people running in the streets, the towers falling, and the planes hitting the towers. Today though, I had a different memory for the first time. I remembered the firefighters going into Ground Zero to tie an American Flag onto a beam of the World Trade Center. This was still while the area was unsafe. There was still a possibility of the surrounding buildings collapsing. It was their way of saying "We're still here. We're still standing".

When I saw that flag amongst the rubble, that feeling I first felt as a 7 year old had returned. It was pride. The flag reminded me of the anthem's lyrics itself: "Gave proof through the night, That our flag was still there, O say does that Star Spangled Banner yet wave, O'er the land of the free, And the home of the brave". It waved over many a brave volunteer in the days and weeks following the attacks.

September 10, 2001, was the last day I refused to sit for the National Anthem. Since the events of 9/11, not only do I show my respect to my nation and its flag, but I sing along with the Star Spangled Banner, and get choked up at the end. Every time.

Video: Herman Cain's 9/11 Tribute

Yesterday, Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain posted a tribute to the victims of 9/11 on his YouTube page.  It is, to say the least, insulting.  In the clip, Cain is singing 'God Bless America', while footage of planes hitting the towers of the World Trade Center are shown.  His backing track?  Screams.  The video ends with the words:

"WE MUST NEVER, NEVER, NEVER, NEVER FORGET - HERMAN CAIN - 09-11-11"


A quadruple negative?  This is someone that wants to be the President of the United States of America.  The video was paid for by "The Friends of Herman Cain", and ends with "Herman Cain - President 2012, hermancain.com".  So yes, this is technically a campaign ad.



Fucking disgusting.

Video: Rare Michael Jackson 'I'll Be There' Pepsi Commercial (1992)

I was searching YouTube for something yesterday, and stumbled upon a Pepsi commercial that I had never seen before.  Apparently, it never aired within the United States.  It aired in 1992, and features Michael Jackson playing a piano, singing the Jackson 5 hit, 'I'll Be There'.  A younger version of Michael enters the room, and the two sing a duet of the classic tune.



Very nice.