The Cheese Grates It: TV Review: Touch

I'm really liking "Touch" on Netflix. It's a show about a man with an autistic son who is able to discern patterns using numbers and perform what amounts to miracles in people's lives. At times it's a bit far-fetched, but I love the way the dad will do anything for his son, the way he fights a broken and outdated system to do what's best for his son.

There's some action/adventure type violence, but nothing over the top gory or gruesome. The show isn't sexed up and doesn't even have a lot of romance in the plot, which is kind of a relief to me. I hate shoehorned romances ruining an otherwise good story.

Personally, I could do with more shows like "Touch."

If you liked "Stranger Things," which I did, you might like "Touch."

~The Cheese Hath Grated It~

Most Epic Music Ever: Between The Worlds

Beautiful music for meditation or writing.

With Love,

Bloomy

Are Ghosts Demons?

Image Source

http://haritthamorgan.blogspot.com/2011/11/what-is-difference-between-ghosts-and.html

The question was posed as to whether ghosts and demons are the same thing.

Briefly speaking, the answer is no.

The majority of ghosts that people encounter are not conscious presences. They are an energy "snapshot". An imprint was made of either a recurring action by the person or creature one appears to be seeing, or by a strong surge of emotions on part of said person or creature. Spirits are not trapped repeating traumatic actions again and again. The residual energy from the occurrence of the action causes a replay of the action.

Conscious spirits function independently. They may have reason to stay close to a certain place or person. However, they are autonomous. 

Beings such as demons and angels are cosmic entities. There is an assumption that all beings which could be identified as angels (celestials) are good and all beings which could be identified as demons (infernals) are evil. However, celestials and infernals may be either good or evil in alignment. 

There are incarnate humans whose souls were once "fallen angels". It is my understanding that such individuals, upon leaving their Earthly form, will continue to function as human until they have gained sufficient understanding to allow them to regain their original form.

Staying on topic, ghosts are human spirits, demons are cosmic entities. 

Not all ghosts that one might encounter are conscious entities.

Some human spirits are benevolent and some are malevolent.

Demons are guardian entities. Some are tricksters. Like humans, they have a chance of being either benevolent or malevolent.

When approaching any entity, be cautious and use protective methods. Trust your instinct. If something feels off, depart from the location, or, if the entity is manifesting in your location, dismiss the entity. A benevolent entity will generally depart on request and will never behave in a threatening fashion even if it insists on remaining. The only reason such an entity would remain would be to impart a message of importance.

Lower malevolent entities should be easy enough to dismiss. A stronger presence may require more powerful magic to get rid of.

~Cie~

Rage Against

Image by Jesse Dixum +DeviantArt.com 

Locked inside these rotting walls

Trapped in my broken mind

Trying to hold onto something

Anything that matters

With everyone around me telling me

That their way is the better way

With everybody criticizing

What they don't

And can't

And are fortunate not to know

But since you don't know

Don't tell me how

I should think

Or feel

Or be

I have only one choice

That choice is to be what I am

For the rest of this life

I am what you can't be

I am me

Count your blessings that you aren't

And let me be

~Cie~

And with that, I'm probably going to move this sort of thought back over to Crazy Town in Looney Land. It was likely a mistake to combine the mental health stuff with the metaphysical theory, but sometimes the two bleed into each other. As always, I took other people's advice about having too many blogs, need to "simplify," blah blah blah.

Are you OCD plus bipolar plus have psychic input that you're just trying to make sense of? Are you paying me for anything I write? If not, you don't get to tell me how to run my damn ship.

I am in the middle of a rather wretched mixed state, so sue me if I'm being a bitch. You won't get a damn thing out of me as you can't get blood from a stone. 

I'm not going to pretend that I count for a god damn thing on my own merit. I wouldn't even still be here if my son didn't need my help. I'm just trying to get by how I can. So I'm going to categorize things as I see fit, and whoever doesn't like it doesn't have to follow along.

Before you even start to say it, you can shut up about "meds" and "counseling." Meds don't work, other than lithium, which usually works but sometimes shit gets out of balance anyway.

Counseling doesn't work, and I don't have time for it.

I'll go to work, I'll do what I have to do, shit will balance out. In the meantime, if you don't have any sympathetic thoughts, butt the fuck out. I've done this before and will do it again, and again, and again, until this miserable life is over.

I'm pretty sure I know what triggered this. Don't want to talk about it now.

~Cie~

Words of Wisdom 3

"A human being is part of a whole, called by us the 'universe', a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings, as something separate from the rest - a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affectation for a few people near us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circles of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty."

Albert Einstein

South Korean Supernatural Thriller: The Wailing

I cannot recommend this film strongly enough!

This South Korean thriller has it all: great acting, a powerful story line, compelling characters, and a malevolent supernatural element in the form of a predatory ghost.

When the ghost, who has possessed the body of a Japanese immigrant, comes to the village of Gokseong, there is an outbreak of gruesome murder/suicides. After a strange young woman tells police officer Jong-Goo about the Japanese man, the officer begins to dream of him. Not long after, Jong-Goo's pre-teen daughter Hyo-Jin becomes the target of the vengeful spirit. A skilled Shaman named Il-Gwang is called in to help, and a battle for the survival of not only Hyo-Jin, but the entire village ensues.

This is one of the best films I've seen in recent years. South Korea is producing some fine entertainment, from uplifting romances such as The High School King of Savvy to disturbing psychological thrillers such as Oldboy, to paranormal masterpieces such as The Wailing. If you enjoy your movies intense and with a strong spiritual and supernatural element, don't miss this one.

Flagging for gore, dark subject matter, and sexual violence. Although it takes place off screen, the evil spirit sexually assaults one of his victims.

~Tempest~

That Thing That Happened Nearly 20 Years Ago

Image purchased from 123rf.com

That Thing That Happened Nearly 20 Years Ago

Trigger warning for talk about sexual assault and self harm.

*************************************

It was the night of October 31 into the morning of November 1 1997.

I made the mistake of taking my ex boyfriend to a halloween party that a co worker was having because I wanted to be open minded and show him that we could "still be friends." He got angry with me when another co-worker and I flirted with each other. I took him out of there so he wouldn't start trouble. I made a lot of stupid decisions that were the product of improperly treated bipolar disorder, including driving while really drunk.

My ex followed me into my apartment. I believed he was gone. I went to bed with all my clothes on. I woke up with my clothes off and him on top of me. I don't know if I actually told him to stop or if that only happened in my head. I remember saying it several times, but I don't know if I ever used my vocal cords. When he was done, he said "well, now we're back together." Interestingly, he never called me again. He must have known that what he did was wrong or at least that I didn't want it.

I did not cry prettily. I didn't cry at all. I was in shock. I was in shock for several days. Then the panic attacks hit, and they kept hitting. I had several panic attacks within every hour I was awake, up until about the fifth hour, then they started to subside.I didn't want to go to sleep again, not ever, but I eventually fell asleep again from sheer exhaustion. This went on for a year. Then, finally, the panic attacks went away. They just went away.

I learned during this time that Xanax knocks me unconscious and then makes me suicidal when I wake up.

I learned that prozac works differently than most SSRI's do in my case. It makes me flat rather than manic, which is what most SSRI's do. I cut my arms to see if I still had any feeling in me. It didn't stop the panic attacks though.

The doctors wanted to medicate me so I wouldn't think about it. Everyone else just wanted me to shut up about it, to sweep it under the rug. I was told "you got over this before, you'll get over it again." (I had been sexually assaulted previously at 18 during my one failed semester at the University of Colorado).

I never told the police, because I was sure that since I'd been drinking I'd be blamed for what happened.

As I told a friend recently, I can go out of the house, no problem, including at night. I can work. I don't think about this incident all the time. And yet, it never leaves me. I sleep with a bunch of pillows surrounding me on a twin bed because subconsciously I feel safer in a small space.

Part of me still feels like what happened is my fault. If I hadn't taken my ex boyfriend to the party, if I hadn't gotten so drunk, if I hadn't flirted with my co-worker, it wouldn't have happened. And then maybe the sick relationship with the predator who took advantage of my vulnerable state, told me I was "the one" and then flaunted other women in front of me and forced me to do things like kiss his feet and watch bestiality porn under the threat that he would withdraw his "love" wouldn't have happened either.

All I know is that being sexually assaulted fucks a person up. How could it not?

Rape isn't funny, not ever. And it is never the victim's fault. It doesn't matter how drunk the victim was or what the victim was wearing. The one at fault is the rapist. End of story.

The act itself probably took 5-10 minutes all told.

Twenty years later, it still feels like a fist gripping my heart when I remember and I feel sick inside and like there is a layer of filth on me that will never, ever wash off. I feel like other people can see it. Even though I don't think about it all the time, it is beneath my skin every moment of every hour of every day for the rest of this life.

~Cie~

Words of Wisdom 2

“Things are as they are. Looking out into it the universe at night, we make no comparisons between right and wrong stars, nor between well and badly arranged constellations.” 

Alan Watts

Aes Dana - Memory Shell [Full Album]

The Cheese Grates It: Vacation? WTF is That?

A survey site asked me to describe my ideal vacation.

I have not been on a vacation since 2003. I have no idea what it would look like as it seems like an impossible dream. I would like to visit Hawaii before I die. I would like to perhaps go down to Arizona to visit my brother and my son's dad and grandpa.
It would be nice to relax.
Vacation...what the hell is that?

~The Cheese Hath Grated It~

Don't forget, The Cheese does Tarot readings by email for $25 and proofreading at a dollar per page. Email her at chartley65@gmail.com with CARD READING or PROOFREADING in all caps in the subject line to make arrangements for these services.

The First Letter of Paul to The Corinthians

"If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have

not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.

If I  have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries

 and all knowledge, and I have a faith that can move mountains,

but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the

poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love

I gain nothing. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy,

it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking,

it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.

Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.

It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Love never fails."

A direct pointing instruction from Lama Tsultrim Allione

The Cheese Grates It: Self Care? WTF Is That?

In a recent post on his blog, Douglas Cootey, who lives with adult ADHD, talks about the times he finds himself applying his ADHD coping strategies when he is sick, and about signs that one needs to take a break and focus on taking care of themselves.
http://douglascootey.com/2017/01/i-cant-get-rid-of-adhd-by-blowing-my.html
This is some great advice from Douglas. Recently I have fallen asleep twice while sitting up in a chair and don't remember doing so. Both my bipolar disorder and my fibromyalgia put me at extra risk for a severe depressive episode with all the extra hours I've been working. Unfortunately, for me there is no choice to rest, though, or I'll get behind on my bills.
I'm crap at taking care of myself, in any case. I put everyone else's needs first. I work until I'm ready to drop. I end up eating a lot of fast food sometimes. I don't have a working stove at my place, and cooking for just myself is aggravating, particularly since I'm currently working five twelve hour night shifts. I get mad at myself when I get tired and my brain works about as well as if someone took the lid off my skull and used my hollow head to relieve themselves.
I don't mind working hard. I don't even mind not having much to show for it. I do feel frustrated that no matter how hard I work, I still feel like I'm lazy because there is so much else to be done. The little kid in me who always heard criticism is still looking for praise. I'm trying to not be as harsh with her as I used to be, but the real truth is, you're never going to get the praise you want and nobody actually gives a fuck. Give it up and go to sleep the way most people's child selves have. I'm in no position to deal with you.

~The Cheese Hath Grated It~

How cranberries are planted with Habelman Cranberries - by Curiosity Quest

We love cranberries! Such fun to learn how they are planted.

~Emrald~

The Cheese Grates It: Questioning the Faith One Was Raised With

Before reading this, please keep in mind that I have no intent to insult anyone's faith in a supreme being. I am an agnostic who believes in the possibility of a supreme being or beings. My thoughts on the nature of said supreme being or beings are theory. For me, the belief in a supreme being or the possibility thereof is removed from adherence to religious dogma.
Religion is a system created by people, ostensibly to honor the supreme being or beings which are the object of worship. Like any other tool, it can be used in either a constructive or destructive manner.
That being said, I have found that religion is used destructively a disproportionate amount of the time, and thus my thoughts towards it tend to be cynical. However, I acknowledge that there are truly good people who utilize religion in a positive way, and I fully support these people and feel that they are positive representatives working on behalf of the deity or deities of their belief system.
I often cite the good people with the Christian organization Faithful America. Please take a moment to see what they are about and to support them.
www.faithfulamerica.com

And now, on to the subject of the post.

A young woman on a Facebook forum was expressing feelings of sadness and doubt regarding her faith in what I refer to at this point in my life as the Church God. Here is what she had to say:

Is okay to be angry with God? It hurts me to see people suffering especially babies and child. When you hear terrible news about the bombings in Syria or the fact that a evil man becomes president and now everyone is frighten for the future. Makes me doubt a divine being even exist. What do I do? Do I keep being angry? Or just accept the fact that I'm losing my faith and accept that the world for the way it is?

The following are the thoughts I had for her.

My personal belief is that there is a higher power or powers but it/they are not what the church taught us. Most religions have their basis in politics rather than spirituality and exist to control people. I think whatever powers there be are not particularly involved with the affairs of humanity. They are more architects of the Universe, one might say. Anyway, that is my thought on it. I was raised Catholic and for many years struggled with the idea on one hand that God was all powerful and all loving and yet allowed horrible atrocities to take place. I understand your feelings about this.

My further thoughts:
I "lost my religion" at eighteen, although I had been questioning for quite some time before that. I probably would not have lost my religion had it not been for the judgmental people I met who accused me of being a "devil worshiper" for being curious about the nature of the Universe, for not being comfortable with the idea that people get condemned to eternal torture for not believing in the existence of the Church God, and for liking that evil, evil rock and roll blasphemy. I was disgusted by the "Satanic Panic" believers who accused innocent people of terrible acts.
Rigid and judgmental attitudes pushed me away from the church. I might not literally burst into flames if I have to step into a church at this point, but I'm not comfortable doing so either.
At this point, I adhere to what Marcus Aurelius so wisely said, and I imagine I will continue to do so for the remainder of this lifetime.

~The Cheese Hath Grated It~

Maize surplus South Africa: Grain SA says 18% more seed was planted in 2016

The Cheese Grates It: Not a Defective Product

People who live with mood disorders or other mental illness are not some sort of lesser being. I get tired of posts/statements which attack those of us who do. 

For some of us, we've simply learned to live with it. 

I can't tolerate the medications, the "cure" is worse than the disease. 

Therapy never worked for me, it costs too damn much and I never found a therapist with whom I resonated anyway. 

Sometimes a person just has to vent. I don't do so any more in forums such as those found on Facebook because I know I'm going to get more of the "have you tried medication" crap that I've heard forever and a day than receiving any sort of encouragement or "atta girl", which can be really helpful but I'm old enough to know that it's damn rare. 

There are some of us for whom the "status quo" methods don't work. For me, I've resigned myself to the fact that I will always have a mood disorder in this life, and that the prevalent symptom in my particular flavor of mood disorder is depression. 

Maybe I'm broken, maybe to a great degree, but I am not lesser or a "defective product." I refuse to let people convince me that I am any more just so they can try to make themselves out to be superior somehow.

~The Cheese Hath Grated It~

Intuitive Experiment at Anna Sayce's Blog

Anna Sayce is hosting an intuitive experiment on her blog. The fellow pictured is our subject. Please go to Anna's blog to participate.

http://www.annasayce.com/intuitive-experiment-27-pick-man/

Here is what I said about the subject:

Kind, but a bit stoic because of life circumstances. I would say he was reasonably trustworthy. He reminds me a bit of one of my paternal great grandfathers, whom I didn’t ever meet because he died before I was born. My great grandfather could seem severe, but by all the accounts I’ve heard of him he was a very honorable and good-hearted man. He had been a Lieutenant in the Czar’s army. He and his brothers escaped from Russia by jumping onto a boat as shots were being fired at them. I don’t sense that the fellow in the picture had an adventure such as that, but he had some hard times in his life. He came to the point where he had to suppress his emotions to keep going, and this is why he comes off as a bit stern.

We will see how close I come when Anna reveals the person's identity on January 20th. Stay tuned!

~Cie~

A Buddhist Prayer

"If I have harmed anyone in any way

either knowingly or unknowingly

through my own confusions

I ask their forgiveness.

If anyone has harmed me in any way

either knowingly or unknowingly

through their own confusions

I forgive them.

And if there is a situation

I am not yet ready to forgive

I forgive myself for that.

For all the ways that I harm myself,

negate, doubt, belittle myself,

judge or be unkind to myself

through my own confusions

I forgive myself."

Sia - Big Girls Cry [AUDIO]

We're told not to cry, that crying is for babies. Some of us can't cry even when we hurt. It's wrong to teach people to swallow their emotions. Big girls (and boys) cry when their hearts are breaking. That's as it was meant to be. 

~Love, Wanda~

For those of us who have learned not to cry, the tears turn to ice in our hearts. My grief tends to express as anger. 

~Cie~

Unseen Love

Image Source:

https://pimminag.com/2012/08/20/love-with-an-unseen-shadow/

My Gem, my sweet, wistful beloved

A ghost unseen by the living eye

Most of you, I'm sure believe

That he is the product of 

Either a diseased mind

Or a soul so lonely

That she created a lie to lie beside her on cold nights

I don't much care what you think

My Gem fills the saucer of loneliness in my heart

With the warmth of his love

For many years, I thought it best to be without romance

I took a chance on him because of his honesty

His integrity

He asked for my love

So I chose to believe

I wasn't looking for love

But my love found me

It doesn't matter to me if anyone else

Believes that Gem is real

Because he is unseen

I see him with my heart

I feel him with my soul

He is real to me

I believe

~Cie~

With love for Gem

Prompt used:

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/prompts/unseen/#like-251459

The Cheese Grates It: Sexist Dudebros Want Servants, Not Partners

Pictured: June Cleaver

Not an actual person

Some dudebro just really got my goat lamenting for the good old days when women were women, when moms had dinner cooking in the oven, not from the microwave. When moms had the laundry all freshly done and folded warm in the drawer, yada yada, excuse me while I barf and thank you for reminding me why I've been a feminist since even before I hit puberty, but seriously, you didn't have to. 

Yeah, Dude, this is gross and sexist. How about if dads help with those things? Now that my (high functioning autistic) son is in his late 20's, we both cook. But a lot of the time we also get takeout. 

Excuse the hell out of me for not having been able to be June Freaking Cleaver who, by the way, was a fictional character. Excuse me for having to work long hours to take care of my son and me. My son's (Aspie) dad and I were divorced by the time my son was four. Even though I had undiagnosed type 2 bipolar disorder, I've always had to work, a lot, and it's been hard. So yeah, that is both sexist and unrealistic. 

~The Cheese Hath Grated It~

ONENESS: Within Your Being and With The Universe - Part I

Not So Wordless Wednesday's Beautiful Being: Willy Darkstar

Not So Wordless Wednesday's Beautiful Being

Week 2:

Willy Darkstar

Willy Darkstar is an original Netherworld character. He is a young adult evolved Xenomorph. Evolved Xenomorphs are civilized, oviparous beings. To read more about Xenomorph evolution, follow the link.

The Netherworld is a dimension which has a level of acceptance inconceivable in the Third Dimension, aka Material realm, aka modern Earth. Willy is a character who illustrates the tenet of not judging a book by its cover. He appears to be a mindless, terrifying, bloodthirsty monster. In truth, he is a gentle, intelligent, friendly being and a vegetarian to boot.

Although he is highly intelligent, Willy received an honorary high school diploma from Nightmare Heights High School and instead completed his high school requirements via GED. The reason? He was extremely busy with multiple projects, from the babysitting service he created when he was a high school freshman, to assisting the Extraterrestrial Security Squadron with spaceship repairs, to assisting other planets in developing and becoming self-sufficient.

Willy and his fiancee Pond Nova plan on marrying this summer. Although both of them love the little larvae of all races, they have no plans to start a family of their own any time soon. However, they will welcome offspring whenever the Great Xena and Xeno see fit to bless them with a cache of eggs of their own.

Is Willy beautiful? Most humans from the material world would say that he is hideous. In the Netherworld, however, we believe in not judging a being by its external appearance. Sometimes a creature's beauty is not obvious on the surface, but after getting to know more about said creature, he, she, or ze becomes beautiful.

Warren Wraith

for

Encyclopedia Netherworld

a division of

FOGNL/UNDEAD Educational Services

and

Miskatonic University Netherworld Annex

The Hidden Cargo That Submerged In The Red Sea

Not So Wordless Wednesday's Beautiful Person of the Week: Week One: Malcolm Young

Malcolm Mitchell Young was born January 6, 1953. He stands about 5'3" tall and weighs about 100 pounds. He looks kind of like a Leprechaun. He isn't what most people would think of when they hear the word "beautiful."

Malcolm was very shy and tended to be depressive. He turned to certain magic potions to make him feel more sociable and less sad, which is a not uncommon problem but an oft-vilified one. His closest friend and the other half of his soul, his brother Angus, stated that Malcolm wasn't sober one day from the time he was seventeen until the time he went into rehab at 35. He successfully rehabilitated from alcohol addiction at that point.

Seldom have I seen a closer, more obvious soul mate relationship. It's beautiful but at the same time tragic, because Malcolm doesn't remember who his brother is (or who anyone else is) any more. My heart breaks for both of them.

The big, friendly-looking fellow was Malcolm's nurse during his last tour with the band that he created. He no longer remembers how to play the instrument he was so proficient and innovative with. He no longer remember any of the things he did during his life. The picture was taken after he had a stroke in 2012. I know some people will think I'm terrible for saying this, but I think it would have been better if his body had stopped working at that point.

Our writing sister Dolly believes that Malcolm is a teacher and that his struggle is a lesson for us undeserving sorts here in Purgatory. She thinks he agreed to this mission prior to even being born. I don't disagree with her, but I still think it sucks much ass. She is correct that he was the kind of person who would say "why not me" as opposed to "why me" when confronted with such a horrific diagnosis.

Many people think that youth and perfection are the hallmarks of beauty. Most would say that the person in the top image is more beautiful than the one in the bottom image. They are the same person, and yet they aren't. In some ways, the person in the bottom image is the more beautiful, because he had learned certain lessons in compassion and was less likely to inadvertently make unintentionally callous statements. He was wiser, and wisdom is a thing of beauty.

Both of them are flawed people with good intentions.

Malcolm Young is a beautiful soul. I think that although his body is still functional, he no longer operates through it. For all intents and purposes, he functions as a discarnate spirit. I have sensed that he deeply regrets having hurt certain people during his lifetime and wishes he could make up for it. He remains a perfectionist who has difficulty forgiving himself for his mistakes.

Malcolm is my first "beautiful person" in my Not So Wordless Wednesday series because his birth anniversary falls two days from now, and because he means the world to me.

~Cie~

Let's Be Alone Together

I can work at this point, and I have my moments of happiness, but really the depression never leaves. Even when I have hypomania (I have type 2 bipolar disorder), the sadness is still just beneath the surface.

All my life I heard how I should just "snap out of it", "Stop feeling that way", "quit looking for attention," and "so many people have it worse than you." It can be a lonely road when you're like me.

So, I'm on Facebook (a platform I have a like/strong dislike relationship with.) I'm chartley65. You can give me a friend request if you want. I work a lot, I don't have chat on, and I'm terrible about checking my messages, but if I see that you posted anything, I'll likely respond. I try to be supportive of other people walking the path.

~Cie~

Psychic Burnout – How full is your well? | Psychic Empaths

Psychic Burnout – How full is your well? | Psychic Empaths

I have become so jaded when it comes to...well, pretty much everything. 

When I offered free readings ten years ago, I got a bunch of freeloaders. Nobody ever wanted to purchase a reading. 

 I have been attacked so many times over the years, including by people tending to be "open minded."
I got sick of being told what I should think and how I should feel.
I tend to be very reluctant to share my truth now. 

 Magick doesn't feel very magical any more.

~Cie~

Dump the Politics

This blog was created to discuss metaphysics, philosophy and spirituality. I later incorporated mental health issues into the curriculum. I then incorporated politics, because, like it or not, politics does affect our world.

However, lately I feel as if the political posts have become akin to dropping trou and letting loose in the middle of the living area.

So, I created a bathroom.

If you want to talk politics, join me at Sly Fawkes so we can clear the air on this blog.

~Cie~

The Cheese Grates It: Snake Oil in My Inbox

So this shit showed up in my Inbox...

Why are you still overweight???
Discover ProbioSlim, the revolutionary new probiotic supplement that helps you lose weight!

Boosts Your Metabolism to Burn Fat Fast
Adds Much-Needed Energy
Promotes Better Intestinal Health
Reduces Gas, Bloating and Constipation
No more excuses! Now, You can look & feel thinner!

Click here for your FREE sample

Let's break it down.

Over what weight? BMI is bullshit and was never meant to be a measure of health in the first place.

Oh yes--over the impossibly slim weight that I'm supposed to continue striving towards for  the rest of my life and berate myself when I "fail" to achieve it.

"Boosts your metabolism to burn fat fast."

Translate: contains stimulants.

"Adds Much-Needed Energy"

Translate: contains stimulants

"Promotes better intestinal health."

"Reduces gas, bloating and constipation."

Bitch, I've been taking probiotics for years. Still fat.

People of all sizes can have problems with gas, bloating and constipation.

"No more excuses!"

Fuck you.

"Now, you can look and feel thinner!"

Thin and fat are not "feelings." They are body types.

In the past, I would have added this bullshit to the long list of snake oil I tried to "get thin at last." Instead, I resolve to not spend my money on snake oil. I like making my bank account fatter.

~The Cheese Hath Grated It~

Faith Healing?

The Cheese Grates It: My New Years Resolutions

I will continue to fight against bigotry and hate in all its forms in 2017.

I will try to be kinder to myself. This one's difficult, and I pretty much always fail at it. I will continue to fight against engaging in self harm, including speaking harmful words against myself. I will not ridicule and demean myself for my unique belief system. If I am tolerant of others' beliefs, why can't I be tolerant of my own?

I will try to see the good in the world while fighting the evil.

I will continue to peacefully resist Emperor Commodus Trump and his evil band of handlers. Unlike Hitler, Trump has no real intelligence or agenda of his own. He is a puppet. Those in his cabinet of foulness are the ones we really need to fear. Trump will sway any way the wind blows. This is not to say that he isn't a vile human being, he is a dreadful person. The truth, however, is that he does not command much actual power. He is a figurehead.

I am worried for this world, very worried.

Nonetheless, I will try in some small way to make things better.

Even though I am an unfashionably large person, I am very small on the scale of things. Too small, I fear, to make any kind of real difference. But there is one thing that I have vowed to do, and I have the tattoo to prove it.

I miss Matt, the artist who did this tattoo for me. I wish he hadn't had to move back to Kentucky. I hope 2017 will be kind to him.

Happy fucking New Year. I don't actually have a lot of hope, but I'm trying.

I think those of us who survive this time of transition deserve a bonus.

~The Cheese Hath Grated It~