Steen70's blog

Let's make a list.  What are 20 things in your life that you're grateful for? 
Inspired by wyndslash.vox.com.

My family (this obviously includes S. and Lita); my friends; my good health; my newfound career; my good fortune to be financially, physically, and otherwise able to travel, own a car, buy a home, go to school, etc.; my two awesome internship supervisors that I have this year; my two awesome internship supervisors that I had last year; my height; coffee; beer; wine; Mexican food; margaritas; music; books; our fantastically comfortable king-sized bed; our DVR; Starbucks; the smell of puppy breath; and the chance to make a difference in the world every single day that I work at my internship and/or my job. 

What TV show(s) will you be watching this season? Why? 
Submitted by ducnly.vox.com.

CSI (the original), Grey's Anatomy, Lost (even though it seriously pisses me off now).  S. watches Smallville religiously, and I find it entertaining because it's so much fun to mock.  I think that's about it; I really don't watch that much TV anymore.  I keep meaning to check out some of the new shows, but I keep forgetting.  Meh. 

Is there a friend who you owe a phonecall or email? What's stopping you?

Yes.  Many.  I'll blame my schedule for most of it - working three part-time jobs and going to grad school.  I've also been so anti-social lately that I think I'm kind of afraid to get back into the swing of things.  What if I've forgotten how to hang out and have fun? 

What movie can you quote by heart?
Submitted by clamhead.

Heathers, The Sure Thing, and Sixteen Candles.  I could probably quote most of Office Space and Pretty in Pink, as well ;)

How many languages can you speak?  Which languages can you read or understand?

I took French for about a bajillion years (from fourth grade through junior year of college) and spent my junior year of college in Geneva, Switzerland.  I was close to fluent by the end of that time period.  Now?  I'm not so sure.  I can still understand it pretty well, but I haven't tried to speak it in quite some time. 

I've never taken Spanish, but I can do a decent job of reading it; speaking and understanding it are two entirely different stories.

I took two years of Latin!

Oh, and English. 

Trauma and Recovery: The Aftermath of Violence--from Domestic Abuse to Political Terror

Judith Herman

This book is fascinating, intense, and very difficult to read at times.  Check out this quotation (p. 125) about dissociative identity disorder, formerly known as multiple personality disorder:

In a study by psychiatrist Frank Putnam of 100 patients with the disorder, 97 had histories of major childhood trauma, most commonly sexual abuse, physical abuse, or both.  Extreme sadism and murderous violence were the rule rather than the exception in these dreadful histories.  Almost half of the patients had actually witnessed the violent death of someone close to them. 

Whoa.  It's for reasons like that that society's prejudicial views of homeless and mentally ill adults bother and insult me.  Given the atrocities that many (most!) of these people have lived through, it's a wonder that they're still alive at all.  Society should applaud their resilience and survival skills rather than ridiculing - or worse, ignoring - them.  Think about that quotation the next time you pass a homeless person on the street and try to pretend that he or she doesn't even exist. 

Stepping down off my soapbox now ;)

What was (or is) your favorite subject in school?

In high school, English, biology, and psychology.

In college, psychology (especially social psychology) and art history. 

In grad school, so far my favorite has been my psychopathology class.  I think I'm going to like the trauma class I'm taking this fall, too. 

10. Brent Spiner (Data) coming into the men's room at the Hilton.

9. Ethan Phillips (Neelix) wandering around the Hilton casino all alone.

8. Marc Alaimo (Gul Dukat) outside Benihana's.

7. Walter Koenig (Chekov) outside the celebrity autograph room.

6. Ray Park (Toad in X-Men and Darth Maul in Star Wars) coming into the Hilton.

5. Robert Culp.

4. Boba Fett.

3. Richard Kiel (Jaws from the James Bond films) at the Hilton.

2. Mickie James (former WWE Women's Champion) at Logan Airport.

1. The B-52's, in line behind us at the Las Vegas airport.

What was the last wedding you went to?  Were you in the wedding?

A couple of friends of Steve's got hitched last October, I think - ??  I was not in the wedding.  The reception was held at the Hilltop Steakhouse.  'Nuff said ;)

I will be going to my cousin's wedding in CA next month.  I'm doing something in the wedding, but I'm not quite sure what. 

Do you have any tattoos? If not, if you were going to get inked, what would you get?

I don't have any.  If I were to get one, I might consider a wombat design, like this one:

Wombat

Or I might get a Native American bear symbol, sort of like this:

Native american bear