Brooke's blog

MS Walk 2009!

I know, I hardly ever post here. But I've spent the last few months up to my ears in readings and writing. I am currently avoiding writing about a Dickens novel! I am also avoiding thinking about Berkeley, which releases admissions decisions for transfer students in about two weeks. Having wanted to go there since I was, oh, eight or so, this is a big deal. So what do I do? Get insanely busy!

Here's how you can help avoid my own madness, help a great cause, AND win awesome hand knit or crocheted stuff!

The MS Walk is in just one week! If you can help support my fundraising with five, ten, twenty-five dollars, or any amount at all, I encourage you to do so! To help encourage people in a time when money is tight for many, I've decided to try some incentives!

If you donate at least $10, you can win classic beanie in red and dark blue stripes. If you donate $25 or more, you can win a custom hat. (I flatter myself to say I can do just about any type of hat you want--knit or crocheted, any style!) If you decide you really want to help, or you just really like the incentive, and donate $100 or more, you can win a pair of hand-knit socks. Socks? I know, but trust me, I list just a few of the reasons you REALLY want handknit socks here on my crafting blog, with details on the incentives:
http://russia-moore.blogspot.com/2009/03/ms-walk-fund-raising-09.html

Remember, the National Multiple Sclerosis Society is dedicated to ending the devastating effects of MS but they can't do it without our help. It's faster and easier than ever to support this cause that's so important to me--and get awesome stuff as a reward!. Just go here: tinyurl.com/mswalkbrooke

Any amount, great or small, helps to make a difference in the lives of people with MS. I appreciate your support, and look forward to knitting something special for you :)

On Politics and the constitution.

As I rode the bus today I noticed a large number of "Yes on 8" signs. For those of you not in California, Proposition eight would define marriage as between one man and one woman in the state's constitution. Now, I disagree with this on a few levels. The first one that came to mind was that I have friends who are gay and I'd like for them to be able to marry. I think it is hateful to ban a group from being able to marry. This evolved into the reasoning that everyone should be granted the same rights and freedoms under the constitution. Then I started thinking about the constitutional amendments. I thought about how they give freedom of religion, and equal protection under the law. I thought about how the very ideas of this country were supposed to be liberty, freedom, rights. I thought about how the founding documents, the highest law of the land, say that all are equal, all have basic rights. And then I got really, really angry. By banning a group from marrying, you not only lessen their worth as people, but you deny them the right that they are given by the very ideas that are supposed to be the foundation of this country. By banning them you go against the 14th amendment. By arguing it is God's will you deny not only them but everyone who is of a different belief from you the right to freedom of religion "and the exercise thereof." By thus going against the federal constitution, you weaken the document, weaken the government. You also go directly against the beliefs you proclaim to uphold, the beliefs and standards I am told make this country better than others, that set it apart, that made it a standard bearer in times past and continue to give hope to those in countries that openly deny basic rights and freedoms. You are not being patriotic. You are not merely expressing your opinion. Do so by not attending same-sex weddings, by not marrying a same sex couple in your church. This is allowed. You already may not deny someone employment or the right to vote for their sexual orientation or gender preference, so the fact that you would be "forced" to recognize a same-sex marriage in the state of California hardly seems shocking. But by voting so judgmentally and without thought you make yourself a hypocrite when you tell me that this country is free, that we are better than others. You work directly against the United States' constitution and the founding ideals we are all taught in school before it is legal to leave school. You deny your education, and limit your own rights. When the next patriotic holiday comes, will you be able to look me in the eye when you say that this country is great, that it is free? Will you mean it knowingly, will you mean it with thought and reflection? Or will you merely repeat the words you hear from others' lips in a pantomime of patriotism?

MS Walk Post

When my step-mum was 33 years old she died. She had been sick for a long time, going from a healthy young woman to needing a wheelchair and barely being able to take care of herself. She had Multiple Sclerosis, a surprisingly common illness that usually isn't fatal but can be debilitating. Most people diagnosed with MS are women between 20 and 50 years old. The cause is unknown. What MS does is makes the body's immune system attack cells protecting nerve fibers as though they were foreign invaders, such as bacteria. The result is that the "messages" from the brain to other parts of the body (or vice versa) don't always get there on time or properly worded.

There is no known cure for MS. The National MS Society spends millions of dollars every year researching the disease, treatments, and looking for a cure. They also have educational and supportive programs. Every year they have a fundraising walk, usually in April or May. This year I'm walking in one on May 4th--this Sunday! My personal goal is to raise $350, and my team (led by the new wife of a man with MS) wants to raise $7,500.

Even the smallest amount helps. Be it $5 or $500, the money goes directly to research and education. Last year my younger sisters donated change from their piggy banks! If you would like to help in some way, visit my page by clicking here. For more information on MS or the research the MS Society does, visit their site by clicking here.

Thank you.

More music

Newest music obsession:

Rasputina. Or rather, Hunter's Kiss by Rasputina. I'm not crazy about all of their music, but I love this song.

18 Hunter's Kiss

Rasputina

Nice and steampunk-y, Fixies!

Books, books

Below are the instructions:

1. Grab your nearest book.

2. Open the book to page 123.

3. Find the fifth sentence.

4. Post the text of the next 3 sentences on your blog along with these instructions.

5. Tag 5 different people.

So, um, my books are all packed (and I'm going through withdrawal), so the nearest book is a German text book :P That one's not interesting enough (it's in English). So I'll get my old timey Jane Austen book out and hope it doesn't fall apart as I type. From Sense and Sensibility (this edition circa 1940-something):

But her curiosity was unavailing, for no farther notice was taken of Mr. Ferrar's name by Miss Steele when alluded to or even openly mentioned by Sir John.

(next chapter, same page)

    Marianne, who had never much toleration for anything like impertinence, vulgarity, inferiority of parts, or even difference of taste from herself,was at this time particularly ill-disposed, from the state of her spirits, to be pleased with the Miss Steeles, or to encourage their advances; and to the invariable coldness of her behavior towards them, which checked every endeavour of intimacy on their side, Elinor principally attributed that preference of herself which soon became evident in the manners of both, but especially of Lucy, who missed no opportunity of engaging her in conversation, or of striving to improve their acquaintance by an easy and frank communication of her sentiments.

Okay, these sentences really should be enough. My fingers hurt :P I tag... anyone who hasn't read this yet :P

Happy Birthday FLAMES

Oh my sweet Aunt Sally, Two birthdays around these parts in two days?

Time for a "what happens when Schwester and Russia are left alone too long" video!

(This was the birthday cake from Schwester's 17th birthday. The roommate had seen the leftover cake that evening and taken it to her room to finish off. We rescued it. And set it aflame. (All the while telling Alexander that this was horribly dangerous and fire is not a toy and that he was forbidden to ever try this without us--but that we'd be glad to do it again...)

Mostly I think we wanted to see if we could do it. We had glasses of water all over... just in case.

Happy Birthday Annie! Happy (belated) Birthday Fixies!

2008 MS Walk

Just signed up for the 2008 Walk.

If anyone would like to donate to the cause, I'd be more than happy to accept said donations :)

For anyone who hasn't heard before, my first step-mum died of MS(/complications of the disease) before she reached 40. Another friend of mine (and Dakota's and Quin's) has the disease and waivers between being fine and barely walking. The leader of my team is the new wife of Dakota's Dad's good friend from middle school, who has MS.

Here's a bunch of info from the National MS Society:

MS is thought to be an autoimmune disease that affects the central nervous system (CNS). The CNS consists of the brain, spinal cord, and the optic nerves. Surrounding and protecting the nerve fibers of the CNS is a fatty tissue called myelin, which helps nerve fibers conduct electrical impulses.

In MS, myelin is lost in multiple areas, leaving scar tissue called sclerosis. These damaged areas are also known as plaques or lesions. Sometimes the nerve fiber itself is damaged or broken.

Myelin not only protects nerve fibers, but makes their job possible. When myelin or the nerve fiber is destroyed or damaged, the ability of the nerves to conduct electrical impulses to and from the brain is disrupted, and this produces the various symptoms of MS.

Anyone may develop MS, but there are some patterns.

    * Most people with MS are diagnosed between the ages of 20 and 50.
    * Twice as many women as men have MS.
    * Studies indicate that genetic factors make certain individuals more susceptible than others, but there is no evidence that MS is directly inherited.
    * MS occurs more commonly among people with northern European ancestry, but people of African, Asian, and Hispanic backgrounds are not immune.

Approximately 400,000 Americans acknowledge having MS, and every week about 200 people are diagnosed. Worldwide, MS may affect 2.5 million individuals.

While the exact cause of MS is unknown, most researchers believe that the damage to myelin results from an abnormal response by the body’s immune system. Normally, the immune system defends the body against foreign invaders such as viruses or bacteria. In autoimmune diseases, the body attacks its own tissue. It is believed that MS is an autoimmune disease. In the case of MS, myelin is attacked.

Scientists do not yet know what triggers the immune system to do this. Most agree that several factors are involved, including:

    * Genetics
    * Gender
    * Environmental Triggers
      [Possibilities include viruses, trauma, and
      heavy metals ( toxicology)]

Just signed up for the 2008 Walk.

If anyone would like to donate to the cause, I'd be more than happy to accept said donations :)

For anyone who hasn't heard before, my first step-mum died of MS(/complications of the disease) before she reached 40. Another friend of mine (and Dakota's and Quin's) has the disease and waivers between being fine and barely walking. The leader of my team is the new wife of Dakota's Dad's good friend from middle school, who has MS.

Here's a bunch of info from the National MS Society:

MS is thought to be an autoimmune disease that affects the central nervous system (CNS). The CNS consists of the brain, spinal cord, and the optic nerves. Surrounding and protecting the nerve fibers of the CNS is a fatty tissue called myelin, which helps nerve fibers conduct electrical impulses.

In MS, myelin is lost in multiple areas, leaving scar tissue called sclerosis. These damaged areas are also known as plaques or lesions. Sometimes the nerve fiber itself is damaged or broken.

Myelin not only protects nerve fibers, but makes their job possible. When myelin or the nerve fiber is destroyed or damaged, the ability of the nerves to conduct electrical impulses to and from the brain is disrupted, and this produces the various symptoms of MS.

Anyone may develop MS, but there are some patterns.

    * Most people with MS are diagnosed between the ages of 20 and 50.
    * Twice as many women as men have MS.
    * Studies indicate that genetic factors make certain individuals more susceptible than others, but there is no evidence that MS is directly inherited.
    * MS occurs more commonly among people with northern European ancestry, but people of African, Asian, and Hispanic backgrounds are not immune.

Approximately 400,000 Americans acknowledge having MS, and every week about 200 people are diagnosed. Worldwide, MS may affect 2.5 million individuals.

While the exact cause of MS is unknown, most researchers believe that the damage to myelin results from an abnormal response by the body’s immune system. Normally, the immune system defends the body against foreign invaders such as viruses or bacteria. In autoimmune diseases, the body attacks its own tissue. It is believed that MS is an autoimmune disease. In the case of MS, myelin is attacked.

Scientists do not yet know what triggers the immune system to do this. Most agree that several factors are involved, including:

    * Genetics
    * Gender
    * Environmental Triggers
      [Possibilities include viruses, trauma, and
      heavy metals ( toxicology)]

(lightbulb goes on)

So last night I had iTunes on shuffle. O Sole Mio comes on, and I think lovingly on mum's stories of my great-grandmother singing in the kitchen (and dancing on tables... :P). then I realized it sounded familiar not from relatives singing....

And suddenly I realized why.

How I never caught onto this before I'll never know. I already knew he used old songs with new lyrics. I have a music box that plays Aura Lea, and people always think it's Love me Tender.

Post forthcoming

Russia's Holiday Shenanigans

Coming Soon!

In the meanwhile, Happy New Year!

Two more songs

Radiohead - Videotape

Radiohead

Videotape is a total funereal song. I didn't realize it was a love song, too, until I'd read the lyrics a few times:

When I'm at the pearly gates
This will be on my videotape, my videotape
When Mephistopheles is just beneath
And he's reaching up to grab me

This is one for the good days
And I have it all here
In red, blue, green
Red, blue, green

You are my center
When I spin away
Out of control on videotape
On videotape
On videotape
On videotape

This is my way of saying goodbye
Because I can't do it face to face
I'm talking to you after it's too late
From my videotape

No matter what happens now
You shouldn't be afraid
Because I know today has been
The most perfect day I've ever seen.

And then is Reckoner, which I believe is one of the songs Dakota and I saw live last summer when we went to see them. (We were seated next to the two biggest losers ever, though--one was about 40 or so and I heard him telling his friend how he had considered bringing along his 16 year old son, but then he wouldn't have been able to smoke pot at the concert and it couldn't have been as fun or something... Yeah.) Anyhow, the song is quite good in my opinion. Much more simple than most Radiohead songs.

Radiohead - Reckoner

Radiohead