Sep 6Ask A Survivor: Physical TherapyQ: What do you do when you feel like it’s hopeless? A: Sweet Jebus, dude, that’s dark. How are you doing? Q: Isn’t that the point of these borderline-narcissistic health updates of yours? To assure the public that you’re still alive? A: Well, yes and no. Q: Cancer survival seems…Cancer5 min readCancer5 min read
Jul 23The Very First Barbenheimer Celebration, in Recorded HistoryOkay, folx, I got word on the Internet that a brand-new subcultured would spawn in my own lifetime, and with convenient events within my postal code. I was in the wrong state for Grunge Music (and too young), I was in the wrong subculture (literary nerds) to really “get” Alternative…Barbie8 min readBarbie8 min read
May 12Anderson Cooper and the Downfall of 20th Century Media“There’s an old saying in Tennessee; I know it’s in Texas, it’s probably in Tennessee, that says, ‘Fool me once, shame on… shame on you, fool me — can’t get, we can’t get fooled again.” — George W. Bush Imagine a former president calling a major news network and demanding…Politics8 min readPolitics8 min read
May 8White House Plumbers Marks the Arrival of Uniquely American Humor“Humor is universal, jokes are not.” — A distinctive aspect of most cultures are the jokes they produce. Fawlty Towers operates on the understanding that a seaside English town is a fundamentally goony concept that would attract deranged or desperate staff. Diner des Cons is only funny if you know that the French national past times are…Tv Show Review5 min readTv Show Review5 min read
Jan 31Maddie Russo Is the Fulfillment of Majority Members’ Promises to MinoritiesOne thing that is never, ever, discussed about cancer in a public space is that we are a recognizable, distinct subculture. Which might seem weird, but, if Trekkies and Metalheads get their own subculture, it’s barely a half-step away to realize that the 10–40% of the population that has or…Cancer6 min readCancer6 min read
Jan 20George Santos Is the Internet’s Final FormAn Essay Partially Fact-checked Whilst Written — If you’re in America, you’ve probably heard of George Santos. Because I’m discussing the history of the Internet (true), and my first hard drive crashed back in 2006 (also true, although it might’ve been in 2007) taking all of my Web 1.0 data with it (a bit of a lie…George Santos8 min readGeorge Santos8 min read
Jan 2Historical Revision, in Real Time, is why 2023 is 2020 Part 3So, my 95-year-old grandmother has dementia. Before my fellow biomedical enthusiasts chime, I know that dementia isn’t a diagnosis unto itself, but is a sign of deeper disease. My grandmother hates hospitals and doctors, though, and I think everyone’s just glad we were able to confirm that we’re not the…Current Events6 min readCurrent Events6 min read
Jan 1Ask A SurvivorQ: So, when you were in treatment, you were on chemo, right? A: Yes. Both standard chemo for glioma, and a clinical trial for a repurposed blood chemo agent. Q: And how long were you in treatment? A: About a year, sum total. Q: And it was effective? A: So far…Cancer2 min readCancer2 min read
Dec 28, 2022Did Cancer Cause War in Ukraine?A month or two after Russia’s botched invasion of Ukraine, the geopolitical rumor mill conjectured that Vladimir Putin had some sort of life-limiting disease. I originally saw that tidbit, filed it under “Hot NSA Goss,” and didn’t really think about it. I later saw a piece in “The Independent,” which…Russia7 min readRussia7 min read
Dec 21, 2022Ask A SurvivorQ: Are you in treatment, or in remission? A: Tragically, health is not a binary issue. It’s a sliding scale. I am currently not in active treatment, but I’m also not in remission. Q: Why? A: For some technical reason, glioblastoma never goes into remission. I’ve been utterly terrified to ask…Cancer5 min readCancer5 min read
