Hey, urban_bohemian:

Our MUSH is now truly gone. All the admin we knew have officially fled, and we have been @nuked.

I had a tiny moment of sadness. Then I moved on to my life. :)

Two things:

Thing the first: I have a nasty head cold, and I'm miserable.

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Thing the second:

Ok, so Rick Biggs died. That's sad. He left behind a wife and two young sons. That's sad. But for fuck's sake, this Fannish need to contribute money to his wife and kids makes me a little ill.

If I die at 43, no one out in the Big Wide World is going to give my wife and kids money for college. That's life. Why is the fact this guy was an actor making so many people all giddy with glee to throw money at his family? And if someone questions it, they get all pissy with statements like "It's hard enough to raise kids today, much less when one parent is dead. Have some sympathy!"

Well, you know what? Fuck that. LOTS of people are raised by one parent, and a whole mess of them never get help from anyone outside their immediate family -- some of them don't even get that. YES, it's hard to lose your dad at a young age -- I of all people know this -- but it just isn't necessary to go throwing money at these people.

I just don't get it. It's not like Biggs was destitute; he lead a comfortable life, he had several starring roles on TV; he HAD to have left something behind. And if he didn't, well, he's got a big family left behind; I'm sure they'll be fine.

(no subject)

I just joined the csus community.

I'm such a LJ freak.

And the hits, they just keep on coming.

My grandmother died when I was five years old. I barely remember her these days; if you played me a recording of her voice I wouldn't recognize it.

When she died, her sister Wilhelmina (remember, we're Portuguese, that side of the family has REALLY old-fashioned names) kind of took over her "position" in regards to my sister and I (and here I speak of my actual sister, Kenya).

In the last few years, Tia Mina's health has deteriorated; last month, you may recall, I posted that she'd been placed in the hospital with a broken hip. Six days after her surgery, her second husband died.

I've just been informed that Mina died last Thursday night. My aunt didn't tell me because she hasn't been able to get hold of me since she found out Friday morning.

The funeral is next Monday, I will of course be attending.

I'm very sad; Mina was a great and dear old woman whom I shall miss terribly. My aunt Karla and I are also upset because we were going to visit her two weeks ago and chose not to go because we were both dog-tired.

To the Portuguese (at least, as I'm told by my family), food isn't just sustenance. It's an excuse to be family, to get together and talk. Dinner is a social occasion more than a daily necessity, and Mina was always the exemplar of this attitude. In her youth, she was a great cook; and though she lost much of her skill (mostly due to a waning mind) in later years, I will always remember the delicious Portuguese foods she made for me in my youth. Never again will I taste Mina's Espetada (grilled skewers of beef with garlic) or Cozido à portuguesa (a one-dish meal of beef, pork, sausage, and vegetables). Never again will I hear that dear old woman cry out "EAT!" at me despite my protests; never again will I hear "dê mim beijo!" (give me a kiss!) from her.

Farewell, Tia Mina. I shall always remember you.