My Brother is Sick, the Doctors Don't Know What's Wrong, and my Brother Needs Donations

   Yeah, I know I haven't posted in a few months, as is usual. As anyone who can read further down my blog would know that I usually either review bad book/movies or talk about LGBT issues. This post is going to be different. This post is about someone really close to me. I'm putting a lot of hope in this that this will work.

   As the title states, my brother is sick and is in need of donations. I have a page to the top right of my blog that will give a brief summary about my brother's condition as well as the link to give donations. That page will stay there as long as my sister-in-law has the funding going on.

Peter (my brother), his wife, and their daughter

   Now a little bit about my brother. My brother, Peter, just turned 27 in May. He married his wife about 6 years ago, and has a five year old daughter (who was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes when she was 3).

   The word I would use to describe my brother would be smart. He was the smartest out of all of my siblings. He was able to ace the GED exam without studying for it. He has been able to build computers for a few year. Before my brother got married and moved out, my parents would go to my brother with any of their computer problems. My parents would still go to him whenever they have a computer problem that I can't solve. He was going to a local community college for accounting, though he hasn't gone the last couple of semesters.

   The second thing I would describe about Peter is that he loves technology. He would look for the latest phone, tablet, and gaming console. There would be no doubt if there's a new Samsung phone, he's looked into it, tried it out, and will give you his full opinion about the device. I could always trust his opinion if I were needing to buy pretty much anything that has to do with technology.

  The third, and most important, thing I would describe about Peter is that he is loving and well loved. He absolutely loves and adores his wife and daughter. He would do anything for them. Hell, he would give them the world if it was possible. He would protect anyone in his family no matter the cost, and we would do the same thing for him. Our family is very close to each other. We try to keep in contact with each other no matter how far away we live from each other. If something happens to one of us, the rest of us will feel the pain. We want to help each other, and this is my way of helping right now.

   I received a call from my mom around April telling me that Peter was in the hospital because they thought he was having a stroke. My brother had really high blood pressure, numbness in his hands and feet, and had slurred speech. The doctor at the ER didn't find anything on the tests. They told him he was just having a panic attack and sent him on his way without figuring out what was wrong with him. He went to the hospital two other times with the doctors telling him that it was just a panic attack and sending him on his way. One of the doctors even had the audacity to tell my brother that perfectly fine to have a fast heart rate because he was young.

   My brother's condition has continued to become worse in the last few months. My sister-in-law told my mom just yesterday that Peter has a hard time walking or speaking. My brother has been to several doctors, and had several blood tests and MRIs done within the last few months. The doctors agree that he wasn't having a panic attack, but the tests that were done would show up as normal. The general consensus from the doctors seem to be they don't know what's wrong.

   The medical bills have been increasing with each doctor visit and each test. Because of his condition, he is unable to work. He is unable to get disabilities because there is no definite diagnosis, and he is unable to get unemployment because his job still has him as working there even though he hasn't worked in several months. I think he got health insurance when his health got worse. With him not able to work, his family has been running out of money to pay for their regular bills as well as Peter's medical bills. My sister-in-law is unable to work since their daughter has diabetes, and needs multiple injections of insulin each day.

   I wish I could do so much more. I wish I could give all of my money to my brother, but I have no money. My parents are also poor. We've never had a whole lot of money. My parents will try to give a part of their paychecks to my brother whenever they can. I won't have money until sometime after school starts (which is a month away).

   My family is trying to figure out ways to help raise money. We've been thinking about getting help from my parents' church and possibly having a bake sale locally. I was thinking about having a bake sale at my school when the fall semester starts. Right now, this post, my blog, is my way of helping.

http://www.gofundme.com/b8je9s

   The link above goes to the fundraising site my sister-in-law started to help with the bills. If they can get the funds to help with their bill, they could focus on finding out what is happening to Peter. Please donate some money to this. Even something as little as $10 can help. Even if you can't donate any money, just share the link on Facebook, Twitter, and your own blogs or websites. Maybe if enough people see the link and donate some money, my brother's family can reach their goal.

   I'll try to write more on my blog. I'll update about Peter's condition as well as write more about LGBT issues and reviewing bad books/movies. Maybe I'll set a goal that if the donations reach the stated goal of $10,000 I'll review whatever people think is the worst movie or book of all times. It's not much, but it's what I can do right now. This is for my family. I love my family, and will do what I can to help, and I hope others will help as well. Thank you.

~Morey Bibliophage~

Seriously, how long does it take me to update this thing?

Yeah, it's been over a year since I last posted something here. A lot has happened in my own life as well as the world in that time period.

First thing: I have graduated from my community college and am currently going to a state college. The college is definitely nice. I'm majoring in creative writing. I do have to have a second major or a minor with it. I'm indecisive over what I want to get. There is a major downside to being an English major. There are a ton of textbooks. I had 15 books last semester, and I'm going to have 18 textbooks this next semester. Fortunately, they're fairly inexpensive, so it won't cost a ton to get them.

There is an LGBTQ club at the school. I went to the meetings this past semester, and it was pretty neat. I'm also living in the dorms at school, so it's easier to go to the club meetings.

Second thing: I did have a really horrible teacher my last semester at my community college. I mean, the tests are easy and I got a B in the class, however her lessons are shitty. She lives in an opposite world where it is the straight, white, Christian man who is discriminated against and not anyone else. Hell, during one of her lessons, she claimed that it was straight people who were really discriminated against. Her proof of this discrimination? people in the military can march in pride parade and gay partners of military members can live on the bases. Yes, that is all she gave. Most countries have laws making being gay illegal, but it's the straight people who are discriminated against. thousands of LGBT people are beaten or killed every year, but it's the straight people who are discriminated against. Most state have laws banning same sex couples from getting married, but it's really the straight people who face discrimination. People can be fired for being gay in most states (including where I live), but it's the straight people facing discrimination. This woman is so full of shit. I'll have to talk more about her at a different time.

I haven't really read or watched anything bad this passed year. I've read some boring or mediocre books, but nothing very horrendous. My brother did buy Man of Steel (which we watched). I could write about that. I'm thinking about writing about the anime; Loveless. It's mainly because everything is confusing as well as the fact that a college student is kissing a 12 year old kid. It seems like the manga is pretty popular, so I'll probably check out that manga and see how it is compared to the anime.

I don't have any books finished. I think I have began a few more books since the last time I've written here. It seems like begin books more than I finish. I have a week before school starts, so hopefully I'll get some more written during that time.

Now about what's going on around the US and the world...

I guess I haven't said this, but I absolutely love Skyrim. I play it as often as I can. I'm also playing Oblivion and Morrowind. For those interested in the game series, there is a mod (or DLC depending on what you prefer) being made by the fans called Skywind. It is a mod where you can play Morrowind with Skyrim graphics. You are able to play it even though it's not finished. You will need Skyrim as well as Morrowind with its DLCs. I have played a bit of it. It has crashed on me a few times, though it's probably my fault. You do have to download the voices separately, though not all of the voices are there. Most of the NPC don't have clothes on them. The characters in the caves also tend to attack each other, as well. Other than that and a few others, the mod is pretty good.

Many of you probably know about Russia's "gay propaganda" law. It is a homophobic law that bans "propaganda" to minors. Russian can be arrested under this law while those who aren't Russian can be deported. Putin claims that he isn't homophobic and that the law isn't homophobic. Apparently he doesn't understand what homophobia means. this is a law that directly targets a group of people for being gay and no other group. People are kidnapping and torturing gays for being gay. Gay bars are being targeted and vandalized. These are acts of homophobia.

A question that has been popping up for the past few months is what's going to happen with the Sochi Olympics. What's going to happen with the gay athletes as well as LGBT members of the audience? I don't know. It's all confusing. The second question is whether we should boycott the Olympics or not. I would be in the dorms for much of the Olympics. If you don't want to watch it in protest, great. If you want to watch, but still want to protest, you could try watching it on Youtube or recording it. If you really want to watch the Olympics, you could do something for the LGBT community. Some thing you can do are donate to LGBT groups, specifically those for the Russian LGBT community. You could also do some activities at your schools or work, like a gay Olympic games. Probably the best thing to do would be bringing attention to the propaganda laws, like talking to friends, family, and coworkers about what's going on in Russia. I'm planning on wearing my gay pride clothing an jewelry.

Another thing that has happened is that Nigeria and Uganda are in the process of making laws making homosexuality illegal. What's happening in Nigeria is that it's banning marriage between same sex couples. These bans have hefty jail sentences. They don't just affect gay couples, but also anyone associated with the wedding. It also bans LGBT organizations and anyone who expresses their sexuality in public. Uganda has also passed a ban on homosexuality. Although there is no death sentence, there is life in prison sentence.

Another thing that a lot of you have probably heard is about the Duck Dynasty fiasco. For those who don't know, the main guy from a shitty TV show said some homophobic and racist things. A&E suspended him, which caused other homophobes to throw a fit. A bit over a week later, A&E lifted the suspension claiming they have to be "tolerant". People have claimed that it was an infringement on the freedom of speech to have him suspended. For the first part, he was not arrested, thus his freedom of speech hadn't been infringed. Another thing: freedom of speech does not mean freedom from the consequences of that speech. If you say hateful things about the gay community, people aren't going to be all "oh it's what you believe so go ahead and beat me with your bible". People have every right to boycott your shit. A&E's actions also show they just care about money. All they have done was slap the guy's had and say don't do that again. All this has done is make me want to watch the show even less than I did.

Now, not everything is all bad. Several states have legalized marriage equality. The two most recent states are New Mexico and Utah. Now Utah is a bit complex. A judge has rule Utah's ban unconstitutional. The judge did give some great reasons why it was unconstitutional. If you haven't read his ruling, be sure to do so. It can be found just about anywhere. Utah is appealing the case, so it'll be a while before a definite yes or no for Utah. For now, same sex couples are able to legally marry in Utah. Right now, one-third of the US allow same sex couples to get married.

Hopefully more state will let us get married this year. There are other thing we will need to work to get. Just a couple of things are non-discrimination laws and adoption. We also need work more against bullying.

There's not much else to talk about that is recent. There is a snow storm that has frigid temperatures that's going to hit the Midwest pretty soon. I won't be getting too much of the severe stuff here, though it still going to be below freezing temperatures. That'll be a bunch of fun. Fortunately I won't have to go outside during that time. For those who have to deal with the cold, be sure to bundle up and stay warm.

I'll try to post more. Though by my previous posts, it will be a while. I'm Morey Bibliophage. Be sure to stay warm and have a great year.

It's Been Too Long

Hey everyone. It's been too long since my last post, practically a year. What is there to say? I'm still in school. I'm still majoring in English. I still plan on becoming a gay and lesbian fiction writer. I'm currently writing a couple of stories. One I'm really focusing on is a sci-fi/fantasy story. It's going focus on the discrimination and hate the lgbt community faces every day. The other stories I'm writing are just some stories I wrote a few years ago.

I haven't read any horrible books lately. I tend to stay away when a book smells like shit. No, I will not review Fifty Shades of Grey. What is there to say? It's Twilight fanfiction. If I do find a book that really sucks, I'll be sure to review it when I have the time.

The biggest thing that has happened in the lgbt community is, of course, the elections. Others like GLAAD have already talked about the importance of this last election, so I won't add too much. I'll just post my thoughts. As you guys already know, Obama was the first president to come out for marriage equality to be elected president. Along with that, Tammy Baldwin has become the first out lesbian to be elected Senator. Minnesota was the first state to vote against a marriage equality ban. Finally, Washington, Maryland, and Maine have become the first states to have marriage equality pass in the ballots.

What does all of this mean? It means the lgbt community has stopped becoming America's dirty little secret. We have gained our voice. It's okay to be gay. As other blogs have said, the lgbt community is becoming visible to America. Gays and lesbians are not some evil little sex addict you don't know. Gay and lesbian people are out there, and you probably know someone who is lgbt. We are not demonic sex fiends who prey on little kids. We are brothers and sisters, friends and neighbors, mothers and fathers, lovers and coworkers. We are human beings, and we want to be treated as such.

Now there's still a long road ahead of us. A vast majority of the US do not allow marriage equality. DOMA is still around. A majority of states don't have non-discrimination policies to protect the lgbt community. However, with this election, there has become visibility for the lgbt community. The US can see us and can see what we want. It might take a long time, but eventually, there will be equal rights across the US.

That is all I have to say for today. I don't know when I'll next post. I am still quite busy with school and writing. I'll try to not wait an entire year before posting again. Ta!

Laptop

Hey everyone. I have two things to post about today. First off, my laptop is currently unavailable. It was breaking, so it has been sent to the manufacturer to be fixed. I do have my tablet though. I'll try the best I can to add links and fix grammar. It may not be perfect. I should have my laptop back by sometime next month.

I have tried to write something lgbt related, but it was messing up so I'll try to write something tomorrow. until next time. :)

Have a Gay Halloween

Hey Everyone! How has this Halloween morning been? I have three subjects to talk about - all Halloween related.

First. early Sunday, the Facebook page; Wipe out Homophobia on Facebook had uploaded a picture on of their members had sent them. As can be seen from the link, it is a picture of a pamphlet before an Anoka Halloween parade telling people to divert their children's eyes from an LGBT float.

This is all kinds of insult and stupidity. Children do not become gay from looking at gay oriented things. Also, what the hell does "superheroes" have to do with the LGBT float? The people in the parade will dress-up however they wish to dress up no matter if they are gay or straight.

Another thought along with that is would these people tell others to avert their children's eyes from women in sexy costumes or men wearing penis affiliated costumes? If so, why is it not on this pamphlet. With their logic of turning into something just by looking at it, wouldn't just looking at these sort of costumes turn children into sex fiends? (no)

Now to the second part. You probably have heard in recent weeks of a church trying to make Halloween more Jesus oriented. What is their reasoning? Halloween is evil. Seriously? I know we all heard this throughout the years. I first heard it from either my fifth grade teacher or my sixth grade teacher. Apparently these religions don't read local newspapers or google the origin of Halloween. Here is a summary from History.com about Halloween:

Straddling the line between fall and winter, plenty and paucity, life and death, Halloween is a time of celebration and superstition. It is thought to have originated with the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, when people would light bonfires and wear costumes to ward off roaming ghosts. In the eighth century, Pope Gregory III designated November 1 as a time to honor all saints and martyrs; the holiday, All Saints’ Day, incorporated some of the traditions of Samhain. The evening before was known as All Hallows’ Eve and later Halloween. Over time, Halloween evolved into a secular, community-based event characterized by child-friendly activities such as trick-or-treating. In a number of countries around the world, as the days grow shorter and the nights get colder, people continue to usher in the winter season with gatherings, costumes and sweet treats.

There is more to the article at the link provided. As the summary states, there is nothing evil associated with Halloween. It was never an evil holiday. Along with that, what people do on Halloween are not evil. It is not evil to go door-to-door to get candy. It is not evil to dress up. It is not evil to go to haunted houses. It is not evil to watch horror movies. What is evil is intentionally causing harm to others.

Along with that, telling its members to dress in white and give out bibles takes away the fun from the holiday. I mean how many kids want to go to a house and all they get is a boring book with no pictures? It's like taking away the presents from Christmas or taking away the Easter eggs from Easter. Along the side of religion, not every single holiday celebrated has to be Jesus oriented. There can be holidays that don't have to deal with Christianity. Leave Halloween as it is: a holiday to dress up and get free candy that people of all ages can celebrate.

Now to my final comment. What does everyone plan to dress up as for Halloween, or do you dress up? My costume this year is a fox-angel. I bought the wings, and my mom made my ears, tail, and shirt. Let me tell you, finding fur that is similar to fox fur, yet cheap is hard. We ended up going to four fabric stores before finding one  that looked similar to fox fur. Maybe next time I could choose to be a cat. That way all I would need is black velvet.

Well, that's about all. Have a fun and safe Halloween!

A Change to the Blog

Hey my audience I'm wonder would be here. I know I haven't posted in a long time. This is why I am talking. As of late, I have been busy with school, family, and my writing. When I have time to read, I want to read something well written. I'm not going to give up on writinng reviews. I love writing reviews. I'll just be writing those when I do find something worth reviewing.

As such, I believe it would be beneficial to change this blog around so that it could fit life at the moment. So from now on, I will be focusing on more lgbt oriented things. I'll write about news I hear, books about lgbt issues, and reviewing books that I find.

with this change, I can write more about the things I care about. I would be able to talk about  laws being promoted, attacks being made, and link you to petitions and activities you would be interested in. Along side that, I would be able to talk about the book I'm writing and be able to promote books I enjoy, movies I liked, and promote my mom's business.

Yeah the title sort of sucks. I'll change it along with other things at another time. I'm on my tablet right now, and trying to do everything on it would get me too frustrated. I'll try to post something tomorrow or the next day. Ta!

Morey Bibliophage

New York Marriage Equality

I know I haven't posted a review since March. I have a review written down and will post eventually. What I'd like to talk about today is what has just recently happened in New York. Last night 33 senators passed a law that made it legal for gay and lesbians to get married in New York. Right after that voted, the governor signed the bill into law making New York the sixth state where gay marriage is legal.

This is a great victory for both New York and the LGBT community. What has happened is telling the gay and lesbian community that their love is equal to those of straight couples. It tells New York that everyone in America is equal and deserving of equal rights as is written in the constitution.

Those of us in the LGBT community are human as well. We bleed the same blood as our fellow humans. We are not diseases. We are not freaks or abnormal. Our love is not a disorder. Loving the same gender is just as normal as our hair color, skin color, height, size, and emotions. We can hide these thing, but it will always be a part of us.

There will always be those who will not understand, those who believe that homosexuality is a choice or disease. We must not let them get us down. We will always have to fight for equal rights. There will always be those who are treat less than equal. It might seem hard and frustrating, but it will get better. Soon, there will be marriage equality for gay and lesbian couple. We will be able to adopt children. We will finally be equal. New York was just one of many steps to take for this to be a reality.

As LGBT Pride Month nears its end, let us always take pride in who we are and love our friends, family, and significant others. Let's fight for our rights and smile all the way through.