That's pretty cool. Describes Dr. Helen, who's got this week's Normblog profile. And I'm not just flagging this because she listed this blog as one of her 3 favorites.
And if you like Normblog profiles, the whole archive of Normblog profiles appears here -- in an order I consider absurdly arbitrary, but like nonetheless: alphabetical order.
IN THE COMMENTS: Oddly enough, the subject is what life in Heaven is like.
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On the Normblog profile, you have more questions than you're allowed to answer, and that's one I didn't pick. I used to get told all the time that I look like a particular actress in a particular movie, but since I don't want people to picture me doing that, I won't say which. Though saying that will probably provoke someone to guess. But that was 10 years ago. Maybe the resemblance is gone. That might help you guess... but maybe not!
Doris Day
Ms. Temple (minus the curls).
Sharon Stone in Basic Instinct? Thanks for the link!
Basic Instict was a bit longer ago but if it's Sharon Stone we're matching Quick and the Dead would be close enough for Mike.
Our hostess doesn't want to be seen as a quick-handed gunslinger out for revenge?
You know, this is pretty off-the-wall, but if your hair were red (and it were once), you could be mistaken for Julianne Moore as Maude Lebowski.
But is it so bad to fly your nude body across the room via a system of pulleys and wires in order to splatter some paint Pollack-style on a canvas?
Ruth Anne:
Answer to God question:
"Come in."
Yes, I kept my hair my original red color back then. I'd like to go back to it, but it's not easy. It's easy to do the very light color, believe me. It's not my preference. Anyway, Ruth Anne got it. Blake essentially got it too.
Here's a question about Heaven for Ruth Anne. Why does God assume everyone will love Heaven? What if you get there and find it's not to your particular taste? From the descriptions I've heard, it's boring -- even in normal human life span terms. How can it be suitable for eternity? If the answer is that God will reshape our minds and force us to love it, isn't that a rejection of our humanity?
Somehow I blanked on Julianne Moore in Boogie Nights. And I did think of it but you don't look much like Heather Graham. You know, you've said you've never seen a porn (outside of a legal context) but didn't say you'd never been in one!
But I prefer to think of Maude Lebowski and the Little Lebowski Urban Achievers (and proud we are of all of them). I can totally hear Ann doing that fake partician-New England-like accent.
Why does God assume everyone will love Heaven? What if you get there and find it's not to your particular taste?
It seems a little naive to think that Heaven is a single place, like a geographic location, with one setting and a restrictive set of rules that we all experience in some comic strip puffy-cloud-and-harp fashion.
Heaven would probably be a place with goals to attain and obstacles to overcome--goals that you might not be able to attain and obstacles that were effective at stopping you sometimes. Remember that Twilight Zone where the gambler can't lose?
There would be beautiful things but also loss and impermanence, because those things impart a value that permanent, unending beauty wouldn't have by itself.
There would be things to care about. Good things of course, but also terrible things that were important. Otherwise existence would seem trivial.
Any of this sounding familiar?
Blake: Heaven is life in southwest Ohio?
Ruth Anne: Stunningly superb and splendidly sublime!
What a beautiful answer, Ruth Anne!
Dr. Helen - One of the biggest proponents for reparative therapy for gay people on the blogosphere.
Barf.
Downtown, that statement is simply not factual. I could find some strong proponents of reparative therapy if I wanted to google it, but then so could you!
Dr. Helen's position is quite different, and I share it. What are we to do as therapists when a person comes to us with discomfort about their sexuality or gender? Are we supposed to put our values over theirs and tell them what to do, who to be, and how to live? Is that what you would do?
I will not do that, neither will Dr. Helen. When someone (rarely) comes to me and does not feel comfortable with their homosexual attractions I listen to them, then tell them that most of the research on the matter says that sexual orientation and attraction is a deeply held part of us as humans, and it may not be possible to "change" it. But I still listen, and if they insist, I will help them deal with unwanted sexual feelings just as I would help them deal with unwanted financial, suicidal, or spiritual thoughts and attractions.
Straight and gay people come in and ask for help in not acting on an attraction to a person that they are not in relationship with, and I help them too. People come in certain that they were born the wrong gender, and I help them. That is because I work to help, not to "cure."
So I work in service to the patient's agenda unless it hurts children or is blatantly unhealthy, in which case I refer them to someone else. This approach is well documented as efficacious in the outcome literature, it works fast, and helps me to have a waiting list.
What Helen and I resent is the APA telling us that we cannot seek to help our patients in ways that they desire. One of the men who was distressed by his homosexuality had been sexually abused by a man when he was 8. He was not a healthy gay man, he was a suffering survivor of sexual abuse whose attractions had been affected by the abuse. This happens, and I work to help.
Healthy gay men do not ask me to help with their attractions to other men, and I do not volunteer to do so. This is very different from reparative therapy. And that is Dr. Helen's position as well.
I would be interested to hear any on point and on task comments on the matter that you might have.
Trey
Trey - And when the patients commit suicide becuase of your crackpot theories, you should be held liable.
Because every legitimate study of reparative therapy has shown that it does more harm for the patient than good.
If I was black and I went to see a psychiatrist, because I wanted to be white - I highly doubt that you would say that the American Psychiatric Association should give its stamp of approval to such junk science.
Thousands of gay kids commit suicide every year. And bigots like you and Dr. Helen are directly responsible for it.
Dr. Helen has a weak heart. She obviously has a cold one as well.
I wonder how many deaths Trey is responsible for.
Does he even know? Or care?
I doubt it.
"Show a gay man photos of nude men while placing rotted hamburger meat under his nose - he will then associated repulsion with same-sex attraction."
That's how Trey and "Doctor" Helen treat their gay patients.
And they want the American Psychiatric Association to endorse this garbage.
Pathetic bigots is what they are.
http://www.hatecrime.org/exgay.html
Let's pray to lord Jesus that Trey and Dr. Helen's children turn out to be flaming faggots that end up committing suicide, because of the bigoted attitude of their parents.
Oh Lord Jesus - please kill their faggot kids.
Let's pray to lord Jesus that Trey and Dr. Helen's children turn out to be flaming faggots that end up committing suicide, because of the bigoted attitude of their parents.
Oh Lord Jesus - please kill their faggot kids.
Oh Dr. Helen and Trey - Please help me.
I am a white male and I am attracted to black women. It really bothers me that I'm attracted to N&IGGERS.
Please help me, because I only want to be attracted to white women.
Well - I guess if Trey and Dr. Helen don't want to be called hypocrites, they'd treat this person in an instant and try to help them be attracted to white women.
Right??????
And the APA should endorse that crap? Why?
dtl: You're trolling, but the fish ain't biting.
That's nice Paco.
I have two dead friends - whose deaths I can lay directly at the door of the ex-gay movement.
But you rejoice at dead faggots. I don't.
DTL, I am not part of the ex-gay movement. I do not believe in that.
But I will gently talk to people who are uncomfortable with their sexuality. I tell them that I am very skeptical that anything can be done about their attractions. I tell them that I do not do that sort of work, and that I do not endorse it.
I tell them this because it is the truth. I have never fixed a gay person, they do not need to be fixed. I already have gay family members! Since I have 4 kids, the odds are greater that one of them might be gay. Big deal! Sexuality is a SMALL part of a person's life in many ways pal. And it is never my agenda to change a person, it is always theirs.
I want my kids to be kind, honest, hard working, God loving people. It is not about gay or straight for me. That is your issue.
One of the two people I talked to about their sexuality made peace with it and came out to their parents. I listened, I refrained from judging (easy to do when you are not homophobic) and they worked out a solution for themselves. That is the way I work.
The other person decided that he wanted to remain celibate. Lots of people chose celibacy, well, it is not always a choice! 8)
But your turning into a hateful troll is the real issue here. People have seen me post, they know the kind of person I am. Why don't you?
That hate and fear will kill you. You do not have to live with it if you do not want to. I have no desire for you to change who you love, but I do hope that you will work to change the fear and hatred. It will make your life one of misery. And you do not have to live that way. See someone, talk it out, find a way to let it go.
And be happy and gay pal.
Trey
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