First off, I want to wish you all a wonderful New Year.  I don’t know what I’m doing tonight.  I generally don’t like the New Year’s crowd so going out is tricky.  I never really got the point of getting completely annihilated simply because the calendar was about to make an annual change.  Sloppy, stupid, vomiting, violent, drama-ridden type drunk is not very appealing to me nor do I like to be around it and that is quite often what you find on New Year’s eve. Don’t get me wrong.  I love my cocktails, I just don’t like to go overboard.

When I was a teenager I’d go to whatever party my friends were going to hit and leave at 11:50.   Did I mention the screaming elation at midnight kinda spooks me?  I prefer to keep it low-key and stay in or be at a smaller gathering, but last year I ventured out to the Castle and didn’t regret it one bit.  I love that club.  The vibe is always great and it’s virtually @sshole free.  Plus, goths don’t make a big production out of the holiday.  If anything, they dress a little more elaborate and that’s about it.  Speaking of which, I have a cool vintage looking sequin dress and a vintage hat with netting that covers the entire front and back of my head (hooray for hiding!) that I am dying for an excuse to wear so I’ll probably end up going somewhere.

(Thanks for Christmas shopping at ARTpool, mom!)

So, did anybody watch the two specials on the Treeman on Tuesday?  If you aren’t familiar, Dede had these barklike warts that cover his body, particularly his hands and feet.  It’s astounding and in it’s own way, beautiful.  He’s a gentle, handsome man with sad eyes whose condition cost him his wife, job and ability to care for his children.  In order to make any income, he worked as a ‘freakshow’ spectacle.

In a nutshell, the condition was caused by HPV and radical invasion surgeries to remove the warts would just result in some temporary relief before they would grow back.  Since, they discovered the cause was HPV they were treating him with Vitamin A and interferon ( a chemo type drug) and also cut off about 12 pounds of bark-like wart from his hands.  They left off with him on the medications and supposedly between the meds, vitamins and freezing of remaining warts, he may very well be cured.  It will take time and I hope they update us because it would be wonderful to see this man be able to have a normal life again.

I have to say that his appearance with the horrible skin condition was actually kinda hot.  I know the condition was debilitating and wish him recovery sincerely, but wow.  Take a look:

After a long arduous ordeal of surgeries to remove the warts from his hands and head, Dede was able to write for the first time in 10 years. He still needs to undergo more surgeries and take medications, but this was a start.  If the meds and vitamin A don’t work to actually kill the virus however, the tree-like warts will return.  If the treatments do work, he could very well end up rid of all the warts for good.

He hopes to be able to experience the sense of touch with his hands and very much wants to work again so he may care for his children and one day marry.

I hope all of DeDe’s dreams come true.

Happy New Year everyone!

<3 calan