magnus

Vote today, folks, it's really important...

bucephalus — Tue, 06 Nov 2012 13:50:32 GMT

Especially since many on the east coast will have difficulty getting to a polling place...

25 reasons from 25 people who are voting Obama:

1. "The Affordable Care Act is saving my daughter's life."
Stacey, Arizona

2. "Obama is for the vets. He helped us wind down in Iraq, he's improved mental health policy with VA benefits."
Joel, Minnesota

3. "Obama stuck his neck out for us, the auto industry. He wasn't going to let it just die, and I'm driving in this morning because of that, because of him."
Brian, Ohio

4. "Osama bin Laden is dead, and General Motors is alive."
Joe Biden, Delaware

5. "Supreme Court Supreme Court Supreme Court."
Andrew, California

6. "Arithmetic."
Bill Clinton, New York

7. "He cares for the 100 percent."
Shana, Texas

8. "When Obama came into office, he successfully renewed our country's place in the community of nations, making cooperation in tackling the world's challenges possible."
Willis, North Carolina

9. "The actions he has taken with respect to protecting us from terrorism have been very, very solid."
Colin Powell, Virginia

10. "I was really very grateful to him for standing up for those kids who are having a really rough time out there because of their orientation."
Jane Lynch, California

11. "For me, President Obama is our best choice because he has a vision of the United States as a place where we are all in this together."
Bruce Springsteen, New Jersey

12. "He has a real plan for rescuing the economy that passes the 'math' test."
Teresa, Virginia

13. "Having someone in office who understands how powerful our voice can be is very important."
Jay Z, New York

14. "I am voting for Barack Obama and Joe Biden because I can trust them to care for the middle class and restore the American dream."
Steven, Florida

15. "The first measure he signed into law after becoming president was the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act -- so a female high school counselor or physical education teacher can fight for equal pay for equal work."
Connie Britton, California

16. "I believe in the America he wants for my grandchildren."
Nancy, Michigan

17. "We need four more years of repair, of helping the middle class achieve a sustainable economy."
James Taylor, North Carolina

18. "I've watched him fight for our country, stand by the middle class, the working class, the military, the education of our children, universal health care, women, the environment, and matters of national and domestic security."
Susan, Virginia

19. "The gifted 12-year-old I taught, whose parents were deported and left her here with her grandmother, will be allowed to stay and finish her education. She's been in the U.S. since age one."
Jamie, North Carolina

20. "I want our president to place scientific evidence and risk management above electoral politics."
Michael Bloomberg, New York

21. "I have four children who are under 26 and able to stay on my health care plan. That's been huge."
Amy, Pennsylvania

22. "He's fighting to defend and better Social Security and Medicare -- because millions of Latino seniors rely on them."
Cristina Saralegui, Florida

23. "Thanks to the President's efforts to keep student loan rates low, I can expect to save nearly $1000 as I work to repay my student loans. And I don't have too many of those, thanks to the Federal Pell Grant program."
Sam, Minnesota

24. "It's been wonderful to have President Obama as a champion for access to health care for all women in this country."
Cecile Richards, New York

25. "Re-electing Barack Obama would lead to a stronger economic recovery than would be the case were Mitt Romney to win on November 6th."
Jared Bernstein, Washington, D.C.

Following in the footsteps of Christ: Parents Should Punch Their Gay Kids

bucephalus — Wed, 02 May 2012 19:13:46 GMT

This report is from The Church Report, a conservative Christian online publication. I have the dubious honour of being on their mailing list because of my one-time project of making rosaries and membership in several rosary-crafting groups.

The report is from a recording by a minister at a rally who exhorts his parishioners to punch their sons who are exhibiting effeminate behaviour and to "crack" any "limp wrists" that they see. It's a very sad thing to be sharing and the fact that while the Report says this senior minister is on "the hotseat", it does NOT criticize his behaviour or decry the use of physical violence against a child.

Let's consider for a moment the dictionary definition of "punch." The Macmillan Dictionary says: "to hit someone or something with your fist (=closed hand), usually as hard as you can."

The minister supposedly said later on that he may have gone too far. My concern; however, is how many children were physically abused that afternoon and since because of his urgings? Should he not be charged with advocating violence or exposing children to injury or danger?

I know there are many good Christians out there; however this type of language makes me fear that the constant and unprovoked physical abuse many Catholic school children suffered in the 50's, 60's and 70's is still going on and is advocated by ministers who profess to be following in the footsteps of Christ, for is that not what being a Christian is all about -- being Christlike? When you add in the fact that gay marriage is more a wedge political issue than a genuine conviction for many of these conservative leaders, the actions encouraged by this man become even more heinous.

Rant over. Here's the text. Remember the source, I've even provided a link for those doubting Thomases among you:

http://www.thechurchreport.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=siteContent.default&objectID=153651

Pastor: Parents Should Punch Their Gay Kids
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
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Pastor Sean Harris
A North Carolina Pastor is on the hot seat for taking his support of the proposed ban against same sex marriage too far in recent comments made at a rally.

Sean Harris, senior pastor of Berean Baptist Church in Fayettesville, spoke at length in support of North Carolina's proposed Amendment 1, which would define marriage in the state constitution as between one man and one woman and would outlaw civil unions and domestic partnerships, during an hour-long sermon on Sunday. In this clip, provided by Jeremy Hooper of the blog Good as You, a man identified as Harris is heard urging his congregation to attack their children if they appear to be exhibiting behavior outside of gender norms.

Harris can be heard saying:

"So your little son starts to act a little girlish when he is four years old and instead of squashing that like a cockroach and saying, 'Man up, son, get that dress off you and get outside and dig a ditch, because that is what boys do,' you get out the camera and you start taking pictures of Johnny acting like a female and then you upload it to YouTube and everybody laughs about it and the next thing you know, this dude, this kid is acting out childhood fantasies that should have been squashed.

Dads, the second you see your son dropping the limp wrist, you walk over there and crack that wrist. Man up. Give him a good punch. Ok? You are not going to act like that. You were made by God to be a male and you are going to be a male. And when your daughter starts acting too butch, you reign [sic] her in. And you say, 'Oh, no, sweetheart. You can play sports. Play them to the glory of God. But sometimes you are going to act like a girl and walk like a girl and talk like a girl and smell like a girl and that means you are going to be beautiful. You are going to be attractive. You are going to dress yourself up.'"

After reflecting on his comments, Harris took to his blog to say he had misspoke. In the blog post, he says" "For the record, I want to ensure everyone that I do NOT believe physical force is capable of fixing effeminate behavior or homosexual behavior. Parents should not punch babies or children. (Ultimately only the gospel of Jesus Christ has the power to deliver one from sexual immorality and behavior including effeminacy.)"

North Carolina residents will go to the polls on May 8 to vote on both the same-sex marriage measure and to pick a Republican presidential candidate.

Last week, however, Public Policy Polling reportedly released a new poll showing that support among North Carolinians for the proposed anti-gay amendment has dropped to a record low.

bucephalus — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 03:03:19 GMT

just finished watching for the umpteenth time, time bandits. this's been the week for old favorites with edward scissorhands the other day, though it was strange seeing wynona ryder as a blonde, very strange.

keep fingers crossed, the rain that's plagued us out here for weeks on end is....dare one hope?...finally over. between thurs and fri of last week, alone, we got 10 plus inches with howling winds. we were lucky and lost power for all of friday, many still don't have it. trees are downed all over the place. life out here has been dank. and yes, SAD has me in its grip....next few weeks though promise a return to normal temps and lots of sun. plus the ice rink in the plaza melted away in all the rain and was closed up a week early(yippeee).

lots of reading: poison by chris wooding: a faerie tale, very cool and worth reading and...he's got tons more. city of bones by cassandra clare-wow(shakes head in admiration) this is such an amazing book only down thing is .... she's not written the next book in the series yet, or at least it's not yet been published....this one has nephilim, vampires, werewolves. look for it and enjoy.

bucephalus — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 02:55:50 GMT

yes!! the holidays are finally over....under other circumstances i would feel rather differently, i suppose but in my trade, this is a rather brutal time of year. numbers of artists arrive for the one month, crowding out those who are around all year as spaces are limited. the plaza where we work has had nearly no sunlight at all for the last month or so and the brick and granite surfaces radiate cold, intensified by the seasonal ice skating rink that resides there each holiday season. the wind blows from the north straight across the icy expanse into our dark, dank and shivery realm. yes, i do whinge on about the weather but it is something many of us who work outdoors obsess about come wintertime.

next year we will winter in the desert southwest, as had been planned for this winter but business did not so permit. this year we will be opening a second booth for the photography and watercolours. as well as working more days.

finally saw ootp yesterday after work. chrys said at the end that he did not want to see the next two, they weren't fun anymore. no they aren't. also, this one seemed so fundamentally changed. the book was very dark, in some ways darker than the subsequent ones, ie with the pen and the other s/m aspects- that, as well as the comic relief and defiance of the twins were squashed in an effort, i imagine, to keep a g or a pg rating. even the trick that led to sirius being killed was not really adequately explained, nor for that matter the removal of umbridge by the centaurs and her breakdown after that.. i think most of us who've read the book filled in the missing parts but when you think of what's missing or unexplained to one who's not read the book....

i do not think they really had to shy away from the darker aspects of the book. those things would've gone over the small ones' heads, for the most part.

new and good reads: magyk by angie sage; greywalker by kat richardson(has vampires and a good strong woman detective as the lead role, lots of fun). got a bunch more books from the young adult section of the library where vampires, sorcerers and magic abound....also a book written by a rabbi about kaballah, a novel(?)... much of the numerical aspects of judaism are quite intriguing to me, so much to learn... where to start...

draw, how to master the art arrived this week and now to find my boxes of pens and pencils and get that new clean drawing pad....

today we went to the bay, low tide but still lovely, lots of sun shining on the mudflats, dogs running in the sand...very cool ...now off to bed for work tomorrow,

.

bucephalus — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 03:56:58 GMT

tomorrow is the solstice!!!! the sun will be returning, ever so slowly, to the northern climes. we've passed the long dark nights and the new year is set to begin tomorrow evening. very cool. this year we will also be getting daylight saving time several weeks early as well. for now, we'll be gaining 1-2 minutes every day.

we were out at the bay today, dead-low tide and so no swimming, tons of mud and damp sand but still quite gorgeous. there was a stiff wind and it's not terribly warm out but sheltered by the cliff, the beach is warm and lovely. the sun blazing as only dead of winter sun can blaze. dogs chased balls along the shore, climbed the ice plants, rolled on their backs and kicked up their heels.

weather's been as it usually is during these darkest days, cold, rainy(about 5 inches in 2 days), unsettled. fortunately most of the force of the never-ending series of storms is north of us. the next week is crucial for our business and so keep fingers crossed, think warm and sunny thoughts.

recovering from a cold, odd to get one so soon after the flu. must look into what's weakening the immune system. still living carb-free, weight is sloooowly dropping but i'm not yet in a gym so can't expect the dramatic results that three hour workouts bring.

Draw, How to Master the Art is winging its way to me as we speak! found a used copy at a missouri booksellers online. will be grand to get back to that book. each page is a series of challenges, of pictures to recreate, the copper jewelry is also working well, each new piece works with the others, getting lots of attention even from other artists. have more ideas in this spinning labyrinth that serves as a brain. i vainly grab at most of them as they whirl past....;) next challenge is a series of marine/celtic knots rendered in copper or silver.

our digital camera, which was inadvertently dropped in the bay, is not repairable, and, being insured, will be replaced. this we just found out after months of waiting. that model has been replaced with other more powerful ones so....who knows what we'll be offered(grins). might be worth it to ante up a few bucks to get something grander, larger, faster, etc.... i"ve also decided to find a small digital, one of those card sized canons, with decent optics to keep in my pocket....

no, we've not yet seen order of the phoenix. we don't do movie theatres, strange as that sounds. working outdoors though, we don't have the exposure to germs that are part of most people's every day lives. taking public transportation or sitting in a theatre, esp one with children(shudder) in it, can bring on some nasty colds and flus. so now we wait for the list at the library, four more days, and yes, i don't expect that much from this last one.... to prepare though, we're in the midst of a harry potter marathon. this week it's been the first two. three and four are also to be seen before the fifth. i've been drawn to rereading the series again as well. this always puzzles me as i rarely re-read books. the potters though are different, it's like coming home somehow with the added boost of finding a new nuance or clue buried till that reading.

time to go. happy solstice everyone. gods bless.

bucephalus — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 05:20:49 GMT

been too busy to visit here much lately. work has been more demanding than usual. sunday's visit to the library was quite productive, found an old art history book for a dollar in the sale section, written by an author i had been trying to remember for years. my professor had me read his art history books in connection with a doctoral thesis(which never materialized though we had great fun with it for years) on tennyson's idylls of the king. the other day chrys suggested i email my old prof and ask for the name which i'd not thought of doing but lo and behold it was waiting for me...now to study...

many storms are pounding the pacific northwest and the jet that brings them keeps getting blocked from bringing them down here. yippeeeee!

random thoughts

bucephalus — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 04:40:27 GMT

lots going on. as business changes there is the pressure to once again reinvent our crafts. the oil paints stored in the back have been sending out a siren song for a long while and now seems a good time. will be re-borrowing 'draw, how to master the art' a wonderful book that literally sits you at the foot of the great artists and makes you learn the traditional way, copying their work. i am an excellent copyist, always have been, and this book is a wonderful teacher for someone who is best self-taught with maybe a book as a guide. alas,i have never yet though found my own style. love the fauves and have copied much of their works. still not quite understanding the abstract. am also borrowing two volumes of art history to get my brain started. maybe this time i'll find the style that lurks inside...

the jewelry cannot quite be dispensed with, yet, so it morphs into the bizarre and unusual. am playing with copper wire, love copper and its healing properties, it's also much easier to invent with than silver as the cost is negligable. newest creation is a large pendant woven and knotted, somewhat akin to those macrame plant hangers. our friend james was not terribly impressed, likening it to a monstrous insect but his taste runs to large heavy blocky jewelry...first day out we got an order for matching earrings so....more books to take out on knots, basket weaving techniques, twining, all sorts of stuff to jog my jaded brain and even more jaded public. problem out there is,,,,globalization and the lack of any sort of integrity on the part of some of the 'craftspeople' out there...buying jewelry from third world countries for pennies and selling it as one's own work for a fraction of the price it should be, is not being a craftsperson. there is alas no means to control this problem and it's growing way out of control. so, the art and photography go out again...and the new designs whirling about in the chaos of my imagination.

i actually thrive on this type of challenge, there is very little out there i cannot learn to do. ever since i was small and would get my school books for the year and sit down on the porch and read them all that afternoon, there's been very little i cannot teach myself. except...socialization skills, they are forever beyond my reach...and speaking fluently, without stammers, stutters or difficulties with certain letters. this is something i've for the most part gotten used to as i am by nature solitary but sometimes when subbing for chrys at the stand and reaching desperately for a word as prospective customers stand waiting...

this is so worth reading, taken from the wall st journal.

bucephalus — Sat, 17 Nov 2007 00:48:31 GMT

A Beloved Professor Delivers
The Lecture of a Lifetime
September 20, 2007; Page D1

Randy Pausch, a Carnegie Mellon University computer-science professor, was about to give a lecture Tuesday afternoon, but before he said a word, he received a standing ovation from 400 students and colleagues.

He motioned to them to sit down. "Make me earn it," he said.

What wisdom would we impart to the world if we knew it was our last chance? For Carnegie Mellon professor Randy Pausch, the question isn't rhetorical -- he's dying of cancer. Jeff Zaslow narrates a video on Prof. Pausch's final lecture.

They had come to see him give what was billed as his "last lecture." This is a common title for talks on college campuses today. Schools such as Stanford and the University of Alabama have mounted "Last Lecture Series," in which top professors are asked to think deeply about what matters to them and to give hypothetical final talks. For the audience, the question to be mulled is this: What wisdom would we impart to the world if we knew it was our last chance?

It can be an intriguing hour, watching healthy professors consider their demise and ruminate over subjects dear to them. At the University of Northern Iowa, instructor Penny O'Connor recently titled her lecture "Get Over Yourself." At Cornell, Ellis Hanson, who teaches a course titled "Desire," spoke about sex and technology.

At Carnegie Mellon, however, Dr. Pausch's speech was more than just an academic exercise. The 46-year-old father of three has pancreatic cancer and expects to live for just a few months. His lecture, using images on a giant screen, turned out to be a rollicking and riveting journey through the lessons of his life.

He began by showing his CT scans, revealing 10 tumors on his liver. But after that, he talked about living. If anyone expected him to be morose, he said, "I'm sorry to disappoint you." He then dropped to the floor and did one-handed pushups.

Randy Pausch and his three children, ages 5, 2 and 1.

Clicking through photos of himself as a boy, he talked about his childhood dreams: to win giant stuffed animals at carnivals, to walk in zero gravity, to design Disney rides, to write a World Book entry. By adulthood, he had achieved each goal. As proof, he had students carry out all the huge stuffed animals he'd won in his life, which he gave to audience members. After all, he doesn't need them anymore.

He paid tribute to his techie background. "I've experienced a deathbed conversion," he said, smiling. "I just bought a Macintosh." Flashing his rejection letters on the screen, he talked about setbacks in his career, repeating: "Brick walls are there for a reason. They let us prove how badly we want things." He encouraged us to be patient with others. "Wait long enough, and people will surprise and impress you." After showing photos of his childhood bedroom, decorated with mathematical notations he'd drawn on the walls, he said: "If your kids want to paint their bedrooms, as a favor to me, let 'em do it."

While displaying photos of his bosses and students over the years, he said that helping others fulfill their dreams is even more fun than achieving your own. He talked of requiring his students to create videogames without sex and violence. "You'd be surprised how many 19-year-old boys run out of ideas when you take those possibilities away," he said, but they all rose to the challenge.

He also saluted his parents, who let him make his childhood bedroom his domain, even if his wall etchings hurt the home's resale value. He knew his mom was proud of him when he got his Ph.D, he said, despite how she'd introduce him: "This is my son. He's a doctor, but not the kind who helps people."

He then spoke about his legacy. Considered one of the nation's foremost teachers of videogame and virtual-reality technology, he helped develop "Alice," a Carnegie Mellon software project that allows people to easily create 3-D animations. It had one million downloads in the past year, and usage is expected to soar.

"Like Moses, I get to see the Promised Land, but I don't get to step foot in it," Dr. Pausch said. "That's OK. I will live on in Alice."

DISCUSS

Readers, if you were giving your last public address, what advice would you share, who would you thank, what stories would you tell and who would be on your mind? Share your thoughts.

Plus, watch Dr. Pausch's full lecture at Carnegie Mellon's Web site.

Many people have given last speeches without realizing it. The day before he was killed, Martin Luther King Jr. spoke prophetically: "Like anybody, I would like to live a long life. Longevity has its place." He talked of how he had seen the Promised Land, even though "I may not get there with you."

Dr. Pausch's lecture, in the same way, became a call to his colleagues and students to go on without him and do great things. But he was also addressing those closer to his heart.

Near the end of his talk, he had a cake brought out for his wife, whose birthday was the day before. As she cried and they embraced on stage, the audience sang "Happy Birthday," many wiping away their own tears.

Dr. Pausch's speech was taped so his children, ages 5, 2 and 1, can watch it when they're older. His last words in his last lecture were simple: "This was for my kids." Then those of us in the audience rose for one last standing ovation.

Write to Jeffrey Zaslow at jeffrey.zaslow@wsj.com

tests

bucephalus — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 06:51:54 GMT

was playing around with left brain/right brain tests and found this site:similarminds.com. linlots of interesting tests, an assortment of jungian/enneagram type tests...well worth the visit.

i usually test right brain dominant and always intp. recently saw the ballerina test where your brain dominance determines which direction she is spinning. supposedly, if you concentrate, you can get her to switch directions...i couldn't -she just keeps going in the direction that says i'm right brained...

another really detailed and interesting left-right brain test is found on the following site-it freely gives all the info that other sites tease you with tiny bits of so you pay them money: www.wherecreativitygoestoschool.com/vancouver/left_right/rb_test.htm

another story from the past

bucephalus — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 05:04:07 GMT

Many of these were weekly writing challengs from a now sadly desolate writer's board. This one has a pictorial prompt:

He hovered in the darkness outside her window, gazing in at the woman who sat at her night table. It had been too long since last he fed and the sight of her alabaster throat, arching as she sat there in a reverie, called to him in a siren's song. He could sense the blue veins pumping underneath that white expanse and his fangs ached with the desire to plunge deep into her throat and feed.

He knew the dangers involved in fulfilling that urge and fought to bring his sense of self-survival into play. There were other, safer ways to feed tonight, a drunken worker staggering home from his pub, a seamstress out after a fitting or one of the bargirls after closing hour. All were safer but none had the allure, none of these safer victims could entrance him as she had done.

Did he dare try to coax her, to rouse her from her thoughts and tempt her with words of promise and desire? Or try to mesmerize her with his gaze, cold blue eyes that seemed to sap the soul and life-blood of his victims before fangs ever touched flesh? Or would she in fact parry his efforts with a disarming glance, a bell-like tone, or a shrill scream that would bring the hunters down upon him?

His mind raced amongst the possibilities and he groaned at the sight of her, still lost in thought, unaware of the turmoil she had created in him. He gathered the force of his mind and will and turned aside, eyes blazing, and walked away into the night.

bucephalus — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 04:57:03 GMT

today read something truly disturbing: in 2005, 120 servicemen and women committed suicide each week, over 3600 in that year. this is so damned sobering...

before that had a grand day, slept in a bit, went out to the bay again and tonight we watched the first three episodes of tinker tailer with alec guiness, one of my all time favorite actors, esp man in the white suit.

found 5 ripe raspberries on the bushes today, hadn't really expected any more this late in the season, still incredibly delicious straight off the bush, tart and sweet at the same time. plan to grow a bunch more berries for next summer. the giant wild tomato plant's fruit is finally ripening, not the heirlooms i love but decent hothouse type cluster tomatoes.

back to reading the club dumas, an interesting book but corso is such an compelling character and so easily identified with, that the feelings of doom lacing this novel make me draw away at times.

winter solstice piece from three years ago...

bucephalus — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 03:03:31 GMT

the sky was grey and seemed to blur into the horizon where iron waves lapped at lowering clouds. the only sound was the whisper of waves on the shore, followed by the quarreling of pebbles as they were dragged back into the surf but to his ears there still remained the crash of sword on helmet, the high pitched screams of wounded battle horses, moans of dying men and the cursing of those who still lived and fought a useless battle. all those men, his men, for they had died fighting for him and now he lay there, useless, alone and in despair.

he had sent bedivere, his last remaining knight, away, after he had finally flung excalibur back to the lady, flung it far into the mere and away from human hands. it had shed enough blood, he had caused oh so much blood to be shed and now he watched his own life seep away into the encroaching tide, the red swirling in patterns into the clear cold brine, and wondered why. it had all seemed so right, the triumph over the avarice and rage of power maddened warlords; the gathering together of the flower of knighthood... and then modred and vivien, lancelet and guinevere, oh god, he thought of guinevere, her blond hair shining like a beacon as he rode up to her father's castle that first spring morning, and now, he had taken his leave of her, knowing...

he was dying, merlin had said he would return one day and yet he had no wish to. his men were gone, their blood puddled and shining on rocks, crabs already feasting on their flesh, what point returning? and yet...

a distant sound, a horn's golden thrilling note, the slap and splash of oars, louder and closer, and he raised his head up and saw the boat approaching, faerie folk standing tall thereon, arms open and welcoming. he closed his eyes and slept.

bucephalus — Sun, 04 Nov 2007 22:36:52 GMT

daylight saving time is now over but the sun is shining and it's actually hot out here. got a good handful of raspberries from the two bushes and watched a praying mantis walk across the dirt path out back. feels like summer, very cool. accuweather's sr meteorologist predicts and warm and dry winter season and noaa's current prediction for the month of november confirms that.

finding out bits of info about german and east european jews, many of whom were ashkenazi(sic?) and did not have patronymics as such, rather were isaac, son of lemuel, for example. this ties in with my grandfather whose patronymic is also a biblical first name. one site lists a number of holocaust victims with that name, close to 150 families. granted there is such a cloud of secrecy over his coming here that nothing is a granted.

have been pretty much carb free now for a month. still can't quite fit into the jeans i have from before which are two waist sizes smaller but getting there. jeans i wear now are awfully baggy, this is cool. have to keep finding new things to eat and am considering trying to make baked goods with almond flour... bought buffalo steak today, feel wierd about eating it but...

today we did not go to the bay but into the redwoods instead. found a rather steep hilly area and had no problems with the knees, even without a staff, this is the first time i've been able to do such a thing since i lost the ability to bend my right knee several years ago. thing about steep hill climbing is that it actually strengthens the knees, at least my knees, and i 've missed it sorely. this is exciting.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!

bucephalus — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 02:49:50 GMT

Today was fun, people in costumes parading back and forth on the plaza. The Puma would've appreciated the giant tent that was set up today by Meow Mix, called the Acatemy with its entrance flanked by human-size cat statues. The Acatemy will be open for the next few days and we shall have those days off but it was fun watching the tent go up....

Heard rather momentous and very cool news today, sad also, that it took so long to reach my ears-I am one-quarter Jewish!!! My german grandfather was Jewish but it seems everyone kept that in the closet for so many years. I am thrilled for so many reasons, for one, my childhood was made infinitely more bearable by the love I was freely given by Jewish friends' parents, I was always made to feel at home and loved, unlike the reception given at my own home. There has always been an affinity, a link, a feeling and it made my being german and thus somehow connected to the atrocities of the second world war so very hard to bear. My aunt finally told me today, we've reconciled after a number of years in which my mother had contrived to destroy a relationship she envied. Seems his family owned a chain of hotels in Germany. The poor man was persuaded to consent to baptism on his deathbed at the age of 97.

robert elisberg's blog-worth reading and copied in its entirety:

bucephalus — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 02:38:12 GMT

It should come as no surprise to Republicans that they are facing a far-right religious wing that's destroying their party. A wing so disruptive that it's discussing running a third-party candidate. And now at the problematically-named "Values Voters Summit," the G.O.P. is helping rip apart its own party.

(Why problematic? Because, holier-than-thou, it suggests other voters don't have values.)

As news reports note, not a single Republican presidential candidates is meeting with approval. The leader, Rudy Giuliani, is seen as a step from being cousin to Beelzebub. Forget 9/11, radical-right Republicans see Giuliani as 666. The second leading candidate, Mitt Romney, is as bad -- part of a "cult," as the leader of the influential First Baptist Church, Robert Jeffress, harshly dismissed Mormons.

The rest of the field fares as poorly. John McCain has called some far-right leaders "Agents of Intolerance." It's so bad, even the right-wing Fred Thompson doesn't have religious-enough credentials.

What's a party to do? The Republicans are in such trouble by pandering for so long to the far-right evangelicals that they're on verge of making the joke, "What if you threw a Party and no one came?," a reality.

And not only do they have no one to blame but themselves, but they should have seen it coming. Like a stampeding herd of elephants. For starters, it's in the Bible -

"A man shall reap what he sows." (Galatians 6:7)

But then it's also in every book of "wise sayings" ever written, starting with the Third Grade Manual of Schoolyard Etiquette.

"You made your bed, now lie in it."

"You dance with the person you brung."

"What goes around, comes around."

"You get what you pay for."

"It's time to pay the piper."

The Republican Party won some presidential elections in the short run at the expense of selling off its future. By pandering to the radical-religious far right, the G.O.P. not only ignored the Constitution, but its party, as well, drumming out most moderate Republican officials. Those running in the party must now court the far-right out of fear, because no other base remains. Once the conservative icon of the party, Barry Goldwater would be a pariah today. After all, he said about gays, "To be in the military, you don't have to be straight, you just have to be able to shoot straight." You didn't hear that value at the Values Voter Summit.

Instead, in the crumbling Republican Party today, its president at a 24 percent approval, you hear its voices echoing leaders like Richard Land, head of the Southern Baptist Convention, who drive the Republican agenda, wanting Rudolph Giuliani to make pledges that fit their religious views.

"If he did those things," "Land stated, "he would make it easier for a lot of evangelicals to choose him as the lesser of two evils.''

Now, look at that sentence again. You would swear he was talking about a church election for pastor. But he's talking about a man running for President of the United States, sworn to uphold the U.S. Constitution and protect every citizen of the United States, regardless of religious belief. That's America.

That's America.

And you know that's America.

But because the Republican Party blindly chose to follow this base, it is crumbling today. They have no one to blame but themselves.

When you start making political decisions based on what evangelicals think, you're in Iran. When you make political decisions based on what evangelicals think, you're also in Iraq. You're in most intolerant countries. You're in al Qaeda.

But if you're going to follow evangelical "values" leaders, at least make sure those leaders have values. When the president of the National Association of Evangelicals is forced to resign for "sexually immoral conduct," that's the first hint you're following the wrong leaders. Another hint is when your religious leaders take off after Teletubbies. Or hope for the assassination of foreign presidents.

When you pin your future on the Ted Haggards, Jerry Falwells and Pat Robertsons and give them a voice in the Oval Office, you only have yourself to blame.

The Republican Party painted itself in this horrible corner. The Republican Party is in a sinking ship with no help because it threw its moderates away, itself.

Religion has its important place in the heart. In the home. In the church. It's religion, not politics. Politics is about protecting by law the Good of All People, whatever their beliefs, whoever they are. And in the end, the vast majority of Americans understand that that is what America is about.

The Republican Party wanted to win a few elections in the worst way, and they did. At the expense of its future, and the expense of America. If only they read and understood the Bible, rather than just thumped it. "For what shall it profit a man if he shall gain the whole world and suffer the loss of his own soul?" Matthew 16:26. They played with fire and brimstone, got a little spark, but now are getting incinerated. It's a crumbling hellhole they dug for themselves.

Be careful what you wish for, you just might get it.

By the way, the name of the group organizing the "Values" summit was the Family Research Council. Across the stage, their banner emblazoned the summit's motto -

"FRCAction."

Fraction. Honest.

It turns out God was watching after all. And has a major sense of humor.

found at www.huffingtonpost.com

bucephalus — Sun, 21 Oct 2007 23:50:53 GMT

finished lost souls this week, poppy brite's first novel. sometimes it was a struggle to read, but overall quite a neat book. the characters christian, zillah, twig and molochi are really made alive, funny thing to say about the undead, but there it is. christian was, i think, the most compelling though...

we are finally drying out after a number of freaky, cold rainy days, events normally occurring in deep winter. the garden is staggering and will need to be watered again tomorrow but i've let it have the last two sunny days to dry out. the small bird of paradise is actually going to give us flowers, yes!! the large variety rarely has flowers, the one we have of this type has huge leaves, several feet long and about 18" wide, very cool plant also but it will be neat to have the little one flower. hoping the giant tomato plant has a chance to ripen the tomatoes in the next few weeks of heat-we are expecting 70's and 80's, above normal temps even for here. that plant has so many tomatoes, clusters of 5-6 large tomatoes all over the place. it's about 7 feet high now and about as wide...

am just finishing the second week of the year of dieting. no scale here but my jeans are fitting quite loosely, energy levels even with the tiredness of the flu are way up and, a surprising result: the sun damage on my skin is actually going away, very strange but foretold by a book i've been reading on the powers of live foods to heal the body. as i've no recourse to a dermatologist, this is a great relief. have added protein to the mix, as hunger was getting to me and i don't want to end up cannibalizing my muscles, and large salads. basically atkins but with fruit and veg (and the brown rice on sunday night and potatoes with butter on tues.) i can do this. only 50 more weeks to go...:)

tuesday is the 16th anniversary of the day chrys and i met. we had been corresponding by telephone for a week after i answered the personal ad in the village voice. i didn't want to meet on the 23'rd as i and my staff had a huge presentation to give at work the next day. chrys convinced me and we spent hours at the south street seaport in ny on the pier under a full moon and then ... i went to the presentation the next morning in yesterday's clothes and didn't really give a damn, got my priorities in order so to speak. five months later, we moved out here...;)

bucephalus — Thu, 11 Oct 2007 03:54:27 GMT

interesting test found on the puma page.....

Your Q Score is: 15

The Q score ideally should be as small as possible, indicating maximum agreement among elements. However, even a tiny Q score may not mean optimal functioning, since all four elements may in fact be relatively undeveloped.

Your Primary Mythical Creature

Air Types
The main strength of the Air types is intellect. The second element indicates the most probable focus for this intellectual activity.

Firebird
Air with Fire

Astrologically associated with Aquarius and the Eleventh House

Firebird types are idealistic and driven to achieve something of social or artistic value. They have a strong sense of social justice associated with powerful moral and religious convictions. These convictions are often chosen by the individual on the basis of reason rather than simply received from an existing tradition. They are brilliant at producing original ideas and creative solutions to problems and are good at inspiring others to put them into practice. They can be impatient for results. They hate routine and lose interest once a problem has been addressed, moving swiftly on to the next challenge. They are intense and need a high level of autonomy. They are sociable but goal-oriented. They have good leadership potential but are really more concerned with problem solving. They are unconventional and often radical.

Your Shadow Creature

Water Types
All the Water types have problems relating to feelings and closeness. The weakest element indicates the main focus of these problems.

Satyr
Water and Earth

This shadow is by turns self-neglecting and over-indulgent and exhibits lack of discipline and self-control. A proper diet is avoided while harmful practices are pursued to excess. They are very active physically and mentally but produce nothing lasting. They want power and can be ruthless in their attempts to get it. They are secretive, and don’t trust others because they themselves can’t be trusted. They have an urge to dominate others and can be insensitive to their emotional needs. They are plagued by an underlying sense of emptiness that explains an apparent self-destructiveness. The biggest obstacle of weak Earth is to overcome self-centeredness and greed; the biggest obstacle of weak Water is to overcome insensitivity and alienation.

still here, recovering from an incredibly nasty flu, aches, chills, weakness, fever, etc. nights are yet a challenge as no position seems to preclude coughing. have been toddling off to bed armed with slippery elm tea, spiked with maple sugar and lime. the herbs kept this bug down to just a few days but those days were hellish and, of course, were days we had to work...

been definitely autumnal here, leaves changing, rainstorms of mid-winter strength(2 inches overnight????) which do not auger well for this winter season though the chief meteorologist for accuweather promises a below-normal precip season for most of this state. keep fingers crossed...think drought, drought is good, repeat: drought is good.

making lemonade from lemons, sort of, the extreme lack of appetitie experienced with this flu inspired me to start what will be 'the year of dieting'. yes, i figure it'll take a year for me to get into those 28w black calvin klein jeans waiting in the closet. am quite taken with what is called the cabbage soup diet. took out the poisons such as onion soup mix, added mung bean sprouts, fresh tomatoes and loads of fresh wild mushrooms and it's really not that bad.... as is the diet itself. at night on day two, one gets a large baked potato with butter, loads of steak and tomatoes on days 4 & 5, tons of fruit and veg on other days. i will be deviating on day 4, substituting chicken and apples for bananas and skimmed milk(ugh). quite a lot of variety and a welcome escape from atkins, a longterm fast or cernitin powder, my other options for wt loss at this highly advanced stage. just finished day 3 and feeling no pain, actually feeling quite nice.

this is frequently the hardest time, before anything shows but i am confident that this one will work, have read through so many nutritional schemes and diet plans and this seems to cover all the bases at least for someone who is not a dieter by nature.

bucephalus — Thu, 27 Sep 2007 04:57:45 GMT

today relatives crossed a final line and i have done what i've been thinking about for years-cut them off entirely, renounced any inheritance, indicated that i will not be in contact save for the most innocuous of ecard on holidays. i lived in fear for my whole childhood, any affection or warmth was gathered from other peoples' moms and dads. i am standing tall now and stating that i will take no more. the sniping, carping and bullying can go on without me, find another victim.

I AM FREE.

What Do You Have To Say? - Extreme Sports: I've Tried It

bucephalus — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 05:47:09 GMT

running down mountains in the rainy season. quite exhilarating until one loses one's footing on the slick rocks and mud and lands with an ankle turned at an obscene angle under one's body... sprains and breaks are a challenge in the outdoors, esp when one's a solitary hiker. there's a window when the excruciating pain holds off and even a broken ankle can be used to hike back to the car. never sit down and never take off a boot or shoe to see the damage or rub the foot, the footware will probably not go back on... just get moving back to civilization as fast as you can... this works for sprains and hairline fractures, worse than that? you're on your own, could do some damage using it...

now with cellphones, the race to the car may not be such an imperative for some.

why run through the mountains? you see the most amazing things and the downhills feel like flying. saw a golden eagle feasting on a rabbit up close once, then watched him try to take off with the rabbit in one set of talons, just incredible....

colourblindness

bucephalus — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 05:29:56 GMT

got this year's nanowrimo notification...already???? will this be the year i finally settle in for the long haul???

back to the topic at hand...

was studying the weather maps on friday night as we've been experiencing unusual weather lately, ie rain. found a link for software for the colourblind to allow them a glimpse at what the rest of you see. went to it and realized that installing the software would change the parameters for chrys as well. not really the right thing to do and so, no change for now. revisited the sites, retook the tests which confirm yet again what the doctors have told me. i cannot see the numbers hiding in the dots.

funny, some people i know got angry or annoyed when i told them i was colourblind. they demanded that i identify basic colours, asking 'well what colour's this? or this? it seems to irritate them...odd, it's my problem after all.

most colourblind people see colours, we are missing rods and cones in the eye that allow the full range of colours normal people see. i confuse dark colours with blacks and blues with greens, things like that. our world is drabber as the one site that shows what the typical colourblind person sees side by side with that same picture in 'normal' representation. i was somewhat appalled by the colourblind version and wanted to deny it, so drab, dead looking and so not what i consider myself seeing... made me wonder just what a brilliant world the rest of you see.

saturday we didn't get to work, a space with a poor location coupled with fairly heavy rain convinced us to leave and go off to the bay so the dogs could at least get some swimming in. the countryside was overcast and foggy and looking around i realized that i do see that drab version---it's brightened considerably by the sun which normally dapples with light all the darkness. made me stop and wonder if that is part, a huge part, of why the fog depresses me so, and the long rainy season. there are no brilliant hues for me then. wish i hadn't found this out in some ways...

no self-pity here, i am a rare critter, left-handed, gay and colourblind, and test in the 2percentile to boot. colourblindness is part of what i am and how i see the world(obviously). i do just wonder at times what it looks like to the rest of you.

drip paintings made easy and turing!!!

bucephalus — Sun, 23 Sep 2007 02:16:57 GMT

no time to post but....for the artistic and those who just want a bit of fun...http://www.jacksonpollock.org/

try it it's great fun. hint at top says how to erase your picture. hint from me-lifting your finger from the touchpad changes the colour you paint with.

also just found a wonderful alan turing website: http://www.turing.org.uk/

i toddle off to bed reluctantly with these two gems just waiting for me...

bucephalus — Tue, 18 Sep 2007 06:20:42 GMT

yes, it's been a while and i've not really been to see f-list entries very much lately. hasn't really been possible what with another assaullt upon my ambulatory status, hopefully resolved, causes realized. asics, a running shoe i've loved for years, has sold out like so many others, made in china and not at all what they were, even though the price has gone up(grrr). brand new shoes are destined for the thrift store and tomorrow i'll be buying brooks or new balance and hoping that the exacerbated conditions continue to abate.

otherwise things are grand. the weather is glorious, 60's and low 70's, clear blue sunny skies and our travels through the countryside out to the bay continue to enchant, we pass through redwood forests dappled with sunlight, then through miles of low hillsides dotted with cattle, horses, deer and wild turkeys, hawks and vultures soar overhead. the cows have calved recently so little ones are all over, stumbling around or sitting by their moms. we got the tides wrong and had thought it to be low when we got there so i didn't bring swimming gear but the sun was so strong and the pull towards water left me standing delighted knee deep with no care to the condition of my shoes and jeans. lobbed a number of stranded jellyfish back to safety, i don't seem to get stung by them after having had a major sting event with a portuguese man of war years ago. dogs swam and frolicked on the beach and now all are asleep.

we saw the return of the king tonight and that, coupled with the five clean and presses i just did outside will conspire to keep me up for a while i fear, but there are loads of books to read...

finished a really fun book not too long ago, the woven path, book one of the wyrd museum by robin jarvis. supposedly young adult fiction but quite dark and a great read. there's a few more kicking around the library which i'll pick up on thursday, our next trip down the coast and over the hills to the library.

this morning i watched through my window as a hummingbird dined on the cape honeysuckle, a viny plant with deep red flowers. the plant is over 12 years old now, we've taken it with us whereever we went.. the garden has really been amazing this year, each pot now has at least two or three different plants coexistng, flowers everywhere, strawberry plants have appeared out of nowhere, i've never planted them and the raspberries continue to produce berries each morning and afternoon. the datura(tulip tree) that i rescued from the back is flowering now, leaves are sprouting all over the three trunks of the tree, quite amazing the difference from a few weeks ago when i found it dying in the back. a brilliant yellow canna will be in full bloom tomorrow, cannas have not really taken yet this year and i'm figuring they'll be in full swing next year as have the calla lilies in their second year. cannas are the only new bulbs/plants this year aside from raspberries, some sunflower seeds and tomatoes. rest of the garden is two-four years old and it amazes me each time i look at it. there are about 60 containers out back, another 10 along the side and 40 or so in the front and somehow the plants intermingle front to back and although in separate containers, have become a single entity as it were.

listened to dennis kucinich on the ed schultz show last week, he was pretty impressive, wish he had a chance, smart man with the right ideas. still would love a gore/richardson ticket... we have a chance of turning this whole ungodly mess around, hope it happens...

getting late and we are working tomorrow, so off to bed.

bucephalus — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 05:20:28 GMT

just believe in your powers,
you might find out you're invincible,
no matter what they say...

moonboy, alphaville.

bucephalus — Tue, 04 Sep 2007 07:31:47 GMT

back in from working out and everyone is asleep. it's very quiet and i've only a night light on....

we worked sat and sun this weekend, an ordeal as each day is about 16 hours long. all are exhausted, today the dogs were too tired to do much swimming at the bay, preferring to roll around in the marshes and chew on a retriever stick that no longer floats...must find stronger ones, ciaran loves to retrieve them in the water...last friday i was paddling about in the bay, using a life vest as a back rest, kicking and having a grand time in the water, i love swimming and oceans and have missed the atlantic dearly. the pacific is much colder, stronger rip tides and a higher percentage of great whites so i havent been in an ocean since moving out here, save for sloshing through the water's edges. the bay is much warmer and has leopard sharks aplenty but they're not interested in large mammals. chrys claims to have seen some cool stingrays at the water's edge as well... lots of jellyfish, gorgeous ones which look like pale globes and pulse their way through the water.

tonight's workout was grand again, really euphoric working out in the nighttime air, remembering what my body can still do, and there is quite a lot, rather than continuing to allow the obvious limitations to keep me down. am using the mini-tramp during my rests between sets to keep the cardio thing going so all in all quite productive sessions and great fun to boot. i've got a lot of work to do but its happening...

have changed my diet around once again, vegan was just not working, nowhere near enough protein and my system is rather carb intolerant. now it's lots of steel cut oatmeal(which actually tastes good) laced with whey protein concentrate, celery, apples, lean meats, veg and whole grain breads, also lots of corn, have been reading about food as hormone regulation, interesting and seems to be working. celery seems to be rich in androsterones, so i' m getting used to eating a lot of it.

had a visitor at the workout, turned to get some weights and about 6 feet away was a baby skunk, we were both instantly terrified, he tried to back up into the corner and i fled inside. very very cute, little face and gleaming black eyes, no smell either...we have a family living not too far away and i suspect that they as well as the local cats are emptying the bees' water bowl.

thousands of bees, well hundreds and most are yellow jacks...a little scary but the truce remains in effect so far and they've done an amazing job of spreading the flowers all over the place. zinnias are blooming in about fifteen different containers both front and back and i haven't planted any this year. also, mums, dahlias, butterfly plants which are high sparse bushes. rescued a datura tree(tulip tree) that a neighbor had uprooted and tossed out to languish in the hot sun. it'll flower soon. there's a wild tomato plant growing near the water spigot that is huge about four and a half feet tall and just about as wide, growing in gravel and whatever soil is underneath, at least ten tomatoes on it already. the raspberry plants produce about a handful everyday not bad for young plants and somehow we have a strawberry plant flourishing, no idea where that came from. the gardens are really superb this year, despite the lack of money spent on them, no new plants exc a few tomatoes and some sunflower seeds, all are second and third generation, even many of the annuals....go figure.

more new games, two rather disappointing one esp so as it incompletely loaded, the third though, lumines mobile, is great fun and even has decent music on it, wonderful graphics, very cool. can't buy anymore, down to two hundred plus minutes which must last for some months yet...

off again tomorrow, back to the bay where i will go in again and play with the swimming dogs. tomorrow night is lower body work. now it's time to read for a few hours or minutes, who knows, i come in here so hyper after the workouts...

bucephalus — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 07:20:11 GMT

I do have to get up in six hours(shudder) but am still so hyped up by my workout that sleeping is not really an option...

It's been frustrating the last few weeks, have plantar fascii problems now as well as the morton's neuroma and rebounding has been quite painful and hazardous in just exacerbating the problems. The new Asics did not alleviate the problems as expected, maybe it's that they're made in China, but the most cushy, wonderful running shoes have become flat with no cush to speak of. Tried contacting the company and got nowhere, now I've got some spenco inserts in there and they seem to be helping....

Realized that I do need to be lifting again, esp with the limitations on cardio I seem to be experiencing. A gym membership is still not the way I want to go right now. Something about the injuries and my being out of shape makes me lose sight of working out and feeling self-conscious. I realize a lot of that was the beautiful people gym I just left but for now lifting at night out of doors seems like a lot more fun. And it is... Still haven't found the bench and weights but am using the rebounder as a bench for now and have a few dumbells from the
thrift store, nice ones, could use some more weights to put on them but figure on getting those with the bench.

Went full throttle, three sets of 12 reps of each of these: shoulder shrugs, upright rows, bench press, db pullover, db flies, military press, curls and lying triceps extensions. I preceded it with ten minutes on the rebounder and followed the sets with another ten rebounder minutes and full out stretching session. All done under the stars, with no one out there but an occasional skunk and the garden and me. Very cool. On alternate days, I'm doing what I can in lower body mode: squats, lunges, calf raises and ab work.

I realize how much I miss my old setup and wish I hadn't donated it when we moved...will find a good replacement though, it's just a matter of patience and lots of visits to craigslist. I really do prefer working out at home, no one trying to 'work in' with you, no distractions or interruptions. And important for me, no temptation to grandstand and lift more than is wise right now. Though the above workout does seem extreme for a return to lifting after many months off, my body seems to remember such sessions, minimal soreness so far and a lot of fun.

So, I'll put off the visit to the local gold's gym for a few more months, till the rain starts in, and perhaps then I'll be that much more healed that the idea of exercising in public won;t be such a bad idea, at least until the rains stop again, come spring.

Otherwise, am starting to do more metalwork which I am enjoying as a change and which seems to be working better, more demand and less competition. We continue to take the dogs out to the bay for swimming three or four days a week, all of us having a grand time, riding the rural areas to get out there, past the horse farms and three brahma bulls I'm crazy about(oh the muscle tone on those bulls...).

Saw once again the Fellowship of the Ring and fell in love with the movie again, it's so easy to lose oneself in it, must've been grand to see it in the movies. No we did not get to see OTP in the cinema, Chrys didn't rise to the bait... Have ordered the two other LOTR dvds from the library. One is in already and will get picked up later this week...;)

Five and a half hours...better go.