inside the obelisk.

I read back on my journal for the first time in forever. It reads like a spiritual cesspool.
When I first started this journal, I was nasty, abusive, highly reactive, and slobbering over hideous skanks, who don't even hold a candle to skye_ds. I was in a place of pain, and inflicted it on the people closest to me-- the same people who cared for me the most. I was especially hard on Skye, blaming her for my own misery, my own failures. I never hated her, but I sure treated her as if I did. I held everyone above her, and rdiculed and attacked her publicly, here in my journal.
She's not the only person I was nasty to, or hurt. She's just the one I was nastiest to, and hurt the most. Apologies don't even begin to touch the damage that words did.
Words are like radioactive waste, they have a half-life measured in years, and they can do damage long, long after they are laid down. I'm tired of my wasted words, and the hurt thay cause. I'm also tired of people being negative, being hurtful or snarky or catty. I've done some housecleaning, and will doubtless do more.
There's something I know and have been neglecting. If I write a post about something positive every day, I not only stave off the drama llamas, I reinforce that positiveness in my life and in myself. I have a lot of good things in my life, especially Skye, and so I shoudl have no problem doing this.
Starting next post. This one is already, sigh, TOO NEGATIVE.

An update, on January 25th.
Well obviously this was another misguided attempt. The same elements that made me question the worth of LJ in the first place glommed on almost immediately.
The pretzel logic was: If he's trying to post positive things, it MUST be to cover something BAAAAAD up! This is from the same minds that decided years ago, based on someone else's say-so, that I was:

Being abused by my wife;
Enslaved;
My favorite one was being kept in a cage and made to eat from a dog bowl.

The only reason I don't get my normal belly laugh out of the whole situation is, these same people never asked me what was going on, and when confronted about it, chose to believe other people over me. Okay, there is another reason; the main person who is doing this is my purported sister bramblekite, who despite telling me otherwise, has never given up net stalking and harrassing my wife, and encouraging other people to do the same.
And sorry,

"But I didn't mention any names!"
"Well I wasn't talking about you, but if the shoe fits, hey!"
"Hey, I can't control what others think/do/say!", and my personal favorite,
"I never thought you'd find it there (even though I joined a community/group/list/whatever and posted thinly veiled crap about you like you were too stupid to figure it out, and too polite to call me on it)

didn't cut it then, and don't cut it now.
This isn't years ago; this is days ago, and still ongoing. I love my sister, and it does pain me that she'd rather have the drama. She has as far as I can tell never realized that she is indeed attacking me, calling me a liar, stupid, weak, bullied and abused, much less what she's kept right on doing to my wife. She certainly has never apologized, or stopped. I don't think at this point that she ever will.
I'm saying this plainly because so far she has relied upon my silence; used my "being polite", not wanting to "cause a scene", against me.
Yes she is entitled to her own opinion; I am entitled to mine as well. We both share a deep mutual distrust. The key difference is this:

I have never publicly attacked her, lied about her, used her as a bad example, slagged her, put her down, talked about her behind her back, attempted to ruin her reputation, however you wish to describe it, or encouraged other people to do so. I have always approached her directly, privately when possible, and honestly. And paid the price for it every time.

Anyway, so journalwise, it's back to friends only. Sisterwise, I am back to having no way to communicate with her. Politeness, positiveness have failed in that respect, and opening up my journal has only encouraged the llamas.
So, being unable to please everyone (by being miserable apparently), I'm goingto please myself.

Won my first SCA tourney and title yesterday. In a close ride-off, I narrowly bested sonar0m, and am now the equestrian Defender of the Rose.
This means, next time around, it's my course, baby. *ssss*
Also, skye_ds was finally awarded her long-deserved Award of Arms, which accords her the right and dignity to bear arms, to have her coat of arms recorded by the College of Heralds, and the well-deserved title of Lady. *smooch*

From this CNN article on yet another tainted Chinese children's toy:

Jack Esses, 20 months old, started stumbling and throwing up the Aqua Dots after playing with his sister's set on October 30, his mother said in an interview Thursday. For a time, he slipped out of consciousness -- waking up only to vomit.

"I thought that the Aqua Dots had to have done something, but I wasn't sure because I didn't think they were toxic. There was no warning on the box that said they were toxic. It just said that they were a choking hazard," the child's mother said.

To forestall the inevitable cries of outrage, I am not making fun of a child who through no fault of their own had a tragic accident. I am pointing out the painful, species-threatening, yet hilarious, irony of a mother who thinks it's perfectly fine for a 20-month-old child to cram small pellets into his mouth because they're not "toxic" (normally), merely a "choking hazard". I am glad the child recovered, and hope he lives to be old enough to kick his mother in the ass.

Arthur thinks it's Talk Like A Parrot day. Yarr, I have not the heart tae tell him.

What is a drum horse?
This is a drum horse.

What is a drum horse?
This is a drum horse.

And this is an elephant.

And this is a mastodon.

 

Some of you have noticed I have not been on LJ in a while.
Well;
I don't have time to do all the things I need to do, much less the things I would like to do; and LJ is not a priority.
It's nice to be able to keep up with people, sure, but I don't have time to read it much, and honestly, I don't have a lot of time or patience to wade through the tedious mountains of babble-babble bitch-bitch to reach what is important and/or interesting.
I don't really have the time to waste on posts that few read and fewer respond to, and flame wars over grammar and bruised feelings just aren't the incentive people seem to think they are.
If you want to talk to me, or have something you think I need to know, my contact info is in my profile. If you want to know what I'm up to or how I'm doing, try asking me, or check skye_ds's or sonar0m's journals for the highlights if direct contact is just too much for you.

In summation, I'm fine, I'm busy, I'm at peace, and I don't have much use anymore for LiveJournal. Peace out.

In other news, got to rush home now, see if I can locate my black robes... see I need them, they match my horse. =^.^=

Right, not much time as I have this chronic affliction called a life, but given some recent stupidity, this apparently needs to be stated outright-- subtle hints are just lost on some folks.

For the record, then. Right, listen up:
Jason was never married to Skye. I was. Sorry. Truth rears it's ugly head. I say this because moonbeam feels the need to spew about his 'abusive ex-wife' to any and all. Clue: Not married=not ex-spouse. Claro? Bueno.

My place, not yours, despite all your efforts. Nice try. Have a biscuit.

As for abusive, I would like to hold up to the light the many times he physically blocked her from leaving his apartment, browbeating her to and beyond the point of migraine, and my personal favorite, the time he lied bald-faced to me about her having left there six hours before, when she was in the other room crying her eyes out, begging him to stop. Even took her cell phone away.

Jason lost any and all claim to my friendship when he turned his two-facedness, his destructive self-pity and his wannabe-style passive/agressive power plays from a part-time hobby to a full-time obsession. I can't help someone who is constantly trying to assfuck me, and eventually, I got tired of trying. I pulled out of it; he didn't, and apparently has no desire to.

---

Mood... In PoTC, remember that great, eye rolling, long suffering sigh Geoffrey Rush let out when Johnny Depp stabbed him? Right before he impaled Johnny in kind?

Do not attempt to take credit for something that you had no part of.
Particularly when it is mine.

*****

Let me also clarify:
Do not attempt to take my place, either.

Bambi II.

...

I wish I were.

Can you shoot me now, please?

Lovely.
Parrots are indeed vulnerable to Asian bird flu.
I guess that answers that question.
Also:

The two separate bird consignments were kept in the same quarantine compound in Essex, sharing the same "airspace."
...
Asked if [Britain's chief veterinary officer, Dr. Debby Reynolds] considered placing the birds together to be a mistake, she told the UK's Press Association: "The process of putting consignments together is something that we obviously need to review."

Gee, Brain. You think so?
Sorry; quarantining live animals from different consignments in the same air space, regardless of their origin, is so astonishingly stupid. What sort of idiot would do this-- besides the customs agencies of every fucking country in the world, except Australia? Why not just throw them all in to a big pen together so no one can possibly tell who infected whom with what from where? Jolly good show, fuckwits. No wonder you have no goddamn clue how BSE got into your country. Reinforce that stereotype of British callous ignorance we all so miss from your colonial period.

Arthur is at risk.

"We need to get out in the woods and touch ourselves."

Shenzou 6 has launched. Clicky.
More details about this mission and the Chinese space program here.

Want to go to space in your lifetime? Learn Chinese.

Skye has been spoiling me outrageously. :))) You'll never guess!!!
She surprised me with a leather frock coat! It's tres spif. Here's how I look in it.

Well, minus the eyeshadow.
She has a matching one and ohh, she looks soo hawwwt in it. >;>
And then she surprised me again. Totally unexpected, and very much appreciated.
She got me a dragon mask. I had lusted after these masks when I first saw them years ago, and never got one... I could never afford one :((( When I saw the man in the dragon outfit at Table Rock I mentioned it. And..!!!
She really surprised me with that one. I'm so tickled.
I really must be doing something right to be so loved. :)

Update: Oh! She beat me to the post.

I dare. Do you?

Leave your name and

1. I'll respond with something random about you.
2. I'll tell you what song/movie reminds me of you.
3. I'll pick a flavor of jello to wrestle with you in.*
4. I'll say something that only makes sense to you and me.
5. I'll tell you my first/clearest memory of you.
6. I'll tell you what animal you remind me of.
7. I'll ask you something that I've always wondered about you.
8. If I do this for you, you must post this on your journal. You MUST. It is written. The pants compel you.


*May cause irreversible damage to the liver and kidneys.

Senator John McCain:
"We demanded intelligence without ever clearly telling our troops what was permitted and what was forbidden. And then, when things went wrong, we blamed them and we punished them. We have to do better than that."

This is in support of an amendment he has sponsored which would require US forces to follow the interrogation standards set in the Army Field Manual and bar "cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment" of prisoners in U.S. custody.

This has of course raised an outcry that it is duplicative, that our forces already have such a restriction, and that these new restrictions would seriously hamper our president's efforts as commander-in-chief to prosecute the war on terror.

I agree with McCain. The situation is too ambiguous. The guidelines need to be clarified. I disagree with the assessment that this would hamper the almighty war on terror. It is my opinion that the widespread use of methods described as torture under the Geneva accords, which have been used on detainees because of the technicality that they are not defined as prisoners of war, especially when said methods are used indiscriminately, results in the creation of new enemies. Moreover:

Use of these methods has not significantly improved the quantity or the quality of the information received.

My opinion is that these methods as they are currently applied are counterproductive. I do firmly believe that there are situations where use of torture may be the only way to get crucial information. I also firmly believe that use of such methods is best left to highly trained specialists, and cannot effectively be widely applied.

I believe that torture should indeed be used, with great discretion. I have seen that such discretion has been in alarmingly low supply.

We have been letting reservists, part-time soldiers of the caliber of Lynnie England, do the job of Special Forces, of CIA field operatives, of trained interrogators. As a result, we have been using methods on people who have committed minor offenses, or no offenses at all; people who have no vital information to give. We have been wasting effort. We have been casting our nets too widely, catching thousands of minnows... but missing the sharks.

Moreover, the situation has been deliberately left ambiguous so those who press for torture to be used can have plausible deniability. The soldiers who act under orders, or perceived orders since they are outside the former guidelines, can be prosecuted; those who give the orders, are not.

I agree with John McCain. Our troops are not served by this ambiguity. Nor is our country.

Another week, another dead Supreme Court justice; here we go again.
This time, Bush has not just nominated a lawyer; he has nominated his lawyer. Once again, Trickster King Monkey has nominated someone outwardly palatable, but completely unqualified to serve on this nation's highest court. I guess the logic here is along the lines of "If they'll swallow Roberts, they'll swallow anybody!"
I am aware that John Roberts is charming, and witty, and erudite. I am also aware that he has a whole eight months of experience on the Federal bench, and did very little during that time. I can also see that his history before that was litigation-- advocacy of someone else's position. This is not the function of a judge.
I submit to you all that John Roberts lacks the experience, the seasoning, the wisdom one really wants in a justice of the United States Supreme Court-- much less the Court's chief justice. Look at the records of those who sit on the court; Clarence Thomas, William Rhenquist, Sandra Day herself, even Ruth Vader-Ginsberg, who attempts to counter conservatism with pyschosis. Agree with them or not, these are all noted, respected Constitutional scholars. All have many years of experience in Constitutional law; as lawyers, as judges, as professors. Look at some of the people who have been judged unworthy of a Supreme Court seat, most notably Allen Ginsberg and Robert Bork. Can you honestly say that John Roberts is qualified to do more than sort their paperwork?
John Roberts got tapped by his old drinkin' buddy because he was such a good sport about getting popped with towels in the locker room. Ms. Meier has been chosen for her similarly prodigious ability to say "Ribbit!" every time Cheney says "Frog!".
Yes, I can see she is a woman. Do you think that automatically makes here fair? Or wise? Or on your side? She is the fucking White House counsel. For five years, it has been her job to advocate the legal position if the Bush administration. Those of you who question the legality of the Iraq war, the treatment of detainees, the misuse of the patriot Act, the declaration of US citizens as enemy combatants, or any other minor, piffling issue might want to consider this, long and hard.
I have been told by Democrats that the reason why the Democrats rolled over, took it up the kiester and thanked them afterwards for Skippy john Roberts, was that the Democrats were "picking their battles"-- they would let Roberts slide, and go balls-out after the "next one".
Riiight.
Well here's the next one. Have at it.
...well?
Spine and spine, what is spine???
Do you think a single Democrat wil vote against a woman? Even one who is more laughably unqualified than Roberts was? Even one whose latest resume entry is "Sock puppet of the illuminati-wannabees?" Hell fucking no. Heavens forfend the Democrats alienate their potential voter base by standing on principles, by opposing someone who is completely unqualified for the job-- and who spent the last five years advocating the White House's legal positions??? Golly, if they do that, people might not vote for 'em!
I can't see a single Democratic member of Congress opposing her confirmation. Well shit, they'd lose face if they did that; the vagina-fearing Republican stalwarts are already rallying to oppose her. For all the wrong reasons, of course; she apparently is not masculine conservative enough for them. They apparently have no problem whatsoever with her inexperience.
not surprised; Senate Democrats had no problem whatsoever with Roberts' inexperience. Half of them followed the current party strategy and avoided a fight altogether; took the path of least resistance; joined the winning team. Don't rock the boat, yall. Of the half that didn't: I have yet to hear a single one of them give a rational explanation for their position. I heard only reflexive fear-mongering-- He'll overturn Roe v. Wade! He'll eat your babies! There's no solid indicator of that. There's no solid indicator of what he'll do at all. The most the die-hard Democratic hacks could splutter out was, "If a Republican picked him, he's got to be EVIL!"
Harriet Miers is yet another stealth candidate; we have no real clue what she will do when she is enrobed-- just like Skippy John Roberts. But it's painfully clear that they are not judges; they are sycophants. Best indication is that both of them will do exactly as they are told.
Place your bets.

Apparently I was raised to be nonconformist from an early age.
( From the mists of prehistory, when dinosaurs tore up my lawn...Collapse )

So anyways last weekend... wait, weekend before last... ah fuck it.
Sherman, set the wayback machine for the weekend of the 17th...

Tablerock Fantasy Faire

was actually a lot of fun. Tablerock is a nice venue for a faire. I t has a lot of paths, small areas, and shade. There is a stage and amphitheater. There wasn't a good area large enough to perform our ballet du cheval, so we went with a jousting and tourney game exhibition, in the 50 by 12 foot lane between the stage and the first row of seats. It was wide enough to set up some equipment on either side of the lane, and long enough to get a good canter in there. We had the stage on one side for Skye to use in her role as empresario, and all those seats on the other for an audience. ideal, non? Well... We were in the only unshaded part of the faire. So were the seats... so, audience was rather sparse. We did get a little bit of a crowd on Sunday, on the shady rocks on either side of the stage. We even got some nice applause. And an eight year old heckler... eh. We also got pretty scorched and dehydrated, because, well, Goddess hates Texas. That's right. Texas is an offense unto the eyes of, which is why temperatures went from the mid nineties during the week to over a fucking hundred AGAIN just for the weekend.
*sigh*
Well; we were only an hour from home, so we didn't have to haul camping gear. There were some cool characters at the faire, including
The fairy Godfather, resplendent in rainbow tutu and pink beard. he told wonderful stories in a Don Novello kind of accent. He also came to our last show and worked the crowd.
A man with a very spiffy dragon rig. He had taken one of the really nice big dragon masks I had lusted after all those years ago, and built a large portable rig around it-- basically a muppet. He'd built a metal armature in the shape of a standing dragon, and clothed it in blue and purple robes. he walks inside it; I think he carries it and sets it down to run the gimmicks. It blows smoke through the nostrils; the arms are moved by levers; the tail waves; and most impressively, the neck is rigged to extend up, and extend the wings out at the same time. It apparently had electrical power as well, he said he had fans inside it, and also apparently a speaker. Very nice.
I painted a blue and purple dragon on cardboard as a javelin target. Offered up to sacrifice. Sort of like burning man, I guess. I need to post the before and after pictures.
For the show, Skye would select (or draft) a fairy princess from the audience. Adorned with wings, wand and tiara, the princess would judge the contests and select a winner. marcus and I did pretty well, and got some good applause.
Next time we will know that two 45 minute shows are a lot less strenuous than 3 30 minute shows a day. ;)

When the night shows,
The signals grow on radios
And all the strange things
They come and go, as early warnings
Stranded starfish have no place to hide
Still waiting for the swollen Eastern tide.
There's no point in direction,
We cannot even choose
A side.

Took the old track,
The hollow shoulder, across the waters.
On the tall cliffs
They were getting older, sons and daughters
The jaded underworld was riding high
Waves of steel hurled metal at the sky.
And as the nail sunk in the cloud,
The rain was warm and soaked
The crowd.

Lord, here comes the flood.
Here we'll say goodbye to flesh and blood.
If again
The seas are silent
And any still alive
It will be those who gave their island to survive.
Drink up, dreamers, you're running dry.

When the flood calls
You have no home, you have no walls.
In the thunder crash
You're a thousand minds, within a flash.
Don't be afraid to cry at what you see
The actors gone, there's only
you and me.
And if we break before the dawn
They'll use up what we used to be.

Lord! here comes the flood!
We will say goodbye to flesh and blood.
If again
The seas are silent
In any stiller life
It will be those who gave their island to survive...

Drink up, dreamers, you're running dry.