atomic-raygun

 
             

   
 
 
----------->vivian-oblivion<--------

Site Feed

www.flickr.com

30 June 2004

 
Well, after two days I'm finally REALLY hooked up. After Matt left Mr Landlord did some cool things including setting up the wireless internet and leveling the bookcase which holds my computer. Then he left. Then later, we went offline. I rang Comcast this morning after first calling Mr L to tell him what I was up to. The Comcast phone tree dumped me in the lap of a business-like woman who gave me instructions, including "unplug the power wire, and we'll wait..." I said, "Sing to me," and she erupted into laughter and said, "Let's not go there -- I won't even sing in the shower!" She arranged for a Comcastrian to appear between 2 and 6. A very nice fellow appeared -- a fisherman! He was worried that the line had too faint a signal, and did a lot of running around searching out connections. He was able to remove a splitter downstairs, restoring strength to the line and happiness to me.
I spoke with Looper about the Author Photograph that we worked on unsatisfactorily on Sunday. And, too, about the webpage bio update, and the comment left by a former student.
I spent most of the day doing a couple of quests and riding around on my hoverboard in There.
Shelley emailed me, which is good.
I'm meeting Tiff for dinner tomorrow.
I'm handing my old computer to Marilee on Friday.
I need to go shopping for food. Shopping for food is stupid. Ugh.
Mmmm... eventually I'll get all my webby crapola functioning -- like the lake webcam. I've been exceedingly tired. Now that everyone is out of my house perhaps I can calm down and sleep.
Jin shin tomorrow.
I like my new computer A LOT.



29 June 2004

 
The Comcast fellow, Matt, hooked up this NEW computer in about 10 minutes -- yippee! Last night Derek had brought this one over -- what a sweetheart -- and I'm still changing things around to make them mine. I put my artwork on the black desktop, changed icons to some I made, and imported my favorites, so now I'm in business. This one has a 3g processor, a gig of ram, and a 256 Nvidia graphics card, which means that now I'm totally spoiled. I'm giving my old one to Marilee -- took out the sound card, firewire card, and threw the 56k modem in here for emergencies -- that's it.

The lake is very blue today. I haven't yet configured the lakecam -- will get to it soon, but meanwhile I have a lot to do to get everything I need back in place.



26 June 2004

 
Giant House Spiders
This house has giant house spiders, which is too bad. When I came home after seeing Eternal Sunshine etc. there was a G.H.S. motionless on the wall next to my pillow. They always seem rather thoughtful and docile, however, very few people would go to bed happily next to one. I got out the vacuum hose and sucked the poor spider up. It was just... too BIG.



25 June 2004

 
Mmmmmm... what've I been doing since Tuesday... hmmm... well, Thursday I had jin shin, went to see Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind at the Capital Theatre with Loopers 1 and 2. It was... eh. They'd just been traumatised and were seeking distraction, which I hope ESOTSM gave them. Friday, today, I went to see HPotter with MC.* The artwork was lovely -- the c-g animation was seamless. Otherwise it was a little boring. I think the Dementors would definitely be good dates for the Ringwraiths. Frodo was in ESOTSM as a budding gollum. My precious... stolen panties...
I went to E's house to beat on her computer, which could've used another 2 hours worth of beating -- but still I improved its functioning by about 100%. Taught E how to email photos -- she sent me 2 powerlifting photos. Con said she saw E on television at Special Olympics, as one of her team mates, an employee at Con's work, made a record or something, and was featured.
Thursday I also went in to my computer people as I haven't been able to contact them. They are crazed now, as they're moving. Every single thing near me lately has gone bizarrely wrong. In this case, they ordered my puter parts and the distributor screwed up and they had to reorder. I am trying to get them to build it and get tall Josh to bring it to my house -- they said they'd try.
Tomorrow SWMNBMIMB is coming.
Sunday I'm going to take a book jacket photo for Looper's new book. If we don't get one we like she may use the one from last time. I think I took 3 photos -- the first 2 more or less the same -- but very, very nice. May we have a similar experience on Sunday.
Dave+Rach are coming next week. They are friends from Illinois that Looper met through her years teaching at SIU, and that I met when I went with her and stayed a couple of weeks. Dave was perfectly healthy and fine then, but he all of a sudden became wheelchair-bound due to a medical "thing." That is, he developed tumors that were operated upon, but were discovered to be vascular; the bleeding rendered him unable to walk. It's shocking how quickly a human body can go from "fine" to a damaged state. I'm always horrified at how many things are out there that I've never heard of -- things that unleash awful suffering. Ugh.
I have had 3 separate people ask me if I want to see Farenheit 9/11, but I don't really want to see it -- I think I'd get too upset. And even more unhappy with this horrid, awful, terrible situation.

*Her son was my art student. He graduated from high school this year, as did JW.

Power Dragons



22 June 2004

 
Anji et al had a good time in Fiji, and will've moved to Brisbane by the month's end. She says she'll resume sending out her newsletters: "The SCA newsletter will begin again when we get to brisbane, but it will now be SCAR, or RASC or CRAS or ARSC who knows." The "R" is for Ryan. She also said, "glad you wrote, was wondering where you were. not that i am very good at keeping on top of 'keeping in touch.'" Actually she and I are the only ones who DO keep in touch. I was always a prolific letter-writer, and she is not too shabby herself. My mum always wrote letters but rarely sent them, which means I found some out-dated missives after she died. My pater never wrote letters that I know about. My older sister is very good at sending special occasion cards, but not to a wide circle. My brother writes on occasion. Elizabeth sends cards frequently to about 60 billion people, all of whom are amused. I have no clue as to who she writes to, but when going through my father's things a card from E popped up -- pretty amazing since she last saw him in about... what? Hmmm... 1986? Not sure, not sure. I asked her periodically if she wanted to see him (asked my older sister, too, when she was here). I find it creepy that I've, for years, been the only person in the family who has talked to everyone. Not without a price, unfortunately, but oh, well. It's a family of people all with extremely strong clashing personalities, and it really says a lot that I was the most mild and giving of the bunch -- go ahead and snort derisively. In any other group of people it's quite the reverse.
I think I'm going to make a webpage for Caitlin, so I'd better go and do that now...


 
It's taken me a couple of days to get to the point where I can write these words:
THEY CUT DOWN ALL THE TREES ON THIS PROPERTY
Not that there were a lot... but why? Now I have a view of the dock, which I didn't want. Any noisiness down there will not be caught by the trees as they are dead now... There's a big pile of brush from two douglas firs -- and I see some madrona branches in there, which is a horrid thing -- that I'm sure they'll burn soon. The alder along the drive has been cut, too.

Marilee came over yesterday and we worked a short time on images for the website. I was sad at how short my time was, however. She brought me goji berries, which I'd never heard of, and some of her jam and Pete's smoked salmon. I told her I'd give her my computer (which is a very good deal) and she said she'd give me $C, which is cool. I rang my computer people and told them I thought they hated me since I hadn't had any emails from them. They said, "Noooo!!! Don't think that!!" I got a quote and bit the bullet and said I'd go for it. The hardest part for me is leaving my ATI comfort zone and heading into the wilds of Nvidia. But I like to leave my comfort zone, so I'm going to don my pith helmet and go to that unknown land.


 
Rayne's journal entry made me laugh twice
as I went back to read it again today...


 
Caitlin's Fairy Animated GIF

I made it from a not-too-great photo of the pinata Anji made; hope she likes it.



20 June 2004

 
Train Wreck
Even though I was an adult when I came to Olympia, I learned right away about the various disasters that'd happened right here. One was a train wreck downtown. The building where Olympic Outfitters is now was the train station, but the train didn't stop, and ran through it and into the China Clipper. As I heard it, anyway -- and I haven't yet read the newspaper article so I might have something wrong. Newspaper article? Yes -- because today is the 40th anniversary of that day. Look at the photographs -- doesn't it look even longer ago? How the world has changed! (trite thought)
"The only thing that saved the community from total devastation was the fact that that traffic light was on red," Shacklett said.

That seems rather an overstatement. On the other hand, why not go with the overstatement thing:
"The only thing that saved the world from total devastation was that the traffic light was on red." ... hmmmm... Wait... sitting at the stoplight at that moment were Papa Doc and Pol Pot, while Osama bin Laden and Paula Hitler were in the back seat of sedan driven by Idi Amin. The only thing that launched the world into devastation was that the traffic light was red... uh... hmmmm...
*Yes, yes, I know -- Paula Hitler didn't do anything that devastated the world... that I know of, but her name makes me chortle.


 
An Email Poem from E, the Queen of Capslock

HI THERE V

HOW ARE YOU DOING AND ARE YOU OK AND DO YOU HAVE LUNCH YET I AM E-MAIL YOU

AND WORKING ON YOUR SCHOOL WORK RIGHT KNOW VK HOW IS MY SISTER DOING AND

MY FRIEND IS COME TOO SEE ME MY PLACE NEXT WEEKEND VK AND STAND (stay) WITH ME AND

WE WILL DO STAFF (stuff) TOGTHER SO I HAVE A INK BLACK SPIPER (spider) I WENT TOO MY OFFICE
AND

I TELL KATE THAT AND WE HAVE A NEW MAJOR (manager) NOW AND HER NAME IS LEAH THAT IS
HER

NAME IS I JUST MEET HER ALREADY SO SHE TELL ME ABOUT HER PARKING LOT I SAID
TOO

HER IS GO TOO THE OFFICE ? SO I AM OK DOING FINE SO PLEASE E-MAIL ME SOON OK
VK ?



 
Chess at Bananaphone
I was a black knight, taken out early.

Beautiful surroundings at Nara


 
Atomic Deathrays, and so on
Karan thought I might be interested in these -- yay! What a great site! The first movie I can remember seeing (because I was traumatised) was "Atlantis," (I think it was called), at a drive-in. I was in my pajamas, but I didn't sleep a wink, as the movie featured a nasty death-ray that turned the living into skeletons before my horrified childish eyes.


 
I was sitting in the kitchen a moment ago, holding one of those Dole strawberry fruit things in my left hand, and also holding down the middle hump of the NYer, when I suddenly noticed my hand with its sticked bar was next to the hand of Ken Kesey in a photo -- holding a sticked bar. It's the NYer summer fiction issue, which is good, but it's also a crammed-thick-with-advertising-things-that-make-the-hump-bigger issue. MiniCooper had a milk carton that fell out leaving a strip of card to which it had been glued. Some other advertiser had a booklet of helpful hints at living life from a Jesuit. Of course, I read it (I read the milk carton, too). "Never let anyone see something half finished," is true; sadly true. If I had a nickel for every time someone pointed out a missing something-or-other that hadn't YET been addressed, I'd be able to build a barbecue out of nickels. I had a design prof once named Ray Nichols who said he walked around as a child with his pockets full of nickels, as that was his name.



19 June 2004

 
Caw Caw


 
Must...not...look...out...window......


 
The cloud turned into a motorcyclist watched by a dwarf, a samurai, and a sumo wrestler. Then the samurai turned into a mob-capped woman with a baby, and now it's a meerkat... in a lounge chair... Someone stop me! For god's sake! Ahhhhhhhhhh...


 
The Popper cloud came down lower, with a dangly bit, and lightning issued from it several times. Then it turned into a bird-on-a-nest but by the time I took the picture the likeness had dissipated somewhat, especially in the beak.


 
It's almost 7pm, and it began thundering and raining a few minutes ago. Every good boom is paired with an internet disconnection. Our phone lines out here are not the best. Internet disconnection -- and the phone is dead for a second (not that I care about that aspect).

Ah -- a bolt of lightning.

Who is that man floating in the cloud? I think it's Karl Popper.


 
Happy Juneteenth!



18 June 2004

 


 
Jin shin for two hours on Thursday -- came home wasted, and fell asleep. Awoke at about 2:45 or so, horribly hot. This morning Frank called to see if I was alive. Better than yesterday, but holy cow. Did a minute amount of laundry, cleaned furiously (which is difficult), emailed back and forth with my landlord, who responds to my queries with non-answers related to, but not answering, the original question. Threw away exhibit A: paper napkin from the funeral home where I spent my last birthday after my father died, and Exhibit B: dessicated citrus fruit that was originally given to me by my mother. Getting prepared to chuck Exhibit C: willow that insisted on growing from a branch in a sorry-your-mother-died bouquet. The other week it got hot and I was busy -- so the things that had been so healthy became less so, and that includes the willow. I'm of two minds about the ant legs and the red, still, poinsettia. The ant legs are perfectly heathy and fine. The poinsettia lost some red leaves which is all to the good -- but perhaps I just don't want either of them now.

Didn't go to "Goodbye, Lenin" -- however neither did the Loopers as they went swimming instead.

Read a very nice Alice Monro piece in the NYer that mentions Don Giovanni -- the character liked a tenor in a particular recording. Phhht -- tenors. Humpf. Anyway -- see -- it's not just me.



16 June 2004

 
When I couldn't get "Don Giovanni" from the library I asked for "Tree of wooden Clogs." I just started watching it -- the peasants stop and become silent in the stableyard, transfixed by hearing -- Yes! Don Giovanni. It was the part where Massetto goes to kill the Don, but Don Giovanni pretends to be Leporello, and beats Massetto. Aah!
My jin shin man rang me at 7:30 this morning to say he'd had a cancellation. I said I had to wait for my modem (yes!), but would call if it came early. It did, so I wound up having jin shin, and then will have jin shin tomorrow, too.
E called me yesterday AND today -- complaining that I'm hard to get hold of. It's true. hehe
Emailed the computer people asking for a quote for a system with a few changes. Haven't yet heard back...
Uploaded a website for Pete that is just a rough jumping-off point for me. Emailed back-and-forth with Marilee... should call her...
May go to see "Goodbye Lenin" tomorrow with Mr. Looper and Looper.

Just got an email from Marilee -- will call her tomorrow...



14 June 2004

 
Riding Around On a Dragon


 
Got up.
Took shower.
uh...

mmmmm.....?

after that :-) I went to see my computer builders in their lair next to Slaveways downtown. I went in and said, "Jeez! It's too clean in here! And too remodeled! It's completely different than the last time I was in here! You know what that means." "What?" "It must be time for a new computer." Then I told them I actually WAS there for a new computer. J was there, who came to my house a couple of times to install and replace modems. He's 6'6" -- stoops to peer in the fanlight in the door. "Been there, fixed that," he said in response to A's query about where I live. It's been 3 years since they built this one, which in turn was 3 years from the one before. I'm a 3-year person, apparently. I want them to take some things from here and use them in the new system. Not the CD burner, but the CD drive. The useless floppy drive since I have zero interest in that. The firewire card. The sound card. Hmmmm... that's about it I think... This has an ATI A-I-W Radeon card -- they have quoted me for a system that has an Nvidia -- makes my stomach churn... whatever you're used to... I went to Mirage to read the sign people had commented on ATI vs Nvidia -- but it was gone! I'd just read it the other day but I wanted to pay attention to the comment about (card) being the only one showing gleam on the water in some game or other... I think it was an ATI... hmmm not pozz tho... The one "they" have in the quotation is a 256mb... that's what I want, but I, for no reason other than familiarity, would rather have an ATI... do more research... The trouble is, I'm not trying to make things good right now -- I'll be ecstatic with w/e I get as it will be such a move up. However, some cards will keep me happier longer. Say, 3 years. Hard to decide given my level of knowledge and the fact that I can't see x then see y. Really, it probably doesn't matter given my odds at this point. Anyway, I want to be happy. I'm actually usually quite happy under these extremely difficult circumstances -- go figure, if you will.

Also: Dropped off "A Mighty Wind" at the library, bought sushi at the grocery store. Did nothing some more... um... it's quarter to nine, yikes! As I was eating sushi the sun was beginning to set on the lake, and the silvery trout leaping out of the water seemed very close. The white feathers on the bald eagles showed very white.


 
The View This Minute

That's what is in front of me as I sit at my computer. Very pretty. Now I'm serious about getting a new computer so I'd better call the people who always build mine. Hmmm... apparently I'd better stop trying to be a midwife to the There chess games... it doesn't seem to do anything helpful... Changed Looper's blog a bit -- put a guestbook on so the APR readers can comment. Changed the guestbook to make it look more in keeping... changed the blog to -- oh, yeah, I have one thing left to do, damnation -- I'd changed a color then I think I didn't save the setting as I saw it later. Looper told me in an email that a man bought her book after learning about it on a website for The Wrens -- a band (I've never heard them but I should go and see/hear for myself).
Karan didn't see any naked bicyclists yesterday (I meant Saturday doh), which is no wonder as they'd've been chilly -- it was 60 degrees I think. Modem is (supposedly) arriving on Wednesday. It's raining and not raining/blue sky and grey clouds/breezy and still/sunny and dull -- a typical Northwest day.



12 June 2004

 
Losing Losey?
I just tried to place a hold on "Don Giovanni," the Joseph Losey film. Timberland Library's website said it had been "withdrawn." Withdrawn?? WITHDRAWN??? WTF -- What do they mean by that??? I'll have to call them on the telephone. Withdrawn?? Does that mean CENSORED? Does it mean something else? What could it mean? ????? I'll trade you 50 naked bicyclists for one Mozart opera movie. I'm flabbergasted.

Don't tell me Don Giovanni was caught corrupting young people again -- sheesh, that's several hundred years' worth of corruption -- must be some kind of a record. And that darn Mozart. What a scallywag. And a Freemason, to boot.


 
A Nice Post from Karan
We live in the same town. Wonder if she got any pics... Bike riders must've been COLD.

Missed the kewl-dudes birthday bash today -- but happy birthday, Chris and Mr. Monster


 
Rosanne says she'll email me from Thailand. Yay!
Came home yesterday and fell asleep in my clothes. Awoke at 11:15; went to bed. Slept until 7:30.

At 12:30 today in There I IMed Chrys and said, "There's a game at 1 -- right?" Last week she'd agreed we'd have a game at 1pm PDT -- and she was there when Vid and I talked about it, and he talked about the possible game times he could make (since he's in GMT). Dev and her son were going to come. I asked C if she'd send a group email cancelling the game -- she said she'd never told anyone it was a possibility. I felt like I was being pushy, however I just had assumed there would be a game since we'd discussed it.
I IMed Vid and talked to him -- he'll try to make it tomorrow. We've had two games. The first one was a lot of fun. The second one was weird. I was being goofy until I realised I was the only one being silly, at which point I clammed up. The player for the other side ran off. Carp played after that, but he seemed to assess the situation after a bit, and decided that there was no reason to prolong the agony.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Last Wednesday was the "State of There" address, given by Brett Durrett ("sadly yes that is my real name. I started as employee number six at There in 1999. My duties at There have been keeping the service running, and more recently managing customer support. Last week I also became the acting general manager of the There community team."
Rather heartening: "There are not plans to shut down the service either in ninety days or at any time thereafter." I started out listening at Josie2's, but after a freeze-up (a bazillion people logged in and things got funny) I listened through one of the number of There web radio stations. Afterwards I went back, but only had a short discussion with the people there. I'm happy about it, and I'll be even happier when my broadband gets hooked up in a week or so. Yes! BB!

I also made a men's souvenir shirt as Cat says she hears from men who would like to have one. Submitted it. What else have I done today... hmmm... nothing much... made another men's shirt -- a T shirt. Haven't submitted it. Cooked some food... watched "A Mighty Wind." :-)


 

Yesterday was the last day of school. I worked on the pow-wow program on Thurday, then took it school as I'd arranged to do with B<3 so we could finalise it. Dreamt with Don Giovanni soundtrack the night before. Got to school after whistling parts of Don Giovanni in the car, and realised that was because I was thinking about my father. Last year on the last day he was in surgery. I spent weeks listening to and watching the Losey film "Don Giovanni" several times a day, every day, when I was trying to accept the things that were happening. So I was right back, yesterday, and it wasn't very nice. Anyway, I went in my room to find Slicin' -- printing the graduation programs. I had reminded him weeks ago that if he didn't want to be doing the same thing as last year -- printing programs at the last minute -- he needed to get our principal to get the thing done ahead of time. At least the outside of it. He had refused, though. I left and went to the staff lounge where I wrote cards and arranged the bracelets I got for the girls. Rosanne said something about my computers, and I said I had them passworded because I didn't want anyone using them. A teacher asked me to scan and print 3 copies each of several photos. I asked her why she needed me to do this on the last day. She said they'd been under the seat of her car. I said I would after I finished what I was doing. Several minutes later she came back and retrieved them, as someone else had said they would do it immediately. Yay! Then I went back to my room and had the 8th grade girls come in so I could give them their things, and so I could give C her award (Tenaya, my other award winner, moved, so I decided to give it privately). At the graduation ceremony, which some people might scratch their heads at, Howard Rainer was the speaker. Tiff doesn't like him, but I do, actually. The whole point of our big ceremony is this: Our students, Native American children, are leaving the school that has nurtured them within their own culture, and will be going out into the harsh public school system where they will be exposed to prejudices and stereotyping. They are shown the support of their families, the school, and their communities in the hopes that this will provide a source of strength.
Students asked for two adults to display their supporting roles by helping the student put on a button robe. Many times it was parents. Christy asked for Hil and me, so we did the honors, received a rose, and stood by while she spoke into the microphone. Last year Car asked for me. How very honored I am! Anyway, Car was there this year, and Tan, with her baby, and a bazillion old students plus babies and a few old teachers (plus a baby). Umm... saw Susan and Keats, who hugged me 4 times, which was sweet. The last time was as I was leaving the gym, and he called, "Auntie Vivian! Auntie Vivian!" and ran up and hugged me. Sat with the board until I reminded B<3 about the program. Then we went to my room and I sat right next to her and said, "You have to check EVERY LITTLE THING BECAUSE I AM MAKING MISTAKES AND I CAN'T BE TRUSTED. Proof-read EVERYTHING." I had B<3 AND Skunkie looking things over because they had written the program and they would know if something was wrong. You can see how this is going...
Today they noticed a duplication after they'd run off a bazillion copies... I WARNED THEM... I feel badly about it, but what more could I have done? I'm seriously exhausted.

-----------------------------------
I gave my camera to people so they could take pictures for me: top, by Carmela, bottom, by Grace (a mother who was graduating from Evergreen the same day), middle -- well, I gave the camera to Maria, Chris's mother, but she got the woman next to her to take pictures.



11 June 2004

 
A Question From Tiff
I have a small question. I have watched a full week
of coverage of a flag drapped coffin-which is being
flown around-laid in state and visited by the faithful
hour after hour. Inside this coffin is a man who
lived to the ripe old age of 93 and overall had things
pretty good. He gave not his life, nor his limbs, nor
his dreams away for his country. He lived his life as
well as his dreams and we watch hours and hours of
tearful mourners and elaborate funeral rites at public
expense.
What of the 800 young American dead that not only can
we not see their flag drapped coffins coming home to
devastated families but we can't even all of us listen
to Ted Kopple quietly read the list of their names due
to American censorship. What of the thousands of
maimed beautiful young bodies of Americans, allies,
and cooperating Iraqui's--What of the dead Iraqi's who
really wanted to try democracy in their country--can
we not mourn them also?--Why is it not on T.V. hour
after hour yet this old man who left his body long ago
has been cannonized.
Those who have lost their lives in anonimity, those of
every participating race and culture who are now dead
and maimed for Iraqi oil-for the sake of rich, greedy
old men-I want to mourn them also. I want to see
their flag drapped coffins and their weeping families.
I want us to know what we have done to our own and to
others. I want to know the names of every person who
will never again see a sunset-or fall in love-or hold
their brand new born baby. I want to know the names
and the stories of those that will live 70 years or
more with no legs or arms or sight. I want to watch
as young wives and mothers and fathers weep-knowing
happiness is forever lost to them and they will spend
every day desperately missing someone.
We have proved we can follow grief 24x7--We're doing
it now. Why is it being denied to us to grieve for
the truly tragic.
Its just my question.



10 June 2004

 
Honestly, I am hardly able to think at all these past (days? weeks?). I also don't respond well to that kind of jangly energy that school has these days. E asked me why I like peace and quiet when I'm working. I said when I had very difficult things to figure out it makes it almost impossible with a lot of distractions. She was putting a binder yearbook together and complained that the "pages are printed wrong." I told her, "No, they're right, you just have to put them in the right way." She left and I finished the book, which was so completely screwed up in every possible way, that I can only recommend that E try a little peace and quiet next time. Even was disgusted.
I had jin shin this morning, then a haircut, then went to Traditions and bought 3 bracelets for the graduating girls. I am doing laundry now. I have a job for school that needs to be done, if they ever email me the information I need. Yesterday I did a job for A and another for L. I told A I had an hour, max -- she's good about folding her tent and silently stealing away when she sees I'm maxxed out. As usual my mantra is: just let me get through tomorrow...
I asked Frank about the public outpouring of grief for RR. He said people are sad now, and are afraid to express the grief for say, the war dead, and so they channel it into mourning Reagan. Looper had told me about 2 girls at her school who came in crying, just like the kids had been when JFK was shot. What's the matter? EISENHOWER has died, they sobbed. So the other day I called her up in mock tears and wailed, Reagan is DEAD.



09 June 2004

 
I swear this just happened: I went on arial view and there was Wittgenstein! He disappeared in 2 seconds -- but not before I got a screenshot. Funny how things knit together...



08 June 2004

 
Out the Window a Short Time Ago



07 June 2004

 
Like anyone else if required to say something about Bertram Russell I'd say, "Famous philosopher imprisoned for pacifism," I think. In the poker book it talks about his belief that the key to problems of life is contained in language. In Indian Country, where I work, the language issue has been huge for many years -- because language gives shape to our thought-processes. I think each language gives a distinct shape to the thought-process, and it's something I've thought about a lot in the context of where I live. I lived with a man whose four grandparents had come from Sweden. His own father chastised him if he was caught "wasting time" by reading. That reminds me, too, of Jaune Quick-to-See Smith, who grew up where my school is. She said she climbed trees and hid so that she could read. I think the people who speak English here operate at about half-speed -- half the tenses and vocabulary are gone -- because of the disconnection. The divide is often more cruelly defined in Indian Country, where in some cases children were prevented from speaking their native tongue. The range is wide -- from Apache children starting school in recent years without having heard a word of anything but Apache, to areas of the country that have lost all speakers of specific languages and dialects. Bringing a language back is a terribly difficult uphill battle -- even with plenty of native speakers and committed language students.

The roofers are up there working very noisily. Excellent that things are moving along.



06 June 2004

 
I just now returned from picking up E after her powerlifting weekend at Special Olympics. She won 3 gold medals! Jim, the coach (note: not "Coach Jim) was jazzed and said she has great potential (whatever that might mean). An onlooker exclaimed with wonderment at the talented first-year power lifters on Jim's team. I asked how much weight it translated into, and he said 150 lbs. Very nice! <=Partially roofed house today


 
More there_tests

I keep running into them...


...how about now, does it look big now?


 
In Flander's Field the Poppies Blow
Between the Crosses, Row on Row


Yesterday I was talking to Looper and she said she wanted to work for the political future. I said, jokingly, maybe they could fire me out of a cannon at Bush. She said, That's always the question -- if you are going to die is it better to take someone with you, or is it morally wrong... Me: No! I'd never do that! L: Why not? Me: Because it's a moral wrong from which no good could come! L: Well, what about Archduke Ferdinand? Me: Awwk! What good came from that?????????? L: Well, the end of the Austro-Hungarian Empire... Me: And destroy the whole world... that's one way to do it...
I was getting more and more agitated. When I think about the 14-18 war it's as an event that is not very far in the past, which affected EVERYTHING that came after it... and not for the good... An entire generation of young men from my country were killed or damaged physically and mentally. After the War to End All Wars there was a brief peace before WWII. I can't even think about it. Awwwk.

In the 1960s, when things were more interesting because there wasn't the relentless homogenization there is now, my parents, because they had unusual tastes and appreciated things that weren't run-of-the-mill, had various strange places they found that were sources of unusual things. One such place my father went to, taking me on occasion, was a place in Philadelphia that stockpiled all kinds of clothing that could be sold to anyone, but was specifically for the wardrobe mistresses of theatres. That man, whose name I can't recall offhand, had been the assistant dresser for the Archduke Ferdinand (I think ir was A.F. and not a different Major Player). We went there because all kinds of riding clothes turned up there, and besides, my father liked places like that. I remember it -- upstairs, cavernous, absolutely jam-packed with piles of things...



05 June 2004

 
Samples from Tiff's Fab Pix
from the last trip



 
Chess Game II On-the-Spot-Reporting
I'm standing on the chessboard, and Chrys and I are waiting to see who's going to show up. Last time I was the black queen -- this time I am wearing armor and I want to be a knight. Psi is supposed to be here -- in his armour -- I hope he shows. the other people I roped in are Vid, in England, and GalacticBob.
Does this armour make my butt look big? lol

Update at 2:00 --- I left to go hoverboard at 1:20, but as soon as I did Vid logged in, so I went back to the chessboard and IMed him. He asked me to summon him, so I did -- we spent some time talking about things including his job and the amount of traveling he's done for it, and the Pacific Northwest. He's going to be here next week for another game -- I think we should schedule and keep trying and eventually we'll get it together.



 
Shooting Myself in the Chute
I always just say things to amuse myself, like "You go first -- I don't like to feel chaste," and things like that. Or, with mock shock and awe, "You mean there are TWO 4 O'CLOCKS????" I'm easily amused -- especially by myself (a good thing on many levels). It's come to my attention, however, that people think I'm either accidentally saying something that could be altered slightly to make it funny (they think I'm saying, "I don't like to feel chased," but I'm not) or merely mixed-up (I said, "I hear sex is a substitute for chocolate," because I thought it was funny to switch things around).
That makes it fortunate that I'm just amusing myself, since no one else recognises what I'm doing as funny, or even done on purpose. It makes it unfortunate, however, because people think I'm stupid.


 
I'm Too Good at Suffering: Part 77697805645645524352345436456

When the person before this one lived downstairs, she put up windchimes, which I loathed. The noise rreached right into my living space -- and the cowbells... uh... windchimes... were hung directly under my bedroom window. I didn't complain for who knows what reason, although I complained to her about other things periodically. When she moved my first thought was, "Yay! No more cowbells!!" To my horror I realised that she had moved away from her own cowbells, a solution I hadn't thought of. Finally, after a LONG TIME, I emailed the man below and he replied:
No problem.... as of Saturday, I'll take them down. Never thought about it except in breezy conditions (which put me into a spin).
'Doh

D is out there looting and pillaging... slashing and burning... weedwhacking and burning debris -- she's certainly enthusiastic. Too bad she's not putting the roof on. In former times I put many rooves on, of many types, and I'd say there's about a half-day worth of work left... but when will they do it? My view today:



04 June 2004

 
Investigating Other Worlds: A Tale In the Desert
I'm supposed to meet Psi here sometime so we can have a look together. I downloaded and signed up, then gathered grass and 500 lbs. of mud (rofl). It made me put the mud down. Dang, I don't want to make bricks -- I just want to ride my hoverboard. And look at the way poor Osprey looks! Aaawwk!


 

Nice sky. I think 81 degrees two days in a row is too hot, but I realise I'm in the minority. Yesterday was full of traumatic events (not for me personally), but today I stayed at home doing two graphics jobs with SWMNBMIMB, waiting for a delivery. I'd been putting off the delivery because the roofers were here. They mysteriously vanished again, however. Did they fall off the roof like last time? Could a change of career be in order? At this rate the roof may be finished in 2005. I emailed Mr. Landlord to ask him if I have cable, which I vaguely remembered from the lease (all right, I remembered but wasn't sure it was still here as I have never used it). My interest was in cable bb -- and yes, there's cable, and that's cool.
E's at Fort Lewis this weekend, for Special Olympics. AnnV took her to the meeting place, and I'm picking her up on Sunday.



02 June 2004

 
AH CHOOO!!!
Today there was a man next door sneezing -- one of those sneezers who should warn bystanders to wear hearing protectors and rain gear. There should perhaps be a school to teach quiet sneezing. What must it be like to be married to such a sneezer? Hmmmm... might be ok in other areas... My older sister has a ridiculous girly sneeze: ah choo! peep! I understand that the flesh in one's nose is erectile tissue. Is there any correlation between the demand society makes that we have quiet sneezes and also refrain from running around like cats in heat? Hmmm...

I've been rather scattered, so I don't pick up Wittgenstein's Poker every day -- it's a little book that ordinarily would last about a day, but I'm stringing it out for a llllooooonnnnngggg time. I was amused to realise this morning that when I read about the factions and beliefs in philosophy I don't think about something being "right." I don't have any belief in philosophy at all, apparently, and it just seems like one of those things people (mainly men one would hope) get up to instead of digging holes and filling them in or knitting and unraveling sweaters. Besides that, you can't use Photoshop in philosophy, so what's the point?

I have nothing to write about... did you notice?


 

/Rate Me on BlogHop.com!


the best
pretty good
okay
pretty bad
the worst
help?



01 June 2004

 
The bulk of the yearbook got collated and taken to OrificeMax on Friday by Tiff -- hellish traffic -- I felt quite guilty. Anyway, today I printed up as many of the odd "outs" as I could so we wound up with 25 more copies, and my toxic mold children made their binder-style yearbooks to take, since they are leaving after tomorrow. Boo hoo. Sam kept bursting in all day, and I just kept telling him I adore him -- "now get out of here." It's a tough life when you're your own worst enemy. I had students making their own covers, featuring their artwork, or in Shy's case, a photo of her holding her pastel tiger. Pretty good for grade 6. I ran out of toner before I made up my "outs," and I'll need to figure out what to do. As I told Slicin'Dyson, you can't make an omelet without printing up some extra copies -- too bad these aren't just extras with no purpose. I'm in dire need of these, though, so hmmmm...

Just a second ago
Blooming Ant Legs:
The chess game on Saturday was written up in the Motu Eagle. In a rather junky fashion. Saw Psi today, in his armor. He's always in his armor these days -- has a big Elvis belt on it, unaccountably. Earlier I was jumping around on a camel (statue), and I saw a man. I went over and asked him if it was his place, and explained that I was happy it wasn't as I'd been standing on the camel. I said it sounded like code for something: standing on the camel. He kept changing his clothes for some reason. I complimented him on a shirt, and said I could see he hadn't been standing on the camel. He was named Bryce, like 3d imaging, but failed to respond to my inquiry about that, so it might be accidental. He wasn't very interesting to talk to. From Phila., though. Made me want some good food...
Ever since the downstairs woman moved in I've smelled cigarettes as I sit at my computer (even with the windows closed). It's most annoying. After all, she is two floors below me -- how far can those damn things reach? It smells like I've been in the Eastside Club or something. Grumble, grumble. I have an annoying sense of smell, it seems. The smell of the unhappy substance the downstairs man uses to shower will WAKE ME UP , I find it so disgusting. What is with me?? Last time I was flying to Australia a baby threw up two seats ahead of me -- not a big deal. But the waitresses came rushing over and drenched the carpet with a gallon of concentrated horrible pseudo-perfume that made it impossible for me to inhale without revulsion for the entire flight. Ugh! I was sensitised by an airline stinkbomb.
I see There_Test avatars around a lot lately. They are automated to log in and out over and over to alert There to log-in issues and difficulties. I tried to kiss one, but the other one I tapped... slightly... with my buggy... saw There_Monitor yesterday. She isn't standing there in her underwear like the Test avies. I don't know quite what she's for... she logs in to a different spot each Sunday.

Rayne may come in-world and play! Yay!

 

.

Site Feed

vivian-oblivion

oblivionstore

firemist red

Combat Cards

Blip TV Rocks

So many things to do, so little motivation

Backpacking Burro

Salazar Jack

Lucy Sits Up and Blogs

Tina's Universum

Nova Albion Detective Agency

Playing Statues

Yarn Miracle

Baedeker

Don Carson Creative

Flummer, Flummel, Flummo

Elle Coyote

Painting Soul

Upload Video and Images - Putfile

Artists Union

Tempietto

2002-10 2002-11 2002-12 2003-01 2003-03 2003-04 2003-05 2003-06 2003-07 2003-08 2003-09 2003-10 2003-11 2003-12 2004-01 2004-02 2004-03 2004-04 2004-05 2004-06 2004-07 2004-08 2004-09 2004-10 2004-11 2004-12 2005-01 2005-02 2005-03 2005-04 2005-05 2005-06 2005-07 2005-08 2005-09 2005-10 2005-11 2005-12 2006-01 2006-02 2006-03 2006-04 2006-05 2006-06 2006-07 2006-08 2006-09 2006-10 2006-11 2006-12 2007-01 2007-02 2007-03 2007-04 2007-05 2007-06 2007-07 2007-08 2007-09 2007-10 2007-11 2007-12 2008-01 2008-02 2008-03 2008-04 2008-05 2008-06 2008-07 2008-08 2008-09 2008-10 2008-11 2008-12 2009-01 2009-02 2009-03 2009-04 2009-05 2009-06 2009-07 2009-08 2009-09 2009-10 2009-11 2009-12 2010-01 2010-02 2010-03 2010-04 2010-05 2010-06 2010-07 2010-08 2010-09 2010-10 2010-11 2010-12 2011-01 2011-02 2011-03 2011-04 2011-05 2011-06 2011-07 2011-08 2011-09 2011-10 2011-11 2011-12 2012-01 2012-02 2012-03 2012-04 2012-05 2012-06 2012-07 2012-08 2012-09 2012-10 2012-11 2012-12 2013-01 2013-02 2013-03 2013-04 2013-05 2013-06 2013-07 2013-08 2013-09 2013-10 2013-11


I want to ask for thoughts about improving the world -- what do people need? How can things be organised?