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Friday, June 11th, 2010
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3:45 pm - Some LairLinks y'all should know about (Newly Revised)...
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I believe we're Ready to reveal our full range of online LairShops, folks! The Cafepress LairShops harbor teeshirts, caps, coffee mugs, sweatshirts, mousepads, provocative boxers and the like, all with the LairMistress's original art and photographs, Including but not Limited to Irish ones! Also, the Big News is that our Cafepress Premium LairShop, The Lair of Cards, is Now OPEN and RUNNING!! Dedicated primarily to our images on paper products--Posters, Postcards, Greeting Cards, and the like, this new LairShop is still being Built, but is now fully Functional! We may even feature EP CDs and Print/eBooks there in the not-too-distant future; meanwhile, we've got everything Paper-Oriented from Stickers to Framed Prints! We just need to make a Clickable icon Below to help you get to it. Better still, we are researching possibilities for designing posters for other folks as well--I've done this Before, after all, but thus far only on a Volunteer basis. The newest LairShop, Created as a part of the Lair itself, sells Original prints and Neolithic-inspired art stickers!
Anyway, here are LairLinks to our five Cafepress LairShops:
UPDATE (THURSDAY, JUNE 11, 2009): There's been a bit of a shakeup on our e-commerce front, LairCronies! The Lair's private collection of prints for sale, the Nifara Gallery, has been permanently Retired and Deleted from the Lair. This is because 1) we weren't getting any sales; and 2) we decided to leave things like custom matting and framing to professionals. Therefore...we are Instead expanding our Imagekind account (see LairLink with the LairMistress's self-photo Below)! Having upgraded to a Pro account, we are expanding both the number of galleries and Uploaded images; we now are Allowed up to 100 galleries with up to 50 images Apiece! These galleries feature Custom matting and printing for each image; and we don't have to purchase these materials ourselves. Sounds like a plan! ALSO: We're still trying to decide what to do with our Photostockplus account, currently Deactivated pending renewal/upgrade. To upgrade or not, that is the question: the Annual upgrade price is a little Steep. We'll hopefully get Around to that eventually. Plus, we're doing Squidoo Lenses now! Check out the LairLink below to our Lensmaster profile! NEXT: Look for us to (finally!) upgrade at least two of our basic Cafepress LairShops to Premium, now that we can afford to expand our CP base a wee bit...stay Tuned for an announcement on those developments shortly!!
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Anyway, dear LairCronies, do check out these lovely LairShops; hopefully something will catch your eye, and you'll discover that it's got your name on it! That, and they make Lovely gifts for all occasions! I mean, c'mon, who hasn't gone bloody Bonkers trying to come up with a wedding gift for the couple who have everything (then again, I always find that you can't go wrong for that occasion with some nicely trimmed, dark red table linens from J.C. Penney...)?! TOGETHER ACROSS THE WORLD!!
SPECIAL UPDATE (FRIDAY, DEC. 7): Right now, friends, we would like to ask y'all to consider donating to the LairMistress's recording project fund. Our funds are quite low at present, which has prematurely curtailed the recording of said LairMistress's first full-length album! Interested persons are hereby Invited to donate to this fund via PayPal:
Thank you very much in advance! And please accept our best wishes for the Holiday season, whichever holiday or festival you and yours prefer. And have a Happy New Year besides!!
current mood:  hopeful
current music: Starbucks radio
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| Friday, June 26th, 2009
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6:49 pm - Where were you when...
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...the Grim Reaper swept Down on our pop culture icons this week?
Michael Jackson is dead at age 50. Farrah Fawcett also died Yesterday at age 62. Ed McMahon died on Tuesday.
And Dick Freaking Cheney is still Alive and Kicking, keeping his nose Stuck in Guantanamo.
Does anyone besides myself see a serious Karmic screwup in this picture?!!
The passing of Farrah, that Ubiquitous mid-1970's blond-goddess pinup girl, is sad, but not Unexpected, given the state of her health over the past year or more. Ed McMahon...ehh. I can take him or leave him.
Michael Jackson, the King of Pop, the Man of a Thousand Faces (my favorite nickname for him)...that one's the Big Shocker. I was never a huge fan of his (though I admired his dancing, and his chutzpah in being an Unabashed eccentric); but it's still a Big Shocker. Some reports are saying he pulled an Elvis, or a Heath Ledger, with too many of the wrong meds in his system interacting with each other; but official results pinpointing what caused his cardiac arrest (some say he was dead before the paramedics got to him) may be weeks Away yet. Why do his death and Public decline over the past few years remind me so much of Oscar Wilde..??
Then again, maybe it's not so Shocking. For some reason, celebrities keep being fed scads of medications by money-Grubbing doctors these days (actually, this has been going On for some time). Ozzy Osbourne may have narrowly dodged the grave when he threw his stash of Prescribed pills away, and fired his physicians. Besides, one can easily expect Michael Jackson to want to make a great big splash with his death, the way he made a great big splash with practically everything Else he did. I wouldn't expect him to have died in obscurity at a Ripe old age, with much of the world having forgotten about him. That wouldn't be like him at all. Still, even though I wasn't a fan of his, I didn't want him to check out like this, at such a young age. He had three kids to raise, and new songs to write, and a whole bunch more concerts to put on Shortly. Now journeying to the next reality (probably a bit Confused and Bewildered--does he realize he's left his body Yet?), hopefully he can find real peace, and the happy, Innocent childhood he didn't have in this reality...
*****
current mood: shocked
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| Wednesday, June 24th, 2009
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6:10 pm - Having a hard time Concentrating...
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...and it's mostly Liam Clancy's fault!!
No, I shouldn't (and DON'T) blame the poor guy for being ill, and seeking Inpatient treatment for a combination of RA and lung fibrosis; but I've been worried Sick about him for the Past several days, and unable to focus on much of anything Else. He's the last of the original Clancy Brothers (which he doesn't like thinking about too much), who were a Huge part of my childhood; and if something were to happen to him anytime Soon, on top of my Dad passing on back in March, I'm afraid it would just about finish me Off too. I just hope he gets good results from whatever meds or other therapies he pursues, and that a lung transplant (if he's able to get one) proves Successful as well. I've been visiting his website (LairLink above) and his message board quite frequently, to post messages of love and concern (including one about my teenage fantasy of playing fiddle/guitar backup for Makem & Clancy!). Here is the LairLink for Liam's Message Board (where he himself writes posts now and Again), for anyone who would like to post get-well messages or whatever (you do have to register, with a password, to post messages; you can read others' posts without registering or logging in).
As an Added treat, here is a Youtube vid of Liam in concert, singing his most Famous song (written by Eric Bogle) back in 1992. He's sung the same song thousands of times since the mid-1970's; but he does it in Awesome dramatic form every time I've heard him...
Anyway, I'm sending him Reiki energy at every opportunity. Get well very Soon, Liam! I want to see you Again, in person, this side of the Divide, before you embark on the next Clancy Brothers Reunion Tour!!
current mood:  worried
current music: And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda - by Liam Clancy
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| Saturday, June 20th, 2009
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7:51 pm - My fertile village, and Chief No. 3...
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My Virtual Villagers tribe was exceptionally Fertile today, folks! Most of the younger women are now nursing infants; one 18-year-old girl, Kolea, whom I've been trying to train as a Builder in preparation for fixing the statue, "went indoors" and came out with freaking TRIPLETS! That's the first set of triplets we've had in this village. This latest sexfest happened shortly after the oldest villager died right in the middle of our new Chief's daily lecture.
Oh, yes--we've got a new Tribal Chief too--our third. Chief Tikina died recently, at age 77, I believe; and the magical Chief's Robe picked a younger person for our next Tribal Leader: a pretty, Vital 33-year-old Scientist/Farmer named Alitipa, one of Elixir's kids, now all Grown Up. She had a baby too this afternoon, along with most of her tribal sisters of childbearing age. Anyway, the Village of Starcross now numbers somewhere around 75! Like I said in a Previous post, all you have to do is click the "Parenting" preference on a bunch of them, and they can't keep their hands off each other! LOL...
On a more Serious note, it seems that our favorite Irish folksinger, Liam Clancy, is dealing with a case of pulmonary fibrosis (scarring of the lungs), which may be Connected to his other Chronic condition of rheumatoid arthritis. I don't want to be too Alarmist about this; but pulmonary fibrosis is what eventually killed his brother Bobby back in 2002. I don't know how severe Liam's case of it is; but he has had to cancel some performing gigs recently, and he admits on his website's Message Board that he's been needing Supplementary oxygen. He'll be going to the hospital on Monday for evaluation; let us all send him good energy, prayers, meditations, Reiki, or whatever you're into. I hope that treatment for these conditions has improved recently! He may need a lung transplant, if he can get one. I finally told him, on a Message Board post, that I wish I knew him better than I do, and that I want to see him Again one of these days--it's been 20 years since I last saw him in person. I've been wanting to tell him that for a long time Now...
current mood: mixed
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| Sunday, June 14th, 2009
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7:02 pm - More Virtual Villager pics (if you can stand 'em)...
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Okay...so what's the Latest on our Virtual Village, aka The Tribe of Starcross? Well, Chief Mariuna made it to the age of 75, when she passed away on May 29, after a total of 67 years as our first Tribal Chief. This was very sad, of course; but we all have to go Sometime, as they say. The tribe numbered around 43, I think, at that point; and I immediately began picking up villagers to get them to try on the Chief's Robe and see who would be Invested as the second Tribal Chief. Trouble is, a lot of the women were nursing infants at the time; which, for some reason, prevented them from trying on the robe, which was hanging as Before above the ampitheater podium.
Finally, someone fitted the robe--it was Tikina, one of our Master Scientists. After this, of course, she was then immediately Surrounded by dancing children and Various adult well-wishers, as she sat down on the pedestal, looking a bit Bewildered at this turn of events. Personally, I would have preferred one of the younger folks. Tikina is healthy and active; but she was 56 at the time of her investiture; so she's obviously not going to be in office 67 years, as Mariuna was (Mariuna was only 8 at the time she became the first Tribal Chief). Still, the Chief's Robe has made its choice; I have no say in the matter. So here, first of all, is Chief Tikina's personal icon portrait (she looks way better in the Chief's Robe than she did in her Original, rather drab dark-blue outfit):
( More pics from our second Tribal Chief's tenure at Starcross Village: click each image for its full-sized version. )
Well, that's all the new pics for now. I imagine there will soon be a third Chief being picked (as of today, Chief Tikina is 74; the Average lifespan has gone up to around 77). The tribe now numbers about 63. Besides being very hard workers, our villagers are also very Passionate lovers! All you have to do is click the "Parenting" preference on a handful of them, and an Indoor orgy is soon Underway! I haven't had to "encourage" any pairing-off in quite some while now! At the same time, we are quickly accumulating Tech points toward a Level 3 Leadership status, which will enable the Chief, whoever it is, to begin directing the restoration of the giant fallen statue. Stay tuned for that one; it's been a long time Coming...
current mood:  sleepy
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| Thursday, June 11th, 2009
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4:58 pm - Seven Reasons Obama is Not a Druid
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Folks, I am getting so sick of the Religious Right. I really shouldn't let them get to me; but I've seen so many of them on Squidoo lenses Lately, attacking President Obama every time he blinks an eye, and throwing, for all I know, their own mother-in-laws' shit at GLBT people every chance they get. And then, when you criticize them for any reason, or stand up for your own viewpoints and values, they accuse YOU of "hatred" and "intolerance" (which sort of begs the question: how much intolerance are progressives, gays and Barack Obama supposed to tolerate, exactly?), making themselves out to be victims of prejudice and "religious discrimination." They have no qualms about dishing out abuse Galore against others; but when the shoe lands on the other foot (or, better yet, shoes are thrown at their heads--LOL), they freak out and go all Medieval on your ass. And claim to be victims of "hatred" and "Christian-bashing." At least in this country.
I recently came across one Squidoo lens promoting the series of videos by a group called the "Christian Anti-Defamation League", entitled "Seven Reasons Obama is Not A Christian." The "reasons" cited include claims that Obama is pro-choice, gay-friendly, is not a Biblical literalist, and thinks the Muslim call to prayer sounds nice. I wanted to ask these folks what they think of George W. Bush's claims to be a Christian, despite being a pathological liar, domestic and international scofflaw, and war criminal; but they've disabled the commenting mechanism on all their videos on Youtube. Chickens.
I also got the Brilliant idea, just last night, to write a parody on the Squidoo lens promoting the Aforementioned videos--if it's okay, According to the site's moderators, to write a lens parodying or satirizing another lens. Meanwhile, my Basic idea looks like this (this is just an outline, to be Elaborated on Later):
SEVEN REASONS OBAMA IS NOT A DRUID:
1) He has no magickal credentials. Ever hear him reference a Druidic order? Study of magickal properties of herbs and trees? I didn't think so. Reading Harry Potter doesn't count. Sorry. Plus, his Celtic roots are rather thin, the Corrigan Brothers' song notwithstanding.
2) He's spent WAY too much time in Chicago. Druids much prefer natural to urban environments.
3) Did you see any Druids at his Inauguration? Nope. Me neither. It doesn't augur well.
4) His daughters' private school is affiliated with the Society of Friends (Quakers). Quakers are lovely people. But they're not Druids.
5) He has no record of publishing poetry. Druids are supposed to be masters of the bardic arts. I've never seen Obama touch a Celtic harp, have you?
6) He never uses the Celtic Ogham alphabet. Not that Congress would have the slightest clue how to read it if he did...
7) When he visited the U.K., he never went anywhere near Stonehenge. That's gotta tell you something.
BONUS REASON: He has yet to acknowledge, or proclaim, the ancient Celtic festivals. Where was Obama last Samhain? Imbolc? Beltaine?
*****
Anyway. Whatever. Personally, I don't give a flying rip about Obama's religious beliefs. If he's a Muslim, as he's often Accused of being, he's a bloody poor one (I've never heard of him observing Muslim prayer times, fasting during Ramadan, or even contemplating a Hajj pilgrimage, that I can recall). But even if he was, so what??
But getting back to Religious Right whingeing, here's a great video deconstructing this tendency, with Specific mention of the Abovementioned CADL...
current mood: weary of Religious Reich
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| Wednesday, May 27th, 2009
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5:11 pm - Virtual Villagers Part 2: Now I KNOW I'm Losing My Mind...
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Okay, folks, here goes: Presenting the Official Photo Album of my Virtual Villagers TRIBE OF STARCROSS!!
*fends off guys in white coats*
Now, first of all, a tribute portrait of our lovely, Iconic tribal leader Mariuna, who recently celebrated her 60th anniversary as Chief (our first pic links to the Virtual Villagers website):
--Mariuna, First Chief of Starcross Tribe
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( Click here for the rest of our Virtual Villagers Portrait Gallery (click each picture to see its full-sized version)... )
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Well, now, a Charming little bunch, aren't they? I'm very Proud of them; they've got all but two or three of their puzzles Solved now, and they number 35, Including one infant! Mariuna will likely die of old age Soon, alas; but it will be very Interesting to find out who the Chief's Robe will pick to succeed her! Kya baat hai (Urdu, "Great job!"), Mariuna! I'll miss you when you check out; but I know, like any good Clan Mother, you'll be watching over the tribe you're so Proud of!
Anyway...that's our portrait gallery so Far; if I persist in this phase of Weirdness, I'll probably do more print-screen documenting of our growing little community in the Near future (sigh)...
current mood: eccentric
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| Monday, May 11th, 2009
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4:24 pm - Virtual Villagers 3: I'm getting way too emotionally involved in this game...
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Egads...Is anyone else in LJ playing Virtual Villagers games? They're a bit like Sims games, only with teeny-tiny humanoid beings on a desert island trying to stay fed and healthy, with a special Designated hut to get laid in. And all three games to date are Addictive in the extreme. To the point where you start to worry about the "villagers'" long-term survival, and practically cry when one of them "dies." I keep telling myself, "Dammit, they're NOT human beings; they're just human-shaped PIXELS! They're freaking cartoons, for crying out loud!" But still...they've got names, faces, skills, likes and dislikes; and they quite Often seem to have minds of their own (you haven't truly lived until you've seen three or more villagers go into the Designated Love Shack together, and then have no idea which guy fathered the resulting kid or two! In fact, Virtual Villagers gangbangs are not that Uncommon!).
I'm very Proud of my little tribe (now up to 25, including infants). They're extremely Dedicated, hard workers; and we've solved more than half the puzzle challenges Together already. I feel like they and I have been through a lot Together. I especially love my little Tribal Chief; her name is Mariuna, and she's done an Incredible job in tribal leadership for more than 50 of their years. She was only eight years old when she assumed the chief's role (and she didn't choose to be Chief; the magical Chief's robe chose her, out of the Original core group of nine people); but she's risen to the challenge unbelievably well, even when nursing an infant in her early 20's. She has overseen the development of the orchard; taken the vial of special potion to the sea to dispel the sharks from the tribe's fishing waters; directed the uncovering of the secret archival chamber; and directed, as well, the completion of the public bath, complete with aromatherapy basins. She especially enjoys delivering lectures to the little kids these days, on all the Various skills they need to learn while growing up; and both children and adults seem to enjoy attending her talks. Trouble is, she's a grandmother now, in her late 50's; and while she's still in good health, she won't be Around a great deal longer. I don't know if I'll be able to stand losing her; and gosh knows who will be able to fill her shoes (well...robe, actually), considering how High she's set the bar for Tribal Chiefdom. I have taken to naming some children after the elders who have passed on, and...
GAH. As I said, I'm getting way too emotionally Involved in this game. I'm wondering if I should have gotten Involved in it at all. I'm really way too Busy to spend my time watching little Virtual Villagers build huts and make babies and stuff. But...here I am, worrying about who will succeed Chief Mariuna, just as the giant Goddess Statue is being Restored...
*****
current mood: tribal
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| Friday, May 8th, 2009
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4:10 pm - Favorite Quotes of the Week...
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"A thing is not necessarily true because a man dies for it." --Oscar Wilde (1854-1900)
"When I give food to the poor, they call me a saint. When I ask why the poor have no food, they call me a Communist." --Dom Hélder Câmara, Brazilian Catholic Archbishop (1909-1999)
*****
current mood:  moody
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| Monday, May 4th, 2009
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3:54 pm - Happy Belated Birthday...
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...to our old People's Music Network pal, legendary folksinger PETE SEEGER!! His actual birthday was Sunday, May 3; but we were a bit Slow on the uptake, and forgot to look it up in a Timely fashion.
May he roll on Forever, like his Beloved stretch of water, the Hudson River! Meanwhile, let us serenade Pete with an Appropriate chorus for a Lifelong activist, penned by fellow Nonagenarian folkie, Faith Petric:
"Well ya ain't done nothing
if ya ain't been called a Red.
If you marched or agitated,
then you're bound to hear it said.
So you might as well ignore it
or love the word instead.
Cuz ya ain't been doing nothing
if ya ain't been called a Red."
--chorus of "Ya Ain't Done Nothing If Ya Ain't Been Called a Red", © by Faith Petric; found, we think, in the IWW's "Little Red Songbook."
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--Pete Seeger's famously Inscribed banjo; photo courtesy of Greybike at the Pop and Politics Music Blog.
*****
current mood: Red
current music: The Emperor Is Naked Today-O - by Pete Seeger
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| Friday, May 1st, 2009
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2:59 pm - What the hell are they teaching Social Work students...??
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LairCronies, I'm in a bit of a rush right Now; but we are doing a Certain amount of researching, digging, muckraking, whatever, on the case of the four-year-old special-needs child being ripped Away from her foster family up in Snohomish County.
We at the Lair have suspected for some time that there is a pandemic of corruption and incompetence in state DSHS/CPS agencies Nationwide, mirroring Darth Dubya's so-called "Administration." From getting to know a local Muslim couple Deprived of all their children because they wouldn't admit to charges from which they'd already been exonerated and found Innocent, to my own experience being Interviewed by a DSHS psychiatrist who was absolutely (and wrongly) Convinced that I suffered from bipolar disorder, I am more than half Convinced that many of these agencies are staffed with College of Social Work dropouts who can't get a job Elsewhere. TL;DR--too many of these DSHS staffers and "case workers" are COMPLETE FREAKING IDIOTS.
And then there's CPS itself--as I have told more than one acquaintance in the past, essentially an under-the-table adoption agency for poor kids. Comparing information from many cases I've read and heard about, from the Long/Pomeroy case (white, upper-middle-class, financially well-off) that I posted about Previously, to the Abovementioned Safouane family case (Muslim, immigrant father, family on public assistance, one child dead from bicycle accident), it is Self-Evident that CPS targets mainly poor, unemployed, homeless, immigrant, GLBT, racial-minority, religious-minority families, same-sex couples, and others who are socially and economically Vulnerable (and relatively Voiceless) for child removal, while tending to give upper/middle class white families with Stable incomes one free pass after another. There seem to be assumptions among such agencies that financially-struggling parents are Incapable of raising children properly; and that middle-to-upper class people, in general, can do a much better job of it.
I've seen some people in online forums accuse DSHS/CPS of engaging in "child trafficking." Sounds like a pretty strong term to use for a government agency; but judging by their Frequent patterns of less-than-Honest-and-Upfront tactics and agendas in child-dependency/child abuse cases, and well-Noted tendency to target socially and economically Vulnerable families, "officially-sanctioned child trafficking" may, in fact, not be too far off the mark.
Here, in any case, is a LairLink to followup report on the Langleys' case, in which the Snohomish County foster parents discuss being targeted for retaliation by DSHS after they went public with this whole calamity...
current mood: pissed off
current music: something by Van Morrison
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| Friday, April 24th, 2009
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5:09 pm - Getting Obsessed Again...
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Oh, dear. I don't know what to do to resolve a Certain situation that hasn't been working out Yet; but I'm getting Obsessed with it (Again!), and I simply MUST get it to work out in order to be Content with life in general. I really need a Serious support system to get more performing gigs in folk/Celtic/world music, and I really have no Such support system at all. I'm feeling Ignored again; I can't seem to make money doing bloody anything (musical or Otherwise); and I've been feeling terribly depressed Lately. Perhaps it's partly a sort of Delayed reaction to my Dad passing on; but it's also partly because I'm going on 45, and can't seem to accomplish anything Substantial with my own creative work (musical or Otherwise). Actually, I was feeling pretty much Ignored long before the economy went Haywire, and I don't know what to do to change things. I've been asking myself, "Why aren't there temp agencies for musicians and artists?" There really ought to be such things out there. I need to do more performing, both solo and with others; but how do I persuade other people to work with me? How do I get un-Ignored?
I also need to update my Cafepress shops for spring/summer; but I really want to create more new images and new photos in the Appropriate dimensions First, as Opposed to rehashing the same old stuff once Again. The World Rhythm Festival begins Tonight; and that will take up most of this weekend. Plus, I absolutely MUST persuade You-Know-Who to collaborate with me (I wish I had better powers of persuasion generally!); I will go Stark Freaking Mad if that doesn't work out sooner or later. We should be touring Together right this very moment. I think sharing music is the way to go on THAT little matter; but I need better-arranged/mixed song files for that purpose. I think I should take up an Unusual instrument (by western standards) in order to make my songs sound more Unusual, or something. Kantele, perhaps? I also want to perform with my Irish birthday-mate while he's still Alive. Performing with dead people is a bit Tricky, from what I can surmise.
There are those who say my dreams and goals are "Unrealistic"; but, of course, they never tell me what they think are realistic goals for me personally. They themselves don't dare have any goals that don't involve working for someone else. The first thing I need to do is get up Earlier each morning. I have a sleep disorder of some kind; I seem to be Addicted to sleep, or sleeping in, at any rate. I can't seem to drag myself out of bed much before 11:00 am most days, unless I have an early-morning desk shift. And I'm sick of desk shifts, house meetings and all that crap. I must make enough money to get a Proper one-bedroom apartment Somewhere near here. That's one reason I'm doing all sorts of online work these days; it's just not making any money, at least not Yet. Gah...
Anyway, I will Soon be advertising for help in getting more performance hours in, once I figure out exactly what I need help with, and on which specific work-items...
current mood:  crazy
current music: Kruspolska - by Hedningarna
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| Saturday, April 18th, 2009
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6:17 pm - If you think torturers should be Prosecuted...
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...then you should consider signing the petition we were Sent by Democrats.com, Entitled "No Amnesty for Torturers."
We are quite Mystified by President Obama's sudden reluctance to hold Darth Dubya's mob Accountable for human rights abuses against international prisoners in U.S. military custody, even while releasing the Infamous so-called "CIA torture memos" during the Past week. Is someone threatening Obama or his family? Did Dick Cheney threaten to shoot his lawyers? Is Obama being blackmailed by someone in possession of embarrassing frat-party photos from several decades Ago? There's something rather Odd, in any case, about Obama being so Hesitant to hold Darth Dubya's thugs Accountable for their actions; and to demonstrate, once and for all, that no one, including George Wanker "God speaks through me" Bush, is above the law.
Anyway, click the LairLink above, and speak your mind via petition on this matter! It's about time the Constitution and international law meant something again...
current mood: determined
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| Saturday, April 11th, 2009
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6:21 pm - Sakura-Con is On this weekend...
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*****
*****
...and we're seeing Anime cosplayers all over downtown Seattle, on the buses (I sat on a bus last night near a couple of girls wearing these beige uniforms with red trim and red bowties; they said they were cosplaying something called "Bleach"), in the eatery level at Westlake Mall, and practically Everywhere else. The con is Happening at the Washington Convention and Trade Center through sometime Tomorrow. Incidentally, the word "Sakura" is the Japanese name for flowering cherry trees; so, in a way, it's sort of Appropriate for Easter weekend, spring in general, and the Annual peaking of the Japanese flowering cherries on the UW campus.
Anyway, if you click the banner Above, it'll take you to the Sakura-Con website, which has all manner of info on what's going on the rest of this weekend. I'm not that much into Anime (animation series) and Manga (Japanese comic-book cartoons) myself; but I have gotten sort of Curious about it, thanks to posts and comments at ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/community.gif) fandomsecrets. I couldn't afford to attend the Con this year; but next year, if the funds are Available, perhaps curiosity will get the better of me, and I'll figure out a character I want to cosplay, at the Ripe old age of 45. Anyway, all you cosplaying folks have fun the rest of this weekend!!
*****
current mood:  curious
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| Tuesday, April 7th, 2009
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5:41 pm - Folger's Coffee does "Riverdance"!
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Good afternoon, LairCronies, fellow Irish music/dance fans, and fellow coffee lovers! It's not Often that I pay too much attention to TV ads; but this new one from Folger's is actually pretty Neat! Let's have some Irish stepdancing with our morning brew...
According to somebody at Dance.net, the featured dancers are Cara Butler, Liam Harney, Kathleen Smith, Rosemary Schade and Sheila Murphy. Ag damhsa le caifé, no less...!!
current mood: cheerful
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| Monday, March 30th, 2009
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3:28 pm - We don't want this disappearing under the radar...
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Folks, we at the Lair don't generally post about Sordid legal cases here (not too Often, anyway); but back in October, we started hearing about a truly Shocking child-starvation case in Carnation, Washington that is very Tough to stomach--or to forget about. Trouble is, the local and regional media have nearly done just that (forgotten about it, that is). This is the case of a couple in Carnation, Jon Pomeroy and Rebecca Long, who are Accused of withholding adequate food and water for several years from Pomeroy's daughter by a Former marriage (at least, the Wicked Stepmother did so; her husband comes Across as either Clueless or Indifferent to his children's plight), resulting in the now-15-year-old girl weighing only 48 pounds when she was Rescued by authorities, with her physical growth Stunted (she only stands about 4'7" in height, and resembled an Emaciated eight-year-old when she was Rescued from a doctor's office and hospitalized for a couple of weeks) and most of her teeth rotting and requiring crowns. She and her 12-year-old brother are now in foster care and doing much Better than they were; but the girl in particular still needs Intensive medical and psychological care, and probably will for the Foreseeable future. Why was this girl chronically starved, restricted to a few ounces of water a day, and frequently beaten? Local reports merely speculate that she and her stepmother didn't get Along, and didn't accept each other as family members; and said Stepmonster chose to abuse her power and authority-figure status in a particularly Dreadful manner. My own theory is that her motives were more Sinister than that; but we could face accusations of defamation were we to post them in detail here, Prior to an Actual trial and verdict.
Meanwhile, for some Unfathomable reason, the Accused father and stepmother are still free on bail (though, of course, facing a very Hostile public, who know exactly who they are, what they look like, where they live--some news articles posted their pictures and specific street address--and what they are Accused of doing), and have been Charged only with one count each of first and second-degree criminal mistreatment. More charges in this case may still be Pending. However, they have been able to avoid their indictment hearing since mid-October, by having their attorney file for Repeated (five to date) continuances of the indictment hearing date. This means that Said hearing date keeps being Postponed, for some reason. At their Latest hearing in mid-March, they received yet another continuance, postponing the indictment hearing until April 7. We at the Lair (and a lot of other folks) don't quite understand why this is being done; or why there has been a change in the judge Assigned to this case. We have emailed columnists at the Seattle Times and Seattle PI, asking for more updates on this case; but neither of them have gotten Back to us Yet. I guess the Next step is contacting Local TV stations that have covered this case in the past. Updated info will be posted here Later, as we obtain it.
There are people in this world, as we have stated repeatedly in the past, who have NO business WHATSOEVER being parents; and these two are a Prime example of this. This also begs the question of whether the Ten Commandments edited out one about protecting children from abusive treatment, by family members or anyone else. We think one Such should have been Added, if it wasn't there Already; if it was there to begin with, it should have been bloody-well left in...
current mood:  nauseated
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| Saturday, March 21st, 2009
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9:09 pm - Long Live the Croc!!
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YAY!! Our very own Crocodile Cafe is Back!! There's hope for this crazy town Yet, LairCronies!! *Squees Mightily over coffee*
In vaguely Related news: the Seattle Post-Intelligencer has ceased publication in print, and is now Available online only. However, all the Snarky reports of the demise of progressive journalism have been greatly Exaggerated. Nature, and journalism, abhor a vacuum; and where one progressive media source disappears, another will surely spring up to take its place. Besides, I predict that the PI will be Back in print form within a couple of years of this region's economic recovery. You read it here first!
On a very sad note: On top of my Dad's passing, we at the Lair have been feeling terribly sad for Liam Neeson (one of my Favorite actors) and his family, on the Shocking and Tragic death of his wife and Fellow actor, Natasha Richardson. Although we are less Familiar with her work, there can be no denying her Considerable impact on the world of film and theater, and the fact that the whole Distressing turn of events in alpine Quebec was revoltingly Unfair.
Here is one of the online condolence books for Natasha's family; and more LairLinks will be Posted here when we locate them. More also will be Posted on my Dad's hearty sendoff back in Crossville (I got back to Seattle late on Thursday night)...
Natasha Richardson Fansite * CNN Topic Page on Natasha Richardson * Natasha Richardson on IMDB
Natasha Richardson: Wikipedia Entry * New York Times Tribute to Natasha Richardson
*****
current mood: refreshed
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| Friday, March 6th, 2009
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9:14 pm - Man, I've been Sleepy today...
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It's taken me till about 9 pm to wake up fully, LairCronies! Maybe I didn't get Enough caffeine this morning. Of course, I did oversleep a bit. If this repair guy hadn't come in to replace a Recalled part of all of our fire-prevention sprinklers this morning, I might still be sleeping.
I've agreed to join my brother and Mom back in Tennessee for a week (starting next Thursday), including a memorial service (Ugh) at my folks' Lutheran church. They tried to pacify me a bit by promising a "wake" of sorts to follow immediately after that, at the neighborhood clubhouse back in Crossville. The last thing I want to deal with is hordes of sniffling folks at a church service singing Dreary hymns that are Supposed to be "Uplifting", but mostly set off crowds into yet Another crying jag in such an occasion as that. Guess I'll just have to trance out for an hour and journey over to my Dad's dimension, while sitting there looking like I'm on tranquilizers. The only consolation is that my Mom has suggested that I bring Along the guitar, and play Irish tunes during the wake, it being close to St. Patrick's Day, after all.
What I'd really like to do is escape this dimension Altogether for a while and experience emotional and physical intimacy with a bunch of Fictitious pirates, or wizards, or space researchers, or something. I've been asking myself Lately what my Dad's current environment looks like; what they do over there on an Average day; and what sorts of things they can do that we can't over here, among other things. Perhaps as a result of my curiosity, I've been having very Dramatic dreams at night, involving a lot of flying and Such--sometimes at very high speeds.
UPDATE (SATURDAY, MARCH 14, 2009): Okay...I'm back in Tennessee now (till this coming Thursday) for my Dad's memorial/wake, both of which will occur Tomorrow. When I get back, I'll post a wee photo of him from my laptop. I just don't have the laptop with me right now. Just the guitar, with a couple of strings buzzing like mad...
--Here's the photo, from Christmas 2007: my Dad, Tom Olsen (right), discussing guitar maintenance with friend/neighbor Jim Schroeder, while both are digesting turkey etc. (I'll try to upload a better-processed version of this shot later)...
*****
current mood: sleepy
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| Tuesday, March 3rd, 2009
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7:17 pm - My Dad's passed on; and he feels much Better, thank you...
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Funny--sometimes it takes shucking off one's body to feel better and regain one's health. I wrote in the Previous post that I dreaded the thought of going Back to Tennessee this weekend, seeing my Dad check out under the influence of morphine, and dealing with my Mom going off the deep end as a result. Well, somehow, my Dad solved at least part of that problem for me, breaking Loose from his body sometime Sunday afternoon. My brother got the message from the nursing facility when he came in from a couple of hours of flying with a couple of his friends out in Texas. He contacted me via cellphone with the sad-but-happy news Sunday evening. And I've been talking with my Dad almost Nonstop since then. It's easy, really--you just reach out mentally with a desire to communicate, and converse back and forth via thought. He needs time to adjust to a whole New perspective on things (as do we, of course); but he's doing just fine Otherwise. It's really nice no Longer having to deal with a body in the process of eating itself. His mind is also pretty much back to Normal, though probably a bit Giddy as he takes in his new reality. Of course I'll miss him being physically Present, but I'm really quite happy for him; he's been very Keen to be on his way for some time now. He flat-out told me So more than once, while I was giving him Reiki sessions over the holidays. Having a barely-Functioning body, and struggling to do things like solve a simple wordsearch puzzle while your memory is turning to mush, simply isn't much fun for an award-winning, internationally Recognized physicist and Superconducting researcher who used to travel the world, writing and presenting papers at physical science and engineering conferences.
I think I've been balking at the idea of dealing with other people's emotions because I've been trying to hide from my own. I'm actually quite Sensitive to the moods of people and places; and it's hard to avoid being Affected by a sense of stress, conflict, sadness, or depression in a room, or house, or any other Enclosed space. This, on top of trying to be Tough and Upbeat, and not express grief or other "negative" emotions, at least in public, even though it might be good for me. I'm certainly not Indifferent or Immune from emotion in this whole situation. I worry that some people might think Ill of me because I didn't want to drop everything and fly east over the weekend to give my Dad his sendoff in person (in truth, I really had no money for travel expenses until today; someone else might have bought my plane ticket; but I literally had no money for things like shuttles to the airport, tips for skycap guys, or even a bit of bottled water or chewing gum to take Along on the flight). I do want my Mom to have a good support system for the time being; but I was in a state of autopilot or emotional shutdown for Much of my last visit there a month Ago. I really couldn't do that again, not this Soon, anyway. I feel that I can do a much better job of being Supportive if I'm a little bit Removed from the Immediate environment, and don't have to shut myself down emotionally just to stay Sane. However, from talking to my brother this afternoon, it turns out that scads of friends, neighbors, out-of-town folks, and church members have been coming to my Mom's house to visit, bring loads of food and flowers (my brother says it's a bit of a struggle keeping the cats from eating the plants), and provide help and support any way they can. So she's certainly not Lacking for a support system in her community, and I'm quite Relieved to find this out.
I will, of course, have to go out there pretty Soon, most likely Sometime this month, to help out with the legal, financial and logistical stuff that typically crops up when someone heads off to the next plane of reality. My brother says he and Mom are already working on some of that stuff; but a lot of my Dad's documentation has gotten rather Disorganized. I recall my Dad saying, a few years Ago, that he simply wanted his ashes Scattered somewhere off the coast of Maine (my folks' favorite vacation spot), in lieu of anything like a funeral or memorial service. I absolutely detest memorial services--they're such Dreary affairs, even when lunch is Provided--and I started to balk again when my brother mentioned that a memorial service is tentatively (he thinks) Planned for the middle of this month (oh, ICK--of course you guys are going to drag me along to that, aren't you, thought I). I would much prefer having a wake or some sort of party, especially in honor of all the kind folks who have visited, brought food, and otherwise helped out my folks over the past couple of months. Something with a truly Positive, non-Gloomy vibe to it, with the cats Presiding over the whole event from the tops of armchairs. I'll have to see how effectively I can argue for this, as Opposed to a Dreary, Weepy church service that my Dad himself would probably want to split from as soon as he could sneak Away. Only problem is, I don't know for a fact whether or not he spelled this out in writing in his will, or some other directive. My brother indicated that he himself hadn't seen the will Yet.
Meanwhile, my Dad is likely spending time just getting his bearings and his strength Back, and then plans to find his father and grandfather and head Out to sea on a mackerel-fishing expedition. He may still be hanging Out at home for a while Yet; and I will probably bring my digital camera and digital audio recorder with me, to see if we can capture some of his energy on film, or an EVP recording of him on the audio recorder. It's worth a try, at Least. He could very well run into much of the Original roster of the Clancy Brothers one of these days, and join in on a couple of verses of "Isn't it grand, boys/To be bloody-well dead (LOL)...", with Nick Reynolds, Odetta and Joe Heaney joining in partway Through. Of course, he's got loads of other relatives, friends and cats on that side right now to hang out with, while learning the ropes of the New Reality (how does one catch mackerel over there, anyway?). We'll all get there one of these days, of course; we musn't forget that there is way More to Reality than this one Physical dimension. Plus, those of us with shamanic skills can visit there easily Enough, as long as we don't become too Obsessed with that phase of existence, and forget that we belong here for the time Being...
*****
current mood:  contemplative
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| Saturday, February 28th, 2009
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8:28 pm - Gah...
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I got a voicemail from my mom a couple of days Ago, saying that my dad is "very low" (whatever that means), according to the nursing facility; and that he is Unlikely to be Around long. The voicemail went on to say that I ought to fly to Tennessee in the Next couple of days if I want to see him. As they say in the Current acronymic colloquial, OMFG.
Right now, practically the LAST place on the planet I want to be is Back in Tennessee. For one thing, I can't afford the airfare; my Last flight out there a month Ago was paid for by my mom, via my brother's credit card. Plus, one needs money to travel with, and I am basically Broke till Monday at least. Add to this the fact that I do not want to stand/sit at my dad's bedside watching him check out, in a morphine-Induced stupor. I had lots of good visits with him on my last two trips (Christmas, and late January/early February) when he was still Conscious and Lucid (shoot, he was going like gangbusters in physical and occupational therapy sessions!). The really major thing, though, is the fact that my mom is a world-class drama queen under perfectly Normal circumstances; and by her own admission, she is a Complete emotional wreck at the moment. I will have to go out there sometime Soon to help out with the Usual posthumous stuff; but I do NOT want to be under the same roof with my mom when her state of mind is Somewhere between nervous-breakdown and certifiably-Batshit. Especially if I am the only other human there (I can only imagine what the two cats are going through at present). When I was last there, I was on a kind of mental/emotional autopilot much of the time; I was only there nine days, but it felt like about three times that long. If I was there now, they'd probably have to hospitalize me too, lest I try something Desperate.
Trouble is, I have no idea how to explain this to my mom, or any of the other relatives. I admit, I am being a Total coward in this situation. I keep switching my cellphone off at night, and waiting till nearly midday to turn it on again. I do keep checking my email, however; and I am hoping to contact friends of my folks, and other relatives, to help make Sure that my mom has at least something resembling a support system. I just don't want to be there myself right now (my brother was last there a couple of weeks Ago). I also went into a Meditative state recently, and projected myself to where my dad has been staying during the past month. I won't go into everything that went on; but I was able to communicate with my dad on a mental/astral level. He is quite Keen to be on his way (and has been for some time now), but is being held Back from leaving by Certain people's emotional clinging. Make of that what you wish. It was a nice, Positive discussion overall, though. I will probably do more of this in the Near future.
In more-or-less Unrelated news: I dreamed about Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan last night! It's been quite a while since I last dreamed about Nusrat. He speaks fluent English now, as well as his native Punjabi and Urdu; and we had a very nice visit. Only problem is, I noticed Partway through the dream that I was wearing a long flannel nightgown, instead of my Usual street clothes. I quickly slipped on a jacket over this getup. Fortunately, no one else in the vicinity seemed to notice...
current mood: confused
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