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Monday, June 11th, 2012
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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! 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.
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
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| Saturday, April 14th, 2012
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9:17 pm - Some new toys to play with...
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Well, folks, I thought I'd never do this; but I've finally succumbed to temptation, curiosity, or simply the need to promote my own bumperstickers, and opened a Twitter account! Gah...now my old, Grumpy laptop and I are really and truly Joined at the hip, or Someplace. I plan to use this account mainly to promote the Cafepress LairShops and my own music, as well as networking with other folk and world music artists and bands that I haven't quite reached via Facebook. I've also become one of the 40 zillion followers of Stephen Fry on Twitter. Sigh...
I've also, somehow, found space on my hard drive to download Audacity software, in order to split Individual tracks from mp3 files on which I've recorded Multiple music tracks--whether from solo gigs, open mic sets, and/or the old recordings of trad music sessions in pubs over in Ireland back in 2006. Of course, this requires that I not get too Intimidated by all the stuff in the Online manual. Thanks to ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif?v=91.7) shannonkringen for introducing me to this audio-editing program.
Finally, yesterday was Hitch Day--what would/should have been Christopher Hitchens' 63rd birthday. I observed it by heading over to my Favorite local Mexican restaurant and drinking a margarita toast to the man (I'm not much of a whiskey drinker; and I imagine Johnny Walker Black Label must be pretty Pricey in most pubs), all while wishing he was Present to share it with me! Of course, there was also the Facebook party going on in his honor; but the nice thing about my Solo toast-outing was the Complete absence of anti-Hitch trolls barging in on me...
Next up: try to start up my Final Divine Comedy fanfic (planned title: "Roma MMXII"), while being Fixated on the possibilities of Tom Brown's Schooldays slash wickedness...
current mood: Twitterpated
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| Tuesday, February 7th, 2012
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8:08 pm - First Post of 2012, and I talk about...Victorian Novel Slash!
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I'm being naughty Again, LairCronies. I want to write some Tom Brown's Schooldays slashfic; specifically, Arnold/legal!Tom slashfic (I mean, the novel itself is Rugby/Thomas Arnold RPF, after all!). I'm thinking especially of how I recall the late Iain Cuthbertson's portrayal of Dr. Thomas Arnold in the 5-part BBC version of the story that I watched way back in the early 1970's. I remember having a bit of a crush on Cuthbertson in that role at the time. If I got around to writing such a thing without being Struck by lightning, it would be Set right before and right after Tom's graduation (before or after the "Last Match"? Not sure about that). Plus, should I write this one before or after "Roma MMXII" (my Planned final Dante/Virgil sequel)? I don't want to put the latter Off too Long.
In any case, I wish I could project myself into one of my own fanfics right Now. I've been feeling a bit Lonely, Alienated and Unloved for a while now. I need some hugs and kisses (and possibly more!) from somebody, Fictitious or Otherwise (not to mention a musical/artistic support team, to help me get performing work and sell stuff Online)...
current mood:  melancholy
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| Monday, December 26th, 2011
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10:11 pm - Fast Away the Old Year Passes...
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...and I only just got my flu shot, in one of Crossville, Tennessee's best grocery pharmacies! Since then, I've finished darning underwear (of all things), and cleared most of the junk out of my email inbox.
I feel that I must change some things in the Coming year, including the exchange of my studio apartment of the past 11 (!) years for a Bigger space, still in Seattle. I'm also really Sick of being Poor as a churchmouse much of the time; and will have to see what I can do in the way of marketing my Original creative work without selling it, and my principles, down the river. My music requires licensing, and Appropriate marketing (as does my writing, songwriting, photos, digital art, etc.); and it is High time that I exploit more of the resources Available for that purpose, online and Otherwise. Is it worth my while to join Twitter, Zazzle, or LinkedIn? Dunno. Will have to check them out in depth very Soon.
Meanwhile, I'm very Thankful that the two pairs of jeans my Mom bought me locally actually fit (squee!!!), as J.C. Penney no longer sells Cabin Creek clothing items, and any jeans I wear have got to have as much elastic as Possible around the waist. Two pairs of jeans I have back home both have Huge gashes in the back of the right leg. Guess they both got Caught on the same chairs somehow.
Anyway...I'm here until January 4, but I hope to do more online marketing of myself even before then. It's really Hard to sell one's own stuff these days; but dangit, some people pull it off! I've also officially Signed on to help with the music for the film version of The Fifth Sacred Thing, now in production; hence, I'd better keep myself Posted on the progress of the filming itself!
Happy New Year from chilly Tennessee! Together Across the World!!
current mood: relaxed
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| Saturday, December 24th, 2011
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10:13 pm - Merry Christmas/Blessed Solstice/Happy Hanukkah/Happy Kwanzaa...
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Blessed festivities to all my friends and acquaintances on Facebook, since my Mom's computer is too slow in bringing up windows to let me post on my own profile! And to all fellow Christopher Hitchens fans: Merry Hitchmas to all, and to all a good night!
current mood: festive jetlag
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| Thursday, December 22nd, 2011
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11:14 am - Since I can't post to freaking Facebook...
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Dear LairCronies at Facebook:
I'm at my Mom's house in Crossville, TN now, having safely arrived here on Tuesday evening after a full day's travel from Seattle. Problem is, her stupid computer--a rather decrepit iBook G4--will NOT let me post updates on Facebook to save my life. Sort of makes me wish I'd brought my laptop along--I hate Macs.
Anyway, I just want everyone to know that I'm alive and well, and not ignoring their current or upcoming birthdays. Also, a very Happy Hanukkah to all who are celebrating it this week! I'd post celebratory comments at your profiles, if the bloody machine on which I'm typing this would let me. I dunno, maybe it's secretly anti-Semitic...
current mood:  frustrated
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| Saturday, December 17th, 2011
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7:32 pm - Farewell to the Hitch: RIP Christopher Hitchens (1949-2011)
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"Stellar fire was your womb, and stellar fire will be your grave--a just course for one who has always blazed so very brightly.”
--Martin Amis, from his introduction to The Quotable Hitchens
"I've been spending a lot of time with online dictionaries lately, since Hitchens insists on using words like 'apotropaic'..."
--Me, somewhere on Facebook
Folks, I'm drinking iced green tea here at Starbucks this evening, instead of a shot of Johnnie Walker Black Label ("Breakfast of Champions") at Buckley's Pub; I don't quite have the budget for the latter, as I'm saving as much cash as Possible for Tuesday's holiday flight to Nashville. Still, I drink and write through great sadness to salute Christopher Hitchens this evening. My favorite atheist finally passed Away on Thursday evening at his cancer treatment facility in Houston, Texas, where he continued writing and posting articles and essays practically until the day he died.
I stayed up much of Thursday night, well into the wee hours, reading Online tributes and crying, after the news of Hitch's passing first broke on the Google News search and made me gasp Aloud, a cold chill Exploding in the center of my spine. Par for the course, I've been thinking bitterly since then; I find something or someone who makes life more Interesting, more Enjoyable, more Stimulating, more worth getting out of bed for; and poof! it gets snatched Away from me by Fate or God or something Nasty that doesn't think I should be enjoying life that Much. I had known for months that Hitch's health was failing, hence his departure was not exactly a surprise; but it shocked me and millions of others Nonetheless. I am one of the spiritual/religious folks who somehow managed to fall in love with Christopher Hitchens despite disagreeing with him on some points. I guess I can recognize a great thinker when I see/hear/read one. I'm also one of those people who felt that they somehow knew him, even though they never met him; his writing and speaking always casts that sort of spell (if Hitch will pardon the expression).
Undoubtedly, all the praises and tributes and damn-Near canonization being Heaped on him since his death would probably drive Hitch nuts, as much as his fans and friends might appreciate them. He knew he was no Secular saint, nor Infallible "pope of atheism", and never claimed to be. He might even relish the barbs now being Scratched into comment posts by Longtime detractors, calling him things like a "fascist turncoat", "apologist for imperialism", and such Like (nothing Wrong with a "Balanced view", after all; those who actually knew Hitchens say that nothing stimulated him like a good argument). Even my own tribute post that I wrote here several months Ago termed him "a famed British atheist who probably wouldn't like me" (though, of course, I don't know that for a fact). What the hell--he couldn't be all things to all people, the way politicians stupidly try to be, speaking out of thirty Distinct corners of their mouths. He was always his own person with his own mind, ideas, thoughts and opinions; and he'd be Damned if he'd let anyone try to deter him from speaking for himself, or from changing his thinking, if he felt it ethically Necessary. No freaking party line or philosophical orthodoxy for Hitch, thank you kindly. And don't dare call him "Chris" in his presence, if you value your nerves. His beloved mother didn't like that nickname; ergo, neither did he.
In any case, the loss still hurts quite a lot, as it no doubt does for anyone who, like me, got into the habit of waiting with Baited breath for Christopher's next Slate article each week. His last one arrived Online just a couple of weeks Ago. There is also, for me, the frustration of reading all manner of speculation as to his Eventual fate in the Spiritual Reality. Fundamentalists, of good intent or not, insist that Hitch must be roasting in hell because he opposed Organized religion and the idea of a god (theirs or anyone else's); and his atheist fans are Sure that he has simply ceased to exist. Personally, I think both groups are Wrong. Several times in the past 14 years or So, I have felt the energy of people after they have passed on, and received proof that this energy retains some sort of intelligence. Therefore, I know, based on Firsthand evidence--not merely faith or belief--that there IS some form of existence after physical death, and what I call spirit energy (for want of a Better term) can be interacted and communicated with to some degree. Mind you, I'm not talking about "feelings of presence" in some Moody location with all sorts of Ambient vibes; nor am I talking about those "cold spots" that people claim to feel in Spooky old mansions. What I have felt--several times--is a very Powerful, Intense and Obvious energetic presence that you really cannot mistake for any Other goosebump-Inducing sensation or feeling. Plus, the existence and free movement of this energy does not seem to depend on the belief system the person espoused during their lifetime in this dimension.
Therefore, I do not think that our Hitch is either floating through clouds wielding a harp; nor is he being tortured in some Sulfurous, fiery underworld. His energy can pretty much go where it will; thus, I suspect he has simply gone home to his double-apartment in Washington, DC, for the time being, however it exists in the Parallel spiritual dimension. Since he was writing furiously, literally racing the clock, up until the last couple days of his life, I figure he has earned a nice, long vacation from writing. Perhaps he would like to do a bit of Relaxing travel--to his native Britain, to Kurdistan, to Cyprus, or wherever he most enjoyed visiting or living during his lifetime. Then again, he might decide to check out all the places he didn't get around to checking out during his long, Frenetic career of traveling and writing. Perhaps he will even be able to travel backwards and forwards in time, or to other worlds--surely a dream of anyone who enjoyed living life, and writing about it, as much as Hitch did (and likely still does). At any rate, though it still hurts to lose him in this reality, I will do my best to honor and celebrate Christopher Hitchens' life by cultivating a Stronger and Deeper appreciation and enjoyment of my own.
Travel on in Peace, Love and Joy, Hitch! Together Across the World!!
"I want to live my life taking the risk--all the time--that I don't know anything like enough yet; that I haven't understood enough; that I can't know enough; that I am always hungrily operating on the margins of a potentially great harvest of future knowledge and wisdom. I wouldn't have it any other way...And I'd urge you to look at those...who tell you--at your age!--that you are dead until you believe as they do. What a terrible thing to be telling to children! And that you can only live by accepting an absolute authority. Don't think of that as a gift; think of it as a poisoned chalice. Push it aside, however tempting it may seem.
"Take the risk of thinking for yourself. Much more happiness, truth, beauty and wisdom will come to you that way."
--Christopher Hitchens, from his closing statement at the Hitchens vs. Dempski debate, Prestonwood Christian Academy, Plano, TX, November 2010.
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current mood: melancholy
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| Saturday, November 26th, 2011
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7:21 pm - The Shade Trees of Lucca, Part 2 (Divine Comedy fanfiction: Virgil/Dante, R/NC-17)
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| Friday, November 18th, 2011
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8:58 pm - The Shade Trees of Lucca, Part 1 (Divine Comedy fanfiction: Virgil/Dante, NC-17)
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8:03 pm - Okay, here goes...
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Folks, it should not take anyone, certainly not yours truly, a freaking YEAR to crank out a piece of fanfiction. And yet, it's taken me nearly a year to (more or less) finish "The Shade Trees of Lucca"! Well, actually, not Quite a year; I didn't start on it right after publishing my first Dante/Virgil fanfic. But I find, to my Utmost dismay, that November 23, 2010 was the date I posted "Thrice Purified"! And here it is, November 18, 2011, just days away from that story's one-year anniversary! Gah...Sorry, mayhap...
So, what I'm going to do, in the post Following this one, is to post Part 1 of 2 of "Shade Trees", with the Appropriate rating, warnings, A/N, and all that. I still have a couple of paragraphs to go on Part 2 of the story. But dangit, it's bloody-well time I got this show on the road, and started planning sequel 3, which I plan to title Roma MMXII. Just hope that one is Completed well before bloody November MMXII..!
current mood: restless
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| Friday, October 14th, 2011
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7:57 pm - So, I'm posting here instead of at the Facebook juggernaut...
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My goodness, this is my first LJ post this month! What's happening Now?
Dante/Virgil fic No. 2 is nearly Finished. Sorry for the long wait! I think I'll still post it in two parts, it being at least twice as long as the first fic. Hey, all the new movies are being Released in two parts these days; why not fanfiction?
I developed a sty recently, on my lower right eyelid. Yuck! It's been decades since I last had one of those, to my recollection. It's one of those low-grade infections that tends to resolve itself after a few days; so I've mostly been ignoring it, and trying to avoid touching my eyes as much as Possible. Warm-water compresses make it feel a bit better as well. This morning, I awoke with some Crusty residue coming from the corners of my right eye, and I noticed that the infection has gone down quite a bit. So hopefully I won't need antibiotics for this thing.
Christopher Hitchens made it down to Houston this Past weekend to receive his Freethinker of the Year Award from Richard Dawkins! Everyone's quite Relieved at this; after the Think Inc. debacle last month, everyone was sort of holding their breath on whether Hitch would make it to this event or not. But by golly, he and his wife both arrived in plenty of time; and he and Dawkins spent Several hours signing books, even before the awards ceremony. Plus, everyone is still talking about the Charming exchange between Hitch and 8-year-old Mason Krumpacker after the main event, in which he supplied her with a freethought-oriented reading list upon her request. Even the so-called "Hitch List" itself is becoming Famous. Even more Surprising, for someone in Hitchens' condition, he's arranging to do a video-link conversation with Stephen Fry at a hall in London next month, just about 30 days after the Houston conference! No doubt he's missed interacting with the public over the past Several months, and wants to do as much of it as Possible, for as long as Possible.
Finally, I took my first stroll in months up and down Broadway in our Capitol Hill neighborhood this afternoon, just to see what's up there now, and what's going on. Amazingly, the little Vajra incense shop is still Open, as is the Annapurna Cafe! Also, I popped into the liquor store just briefly, and was a trifle Disappointed not to see any absinthe. Still want to try the stuff one of these days, just for the experience...
Very soon now, in addition to the new fanfic, I want to repost my Jack Sparrow/Johnny Depp stories from 2007, with links to each chapter Added. Arrrrrgghhhhh..!!
current mood: Facebooked to death
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| Tuesday, September 27th, 2011
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6:31 pm - Various things to get Done...
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Okay, folks, I'm getting near the completion of the second Dante/Virgil fanfic, "The Shade Trees of Lucca"! I just need a couple of poetic quotes from both our guys; plus a nice, Flowery description of time-strata, Witnessed from under a shade tree after a night of sweet lovemaking in the moonlight! Sometime, this story gets written one sentence or paragraph at a time, Due to my obsession with "getting the Dante voice right." Gah...Also, I'm still thinking I might need to split the story in half, as it's a good bit Longer than the first one.
In other news, I'm working on a musician's profile at the ReverbNation website. This profile will include a store with Original songs available for download, along with some Other merch, once I get it all Uploaded. Will this one get more attention than the Sonicbids profile? God/dess knows.
Also, I'm still a bit Hitchens-Obsessed. Worrying about Christopher Hitchens' cancer condition is a bit like reliving my Dad's cancer experience all over again, only from a distance (I've never even met Hitch in person before, and have only emailed him via DailyHitchens.com and Vanity Fair pages). At my age, I should be well over Raging fangirlism; but I've been struggling to diversify my collection of things to get Passionate about lately. Anyway...I'm still sending Hitch distance Reiki energy on nearly a Daily basis, not knowing what Else I can do for him that might be of some use...
Finally, I just did a long-Overdue update of the Lair's Seattle Open Mics/Jams Page, wading through two whole Guestbook pages of new open mic listings that kind folks have been sending me all Freaking year! If I'm going to keep that page going, I really must update it once per quarter, at least. In any case, many thanks to everyone who has sent in new listings!
More later. Need to upload more songs to the ReverbNation store before the coffeeshop closes...
current mood: crowded
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| Saturday, July 2nd, 2011
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7:47 pm - Let's get Together and use those keys...!!
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Folks, I swear I will, I WILL bloody-well finish Part II of my Dante/Virgil slash series! And Part III (the Planned afterlife party) will follow shortly! I'm just having the same problem finishing Part II as I did in finishing Part I (Thrice Purified)--trying to get the voice Right. Right now, I figure I'm slightly more than halfway Finished with "The Shade Trees of Lucca", while getting Sidetracked with the Aforementioned Christopher Hitchens fixation. Also, I think the second story is getting a tad long, and may need to be Split into two parts. But dangit, I WILL finish that thing, and the sex will be Jolly-Good!!
In other news, I still need to scrape Together the cash to see the latest POTC episode...
current mood: frustrated
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| Sunday, June 12th, 2011
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8:21 pm - My latest obsession: a famed British atheist who probably wouldn't like me...
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Geez, LairCronies, have I really not posted here since freaking March?? I really must come Around more Often, so folks here (who have not Yet fled to Facebook) know I'm still alive here in chilly-for-June Seattle.
As I wrote recently in an article in the Home Lair, I have no idea why such things keep happening to me; but over the Past year or So, I've fallen in love with British-born journalist and "New Atheist" author Christopher Hitchens; and I hardly know what has Hitchslapped me. I don't know why I didn't pay much attention to him before, perhaps, a year and a half Ago; but somehow I've become quite Charmed and Besotted with the man, now that he's struggling for his life against esophageal cancer! As I wrote to my Mom recently, I have come to realize (through reading his Prolific written output, and watching him debate and lecture on Youtube videos) that this man is a cultural and intellectual treasure of our time, someone we can ill afford to lose at such a young age (he turned 62 this past April 13). I figure there must be some reason that our paths have intersected, however indirectly, here and now. The problem is, I've become rather Obsessed with Hitch and his health issues, to the point where I feel that I must look him up on Google News every day (in much fear and trembling) to see if he's still among the living. I don't like feeling such anxiety and distress over someone I've never even met; but hell, I'm in love with the Cantankerous old cuss, and I want him to beat down his illness with his biggest Hitchslap yet! In addition to his intellect, wit, charisma, and incredibly Prolific creative output, I've also fallen in love with his silky British baritone speaking voice. He lost it for a Brief period back in May; but its condition has since improved, so we hear, to the point where it's at least Functional again. I could listen to him and Stephen Fry talk all day; they both have Gorgeous speaking voices.
( More on the Hitch behind this cut... )
*****
current mood: Hitchslapped
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| Saturday, March 26th, 2011
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9:09 pm - Restless in Seattle...
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Alas, we've recently heard of yet Another talented young person (a Local one, here in Seattle, no less!) Lost to suicidal depression about which she was apparently Afraid to open up completely.
I am especially Haunted by the fact that her Original songs are only now being Recorded for CD release. Will I have to be dead before my own songs are finally Heard? And when will our society start giving youth Positive messages that they are Fine as they are, that they are All they need to be? I continue to be Surprised that I am still Alive today. Now, if I can just move Forward on all that I want to accomplish musically. I am in great need of moral/emotional support for this work; but forget seeking that among most of my relatives. Families generally should be advised to be more Supportive of their musical and otherwise Creative members. We're simply not all Cut out for Conventional wage slavery, y'see...
current mood:  pensive
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| Sunday, March 20th, 2011
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8:20 pm - Keeping My Spirits Up...
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Lately, when I feel Unsupported in my musical life (my family being notoriously less than Supportive), I've been praying to musicians and other Creative folks in Spirit for their support, encouragement, inspiration and overall back-watching.
Yeah, it sounds a bit Metaphysical of me; but Conventional higher powers don't seem to give a crap...
current mood: discontent
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| Wednesday, March 9th, 2011
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5:43 pm - Ya Sure, Y'Betcha...
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Folks, my family background is mostly Scandinavian (Norwegian and Swedish especially); but perhaps I can be Excused if I admit that I really do not get Scandinavian--particularly Norwegian--jokes. Besides being really Lame much of the time, they simply don't make any sense. They definitely don't reflect any actual Norwegians I've ever been Around.
My aunt recently forwarded me an email of an alleged "Norwegian joke" which consisted of some Norwegian guy in this country taking an impromptu math test during a job interview, during which (among Other things) he draws three trees as a "representation of the number nine" (explaining that "tree plus tree plus tree equals 9!"). The anecdote goes Downhill from there, in terms of logic and Overall comprehensibility. No Norwegian I've known ever mistook the number 3 for the noun "tree", even if they had difficulty pronouncing th-sounds when speaking English.
Long story short: I really don't get Norwegian jokes, even when Ole the Protagonist pulls a Practical joke on someone. I'm really not sure whether to be Offended, or just Bemused, by them. After all, even though my Norwegian immigrant grandparents had little more than a 6th- or 8th-grade education, they were NOT stupid, nor in the habit of acting So. In these jokes, the "Norwegians" tend to act dumb, Backward, argumentative, and quite logically-Challenged. The characters always seem to be named Ole, Lena or Sven (whoever comes up with these jokes apparently can't spell names like Sigurd or Solveig). The way their minds work is sort of a cross between Mr. Bean and the Beverley Hillbillies (like the one about the Norwegian painting a red X on one side of his boat, to remind himself that's the side where he catches the most fish). In Other words, the Whole bunch of us (on Either side of the pond) are barely-Literate country bumpkins, only with a Different accent than your Stereotypical U.S. "rednecks." Uff da...
Finally, a word about the Titular phrase here, "ya sure, y'betcha." I don't believe I've ever heard any Scandinavian say this, outside of A Prairie Home Companion, or the movie Fargo. I get the impression that this phrase may be More of an upper-Midwestern thing than a Scandinavian thing per se. Not all Norwegian immigrants have made a beeline for Minnesota the moment they arrived in this country. My grandparents and their family members who immigrated in the 1920's lived first in and around Brooklyn, NY (you wouldn't believe what living in Brooklyn does to a Norwegian accent!), then relocated en masse to Succasunna, NJ; and later (in the late 1960's and early '70's) mostly moved down to Florida, settling in Clearwater and Orlando. I think only one couple of the lot eventually ended up in the upper-Midwest (North Dakota, I think).
At any rate, real Norwegians and Norwegian-Americans are NOT, by and large, the stupid, bumbling yahoos with a Demented sense of logic and/or humor that you tend to find in "Ole and Lena" jokes. I'm not Sure which planet Said characters are from; but you're not Likely to find anyone of Norwegian ancestry quite like them, except maybe in a touristy "Scandinavian" cafe or gift shop on the outskirts of the Twin Cities somewhere...
current mood: stereotyped
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| Wednesday, February 23rd, 2011
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6:43 pm - On Poverty, Dante Fanfic, and Too Many Revolutions...
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Well, folks, I'm beginning to outline and write my second Dante/Virgil fanfic, having finally Settled on a setting for it. I've read that one of the places Dante lived during his exile period was the coastal city of Lucca, Italy, with a Well-Off friend or two. I never quite figured out which species of trees to include in the story; so I'm just going a bit Generic, and titling the story "The Shade Trees of Lucca", making sure he has a few in the neighborhood where he's lodging. This story is set a few months after he completes his Mind-Blowing Paradiso experience, around late summer of 1302 (the story is not chronologically set after he finishes writing Paradiso; he got sick and died in Ravenna not Long after he published that volume). Now, if only I could actually visit Lucca, and get a feel for the environment! From the videos and online photos I've seen of the place, it's really quite pretty, with Marvelous beaches, old architecture and the like. Oh, well; I'll just have to wing the story without actually being there, I guess...
Anyway...I'm still finding myself poor as a churchmouse at the end of most months these days, no matter how Frugal and Careful I am in rationing my Disability funds by the week! Moreover, it's hard to supplement my income musically at the moment, as it's trending colder here in Seattle. Some news stations are predicting snow in the very-Near future; and I don't dare take the nylon-string guitar or fiddle outside when the temps get under about 45 deg. F. Since I've finished my larger Cafepress stores, I really must get some Intensive marketing/Online promotion done very Soon; there must be a niche market out there Somewhere for Neolithic-inspired digital art designs. More calendars of aerial photos and Irish scenic shots are also Planned.
So, how many countries are in a state of Popular revolt at present? Egypt and Tunisia are moving Forward in developing new political systems; Libya, Yemen, Djibouti, Algeria, Iran and several others are still works in progress. I'm trying to keep up with what's Happening in these places as well as Possible. Libya is particularly Concerning right now, with Crazy Gaddafi bringing foreign mercenaries in to shoot protesters both from aircraft and on the ground, while Various cities proclaim themselves "Free of Gaddafi", and Libyan ambassadors and Army divisions openly defect to the anti-government side. I will post LairLinks to Facebook and Twitter pages reporting on the Latest developments in a Separate article; right now, I'm writing from the travel agency in the U-District, which will be closing Shortly. And let us not forget the movements against union-busting in Wisconsin and Ohio! Even folks in Egypt are keeping up with what's going down in Wisconsin, apparently...
current mood: literary
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| Wednesday, February 9th, 2011
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5:43 pm - One layout question here, by the way...
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Begging everyone's pardon; but why are all my LiveJournal entries aligned Center all of a sudden? In the most Recent entry (on being an armchair revolutionary), I had to add html to get the entry to align left as they all used to do. Can anyone around here explain the reasons for everything being Centered? That's not the way I prefer to have LJ aligned. Just curious...
Now, it's also time to do a bit of refurbishing on the Home Lair...
current mood: perplexed
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5:34 pm - The Revolution will be Microblogged...
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LairCronies, now is the time for all good Tweeters to come to the aid of #Tahrir Square! What's going on in Egypt right now may well be the world's first-Ever revolution to be at least partially Fuelled by social networking. Between the urban protests and something Resembling a General strike around the land of the Pyramids, it's not entirely Surprising that Mubarak's secret police are currently on the lookout for bloggers and tweeters (some of whom, like Wael Ghonim, have in fact been arrested and detained). Plus: you, too, can take part in Said revolution by going Online and helping to share Egyptian protest info, besides posting Supportive messages to people posting to Facebook and Twitter from Egypt (even, in some cases, directly from Tahrir Square)! We at the Lair have Thus been acting as "armchair revolutionaries" for over a week Now! Even sending Encouraging messages and forwarding tweets from the protests can be Helpful (as long as you don't identify the tweeters, which could endanger their safety); any and all support is greatly Appreciated by the Egyptian demonstrators. Your messages of support are Circulated among protesters who don't speak English; and the knowledge that people around the world are watching, and care about them, is helping to keep their spirits up and their energy running high. In short, the revolution may or may not be Televised; but it is being Tweeted, Videotaped, and Microblogged! In fact, that last LairLink goes to the Facebook page "We Are All Khaled Said", which served to mobilize some of the first protests of January 25 in Egypt...
current mood: revolutionary
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quixotic