Happy birthday, Shauna.
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: Happy birthday, Shauna.... ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: shauna EMAIL: shaunybear@yahoo.com IP: 172.186.30.197 URL: http://pussycat.shauny.org DATE: 11/03/2003 22:03:14 PMthanks mig... you're a legend :)
----- -------- AUTHOR: Mig TITLE: 10/31-11/1 STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 2 CONVERT BREAKS: __default__ PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 11/03/2003 07:30:34 AM ----- BODY:So we forgot why we swore two years ago no more Halloween parties and some idiot, me, didn't pay attention and 45 kids got invited but luckily a couple didn't come but I still spent a few days hanging black plastic tarps and fakey spiderwebs in the cellar and more webs in the kitchen and one little girl came early and told us "Gamma is the best reader in class!" and so we fell in love with her and let her put on one of Gamma's Disney princess outfits, the pink one, what, Cinderella I suppose, but for trick-or-treating I think she changed into dark streetclothes, because here in Austria Halloween is relatively new, dating roughly to 1995 at most, and still entirely witch/vampire at this point; the costume party season here is the Carneval season in, what, February I guess, mardi gras and all that. So we had a lot of 6 year old and 14-15 year old vampires etc. And they had fun. And a few kids came trick-or-treating, fewer than last year, very polite, and a conservative Catholic bishop condemned the holiday celebrations as heathen so a good time was had by all except I got really tired because 8 hours is just too much for a Halloween party - we started early so the big kids could take care of the little kids, and then still have time for their own stuff later on; of course it just mushed into one long chaotic mess, but like I said, turned out well. Nothing broken, only one little boy pooped his pants because all bathrooms were occupied, a little glitter on one cat, that was it.
The next day was the big holiday here in Austria. All Souls. Radio traffic advisories warned people to take public transportation to the big cemeteries, because the parking lots were full. It began to rain.
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: So we forgot why we swore two years ago no more Halloween parties and some idiot, me, didn't pay attention and 45 kids got invited but luckily a couple didn't come but I still spent a few days hanging black... ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Mig TITLE: In the forest STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 2 CONVERT BREAKS: __default__ PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 11/03/2003 07:56:01 AM ----- BODY:A good thing to do, try this, a good thing to do is lay on the floor. Lie there and listen to whatever. The traffic, the hum of electrical devices charging on your nightstand, your heartbeat.
It's okay if it's a wooden floor, you get used to it fast and it doesn't hurt. Extra points if you have a walk-in closet. When designing your home or shopping for your rental, did you think of that? How nice a walk-in closet is? It is, because when everyone else is downstairs or in another room, you can get in there on the floor and scoot over underneath the rack where your suits hang and lie there. Looking up into the tubes of the suit sleeves and pantlegs, it's like a delicious rest in a peaceful wool/polyester blend forest. Instead of moss it smells a little bit like you, and you'll be happy to learn this turns out to be a nice thing. You always thought you had some nasty BO, because if you stick your head into your armpit after a bad day, of course it smells gamey. But just a little, like this, is pleasant. This is what people smell when they smell you; except for the relatively few who stick their heads into your armpits.
It is dark and it smells nice and it's warm here under the suits. No wonder the cats are always back here. You can close your eyes and doze a little while everyone looks for you. Where is he? He has to put gas into the car. You would make a nice smelling, pleasant forest. What a relaxing discovery. You would like a forest like that. You could spend a lot of time there.
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: A good thing to do, try this, a good thing to do is lay on the floor. Lie there and listen to whatever. The traffic, the hum of electrical devices charging on your nightstand, your heartbeat. It's okay if it's... ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Mig TITLE: Living in the future STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 2 CONVERT BREAKS: __default__ PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 11/03/2003 08:04:01 AM ----- BODY:Did you know that there was an episode of Space:1999 called The Metamorph? Not to mention the whole "Moonbase Alpha" thing. Driving to work today, after the fog cleared, I saw a pedestrian, a woman in her late forties with a savage red dye-job and a hairdo just like the sort of fluffy page-boy do's that the women on some television science fiction show had; I think it was Space 1999, but cannot find any images online. As a boy, that sort of defined the ideal woman for me. Dressed in silver, with a haircut like that, wow.
There was an article in the editorial pages of a newspaper I read. It was about robots and how they're doing our work for us. And how we'll have all this leisure. What it didn't mention was that said leisure will be consumed in the form of unemployment, unless you happen to own a robot. When I was a kid, in the 1960s, we were told that increasing productivity would mean greater leisure, more time to educate ourselves and pursue hobbies. In fact, those of us with jobs, some of us at least, are working longer hours than before. If you don't own the means of production, improved productivity does not help you.
Other than that, the future is pretty cool.
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: Did you know that there was an episode of Space:1999 called The Metamorph? Not to mention the whole "Moonbase Alpha" thing. Driving to work today, after the fog cleared, I saw a pedestrian, a woman in her late forties with... ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Eeksy-Peeksy EMAIL: eeksypeeksy@yahoo.com IP: 192.55.37.194 URL: http://eeksypeeksy.blogspot.com/ DATE: 11/03/2003 09:00:31 AMMaybe UFO?
----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: mig EMAIL: mig@metamorphosism.com IP: 213.229.54.217 URL: DATE: 11/03/2003 09:35:16 AMYes.
Now that's what I call future.
Yes.
UFO.
That's the one.
My first tape recording on my first tape recorder (a little Aiwa reel-to-reel) was of the theme music. That whooshy music.
http://ufoseries.com/character/ellisClothesChange.jpg
Whoops. I meant this link:
http://ufoseries.com/music/begTT.mp3
I was just a little too young to really get UFO, but I was seriously all about Space:1999 when I was 12.
And it was Catherine Schell who was the real hottie on that show, with those way-cool octopus-sucker things on her face. Yow!
----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: mig EMAIL: mig@metamorphosism.com IP: 213.229.54.217 URL: DATE: 11/03/2003 15:51:30 PMDude, click Eeksy's links - what else is there to get?
----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Brian EMAIL: brian@briankaneonline.com IP: 207.190.233.48 URL: http://www.briankaneonline.com DATE: 11/04/2003 17:16:16 PMeeksy wasn't there in 1973, dude.
----- -------- AUTHOR: Mig TITLE: Poor deluded fools STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 2 CONVERT BREAKS: __default__ PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 11/04/2003 06:36:47 AM ----- BODY:Either real people are actually signing up for the Metamorphosism Challenge or someone's playing a joke on me.
Wish I would have thought of this.
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: Either real people are actually signing up for the Metamorphosism Challenge or someone's playing a joke on me. Wish I would have thought of this.... ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Jessica EMAIL: jessica@peacedividend.com IP: 66.117.128.123 URL: http://www.peacedividend.com DATE: 11/05/2003 17:28:13 PMI'm sorry I can't participate in the challenge. How about I just do my third revision, this month? And work on my agents' packet?
Wait wait: I'll do it drunk. Yeah.
All you hip travellers out there might be interested to know that a new online travel magazine, The Hip Traveller, is seeking article submissions.
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: All you hip travellers out there might be interested to know that a new online travel magazine, The Hip Traveller, is seeking article submissions.... ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: joseph EMAIL: joseph_mailander@yahoo.com IP: 209.179.200.80 URL: http://joyrideswithoutmaps.net DATE: 11/04/2003 23:35:20 PMNice of you to share, thanks. I hope they aren't as pretentious as travelintelligence.com
----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: mig EMAIL: mig@metamorphosism.com IP: 213.229.54.217 URL: DATE: 11/05/2003 07:04:46 AMI suppose that will depend on who contributes content to the site. There are an awful lot of pretentious people out there.
----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: wildsoda EMAIL: ali@wildsoda.com IP: 62.177.72.165 URL: http://www.wildsoda.com DATE: 11/05/2003 21:41:17 PM>There are an awful lot of pretentious people out there.
Qui, moi?
----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: mig EMAIL: mig@metamorphosism.com IP: 213.229.54.217 URL: DATE: 11/06/2003 07:00:31 AMI was thinking more of myself.
----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Eeksy-Peeksy EMAIL: eeksypeeksy@yahoo.com IP: 192.55.37.194 URL: http://eeksypeeksy.blogspot.com/ DATE: 11/06/2003 08:09:52 AMWe're all pretty pretentious or we wouldn't be here.
I would like a good travel guide with local tips kept up to date by recent travelers and long-time expats and so on. There are places in your town that the official guides rave about and you know are crap, or at least too overcrowded to be worth visiting except on Monday mornings or whatever. But the tips would have to include a description of the writer -- some kid's "excellent place to meet people" might be Eeksy-Peeksy's "noisy, uncomfortable, overpriced warehouse full of sweaty kids."
----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: sue EMAIL: sue@myurl.com IP: 217.123.101.95 URL: http://www.boevenbende.com/blog1/ DATE: 11/06/2003 18:30:17 PMI'm afraid I lost 'hip' somewhere along the line, a long time ago.
----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: joseph EMAIL: joseph_mailander@yahoo.com IP: 216.244.26.204 URL: http://joyrideswithoutmaps.net DATE: 11/07/2003 22:23:54 PMNo updates in three days...maybe there could be a call for articles here?
----- -------- AUTHOR: Mig TITLE: Banshee Studios STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 2 CONVERT BREAKS: __default__ PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 11/04/2003 07:44:59 AM ----- BODY: ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: Banshee Studios.... ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: unmute EMAIL: comments@unmute.com IP: 24.30.249.44 URL: http://www.unmute.com DATE: 11/04/2003 13:29:25 PMi was always favorable to the term ban sidhe, which sounds more ethnically appropriate. thanks for reminding me of that.
----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: mig EMAIL: mig@metamorphosism.com IP: 213.229.54.217 URL: DATE: 11/04/2003 13:54:10 PMi have a love-hate relationship with irish spelling.
----- -------- AUTHOR: Mig TITLE: Bloggus interruptus, or How I met my wife STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 2 CONVERT BREAKS: __default__ PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 11/04/2003 09:49:00 AM ----- BODY:I nearly posted this story in the comments here but realized at the last moment that it had nothing to do with the internet, besides the fact that I shall now tell said story on the internet, and refrained because we don't want to look like a corny old guy on someone else's weblog do we.
I was visiting a friend back in the days when nearly everything happened exclusively in real life. I was visiting a friend, in fact staying at his house for an extended period. I won't say that he left me to my own devices a great deal, but I did spend a fair amount of time watching his pet squirrel run in the wheel mounted in its cage. It was a rather small cage, and being a squirrel the animal had lots of energy, and spent a lot of time running in its wheel, and I spent a lot of time watching it - being a lazy human I had less energy, at least relatively so; or perhaps merely more indolence.
One day my squirrel-watching was interrupted by a blonde woman who, well, not "burst," and not "barged" ... who "entered the room with a certain dramatic flair" and announced to everyone there (at this point I had reached a stage where I watched the squirrel closely even when other, potential conversation-partner types were in the room) and announced, "Boy do I ever hate American men."
I sort of looked up, then went back to my squirrel-watching, thinking, "it's you and me, little buddy."
I also thought, "wonder if all Austrian women are like this." (I should interject at this point that this took place in Austria, you see, a stone's throw from where we now live. Well, a bit further. How far is a stone's throw... fifty meters would be a good toss, wouldn't it? Depending on stone and wind conditions? More like thirty stone's throws from where we now live, but by car it takes just a couple minutes, it's very near. But it was a long, roundabout story between that meeting and moving into the house where we now live.)
And that's how we met.
The squirrel's cage squeaked, faintly but constantly.
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: I nearly posted this story in the comments here but realized at the last moment that it had nothing to do with the internet, besides the fact that I shall now tell said story on the internet, and refrained because... ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: chris EMAIL: chris@nospam.com IP: 216.62.108.29 URL: http://www.javablack.com DATE: 11/04/2003 13:33:18 PMThat was beautiful, mig... (sniff). If only I could torture a squirrel like that too–
You're a lucky man.
----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Karen EMAIL: erzsebel@erzsebel.com IP: 213.235.57.51 URL: http://www.uborka.nu DATE: 11/05/2003 09:57:58 AMYeah, you would definitely have looked like a corny old guy if you'd posted that.
----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: peggy EMAIL: moveable@moveablebeast.com IP: 204.116.59.88 URL: http://www.moveablebeast.com DATE: 11/05/2003 15:00:02 PMFree the squirrels, I say.
----- -------- AUTHOR: Mig TITLE: MT question STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 2 CONVERT BREAKS: __default__ PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 11/05/2003 09:33:10 AM ----- BODY:I'm currently using Version 2.63 of MT to run this site. My question for those of you with knowledge of this sort of thing is, look, because see, this being November, I'm writing the two novels, and since I'm very used to typing into a blog interface I'm posting them to Pain Suit, right, the chapters, and the ones that I have time to rewrite a little I even publish there, despite the fact that they're just rough drafts. Anyway, I just wrote a chapter there in which a logger takes his axe one winter and chops his son's cello into tiny bits, but when I tried to save it, it vanished. So my question is, does this version of MT have a crap filter installed or something?
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: I'm currently using Version 2.63 of MT to run this site. My question for those of you with knowledge of this sort of thing is, look, because see, this being November, I'm writing the two novels, and since I'm very... ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Eeksy-Peeksy EMAIL: eeksypeeksy@yahoo.com IP: 192.55.37.194 URL: http://eeksypeeksy.blogspot.com/ DATE: 11/05/2003 10:25:12 AMI could use one of them. There wouldn't be much left to read, of course, but [CrapFilter® excision: 5,272 words] and then the cat finally went to sleep.
----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Brian EMAIL: brian@briankaneonline.com IP: 207.190.233.48 URL: http://www.briankaneonline.com DATE: 11/05/2003 15:25:51 PMThere would be such a gaping hole in the blogosphere as to create a perfect vacuum. Perish the thought.
----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: zizka EMAIL: zizka@johnjemerson.com IP: 69.30.8.201 URL: http://johnjemerson.com DATE: 11/05/2003 15:48:25 PMGo into "Tools" and activate "Mr. Paperclip Man". Then type in "What was wrong with Chapter III?". He's tell you. The same way that he gives you pointless or erroneous grammatical advice. The same way that if you write "Austria" he might ask if you meant "Australia". The same way he might suggest that you correct the spelling of your own name, if you're lucky.
----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: mig EMAIL: mig@metamorphosism.com IP: 213.229.54.217 URL: DATE: 11/05/2003 15:59:10 PMGood idea.
"1000 words, just like that, Your Honor, honestly. More like 1,250 in fact. Just, *poof*!"
Are you using the "tiny helicopters" patch?
----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: mig EMAIL: mig@metamorphosism.com IP: 195.170.73.144 URL: DATE: 11/05/2003 18:12:26 PMI don't know about the internet in general, Brian, but it would sure save me a lot of server space.
Jessica, doesn't the "tiny helicopter" patch require a key?
----- -------- AUTHOR: Mig TITLE: Green River suspectThe Internet has its limits. I was doing a search to find out whether the person who has apparently confessed to 48 murders in the Green River Killer case is a Republican, but found nothing. Obviously a big cover-up.
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: The Internet has its limits. I was doing a search to find out whether the person who has apparently confessed to 48 murders in the Green River Killer case is a Republican, but found nothing. Obviously a big cover-up. Ted... ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Eeksy-Peeksy EMAIL: eeksypeeksy@yahoo.com IP: 192.55.37.194 URL: http://eeksypeeksy.blogspot.com DATE: 11/06/2003 11:36:37 AMThis article:
http://www.kingcountyjournal.com/sited/story/html/75999
seems thorough but mentions nothing about politics. He was, according to his wife, a "fanatical" Baptist for a time. He has a strong sexual appetite and likes his sex outdoors and sometimes with accessories. And so on. But no politics. Maybe he has none.
If you get his exact address (available through google), can't you check public voting records?
----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: zizka EMAIL: zizka@johnjemerson.com IP: 69.30.9.67 URL: DATE: 11/06/2003 15:19:14 PMHe was a policeman wannabe in his youth. And does seem like the stereotypical angry white working-class guy. And definitely seems strongly opposed to prostitutes.
----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Anita Rowland EMAIL: anita@anitarowland.com IP: 207.202.198.171 URL: http://www.anitarowland.com/ DATE: 11/06/2003 15:44:11 PMHe was actually arrested two years ago; what happened yesterday was him pleading guilty as part of a plea agreement.
I don't know why news reports called yesterday's happenings "stunning" but it was interesting. The only actual news content was some details about how he actually killed his victims and that he visited some of the bodies after he dumped them for necrophiliac purposes.
With your Pacific Northwest connections you probably know how huge this story has been here for the last twenty years.
----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: mig EMAIL: mig@metamorphosism.com IP: 213.229.54.217 URL: DATE: 11/06/2003 15:53:31 PMSee, that's the problem with hearsay. When I wrote that post, I had only heard someone (wife and daughter) mention that they'd heard on the radio about some guy, who'd been a suspect for 2 years, being nailed for serial killings in Washington state. I hope no one is using what I write as a primary news source.
[Wait a minute, where did I say *arrested*? I said "confessed"]
I had a nice talk with my daughter on the way to the train station this morning about serial killers, and how to find the facts about them (consult one of the countless fan sites on the Internet. "Fan sites?").
And yes, hearing about this does bring back unfond memories of, yeah, my college years in Seattle.
----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: gwen EMAIL: gwen@ofrenda.org IP: 66.159.226.23 URL: http://www.ofrenda.org/rawr DATE: 11/06/2003 16:44:35 PMi swear i saw this guy on one of those 'news' shows being interviewed years ago about it...
----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: peggy EMAIL: moveable@moveablebeast.com IP: 204.116.150.97 URL: http://www.moveablebeast.com DATE: 11/07/2003 01:57:28 AMApparently he gave some saliva to the cops way back when, when he was indeed interviewed as a suspect, but before DNA testing was viable. They nailed him on the saliva, years later.
And, as usual, neighbors said, 'he seemed like just a regular guy.'
Not like the Monty Python skit in which they say "No, it doesn't surprise me a bit! I always thought he'd do something like this. The main reason I though that was the way he was always talking about killing women and dumping them in vacant lots."
----- -------- AUTHOR: Mig TITLE: Strata STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 2 CONVERT BREAKS: __default__ PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 11/06/2003 11:39:35 AM ----- BODY:Using one of my old toothbrushes and a tool I'd made out of a bicycle spoke, I carefully removed the folder from the stratum labeled "office cupboard". It contained short stories and poems dated "1993". They had been printed on a machine that called itself a text processor and printed using this cartridge that looked like a cassette tape only smaller, which held a plastic band from which the pigment was transferred to the paper using a technology we no longer understand. "Pressure," perhaps, or "heat," or both. There were several copies of each story and each poem, indicating that the author had intended to send them out to potential publishers; the fact that they were still in the folder indicated that
[via Joeri]
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: [via Joeri]... ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Brian EMAIL: brian@briankaneonline.com IP: 207.190.233.48 URL: http://www.briankaneonline.com DATE: 11/06/2003 16:25:53 PMThat explains a lot, actually.
----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Linkmeister EMAIL: stimb@verizon.net IP: 4.72.12.128 URL: http://linkmeister.com/blog/ DATE: 11/08/2003 07:29:58 AMSo, in the interest of science, did you try the URL on the sign?
----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: wildsoda EMAIL: ali@wildsoda.com IP: 62.177.72.208 URL: http://www.wildsoda.com DATE: 11/08/2003 16:43:31 PMIs that a quote from something? It sounds sort of familiar.
----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: mig EMAIL: mig@metamorphosism.com IP: 195.170.73.167 URL: DATE: 11/08/2003 17:00:18 PMLinkmeister, I didn't even notice that URL until you mentioned it. I just tried it. Someone you know?
Wildsoda, that phrase is a quote from something D (www.acerbia.com) said to me once. He is one of the most astute people I know and often says quotable things. Could be he stole it from somewhere, but a google search only turns up metamorphosism.com-related things.
----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Linkmeister EMAIL: stimb@verizon.net IP: 67.30.174.184 URL: http://linkmeister.com/blog/ DATE: 11/08/2003 17:51:47 PMNope. I wondered if he (presumably a he, yeah?) was in the business of providing pithy phrases to churches, that's all. One would think the Bible would provide enough of those.
And I have to admit I hadn't made the connection to your tagline until just now, eight or nine hours after the earlier comment.
----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: D EMAIL: dave@acerbia.com IP: 160.79.240.162 URL: http://www.acerbia.com DATE: 11/11/2003 12:46:15 PMFeh.
----- -------- AUTHOR: Mig TITLE: A brief history of typewriters STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 2 CONVERT BREAKS: __default__ PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 11/07/2003 09:55:20 AM ----- BODY:
Nietzsche's mother and sister once gave him one for Christmas. He hated it.
Must keep typing. Must not stop.
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: Nietzsche's mother and sister once gave him one for Christmas. He hated it. Must keep typing. Must not stop.... ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Mig TITLE: Multitasking STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 2 CONVERT BREAKS: __default__ PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 11/08/2003 17:03:55 PM ----- BODY:Here in the future, we do many things at the same time. Just now, I was relaxing on the sofa, reading Chuck Palahniuk's "Diary - a novel", digesting my lunch and serving as the east wall of a burrow a 6-year-old girl had built out of sofa cushions, pillows and her father.
She called it a tunnel, but it was a burrow.
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: Here in the future, we do many things at the same time. Just now, I was relaxing on the sofa, reading Chuck Palahniuk's "Diary - a novel", digesting my lunch and serving as the east wall of a burrow a... ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Jessica EMAIL: jessica@peacedividend.com IP: 66.117.128.123 URL: http://www.peacedividend.com DATE: 11/08/2003 19:09:41 PMYou forgot to mention: typing on your heimkomputer. (Shh...)
----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Jessica EMAIL: jessica@peacedividend.com IP: 66.117.128.123 URL: http://www.peacedividend.com DATE: 11/08/2003 19:10:57 PMFeh. I keep forgetting.
heimkomputer: http://www.gulliksrud.com/kraftwerk/audio/heimkomputer.mp3
Shh: http://people.zeelandnet.nl/sandblast/links.htm
----- -------- AUTHOR: Mig TITLE: Typing on my heimcomputer STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 2 CONVERT BREAKS: __default__ PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 11/10/2003 09:32:28 AM ----- BODY:The plan was to type on the PC until the lunar eclipse in one big burst of creativity and inspiration. But after the usual two hours the monitor started going blink. Blink. Blink-blink-blink. Shutting itself off and turning itself back on at a rapidly accelerating rate. I had to turn it off, the monitor, and let it cool for 15 minutes in order for it to remain 'on' long enough for me to shut off the computer. The sky was crystal clear, the moon large and full and yellow, just waiting for that shadow to crawl across its face. I was tired, I went to bed. No way was I going to wait up until 1.30 or 3 or whatever for some eclipse.
This morning she was all, "two novels huh?"
"Yes."
"About what?"
"Um..."
"Yes?"
"A guy who gets a job torturing people because he doesn't feel sorry for them, and a guy who gets eaten by a tiger."
"I see."
"Warm up your coffee?"
"No, thanks. Why can't you write about something nice?"
"A pain suit's not nice? Tigers are nice."
"How much did you write this weekend?"
"One thousand words. Then the monitor started the blink-blink thing. My goal is 4,000 a day."
"So when you going to write that?"
"Good question."
That's ok; I've spent the last 10 days revising my first 3 chapters of last year's 50K=> 111K behemouth. I only meant to re-outline the thing, to make sure everyone shows up punctually and does what they need to do in the thing, but then there were subplots, and backstories to almost hint at, and talking seagulls and morticians and broken laws of physics and frickin' tiny helicopters. Hm. Must be something in the air.
----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Jessica EMAIL: jessica@peacedividend.com IP: 66.117.128.123 URL: http://www.peacedividend.com DATE: 11/11/2003 07:29:20 AMor, you know, in the thing.
----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: mig EMAIL: mig@metamorphosism.com IP: 213.229.54.217 URL: DATE: 11/11/2003 08:00:27 AMMmm. Talking seagulls.
----- -------- AUTHOR: Mig TITLE: Call for articles STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 2 CONVERT BREAKS: __default__ PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 11/10/2003 09:36:21 AM ----- BODY:Raising Hell is looking for funny stories about kids. If you can write intelligent, funny, well-punctuated and brief stories about parenthood etc and don't insist on being paid money, please consider sending your stories, in the body of an email message to Editor X at editor [at] rhzine.com. Thanks.
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: Raising Hell is looking for funny stories about kids. If you can write intelligent, funny, well-punctuated and brief stories about parenthood etc and don't insist on being paid money, please consider sending your stories, in the body of an email... ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: chris EMAIL: chris@nospam.com IP: 216.62.108.26 URL: http://www.javablack.com DATE: 11/10/2003 19:06:52 PMDoes this include uppity nephews?
----- -------- AUTHOR: Mig TITLE: Parenting tip STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 2 CONVERT BREAKS: __default__ PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 11/11/2003 11:53:02 AM ----- BODY:Skimming through the CI* T*rture M*nual at lunch today, it occurred to me that if one were to substitute the words "parent" for "interrogator" and "offspring" or "child" for "resistant source who is a staff or agent member of an Orbit intelligence or security service or of a clandestine Communist organization", this might do pretty good as a parenting how-to book.
I'll keep you posted.
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: Skimming through the CI* T*rture M*nual at lunch today, it occurred to me that if one were to substitute the words "parent" for "interrogator" and "offspring" or "child" for "resistant source who is a staff or agent member of an... ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Mig TITLE: Traffic tips STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 2 CONVERT BREAKS: __default__ PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 11/13/2003 10:15:58 AM ----- BODY:Tip #1: When stuck in the mother of all traffic jams with a teenaged girl, parked there on the freeway with nothing to read, why not while away the time by playing Twenty or More Questions?
[Round Two]
Q1: Are you a butt hair?
A: That's no fair. I get to go again.
Q1: Okay. Are you a traffic sign?
A: No.
[five minutes later]
Q12: You're on a computer? You're a computer part? Forget it. How'm I supposed to know anything about computer parts, if you're not a mouse or a monitor? Forget it, I quit.
A: C'mon.
Q13: Tell me what you are, and I'll tell you what I was going to be next time.
A: The "L" key on a computer keyboard.
Q14: The dead DNA in a serving of mashed potatoes.
Permit me to choke to death quietly and happily over here in the corner from laughing so much.
----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: ratty EMAIL: ratty@surreally.net IP: 4.62.44.94 URL: http://ratty.surreally.net DATE: 11/23/2003 08:26:23 AMahahahahaha! what D said :) my teenager has been known to CHANGE what she is in the middle of the game..., geeez.
----- -------- AUTHOR: Mig TITLE: Chuck on art. Or life. STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 2 CONVERT BREAKS: __default__ PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 11/13/2003 16:04:03 PM ----- BODY:Everything we do is a self portrait.
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: Everything we do is a self portrait.... ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: wildsoda EMAIL: ali@wildsoda.com IP: 62.24.73.119 URL: http://www.wildsoda.com DATE: 11/13/2003 23:23:47 PMBut what do you do when your mirror's warped?
----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: mig EMAIL: mig@metamorphosism.com IP: 213.229.54.217 URL: DATE: 11/14/2003 09:23:46 AMIf you're also warped it evens out.
----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: mig EMAIL: mig@metamorphosism.com IP: 213.229.54.217 URL: DATE: 11/14/2003 09:28:01 AMI was going to post something else here about Chuck's new book "Diary" and how much I liked it and what he says about art, but I don't want to spoil it for anyone else. (Sorry, D.)
So instead I'll say that not only writing is about self-portraits. So is reading. Some Italian, Eco or Calvino, said a novel was a machine that generated interpretations. You can read a novel and get something out of it entirely different than what the author intended.
Diary struck me, in parts, as spiritual or at least quite deep, yet one of the jacket blurbs calls Mr. Palahniuk a "nihilist". Go figure. Another calls him "our generation's DeLillo" which, eh, could be. DeLillo ain't bad neither.
----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Jessica EMAIL: jessica@peacedividend.com IP: 66.117.128.123 URL: http://www.peacedividend.com DATE: 11/14/2003 14:52:55 PMNow I have to go buy a copy, dammit.
It's been 2 years since I've gotten a paycheck, and I've adapted pretty well except I still buy a ton of books. It's one of the consequences of living in a community of intellectual elitists: nothing I want is ever on the shelf at the library.
I know just how you feel. I've been scouring the Internet for funny blooper mpegs for the past half hour and haven't found a damned thing yet.
----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: mig EMAIL: mig@metamorphosism.com IP: 213.229.54.217 URL: DATE: 11/14/2003 15:15:01 PM"Rodeo bloopers"???
----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: fundelupa EMAIL: fundelupa@aol.com IP: 208.184.99.12 URL: http://fundelupa.blog-city.com/ DATE: 11/15/2003 06:41:50 AMJessica:'nothing I want is ever on the shelf at the library.'
I was just looking for L'Âme enchantée by Romain Rolland, my local (the whole county) library has 0 copy of the 7 volume.
Few week ago I wanted a copy of Robert Walser's ... Jacob von Gunten, again no copy at all.
Now I do a lot of 'interlibrary loan request', I do the search and than just drop the form @ my local library.
Few weeks I have to wait usually.
Like I wanted to read Thomas Bernhard, same story,
no copies at all, but the local university had it,
so I got my hands on them pretty fast.
Just started reading it this morning. Love the dedication, you're such a loon sometimes.
----- -------- AUTHOR: Mig TITLE: Favorite places STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 2 CONVERT BREAKS: __default__ PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 11/14/2003 10:35:17 AM ----- BODY:The Virgil Chapel in Vienna is one of my favorite places. I have more though.
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: The Virgil Chapel in Vienna is one of my favorite places. I have more though.... ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Eeksy-Peeksy EMAIL: eeksypeeksy@yahoo.com IP: 192.55.37.194 URL: http://eeksypeeksy.blogspot.com DATE: 11/14/2003 14:52:32 PMNow, see, you could write a travel guide I would trust. (And enjoy, just to read.)
----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: mig EMAIL: mig@metamorphosism.com IP: 213.229.54.217 URL: DATE: 11/14/2003 15:08:32 PMI'll get right on it as soon as I finish these two novels for noininoini or whatever it's called.
"Places Mig Feels Comfortable in Vienna"
"The Jewish Cemetery at the Zentralfriedhof is pretty nice, but it was creepier and more picturesque before they restored it. I like this restaurant a lot because the waiter is so haughty and rude. This coffeehouse was more fun before they repaired the slits in the upholstery, but at least the waiter knows in advance what I'll order..."
----- -------- AUTHOR: Mig TITLE: Halfway there STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 2 CONVERT BREAKS: __default__ PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 11/15/2003 21:16:22 PM ----- BODY: ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: Only 50k to go.... ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Tina EMAIL: funkyjazzjjj@hotmail.com IP: 210.50.202.184 URL: http://temuet.blogspot.com DATE: 11/16/2003 00:47:04 AMIs it all up on Pain Suit or is there more? Please sir...I want some more.
----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: mig EMAIL: mig@metamorphosism.com IP: 195.170.73.184 URL: DATE: 11/16/2003 12:37:20 PMThanks. I decided not to post anymore first drafts to Pain Suit. I'll post more next month (at the latest) after I finish and have a chance to go over it.
----- -------- AUTHOR: Mig TITLE: Upping the ante STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 2 CONVERT BREAKS: __default__ PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 11/17/2003 09:29:46 AM ----- BODY:The monitor started doing the Blink-blink. Blink. Blinkblinkblink-thing again so he switched it off and took a break. Things were going smoothly. Too smoothly - it was making him nervous. He decided to up the ante. Brushing red cat hairs from his black sweater and black jeans, he walked downstairs.
"Honey, I..."
"You're not scattering red cat hairs throughout the house, are you?"
"No, I..."
"Because I had the cleaning lady here today."
"No, I just wanted..."
"You know they're delivering the new harp in a few minutes. And you remember how clean their house was when we were there."
"Yes, yes. No problem. I just wanted to suggest we go on that diet again."
"What, the one that made us both dizzy and forgetful?"
"Yes, I even had cheekbones there for a few days, before the pendulum swang back."
So we're doing some movie star diet this week, is what it boils down to. Only two and a half days and I'm already cranky and crazy. On the plus side, I'll feel better about myself when we go to the spa next weekend and frolic in the luxurious healing waters and pig out at the buffet.
On the really, really big plus side, Beta now has a beautiful new concert harp. Woet.
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: The monitor started doing the Blink-blink. Blink. Blinkblinkblink-thing again so he switched it off and took a break. Things were going smoothly. Too smoothly - it was making him nervous. He decided to up the ante. Brushing red cat hairs... ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Mig TITLE: Proof deer are stupid STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 2 CONVERT BREAKS: __default__ PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 11/19/2003 08:59:58 AM ----- BODY:There they are again, in that timeless space they inhabit, grazing in the field as if they owned the place. As if they were the alpha predators and not the hunter who built the blind beneath which they stand.
But we can't write about deer can we. Must not write about deer, my precious. Mustn't drive away our readers with stories about cats, dieting, cello frustration or wacky kids.
Or, wait, you don't actually come here to read about that do you? I mean, I could probably write about something else for a change. Like, I was at a men's clothing shop once in downtown Vienna and saw some famous guy shopping there. No idea who he was, but he had that rich and successful aura they have, and some babe half his age with a huge rack and a silk blouse open down to her navel was helping him pick out ties. I looked at them, they looked at me. No idea what they saw but I felt like a piece of cheese at a fondue contest.
You know, essential to the success of the over all scheme, but still just a small piece of cheese.
Do any of you have any idea what a marvelous feeling of triumph and satisfaction it is to finally crack the Jacques Offenbach cello duet you've been working on for weeks and weeks and just feel that music flow out of those F-holes? If you do, send me a mail because I sure as hell don't, although I sense I'm getting closer. I'm sure it's a grand feeling.
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: There they are again, in that timeless space they inhabit, grazing in the field as if they owned the place. As if they were the alpha predators and not the hunter who built the blind beneath which they stand. But... ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: unmute EMAIL: comments@unmute.com IP: 216.141.135.40 URL: http://www.unmute.com DATE: 11/19/2003 16:26:19 PMi personally don't have any f-holes, but i can tell you i would be pretty freaked out if i heard music coming out of one.
----- -------- AUTHOR: Mig TITLE: What a cello looks like when you're six STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 2 CONVERT BREAKS: __default__ PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 11/19/2003 20:38:51 PM ----- BODY:
Upon first glance, I thought it was Mr. Peanut :)
----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Freya EMAIL: Freya_Scott@yahoo.com IP: 212.194.63.104 URL: DATE: 11/20/2003 07:52:56 AMPretty good - but the picture's entitled "papa"!
Could there be a message in there somewhere?
"Pretty good"? Man, she nailed that perspective! Imagine you're six and sitting on the floor in front of a cello. And the detail: fingerboard, bridge, tuning pegs, spike...
Message, hm. I found it sweet. Soon: pictures of my cats.
----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Freya EMAIL: Feya_Scott@yahoo.com IP: 212.194.63.104 URL: DATE: 11/20/2003 09:54:45 AM
Don't be so touchy! "Pretty Good" is British English for excellent. Understatement?
looks like one mean, angry cello, dude!
----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: mig EMAIL: mig@metamorphosism.com IP: 213.229.54.217 URL: DATE: 11/20/2003 13:35:09 PMYes, it's a cello with attitude. You don't want to turn your back on it.
----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: ratty EMAIL: ratty@surreally.net IP: 4.62.44.94 URL: http://ratty.surreally.net DATE: 11/20/2003 18:52:57 PMbeautiful :)
----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: April EMAIL: hexkitten@hellokitty.com IP: 24.84.168.162 URL: http://www.hexkitten.com DATE: 11/21/2003 06:14:39 AMThat's pretty good. I like the little detail at the bottom.
----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: mig EMAIL: mig@metamorphosism.com IP: 213.229.54.217 URL: DATE: 11/21/2003 06:47:20 AMMe too. She totally got the spike perfect.
----- -------- AUTHOR: Mig TITLE: Getting there STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 2 CONVERT BREAKS: __default__ PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 11/20/2003 08:46:06 AM ----- BODY:No time, must run to a conference or something.
32K to go. May make it, if the diet doesn't kill me first.
As Beta said, "are you sure it's a good idea for both of you to go on the diet and both get cranky at the same time?"
As Beta's friend said, "didn't they swear they'd never do that diet again?"
But seriously, this is the absolutely last time. Supermodels can afford to do this, they don't need brains, they have personal assistants to think for them.
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: No time, must run to a conference or something. 32K to go. May make it, if the diet doesn't kill me first. As Beta said, "are you sure it's a good idea for both of you to go on the... ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Mig TITLE: Of course STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 2 CONVERT BREAKS: __default__ PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 11/20/2003 16:09:24 PM ----- BODY:The cello-Led Zeppelin connection.
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: The cello-Led Zeppelin connection.... ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Mig TITLE: Slacker ants STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 2 CONVERT BREAKS: __default__ PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 11/21/2003 06:57:21 AM ----- BODY:What will they find next? Goldbricking beavers, just playing in the mud. "Stop swimming on your back like that, you look like an otter! All you need is an abalone!" the other beavers will say. Or, in the beehive, "Hive-Unit 10043303 you have failed to meet your projected nectar quota three weeks in a row!"
Scientists have discovered the slacker ant. I quote, in full, an article found in the Sunday 16 November 2003 issue of the Japan Times (without permission, I apologize in advance to the Kyodo news service and will of course remove the article if they so desire, just let me know guys):
----- EXTENDED BODY:The discovery is the result of observations of three separate 30-strong colonies of black Japanese ants (Myrmecina nipponica) according to Eisuke Hasegawa, an assistant researcher in evolutionary biology at Hokkaido University's graduate school of agriculture, and his research team.
The team transferred three colonies of ants to a man-made nest and marked them for observation. Hasegawa and his team said they observed the ants three hours a day for about five months from May last year.
Hasegawa said they discovered that about 80 percent of the ants engage in some sort of work, such as cleaning the nest or gathering food, but that the rest are mostly idle.
The situation remained the same when the researchers removed six busy ants from one colony; the busy ants that remained had to work even harder while the lazy ants continued to do little or no work.
Scientists have suggested that some ants may avoid working due to old age or inherent laziness. Hasegawa said the idle ants could be contributing something to the colony that they have not yet determined.
I see Noise-to-Signal beat me to it: #http://www.noise-to-signal.com/archives/000377.html
Meanwhile, Prof. Eisuke Hasegawa is my kind of guy. He's also done research on the mating frequency of hornets (here: http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/links/doi/10.1046/j.1343-8786.2003.00018.x/abs/ )and Sympatric Speciation and Evolution of Social Parasitism (see here: http://neco.biology.kyushu-u.ac.jp/~qshinka/program-e/2D1.html ). Prof. Hasegawa, if you read this, send me a mail, I'm your biggest fan.
----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Eeksy-Peeksy EMAIL: eeksyCUTTHISSILLYPARTpeeksy@yahoo.com IP: 192.55.37.194 URL: http://eeksypeeksy.blogspot.com/ DATE: 11/21/2003 08:42:17 AMIf they're old, if they're retired, it's an admirable thing for ants to do, taking care of the aged.
But maybe they're soldiers. I wonder if the scientist tried starting a fight with two colonies to see how the lazy ants reacted?
Or, maybe they're some sort of outcasts, untouchables, living ghosts, ants that all other ants must pretend do not exist.
Maybe the idle ants together own the colony, maybe even own the busy ants.
Maybe there's an unemployment problem in the ant world, and these ants would work if there was enough work to be worth going off unemployment.
Maybe there's a strike. Scientists should check back in a few weeks.
Or, you know, maybe they're poets, singers, actors, all the things we might have a hard time identifying from our perspective. But to an ant, they're acting ('Charley's Ant'?), they're reciting things like 'one more leaf ten times my size, and all for a look from my true one's eyes', they walk with a certain fascinating rolling motion between the thorax and the abdomen.
----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: mig EMAIL: mig@metamorphosism.com IP: 213.229.54.217 URL: DATE: 11/21/2003 09:25:23 AMI was thinking night shift.
----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: mig EMAIL: mig@metamorphosism.com IP: 195.170.73.150 URL: DATE: 11/23/2003 16:17:47 PMOr, you know, "Hey, sailor, you gonna carry those leaves all day?"
----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: mig EMAIL: mig@metamorphosism.com IP: 195.170.73.150 URL: DATE: 11/23/2003 16:18:48 PMBadumchish.
----- -------- AUTHOR: Mig TITLE: Bare naked and steaming STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 2 CONVERT BREAKS: __default__ PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 11/24/2003 07:15:35 AM ----- BODY:
Looks as though I might punk out on the Metamorphosism Challenge. Only 70K words so far and another busy week coming up at work, not sure if I'll manage 30,000 words in 7 days. Or is it 6? How many days does November have anyway? What day is today? In fact, I still haven't "won" nanimomo fair and square, since I haven't surpassed 50K on a single "novel". Right now stuck around 40K on one and 30k or so on the other. So I suppose I'll try to finish the longer one first and then get going on the other one...
Took the weekend off completely and went here, didn't get anything written on the novels but, as I had hoped, the R&R provided a couple important new ideas and inspirations and trying to explain the stories to my wife exposed a couple weaknesses to be corrected.
Mostly, though, it was great fun.
I mean. Standing naked in a field at night, next to a big boulder on a hill, looking up at the stars, one's body steaming because you've just exited a very hot sauna; standing there in the freezing cold next to a naked lady also steaming. With a couple other naked steaming people dotting the landscape here and there.
And all that other spa stuff.
And eating at the breakfast buffet. A gigantic fry up, plate stacked high with eggs, sausages and ham tastes twice as good when you've just come off a movie star diet, triply good when everyone else in the restaurant seems to be eating muesli, fruit and or yogurt. Mmm.
And they had a decent single malt selection at the bar. And a live Latino band, guys from Uruguay, Chile and Peru maybe, playing guitar, bass and the gigantic bongos and hitting on blondes in their breaks.
Swell.
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: Looks as though I might punk out on the Metamorphosism Challenge. Only 70K words so far and another busy week coming up at work, not sure if I'll manage 30,000 words in 7 days. Or is it 6? How... ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Mig TITLE: Picking up women at the supermarket STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 2 CONVERT BREAKS: __default__ PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 11/25/2003 09:29:28 AM ----- BODY:Seriously, one was looking me over this morning.
Giving me the eye.
About 35 or so, pretty.
Wearing baggy sweatpants, though. Yuck.
I was the only man in the store, the only one under retirement age. It's a different world when you have the day off from work and see things at hours you normally don't. Supermarkets full of retirees and housewives instead of harried, hurrying commuters. Roads empty but for tractors. Kids all lined up in rows, packed into their schools.
Thousand jobs waiting for you at home.
Blogging secretly while wife runs to store for shiny christmas baubles...
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: Seriously, one was looking me over this morning. Giving me the eye. About 35 or so, pretty. Wearing baggy sweatpants, though. Yuck. I was the only man in the store, the only one under retirement age. It's a different world... ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Mig TITLE: Moving the harp STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 2 CONVERT BREAKS: __default__ PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 11/25/2003 16:10:23 PM ----- BODY:Pick up kid at train station in 45 minutes. Rush her to music school. Move concert harp down stairs, into Dobló, over to church for a concert. Back to music school afterwards. She's accompanying some recorders. A recorder concert. Last year I accompanied them on the cello. We're in the recorder accompanying business here. I don't mind them, although I think tin whistles get the same job done and are cooler. She seems to have a certain disdain for them, however. I suppose a harpist looks down on most instruments. You should hear her talk about the accordion.
Novel just took a 180 today. Big epiphany, plot-wise. Like, "no, she doesn't shoot him after all. And she doesn't go into the joint."
OTOH, just made it past 50k words on that one, so can concentrate on the other one. I love them both.
The rewrite, though. Boy.
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: Pick up kid at train station in 45 minutes. Rush her to music school. Move concert harp down stairs, into Dobló, over to church for a concert. Back to music school afterwards. She's accompanying some recorders. A recorder concert. Last... ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Eeksy-Peeksy EMAIL: eeksypeeksy@yahoo.com IP: 192.55.37.194 URL: http://eeksypeeksy.blogspot.com DATE: 11/25/2003 16:43:35 PMIf they play harps in heaven, what do they play in hell? Untuned bagpipes? Untuned bagpipes with alpenhorn pipes?
----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: mig EMAIL: mig@metamorphosism.com IP: 195.170.73.151 URL: DATE: 11/25/2003 20:44:43 PMI suppose that's culturally determined. Here in Austria, most people would guess accordeon. Accordion? Accordion. But only because most of them haven't been around bagpipes. Although, pipes can be quite nice. Seriously.
----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Eeksy-Peeksy EMAIL: eeksypeeksy@yahoo.com IP: 192.55.37.194 URL: http://eeksypeeksy.blogspot.com DATE: 11/26/2003 08:42:52 AMI was just making the standard stupid joke about the pipes. I like them. Parents from Scotland, etc. A piper played at my father's funeral.
In my hell, the devil would be Scratch himself and the demons all turntablists. Though I'm told I was born during a Mitch Miller broadcast. Maybe they should all be scratching "Sing Along With Mitch" records.
----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: mig EMAIL: mig@metamorphosism.com IP: 195.170.73.184 URL: DATE: 11/26/2003 08:55:06 AMPipes can be awful, no doubt about it. Like any instrument. I'm partial to the uilleann pipes. I was just thinking, you could probably ask someone from China and they might say, "in hell, Chinese opera singers sing nonstop". I suppose they might have some wild reed instruments there too. Et cetera.
I suppose in my hell, Austrian pop radio plays. Or I have to learn a new cello tune daily.
----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: BAUKE EMAIL: bauke@schildt.nl.invalid IP: 212.113.164.98 URL: DATE: 11/26/2003 22:57:50 PMyou know where to send the drafts, don't you?
----- -------- AUTHOR: Mig TITLE: Harp moving tip STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 2 CONVERT BREAKS: __default__ PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 11/26/2003 10:16:50 AM ----- BODY:Watch the speed bumps.
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: Watch the speed bumps.... ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Mig TITLE: We thank Thee, Lord, for this strudel. STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 2 CONVERT BREAKS: __default__ PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 11/26/2003 12:50:06 PM ----- BODY:Happy 'Id al-Fitr to those of you celebrating that.
Likewise, happy Thanksgiving to those of you celebrating Thanksgiving tomorrow. For the first time in recent years, we are skipping it this year. A stray dog broke into the turkey pen at the farm where we buy turkeys, and as a result they were 40 or so turkeys short this year.
To be honest, it's a big relief to just eat ramen or schnitzel or something.
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: Happy 'Id al-Fitr to those of you celebrating that. Likewise, happy Thanksgiving to those of you celebrating Thanksgiving tomorrow. For the first time in recent years, we are skipping it this year. A stray dog broke into the turkey pen... ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Mig TITLE: Unjustified STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 2 CONVERT BREAKS: __default__ PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 11/27/2003 09:30:22 AM ----- BODY:We had the friskiest dawn this morning. Out moving the cars before work, shifting wife's car out to the street, backing mine out of the driveway, reparking hers, it was impossible to ignore the frisky pink light, the bubble of unearned springtime in the warm air. November here is grey and cold, wet and foggy, black, brown and the muted green of stuffy felt and decay. Yet here were pastels arcing from horizon to horizon and flocks of winter crows swooping like swallows while it lasts. Tomorrow, cold again. The way it should be.
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: We had the friskiest dawn this morning. Out moving the cars before work, shifting wife's car out to the street, backing mine out of the driveway, reparking hers, it was impossible to ignore the frisky pink light, the bubble of... ----- KEYWORDS: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Mig TITLE: Story problem STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 2 CONVERT BREAKS: __default__ PRIMARY CATEGORY: CATEGORY: DATE: 11/28/2003 07:56:03 AM ----- BODY:Q: You have one fourteen-year-old harpist, pretty, for extra bonus points pretty in the way the pretty ones in your family are, pretty like your cousin who defined beauty for you, and she plays beautifully, you were so moved, everyone in the church was, the way she led two violins and a cello through Morfar Frenhines and The Burning of the Piper's Hut. When did she get that big, you wonder, her in a borrowed skirt and motorcycle boots up in front of the altar, when did she get so grown up? When you leave, and she climbs into the car, a medium-sized car, a Fiat Dobló say, containing four people, a harp and maybe three cubic meters of air, and she climbs in and asks, "ew, who farted?" and it turns out she has a bunch of dog shit in the sole of her motorcycle boot, how long does it take for the car to fully air out?
----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- EXCERPT: Q: You have one fourteen-year-old harpist, pretty, for extra bonus points pretty in the way the pretty ones in your family are, pretty like your cousin who defined beauty for you, and she plays beautifully, you were so moved, everyone... ----- KEYWORDS: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: ratty EMAIL: ratty@surreally.net IP: 4.62.44.94 URL: http://ratty.surreally.net DATE: 11/28/2003 09:08:59 AMhmmmm... wouldn't that depend on the length of time the poop-boot was actually IN the car and how many windows were down at the time and how fast you were driving??
no matter what ... too much time.
heh. playing the harp in motorcycle boots, too cool :)
----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: mig EMAIL: mig@metamorphosism.com IP: 213.229.54.217 URL: DATE: 11/28/2003 09:27:34 AM-Too long, too long. All the way to work, confounded by the thought that the sensation of smell results from chemical reactions between the smell-receptors in my nose and particles in the air, actual molecules of some-stranger's-dog shit in aerosol form touching me, reacting with my body. Feh.
-Yes, some harpists work counter to image. There was one with dreadlocks at a recent workshop, but motorcycle boots are cooler, sure. I've seen a harp played with a screwdriver, too.
----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: peggy EMAIL: moveable@moveablebeast.com IP: 204.116.183.36 URL: http://www.moveablebeast.com DATE: 11/28/2003 17:18:37 PMWouldn't the screwdriver make for some disturbing cacaphony? I mean, like, Ew....
----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Sarah EMAIL: sjersild@hotmail.com IP: 165.188.10.124 URL: http://www.fiendishplot.com DATE: 12/01/2003 20:13:27 PMOr do you mean played while under the influence of vodka and orange juice?
----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: mig EMAIL: mig@metamorphosism.com IP: 195.170.73.156 URL: DATE: 12/01/2003 20:19:57 PMHah.
No, it was a standard philips screwdriver. I mean, it was a 12-year-old girl. Some jazz piece.
When I play cello under the influence, it's usually gin and tonic, or fine single malt.
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