For my next trick, I'll need a volunteer...

The past few days.

2009-07-05T15:23:39Z

raoin's party was great. Lot of fun, fire, alcohol, etc. She seemed to have a really good time.

Yesterday, we went to Brandon's parents' place, and that was good. Lot's of food. Great company. Much fun had by all.

Work work work.

Writing a thing. An amazing crisistunity, that has presented itself at the temporal conjuction of my birthday ritual plans and my two possible presentations, one at Dragon*Con, the other at MAPACA... Going to get it written in the next few days, then take some time to make it actually good...

Back later.

Bourne Identity Thoughts or "Why I don't join the CIA"

2009-07-04T00:26:33Z

The skills and training offered by the military and intelligence communities are often alluring to me.

But I have serious issues with people thinking they have authority over me, that they haven't earned. I tend to violently lash out at those who harangue me. And my ideological stances don't and most likely Will Not always match up with those who would offer me training.

Now, imagine if an individual did their best to gather the skills and abilities that might be taught to one, in either the millitary or intelligence communities. Archery, hand-to-hand combat, marksmanship and firearm maintenance, use and upkeep of bladed weapons, computer encryption and decryption procedures, coding, home and business infrastructure security protocols, explosives (both improvised and standard). How would a government regard such an individual, with no oversight and none giving them orders? Most likely as a potential criminal or terrorist.

Ain't That some shit?

Party here, in a bit. Time to go be social.

Blurghgglle

2009-07-03T10:07:06Z

Slept for shit, again, and the heat is creeping back into the day, even this early. Moderately nauseated, and phlegmy.

Dreamed about a world in which genetic engineering was cheap, and easy to do, at home, in your garage. Also something about many people I knew moving to a version of Athens, GA which was really more like a Small-Town Savannah, GA, in terms of temperature and climate.

Have to go to work, now.

Gods help whomever gets in my way.

A few mental issues surrounding birthday magic.

2009-07-02T23:21:10Z

Nine Inch Nails - [The Warning]--- I'm having a party. Birthday thing. The 18th. Anyway.

I was thinking about the work I need to do, on my actual birthday. The grinding, the burning, the melting, the resolidifying, &c. It's going to be a longish process (maybe), and I'm of two minds about a few aspects of it.

Issue: Do I plan an invocation, an order, a specific incantation, or do I let it grow, naturally, the words and actions coming as they come? (Brokenkites - [The Hyperstructure]). I'm inclined toward the latter, mainly because it's a Birth, Death, Rebirth ritual, and it's designed to mirror an organic, evolutionary process. But the former option is practically appealing, as there are certain Names, Concepts, Points on which I want to make sure I touch; I don't want to forget anyone.

Potential Solution: I could prescribe the initial invocation, to be made during the building of the fire. It could be the opening salvo to a meditative period of fire-tending, preceding the actual destruction of the components and the creation of the new thing, out of them.

[Sub-Issue: I still need a way to combine melted silver, aluminium, and Random Composite Metals with desert sand, and ground semi-precious igneous and sedimentary stones, without it turning into a congealed, solidified Mass of Metal with some flecks in it; Suggestions?]

Tom Waits - [9th & Hennepin (Live)]--- ISSUE: Part of me wants to record the effort. This part has been recently influenced by watching a piece of Alan Moore's Highbury Working ("Skeletal Horse"), and it seems like a fucking brilliant plan. (Vermillion Lies - [Middleground]). Another part of me thinks this sounds like pure, utter wankery. Metaphysical masturbation of the highest order, because, really, who the fuck Cares about the process of the working I do, for myself, on my birthday? The fact that it gets Done should be enough, and they should be Doing Their Own Workings, not just watching mine. I don't think this is fleshed out enough to show it to the world, as some kind of "instructional piece," even if I was sincerely arrogant enough to think I was qualified for some shit I cobbled together as a whim due to personal numerological and symbolic significance to "instruct" anyone. Which acts a an endorsement for the Full Scripting Option, above...

Vermillion Lies - [Pet Me, Feed Me]--- SUB! ISSUE!: Certain musically inclined friends of mine (*ahem*) are supposed to be providing me with music, for my birthday, for use in or before this working. It is to this mix of music that I'd probably be doing the initial fire, invocation, getting-things-started thing. (The Dresden Dolls - [Ultima Esperanza]). The issue, here, is that I would feel that anyone who contributed something to this process (remember that? That you might have wanted to do that?) would be owed a record of the way in which their contribution was used. Hence: Recording. On the other hand? SO. MUCH. WANKERY.

ISH #3, True Believer!: I... feel weird inviting anyone to this, but I also feel like it deeply and personally involves everyone I've ever met. The fact that this will be happening at 4.44am, on a Wednesday, would inevitably narrow the field of potential spectators (obviously), but it's still a... dilemma.

Hirasawa Susumu - [Escapee]--- So these are a few of the conflicting emotions and thoughts in my head, not to get to things like Starting time/Event. I mean, does Starting the Fire count? Is it when I begin speaking the Words? Depending on the answer, this could take Hours, possibly until Dawn. Which, of course, could be exactly the point. In the process of simply writing these down, I've come to a lot of conclusions, to be sure, but, for those of you who give a shit, I'd still like to hear your thoughts:

ego_likeness - [Funny Olde World]--- So. Thoughts?

Words, #3, Foods, and "Really?!"

2009-07-02T03:00:10Z

From wyldkyss:

House: To me, this has always meant the emomtional entanglementa and complexity of any place you try to call a "home." Not just some place you live, but the structures in which you have built and designed the major parts of you, the pieces that make you who you are. These parts can be built, always, and so some places will always be a House; or they can be single formative instants, which makes that house only sometimes a house.

Leaves: "...of a tree." "...of a book." "...behind." "Someone..." They rustle, they pile up, and in the right conditions they decompose and build the nutrients out of which something new can grow.

Magic: Hm. Good one. Illusions. Lies. Altering reality, by force of will, certain specific planning, and particular understandings. Actions that aren't generally understood, by most people. Different understandings of cause and effect than the purely rational and scientistic, which may or may not involve symbolic resonance as a means of manipulation and control.

Cthulhu: I deeply identified with the Great Cthulhu, when I was in high school. Herald of ultimate destruction, devourer of minds, souls, flesh. I loved it. I wanted to embody the thing that flayed, warped, destroyed, altered minds. I'm not sure that I've changed, except in degree of severity. And some days, I'm not sure in which direction.

Green: A colour I love, as I have what some might call an irrational love for Ireland. A Place and state of mind. Something I deeply associate with growing, vibrant life (good and bad) and Nature.

So, I've been cooking a lot, again, lately. Chinese-sytle fish stir-fry, Sunday night. Barbecued chicken breast with a homemade/augmented sauce, on Monday. On Monday, however, I Started marinating a bottom round roast, but didn't end up cooking it. So I cooked it, yesterday, after letting it marinate for over 24 hours in barbecue, soy, Crystal Hot, and A-1 sauces, as well as whole pepper corns, garlic, ginger, basil, rosemary garram masala and salt. Freaking. Amazing.

Tonight was glazed baked chicken legs, same basic sauce as the barbecue/marinade listed above, sub Cracked pepper and minus the ginger.

I am, in fact, a Master of augmented sauces. Just ask anyone who's ever eaten my cooking.

So. F-List. What's up with you all only posting One Thing, in the past five hours? I was looking forward to something to read, before bed.

Now I need to go to bed.

Dream Well

Extended Thoughts on HumanID and BI/OS

2009-07-01T21:41:45Z

Please remember our earlier discussion of the BI/OS and the Human Identification at a Distance programs.

Please couple this with whatever it is that you think you understand about myself, my family, and my interest in cybernetics and biotechnologies, as well as my Something Amazing About Myself, yesterday.

Let's be perfectly clear: I don't 'scrutinize gait," when I observe and identify people at a distance. What I do is observe and discern the probability of a certain type behaviour, based on past experience with the person identified, and human beings, as a whole. (David Bowie - [Leon Takes Us Outside]). I then add that probability to the list of potential things that may be about to happen to or be done by them, to or by me, to or by others in my environment, &c. (David Bowie - [Outside]). What this means is that I look at a situation, and I factor in everything i know, feel, and intuitively believe (and that's arational intuition, no matter what neurophilosophers try to tell themselves) about every thing in the field of consideration. It is a robust blend of emotive symbolism, pattern recognition, statisitcal modelling, and inductive reasoning. In short, it's what everyone does, every day, to get from point A to point B.

Now, with all of that said, it may be surmised that I would think that this should be expanded and used by DARPA's HumanID/BIOS programs to track and predict potential threatening bahviour. (David Bowie - [The Heart's Filthy Lesson])But this surmisement (surmisation? Surmise) would be wrong. I do not necessarily believe that these programs would be good things, either individually or combined, and here's why:

There is a correlation algorithm that pairs certain types of stance, posture, moviement, voltaic skin and involvutary respiratory and cardiac fluctuations with certian states of mind, and trains of thought. (David Bowie - [A Small Plot of Land]). In controlled experiments, these have been shown to be fairly decent indicators for the factors sought. The problem, however (and I think it's a major one), is that their probability algorithms aren't flexible enough, yet, to adapt to the possibility of fleeting thoughts, trouble at home, &c. In other words, they have not been expanded, enough to take into account the effects of various brief, arational, physio-chemical, emotional combinations that may all add up to a certain response in one person, but not another. On top of this, we have the danger of confirmation bias, where we may have sought specific answers for specific questions.

So: Independently, the algorithm isn't "human" enough to predict arational, symbolically-influenced behaviour patterns. In conjunction with human operators, an over-arching envorionment of fear as well as a potentially unconscious need to punish or scapegoat someone matching a specific symbolic, arational resonance could easily lead to wrongful persecutions. (David Bowie - [Segue- Baby Grace (A Horrid Cassette)]). And we won't even get into the eventual backlash against a perceived wave of such persecutions. So, until humanistic psychological Possibilities can be better correlated with the algorithmic Probabilities, we need to limit the likelihood that we will stop for extra screening, strip search, and destroy the personal belongings Of a person, because they, essentially, "Looked Suspicious."

David Bowie - [Hallo Spaceboy]--- We must remember that this-- the effort to accurately model someone's behaviour, Prior to Their Decision Making-- is territory that we still deeply misunderstand. fMRI studies point in particular directions, regarding decision making and agency, depending on the Prior Information Given To The Subject and Operators, Alike. This means that, should we inform the individual that they are going to be under observation, of a certain type, they will be A) more careful about their behaviour, B) Too careful about their behaviour, C) Generally Outraged And Nervous, and/or D) Any combination of the above, plus others I can't think of, right now.

We don't know enough about what our symbol sets mean to ourselves, and their effects on our physical states, let alone what those of other people do to them, to try and accurately predict that which is, in essence, a merely potential act.

David Bowie - [The Motel]--- You can call it, "Precrime," "thoughtcrime," "sense-offense," or whatever else you want. What it boils down to is the distinct and onerous possibility of the misapplication of tools that we misunderstand, or underestimate, unless we recognise the limits of our understanding, try to correct and allow the space of flexibility for them.

David Bowie - [I Have Not Been to Oxford Town]--- Thoughts?

Kind of upsetting

2009-07-01T14:58:09Z

Dreams were of people and things , close to me, dying, in rapid succession.

So, Pete, ego_likeness, sadistic_apollo, if you're reading this, be careful in the car, today. Or if you go near a lot of water, sometime soon.

The Vandals - [An Idea For A Movie]--- Yesterday was good. Saw jaythebarbarian for the first time in Three Damn Years. He brought Abby and two friends of theirs, so that was nice.

We went to the Vortex, last night, for trivia, and randomly encountered a coworker of mine. He and his friend joined us, and we all got first place. Good times.

The Beatles - [Blackbird]--- Last week, we were graced with a zombiebear, her Pete, and a Brandon. It was pretty awesome.

Still a little out of it. The dream sequences really kind of fucked with me...

Gorillaz - [Demon Days]--- Anyway. Good morning.

The severe lack of a schedule, these past few weeks, or, rather, the forcible resetting of my work schedule to a diurnal one has made me feel like every day is two days, and kind of like I'm getting twice as much inforamtional input, and my brain doesn't know how to compartmentalise it, yet. Working on it.

Even now, I have to Keep Reminding myself that it is Wednesday, and that I don't have work, today, but that I have to go to bed Early, so that I can go to work, tomorrow.

So, obviously, I went to bed at 3 am, and woke up at 10. Of course.

Bah.

I'm out.

Since I was asked:

2009-06-30T22:18:51Z

I can adapt my modes of thought to new skills and operations within hours, if I find them interesting.

Better if they're psychological or analytical tools, such as behavioural profiling or breaking down a situation into its constituents, to search for new and different connections.

Also, I can identify almost anyone I know and have observed in motion, at a distance of 50 yards (that's as far as I've tested), by posture and gait, alone.

Kind of creepy, no?

Why are you SO AMAZING?!

2009-06-30T18:17:04Z

So. Tell me something utterly amazing about yourself.

Something deeply wonderful that you are or can do.

Thank you.

mech_angel's Collaboration and wider exposure:

2009-06-29T22:25:34Z

So, you'll remember that kylecassidy did this thing [http://kylecassidy.livejournal.com/513410.html] with getting people together to work on collaborative projects, in the spirit of generating the kind of wonderful relationships and opportunities that he has been given.

Some of you may Not know, however, that mech_angel responded to this, and was introduced to ms_violet. But, now you Do know that, and you can see the first half of their efforts, here: http://community.livejournal.com/2xcreative/13146.html

You can also spread the link around to as many people as you possibly think would be interested. Which is, I am sure, many people.

Good day.

Energy Input to the System

2009-06-29T18:25:14Z

From mr_six: 'Repetitious thoughts can evolve into thought-forms, to the extent that sometimes some degree of survival instinct kicks in. I'm not going to argue validity of 'realness' here, but consider the methods of reinforcement depressive thought-processes 'use' to become more entrenched.

'Most of these thought-forms might be said to have the same level of awareness as say, bacteria, but some of the most vicious killers known to man are similarly tiny. If you ever want talk about 'sins', talk about those. Then go and look up the practice of sin eating. Then consider what it might point to, and just who and what might use such knowledge.'

I don't have anything to add, to this. Just think about it.

In addition: morven, our appointment is rescheduled for tomorrow, 1435-1500.

My Letter To Dave Howe:

2009-06-27T21:18:15Z

Here's my letter. Again, copy, if you want. I know it may not do much, if anything at all. But I've done what I know how to do, for now. If something else presents, then we'll see.

June 27, 2009

ATTN: David Howe, President
SciFi Channel
30 Rockefeller Plaza,
New York, NY 10112

Mr. Howe:

A few months ago, I found out that, rather than utilizing existing revenue streams to emphasize product quality over style, shore up your fan and customer bases, learn from your past mistakes, give the people what they want, and perhaps put your name and face in more and more comic book, horror, science fiction, and fantasy conventions in a sincere effort to shore up your “cred,” your parent company—NBC/Universal—and your division, in particular—SciFi Channel—have decided to “Change Your Name and 'Brand Image.' ” (http://www.syfy.com/). By which I of course mean, "You Have Decided Do Exactly the Opposite of Everything I Just Said."

Many will tie this marketing manoeuvre to what they see as your continual and near-habitual cancellation of popular shows, the moment they become "too expensive to produce" (Farscape, Galactica, Stargate, etc.), your ill-conceived and clumsily-executed Product Placement foray in the 2008 season of Eureka!, and your seeming inability to properly inter-connectively market what popular properties you do have and those you create, via the aforementioned parent corporation. To these observers, it paints a picture of a network which doesn’t actually care about the people who care about the programming that you’ve produced, over the years. To them, it's really just a matter of time before SciFi (or "SyFy," if you prefer) tanks in a maybe-not-so-massive-anymore ball of flames.

You were the only network that was actually and in fact catering to an increasingly-out-in-the-open crop of Science-Fiction/Fantasy fans—a group with disposable income, as well as distinct and definite (if varied) opinions—and you have decided that you want to turn your back on them, entirely, to try to make yourself seem "Edgier," "Cooler," more "Textable " (http://www.airlockalpha.com/news426164.html). And you decided to do this at a time when you were cutting several well-loved shows, and making newer, worse movies, by the dozen? Rather than take the (relatively cheaper) opportunity to change the discourse surrounding what “Science-Fiction” means, you have chosen to pander to an audience you’ll never fully capture. You have decided to cater to an increasing crop of people who say things like, “Well, I don’t like Science-Fiction, but I watch Lost,” or “Heroes,” or “Terminator,” or “the Spider-Man movies.” As if these things are “Cool” enough that liking them doesn’t make one a “nerd.” These are people who could have been shown that Science-Fiction can be about bigger and better things, than “nerdy” concepts. To make a reference you mayn’t get, You Chose... Poorly.

And then there’s this: '"We couldn't own SciFi; it's a genre," said Bonnie Hammer, the president of NBC Universal Cable Entertainment and Universal Cable Productions. "But we can own Syfy."'

Fans should all be deeply dismayed and not at all surprised by the fact that you have not recognized the following facts: A) most long-term lovers of science-fiction will either say "Science-Fiction" or, if they abbreviate it, at all, will do so as "SF," these days. B) "Sci-Fi" was originally coined as a mirroring echo of the then-new term "High-Fi," in an effort to make it (and here comes the irony train) sound cooler and more hip. In terms of books, it never made that much sense; it did not map, because the "Fi" in question was a completely different thing. One stood for “fidelity” the other for “fiction.” Hence: "SF." But with the advent of an entire Television Channel, the "Fi" not only mapped, again, it fully internalised the initial dichotomy of meaning. It became Clever.

Essentially, it took a meaning that it couldn't have had if the genre hadn't been given a misnomer, to begin with; a meaning that makes the changing of that channel name a Very Ill-advised Thing. The best possible thing to do, here, is use the brand recognition. Hold the existing market, and draw more attention to the fact that you are "High-Fidelity. Science-Fiction. Sci-Fi," or something like that. Is that really so onerous? Is it really that hard?

Mr Howe, I understand the drive toward making yourself a more “robust” brand, a network with a wider appeal and opportunities, but every marketer I know says that you’ve gone about this completely wrong. You are trying to shore yourself up with older, established brands, like Star Trek: The Next Generation, while clearing the way for derivative, “Aw, Schucks” style shows like Warehouse 13, rather than intelligent, complex work, more like The Lost Room. No, I don’t expect you to completely scrap your plans to rename the network; that ship has sailed. I am trying to dissuade you away from your continued pursuit of merely-potential money and hazily-defined demographics, at the expense of real money and support. In effect, I was simply hoping that I could help you to see that that would-be money and those demographics? Their fruits will be brief, at best, illusory, at worst, and that they will come at the cost of a relatively solid Existent Demographic—again, one with preferences and disposable income—if they come, at all.

In closing, I would simply inform you of what you already know: Many thought that your re-branding announcement was an April Fools’ joke. We thought that, come the second of April, you would go “Ha! Got you!” and then unveil a new, brilliant line-up of smart, action-packed, genre-breaking shows and mini-series, rather than the derivative, under-budgeted things you have shown us, thus far. If you don’t recognise your judgmental error, you're going to lose your base, your fans, your market share, and then your properties will be subsumed and redistributed, quietly, and without "much fuss," because, by that point, all of your former supporters will have ceased caring.

Starting with me.

Sincerely,
Damien Williams

So. I have a Present for you:

2009-06-27T16:06:16Z

Exactly a month ago, tomorrow, a mysterious masked stranger left me this gift, in my comments. It is the contact information associated with the soon-to-be-poorly-named SyFy Channel.

I honestly don't know if a letter writing campaign will do anything. I don't know if they'll even read them, or, if they do, if they'll give a good god Damn about them. But... I feel I should try.

There are many things about which I care, and letters I have written, on issues that matter to me, and I even voted on them, and sometimes I got my way. But I don't get a vote here. I don't get a vote, and I have a very strong opinion, on the matter. And I know many of you do, too.

I'm going to be using my post from 03.16.09 (http://wolven.livejournal.com/1628268.html) as a template. If you don't want to take the time to craft a wholly new letter, you can feel free to do the same.

And here are the places you can call and send letters:

Phone number: 212-413-5000
Fax number: 212-413-6509
Snail Mail: 30 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, NY 10112
E-Mail: feedback@who are you kidding they won't respond to this.
How about: David (Dave) Howe: 818-622-3609. That's the phone number associated with the 30 Rockefeller address, so it should be his work number.

There are more important issues, in the world, today, for sure, but you need to start somewhere.

How'd you spend your Friday Night?

2009-06-27T05:28:28Z

Nirvana - [Lake One Fire (Unplugged, Meat Puppets Cover)]--- So, tonight, I taught a really brief Magical self-defense class, listened to ~7500 songs on the TiVo, on Shuffle, and watch the TwitterBots accrue, with each successive post.

Ah, the Internet!

Now I'm going to go do some traveling, some meditating, and then go the fuck to sleep, before Sleep and Beer jump me fromm an alleyway and work me over.

The Sword - [lament For The Aurochs]--- Sheeit. Already 1.30am.

Night.

So, a rant in Twit Minor:

2009-06-26T23:28:10Z

No. I will not format this.

It goes like this:

@mactonnies Thank you for testing my Won't Power, today.

RT @mactonnies: http://tinyurl.com/n69a5y In which resist the temptation to go on a rant about science, philosophy, concept theory, & magic.

RT @mactonnies "@Wolven Go ahead -- rant. I'm listening!" Now we all know who to blame...

So, I look at the various theories & concepts humans generate & use to navigate through the world. You know this. I repeat myself, often.

The fact of the matter is-- & I don't know how many ways I have to say this-- No matter how well they allow us to manipulate our environment

... they are human-generated concepts, and they are FALLIBLE. We give Lip-service to the fact that we are all muddling through...

... we constantly hold onto our "theories" as if they're gospel truth. Anything that conflicts/seems like "fluffy" thinking is shouted down.

Science is notorious for this dichotomy, where it results in the loudest voices being the 1s who say "It works like THIS! ALWAYS LIKE THIS!"

True many scientists= individuals open to new modes of thought who understanding that No Matter our model of the universe, it is infinite...

...and we are NOT-- many others purport to operate from this position, while still vociferously defending one and only one model.

Now, I believe that we must generate a concept of the universe, seek to understand it, & and work to expand ourselves withIN it...BUT!

... I also believe that the generation & Defense of concepts is not an End Point, so much as an evolving process, constantly under revision.

Many say, "Quantum Mechanics works @ too low a level to affect the activity of neuron firing in the human brain (according to most models)."

But the key, here, is the "ACCORDING TO MOST MODELS." Most models? May be "wrong." I put that inn quotes because I need to explain that...

"Wrong," in concept formation, is not absolutely, completely w/o merit. "Wrong," is not "in Error." "Wrong," should be seen as... Limited.

When a theory is "wrong," it has hit the limit of its usefulness. It has found the thing(s) that it cannot explain. . .

That doesn't mean that it No Longer explains the things it Used to-- nor does it preclude some OTHER thing coming along to explain em Better

What it DOES mean is that one should seek another theory to fit the new evidence, and Possibly the old, as well.

What it MEANS is that we need a system of searching & a serious mentality of Openness so that we can more easily navigate new & old concepts

... So that we can find the Conceptual System by which we investigate any given situation that will allow us to understand it, use it...

...and describe its effects & affects to other people, so that they may do the same. What this MEANS, MotherFUCKERS, is that we need-- NEED!

.. to understand that we are all blindly groping in the dark toward something that consistently and meaningfully explicates our Fucking.

Brief.

Existence.

So that we can honestly seek a more robust way of doing so. And maybe only begrudging other people theirs, when they shove them on us.

Science is a robust & useful system, in its right. It allows for many amazing experiences, collectively & individually.

It helps drive "progress." But it is not absolute, infallible revealed TRUTH.

Christianity (AS A FOR INSTANCE) is a robust & useful system, in its right. It's various forms allow for many amazing experiences...

... collectively & individually. It helps drive "progress." But it is not absolute, infallible revealed TRUTH. Regardless what the Book says

And even if-- EVEN! IF!-- there were some God(ess)([e]s) out, in, up, around, beside 98asydydfa there, or Here, who Revealed Truth to humans

... Even IF there were some Mystical (YEAH I SAID IT) Unified Perfect Order To Everything, which might be found by SCIENCE!...

...do you know what would happen? We would fuck it up. We would spend our time placing the correct emPHAsis on the correct sylLAbles...

We would argue over what it really meant for Us, Personally, as the Chosen People, or a Secular Race, what EXACTLY we should be doing w/ it.

Because we have Trouble with ABSOLUTES. We make concepts and form words in a language born of a brain made of Limitation-Breaking-Firmware.

We don't GET all of anything, at once. We do it in Stages. What we need to stop fucking doing is thinking that each damn stage is THE END.

Yes, each stage is VITALLY important to our becoming More, and Better. That's Fine. Respect. But there will Always. Be. More. To Learn.

And it will always be possible that we'll look at our previous ideas and go, "oh yeah. Those ideas? 'Wrong.'"

Infinity is a Tricky Bitch. Slippery, like a greased up Foxxy Boxer, because every time you think you see it, you need to ask yourself:

Are you seeing you see it? Are you seeing the mirror, as well as all of you, in it? All of those mirrors?

Are you seeing you see you, seeing all of those mirrors? Do you see the Frames? Can you see the frame of each concept...

... the reason for the choice [of] each frame? If not, then you're not seeing all of it.

There are absolutely no absolutes. Only Constantly Shifting Focus.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Anyway.

Done, now.

Hungry, too...

Synch Test: Clarifications

2009-06-26T23:14:38Z

Because I probably wasn't clear about this, and mech_angel asked, if you're taking part in this experiment, your job is to Pay Attention, at your appointed time (all the time, really, but we'll get to that), and then e-mail me any experiences that stand out during that period. I will then e-mail you details from my end.

That being said: styossarian, momentai, and mech_angel, please send me emails of your experiences. Then I'll let you know what's what, on my end. :)

Cheers.

15 Books

2009-06-25T22:41:34Z

Stolen from ego_likeness:

List 15 books you've read that will always stick with you -- list the first 15 you can recall in 15 minutes. Don't take too long to think about it. (In no particular order). Wolven's Addition: I will neither apologize for nor explain these.

1) House of Leaves, Mark Z. Danielewski
2) Ender's Game, Orson Scott Card
3) American Gods, Neil Gaiman
4) Illuminatus! Trilogy, Robert Shea and Robert Anton Wilson
5) (a cheat) Various aspects of Terry Pratchett's Disc World series (Reaper Man, Carpe Jugulum, The Light Fantastic)
6) The Complete Works of Edgar Allan Poe
7) Vellum, Hal Duncan
8) Neuromancer, William Gibson
9) Programming the Universe: A Quantum Computer Scientist takes on The Cosmos, Seth Lloyd
10) Dune, Frank Herbert
11) Gödel, Escher, Bach: an Eternal Golden Braid, Douglas R Hofstadter
12) Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, Robert M. Pirsig
13) Zen and the Art of Archery, Eugen Herrigel
14) The Prophet, Khalil Gibran
15) Julie of the Wolves, Jean Craighead George

Longbox

2009-06-24T15:26:48Z

I know that many people here care about comics, and I believe that this is a deeply important idea to the field of comics distribution, for these reasons, and others:

'Comics’ Night of the Long Boxes'. Featuring the awesome quote, "God knows how anyone who both reads comics and smokes cigarettes can afford money for beer." My answer was, "We made our own." :)

See also, A Small Creator's Perspective.

It's a good read. Deeply important for the medium.

Good morning.

Next: Six Days of Intense Meditative Concentration

2009-06-24T07:24:49Z

There. We have Six participants, for the first found (seven, including myself), and your associated mental images/experiences are all compiled.

My brain Really hurts, now.

So I'm going to bed.

Good night.

Starting:

2009-06-23T05:57:29Z

So here's how this runs. At your appointed time, think about this experiment, while you do whatever it is you normally do, around that time. Make note of any striking observations, and e-mail them to me.

styossarian: Wednesday June 24, 2009, 1200-1230, EDT

momentai: Thursday June 25, 2009, 1435-1505, EDT

mech_angel: Friday June 26, 2009, 1435-1505, EDT

triskelmoon: Saturday June 27, 2009, 1330-1400, EDT

thenowhere: Sunday June 28, 2009, 1305-1335, EDT

morven: Monday June 29, 2009, TBA, EDT

Now I'm going to bed.

DC people, Holler if you hear me.

2009-06-22T22:03:31Z

"D.C. Metro spokesman tells BNO News that two passenger trains collided on the Red Line, causing multiple casualties."

Everybody okay, here?

Magical Experiments. And Welcomes.

2009-06-22T17:24:06Z

Late Saturday morning, I noted that I want to perform a magical experiment. Nothing big, just a little directed synchronicity and awareness kind of thing. Nothing designed to break much in the way of new ground (for most of us), so much as it would help us flex some old muscles, and refine something we may have let slide.

So far, there are four collaborators, and if you want to take part, comment here, in the next twelve hours. If you don't see this, within that timeframe, and you do want to take part, e-mail me. If not... C'est la vie.

Also, everyone say hello to amberite, mistressmikyla, and ritualwhore. Play nice. *ker-wink* Management not responsible for ball failure.

Good afternoon.

On greygirlbeast's 'The Red Tree'

2009-06-21T16:47:29Z

From greygirlbeast:

"I've begun tweeting the micropreview of The Red Tree over at greygirlbeast. The plan was to post a sentence a day, until the book is released on August 4th. Of course, I immediately realized that 140 characters won't accommodate many of those sentences. Today, for instance, I was only able to post the first three quarters or so of the first sentence. So, this is going to be a strange affair, indeed."

And you should go follow her, there, to watch it in action.

Revelatory dreams.

2009-06-21T15:04:05Z

I dreamed something about Nelson Muntz being made into a blanket-wrapped worm-mimic, in the middle of a crowded auditorium of his peers. He didn't care, though. A discussion about the changes undergone by the various Simpsons characters, but that Nelson's always been the same, only Moreso.

Something about Grosse Pointe Blank and Burn Notice, with a strange conflation/conversation between Martin Blank and Michael Westen.

Wandering around a weird Combination of the Club/Venue districts of DC and Atlanta, with Ryam, as he waited for a show that he was managing. In the meantime, he was going to get lunch with Jill Sobule, and hang out a bit. The feeling of an empty weekend afternoon/late evening with nothing I Have to do, but whatever I Want to do, and the money and ability to get anywhere I want to be. Wandering inside twin theaters, talking with Ryam about the Jill Sobule thing. Knowing that Ani DiFranco is going to be playing, that night, as well, and wondering why anyone would put those two concerts next door to each other, on the same night. Debating hanging around, to get an autograph, but realising I need to go.

Wandering the alley between the two theaters, with mech_angel and (I think) beard, before our show. Very small tornados touching down, in the steet, around the neighbourhood. Waiting for them to funnel back Up, before making a go for the other doors. The theaters are made of old gas stations with deeper auditoria dug out, underneath them. As the funnels go up, looking to the sky and tracking the movements of the tornado clouds, which are completely different from the rest of the sky. Noticing a small disc of distorted air, space, time, something, around the places where tornados will begin to form. No one else seeing them.

Inside the theater, there are various people in various levels of fame, like some kind of Awards Show for creators in the Goth/Industrial "genres." A weird combination of Jhnnen Vasquez and Maynard James Keenan being interviewed, in the hallways, as we tried to make our way through to the seats. mech_angel telling me and/or some reporter about the fact that some acquaintances of ours had a promotional/buzz-generating company for the various .Alt communities, and that they didn't even want to talk to her, until they saw that she knew people who were Already Famous In The Communities. These people who the acquaintances thought would help them look good. Something about having to go back through the halls to get my boots, realising that I needed them.

In the actual Theater Halls, we're in the halls of the Addams Family's House. The whole family is in the halls, and the show is a completely different kind of show, now. Something has happened, and everyone is fighting, in a very uncharacteristic way. The music from the show is filtering to the halls, and the crescendo is obvious, as we approach the climax of the final act, and I tip a small vial of desert sand and other particulate matter onto the carpet. I draw a pattern and pick up what I can, on my fingertips, and then I start running down the hall. As everyone shouts at each other, I run past and throw the sand that has touched the substance of the house, into their faces, and they come back to themselves. They begin to realise what they had been doing, and how to stop it, and what they Wanted to be doing. I woke up.

And that's when I knew what the ritual on my birthday was going to be For, and for what I could use the resulting product.

I love my dreams.

Don't. Drink. Resurrect.

2009-06-21T03:19:34Z

Today, I tasted the worst "energy" beverage I have ever tasted, thus far in my life. Possibly the worst single liquid I have ever put into my mouth. Ever.

This beverage was Resurrect. It has a wonderful list of great ingredients, and it touts itself as an "Anti-Hangover" beverage. Now, I know what you're thinking, and I should have listened, too: Hangover Cures are more like cruel jokes, perpetratedon the sufferers than anyhing else. But the potential list of vitamins, minerals, and eletrolytes was too alluring to pass up. But it also apparently has a ridiculous amount of sucralose, which overpowers anything else you might possibly taste.

To set the stage, please remember that I had a small heat stroke-type event earlier this afternoon, after being out in the Hot, HOT sun. This, comcbined with a disagreeable lunch meant that I wanted something to drink to soothe my stomach. I went to the Shell station for gas and a Red Rock Gingerale, when the Resurrect can caught the corner of my eye. I impulse bought it. I rue, lament, and regret this decision.

Unfortunately I was driving, when I cracked open the can, and I was in the far right lane, heading toward the highway on-ramp. This meant that i couldn't pull off the road and dump the damned thing out, after the first sip. mech_angel and I came to the conclusion that the after taste was a combination of Latex, Stevia, and Raid Bug Spray. We couldn't quite figure out what the Fore-taste was... not until we looked at the ingredients and found the sucralose. And then, after a while, it dawned on me: I knew what the taste was.

Imagine, if you will, that Sweet Tarts has come out with a new product, for the "Health Conscious." Now they make their iconic candies with compressed sucralose powder and fake fruit flavouing, instead of sugars. Now eat them.

You know what the Absolute Worst Part was? It actually helped my stomach feel better. >_<

Don't. Drink. Resurrect.