Thursday, May 8, 2003
Road Trip
I haven't taken a vacation in years. Well, a trip to the beach for two days doesn't do much for my cause, since that was over two years ago and I hadn't had a vacation - before that - since '97. And that was a day trip. Go me. I'm such a troglodyte.
So I've wrangled my dad (intrepid traveler that he is) into taking me to one area that I've been wanting to go to, for quite a while. No, it's not the Oregon Vortex...even though I've got him interested in going down there. But the Painted Hillsare closer now, than before. And it costs a grand total of a tank of gas and drive-thru cuisine to visit. No fees, thank god. I'm utterly destitute.
Back into the wilds of Eastern Oregon, once again. This time, it will be minus the grand sunburn I was subjected to during the Newberry Crater adventure (although the snow on the obsidian flow in July was fun). Always remember, go into a cave if you have a sunburn. Cool air = goooooooood. ;)
We're going to try to hit it before the end of this month, unless something else goes haywire around here. I want to get pictures of it, before the wild flowers are gone. And, bleh. I'm not in the mood to post or write. My best friend is stuck in Nevada and he's miserable, there. I wish he was going with me, to see this...but I think if I send him some pictures, it'll cheer him up a little bit.
posted by Anomini on 5/8/2003 @ 3:03:12 PM
Friday, May 2, 2003
X2
Ahh, the joys of having to run a phone line upstairs. Not fun. Also not very permanent, seeing as how the line runs from the kitchen, through the family & living room, then trails up the stairs to this computer. At least we're closer to the mountains now? Mount Hood is tends to loom on the drive home, before being obscured with a plethora of tall trees...
Anyhoo, I'm not here to bitch and moan (for once). In fact, I'm in a relatively decent mood, considering what's happened as of late. Yes, there are many reasons I have not posted over the past month...such as losing online service, unpacking for a second time, lack of time, ongoing finance trouble, brief stint w/ family health problems, lack of interest, etc. I'm beginning to think my dear friend Satan was correct in saying, "Once you've looked up so much stuff online, over so many years, it becomes too boring to deal with." Truthfully, the guy does have the attention span of a moth, given his A.D.D.? But that's beside the point. I needed a long break, to concentrate on tons of other things. *sighs* Too bad that I'm not done yet.
And now I'm officially 31 years old, which is a relatively unimpressive age. Still kinda freaky, though, because I still don't feel 31 in the least bit. Overall, my birthday was yet another uneventful one where I plopped my hiney down on the floor and read all of the X-Men 2 movie novel, while waiting for my actual requested present to hit on May 2nd.
And today at 1:30pm, my dad and I arrived at the theater and we watched the movie. I was literally spellbound, so it didn't even seem like two hours + went by. Yes, my eyes have beheld the glory that is X2: X-Men United. And, whereas the first movie was pretty darn good, this movie blows it completely away, stomps on it, and utterly decimates the first film. However, without having watched the first film, there would have had to be a big character intro in this movie and so it was unneccessary to introduce so-and-so again, blah blah blah. Very well thought out, since there are so many returning characters to concentrate on, along with the newbies. Everyone gets a good amount of screen time, which seems like it would be hard to pull off with such a huge cast...but actually worked out extremely well.
My dad was into the film, just to see "that blue snake chick" because he thinks she's "really, really cute." I've officially given up on trying to correct him, because I got sick of repeating "Mystique" after the first fifteen minutes on the way to the theater, and all I heard in the car on the way home was "The blue chick? I like her, she's cute, ha ha ha!" Yes, he's insane...but that's obviously where I get my own insanity from. It's hereditary. To prove that point, I've just had another good, fifteen minute talk with him about how bitchin' Mystique is. My point was, "Dad, you just like her because she's wearing nothing but makeup in the movie!" His counter-point is, "No I don't! She's neat, I like the way she turns into other people!" Sure, papa-san? Suuuu~uuure! XD
Since he just inquired what I'm doing, my father wishes me to convey here, that Lady Deathstrike is "one seriously scary woman." Now he's happy that I included that, and thinking of it makes me want a tail and a nasty lookin' set of metal fingernails...with kung-fu grip. She was one hard boiled gal. He's right. She was scary, really had an axe to grind, etc. o_0;
Anyhoo, I'll try not to include any spoilers, especially anything that deals with...aw, I can't even say it? Stuff that happened in the comics, happens in the movie, okay? *eyes go shifty, coughs a few times* Let's just say that, even having read the movie novelization, the film pulled a fast one on me by the ending. I was saying "What the hell? Oh, NO!" outloud, until my dad smacked me in the back of the head for talking too loud in the movie theater during an integral part. Couldn't help it, things happened in a very completely unexpected manner. And that's putting it mildly! Kudos have to go out for being faithful to the comic storyline, including that bit in there (which I sorta saw coming, but didn't expect the outcome to end up the way it did). F**king awesome movie, five stars, didn't muck up anything, no huge flaws, have to give it two thumbs up, etc.
Quick rundown:The story was good and kept up a good pace. I can see where some interviews mentioned it had that "dark, Empire Strikes Back" feel to it. Whoever the screenwriters were, they need to make a return if there's a sequel. :) Furthermore, the visuals were flawless, so I was already giddy during the opening scene. Dammit, I really wish I had a tail?
Characters were spot on. Storm, of course, got a lot more screentime. And it was of better quality than the first movie, because the weather goddess was out in full force. Wolverine kicks some major ass, he actually gets a few kills in! Whooooooooo, go Wolvie! And Jean simply rawks the casbah, especially when she's thinking in overdrive...
Did it help to read the novel? For me it did, since it had a lot of extra bits. But, like I said, it doesn't really matter...because the ending is completely different from the book. It's almost EVIL the way they switched things around, because I refuse to cry while in a theater and that was the closest I came to ever doing so. Indeed, my eyes were round as saucers plagued by waterworks, along with a rash of goosebumps during the very last scene of the film. Sadly enough, even my dad got all sniffly. And now I should just finish up the rundown, before I get sniffly all over again, from thinking about it or I give away far too much. T_TBEST RETURNING CHARACTER: C'mon, we all know it's gonna be Wolverine, right? Hugh Jackman already has that character pretty much nailed down to perfection, not to mention he got buffed up a bit, from the last film...and there's one brief scene where he's....uhh, wowie? O_O;;;;;;
BEST MUTANT NEWCOMER: Nightcrawler. 'Nuff said. The makeup, the German, the tail, the BAMF! Guess what? Teleportation comes in very, VERY handy in this movie.
BEST BAD GUY: I have to give major props to Brian Cox for playing such a ruthlessly manipulative "male appendage". But as per expectations, Ian McKellen ruled that screen, like it was his proverbial bitch. Mags, you utterly magnificent BASTARD!
BEST FIGHT SCENE: Heed these three words and you'll know if you see the flick? Mutant pin cushion. >:D
THE "blink and you'll miss it" MOMENTS: Mystique flipping the finger, the aforementioned wowie scene, a computerized list of mutants names includes Remy le Beau (Gambit) in the roster, and Dr. Henry McCoy (Beast) is talking on the TV about anti-mutant protests...unfortunately, without the blue fur? But beggers can't be choosers, ne?
CHANCE FOR ANOTHER INSTALLMENT? If they leave it like this, I'll go down to Cali - personally - and start raising Hell. I'll bring along a copy of the Necronomicon and beat some movie execs in the head with it, if they refuse to comply. There must be a third installment! GRRRAARRR!!!!*coughs and clears throat*
So, that's that. I'll post again, when I can. Returning to my regularly scheduled tirades, quite soon. In the meantime, I'm going to go watch cartoons and rustle up some grub, in the form of cold pizza. n_n
posted by Anomini on 5/2/2003 @ 5:14:03 PM
Saturday, March 29, 2003
I suppose I should inform people to read on at their own risk, for minds might be challenged or something like that. The disclaimer is due to the growing fact that challenge is a concept which many seem to find unpalatable, lately. Hey, I get challenged by my dad and a few other relatives, so don't think I'm lounging around and hashing over my own concepts, all by my lonesome. But this statement is for pro's and anti's, both...since I've rapidly found myself being pushed further outside of some sort of loop, due to becoming wary of blind fanaticism on either position involved. Each time I hear or see either side speak or act on their behalf, a part of me becomes more and more jaded and closed off to them. So, I'd much rather continue the advocation of sending in funds for humanitarian aid - which is what all degrees of the public opinion spectrum should be doing (even during times of relative peace), anyway.
Anti-War protesters: You say you truly care about what happens to the people on this planet? Want to show that you are a movement with peaceful humanitarian intentions, instead of destroying public property and infringing on the basic rights of others around you?
Pro-Troop movement: Want to finally prove to those pesky protesters that this war is not against the Iraqi people, but against their regime?
Then I hereby challenge all of you to put your money where your mouth is!
Produce or equal even part of the money you would spend in one month for toys, models, movies, videogames, books, cable network news, lip gloss, online service, or any other item that is not directly imperitive to your own general health and continued existence. Get some extra fundage from recycling pop cans from friends and relatives, if you have to. Send it all in to a humanitarian agency of your choice and then encourage others to do so. That much money can help to preserve the life of another human being, someone who might otherwise die from malnutrition or contract a disease from drinking tainted water. That money can help send medication to people that have long been without proper medical care and desperately need it in a time like this. Go the extra mile and fork over a few extra dollar bills so a child can get the neccesary supplies to go to school, over in Afghanistan (don't forget about them, either). Donate as much as you can reasonably afford to and give it to a reputable charity organization, of which I still recommend UNICEF...which this household has agreed upon. UNICEF's link can be found on the right side index, if you want to check them out for yourselves.
I am rapidly finding myself of the opinon that those who fail to advocate overall humanitarian aid in any way, shape, or form - even by their refusal/silence to pass along the very concept of giving to a charity - have no weight to their words on either side. I'd like to hear more on the news about helping, rather than condemnation, line-drawing, or opposition. I simply feel that both sides should do something remotely useful for the world at large, while this is happening. Is that so wrong? I mean, the entire planet doesn't end at the tip of one's nose, stop revolving after flipping the television channel to a sitcom, or cease to exist past the reach of a protest sign. So get off your keisters and help someone else outside of your reality sphere...instead of throwing harsh words around at each other and wasting your energy being pissed off, because someone else said something that doesn't agree with what you personally hold to be self-evident.
To kick a thorn into my own politically-jaded ribcage and remind myself that I shouldn't become overly cynical, I'm going to post up a few quotes & links that I managed to find on the net. This is part of a continuing effort to gather my own answers to what I *personally* happen to find nonsensical and to try to find some tiny shred of *personal* 'peace of mind' within the current socio-political war climate. I don't expect everyone will believe or agree with what the following contains and, by gods, please do disagree if you feel like you should. It is your fundamental right to do so, after all. But for me, these tidbits represent a small part of what I have found thus far, for better or for worse. Sometimes it is interesting to see what others have said about freedom and war, from the past to the present. I hope to add and edit this post in the future, time and future access permitting.
This post by Les Jenkinssums up perfectly where I currently stand. The vast majority of peace protesters shown on TV are idiots that have not presented anything other than civil discord for the sole purpose of causing outright discord, which is why a previous post stated in more or less of a degree, "If I was police chief, I would have arrested them." Conversely, I'm definitely not going to devote my undying and unquestioning devotion to the U.S. government's decision making policies, either. If it was a Democrat or a Republican President, I'd still be looking on them with a steadily leery eye for proposing and going forward with this war. In a few of the following links, I believe it shows that we should question the government in a open forum, but it needs to be done with some measure of eloquence and forethought. The troops need to be welcomed back because they're busting their asses out there, deserve to be treated as our fellow human beings who do have feelings, and they have faced things we can only begin to imagine in our worst nightmares. Hello, protesters? They are people who are dying too, so don't forget it! However, as far as our current government is concerned (those that issued the actual call for war)? Well now, that is a whole other ball of wax...
Miscellanious Quotes, Blogs, Links, etc:
"One of the best ways to get yourself a reputation as a dangerous citizen these days is to go about repeating the very phrases which our founding fathers used in the great struggle for independence." -- Charles Austin Beard (1874-1948)
Quotesabout War & Peace. Please note: the Ceasar quote has no basis in a literary or historical sense. It is the product of pure fabrication.
Flip sides. One blogger's view from insideBhagdadand a U.S. military officer's life in"Live from the Sandbox." For yet another view, there's: Live From Kuwait- written by a civilian. Yes, people. Iraq does have internet service (or did). Suprising fact of the day: A couple months ago, I watched a broadcast of some younger citizens that were apparently somehow coerced into owning N'SYNC & Brittany Spears albums, too...ay yi yi.
Blogger's Delight. A article about the latest craze: warblogs. This article was what lead me to the previous blog links. Aww, c'mon...like we didn't expect this to happen? *hums & sings* It's blog, it's blog, it's big, it's heavy...
Quotes on War & Peace.
"Of course the people don't want war. But after all, it's the leaders of the country who determine the policy, and it's always a simple matter to drag the people along whether it's a democracy, a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship. Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to greater danger." -- Hermann Goering- -The Nuremburg Diary. Please note: this excerpt is not afabrication or urban legend, which makes it just a wee bit unsettling. The second link will give you a page number and year of publication, which was used to check the authenticity, since it had been years since I've read the book...and I had to call a out-of-state friend that I gave it to, to verify word-for-word what was on that page. This thoroughly freaked him out, because this is a guy that couldn't even bring himself wo watch Schindler's List but could make it through Saving Private Ryan. -_-; Initially, I was somewhat reticent to use a quote that came from a Nazi, but...on the other hand, I suppose it would be dismissive not to include it. Anyway, I'm sure that a lot of people have seen this excerpt before now. Moving on...
Quotationsabout freedom of speech.
War quotes - literary quotes about war and practically everything else.
Jeffersonon Politics & War.
Jeffersonon Good Government.
Jeffersonon sovereignty of the people.
"We knew the world could not be the same. A few people laughed, a few people cried. Most people were silent. I remembered the line from the Hindu scripture, theBhagavad Gita: "I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds." I suppose we all thought that, one way or another." - Robert J. Oppenheimer (1904-1967) (after witnessing the world's first nuclear explosion)
posted by Anomini on 3/29/2003 @ 12:12:14 PM
Wednesday, March 26, 2003
Welcome to night two of not wanting to deal with turning on the TV, wasting more online time, and insomnia. The cat is still freaked and can't stay the night in this room, at all. This really sucks, because I'm too used to him sleeping on the pillow that is next to mine. Currently, he is very happy sticking his head into the toilets and splashing around like it's a kiddy pool. I always seem to pick up the freaky ones. -_-; Since he's driving us all bonkers, I'm up and searching for fun again inbetween lapses of screaming "Stop that, dagnabbit!" So tonight's special rating commentary will be in the form of Fun With Streaming Radio: otherwise known as "1000 ways to fly a finger at the regular radio stations." *snickers with unmitigated glee & rubs hands together* Now, fueled by an excess of vices and lack of sleep, let's see what I can dig up.
Once again, I shall attempt to rate my finds on a scale of five stars. Five being the best. Please note that, as I am editing this post in wordpad, I have noticed that I failed miserably. C'est la vie. One of these days I'll adhere to a ten point system or something equally banal like that. To listen, you will need to have Winamp or some other wacky program that allows you to stream music. I've got Winamp version 2 or something like that, since I didn't care for version 3 too much...
Shadow Radio- synthpop, industrial, techno. So far, I've heard "Blue Monday" and a couple songs by The Smiths, a good mix of Daft Punk's "One More Time" & some 10,000 Maniacs. Whoo, and now they're playing "Hexonxonx" which is such a happy, smiley, go-dancy song. Huzzah! *is way too happy* VERY little skippage on here, almost no skippage at all, so that's a big plus. Oooh, VNV Nation's vocal mix of "Forsaken" followed up with Covenent's "Figurehead"? Ooooh, the "Days of Swine & Roses" remix! *dies and goes nowhere in particular* Wicked kewl! To my new fave station...FIVE F**KING STARS FOR YOU! EAT 'EM UP, BABY! If I could, I'd marry this station and have wee net radio babies. XD
Edit: after tuning in tonight, while they were playing Ministry's "So What" followed by Nitzer Ebb's "Let Your Body Learn" & then "Head Like A Hole", I'm boosting this sucka up to SIX FREAKIN' STARS!!! Yep, that's what they get for playing some old school mosh pit music. Certainly can't get away with playing a song like "So What" on any old regular radio station...KMFDM Radio- Industrial. What can I say? I'm a KMFDM addict and this "station" feeds my industrial music cravings with a VENGENCE. >:D Skip is at a medium level (woe to us poor dial up users), but it earns a strong FOUR STARS for the playlist, alone. Umm, let's see...this station would be like my radio boyfriend on the side, when the other radio hubby goes to work or something...like the musical equivilent of the milkman making a delivery or something. LMFAO! I'm only kidding...maybe...is the milkman hot? Are there still milkmen around? Am I getting off track? n_n
Digital Gunfire- The name says it all. Flesh Field - "Obstinance" is a nice new song discovery. Mama like and is happy she found a place that plays some Front Line Assembly (in the form of "Infra Red Combat"). >:D Now I want to go out to a club. *sighs* Anyhoo, no moping? This one is already running neck and neck with the first one on this list, so it's a well-earned FIVE STARS and a booty shake. *gives it a glitter mallet whammy o' approval* Sparkly!
Tempus Temper- Industrial, Goth, New Wave. Got some Utah Saints on here, some Caberet Voltaire, and Tones On Tail's "Go!" A lil NIN, a lil Nitzer Ebb. Mmm, decent stuff, now that I look over their playlist...THREE & 1/2 STARS! Skipped a lot even though nothing else was running, so I had to dock some points.
Amped Out- Industrial, Synthpop, Electronic, Goth, Ambient, Trip-hop. The two guys running this station were cracking me up. XD They played some Curve and Skinny Puppy, which made me go: "WHOO-HOO!" The guys talk a little too much (even if it funny), but it earned a steady THREE & 1/2 STARS for making me chuckle over the liver bit and playing the theme to "Romper Room". Hey, I used to watch that show as a kid! :D
Mostly Classical- What! Do you think I only listen to screaming and drum machines? XD I can sit and listen to symphonies for hours, even going so far as to proclaim it the only music I can sleep to (with the possible exception being that Japanese flute CD I own). FIVE STARS for sheer anti-stress and ABSOLUTELY NO SKIPS ON MY DIALUP, even while having multiple windows and programs open. I know, I know...that's just begging for my comp to crash. Oh well. A big nod goes to their playing Hayden's "Minuetto" (Symphony no 48 in C major). It's so "swoopy n' swishy." My kingdom of nothingness for a ballgown!
Streaming Soundtracks- For those who can't live without movie music. And for those who really can't live without Anime music, since they also included that on their playlist. THREE STARS because, well, I tried to listen but movie music (of any sort) makes me yawn. Yawn a lot, and that's not in the good & fuzzy way that Classical violins do. I can't sleep to movie music. There's some ChronoTrigger & Star Wars Episode II tracks on there, right now. Hmm, I'm pretty sure there's got to be something better out there, somewhere...
L.I.B.R.A.R.A.D.I.O.- World music, Middle Eastern, and Gypsy. I tuned in and caught the end of a fun little Irish ditty. n_n; And then they were playing this really uber-kewl track called "Electric Sufi"...very ecclectic stuff. I blame that tape I bought back in high school called "Belly Dance A Go-Go" for getting me hooked on music like this. FIVE & 1/2 STARS because it's both dancy and mystical at the same time. Great bits of this and that, with NO SKIPPING! Whoo, the song they just played was like Lawrence of Arabia playing a scorchin guitar riff...and now they've moved into this bitchin' song called "Indian Gypsy" by Gotan Project. *grooves* Suh-weeeet!
Radiostorm 80's- No list is complete without the 80's. Unfortunately, this station does skip a lot on my dialup. Totally expected, but totally bites when they've got a good playlist going. TWO & 1/2 STARS, since the songs are good (stuff I literally haven't heard in years) and because they offer different genres. But there's a over-ABUNDANCE of skipping going on. Far worse than any of the other streaming radio on this list and no amount of imput/output buffer tweaking or closing other program resources seems to help. I mean, it's really, really bad on dialup. The others on this list are a picnic, compared to this one. And they've got a decent-sized pop up ad on the site, which only adds to the annoyance factor and slow down.
Pure Obscure Radio- Obscure, rare, & out-of-print hits from the 80's and 90's. Umm, I didn't think that Julien Cope, Bjork, or Ministry was that obscure or rare, but okay? Now, when I see that Criss & Cosey are coming up on their playlist, I get a big smile on my face. A grand total of SEVEN STARS for playing a song that I literally have not heard for an entire decade and having one the most ecclectic playlist out there. That is one music collection I'd keel over and die to have. Even the occassional skip is forgotten. And they've got some of my old favorite's here, from A-Ha's "The Sun Always Shines On TV" to Book Of Love's "I Touch Roses"...I really do miss listening to Book of Love. T_T They've even included a C.C.C.P. song in their list, which is a VERY rare & impressive feat! Let's see, so far they've played Adrien Belew "Oh Daddy" (which is one of the cutest songs ever) and...damn, this place has one of the best collections I've ever laid eyes on...there's so many GOOD SONGS here! *goes bonkers* Must...make requests. *requests Erasure's "Am I Right?" and plans on requesting a Book of Love song* Ahh, for old time's sake. *does the pee pee dance, since the song request is cued up next* @_@; Argh, I thought it would take longer to pop into the playlist. Requests show up really quick on here, late at night.
COHP- Cantonese Opera (subject to availability). Puuu, after so many years, I'm still hopelessly addicted to this genre. I know it's probably all due to owning "Farewell My Concubine" on VHS and every time I watch it, it only serves to fuel the obsession. Maybe it's all the clicky-clashy-twangs, followed up with those vocals that Chinese Opera singers can so brilliantly achieve. FOUR STARS, out of personal preference and because it's not a 24 hour thing...which is why I have to dock a star for it. Anyhoo, the site will eventually be foundhere. Guess what? When it's up and running, NOT A SINGLE SKIP! *thumbs up* Bravo!
*has a sudden urge to find her record of "The Mikado" and listen to it, if it's not warped to hell and back* I don't know why, since that's Gilbert & Sullivan and has absolutely nothing to do with Cantonese Opera. How strange. *proceeds to hum the "three little maids from school" song*
And now for something completely different. *drumroll* Weird and disturbing fact for the night & tonight's winner of the "That Is Truly Unnerving" award. *opens envelope and takes a swig of Guinness* Here we go, folks! ;D
While skimming through a old Cure biography book I had in a box I was repacking, I came across the mention of a Japanese cannibal in one interview and decided to check it out to see if it was true. It refreshed my memory, seeing that. Well, hmm, yeah I did a search for it? And it's perfectly true! Apparently, the fellow's name is Issei Sagawa and his claim to infamy was eating parts - as in WHOLE PARTS like the upper LEGS, etc. - of a woman when he was in France. I refuse to get into the sushi reference, because that's simply too disconcerting at this late hour. >_O This particularly odd n' hungry little fellow was legally declared incompetent by a French court (i.e.- he's even more cuckoo than the craziest cuckoo clock), but his rich papa had him shipped back to Japan and institutionalized. The wierdest thing, though, is that he was only in a institution for about fifteen months before his dad had him released. And where did Issei go from there? Well, he wrote a few books and became a CELEBRITY! Apparently, he's also been repeatedly asked about - of all things - CUISINE! 0___o-(?!?!) Egads, I swear, only in Japan.
Anyway, I'm not going to provide any links, since they'd be a bit too graphic for younger viewers, anyway. Merely a bizarre factoid that I thought I'd share right before bedtime. *twiddles fingers and winces* Nighty-night, kiddies? Sleep tight and don't let the Issei's bite. o_o;
posted by Anomini on 3/26/2003 @ 3:12:45 AM
Tuesday, March 25, 2003
I don't know why, but one of my cats is severely freaked out. One second he was sleeping and the next he was bouncing around like a tiny gazelle on crack (literally, he was jumping into the air -repeatedly- about chest high when I stood up)...and that happened last night around 7 pm. He hasn't slept since and has been cowering in a corner and is extremely jittery, but I figured out around four a.m., that he's perfectly fine if he's not in my room. Maybe he woke up on the wrong side of his pillow, the odd lil' critter. The other cat is totally normal, other than the fact that he's a cross-eyed half-siamese that suffers from an extremely bad case of dyslexia. XD
In the meantime, since one jittery kitty decided to keep me awake all night, it was time to crawl the web for a wee while. I found a couple online artists of interest, so I'm offering up a quick post as a moment to support the Arts because I'm one of those coffee-house bohemians that smokes way too much, owns a black beret, and has nothin' but espresso running through my veins. LMFAO! 'Sides, I figure it's a nice way to get one's mind off "you know what" for a while, ya know? I'll do this on a scale of stars, five being the standard "perfect" or whatever. I'm really too lax and easy to entertain, so I likely won't adhere to a five-star standard anyway.
First off, there's theThe Astral Planeby Joe Renzetti. Obviously, Joe's been doing some pretty freaky music in Ohio and has no need for drugs because music is ze best drug der iz. o_O -(!?) Anyhoo, he's an online artist, so there's some songs available to d/l and check out. "Talking To The Dead" is one seriously freaky song, even before I read a review on his site stating that EVP's (basically those weird n' unexplainable voices that are picked up at 'haunted' locations) were sampled in it. If you listen really close, you can hear some growly noises. And the album cover for these particular songs is a rather infamous ghost photo, which adds to the ambience of the music. Check out the link on his page that leads you to MP3.com, for downloading. Umm, actually I'm starting to listen to "Lalurie" right now and it's already giving me goosebumps. o_o;;; Dude, seriously spooky sounding....EEEK, omg? It has uber-spooky ghostie screeches and moans. *listens* O_o *hair raises up and listens some more* o__0?! *shivers and curls up in chair* OH HOLY S**T ON A STICK, THE ENDING JUST MADE ME FLINCH! >_____O *is seriously creeped out by "Lalurie" beyond all human comprehension* Aaaiiieee, this guy earns TEN STARS FOR SCARING THE CRAP OUTTA ME (which is a extremely daunting feat in and of itself)! I'm beyond glad the f**king sun's up, while I'm listening to this...
Umm, but it's gooooood. Why? Cuz it's creepy good and that's the kind of stuff that I like to eat for breakfast. Creepy good, as in "Honeybuns, there seems to be a slew of dead flies stuck between the window's panes, blood dripping out of the kitchen faucet, and I think I heard the house whispering 'get out'...did you hear that, too?" Sure, the music might wriggle on the platter a bit, but it's still tasting pretty yummy after I stab it with a fork and thoroughly dig in. I've got to buy this guy's albums, someday soon. >:D
Next isDavid Camp's 3D Alchemy, where he's posted a LOT of online artwork, based on...umm...I dunno? The Goddess wallpaper looks real neat, but I tend towards surrealist art a lot since I like Dali paintings. Added benefit is the Dante reference. ;) No Dali-esque elephants on stilts, but I am liking Mental 2, 3, & 4 along with the "Beauty" and "Creation" galleries. Whee, lookie at them eyeballs, THREE & 1/2 STARS just for the rolly-polly eyeballs! Seriously, I'm was liking Creation 10 & 11 enough to consider changing my comp's wallpaper...until...
Until I foundObsidian Moon- a site that seriously kicked my ass and has thus far netted "Ancient Treasure" & "Solara" the coveted comp wallpaper spots. *fanfare* I spied a lotta boobage on this site, so if anyone is a wee tyke and is gonna suffer a burnin' crack-down from mom n' dad (maybe not the dads so much, LOL!)...then you'd best steer clear. Otherwise, I highly recommend it. "Dragon Oracle" is a extremely kewl pic, just look at the eyes and the excellent tats. This gallery earns a overall FIVE STARS and a extremely whiney "WHY CAN'T I LOOK LIKE THAT?" XD
I can't find a site for this guy,Arcipello, but he says he's only been doing digital art for 6 months. After checking out "Dark Samurai" and "Fumes", imagine what he can come up with in two or three years! n_n I bet he's sold a fair amount of prints, already. Great stuff, can't wait to see more.
Then there's Lone Wolf Designs,a digital graphics site. I find myself liking "Joshua Tree" and "Contemplation" a lot, I dig the chains. :) I decree this site shall have FOUR STARS to go with the lovely star applications they've managed to apply to their pictures.
Ahhh, I find myself now fostering my ongoing penchant for cemetary artwork. My Darknessare photomontage images created by Michelle Blessemaille, which makes my coal-ridden heart go pitter-patter. It's the exact opposite of 3D alchemy (reminds me a bit of "Virtual Lawn" - a gallery of cemetary statue photographs), in all it's shadowy goodness. "Passing By" in Gallery IV strikes me as being very reminiscent of Dead Can Dance's "Within the Realm of a Dying Sun" album cover...which is somewhat the case with "Initiation" in Gallery I. It's not all gothy drama, though. The other galleries contain some rather obscure images that I'm appreciating, such as "Cosmic Game", "Urban Legend I" and "The Knight's Wall". SIX STARS (beyond perfect!), cuz I've hung out in cemetaries at 2 a.m. far too much and I think these images go perfectly with Joe Renzetti's spooky music. Looking at "The Chase" (Gallery III) while listening to "Lalurie" again, certainly isn't helping matters.
The Alcehmical Wedding - Dark Moon Seriesis a very interesting place? o_O; Check out"Pirates"- a freaky little picture that kind of reminds me of a cross between a circus sideshow promo, 1880's London newspaper ads about the sideshows, and Ripley's Believe It or Not. Don't even ask me why, that just shot through my brain when I saw it? XD This here's some pretty messed up stuff, which I find strangely appealing...FOUR STARS for this gallery once I factor in the weirdness of "Paradise", "Hand of Fate", "Leviathan" and "The Poisoner" who is obviously choking a chicken of some sort...that maniacal grin speaks volumes, doesn't it? Overall, the rest of the site is not for the timid or faint o' heart in places (before anyone raises hell about the "holocaust series" the artist is of jewish persuasion), but I give it FIVE STARS. It's art, so that's always a subjective matter. Either you like it right off the bat, or you don't. And it you don't, then you can damn well move on to something else, cuz me likey.
I just checked out the Illustrations gallery and went gaga over Froggy Went A-Courtin',(too many fairy tale books as a child, I suppose) and the Digital gallery's Tarot series. This person absolutely rawks. Where can I get these cards to add to my collection, eh? Probably the only decent rendering of The Hierophant I've come across so far, and I've looked at a lot of Heirophant cards, since it's the corresponding card to the sign of Taurus. I love the body stripes! And that Judgement card? That friggin' blows me away. They are reminescent of the Gieger 'Baphomet' deck. I believe this similarity is due to the monochromatic theme and the overall mood being conveyed, and not based on any direct aesthetic likenesses being shared between the two decks in question.
Umm, okay? That was probably a horrendous run on sentence, with equally atrocious grammatical syntax, but I just proved to myself why I was able to ace both terms of Art History. Oh, those days of essays and thesis papers written in two hours or less, egh. -_-;
Okay, enough! I think I've waisted all my online time looking at pictures and I'm finally getting sleepy, so I must take advantage of it while it's happening and there's no cat trying to freak out like a hummingbird-rabbit hybrid bouncing on a trampoline, while I'm trying to catch some zzz's. *snickers* G'day, all. Enjoy. >:D
posted by Anomini on 3/25/2003 9:14:17 AM
Monday, March 24, 2003
Hmm, interesting night at the Oscars. I enjoyed watching it very much and enjoyed hearing all of the various acceptancespeeches & press-room commentary. Michael Moore was way over the top with his speech(career suicide, if not for the fact he works on a mostly independent level), but I thought the closing part of Adrien Brody's speech was magnificent. :) Or perhaps I enjoyed the entire broadcast because I'm one of those sick, depraved, disgusting, dispicable, immoral, peace-spewing liberals who are such a "threat" to the majority, these days. XD Or so says Aaron Brown on CNN, who certainly is not the epitimy of unbiased news reporting. LMAO! Truth be told, I have yet to do anything other than sign my name to various petitions and write down my views to some of the more benevolent peace activist societies...unless candle light vigils held in silence are considered disruptive. I will not go on a march, because there are still some peace protest organizers that I do have issues with. But that is not the main reason I haven't, why I've sat and watched the various global protest with interest. Ultimately, I will not march for one very important reason: I have absolutely no desire for any of the returning military personel to be treated poorly or subjected to redicule, as most were after returning from Vietnam.
However, I'm thoroughly sick to the point of incessant yawning (even outright laughing and excessive eye-rolling) over individuals crying "For shame, you horribly misguided hippie wanna-be's!" and blasting other people for exerting their first amendment rights by marching around and carrying a sign. I dunno, I suppose I find it hypocritical...and it's not that I don't find it hypocritcal on both sides, either. I suppose that is the pro-troop way of excerting their own first amendment rights, as there are always two sides to every story and each rightfully deserves to be heard and not condemned for their beliefs. I hold no grudge against anyone who wants to support the troops, given that my hope is that the majority will return safely to their homes and families. I would think a "civilized" society would be able to grasp this ideology of seeing two sides to any given situation. Perhaps that is too much to ask.
This war bodes ill with me, primarily because I do not agree with the initial handling of the situation, prior to it's beginning. I would have rather that the issue of North Korea's weapons capabilities had been addressed, since I feel that they are more of a direct threat than Iraq is. But, this does not seem the time to question the government, as it is being frowned down upon. Lucky for me and others who are more willing to express their views in a public forum, the fact is that we do live in a free country (I don't live in another country where I am limited by the way I can think or write), and thus I can readily show my emotions regarding any given subject to openly demonstrate what I feel is right or wrong. Y'all got your own opinions and I've got mine. It might be vastly different from what everyone and their grandma agrees is morally correct or appropriate, but the world doesn't consist of one single view point. It is multi-faceted and consists of many points of view which makes this world a richer place to live, despite some of it's distinct inadequacies in other areas.
My concern is primarily for the elderly, the women, and most of allthe childrenthat reside in the country we're attacking. These people have already suffered enough under twelve years of sanctions, internal strife, and inflicted warfare. As someone who has no children, herself, I've often been accused of being too maternal towards everyone else's. A fault, perhaps. Displaced instincts. But it's my personality glitch, so I have to deal with it in as rational a manner as is humanly possible. That dredges up other personal issues, which I am reticent to discuss in conjunction with this post. Therefore, moving on...
I am somewhat relieved to hear that humanitarian aid will be arriving in Iraq, in roughly two days (CNN live report 3/24/03). It is the first I've heard of the U.S. sending in aid. I do feel this is slightly belated, as it is our responsibility now and I quote aU.N. addresson this: "Under international law, the responsibility for protecting civilians in conflict falls on the belligerents; in any area under military occupation, responsibility for the welfare of the population falls on the occupying power." Sure, the U.N. will try to bail the U.S. out of some of the responsibility, because a roundhouse figure of $70 billion dollars for the war effort is a price tag which will surely put a hole in this country's & everyone's pocketbook. But those civilians in Iraq are now this country's responsibility, even before the U.N. can set up a fiscal account from oil money (as last I heard on CNN & MSNBC), in order to stabilize the country once this bloody mess is finally over. I believe that when the surrender leaflets were dropped, much needed rations could have been dropped as well in known Kurdish enclaves, before they left their homes yet again, for makeshift plastic tents with their children huddled together, for warmth. I heard no mention of any aid being dropped, along with those leaflets. If they did, it wasn't mentioned at any time that I picked up on (was I in the bathroom, asleep for an hour, or what?). Anyway, drop some food, clean water, and blankets for them if the government wants to also offer surrender instructions before carpet bombing, damn it.
Let it be further known that I am not too terribly keen on the concept of flag-burning, even though it's anyone's right to do so in this country (whether we like it or not), and that oil has not been a solidifying issue of concern on my end of the spectrum. With all the attention that's being called on the oil factor, I severely doubt that any other country - besides the Iraqi populace - will ever be allowed to touch the dreadful stuff. Citizens should take mass transit at a time like this, anyway. Even though there's a car at my occassional disposal, I walk or take a bus, whenever possible. But that's totally beside the point...
The issue that I have with this war, is that the Iraqi civilians are subjected to the elements (the Kurds, specifically), that the basest report of children who have died due to sanctions is estimated around 500,000, that malnutrition is already a prevailant part of daily life, and that the water supply under bombardment has the propensity to carry diseases. I have more than enough deep concern that sons and daughters, mothers and fathers, brothers and sisters will already not be coming home to this country. I am naturally incensed over the hostages that have been taken (and shown on television despite that breaking part of the Geneva Convention's treatment of P.O.W.'s). I am concerned that the people who run our government rushed too hastily into a conflict that could last for longer than three months, without fulfilling it's prior obligation of bringing justice down upon the person who was directly involved with the WTC attacks (A.K.A. in game show terms - "Where In The World is Osama Bin Ladin?" or "Who Wants To Finish What They Started?"). Despite it all, my ultimate hope is for a peaceful resolution, even if my personal point of view is in direct conflict and/or defiance with every single citizen of this country. I simply don't feel, for myself, that bombing is a path to instill peace for the people of Iraq. Send in covert ops and start picking off Sadam copies, one by one, if they want to fire a gun so badly. I figure that the U.S. had twelve years (and three Presidents, total) to sneak in and hit one of his clones and they would've hit him, eventually. But it didn't happen and now we all find ourselves at this impasse. Eh. Gray area and also a moot point.
Back on subject: the overall mortality rate is the single-most important issue...the same as it was for me, when the Gulf War (and countless other U.S. military actions) took place. And I don't believe that I need to hint that, in war, there is no such thing as a side that wins. There is equal suffering inflicted on both sides. Enough suffering has been inflicted over there as it is, prior to any war. That is human nature in a historical sense, to inflict suffering upon one another from time to time. It does not mean that all of us have to advocate acts of international aggression to further the body count in the name of our nation's security.
So if my view makes me less than patriotic, then so be it. I suppose I'm less than patriotic, then. I am not obliged to agree nor adhere to the opinions of others, if I do not see fit to do so. I suppose that I should pack up my cats and hitchhike my way into Mexico to escape the madness by drinking far too much tequila and painting portraits of women who possess unusual uni-brows. Until I can afford the luxury of fulfilling such an outlandish fantasy (Got lottery?), my financially beleagered family is going to gather up what money we can and send it toUNICEF. Sure, between the three of us, we still struggle to pay for our own grocieries each month (ever tried stretching fifty dollars for 3 people for a month? One word: ramen) and then there's our scratching up whatever extra funds we can for my dad's medications...but there are people who need this much more than anyone living in my house does. I'd like to take this moment to suggest to anyone who has read this (pro-war or not), to please donate some money to any reliable children's organization to help. Even if it's ten dollars. A little bit can go a long way seeing as, to use a quote from Mahatma Ghandi: "There are people in the world so hungry, that God cannot appear to them except in the form of bread." It is perhaps the only common ground that can be reached between the two opposing sides of public opinion and can truly help others in the process. And although my dad gives a little to Christian Children's Fund, I've pushed for contributing to UNICEF as well, in light of the current situation. They already have a small number of people in Iraq and are in need of more funds to assist them there and in other places, like the continuing efforts in aiding Afghanistan.
Now, to address that public opinion I mentioned? Before firmly chosing a side, of which I'm now chosing neutrality other than concentrating on humanitarian aid issues, might I offer this humble advice to the public at large? Question yourself. Question all your motivations. Question everything that people offer to you in conversation about a difficult topic. But don't question anyone else's reasons for coming to their own eventual conclusions. This goes for both sides, protesters and proponents, alike. Find your own answers and find your own peace of mind, but do not go too far to belittle or begrudge someone for expressing what they feel or become impassioned by. It is in the founding spirit of this country that we are all free to express ourselves. Regardless, before you angrily question someone else with hypothetical scenarios about their freedoms being taken advantage of - whether for positive or negative enforcement - know that your's have never been taken advantage of, either...which is how you are able to openly ask such such questions of someone else. Now I really wish I could remember that relevant bit that Thomas Jefferson wrote that might apply to this, but my memory fails me. Nevertheless, know that you are more than excerting your free will to condemn someone else's choice and system of belief in a country where we are free to chose and hold true to our own beliefs as a basic inalienable right. Fingers can be pointed in both directions and claims of bias can be bounced back & forth, which will not solve anything, anywhere. Accusatory finger-pointing is not mutually exclusive for anyone and, there may not be a right on anyone's part, but there can be a lot of wrongs in doing so. Once again, this goes for both protesters and proponents, as it is a double-edged sword and I can easily find fault in both extreme cases. However, even though I've had the bible crammed down my throat until I choked as a child, I constantly find that I'm reminding myself of the old "Judge not lest ye be judged" and "Let he who is without sin cast the first stone"...and all that jazz.
I blame the Oscars for that last bit. It was the night for Chicago and they played that song enough to gag a herd of horses, a million times over. Forget bombs, let's drive Saddam insane by playing that song on repeat, until he really does fall off his proverbial rocker (like he hasn't, already) and shoots himself in the process. >_<
To conclude, I shall end my final statement on this overall matter with a passage from the Tao and shall humbly disappear into the depths o' slumber:
Sharp weapons are inauspicious instruments.
Everyone hates them.
Therefore the man of the Tao is not comfortable with them.In the domestic affairs of the gentleman
The left is the position of honor.
In military affairs the right is the position of honor.
Since weapons are inauspicious instruments, they are not the instruments of the gentleman
So he uses them without enjoyment
And values plainness.Victory is never sweet.
Those for whom victory is sweet
Are those who enjoy killing.
If you enjoy killing, you cannot gain the trust of the people.On auspicious occasions the place of honor is on the left.
On inauspicious occasions the place of honor is on the right.
The lieutenant commander stands on the left.
The commander-in-chief stands on the right.
And they speak, using the funerary rites to bury them.The common people, from whom all the dead have come
Weep in lamentation.
The victors bury them with funerary rites.posted by Anomini on 3/24/2003 2:01:19 AM
Azure Seraphim v2.0!
No written part of this journal is meant for copying or distribution, without my prior and express consent. The views expressed are my own and if anyone disagrees, there's no room to complain (ergo- build your own journal & express yourself then). On the flip side, this page is link free...meaning you can feel free to link if you want to.
This site utilizes: scrubtheweb&ineedhits.posted by Anomini @ 2:37 a.m. on January 3rd, 2003
