Bjork Post for Camii

"The world is always clamoring for something to live up to the swan dress...."
-Extreme Craft Guy

http://extremecraft.typepad.com/extreme_craft/2007/04/icelandic_wool.html

A little something to keep you going until the concert :)

The Fantasy Novelist's Exam

# 38: Do you see nothing wrong with having two characters from the same small isolated village being named "Tim Umber" and "Belthusalanthalus al'Grinsok"?

http://rinkworks.com/fnovel/

Funny, funny stuff. The good news is, I think I'm only guilty of about two of those. However, according to the exam writer's, one is enough to smack a novelist for. Hrm...

Seriously, though, some of the crimes they list are fairly staple of fantasy stories, I mean, magical artifacts are what it's really all about. Oh, and saving the world, too. It almost doesn't count if the whole world isn't in danger.

Fun With Long Beads

The long blue/black beads for this necklace were one of my finds at the Denver bead shop in January. I knew I liked the shape, but I had no idea what I was going to do with them. A few weeks ago, I figured it out. Also on this necklace are hematite beads and silver seed beads.

April 07 Submission

"It's easier to pull the trigger than play guitar. Easier to destroy than create."
-El Mariachi, Desperado

This submission was one of the pulling teeth chapters where I had to sit there and think, "And what's next?" a dozen times or more. Ugh. However, I made it to 4, 023 words all together and I even managed to print it out. Thus, it is only Saturday and my submission is completely and utterly ready to go. Compared to the past few months, I'm on a roll.

Political Survey

I saw Ali's post about her political survey results and since I have nothing better to do right now, I figured I'd check it out. I turned out to be borderline between a Utilitarian and Centrist.

You are a Social Liberal (61% permissive) and an... Economic Conservative (65% permissive) You are best described as a: Centrist (65e/61s) Link: The Politics Test on Ok Cupid Also: The OkCupid Dating Persona Test

I must say that I wasn't surprised at all because I generally figure that the government's only purpose is to protect its people from the big things and let them screw up the little things all they want. On the other hand, I think I'm moving more and more toward the centrist view because I'm getting to see a new perspective here at the Air Force Academy.

Throughout my youth I was always able to rise above the environment because I interacted with a wide variety of people. Now I'm surrounded by a lot of people with similar goals, ideologies, and attitudes. I've seen how an environment saturated with a common attitude (in this case cynicism) can be very hard to resist. I constantly catch myself growing bitter about my school even though I understand that the people running the show didn't get promoted by accident. I've also seen how a person in a leadership role can manipulate his environment to make his subordinates much more likely to act a certain way. This can be good if someone takes advantage of it to accomplish something constructive. On the other hand, under bad leadership this environment can develop on its own and make people very likely to make very big mistakes.

I guess the thing that makes me more libertarian-ish is that I believe that no matter the environment, the individual still needs to be held accountable. The environment may be hard to resist, but it's still your choice to resist or not.

--Casey

Scientology is Funny

"If you are not happy with life, you can find out why."
-Part of the test description

I took this test a while back and was impressed and astounded by the amount of slant in the questions and the number of totally oddball things they ask about. Things like this really bring out the English major in me. Here are some examples:

Do you intend two or less children in your family even though your health and income will permit more? Children is a countable noun, should be "or fewer."

Do you consider more money should be spent on social security? Better word would be "think"

Is your voice monotonous, rather than varied in pitch? Yes! I am monotonous!

Do you get occasional twitches of your muscles, when there is no logical reason for it? I have no idea what muscle twitches have to do with religion, I really don't

Are you normally considerate in your demands on your employees, relatives, or pupils? Who's going to say no, I'm an ass?

Do you find yourself being extra-active for periods lasting several days? Just like the muscle twitches

Is your life a constant struggle for survival? Absolutely, unless my next student loan comes through, I'll probably starve to death

Do you consider there are other people who are definitely unfriendly toward you and work against you? Just because I'm paranoid, it doesn't mean they're not out to get me.

Would you admit you were wrong just to “keep the peace”? See, "admit" implies guilt, like "confess." This question is really asking "Would you confess that you screwed up just to "keep the peace," which implies that you should keep your fuck-uppery to yourself.

Do you consider the good of all concerned rather than your own personal advantages? Implication: are you a selfish bastard?

Do you completely condemn a person because he is a rival or opponent in some aspect of your relations with him? Oh yeah, that's not loaded.

Are there some things about yourself on which you are touchy? If we're being honest, here, can anyone actually answer "no" to this question? Come on.

Are you logical and scientific in your thinking? Nope, I'm an irrational nut.

Is your facial expression varied rather than set? Because I always watch my face when I talk.

Is your opinion influenced by looking at things from the standpoint of your experiences, occupation or training? Don't we always base our opinions on our personal experience? I mean, what else would we base our opinions on?

Do you usually criticize a film or show that you see or a book that you read? Well, I am an English major... I even criticize personality tests. I must be stopped!

Would you like to “start a new activity” in the area in which you live? Point of grammar - the quotation marks here are trying to show an idom, but when did that become an idiom? Do they even know the defintion of an idiom? I think not.

Can you trust the decision of your judgment in an emotional situation in which you are involved? "the decison of your judgment" is the part I like the most.

Do you spend much time on needless worries? Weighted much?

Do you often ponder over your own inferiority? When did I become inferior?

And the results, ladies and gentlemen:
"Your personality test profile is now being sent to a professional test evaluator at the Church of Scientology listed below." Last time I got to see a graph that said I was slightly deranged and possibly suicidal, or something like that. This time, I see nothing. What a shame. The 200 question test is a little hilarious. It's a horrible test thanks to unclear questions, weighted language, and slanted connotations. But, good for a laugh on occasion. http://www.scientology.org/oca.htm

Politics Test

I found Camii's myspace page: blog.myspace.com/tyae, and took the same test she has posted. Funny thing, I'm only 1% different form her. It's a little scary.

Camii: 60/36.

You are a Social Liberal (61% permissive) and an... Economic Liberal (35% permissive) You are best described as a: Democrat (35e/61s) Link: The Politics Test on Ok Cupid Also: The OkCupid Dating Persona Test

Oracle: The Jist

There's a lot of fantasy that deals with magic, but little (at least that I've seen) that puts the emphasis on religion instead. So, that's what my focus is in Oracle. The disaster the heroes have to avert is basically an old god trying to reassert his power - which, unfortunately makes people crazy and sick. Toloth is the god of magnets/magnetism and unbalances living things, which is why there's a problem. His stronghold is a new electric mill (a water powered electric generator) in the most remote part of the country/continent. The country the heroes are in is roughly similar to the late 1800's, early 1900's, think more western than medeival. The country is divided up into a handful of provinces, each ruled by a noble family.

New Gods:
Nyma - goddess of water and life
Liusaidh - goddess of warfare and fire
Ordin - god of gold, earth, and tradition

Old Gods:
All have been replaced by the new gods, except for Toloth who is trying to come back.

Primary Characters:
Jalena - Nyman priestess, created the "holy" sword and dagger that are Nyma's weapons on earth, and something of a prophet.
Arnell - Mercenary hired to track Jalena down, has a change of heart and teams up with her, Kelda, Devyn, Stefanee and Dorian.
Kelda - A red-skinned healer who heals by manipulating the flow of blood in someone's body, the result of an immaculate conception when her mother tried to summon Nyma.
Devyn - Kelda's adoptive father and a woodsman, used to be a Liusaidhan, but now follows Nyma.
Nolan - A tavern owner whose wife left him and their daughter, Gwyn. Also, he's the one Jalena gave the sword and dagger for safe keeping.
Gwyn - Nolan's daughter and Sedge's lover, trained to fight by Nolan and as good a swordsman as Sedge.
Sedge - Born of a noble family, ran when his father died and found Nolan who offered him a place to stay. He's also the one chosen to bear the holy weapons.
Stefanee - Sedge's younger sister, currently fourteen. Trained in a Liusaidhan temple and adept at her weapons training, has a talent for picking things up quickly.
Dorian - Sedge's younger brother, currently sixteen. Also trained at the Liusaidhan temple, but had no talent for combat. Alligned with Ordin and for years has assumed that Sedge was dead and he was next in line for the succession.
Maeve - Retired mercenary, Stefanee's mentor, and Gwyn's mother/Nolan's wife.
Baylor - The big bad. He's Toloth's high priest and an active recruiter for the cause.
Attun - Orphaned teen poacher, he was taken in by Baylor and eventually became Baylor's most trusted henchman, despite his youth, because of his unquestioning loyalty and keen forester's abilities.

Okay, that's everyone. As you can see, there are a lot of characters. Most of them have POV chapters, too, which makes life interesting. It's a lot of fun, though, to switch perspectives, because the tone of an Arnell chapter is much different than that of a Kelda chapter. One of the best things anyone has said about Oracle was when Nicole was talking about how much she likes the characters, she said something like "Whenever I'm reading a Stefanee chapter, I always think how I wish the whole novel were written from her POV. But then, when I read the next chapter, in someone else's POV, I think the whole thing should be in their POV."

Going on two years now. Yeesh, I'm so glad to finally be getting close to the end. Then it's just a matter of starting to edit, which will be almost as much work as writing the thing in the first place, thanks to all the changes to character, setting, and plot I'll be making. However, once the first draft is finished, I am not only allowed, but encouraged, to let the thing sit in a box for a few months. I can't wait.

April Oracle

"How's that for a reunion?"
-Arnell, current chapter of Oracle

I'm feeling a bit please with myself because I added about three and a half pages to my next submission in about an hour this morning. My total page count is now at five. Nothing astonishing, I know, but good for me. This weekend is writers' group weekend and I'm ahead of where I usually am at this point. Go me!

Now that I'm getting to the climax, I'm struggling with what to write next. I'm still not exactly sure how I want the pieces to fall together or who will come out a hero and who will come out dead. Of course, it seems like each submission I have this problem, the "what makes this part important?" problem. This chapter is important because Stefanee finally meets up with her long-lost older brother and because it leads up to his attempt to break out of where he's being imprisoned by Baylor.

As I get closer and closer to the big show down, the problem of what to do with Dorian keeps nagging at me. Ugh.

Feeling Better

"You're great."
-Katherine

Yesterday, when Katherine broke the news, she added that she wanted to talk to me about it, but then she was in a meeting. This morning, though, we had a chance. She said encouraging things, like "you were a strong competitor" and how they (the comittee) talked about things they saw as my strengths, etc. The long and short of it being that they had a dozen people applying for two positions and six who were all strong candidates. She also sounded really relieved when I said that I understand, "thank you for being so mature about this."

Really, it's just like publishing, right? Sometimes the editor says yes, more often they say no, and just because they say no, it doesn't mean they wouldn't have said yes at another time. So, yes, I'm bummed out that I didn't get it. However, I understand that doesn't mean I don't deserve it (if that makes sense), especially after my talk with Katherine about how wonderful I am. She also made a point of mentioning how another gal who's a T.A. now had to apply twice, and that when she herself was a grad student she was tenth on the waiting list for a T.A. at her alma matter. Perspective, yeah?

Mostly, it seems, the thing working against me was my reserve. No, I don't like to always jump in when other people are talking. I'd much rather ask a question than make a point, etc. Which isn't to say that I can't, but it is to say that they were looking for someone they've seen to be more outspoken. At least, that's what I'm getting from the comments Katherine made. The most encouraging thing, is that she seems invested in getting me to be a T.A. and talked about working on making me a stronger candidate over the fall and such so that the next time I apply, I get it. It's nice to have her backing me on this, even if this go 'round it didn't work out.

Also helping my good mood: last night I discovered that the Research Methods class I have to take in the fall will not, after all, be taught by the professor I can't stand who I had in the fall. He's moving to Georgia. Hoorah for me! I don't have to have Dr. Moron again.

Hunch Confirmed

"Did you get your letter yet?"
-Katherine's reply at first when I asked about the T.A.

Dorothy and Kevin got the T.A.s and I'm glad that I can nod and say "yeah, I see why." If I didn't get one, at least certain other folks didn't either. Not an upper, though.

Katherine was apologetic about it, and told me to re-apply next time. Kinda shoots my vision for the fall, though.

Let's Go Fishing

Jack Lucas: I don't mean to be flippant or to enrage you or anything, but you're a psychotic man.
Parry: I know.
Jack Lucas: A very nice psychotic man.
Parry: Thank you.

Movie Review. The Fisher King. After watching The Big Lebowski I was a bit wary to venture into another Jeff Bridges movie, but I'm definitely glad I did. Bridges plays a Howard Stern-ish radio DJ whose words urge a listener to shoot nearly a dozen bar patrons and then himself. Years later, a now-pathetic Bridges happens upon the husband of a woman who died in the shooting and who is now a mentally troubled homelss man, played by Robin Williams. Great acting, and I love the incorporation of mythology into the modern story. Awesome stuff all 'round, and I absolutely recommend it. You'll never think of nudity and Central park in the same way again...

Parry: Come on. Free up the little guy. Let him flap in the breeze.

It Helps

http://www.illwillpress.com

Not G-rated.

Finished Product

A while back, I put up some pictures showing the steps for making a set of polymer clay beads.
http://ev-boulevard.blogspot.com/2007/03/project-pictures-polymer-bead-set.html

Here's the final necklace. Along with the polymer, I used citrine chips, metallic seed beads and small maroon freshwater pearls.

Casey Intro

Hi, I'm Casey. I'm Ali's younger brother. I make up for her being an English major by being a Physics major. I currently go to the Air Force Academy. In my squadron, I've been dubbed the squadron hippie. I guess that's a good example of the duality of man or something. Anyway, I guess my sister figured that I could be a useful contributor here on El Vermino Boulevard. I'll eventually get around to writing something I'm sure but until then, well I don't know. Thanks for the invite sis.

--Casey

WM Exerpt

Here's what I wrote at our last stop which was on the Arkansas River. It's messy, I know. This is the rough draft right out of my notebook:

The bridge support tells me LOVE and don't get me wrong, I'm all for love, but I find it odd that none of the officially sanctioned murals along the river say anything about love, only the grafitti. Official murals:
Irish Club
Recyle, Reuse, Reduce 4R Planet
I Walk on This Earth
econo

The only one that comes close seems like it's a quote from somewhere, though I can't peg it. "The biggest expression of a civilization is not art but the supreme tenderness that can be between human beings. Art proceeds out of an exquisite awareness of life." I wonder, though, if it isn't a quote, but the artist's own words. Maybe I should Google it and see if anything comes up.

To our left, a kayaker makes his or her way upstream and Nicole asks, "Is kayak a palindrome?"

LOVE painted on the bridge support in clumsy red letters that have to be at least ten feet high. LOVE is bigger than I am.

On the train bridge that goes across the Interstate just after Abriendo, I think this same person has been at work.

LOVE, HOPE, and WONDER have all appeared there, painted over soon enough with grey. Once, the words were DANNY GLOVER. The best part, though, is seeing one word sometimes become another. I remember seeing HOPE morph into WONDER. LOVE became DANNY GLOVER. It's all connected, see?

WM Highlights

"I am a friend to the bottle of gravy..."
-Kevin, during the read around (hilarious, by the way)

After the yada-yada of "This is what a writing marathon is" and passing around the sign-in sheet, we got down to writing. We started as a big group and got a writing prompt which followed a reading out of Natalie Goldberg's book Laying Down the Bones (or something similar). The prompt was to start out "I am a friend to __" and insert inanimate objects. It made sense in context, I promise. I didn't use the prompt, non-conformist that I am, but Kevin did, and his piece was mundo humorous.

"You coming with us?"
-Constance

Then we split up. My group: John (from the writers' group in Springs), Nicole, Constance, and Dan (one of Constance's students). We went to three different spots all-in-all and had a grand ole time. Writing marathons are fun. I may try to organize an impromptu one for some folk from the Springs writers' group and/or whoever on campus might be interested. I got about a page down each time we wrote, so four, and started three brand-new stories.

"Hey Michael, good news. They've got sausage."
-Me, to my very gay friend

We all met back at Angelo's Pizza Parlor for free pizza - which was very, very tasty - and the read around - which was interesting in spots. Some of the writing was quite good. Some was a bit inappropriate. The topper was from a woman who's notorious on campus for being a general nut job and was essentially about how she wants to get some and nobody's interested. Great. I'm so glad she shared that. Crazy woman.

"I'll have one too."
-Nicole, who mirrored my drink orders tonight. She regretted the Grand Marnier.

Afterwards, most people went to my bar. I opted not to because they asked me to come in tonight, on my night off (the first night off I've actually gotten after I asked for it in a few months) and I didn't want to go as a patron and get the guilt trip about not being there as a waitress. However, Nicole had no problem splitting off so we went to Gus's where Keith met up with us. Much fun, and not as much alcohol, was had and it's now after eleven and I just dropped Nicole off at home not too long ago. Sure, eleven's not that late by most standards, but it's a whole lot later than I've been out any time lately. As Keith would put it, I'm weak sauce.

Anyhow, I'm so very glad I did the marathon. I've got the seeds for a few new stories, and got to have some social time with some fun people. Did I mention the free Angelo's pizza? Mmm...

Blue, Green and Gunmetal Necklace

I got the oblong beads aeons ago when beadbox.com went out of business. It wasn't until about two weeks ago - spring break - that I finally came up with a way to use them. This is one of my current favorite necklaces. Partly, of course, because it was so labor intensive. This baby took over three hours.

Heroes

"My father spent his life chasing after this insanity. Now I'm wasting mine trying to prove he was sane."

-Mohinder Suresh, Heroes Season One

TV Review: Heroes. When this series first came out on TV, I wanted to watch it so badly. However, having a Monday evening class clashed with when it was shown. Poor me. Now I'm catching up, and I have to say, I'm glad I waited until I had a chance to watch the episodes in order. Hoorah. Great stuff. I love the characters, especially Mohinder and Hiro. The episodes are laid out so well, and the season arc is wonderfully structured. One of those shows where you finish an episode, then have to watch the next so you can see what they do with the cliffhanger. Nice.

The Original Gag

Here he is, in all his hand-drawn glory. The original Running Gag.