If you don't change your beliefs, your life will be like this forever. Is that good news? -- Douglas Noel Adams (b. 1952) -- British author, "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy"
When I heard that scaffolding collapsed at the Oscar Awards stage/set I couldn't help but think metaphorically - as if the whole structure behind these kinds of award shows was just collapsing... falling apart. Life really IS a waking dream. :-)
I'm at this strange place this morning. Recently I'd been focusing on expressing my energy more fully - speaking my mind, saying what I thought, without cushioning it so that others wouldn't feel 'hurt'. And essentially "nothing" has happened. Which is a good thing. Well, *I* feel different, but saying what's on my mind (particularly about news items in various forums - good practice *grin*) doesn't seem to have caused World War III or brought hell's wrath down upon my head. And I feel better. Whooda thunk! I guess I didn't really EXPECT horrible things to happen, but a part of me is still reveling in it - probably that part of me that always got yelled at when I was a kid, for saying things I "wasn't supposed to say". Huh. :-)
Stolen from a comment on a Metafilter thread, a wondrous description of public school *grin* - Obviously, forcing a bunch of kids with nothing in common apart from geography off into an artificial society which has made itself very hierarchical based on a few random characteristics discerned from the media & other outlets from the bottom of society is not a good plan. heh heh.
* If you're going to register a domain, I suggest AllDNS, GoDaddy, or Gandi or... okay, I'd suggest pretty much anyone but Network Solutions. You've been warned.
* Plastic grocery bags, when stored after use, will multiply until they take over your house.
DrakNet just keeps getting cooler and cooler. They are a domain hosting company that focuses on the pagan community (we're using them for Abstract Weirdness - we're not "pagans" per se, but we play them on TV - LOL), they are run by people who just love what they do, they have a dragon in their logo, they have EXCELLENT pricing and packages, they let you do all kinds of cool crap with CGI, PHP, SSI, etc. (with a ton of really good online documentation that can help you learn and get through sticky parts), they are very responsive, take multiple forms of payment, AND they just doubled the amount of monthly transfer for the account package we use, just updated to some kick ass processors, AND just created an even cheaper account for when you want to host a smaller domain (20 megs). As you can see, I highly recommend them. And it's really fun to sing the praises of people doing such great things - I think I want to do this more often - LOL.
It's interesting to see what changes when you change and "comes with" you and what refuses to change when you change and you have to leave it behind. My recent theory is that the things that change with you are able to undergo that change - are able to make the leap. The things that refuse to change - it's as if the structure, the psychological framework of something, isn't able to make that leap. It's like if you carried everything around in a paperbag and then suddenly wanted to go for a swim. You might still be able to take the things that you had IN the bag, but the paper bag itself won't translate or hold up in that new framework.
Just got the new Guster CD "Lost and Gone Forever" - I have to say that I'm DAMN impressed, and it's NOT just because I have a soft spot in my heart for conga drums! *grin* (Being that there are two in our living room that John gave me as a gift some years ago.) It's musical, harmonious, aggressive, singable, and very "crankable". Woo Hoo!
PDAs (handhelds, Palms, etc.) are neat little devices and becoming more powerful all the time. But I don't read newspapers, don't need stock quotes, don't need to carry around lists or addresses with me... basically all I'd use it for is an electronic address book that I'd keep in a drawer. I guess I could now get one to play Bejeweled on though - LOL. Anyway - I guess I'm still the kind of person that would prefer a small laptop. And I still don't have any great urging for a cell phone either. First of all, they don't work out here in the boonies, and that's the main reason I WOULD want one, in case of car trouble in the boonies - heh heh. Secondly, I don't really WANT people to be able to reach me everywhere, especially in the car (although having an emergency phone or CB might be okay) - that's where I get to be ALONE - probably wouldn't hear the ring over the loud stereo anyway. And John and I have such a telepathic link that the devices become secondary. Yesterday I had this thought out of the blue, "You know, we haven't had baked beans in ages - they would go good with tonight's dinner." So naturally John comes home with a can of baked beans and says, "I was going to get French Fries, but they didn't seem quite right - the beans kept calling me." heh heh. This concludes todays ramble about technology that's neat, but I can't justify for myself. What a morning pick me up - DOH! *grin*
Tried to post this yesterday, but blogger kept timing out on me (probably our connection) - anyway, pretend it's yesterday for just a BIT longer....
I was watching a homemade Simpsons tape today and heard this
familiar voice on an old Nissan commercial - it was the father from Malcolm in the Middle, looking all official and respectable and everything. *grin*
I also burned a bit-o-trash today, although nothing interesting exploded this time - just a lot of containers sighing as the seals were breached by their plastic melting. pppphhfffooooooooooo.o.o..o...
I hate the word "community". To me it implies that all the people who "belong" all have the same interests and ONLY those interests - it implies a lot of homogeneity which, in my opinion, is just a big illusion. I like being an individual and connecting with other individuals who reflect a similar interest as me. The media can imply a lot when they say "the scientific community" - it certainly seems like all the scientists agree with each other, which is never a reality. And, it also implies that the opinion of the "scientific community" (not picking on science - just using that example because it's such an oft used one) is the most valid, or even the ONLY one available from that corner of society. I don't mind saying that I live in {town} but if it gets said that "I am a part of the {town} community" - suddenly it seems that who I am has been downgraded and made less than this OTHER entity. And this other entity, ironically, would not exist except for the participation of individuals - it is merely an "idea" in that sense. Anyway - I'll stop ranting in a moment - I just think "community"'s a loaded term, used to play on people's emotions, and represents antiquated ways of looking at life. So there. :-)
