Today:
Finish video and snood.
dinner
water garden
put away laundry
Set up gym bag
Smallville recap portion
Monday:
Work
Mail snood
Work on Afghan
Finish story
Read Glad Hands
Tuesday:
Work
do analysis, schedule post
Plant Beans
Work on afghan
Wednesday:
Work
Finish GH
Thursday
Work
Edit GH with Gabriel
Mudd in Helena, PFLAG
Friday
Off!
Mudd in Helena
This week's reading:
Glad Hands (for editing)
The Many Colored Land
Guns, Germs and Steel (audio during commute)
This week's crafting:
black lace afghan
Sunday, June 3, 2018
Sunday, May 20, 2018
Planning for the week ahead
Today:
Laundry
Dishes
Clean kitchen (the produce that's off)
Shepherd's pie
Water garden (rained)
plant corn
SV watch, for analysis (partial)
Monday
Work
workout
write up SV analysis, schedule
Write on book/story
Work
Crochet
Burritos
Water garden
Tues
Work
workout
write
work
knit ear flaps and make pompom
ham scalloped potatoes
Water garden
Wed
Work
workout
write
work
crochet
frozen pizza
water garden
Thursday
work
workout
Home!
whatever I can figure for dinner
crochet
Friday
I'm off!
Up early.
Clean
write 2000 words.
nap
Saturday:
Michaels 9AM-130PM
Water garden (rained)
SV watch, for analysis (partial)
Monday
Work
workout
write up SV analysis, schedule
Write on book/story
Work
Crochet
Burritos
Water garden
Tues
Work
workout
write
work
knit ear flaps and make pompom
ham scalloped potatoes
Water garden
Wed
Work
workout
write
work
crochet
frozen pizza
water garden
Thursday
work
workout
Home!
whatever I can figure for dinner
crochet
Friday
I'm off!
Up early.
Clean
write 2000 words.
nap
Saturday:
Michaels 9AM-130PM
Thursday, May 17, 2018
Pagan: A Religious experience
I am a Hellenic pagan. My patrons are Hera and Hermes.
This has been a given in my life for several years now.
Last year, a year and a day ago to be precise, I dedicated myself to my gods.
Today, the Morrigan called me.
And I don't mean called, I mean Called.
There are a lot of crows by where I work.
Today, one sat on the street lamp right in front of my bus and talked to me until I answered. We went back and forth, amusing my fellow drivers.
Finally, I said "Tell your lady, I hear the message."
The crow cocked its head and then flew off.
I saw about five more and then had a vision of the Morrigan
She stood astride a stream, storm clouds behind her, tall and dark haired, black feather-cloak fluttering in the breeze over blue glass armor (thank you Julian May for set-designing my religious experiences?). She looked at me and said "Come home."
That was all, but something in my head said "You've been dallying with the Greeks too long. Come home, Niall's son."
I'm...not sure what to make of it. It's time to do my homework on the Battle Lady. She has work for me.
This has been a given in my life for several years now.
Last year, a year and a day ago to be precise, I dedicated myself to my gods.
Today, the Morrigan called me.
And I don't mean called, I mean Called.
There are a lot of crows by where I work.
Today, one sat on the street lamp right in front of my bus and talked to me until I answered. We went back and forth, amusing my fellow drivers.
Finally, I said "Tell your lady, I hear the message."
The crow cocked its head and then flew off.
I saw about five more and then had a vision of the Morrigan
She stood astride a stream, storm clouds behind her, tall and dark haired, black feather-cloak fluttering in the breeze over blue glass armor (thank you Julian May for set-designing my religious experiences?). She looked at me and said "Come home."
That was all, but something in my head said "You've been dallying with the Greeks too long. Come home, Niall's son."
I'm...not sure what to make of it. It's time to do my homework on the Battle Lady. She has work for me.
Monday, April 23, 2018
Encountering problems in loved material
Sometimes, growing up is just no fun at all.
I have been re-engaging with two book series I loved in my teens. (yes, we had writing then, smartmouth. We had left pictograms behind around the time I hit double digits) And both are bothering me a lot.
I've listed to the audiobooks for Edgar Rice Burroughs' Mars series. It's been about three years since I last visited the red planet. And I am reading Julian May's Milieu and Pliocene series in order, which I have never done. I've read them all repeatedly, but never in order.
Let's start with Burroughs. I have fought my way from frozen south pole to frozen north pole beside Captain John Carter of Virginia scores of times. But this time... I am disappointed. I didn't remember Dejah Thoris being so much of an object. Kidnapped here, carried off there, desired by everyone but with almost no agency of her own. I don't think she says ANYTHING in Warlord of Mars, except her husband's name.
Carter is obsessed with his wife, with getting her back. It colors every page and feels more stalkery and possessive than loving. Everyone else is obsessed with her too.
Burroughs can write interesting female characters. Sola, the only green martian who has known love in a thousand generations. Thuvia, who can command the martian lions. Jealous, spoiled Phaidor, who redeems herself. Valla Dia, who finds herself trapped in the body of an elderly queen instead of her own beautiful shape, and Xaxa, the wicked queen who is willing to buy youth and beauty to continue ruling her people with an iron hand. Dejah Thoris is not interesting after the first book. I liked the movie version better.
The racism, as would be expected for books a hundred years old, is nearly painful. Anti-Native American sentiment. The blacks stereotyped as warriors and brutal ones. The cannibalism, I can almost write off as both black and white martians do it, feeding on the lower orders of human as humans feed on animals. The yellow men of the north pole, with their fierce black beards, are steeped in decadence and orientalism, including fiendish tortures. Although they are not the only race to practice it, the torture somehow becomes part of the general orientalism.
I am unsure I want to continue.
Julian May did her work in the 80s and 90s. Coming back to it thirty years later... and yeah, it has a lot of problems. I'm four books into the nine. Eleazer Wheelock for one.
The whole idea of Ethnic Planets seems really awkward. I thought it sounded cool before. Hey, go emigrate to the Irish planet of Hibernia, raise sheep, spin, weave and dye, play the bodhran and sing the old songs, eating soda bread and coddle and swilling Guinness. I could do that.
but these days, that feels very isolationist and a little racist.
Too the planets are so...white.
The Africans have to petition for more planets. their primary psychic groups were wiped out, and the Milieu wants colonists who are psychic. Ditto the Chinese. (and if the celtic genes are such hot stuff psychically, why do the Irish only have one planet)
This is by no means complete, since there are 784 human planets. But, in addition to the cosmop worlds, the planet wiki lists:
Canadian
French (4)
American (5), one an Alaskan planet
Russian (2)
Japanese (3)
African (2)
Scottish (2)
Laplander
German
Irish
British (2)
New Zealand
Brazilian
India
Albanian (yet Lithuanians didn't have enough "ethnic dynamism.")
Polynesian
It's going to continue to be interesting and a little difficult.
I still want my Dalriada Wind Surfer Racing Team tshirt though...
I have been re-engaging with two book series I loved in my teens. (yes, we had writing then, smartmouth. We had left pictograms behind around the time I hit double digits) And both are bothering me a lot.
I've listed to the audiobooks for Edgar Rice Burroughs' Mars series. It's been about three years since I last visited the red planet. And I am reading Julian May's Milieu and Pliocene series in order, which I have never done. I've read them all repeatedly, but never in order.
Let's start with Burroughs. I have fought my way from frozen south pole to frozen north pole beside Captain John Carter of Virginia scores of times. But this time... I am disappointed. I didn't remember Dejah Thoris being so much of an object. Kidnapped here, carried off there, desired by everyone but with almost no agency of her own. I don't think she says ANYTHING in Warlord of Mars, except her husband's name.
Carter is obsessed with his wife, with getting her back. It colors every page and feels more stalkery and possessive than loving. Everyone else is obsessed with her too.
Burroughs can write interesting female characters. Sola, the only green martian who has known love in a thousand generations. Thuvia, who can command the martian lions. Jealous, spoiled Phaidor, who redeems herself. Valla Dia, who finds herself trapped in the body of an elderly queen instead of her own beautiful shape, and Xaxa, the wicked queen who is willing to buy youth and beauty to continue ruling her people with an iron hand. Dejah Thoris is not interesting after the first book. I liked the movie version better.
The racism, as would be expected for books a hundred years old, is nearly painful. Anti-Native American sentiment. The blacks stereotyped as warriors and brutal ones. The cannibalism, I can almost write off as both black and white martians do it, feeding on the lower orders of human as humans feed on animals. The yellow men of the north pole, with their fierce black beards, are steeped in decadence and orientalism, including fiendish tortures. Although they are not the only race to practice it, the torture somehow becomes part of the general orientalism.
I am unsure I want to continue.
Julian May did her work in the 80s and 90s. Coming back to it thirty years later... and yeah, it has a lot of problems. I'm four books into the nine. Eleazer Wheelock for one.
The song used to be a Dartmouth staple and is no longer sung because it is racist as are the dining hall murals (shown in the video)
Yet, May has Dartmouth alums singing it into the mid 21st century, seeming unnoticing.
Yet, May has Dartmouth alums singing it into the mid 21st century, seeming unnoticing.
The whole idea of Ethnic Planets seems really awkward. I thought it sounded cool before. Hey, go emigrate to the Irish planet of Hibernia, raise sheep, spin, weave and dye, play the bodhran and sing the old songs, eating soda bread and coddle and swilling Guinness. I could do that.
but these days, that feels very isolationist and a little racist.
Too the planets are so...white.
The Africans have to petition for more planets. their primary psychic groups were wiped out, and the Milieu wants colonists who are psychic. Ditto the Chinese. (and if the celtic genes are such hot stuff psychically, why do the Irish only have one planet)
This is by no means complete, since there are 784 human planets. But, in addition to the cosmop worlds, the planet wiki lists:
Canadian
French (4)
American (5), one an Alaskan planet
Russian (2)
Japanese (3)
African (2)
Scottish (2)
Laplander
German
Irish
British (2)
New Zealand
Brazilian
India
Albanian (yet Lithuanians didn't have enough "ethnic dynamism.")
Polynesian
It's going to continue to be interesting and a little difficult.
I still want my Dalriada Wind Surfer Racing Team tshirt though...
Sunday, April 1, 2018
Where to find me
This is a semi-regular post, since I am on a number of social media platforms
Google +: https://plus.google.com/u/0/109095070780997668594
(I only have 9 followers. You are guaranteed NOT to get lost in the crowd)
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nick.rowan.9678
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/NickRowan
$1 gets you a story every month and possibly some nice knitting or crochet item.
Twitter: https://twitter.com/NickRowan16
Mostly reposts from other sites, but some original content. I frequently harass politicians here.
Tumblr: http://nicholasrowan.tumblr.com/
Fan activity, photodumps and fun
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/valarltd/
My filing cabinet: food, paganism, crafting, novel casting
And of course
Blogger: https://nicholasrowansp.blogspot.com/
Google +: https://plus.google.com/u/0/109095070780997668594
(I only have 9 followers. You are guaranteed NOT to get lost in the crowd)
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nick.rowan.9678
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/NickRowan
$1 gets you a story every month and possibly some nice knitting or crochet item.
Twitter: https://twitter.com/NickRowan16
Mostly reposts from other sites, but some original content. I frequently harass politicians here.
Tumblr: http://nicholasrowan.tumblr.com/
Fan activity, photodumps and fun
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/valarltd/
My filing cabinet: food, paganism, crafting, novel casting
And of course
Blogger: https://nicholasrowansp.blogspot.com/
Friday, March 30, 2018
Overheard tonight
It was a productive writing session.
*ting ting ting of falling garden weasel* Cirrus, you ninny, you almost got mulched.
"They're moving on killing all the black people."
"Perkins isn't there to put it off."
"What the fuck are you two writing?!"
"Porn."
"Who's the guy in the CS?"
"John Hill."
"Ever meet a fellow by the name of Hill?"
"You're fired."
A: "Logan is office furniture."
B: "I think [Actor] would make very cute office furniture."
A: "[Actor] blowing [Other actor] under the desk."
C: You have my attention.
D&E: All of our attention
B: And I'm just having The Pretty...
A: Your turn.
B: Shhh. Pretty.
A: James is in Italy. Logan is offering to David.
C: [Actor] and [David's Actor]?
B: Shhh. Pretty. Think that shot from Numbers.
"Did we just Italian Job our main character?"
"Yep."
(Flipping through photo folder)
"That's hot. Who is it?"
"Me. Thirty years ago."
"WHOA!"
"Told you I was skinny once."
*ting ting ting of falling garden weasel* Cirrus, you ninny, you almost got mulched.
"They're moving on killing all the black people."
"Perkins isn't there to put it off."
"What the fuck are you two writing?!"
"Porn."
"Who's the guy in the CS?"
"John Hill."
"Ever meet a fellow by the name of Hill?"
"You're fired."
A: "Logan is office furniture."
B: "I think [Actor] would make very cute office furniture."
A: "[Actor] blowing [Other actor] under the desk."
C: You have my attention.
D&E: All of our attention
B: And I'm just having The Pretty...
A: Your turn.
B: Shhh. Pretty.
A: James is in Italy. Logan is offering to David.
C: [Actor] and [David's Actor]?
B: Shhh. Pretty. Think that shot from Numbers.
"Did we just Italian Job our main character?"
"Yep."
(Flipping through photo folder)
"That's hot. Who is it?"
"Me. Thirty years ago."
"WHOA!"
"Told you I was skinny once."
Sunday, March 25, 2018
Planning for the week ahead
Sunday:
grocery, shop and put away
laundry, wash, dry
dishes
clean car
Stake out garden and flower bed
garden weasel
plant flowers
plant lettuce, onion, spinach and other straight-in stuff
plant herbs, check seedlings
more dishes
watch movie
put clothes away
layout for tomorrow
have gym stuff ready
make sausage pancake puppies
make lunch
eat late and take meds
Monday:
Work
gym, cardio
write on trickster rit
lunch
work
home
ham and stuffing for dinner
Tues
Work
gym, weights
write on short story
lunch
work
home
spaghetti
Write with Gabriel
Wed
Work
gym, cardio
write on short story
lunch
work
home
ham and swiss pie
Thurs
Work
gym, weights
write on short story
lunch
work
home
pork roast, noodles
Fri
off!
Meatloaf and mashed potatoes
Write with Gabriel
Saturday:
9-5:15, Michaels.
BBQ pork and fries
Sunday:
Trickster rit
more dishes
watch movie
put clothes away
layout for tomorrow
have gym stuff ready
make sausage pancake puppies
make lunch
eat late and take meds
Monday:
Work
gym, cardio
write on trickster rit
lunch
work
home
ham and stuffing for dinner
Tues
Work
gym, weights
write on short story
lunch
work
home
spaghetti
Write with Gabriel
Wed
Work
gym, cardio
write on short story
lunch
work
home
ham and swiss pie
Thurs
Work
gym, weights
write on short story
lunch
work
home
pork roast, noodles
Fri
off!
Meatloaf and mashed potatoes
Write with Gabriel
Saturday:
9-5:15, Michaels.
BBQ pork and fries
Sunday:
Trickster rit
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