The Elaine Report: Feb 6, 2013

From Richard III to Beutel-Ei Nr. 1 in 8 steps.

• Reconstructing Richard III's Face So glad they did this! The portraits existent are so flat and characterless. There's a good description of digital facial construction and its limitations.
• Indian women robbed of their uteruses by money grubbing doctors ... and the government does nothing. Many women now convinced they cannot recover from illness without a hysterectomy. 
• New York city negotiating with Air BnB to keep visitors off the street. I was an Air BnB host for about a year. I met some intriguing, kind travelers who appreciated my local expertise. And helped pay my bills.
• Turns out being miles underground is the best way to study dark matter and get real peace and quiet.
• Microscopic nutrients from the Sahara rain on the Amazon. We are all one ecosystem, ya'll! Not a lot of other facts or explanations in this brief article with a Nikon-sponsored video of lovely shots of the Sahara.
• 21 Things You Should Never Buy at a Garage Sale. Full of ooky bugs and germs! Would have been better to tell us what we should buy.
• Internet to be replaced by esoteric time stream. Note the napkin sketch at the end of the article. Doesn't really help. Tumbled it.
• Technology aging backwards? I don't get it. Read about three paragraphs and became overcome by dark matter.
• Seamless beautiful backpack made of wool. The artist named it an Egg Bag. It is sort of egg shaped. Looks more like a Lady Bug to me. Pinned it.

merry old christmas image ... or not

My 1999 Holiday Image

Sky 282 - darkly

Current Fads
Listening. But Not For Me - Ella Fitzgerald; C'est Si Bon - Yves Montand
Watching. The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)
Activity. believing the dreams
Gadget. crochet hook and knitting needles
News Source. the news feeds in Safari
Reading. Death of a Valentine - M.C. Beaton; The Wisdom of No Escape - Pema Chodron; The Secret Adversary - Agatha Christie; Mensa Journal
Writing. as little as possible

Signs of the Season

Trick ice skating in Second Life. Easy cheesy!

1. 14 and half pages of trustee sales in Style Weekly.
2. Ineffable sadness coupled with irrational exuberance. 
3. Mailbox stuffed with special offers and catalogs. 
4. The urge to hop a plane to someplace warm where I can lay on the beach and have drinks brought to me.
5. The urge to escape to a local pub.
6. Friends disappearing into their families.
7. The appearance of holiday novels.
8. Winter Fest in Second Life.
9. The grinding to a halt of all normal activities and events.
10. The absence of neighbors.

no direction and nothing in particular

Current Fads
Listening. Songs From the Labyrinth, Sting and Genius Mixes; machine whirrs
Watching. Bridget Jones Diary (2001)
Activity. following my nose
Gadget. iPhone 3GS
News Source. the news feeds in Safari
Reading. Better Read Than Dead - Victoria Laurie; Refuse to Choose - Barbara Sher
Writing. a novel
Ap of the Day: GPS Lite
Song of the Day: Girl in the War, Josh Ritter

Virtually New Year's

From the comfort of my computer chair, I was able to watch and participate in three New Year's Eve bashes in Second Life with a bonus round in Farmville. Farmville was cute and I had my own dropping ball and I got a free level up for using it. On the other hand, Second Life was amazing! I suppose it's unfair to think that a static presentation can compete with a dynamic virtual world.

The Lindens put together a 24-hour circle of dropping balls and fireworks. There's nothing like dancing atop the pinnacle of a huge tower while others float around you and fireworks go off. It was wild. I joined the party at the half-way mark, just after London came into 2010. Then I watched The Azores and the Sandwich Islands cross over.

To wind down, I had my own fireworks event at the Blue Moon Tavern (on Gaia Rising) to celebrate the Blue Moon New Year.

I had such an expansive experience. Far better than one little local New Year's. Nice to get the total Earth perspective.

Added 1/4/10: Watch my Island Paradise rocket launch.

Midsummer Greetings!

Auspicious friendly greetings and happy wishes for MidSummer!

Everybody's Gone for the Weekend

... and maybe longer. The depletion of humans has been going on for days now. I first noticed it two days ago when I quickly found a spot in the sun at Ellwood Thompsons to have my lunch. Now Richmond is practically a ghost town! This is great! The weather is lovely and I get all the hot spots to myself. No worry about dog crowding down at the river. Lots of space to roam in the parks. I can eat al fresco anywhere in all the best spots of any location. Few cars on the street (although the percentage of idiots seems to have mysteriously risen – guys on cell phones, old people asleep at the wheel, those who apparently live in their cars and don't feel the need to actually drive when on a road, etc.) Aside from that one little glitch it's great. I'm going to thoroughly enjoy my time alone in peace and quiet. No need to go anywhere. I have this lovely resort town all to myself in the fabulous Memorial Day Weekend weather. woo hoo! (Did I mention I'm happy to be alone here for a few days?)
Current Fads slacking
Listening. recently purchased tunes (unpublished); hedge trimmer and dogs barking (the hired help are doing a big number next door and she's not even there!)
Watching. Shrek (2001)
Activity. reading
Gadget. cell phone
News Source. Google News
Reading. The Haunted Abbot - Peter Tremayne; Real Energy - Phaedra and Isaac Bonewits; A Free Course in Making Your Own Talisman - Karl Hans Welz
Writing. not writing (except journaling and well, here)
Actually, it would be totally perfect if you were here, too.

xmas again

Well, I was going to post my homey little lights photo from last year, but then I found this: Katalyst Films Holiday Video

Much better, don't you think?

me, only sicker

One of the horrible situations one finds oneself in when one lives alone is being ill with no one to attend you. I'm not talking about life threatening illness (for which relatives come out of the woodwork), I mean the ordinary everyday sort of sickness like a really, really bad cold, such as the one I have today. It has been coming on for days now and I didn't know it. I was ambushed yesterday and lay in bed and watched movies most of the day and night. Today is the same only worse.

Yesterday I had to haul my sick self out and purchase cold remedies. It had been so long since the last time I had a cold I couldn't remember what decongestant worked best. I remembered Nyquil, that blessed elixir of pain free deep sleep. So I got some healing sleep last night.

Today, however, I needed someone to riffle through my clothes and find soft warm things to put on after a lovely hot bath with epsom salts and euchilyptus oil. Someone to clean the tub first and run the water. Someone to find warm soft towels. Someone to care for the dog and do the dishes. Someone to sweep the floors which suddenly look germ infested. Someone to change out the smelly sheets for clean fragrant ones. Someone to run out to the video shop and find consoling humorous films to distract me.

You know, someone to cater to my every whim. I am, after all, the sick one. I know what will make me feel better. Right now it seems as if a moderate walk with the dog in the cool fresh sunshine would be lovely. I may actually do that.
Current Fads
Listening. recently purchased tunes (unpublished); a pin drop (everyone has left for Thanksgiving)
Watching. The Man With One Red Shoe (1993)
Activity. treading the sloppy wandering path of recovery from a rediculously brutal cold I do not deserve; fearfully watching the days go by and the word count needed to finish my novel draft by the end of the month multiply
Gadget. anything that plays movies
News Source. you gotta be kidding me
Reading. amusing detective novels by Simon Brett

midsummer

Light candles. Blow them out in reverse. Pluck up tiny weeds. Remove the dried dead fronds of blooms returned to earth. Pace the garden. Note the flavor of the wind. Contemplate holly leaves dreaming of winter. Select a mimosa bloom for pressing. Hear subtle music.

Happy Solstice!

Songs of the Day: One Guitar, No Vocals – Leo Kottke

Perfect Memorial

After all the half-sunny weekends and rainy weeks, it looks like we are going to have the perfect Memorial Day weekend here in sedate, casual Richmond VA.

Mine has already started with a patriotic free lunch compete with military vets, red, white and blue balloons, and a beautiful woman singing a ballad. And, they let us go early. So, here I am!

My plan is to have a lot of unstructured time when I can do what I wish. So far I've done some weeding and sat in the sun reading junk mail. I have a lot of options and, as usual, more to do than time to do it in. Isn't it lovely!

Well, I'm going back to unstructured time to maybe play with my SL dolly and have tea with friends ... or not.

Current Fads
Listening. Peculiaroso, Leo Kottke and Sixty-six Steps, Leo Kottke; humm of lawn mowers
Watching. The Fifth Element (1997)
Activity. living la vida loca
Gadget. Palm Zire 31
News Source. Google News
Reading. The Highly Sensitive Person's Workbook - Elaine Aron; Living in the Heart - Drunvalo Melchizedek; The Lord of the Rings - J.R.R. Tolkien; Wicca - Vivianne Crowley; junk mail (Yes, I really am reading them all right now—I'm a reading addict. What can I say?)

King for a Day

Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly. –Dr. Martin Luther King

These words and others like them (taken from Dr. King's letter from a Birmingham jail) were words read this morning by the congregation where I attend church services. I decided to copy the wording from the hymnal before leaving but forgot because an amazing singer, Desiree Roots Senteio, had sung for us. I had to stop and thank her for sharing her vibrant voice. So, when I got home I searched the web for "mutuality" and "king" and found a number of sites, none of which quote the letter as it was written, but which, like the reading in my church hymnal, have combined a collection of inspiring sentences from that letter into a couple of paragraphs. (The link from the title of this entry goes to the full letter.)

I have a memory of seeing Dr. King on a black and white television giving his "I have a Dream" speech. I remember how strong and vibrant his words were. "I have a dream..." When I heard him and saw him my heart said "At last!" At last someone was brave enough to stand up with strength and compassion against the tide of corrupt prejudice. At last someone had the skill to lead with bravery and idealism instead of with anger and violence.

I've heard the question before, in school (where I was asked to write an essay), "What would the world be like if you were king?" Well, what would it be like?

what I really like about Christmas

Is that it makes everything shiny and bright.

Fabulous Virginia Fall

This time right now, including yesterday and the previous couple of days and probably tomorrow and the day after, is the time to be here in Richmond. It's warm enough to eat outside in the sun while enjoying a view of riotous fall color. And listening to kids screaming and birds and squirrels carrying the news. It's really not fair to be inside writing a novel however far behind I am (about 10,000 words).

My greenleaf maple has finally, after four years, decided to become as advertised – edged in red in the fall. I really like the way the inside of the plant stays green while the outer edges get red. It hasn't done this before. It used to just drop its leaves.

And here I am inside not writing a novel and I'm really far behind. I will not stay home on Thanksgiving and catch up by writing 6,000 words in one day. I'm glad I got through it last year but it nearly took all the fun out of writing. The plan this year is to catch up by writing a little extra every day. Especially since Mom is making dinner on Thanksgiving and she's a great cook.

Too bad her great cooking talent didn't rub off on me or creep in by osmosis. Although I have managed to concoct a nice breakfast fritatta that's done all in the pan with eggs, cream, goat cheese and fresh spinach. I have it nearly every day.

Well, I have come far enough from the intent of this post and spent a long enough time not writing my novel. I must get back to it. If only I could justify spending $50 to get a legal copy of Documents to Go so I could write outside. Damn. I might do it anyway. Although, wouldn't that just take more time?

Season of the Pumpkin

Pumpkins aren't just for Halloween although that's one of their more enjoyable uses. Well, pumpkin pies are tasty, too. One year I actually went to the trouble of saving the carved out pumpkin and making pies with it. Another year I tried to make my own roasted pumpkin seeds. It was an interesting experiment but I highly recommend you buy them instead. Another year I got the little pie pumpkins. It's all the same. Pumpkin is pumpkin and it's all good.

Recycling is important with left over pumpkins. Don't let them sit on your front porch collapsing into gooey masses and attracting flies. Colorado and Ireland are particularly interested in seeing you properly recycle them. Just be sure you remove the seeds before you throw them on the compost heap or you'll have a boat load of vines next summer. The vines are quite attractive, especially as they cover up the rotting compost. However, you'll find yourself opening a pumpkin stand if you're not careful!

Thanksgiving isn't Thanksgiving without a pumpkin pie. I love it. I could eat it all year round. On my journeys around the world I discovered that there's nothing as American as pumpkin pie, even though here in the US of A the saying is "apple pie." Apple pie is actually not an American preserve. It's a self deception we live with every day. In Lebanon they make some tasty pumpkin items (for St. Barbara's Day if I remember correctly) but only in American do we make the pies. Or maybe it should be "There's nothing as American as sweet potato pie." But that's another story.