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Below are the 25 most recent journal entries recorded in the "Eric of Clann tSuibhne" journal:

[<< Previous 25 entries]

August 4th, 2008

11:55 pm

[Link]

More Out

So.

I've finally gotten to work, and got myself back up to having three stories submitted again. I have one other shortie that I could probably finish up soon, and I've got a market in mind that'd be a perfect first try - their submission guidelines say it's exactly the kind of story they're looking for.

OK. Bedtime!

Current Location: Corvid Manner
Current Mood: accomplished
Current Music: Black '47, "James Connolly", Fire of Freedom
Tags: writerly concerns

*2 Poppets~Speak Directly Into the Rectangle*

July 31st, 2008

03:23 pm

[Link]

Tales from the Data Refinery

So.

There's nothing like coming into a conference room at the national headquarters of a financial services firm - an industry very well known for its whole-hearted embrace of levity and fun - and finding that whoever handles the office supplies opted to buy some Mr. Sketch fruit-scented markers for the whiteboard.

Current Location: Data Refinery
Current Mood: amused
Current Music: A very loud copy machine across the hallway.
Tags: amusement, data refinery

*3 Poppets~Speak Directly Into the Rectangle*

July 30th, 2008

08:51 am

[Link]

Am I the only one disturbed by the fact

That Madison has a Senior Planner named Rick Roll? It makes me afraid to drive down any unfamiliar streets in town, y'know?

OK. Off to Meetingland.

Current Location: Data Refinery
Current Mood: amused
Tags: amusement, links, madison

*6 Poppets~Speak Directly Into the Rectangle*

July 29th, 2008

09:35 pm

[Link]

Also?

Compliments of Bent Objects, one of the most delightfully wrong images I've seen in quite some time:

Current Location: Escape Java Joint
Current Mood: amused
Current Music: Unter Null, "Sick Fuck (Aesthetic Perfection Mix)", Endzeit Bunkertracks
Tags: amusement, links, morbidity

*5 Poppets~Speak Directly Into the Rectangle*

07:23 pm

[Link]

This Summer's Grand Adventure

So.

Here's the itinerary for the trip Avanti, Nigel, & I are taking in a couple of weeks. The goal of the trip is to take a picture that will embarrass Nigel, which makes for a great excuse to just hop on the bike and tromp on out to one of the far edges of the continent.

Aug 7th: Leave work. Drive up to Shawano, WI and stay with my mom or brother for the night.

Aug 8th: Traverse the UP and cross the border into Canuckistan at Sault Ste Marie. Stay at Massey Motel, Massey, ON.

Aug 9th: ~~Find somewhere to stay~~ Stay at a guest suite at

beable's apartment complex in Ottawa, ON. Hang with

beable (who shall be in Newfoundland the week before me) &

tithenai (who shall be visiting there a week after me).

Aug 10th: Leave Ottawa for Quebec. Attempt to keep my Francophobe ass alive in a Francophone area.
Find somewhere to stay in Riviere du Loup, QC (there's a Days Inn that looks nice, and hopefully somebody speaks English there...).

Aug 11th: Return to the English-speaking world. Stay at Captain's Inn, Alma, NB. Overlooks the Bay of Fundy.

Aug 12th: Zip across Prince Edward Island en route to "New Scotland". Stay at the appropriately named Clansman Motel, Cape Breton, NS.

Aug 13th: Take the ferry to the south end of Newfoundland. Stay at Castle Landing Guest Home, Placentia, NL.

Aug 14th: Take the soon-to-be-infamous picture of Nigel. Hopefully, hit the cape outside of St. Johns which is the farthest east you can go in North America outside of Greenland. Stay at Lush Cottages, Cormack, NL.

Aug 15th: Hop the ferry to Laborador. Stay at Beachside Hospitality B&B, L'anse au Clair, NL.

Aug 16th: Hop back to Newfoundland. Stay at Hotel Port aux Basques.

Aug 17th. Bid a fond farewell to Newfoundland. Return to Captain's Inn, Alma, NB.

Aug 18th: Exit Canada. Decide that I can't pass up the chance to stay at the Mt. Madison Motel in Mt. Madison, NH.

Aug 19th: Doodle through the Adirondack State Forest on the way to stay with

cheenah & Paul of the extremely rarely updated LJ.

Aug 20th: Swing past Syracuse to visit

twunkle on the way down to Pittsburgh if that's feasible (the Albany-Pittsburgh leg is the longest one of the trip). Hopefully, stay with

ekilon &

uugengiven.

Aug 21st: Down to Charleston, WV. Hopefully, stay with

bloodlossgirl & Dr. Nick.

Aug 22nd: Enjoy the last of the interesting riding on the way to the Indianapolis area. Hopefully, stay with Cat of No LJ.

Aug 23rd: Attempt to stay awake on the long, straight, flat roads of W. Indiana & N. Illinois on the way home.

Aug 24th: Rest.

Current Location: Corvid Manner
Current Mood: excited
Current Music: Is that distant thunder I hear???
Tags: amusement, links, motorcycles, nigel, p33pz, travels

*20 Poppets~Speak Directly Into the Rectangle*

July 26th, 2008

07:23 pm

[Link]

Photography Challenge - "Shooting from the Hip" Days 5 & 6

Don't Look
Passers-by at King St & Wilson St.

Since I totally failed yesterday and didn't bring my camera when I went out, I took a bonus picture today.

( One More )

I realized today that I've got an evergreen outside three of the four corners of my house (a yew at the SW, the big cedar to the NW, and a yew & two hollies at the NE). I've also got four holly bushes along the south side of the house. I think I need to plant an evergreen at the SW corner, to keep things symmetrical. Maybe I should transplant that little juniper from the back corner of the yard to the front corner of the house...

Current Location: Corvid Manner
Current Mood: accomplished
Current Music: Covenant, "Liquid Sky", Sequencer
Tags: corvid manner, madison, pics

*Speak Directly Into the Rectangle*

July 24th, 2008

07:59 pm

[Link]

Photography Challenge - "Shooting from the Hip" Day 4
Now with s00per s33krit Neopagan symbolism!

One of my baby oaks
At ten years old, they're no longer just little babies. They're finally a good head taller than me.

Current Location: Corvid Manner
Current Mood: amused
Tags: corvid manner, pics

*Speak Directly Into the Rectangle*

July 23rd, 2008

10:13 pm

[Link]

Photography Challenge - "Shooting from the Hip" Day 3

Another Cat of the Manner
This time, it's one, beady little eye of Alistair, who lives upstairs with Ms.

bleaknimue & Ms.

mimory.

***

Also? I've got five words for all of you, that make me simply pity all of your poor souls who do not live in Madison. Those five words?

Gail Ambrosius Mexican Chocolate Sorbet

I've been totally jonesing for the sensation of a quality, dark chocolate frozen treat with a flaming bite of cayenne in it since Chocolate Coyote down on State St. closed. Now I've got some, here in the privacy of my own home.

And hot damn is it good!

***

Furthermore. Check the music selection. I've never heard a "you fucking cocksocket, I hate you and I hate myself for ever having let myself love your evil, useless, manipulative ass" song performed in such a viscerally arousing manner.

***

For further reference, confirmations for the following:

Aug 8th: Massey Motel, Massey, ON.

Aug 13th: Castle Landing Guest Home, Placentia, NL.

Aug 14th: Lush Cottages, Cormack, NL.

Aug 15th: Beachside Hospitality B&B, L'anse-au-Clair, NL.

***

In conclusion.

My first choice for accommodations in Placentia was at Rosedale Manor. I called to inquire about availability, and sadly found they were booked for that night. So, I asked kindly if they could recommend another local establishment. The gentleman who owns the place handed me over to his wife, who was happy to email me a list of local B&Bs. She asked for my email address, and I gave her my gmail address, which makes my corvidophile ways very clear.

"How did you get that address?" she asked.

"I got my gmail account pretty early on," I said.

"Oh. It's too bad you won't be able to stay with us. My husband absolutely adores crows."

A bit more conversation ensues. She mentions both a murder and an unkindness that live near their place, and how they like to watch them from their garden. She assures me I must at least stop over for a cup of tea or coffee before leaving Placentia.

When her email arrives, she mentions that the soap at their B&B has a crow on the label, and that:

Philip [her husband] is thinking about writing a children's book about crows - since people in Newfoundland seem to have a weird attitude towards them - and some are actually afraid of them. Philip's Grandmother used to sprinkle "holy water" around when a crow came in the yard. His fear of people hurting crows is why he wants to write the book.

Philip has a painting of a crow on his Newfoundland boat.

I am now kicking myself for not calling them early enough to stay at their place. I sent a nice reply of thanks, with a picture of Avanti, Avanti's handlebar crow, and Nigel included to firmly establish my crow cred with such wonderful people. She's reaffirmed her desire to have me stop by while I'm in town.

So, to my two dear Ottawan friends who will also be visiting Newfoundland next month. Based on the extreme friendliness and corviphilience of the proprietors, may I recommend that you check them out if you're needing a place to stay on the south side of the island?

Current Location: Corvid Manner
Current Mood: excited
Current Music: Unter Null, "You Have Fallen From Grace", The Failure Epiphany
Tags: cats, corvid manner, corvids, links, madison, motorcycles, nerdishness, nigel, pics, pimpage, t00nz, travels

*13 Poppets~Speak Directly Into the Rectangle*

July 22nd, 2008

10:03 pm

[Link]

Photography Challenge - "Shooting from the Hip" Day 2

Ibn in Motion
Clearly demonstrating that he is shedding like nobody's business, so I really need to crack out the vacuum soon.

***

This is a not uncommon view of Ibn Cat. He often charges from room to room ahead of me - typically from living room to kitchen, hoping against all odds and well-established precedent that I'm going to put more food into his bowl.

Talked to the guy at the BMW dealership. The issue is, fortunately, one of the suspected issues I brought my bike in for - dead rear shock absorber. The upside is that the problem is neither unexpected nor traumatic. The downside is that the OEM part is available now, where a much less expensive aftermarket isn't available until after I need my bike back. So, the bite is a bit bigger than it could have been.

Current Location: Corvid Manner
Current Mood: okay
Tags: cats, motorcycles, pics

*2 Poppets~Speak Directly Into the Rectangle*

July 21st, 2008

09:19 pm

[Link]

Photography Challenge - "Shoot from the hip" day 1

First step in taming a feral root thing.
Here's Ms.

bleaknimue cleaning a massive root ball of a former decorative evergreen (most likely either a juniper or a yew) that she scavenged from a neighbor's landscaping adventures. This will eventually become a root mother, for display of her beasties at shows.

***

Had a lovely weekend with

ladyhawker & Silverdrake. I got to see the inside of the Baha'i House of Worship in Chicago - the only Baha'i temple in North America. It's a very beautiful building, where the architecture is heavily informed by sacred principals.

And, we did a lot of chillin'. And, we caught Dark Knight, with Ms.

bleaknimue opting for another viewing of Hellboy II instead, as the newest Batman was quite above her current violence threshold, and because she's totally Del Toro's bitch.

I smacked out about 3,000 words of mighty fictions last week, and it's time for me to enjoy some Something Wonderful while I pound out some more. Fortunately, the totally wanktastic new disc at nine for tonight will be over shortly, and Dr. Parks will hopefully set phasers for "aggressively crunchy".

Also. I dropped Avanti off at the dealer last week to get a 6,000 mile maintenance and have a couple of annoyances checked out. Today, I had a message on my machine asking me to call them, on account of some things they found. Such conversations never end without some pain. Hopefully it's a manageable pain that'll prevent some nasty physical pain while I'm tromping through Canada & New England next month.

Current Location: Corvid Manner
Current Mood: busy
Current Music: Something wanktastically shoe-gazery on Something Wonderful
Tags: janeness, motorcycles, pics, t00nz

*3 Poppets~Speak Directly Into the Rectangle*

July 18th, 2008

06:22 pm

[Link]

Photography Challenge - Bokeh: Day 6

Invasion
I'm not sure whether I should be totally ashamed, or very proud of myself that I've been gaming since 8th grade, and this is the only miniature I own.

***

OK. Ms.

bleaknimue & I are off to the 'burbs of Chicago to visit

ladyhawker & Drake of No LJ. Catch you all later!

Current Location: Corvid Manner
Current Mood: busy
Tags: pics

*10 Poppets~Speak Directly Into the Rectangle*

July 17th, 2008

09:07 pm

[Link]

Photography Challenge - Bokeh: Day 5

Feather
Doesn't everybody have feathers randomly hanging down into the archway between their living and dining rooms?

To be fair, though, it's not truly random. The feather is actually at the end of one of the strings of beads hanging from the head of my spear.

***

So. I've recently noticed some more system slowness on the ol' computer here in the living room. The problem appeared to be related to iTunes - to the point that opening it up at all would bog my computer down to a complete standstill. I did a couple of restarts, and noticed that opening iTunes did it every time.

So. I checked the task manager, and noticed 15 f()*&in instances of AppleMobileDeviceHelper.exe open. Fifteen instances. Did some more checking about on the intart00bz, and found that this is one of those things iTunes automatically installs whenever you upgrade, to let you synch your iPhone or AppleTV to your iTunes.

Since I own neither, I don't need that damned program running. I certainly don't need fifteen instances of it running, probably sitting around watching everything I do, waiting for me to plug in an overpriced hipster status symbol. So, I removed the stupid program, and my compy is running much smoother.

So... Apple. WTF? Why install some passel of waste code on my box that you didn't tell me about or give me the option to refuse? Since it's only there to interface with an iPhone, why not bundle it with the iPhone software? Because I guarantee you there are shitloads of iTunes users without iPhones, but I'll bet every single iPhone cultist out there has iTunes, y'know?

And, seriously, having a bug in your waste code that makes it open fifteen instances of itself every time I open iTunes? That was cool. Cool like the plasma cushion on a reentering spacecraft.

Current Location: Corvid Manner
Current Mood: annoyed
Current Music: Negative Format, "Our Mechanix", Result of a New Culture
Tags: corvid manner, corvids, fucknuggets, pics, snark, wtf?

*11 Poppets~Speak Directly Into the Rectangle*

July 16th, 2008

06:14 pm

[Link]

Photography Challenge - Bokeh: Day 4

Sharp Focus

x-posted to

photog_xp

Current Location: Corvid Manner
Current Mood: hot
Tags: corvid manner, pics

*1 Poppet~Speak Directly Into the Rectangle*

July 15th, 2008

09:04 pm

[Link]

Photography Challenge - Bokeh: Day 3

Any port in a storm

x-posted to

photog_xp

I tried to catch some pics of my greenery outside, but around twilight the skeeters were positively homocidal again.

Maybe tomorrow after work, when it's going to be too hot for the bugs to be flying about.

*Speak Directly Into the Rectangle*

July 14th, 2008

09:40 pm

[Link]

Photography Challenge - Bokeh: Day 2

Transmission
The only thing in focus is my wireless adapter. Everything else is an unresolved blur.

X-posted, as always, to

photog_xp

***

Also? Those of you that have read Satiation may recall Ana. She's back, and she won't leave me alone. And one shouldn't trifle with a woman who strangles people for a living...

Current Location: Corvid Manner
Current Mood: geeky
Current Music: Something Wonderful on WORT
Tags: pics

*4 Poppets~Speak Directly Into the Rectangle*

July 13th, 2008

11:43 pm

[Link]

Photography Challenge - Song Lyrics - Day 7

Unter Null
And the song with the NSFW lyrics...

Since the last day of the Song Lyrics challenge overlaps the first day of the Bokeh challenge, I opted to catch a picture of Erica Dunham singing her own lyrics down at the Inferno tonight.

( Unter Null - Sick %@$^ )

Current Location: Corvid Manner
Current Mood: ecstatic
Current Music: The ringing in my ears
Tags: pics, t00nz

*2 Poppets~Speak Directly Into the Rectangle*

09:30 pm

[Link]

Photography Challenge - Bokeh: Day 1

Bokeh Ration
A ration, photographed using the Bokeh technique.

Or, if you will, Boca Raton.

Current Location: Corvid Manner
Current Mood: dorky
Tags: amusement, army days, pics

*4 Poppets~Speak Directly Into the Rectangle*

July 12th, 2008

10:28 pm

[Link]

Photography Challenge - Song Lyrics - Day 6

The Dreamside,
In this place in which we wander, the future that we've built
I'm growing old in silence, life slips like time through my hands
And my love I cannot follow your dead end streets. I drown
This swirl of wild emotions, what we once had may never be found

Current Location: Corvid Manner
Tags: pics, t00nz

*Speak Directly Into the Rectangle*

July 11th, 2008

09:15 pm

[Link]

Photography Challenge - Song Lyrics - Day 5

Pixies,
In my motorcycle mirror I think about the life I've led
And how my soul's been aching all the holes where I have bled
My image spoke to me, yes to me and often said
"You are the son of incestuous union"

Current Location: Corvid Manner
Current Mood: dirty
Tags: pics, t00nz

*Speak Directly Into the Rectangle*

July 10th, 2008

10:26 pm

[Link]

Photography Challenge - Song Lyrics - Day 3

Beastie Boys, Remote Control
Remote control to change the station
But that won't change your situation
Have you seen what I mean
I'm the little gnome that's in your dreams
So I say this rhyme built by design
To take you beyond space and time

***

In non-photo-challenge related news, I fired off "Five Hundred Yards" to the folks in my writing group for this coming Saturday. Hopefully, they'll be down with it.

I've also got some solid ideas for the novella-length version of "Hum". I've got a good reason for the action happening around the characters now, involving a Balkanized North America and potential water wars. So, I started with the writing of that this evening.

Current Location: Corvid Manner
Current Mood: writerly
Current Music: Combichrist, "Shut Up and Swallow", What the Fuck In Wrong With You People?
Tags: fiction, pics, t00nz, writerly concerns

*6 Poppets~Speak Directly Into the Rectangle*

July 9th, 2008

08:48 pm

[Link]

Photography Challenge - Song Lyrics - Day 3

Godhead - Nitzer Ebb
now bend on down
and receive your crown
i'll give you a necklace to wear
well yeah god is strange
but not sex deranged
no he wouldn't do that with a chair

Current Location: Corvid Manner
Current Mood: devious
Tags: pics, t00nz

*2 Poppets~Speak Directly Into the Rectangle*

July 8th, 2008

11:36 pm

[Link]

Photography Challenge - Song Lyrics - Day 2

DEATHKEY!
As I walk through the valley of the key of death
I take a look at my life and realize nothin's left
I've been postin' and trollin' for so long
Even Electrofreak thinks my mind is gone

But I ain't never crossed a musician who didn't deserve it
You'll be treated like a punk so you know that's unheard of
Better watch how you're talkin', where you walk
Or you and your homies might be lined in chalk

Keep spendin' most of our lives livin' in DEATHKEY's paradise...

Unter Null, DEATHKEY!, from the Songs in the Key of Death compilation. The CDs in the picture are by three other bands that are on the compilation.

Current Location: Corvid Manner
Current Mood: amused
Tags: pics, pimpage, t00nz

*2 Poppets~Speak Directly Into the Rectangle*

July 7th, 2008

08:44 pm

[Link]

Photography Challenge - Song Lyrics - Day 1

IKON - Beyond Gray Skies
In the distance
A change is coming
To look beyond
All I have seen
I had a vision
Of another world
I had a vision
Beyond here and now

There is a place
For you and I
There is a place
Beyond grey skies

Also? Nigel has pictures of our latest adventure, going to the wedding of

alierakieron &

flam_assassin over at his LJ.

Current Location: Corvid Manner
Current Mood: quixotic
Current Music: Something Wonderful on WORT
Tags: pics, t00nz

*Speak Directly Into the Rectangle*

July 5th, 2008

03:59 pm

[Link]

Photography Challenge - Obsessions & Collections: Day 7

Militaria
I was a militaria junkie before I joined the Army. Ten years of it didn't help matters at all. In addition to all sorts of cool foreign stuff I've picked up, I've still kept my dress uniforms, including my more formal Dress Blues.

Current Location: Corvid Manner
Current Mood: good
Tags: army days, pics

*2 Poppets~Speak Directly Into the Rectangle*

July 4th, 2008

01:22 pm

[Link]

Photography Challenge - Obsessions & Collections: Day 6