outLoud

yes.

2009-05-15T12:34:00.002-04:00

I'm alive.

I've been slowly moving things over to the green muse site (http://www.thegreenmuse.com).

fabulous

2009-04-01T15:08:00.002-04:00

April Fools day is sortof an internet holiday. It's like recess for techies. Everyone plays.

The ideological search from Yahoo is my favorite this year. Don't just read the announcement, TRY it.

My second favorite is CADIE.

The email I got from Sarah Palin was really funny, thanks to code pink.

Laima

2009-01-13T10:18:00.002-05:00

Laima is a Goddess from Lithuainia. She is Fate, Fortune, darkness and light. Weaver and Spinner, She sings us into and out of life, the cuckoo in the linden tree. In Latvia She is Mother Laima, and on midsummers eve one may be blessed with the sight of her magical blooming fern, which opens it's golden flower only on that night.

superhero-ness

2009-01-09T11:30:00.006-05:00

Above is my first draft of two superhero figures for a new client proposal. They're based on two real women who have a pretty cool and timely concept for a startup biz.

I know there are people really into animation, illustration etc, I've never been one of them. I didn't even like cartoons as a kid. Or comic books.

But I've had a shocking amount of fun so far starting these. I've also been shocked at how damn long it takes ! I am hoping that it's simply because I'm not that familiar with vector illustration tools, that I'll get faster as I adjust. Also, I need a durn tablet !

I wish I had time to draw everyone I know as a superhero. I've already asked Morgan and Ron what they would look like and started illustrating those in my head.

I've spent the better part of this week thinking about super heros, looking at them, analyzing the symbolic visual language of them. There are of course fewer feminine ones than masculine, but there were more than I knew of. Superheroines are objectified and sexualized, but in the language of illustration, it's actually fairly balanced with a corresponding objectification of the masculine. Certainly no worse than any other cultural form.

Once these are finished (there is a lot more work to be done, these are drafts) I'll be animating them (assuming I get the job at a rate I can live with). Me, animating superheros. Whodathunkit ?

2 days = 2 new clients

2008-12-19T11:08:00.002-05:00

One definite. One probable.

the Universe DELIVERS. Never doubt it.

work=gone

2008-12-17T12:11:00.004-05:00

Has it really been a month since posted anything here ? I'll blame it on the economy. Just like everydamnotherthing.

Yesterday's client meeting was a disaster. But everyone involved was kind. Nice. Hard to put a face to a villain, they are all just trying to hang on to their own jobs, watching coworkers get laid off every day, wondering if they are next.

I'm calm. Too calm probably, perhaps it's going to hit later. Or maybe not. Maybe I can stay here, a calm yeah-whatever, until the next door opens.

There's only one downside: no income for 2009. Okay, thats big. But there are more upsides..

(1)This makes the typical holiday stress seem like nothing. So what if I can't score that stupid overpriced thing my kid desperately wants, sowhat if I haven't planned a menu for the 24th yet, so what if I haven't finished buying gifts, got bigger things to worry about.

(2)I'm sick of aerospace anyway. Six years is enough. I can forget what lopas are, how to spell Nieuwegen, and goddess only knows how many ips.

(3)I've learned a lot of tech that I can surely use in other ways. Or not, if I don't want to. Flex. I think I'll keep that. Adobe came through with my CS4 upgrade, there's lots to explore in that that I haven't gotten to.

(4)Time. Huge upside. Assuming I limit myself to x hours a day spent on either stressing, finding new clients, doing the work, or finding a job, I could end up with more time for things I enjoy. Art. Gardening. Reading. Hiking. Doing nothing.

(5)I won't now have to worry about transferring so many old files onto my new computer.

(6)I could look for a job with things like health insurance and sick leave and vacation time (and unemployment, in case this happens again).

(7)I could look for freelance work doing graphics.

(8)I could sell everything I own on ebay and buy a yurt. Naw, that one isn't really an upside.

(8 do-over) I could sell lots of crap I own on ebay and have more room.

(9) I can do more things that don't involve looking at a computer screen. Starting... Now :)

you have to see this...

2008-11-18T11:26:00.002-05:00

Here. quick, before someone sues and it comes down....

Ingwaz

2008-11-17T13:44:00.004-05:00

First draft here.

Isa

2008-11-17T09:36:00.001-05:00

First draft and meaning here.

Jera

2008-11-14T09:13:00.003-05:00

First draft and rune meaning here.

yes. we did.

2008-11-06T16:00:00.001-05:00

holeeeshit, we did it. NC was called for Obama !

change indeed

2008-11-05T13:50:00.005-05:00

With the light, the shadow.

I've been holding off, holding back, trying not to worry (which doesn't freaking ever create change). But I just got off a conference call, and here it is, time to worry. My house of financial/work cards, built on technology and aerospace, may have just come crashing down. One of my two major clients was laid off last week. His budget for 2009 may well have gone down with him. He's been a client (and friend) for 5 years, I have a verbal agreement for 09, but no purchase order(contract). The second one I just spoke to, and I can't pin him down, though I pushed. His budget may also be gone. I got the sense that he doesn't know, even though he played it as not-saying.

This doesn't seem real either.

No way. No shit. It could all just go away huh ? Poof. Just like that. I'm actually only a little scared. Which seems strange, like it should be greater. It's not like I'll likely run out and pick up new clients with decent tech budgets in this economy, and not like I'll run out and scoop up a decent job here in the town of banking where a gazillion tech people have just been laid off. But. Whatfuckingever. I'm sick of aerospace anyway. I knew this economic mess would affect me (though I was crossing my fingers that it would just mean less work, not none), like everyone else.

I'm not sure what's next. But I'm oddly not that scared.

Change. Is.

It is hard to believe...

2008-11-05T08:37:00.007-05:00

Where to begin ? It's too much to process, I am still reeling, still unsure if it's real.

At the start of this year I was vowing not to vote for any more men. Watching the news coverage repeating over and over that this election is proof that *anyone* can become president of this country I mentally (only occasionally aloud) correct them. Any man. Any man can become president.

I feel sadness that I am correcting with my mental redpen, I feel sadness that in Obama's inspiring words about all of us working together that he names so many groups and identities... but not women.

Its the answer spoken by young and old, rich and poor, Democrat and Republican, black, white, Latino, Asian, Native American, gay, straight, disabled and not disabled - Americans who sent a message to the world that we have never been a collection of Red States and Blue States: we are, and always will be, the United States of America.

Most of all, I feel sadness that no-one who utters the words *any one* realizes what they are saying, I seem to be the only one who hears this.

It's become a bit of a joke around here in the past few months that I am one of the *bitter* ones so often referred to by the media. Oh yeah, bitter. Proudly Bitter. But that is not all.

I am also so very very proud.

I've thought often lately of my ancestors, the women who watched as black men won the right to vote with their help, who were told to wait. Again, to wait. I wondered how they felt... and now I think I know. The sadness is real, but it is trumped by pride and hope and inspiration, by humility and patience and love. Yes, I said it, the L word, really, that is what it is.

I shifted at my own pace away from my refusal to support yet-another-man in this election. Issues of course were a part. Environment, abortion rights, Iraq, healthcare, foreign policy, the economy. But my disillusionment about the way my country works has been so great I'm not sure that issues alone would have done it. Increasingly it felt like I was lending my support to a bigfatlie by participating. This was for me a true crossroads, a choice between hope and something else. I'm not sure if that other thing was cynicism or realism, it's the path I didn't take so I cannot know it fully, but I felt it's draw and I almost, almost took it.

Never. Underestimate. Hope.

My country, probably my state (still too close to call, still counting the provisional ballots, but it looks good), my city, chose Hope and Change. We chose to believe.

I have so much more to say. But not enough time today. Below is a picture from the night before the election. We went to see Obama speak, and wound up right in front, right next to the guys-in-suits running for something.

I blog in my head

2008-10-30T08:11:00.005-04:00

even though I've been too busy to blog for real. For example...

Here's a way to support cool music. Voting for #3 would be REALLY COOL !!

There's set of pajama's at Target that every witch will want - day of the dead pajamas. Target. No kidding. Oh yeah, I got mine.

Awhile ago I saw this thing on Bright Flames blog. Furoshiki. Google it. Talk about your huge aha moments. Screw buying more canvas bags, what witchgirl does not have a freaking STACK of sarongs ?!? They're everywhere, they multiply at night. And am I the only one who constantly forgets to bring a shopping bag with me ? But I am likely to be wearing a sarong or at least a scarf. Laurels simplified version: One average sarong laid flat. Tie the corners together on the shorter sides. Use with the knowledge that you are the height of PC glamour since your shopping bag will always match your outfit. I practically received a standing ovation last night, from both the employees and fellow shoppers at my local crunchygranola yuppiehealthyfood store.

My daughter turned 16. Her big present was a plane ticket for her best friend from arizona. I took them both to see Battle in Seattle. Damn was it good ! And lemme tell ya, ONE good movie can do more to raise the awareness of teenage girls than YEARS of listening to a mother's blahblahblah, being dragged to protests, vigils, or even attending witchcamps. Years from now I'm sure the two of them will date their raised consciousness to the night they saw this movie. They saved the movie ticket stubs, cherished relics of *that night*. Go figure. And go see it.

I suck. But I was forgiven. My dear friend who rarely dreams had this HUGE dream in which she saw herself with a tattooed head. She called, asked me to design it, was going to have it done starting on samhain. I tried. I tried and tried and tried until I was massively freaked out. Technical issues (I'm better with raster than vector) aside, OMFG, she's gonna have this tattooed on her head ?!?! No pressure there.... I haven't given up, but I won't have it done by samhain.

Wired sez blogging is out anyway. Twitter, that's what's the cool kids use these days. I'm not so sure about that, but being a cool kid I'll have to at least try it.

Early voting. I think it's awesome n all, but enough with the pressure ! I got another email this morning (from the NC dems) asking me why I haven't. Creepy and intrusive that they know, are tracking and have my email addy. And freaking annoying ! Seriously trying to guilt trip me into voting early ? HEY. I happen to LIKE voting on *the day*. I like the ritual of it ! I like the stuff my daughter and I do together on *the day*, I like the conversations, I like smiling at my neighbors as we all come together no matter what our beliefs to participate. Get off my back already !

what in the world

2008-09-29T12:39:00.005-04:00

is going on with the reclaiming voices yahoo pipes widget thing ? I haven't touched it, but looks like something has changed, duplicate posts ?? I'll steal some time from somewhere to take a look.

.....

well that wasn't too hard. looks like some folks have added a feed for comments lately. I changed the filters, might not catch every duplicate but I'll keep an eye on it if I can. It'll take a little bit of time for the revisions to eek out through, if you are still seeing duplicates give it a bit :)

.....

oh. did you think I meant I'd fixed it without creating brand new problems ? hah. silly you, technology never works that way ! now the titles are linking to the feed rather than the blogs themselves.

.....

alrighty now. I think it's fixed. no really. I'm not sure who changed something, it was either blogger or yahoo (not any of our individual bloggers), but figuring that out might take more time than it did to fix it. The funny part was that of people who've blogged recently (the only ones that I could see without doing a while lot more work) the ONLY blogging software that was not throwing up was the one Donald uses. Why is that funny ? Cause I had to write a bunch of exceptions since he's the only one using the default blogging software on the apple web.me.com site. If everyone used a mac the world would be a better place.

Brady Bunch Beach Trip

2008-09-29T12:26:00.004-04:00

photos on Flickr

Legal rights for Pachamama

2008-09-26T07:39:00.005-04:00

This is brilliant. Ecuador is working on outlining legal rights for Trees, Rivers, Air.... Nature, Pachamama, Earth Goddess. My favorite part of the article :

... to propose granting rights to nonhuman entities: Many countries, including the United States, have long held that corporations possess many of the same rights – such as the rights to free expression and to due process – that human beings have.

No. Just: No

2008-09-25T12:51:00.002-04:00

After a wonderful beach vacation I have work to do, and emails to answer, and phone calls to return. But my attention keeps turning, I'm like a bad linda blair clip, to this bailout bullshit.

My internal barometer is not consistent, I admit that the efforts to stomp on our buttons of fear are at least entering my consciousness even while I'm skeptical. What if I am blindly responding to the last time they cried wolf (no disrespect to wolves or their friends) ?

Still. My overriding feeling is : Fine, let it burn. I don't really even buy it actually. This is too familiar. There's a CRISIS, act NOW, come together and do what we say because we are all in GREAT PERIL, you'll be sorry if you don't do what we say immediately, there is no time to waste thinking about it.

um, no. Hell no. It reeks. Do you smell it too ? It's the scent of dishonesty, manipulation.

No. Let it burn.

Spiral Dance Video

2008-09-24T10:10:00.000-04:00

Healing for Greg

2008-09-19T10:55:00.004-04:00

Last weekend many folks spent part or all of their day doing magic for Greg's healing. I wanted to work with water...

A few more pics are on flickr.

Urd

2008-09-09T09:04:00.004-04:00

Skuld

2008-09-08T09:39:00.004-04:00

Uruz

2008-08-25T08:49:00.000-04:00

First draft and meaning (though I notice I'd change that now) are here.

Reclaiming Blogsphere Images

2008-08-06T09:16:00.002-04:00

I've been playing with the Reclaiming Pipes, I won't know how (or if, I guess it could break the widget...but I doubt it) this works until I try it.

Goddess Crop Circle

2008-08-01T10:59:00.000-04:00