Blogs
Our community blogs
-
Latest Entry
Nothing to Envy
Book review: Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea
I learned about this book from a discussion elsewhere about the North Korea situation.
The author is Barbara Demick, an American journalist and Beijing bureau chief of the Los Angeles Times. She interviewed many people who defected from North Korea and came to live in South Korea.
The use of "Ordinary Lives" in the title is a little bit misleading – but very effective in getting the stories across – because those lives were ordinary only in terms of North Korea. None of us in the West would regard those lives as ordinary in any way.
The other part of the title, "Nothing to Envy", comes from one of the many patriotic songs taught to North Koreans almost from birth. Everything is so perfect, thanks to the Great Leader, that there's nothing beyond the borders that any North Korean could possibly want. And, also, there's a lot beyond the borders to be feared. North Koreans are given everything they need: education, jobs, housing, food, clothing, health care, entertainment. But what people get is determined by their status – mostly whether they get accepted into the Workers' Party and, of course, the higher up the ladder, the more you get.
The system started to fall apart in the 1990s when there was a major famine. It became very difficult for ordinary people when food became scarce, because the Great Leader is the equivalent of a god, and North Korea is the equivalent of the Garden of Eden. How can one continue to believe in all that when adults and children died from starvation, and those children who survived had permanently stunted growth from malnutrition? And yet to disbelieve meant running the risk of imprisonment in labour camps, not just for the "traitors" but for the rest of their families for three generations – parents, grandparents, children, grandchildren, aunts, uncles, cousins. It's a chilling way to control people.
One interesting aspect that I've learned from a world history course is that Korea, like other countries in that part of the world, had adopted Confucianism centuries ago. Confucianism isn't a religion as such, as it doesn't involve an external deity. But one of the important aspects of Confucianism is "filial duty", which is the respect that must be shown to one's elders – including one's ancestors. The cult of the Kims exemplifies that, because every home is expected to have pictures of the Kims displayed in the main room, with a cloth that is solely used to dust the pictures every day, and the expected daily family routine is for everyone to bow in front of the pictures and give thanks to the Leader. Given that homes, even in rural areas, are crowded close together, and probably with paper-thin walls, any family that fails to speak such thanks loudly is likely to be reported by a neighbour.
And, yet, as the doubts grew, the outside world started creeping in. Some people have radios, which are manufactured to only pick up North Korean stations; fewer have TVs which are also restricted; similarly with computers. But the geeks have found ways of circumventing those restrictions.
There's also an increasing degree of illegal crossing between North Korea and China. Some of that is just commercial. Those North Koreans who survived the famine did so by cultivating their own crops in the more rural areas, so had something to trade for what was on offer in the Chinese markets just over the border. Some North Koreans have video players, more recently some have acquired DVD players, and smuggled DVDs take up much less space. No matter how hard the North Korean hierarchy tries, it can't stem the tide of technological advancement.
Despite the recent posturing of the North Korean hierarchy, which is worrying, the regime is beginning to fall apart. It just isn't possible these days for a country to continue to be so isolated from the rest of the world. Knowledge of the rest of the world is continuing to creep in from outside, and knowledge of the excesses of the higher levels of the hierarchy is continuing to creep down to the middle ranks.
But there's a downside to that:
China restricts those who cross the border from North Korea from accessing the South Korean embassies. That is understandable, because China is really the only country that North Korea has trading links with, so China is having to tread a fine line. What China doesn't want is a totally out-of-control North Korea with whatever nuclear weapons North Korea actually has. And also, China doesn't want to open the floodgates because it doesn't have the means to cope with the potentially vast numbers of refugees. Most of those North Koreans who make it to South Korea do so via Beijing with forged documents (so, expensive), or after an arduous journey and through another guarded border, this time with Mongolia, where North Korean refugees can get travel permits to South Korea from the South Korean embassy.
But that's not the end of the problems. North Koreans who make it to South Korea often have tremendous difficulties in integrating into South Korean society. Partly because their accent is recognisably different; partly because they're shorter due to malnutrition; and partly because it's a completely different world. And it is such a different world – most noticeably because in South Korea there's electricity 24/7, and that's not just amazing for North Koreans, they also have to adjust to the consequent light and noise, as well as the shops and restaurants. South Korea does have a residential campus for North Korean refugees, to help them make that adjustment, and they also give financial aid to the graduates. Some of the refugees took years before they could even wear jeans or brightly coloured clothing – symbols of the decadent West. But there are limits to the numbers of refugees that South Korea could assist in that way.
The North Korean regime will inevitably crumble, but it won't be like the Berlin Wall coming down. Those North Koreans who already know that what they've been led to believe is just BS will still have problems adjusting to the outside world. Those North Koreans who still believe will be utterly devastated psychologically. It's likely that the trigger to the eventual breakdown will be another severe famine. But what will be needed then won't be just an humanitarian response to a famine or a war, which could be helped by providing food and shelter and security. There will be vast numbers of people who will be traumatised simply from being set free.
-
- 66
entries - 43
comments - 35041
views
Recent Entries
Latest Entry
Thuds head.
So last year I was all excited about getting my own website and working on it and things were cool. Well, mid July I contact the person who ran the server farm and tried to get the info to be prepared about paying for the next year... and heard nothing. After several calls, and emails and PMs I finally hear from him and he is in the lobby of Dragon con and would get back to me asap...
(sigh)
Well, that hasn't happened. and my childrens website has been taken over by a porn group. I sent an email to him, didn't hear anything, called, left message, and still nothing and I am really really in a bind because I know this young man who is running the server farm and I thought it would be better to have him do it than someplace impersonal, because I thought, ok, gee, if there are problems I can take it to him, and it is helping him out.
In a way, too, I am horrified that while I was passing out the website info, that it had been hacked (though I am still listed as the owner of the site, and it is difficult because if they are doing something illegal then its on my head, and all of the people that I passed the info to are now getting an eyefull.
Part of me wants to abandon ship with this and go with TRIPOD, or something else. in a way, it would have been better had I not jumped in as I did, and I know that the cost of the website would be about the same. I don't know how to get his attention, and I am pretty pissed that it came to this. Unless he is wrapped around a telephone pole, this isn't very professional and I have always tried to be above board about everything because the books deal with children.
(sighs)
I do have the tripod site and I will be speaking to my husband after work about what I should do, and what I can do, and I am hoping that I can get this cleared up. In a way, the website wasn't what I had expected. at the very least, I need my name cleared from the whosits that gives my name and address as the owner, if I am not the one owning it, and I really would love to have my domaine name cleared from it, and kept as *my* domain name because had I updated it, it would have become a publishing company for the childrens books.
I think, in a way, that this was something that was my fault. - Oh, I know I contacted him, but I wasn't aware that the date that I had done this was sept 10th, (until I saw the blog that I made about it last year,) here I was thinking the due date was the 17th. and In a way, that was his bad, that it happened like that. In a way too- I *think* that it can be rescued, but in another way, I have been locked out of the website so I can't make changes and even getting into it was something my computer cried over doing. I am not going to re do with another domaine with him, if it can't be fixed, and this happened, it should be a red flag over what should be done and how I should be able to have contact.
I don't know what else to do.
suggestions??
- Read more...
-
- 0 comments
- 66
-
Latest Entry
MillenniuM GuY and Frank Black vs. Babar
So this all started back in 2001. I was a college student studying Performing Arts and, for a few weeks, Media Studies. In 2000 I'd come up with an email-away series known as The Adventures Of Pastilles Of Fruit Man, which was a little popular. In 2001 I had to write a mock article about a rampaging elephant. I think my headline was "Babar Snaps!!!" At this point I was into MillenniuM and and the seeds were sown...
From ths assignment I'd been given came the birth of Frank Black vs. Babar. Using the raging elephant assignment and adding my own twist I created abut 50 "episodes". I altered it of course, Babar wasn't a rampaging elephant-he was a criminal mastermind. Following Season 3 of MillenniuM, Frank Black was sought out by Peter Watts to create a profile on Babar. I explained Watts' "death" like this...
Frank answers the phone...
Frank: Hello?
Watts: Frank it's Peter Watts!
Frank: Oh hey Pete! Long time no see!
Watts: That's because I'm supposed to be dead Frank! But the group failed and I went into hiding!
(I would elaborate further on this when I began conceiving MillenniuM GuY)
I can't remember all of the stories but I can recall a few notable incidents and quotes.
One story I do remember was President Evil. Babar kidnapped George W Bush and turned him into a zombie!!! Babar had a machine that could bring back dead presidents as they were. Babar would then "zombify" them. Frank brought Catherine back this way but didn't "zombify" her.
One of the main elements that I used came from the MillenniuM Pilot and is my signature on here: I Want You To Make Believe...That I Can! This would become Frank's second "gift" if you will. Below is the first example, from the FB vs Babar Pilot:
(Yellow House. Frank is sat in the living room, his face creased, one eyebrow raised. There are flashes of random images and it appears Frank is having a vision but, in his hand is the television remote, he's merely channel surfing! Jordon comes running in crying, blood pouring from a gash in her knee...)
Jordon: Daddy daddy I fell and hurt my knee and it hurts!!!
Frank (sitting Jordon on his knee): I want you to make believe...that it doesn't!!!
(They look at Jordon's knee, which is no longer bleeding...)
Jordon: Thank you daddy! I made believe and it doesn't hurt anymore!
I set this in the yellow house because it was a setting I was more familiar with.
During the course of the series I introduced more characters. As mentioned I brought back Catherine. Her "cathphrase", if you will was "Go Frank." Below is an example of how I took the initial meaning of this statement ("I know you have to save the world and, as much as I want you to stay, I know you can't") and used it just about anywhere I could-
(Frank goes to the fridge and opens the door. His stoic, unmoving face remains stoic and unmoving, but something's wrong...)
Catherine: Honey? What's wrong?!
Frank: Two days ago I bought a dozen eggs!
(Frank has a vision of numerous horrible things, ending with Catherine baking a cake!)
Catherine: Me and Jordon were baking!
Frank: I know honey! I just really fancied an omelette for lunch!
(Catherine looks at Frank and his stoic, unchanging face before resigning herself to the inevitable...)
Catherine: Go Frank!
(Supermarket. Frank walks out with a box of eggs!!!)
In addition to Catherine and Watts I also brought in a few X-Files characters. Most prominently used were Fox Mulder and Walter Skinner. Mulder was still on the run and had been hiding in space. He shared a flat with Jeremiah Smith, the healing alien dude who could change his form to other people. Only here he could change into literally anything!!!
(Yellow House. Fank and Watts ait outside to greet Mulder. Mulder arrives...)
Mulder: Well I'm here, but where's Jeremiah?!
Frank: I don't know! But that lamppost wasn't here before!!!
(The lamppost morphs into Jeremiah, who smiles...)
Jeremiah: Sorry!!! Couldn't help myself!!!
Mulder even created a profile linking Watts with his XF movie character...
Frank: Mulder I'd like you to meet Peter Watts.
Mulder: Yeah we've met!
(Frank's facial expression doesn't change but he sounds surprised...)
Frank: Really?!
Mulder: Yeah he used to work in the FBI, then retired, only to return a few years later using a different name and a slightly different moustache! Isn't that right Darius Michaud?!!!
Watts: Um...yeah!!! It's true!!!
Frank (face unchanged): Wow Pete! I'm shocked!!!
Mulder: But there's tow things I don't understand! How did you survive the bombing?
Watts: There was a trapdoor that had a chute underneath that carried me to safety! Very Batman-esqe!!! It was triggered when I held my head in my hands!
Mulder: Why?
Watts: The group was investigating the syndicate but I was close to being caught so I faked my death!!!
Frank: I have a question...why Darius?!
Watts: It...sounded cool!!!
Assistant Director Walter Skinner also appeared regularly. His character was essentially the same but for one minor change...he was shizophrenic!!! He would often switch back and forth between his two personalities-Skinner and "Mitch Pileggi"!
The idea for this came from the Masked Magician which Pileggi hosted. Me and my friend found it funny when he'd say "I'm Mitch Pileggi" in his growly Skinner voice!!!
I also remember an Angel crossover but not much about it...
That's pretty much all I can remember from Frank Black vs. Babar.
Oh and Scully refused to believe absolutely everything!!!
Fast forward to 2006...I had all the MillenniuM boxsets and had become a Family Guy fan. I'd watch both regularly and had an idea to sort of combine the two shows. By that I mean take the characters of MillenniuM and put them into a Family Guy type world. No FG characters appear, I should add.
I did some concept art, drawing Frank and co in a cartoon style. I also took elements from Frank Black vs. Babar and used them. Again the series featured Peter Watts, with a more detailed Faked death scenario-
Frank: I thought you were dead Pete?
Watts: The Group were looking to kill me Frank and I was well aware of it. I made no attempt to run! I sent my family away but stayed home. The Group took their time and eventually I got a little peckish! White Chocolate Cheesecake and Raspberry Coulis was what I wanted! So I got some of that and ate what I thought was my last meal! Unfortunately I spilled the raspberry coulis, knocked the carton to the floor. As I got up to get a cloth I slipped and banged my head! I was knocked out! The assassin must've seen me lying there unconscious with "blood" everywhere and thought somebody had beaten him to it!!! When I came to, a few days later, I saw my obituary in the paper!!!
Frank: A few DAYS later?!!!
Watts: Yeah, my floors are solid Frank!!!
(EDIT: After reading some old notes I've just found I remembered that Watts' syrup accident was actually part of a sex game with his wife!!! Moe details soon...)
Mulder also appears but not Jeremiah Smith. Mulder's mystery informant is He-Man! The Undertaker appears as well, as does Kane. Frank and Watts form a New MillenniuM Group. Among the members are the Grown Up Mutant Ninja Turtles (TMNT had come out around that time :D)
That's all I've got so far. If you'd like me to continue with MillenniuM GuY then please let me know. Frank Black vs. Babar would be tough because it's 10 years old and all I can remember is what I've wrote here.
That's pretty much it. Until next time keep make believing...
-
- 6
entries - 16
comments - 6954
views
Recent Entries
Latest Entry
God gave me a rainbow! :)
Just when everything was going terribly wrong yesterday i looked outside my door and there was a beautiful rainbow over my home and the sunset was gorgeous.
Yesterday my AC unit went out again in the middle of one of the hottest summers ever, found out from my doctor that i have to see a gynocologist today for some female problems i have been having and my husband keeps reminding me that the laptop he is letting me use is still HIS and not MINE. MY pretty pink laptop is dead and not fixable and right now i cannot afford a new one especially if we have to buy a new AC unit. Ugh! what a day!
So after the storms we had yesterday i went outside and saw a very beautiful ranibow over top my home and a very pretty sunset and i took some pics of it, i hope you can see them, my phone is not the greatest but it works. :)
Laura :)
- 6
-
- 4
entries - 9
comments - 7668
views
Recent Entries
Latest Entry
Another Blog Revealed
I decided to make another blog which would serve primarily my music video output.
But I might blog about other things, films, TV series and music.
I might copy some of the blogs from here and put them on there, like the blog post about my trip to Texas Frightmare Weekend 2010.
I'm not sure what I'm going to do and I don't know if this one will be that active.
Time will tell.
The new blog is over at:
http://cheersfromiceland.blogspot.com/
And there you can see my first Millennium music video...
...and download it too ;)
Cheers from Iceland!
- Jósef
- Read more...
-
- 0 comments
- 4
-
- 17
entries - 0
comments - 17424
views
Recent Entries
Latest Entry
Week of Prayer for Christian Unity
People know that I like to visit churches and this week I was asked how it feels to encounter a new group of strangers.
They are not strangers. They are my family who have not met me. My bond with them is stronger than flesh and blood.
"While he yet talked to the people, behold, his mother and his brethren stood without, desiring to speak with him. Then one said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to speak with thee. But he answered and said unto him that told him, Who is my mother? and who are my brethren? And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren! For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother." (Mat 12:46-50)
We are all united into one Body. It is not just apostates who fall away by not discerning that the Lord's Body is one (1Co 11:29). Even Peter and the Corinthians fell into this carnality (1Co 3:3).
"But when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed. For before that certain came from James, he did eat with the Gentiles: but when they were come, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing them which were of the circumcision. And the other Jews dissembled likewise with him; insomuch that Barnabas also was carried away with their dissimulation." (Gal 2:11-13)
This is the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Week_of_Prayer_for_Christian_Unity
I pray that it is answered in our hearts. I earnestly beg that you consider the one new man (Eph 2:15) in your prayers.
- Read more...
-
- 0 comments
- 17
-
- 30
entries - 21
comments - 18259
views
Recent Entries
Latest Entry
Dark Poem: Death of Paris II
[bLOG TEST ENTRY]
Down the lights, a city known
Of romance high and glory gone
Those reveal the hid and hide the shown.
But now the clouds stuff and fill
The broken heights of Eiffel
That rose the pride and domed the will.
And by the shores of darkened eves
And the noon of fates the sun weaves
Cried a sound in hearing heaves.
A sound to depress and harass
yet to abash and embarrass
The current stillness of Paris.
And pale grows the face of Chirac
And so the nationals of bold Barack
For loss has come to erode a name
That donated earth a glorious fame.
Then fades the dream of Liberte
And trusted no more is Sarkozy
Of clues ancient and demode.
And mad goes yet insane
The flowing Seine, the silent rain
Till seas no more, no more main.
Then fall the labors of Rodin
Over the tunes of Chopin,
Combine the thought of Renan.
And now the thick, turning lean
Lands and meadows, deserts green
Of wail heard and doom unseen.
Then lull the noise, the roads quick
And so the times of scrambled tick
Scouring through the city sick.
But found nowhere, the Louver high
The artful residence of the sigh
Gowned in ruins by and by.
Though remains are the greatest
Of every modern and every latest,
The fleeting flaws, the so faintest.
Then Monks sprang to gather
every Saint and every Father
To witness a wound too profound
Spearing the halo of their bound.
But whose belief is a moonlight
To prevent an end of doom tight
Or flare a sun firm and bright.
And out of done and coming day
And of hopeless might and futile may
Lays a gloom which has yet to lay
To purr the sound of fore-dying way.
A way to depress and harass
Yet to abash and embarrass
The current stillness of Paris.
- Read more...
-
- 0 comments
- 30
-
- 10
entries - 33
comments - 8939
views
Recent Entries
Latest Entry
Confidence
Something tells me that this month will be better than any of the Decembers since Millennium was cancelled. Already so many wonderful things have happened as we hope for the return of Frank Black, and I can feel it getting better day by day. It feels good to wait for Christmas, and especially the new year. I'm confident. I hope, I believe, I love.
This picture was taken last weekend at the Turku Cathedral. If you look very closely, you can see two angels standing at the top of the stairs.
- 10
-
- 5
entries - 13
comments - 5777
views
Recent Entries
Latest Entry
Wow...
Wow... I take time off to get some work done and I come back and discover I'm the featured blog... I wonder how that happened *evil grin and hides the bags of cash under her desk*
I'm not gonna have time to write something now (its 12:10 am my time) but when I get up in the morning, I'll continue where I left off, I promise. And if I break it, Eth can threaten me with no more Neff...
- Read more...
-
- 0 comments
- 5
-
Latest Entry
My new Web Site
Hello everybody. I've opened up a brand new web page for fans of author Dean Koontz.
Click the banner to check it out if you're interested in the guy or thinking about maybe reading some of his books.
See ya'll around,
--WW
- Read more...
-
- 0 comments
-
- 137
entries - 123
comments - 140362
views
Recent Entries
Latest Entry
Well, I've been expecting this...
I've been expecting that the American public was going to be led down the garden path with all the assurances being given after the Patriot Act went into use and more electronic surveillance was being done. Everyone kept hearing how the average person WASN'T the target of the surveillance and need not fear that their conversations and e-mails would be "stolen" and potentially passed on to others. Well, now comes the first "official" to take the next step and say that the citizens need to accept a NEW definition of privacy which doesn't presume that the gov't won't listen in or otherwise "steal" your communications. All the rhetoric and assurances from right and left since 911 have been just more big piles of BULL s***...but I expected that. I also expect that if the focus ever shifts off of the "war on terror" and other foreign intanglements, we can expect that some of our home boys might be looked at a little closer since the FBI, Homeland Security, ad nauseum will be looking for suspicious behavior and possible perps to roust.
Read what's chapped my lower fleshy parts this time:
Intel Official: Expect Less Privacy
- Read more...
-
- 0 comments
- 137
-
Latest Entry
the first time
so i've never had a blog before. (be warned - i use that word, 'so' a lot in my writing, especially in an introductory capacity. get used to it.) i'm not sure why i'm starting one now, only something about this time and place and the last 15 minutes (while i was trying to figure out how to make this one) made me want one. and i'm sick of random wants floating around only loosely tethered to my head and reality.
i wanted a place, albeit a small, online one, where i could "live" without lies. don't worry, and don't get me wrong, i'm not a pathological liar or anything. i don't consider lying a sin, and not even 'wrong'. i've often found that, far from hurting people, lies can make things easier.
but enough about that. why create a space without lies if only to preach on my little soap box about them? so i promise here and now to myself and whichever stranger acquaintances of mine on this board read this (as no one i know in real life is anywhere near joining this board), no lies.
so why a MM blog, open, as i said, only to essentially strangers? MM is one of the main forces in my life, second in importance only to probably oxygen. it's not the literal text on screen but the impression it has on me. i've read similar statements from other fans. there are certain episodes i can recite by heart and there are some i've only seen twice. i recently rewatched maybe five episodes and realized there was so much of this beautiful thing i've forgotten. i have dozens of MM stories hovering somewhere between my head and a printed page. as i've probably made abundantly clear, i'm not religious, so that aspect of the show is, for me, part of the translation. but it doesn't dilute the fascination. whatever it is about this program i shudder to think of who i would be without it. and it's strange to think that basically no one i know knows it.
well, i've got to wrap this up. i'm not really sure of the decorum concerning one's own blog, but i figure i've bored anyone still reading (besides... no, including myself) to tears. i am keeping my name to myself.
i may sound inane and i may sound insightful, but it is all i.
- nothing
-
Latest Entry
Happy Saturday!
I am not - NOT! - a soccer fan. But how do you escape the soccer world cup when it takes place right around the corner? The simple answer is: You don't. You can't!
You can't escape it - not in the media, not in stores and shops, nowhere you go. Even if I had tried to lock myself into my room, close the blinds and the windows - the noise from outside still comes in. I don't need my tv to tell you just when Germany scored - or nearly scored - this afternoon. Alright, the German team won, but the much greater achievement of this world cup is that - for the time being - Germans stopped all the nagging, all the complaining, all the whining we have - rightfully - become known for. And we do have a torn relationship to this country, too, because of our history. It's this whole mentality thing, and there is a lot to it.
Right now, however, it is tempting to think that this is a different country. People are happy, people are open, people are passionate. It's a huge party. It really is. And I enjoy the thought that this change might not only be temporary, but that some of it sticks.
Hope you all get to party, too.
- Read more...
-
- 0 comments
-
- 34
entries - 65
comments - 67688
views
Recent Entries
Latest Entry
Long Time Away-thought I'd Catch Up!:)
Taught an evening class tonight~3 to 5 year-olds on astronomy...I learned a lot of stuff because you have to bone up on things you're not so knowledgable in , ya know? Did you know stars twinkle because they are so far away, and when their light is traveling thorugh space, cosmic disturbances can shift and refract the light, as well as the stirring of our own atmosphere. This shift is seen as "twinkling" or movement of the light. Planets don't twinkle because they are much bigger and closer in "light" years. Cool s***, dude. We also saw a "shooting star" tonight in the Blue Jay field~I'm sure most of you know that it's really a meteor(piece of rock) that has ignited as it entered our atmosphere. We are seeing it's final stages of life, unless it doesn't combust completely.
Oh, and the definition of a constellation is a group of stars that have been named way back when people saw "pictures" in their alignment. There are 88 constellations in our night sky. I finally was able to recognize Orion, the hunter as well as the Dog, with Sirrius, the brightest star, in it's collar. Kickass!
I will be picking up my computer system, complete with a Fugi 4.4 Megapixel Digital camera, tomorrow when I get my lazy ass up. I'm stoked! The only thing I'm stressing about is putting together the computer desk (which is awesome, BTW). Anybody not busy this weekend is more than welcome to come over and pitch in so I don't lose my mind~I will feed and juice you up with beverages of your choice...if you don't mind helping out. Otherwise, don't expect to see me online until I get it all figured out!
Oh, and I got bored, so I decided to color my hair reddish-blonde. My daughter thinks it looks stupid, but I kind of like it. Oh well, we'll see how it holds up. I have this overwhelming desire to repierce my nose...I had it done about 4 years ago, and wore a small stud in my nose for years. I removed it when I started working for the parks and with young children...I keep waffling as to whether I should just forget about it or go ahead and risk the scorn of some of our more conservative patrons. But damn, I loved that nose stud!
I also am in the total mood for another tattoo...see what a little bit of money does to you?? Haha~don't worry, all my bills are set to be paid. I just really want to enjoy myself a bit with a little of it.
I AM going to get Shelby a bike~hers was stolen two Christmases ago, and we haven't had the money to replace it. After we pick up the computer tomorrow, we will look around at Walmart or Target to find a decently priced bike. She'll be happy~she also wants to dye her hair. I'm not too fond of the blue she wants, but I did agree to some red streaks. I don't think I'm overly conservative..it's just that blue is so, I don't know, BLUE. At least for hair. Red seems to be more acceptable to my mind. Hell, she really wants to dye it black...I can feel a wannabe goth coming on...I don't mind that she wants to experiment, it's just funny to watch kids go through these phases of what they consider cool. Is she too young to play? I don't think so...you give them the freedom to play, they will have to the strength to confront other challenges in life. Kinda philosophal, but that's just my thing, I guess.
- 34
-
- 128
entries - 149
comments - 89635
views
Recent Entries
Latest Entry
Millennium re-watching on the horizon?
I am thinking I should take the time to watch Millennium from the beginning this summer along with a full reviewing of Battlestar Galactcia. Does anyone watch to watch those episodes with me in tandem wherever they are at and discuss as we make it through the seasons of Millennium and Battlestar Galactcia.
PS I wish Fox would get a third X-Files movie made and do a Frank Black movie (before Lance and Terry are gone from this Earth).
PSS I should post more often in this blog. lol.
- 128
-
- 5
entries - 5
comments - 11424
views
Recent Entries
Latest Entry
The Trust: A Frank Black / Millennium Story
"A writer wants his work to affect people. You'd prefer the effects not be expressed by death threats, but beggars cannot be choosers."
— Jose Chung, Millennium: Jose Chung's Doomsday Defense
Well, I've taken the plunge so to speak. I have signed up for National Novel Writing Month (in the US) and have put my Millennium/Hellraiser story, Lament's Configurations - on hold for the month of November. There doesn't seem to be much interest in it, so I figure no loss for now.
THE TRUST will be my project, the goal of which is to write a 50,000 word novel in 30 days in November. The website for National Novel Writing Month, in case anyone's interested can be located at ...
To go along with this endeavor I have created a new banner - I think everyone will probably be happy to see a new banner ad in my posts for a change, and this one will be up for the month of November.
In addition I have created a new avatar...
I hope you like it! A review of your opinions on these would be great!
I guess that's it for now. I'm working on developing a plot, figuring out who my villain is, and developing a support cast. While I won't be posting chapters here as I'm working on it, I may put something up when I'm finished. We'll see how it is first.
Until then be well.
Maxx
THIS IS WHO WE ARE
- 5
-
Latest Entry
My Collages
Hi! getting the hang of this blog thing!as most of you know (because i have bombarded this lovely board with my attempts) I love to make collages, fan art work, banners etc etc as my hobby. I started doing this when i was about 14 or 15, after seeing some real awe inspiring stuff on a couple of x files fan sites. actualy works of art in my eyes. so i started to play around and it took me a good few months before i created anything remotely acceptable! but i carried on, because however complex (or not) the out come, as any body who has had a go at digital art will know, it is very fullfilling and addictive. this 'skill' has come in handy with my band, as i design the artwork for our CD's and banners etc. up until about 2 days ago i had seen it as just that: a skill i picked up that has only use for the band. but now (thanks to you guys on here!) you have started me off again! be that good or bad, it will sure be interesting. i have been storing MM pics on my hard drive for months now, with the theory 'they wont be online forever, save them while you can' but really its been my subconscious telling me to start doing what i love again. i start with a theme, be it a relationship in a story, a piece of action, an amazing quote or a simple meaningful look. then i work from there to try to visually express my original idea. sometimes they stay right on track.. sometimes they go off into a world of their own.. but thats not always a bad thing!so i just thought i'd share this with you all, and thank you for helping me find my love for digital art again. i am by now means good, but its something i enjoy and am enjoying sharing. i hope more fans begin to share their art too becuase i find it fascinating.below is the first collage i remember making. awww! bless me, aint it cute?
-
Latest Entry
My Trip To Cali
My trip to Cali. It started out interesting. I took the bus there which wasn't too bad minus the crazy person that kept asking to die. (we pulled over and called the police) But everything was going smoothly till I reached Sacramento. I missed the bus to Oakland. I was stuipd to let an old guy go in front of me. So they ran out of room on the bus. So much for me being nice huh? Anyways. I called Jason to tell him I was going to be late and he was nice enough to come get me in Sacramento! *sniffle* What a nice guy. So I got picked up at like 1:00 pm or something like that. Then we went to a resteraunt to eat. I was hungry but the prices were outrageous! But the veiw from it was nice. It over looked a river I think. So it was really purty =] Then we went to look at some places. It was interesting to see ^^ Finaly around Three we went back to Jason's house. Which is really nice. And umm...well that day is foggy cause I didn't get any sleep. *fast foreward* Then the next day...umm. Don't remember it either...I met Jeramiah one of those days. He's a charecter. Very funny. He does the boom thing. (sound) And he drives like a bat out of hell. I thought I was going to die. Didn't help with Jason yelling. Thanks Jason for that btw. Very nice of you...But Jeramiah is nice even if he needs to learn how to drive under 80 mph. So skipping to the first day we filmed. Getting everything set up was actually faster then what I thought it would be. They're very good at it. I just stood around and watched. Shoni was getting her make up on. Then it happened. Jason was setting up the monitor for the camera to see what the camera saw. And was trying to not knock over a clock that was on the shelf. So Him and jeramiah were arranging stuff and Jason knocked over the shelf. Unfortunitly the shelf landed on poor Jason's foot. =[ And he broke the clock anyways. But he caught the monitor! Go Jason. Save the monitor but not the clock you were trying to save in the first place. Nice one man. I was doing the boom instead of Jeramiah this time...I was horrible at it. I'm on film asking Jason how to do the whole thing...kinda funny heh. You wouldn't believe. I got the mike in the picture. *sniffle* I should of been fired. Its really hard to do though. Shoni did a really wonderful job at acting. And the camera angels were really nice. For about 30 seconds of footage it took about 2 hours to film. Its amazing. But I think its definitly worth it. And we all ate together afterwards. Shoni can really cook a good meal! Then after we ate Jason headed to his computer station(a understatment. Its huge!) and started editing it so we could all see how it looked. (more to come)
-
Blog Statistics
28
Total Blogs637
Total Entries