Hope you like jammin' too

Kansas winter. That tree, were it still alive, would be standing in a lake. I thought the image was poignant.

It's a big day in music history: Alban Berg, Carmen Miranda, and Gypsy Rose Lee all share a birthday (1885, 1909, and 1914, respectively). And The Beatles made their first appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show, in 1964.

And in 1913, a group of three or four luminous bodies with tails moved across the sky with a 'peculiar majestic deliberation', according to the Journal of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada. Another one followed, and another. There were 30 or 32 in all, according to one observer, in strict formation. Some compared them to a fleet of battleships in the air. They were seen in Canada, USA, Bermuda and from the sea. There was another procession over Toronto the next day, only this time there were seven or eight dark non-luminous bodies, which moved across the sky and back. I repeat: 1913.

In the news today

Still got it

Happy Birthday to Jacob Praetorius, Jules Verne, and John Williams!

I've been sewing, yes. It's so meditative, that my mind is still in that state, even after sleep. It's all I can do to type coherent sentences. Five pounds of flax!

Charles Dickens and the earthquake

Building this bad boy was one of our first home improvements. It takes up the whole wall (we like our books). It's not a new picture by any means, but I've been busy doing things that don't photograph well, so I don't have any new pictures.


It's John Deere's birthday, though (1804).

And in 1812, the strongest in a series of earthquakes centered near New Madrid, Missouri, struck. The Mississippi River flowed backwards for part of the day. Charles Dickens was also born that day.

One hundred years later, Roy Cleveland Sullivan was born. He became a ranger in Shenandoah National Park, and was struck by lightning seven times: in 1942 he lost a big toenail to lightning; in 1969 his eyebrows were blown off; his shoulder was seared in 1970; his hair set on fire in 1972; the 1973 bolt hit him on the head through his hat, set fire to his hair again, knocked him ten feet out of his car, went through both legs and knocked his left shoe off; there were two further strikes in 1977 and 1978. He committed suicide in 1983.

Fishy carpet

grrr no picture today.

On this day in 1843, the new show "The Virginia Minstrels" opened at the Bowery theater in New York, the first minstrel show in the U.S.

Fifty-two years later, George Herman "Babe" Ruth was born. Bob Marley followed fifty years later.

And in 1989, thousands of tiny dead sardines came down in a heavy rainstorm about lunchtime in Rosewood, near Ipswich in Queensland, Australia. 'It was quite frightening. We didn't know what was happening. All I heard was a noise I though was hail,' said Debra Degen. When her husband Harold called her to go out onto the veranda, she saw the fishy carpet stretching for 50 yards between the house and their mailbox. There were more coming down, some bouncing off Harold's head. They gathered a bowlful for their cat and to keep as a souvenir; the rest were 'gobbled by kookaburras.'

Blue skies

It's Hank Aaron's birthday, as well as William Burroughs's. It's also Super Tuesday, and Fat Tuesday. Does that make it Obese Tuesday?

This picture was taken at the very nice Newport (OR) Aquarium.

The road is long...

It's Rosa Parks' birthday today (1913). Happy birthday, wherever you are.

Beginnings and endings

Today marked the beginning of Felix Mendelssohn (in 1809) and the end of Buddy Holly (as well as Richie Valens and J.P. "the Big Bopper" Richardson, in one very fell swoop in 1959).

Vancouver Phil says "no mo' winter!"

But Punxsutawney Phil apparently disagrees.

On this day in 1882, the world's first electric streetlight was installed, in Wabash, Indiana. Two years later, James Joyce was born. Coincidence??? Yeah, I think so. Pretty much. Stan Getz was also born on this day, in 1927.

Lord of the Flies?

It's Rick James' birthday, bitch!

And in 1662, Taiwan surrendered to the Chinese pirate Koxinga, after a nine-month seige.

Continuing from yesterday's post:

So, what kind of kids might you expect from a situation like the one I described? Clinical psychology can tell us something about this. It seems that lab animals which are conditioned to believe something and then have the circumstances changed so that their old beliefs are no longer valid, become introverted, exhibit symptoms of extreme emotional and mental stress, and become more easily controlled, apparently because they no longer trust their own minds.

They no longer trust their own minds.

Kids today are told that they have to attend school because they need to learn. But this is only part of the truth. Kids are also sent to school to keep them supervised until they can be trusted, but more importantly, they're sent to enculturate them, to teach them things by rote and example as opposed to by lecture and practice. I mean things like "we wait in lines," and "this is how to budget your time," as well as "you are not in charge," and "you are a tiny cog in a system so large that you can't possibly comprehend it." Kids know this, too; you may even remember knowing it yourself (I do). They realize it early, but adults continue to tell them that they go to school "to learn." Observed truth (that they aren't really learning anything new after about 3rd grade) does not equal Revealed truth (that they go to school 'to learn'), and cognitive dissonance arises. They no longer trust their own minds.

It's no wonder that they turn to video games instead of homework, television instead of conversation with their parents or adult friends, or use experience-expanding drugs instead of mind-expanding books.

Yeah, honest to god, once upon a time, people had friends of wildly different ages. It was a cheesy TV show, God knows, but "Dennis the Menace" was also a snapshot of its era (early-mid '60s), and Dennis had a good, friendly (however antagonistic) relationship with his adult neighbors. They talked. They had a complex relationship. Yes, it was fiction, but we can read it just like we read Shakespeare: of course it didn't really happen, but events like the ones described almost certainly did.

That it doesn't happen anymore -that kids are becoming increasingly less-well-informed and more apathetic-- is a result not only of this cognitive dissonance and the resulting mistrust of authority, but also as a result of the culture of fear developed by the TV industry to boost ratings ("Don't talk to strangers! You could be next! News at 6!"), and because of the deadly combination of our fascination with shiny things, and our ability to produce ever-more-captivating ones.

I am generalizing, of course. Not every kid is like this, and I don't know the relevant statistics, but I see it everywhere, and whenever I bring this up, I am met with a chorus of agreement. I am led to believe it's true, generally speaking.

So, what's going to happen when the last of the Responsible Adults dies? Lord of the Flies??

These dreams

On this day in 1886, a substance like charred paper but much heavier, fell over Norway and parts of northern Europe. This is not a photograph of that event.

Franz Peter Schubert celebrated his birthday (1797) on this day, as does Johnny Rotten (1956).

Now, let me bend your ear for a minute.

Imagine a world in which parents teach their children nothing but outrageous untruths. I'm talkin' things that are so untrue as to be unbelievable, like, "Mommy and Daddy are the same person," or "Dogs chase cars because cars are made out of meat." Yeah, I mean things you just know can't be true. And yet the parents keep feeding their kids these lies, in spite of how obviously ridiculous, or apparently untrue, and in spite of the kids' reactions. What will those children be like? Will they be curious and playful, as they should be, or will their curiosity be squashed by being told that what they see is not the truth? What kind of adults will they turn out to be? Monkey see, monkey do, after all; the apple never falls far from the tree. How intelligent might we expect those children to be, when they're trained to ignore sensory data in favor of fantasies and fabrications? How well might we expect them to deal with the unexpected?

For several generations now, we have been living under the impression that the State is our parent: it takes care of us when we're young, it sees to our education, it makes sure we stay safe at night, it even cares for us in our old age. In many cases, politicians on TV -our visible symbols of the State-- are the only mature adults some kids see outside of school. The State is a big ol' Mommy.

And it lies like a big ol' rug.

To be continued.

Have somma this!

Today in music history: Thomas Tallis was born, in 1505. And The Beatles played their last concert together, a live impromptu gig on the roof of Apple studios in London. It was broken up by police, because it was jamming traffic on the streets below (go fig!).

It's also the anniversary of the birth of Franklin Delano Roosevelt (1882), and the death of Mohandas K. (Mahatma) Gandhi (1948).

And in 1835, Richard Lawrence attempted to assassinate President Andrew Jackson, but both his pistols misfired. President Jackson instead beat him with his cane. Take that!

Agenda temporarily derailed

Didn't get any new pictures yesterday, because Monday's agenda was derailed into Tuesday. Today I have more administration and errands, but may be able to do some real work later. I'm hoping.

Coincidence?? I think not!

Old pic of the old bag. I hope to get a new pic of it today, so maybe tomorrow we'll be able to compare. Monday is my work-on-the-house day, so I didn't take any pictures.

Today is the anniversary of the births of Emmanuel Swedenborg, Thomas Paine, and Leadbelly.

Also, in 1978, during Mass in Madaba Greek Orthodox church, south of Amman in Jordan, an icon of the Virgin Mary holding the baby Jesus sprouted a third hand. Perhaps co-incidentally, on the same day in the village of Zlafon near Jerusalem, a calf was born with three mouths.

"Romeo and Juliet" is believed to have debuted on this day, in 1595. "The Raven" was published, too.

Teo Torriate

I spent all weekend working on masteristvan.com, and I feel like it's finally coming together. New this week: The Istvan Boot, kits and patterns for same, and more information for the DIY-ers out there (an article about the tools you'll need, and an article about measuring for footwear). I may have a Belts page up as soon as tomorrow. Coming soon: panniers (saddlebags for bikes), guitar straps, and erotica (as soon as I can find [a] decent model[s]).

thrill-a-minute

Exciting picture, I know. I'm very busy developing masteristvan.com - this picture illustrates some measuring instructions.

Measuring (and) progress

Workin on telling y'all how to measure your feet for shoes. Soon (today? tomorrow? by Monday for sure) kits will be available to order at masteristvan.com.

Make your own damn shoes! ;o)

How do you get a whale's attention with a needle?

My old boot. I suppose you could say I'm putting my foot down, here.


If the United States was a store I was visiting, with our elected officials as the staff, I would leave the store and never return.

Have you ever written Congress? They write back with all the sincerity and interest of a Walmart "associate." Action? Don't expect it. You don't set their agenda, any more than you set Walmart's.

Why are we so apathetic about politics? Because America is Walmart: crappy products and crappier customer service. The thing is just too damn big. How can you expect to get a whale's attention with a needle?


If anything, the Bush administration has only worsened this situation. Their unilateral bullying of congress and other nations, as advised by CEOs of all the American institutions that matter, tells the rest of us -implicitly-- that we simply don't count (this is literally true, too, as they often don't even count our ballots).

Why was there no outrage when we invaded Iraq? Well in fact, there was. Scores of millions of people took to the streets in early March of 2003 (I was there, I saw thousands in Lawrence KS alone), but America TM didn't listen. Hundreds of millions of letters opposing the occupation have by now been sent to Congress, and been ignored. Thousands of phone calls have been made for the same reasons, and have been similarly ignored. Try it yourself: their manners are impeccable, and you might even feel better for a minute, but ultimately you'll be ignored too. Because America TM is not about you, or even us; it's about business.

It's as if the rules have been changed on us, without us having been told. One day, we lived in a democratic republic. Now, we live in a Walmart.

the Lists

Sun on the roof. Yes, that's moss; it grows on rooftops here. It'll grow out of control if you let it, so I'll need to get up there to treat it, soon. It's on The Big List of Things To Do.

Er, on one of my two Big Lists, anyway. The other, bigger, list is of things I need to do for the business/shop. I was so happy to have launched my web site, but as soon as I did, I began to think about/remember all of the things I don't have represented there yet, like boots (!!), belts, measuring instructions, 'care and feeding' instructions, etc etc ETC. When will it end? Apparently not at the beginning, which is of course where I am right now. Duh.

I read a few news-analysis-related blogs along with the rest of the news, and the Winter Patriot caught my attention this morning with this, an excellent refutation/deconstruction of today's predominant myth. It's short, readable, fascinating, and most importantly for me, confirming. It's what I have been trying to write for six and a half years.

Big Sleep

Yeah, I'll say it: I was right. Not that I was the only one, but I know a lie when I hear one.

And if that lie wasn't dangerous enough for you, think about this: the next lie they tell could be about you.

Mt. Hood sunset

Caught this one through the car window yesterday. I was stopped (well, almost) in traffic on I-5, coming home from meeting a potential model. He wasn't the kind of guy I need for the shots I want, but I didn't mind the drive- it's been a long time since we've been able to see Mt. Hood.

kaboom!

I know this is a difficult, confusing story to follow, but I think it's going to be bigger than any American media outlet can suppress (more analysis here and here). This is beyond mere criminality, folks; this is Treason.

Oh, I hope this blows up as big as I think it should. I've been following her story for a long time now...

Nazca

Should have a link to this available later today on masteristvan.com.

Wahkeena trail

This was not yesterday. Yesterday it snowed here, so it was probably damn-near inaccessible in the Gorge, where you can find this waterfall.

I finished a new bag this morning; I'll try to have pics tomorrow.

pokey thing

I'm sewing today, until this new bag is done.

Big(foot?) print

That's my hand.


Why do we get so *bleh* about national politics? Because in truth, contrary to everything the TV would have us believe, all politics is local. We just don't feel -really feel-- that we have a horse in the race. Why bother caring, if we can't tell the difference in the end?

Globalized media is a great thing on one hand, but on the other, it isolates us even more. If the only news we hear about is Britney, then we will begin to feel that Britney is the only thing worth talking about, the only thing that others want to hear about around the water cooler. Problem with that is that Britney is so far removed from us that we can't help but feel left out and insignificant. We don't know her, we won't know her; hell, most of us aren't even likely to see her if we wanted to.

Same thing goes for democracy: if the only candidates and elections we hear about are the national ones, then we are being led to believe that only national elections matter. There are two problems with that: one is that our nation is so big that our personal representatives most often don't have much of an impact individually, so we end up feeling insignificant in terms of the process; the other is that the nation's issues are so diverse that one person (the President, whose election is practically the only way we feel "involved" with our government) can't adequately represent all of our interests (or even all of the interests of all those who voted for him/her).

How could we not feel shut-out of the process? How could we feel anything other than apathy, when we are so far removed from what we're told is Important?