diff --git "a/AuthorMix-test.json" "b/AuthorMix-test.json" --- "a/AuthorMix-test.json" +++ "b/AuthorMix-test.json" @@ -15803,5 +15803,7935 @@ "style": "hemingway", "text": "\"Perhaps you have eaten enough of the beans, dear Scripps,\" the elderly waitress, now his wife, said. The drummer looked up from his paper. Scripps noticed that it was the Detroit News. There was a fine paper.", "category": "author" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "Keep an eye out for Alice Sebold. The Lovely Bones, her novel narrated by a murdered girl, has never been off the Publishers Weekly bestseller list since it came out in June 2002. To date it has sold more than 2.2 million copies. Sebold's publisher, Little, Brown, is postponing the book's paperback release until the strong hardcover sales fall off. Sebold is working on a second book for Little, Brown, and then she will be free to shop for a new contract, potentially worth tens of millions.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "Seattle City Librarian Deborah Jacobs, Pearl's boss, said anyone who doesn't view a librarian as a potent force doesn't understand the job. \"Ideas are more powerful than bombs,\" she said. \"Information is the way to take over the world.\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "Her confusion is understandable. This is Ms. Lyons's first trip to Eastern Connecticut State University. What's more, she has been on a different college campus nearly every day for the past three weeks.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "That's changed. The women don't pooh-pooh the bestseller list anymore, but they certainly don't follow it slavishly. Their reading remains as varied as ever, from academic tomes to light novels. They haven't kept count, but they have read an estimated 1,000 books each -- just for the group. That doesn't include books they've read on their own.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "PWD: You dedicate the book to Gene. Who's he?", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "Enuf already. There must be more \"classic\" vehicles on the road than I thought.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "\"He's on a permanent campaign,\" Howard said. \"He travels the country in an evangelical way and sells lots of books in the back of the auditorium.\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "But it is the foolishness, like the uselessness, like the smell of life and death on those shelves, that makes the used-book store what it is. Michael Silverblatt, host of KCRW-FM's literary talk show \"Bookworm,\" says: \"At a first-run bookstore, people don't necessarily like books. They like trends, or CDs, or coffee. But used-book stores are meeting places for people who like books, and not just books, but people who want to find bookishness, a substance in rare supply these days.\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "Alas, the publishers of the estimated 55,000 books that come out every year in the United States must count on lesser-known authors to do more and more of the promoting of a book, from hiring publicists to setting up and paying for tours. Many publishers even expect authors to submit their marketing strategy as part of their proposal. For authors, finding readers for a book is often harder than writing it was.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "You'll discover, as one reporter did, the first volume of Evelyn Waugh's very hard-to-find one-volume autobiography (he planned three, but then died), \"A Little Learning.\" And for $5, hard-bound, no less.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "If I try to say the joke to myself, making the word mean the three different things at the same time, it is . . . like three people trying to talk to you at the same time about different things.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "But while writers like Mary Morris consider the blockbuster mentality something of a sickness in the book business, others insist its a measure of health. Some of the worst cynics tend to be people who maybe are never going to get published for a reason, says Nicole Aragi, the superagent-of-the-moment who brokered Jonathan Safran Foers handsome payday. Aragi embodies the blockbuster mentality better than most. She claims not to bother with midlist clients and takes on at most one or two new authors a year, and then only the superhot (she also represents Junot Daz). Winning Aragis approval in itself is a benediction of sorts.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "Laurie Wagner, author of \"Living Happily Ever After,\" said that an aunt threw huge book parties for her in Los Angeles. \"At the first event I sold 160 books to family and friends. The next event I sold 120. And the events generate word of mouth.\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "For superstar authors, the publicity machine runs nonstop. Lesser-known writers hit the road and promote their own books. Never mind that they may have better things to do -- like write", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "Jim and Jeanne's daughter, a Newton resident, found the Auburndale storefront recently and the Kontoleons decided to donate their collection to the store. They now not only sell their books, but also old original and hard-to-find prints and homemade greeting cards.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "Tom Clancy didn't fare much better. Sensing weakness, publishers are betting on new names and developing new brands. A fresh plot twist: Many of the writers lined up to take on Clancy, King, Michael Crichton and John Grisham are women.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "A printing plant worker pleaded guilty in May to stealing pages from the unreleased novel. Donald Parfitt, a forklift operator at Clays Ltd. in Bungay, eastern England, claims he found the pages in the parking lot as he was leaving work May 5.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "Despite failing health in recent years, Opdyke kept a busy schedule until she broke her hip April 12. She died Saturday from liver and kidney failure brought on by a long battle with hepatitis.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "JJ: Some are. Some aren't.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "\"All I want to do in my life is bring people together regardless of their race or religion or creed or sex,\" Opdyke told a reporter in 1993. \"We need to learn never to hate again. The children need to learn that.\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "Little, Brown, the agent said, had made a preemptive offer: $500,000, for two books. I was amazed, Lansens says. I was unknown.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "Lose yourself in a book, off the pier in Hermosa? What exactly was being smoked on the pier beforehand, you ask?", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "Samantha Scully, 36, purchased Gene de Chene Booksellers on Santa Monica Boulevard in West L. A. from its aging owner last year. Faced with the store's closing and the loss of her job, Scully didn't want to see this neighborhood mainstay with a political bent (an antiwar poster adorns the door and a nice section of books on nuclear war sits inside) disappear. She believes she can keep the store afloat by attracting younger customers. \"I wanted the store to stay here,\" she said, adding that, as she spoke, three patrons in their early 20s were browsing in her shop.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "Borders and Barnes & Noble would want to deny this. But it is at the used-books store, the least sensible of all businesses, a place perpetually teetering on the brink of bankruptcy, where you can drink in the utter futility of books without a $4 latte chaser.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "\"The ejectable hair bun had many technical hurdles to overcome and we thought doing two clichs was over the top,\" he said. \"So, we went with the shushing action. It gives the figure a certain dignity.\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "Her Portrait of the Killer purports to close the book on the Jack the Ripper case. Unlike her characters, the Cornwell brand is far from dead. The writer signed a two-book deal worth $16 million with PenguinPutnam last year. This fall she will deliver Blow Fly, a new installment in her Scarpetta series, chock-full with crime and corpses.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "For seven years, she hunched over her manuscript, a tale of post-partum depression and infanticide. The work spanned the course of two pregnancies and several thousand nagging doubts. Even after Koppelman, now 33, finally made the cut at Columbia in 1998, the doubts would grow so thunderous that she considered giving up and opening a coffee shop.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "But Los Angeles has lately come to the forefront in keeping the tradition of bibliomaniacal uselessness alive. As the university libraries of Southern California strive to keep pace with mushrooming student populations, and as the rising cost of books drives students and parents to look for better values, the secondhand reading business is thriving along with the likes of Barnes & Noble and Amazon.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "JJ: Three. They've been absolutely wonderful. One in particular was enormously helpful getting me through this. He sort of took Gene's place, saying 'You can do it.'", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "Dick Kreck's column appears Monday, Wednesday and Friday. He may be reached at 303-820-1456 or DKreck@denverpost.com.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "It all started with one barn in New Hampshire. Jim, then a station manager at WGGB in Springfield, was feeling the stress of his job and its new responsibilities, which included giving on-air editorials. One weekend, the Kontoleons took a drive up to New Hampshire to get away and stumbled on a yard sale of sorts inside an old barn.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "During the couple's final move, to New London, Conn., where Jim was starting up a television station, the collection was already quite serious. About three years ago, Jonathan came to visit his parents who were no longer working and decided to move them up to their present home in Oxford. Their new house even has a barn -- just for the books.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "\"Don't make the mistake of thinking your items aren't good enough for us,\" they soothe. Is a gold coin from the Clark & Gruber Mint worth anything? Buyers are there from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. today and Thursday.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "All he ever really wanted to do vocationally was to paint and write. He fell into writing and illustrating children's books because \"it seemed halfway there on both counts.\" Writing television scripts paid the rent. There is a double irony here: He was typecast because he was good at both; and the economy of diction and scene-setting he learned from the kiddie-lit and television trenches are the foundations of his international success.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "Last year, a record fifteen debut novels shipped more than 100,000 copies each. The most notable of these, of course, is Sebolds The Lovely Bonesa surprising novel whose narrator is a murdered girlwhich has sold more than 2 million copies in hardback and last week logged its fifty-third week on the New York Times best-seller list.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "Jane Juska is this season's literary sensation, the senior citizen who, with \"Aristotelian discipline,\" composed a now-notorious personal ad in the New York Review of Books: \"Before I turn 67--next March--I would like to have a lot of sex with a man I like. If you want to talk first, Trollope works for me.\" The ad graces the cover of A Round-Heeled Woman: My Late-Life Adventures in Sex and Romance (Villard), a book that has broken the Amazon.com top 100 bestseller list a week before publication.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "Brian Paepper, 39, a Dutch-born Angeleno, owns Alias Books, formerly West L. A. Book Center, on Sawtelle Boulevard. He sees a future in the used-book business, as long as it is treated as a business. The previous owner, Paepper said, would place high prices on books he felt especially attached to, and they wouldn't sell. He refused to utilize the Internet. To keep the store in business and relevant, Paepper has taken to selling textbooks and brought the store's inventory online.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "A couple of weeks ago I mentioned a mini-pickup with 400,000 miles on it. This, of course, led to a reader calling with a Subaru that logged 484,000.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "After 27 years of near-celibacy and retired from a successful career teaching high school English, Juska was busy but lonely before she began her adventures. PW praised her chapters on visiting libraries or teaching English to prisoners even more than the randy parts: \"Old women looking for sex may not seem a hot topic, but there's something universal in this woman's love affair with the written word.\" She spoke to PW Daily contributor Norman Oder by phone at her home in Berkeley, Calif.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "Best P. I. Novel", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "In social as well as economic terms, L. A. is a wordy town as never before. Witness last year's \"Writing Los Angeles: A Literary Anthology,\" from stuffy Library of America, and last month's \"The Misread City: New Literary Los Angeles.\" The Los Angeles Times Festival of Books now is the largest event of its kind in the country. Look at the lineup of authors the West Hollywood store Book Soup attracts, and at the recent national syndication of the impossibly literate radio show \"Bookworm,\" a KCRW-FM creation.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "But many experienced proprietors seem hopeful. Leonard Berstein's father opened Caravan Bookstore on Grand Avenue in 1954. Now Leonard owns it. \"It's only been fifty years", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "Theres really more of a bottom-line mentality now, Morris says wearily. When I started out, publishers could still commit to a writer. Now theyre publishing a book. All any publisher has to do is push a button and get all the numbers from the big book chains. And those numbers, she adds darkly, will track you forever.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "The action-figure line will continue, Pahlow said, with a range of historical and contemporary characters. Also in the pipeline: Ludwig van Beethoven and another figure with strong Seattle appeal: TV clown J. P. Patches, host of a local children's show on KIRO-TV for 23 years.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "Thompson said that the huge market for libraries in Southern California may help business in the short run, but it has taken a lot of books that would have been bought and sold repeatedly out of circulation permanently. But he added that the mega-bookstore trend has not affected his business adversely.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "Best Paperback Original P. I. Novel", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "Linda Watanabe McFerrin of San Francisco, author of the story collection \"The Hand of Buddha,\" traveled to 25 states on an Amtrak pass for a month. She taught workshops and stayed with friends. Constance Hale (\"Sin and Syntax: How to Craft Wickedly Effective Prose\") conducts writing and grammar workshops in bookstores and at Media Alliance, the Learning Annex and UC Extensions up and down the state.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "Opdyke, who was born Irene Gut on May 15, 1918, in Kozienice, Poland, was a nursing student when Germany invaded in 1939. Opdyke fled but was captured by Russian troops (then allied with the Nazis), who beat and raped her. She spent a year recovering and working in a Russian hospital.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "But just before Lansens became a casualty of publishings new economics, her luck turned violently, again. Hotchkiss, in New York, got a call from Whoopi Goldbergs production company. She wanted to buy the movie rights and Whoopi herself wanted to play the lead. For Lansens, the deal meant another six-figure sum, not to mention an unimaginable windfall of publicity for the book, now in paperback.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "Products from lawn chairs to multi-packs of burritos tempt buyers-in-bulk. A woman strolled by (without buying a book, I might add), and in her cart were a giant bag of lemons, a smaller bag of giant mushrooms - and a 27-inch color TV. Did she go to get lemons, then decide she might as well get a new TV, too?", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "Even so, he periodically has to nourish the scientific part of his brain. \"After I have read lots of fiction, it is like having too much birthday cake,\" he confides. \"Reading science is like having a jug of cold water.\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "Appearance versus reality is the underlying theme of the hottest debut novel of the summer. I can feel you yawning, but before you skip to another page of the newspaper, let me just say that the astonishing success of Mark Haddon's The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time shows that the way a story is told, rather than the story itself, often makes the difference between an instant remainder and a literary bestseller.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "In 1944, the major in Ternopol evacuated the villa and took her with him. The Jews were rescued by the Polish underground. She ended up in a camp for displaced people.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "Take the Eclectic Collector, a dark, breezy hole in the wall just off the pier in Hermosa Beach. Presided over by Tom Allard, a Barnaby Rudge-type who can usually be found outside the shop in a Hawaiian shirt, smoking, the Collector is usually empty. A wholly different experience from Acres, it is the kind of place where you can sit down with a copy of, for example, \"Legendary Yachts: The Great American Yachts from Crowningshield's Cleopatra's Barge to Today's Intrepid Bill Robinson\" (1971, $8.50), and lose yourself for hours in nautical luxuries.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "J. S. Holliday, author of the acclaimed \"The World Rushed In: The California Gold Rush Experience,\" recently drove from his home in Carmel to a vast chain bookstore 200 miles north in Roseville for a reading he set up himself. He arrived to find a podium and chairs, a mike turned on and 30 shrink-wrapped copies of his new book, \"Rush for Riches,\" on a table.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "The novel has a deceptively simple surface. Underneath, though, it is quirky and complicated, both graphically and textually. Mainly that's because Haddon has chosen to tell the story in the voice of Christopher John Francis Boone. He's a 15-year-old kid who finds his neighbour's black poodle stabbed to death with a garden fork in the middle of the night and sets out to find the murderer.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "Others are less chummy. When Ms. Lyons gives a brochure to a psychology professor, the woman pinches it between two fingers as if it were a dirty napkin. \"I don't take anything I won't use,\" she sniffs, handing it back. One professor crosses his arms and scowls at Ms. Lyons. A department secretary doesn't look up from her computer screen or say hello after Ms. Lyons introduces herself.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "Write a column three days a week for 16 years and people barely blink. Write one best seller and, suddenly, you're an Author.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "PWD: Your thirtysomething niece was upset about you getting involved with a man more than three decades younger. Have you patched things up with her?", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "Television and books -- it sounds like a match made in limbo, and it's true that watching most American television programming about books feels like a long wait in a small airport. Author interviews have been TV's only reliable way to convey one of the chief pleasures of reading, that sense of being caught up in a great conversation. But not all great authors are good talkers, and literary types of any sort are increasingly hard to find on talk shows.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "Sept. 28, 2002 -- In 1941, a group of women in Northern Virginia formed a book club. Their husbands were just starting their careers and nearly all the wives were in their 20s. They would meet in the afternoons, bringing their babies along. During World War II, many took jobs, so meetings were switched to evenings.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "Now happily living in Oxford, Haddon, 40, has big muscles from his penchant for marathon kayaking on the River Thames. \"You can only write for five or six hours a day,\" he says, \"so you have to find something else to do the rest of the time. For a lot of writers, it is either alcohol or family breakdown.\" Or both, one assumes. Haddon's solution is \"wholesome outdoor sports\" and painting with acrylics so that the canvases are dry before his toddler, Alfie, comes home from nursery school.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "It helps to have low expectations. Reifler says with a shrug. Its a crazy way to live. Its just a gamble. Youre just betting on a way of life.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "\"She knew that eyewitnesses to the Holocaust were quickly dying off and that if she didn't speak out, it could happen again,\" said her daughter, Jeannie Smith. \"She had a very thick Zsa Zsa Gabor accent, and her biggest fear was that people wouldn't understand what she was saying. But she was amazing, and her love for people and her message of love translated, and her story always got through.\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "in used-book stores is electrifying. In a pre-digital electrical way.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "He expects interest in the Nancy Pearl doll to be strongest in Seattle, where she is best known. But Pahlow said he's already received inquiries about it from librarians around the country. \"We've discovered librarians are very networked and seem to know about everything before it happens.\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "And it's worth a visit if not just to meet the Kontoleons, who also refer to themselves as \"the book gypsies.\" Maybe you will see Jeanne shyly roll her eyes when Jim calls her \"lovely\" in front of strangers. Or maybe Jim will tell you about how he was almost arrested in Medford when he threw pebbles at Jeanne's window before they were married.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "Even if the crossover smash was still the exception, such books encouraged the idea that any promising young nobody might be transformed into a very big somebody with the right promotion, and ironically, a big-enough advance could help serve as that promotion. The problem was, with everyone swinging for the fences, publishers could no longer afford to have much patience for young writers who show only warning-track power. Its the blockbuster mentality applied to literature, says New York literary agent Jody Hotchkiss. The middle is falling out, but the financial upside is far, far greater. Its exactly whats happening in Hollywood right now.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "\"She told me, 'When stuff like that happens, you don't have time to think through what you are going to do. You've got to react,' \" her daughter said. \"She said, 'You have to think with your heart and not with your head.' \"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "One of the hottest new brand names in publishing, Gabaldon sold a three-book historical romance series for $10 million to her publishers at Delacorte Press in the U. S. and Doubleday and Random House abroad. Her first book, Outlander, a time-travel romance whose heroine has a husband in one century and a lover in another, got picked up after she posted parts of it on a CompuServe bulletin board. She built it into a best-selling six-book saga over the following decade.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "While the Kontoleons don't actively peruse auctions and yard sales much anymore, they say they are still open to buying rare items. Currently, they have about 1,100 books in the store, with 3,000 more at home.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "just send me 200 books and I'll sell them,\" Read said. He drove to 100 tour dates in 40 cities -- everything from book group meetings to huge university lectures. He made purple T-shirts and buttons depicting a hand snapping and gave them out at each stop.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "books are, let's face it, on their deathbed. As an art and a business, they're obsolete. They have been for the better part of a century. They may continue to be for a century more. That is their charm.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "JJ: He's terrific. He said, 'Go get 'em, Mom, it's your turn.' But he's not going to read the book.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "Anyway, there I was at the Park Meadows store, seated at a table between men's striped dress shirts and washable suede jackets. Just down the aisle was a large stack of plums by the crate.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "Finding your way around is one of the challenges of being a textbook sales representative -- or \"traveler\" in the romantic argot of W. W. Norton & Company. Another is trying to make intelligent conversation about Wittgenstein one minute and plate tectonics the next. And please, don't even mention the driving.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "The reason they work there? Well, it's their stuff.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "When San Francisco's Kirk Read got his coming-of-age memoir, \"How I Learned to Snap,\" published by Hill Street Press, an independent house in Athens, Ga., he understood that publishing it was all they could afford to do. \"I told them,", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "\"A lot of authors are better at thinking outside the box than publishers because they live outside the box,\" said Gerry Howard, head of Broadway Books, a division of Random House. He offered as an example Dave Pelzer, author of the best-selling book \"A Child Called 'It': One Child's Courage to Survive.\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "JJ: And I turned it down. I'd have to give up too much; I assume fidelity is part of the contract.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "JJ: I just do not want to give advice. I'm not an expert. I do think, sometimes, people die early, they sort of give up on everything. But I would not advise everybody to do this.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "Patrick suggests that they \"do lunch\" sometime. When the pair is out of earshot, Ms. Lyons wonders aloud whether it's possible to \"do lunch\" in a college cafeteria. Besides, what would they talk about?", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "I'll tell you in 75,\" says Bernstein, when asked about the state of business. He says he sees room for everyone in the book business", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "A write-up about her speech in a local newspaper caught the eye of a rabbi, who persuaded Opdyke to tell her tale to the world. She agreed, embarking on a new career.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "Best P. I. Short Story", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "Disregard your claustrophobia and the justifiable fear of getting smothered beneath the Pisa-like spires of books, and have one of the helpful Sonic Youth clerks help you to the section on \"Hackysack, Yo-Yo's and Juggling.\" Nearby, look over the three full shelves devoted to the history and study of prostitution. And don't forget the Frank Cotton Memorial Oddball shelves, named for the late head clerk of Acres, who until his death in 1988 functioned as the store's only computer. There, you find a volume titled \"14,000 Things to Be Happy About,\" and another called \"The Dot and the Line: A Romance in Lower Mathematics.\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "A recent tally by The Times uncovered roughly 40 used- and rare-book stores in the greater L. A. area. Although they tend to occupy low-rent districts, they exist in virtually every corner", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "\"Used-book stores should cater to people who can't afford new books as they become more expensive,\" he says. Still, he adds, \"it's a fool's profession.\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "While she may pretend otherwise at times, the rudeness and rejection have taken their toll. (Just over a month after her visit to Eastern Connecticut State, Ms. Lyons will resign from Norton and move to Los Angeles.)", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "But here, the book business is thriving. According to the U. S. Census Bureau, the greater Los Angeles area is the largest book market in the country now with 21.5% of the books sold by independent bookstores, the highest percentage in the country.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "He has blurred the boundaries between postmodern and genre fiction, between books for kids and those aimed at adults. But that is what fiction should do, he counters, pointing out that one of his favourite books is the quintessential 19th-century mystery novel, The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "How much longer will they go? \"The book club would never consider disbanding,\" says member Mary Lathram. \"I think that's a terrible word for Book Club. I feel that when we get too frail, maybe we'll just fade away.\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "Afterward, Carlson acknowledged to us that he won't get away with eating a cake shoe. He's going to chew and swallow a real shoe -- probably a loafer.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "The name is not an exaggeration. Acres has, by a conservative estimate, 750,000 books on its bowed, rotting shelves (the number probably is closer to 1 million). \"More books than anybody in their right mind needs,\" acknowledges Jackie Smith, who has worked in the store since 1976 and now owns it (her husband's grandfather opened it in the 1930s).", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "After lunch, she runs into two men in front of the history department's main office. They are wearing dark suits. They are carrying leather briefcases. They are the competition.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "Christopher has no peripheral emotional vision; he sees the world in strictly literal terms and he has no friends. He hates change, looking people in the eye, the colours brown and yellow, and having different foods touch on his plate. If somebody inadvertently grazes Christopher's arm or stares at him, he is likely to bang his head against the wall or roll into a ball on the ground and emit loud persistent groaning sounds for hours on end.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "Pearl herself comes across as modest and unassuming, but she's an unabashed booster of her profession: \"The role of a librarian is to make sense of the world of information. If that's not a qualification for superhero-dom, what is?\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "From NPR. For an audio report: http://www.npr.org/programs/atc/features/2002/sept/bookclub/index.html", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "It was clear to Koppelman that publishers not only didnt seem interested in a modest first novel but also showed no interest in the idea of developing a writer over time, who might, several books down the road, produce something really stellar. Instead, even from unknown writers, they seemed to want only blockbusters. Not fitting that category, Koppelman finally found a small, independent publisher called MacAdam/Cage in San Francisco that believed in building a writers career. A Mouthful of Air was published in April, and the New York Observer was quick to call it an exquisitely dark debut novel. It is only now that Koppelman can pause long enough to contemplate the bigger question: Was it all worth it?", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "\"I have cornered a rather funny little niche as the resident food Jew in the Bay Area,\" Goldstein said. \"You sell them one book at a time. Drip, drip, drip.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "An encouraging sign is the recent influx of youth into the business. Traditionally the province of antiquaries and literates of the pre-computer age", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "Scary, exhilarating, funny and tear-jerking, she has crafted a beautiful masterpiece that will cast a spell over kids of all ages. Even a 28-year-old dad of two.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "Granted, an author who spent last Saturday at not one but two Costco stores, signing copies of \"Murder at the Brown Palace,\" the runaway best seller about a 1911 shooting at the luxurious hotel. (Available at better bookstores everywhere.)", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "JJ: A man in my writing group gave me a book called The Good Parts, excerpts of writing by famous people about sex. I read Updike's and thought, he can't do it, either. And he's such a fine writer. It gave me courage to go ahead and just write about the sex part and not worry about how badly I was going to surely do it.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "\"Why should anyone go to a bookstore when they can order a book from the comfort of their desk and get it in a day?\" asked Michael Thompson, who has owned Michael R. Thompson Bookseller, on 3rd Street in West Hollywood, for 30 years.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "The Pulitzer-prize winning author of Cold Mountain, a peripatetic Civil War epic about a Confederate deserter, sold his next book to Random House for $8 million and film rights to Paramount Pictures for $3 million. Miramax's movie adaptation of Cold Mountain is in the works, starring Nicole Kidman and Jude Law.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "And so Koppelman pressed on. It was only when she tried to sell the book, however, that she learned what it means to be a real writer these days.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "Tuesday, Jul. 15, 2003", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "When the major discovered the Jews, he gave Opdyke a choice: Sleep with him, or he'd turn them in. She became his mistress.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "Hillary Rodham Clinton got a cool $8 million advance for her memoir, \"Living History,\" and a publicity blitz that included prominent journalists from foreign countries flying to Washington to interview her. Right behind that, Harry Potter fans were whipped into a frenzy by an orchestrated campaign of embargoes on the new volume and then treated to bookstore pajama parties across the country.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "Riding the surge in Christian-themed books, LaHaye signed a deal with Bantam Books to publish a new four-part Armageddon thriller. LaHaye is co-author of the doomsday series Left Behind, which sold 50 million copies. No surprise here. The religious books market hit $2.4 billion in 2001 and is projected to grow 3.7% annually through 2006. HarperCollins and Doubleday now have Christian book divisions.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "But even after Pahlow said he wanted to do it, Pearl didn't know he was serious until he called her earlier this year and said, \"We need to set a time for you to go to Mukilteo and be digitized.\" Pahlow's action figures are designed here and made in China.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "To Pearl's delight, the figure will be holding a (removable) copy of her new book, \"Book Lust: Recommended Reading for Every Mood, Moment and Reason.\" The book, Pearl's third, is being published by Seattle's Sasquatch Books and is due out in September.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "It should be said from the start that going to used-book stores is, at best, a useless pursuit. It is reversionary, unhealthy even. Used-book stores are filled with books, dusty, old, sinus-polluting books and, as if that weren't enough, with the kind of people you make a conscious effort to avoid during the day", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "It can become overwhelming. Especially if, like Ms. Lyons, you've been on the job for less than a month.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "Good news for aspiring novelists: Advances for first-time authors have blown sky-high. The catch? If the book doesnt sell, the fallout can kill your career.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "Best First P. I. Novel", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "Haddon, a soft-spoken Englishman, was born in Northampton, \"the jewel of the Midlands,\" he says dismissively. \"I always joke that there are only two literary links to Northampton, and both of them are to the same psychiatric hospital.\" Apparently John Clare, the English Romantic poet, ended up in St. Crispins Hospital, and so did Robert Lowell, the modern American poet, after suffering a manic episode when he was passing through. \"That's the end of Northampton's link to world literature,\" Haddon says with a laugh.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "But whats good for the authors bank accountand the publishersin the short term is not necessarily best for his career in the long term. At Doubleday, we believe in investing in a career, insists Bill Thomas, editor-in-chief of Random Houses Doubleday Broadway group. That gets harder to do with the money thats being thrown around these days. Its closing your eyes and praying. And that can hurt the writer.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "The creator of the Stephanie Plum series, about an intrepid New Jersey bounty hunter, sold the rights for her next two novels to HarperCollins for $10 million. Evanovich made an estimated $4 million for each Plum installment, of which there are nine now. She's branching out into romance, nonfiction and possibly even a TV series.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "will determine \"which librarians have a sense of humor.\" She likes to believe that today's librarians are secure enough in their work that they won't take offense at the old clich.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "Amy Koppelman had always wanted to be a writer, even after all those years she spent slogging away on a first novel in her closetthe only office space available in her cramped Upper West Side apartment. It was the closest thing I had to a room of ones own,", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "The downside of all of this is the time taken away from what writers do best: write. The financial realities can be daunting, too. Most authors make $2 to $3 on a hardcover sale. An out-of-town reading might cost $300, even if you stay with friends. An author has to sell 100 books to break even, and bookstores rarely order that many copies.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "After Oxford, Haddon spent a few years doing assorted voluntary and part-time social-work type jobs before he discovered he \"was completely unemployable.\" The longest he says he lasted at any one time in an office was five weeks. Not having a boss, he says, is one of the best things about being a writer.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "What puts Pearl, executive director of the Washington Center for the Book, into such heady company? She's the model for a 5-inch-tall plastic \"action figure\" by Seattle-based Accoutrements, parent company of Ballard's Archie McPhee store, where zany meets kitschy meets glow-in-the-dark.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "Jonathan Burnham, president of Miramax Books, who startled the publishing world last fall by forking out $625,000 for a novel called Bergdorf Blondes by Vogue editor Plum Sykes, concurs. Theres no doubt that publishers will be prepared to overpay for a major new literary voice, he says. But a big advance puts a huge pressure on the novel to succeed. This peculiar marketplace entrance-performance is something that everybody has to do now. William Faulkner didnt go around and meet ten publishers, who then participated in a heated auction that was publicized by Keith Kelly in the Post the next day.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "JJ: Oh my goodness. They're so different, one from the other, that I get to be not completely different, but I get to be a fuller person, because they bring out different parts of me. One thing they all have in common is that they're incredibly smart, and they're wonderful writers. So the question is a good one and, in all honesty, sometimes, I do have difficulty, and say: 'Come on Jane, simplify your life.' But who I would say farewell to?", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "They may look sleepy, but many used-book stores are thriving. Plus, the best places to get lost in the stacks. By James Verini", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "The book that really changed publishers minds about the commercial potential of literary fiction, and in particular the possibilities of first novels, was Charles Fraziers Cold Mountain. Published by Grove/Atlantic in 1997, this Civil War tale was a groundbreaking successa serious book that held its own on the Wal-Mart shelves, selling an incredible 1.5 million copies in hardback and following up with another 1.3 million in paperback. It was one of the biggest debuts in publishing history. The cry from every publisher in town was Get me the new Charles Frazier!", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "I had some down time. Across the way was an endlessly repeating video for Oxi-Clean, a miracle if ever I saw one. Of course I watched. Scientists have proven that if there is a television turned on, a guy will watch it.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "\"It's really good,\" she said. \"It refers to the book before, so you don't get lost. It's very hard to put down.\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "has died. She was 85.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "In the ensuing years, Israel honored her as a \"Righteous Gentile\"one of thousands of non-Jews who risked their lives to save Jews during the Holocaust. She also has written two autobiographies and tirelessly recounted her story in thousands of synagogues, churches and schools throughout the United States, Canada and Europe.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "I got a $3,000 advance for the book, she says. Im not even sure that covers the postage on the queries I sent out.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "As the members tell Howard Berkes for All Things Considered, every few meetings, they have a \"book selection.\" Each member brings three titles she'd be willing to buy. The group votes on which one the member should buy, and at the next meeting, the books are passed on. If the group likes a suggested title that doesn't make the rotation, the woman who suggested it is asked to read it and present a \"book report\" to the group.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "She arrives at the professor's door. Fortunately, he is in his office. Unfortunately, he is talking to a colleague.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "Haddon obviously doesn't suffer from a problem such as Asperger's, but there is lot of him in Christopher -- the love of math, for example, and also his need for solitude. \"I was always one of those outsider kids,\" he says. He read gobs of science as a kid, avoiding fiction like a contagion. It wasn't until his teen years that he began wanting to write, and it was only at the last moment that he decided to study English lit rather than math at Oxford. \"A narrow escape,\" he now thinks.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "Another publisher is even more blunt: The writer has got two or three years to make the money back. If he doesnt, that big advance might be the last nickel he ever earns in the book business. So maybe its no longer publish or perish; now its also possible to publish and perish. The time-honored tradition of a novelists serving an apprenticeship through his early thirties is waning quickly, says Morgan Entrekin of Grove/Atlantic, who gave the world Fraziers Cold Mountain six years ago.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "\"I was pretty. He was an old man,\" Opdyke said five decades later. \"It was a small price to pay for the many lives I really didn't know them. But I saw people in need, and I saw I could help them.\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "\"We'll buy it! Sell Us Your Valuables!\" proclaimed an almost-full-page ad in the paper earlier this week. Jewelry, silver, watches, autographs, vintage photos - bring 'em on.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "This being Los Angeles, of course, most stores abound in movie star biographies, self-help guides and Buddhism. Automobiles and art books often show up in force too. Still, some proprietors are not sanguine about the future. They say that, with as many used-book stores as there are, many have closed in the last 20 years. They say that the Internet, while it has helped them move inventory to far-flung customers, has also driven off-the-street business, and even regulars.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "Rights to the novel have been sold in more than a dozen countries, with the British publisher producing it in separate editions for teenagers and adults. A consortium of Warner Bros./Heyday Films/Brad Pitt and Brad Grey have bought the film rights and are in the process of negotiating with Steve Kloves (screenwriter for the Harry Potter films) to write and direct.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "Let the big toymakers crank out combat characters and toy military equipment, Pahlow said. \"We have to be unlike them to survive.\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "I know why this is meant to be funny. I asked. It is because drawn has three meanings, and they are (1) drawn with a pencil, (2) exhausted, and (3) pulled across a window, and meaning 1 refers to both the face and the curtains, meaning 2 refers only to the face, and meaning 3 refers only to the curtains.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "JJ: I wouldn't do that. Nor would they. One of them said, 'We're very private people, that's why we answer ads.'", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "After the war, Opdyke immigrated to the United States, where she became a citizen, married and settled in Yorba Linda. For almost 30 years, she never spoke of her actions, even to her daughter.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "Granted, librarians aren't known for Terminator-style stunts. Rarely do they need to be faster than a speeding bullet or leap tall buildings in a single bound.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "Opdyke was 25 and working as the major's housekeeper when, in 1943, she overheard that the Gestapo was about to sweep through a local Jewish ghetto in Poland. Concerned that the 12 Jews with whom she had worked in a laundry would be taken away, she decided to hide them in a cellar under a gazebo.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "For devotees of the used-book store, Los Angeles has quietly become one of the last bastions, for L. A. has become one of the last great American book towns. New York may be home to the publishing industry and Lewis Lapham's thesaurus, Chicago still has Saul Bellow, but in both those cities high rents and the Internet have driven many of the venerable used- and rare-book stores out of business.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "Along with these testaments to the misguided history of human curiosity, there are any number of misguided, curious humans to be wondered at, shuffling along with that awkward sidelong gait particular to creatures used to over-tight bookstore aisles. Pale and near-sighted from years of 50-watt bulbs, they gaze up at titles mostly long forgotten, at authors mostly dead and buried, E. M. Forster's words from \"Howards End\" perhaps ringing in their ears: \"Only connect....only connect.\"The proximity of the present to the past", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "Ive heard some very nasty accusations from people, then you look at their work and think, Well, theres a reason fifteen rejections are sitting in your box, Aragi says. Im very cruel about that, though, so Im not going to start sounding like an old bitch. There have always been bean-counters in the industry, because its a business. We need them to behave in a businesslike way.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "How about a cardigan sweater draped over the shoulders? Or glasses on a chain? Those were considered and rejected, Pearl said.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "Lansens felt the pressure as she scrambled to find a suitably marketable topic for her second book. After this big deal happened, I guess we did all have expectations, she says. It was frustrating, because nobody could really answer why.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "As Daniel Masons agent, Christy Fletcher, puts it: Its like credit. Its better to have no credit than bad credit.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "\"People ask me what model I had in mind when I was writing this book,\" he says. After thinking about it for a while, he finally concluded it was Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. She has taken the Bennet family, with their parochial lives, and adopted their language, which is in itself restrained and limited. But, he says, she has drawn them with such empathy that there is a universality about them. In retrospect, Haddon realized it was that quality of empathy that he had been striving for in creating Christopher.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "Almost 30 years ago, the Kontoleons, who have been married for 50 years, \"were looking for something to do,\" according to Jeanne, a former high school librarian. So they began collecting books by frequenting book auctions and yard sales.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "A French thesaurus from 1757, pages yellowed but still intact. A gold-leafed volume of poetry from 1845 with a personal inscription on the inside cover. Old Civil War letters and personal diaries. Even an original copy of the now out-of-print \"Arnold's Bodyshaping for Women\" by Arnold Schwarzenegger, circa 1979.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "They remained a secret for eight months, when the major discovered the Jews. Then she bought more time for her friends by becoming the major's mistress. All of the Jews survived.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "PAINT IT BLACK by P. J. Parish (Kensington Publishing Corp.)", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "The imagination every author possesses goes to good use in these grassroots marketing efforts. When he isn't setting up readings at bookstores, Holliday speaks at Rotary clubs, always making sure they have his books there for sale afterward. In March he spoke to the American Glaucoma Society. \"There are conventions and conferences in town all the time, and they need some alternative to their subjects,\" he says.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "and is a key reason Pearl was recently chosen to receive the 2003 Washington Humanities Award. Jack Faris, board chairman of Humanities Washington, said the same-book idea \"may be the single most significant public-humanities program in the past 10 years.\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "If you like to make the most of your life, used-book stores can seem an absolute waste of time. That is precisely what makes spending time in them so worthwhile.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "Who would want to read a novel, let alone make a film, about a disabled kid living in Swindon, he asks, evincing a mixture of surprise and pleasure. The same could be said about Yann Martel's Life of Pi, a novel about a shipwrecked boy adrift on a life raft in the middle of the Pacific with a starving tiger. The reason that both novels connect with readers of different ages is that they tell simple but powerful stories and they pose the biggest puzzle of all: What is life all about?", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "Chicken feed to Nancy Camp. She bought her Ford half-ton pickup new for $4,200 in 1972 and the odometer just zipped past 562,300 miles. She had the engine rebuilt at 400,000 and gets the rust treated every couple of years, but, she says, \"it really looks good.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "Pearl, with the library for 10 years, does book reviews on public radio KUOW-FM (94.9) during \"The Beat\" at 2 p.m. Mondays. But she's best known for \"If All of Seattle Read the Same Book,\" an effort to build community connections through an appreciation of books.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "She began by mailing out dozens of sample chapters of the book she had come to title Dont Fall Apart on Me Tonightlater changed to A Mouthful of Air. As the answers started to trickle back, Koppelman detected an unsettling trend. All the big New York agents and publishing houses told me the same thing: Look at the movies. You need a happy ending,", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "At a dinner party last year, Pahlow was talking about the success of his company's Jesus action figure, and the potential for others. Why not make a librarian, someone asked. And why not use Pearl as the model, asked someone else.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "As Jim's job changed, the couple, who met at Syracuse University, moved from Massachusetts to Florida to Connecticut, each time hauling all their new collectibles. During one move from New England to Jacksonville, the load was so heavy and the streets so hot that the truck blew five tires on the way down.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "But the chairs were empty. The manager refused to make an announcement over the PA system, so Holliday plucked an audience of six from among the store's shoppers. \"Look, I'm about to give a rousing speech over there,\" he said, putting a friendly arm around their shoulders. \"Why don't you come over and listen to me?\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "In the 1970s, Opdyke, who was working as an interior decorator, became aware that revisionist historians were questioning whether the Holocaust happened. Enraged, she agreed to speak to her husband's Rotary Club as a substitute speaker.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "all the good stuff,\" her daughter said. But not the rest.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "Even cookbook authors must -- literally -- cook up interest in their books. Joyce Goldstein of San Francisco flew to Miami with six pounds of fresh phyllo on her lap. The former owner of Square One and author of 19 books, she cooked all morning, making 300 \"tastes\" of bougatsa, a Greek phyllo pastry filled with cheese custard -- and sold five books. Soon she'll fly to Baltimore to attend a conference at the invitation of the Potato Board. She went to Copia in Napa to do \"This Is Not Your Mother's Seder.\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "Amen, says Mark Pahlow, owner of Accoutrements. In addition to historical characters, he looks for action figures in \"people in unusual or underappreciated jobs.\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "\"Nancy is the quintessential librarian!\" Pahlow said, \" ... She is an iron fist inside a velvet glove. And she does not take herself too seriously.\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "Also on the good-for-you menu is ''Assignment Discovery: Great Books,'' a blend of commentary on and cheesy dramatizations of classic works, apparently aimed at high school students. The creators of these video Cliffs Notes seem keenly aware of adolescent tastes, and they could have called the series ''Great Books With Lots of Screaming in Them''; of the four episodes I've seen, three were about works -- Dante's ''Inferno,'' ''Metamorphosis,'' the stories of Edgar Allan Poe -- that afford ample opportunity to show images of shrieking faces shot through a fish-eye lens, not to mention the rats and the squirming insects.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "\"Christopher seems supremely ill equipped to be a narrator,\" Haddon agrees. And yet, as he discovered early on, Christopher's apparent disabilities were actually a safeguard against the literary traps that ensnare so many novelists. \"He never explains anything too much, he never tries to make the reader's mind up one way or the other,\" Haddon says. \"He just paints a picture and leaves you to decide. He is very good at show, don't tell.\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "For truly devoted book nuts, however, for those who know what they're doing is hopelessly archaic and love it, the used-books store still is the center of the universe. Because", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "Brand-name authors still dominate bestseller lists, but the reign of Stephen is over. King's last two books, From Buick 8 and Everything is Eventual, were each off 40% in sales compared with Dreamcatcher, his 2001 release.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "But in the next month or so, it will be official. She'll join the ranks of Jesus, Sigmund Freud, Rosie the Riveter, Nico the Barista and a striped-shirted hipster/philosopher named Fuzz.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "\"She told me that when she came to the United States and saw the Statue of Liberty, she said, 'I'm here in a fresh country to make a new start.' To do that, she had to put up a 'Do Not Disturb' sign on her memories.\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "At 23, Tessa Lyons isn't much older than the undergraduates she passes in the hallways. Professors often mistake her for a student. But she isn't there to ask about the next test or beg for a better grade. She's there to make a sale.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "It is near the end of the day and Ms. Lyons has one minor task to complete before going home. All she has to do is hand a brochure to a professor and thank him for using Norton textbooks. Afterward, she'll grab a quick dinner and begin the 90-minute drive back to Amherst. She will then answer 25 to 30 e-mail messages and spend a couple of hours preparing for the next day. Many nights she works well into the small hours.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "Costco is a phenomenon you have to visit to believe. This is impulse buying taken to a new level. On any given Saturday, a Costco outlet can expect to turn $500,000 in sales. One of the managers told me he sold a $53,000 diamond the previous day.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "When she tried to return home, she was captured by German troops and forced to work at a munitions factory in Ternopol, in southeastern Poland. She was later recruited to be a housekeeper at an officers' compound.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "After the war, Opdyke was interviewed by a United Nations worker in the camp. When she immigrated to New York City in 1949, she met the worker again while having lunch in the U. N. cafeteria. Six weeks later, she and William Opdyke were married. He died in 1993.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "she says. She still wanted to be a writer even after she got turned down by Columbias prestigious masters-of-fine-arts fiction program. Twice.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "Anyone who thinks books are a dying art form should take a look at Costco. Both stores had a huge table of books at discounted prices. John Fielder's \"Colorado 1870-2000\" still sells like crazy. Me, I settled for a four-pack of Oxi-Clean products and a couple of pairs of boxers.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "They meet every three weeks, with some longer breaks in the summer. Their favorite authors over the years have been Wallace Stegner, Barbara Kingsolver and Jill Kerr Conway.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "Once again, and just as unimaginably, she was a poster child for the Hollywoodification of the book businessbut this time, literally. Now anointed a significant literary voice, Lansens, who spent some time just processing all the drama, is now one fifth of her way through a second book. This was my first book, she says, still astonished. If it were my tenth book, I wouldnt have expected this.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "The soon-to-be bestseller lay on the table in front of the 23-year-old. Yesterday, she was on page 567 of the 768-page book.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "PWD: You got 63 letters. How many men did you meet?", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "the Amazons, the Borders, the independent first-run stores and himself. \"I'm not going out to buy a new Lexus every year,\" he says. \"I'd rather spend it on books.\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "JJ: The chapter on my son was not there at all. My agent said, 'Your manuscript raises so many questions.' I asked myself, 'Jane, were you just meeting men?' No, I was very busy, doing this other stuff. Then the question came up: 'Jane, what were you doing 'til you were 67?'", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "\"It's an incredible story,\" he said. \"At first, it pained her, reliving the intimate details of her life.\" But once she got a taste of public speaking, \"She couldn't stop a star was born.\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "Pahlow's experience in the amusement biz goes back to childhood. When he was 8, he and a brother ran wires from a toy train transformer to a metal patio chair", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "A manager at the Wal-Mart in St. Constant would not comment on the matter and referred questions to Wal-Mart Canada headquarters in Toronto. No one could be reached for comment last night.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "Suddenly, literary fiction was no longer thought of as a high-prestige but low-profit venture in an industry largely propelled by cookbooks, self-help tomes, and pulpy thrillers. Of course, literary authors like Norman Mailer, Toni Morrison, and John Updike were guaranteed generators of revenue, but they had built their reputations over a course of years. What had changed was publishings embrace of the unknown.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "\"I really want you to notice, Tucker, that this is a wingtip. It's a right-wing wingtip,\" Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton said to \"Crossfire\" host Tucker Carlson. (Claire Duggan - CNN)", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "\"Bookstores? You might as well kill yourself,\" she said.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "Slammed doors and unkind remarks go with the territory, according to veteran representatives. Not all academics are gentle, tweedy souls. In fact, some of them are jerks.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "\"I want to finish it. After I'm done, I don't care,\" Melissa said.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "Surprisingly, one of the most literate documentary series around is Bravo's ''Page to Screen,'' which is about how books have been translated to film. In the program about John Irving's ''Cider House Rules,'' for example, Irving, who wrote the film's screenplay, describes the novel's ''moral symmetry'' as making it particularly suitable for film adaptation and discusses the need to cut certain characters and tone down the flaws in others because extremes that work well in print can overwhelm on the screen. That's the kind of nuts-and-bolts formal analysis that even the best author interviews tend to bypass. But don't get too excited about ''Page to Screen.'' It's been canceled.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "WINTER AND NIGHT by S. J. Rozan (St. Martin's Press)", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "Over a chicken sandwich and fruit juice, Ms. Lyons explains how she ended up selling textbooks. When she graduated from Duke University in 2001 with a degree in English, she already had a job offer from a business consulting company in Los Angeles. Everything seemed perfect.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "Later that same day, she told a co-worker's wife about the purchase. The woman went and bought herself and Melissa's friend a copy, just as employees were taking the books off the shelves.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "Yet do-it-yourself promotion pays off, if not in huge sales then at least in keeping a good book in print long enough to find its readers. Joyce Goldstein says her editor knows how hard she works to sell the books and will keep that in mind next time he's considering publishing her. Kirk Read promoted his hardback so vigorously that the paperback was bought by Penguin. Holliday gets books from the publisher at a 40 percent discount, so when he sells them himself he not only makes a few dollars, but, more importantly, helps them stay in print.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "JJ: I am still in touch with four and intimately involved with three. And one would like to be, but I turned him down, Robert in the book. He gave me the title, we were talking about promiscuity or something, and he brought up that phrase.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "Then the companies asked him if they could have the book back. Raincoast Books even offered to pay $5,000 for the three books, Steve said.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "Though Bill Thomas of Doubleday disagrees that this shift in publishing has created better fiction writers, he suggests it has coincided with a really good crop of emerging American novelists. I think American fiction is in a very good place right now, says Thomas, who edited Jonathan Lethems commercial breakthrough, Motherless Brooklyn, before ascending to his current post. If you look at Jonathan Safran Foer, no one said, Well, this is a difficult postmodern novel by an unknown writer, were not going to get involved. Everyone bid on it. That feeling of excitement when you start turning pages of a manuscript and you want to share this with the world, that still drives the business.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog5546", + "text": "Located on Auburn Street, Old Books and Prints has been open for business since January and is one of the only used-book stores in Newton. While it is technically owned by former technology professional Jon Kontoleon, it is staffed by two people who call themselves \"a senior citizen volunteer advisory committee\" -- his parents, Jim and Jeanne Kontoleon.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "[OOC] Wednesday nods and will play nice. :)", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "OOC> Cornelius says, \"Please, pose entry. I will be Quiet's extension for scening until otherwise notified that the NPC Cornelius has shown himself.\" OOC> Keene says, \"K.\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Alabaster Smith grins at Andrea. \"By all means. It's been a pleasure chatting with you. Ah hope we'll meet again soon.\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Compton is stunned. He just stares at the phone, mouth agape.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "P-dogg must refer to Penny, because it's in that directly that Daisy's facing, and it's in that direction that Penny's not responding. Maybe the music's too loud. She repeats:", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Andrea is quiet for a long, drawn moment, a glance given as Drake makes his way out after the girl, the corner of her mouth quirking back up into another half grin. Looking back to her table mate she nods slowly, \"I bet. Never hurts to have someone watching out for ya.\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "\"Yeah. Like Jonny Cash. Parents were fans.\" his tone getting a slight edge to it, like he's used to having this coversation over and over again.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "[FAE] Lily, skeletal and shadowed, stares at Pobble without expression, offering the barest hint of a nod. Amusement shows in her gaze.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "A very nice, plastoral looking building in the busier part of town. Recently rennovated, it has a pleasant facade to it, completely with a large hedge around the property, manicured lawn and topiaries of animals.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "So it's easy to lose Cash here, easy to mistake him as another beggar. Or drunk. Well drunk he might be, but his wandering sneakers carry the hallmark of a traveling handyman rather than a sedentary bum. In his hand a half empty bottle, his march eastwards an absent shuffle. Moving away from the setting sun and headlong into darkness.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "--------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jumpstart leans into the door still more, staring at the demon face, as though he wills it to give way. Which, of course, doesn't work. Hell, he even leans so much that his own feet slip out from under him, and he skids down to one knee. ((Oofda.)) Clipped Ear rolls Perception+alertness+3 (8 dice) at a difficulty of 9:", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Unfolded and massive and floppy and awkward: Hiro is struggling with a brouchure-map from the Erin's Vale Board of Tourism, engaged in an attempt to fold it back into its original dimensions. He veers through the door - holds it with his shoulder, releases, gives the map a good shake, and begins to re-fold it.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Pobble should be warm, it is after all sweltering in the packed club. The close proximity of the bouncers seems to make him all the more edgy, pressing his side up against the counter top as he scratches his forehead just under the rim of his hat. \"I shouldn't wear my coat inside, else I'll be cold when I go out.\" he murmers, mantra-like.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "At your table, Pobble shrugs just slightly, response delayed by the consumption of coffee. Keeping it held before his face he regards you over the rim with a half-smile. \"That office is no more secure than this place.\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "To the west the more residential area is left behind while the long stretch of road spans towards the east. The apartment buildings and other stores of consumer goodness dwindle to nothingness while warehouses start to appear every so often. Many of the old factories that have become the namesake of the district have ironically closed down to instead become storage for different goods.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Here she comes, Wednesday. All hot for you.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Out on the street, bright and early. The only thing stiring in the slums are the odd alley cat. Compton unpacks a can of spray paint and marks out a roughly rounded square on the sidewalk, and then puts an H in the middle. Next he digs out a piece of pink paper which he sets alight with a cheap BIC. Dropping it to the ground where it burns out on top of the rough depiction of a Honda symbol and looks at his watch, quietly counting down the seconds.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Who would think the tomboy could clean up so well? Surely no one that knows her and has seen her in her usual jeans and boots, grubby from digging in the garden. And yet, tonight Zoe seems to have taken special care with her dress. If she notices the path Dennis has made towards the bar, it's not obvious as she waves her own way through people, laughing at times before nodding to the bar before continuing onwards. Once there, she tiptoes, leaning against the bar, and making her order, giving the bartender a smile before he moves off to fix her drink.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Now, Ana is certainly the curious fae. She watches closely, turning her head and then her body to follow your steps. If she can get away with going for it, she'll try to get a drop of liquid from the ground onto her fingertip, to examine it.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "\"Hah, cool,\" Lori says. \"Hey, I might just do that. Thanks for the number. You take care now, okay? Don't get into any trouble...\" She babbles on, waving at you with your own 'business' card.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "The static feeling is all but gone now. \"I will go.... and don't forget... to turn lights off... when you're not using them... don't waste energy...\" And then, as it came, so it is gone.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Nathan glances up as Anastasia arrives to the table, giving her a respectful nod before she begins to speak so quietly with Morgan. As they talk, he turns back to continue the conversation with Lily.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Lori is laughing at whatever Dennis is saying as she walks away from him. Yes, indeed, she is following Pobble but at a leisurely pace. What, like she's going to miss the big white coat in the crowd? She'd have to be retarded /and/ blinde. Or even blind.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Wednesday is slow to get up. She nurses her injury--some dull pain along her back--as she gets to her feet. Her eyes dart between Penny, Ryo, and Jesse, not sure how to play the scene, wondering if she should run or not. The tension in her muscles show her confusion.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Monkey ... so tastey ... The bear licks his lips and stares.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Everyone stands near Cowpunchers. Except Penny, who's slunk into a niche. Cash seems Drunk. Pobble looks fucked and sometimes agitated. Penny is hiding and rambling.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Gone to get my gun. -C.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "The sidewalks are in decent condition; though they do show some of the wear and tear of age. The street itself is in much of the same condition, asphalt showing potholes every so often. The local politicians, of course, have declared that they will have better roadways soon enough available to motorists.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "One hand darts to her pocket, pulls a cigarette, offers it to Jesse. Her expression is fixed into straight-arrow neutrality, though her forehead is wrinkled into nestred chevrons of worry.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Pobble's head and dropping down into the oversized hood. The blue haired man hops from one foot to the other, apparently cold. Eyes with oversized pupils dart from one wood-lover to the next. \"Anyone able to direct me?\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "\"Our young hero has found his sword,\" Ailsa says smoothly, nodding once to Bob. \"As his self appointed witch in the forest guide, I'm encouraging him to let destiny tug him along by the short hairs. Since she will anyway, its better ta walk with company than alone.\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "The nickname of 'Tourist Lane' has been placed upon the area, proving that out-of-towners often stay at a small cluster of higher class hotels. Both those visiting for vacation as well as business reasons can be found in almost equal amounts. Small stands of maps, newspapers, and novelty items can be found down the lane to take advantage of those visiting the city.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Esther wanders up to Penny, looking her over and muttering something about satan. She pushes her cart in front of her. She never lets go of her cart. \"Hey! Blondie!\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Pobble.............. Tallish, thin guy. Blue braided hair. Facial tattoos. Strange attire. Height: 5'10 Weight: 140 lb Age:", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "\"My work is open for all to see.\" Cornelius remarks as he walks towards the back of the hall, leading to the spot where the two doors are. \"Where would you like to begin?\" He asks, those icy blue eyes regarding you. \"Fact... or fiction?\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "[OOC] Penny says \"Okay well. We're walking and talking and Penny's pissed and Jesse's trying to light his cigarette and now we're near you thinking about putting something into the hat with Wednesday the shadow behind us.\" [OOC] Jesse picked someone's pocket, Wednesday started following us, we're speaking in a foreign language.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "[Ed Note: There were two-and-a-half really great poses here that werent in my /recall. Sean, please please tell me you have them in your buffer or something. Ill cry if you dont.]", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "She fights still, but at Jesse's word's, Wednesday slumps. She lets a moment pass in spite before she nods slowly at Penny. She can't look her in the eye.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "It's almost .. no, it's exactly like a family reunion. Only it's happy. And there's no drunk uncle pinching asses. Yet.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "(8) -1- -1- 4 (10) 2 (10) Achieving 1 successes, resulting in a marginal success. Jumpstart rolls 9 (9 dice) at a difficulty of 6:", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Lori stabs out her cigarette. Stabby, stabby, stabby! \"What's the matter with you?\" she asks Pobble without a drop of apparent empathy.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Lori leans forward and reaches out to take the card from Pobble quite easily. Damian's command goes into her head, through her nervous system, and into her spinal cord, it seems, so that his will appears to move her slender body rather than her own. The ugly thing is that it's so natural, kind of graceful in a way.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "A smile breaches Wednesday's face like sudden light through a cracked door. She nods quickly, disjointedly. \"Yeah. A happy one.\" Her laugh curls up.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "\"Except maybe that thing you did in Nevada with following Good Master Thompson,\" she amends. \"Dju you ever get that car out of the ravine?\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "\"Fine. What 60 mile area then. I'll find it myself.\" The anger bleeds away in to the psycho-scary seriousness that is always more scary than the wild maniac. Something about his tone makes you believe he'll do it too.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "\"Honey Pot\" Compton says in his gruff voice, \"Two blocks down that ways.\" he says with all the clairity of a cloud. \"You comming?\" he asks Daisy.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Dennis slips out of the Cowpuncher, gives Zoe a nod of farewell, and walks on down the street. Dennis makes his way west. Dennis has left. Zoe goes home. Zoe has left.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "The Hermetic pauses in his PDA-tapping when he hears the familiar singing noise. Being trained around Bonsagius magi makes one accustomed to old-fashioned ways of communication. Saving his progress and turning off the PDA, Keene leans forward when he sees the imp.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "From afar, Hiro tries to get you to your feet and against the wall, so you're not all sprawled out in the dust. Then books inexplicably.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "She exhales over the dome, then the perspective changes dramatically. The smoke seems to displace itself inside the glass dome and expand it outward, super-imposing and image of itself the full width of the table. Penny rolls 3 (3 dice) at a difficulty of 5:", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "\"My bus says 'College' on it. Look it up, ya wacki fuckin' broad...\" Annoyance salts Cash's tongue and ash falls into the dirty alley water. Content to watch the two leave, this unlikely dawn pair. A wandering odd couple, perhaps on their way to get some breakfast crack. So it's with a laugh at that thought, Cash cracks a smile.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Matt chuckles a bit. \"Water, it's wet.\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Nothing impedes your departure. You soon find yourself outside of the Waxworks. Indeed, the whole building appears to be composed of those writhing bodies.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "He hits the joint, greasy brown with resin, and passes it to the right, to Penny. His eyes are fixed on the dome dominating the coffee table, an antique stock ticker liberated from eBay.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Andrea clears her throat slightly, \"Thats cool. So, um.\" She pauses again for a second, taking a drink before continuing. \"You been, ah, helping people around here long?\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Alabaster Smith smiles broadly at Hiro. \"That's a generous offer, Brother, but Ah shall pass for the moment. Get me started on preachin' and Ah might need it later.\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "\"Totally. Though they're, like, invitation-only, or did we stop doing that, Penny?\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Penny reaches out into the space in front of her, chipped nail polish throwing off points of light, like morse code. \"Do you see it yet?\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Damian glances down at Lori for a moment, then looks back up at the painting, pursing his lips thoughtfully. \"They have movies about that these days, so no one needs it in art anymore. Attention spans like guinea pigs. In ten years, we won't have galleries at all, more's the pity.\" Though not directed at him he glances Kirra's way, then looks at Lori questioningly.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "A sip, a look, and the redhead sighs, curiously watching the proceedings, yet slipping to the side out of the way. From a painting on the wall, to the gathering group, Kirra looks, brows furrowed slightly as she studies both Cash and Pobble, then the better outfitted ones of Lori, Damian, and Jerome. Hmm.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "You enter the waxworks. The large double doors swing open for you. Dark Horizons Waxworks - Main Room(#1957RJ)", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Anastasia pages: and since you're enchanted, you would know WHY she is reacting like that. Phineas has an air about him that is as chill as a bitter winter wind. Anastasia pages: very uncomfortable.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Even Penny's surprised - she's never attempted something so basic this sober. \"The thing is, if you were rubbed out by the same people we're semi/quasi hiding out from? We really need to know, so could you come talk to me?\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "You enter the door marke Fiction. Dark Horizons Waxworks - Fiction", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "--------------------------------------------------------------------------- Petra............... Black-haired, bespectacled geekgrrl. Height: 5'6\" Weight: 150", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Lori gets run over by Drake and winds up on her ass. She's hollering something out there on the dance floor as she tries to pick herself up, and the words \"dickhead\" and \"fuckwad\" are prominent during the tirade to those close enough to hear it.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Eri walks back down the trail, her footsteps surprisingly light and causing little in the way of disturbance on the forest floor beneath. As she approaches, she glances up and blinks at the pair not too far off. Pobble is eyed again, and she peers at him for a moment before a quirky smile starts to spread across her face. She doesn't seem to have heard the whole conversation, though, and she clears her throat gently as she draws closer. \"Hello,\" she murmurs, first to Anastasia, then turning her curious smile on the Yeti-man.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "\"Wha' th' 'uk 's goin' on?\" He asks, words falling clumsily around the smoke. Bending at the knees, one bagful is dropped so he may pluck the offending butt from his lips to speak clearer. \"... like uh, who brought the heater to the party, man?\" The editorial 'man' in this case, Cash is mostly focused on the nervous suit.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "\"Settle down son.\" he says in a tired way, plucking another tuft of buscuit from the basket. \"Yer friend dropped this..\" and the $5 is dragged back out from under the table for you to see.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Naoko pages: Late last night, around 2:30 am, a really bizarre paradox ripple fluttered over the town. The epicenter seemed to have been from somewhere far off in the woods, about 10 miles outside of town. Naoko pages: Is that bait enough?", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Over the sound system, there is music playing. Always.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "You have just received a +recc from Wednesday. [OOC] Daisy says \"Ur. One second.\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Pobble nods agreement distractedly, seeming unsatisfied in his search and turning back to his conversational partner. \"Yeah, seven years is a long fucking time. Still.\" he trails off, lips curling back into a crooked little smile. \"It was an interesting time.\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "A moment's pause, that faint indecision before the first step falls into place. Then, that kind of forced easygoing stride - rhythm only by contrivance. \"Let's go with the imagination side of the show first, huh?\" Hiro flashes teeth with the comment.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Alabaster Smith quirks an eyebrow again. \"Pardon me,\" he calls. \"Is the establishment closed, or are y'all just hanging out?\" He's got one of those Deep South accents you can scrape roadkill off the grill with.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Pobble pulls out the mysterious extra cigarette that happened to come free with his regular pack, offering it over with a lopsided smile that fades as he considers. \"Don't have any friends? How comes?\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "\"Fill 'er up.\" Compton says, not one to judge being washed out and wrinkly himself.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Wednesday doesn't notice any one in drag, although she would get kick out of it if she happened to notice. Just the same, she is busy flipping the bird behind the back of the asshole business man as he walks away, still fuming.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Today I met with some strange people and noticed the existance of a before unnoticed duality. Some bizarre creatures that call themselves Fae and seem to be normal but then unexpectedly are other people while still being themselves. I am unsure what to make of it, but they seem to exist in some manner of feudal society.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "[Five days before Compton awoke to find a crumpled printout of an eBay auction stuffed in his shirt. From the scribbled notes in Hiros barely legible stupor-speek, Compton began stalking what is listed as, Jesse James 1875 Schofeild Pistol *MINT*.]", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Penny looks up at Ryo and winks, distinctly at him. That kind of look from that kind of woman? should be enough to convince any man she a) wants him or b) wants his approval ..however brief it may be. But her attention returns to Wednesday's writhing \"Good, good. That'll do.\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Andrea starts to pick up her drink for a swallow, pausing with it in half tilt towards her mouth as she looks to the man across from her in the booth, \"Need?\" The word carrying with it a tone that half says she's not sure she actually wants to get an answer.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Cornelius pages: When you step across the boundry, you feel a faint tingling of your skin. Then you find yourself standing in a forest at night. In the distance is a small gothic village where the lights are lit. The air is extremely chill and there is a breeze blowing. In the distance you hear the sounds of an animal.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Eri comes into the area from the southwest. Eri has arrived.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Pobble's nose wrinkles at this, but he still seems captivated as you turn to look at him. Plastered with a strange lopsided smile he nods to aquiesce, \"That sounds reasonable..\" he states finally, once he's noticed that he was staring.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Jesse says, in Enochian, \"What's the static about? Pig boy and miss *********** did what?\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "--attention snaps up. Fixes, somewhere between Pobble and Cash.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "\"There'll be no eating of pets.\" she states firmly.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "...and Hiro, Hiro's grinning like the cat that got the canary. Or the pig that ate the truffle. Or whatever. \"You got it Arcer,\" he answers.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Keene generates a put-upon expression as Penny whines at him, moving to intercept her. \"Jen-Jen,\" he says, generating a cutesy name on the fly, \"if we go see the President now, it won't be as special as if we saw it last. Hey, be careful --\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Andrea reaches over to grab her backpack, sliding out of her seat as she slings it over her shoulder, settling it into place before reaching for the guitar that was nestled closest to the wall to keep it safe. \"Yeah, I suffer from bad penny syndrome, it's bound to happen.\" She grins at Alabaster. \"Have a good one.\" Turning to make her way towards the door.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Alabaster Smith watches the Hiro and Penny, expression amused yet mostly neutral. \"Ah see. A barn party. Hmm. Pity, Ah was hoping to save some souls and get a drink.\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "The phone rings for a long time. \"Thank you for calling Federal Express. If you have your tracking number, please press one and enter it. Press two for customer service.\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Strength -1 (1), Dexterity +2 (5), Stamina +2 (5), Perception +3 (6), Stealth +2 (6). This form also has the ability to do bite damage.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Alabaster Smith may be a preacherman, but so far he hasn't shown any signs of objecting to the presence of booze, tobacco, or other drugs. He just keeps to himself, watching, listening, keeping dry.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Pobble follows, seeming vaguely sympathetic and at the same time enraptured by the current goings on. He asks no questions as he follows after you, but does at times hold the books with one arm and attempt to reach out and touch the cloak..", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "You sense Jesse reaches into his purse, and withdraws a cigarette. Sith a grave and solemn mien, the skeletal queen shakes a Lucky Strike free and offers it over, accepting one in return. He leans forwards to plant a kiss on each of Penny's cheeks, murmuring \"You holding?\".", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "\"So I says to 'r, I says... Ma'... don' bother me now, man, I got my headgear on...\" To avoid having their conversation rained out by this abysmal weather, Pobble and Cash are sticking close to the sides of buildings. They approach in a conversational gate, Cash getting wet away from the protection of Pobble's super villain umbrella. He walks head down, watching his feet tromp through puddles in the production of micro tidal-waves. Cash continues the end of his antic dote trailing his fingers over the memory of his orthopedics aids.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Penny lifts herself up from that crouch with particular attention to two things - Wednesday's downcast eyes and the bag, the latter she picks up and collects as something familiar to her; as someone that owns, protects and keeps. \"Thank you,\" her smile a sliver, her words uttered like instructions. Exeunt.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "At your table, Anastasia looks over there, and suddenly, turns back to you, her eyes narrowing a little. \"I meant yours.\" She's peppering words around, seeing what you'll pick up, and what you won't.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Long distance to Pobble: Penny is channeling god, talking to it. Penny's done a massive quantity of herion to achieve this calling-forth. I'd roll to sense were I you.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Penny's out of sight but her hat and jacket are draped across the back of that first couch. Get a little further into the room and there's Penny folded up in some medatative state. Nearby is a pile of ashes. Dave's still chittering in a corner some kind of crazy-sounding shit about Penny torturing spirits.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Beyond the curving walls, the magic happens. Machinery once found on the factory floor has been reconstructed in bizarre mechanical simulacra[6]. Cabinets and work surfaces bear the dull oxidized finish of refurnished metal - a slick, glossy sheen drawing uncomfortable aesthetic parallels to an animal's organs. Plastic, metal, and glass tubing snake through the whole: an interconnecting network linking the machines.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Closing his eyes he pictures Jesse James' 1875 Schofeild Calvary Pistol hanging on his bedroom. \"I'll have to make a mount for It.\" he tells the shadows idly.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Pobble is waiting just next to the door, already having lit a pair of cigarettes, one between thin lips and the other dangling precariously between his fingers. He glances across as a clubber exits, catching Lori as she follows and his brow creases into a frown. \"Hey.. sommatter?\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Comptonstomps up to Jesse and Penny, and drags a hand from his pants and check a digital watch and scowles at it, \"Jesus, what you guys doing? Been waiting for 40 minutes.\" he states clearly, scoweling at the lot.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Enid looks from Cash to Pobble and finally to the shakey Penny, eyes narrowing suspiciously. Somehow, she's less than reassured. \"You think so?\" she asks to Pobble, taking a drag on her cigarette as if she's been suddenly reminded of her own need for some medicine. The reverend's explanation is what finally calm her, and she lets out a sullen, \"You've got that right,\" in agreement.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Achieving 1 successes, resulting in a marginal success. Pobble rolls 3 (3 dice) at a difficulty of 5:", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "\"Boring, Sidney, boring. Fuck this place. Let's go find trouble.\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Kirra narrows eyes as Pobbles moves, his hand reaching into his coat. The motion of the finger crooked her way by Lori does gain her attention, the redhead moving behind Jerome and over towards the other female with a quiet step, keeping out of the way of the others as she does so. The look that's given to Lori is of a questioning nature, gaze divided by the other girl, and the guys.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "You paged Turtle Jones with 'Was I supposed to see that?'.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Mary's one of those people that seems to be bothered, for she just keeps on staring, head turning to track Penny and Jesse as they move through the crowd. For a few moments, anyway, before she sighs, shoulders hunching up just a bit. She steps forward and crouches down to drop a bill into the case.. a purple one, with a 10 on it - then straightens, and steps back again, turning away.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Lori's head tilts about ten degrees to the other side as Damian touches her so he can better access to touch her. She doesn't look at him but looks at Pobble instead, her luminous green eyes affixed on him, trying to see past his third eye and into the contents of his skull, no doubt.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "The man before you stands maybe 5'8\", dark brown eyes, in sharp contrast to his pale white skin, flickering around, trying to take everything in. Of about average build, he still manages to come across as skinny: his skin, though, despite it's paleness, shows signs of weathering, suggesting he's been outdoors a lot. THis idea is further reinforced by his clothing.. His footwear, at least: Sturdy blue jeans are tucked into stout brown walking boots, and a simple white shirt that has seen better days covers his upper torso, long bilowing sleeves rolled up around his wrists. Completing the ensemple, a dark green trenchcoat, fastened loosely around the waist, the inside evidently modified for many, many pockets.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Compton walks in off of the street. Compton has arrived.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Pobble's head snaps around at the sound of another voice and while initially suprised simply at the occurance of an intrusion, sighting the woman his mouth opens just a little wider - smoke drifting out. He seems to be relaxed by something, but he peers across rudely, looking the newcommer up and down. \"Eh, hello there.\" he states finally, letting out a low breath. It all seems to be getting a bit much for him and he places the cigarette between his lips, reaching into a pocket for something or other.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Penny says, in Enochian, \"Check your left breast pocket.\" She's a clever girl. Put it there pedant la bise.\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "\"I knew you were going to say that,\" Lori says. \"Goddamnit, they always say that.\" She shakes her head in disappointment and looks away to have a drag off of her smoke, flicking ash on the floor absently.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "[OOC] Jesse, drag queen, elvis. Daisy, raver. Penny, sunburned, hippy.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Pobble opens the door and enters from the main room. Pobble has arrived.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Penny says, in Enochian, \"DAZE\" Her voice authoratative and welcoming. That person there belongs here. Those movements, these seconds come apart as Penny catches sight of Daisy and positions herself as one set downstage. \"You get all that on tape? I think we need to rework some blocking here..\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Over the sound system, there is music playing. Always.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "PROVE: Naoko has the stat or ability echoes at or above level 2. OOC Naoko says, \"From that, and all that she's been through, timepieces malfunction terribly in her presence.\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "(10) 3 Achieving 1 successes, resulting in a marginal success. There are loud thumps as Storms and Jump bash against the door. It cracks a bit in the middle but it manages to hold against the force of their blows. The leering demon face seems to mock them.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Papa's is a little different from most fast food joints as one can tell when they step through the doors. From it's employees dressed comfortably in jeans and tshirts, to the checkered plastic cloths that cover the tables in the dining area, it speaks of a family run business - the big guy in back even answers to 'Papa'. Above the counter with it's single register lies a menu board - if it can be fried, it's probably up there. Dine-in or carry-out, either way, the extra grease on the side is free!", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Keene comes in from the bar, spritzing his coat with a little Febreze bottle as he closes the door behind him. He looks over at Penny with his usual unreadable expression, continuing to spritz himself while making his own assessments of the situation.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "You wait a moment and then refresh the screen. PayPal indicates the payment has successfully gone through to the seller. There is a moment later when you see the little icon in the corner of the screen that indicates you have e-mail.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "A black sheer shirt with red lycra accents across the shoulders cocoons his bony form in its synthetic embrace. Over it, a single, blank white pin is a lone decoration on the lapel of a tight waisted riding jacket from Gaultier's line two years back. Beneath it, a black brassiere preserves a modicum of modesty, but displays the swarm of tattoos down the length of his gaunt torso. The riding coat's long cuffs meet a pair of matched spiked bracelets, and black lace gloves.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "The street becomes more and more filled with holes, the pavement wearing thin and causing vehicles to bounce up and down on the pot holes. Quite frequently large trucks can be seen making their way down the roads. They haul lumber, paper, or some other material out to their destination, be that one of the local warehouses or the docks. During all hours there are the sparkle of lights, both day and night shift available in most of the factories that are still in operation.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Wednesday says, \"HELP!\" Wednesday screams at Ryo.\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Yes, the water. The ground practicly shakes as the bear eats up the distance and ... SPLASH! He comes to the surface looking quite pleased with himself.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Andrea shrugs, \"Thats how its supposed to be though right? Too much good and the good doesn't seem so good anymore.\" It must make sense to her at least. \"Keeps you from getting biased.\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "\"Interestin'\" murmers Pobble quietly. His expression becomes neutral as he slowly slides a hand into his coat, the motion similar to the one he might take pulling a gun. A crooked smile snaps back to his lips, \"Been wanting to talk to you, we have.\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Hiro looks back, again: squints. \"You gotta be scammin',\" he mumbles. \"There's gotta be some kinda natural law against mixin' electronic music and mechanical bulls.\" Pluck from amidst the records: attention shifts back, and Piggy scrutinizes the hand-written notes, attempting to decipher a meaning from the hieroglyphics. \"Which one you think's the most danceable?\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "And she comes to a stop. \"Here. Here will be fine. I apologize... again, I could not let that awful, cold man know my hideouts.\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "[OOC] Jesse says \"Listen, I don't mean to be rude, but what the hell is with people interrupting RP, saying \"Hang On,\" and going OOC? This is my first scene IC, and that's twice it's happened.\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Dennis comes out of the Bucking Bronco's doors. Dennis has arrived. Zoe comes out of the Bucking Bronco's doors. Zoe has arrived.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Penny pivots the chair and plants her feet on either side of the paper. She leans over, elbows to knees and says in her nicest, most convivial voice \"Aw sweets, I'm Penny. Your mentor sent us chasin'after you but you were way ahead of us, weren't you.\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Kasui pushes away from the tree as Sylvan urges her, apparently not having been so unalert after all. She says not a word as she follows Sylvan through the opening in the brush, merely giving Zoe and Matt a nod, thugh sh gives th epolar bear a sidelong glance before disappearing after her friend into the rushes...", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "5 2 2 2 Achieving 0 successes, resulting in a failure The demon's mouth closes on Suli's hand and he growls, roars and drops the detonators to grab the closing jaw and hold it up. \"Help!\" he hisses. Jumpstart rolls 5 (5 dice) at a difficulty of 8:", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "\"I'm partial to movies, kinda..\" His artistic commentary, though it's unlikely to make the latest version of Art Speak. Cash, there's an economy of energy to his movements. Perhaps he stores it in some internal vat, ready for the tapping should a fitting situation arrive.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Polar-bear lumbers out of the water and shakes off, creating a brief rain storm. You can almost see him laughing. That is under the sandwhich, er monkey catches his eye again.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "\"Hello,\" he directs to it, putting the device back within his coat. \"how may I help you today?\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "At your table, Anastasia answers, immediately, and she takes her glasses off, looking at you with those intensely focused grey eyes. \"News? Oh yes. I have some news too, but I suspect you may already know it, so I hope you'll forgive just some curious girl for not being so efficient.\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Daisy, sotto voce to Penny, eyes rolling as hard as they can: \"Euuch. Goyim.\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Penny looks dead-on at Cornelius; she's very clearly on something. It's an extreme stare - wide eyes and bitten lip. Because she thought it was an aside, Penny asides back \"We stopped until,\" and she makes this hand gesture; a complicated riff on sign language. Daisy should translate for the curious.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "To the side of the area a rather pleasant mini-park has formed, a statue of Zeus standing proud. At various times during the day and night, automated sprinklers go off to make sure that every plant receives the nourishment it requires for perfect blooming. Speckles of colors ranging from a deep violet to a cottony soft baby blue line the edge of the statue for a quaint place to stop and indeed, smell the flowers.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Penny says, in Enochian, \"Fucking STAY there.\" Doesn't need to look, has eyes in the back of her head. Dead serious, scary serious. She's got twice the leg this kid Wednesday does and knows how to use every inch to get the jump on her.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Keene is sitting in his given chair around the coffee table, tapping intently at a PDA. A cigarette idles between his lips as he sets up his schedule for the next several days, taking note of several key lunch meetings.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Slouched in his high-backed chair, Hiro gives something like mumbled assent; exhaling a viscous cloud of marijuana smoke. He straightens, or at least tilts his slouch forward: laying fingertips against the edge of the stock ticker. Eyes close half-way, either from concentration or intoxication. He clears his throat, taking this very seriously -- steampunk telegraph machine his own postmodernist ouija board.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "The stillness of the night air is threatened by the sound of wet gravel being displaced from the road. Halogen brights tear the darkness apart as a behemothic Hummer meanders into view. The rain slick roads are no match for its traction but the driver doesn't seem to be the most competent, swerving and meandering over the road for no apparent reason. The vehicle slows as it nears the gates, a window lowering to allow the crisp air to enter and consequently push out the stale noxious smoke from within the cabin.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Wednesday looks up from her precision drop of currency just in time to catch the tail end of Jesse's salute. Rather than being pleased, curiously, she looks momentarily mortified before some semblence of recognition crosses her face and a faint twinkle in her eye gathers.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Giving a startled cry, Liv is forced to hold on.. or be dumped in the dirt. She gives a cry of exclamation as she starts to", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Pobble quirks a brow, which dissapears under the beanie. He doesn't look too suprised, but just leans there watching. Something moves in the open doorway, a tiny figure peering from the shadows. \"Whatcha doing then?\" he asks quietly.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Jerome doesn't seem to want a cracker. The man folds his arms across his chest, dipping his chin and looking down at Cash with a frown. Maybe he doesn't talk.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "(7) 4 Achieving 1 successes, resulting in a marginal success. Cornelius rolls 2 (2 dice) at a difficulty of 6:", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Matt hmms. \"I'm sorry, what're you looking for?'", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Inch by inch, attention shifts. Cash is used to glares, though he's the aura of a man accustomed to his lot in life. Kirra, Lori, Jerome, Damian, he's been given those looks one thousand times over, and they've lost their weight. From the mediocre art to the beefcake that stands sentry near him. A lazy transition and he takes his time about.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "8,000 bones Compton thinks to himself. \"Fuck, better get a receipt for this.\" he mumbles to himself, remembering Keene's last tirade about expense accounts.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Liv is just along for the ride. Her eyes get wide as she bear bumps into people.. and she ofers an appologetic smile as she says \"Hi.. uhm.. excuse us...\" THe woman speak with a noticable norse sort of accent.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Oh and skittles aren't exactly hard to walk on. They *squish* just like chewing gum when you *step* on them in big, flat-soled boots - as is evident on every city block in every country everywhere in the world.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "\"Funny you should put it that way,\" Alabaster comments to Jon, \"for He has much invested in you.\" He shakes his head at Enid. \"Sadly, Ah fear my time right here is done, and Ah have to take care of some business.\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "The next day, when Compton climbs out of the fart sack he putters through his morning absolutions with more direction and urgency than usual. Avoiding most his collegiates, which isn't at all difficult as 20-something junkies are notoriusly night-hawkish, he starts to collect the odds and sods he takes on his road trips. Almost ritualistically after all these years. Such things as a bottle of Canadian Club, some charcoal, spray paint, rope, multi-tool, and some arcane choices from his library. Lastly he dons his ever present army coat and rolls some of the bodies laying around the Loft for some cash.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "--------------------------------------------------------------------------- Anastasia........... Conservative, classy dresser. A tasteful young woman who bears herself well. Often seen with a backpack on, or carrying a violin case Height: 5'7\" Weight: 135 lb Age:", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "\"HELP!\" Wednesday screams at Ryo.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "\"Honestly sir, I'm not entirely sure. It's not something they really tell us. But if you're really going out there, I imagine you'll find out.\" The young man finally responds.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Birds of a feather. Compton is spooky too. Not scary-spooky, but weird spooky. Like he's seen it all, and stands outside of the normal way of things.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "\"Yes, I'm sure that's all very interesting, but what /kind/ of doctor? Or are you the ooh-spooky-mysterious type? Like, what gives?\" That's from Lori. She's gazing up at Pobble nicely enough, but the words coming out of her mouth are pretty unpleasant in contrast.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "\"Subtle,\" Keene says, being tugged along. He keeps at least one hand on his bag throughout.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "\"Hey man.\" Cash offers to evangelic watcher.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "[OOC] Wednesday says \"phews! :)\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Enid leans across the bin and examines the half dozen or so Kidneythieves albums available at the moment, then plucks one out of the pile and holds up aloft. \"This one - Trickster. It's their first album, an' I still think it's their best one. If you want to get another one, get Zerospace, which has a bunch of good remixes on it, but if you're tryin' to introduce a dancefloor to a new band, you wanna go with the original stuff first.\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "\"Alyx, this is Compton, Compton, this is Alyx, Jesse, this is Alyx, Penny, this is Alyx, Alyx, this is Penny, Alyx, this is Jesse, Jesse, this is Compton, Compton, this is Jesse, Jesse, this is Penny, Penny, this is Compton,\" Daisy says in chipmunkish sequence, outlining every possible permutation of introduction available. \"And you are too delightful, Penny, Penny-my-pet; too delightful for words or, uh, even to be particularly nice to me even though you ain't seen me for like for-fuckin'-ever.\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "\"New... deal.... A new contract.\" It's voice suddenly surges. \"I will re... renegociate with new owners.\" Arcer finally replies, the static level dropping rapidly so that it's only slightly abnormal in here now instead of Dr. Frankenstein's Lab. \"What are the terms...?\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Damian lifts an eyebrow as he sees the two coming his way, turning to face them, expression going neutral but still slightly curious. Jerome's showing more interest; the man can't really help but loom, gaze fixing as well on the approaching men with more of a warning glare. \"Suddenly I appreciate Drew that little bit more,\" Damian notes idly to Lori. \"I suspect I know where this might be heading.\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "[OOC] Jesse shrugs. It seemed appropriate, nobody objected. [OOC] Jesse says \"If it's a problem, we can drop the whole \"Jesse picked a pocket\" thing and just carry on.\" [OOC] Wednesday says \"although, I like wear that leads me.\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "The old man shuffles in from the street, the early spring stink of the trash thawing out in the surrounding slum wafting in with him. Digging in to his coats pockets he prodcues a collection of crumpled singles and a handful of change, obviously from a productive afternoon, and dumps it out on the counter. Tonights dinner in the planning.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Keene fishes a cigarette out of his pocket and rests it between his lips, digging in his pocket for a lighter. \"How dead is she, anyway?\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "2 Achieving 2 successes, resulting in a moderate success. Pobble rolls 3 (3 dice) at a difficulty of 5:", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "\"No, I want to go when I've had time to think about how stupid it would be to steal a spirit from whatever jail it's stuck inside from really what amounts to an unknown enemy. Keene would kill me for thinking so no, I do not want to wait and /think/. I want to go right now, right now.\" She was saying all this as she was getting off the floor, getting her jacket, picking up markers from the pen/cil jar. Penny's ready.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Eri looks between Pobble and Anastasia, her expression worried now. \"Um, Doctor, would you mind very much if I took the young lady home now? She looks like she needs to rest. And I hope next time we meet under better circumstances...\" she sighs. Her hand reaches for Anastasia's upper arm, but gently.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Turtle Jones murmurs that his dinner and wine aren't gonna buy themselves and goes back to playing as the crowd switches once the train leaves and more people come in to catch the next one. He strums the guitar. \"My baaaaaaaaby she left me, she left me standin' in the raiiin....\" He's got a deep scratchy blues voice and his guitar's seen better days but still works great. \"My baby she left me, ain't comin' home again...\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Mary, having just deposited her 10 in the hat, backs up, turns, and starts heading out at a trot, heading for the street level.. she's dawdled here long enough, after all. Up she goes.. and out.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Dennis bites down an acerbic response to Lori and downs a rather large fraction of his iced tea in one long gulp. Mmmm, cold and bitter, just like his heart. A few of the bouncers are beginning to gather closeby, as if anticipating trouble brewing, but Dennis pays them no heed. Apparently he gets that reaction enough that he's become inured to it.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Unfortunately for the seller and FedEx those tidbits of info are lost on Compton. Sure he could figure it out and do his bit to join the eBay cult or follow his treasures progress but neither function is in Compton's bag of Web surfing tricks. So instead he bids his time surfing for free porn with Hiro's pile of free passwords and polishing of a 40 of Cash's plunk. As the day crawls on he begins to grind his teeth more and more. His old jaw clacking annoyingly for anyone in earshot.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Pobble turns slowly and plods along after the departing woman, studying her back and clothing intently. Passing Phineas he gives the man a strange look, hugging his books tighter as he hurries on after his companion.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "The red boa circling his throat trails down under the jacket, dangling down to where a black leather miniskirt rides low on his hips, parting from the border of his shirt to show occasional glimpses of fishbelly-pale skin marred by dark swarming ink. A black snakeskin belt, decorated with chrome skulls, is fastened with a faux-ruby crucifix over his left hip, and torn fishnets ride the length of his long legs down to the buckles of a pair of platform, high heeled Prada squaretoed boots. A black rubber baby-sized backpack dangles offhandedly from his shoulder, and a wire trails from its depths to the oversized headphones around his neck.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Alabaster Smith smiles at that. \"Ah fear it's actually been quite a mixture of both.\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Driving in a black luxury sedan -- an Infiniti of some variety -- Keene and Penny take a trip from the bad part of town to another bad part of town ... the tourist district. The vehicle rolls into a nearby parking garage, where it makes its way to a certain part of the structure that is statistically unlikely to be disturbed by most car thieves or homeless people.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Glancing up at Jerome nearby, Kirra spares a momentary grin at a thought, head shaking a bit as she holds back a hint of laughter for some reason as she studies the tall guy. Dropping her gaze, she turns back to the two who question Damian, studying them further, listening to the conersation that comes. Espresso is sipped upon, slowly savored by th redhead who doesn't deem words from her important at this moment.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Penny says, in Enochian, \"Boring, boring.\" Heaving his weight so that he might carry himself better, Penny shifts under Jesse's arm and starts out on the right foot. \"Yeah, come on. Read my future for me.\"\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Cornelius walks in off of the street. Cornelius has arrived.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Wine delivered, the tomboy passes the money to the bartender before lifting the glass for a sip. It's then that Zoe sees Dennis standing off to the side in his suit and tie, a brow raised as she looks at him from over the rim of her wineglass. His snap at the girl seems to amuse her for some reason, lips quirking into a smile before she turns her gaze towards the dancefloor. Unconsciously, she sways to the music, the silk of her dress following each move she makes.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Chik'n biscuits. Combo #3 appears after Compton counts out the dollars and cents and pockets his savings. The plastic tray and paper cup of Coke and his sorry carcass settle down in to a both by the front door and tucks in.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "During the debut listening of the Colleges latest offering, COmpton appears next to Cornelius at he counter with an armfull of Carly Simon records and asks the red headed kid, \"Yo, where's the shitter?\" in his completely accentless voice of slow death. The kid points to a partially blocked doorway in the back.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Hiro slouches in his seat. This is not indicative of boredom, or uneasiness, or intoxication -- part of what defines 'Hiro' as 'Hiro' is simply that he slouches. An ashtray balances precariously on his chair's left arm, full of cigarette butts and ash and roaches and bottlecaps, overflowing to the critical mass point, teetering on the brink of a mess Daisy will have to clean up, because it's Daisy's job and Hiro is Friday and Hiro does whatever he damn well pleases, thank you very much.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Jesse says, in Enochian, \"Heard about the desert. Glad to see you back. Float me some dope and lemme go fix?\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Compton is sorely tempted. Having something of a weird compulsion to buy campy postcards... but no. That would be staged as he doesn't have to actually stop there, it'd be frivilous. Shame really.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Penny steps back a bit from the swarm to marvel at chaos springing eternal and stare daggers into Daisy's stone(r)cold heart \"It's Penny Ante,\" she reaches behind her head, fingering something that makes her wince .. wince more than Jesse's curtsy and looks at Devard \"You're Dave. We have to call you something else. The monkey is Dave and you shouldn't have to live with that.\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Dennis heads over to the counter for a drink, albeit not without incident; some people are eager to get out of his way and some people are eager to get into it, usually college fratboys who've substituted liquor for courage and want to show the world they're not afraid. Dennis walks by them in stone-faced silence, taking contemptuously no notice of either those who edge away or those who remain. He finally comes up to the counter and growls out an order to the barkeep, one which does not carry over the din of the room.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "If Alyx comprehends even the tiniest fraction of what Jesse just said, it dosen't show. Nope. \"Daize, gimme a call when you've got a second, would you?\" she calls over to the 'raver' girl, her expression changing to one of grim determination once Devard has made his exit.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "[OOC] Daisy says \"Compton, not Hiro. :) Yes, I know Daisy and Hiro are always together. Unfortunately, he's not here right now.\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Dennis comes into the club from the streets outside. Dennis has arrived.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Drake makes his way out of the club. Drake has left.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "[OOC] Penny says \"He rolled for it. 5 successes.\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "(OOC) Rusty says, \"hehe.. thanks. Later!\" Thomas goes home. Thomas has left.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Jesse is pointing, when Compton arrives, at the departing form of Wednesday, trying to skulk, and at the Nipponese gentleman chasing her. \"Fuck Diners. What bar have we colonized?\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "The monkey still cowers mostly out of sight in the hood and he comes to a halt next to Kaze, leaning across to whisper. \"Please.. get me out of here.\" He seems quite anxious at the situation unfolding about him.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "\"I... am.... Arcer.\" The crackling, staticy voice has the sound of a voice rusted from disuse.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Pobble swills his liqour around the glass as he digs for a lighter, body twisting to search the other pocket and comming up trumps. A tiny neon pink number is sparked and a deep breath taken as he tries to focus on the tables and floor, his attention finally managing some form of clarity as it comes to rest upon the stomping girl heading towards him. He seems to tense up, as if convinced she's comming for him.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Wednesday taps her umbrella playfully with the tips of her shoes as she strolls down along the walkway. Its all so wonderfully nonchalant that she even catches the smile of some annonymous, flirtations busy-body on his way to a train. She returns it just in brief and continues.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Jesse blinks, letting his glasses slide down the length of his nose so he can stare, with blood shot eyes, over them and at the old man. \"Excuse me?\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "\"Ah...\" The crackling voice responds after a long period of silence. \"I will... consider this offer...\" The voice echoes a bit in the speaker. \"Bring me.... bring me copper. I wish to taste fresh copper... five pounds... bring this tomorrow. And I will bring my answer.\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Anastasia narrows her eyes at the man across from her, and seems utterly frustrated. WQuickly, and with only the words spoken, \"I shall return,\" she pushes herself away from the table, stands, and turns to stride decidedly across the room to the tall SCA guy.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Hiro comes out of the Bucking Bronco's doors. Hiro has arrived.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "\"Judas Preist, the one they sued em' for in court. You know, like the actualy exhibit A one...\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Kirra makes her way out of the club. Kirra has left.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "At the bar, Kirra listens to whatever Drake tells, her, and then shakes her head, turning to slip from the stool she'd been sitting on. Another comment is made, words lost under the beat of music to any but the man they're told too before the redhead turns and heads for the door, weaving her way through the crowd that's entering, disappearing outside.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "6 8 2 7 4 4 3 (9) Achieving 1 successes, resulting in a marginal success. Petra rolls Perception+empathy (7 dice) at a difficulty of 6:", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "A clear, shining example of the kind of person that hangs around in record stores. She's rocked, talking a mile a minute with no end in sight. \"Well Johnny and I got into this thing one night after Jesse roped the wrong guy,..\" Penny's still holding that cd at a strangely conversational angle \"like that guy? Daisy - like that guy,\" pointing at Cornelius \"only black and he had kindof a gut.\" How the guy in the story relates to the guy in the store is anyone's guess - it makes sense to Penny, so she continues \"Anyway so the point is we had to get outta the bar so we walked through an alley and ducked in this door, but like we had no idea where it went and it was the scariest.shit.ever.\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "--------------------------------------------------------------------------- Pobble.............. Height: 5'10 Weight: 140 lb Age:", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Lily considers Nathan's outstretched hand warily, as if the tailor might be concealing a rabid, starving Doberman up his sleeve, but shakes nonetheless, though her grip lingers in his only so long as the absolute minimums of courtesy demand. Not one for touching, our Lily; she flickers a fainly apologetic smile to him, murmuring, \"Lily Black, florist. A pleasure to meet you. Will you join us?\" She darts a look at Anastasia, adding a respectful nod, but makes no motion to disturb the other woman; Pobble's coat receives the fleeting hint of a grin.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Lori watches Pobble, waiting. A thumb is stuck under the strap of her bag, potentially ready to pull it over her head. Kirra is forgotten, alas, in favor of the more compelling pair in front of her.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Long distance to Quiet: Penny is scening out some more of the preamble. You're welcome to watch. Quiet will be joining you in three seconds. Quiet has arrived.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "The drag is neither convincing nor customary - it seems to strive for androgyny instead. A black rhinestone cowboy hat is pulled low over red-lensed Jackie O glasses, obscuring his eyes and casting shadows of doubt over that famous visage. Blue-black hair in a classic bob-cut curls around the angles of his jaw. The carefully sculpted lines of rouge make his cheeks seem sharper, and the ring in the corner of his scarlet painted lips distorts their line into a pale, sullen and anemic sneer.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Back of a hand scrubbed across his nose. Hiro sniffs once, sharply, and balls hands up in coat pockets; slipping through a knot of teenagers clogging the entrance. Progress into the depths of the store is slow, cautious: a nervous, furtive animal searching unfamiliar territory. Past banks of CDs - beneath garish displays - through crowds of kids - then, finally, down a specific aisle, side-to-side flicker of attention, eyes darting across dust jackets and labels.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Wednesday locks eyes with Ryo. Some desperation begins to seep out from behind her demeanor. She swallows, looks to Jesse for any kind of cue.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Out O Keene enters from the street. Keene has arrived.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Phineas wanders to a small table by himself. After all, you have to get warmed up a bit before you socialize.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "[OOC] Mary thought there was an actual pickpocketing skill. Or.. am I on crack again? [OOC] Wednesday says \"it /is/ a talent. Pickpocketing is a secondary, which, means it can technically be covered under a primary. but its up to the good ol' staffer.\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Penny pushes off Jesse with a '1 sec' gesture, grabs Daisy because she can and hugs her because she should, leaning down on her head \"Gimme a break, it's that fucking monkey's fault. You can show me the thing and I'll buy. All night.\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Penny could let Jesse teeter and fall but she takes a breath to steady him. Yes, that's how well they know eachother - they can compensate for eachother better than scales. Then takes off up the stairs after the kid. Doesn't bother yelling, it'd only confuse other people and the goal is to nab just the one.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Rolling his weight forward and letting motion overcome his langor, Jesse drifts away from the tracks, moving gracefully despite the platform heels, and slips through the crowd towards the sunburnt wastrel. Thumb and forefinger splay apart, trace opposite circles. Hang loose.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "\"Indeed, you did,\" Lily murmurs. Her expression is less open than that of her companion, but her lips curve in an implied smile, though it may be directed as much at Artus' back as at Cash. \"Terribly clumsy of you, sir. You should be more careful. There are footpads about.\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Skylights[1] flank a high, peaked roof, mirrored surfaces reflecting washes of neon and blacklight in mingling pools across the ground below. No natural light reaches this place - it exists independent of the cycles and systems of the world outside, time distorted to the infinite now of a dexedrine binge.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "People can still often times be seen making their way through the pathways, although not as often as they are up to the north, where the entrance of the state park actually lies. Various small animals become more numerous as well, peeking around the corners of trees, under a bush, or in the branches. If one is particularly lucky, they may even catch sight of a white-tailed deer that moved farther to the north than most of their kind.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "--------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cash................ Height: Not", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "OOC Naoko says, \"can we say she fell asleep in the car? I need to go.\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "She does not introduce Devard. She, in fact, avoids looking at Devard directly, and winces visibly when he is introduced.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Bob steps back and smiles in a way that indicates he's very nervious, \"Morning! Afternoon. Evening. Whatever.\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "A six foot pole-skinny drag queen who looks like Elvis, pale as death and twice as angry. He climbs the stairs slowly, seething and coiled, blood issuing from his nose and smeared across the pallid reaches of his mouth and chin.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "[OOC] Wednesday ?'s", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "You paged Wednesday with '-Yes- it was. Look forward to it :)'.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "\"Ya wanna see for yourself?\" Compton asks, barely containing a laugh, stuffing his hole with a wing instead.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "He's not a large man, being of average height with an average build. Yet for all that, his average build is solidly built, his torso a gymnast's wedge shape and his muscles lean and well-defined. He's quite fit, fit in a way which is rarely seen nowadays; it's the fitness that comes from exertion and work, not time on Nautilus equipment. Scars on his hands and forearms attest to a life of manual labor, and his thirty-year-old face alternates between tanned and sunburnt depending on whether or not he remembered to pack sunblock. That, too, is rare nowadays; in an economy where most people work indoors, Dennis clearly works under the Wenatchee sun.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "There is a strange little high pitch singing noise in the air before a small, bright purple imp appears near where Keene is sitting. Of course. Messenger imp. Flashy.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "[OOC] Wednesday remembers in 2 Ed. streetwise covered such dirty street deeds as pickpocketing.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "It's asked of Compton while she de-lints her pockets. The old guy, slips in last and quickly busies himself in the vynil section.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Today, Wednesday is dressed in comfortable, practical attire. She wears a pair of black linen trousers. They are rolled at the cuffs where the material touches the fake leather of her canvas tennis shoes. She wears, also, a long sleeve shirt of a cheery pastel color, a tweed bracelet, and a three silvery chains about her neck.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "--------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jon................. Tall, lanky young man with a slender build and very dyed hair. Height: 6'3\" Weight: 145 lb Age:", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Alyx mutters to Devard, \"... it is. Now go....\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Mary looks up, turning to peer over at Penny, then down at her left watch. \"It's 8:12, Miss,\" she offers.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "In a way, all used record stores have certain things in common. They're covered in posters. They're covered in band stickers. The Violent Femmes play on the sound system. There's a little punk girl with strangely-colored hair in the aisles, bopping along to the music while she returns CD's to their appropriate bins.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Zoe glances around, watching people, taking note of those reactions around her, and the bouncers that seem to be edging closer. Pushing away from the bar, she actually moves closer to the suited Dennis, and pausing near him, she lets her glance travel over him before returning to his face. Chuckling, she says lightly, \"What's got your undies in a twist tonight?\" Ok, so she might be dressed all fancy, hardly looking like herself, but the tomboy is still there and forthright as ever.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Pobble recovers from his momentary lapse of reason, patting the books in his arms with silver tipped fingers. He sways a little unsteadily, sniffs a few times and shrugs. Pupils that were wide to begin with look about the room intently, as if an earlier ingestion of chemicals had found its mark and he chuckles quietly to himsef, offering a finger waggle to the other table.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Devard quirks a brow at Ryo's words. \"Ahem.\" he says, as he stops nearby. \"Perhhaps I can be of some assistance in Mediation?\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "In any case, she glides along with Penny, casting a sidelong (and not altogether comfortable) glance at Cornelius. Behind Compton, she stops, peeking out around for another look.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "\"Pleasedta, Alex.\" He turns to Daisy, tilts his head to one side, mumbles something gutteral.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Compton seems to have zones out in the distance. Then he's back, blinking a few times and looking around annoyed, '...fucking hell...' he mumbles to himself.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Alabaster Smith smiles broadly at Jon. \"The Lord, He works in mysterious ways, which is another way of saying He doth maketh the weird shit to happen, and leaves us to interpret it.\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Lori explains to Pobble, \"I just got here. Hey, can I have a light too?\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Pobble's remarks don't seem cause a reaction in Eri, other than a mute, grim nod. \"Yes, it's what I've been saying to everyone all along. I mentioned this just the other day, Lady Ana,\" she murmurs. Something in her is dark, disquieted and she grits her teeth, gaze dropping to someplace in the distance.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Hiro jerks back, recoils from Pobble's Penguinesque assault upon his person. He looks back and to the left (back, and to the left...): flicks the remainder of his cigarette off into the gutter. Buckle-down of the snaps on his record-bag. One last look between his partners in crime. Then, gone, not a word, retreating around the side of the bar - mumbled words, scuffle, straining noise, thump of meat against wall.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Pobble watches with the faintest hint of a smile on his lips between sips from his cup. He's half done by the time the woman returns, waiting while he pushes his beverage from side to side idly. As Anastasia reapproaches he raises a questioning eyebrow.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "tug on ythe bear's shoulders saying \"No! No! Not the water!\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Hiro continues to drag on his imaginary cigarette - only, hey, now it's real - Penny's a thief and Hiro's smoking all her cigarettes. The attractive silver case drops into his pocket. Fresh flash of butane flame, flashed peace sign at the approaching duo. \"Oi, assholes,\" he greets.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "OOC> Quiet says, \"I knew you did. Otherwise I'd have to take your magick license away. ;)\" OOC> Quiet says, \"Go ahead and pose what it is you are doing.\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "There is a crunching as brakes engage, the SUV grinding to a halt just in front of the woman. The interior is dark, windows tinted. Up close and out of the direct view of the blinding lights its easy to notice that the relatively new vehicle is banged up, scratched and not in the best of states. Smoke is exhaled through the open window and a tired voice calls out from within. \"Awright there?\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Ryo glares at Wednesday as her muscles tense for a possible run. His voice is menacing,\"Don't move.\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Quiet says, \"You can describe it to me now. I've not seen one yet. I assumed there wasn't but that is a failure on my part. I'll check with Oblivion.\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Lori comes out from The Pulse's doors. Lori has arrived. Lori comes wandering out of the club after you, not looking at all like she's fleeing or otherwise upset.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Andrea grins a bit more at that, \"Well, you know what they say about idle hands.\" She stretches a bit, looking over at the belongings stuffed into the seat next to her then back to Alabaster, \"If you'll 'xcuse me I think I'm gonna jet out, migrate around and find myself a place to crash.\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Up ahead, adjacent to the parking lot the actual entrance to the park is visible. A small ranger station is the first thing visible, where a ranger can be seen at all times manning the station and answering any question that may come up. Smaller booths are set up as well, selling various overpriced camping gear, t-shirts, as well as maps of the area.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Pobble holds a breath in for quite a while, finally exhaling and opening his eyes in time to see the ingestion of hallucinogenics. He tries his very best to stiffle the emerging grin that fights its way onto his lips. \"I guess in a way, that is only fair.\" he observes.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "OOC Naoko says, \"weird. it only rolled half my dicepool. ah well.\" OOC Pobble says, \"Hrm. Either way\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Of cource there is. This is fucking Oregon... Compton thinks. Suddenly missing the relativly temperatness of Ontario.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "\"Better explain to customers how their shit worked?\" Lori looks confused. She shrugs, however, and steps closer to Pobble, turning at the last second to lean up against the wall next to him. \"A pussy -and- a dealer. You know, pussy dealers don't last long.\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "The display of the Frankenstein's monster seems almost brooding. The girl's vacant eyes quite oddly seem to follow Penny's movements. You don't see them move... but wherever she is standing, the eyes seem to be looking.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Rusty snorts at Compton's dare. \"I'm not afraid of monsters. I chase away monsters alla the time.\" He pauses and then opens his mouth to let out a loud sickly belch except for the smell he seems to be doing better after that.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "The record store is positively crowded. The Violent Femmes segue into The Velvet Underground, with Lou Reed singing \"Sweet Nothin'\" in his cracked and ruined voice. Enid hum along, with great enthusiasm and little talent, when she's not popping her gum. Her hands are kept busy returning CD's to their bins.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Enid................ Punk rock Goldilocks. Skinny. 20ish. Half-finished tattoos. Height: 5' 4 Weight: 110 lb Age:", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "At your table, Pobble smirks as he blows the coffee, setting the cup down as he stares back across at you. \"Of course, you're just some curious girl.\" he observes wryly, wiping a trailing drop of brown liquid from the side of the mug before it hits the table. \"Did you want to start or should I?\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Ever wonder? Now you know. Between banks of pay phones stand two doors, labelled clearly. Jesse walks past the XX door, and pushes open the XY. Thankfully it's not rush hour.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Jesse has/had a bloody nose, y'see. And it smeared all over. Look sort of ghastly, I do.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "\"Wow look at the doors,\" she whispers, pretending awe. Convincing. And when she thinks no one's looking, Penny grins at the table and chairs, mutters something under her break to Keene and steers him toward the doors \"So which shall we check out first, fact or fiction?\" Some kind of open-ended joke, they stare.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Maybe the vocals are Daisy. It's hard to tell.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Quiet pages: Perception + Awareness, diff 5. Hiro rolls perception+awareness (5 dice) at a difficulty of 5:", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Jesse says, in Enochian, \"Nip had a weird *********. Astrals all freaky and glowy. left trails and shit. Lets keep an eye on him.\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Loud country music assails the senses, issuing forth from a jukebox in the corner. Leaning over the bar next to the door must be 'the newcomer', a man around 55 years old. He's usually cleaning the bar with a rag when he's not drawing a beer from the taps in front of him. The usual liquors are available on the shelfs behind him, reflected in the mirror that says \"Cowpunchers\" with a red hat tipping up in a ya-hoo move over a lassoo.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Jesse pulls his attention back from the east, and shrugs, letting his rose colored attention pan across the motley cast as his pale, blood-smeared face twists into a crooked grin. \"Who's sorted?\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Anastasia puts the drop to her nose and smells it, then darts out her tongue to take a tiny taste, then rubs it around in her fingertips, to get a feel for it. She's curious, ya know. Now, she turns again, and watches closely, intently. Little does she know what she just did.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "[OOC] Penny says \"Forgiven. You want what you missed? Did you miss anything?\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "[OOC] Penny says \"I dunno man. I definitely don't get it.\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Blindly unaware of any of the interest in him, Cornelius takes out some wrinkled bills, putting them on the counter. Waiting for the boy to give him his change, he glances around the room one more time, observing. Curious.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Everything used to be something else, and Interzone Records used to be a bowling alley. Some traces of the original layout remain: the sunken floor, the shoe counters where the cash registers now sit, and most notably, the wide open spaces where the lanes once were, now filled with row after row of CD's and records, sorted by genre and artist.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "This is a statement of general fact rather than of current circumstances. Daisy is late to work, late to class, late to bloom, late to bed and, likewise, late to rise. She is, apparently, here to pick someone up, but is rather late to that as well.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Artus manipulates the object in his hand with deft rapidity; the motion looks somewhat like a shuffling of cards. Finished in a trice, he keeps it hidden against the palm and underside of his arm. Having crossed the street, he regains the sidewalk and approaches Cash from behind on loud, obvious footsteps. He calls out in a voice obviously British: \"Pardon me, my good man.\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Hiro *zzzp*: he's tugging on the zipper of his pants, having just christened the entrance to Cowpunchers to express his disdain for the locked door. The closest bar in town, and they lock the doors. Lam-O. \"You got a cigarette, Penny?\" he asks, turning away from the offending establishment.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "\"Everything is wrong... they left... Home Office... orders. Why will you do this?\" It asks, confused tone becoming curiosity.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Pobble delays the explanation to request another drink, and as he does so a mild shiver takes him, causing him to tense briefly inside the warm expanse of his yeti covering. He turns back to Lori, \"Chemical engineering.\" Not so spooky or mysterious. Not even terribly interesting. A sheepish little smile is offered, as he glances to the side, needle point eyes scanning for something.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Penny thumbflicks the loonie like she'd had practice. Like she's unencumbered. As if she's been faking it, some kind of routine, a ruse all along.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "\"Who did this?\" he asks oddly, already making his own assumptions. Then, \"How long...?' and finally, \"Where is my gun sparky?\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "This room is not particularly large. Just an entrance room, really. Heavy black curtains hang over the windows in front, shutting out almost all of the ambient light from the world beyond. The room is lit only by real candles and gas lamps. The air carries an old, almost must scent to it, giving you the sense of walking in to a building centuries old, even though it is a relatively new rennovation.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "[OOC] Turtle Jones smacks her connection. Sorry.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Time passes. It's taking a while.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Penny coughs politely, really she's choking on something. Laughter. The song. She says, in Enochian, \"Of course I am. We should make the monkey do it.\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Slightly distanced, yet seemingly a part of Damian's group, Kirra remains there behind him, shadowed green eyes watching still. As it appears this little meeting is coming to an end, she relaxes further as she moves another step to the side to now stand at Lori's other side, her gaze attracted by the painting there.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "The paper moves inch by inch, threading itself through the mechanism to make contact with the two alphanumeric wheels. Penny sits back and takes the joint from Hiro again, tokes.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "This room is not particularly large. Just an entrance room, really. Heavy black curtains hang over the windows in front, shutting out almost all of the ambient light from the world beyond. The room is lit only by real candles and gas lamps. The air carries an old, almost must scent to it, giving you the sense of walking in to a building centuries old, even though it is a relatively new rennovation.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "The bum stands against the wall, over by the door, slouching in a patently James Dean kinda way... if James Dean looked like Jack Palance with a mullet. Arcane energies drift and weave their way around him, making him hard to spot by anyone actually looking for him, never mind those engaged in para-military activities. The cam-corder in his hand, silently recording in to a next-generation flash-ROM.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Lori is actually interested in the art. Her arms are folded across her chest, a bag slung over her head so that the strap lays across her body, boots planted firmly on the ground. \"...and nobody does those really great huge, big fucking sea ship scenes anymore where the waves are like 30 feet tall and there's some poor motherfucker hanging from the rigging on the mast and the ship's like hanging in mid air at the top of a wave at a seventy-degree angle n' shit? Man, I love those. They're not ART, but I love them.\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Morgan orders honey liquor himself, the only popular brand being Baronjaeger for some odd reason. Bah, American paletes. He looks up as Ana approaches him, nodding to her briefly, taking in her countenance.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Andrea watches him carefully, even the most stoic would likely get the bit of edginess to them that the topic of conversation is clearly starting to work into her. \"Well...ah, thats good. Great even. I'm sure there's just bunches out there that could use, ah, that kinda help.\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Sitting hunched over the keyboard in the dark like a decrepit gargoyle. His weathered features lit by the monitor in the depth of the Library. He pokes at the keyboard angrily with a bony finger, grumbling and swearing at the PC, willing it to respond quicker - the options hidden in arcane nooks of digital construct. His prize in peril he jabs at the space bar and the 'BID' bar depresses on the screen sending his last attempt to thwart Mr. X's attempts of stealing his prize.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "\"Oh yeah?\" and a chunk of breast follows the wing, \"What kind? Succubi? Dybuuks?\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Zoe comes into the club from the streets outside. Zoe has arrived. Zoe is looking at you.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Penny had been standing, waiting for Jesse so there's like - zero surprise that he slumps on her and even less that he's not-quite chain smoking. \"I think we need to walk a little. Where you going? We'll catch up.\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Pobble finishes spooning and stirring in time to observe the peices clattering to the floor. Carefully taking up the mug he makes his way across and sets the coffee down on Anastasia's table before crouching to assist with retrieving a stray bishop from behind the chair opposite the woman. Offering a smile of greeting he deposits the peice on the board and gestures to the chair, \"May I?\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Keene continues scrambling around, picking up papers around him. Something in the back of his mind warns him something is wrong -- and he turns, seeing (or rather, not seeing) Penny. He keeps picking up the papers, putting them all in the bag and zipping it back up. For a few moments, Keene considers the situation. What to do?", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Alabaster Smith nods solemnly. \"Ah can be a very good friend,\" he says profoundly, regarding Andrea.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Off to the left side is a smallish office. In the back center of the room, you can see a pair of doors, oaken. One door has the face of a smiling demon, a brightly polished brass nameplate under it says Fiction. One door has the face of an angry, almost leering demon, another brightly polished brass nameplate under this one says Fact. There are no visible handles, just a hole in each open mouth with tongues sticking out.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Pobble is momentarily distracted by the ridden bear and looses track of his reply. Mouth flapping he finally finds some", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Wednesday is just getting up from the ground, clothes a little tossed and scuffed. She stands, not entirely confidently, near Penny.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Quiet will be joining you in three seconds. Quiet has arrived.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Jesse shrugs at Ryo and turns his back on the man, walking over to offer Wednesday a hand up. \"I hate this script. We need a better ending.\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "--------------------------------------------------------------------------- Morgan.............. A powerfully built man, 6'5, glacier blue eyes and blond hair with platinum streaks. Height:", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Naoko looks you over once again, and says with a certain amount of certainty, \"Sir,\" and waves a hand over your clothing, \"Given your general apparel and demeanor, it is most evident that we are in the Vietnam-war protest era. Such people as you I studied in my American History classes.\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "\"Shh. I know what I\"m doing.\" The kid starts wiring the device into the phone, and then pulls a simple 9-volt battery out. She slaps that into the socket on the monitor, and flips a switch on the side. An eerie hum as it powers up.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "In the beginning, people didn't go to Washington State; they wound up in Washington as a way of getting away from other things. It led to the state's original population being self-reliant outdoorsy types who have become increasingly more rare as the state has become overrun with Starbucks and Microsoft. Most of the Lumberjack Brigade has already left Erin's Vale for Alaska, but there are still some holdouts, people who still seek self-reliance amidst the espresso and traffic jams. Dennis Larson is one of them. He may not be dressed like one right now, but his mien, his build, his air of self-confident self-reliance, give him away as clearly as day.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "(8) 3 -1- (8) Achieving 1 successes, resulting in a marginal success. Suliman rolls 4 (4 dice) at a difficulty of 8:", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "The japanese kid shakes her head tightly, \"No. They'd never, ever, ever do that. My parents love me very ... very.. much...\" And she can barely choke out the last word, before tears start streaming out of her eyes.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "[OOC] Devard,Bored magician. Don't forget /that/. :p", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Pobble shrugs just a touch, raising a hand at a passing bartender to indicate he's in need of service. \"If y'earn it you may as well use it right?\" Uncertainty flickers across his features as he pulls the last from his cigarette and stubs it into a nearby ashtray, blowing the smoke upwards away from Lori.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Nathan turns as does his tablemates, golden eyes finding the strangely dressed man standing near Anastasia's table. A quirk of a brow, and then he turns back to his conversation with the fair Ms. Black, laughter given by something said earlier.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "You whisper \"Yeah, c'mon I'll take you.\" to Jesse.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "\"Looked great,\" Daisy says confidently. \"Shit. Now where's she going?\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Off to the left side is a smallish office. In the back center of the room, you can see a pair of doors, oaken. One door has the face of a smiling demon, a brightly polished brass nameplate under it says Fiction. One door has the face of an angry, almost leering demon, another brightly polished brass nameplate under this one says Fact. There are no visible handles, just a hole in each open mouth with tongues sticking out.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Wednesday keeps her semi-apologetic smile up, though her voice lowers in tone just a bit: \"I said I was sorry.\" She pats her last pat with her jacket, satisfied with how 'dry' the fellow is, whether he is or not. \"Don't be rude about being blind,\" she mutters motioning with her head to the poor bum beside them.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Eyeing the hand in the pocket. \"Yeah...\" she mumbles, \"Poutine... mm hmm.\" She nods her head furiously, \"Down by the ferry. In the terminal.\" She motions in the direction of the ferry wildly, her other hand still held out to recieve the change.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "The tall buildings may be seen off in the horizon, but obviously this area is not one of static business. Instead, the only real remains of city life are seen in the often crowded parking lot of the state park, vehicles of all sorts packed into the small parking spaces. It is one of the few parking spots that automobiles of every price can be found, everything from the latest BMW to the old Honda with a rusty bumper.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Chapped lips hesitate a response, and his brow rises in a Vulcan like fashion to regard the offering. \"Wha'... I 'aven't carried a wallet for four years... man. Whaz' tha' catch.\" Cash leans back to drench his innards with a gulp of whiskey.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "From out of the subway stairway, Wednesday is running at TOP speed away from Penny. She's carrying a purse in arm and a briefcase is flying past her.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "\"Ya happen to see any kind of boxes falling from the sky of late?\" He asks, figuring why the hell not? He must be getting close, and he really has nothing else going for him in this matter.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Compton puts a protective arm around his grub, and hunkers down, eyeing the street urchent warily. Over a gobfull of buscuit he manages, \"Out tha door.\" he manages with a gravelly voice.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Alyx mutters to Devard, \"... of... to... Would... down... the... grab... fetch... things?\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "\"I was told,\" Keene says, after a moment's consideration of Penny's incoherent rambling, \"that he wished to know what her disposition was. We had no power to prevent her death, since we were informed of this well after the fact. Or so I believe.\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Pobble smirks, \"Right. I studied chemistry so I could better explain to customers how their shit worked.\" Glossy eyes roll as he pulls on the smoke. \"Yes, I'm a pussy and a dealer.\" A laugh escapes him as he shifts against the wall.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "\"Nyarlathotep, as I said to you in the library... why would he do this, though? To what purpose would one bring such darkness into our world?\" Pobbly may be oblivious, but Ana sure as hell isn't - in fact, her head almost immediately turns in the direction of the footsteps. She puts a finger to her lips, and says in barely a whisper, \"Ssh.\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Hiro makes his way into the Cowpunchers. Hiro has left. You make your way into the Cowpunchers. Cowpunchers - Main Room(#1194RIJMs)", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Jesse mutters to Penny, \"... a bathroom... I... fix again.\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "\"But... it...\" She bites her lip again, and then forces a smile. \"They won't find anything. In less than two hours, it'll all have reduced itself to its base elements anyhow, and sunk down into the ground.\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "The area is dominated by a circle of seven high-backed chairs[2], surrounding a low coffee table[3]. Twin televisions hang from the roof by heavy iron chains - tilted at an angle to bathe each half of the ring in the warm glow of artificial reality.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "He puts his hands in his pocket, watching traffic idly as they grow nearer to the museum. \"Because I would rather not get Chased.\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Lori is coming for Pobble... in a way. Or at least near him. \"Hey, did you kill that polar bear all by yourself?\" Lori asks as she gets to the bar. She sits on a chair and flumps, dropping her chin in the palm of her hand.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "\"The plane that was carrying it from Santa Fe experienced some... difficulties and crash landed in Utah near the Salt Lake..\" The supervisor says with some trepidation in his voice. \"The plane lost most of its load before it crashed... we have recovery teams out there but it could take some time.\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Turtle Jones plays a flourish on the guitar and then pats it lovingly. \"Good girl, Bessy. Let's see what we got ourselves.\" He bends to get the hat.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Hiro takes a few steps into the room, coming to a gradual stop as he takes in the experience of the chamber. He bobs his head wordlessly in response to Cornelius' words - eyes fixed on the scene depicting Dr. Frankenstein's monster, following the path of patchwork flesh to the girl laying broken in his arms. No commentary is offered - he just takes it in, soaking up the details.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "'Ohs' silently after staring his hardest at Eri. This does seem to take a bit of getting used to. He alternatives between glancing and staring for a few moments, enamoured by the novelty of double vision.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Lori stomps back toward the bar. Stomp, stomp, stomp! \"Goddamnit!\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "[OOC] Devard offers a yoyo? ;) Bungee cord?", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Penny hasn't seen Pobble or Cash yet, isn't even aware that the cigarette's gone - must be holding her breath or something. She tugs him and the bag back into the uncovered light outside the door to the bar. \"Nnnsweet. I need..\" She palms something out of his bag, pockets it and lets go of the straps.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Eyes flicker shut, open slowly. Hiro snatches his hands back from the machine as if shocked: fingertips rubbing together, fidgeting. He kipes the half-smoked joint from Penny, takes a long hit to 'center himself'. Exhale, a long narrow stream. Tone formal, offering the weed back to his partner in crime:", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Compton plods along the west side of hte street, his hand shoved deeply in to this pockets and his head hung low. A grimice planted on his face.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Curling womblike around the periphary, the majority of the floor has been sealed off behind an amorphous plastic shell: bulbous and twisted as if exposed to immense heat, with a hue varying from embryotic pinkish-red to mouldy green. Veins of fiber optic cable run through the shell, a circulatory system in pulsating blue and purple. Piles of bedding[4] cling to the walls at irregular intervals. A solitary airlock[5] is the only access to the laboratory without.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "How the Invisible College got their hands on one of the first Edison Universal Stock Printers, on ebay no less, was definitely due in some part to Pobble's ever expanding collection of connections; amazing what money will buy. Penny, glazed but interested, can't take her eyes off the thing - a victorian masterpiece of brass, mahogany and a large roll of spooled white paper - \"..it looks like an upended turn-table, really\" she continues some internal monologue outwardly \"and when we ask it to, the spirit will turn over the gears and ..\" she passes the joint back.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Penny probably doesn't realize it but the Burroughs cd is still in her hand. And as an anchor to Daisy, she can not help but be pulled by gravity in the direction she leads. Technically Compton should be leaving with them but he's ..still in the bathroom. And who knows how long old men really take.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "At your table, Pobble nods slowly, finally taking a sip of the steaming brew before he replies. \"Indeed anywhere, so how would you get around that?\" he asks with a crooked smile, as if having ideas to this end but more interested in entertaining suggestions.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Pobble stares across the street, fingering the filter of his smoke. \"I noticed.\" he murmers absently, \"Fuckers.\" His reverie ends with a start, almost twitching as he glances back to the girl at his side. \"I'd say I'm neither, but the former is possibly subjective given recent incidents.\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Penny seethes, spits \"I *trusted* that fucking *monkey* and look what it got me.\" She's talking about her sunburn and the dreads. \"I'm going to spit Dave, roast him and eat him. While Pobble watches.\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "\"Charming,\" Keene says, completely deadpan. He puffs on his cigarette, turning to head towards the door. \"Off we go once again, to our imminent deaths. I'm going to make sure this is on my expense report. I probably have something in the car.\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "On your typical Wednesday afternoon, Interzone Records is a bit crowded, with plenty of high schoolers looking to spnd their hard-earned allowance money on music. A red-haired boy is standing at the counter, checking bags in exchange for playing cards. A great big middle-aged biker stands at the register, ringing up orders, while Enid stands between the aisles with an armload of CD's, returning them to their appropriate bins. The sound system plays Soul Coughing, and the yellow-haired girl sings along to \"Screen Writer's Blues\" while she returns Iggy Pop and BT where they belong. \"It is five am,\" she drawls, \"And you are listening to Los Angeles.\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "You say, \"The price of progress, Arcer\" Penny explains further giving Hiro the nod, still convivial - chatty when she's high \"the men left when their methods became obsolete. But now we're here. There are seven of us but we're not like the men that left. We can restore you to a purposeful existance,\" she lowers her voice, eggs on \"We can give you a strength they never could. Do you want that?\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "The street becomes more and more filled with holes, the pavement wearing thin and causing vehicles to bounce up and down on the pot holes. Quite frequently large trucks can be seen making their way down the roads. They haul lumber, paper, or some other material out to their destination, be that one of the local warehouses or the docks. During all hours there are the sparkle of lights, both day and night shift available in most of the factories that are still in operation.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "To the north, the trail grows wider just as the trees grow more and more thin. However, to the south it is a completely different stories. The vegetation grows more and more dense, covering both the ground and the sky, as branches from trees intertwine around the pathways.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Quickly Compton clicks his way over to PayPal. Although technically versed and fairly PC-savvy for a guy pushing 70, he still isn't very smooth about it. His brow wrinkled with frustration, and hands clammy with anxiety. He realizes he's almost in shock, 'I finally found it' he thinks to himself as he goes through a 10 second reverie of the events that have brought him up to this point over a lifetime, as he slips a AmEx card from his pocket. The name on it reads Cally Grant, for anyone keeping score and he bashes in the numbers completing the transaction.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "4 (9) 5 (7) 2 3 (7) 4 2 Achieving 3 successes, resulting in a complete success. Clipped Ear rolls Dex+stealth+4 (11 dice) at a difficulty of 5:", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "It takes about forty minutes to clear through all of the streets and mini-highways before hitting actual interstate highway. There's nothing quite as freeing as good music, windows open and a vehicle on cruise control to really make one appreciate a road trip. About two hours in to your trip, in the distance, you can see that there might be some fairly unpleasant weather as the clouds are gray looking and the wind blowing in to your window carries the taste of moisture on it, the threat of rain.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "They descend like plagues of locusts, Daisy and her ilk do, and don't let up until they've shoplifted or purchased every last goddamn copy of _ROCKET TO RUSSIA_. And so, locust-like, Daisy and her ilk decend, though today's ilk -- Compton and Penny -- suggest that she's a gutterpunk, rather than a high school punk. She wanders up and down the aisles, not purchasing anything in particular but, rather, maneuvering so as to allow Enid no possible line of sight that encompasses Penny, Compton, and herself.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "[OOC] Turtle Jones says \"Okay, just an FYI... I'm going to be banning pickpocketing NPCs unless a staff person judges it. In fact, all pickpocketings need to be rolled out, but not judged between two PCs unless you feel it necessary. You shouldn't need a judge for every little thing, after all. This is just because of the high high level of petty crime like pickpocketing that is going on and the cops busting down on it.\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "\"I was going to play chess,\" answers Ana blandly, her voice a dull and emotionless tone. \"But that can wait. Have a seat, if you wish, Doctor. I might have to look at things, though, on the chessboard as we speak, so I hope you do not get upset with me.\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "\"I hope he's goin' ta make soda...\" Cash watches the techni-colored lab coat stalk off in silent retreat. Rain still dripping from the tip of his thrice broken nose. The presence of a preacher man settles, hunched outside an establishment of ill repute amongst scallywags. Long hair is parted, the better for Cash to see with. And above the fallen Penny and besides the wet fur man, the drunk drinks from his flask and smiles.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "The Pulse seems rather aptly named, for as soon as one enters it becomes obvious that the name was given to the establishment for the resounding rhythms that echo across the club. Even from the outside, the vibrations can be felt if one places a hand against the wall - a pastime that is quite popular among the younger crowd that isn't allowed entrance yet.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Penny who is Jen-Jen (Jenny jenny who can I turn to?) makes a grab for Keene on his way past her, slips onward expecting the door to swing shut. Did it? The noise was absent and it's lack settles down into the pit of the stomach. She scuffs her boots down the hallway, commenting as she goes along \"Poor Lizzie, doesn't she always get a bum rap..\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Climbing out of the vehicle, Keene sets the car alarm and begins walking towards their destination. Across his shoulder is his messenger bag's strap, with the bag itself having weird dents in it from an over-large object within.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "It isn't ASL. It does, however, seem to remind Daisy.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Like every Wednesday evening, the bum known as Turtle Jones is hanging out in King Station over at Yonge and King, playing his old beat up guitar. At least, until the cops chase him away yet again he's there...", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "the strange one with the monkey on his back. Oiy, that just makes her want to start singing for some reason.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "[FAE] She pushes some braids out of her face and nods, \"Well, I don't know about taking you to my home... the others there might object, as things are very, very tense right now. And I couldn't stay in there... Forest. That is the best option, and I know of places where we will be safe to speak. It isn't far. Just a walk to the south.\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "\"Oh that!\" Lori says, \"Some dickhead pushed me down on the dance floor, that's all. I didn't see him coming, and he just brushed me off like a mosquito. Somebody's always got to ruin it.\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Quiet winces. At least it's a 0.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "At your table, Anastasia toys with something on her shoulder, nothing there, but maybe is fixing her bra-strap. \"What about that office?\" she asks, seeming to be hesitant - and though the chess game is not set up, she certainly seems like she's playing it alraedy.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "\"Yeah, and so will every narc and gangbanger with a bust quota to make or some eezy to unload.\" Sideways flicker of attention, then back. Flash of teeth. \"Thanks for the recommendation, anyway.\" Index and middle finger in a broad 'V', and he's heading for the counter with his rekkids.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "[OOC] Wednesday shrugs, \"it happens. RL has a way of breaking into RP. My first scene IC too, by the way.\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Jesse says, in Enochian, \"Rig's in the bag. Ditch ******** you have.\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Penny's head is now in the game. Because when questioned, witnesses usually describe how the angry young person elbowed and shoulder their way through the crowd. So she throws her shoulders back and affects a pleasant, if not sunny, air. She takes a hold of Keene's hand, fellow tourist and tugs him as they close on the doors to the museum.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Jon watches Smith and gives the man a vague smile before he turns back to Penny and that ensuing drama. \"Dude, there anything one of us can do to help? I mean, she ain't lookin' any better.\" He gives an unsure look to Enid as if seeking her advice silently. \"I mean...shit like this can get bad quick sometimes.\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Morgan arches both brows now and lets them settle, but he's not going to dwell on it. He lets Ana go as she came, returning his attention to his companions.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Artus, to his enormous satisfaction, is not telepathic, nor is he an albino, and thus a point of possible contention is done away with before it even becomes an issue. His smile is mild and genuine, his face is expressive and seems to change often, as whim or weather dictate. \"I'm frightfully sorry to disturb your meditation on this brisk afternoon, but certain circumstances compell me to intrude when otherwise I would simply acknowledge your presence with a nod and continue on my way in deference to your obvious high station among devotees of the Tao.\" He turns up his palm, displaying a brown leather wallet--hardly a thing to carry every adjunct required by a gentleman, but certainly sufficient for simple excusions given the efficiency of modern currencies. \"To whit: you dropped this during your shuffling.\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "He jerks forward into the Fiction room, as if to try to pre-empt her from a spill. Keep moving, Keene.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Her height is more impressive than her looks. She stands just a few inches short of six feet, emphasizing her lean shape. Though light, she has an athletic stance and very little bodyfat. Her arms and legs are well-toned and look as though they are used to being put to work. Her nails are kept clean, clipped short, and unpolished.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Pobble considers for the briefest of moments before nodding, sliding off the stool in a way that only moves him further from Dennis, oversized boots thudding down onto the floor. Hands push immediately into pockets and with a stooped pose he makes for the door in a roundabout path, almost scuttling through the crowds with only a quick glance back to check to see wether Lori is following.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "\"The second prototype of the Tachyon Field Multiplexer... they took it... \" Whatever this is, this is BAD BAD BAD, judging from the expression on her face. \"The Russians...\" she trails off, after stating the name of the most frightful boogeyman she can name.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "The random threads of fate that brought these three together carry with them a certain deliberate nature. A predestined set of laws that seem to hover above Cash, pressing and trumping the natural order of things. To those who can sense such aberrations, there is something not all together Kosher about this bum, despite the Star of David hanging upon his neck. A curse, a charm, a blessing from a one eyed Gypsy. Or a charge account the size of the eastern seaboard ran up upon Miss Cleo's line.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Jesse mutters \"There a bathroom near here? I want to fix again.\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "\"Nah, anything really\" Penny seems sure of it but adds \"Bigger than a breadbox? Duffle sized? The thing is we gotta go now and get her and find out what he's doing with the other hundred or so he's got stashed there.\" She's just about packed up and ready to go.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "3 3 7 -1- 5 Achieving -1 successes, resulting in a botch! Petra rolls Perception+alertness (5 dice) at a difficulty of 8:", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "--------------------------------------------------------------------------- Vanguard-Walker..... Tall, burly and blond. Height: Way", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Compton perks up a bit at this, \"Really? Monsters? Sez who?\" This seems to amuse him some.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Pobble nods glumly, peering across at the writhing mass of bodies. \"Bastards.\" he agrees, \"Seems alright in here though, I guess.\" His foot is still caught in the infectious tapping cycle, much to the chagrin of his leg which he tries to push down to stop it from jiggling.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Kaze steps out from where he has been the entire time, only now coming into general notice stepping over near Pobble and eyeing the bear with rider, \"It is this way Pobble-san, come I will show you.\" Where did he come from anyway? He motions with one hand for Pobble to follow heading towards one of the paths.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "[OOC] Alyx says \"Comp. I am so conused. Him. :>\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "disbelief. Do they never stop arriving to private property?? Yet, when the bear is spied, she smiles a touch, a hand", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Weekday evenings, this bar is filled with older men, having a sociable drink before going on home to the wife. But on weekends the place fills up with the factory workers relaxing before the dreaded work week comes once more. At these times it gets rowdy, when the cowboys that still live on the ranches to the east of here clash with the factory workers. Most fights wind up on the street, out of respect to the owner's age, but occasionally the cops have to be called in.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Under the thin awning, Penny sneezes. She puts the other hand back in her bag, digs.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "The blue haired Pobble raises a brow at the implication, whispering loudly to his companion. \"I think she's talking about us mate.\" He doesn't look away from Damien though, a mildly amused smile forming. With a somewhat glacial pace he begins to head across towards the man, hands sliding down into the oversized pockets of his yeti-like coat. Although eyes are slightly glossy, there is a definate clarity to his expression.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Keene comes in from the main hall. Keene has arrived.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "At your table, Anastasia rises, without a second thought as you take the book, and simply says, \"Come. We have things to talk about.\" Now it's on her terms, though, and she doesn't have to feel so awkward about her mortal body.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Of course its, useless in these sort of unlikely situations, but instinct drives Wednesday's foot toward Penny's crotch before the leg is subdued. Predictable results. Wednesday doesn't respond to whatever language is spoken, she just tries to lift her body up with all her might--which isn't a whole lot.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "The door opens, admit one Pobble. Or half admit. A second taken to hastily suck the last from a cigarette including a small burn of the filter before he flicks it out past the dirty fella he has in tow. Stepping fully inside the gallery, he lightly adjusts the sit of his top hat as he holds the door for Cash, peering across with a sharp and determined expression. His thin lips are set in a crooked line, silver tipped fingers tapping against the door as he scans the room.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Totally pompous. Penny gives Hiro a look like he's just in from outerspace \"Hello Arcer,\" fingers twitching til she makes fists on the table, reflexively chatting like it's a regular sort of phonecall \"I'm Penny and that's Hiro. We're part of The Invisible College and if you don't have anything better to do, we'd like to invite you to stay with us.\" She looks up, briefly, to check the status of her hair-on-end \"..provided you can find some way to not charge the air around us all the time.\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Phineas says, \"Be seeing you, Miss Dvornik, on campus. You enjoy the night, eh?\" He watches the young lady leave. \"I am still waiting.\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Rusty glowers at the door. \"Oh.\" He squints his beady eyes at Compton and kicks his chair again. \"Hey, what's your problem?\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Compton packs up and leaves as quietly as he came. Popping the data-chip in to his pocket and strangley leaving the camera on a ledge as he leaves.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Upon getting close enough, Alyx interjects mildly, \"Maybe without Dave, I could actually get some sense out of Dr Steve.\" A bright, almost saccharine smile is offered towards Epnny and Jesse, before she asides to Daisy, \"S'up?\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Compton sits back, angling the ancient office backwards and depositing his bare feet next to the monitor on the desk. Folding his arms behind his head, he gazes at the long eerie shadows cast up the walls and bookcases of the library and rare grin cracking his features.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Hip dance clubs and upper scale restaurants line the streets of New Town, everything from the newest teenage fad to old style swing dancing being seen easily on these streets. The young to middle aged crowd seems to frequent this area, a culturally diverse area with everything from the preppy high school jock to the pierced stoner hang out on the strip to find the new coolest spot to go on the weekends. The billboards seem to have taken notice of the party society in the area as well, various ads for entertainment places and items showing up more frequently than in other sections of the city.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "The smile on Daisy's face is so broad that it has to be put on crooked, half of it jammed up into the little cheek-room she has to spare and the other hanging relatively limply in the corner. It shows off some reasonably poor dentition and ill-considered dental hygeine, but that, if anything, is par for the course.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Wednesday slips on her coat and draws a long breath and shakes off a few jitters. She readies her weapons of choice: the umbrella and the bag of skittles she just bought from the vender in one hand and free's the other. She lurches into a trot, then a jog, then *BAM!* The nab, her hand aimed and coiled around the strap she takes off up the stairs.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "\"Far out.\" Cash throws some fingers in pairs to Hiro and Penny, accompanied by a complicating ghetto sign ending in a *snap*.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "\"We got sort of a vibe we're generally going for. And we usually only throw parties to premiere a new piece. Hiro comes up with them, mostly, and Jesse mixes.\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "This gets a raspy chuckle. Cornelius walks over to the section she indicated. Fingers, like dexterous spider legs, click the records along before they slip one from the rack. He studies the front of it, then the back on it. Eyes always on those pesky kids.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Rusty furrows his brow, a little taken aback. \"-You- looking at me like that. Fuck. I jus' asked a fucking question..\" He pauses in his muttering and glances quickly at the unhappy kitchen staff. \"Quiet down, dummy.\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "At your table, Anastasia settles down again, and sighs heavily. \"I suppose we can do that,\" answers Ana, who pushes her hair out of her face, and reaches for her satchel. \"But would you first be so kind as to help me to carry my things? My shoulders are rounded from all of this walking with these books.\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Me, I need to go back to London for a little while. My grandma died.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Phineas is watching the table where the man is standing up, but Pobble is not object of his attention. Anastasia gets a smug little wave of recognition.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Devard is bored. This, too, is a general state of affairs, as he meanders up from the west. However, what he sees ahead of him loos downright Fun! Let's go watch, Shall we? A.. predatory grin, and he alters course for the incipient fight.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Daisy says, \"Ignore the fact that Penny and I pretty much posed the same thing. I'd be damned if I was going to rewrite the whole thing just to avoid redundancy.\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Devard. \"No rose? Not good enough, David!\" She shakes her head bemusedly, looking forward once more at Daisy's comment, one brow raising slightly.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Another look with Penny. Under his breath: \"That better? Jeeze.\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Penny has her legs kicked over the right arm of her chair. She could be touching heads with Hiro if she were high. Taking the joint from him, she inhales a few times, cough-talking \"We-gon-na-do-this,\" snorts smoke out her nose.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "\"This room holds the nightmarish dreams of humanity. From literature or mythology.\" Cornelius remarks, closing the door behind himself. \"The first is Dr. Franktenstein's monster. A creature that represents, in some ways, a tremendous amount of hubris in man's drive for power.\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Alyx sketches an exaggerated bow as she's introduced - repeatedly - and grins loosely. \"Yeah. Don't really need to say any more,\" she observes, shaking her head a little. Turning, she beckons Devard down a little (she's only short, remember), presumably to murmur something to him, quiet-like.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "As the sun rises and falls, so does Compton's spirits until him descending in to the depths of a murderous brooding. Spitting bile and sarcasm with the odd tirade at the expense of any number of unrelated parties. Eventually he grabs the old handset in the library hooked up to Pa Bell, the line already ringing through to 1-800-Go-Fed-Ex without any dialing, the tracking number printed out by the Raven dot-matrix in the corner.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Pobble stands with a pile of books held in his arms. One moment he's smiling, the next he looks deeply confused. Glancing around the room with a look of realization that's not far away from 'God, I left the gas on'. Temporarily forgetting where he was heading to he looks across at Anastasia, narrowing his eyes as he tries to say something without taking a breath.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Alabaster Smith beams at Andrea, apparently quite sincere. \"Ah'll admit it keeps me on my toes. Even though many people don't think they need it, everyone sooner or later needs help.\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "[TIC] Pobble says, \"You saying anything understandable?\" [TIC] Penny (Thursday) says, \"Enochian\" [TIC] Pobble has Enochian 3!", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Pobble indulges in a mix of ostritch and snake avoidance behaviour, keeping his back to the imposing figure while remaining still. Teeth pull in the corner of his lower lip, finger tapping uneasily against his glass still, being the only movement besides breathing. He almost looks like he's not exactly sure why he's entered this strange mood, but given his glossy pinpoint pupiled eyes it's not unreasonable to blame it on an acid flashback.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Cornelius enters from the main room. Cornelius has arrived. Keene enters from the main room. Keene has arrived.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Lori reaches out to snatch the cigarette from his fingers. \"Huh? Speak up. You don't look so good.\" She resists patting his face, though, but only just.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "The stones grind under the tires and a small cloud of dust is all that remains of you at the station. The porky fellow just watches, shaking his head in disbelief. The highway eventually turns straight south for a while. The scenery changes, becoming a little less green. The sun begins to set as night falls over the country, leaving you with the remaining four hours of your trip to Provo to be done in the darkness of night.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Ryo gives chase to the fleeing woman. Maybe he wants some answers.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Someone else comes a-strolling down the street, chatting quietly on her cellphone. That someone, however, rings off when she spies a group of quasi-familiar people down the way, tucking aforementioned technology into her bag and shrugging that back onto her shoulder.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Enid riffles through the vinyl, returning a few more albums to their appropriate places, plucking out errant artists who have wandered from their appointed genres - a yellow-haired angel of order. \"Progressive breaks, yeah. They're a band outta LA. They played here last March an' kicked ass. Packed the house.\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "So it's late enough to be awake but too early for four-twenty, so Hiro's actually out and about. The cops are all over the east side right now, so he's not loitering in the slums, and there's no way he'd venture into the western half of Erin's vale. So - somehow, following mention of a twenty-four hour peep show from a phone booth to a bowling alley from a flyer in the gutter to somehow ending up here: Pigboy slouches through the entrance, the strap of his record bag digging into his shoulder, face ruddy from the cold and the wind.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Pobble almost frowns at the trapping of the drop, but replaces it after finishing the circle. He seems to nod at something and deposits a drop on his own fingertip. The vial is sealed back up and replaced and the Doctor lights up a cigarette, closing his eyes as he takes a long slow drag.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Oddly enough, no. Said gun you swear you saw Bob stuff in the dumpster just a few moments ago is inexplicably gone.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "A rare clear afternoon breeds foot traffic through the downtown area, even on disastrous days such as this. Drawn to this area of commerce, out of hunger or fiduciary necessities, is a healthy smattering of homeless. Hoping to reap the rewards of a generous public on this fine day. The blue skies encourage the spirit of charity.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "OOC> Dennis says, \"Sorry, guys, the 'Puncher is pretty much ICly closed for a family get-together. :(\" OOC> Penny says, \"lock the door?\" You make your way to the streets outside. Industrial - Factory -= Jones and Lynx =-", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Sylvan returns to Jodie's side, then ushers her and Kasui to follow her back home. She calls to Matt and the other, \"I hope we meet again and share a good meal and stories.\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "OOC Naoko says, \"what is that for?\" OOC Pobble does a Prime sense, to check for anything going on in the foresty area. You could make an Awareness roll.. About ten miles to the south and west of here, there's the fading away of a source of primal energy... like a battery draining the last of its juice.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "\"Oh, nothing.\" replies Pobble in a tone that lacks anything that even vaguely resembles conviction. He knocks back his liqour sharply, smacking the glass back down on the counter. \"Cold.\" he murmers as an afterthought, sliding hands into pockets and pulling the furry mass tighter about his body.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "[OOC] Alyx says \"Old guy. :>\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Of course, it won't hit her for another hour, and since she has never tasted this before, she has no idea what it is. She peers a little, and asks, \"What did you just do?\" It's not just the liquid. It's the feelings of weirdness she's getting from the air around you.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Andrea makes her way out of the club. Andrea has left.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "\"Reckon them shitheels closed their cow club to us cattle rustlers, pardner,\" he drawls. Then, in more appropriate english: \"So we've taken our sex and drugs to the street, where it belongs.\" Jon comes into the area from the west. Jon has arrived.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "You pull open one of the glass doors and step inside Papa's Chicken Shack. Slums - Papa's Chicken Shack(#1559RJs)", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "It was the introduction of a night club near the eastern side of the street however that caused some of the old fashioned store owners to cringe. It caters to those of more extreme and eccentric tastes, bringing a whole new variety of patrons to the area come night. It was the introduction of that club that opened the area to other less savory businesses. From time to time a patrol car can be seen, coming to look for those women of the night that are rumored to linger around the corner of the streets every so often.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Something something about Hiro in a chair hooked up to something with wires, pants around his ankles, a roll of pennies in his mouth. He, too, declares I wanna come.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "2 2 (5) (7) (9) 4 (6) (6) 3 (10) 4 Achieving 6 successes, resulting in an unbelievable success! Cornelius rolls 2 (2 dice) at a difficulty of 6:", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Pobble faces away from Dennis, but his arrival at the bar definately unsettles the man. Silver nails tap together with a quiet clacking lost in the overwhelming beat of the music. He turtles down in the high collar of his enormous coat, pausing the tapping to toss a bill on the bar and take up his drink, clutching it with both hands.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Ryo doesn't pause any longer. His thumb twitches *beep* 'send',\"I'm calling the police to get this settled.\" he says as he backs out of Jesse's reach.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Zoe watches as Pobble seems to go off with.. wait, where did Kaze come from? Talk about people coming out of the woodwork today! Blinking a few times, she turns back in time to see the bear hit the water, and Liv swim to shore and disappear. Giggling finally, she hides the smile, turning to look at Matt for a moment, brow raised in silent question to him before turning back.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Alabaster Smith is just in time to catch that interesting little act as he wanders down the street. An eyebrow quirks.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Penny discovers a ledge to lean on and positions herself where Pobble can't see her face. She disappears along the side of the building using Hiro as a shield. Her voice thins to a sometimes heard rant about time and it's meaning for another five minutes.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Pobble hands across the pink neon flame. He flashes a grin, swivelling slightly on his stool to face the girl. \"Well, Welcome I guess. Dr. Steve is me, pleasure t'meetcha.\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Lori purses her lips and stares up at Pobs. One hand is extended to the side toward Kirra, a 'come hither' crook of her finger motioning her over. Lori's eyes never leave Pobble.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Ryo pulls out his cell phone even as he slows to s stop not more than maybe twelve feet from the rukus. One hand remains on his walking stick as the other punches three numbers. *beep* *beep* *beep* He stops with his finger poised over the 'send' button,\"What is going on here?!\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Drake listens to whatever it is Kirra has to say, then shakes his head. Runing fingers through his hair, he sighs and follows her out, absently pushing his way past anyone who gets in his way. The bulk's good for something at least.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "\"You like Kung Fu movies, man?\" This, more than anything is disappointing. \"You ever seen Enter the Dragon? I've seen that movie four thousand eight hundred times....\" Fingers come out from their hidey hole to wiggle in demonstration. Cash caught, fishing for a reaction deeper than arms crossed.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "For a total of 0 success(es). [OOC] Jesse says \"Curses.\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Ailsa mms cautiously. \"Not in so many words, no. But one storybook character can recognize another when they're beside one another on the shelf, no matter how dusty or disreputable. Are we done here, Mr. Messiah? There are places in the woods I'm not sure its safe to linger after dark, so far off the path.\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Jesse pages: Purse is being snatched on the stairs. Brace for it.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "The walls of this room were possibly once white, but are now stained nicotine yellow with yet dirtier splotches in places. The dark red carpet seems newer and less obnoxious than the one found in the main hall. Tall lamps stand in each corner of the room, shaded so they cast their light upwards giving the room a certain ambiance.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "She rocks from foot to foot, and shakes her head tightly. \"You'd not believe the truth if I told you, sir... no disrespect or anything meant, but... \" Naoko smiles oddly, curiously, and then says, \"I'm not a kid. My name is Xenon.\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "\"Of course,\" says Keene, automatically straightening up when he hears the word `Master' in Bartius' title. \"I'll need her file, of course, but I can set to work on finding her right away afterward.\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "You say, \"When isn't Pobs on something, old man..\" she hugs him even as she chastizes him. \"Really. Are we situated yet? Or are we all staying at the Holiday Inn without knowing it..\"\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Hiro says, \"smoking dope and invoking forbidden powers. I don't see how we're going wrong..\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Cornelius walks out of the record store and onto the street. Cornelius has left. Enid has disconnected.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "She's holding up a fine example of the contents of Aisle 10: a spoken word album whose album cover depicts William S. Burroughs' drooping features looking askance at an incogruous swirl of Technicolor. The album's title is so psychedelic as to be unreadable.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Everything used to be something else, and Interzone Records used to be a bowling alley. Some traces of the original layout remain: the sunken floor, the shoe counters where the cash registers now sit, and most notably, the wide open spaces where the lanes once were, now filled with row after row of CD's and records, sorted by genre and artist.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Alabaster Smith nods. \"Ah've been here for a few months now, ever since Ah decided to make this city my new home. It's been an interesting time.\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "There is a door set in the back wall. A door that bears a white sign which states that none may enter. Still, waitresses and the bartender can be seen making their way to the door and slipping beyond. These journeys into the forbidden are brief, but always do those who return from its hidden wonders bear a broad smile and a pair of mugs filled with liquid gold that go only to patrons who seem to bear friendship and/or kinship to the staff of this establishment.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Wednesday has left. [OOC] Alyx lets curiosity get the better of her. So, rar.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "The walls are a testament to Erin's Vale's rich history as a stop on the Pacific Northwest touring circuit. They're covered from floor to ceiling in psychedelic-inspired posters, from cracked and fading Fleetwood Mac and Pink Floyd tours, to recently-printed memorabilia from The White Stripes and The Donnas. Just as the walls are covered in posters, so the counters and record bins are plastered with stickers, in some cases several layers deep, covering the history of punk rock, from The Ramones and Stiff Little Fingers, to bands that are still practicing in the garage.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Alabaster Smith comes into the area from the east. Alabaster Smith has arrived.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Compton sighs and looks, back the way he came, \"We goin or not kids?\" he asks with all the patience of a underslept grizzley. \"The 'Pots' just two blocks away...\" he offers up as a solution.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Hip dance clubs and upper scale restaurants line the streets of New Town, everything from the newest teenage fad to old style swing dancing being seen easily on these streets. The young to middle aged crowd seems to frequent this area, a culturally diverse area with everything from the preppy high school jock to the pierced stoner hang out on the strip to find the new coolest spot to go on the weekends. The billboards seem to have taken notice of the party society in the area as well, various ads for entertainment places and items showing up more frequently than in other sections of the city.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Andrea doesn't move the glass from its halfway journey towards her mouth, the contents teetering on almost dribbling out the top. \"Ah. Well. Thats very nice of you.\" She gives Alabastar another smile, \"You must be very busy.\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "\"Fuck off,\" states Ana, as blandly as any other word that comes out of her mouth. Her distaste for the man is evident, though, despite her emotionless tone. Now, for those who know Ana - her cursing like that - that's just unheard of. Jaws may now commence dropping.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Pobble saunters into the pub, coat pulled tightly about him to relieve the outside chill. He pauses near the entrance, sidestepping to avoid becomming a barrier to further entrance and slumping just a touch. After stiffling a yawn he begins to pick his way across to the counter.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Kirra strangely obeys the silent command from Lori, her steps paused to the side where she might keep both the other and the men in her sights. Too curious is this whole scene, and Gods know the redhead is the curious sort.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Turtle Jones pluck the guitar a bit more and continues singing his blues song, kicking the hat in front of him for emphasis. \"Ain't gonna cry no more over a women that's gonna leeeaaavee... My baby she left me, left me out in the cold, cold rain. My baby she took off and left me all alone again. All alone, baby...\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "\"It also may be that the Tao has less to do with it than does Marx,\" Lily opines mildly. \"Perhaps my friend merely wishes to reapportion the capital reasources currently within this wallet, so that it no longer lines the pockets of those content to profit from the exploitation of others but rather rewards Labor, isolated from the work of his hands and bleeding, ever bleeding, to oil the wheels of capitolist hegemony. Or,\" she adds, \"Maybe he is a crazy person.\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "From afar, Jesse's purse may be snatched. Hang on.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Keene grabs onto Penny, trying to keep her upright. Once they're through the door, though, he releases her and adjusts his messenger bag strap. \"Wow, this place is creepy,\" he says, the master of understatement.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Morgan hrrms as Ana enters, watching her settle and brusquely request tea. He then watches the polar bear that is Pobble make his way to the counter, but the scrutiny doesn't last long, strangely enough, but then again, look how ~he~ is dressed! Either a Fair employee or a SCA freak, who knows? He returns his attention to Lily and Nathan. for whom he makes room for upon settling at Lily's table.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "You say, \"Your monkey's got no balls.\" A declarative.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "[OOC] Jesse nods. I'm having a bad staff karma day.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Matt nods to Zoe, and moves to greet teh bear and his companion. \"Heya. I'm Matt - Zoe says you're a friend of hers.\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "\"Sweet.\" is his simple appraisal of the situation and collects his stuff. Dropping it in the back amongst the sundries of suburban life he greets his rather homely travel companion, \"Hey toots. Good to see ya again. Wanna go for a ride?\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "[OOC] Wednesday says \"ah...goood question. I can't see you throw it so at least there's no dodge, but she is running at top speed away from you. 7 or 8?\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Dextrous fingers busy themselves in the racks. It's apparent (now that she's attracting attention) that she's not shoplifting -- she's interweaving CDs from her purse with CDs on the rack.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Nathan settles, then falls into quiet conversation, the mug lifted to his lips and sipped from at times as he banters back and forth with both Lily and Morgan. The smile never leaves his face, growing at times with amusement.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Pobble slides sideways onto a stool, easing his coat out behind him. Despite the warmth of the club, he almost appears cold as a slightly shaking hand lifts a smoke to his thin lips. A request is mumbled to the bartender, and repeated a little louder before it's understood. Once the glass of clear liquid arrives, he rotates slowly on the stool top, leaning his furry bulk back against the bar to survey the crowd, one giant boot tapping against the footrest.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "At your table, Anastasia replies softly, \"Well, I could tell you what I learned, or you could tell me what you learned, but I don't want to speak of things here. He's a wizard - he could be listening anywhere, you know... and even I would be hesitant to risk that.\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Relaxing a touch once the card is offered over, Kirra continues to nurse the cup of espresso, careful sips taken of the still steaming brew. Quiet she remains, at least for now, yet she does straighten, her gaze turned to study Damian's profile from where she stands as he mentions Harbringers. From him to Pobble she trains her gaze, that curiosity growing now as she listens in on the conversation.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "At your table, Pobble drains the last from his cup and nods, \"Why of course Miss.\" he says, pushing back his chair before stopping and tilting his head, \"Do what though? You say that as if I made a suggestion?\" Phineas comes in to the bar, folding an umbrella up under his arm and adjusting the muffler he has around his topcoat. It is chilly outside, and it threatens rain.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Mercifully the day ends and the new day dawns, bringing the time when the revolver should arrive. FedEx priority guarantees that a package shall arrive by 10:30 local time the next day. So when ten thirty comes and goes, it's a little bothersome but not terrible. What sucks is the day continues on and on... with no sign of the delivery truck.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "At your table, Pobble's gaze flicks across to the office, and he seems intrigued. \"You work here or something?\" he asks, looking back to you sidelong. Finger curls through the mug handle, rotating the cup about in place.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Penny's arms are stretched out, Penny's arms are longer than the law. Her hands get a hold on the thief's shirt-collar and necklaces.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Penny meanders with Jesse and keeps up with his babble, talking about iled and nepo, about multiple suns and where the needles go. She gives him another cigarette and hangs loose at Daisy as Jesse's heels fail to keep him aright for very long.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Small shops line the streets, obviously an older part of the city, the initial settlings of Erin's Vale can be seen here. Some of them are reconstructed, new paint and wood being replaced on their structures, while others slowly decay from age. For the most part the small shops still manage to have a quaint appearance, allowing those that enjoy to pursue the history of the city to see some of it still evident.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "It takes a while for the idea to leave his cranium, some grand plan for free porn rental using this found BluckBusters card. And true to this, Cash seems detached from this group for a few beats as this scheme works it's self out. The obvious catch being, BlockBusters doesn't carry porn.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "[OOC] Mary whews. Ok. Not on crack.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "The music on the CD isn't what one would expect from Daisy. It's an intricate wash of pop culture -- here and there, you can pick out fragments of jingles from commericals of the 1980s, distorted quotes from old movies, soundtracks running both forward and backward. The vocals, cigarette-roughened and husky, aren't English. The vowel sounds are wrong, and rasping back-of-the throat noises -- as in Hebrew or Arabic -- predominate.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Enid comes into the area from the west. Enid has arrived.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "[OOC] Turtle Jones is in backscroll from when she was afk. Jesse, what's with all the dex+streetwise rolls?", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "As always, what Keene chooses not to answer is more telling than what he actually decides to acknowledge. He walks over to the table, picks up a match, strikes it against something convenient and lights up. The cigarette soothes the turbulence within, at least for a while.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Penny ta-ta-tas with the bassline and touches Daisy's elbow and guides her, the beat nodding her head, toward Compton in a very pointed and specific way. Paranoid.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "One second he's at Blue Oyster Cult, then another on the opposite wall at the Dead section and then again at the Jimmy Bufett row. His presence is slippery, moving in and out of your attention like a lazy trout in your mind. It's not that he actually disapears, you just simply manage to miss him.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "\"Pobs,\" Daisy says, gesturing with the tip of her cigarette toward Compton, \"is a git. An utter git. If I trusted him, I'd be waiting on Union with my thumb up my ass.\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Off to the left side is a smallish office. In the back center of the room, you can see a pair of doors, oaken. One door has the face of a smiling demon, a brightly polished brass nameplate under it says Fiction. One door has the face of an angry, almost leering demon, another brightly polished brass nameplate under this one says Fact. There are no visible handles, just a hole in each open mouth with tongues sticking out.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Compton did seem to be enjoying it too, taking his time. Not like some starving people... \"Wot's yers?\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Wave hello. Hang loose. Want a cigarette?", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Looking up the stairs, cold rain falls from a grey-black sky without moon or stars. A raw wind blows from the east.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "\"Indeed. It does not.\" Cornelius grins, moving through the store to the front with the one record. Setting it on the counter, he asks. \"How much for the purchase?\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Right now, she's dressed in the uniform of a Washington State Parks Ranger; a khaki button-down shirt tucked into olive green denim jeans. Over the shirt is an olive green quilted jacket, good for keeping the rain off, with a brass nameplate over the left breast pocket and official-looking patches on each shoulder. Her only adornment is a thin gold chain that hangs inside her shirt, held down by a hidden weight. The jeans are held up by a wide black leather belt that also holds a utility knife, several other small black leather cases, and a walkie-talkie. On her feet is a pair of old black hiking boots.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "A gutterpunk - two-hundred dollar boots, shaved head, pockets full of spare change - starts to slip a CD under his jacket while Enid's back is turned. With the same sixth sense granted to teachers that allows them to decipher just who threw tha spitball, the yellow-haired girl turns around and tell him, \"You're _so_ gonna put that back, 'cus I'm not gonna buy it back off of you when you bring it by next week.\" The gutterpunk grumbles, the CD is returned, and Enid tactfully wanders off into the electronica section, still humming just a little off-key.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "To the west the more residential area is left behind while the long stretch of road spans towards the east. The apartment buildings and other stores of consumer goodness dwindle to nothingness while warehouses start to appear every so often. Many of the old factories that have become the namesake of the district have ironically closed down to instead become storage for different goods.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Pobble sighs, becomming confused and awkward once more. \"Look, kid. Lets get you out of here, in case anyone else comes along. We can get you settled and then figure out what we're going to do about it all..\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Alabaster Smith chuckles, nodding. \"Oh yes. It keeps us busy, at the very least.\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Pobble sits across from Anastasia although he appears to be making ready to stand. An empty coffee mug sits before him and he seems to be too absorbed with his conversing to notice a new arrival.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "It happens again; a ghost of the ticker expanding outward toward Penny and Hiro - and then past them. Past the table and the down to the floor, the image increasing overhead like a projection until it loses all resolution.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "He's leaning over Penny, murmuring something in that same strange language, and his attention is drawn on bringing the lit match to the cigarette at his lips. Utterly unmindful of his newfound shadow.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Devard grins some more. \"Spoilsport.\" he sighs, and turns to walk back west. \"Very well. But only because you asked so nicely.\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Anastasia gasps out, and her eyes widen and she freezes in panic. \"Oh... ohmigod, no... no, please no, M'lady, good Lady, good Baroness, please don't get me in trouble with the Baron for telling you these things...\" SHe looks completely terrified at the thought, and hurriedly, she grabs Pobble's arm and yanks on it. \"Do something. /Please!/\" As if anyone with any rational sense in their heads would know that htere is little that Pobble could reasonably do.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "But when Eri approaches, so does Ana rise, and she lifts her dress a little, to dip into a curtsey, and speaks a polite, \"My Lady,\" to Eri. \"I hope my presence here with my companion is alright. We needed a place to speak privately, and noplace in town was suitable,\" she states, her voice soft and thoughtful, but making a point to explain the presence of a stranger so far out.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Compton snorts, going for a drink of the Coke, \"Not quite. So, who was yer friend? A rich mark?\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Pobble seems torn between the protrusion of new and fantastical fauna and the woman who leads him through their midst. He comes to a halt nearby and sets himself down on a decaying log. Still gazing he finally says, \"What makes him so cold? He was.. disconcerting..\" He shivers, pulling his yeti coat tighter about him.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Ryo can't seem to get a signal on his phone, but narrows his gaze at Jesse and Penny,\"Be on your way will-workers.\" he says, no sign of fear in his voice.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "--------------------------------------------------------------------------- Alabaster Smith..... Tall, thin, red-haired, blue-eyed, well-dressed Height: 6'1\" Weight: 170(?) Age: 30", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "\"I dunno man. Mebbe she's the one that drank the last of the -red- soda.\" Helpful, much like a mailbox, Cash's center of gravity is low and provides Penny with rock in her trouble turbulent existence. Though the Cash ship sways over its anchor, but it's never uncontrolled in its drunken stupor. With an economy of movements, Penny is twirled and stood straight in an Aikido dance move.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "The air slowly takes on a charged feeling. Like the sense before a storm, the tingling of the static in the air of electricity looming in the distance.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "If Rule 1 is never cop in a dress, the admonition against lifting wallets in drag must have gone unspoken. Which is a shame, seeing as how Jesse could have used the lesson. But, really, who's going to suspect?", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Pobble half smiles despite the situation, \"The Russians aren't so bad anymore you know.\" \"Right.\" Agrees the monkey with the cigar. Pobble does look puzzled however, tapping his silver fingertips together with a hard almost metallic sound. \"I have no idea what that thing is though.. is eh, that what bought you back here?\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Compton hangs up without further ado. Looking at the piece of space junk in the middle of the Library, he says, \"Well, old man. Looks like it's time for a road trip.\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Ailsa's gaze lingers on Cash for a moment, again that faintly greenish flash that must be a trick of the light. \"Oh, bother,\" she murmurs in a tone mere shades above disgusted. \"Figures. Why are the lessons always so pungent?\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "\"M'Lady,\" she replies, her tones even-tempered and thoughtful, \"Of course I could not pass up a stroke of good luck that fell in my path; I would hate to offend good Fortuna,\" and she looks up towards the sky and smiles toward it, giving the goddess a nod. She comes back to the here and now, and then blinks, looking between them suspiciously, her eyeballs ping-pong back and forth, pursing her lips puzzledly.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "[Willpower] Penny spends a Willpower point. Penny rolls 3 (3 dice) at a difficulty of 6:", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "A virtual smorgasbord of shops line the street, everything from the eccentric store that only the most daring of youths dare venture into to the more conservative clothing shop that declares that they have the best deals. One corner of the road has two rival tattoo and piercing shops. Whenever one declares their shop to be the best, the other counters with similar claims. There are photos of their work blown up in display windows, changing from day to day to the joy of window browsers.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Keene, meanwhile, blunders forward and transposes himself between Penny and the statue -- reading her body language, knowing how this game works. He stares at something inconsequential off to the side of the statue, doing his best cow-eyed tourist impression. \"This reminds me of that movie, with the guy,\" he says. Keene works for Clear Channel. He knows all about inane banter.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Echo comes out of the Bucking Bronco's doors. Echo has arrived. Echo steps through a void into the OOC Nexus. Echo has left.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "To say that Alyx jumps slightly at Devard's comment woulden't be entirely true....she's startled, though lazily so. Jumping would take far too much effort. \"Ah...yeah,\" she murmurs, then mock-frowns at", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Alabaster Smith grins toothily at Andrea. \"Oh relax, Sister. Ah wouldn't force my beliefs on you. Just remember Ah'm here if you ever need me, or the help Ah can give.\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Anastasia reaches for her satchel and then, with her free hand, tugs at Pobble's coat. She looks over her shoulder, though, and stops moving for a moment. \"Actually... \" She starts biting her lip, though, hard, staring toward Phineas, whom she almost immediately spots. She doesn't reply to that wave, but says, \"I have a better idea.\" Wihtout another word, she heads for the door, turning from time to time to look at Pobble, making sure he is coming along.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Some of these faces resemble pictures taken of those who have died over the past few weeks. In the center of it all is a rabbi standing before an altar. There is a pillow on the altar with two gold rings.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "The walls are a testament to Erin's Vale's rich history as a stop on the Pacific Northwest touring circuit. They're covered from floor to ceiling in psychedelic-inspired posters, from cracked and fading Fleetwood Mac and Pink Floyd tours, to recently-printed memorabilia from The White Stripes and The Donnas. Just as the walls are covered in posters, so the counters and record bins are plastered with stickers, in some cases several layers deep, covering the history of punk rock, from The Ramones and Stiff Little Fingers, to bands that are still practicing in the garage.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "This room is not particularly large. Just an entrance room, really. Heavy black curtains hang over the windows in front, shutting out almost all of the ambient light from the world beyond. The room is lit only by real candles and gas lamps. The air carries an old, almost must scent to it, giving you the sense of walking in to a building centuries old, even though it is a relatively new rennovation.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "We appreciate your prompt payment for Item #19390712348723, Jesse James Revolver for the price of $8,000US. We will send out your package via Federal Express next day shipping. A tracking number for your package will be provided tomorrow. We appreciate your business and will provide positive feed back on the next business day.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Matt quirks a brow, seeing the Polar bear and his rider. He looks at them curiously.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "\"Come this way,\" sounds cheerful and curious about what's around the next corner. Penny turns in toward the dark, gothic village setting. \"Now is that what they're paying to see?\" She looks at the broken kid-statue, arms folded, head tilted - judging. She walks to it's side - not to get a closer look but maybeb to keep out of it's direct line of sight.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Rising up on his toes, Pobble attempts to see what's on the screen better. The critter in the truck begins to creep out too, becomming visible in the backwash of the headlights. Dave Monkey clutches a cigar and the smoke trails up around him and back into the air conditioned vehicle. \"What?\" they ask in unison, \"Something wrong?\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Penny is dry heaving, steadied by Cash near the doors to Cow Punchers. Pobble stands close by. Near the cluster stand Jon and Enid, Enid leaning on Jon. Alabaster smith stands against a wall near Jon and Enid.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Okay, so we're in Idaho. It's been a few hours and he's drank a quart of the Sunny D he's found in one of the bag. Weird stuff. Like new age Tang.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "\"Listen up,\" puts her fingers on the plaque, covering someone's name obscenely-wealthy-at-one-point. Who she's talking to isn't quite clear \"Tap that little thing over there.\" Maybe she meant Hiro. 'That Little Thing' is the paper-forwarder. \"You should try talking to them, ..it, with me, y'know?\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Penny dodges right but doesn't slow down. Lips pressed into a tight line, people can hear her muttering in that other language. God and Jesse only know what it is she's saying. Penny is making her presence felt on all sides and people are getting out of her way.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Hiro and Penny are on the doorstep of Cowpunchers. Hiro's smoking two tandem cigarettes: Penny's behind him, rooting through her bag. Pobble and Cash approach across a stretch of asphalt, Smith stands off to one side, scrutinizing. The vibe is manic, crazed, drug and drink fueled.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "--------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cornelius........... Height: 5'3\" Weight: 120", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "--------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lily................ A bit Cabaret. A bit creepy. Reserved and accented. Height: 5' 5 Weight: 110 lb Age:", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "In the far corner of the room, Anastasia pulls a book from her satchel out and sets it down. WHen a waiter finally comes by her table, she simply says, \"Tea,\" in a barely-breath of whispery voice. She could well stare holes into the man's back as he departs, waiting to get him away from her.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "\"Ahh...\" The young man seems caught off guard by the request for a moment. \"Let me find out for you sir. Please hold.\" And before you can respond, you're in Muzak land.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "And, yeah, maybe Hiro isn't totally dissapointed. Because an initially cursory examination catches, snags: Pigboy slows down as something catches his eye. Backtracks. There's a certain obsessive fugue that makes people like him distinct: he doesn't notice the erstwhile thief, the failed theft - really, everything other than the tips of his fingers and the records passing beneath them exists on a frequency he's just not tuned in to. He's hunched forward like quasimodo by the time Enid breezes through his section -- scrutinizing a release from some obscure breakbeat label.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "(10) 3 (10) 4 Achieving 2 successes, resulting in a moderate success. Jumpstart slips between Stormcrow and Zoe, grunting in an 'excuse me, oh excuse me' fashion. Gamely, bravely, foolishly, he does that hand-shoving thing to open the door. Demon's tongue, yadda yadda. Cornelius rolls 4 (4 dice) at a difficulty of 6:", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "At your table, Anastasia pushes a few books to you. There is a notebook, a small organizer, and the strangest of all, a largish old tome, something musty with cracked bindings. To those that are magickally aware, there is something extra about it - it seems imbued with a magick all its own. \"Just those, please... I think I can handle the rest.\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Alabaster Smith steeples his fingers, and nods. \"Oh yes. Ah tend to peoples' spiritual needs, and crises of conscience.\" Pobble enters with a small crowd, waiting his turn to flash ID and get his hand stamped. He scratches absently around the mark with a glinting nail as he steps out of the influx of clubbers, fishing in an oversized pocket of his yeti like coat for cigarettes as he's caught in the unfailing gravity of the bar and drawn towards its promises of hard liqour.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "You paged Turtle Jones with 'It's just .. I'm nowhere near a subway, as far as I can tell.'.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "\"Got any spare change?\" Esther practically yells, holding out a dirty hand. Her eyes twitch as she greedily eyes all of the things Penny's carrying, then looks back up to Penny's face.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "\"Ohhhhhhhh, so you're a dealer!\" Lori shows him a sharp grin. \"No, you're not a dealer; you're too much of a pussy to be a dealer.\" Ow. She has another drag off her smoke, flicking ash negligently aside on the sidewalk.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Then it's quiet. As the rain stops, there's a sound of something metal hitting the blacktop; and rainwater sluicing off the roof, tapping that metal in pairs of clinks. Other noises; interior distortions of conversation and music and one shuttle of gravel under a sliding foot.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Something something about smoke coming out across the ceiling from the library. And Penny BANGS out the door and declares Im going out.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Lori is on the sidelines sucking soda through a straw, evidently, since there are no stamps on her hands. Her body is bouncing gently to the beat of the music while she enjoys the cold liquid. As soon as she finishes the soda, though, she abandons it and plunges back onto the dance floor to learn some more kewl movez. She certainly is an energetic little thing.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "[OOC] Mary says \"Sorry about that. Five year old in the middle of the living room making a sandwich seems to mean a big mess to clean up.\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "The young woman purses her lips, never looking away from Cash. Low, \"Its truly not wise to meddle in someone else's story. It makes them want to turn your pages with greater attention. The sort of thing one presumes, living in such a location, you're interested in avoiding. Do you want to rethink that particular relocation, in the interests of fellowship and a kindly word?\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Eventually the phone routes the call to an operator. \"Thank you for calling Federal Express. This is Rhonda. Can I have your tracking number please?\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Ryo moves pretty damned fast for an old guy. He takes it upon himself to see what the heck is going on as he sprints towards the duo, stick in hand.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "\"Dude. P-dogg.\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Jesse says, \"Let her go, Penny. The police will be here, soon.\" He shrugs, and uses the end of his boa to wipe at the blood on his face, adjusts his sunglasses, and replaces his hat atop his head. \"Whoever she stole the bag from, I'm sure she'll come forward.\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "\"Does it have to be particular?\" asks Keene. \"A particular size, a particular shape, a particular color?\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Lori reaches out to fluff Pobble up. \"You should eat more! Put some meat on those bones... no wonder you're cold--wait, now I'm beginning to sound like... nevermind.\" She yanks at Pobble's coat, as if he's not warm enough in it.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "[OOC: My parents are comming to stay for a week or so and will be living in the computer room hence I won't be around much. Email me if you need anything.]", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Damian looks back at Cash as the man speaks, and the distaste shifts for a moment into something more ponderous. But not too long, not long enough to be rude or dismissive, before he's looking back at Pobble. \"Yes. Damian Griffin.\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Pobble quirks a brow in query but slides down onto a seat, resting elbows on the table and centering his coffee. One settled, he raises the mug to softly blow ripples across the surface of the liquid as he looks across at Anastasia curiously. \"I have some news..\" he begins.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Compton is old, to make a point. Well, much older than the 'kids' he trucks with. As he wanders the store, popping up here and there in his peculiar way it could be noted that he's older than the rock he checks out, older thena the Punk he puruses and older than the crap 60s Folk Music he avoids like the plauge. Each of the eras of music have washed over him like a ocean of Pop culture and yet he remains. Salty and crusty as any sea dog.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Her body is dressed simply - well, simply for one of her kith, as it were. Rich silks in purple and silver, softer than the wings of a butterfly, drape over her frame, gathered tightly below her slight breasts with a silver cord,and then allowed to flow down to the ground, concealing her feet. The cuffs of her robe fall just to her wrists in wide bell-like flares, decorated with embroidered roses and vines in silver thread. A silver crescent moon clasp, the traditional symbol of the noble house Eiluned, holds the black cloak that wraps loosely around her in place. The cloak she wears may appear just simply black at first, but at a closer look, you can see the stars glowing against the night-sky silk, sparkling dots that shine luminescently, even in the dark, and in perfect celestial patters, reflecting the map of the heavenly sphere.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "You enter the waxworks. The large double doors swing open for you. Dark Horizons Waxworks - Main Room(#1957RJ)", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Wednesday pages: Well that was fun. :) See you around town.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "\"So like... what're you doin ova there, Penny.\" Someone finally comes round to it, as Cash hands off his flask to be hit. Pobble gets a ripe whiff of the stuff, it's running down each side of the silvery flask and mixing with the rain water. The denim man steps over to where Penny makes sidewalk angels.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "(Type \"help\" for help.) [TIC] Penny (Thursday) says, \"Speaking of Steampunk, Wild Wild West is on TNT.\" [TIC] Pig Boy (Saturday) says, \"nice\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "--------------------------------------------------------------------------- Penny............... Tall. Hot. White hair. Height: 5'9\" Weight: 123", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "A lucky strike, left between his lips, is pursued by a disposable lighter whose flame vaccilates and weaves, unsteady and for a long time unsuccessful in its efforts to engage the cigarette in meaningful dialogue on the topic of fire. Sighing visibly as that trial ends in a victory for the forces of chemistry, Jesse sags once more, slumping in place, his long, lethargic frame curling in on itself.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "water and time. The croak of a frog and the cry of the birds above intermingle with the rough sounds of ducks and the buzzing of insects. Every so often, one catches sight of a shadow, small and undefined, sliding beneath the surface further from shore as well as the occasional glimpse of glittering silver scales. A sense of peace marks the scene, one that almost seems to make one desire to move on than stay and risk disturbing the tranquility of the lake's inhabitants.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Smells like something burning. Dark in here but not as dark as it could be.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "\"Dude. P-dogg.\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Wednesday straightens up her back, stands proud, waves her hands like the winding of a toy dancer. At Ryo's words, and the lowering of his phone, she begins to make a bee-line to...well, anywhere that *isn't* here. She smiles politely at Ryo as she passes, and tries only a moment's sheepish glance back at Penny.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "\"Penny. Down.\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "\"I get the first bite, on account of Dave keeps trying to touch me while I'm asleep,\" Daisy mumbles, taking a deep, aggrieved drag on her cigarette. This is not the only complaint; there are several more, but they're muffled into incoherence by the presence of her filter. \"We've arrived. All of us now; all seven, except for the one we can't mention. This is Kid Sinister, whose name is that because he's sinister as fuck, and this is Penny Delightful, whose name is that on account of she's wholly delightful and cheery as the noonday sun and, no, not at all bitter.\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "OOC> Quiet says, \"Bombs away. Fire off the dices.\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Hiro skirts past Cornelius, his aversion to further contact just barely apparent. You enter the door marke Fiction. Dark Horizons Waxworks - Fiction", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "[OOC] Jesse says \"Hm.\" [OOC] Jesse says \"Apparently, Mutter is also weird. That last bit? That's muttered.\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "The woman seems to know her way through the woods, those woods that seem to just tingle with life, and those woods in which the occasional gnome tugs at your pant leg, or pixie tugs at your hair. Ana is very nonchalant about it, brushing them off like little gnats.\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Moving along an overgrown path, the Polar-bear ambles along at an easy gait. On his back, rides the lovely Liv. She grins widely, her fingers digging deeply down into the bear's thick fur and holding herself on.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "To the side of the area a rather pleasant mini-park has formed, a statue of Zeus standing proud. At various times during the day and night, automated sprinklers go off to make sure that every plant receives the nourishment it requires for perfect blooming. Speckles of colors ranging from a deep violet to a cottony soft baby blue line the edge of the statue for a quaint place to stop and indeed, smell the flowers.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "His hair is cut in a short low-maintenance style, the Nordic yellowness bleached to white-blonde by the sun, with eyes so pale a gray they evoke nothing so much as bleach. Dennis is dressed differently than he usually is; his flannels and jeans have been traded for a suit and tie. It's not Giancarlo Ferre or Giorgio Armani, certainly, instead just some cheap off-the-rack thing that's barely had any tailoring done to his form. In some sense, the unassuming dark suit makes him all the creepier. If he wore designer threads he'd be less unnerving, because after all, who'd want to start a fight while wearing a five thousand dollar suit?", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Penny's good. Keene is better. He laughs in that overly loud American way, making an exaggerated `spooky' face. \"But bad ventilation is spooooooky,\" he says, like Count Chocula.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "\"'m fuckin eatin.\" he barks, spittle and chunks of bread hit the table as if to make the point valid.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Pobble shuffles back against the wall, still huddling in his behemothic coat as he draws a slow drag from the cigarette, letting the fumes drift out from his mouth to coil around his hat. \"You look miffed is all, something the matter?\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "\"Clickity-click, Babah-trick.\" Compton says as a form of personal computer mantra and opens Pine, to view the message of the end of a quest.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "\"We gonna do this?\" he asks Penny.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Kirra nods once to Lori at her answer, no words given to try and say sorry or give condolences. To Damian, the redhead chuckles lightly, her voice an easy alto, \"Pleasant enough, yes, even with the weather.\" Shoulders are given a slight shrug before Lori's words call attention back towards the other two strange men. A quick study, and she asides back, \"Ten if they're lucky and the cops are busy.\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Penny says, in Enochian, \"Stupid fucking kids.\" Penny mimes Jesse's wave and relights the cigarette for Daisy; went out after too much mashing and fake-blood got in the way. \"You're late, too.\" She looks at the girl as if to say What's the story, mornin'glory? \"I got here just in time.\"\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Falling off the bears back, Liv is soaked easily to the bone. Sputtering and spitting out water, she comes up to the", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "the sea above. The forest has parted and the tall elms and oaks give way to smaller ash and the occasional shrub, the difference in height lending an appearance of homage paid. The creation to which such fealty and respect is paid is a simple lake that stretches off into the distance, but whose furtherest banks can still be glimpsed at the limits of one's sight.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Pobble frowns, confusion apparent on his face. \"Why would someone spraypaint a dead polar bear?\" He shakes his head before knocking back the remainder of the drink and plonking the empty down on the bar. He waves a hand in a circular motion, trying to wind his thoughts back on track. \"I meant the stomping and Goddammit.\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Wednesday's eyes never leave the form of the drag queen bandit, but has he weaves out through the crowd she has to stand up on turtle's bench just the watch him. She whistles through her teeth, then hops down from the bench, and quietly makes herself into a shadow of Jesse, some 20 meters down the way.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "\"Jeepers Freddie,\" she elbows him and laughs in a pretty careless way \"You should hear yourself. I bet it's just the temperature change - all that dry ice in one place tends to get a little on the stale side a few hours in.\" On the whole Penny's pretty blase. Or good at faking blase.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Two fingers point left, side by side. 'Got a cigarette?' His posture is tired, he slouches to one side, weight shifting under leather and lycra, one thicksoled boot toeing the stained tiles beneath.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Alabaster Smith smiles at Enid broadly, giving her the full attention of his personality. \"Sister,\" he declares, \"Ah am at home anywhere on God's green Earth. What brings you here?\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Alabaster Smith grins toothily at Jon, and offers a hand. \"Evenin', Brother,\" he greets. \"As the lady says, Ah'm Alabaster Smith, a humble man of God here to do His works.\" He glances to Penny, eyebrow arching, as if affronted that she might show him up. \"Ah do believe the Lord is sending us a sign.\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Alabaster Smith sits down at Large Table. Lori is looking at you.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Pobble settles against the counter, using it to hold up his tired weight as he scratches his chin and waits for service. Coffee is ordered, and a silver nail is rapped against the bartop quietly as he waits. Attention flicks across the room from table to table, searching for the familiar and pausing in places. Such as the dashing rogue, Lily and finally stopping with Anastasia. Beverage arrives, and the blue haired gent begins to spoon in an abundance of sugar.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Compton... says. Rusty narrows his beady eyes. \"Yeah.. and.. and giant spiders.\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Alabaster Smith dips his head. \"Brother,\" he replies to Cash. God only knows what Smith's reasons for staying are. Maybe he just likes the ambience.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Friends don't let friends shoplift The Ramones. Enid isn't looking, of course. She twists on the balls of her feet as if putting out a couple of cigarettes while she returns albums to their rightful place in Rock Music, A-M. She pops a great big bubble of pink gum and chews it loudly, though not so loudly that it can be heard over the music.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "She turns and peers at the window, taking a step away to try to glance inside. \"I..\" She sniffs. \"I sort of... sort of..\" She chews on her lip for a moment, \"Wrecked my car.\" Not a very good liar.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "\"You gotta name?\" COmpton asks.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Enid has returned the lighter, but she produces Jon's pack of Malboros from her jacket pocket and stuff them back into his. \"I had to go pick somethin' up for TC,\" she says, eyes downcast as she makes some attempt to keep from staring at the Penny-related commotion. \"An' now I need a beer,\" she says in the same sort of way that people usually say they need oxygen. \"You drinkin', Reverend?\" she asks, turning towards the door.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Into the club slips yet another figure looking to enjoy dancing the night away. After having her ID checked at the door, Zoe moves further inside, steps slow and graceful as she begins to make her way towards the bar. Lips hold a smile, and there's more than a few she stops to greet and speak with at times before continuing on, the skirt of her dress swaying with each step she makes.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Lori looks at Pobble equally sidelong. \"What? With the coat? Fuck all if I care,\" she says loudly enough to be heard over the music and shrugs. \"I bet somebody spraypaints it, though!\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Jesse re-emerges from the bathroom, unsteady on his heels. His arm, again, finds purchase across Penny's shoulders, but now a bit more support seems to be asked of them, as the lanky caricature drapes in place beside her. A fresh cigarette, unlit, dangles from the smudged lines of his lips.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "To the left of the club is the bar, although small it holds the basic stock standards. The prettier bottles are pressed up front although occasionally Jell-O Shots and other drinks are set up for the young crowd to sweep up in festive joy. On the counter side of the club, lays the dance floor that bears the amazing resemblance to a mosh pit more than anything else, a sea of bodies twisting and turning to the hard-handed music. Towards the rear of the club, a few tables and boots are set up, for those that actually come here for the conversation.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "\"Penny?\" Jesse leans in, tilts his head, mutters something, as he looks at the crowd.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "(10) 3 (8) (10) (8) Achieving 4 successes, resulting in an exceptional success! Jumpstart rolls 3 (3 dice) at a difficulty of 5:", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "There is a mixture of various ethnicities and social backgrounds within this small area, a melting pot all come into one. The very businesses appear to take a culturally diverse avenue of theme. Many smaller stores here can be found selling foreign foods and other rarities such as special health items. Besides the consumable goods, other fine import stores are littered about as well, making this small area more interesting for those that enjoy window browsing.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "\"He does not believe in magick, and is a cold product of this modern world, of soulless and passionless doldrum. He is one who is the antithesis of wonder, he is stark, cold and rationalizes anything he cannot understand away... and for that, he is painful to be around,\" explains the sidhe, who now spreads her robes to settle on the grass, in a nice little patch. She draws her legs up under her, in a lotus position, and takes a few deep breaths. \"This... this is much better.\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "\"We stopped until Monday turned to Saturday again. It's some kind of ritual inversion or sommat, right?, where maybe the public sphere becomes private and whatever?\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Compton............. Dirty old man. Height: 1.8m Weight: 67 kg. Age: 69", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "\"Hello, Penny. What are you up to?\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Lori tilts her head away from Pobble to look at Dennis. It's just a big flop of her head, pigtails and green tubes bouncing with the sudden motion. Her big green eyes look at him pretty openly, sizing up the guy that makes everybody skuttle out of the way like cockroaches.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Jesse reemerges from a nearby convenience store, his face washed, his makeup fixed, his complexion death-pale and ashen. With langid and sluggish coservatism of motion, he drapes himself again on Penny's shoulder, and begins to navigate his way back to the riot in waiting, said navigation made difficult on account of his giant platform heels.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Comps pays up and get the Yuppie-mobile rolling. South it is.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Turtle Jones spies Jesse and switches to a blues version of an Elvis song. Since he's half blind, he has to squint a bit. \"Don't step on my bluuuuuuuuueeeeeee suede shooooooes... no no no...\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Pobble trundles along, with a monkey sat on his shoulder. He seems mostly held up by his walking stick which isn't of the bought variety but of the 'picked up along the way to prevent falling over' kind. His expression is paradoxial, a conflict of hyperactivity and tiredness as if desparately wanting to lie down and sleep but being pulled along on some travel against his will.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Ooo, a what a tip! Too bad Wednesday was looking the other way. Why does such generosity always go unrewarded?", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "It even makes that 'ting' sound. And you get the distinct feeling as she passes along the universal hand-sign for 'hang loose' and heads toward the docks that you've been had. But didn't she give You the money? Strange chick.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Zoe cradles the glass of wine in her hand as she watches Dennis go bellowing for the refill, shaking her head at him quietly. When his attention returns, she replies lightly, \"Some are, but you know, if you didn't doom and gloom glare at everyone, they might not be such idiots.\" A shoulder lifts in a shrug, a sip taken from the wine in her glass before her gaze slips towards the dance floor again, the music gaining another roll of hips before she shoots the angry man a look and grin.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "What Compton is doing is setting up a link with his Patron, Pa Bell. A Spirit Guide have you, residing in the burnt out shell of Telstar-1.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "To those asking around, it's not too uncommon to find Damian here, particularly when there's new art up. He's here now with Lori and Jerome - and of the three, the seven foot Jerome really tends to be the one that draws the eye at first. Damian's currently eyeballing a painting of a shipwreck with a critical expression, and Jerome's looking fairly bored but well-behaved.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Anastasia answers to Morgan, flatly, \"No. But that is not a thing to worry about. If anyone asks, they can speak to me directly as to my rationale. Thank you, and good day.\" Just as quickly as she approached, the strange girl turns and starts back towards her table.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Jesse reaches into his purse, and withdraws a cigarette. Sith a grave and solemn mien, the skeletal queen shakes a Lucky Strike free and offers it over, accepting one in return. He leans forwards to plant a kiss on each of Penny's cheeks, murmuring He mutters to Penny. .", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "It's not difficult to find the people she's looking for: they are, as usual, clustered in a loose bunch and looking for trouble. Pulling up beside them, she gestures.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "\"Have fun stormin' the castle'\" Cash does his best Billy Crystal and deposits the bags of trash.'.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Lori moves her arm back by about half a foot, extends her index finger and holds it there in a 'wait' sign. Her head is turned to the side just enough so she can watch Pobble and keep an ear canted toward Kirra.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "\"Oh?\" Compton manages, surprisingly with some control, despite a clenched jaw and white knuckling the receiver, (\"No you don't you fuckers... not after being this close\" he thinks to himself.)", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Dave Monkey scampers back into the SUV and returns with an opened jumbo bag of potato chips. They scatter about as he offers them across, from his perch up on the seat.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Off Compton goes with a spyness in his step that wasn't there before. What? He doesn't like listening to Folk music...", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "Arriving beside Ryo, Jesse waves the end of his boa (the end not soaked in his own blood and mucus). \"Street Theater.\" He holds out a hand. \"Donate to Artists against Fascist Modernity, sir?\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog11518", + "text": "\"Would you fucking concentrate? Fuck, man fucking thing maxed out Pobble's Centurion for the quarter..\" - of course, he doesn't know that yet, she asides \"don't tell him, okay. Okay. Okay okay\" her best Joe Pesci \"just let it happen, right?\" She closes her eyes and lowers her chin to her chest; not quite zen but it'll do.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog25872", + "text": "Whoa.... March already? Wow.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog25872", + "text": "So yeah pretty much everyone thought was pretty good movie. Many think it's funny how the excessive blood squirting is amusing *I did a bit..... I mean it does sorta look like fruit punch* and also few of 'em liked my favourite part with the \"Wiggle your big toe.\" I won't reveal much of the movie.....so go rent/buy it on your own =P. *Shudder* one downside/upside of showing the movie today though....", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog25872", + "text": "Hmm.......so guess now I'll be headin' to bed. Church tomorrow plus some badminton practice. Also gotta find my band uniform at Bud Gowan's tomorrow for Kiwanis on Tuesday. So hehe....until tomorrow's entry. Later people =).", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog25872", + "text": "school because she needs help on Latin Prelude....which I'm pretty good at. OOOOK so she's not a stalker *whew* lol.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog25872", + "text": "*Robert then realizes how stupid he is.* So after that......we got into groups and did these question things about Fried Green Tomatoes. Boring book......and very weird. Now apparently one's a bisexual while the other is a lesbian who loves to play poker and bring elephants into town. Interesting.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog25872", + "text": "Well headed to school then....and hopped out of the car....er minivan. Does that count as a car? Anyways quickly jammed useless junk into locker, and then headed to history. I'm almost late.....well I thought at least. Turns out I was just on time =P.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog25872", + "text": "then Gavin tries to kill me with his guitar when we were jamming *the end of it was whacking my head.* Some random drum solos and bashing on guitar....bit of everythign I guess you can say =).", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog25872", + "text": "becuz of guidance ^_^. And then me and Rob went to the library to start our bio project on malnutrition.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog25872", + "text": "My day started off with brass ensemble this morning.....and would be our only time rehearsing for our Kiwanis class later on in the morning lol. So got up.....trudged outta bed.......morning routine and *zing* I was off to school...", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog25872", + "text": "THEORY CLASS. Whoo. Didn't do much....overlooked papers......and hoped for the best as May 8th slowly comes closer. Hmm......only a week left......and I still need to do a few papers lol...... I should be", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog25872", + "text": "So I had fries and coffee.....what a weird combo it is. Thompson had shitty pancakes from International Soups today, and Nate and Mike had BK and Subway. Mike left early for some reason, but after he left me Thompson and Nate started talking about starting a playoff pool for NHL. And then we left for school.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog25872", + "text": "Whoo. Hoo. *Hint Hint SARCASM.* I don't exactly HATE HIM but he's a bit of a jackass. Jason and Alex and Hughes and probably Hammond gonna be bringin' out the champagne and booze when Gimpy moves out.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog25872", + "text": "Yup.......now we are in elimination round......last team from Central to have it occur to us. First game we played: We played Central 2...", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog25872", + "text": "So my day today started with the awakening of me around 7:20 or so. Ate, morning routine, and then headed out the door.....carrying a whole bunch of crap for school today. Badminton stuff, music stuff, school stuff, other stuff....like I said lots of stuff. Hmm dunno why but I was pretty cheery today....guess I was excited for Kiwanis....plus NO SCHOOL TOMORROW *badminton conference *AND EARLY DISMISSAL WEDNESDAY. OOOOOOOOH yes...sweet sweet luxury of no school =)....or very little.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog25872", + "text": "Today originally started off looking gloomy. Up until now I still don't get what's with me and thinkin' rainy days are gloomy....well it's not just me it's with many people. So I woke up pretty slowly, got downstairs had a quick breakfast and then got ready for church.....slowly. Gloomy days bring slow production. So left around 845.....then drove down to Lina's then Jason's....and then to church.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog25872", + "text": "And now I'm home. See I'm tired....and I can't think of much else to say about my day. And now I'm gonna go nap. Later.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog25872", + "text": "And back here now..........on the comp.....studying...........looking around.......gonna eat soon......gonna practice Trombone soon...... MSNing....... LIstening to music. Gotta still do Devos too. Wow I'm really stressed out right now. I just hope", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog25872", + "text": "Got to church around 9:10......just on time hehe. Jason and I did ushering for today. Hmm.....2nd last day for the few who are graduating. So we did usual ushering, and then headed in for Praise and Worship section of the service.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog25872", + "text": "Math: I did math. Nothing out of the ordinary. Trigonometry is a joke =P.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog25872", + "text": "Like I said....life is getting back to its normal route....which actually as I'm writing this entry now I'm starting to not like. This week has been fun *not just because I missed lots of school* but also because I got to see so many new things.....like me actually doing decent at Kiwanis, and learning that reading can actually be amusing at times. Too much to explain....as I will do throughout this blog...", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog25872", + "text": "bad as thought.....which is good. So there....some hope for me and John's badminton career =P.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog25872", + "text": "No badminton.....so went home. Talked to Adam on the bus, got things organized for Bio project...and then home.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog25872", + "text": "By the way I'm talking about the NHL if you still don't know what I'm talking about. So yeah today we went to Galleria to eat......and then headed back to school. Oh yeah Mike wasn't there today.....so the scapegoat of making fun of someone was........the one and only....... AMERICAN POSING......... JOHN THOMPSON! Yeah everyone made fun of him lol.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog25872", + "text": "y1=ex IS THE SAME THING! ISN'T THAT WHACK!?", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog25872", + "text": "And here I am....desperately trying to organize everything for the weekend. HYPE schedule....praise for Sunday....etc. Yeah I really feel like a secretary right now....only thing I'm missing is a phone headset and a coffee machine. Later.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog25872", + "text": "Well life's been average like usual, nothing much happened.... I mean it's London. No murders, suicides, but there was a sewer gas explosion in downtown a few days back. There's still maintenance on that accident. Lol sewage gas exploding who woulda thought. Blogging has been kinda slow I realize lately.....not as much effort as before....so tonight I'll try to make this one another average Joe blog....", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog25872", + "text": "Today at home.......lounged around for a bit.....bought some new clothes from Winners *whoo* and then did h/w. And then now blogging.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog25872", + "text": "Now I go eat dinner and then do homework. WHOO HOO early dismissal tomorrow! Can't wait =).", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog25872", + "text": "Math we had a quiz. got 75%. *Shrug.*", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog25872", + "text": "HOME TIME! Except today went to UCC for badminton. So decided to take long way there instead of waiting for Dundas bus *patience right there* and took Cherryhill w/ Dan and Elaina, then transfered onto Wonderland. Got to UCC around.....330ish?", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog25872", + "text": "Yeah we pretty much made a good looking game look its worst. We butchered it a lot with stupid acts like sinking our own boat, fighting each other and roadkilling one another. John was driving full steam into me with a jeep.... I machine gunned him....eventually we both died lol. Head 2 Head I don't think will ever get boring.........may sound geeky but meh games can still be fun every once in a while =P. I'm not 40 just yet hehe.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog25872", + "text": "Listened to other groups play.....one group someone looked like Mike......another group was a hick group of pure guys and no girls basically *except two* and then the group w/ a choir.....which got Bronze. Pretty unique though. We got tied for Silver with other two groups. Not bad......though we didn't win trophy =(. Oh well.....least we beat someone, we were entered in a senior group so I'm happy w/ our results lol.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog25872", + "text": "Though this may not be exciting or nerve-racking for some....but for me.....a average badminton player who's playing doubles this year.... I WANNA MAKE IT INTO WOSAA............if I can. Well....there's two more days....so quickly practice....and hope for the best I guess haha. Good day mostly today.....mostly badminton....plus some jamming w/ Gavin and of course church. Hmm guess a usual Sunday I guess...plus 5 hours of badminton....and just awaiting the time of Conference Finals...plus more Kiwanis still lol...", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog25872", + "text": "Programming last day on working on project....now we gotta do it on our own time. GAY GAY GAY.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog25872", + "text": "The whole movie actually.....was crazy. Best movie I've seen this year I think...now I wanna see Pulp Fiction and Reservoir Dogs lol.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog25872", + "text": "So like I said before: Kiwanis wasn't that great..... I mean 5-way tie out of 5 schools then a 4-way tie out of 4 schools. In the first class we played \"Concorde Sketches,\" which I thought we did ok. But that wasn't the main thing I was amazed at..... I saw a gift from God today that was blessed upon the snare drummer for Lucas....", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog25872", + "text": "It started with a crappy 3-0 run by them....where we eventually caught up but just couldnt keep the pace. Eventually we lost around 11-7.....which really sucked and in 2nd game we just blew it and loste11-4. It was pretty bad....and so that was the end to me and John's doubles badminton season. Beats last year at least...both of us crapped out much more than this year....and this year we actually managed to get past 2nd round..... WHOA!!!! Well he did....last year I got beaten out since my partner seems to struggle at figuring out how to hold a badminton raquet.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog25872", + "text": "Anyways I'm out for the night. Still got Senior Band tomorrow hehe.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog25872", + "text": "movie for the 3rd time....it was four....wait.... FOUR!? CRAP! And I quickly rush out to car and dad drove me to theory class.... EMERGENCY THEORY CLASS. Everyone else was still at my place.....so don't know what they did lol. But on my perspective of the afternoon.....", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog25872", + "text": "But though this is supposed to be a normal blog, it's gonna be somehwat short because I REALLY want to sleep. So to make my morning short......it was a typical morning. Waking up was REALLY difficult today.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog25872", + "text": "\"You are now officially out of the movie watchers club. The club: everyone else.\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog25872", + "text": "So yup....here I am blogging about my day....complaining about the corruption of Kiwanis, and the fact that I flunked a bio test. All in all......not that bad of a day. On the bright side got to miss some school, see some friends at Kiwanis and play t-bone. Also I got to find a book I'm actually interested in =P.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog25872", + "text": "After music class.......well headed to usual science. We have to make food chains for next day that somehow relate to us (we eat beef, beef comes from cows, cows eat grass). Yeah boring huh? Yes very.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog25872", + "text": "*Yawn* yeah I'm gettin pretty tired now. Sorry if this blog sucks I realize it does too. I'm getting bored from typing it even. But I can't think at midnight....... MUST SLEEP! *WUMP*", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog25872", + "text": "This right now feels like the home stretch.....last 100m before Summer Holidays! HURRY UP!", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog25872", + "text": "PROGRAMMING! Like usual......much typing.....and trying to crunch the many Syntax errors within my program down. Eventually with the help of Mr. Dayus I solved the problems.....and now we are onto a project where we have to animate a whole animation thing. I was gonna do Super Mario....but decided that's too hard so I'm gonna maybe make a robber steal something.....or maybe a plane. *Shrug* I'll figure it out later....my head was hurting at the time.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog25872", + "text": "Programming did absolutely nothing. Surfed net, struggled to figure out Turing like my usual self.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog25872", + "text": "Anyways.....goin' to sleep soon. Didn't do any work whatsoever tonight....and I'm going to Kiwanis tomorrow. No hockey games tomorrow...but instead badminton and piano theory. Oh boy Mrs. Mitsis is going to kill me when she finds out I'm barely done half the papers.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog25872", + "text": "Here I am blogging once again...bleh today had its good times and its bad times. We had our good beginning run but then was abruptly shut down by STA....and then got our bags packed by STA. *Sigh* oh well there's next year still and gr. 12 like I said....so two more chances of making regional finals.....er actually provincial in senior and then it's over for me and high school badminton.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog25872", + "text": "Thanks JT and Ali for all you two have done for our HYPE group along with the other counselors. May Christ keep on shining within in you guys in whatever future paths you may step into. We'll all miss you always...and you both will be in my mind forever....with the amount of work you've put into helping LCAC grow furthermore and putting a HUGE stepping stone in my Walk of Faith....or if you want a big boost for me. Thanks a lot to both of you guys.....and keep in touch!", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog25872", + "text": "dad came home. I had to shovel the driveway....... AGAIn. And then off to theory.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog25872", + "text": "For now though.... I'm out for this blog entry. Still talkin' on MSN, wasting my time, and I gotta eat dinner still. Wow it's 11:30 already. Blast Habs lost to Tampa 4-0....but I heard from Jason Yao and the Rockets are killin' Lakers right now. Hehe at least something's going right today in the sports world =).", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog25872", + "text": "So I'm out for the night. Later.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog25872", + "text": "that HYPE prayers list got through to everyone too. Seems as though sometimes it doesn't work with some emails. Well I'm gonna go finish up work then do Devos then sleep. Cya people later.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog25872", + "text": "Well after eating...we headed downstairs to watch my newly bought movie.... KILL BILL *again.* I've seen it 3 times already in two days....and the 3rd time watching it today was no different. I'm still somehow amused by the movie...", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog25872", + "text": "Today's sermon we learned about sharing, and one big thing that caught my attention was though Paul SEEMED like he'd be a hated man going through so much suffering for Christ, so many Christians back then supported him with so much. So suffering for Christ....in return you do get rewarded and God does have backup planned for you =).", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog25872", + "text": "Life's been a bit hard lately like I've said. I don't get why since report cards are coming out in 3 days, but my teachers are bombarding me with so much crap....that I haven't had much time for drumming or piano. Breaking I still go on Fridays, but at home......not many places to practice since the cars in the garage.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog25872", + "text": "So now to English Class....normally. However I had a guidance appointment first...so first to that....", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog25872", + "text": "HA take that Saunders kids. Plus........apparently THERE IS SOMETHING LOWER THAN APPLIED MATH! It leads to really retarded math through the future....but I was surprised there was something lower than applied lol. Band went through a quick runthrough....then GAME TIME! Er performance time.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog25872", + "text": "snow bank to be pushed in, and we all know if we push each other in mud, the other guy's gonna die once the muddy dude gets back up. Uhh....oh yeah but Jason came out for lunch today also. We talked about SC at lunch sadly lol.....but eventually we got in a huge convo/debate about how Chinese has no alphabet, and Nate didn't seem to get it. He kept wondering how we write stuff if we don't have an alphabet lol. But yeah in the end I think he finally understood we use CHARACTERS and not every language is based on ENGLISH RULES.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog25872", + "text": "After English.....yeah picked up Senior band uniform and then Stage Band X practice. Ran through some songs.....went over adjudication for Stage Band X and then baddy practice. Not much happened. My whole after school was quite a blur. Went home then to eat and then headed out for senior band which I've talked about already.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog25872", + "text": "So today instead of school I awoke at 8:15 to get ready for Kiwanis this morning. Walked downstairs to the aroma of French Toast *mmmmm* and quickly downed it, since it was good lol. So then quickly ran through my songs, said a quick word of prayer and then headed out the door to DaySpring where I was to play my Kiwanis piece.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog25872", + "text": "WHY MUST WE BE #1?! Ergh first competitor in both events today lol. Originally we were 2nd or third but we had to bump ourselves up as someone had to leave early. Wasn't too bad though....we got to have a quick run through of piece being up there. While we were in Saunders room though warming up...lol Fred drew a pretty funny statement:", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog25872", + "text": "Learned about gov't more......blah blah. Boring. Went on computers to do some research on our government. Whoo.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog25872", + "text": "\"Nicotine *sniff* is a form of depre*sniff*ssant.*sniff*It acts as a *sniff* depressant as it *sniff* causes *sniff* you to not *sniff sniff* have as *sniff* great of *sniff* senses *sniff sniff sniff* as usual\"....*SNORT*", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog25872", + "text": "Programming: won't elaborate much. Boring..... Mr. Dayus is gonna probably kill us one of these days, and it was boring like usual.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog25872", + "text": "Then: BF1942. Jason would join in this too...and we played mostly holdout maps *D-Day* and urban fights *Stalingrad and Berlin.* It's kinda cool though how realistic programming has got over the years..... I still remember back when......well Doom was 2D lol. So we played BF for a bit...then went on to BFV.....where backstabbing became a trend for us lol.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog25872", + "text": "Now I go watch some Avalanche game....and then head to sleep. Got Senior band tomorrow. We play on Tuesday....hmm somehow gotta make it after conference lol.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog25872", + "text": "School? uhh... Oh yes right that =P", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog25872", + "text": "Yeah your typical Joe Chan day....with guidance added and some funny parts to today's school day. And now.....yeah I think I'm gonna sleep early for once....or do some more piano practicing. Later.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog25872", + "text": "Bio class was pretty lame. Watched some video we've watched already and I slept through most of it. Not very exciting....", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog25872", + "text": "Yeah anyways I'm out for the night. These last few days have been pretty fun though, with Kiwanis and everything. Sleepin' now though hehe. And in the quotes of Ada:", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog25872", + "text": "CALVIN CAN'T EVER SHUT UP DURING A MOVIE! Throughout the movie he'd honestly ask some of the dumbest questions ever. I mean not trying to be mean....but when someone's squirting litres of blood.... THEY'RE DEAD CALVIN. Also CORN POPS DON'T RANDOMLY FIRE OUT LIKE A BULLET FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE CEREAL BOX.....as he somehow cluelessly thought does.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog25872", + "text": "Before that though....a quick lunch =). Ate a granola bar+a Snickers, downed with nothing else but Gatorade.....mmmmmmm. Then Josh came down for his lunch also and chatted for a bit. Yeah he told us we were screwed......much the same way Calvin did:", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog25872", + "text": "\"Anything below 5 feet is an insect...\" *COUGHREBECCACOUGH!*", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog25872", + "text": "School may not have been exciting today....but after school life was pretty amusing. Well it wasn't my average Thursday at least.....had to go to Josh's to plan for HYPE over the summer. Then after that.......explored for the first time the Adidas Outlet store down on Fanshawe Park....which I thought pretty much sucked. But school did have its bright side I guess..... I think I aced a trigonometry test....and Mr. Brown subbing for Civics is pretty funny. Anywho for the rest of my day...", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog25872", + "text": "Well today in music....we kinda merged classes in the end and that was the main highlight. We played for a bit, and then heard some song on a CD. Then came announcements.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog25872", + "text": "As I'm speaking.....er writing right now, I am also listening to music, studying, and on msn. Wow multitasking......what would I ever do without it? Uhh...single-tasking?", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog25872", + "text": "So after that scrumptous and eye-opening dinner into a new world of cuisine.... I hopped into Kendrick's car along with Dan, Jason, and Gavin and we headed to BKung's place. Lol but before that....the crazy car rides that Kendrick somehow manages. First off.....drag racing a Jetta Vs. Brian's Protoge.... LOL hilarious. Jetta killed the little Jap Lawn Mower.....and we then stopped by at a Shopper's Drug Mart to buy some food and stuff for tonight....so did that....then back we went into Kendrick's Crayonmobile *it smells like crayons for some reason.* And off to Brian's.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog25872", + "text": "Now we are into lunch. It was Ally's B-day *Happy B-day Ally!* and so we went to Jasper's Cafe....", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog25872", + "text": "Now that I've gone on with that, it's time to go on about.....well.....the rest of my day =P. Well today was like usual Sunday I guess.....except for the fact that Lina started comin' to church now....plus today we took the van. WHOA OUT OF NORMALITY THERE OH NO! *gasp.*", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog25872", + "text": "Well I'm out for the night.... Lina needs to copy my blog for hers plus I'm done for the day hehe. Later.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog25872", + "text": "Theory was usual.........didn't do much but I should catch up soon. Everyone was dead tired.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog25872", + "text": "the night. Gotta sleep early for baddy conference tomorrow. Wish me Luck! Gavin managed to make it to WOSSAA for singles.... Hope me and Mophead can do the same for doubles =). Later.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog25872", + "text": "Got home....quickly downed some food....and then..... WATCH KILL BILL VOL. 1!", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog25872", + "text": "Btw........ LEAFS JUST LOST AND SENS TOOK SERIES TO GAME 7! EXCITEMENT! Now I don't really care for either team, just that I'd rather see Sens in the playoffs this year going further than the Leafs.....deep inside..... GO COLORADO! WHOOOOO!", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog25872", + "text": "Played some ball for 'bout 40 minutes or so....then we left. Well he left first....then I left 10 minutes later. Eventually though I'd still end up playing a bit more ball when I headed to UCC....except basically me and Dan were the only people @ UCC playing ball lol. So went home.......did some stuff around the house...piano,drums,etc. and then headed out to UCC after a dinner of a omlette that sorta resembled a Western omlette", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog25872", + "text": "Then bused home w/ Ryan. Too tired to go to library.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog25872", + "text": "Central had to stay for one last class. The march class. We played the Gambolier song....and it sounded good, but apparently you don't win anything in that one. So all that effort...plus constructive criticism for nothing. So then a frustrated group of ninety some odd Centrallers packed their gear....then headed home.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog25872", + "text": "Sc, Drumming......then Game 7.......which I now really think wasn't worth an hour of me watching. Meh oh well.....at least Thursday the Avs are back in the game. Finally I can watch a good team play. Ergh....but why did the Canucks lose. They even sent the game into OT and managed to lose...... BAH.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog25872", + "text": "That's one place higher than our original seeding! AND WE ARE IN TOP 10! WHOOOOOO! So we didn't do AS", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog25872", + "text": "Yeah you're gonna have to live with my crummy titles for the next....two weeks or so. I can't really think of anything else right now except TC 2004. I can't pay attention in school even. I just doze off and think about how great it's gonna be. Then again...today did have its points where it was kinda amusing....but really I don't like Tuesdays.....the lead to stupid Band Wednesdays.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog25872", + "text": "Anywho I'm out for the night. SO HAPPY AVS WON.......but kinda peeved that Nashville's out. Bummer, wanted them to get by the Wings. Well......now if I can I'll try to go watch Rockets-Lakers game. Later.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog25872", + "text": "Lunch...we went to McD's since it was Big Mac day. Not much amusing stuff happened at lunch....since now there's no", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog25872", + "text": "Not much to say.....we researched and took notes....not much else. No one's there on Thursdays for some reason.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog25872", + "text": "And Programming: I'm definitely not taking it next year.....as it is such a lame course. Comps suck... I hate Turing....and our class is sometimes so friggin' retarded you can't get any work done anyways. I'm not trying", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog25872", + "text": "for the duration of 50 minutes that it lasts. Then....... OFF TO KIWANIS! WHO CARES IF WE SUCK...... AT LEAST WE ARE MISSING CLASS.........and there's nothing anyone can do about it =P. Oh yeah something interesting in announcements today:", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog25872", + "text": "and now I'm here. Bloggin' yet again. Sleepin' soon though since I got band tomorrow....gonna watch a bit of hockey though if it's on. Wonder if the games are over yet? *shrug* Later people.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog25872", + "text": "book now....plus Fried Green Tomatoes is kinda picking up also. Reading's becoming a DECENT pastime now =P. But 40 minutes passes by quickly.....as this paragraph will. POOF!", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog25872", + "text": "After school......headed for home. Took the bus w/ Ryan and we decided to meet up at the park to play some ball after school. So got home....quickly grabbed a sandwich to eat...then headed out for the park...", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog25872", + "text": "*Sigh* yeah tonight's the last meeting for JT and Ali. We'll be missin' em a lot...and on a personal note:", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog25872", + "text": "Yeah game just ended and I'm typin this blog at 10:45 so *shrug.* Thought I'd add that in...but back to my day.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog25872", + "text": "day. Becca seemed to be neutral throughout the day and yeah Gavin was pretty frustruated as Josh was bein' a bit hard on him with some cheap shots of remarks and sarcasm. I'm happy though that when Kendrick came, we all just got to sit down and talk about it. Really felt good emptying all those canned in emotions. So we quickly said a word of prayer....then went upstairs to start praise night..the first official one done by only HYPE kids.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog25872", + "text": "Bio Class....... BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOORRRRRRRRIIIIIIIINNNNNNNNGGGGGGGG. Another presentation.......well actually this one was kinda amusing.....they were talking about narcotics lol. But even if I wanted to nap I wouldn't have been able to. Holy crap Adam Ozvald sniffles once every 5 seconds....for his presentation he'd sound like this:", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog25872", + "text": "Not your average Saturday...er not my average Saturday hehe. Wasn't a bad thing....in fact it was good experience to learn how to do a praise night and how to improve it. Next year though I'm really hoping more people will show up.....as it is a noutreach night also for non-Christians. Overall though it was alright I guess......learned a few new things and also figured out that planning means more than two days. But me being the optimistic one.... EVERYTHING WAS JUST FINE.=P.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog25872", + "text": "English we started our exam guiding.....pretty fun I guess. Figured out me and Kurtis have the Oct. 12 as our B-days....which means I ain't the only kid that doesn't have their G1 till then. Nothing much really happens in english....read a bit....and today we are just preparing for our essay exam......*shrug*", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog25872", + "text": "No breakin' tonite....just workin' out w/ Marcello and Dan and then some ball on my own since no one seems to be at UWO now since everyone's GONE. So did some cardio...weights *my arms are useless right now literally* and then balled. Then went home...", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog25872", + "text": "Well took Lina and J home....and Gavin came over for a bit of jamming w/ drums and geektar. Ate first of course....who can forget lunch and then jammed.....that's basically what we did for an hour, then played PS2, Compy, and then headed to badminton....", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog25872", + "text": "As we kept going on playing various games.......it started raining outside. Lauren would tell me later at theory that it was apparently freezing rain and hail...and she had to bike in it. Poor kiddo lol. Jason would eventually head off to play SC.....while me and John went to play some Quake III....", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog25872", + "text": "At school......well I got there somewhat early today....and then headed into History class after chatting with Pourier about yesterday's Kiwanis....which like I said we blew total crap. After that headed upstairs then...and then headed into history.....preparing for the dreaded test that we......", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog25872", + "text": "Senior Band this morning. Hehehe we play next week.....so yeah Kiwanis isn't over this year until near the very end for me. Like any other Tuesday, Wednesday or Friday I woke up at 630am, trudged out of bed, and slowly made my way downstairs for breakfast. Also like any other morning, I did my morning routine, got packed up and headed out the door, eyes still drooping and everything still seeming like a blur to me at 645am. Nothing too out of the ordinary for my mornings.....radio was talking about hockey games from last night.... Leafs lost, Detroit lost *surprisingly* and Colorado lost", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog25872", + "text": "*Running to Guidance Office... Zing.*", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog25872", + "text": "done soon though....only got a few questions left =P. Cramming rules haha...", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog25872", + "text": "So after my class at Kiwanis, where I reign semi-victorious......well victorious over 5/7 people I stop by Subway to buy my lunch then head home to pack my things for school......still having a seem-to-be dimpled smile on my face from winning 2nd. So I head home then, and quickly eat. Hmm no one on MSN at 11:30 *wonder why... OH YEAH SCHOOL....hehe forgot=P*", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog25872", + "text": "Can't wait 'till then....last time they played the Sharks they beat 'em....and I intend the same to happen this year ^_^. Pretty good series though I'll bet..... Sharks have become quite the team over last 4-5 years. Hmm.... Toronto plays Philly,", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog25872", + "text": "Well this morning.....after staying up till 1230 last night watching Sportscentre and Avalanche winning *and Sens winning also..... NHL playoffs pretty intense this year* I woke up around 7:30 and started doing my morning routine. Yay it's a day 1. That means no science or bio =), but instead the long, boring torture of double period w/ Ms. Manson *History then Civics....uuugh.* Well actually don't mind history...but Civics is really a waste of money and", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog25872", + "text": "Happy Birhtday Icy! And of course the rest of my day =P", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog25872", + "text": "Why am I so intimidated by STA 1 you ask? Uhh.......*COUGH.*", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog25872", + "text": "So after school now.... WHOOOOO! Took Springbank up to Josh's. Realized two things while on bus:", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog25872", + "text": "Judging this restaurant is like judging a book by its cover. The outside....when I saw it for the first time *er noticed it more like* my first thought:", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog25872", + "text": "So yeah at home now....took Lina back to her place and now I'm back home, watched the Leafs lose, did some math, and blogging. Plus talkin' to Jenn, Lina, Dan, Carmen and some other people on MSN. Hmm...sleepin' in tomorrow.....good old Kiwanis Festival: Joe's best friend to avoid History and Civics tomorrow =).", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog25872", + "text": "SO arriving back to school.......... ARGH 40 MINUTES LEFT OF SCHOOL! Was gonna go out for lunch....but some people from Kiwanis went back to class already so it'd be kinda funny how I didn't make it yet the others did. English class consisted of reading though so no biggie. Rain Fall is getting to be a better and better", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog25872", + "text": "Ergh.......now sitting in room 125 like every other band rehearsal.....and we sound like crap. With the added problems like half of the people can't count....and another few I don't understand why they are in Gr. 10 music.....we took one hour to rehearse the one and only song we are performing and we still sounded like crap. So after that grueling one hour practice......we sat in music class.....", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog25872", + "text": "Anyways back home now....cramming for history and overlookin' trigonometry stuff. Goin' to bed now though....hehe prayers for my history test and math test to go well.... God I know you're with me......and I really hope you'll help me and whoever else with these upcoming tests. Last month and half of school left.....as Simon on his blog said for his UWO exams:", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog25872", + "text": "Digestive system theme park. Yeah......that is classified. For now.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog25872", + "text": "So since class was cut short.....we headed out for Kiwanis then. Funny thing happened though today while packing for Kiwanis...", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog25872", + "text": "Though school wasn't on the menu today..... I still had to wake up at 7:20 to get ready for badminton. Lucky I packed everything last night.....so this morning I just had to jump in the car and go on my way to STA. Breakfast this morning consist of rice.....and some other stuff since I wanted carbs....as so rumours say a carb meal is good before sports. So after that....quickly brushed my teeth n' stuff and then headed out....all set and ready for the day that lies of head for badmintonage.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog25872", + "text": "Well....yeah that was pretty much my day....took a bit of a dip but s'all good......only once in a while stuff like this happens hehe. Well I'm out for the uh.....day? Sun's still up so yeah guess it'd be day hehe. Cya.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog25872", + "text": "Heh seems like a ritorical statement I made yesterday about me going back to normal. Truthfully....after today....yeah a normal average Joe life still hasn't gone by. Today was just as hectic and crazy as any other day of this week lol. So today's Saturday was a really fun, exciting, and jumbled addition to the rest of my week. Very fun though......as mentioned before plus tried Greek cuisine for the first time in my life today...which I must say is GOOOOD!", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog25872", + "text": "Programming.....a clock fell on Cam, Icy got the blame, in the end no one got the blame. So we then worked on Turing, I for one got pretty bored and started surfing the net. Was pretty much done anyways. So after that long grueling class......of constant tacking of compy keys and *woam woam* of monitors..... SCHOOL'S OVER........well the government-required part. Final run through for Stage Band X as tonight we perform.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog25872", + "text": "Math class........it was usual. Mike was being a Jackass, everyone was a jackass to Thompson *lol* and Mike said to Courtney that she needs PMS pills. Yeah our math class is getting more and more hostile each day.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog25872", + "text": "\"Why are they so communist this year?! Everyone's equal. I mean WTH!?\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog25872", + "text": "Great bloggin' yesterday eh? =P. Been a bit busy lately so hehe couldn't blog as much as I usually do yesterday. Today though...... I'm back to usual self....you know....somewhat sleep deprived....living off carrots and Tea......reading Fried Green Tomatoes for english class..... YUP back to usual days. Not as lazy as usual.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog25872", + "text": "I'm not going to say much about history. We went to the computer lab and rotted there for 75 minutes, looking up stuff about the Holocaust. Yup.......that was basically it.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog25872", + "text": "We whooped them lol. First game 11-2.....and I guess 2nd game they picked up the pace a bit so 11-7. Whew I was thinking \"Crap......tiebreaker\" but it never happened =). So won that....and up next.....the dreaded, and most infamous..... STA 1. *Eep*.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog25872", + "text": "When I read that on the back of my bookmark today..... I immediately reflected to yesterday's praise night practice. I mean......up until now when I think about it we were all being complete jackasses", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog25872", + "text": "Lunch....well I'm cutting funding this week and next week.....hoping to save at least 200 for Toronto and TC. I'm at 190.......so yeah I'm cutting back on food lol.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog25872", + "text": "Apparently Senior band made the Kiwanis \"Stars of the Festival\" concert for Vesuvius. SHWEET! WE DID AN \"OUTSTANDING\" performance as described by Kiwanis. So after that excitement walked by....basically band was over....and Mrs. Wharton put on our recording of Vesuvius of our Senior Band on as 1st period music filed in for another day of productive \"learning.\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog25872", + "text": "YAY! FIRST DAY OF KIWANIS!2ND PLACE!", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog25872", + "text": "Calvin can never deny his somewhat often occuring stupidity ever again =P. This is going to haunt him for a while....and as Gavin says:", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog25872", + "text": "I woke up at 720 this morning like usual time......and I actually felt refreshed from a good night's sleep for once. I think I was talking in my sleep last night though......well for some reason I recall doing that...plus my mom thought she heard me talking to myself in my sleep. Heh haven't done that in ages....last time I recall doing that was grade 5. So anyways after pondering for a few minutes about whether I was talking out loud while sleeping or not.... I finally decided that I did and then headed downstairs for my breakfast... I ate that...and then morning routine...and then headed to school.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog25872", + "text": "Hmm......well normally we give parting gifts to people when they leave *which we did,* but in return Ali being the cool counselor she is gave us all personalized bookmarks. Really cool thing to do I thought. For me....she wrote from James 1:19-20, which reads:", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "in them? and how do I overcome this struggle of opposites through Love's path?", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "So much for the cockroach, I left my Cocoon for the dinner table. During the dinner, I tried to disregard the sight of the tomato sauce on my uncle's beard although spending five years in a dwelling that would be more than suitable for a setting of any Cronenberg movie, one gets immune to such sights alongside repugnant sounds. After all, these people tend to fart in your face as they pass you by and act like that's the most nonchalant thing in the universe. It wouldn't be an understatement if I claimed they are on the same socialization scale with an orangutan.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "I was scared ladies and gentlemen. I was so full of pity for this huge form lying on the sofa, suffering from chest pains and breathing heavily that it scared me. I sat there, staring at and away from him as my granny's voice crescendoed and decrescendoed with panic. I, on the other hand, was unaware of a way to let him know that I felt for him. That in this abysmal world of self-indulgent personalities including very much of his obsessive compulsive mother, I could understand him.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "He knows, ladies and gentlemen. Perhaps he knows so much more than you or I do. During a moment of pain wave, he opened his eyes and looked straight ahead. That", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "If you let me be your Scheherazade, The one to adorn your thousand and one nights, I will never leave your side until you sleep safe and sound. Will you still slaughter me in the end? If only I could tell.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "Nyx , parent goddess, source of sweet repose from whom at first both Gods and men arose. Hear, blessed Kypris (Aphrodite), decked with starry light, in sleep's deep silence dwelling ebon night! Dreams (Oneiroi) and soft ease attend thy dusky train, pleased with the lengthened gloom and feastful strain, dissolving anxious care, the friend of mirth, with darkling coursers riding round the earth. Goddess of phantoms and of shadowy play, whose drowsy power divides the natural day; by fate's decree you constant send the light to deepest hell, remote from mortal sight; for dire necessity (Ananke), which nought withstands, invests the world with adamantine bands. Be present, Goddess, to thy suppliant's prayer, desired by all, whom all alike revere, blessed, benevolent, with friendly aid dispel the fears of twilight's dreadful shade.\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "I repeat. A brand new TV! (Nah it still doesn't make sense)", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "(The wedding finger! The wedding finger!)", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "I may be a genie in the bottle you hold. Or jasmine on a flying carpet. I know a whole new world by heart. But can you be the Aladdin of an Arabian tale? If only you could.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "There is a distant hymn in the air A Seraph flies past the sky Mistaken for a comet by the naked eye And amidst this cleaving halluscination... ... Can you complete that sentence for me? If only you could.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "lived \" is Humanity's Team motto. It is \"a civil rights movement for the soul\". It aims to create a \"world in which humanity truly experiences unity and oneness\". Its mission is to \"renew and restore our connection with the creator, the powers that be, Fate or whatever you name it", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "Behind my closed eyelids, I hear your whispering touch... Your unconditional desire camouflaged by a cape of amative narrative... why do you soothe me when your presence, your warmth reigning over me is everything I can ever... surrender for? Why are you with me when many a midnight garden await desperately for your water?...", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "This (and more) from someone who knew me perhaps no longer than a week sometime in the past. As opposed to the lacking openness and genuinity from the rest whom I gave a part of my thoughts, a part of my life, a part of my heart. How many men only fell for the aforementioned picture perfect image? Even sadder, how many of them were even aware of the fact that what they desired to possess was a reflection they were so determined to idolize?", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "family that is purely based on understanding and love regardless of religion, race, sexual orientation they belong. It is not a new religion! It is a totally new approach towards religion, rather... and God and above all Life...", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "one! However, today, I know that such is the way of life. Who gives a damn about maturing their interaction skills on a personal basis when there are millions out there around the corner whose adrenaline are climaxed when they're faced with the slightest of opposition or something ever gets close to implying, \"Look you're wrong!\".", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "- Quotes taken from Elle, March 2004, UK Edition, \"The Secret Life of an A-List Call Girl\", pg. 175-178", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "Thus, such mortal scenery or summoned ghosts of jealousy may never fear the you in me! Do you conceive it be yielding to an illusion?", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "\"Old Greek houses used to have rainboxes to store April rains, child.\" She said in a weary tone which implied everyone but me was aware of that. She, then, leaned over and whispered sternly as if she was passing over a precious family recipe with which I was to pamper my husband before passing it on to the next generation, \"Never the March rains, though. They aren't worth a dime... but the April rains... oh the April rains are precious...\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "Calling to let you know I have patients all day. I can only leave the hospital around 6 pm. Will that be a problem for you?", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "Having left his hotel around 8 pm, Sol and I decided to pamper ourselves at our favorite Chinese restaurant. While we were having an orgasm devouring our vegetable soups, rice with mixed vegetables, chicken slices with soy sauce and sipping our Chinese tea as post-climactic chill-out company, we were still going over the events of the day and the plans of tomorrow although we had initially agreed that the dinner would be \"mission-free\".", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "It was then I realized I still hadn't responded to her statement.\"Yes...\", I said as I turned to her and mimicked her superficial smile, \"... it seems that they focus on my biology but you are the ones who will take care of the gender dysphoria part.\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "I walked towards the window and was greeted by more concrete instead of a welcoming sight. My hands and feet were totally cold and while rubbing my hands against each other, I was taken aback by a chilling shriek that echoed in the corridors. Aside from the occasional bypassers (usually nurses) I was all alone in that narrow hallway. My heart was pounding when I heard footsteps and a myriad of screams accompanying the commotion coming closer.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "Weeks after my father's leaving the hospital, my footsteps echoed in the hygienical corridors once more. This time for you... My belated hopes accompanying me, I entered your room full of family friends, approached by your side and planted a light kiss on your forehead as I whispered, \"Mother...\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "He is a great resource, a walking library at his late 50s. It was and I am certain that it will be quite an experience to be in touch with him. However, he is quite", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "A sour moment, perhaps, to re-open one's eyes into another reality and retort, \"So now what? I was dead anyway.\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "consequence of our choices and states of minds. Thus, just like everybody else, we were creating this \"poverty setting\" for our own good and nothing could be \"judged\" in this process.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "I am following your absence tonight. An errand to need you. A kaleidoscope to have but not to hold. Will you refill the space you leave around me? If only you would!", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "She crossed her legs and crossed her eyebrows, a posture she most probably had practiced to intensify the unpredictability of what might come out of her. \"Yes.\" she said to my surprise, \"Not without your daughter.\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "Let's not skip the white screen rights issue, either. Thrilled to see \"Even Call Girls Get the Blues\"? Yearn no longer since the article states:", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "\"You have two options, ahead.\", she began closing her notebook and setting her pen on top of it, \"You can either start with one-on-one therapy or directly attend our group therapy which takes place once every month. I highly recommend the latter. However, the choice is yours. It would help you greatly and speed up your process if you met those who share your feelings and who are on the same road as you are.\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "\"No.\", if impatience was an issue, it was getting oh-so-mutual, \"If I was in a state of enjoying kissing or anything further with a man sexually while I am in this form, I wouldn't be sitting across you at the moment.\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "While the man kept shouting, kicking, biting, clawing, he was responded with fists. His chasers soon got a hold on him since the poor guy was beaten to unconsciousness in under a minute. All the while they picked his form up, half-dragged him out of sight and disappeared, I was frozen, probably seemed as if I was hung up on the wall from my nape and couldn't dare to move even a finger for quite some time.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "I let myself led by my dad outside and only partially listened to whatever he was saying. We went past the plaque next to the entrance which read, \" Ponderland Memorial, Psychiatry Department\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "timeline. However, these days, I am going through a brand new phase of enlightenment within myself and this hastily leads to my coming to terms with \"all that had happened\" in my life so far. New Spirituality enables me to reconsider the past events in my life with a refreshing understanding through a quite painful but cultivating process which includes the fact that I am not the", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "hear ed all I had to say. I thank you for the ephemeral bliss, emerging via your thoughts and best wishes, creating a transient Oasis within the abysmal desert stretching all around me.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "And there are no apparitions for me to hijack. I am in the middle of everywhere A blade without its handle cutting both ways In my hands. I'm the self-proclaimed Amazon of Decease.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "Aside from this twist, as of today, Blogger turned an upgrade switch on us. Moreover, according to them, they also came up with \"tons\" of new templates to choose from which can be interpreted as we have \"tens\" of new templates. Better than nothing when compared to those 5 mundane, excruciatingly simple templates they had had previously.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "As consciousness gradually escapes me, I now know that I can only sleep... when clothed in you inside out. The lights dim, the curtains fall...", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "We rarely train our psyche in a way to interpret \"Look you're wrong\" as \"The fact that you claim I'm wrong doesn't necessarily makes you right, either\". This drastically reduces one's tension momentarily and gives one the opportunity to relax and listen. Still, we snap back and indulge ourselves in a claw-versus-claw affaire d'honneur. Rationality across a chance for some power trip? No way!", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "(But well.. he is so good looking. Perhaps he's gay?)", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "Ironic enough, although we couldn't have foreseen it back then, the fate of Ichoir would be no different from the mythological figure it was inspired by. FYI, Icarus was the son of Daedalus with whom he was imprisoned in a tower on the island of Crete. To be able to escape the island, they built themselves wings from the only element they could cast their hands on which was wax. Daedalus warned his son about not getting too close to the sun yet he dismissed this warning for whatever reason and, wings melted, fell into the Egyptian sea, successfully drowning himself and in doing so earning a mythical status. History learned a good deal from him.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "But maybe it is all about not knowing. No no no! It is all about knowing everything yet Choosing not to remember everything.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "She nodded, \"We still have April rains ahead. They are precious.\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "Casting that aside, now that my Granny and uncle got the government money they receive every three months, I was hoping that for the next 2 months we were going to be financially a little better off than the usual. However, they decided to buy a brand new TV!", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "I stand on the wrong side of the sea, Bearing wrong side of Fate. If only I remembered how to swim. If only you waited for me on the shore.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "the right time , anyway?\" I muttered and arms crossed against my chest, pursed my lips, \"I should have known better; Enter the most quicksilver dad of all times.\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "has been my recent obsession. Since my best friend and I have plans (dreams, rather? or high hopes?) to move to New Zealand as we go through our holy 30s, I am being further called by the sirens of this bay in Tasmania. I muse to leave my footprints on those endless shores, sleep under those clear dark skies where the constellations seem only a breath away, listen to the symphony of the wave crashes as they feed my sense of freedom, watch the iridal of horizons as I sit in the Lodge while the sun sets...", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "It is unfortunate that I have (more than) everything ready to make a start and all that I have been working and praying for is a reasonable amount of money to fund it. If only I didn't do anything to achieve it. Then, I would bury myself in self-pity and suffer gladly. Putting aside pride (actually trashing my pride), I knocked every possible door (including relatives and old family acquaintances I vowed not to see any longer), asking for a little aid on the financial side in vain.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "me d r o w n. . .", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "and I cannot thank enough for the marvelous work he has come up with. He is a great blogger who has been with me from the very beginning. My hearty thanks, Karsh. Keep doing wha... oh wait... I already said that, didn't I?", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "For a start, I have to admit that Belle deserves the attention she gets. She is, after all, a witty writer who works \"hard\" for the money which makes her life interesting to read for many. I read her diary quite a while myself and have nothing to say when it comes to her too articulate a writing, her testestrone provocative abilities along with a unique approach towards life. She is yet another example of the fact that \"sex sells\" and anyone who keeps bitching about her newfound career as a professional writer can eat that.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "That instant, I knew, too. It had nothing to do with knowing. It was all about not knowing, instead. Clenching my fists, I fixed my gaze on my uncle's chest as he sighed. Death could never be welcomed by him, I saw that much.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "My lips run dry -- They cannot cry. And right here behind my eyes... ...you are. Hidden against everything worldly. But am I secluded likewise? If only I were.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "fire ball ... I wear nothing but myself... and the satin of my white gown... thin straps holding it at bay... the transparent white of my skin dribble into the achromatic scenery...", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "series and they have changed my life. Now what can I do about it?\" . It is a roof that will house individuals who live to make a change in the world (and start doing it by changing themselves), who want to flourish and progress continuously throughout their Odyssey, who want to share their experiences and be supported in a closely-connected", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "It can be described as an international movement currently parented by The Conversations with God Foundation but is planned to be a non-profit and separate organization by 2006. It is the actual response to the wonder,", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "Sure... I mean... *yawns slightly*... No, that's fine.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "The next appointment was with a spiritual with whom Sol had contacted early yesterday. It seems that this man already established a study group based on Tomorrow's God and has been running it for a while now. Sol had been contacted about his activity by the HT Internatonal Liasion thus we arranged a meeting at his hotel... err... room. Seated comfortably while sipping our Earl Greys, we exchanged ideas, got to know each other and I had the impression (which Sol also agreed later on) that he had advanced knowledge on the matter, was very eligible to start a group, yet, whether he was a fitting candidate to facilitate a study group or not was very questionable.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "The more we talk about it, the clearer our strategy gets. The more we brainstorm about it, the more proficient we get as to how to \"sell the product\" at hand.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "Sorry.. I.. can't quite catch your drift, Sol.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "(Harlequin girls don't realize they are in love until they have erect nipples upon seeing the Harlequin guy. Since they always get the guy, nipples' credibility should not be underestimated)", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "\"The paradox of control is simple. The more we try to control life, the less control we have.\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "O' the bliss of authority! Take 15 people who believe that vocally they are as talented as a spider during webmaking (grandiose grandiose) and place them in a semi circle in front of a piano placed on a platform where the victim is being auditioned. Also try to imagine them, having been told that it'll perhaps include some sense of seriousness into the mockery, holding papers and pens the latter of which are judgementally tapped against a cheek or lips as they stare at you, heads relatively tilted.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "These days, we experience a possible outcome of setting someone free in the form of a chaotic reprise to our symphony. While you follow the road of Love, sunshine, butterflies and rainbows such negative responses resemble coming across a polluted rivulet that stinks. When that happens, it takes a lot of personal motivation to keep breathing and going, \"How beautifully stinking this swamp is in its own perfection\".", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "selection). I am quite grateful for the Past timeline of Phantasmemoria since it makes it easier for me to go through them once again and reconsider them.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "\"Yes, uncle. Anything you want me to get for you on my way back?\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "The last question's answer is specifically important because in all the projects I have been, compromise turned out to be a toilsome concept which is closely related to the underlying human belief, \"It is impossible to make everyone happy\". I choose to believe that it", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "Well so many things have been happening lately. I called to check if you're available on Friday.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": ") that disables him from keep trying since those initial failures concerning rejection had hurt him in the past. Thus, instead of taking an active route, taking responsibility for these fears and accepting them as they are (which is the crucial step towards changing it), he is taking the passive route and justifying his actions and current state.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "As of today your author has turned a Team Leader of Ponderland's forming Humanity's Team. Solara had some stories to share with me, indeed. Especially her latest experiences at", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "Nyx , parent goddess, source of sweet repose from whom at first both Gods and men arose. Hear, blessed Kypris (Aphrodite), decked with starry light, in sleep's deep silence dwelling ebon night! Dreams (Oneiroi) and soft ease attend thy dusky train, pleased with the lengthened gloom and feastful strain, dissolving anxious care, the friend of mirth, with darkling coursers riding round the earth. Goddess of phantoms and of shadowy play, whose drowsy power divides the natural day; by fate's decree you constant send the light to deepest hell, remote from mortal sight; for dire necessity (Ananke), which nought withstands, invests the world with adamantine bands. Be present, Goddess, to thy suppliant's prayer, desired by all, whom all alike revere, blessed, benevolent, with friendly aid dispel the fears of twilight's dreadful shade.\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "\"No?\", she asked apparently disbelieving, \"Not even snogging? Foreplay?\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "and the trivia surrounding her. The book deal that spurted forth from her blog, the quintessential movie rights and whatsoever. Well possums (as Dame Edna would no doubt top off), it's so old a news, let me tell you that much.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "truly captured my attention which, as you already know, was quite dissected yesterday. Then again, her contagious enthusiasm quickly washed my aforementioned indifference and I soon found myself in the heart of founding Ponderland's Humanity's Team alongside Sol (having a good night's sleep yesterday also helped a great deal). What can I say? She just knows how to hit the bullseye of the leader in me.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "Look at me, loved one! Feel my pulse twice! Your averted reality, Your concealed weaknesses, Your mute fears, Your willful silence, Your bleeding wounds, Your stalking past, Your disguised present, Your alien future.... can never stain the spotless you this woman carries!", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "1) I can follow this reality. 2) I can choose to create something new for myself.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "Thank you for Vermond. It sure looks serene. I was going to reply to it properly but looks like Yahoo's compose section is having an anti-Aura day. Hopefully, it will be resolved tomorrow.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "possible to make everyone happy as long as everyone has the same destination. What is arduous is the \"convincing\" course and this course is the outcome of people who share your destination but are determined to choose their own path in reaching it.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "Being the natural vagabond she is, she does not listen to all my rational responses to her cravings and longings. She loathes the fact that I live with a lunatic family. She despises the immobility I am causing her to go through. Although the dominant Aura has left the stage behind for \"good\", she never will, that much I know.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "sometime back in 1999. The book is described as", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "Here I (alright, dad and I! I may have eluded him lately but I can't go as far as being unfair) am, working and hoping my cute behind off to make ends meet and they go buy a darn new TV!!!!!!!!", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "Do you understand? If only you did.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "She seemed unconvinced as she took her time to jot whatever down. \"How do you pee?\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "Not having a relationship for more than 2 years gave me time to be on my own so that I could face my former relationships -be it with family members, friends or lovers- and forgive myself. That is not an easy process and I still have so much gaps to fill. Yet, I do know that the thousand hands that hold mine shall help me a great deal in the matter.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "After two and a half years full of pain and laughter, Ichoir made 4th place in Roxy Music Days and ended up having an album. The feedback was surprisingly positive. However, Avarel had been just married to a girl from Trinidad whom he had met on the net and our mother-in-law capriced her way skillfully into her husband's bed which led to him dropping the group right after our first \"real\" concert. All the effort, all the dreams, all the you-name-its went to trash thanks to arbitrary vaginal contractions. Beheaded, Ichoir slowly drowned and left us with a longing alongside a thousand memorable moments and lifelong friendships (as in Charon and Rain Man).", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "Ok ok! Get back to your sleep. See you then, bye!", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "I arrived home, deranged, at 9:30 pm but I was mentally so hyperactive that I did not go to sleep until 2 am. Sol and I are meeting on Friday and I will have composed a basic \"main page\" material for our website alongside material written for the brochure, by then. As a friend warned me via e-mail today, I cannot (/don't have enough time to) sit back and savor the bliss of this process with things proceeding in the speed of light.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "I will admit that it was sheer envy that caused my heart's pounding upon hearing this news no matter how maturely I responded to it (Truly amazing! I wish her all the best...).", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "100.000 dollars would give me my life + hopes back. And some more.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "My greatest err in my journey would be to try to keep someone from reflecting and expressing his/her great vision about him/herself. If that perfection does not include", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "Can you read my mind? Do you know what is is that you do to me? I don't know who you are, Just a friend from another star.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "A young man wearing casual hospital clothing turned around the corner, arms waving frantically in the air while he seemed as if he was running for his life. I instinctively nailed myself to the wall and got out of his way while a group of hospital personnel emerged from around the corner shouting at him. He was only inches past me when they caught up with him and threw themselves (literally) on him.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "(composed for Fantine) as appears in the musical Les Miserables by Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schonberg. Click", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "I am very proud to be a part of this great support and also excited by the fact that I have this space of transparency wherein all my efforts to make a change as my life collides with the Humanity's Team shall be recorded (yet another bliss of being a blogger). I am honored to feel this loved and this embraced among a group of peoples who are as willing to take a step further to enrich the experience of \"living\" through neverending self discovery and acceptance.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "I simply couldn't. As if saying those three words together to somebody else would be a betrayal to that moment. As if those words belonged to", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "As you might have realized, Phantasmemoria now has a logo and a cute button down in the Philanthrope section for those who are fond of visual linkage. I owe this to the creative juices of", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "Solara has finally gained a high rank in the Humanity's Team, told them about me, they want me to join them and I feel indifferent (I've checked to find out that she is now the Interim Coordinator of this country! -- Omit the rest. This must be it).", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "\"I did my experimenting quite well without letting my hormones interfere with this, thank you.\" That was true. Solara and I had been barhopping quite a lot (like I wasn't barhopping enough with Charon, Rain Man, our vocal group Ichoir, friends from University, people I had grown up with like Goddess, Gambit, Predator whatsoever) and naturally gay clubs in Ponderland were also a part of our route (I even celebrated a birthday which was attended by a bunch of close friends at one of the oldest and most famous gay bars of Ponderland) and although I was amazed by the fact that I was in the heart of an environment which hosted countless men each one of whom were more handsome than the other, I never fantasized about having a fling with any of them (Our dilemma was and still is so obvious: Do these guys always have to look drop dead gorgeous? Oh what a curse to be a female at times like these). Shortly, I have never been gay and they were as unavailable to me (romantically and/or sexually of course, not friendshipwise) back then as they are today.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "into my mother language. It is still not on the market here in Ponderland. On Tuesday, Sol and I will be going to pay a visit to the art center that will be sponsoring and organizing N. D. Walsch's visit to Ponderland. It seems that we will not be \"shoulder deep\" in arranging this visit at all. Yet, we will be so in the coming days, possibly towards Fall since Sol is planning to host the next country coordinators meeting here in November.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "property . When I think out of the box, they are simply there to experience \"themselves\" via me and I attract them to my reality in order to experience \"myself\" via them.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "\"How do they react to it?\" I wondered whether she was doing this deliberately or not. My father was waiting outside in the corridor. We had arrived here together. What the hell did she think he was feeling about it?", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "Today is the tenth Mother's Day since you're gone. And I am writing this letter to let you know that I am ready now. To let go... to let go of those moments that haunted me occasionally for 10 years. I choose to be left with all the memories that had made us, us; The continuous laughter we had shared... your warm chest, my harbor against the tempest... our Friday escapades... our afternoon talks over the rims of our coffee mugs... the way you childishly traced back your wet locks away from your face when we were swimming... the way my father looked at you with the pride of having a woman such as yourself in his arm whenever you two left the house for a night out... I will never ever forget that look which made me realize the wonder of being a pair... a beautiful pair... and I do hope, mother, that one day, I will also be able to cause the man I love to look at me with such pride as he takes up my arm and leads me out of our house... our pizza days...", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "Crown of the Night , beloved one... I shall carry the birthmark of the chosen females until the ends of time and beyond!", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "... And you enter my stage... resting yourself in the depths... the protagonist of my play... the Star of my Nocturne... I hear your monologue finding me from behind the immensity of winds... It concludes with the question, \"Better now?\"... Our heartbeats synchronize against each other... we lie still in the kernel of shadows... You pulsate swiftly, surrounded by me...", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "Great then. You know this is really really urgent. I just have to see you ASAP.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "Whenever I handled the heart, it bled. The heart was kept in a safe and the make-up was revered. How many times the fuck is disguised as lovemaking?", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "Solara has a new boyfriend, has told him about me and the boyfriend wants to meet me (they always do. Like that's not enough, her boyfriends always belong to the I-have-a-best-friend-you'll-love-and-once-you-do-that-I'll-guarantee-4-months-of-headache-free-shag-with-my-girlfriend-while-we-double-date-happily-ever-after prototype).", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "about starting life anew which also implies that he finds it extremely hard to be handed with an opportunity for a beginning. He also possesses a pride (which is also a version of fear because everything, I repeat every thing originates either from", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "(Oh yes I so feel the heat that I'm having a tan! Gimme the sunscreen!)", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "I had no prerequisite knowledge as to the regenerating abilities of these insects. I was thinking that maybe it could feed on the sugar (all things sweet are their favorite, I observed that much. They are even worse than audacious street cats that are used to being fed by thoughtful versions of mankind and expect the same generosity from all. These creatures don't care whether you're in the middle of your meal or not, just pop in out of the blue and start munching on a crumb next to your plate) and somehow gather its strength before it went on with its life...", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "Diary of a Manhattan Call Girl \". A pity that it rings a bell(e) that chimes \"Diary of a London Call Girl\".", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "When my dad and professor got out of the room, they seemed oblivious to the previous tumult which I thought was heard by the entire hospital. Either the rooms were soundproof or I was hallucinating and nothing had taken place because it was impossible not to be effected by the man's helpless screams.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "I looked at that pale face and knew that he was not ready for that final stroke of the second. No matter what he says, no matter how much a parody he may seem to me, no matter how much I despised him when her mother started bitching behind me and he didn't oppose and stand up for his nephew, I knew he was not as ready as he had appeared. I knew that he was distressingly helpless against this Fate whose control he had lost so long ago that it was too hard for him to visualize what it was like before.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "Now to turn this train of thought into reality is easier to say than do. Thus, I decided to take another path and looked at my dad's life which has been our lives for the last 5 years. Obviously, it is much easier to consider others instead of looking deep within yourself and the things that you have been casting aside as you kept lying to yourself.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "hot ex. So much breath control, so much painkillers and so much confusion wafted in the sickening, insalubrious air of the living room all throughout last night. Honestly, I really don't know how we would end up like, had my uncle's heart finally let go of its beating.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "Despite all the privy clauses I bouse I still walk on these tidal waves That carry your trace, my Lighthouse. Will you illume your eyes on time?", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "These days, I truly wish that I would receive a letter from an unknown relative's attorney one morning saying, since he had had no close relatives, he left all his property worth a few million dollars to me upon his death. Why, is it so impossible? Angel had been just recently telling me that one of her friends experienced just that! Although the amount she received was lacking some of my dreamy zeros, it was still around 100.000 dollars and they were all astounded because she probably had seen this woman who was living in the States once or twice at most.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "I have a life vacant for you A love completely healed -- should that be your heart's wish. Crimson possibilities in azure togetherness. But do you have a stare spared or a song solely sung for me Deprived of ambiguity? If only you had.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "I feel so alive and in tune with myself at last! Can you tell?", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "...my bare feet echo naked footsteps on the cobblestones... The fullness of Mother Luna chills me for the first time... clouds be her veil... before the spiral marble stairs leading down to the shore, lightning bugs waltz in a", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "However, as I already said, everything is \"perfect\" in its own way. To accept and embrace this perfectness and to have the freedom of choice across these events is the exciting part. That is to say, my father creates a reality that includes me and then I have two options:", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "the rest of the evening. This was the sign of what was to come for the next two and a half years of my life. Neverending brainstorming, tiresome discussions which almost always led to a dead-end since you can rarely make everyone happy.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "Anyway, casting this aside, I've happened to marvel at the thought that there is so much in the world to see and ruminate that we have so little time. If only I was a sensitive water sign like Pisces or Cancer or a practical earth sign like Capricorn or Virgo. Enduring all these could have been much easier.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "Whatever that may be, the online trend is setting up a call girl-themed journal, \"cum\" and \"go\" between multiple orgasms and wait until the thing eventually gets big these days. Good luck to all those who follow the footsteps of Tracy Quan who, it seems, is the original concept holder and, well, righteously beat everyone else to it.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "Great! I really really need to see you.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "There are so many things to be done. First and foremost, I need to have a business card. This is the classy part and all about the \"Here... take my card\" trivia. Then, we will be trying to find a publisher while I start translating", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "The first meeting was with the Manager and PR of the Art Center organizing Neale's conference. The Manager was quite a pathetic case who kept throwing a question our way before remembering to reply a very urgent e-mail (not to mention, by the end of the meeting, I concluded that she had a merry inbox) and heading out. That and I have serious concerns about trusting a woman who looks at the original hand-outs which concludes by a \"make sure that nobody leaves the room before blabla\" statement, then turns to us and asks, \"How are we to make sure nobody leaves the room?\". The PR, though, made an impression with her interest in HT, our mission, purpose, where we stand among countless other spiritual groups and obviously, having had read each and every book of Neale that has been published down here, with her basic knowledge about New Spirituality. Personally, she will be the one I shall add to my little book of contactables.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "Let's go back to hearing him, \"...and people are after young, fresh minds instead of an old and soon-to-be obsolete one. That and I couldn't have surrendered to 500 bucks a month as if I'm being pitied. How could you expect me to settle for an amount like that and accumulate the money needed for your new life...\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "It was then I remembered the notes. There they were right on top of the pile I was carrying. The one I was looking at included the following scribble:", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "Mmm... And... *gulps* We just keep running around in circles in our conversation. But this time we're breaking the cycle, dear! We'll be seeing each other a lot, I'm telling you.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "\"Feeling like you are feeling. How long have you been feeling like a female?\" She tapped the back of her pen on the paper which, I guessed, was a gesture to intensify her professionalism but ended up seeming as if she was being impatient with me.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "She got up floundering and picked up her plate, \"The laundry, child\" she croaked, \"It's ideal for laundering\". Then without another word, turned around and staggered towards the kitchen.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "Then, you cupped my cheeks in your withering, chemotherapied hands, looked in my eyes so deep that I still feel that final warmth you sealed into me even to this day. You did the only thing you could; Passed the final drops of life left in your veins onto me. Your last present to the being you created from your very own.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "Feeling ? I blinked, \"Feeling like what?\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "But I am very much a Fire. The Sagittarius infernoes freely in my veins.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "* Last night, I was going through the last issue (March 2004) of Elle that I burrowed from Angel. I turned a page to come across an article that caused a smirk. Usually, I am a being that minds her own business and can be considered as incurious. The article, though, is too interesting to remain silent towards.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "In this case, I choose to free them. Because, I choose to believe, that is the greatest opportunity I can hand out to another. I do not persist on keeping people \"together\" but instead I encourage them \"to gather\" their own tools and set sail on their own.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "Definitely good! Alright, we're seeing each other on Friday, then. Well... looks like we'll be seeing a lot of each other from now on.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "of them. The reason of my falling behind in the continuity of my", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "Solara is getting married. (which practically means she found herself in a flaring affair in the last 4 months we haven't seen each other which implies I will bitch about being the last to know about it.)", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "Now if I was somebody else, this probably would have made no sense yet these are my words my friends. You can come up to me and ask, \"Aura we have been witnessing and reading your life for 6 months and you are telling us that you have deserved this?\". My answer would be, my friends, that it has nothing to do with \"deserving\" but \"choosing\" and to be able to understand that choice here I am inviting you to the very cores of my dad and myself.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "... Can you read my mind? Can you picture the things I'm thinking of? Wondering why you are, All the wonderful things you are...", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "He shook his head and put on his black, velvet jacket, the most formal looking piece of his \"wardrobe\" as I tilted my head, \"You see...\", I insisted playfully, \"Even Granny admits I should attend the annual ceremony as your daughter. I am still not presented to the Grand Lodge.\" He remained silent and I knew that it was the playfulness in my voice that kept him away from temper.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "(Hmph! Right!)", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "He knows that somewhere out there, there are people living on the streets. I know for I heard him mutter, \"Heavens help those who are outside.\" once when it was raining cats and dogs in the middle of the night.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "\"...and even if we did achieve it, I wonder if you could ever forgive either me or your mother for ignoring your birth defect. We have lost the opportunity of building up a healthy parental pattern from your childhood...\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "\"What is the Humanity's Team?\" one may ask.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "This looks like a beautifully stinking swamp and is perfect in its own way. There Sol! We have a safe bridge that is constructed via understanding and connects the two sides of the rivulet.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "on my pores?... that whoever dares to touch me, they know the you in me?... the you", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "might receive. Because according to this article, Belle's path, ie. A-list call girl turns A-list blogger turns A-list author, is not something terribly original, either.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "What I have been doing for the last 5 years is simply choosing the first option. Hence, neither my dad is nor I am \"wrong\"; None of us has the \"fault\". They were simply our choices be it consciously or unconsciously.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "Have I ever told you that my skin absorbs the scent of yours?.. that no matter how far away you may be, I carry", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "I breathe Love.. and it doesn't make me sick as it did in the past any longer. However, to be able to reach this state of Love that is shared by thousands, I needed to have experienced being by myself for some time to heal older forms of heartache.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "She is a free spirit and keeps aiming her bow at me with her greedy need to explore, learn, experience and leave behind. She will never be tamed, never be satisfied until she makes a change, never be fulfilled until she sees everything she is curious to see and meets the hypothetical thousands whom, according to her, she is destined to meet. For her, there is no mountain too high, no planet too far.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "I was surprised ladies and gentlemen. Surprised that he muttered a sentence that was so familiar to me since I, myself, always think of those people when thunders break, winds howl, snowflakes fall. I even think of cats and dogs and birds outside but alas this is not the time for disclosing those corners of myself that might arise sympathy. It has nothing to do with me.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "The highway merges into the ocean, Which streams into the horizon. This sea-bearing symbol aids me in a water walk, Led by the trace of moonlight.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "I am walking on a deserted highway today. And a cushion of air, My feet -- They don't touch my ground. If there is such thing like an ethereal walk,", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "She nodded seriously and opened what seemed like a notebook while I fidgeted on my chair. Although it was early spring and sun was reigning outside, here in this pocket-size room, even sunlight seemed dormant. She went over the papers that I had handed her once more before starting her questionnaire, \"Your age?\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "Years later, dad told me that while you were by his recuperating side in the hospital right after his by-pass, you had said, \"I am too late for our child. We should save you because she will need you.\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "I have an appointment in the morning but I'm free in the afternoon. Why?", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "(What?! Taj Mahal?? Shut the shag up, Sagittarius!!)", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "The earth is her playground and she is dying to play it her way. She wants to be an old lady who has thousands of stories to share with her neighbors, albums of countless moments captured to share with her friends and no matter how old she will be, she will never be an elder who derives her life energy from simply watching her grandchildren grow up. Because no matter how old she gets, there still will be a corner of the globe not seen or a topic uncovered (thankfully, there will be no concept such as grandchildren anyway so that she won't have to fit in this simile).", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "\"I am studying at Bayside University. Western Languages and Literatures.\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "Here I am like a kid out of school. Holding hands with a god, I'm a", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "If you really need one justification, that would be that if dad had \"surrendered to 500 bucks a month\" 5 years ago, he would have approximately tripled his salary 5 years afterwards and as of today. However, no judgments on my part! Never! I am not recording this conversation to belittle my father but rather analyze and distinguish the elements that his deepest understanding of himself have created as our present.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "Hence, \"the pain of the process\" since it requires a great self realization and being truthful to one's self. Usually, just like everybody else, instead of searching for the", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "Sure. See you then.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "As of today, I feel disconnected and cranky (if you still can't tell). I haven't had a proper sleep for the last two days. My eyes are burning with restlessness and visualizing myself in the middle of a group who are shoulder-deep in organizing N. D. Walsch's visit early this summer doesn't click at the moment. I want nothing but to curl in one corner and have a \"summer sleep\"!", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "(He looks at me! I think I'm dying. Fan fan...)", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "To kiss this tempest some solace, End the Titans' reign for a new tomorrow, Be my God Through whom I experience I So that I'll be your Goddess Through which you experience you. But am I the Muse on your lips? If only I were.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "\"So you were directed to us from Endocrinology, I see. It is usually the other way around....\" The female professor mumbled as she flipped the papers over, \"... Kleinefelter syndrome, genetic intersexuality...\" She, then, smiled a smile that was as artificial as gum flavor. Accordingly, it soon faded.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "...pulling my skirts gently, I follow the trail to enigma... what reason holds your summon to Night?... what reason holds being a moth to your flare?...", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "I shrugged and gave it up, turning away to slip into my stillettos as Granny was going on with her argument, \"If this dinner requires a spouse or daughter's accompany, you have one. Why not taking her?\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "precious . \"Is it naturally undiluted? Ideal for drinking...or mmm...daily facial cleaning?...\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "mine , if the river comes to a fork, why attempt to block the other branch's run in the hope that its waters will eventually be tamed (suppressed!) and flow in harmony with mine? (Moreover, would I prefer harmony of that kind?)", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "Now can you clearly see how he sees himself as? He has rooted beliefs deep in his psyche that \"it is not easy\" to start life all over again at 64. He actually has rooted", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "I repeat. They even already pai... (Tsk!)", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "Although I have happened to look more like my dad in these years, I am delighted to be your reflection in the details instead of the overall appearance. I have", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "Of course, it was not easy to talk convincingly about a movement that was launched in this country only... let me see... 5 days ago. We still lack an office (though many of the country leaders of Europe do not function through one), a website and a brochure that both briefly states our vision and looks eye catching. These last two will be dealt with by the end of this month and the office should be up & running sometime late in June or early July. Then again, I certainly believe that we do manage swiftly.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "The article informs its readers that an A-list (that must be the key word) New Yorker call girl named Tracy Quan has just published her controversial novel which is built upon 15 juicy years of classy prostitution experience behind the closed doors of deluxe hotels. The interesting part is, she caught the attention of publishers after having started writing a column in the online literary magazine", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "Would my granny loose the plot? Give it a go herself and not even let the poor guy burn alone, finally away from her in hell? They have this pathetic bond formed at birth which she carried one step further which was enough to cause her son to end up loosing his mind. They have this love-hate, \"can't live with or without you\" relationship thanks to her being like a vulture circling above on the near-dead body of his all their lives.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "and went on walking towards the car. So this was an asylum, alright. So these people were blase towards such scenes; They were immune to such sounds and sights. But how was", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "...although, since quite a bit of it was missing, it was obvious that it wouldn't be very popular in the mating season (which is like...bi-daily for cockroaches. They are quite a merry if not hedonistic species).", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "in my mind, at least. Barefoot women chatting as they transferred the April rain they stored in their rainboxes into a large tub before they dump a pile of clothes into it and exchange the current gossips whispered in Constantinople.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "I tried my best to hide the devastation I felt upon being fed by this news last night. It is to no avail trying to put some sense into these mindless beings and make them quit the idea. They have their own reality and are deaf to everything else but...", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "I received this little miracle with bitter gratitude... as if my mother was letting me remember the talk we had in our summer house previous summer. She took my hand in her cold palms and told me that she knew the end was near for her. As I denied my empathy and suppressed my tears clumsily so as not to break down before her she went on:", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "expressions in my eyes. That is why whenever I look in the mirror, I can see", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "As I closed my eyes so as not to see this constant motion of hovering scenes, I turned sideways and caused something extraordinary to happen. The remote control of the CD player was stuck underneath the pillows of the sofa, its edge almost visible through the edge of the pillow, and as I moved, it turned itself on...", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "Thank you for the beautiful short poem. For some reason, it made my eyes fill with tears and added", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "not feeling. \"Yes, they do.\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "\"You could have been experimenting.\" she stated, leaning on the table with her elbows.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "I raised my head and traced a hand on a dark brown lock that fell on my cleavage, \"It's alright, Granny.\" I said finally, \"I best remain hidden and invisible to the world as always!\"; A sarcastic remark my dad is quite used to hearing, indeed.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "(Oh he takes out a mobile. I should have mine at hand, too. Just in case)", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "It is brutal. Yet the effect, when not attempted to be put under control, is quite temporal. As Joan Borysenko, says:", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "To a disciple who was forever complaining about others the Master said, \"If it is peace you want, seek to change yourself, not other people. It is easier to protect your feet with slippers than to carpet the whole of the earth.\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "Her mother who should have been the one to teach him to fly, broke his wings and imprisoned him to herself. The God, he believed in, turned away from him, not listening to his prayers nor saving him from an electroshock therapy when he was only 17. This figure lying on that faded sofa was so fragile behind that hulking body that it brought unshed tears to my eyes.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "So Ichoir was formed. I'm not even going into the painful discourse which lasted for weeks until we reached an agreement on the name. Mythology ran to aid. We took Icarus as the Muse, played with the name a little, came up with a derivative which was destined to be mispronounced by every single person who came across it written somewhere but still, we all loved it.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "which is an adjective we extremely avoid while following the guidelines of both HT's Study and Emotional support groups. Having knowledge in abundance is of no importance to us (I, myself, have not read even 1/3 of the spiritual material presented to this world). On the contrary, we are inclined to \"grow together\", \"learn together\", hence, even if our group members have proficient knowledge in the topic at hand, we will not let any one reign the conversations/discussions.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "...you know how sometimes something just hits you, like as if it's a memory coming back, a wave of it almost.. Is a hard thing to workout whether it's the feeling still being there, or a reminder of how things felt at a different time. As much as anything I think I'm just wanting to know that you are OK, and well, and happy, or to know if you aren't even, and to know if I could help in any way if you weren't...\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "Did you expect tears from me? Did you believe I shall break these wings for thee? Did you ready me for what I already foresee?", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "Feelings, again. What did this have to do with feelings, I wondered. It was simply about", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "Of course we have no control over what anyone does out there. Still, I have concerns about having this man (will be regarded as Mr. E from this point on) doing it \"under\" the title of Humanity's Team, without following its group guidelines. Still, it was a great experience to get to know him personally as I feel we will be seeing each other quite often in the coming days.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "I got that part, love. Good or bad?", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "Just like the morning was not a start for those who never slept, either. So when the first rays of the sun streaked in, my uncle was feeling better. Still, last night was never to be forgotten. As I got ready to leave the house, he was already up and around, trying to confront his still weeping mother.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "She so looked like a pre-transitioned Gollum. I cleared my throat and smiled nervously. I find listening to such traditions quite enjoyable unless they are conveyed in a manner that makes me feel I'm a part of the Twilight Zone, \"Why did they find it so valuable?\" I asked deliberately avoiding the word", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "you play a game when I'm not playing? you blow a strike when I'm not attacking? you bear a pain when I'm not hurting? you sing a berceuse when I'm not cradling? you harbor a mystery when I'm not riddling?", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "peace ful place. All we need is to take a baby step towards it. You can also share this incredible experience by becoming a part of the Humanity's Team which is open and welcoming to each and every one. Simply click", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "I didn't hear him come home last night since I was weary of my uncle's attack made up of constant howling, wailing, crying and screaming so I took a bunch of sleeping pills and buried my head under my pillow earlier than usual. In the morning, a little item was standing on the bed table... an item resembling a jewelry box. Rubbing my eyes, I reached for it, not quite comprehending what was inside.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "... Life which is the most precious gift we are presented with. Through living lies the message of Spirituality... Through living lies the expression of one's true self.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "\"What is so precious about April rains, Granny?\" I asked out of curtsey rather than curiosity.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "(Yeah, walk away, sweetie. Blessings to you for the hormonal discharge you brought to my day.)", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "(Then again is it love at first sight? Only nipples can tell)", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "I miss the middle of my nowhere. Do you believe me? If only I knew.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "\"My family consists of my grandmother and father. My mother died 6 years ago. As for my father, he takes it very well.\" She kept writing as I concluded, \"So does my Grandmother.\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "Same ol'. You?", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "Why can't I draw the blanket over my head and simply vanish? Now", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30102", + "text": "Nowadays, this phase I have been going through is making me face all these quite brutally. Because I choose it to be so. I have never been a woman who takes things swiftly (which is, yet another choice). Swift doesn't work for me (there you go. Another belief, another", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30407", + "text": "Feeling good this morning. Another decent night of sleep. Made Bucko breakfast (CoW, three eggs, and the last porkchop. Yeah, I'm trying to kill him).", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30407", + "text": "12:46 p.m. Damn. The hvac guy came just as I was sitting down to lunch.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30407", + "text": "Maybe 12 tomatoes and 14 grapes. Excellent (Mr. Burns impression).", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30407", + "text": "It's going to be another cold, rainy day today, so I must try to keep up my spirits. First goal: finish and fax in my application to temp services. I don't know if I have any work at The Office; Warren never replied to my messages yesterday. That's typical of the way things have been going there, and why I've somehow let three months skip along before I suddenly realized I wasn't getting paid anything. Friday he emailed me and said something not-quite-clear, like \"I'm going to have drawings for you I need Monday.\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30407", + "text": "I grabbed a pencil and wrote down the topics he covered in a 20 minute phone call, although I gave up halfway through. Each one followed logically from the previous, although now I can't see some of the connections. It's not wild-eyed rambling, though, this was all intelligent, meaningful conversation. Here, then, is a partial list of Jimmy's Phone Call Topics:", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30407", + "text": "Has anyone noticed that when there's just a few pickles left in the jar, floating around near the bottom in the brine, they look a lot like green turds floating in a greenish-water toilet? Yes, I know that was gross and childish, but it really struck me.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30407", + "text": "Although, I lifted weights and stripped wallpaper yesterday, and I can feel it in my shoulders and neck. So hopefully the headache is muscular.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30407", + "text": "Had a hard time coming up with the calories. I ate most of a serving, but with hardly any rice (compared to what they provided, which must have been 4 cups per person). I figured all the components separately, and come up with 535 calories, which ain't bad, and which gives me 1447 for the day.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30407", + "text": "If I don't have it around the house, I won't drink it. Because I am far too lazy and too self-conscious to go buy it. Therefore, this way I am not relying on willpower, I'm setting up an environment where I can't drink. I'm having a glass of water right now, with my coffee.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30407", + "text": "On that front, Bucko and I have decided to go ahead and get the house all ready to sell so that whenever I DO get a couple good paychecks, that's when we can apply for a loan. It's not the end of the world if we don't get it on the market now, because it's not like we have a deadline, but this is the time of year to do it. Houses in this neighorhood don't sell fast, so I don't want to miss our best opportunity.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30407", + "text": "In other work news, when I walked into the conference room of three men, I received compliments on my appearance (along the lines of \"you look nice today\" not \"have you lost weight?\"). No, really I'm not so pathetic that I need that kind of reassurance, but it was a notable event to me. I was like \"Huh. Well, okay. Sure.\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30407", + "text": "**Why don't vampires just attack Jewish people. Since they don't have any crosses.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30407", + "text": "1. Blogs, for starters.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30407", + "text": "10:12 a.m. Finished 40 minutes of glider sprints (whew!) and two big plates of lettuce salad with red pepper slices.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30407", + "text": "That will be the name of a famous documentary film I will someday make. Baking for Squirrels.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30407", + "text": "KC and the Sunshine Band performing it.\" How cool would that be? And if you could hire a major band from the 70s to play at your party, who would you want?", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30407", + "text": "Tomorrow will be better. It's all okay. I promise.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30407", + "text": "It's so much like quitting smoking. I'm not sure when I REALLY committed to doing it -- certainly not at the beginning. Sure, one part of me wanted to quit, but another part didn't, in a big way.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30407", + "text": "I'm feeling rather hideous this morning. Physically, anyway.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30407", + "text": "I've read of this in more than one blog, and several times in Tomato Nation, where a date of sorts takes place, including spending the night together in the same bed, but no sex occurs. Listen up, young persons. I know you're going to think I'm an old fogey, but in my day a primary objective of a date was to have sex, or \"hook up\" as it were. Also, you're not doing enough drugs.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30407", + "text": "a retelling of the story, with a different ending. I'll bet they were both books, too, and I'm going to look for them. Hopefully will have the same names... And on a related thought, Dennis Haysbert is one of my favorite actors, and I really don't think he should be doing television commercials, especially for", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30407", + "text": "lower than I expected. I hope my estimate is close -- I did it as accurately as I could and rounded up.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30407", + "text": "Also trying to clean our filthy upstairs shower, on and off for a couple days. Haven't found anything that will make the floor white again, not even straight bleach. That's not a good sign...", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30407", + "text": "You can see mine is very diet-and-fitness oriented, because that's my mindset when I wrote it. The idea was, a perfect day", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30407", + "text": "I've worked at the same company for 11 years, and there is not a single person who was there when I started. The company has been sold twice, and while my job title was never taken away from me, it's never been exactly confirmed, either.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30407", + "text": "Battery district * where all the giant houses are. There was obviously a party going on in one of these mansions -- catering trucks, parking valets, security, lights in the garden. We could hear \"I'm Your Boogie Man\" coming from somewhere inside, and stopped on the sidewalk to listen. After only a couple minutes we realized \"Oh, that's LIVE music, how neat,\" and then only another couple beats before we realized \"Yes, and that's", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30407", + "text": "7:40 a.m. Wednesday, Day 121. Slept late today, I must have been making up for Monday night and recuperating from all that bush digging. I'm a little sore this morning, in the back of my thighs, but nothing terrible. Came in at 1467 calories yesterday, which is perfect. The week is off to a good start.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30407", + "text": "Ate well last night - four chicken wings, heap of broccoli with no-fat yogurt sauce, some frozen corn with no butter. Also managed to resist dessert - Bucko had the last of the pound cake and ice cream from Christmas, and there was definitely enough for two.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30407", + "text": "I bought another piano bench yesterday for $15. Looks like Marella and I will do the Topsail show in June, so I need to get to work. I'm trying to do mainly furniture this year, not all that little stuff like switchplate covers and boxes.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30407", + "text": "For a lot of the time, I felt like I was just going through the motions, and waiting for this little charade to end so I could smoke again. Me and the ciggies, together at last.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30407", + "text": "Yeah, fine, I'm going to eat less in order to lose weight, and to do that I will have to pull some head games on myself, but the point is that the dieting itself is the disordered eating pattern. So of course it's difficult to make myself behave that way.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30407", + "text": "enough: like, I'm fifteen minutes short of exercising enough, or eating just 120 calories too many. Which also makes me feel like a big dumb-ass, to go through 95% of the effort, and not be able to focus enough to come up with the other measly 5% needed.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30407", + "text": "Heck, that almost balances out the martinis. A small anecdote: One time, Bucko and I were in Charleston for the weekend, and after dinner we walked around in the", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30407", + "text": "Okay. So Monday morning I emailed him and said \"Let me know if/when you need me to come in and work on those drawings.\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30407", + "text": "Kind of a musty flavor, not appetizing. Also not enough solid ingredients, just a few bits of potato and carrot. I will be needing a snack later this morning.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30407", + "text": "So I went to the website of this very large, multinational IT company, and from there spent over an hour trying to find a phone number, ANY phone number, for this company. I progressed from attempting to find the number for corporate HR to looking in a local phone book to find the number for a branch of the company at which I never worked. And that's what I'm putting on my application, because fuck it.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30407", + "text": "Here is what he did. He sent out an email memo, with attachments, to the FIVE other people who work in the office, describing the office's printers and their uses and the office's scanning capabilities. Why is this stupid? Because, of the FIVE other people, all of whom have worked there for years and have used the equipment for years:", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30407", + "text": "More random thoughts: whenever I am \"done\" with losing weight, I will have to maintain it. I think I need to work exercise into my life in a more natural way. Hopefully, with a lighter body I'll be ABLE to exercise more. But I'm going to have to do those things like always take the stairs, park far away, get a dog and walk it, etc.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30407", + "text": "Finally got the airline tickets/flights straightened out. That travel agent is such a waste. I have to call her too many times; she's simply not proactive at all.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30407", + "text": "So I really don't want to stand here and chat with you for an hour, and you for half an hour, and YOU for 90 minutes, because I can't charge for any of that, and I've just spent three UNPAID hours in a place I hate. I try to fob them off as politely as possible, but I have become", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30407", + "text": "So I wrote back and asked \"Do you have them ready for me now, or you will have them for me on Monday?\" He wrote back a one-word reply: \"Monday.\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30407", + "text": "7. Girls Gone Wild, and other similar flashing of the tits for the camera.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30407", + "text": "Peoples, I MUST get my shit together. I don't want to flagellate myself (ooh!) but I do need to be a little stern. I am eating too much and not exercising enough, and I need to quit it and get back \"on program.\" Enough's enough.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30407", + "text": "My hip is still bothering me. I'm not happy about that, because it hurts when I walk, and I want to do a lot of walking on vacation. I think the bellydancing may have caused the strain, and then the gliding is exacerbating it. So perhaps it's a good thing that I'll be away from the glider for a couple weeks. I can walk and swim for exercise, and perhaps that will work out the problem, whatever it is.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30407", + "text": "Had a WEE bit too much wine last night, so I fell asleep very early, then of course woke up at 2 a.m. and didn't get back to sleep until after 5. On the bright side, I saw a really great movie,", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30407", + "text": "Not sure what else I'm doing today. Haven't heard a word from work, so I guess I'm not going to the office.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30407", + "text": "I feel like I might be focusing on the food and shutting out everything peripheral... possibly the stress of the past couple months, the moving, the job situation? Oh well duh, how long was it going to take me to reach that conclusion? I've said before (although I don't know if I've written it here) that I think one of my emotional issues with food is control, that it's an area of my life where other people cannot control me and I'm the one making the decisions. Maybe when I'm feeling particularly helpless, I want to eat because it puts me in charge.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30407", + "text": "Maybe I'd better start taping something every day. The Daily Show would be good, because I rarely stay up late enough to watch it. That's only half an hour though, so I need something else too.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30407", + "text": "I know I won't have a low-cal day today, but I'm not planning on a huge overage, either. I want to leave room for the martinis, so it's salad for me for the rest of the day. Isn't that disordered, to cut out food in order to drink? Yes, I know it is, that question was sort of rhetorical.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30407", + "text": "5:27 p.m. Well, this has been a productive day. Besides the bush digging, I also formatted the proposal for four hours, finished the piano bench, primed the windsor chair, and did two loads of laundry. I rule. AND as of this moment I'm only at 754 calories, which means I have plenty available for dinner and still stay within goal. Rock rock rock!", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30407", + "text": "Just started to get hungry, so I came downstairs for a glass of Orange flavored seltzer water, and saw that it's almost lunchtime. Yay.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30407", + "text": "3. TiVo. You kids have just got to stop watching so much television. It's not", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30407", + "text": "I have half a can of soup every day for breakfast. Except for vacation, I haven't varied from that in 108 days.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30407", + "text": "It seemed a bit thin. He said it was okay, but that he usually makes the next larger amount listed on the instructions (two cups rather than one cup) and it comes out thicker. So that's how I'll make it next time.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30407", + "text": "2:30 p.m. I'm trying to get a LOT of things done today, and I'm losing steam. Besides exercise, an hour of \"real\" work, and of course writing obsessively in my journal, I'm painting the downstairs bathroom. I'm most of the way done, now it's just the trim and redoing the grout. Heh, \"just.\" That will take as long as the walls, since the trim is filthy and I'll need to clean that and the floor first.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30407", + "text": "4:00 p.m. My god, can that place get any stupider? Or, let me rephrase that: can Crazy Hair get any stupider?", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30407", + "text": "8:19 a.m. My life goes round in circles... Here is an email this morning from Warren: \"... There will be some slippage on the schedule, but we are continuing to push forward... for planning purposes, why don't you plan on going into heavy rotation next Monday. I will probably have some resumes and corporate references to you by mid week this week. By the way, we are looking seriously at another proposal... due on May 10. Do you think you could support us on that one if we go for it?\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30407", + "text": "I realize I have to stop buying those things. They're just so delicious slow cooked in the oven, and the bastards keep putting them on sale for 99 cents a pound. I've resisted them the last two or three times they were on sale, but caved in eventually, and we've had them for two days now. There are two leftover in the fridge right now, and either Bucko's got to eat them or we have to throw them away, because I don't want to have another 795 calorie rib.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30407", + "text": "I ran out and got a couple bottles of wine, and now I am sitting here enjoying a glass all alone in my house. Incredibly, it's almost dinner time and I have had only 362 calories so far. Holy cow!", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30407", + "text": "Now I'm drinking my tomato juice and having three little celery sticks. They're about as many calories as water, so I'm not concerned with how many I eat, but I don't really have any desire to eat a lot of celery anyway.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30407", + "text": "It makes me feel like someone else cares, even though that someone is really me. Also, I'm starting to be impressed with myself, and have some pride invested in being able to do this, so I enjoy writing about it.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30407", + "text": "A reasonable total yesterday, 1500 calories even. That's right in the middle of my range, so I'm not unhappy with it, but would like to go lower today. I will plan on an all-vegetable day, that usually does it.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30407", + "text": "is described as \"anorectic,\" not \"anorexic.\"? Well, I know it. Now you do too. Futhermore, \"anorexia\" means loss of appetite. \"Anorexia", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30407", + "text": "5:21 p.m. Done with the proposal for the day. I've had enough of sitting at the computer. I got a base coat on the windsor chair, and I think I've decided on painting a seashell on the seat, and then some kind of funky-cute pink details on the rest. It's hard for me to paint \"cute,\" because I", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30407", + "text": "I wanted to stay out and show off. It was such a difference from my usual run-home-as-fast-as-possible self, that I began to get an inkling of how much self assurance I might have when I lose weight. It's not that I have to look gorgeous, it was the feeling that I was NOT a freak. That no one was staring at me in disgust.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30407", + "text": "I had quite an annoying anxiety dream about work last night. I think that's what made me squirrelly when I woke up. It surprised me to even have this dream, it was a combo work/not prepared for the test kind of dream, and I didn't think I was having any of that type of anxiety recently.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30407", + "text": "6. Reality TV. Hmm. I'll admit the first few seasons of \"The Real World\" were entertaining, in a horrible sort of way, but enough's enough.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30407", + "text": "6:41 a.m. Tuesday, Day 106. Something must be done about the dreams. I can't handle it anymore. How am I supposed to get any rest with these epic movies playing in my head all night? I feel okay this morning, just a little unrested, and slightly sore from SensibleGym yesterday.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30407", + "text": "2:20 p.m. And PhotoIsland is working now too. Whew, again. And by the way, I have put up my diary of the", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30407", + "text": "6:37 a.m. Thursday, Day 122. Damn that restaurant! Damn damn damn. Both of us woke up groggy and stupid, with swollen eyes and puffy faces. MSG.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30407", + "text": "if anyone is interested. But don't feel obligated to feign interest.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30407", + "text": "I've written so much today, I'm going to post now. Maybe that will shut me up.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30407", + "text": "4. X-boxes, iPods, and other things with a \"single-letter-then-a-word\" name. It's as though I have a mental block (an m-Block) that prevents me from understanding what these things are, except that I know they are not the same thing. I think.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30407", + "text": "5. Sleeping in bed and cuddling with a person of the opposite sex, but not having sex with them.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30407", + "text": "which is partly why I was up so long, I couldn't stop watching it. There's a scene I loved, where all the bohemian people have a merry little dinner with much laughing and dancing afterward, that is so much what I wanted to describe in my", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30407", + "text": "I have a new favorite food. Pompeian brand Fire Roasted Red Peppers. $1.69 for a 12 ounce jar. That's a bargain!", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30407", + "text": "I don't know any other place to put these things than in a fake-dated part of the blog, in case anyone is wondering how I come up with all this retroactive writing. Anyway, this is my response to Daisy's question,", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30407", + "text": "So no updates until Monday or maybe Tuesday. Bye bye.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30407", + "text": "I am glad I'm doing it, and I really want it. BUT I am angry with myself for not being everything I could be while still fat.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30407", + "text": "12:32 p.m. I just dug up three giant bushes out of our front yard, roots and all. That was HARD work, so combined with my gliding today I think I've got my exercise accomplished.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30407", + "text": "I have a lot to mull over here, and I'm sorry I can't write it more succinctly. I am thinking as I type...", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30407", + "text": "And here's another thing. I bought an issue of Shape magazine, and threw it away within 2 hours.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30407", + "text": "Also had just the one glass of wine. So it all went quite well.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30407", + "text": "That happens to me so rarely, maybe a couple times a year. Plenty of dreams, but nothing notable or disturbing. Just random snippets.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30407", + "text": "Happily, it doesn't feel like that all of the time. I've adjusted pretty well to the type and amount of food I've been eating, so I don't always feel like I'm on a diet, I don't always feel deprived. Just sometimes.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30407", + "text": "5:37 Got another 10 minutes gliding in. Not much, but it will help with the metabolism. I rule. RULE.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30407", + "text": "When we were bought by a larger company, we (this particular office) went from being the corporate headquarters of a small-to-medium sized IT firm to a remote, unimportant satellite office of a large IT firm. Which then, as with fishies, was swallowed by a yet larger IT firm, who apparently are not even aware we exist. Well, this part is a tangent and has nothing to do with filling out the application, except to say that it's sometimes difficult to describe exactly what I do in my company, and where I do it. The problem part of the process was filling out the information for my", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30407", + "text": "Somehow, it didn't achieve the desired popularity. In fact, I had an even worse time fitting in. Few of my friends (or even enemies) from junior high attended that high school, and I didn't have a single class with any of them, anyway. I didn't know ANYONE, and couldn't seem to establish any sort of friendships or even acquaintanceships, even among the nerdy group I would normally belong to.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30407", + "text": "One of them is the Receptionist. No comment about her.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30407", + "text": "1:43 p.m. I'm trying to be really active today and drink a lot of water to flush out the MSG as quickly as possible. So far today I have painted the dining room, dug out two more shrubs in the front, went grocery shopping, bought and unloaded eight new shrubs, did a second coat in the dining room, and now I'm making catfish stew for Bucko's dinner. THEN I will take a shower and make a chicken caesar salad for me and Daisy, because we are having dinner together tonight. I cannot wait to see her. I haven't seen her for 15 days, and I need my fix.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30407", + "text": "The annoying thing is, I haven't exactly gone OFF program, I'm just not hitting it quite hard enough. I'm not having eating binges, I haven't quit exercising, I still THINK I'm on a program, but I've become too lax, and I'm not losing weight anymore. I'm just not doing", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30407", + "text": "Pretty much the marching-in-place thing. I'm sure that sounds lame to someone who is fit, but for me it's a big deal.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30407", + "text": "I guess it's not funny to anyone but me. That's work for you.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30407", + "text": "P. S. no progress with the mShorts.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30407", + "text": "Not quite, it's nowhere near the heat and humidity that it'll be in June, but still it's pretty toasty. All the sweating makes me think I'm working harder than I am. That would make an excellent fake-French name: S'elf De Lujion.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30407", + "text": "to look like a person. Like a flat, handless, footless person with a clothes hanger poking out where their", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30407", + "text": "I tried to buy a bunch of food to bring with us; since we stay with our friends at their house I feel obligated to chip in more than the usual amount with food. The problem is, I just can't find anything at the supermarket that's both convenient and healthy (and also affordable and palatable). It would be easiest to get a bunch of chips, pretzels, frozen pizza, and cookies and that crap, but no way am I eating it, and I don't want to risk having it around.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30407", + "text": "I had a little epiphany about that several months ago, and looking through my journal I see that the only really difficult spot, the only disordered eating event in ten weeks was when I didn't want to go to the basketball game. Somehow food was a means of taking back control.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30407", + "text": "2:20 p.m. I just took a break from formatting the proposal and laid in the sun in my backyard for 30 minutes. I know, that's so unlike me!", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30407", + "text": "Working on my second glass of water; I must concentrate on water this week and get my consumption up to a reasonable level. I'm carrying around the timer to remind me to drink. For some reason I have to keep relearning two of the basics of weight loss: 1) drink a LOT of water, 2) make sure you have good food in the house and with you out of the house, and the corollary to #2, make sure you don't have BAD food in the house, because you WILL eat it.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30407", + "text": "The other bright side is that I came in under goal (the high end, anyway) even with the wine and subsequent munchies. So I'm not proud of myself, but not cringing in guilt, either.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30407", + "text": "LATER. 10:09 a.m. Just finished an HOUR of exercise.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30407", + "text": "9:18 a.m. Okay, got through to the bank, and they do think I have a savings account. An ever-dwindling account Whew!", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30407", + "text": "I eat a lot of salads, which can become dull, so I dress them up with some diced artichoke hearts, or a few black olives, mandarin oranges, or these delicious roasted peppers, and it makes the salad look fantastic, it adds a lot of flavor, thus making a very appealing meal for not much money and not much added calories. Then I don't feel deprived, I feel like I'm eating a luxurious diet. I feel very... Zsa Zsa.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30407", + "text": "So I managed 1224 calories yesterday. I can't brag; it's mostly because I missed lunch, and that's not something I want to make a habit of. Other good news today -- tried on the Measurement Shorts, and I think I see some progress. They were", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30407", + "text": "I could feel worse. I can't pretend I feel", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30407", + "text": "I try to find a lot of no-cal food so I can eat constantly. Which doesn't work, because I'm still thinking about food and eating it, which doesn't break the habit or pattern or whatever it is.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30407", + "text": "I got up early enough this morning to make breakfast for Bucko. I love doing that, it's so homey and romantic. I made him Cream o' Wheat (he likes it), slipping in a little extra fiber in the form of Benefiber powder, three scrambled eggs, and a pot of green tea. I've never made C o W before (or eaten it, for that matter), and I'm not sure it was entirely successful.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30407", + "text": "Yes, I know I'm the last person in the universe to discover that particular blog, but let me say she is HILARIOUS and her daughter is adorable. I mean, ADORABLE.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30407", + "text": "We're going to the beach this weekend (staying with friends for FREE), and leaving this afternoon as early as Bucko can get off work. Which might be around 3.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30407", + "text": "One of the things I really hate about trying to lose weight and not making it, is that I'm in a constant state of failure. Which is not good for the morale.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30407", + "text": "So here's the thing that was frustrating me about filling out that application. It wasn't a bad one, even, as far as those things go. It really did ask for the minimum required information, but I was having a hard time coming up with that info.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30407", + "text": "Cooking dinner now -- baked chicken legs, baked sweet potato, and sauteed green beans. Very light on the oil with the green beans -- maybe a teaspoon in the whole pan.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30407", + "text": "5:00 p.m. Had a nice little lunch with Daisy. Ate a veggie wrap and some fries, which I hope I am estimating reasonably.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30407", + "text": "So moving on from the Chinese food... talked to my brother a few days ago. He cracks me up. He's probably the smartest person I've ever met, and his conversation is... eclectic.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30407", + "text": "One cup of zucchini has 29 calories. You know, I couldn't possibly eat more than two cups of zucchini. 58 calories=full stomach. That's a good deal.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30407", + "text": "See, this is what I hate about dieting. I mean, not the ONLY thing I hate about dieting. I hate obssessing about food, about every bite, counting up my calories and deciding if I'm \"allowed\" to have this. I hate having such a disturbed relationship with food.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30407", + "text": "1:12 p.m. The painters have been here since about 9 a.m. They're very nice guys and everything, one of them speaks English, but it's kind of weird having them around. They're painting right outside the office, in the foyer, so I can't just come and go at will without interrupting them.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30407", + "text": "First of all, the \"articles\" are nothing but prompts to buy products. Secondly, there's nothing useful in the entire publication. Next to no information. Thirdly, their photography is not consistent with the avowed mission of the magazine. I do NOT want to see underweight-by-30-pounds fashion models pretending to lift weights with little stick arms that don't have enough muscle in them to lift a fork to their mouths.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30407", + "text": "Denise, Yvonne, and Mo are having a three-sided discussion about \"why do we go off plan when it feels so much better to be on plan,\" and I think this is giving me an insight about that particular question, at least in the way it works for me. The equation is not \"go off plan = feel bad,\" it's really \"feel bad = go off plan.\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30407", + "text": "It was only after the vest incident that I gave up and became self-righteously and virulently an outsider and a bad kid. I think I decided that I was helpless to control any part of my life, in a world where such a tiny detail could have such ultimate, Kafka-esque result (please see the movie \"Brazil\" for perfect analogy to this story). And when you feel helpless, or scared, you become angry. Or at least, I do.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30407", + "text": "wearable. Way too snug in the butt for comfort, but I could almost conceive of wearing them. It's such a tiny hint of progress, but more than I've seen for a month, so I am considerably heartened and remotivated.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30407", + "text": "7:23 a.m. Monday. First day of Week Ten. Wow!", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30407", + "text": "One of them is the VP of a large division (not ours), and he is the intended target of the memo. The main message is: \"Don't use", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30407", + "text": "but I embellished mine a little bit, by transporting myself to a warm climate with a beach, and sort of fantasizing about my degree of financial success (no job!). But you know what? If I was super-wealthy, it would still be pretty much the same day. This is a fun exercise, because of course it makes you think, \"What's stopping me from doing this now?\" and possibly you will start living closer to your ideal.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30407", + "text": "I don't eat white bread these days, but I thought since it's free, I might as well get it and feed it to the squirrels. We have several squirrels in our backyard, and I feed them with leftover bread or crackers. These are the kind of rolls that are somewhat raw, you have to finish them in the oven. So I baked them, and the next day fed a couple to the squirrels. Bucko said \"You realize you are baking for squirrels.\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30407", + "text": "Has anyone seen \"Romy and Michelle's High School Reunion\"? Remember the Janeane Garofalo character? THAT was ME.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30407", + "text": "at least in the beginning of the movies? I wonder if that was deliberate, especially considering the titles; Far From Heaven is", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30407", + "text": "6:49 a.m. Wednesday, Day 107. Feeling good this morning. A typical night for me, too many dreams, woke up several times but not for any length of time. No actifed, no melatonin. Just a chocolate brownie right before bedtime.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30407", + "text": "I didn't quite get that they were implying I was some sort of nymphomaniac, but I did get quite clearly the idea that I'd done something embarrassing. Again.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30407", + "text": "These programs are so devoid of content they've resorted to minutes of ominous-sounding music with out-of-context shots of silent people gazing thoughtfully/recklessly/intrepidly/blankly/balefully at what is probably a small bug walking up the wall. Also, I have never heard such inarticulate human speech since The Planet of the Apes. I am sick unto death of hearing people end a sentence with \"so....\" instead of making the effort to put their thoughts into words. \"So\" is just as semantically null a term as \"you know,\" and we must all work together to wipe it out.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30407", + "text": "So what the hell am I supposed to do? I mean, I'm going to submit my application to the temps, but what the hell do I do if they call and say \"can you work tomorrow?\" which is what happened to Daisy.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30407", + "text": "And you know what else? I know they're talking about me, because I heard the word \"computer.\"", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30407", + "text": "Have another bunch of things on my list today. Need to get cracking on the cover for the proposal, write bills and balance checkbook, prime the new piano bench, and do another item toward getting the house done. Haven't decided which one, yet. But don't worry, I have a huge list to consult.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30407", + "text": "I'm adjusting my estimates for the coffee with Benefiber, because I'm not putting an entire tablespoon in. Maybe two-thirds that.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30407", + "text": "? We'll have to wait and see.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30407", + "text": "I'm disappointed that I bought into this myth that you have to be thin for anything to matter. Therefore: I must work on being more fabulous NOW.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30407", + "text": "6:46 a.m. Wednesday, Day 114. Feeling quite chipper today. Last night I slept ALL THE WAY THROUGH.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30407", + "text": "I'm just waiting for an appropriate time, but you better believe that someday I'll say it. Yep, I sure will.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30407", + "text": "No, I changed my mind. I AM so pathetic that I need that kind of thing. If anyone else is losing weight solely for their health, I applaud you and you're my hero, but I cannot deny that a LARGE part of my motivation is to look better. So, yeah, I like it when I get compliments from men. So sue me.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30407", + "text": "You know what I miss about not getting a real paper newspaper anymore? I used to like to read the Lost and Found, and match up the Losers and Finders. You know, \"Lost: small brown dog\" and \"Found: little beige canine.\" And draw a line between them. There was always at least one happy ending to be discovered.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30407", + "text": "I miss Daisy. I haven't seen her since the 14th, which according to my calculations is 7 days. Seems longer.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "blog30407", + "text": "So, I will try to re-focus on this. But I will also give myself props for continuing to improve my health by daily exercise and a nutritious diet, whether or not it has caused me to lose weight. I know that sounds very Stuart Smalley, but I'm willing to take what inspiration I can, wherever I find it.", + "category": "blog" + }, + { + "style": "h", + "text": "The ability to provide services is often reliant on funding from outside sources and its continuation is based not on the needs of those being served, but on what they can find funding to provide. Often an organization's decision to cease operations in a country has more to do with a lack of financial support than the successful completion of their programming. There are certainly other issues with over reliance on NGO services, such as the fact that their services often don't solve the underlying infrastructure issues that will reemerge once the NGO presence is reduced. Many NGOs do not remain in-country for the post-conflict period. In effect, services are provided and once the initial emergency is over, the NGOs are gone and those still displaced must find a health provider somewhere else.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "h", + "text": "Nepal was embroiled in a bloody civil war from 1996 until 2006. Surprisingly, however, they are still on track to meet 16 of the 19 Millennium Development Goals by 2015.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "h", + "text": "It is important to note that regardless of the underlying targets, MHUs must not be viewed as permanent solutions, due to the limitations in numbers of services provided and high operating costs. In other words, MHUs are not viable stand-alone units that should be viewed as a part of the country's health infrastructure. MHUS are specifically to be used when there is no other option, and retired once the situation has stabilized. There are many other considerations which are important to be aware of when deciding how and when to use MHUs. Du Mortier and Coninx highlight a few of these.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "h", + "text": "In Nepal, the NGOs tended to keep a low profile which might have helped in this case. Of course, the bigger issue is involvement by both sides of the conflict. The idea that both sides will choose not to interfere with healthcare provision is simply unrealistic in many areas of the world.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "h", + "text": "Most of these organizations were never allowed back into the Sudan, leaving much smaller NGOs to take over programming for health and education services, which they were not equipped for. Similarly, in 2009 Ethiopia suspended the operations of around 40 NGOs, (mostly smaller organizations) for operations \"outside of their mandate\". While these sorts of situations occur infrequently, it does point to one of the real issues with the reliance on NGOs in conflict situations. If the government does not support their mission, they can be kicked out, leaving vulnerable populations without access to basic health care.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "h", + "text": "When collaboration with the government does not exist, NGOs can find it impossible to work. In March 2009, in response to President Omar Al-Bashir's indictment by the International Criminal Court, 13 major aid organizations were kicked out of the country, including Medecines Sans Frontiers, OXFAM, CARE, Save The Children, and the IRC. This expulsion left 1.5 million people without access to healthcare, according to the UN.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "h", + "text": "Treatment for patients in the acute stage is not a recommended primary strategy for MHUs, largely due to the fact that they are only intermittently available for any population to access. Obviously, MHUs will deal with acute illnesses in many cases, but this is not their strength and should not be viewed as a primary acute care tool in the planning stage. This focus on preventative care is an important takeaway, and its usefulness in preventing communicable disease through screenings and vaccinations is a clear asset of this model.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "h", + "text": "Du Mortier and Coninx are also very careful to state that MHUs should not be viewed as an evaluation tool. MHUs do not provide assessments as to the state of health in an area, but are a treatment intervention ONLY. As evidenced by Mortier and Coninx, MHUs are useful tools for providing some basic preventative and (barring any other options) acute health care when access is otherwise unavailable. It is important to reiterate that MHUs should be viewed as a last resort in providing medical services during conflict, not as a first option, which may often be the case when planning for interventions in conflict situations, due to their perceived flexibility.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "h", + "text": "Devotka and van Teijlingen identify multiple reasons why Nepal was successful even during such trying times. Neither side purposely disrupted health systems during the conflict. Though the conflict led to a decrease in service utilization, due to access problems, the rebels overall looked favorably on health services and made no efforts to deny access to citizens during the fighting. The rebels made an effort to ensure health clinics in their area were still sufficiently staffed and supplied. Most clinics in rebel-held areas were sufficiently staffed and had supplies.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "h", + "text": "While utilizing the existing healthcare infrastructure as Nepal was able to do would be ideal, in genocides, such as in Rwanda or the Sudan, expecting both sides of the conflict to make efforts not to impede healthcare access is unrealistic. In addition, Nepal's situation was unlike many countries dealing with internal conflict and IDPs.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "h", + "text": "So what are the takeaways from the Nepal case study?", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "h", + "text": "Programming for the elderly and indigent was increased, and many traditional female \"attendants\" saw their role increased. GDP in the country continued to rise during the extended conflict, and infrastructure improvements likely also contributed. These factors likely helped the country stay on track for the MDGs.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "h", + "text": "As stated by Du Mortier and Coninx:. Du Mortier and Coninx go on to say that in their experience, patients will likely refuse transport to a clinic due to fears about where they are going and their ability to return to their families, but the option to receive further treatment is important for the clinic to be viewed as a legitimate healthcare option.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "h", + "text": "MHUs are often more successful for vertical programming. More specifically, MHUs are extremely good at screening and vaccinating for serious conditions that are slow to develop.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "h", + "text": "This support often is vertical and often doesn't take the full IDP situation into account. In fact, over 50% of African countries did not mention their IDPs in their HIV National Strategic Plans and Global Fund proposals indicating a lack of awareness of the need to build capacity for this portion of the population within their borders.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "h", + "text": "As an anecdotal example, the WHO cited one of the failings with the Kenya emergency response in 2007 to be that the emergency response plan was only 28% funded. In response to some of these issues, the World Bank has issued grants for a number of projects that include micro-financing for healthcare services in IDP situations. Generally these grants pay to rehabilitate the physical structures, often in conjunction with schools and other buildings that offer similar services.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "h", + "text": "However, these sorts of grants generally are post-conflict. Effective financing mechanisms during conflict to ensure access for the most vulnerable is largely done through grants and donations to NGOs or UN services where the country's health infrastructure is insufficient. In many conflict zones, NGOs \"pick up the slack\" in providing healthcare services to citizens and IDPs.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "h", + "text": "In Mueller's study, referrals to MSF in the Mindanao region of the Philippines were tracked, with 96% of those treated for emotional distress reporting a traumatic event, ( 54% home evacuation, 26% conflict, 5% destruction of property). The patients were tracked throughout brief psychotherapy sessions, and the results showed a marked improvement (via their scores on a self-reporting questionnaire). What are the implications of this study?", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "h", + "text": "Firstly, increasing preventative care is of clear importance, as was also seen in the discussion of using MHUs in IDP situations. Vaccinations and screenings can do much to stop the spread of infectious diseases before a full-fledged outbreak of malaria occurs. In addition to preparation and disease monitoring, flexibility in these sorts of volatile, unpredictable situations is a clear priority.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "h", + "text": "In addition, the international organizations that responded by providing services kept a low profile. The one issue identified here, however, is the lack of clarity coming from the country level to all actors. While provisions were made for free care to poor citizens, criteria as to who qualified was not laid out to clinics.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "h", + "text": "One area that is of particular concern is that of providing reproductive health in IDP and refugee situations. Due to the ever-changing US government stance on the \"Mexico City Policy,\" also known as the \"Global Gag Rule,\" which is the refusal to fund organizations involved in any sort of abortion programming, reproductive health can be a difficult area for many NGOs reliant on USAID funding to work in.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "h", + "text": "Was this situation an aberration, or can health status continue to improve event during armed conflict within a country? Devkota and Teijlingen think that the lessons learned by analyzing Nepal's approach towards health systems during civil war can indeed be applied elsewhere, and for good reason. At the end of the day, the primary takeaway message is that of coordination, a common theme even in the most stable of countries when discussing health systems. Coordination among the Ministry of Health and community offices, passing off duties when appropriate. Coordination between the Ministry of Health and international agents, such as the UN or NGOs.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "h", + "text": "The sorts of special considerations in Afghanistan and the Sudan should not be viewed as insurmountable obstacles. In an ideal world (more Nepal than some of the other cases) conflict would not affect citizens' access to healthcare and qualified health workers. However, as seen, there are real consequences that can be expected when internal conflict erupts (geographic and financial barriers and the brain drain). The international community has certainly worked hard at establishing frameworks for working in these sorts of situations, but there is still work to be done in developing plans to mitigate the long-term effects of some of these issues.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "h", + "text": "This goes largely back to the issue of location. IDPs are often in inaccessible areas where governments don't have health programs and don't have the funds to initiate them. In addition, countries have a basic responsibility to care for refugees, based on the 1951 refugee convention but no such mandate exists for IDPs.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "h", + "text": "The infrastructure improvements (roads and electricity) likely improved access for many citizens. There are clear lessons for developing a health systems strengthening approach in other conflict situations here.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "h", + "text": "Du Mortier and Coninx stress in their document that MHUs should not be used to substitute Ministry of Health programming, but to supplement those services only in exceptional situations where access is restricted, as a last resort, if you will. They identify very specific targets that MHUs can be used to accomplish. Substitution: As described in the example above, where federal health programming is unable to reach citizens and IDPs, MHUs can be viewed as a temporary stopgap measure.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "h", + "text": "In this case, the organization is acting as a replacement of services for leaders. Support: In these cases, MHUs are used as a supplemental clinic to help officials meet their goals. This generally entails the establishment of common objectives between the government and the NGO which can realistically be supplemented in part by the use of MHUs.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "h", + "text": "While they are unlikely to meet the reproductive health targets, some of the goals Nepal is on track to meet include under-five and maternal mortality targets and disease-specific goals (halting the spread of HIV and malaria). The question is, how was Nepal able to meet these targets even when dealing with civil conflict and internally displaced people?", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "h", + "text": "While many of the clinics were operated without trained health professionals, they still received regular training and supplies. Key actors increased coordination in response to the conflict, while maintaining a low profile. Regular meetings continued between the Ministry of Health (MOH) and community officials.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "h", + "text": "Mobilization: In these cases, services are provided without the direct input of government officials. Support is developed among third parties that can exert pressure on government officials to take over and provide services.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "h", + "text": "The critical point is that the Ministry of Health must coordinate among those organizations. Much of the focus on healthcare provision during emergency and conflict situations revolves around the use of Mobile Health Units (MHUs). Mobile Health Units are, at their most basic, mobile service units that usually provide specific forms of both preventative and curative care.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "h", + "text": "Not only is the provision of mental healthcare during conflict situations feasible, but it is proven to be effective. The WHO has recommended incorporating mental health as one of the screening services offered by MHU, with referrals to trained mental health professionals as seen fit. It seems that adding mental health screening to MHU tasks has been shown in programming to be an effective tool for the future. Clearly, immediate conflict response focuses on morbidity and mortality, and rightly so.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "h", + "text": "As indicated by the mention of triage above, staff in MHUs must be highly trained. In addition, access to a nearby clinic for referral is critical.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "h", + "text": "The international community, however, has correctly identified mental health as an important and under-appreciated aspect of conflict response and is taking steps to ensure those aspects are addressed moving forward. In light of the many issues that make health service provision so difficult in IDP settings, it is useful to identify successes amid the confusion. In Understanding effects of armed conflict on health outcomes: the case of Nepal, Bhimsen Devkota and Edward R van Teijlingen find one such case.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "h", + "text": "MHUs are limited in the number of services they can provide and the frequency at which they are available to any one community. These considerations must be kept in mind when formulating a plan as to how to use MHUs in any conflict or emergency setting. Du Mortier and Coninx describe their use of MHUs with the International Committee of the Red Cross during the conflict in Columbia in 2005. In this case, the rebel forces refused to allow access to the Ministry of Health in the country to citizens in areas they held.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "h", + "text": "Namely, commitment from both sides of the conflict to not disrupting the health provision infrastructure in the country is key. Ensuring clinics still run and funds are in place can help to minimize the effects of access and migration. In addition, the government must be able to hand off some of the management to provincial or community levels, especially in rebel-held zones where they have limited access.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "h", + "text": "Similarly, communication between the MOH and international organizations was not identified as a strength of the program. Public health and more traditional service providers also increased their efforts during the conflict. In addition, community clinics were handed over to the communities to manage, as the federal government did not have adequate resources to manage them during the conflict.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "h", + "text": "The effect of the continued growth of the national GDP cannot be understated, as the relationship between increased GDP and increased health indicators (such as the MDGs Nepal is on track to meet) is quite close. While internal conflict would certainly mitigate some of the expected improvements due to GDP, those increases, as well as the infrastructure investments, likely played an important role in helping health status continue to improve through the ten year war. There are some takeaways from Nepal and the other literature reviewed that can be applied to all conflict situations, however.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "h", + "text": "However, the conflict in Nepal had its own set of rules that likely don't exist in other areas. In Taliban-controlled Afghanistan, NGO workers are regularly held hostage or killed due to their perceived western ties. In many conflicts aid organizations are often viewed as a target.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "h", + "text": "In addition, According to N Hakamies, \"Although material and human resources are significant constraints on agencies, the main challenge is to tackle ideological, managerial and policy barriers, and those related to donor influence.\" Finding funding for family planning services continues to prove difficult for NGOs, and as a result they often do not exist or cannot meet the need levels of their constituencies. Reproductive Health funding problems underscore a larger issue with a reliance on NGO services, as can often be seen in IDP situations.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "h", + "text": "This affects a country's capacity to rebuild post-conflict as well as their ability to provide services while the rebuilding effort is underway. Another issue is the added levels of coordination that occur when working with multiple aid groups to ensure healthcare service coverage. NGO involvement in IDP aid is a fact of life, however.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "h", + "text": "In addition, the only aid group they allowed to enter the region was the ICRC. For these reasons, it was clear that they needed the mobility the MHUs afforded them to ensure basic services were offered to as many citizens in the occupied areas as possible. The point above is reiterated multiple times in Du Mortier and Coninx's article: the reason why MHUs were deemed acceptable in this case is because they were used as the only option.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "h", + "text": "They are generally expensive, however, and the fact that they only provide services intermittently tends to affect when they are appropriate for use. According to Stephane du Mortier and Rudi Coninx, \"In situations of armed conflict, the range of PHC services that can be provided is severely restricted. This means that, in any given situation, it is essential to select the priority services among the spectrum of PHC services\".", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "h", + "text": "This is reliant on government cooperation and funding, whether via grants or private funding. In these frequent situations, coordination between agencies is of the utmost importance, as is earning the trust and commitment of country leadership.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "h", + "text": "The importance of providing mental health care, and screening for IDPs suffering from emotional issues is important for many reasons, one of which is the high rate of prevalence. While it may seem obvious, survivors of conflict situations often have very specific mental health needs. Medicines Sans Frontiers (MSF) has integrated mental healthcare into their emergency response module. Community level workers are \"trained to identify and refer cases of mental disorders and epilepsy to the MSF mobile health clinics where the mental health team provided proper diagnosis and treatment.\"", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "pp", + "text": "Many white-hat hackers end up working as security consultants for organizations such as these. The \"Do Not Track\" bill introduced in the House of Representatives would ban advertisers from tracking the behavior of users who opt-out of ad tracking for marketing purposes.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "pp", + "text": "MyID can change privacy settings to a more secure setting and help you understand what information is private and public. Protect personal information with the MyID identity theft monitoring solution. If you'd like to make your whole blog private, head to Settings and then Privacy and check the radio button for I would like my blog to be visible only to users I choose. Click Save Changes, and then you can start to add users by their Wordpress username. The Word Press Blog Visibility settings have three options which will allow you to set the level of privacy of your blog.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "pp", + "text": "Here are some simple steps for protecting your personal reputation online. First, be sure to secure your accounts from unauthorized access. If your ex had any of your passwords, be sure to change them immediately (and don't give them away next time - your e-mail is none of their business). You should also set up Google News alerts for your own name, so that you know when you pop up in blogs and news stories.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "pp", + "text": "People without any impulse control. Whether they are addicts or just simply impatient, these are spenders who wants what they want, and they want it now. These thieves think they deserve more than they have. They could be young, even teenagers, who have a history of stealing credit cards.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "pp", + "text": "Select Options, then the Under the Hood tab. Click Content Settings, then Cookies. To delete all cookies, select Remove All.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "pp", + "text": "According to Ms. Caproni, \"In the ever-changing world of modern communications technologies, however, the FBI and other government agencies are facing a potentially widening gap between our legal authority to intercept electronic communications pursuant to court order and our practical ability to actually intercept those communications. As the gap between authority and capability widens, the government is increasingly unable to collect valuable evidence in cases ranging from child exploitation and pornography to organized crime and drug trafficking to terrorism and espionage.\"", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "pp", + "text": "The fact is that it's impossible for you to keep all of your information completely private. When you go to a doctor, your insurance card and driver's license are photocopied and placed in your file and are available to anyone who opens your folder. At a restaurant, your credit card is taken away while you wait, trusted to the restaurant's wait staff.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "pp", + "text": "Set the time range to Everything. Click the arrow next to Details and select Cookies from the list.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "pp", + "text": "Readers can take immediate steps to protect online privacy and prevent government efforts to scour social networking sites for your personal details. MyID and Personal Information Privacy. With MyID monitoring your personal information privacy, you can be sure that none of your personal details will leak out across the Internet. MyID can help configure settings to maximize privacy on social networks and stop online ad tracking.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "pp", + "text": "Want to see how private you are on the Internet? Visit Panopticlick, at https://panopticlick.eff.org/, and see just how much information your browser reveals to the Web sites you visit. Each and every computer has a browser fingerprint based on one or more points of identifying information, from the exact version of the browser that you use, to the fonts you have installed, to the resolution of your screen. Web sites use these details to enhance your browsing experience, but if a Web site stores this information about you, it can be effective at tracking where individuals go on a site.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "pp", + "text": "He knows enough to open accounts in your name, and he has the motive to hurt you. If you've just broken up, you'll want to take extra care in checking your financial statements to ensure that he or she didn't make away with one of your credit cards. MyID Identity Theft Protection.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "pp", + "text": "The \"Do Not Track\" bill would similarly force advertisers to respect the privacy of users who do not want their online activity to be subject to ad network tracking for marketing purposes. According to Rep. Jackie Speier (D-Hillsborough), the bill's sponsor, \"Consumers have a right to determine what if any of their information is shared with big corporations, and the federal government must have the authority and tools to enforce reasonable protections.\"", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "pp", + "text": "These laws date back to a time when users fetched their mail from a single computer almost daily, so e-mail that had been on a server for six months was considered abandoned. In the age of webmail, users keep most of their emails forever.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "pp", + "text": "This objection is partially overruled as the newest edition of the Firefox browser makes prevalent a \"Do Not Track Me\" option said to be the response to this and other similar bills. FBI Wants to Expand Internet Wiretapping. The FBI, in an effort to keep up with the changing landscape of the Internet, is calling for a push to expand its capabilities in intercepting online evidence. Citing advances in \"webmail, social networking sites, and peer-to-peer services,\" the FBI's general counsel, Valerie Caproni, addressed Congress to discuss the increasing difficulty in tracing electronic communication in ongoing cases.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "pp", + "text": "Even if you make all the right choices, some things will be beyond your control. You can't control what your ex posts on his or her blog about you. With our patented online privacy protection software, we can alert you whenever your name appears on any of your ex's social networking pages or blogs, allowing you to start doing online reputation management early.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "pp", + "text": "By doing this, identity thieves can learn about your personal information, such as account numbers, PINs, and passwords, and then use the information to gain access to your bank accounts and credit cards. It is even possible for some identity thieves to gain enough information from your computer to open new, fraudulent accounts without your knowledge. By using anti-virus and anti-spyware software, you can keep identity thieves from accessing any of your private documents that are stored on your computer.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "pp", + "text": "Even if you can't eliminate identity theft, you can get instant fraud notifications any time your identity is used without your knowledge. Prevent identity theft with MyID.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "pp", + "text": "You caught her rifling through your files. If she found last year's tax returns, she already has everything she needs to commit identity theft. The Ex. An ex holding a grudge can do a lot of damage in a short amount of time.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "pp", + "text": "They help sites create advertisements targeted for a customer, which ad network tracking specialists say increase the effectiveness of the advertisements. Have you ever noticed an Internet advertisement that was a product you had just searched for? The reason the advertisers knew your preferences was because of ad tracking.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "pp", + "text": "MyID Can Protect Your Privacy Settings and Alert You If They Change. The MyID suite of privacy applications can protect your privacy as it monitors dozens of social network privacy settings.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "pp", + "text": "Hackers who own botnets, malware worms that infest many computers at once and allow the hackers to control them remotely, are usually in business for themselves, selling their services to the highest bidder. Services rendered by these botnet operators most commonly include money laundering and denial of service attacks. Other hackers are simply guns-for-hire, paid between $1,000 and $5,000 to compromise a specific computer. Hackers are often genius-level students who are creative and enjoy puzzles or challenges.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "pp", + "text": "This number cannot be changed, deleted, or modified, and it is forever attached to a single phone's usage history. The number-one recipient of this unique identifier number is Google as part of their advertisement targeting service. In essence, Google's advertising department has a history of your cell phone usage; including download history, what games you play, and how long you play them for.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "pp", + "text": "MyID provides instant fraud notifications any time your identity is used to open a new account. Our patented \"Is This You?\" Verification service notifies you via text or e-mail any time a new credit card, bank account, or bill is taken out in your name. We sort through millions of incoming reports every day from credit card companies, utilities, and banks, filtering for patterns that might correspond to identity theft.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "pp", + "text": "With soapboxes like Facebook and personal blogs, a vengeful ex often has the motivation and opportunity to irrevocably damage your reputation. These days, first impressions are made online. According to author Michael Fertik, \"The first ten Google results on a search of your name are now your resume.\" Online reputation management can be difficult, but not impossible.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "pp", + "text": "Infiltrating a computer system often requires the hacker to practice on similar machines for many hours. In many cases, the hacker will read through the actual programming code that the machine uses until something sticks out as wrong.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "pp", + "text": "Carl Caldwell, the president of Right-to-Know, released the following statement: \"FBI files can begin with records as simple as bankruptcy, Veteran Administration activities to income tax difficulties and passport and visa problems. More than 200 classifications like these are given to the files the FBI considers confidential, secret or top secret.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "pp", + "text": "This is usually due to a programmer error, but these are often overlooked when many individual programmers work on a single piece of code. More novice hackers read the latest security reports from Microsoft and simply attack unpatched computers before the computers have a chance to install the updates.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "pp", + "text": "Whether or not the FBI is having trouble catching criminals who conduct their illicit business over the Internet, the Internet Wiretapping laws need a complete overhaul to ensure privacy protection, not an expansion, which will further limit personal information privacy. A new survey reports that the average American is worried about personal information privacy. For good reason, too - newly declassified files detail massive FBI efforts at data-mining.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "pp", + "text": "Make sure that items you do not wish to delete are unchecked and click Clear Now. To Remove Tracking Cookies in Google Chrome, click on the wrench icon on the browser toolbar.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "pp", + "text": "Install the Firefox Add-on Flashblock. Flashblock stops Adobe's Flash application from storing cookies that enable you to be tracked anywhere on the Web. Install the Firefox Add-on NoScript. This unique whitelist-based script blocking approach prevents the use of JavaScript security vulnerabilities, both known and unknown.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "pp", + "text": "Smart-phone users collect apps, especially the free ones. But, as the adage goes, there's no such thing as a free lunch.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "pp", + "text": "Even apps one might suppose were mindful of concerns about personal information on the Internet, like the CBS News app, routinely send location and identification details to undisclosed third parties. The best-in-breed of these apps include Facebook, YouTube, and ESPN ScoreCenter, which transmit no data to third parties and only send limited data to their parent company. The privacy settings of some apps, like the bi and gay social networking app Grindr, is appalling. Grindr sends age, gender, location, and identification information to various third parties for marketing purposes.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "pp", + "text": "Track how your ID Theft Risk Score changes on a day-to-day and month-to-month basis with MyID identity theft monitoring. MyID Monitoring sends monthly reports with your current risk score, last month's risk score, a report of circumstances that increased or decreased your risk score for the month, and the ability to access your risk scores for the previous 36 months. The end of a relationship can be a high-strung time.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "pp", + "text": "By clicking on the Public Profile link on LinkedIn, you can change privacy settings that control what information is displayed on your profile to users who are not connected to you in any way on LinkedIn. It is best to make your public profile visible to everyone but only show your name, industry, location, number of recommendations, and headline. This will make it possible for people who are looking specifically for you to identify you and send you a connection request and will also limit the amount of information harvesting that can be done by people you do not know.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "pp", + "text": "The minute your identity is stolen, you can report it to the FTC, disable the accounts in question, and catch the identity thief. Most of the damage of identity theft is done over time. An identity thief might open an account this week, another account in a month, and then subscribe to a cell phone plan three months from now.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "pp", + "text": "The default setting allows everyone, including search engines, to access your blog. The second, more limited, setting blocks search engines from crawling your blog, requiring users to type in your URL directly.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "pp", + "text": "Use anti-virus and anti-spyware software. This is one of the most important things you can do to keep identity thieves from accessing personal information that is stored on your computer. Identity thieves use viruses and spyware to gain access to the passwords, files, and browsing history on your computer.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "pp", + "text": "Addicts. Impaired judgment and a desperate need of money make addicts one of the prime perpetrators of identity theft. These might be drug addicts, compulsive gamblers, or alcoholics. Nosy friends.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "pp", + "text": "High levels of education in certain areas of China and Russia plus a national broadband system and a government which may not support, but at least condones, computer crime against foreign nationals also lead to the majority of real threats originating from these areas. Most hackers are young, under thirty. The reasons for this are uncertain, but it is known that their respective governments recruit the best and brightest hackers as part of their military.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "pp", + "text": "identity verification ensures that you'll never be caught unaware by an identity thief. Identity thieves use a number of different ways to steal an individual's personal information, and many of them use the internet to get this information. With technology advancing at the speed it is, it is crucial to know how to protect your financial information online. Do not put personal information in e-mails.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "pp", + "text": "These programs are often distributed among the hacker community as ways to break into certain systems. Many of these programs are freely available on the Internet today for any novice interested in getting started as a hacker. Some hackers do not attack the computer systems at all, preferring to manipulate the human behind the system instead. These hackers, known as social engineers, are usually behind most of the phishing and pharming scams on the Internet. Hackers come in two varieties, called black hat and white hat.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "pp", + "text": "Sending an email message is not the same as sending something through certified mail. In fact, email is one of the main resources that identity thieves use to steal personal information.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "pp", + "text": "This can be leveraged into a positive reputation as well, though. By creating your own account on social networking sites, you can ensure that your own profile gets a higher Google search engine ranking, moving the smears off the first page of Google.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "pp", + "text": "The FBI databases contain tens of thousands of records from car-rental companies, hotels, and national department stores. Such a system can correlate data from different sources to automatically identify terrorists. The system was used to locate a suspected Al Qaeda operative who was hiding in Houston.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "pp", + "text": "Do not send any of your personal information through email, even if you know the person you are sending it to. There are ways that identity thieves can \"intercept\" these messages, and they can then use the information from the email to take over your identity. It is also important to never respond to any email requesting personal information from someone you do not know.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "pp", + "text": "Google also allows you to create a profile for yourself which will show up when users search for your name. This service, at google.com/profiles, can link up your positive reputation sources like your photo albums, social networks, and blogs.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "pp", + "text": "Choose secure passwords. Online banking accounts and credit card accounts are very common, and it is important to choose secure passwords for these types of accounts.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "pp", + "text": "It also discovered that members of a Pakistani terrorist group were working in Philadelphia as taxi drivers. And, when the United States government lost track of terror suspects during the Hurricane Katrina aftermath, the system was able to track down and find them across the entire southern half of the United States. Many, including the Electronic Frontier Foundation, believe that this kind of data-mining is the first step toward an Orwellian control over the population. The EFF cites a National Research Council paper that concluded \"data mining is a dangerous and ineffective way to identify potential terrorists, which will inevitably generate false positives that subject innocent citizens to invasive scrutiny by their government.\"", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "pp", + "text": "The result is a number between 0 and 999 that quickly assesses whether or not you are at risk for identity fraud. Built from the ground up, our identity theft monitoring engine has grown to include over 700 billion aggregated identity attributes and one billion consumer transactions. The service receives over 45 million reports per day from leading financial institutions, retailers, wireless providers, credit card issuers, auto and mortgage lenders, and other issuers of credit.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "pp", + "text": "By changing privacy settings of your WordPress blog, you can protect your privacy and be sure that only approved users read your content. Maximize Privacy on Social Networks with MyID. Any time you post private information to WordPress, MyID will find it and alert you, allowing you to remove it before any search engine has a chance to archive it, maximizing your privacy on social networks. Without resorting to Hollywood stereotypes about hackers, let's take a look at the demographics, psychology, and goals of your average online computer hacker.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "pp", + "text": "The FBI argues that the current limitations on their wiretapping are antiquated. Many statutes have not been updated since the early nineties. Some of the statutes allow the FBI to read e-mail stored on a local server that is more than six months old.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "pp", + "text": "The EFF is a non-profit with a stated goal to protect online privacy. The FBI hopes to add more sources of information to their database, including airline manifests from the Department of Homeland Security, the Postal Service's change of address database, the national Social Security number database, and 24 other unidentified databases whose names were redacted in the released report. Whether or not sacrificing personal information privacy is worth it to catch terrorists is up to the reader to decide.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "pp", + "text": "Under Cookies, click Delete cookies, and then click Yes to confirm that you want to delete them. Click Close, and then click OK. To Remove Tracking Cookies in Firefox, click on the Tools menu and select Clear Recent History.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "pp", + "text": "The vast majority of hackers are from China or Russia. These nations serve as a breeding ground for criminals of every kind, not just computer criminals.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "pp", + "text": "Are Grindr users even aware of this breach of personal privacy? It's unlikely that many read the privacy policy before signing up.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "pp", + "text": "Identity thieves will even send emails claiming to be from a company that needs you personal information for financial purposes. Remember that no reputable company or business would ever contact you through email asking for this type of information.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "pp", + "text": "It is good to keep a hand-written list of your online passwords so that you will not forget them. Put this list somewhere safe in your home where no one else will have access to it but you. Never store a list of passwords on your computer or anywhere online because if an identity thief gained access to the files stored on your computer, they would then have access to every single account that is listed in the file containing your passwords. Cookies are small bits of information that sites store on your computer to track the places you have been on the Web.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "pp", + "text": "You should also sign up your own name as a domain name, ensuring that you have that address before your angry ex can register it. Domain names rank highly in search results.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "pp", + "text": "MyID Identity Theft Monitoring and Identity Theft Protection software provides identity theft alerts any time your identity is used to open a new account. Instant fraud notifications like the \"Is This You?\"", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "pp", + "text": "Additionally, not all third-parties are the same. While information sent to Pandora's sponsors may be aggregated and not linked to a phone's unique identifier (whether this is the case is not apparent), can you be sure that an independent game developer is protecting online privacy beyond his own monetary interests? For games with millions of installs, like Angry Birds, companies pay big bucks for collated and organized user identifying data, and though Apple and Google have both encouraged app developers to maintain user privacy through privacy policies, opt-out procedures, opt-in tracking, and collecting data anonymously, apps are not required to have any of these features to be included in either marketplace. In essence, your privacy on the Internet is protected only by the scruples of the app developer themselves.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "pp", + "text": "The possibility that Internet users will be able to hide what they do from the ubiquitous ad tracking is a big win for consumers concerned with Internet privacy. Lawmakers have heralded the bill as a companion to the \"Do Not Call\" registry that was introduced in 2003. The registry prevented telemarketers from calling consumers who chose to opt-out from telemarketing calls.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "pp", + "text": "Individuals with high identity theft risk should take immediate and aggressive steps to protect personal information. These steps include reviewing credit card statements and bank account activity, requesting a free credit report, or requesting a credit freeze or fraud alert with a credit bureau. Identity Theft Protection your ID Theft Risk Score with MyID.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "pp", + "text": "Next, you should do some deep cleaning with tracking cookie removal. To Remove Tracking Cookies in Internet Explorer, Open Internet Options by clicking the Start button, clicking Control Panel, clicking Network and Internet, and then clicking Internet Options. Click the General tab, and then, under Browsing history, click Delete.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "pp", + "text": "According to a survey by Javelin Research, as many as half of identity thefts can be attributed to someone that the victim knew. These are some potential identity thieves that you may know. Unemployed with rich lifestyles.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "pp", + "text": "Depending on how much personal information you post on your blog, you can choose to change privacy settings to a high level in order to protect your privacy. If you'd like to make a particular post private so that only you or a bunch of people you choose can see it, all you need to do is head to the post editor and click on Visibility in the Publish pane. You can choose to make the post either password protected, in which case you'll need to supply a password, or private, which means only that you or other blog contributors will be able to see it. Click OK and that will be made effective immediately.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "pp", + "text": "The MyID Theft Risk Score gives you actionable insight into the risk of you becoming a victim of identity theft. Your ID Theft Risk Score is a quick and easy way to gain insight into whether your personal information is at risk of misuse. Your ID Theft Risk Score uses patented technology to identify suspicious or unusual access to your identity. Our statistical formulas use hundreds of variables that affect your unique, individual risk of identity theft.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "pp", + "text": "Monitoring Your Financial Accounts with MyID Identity Theft Solution. MyID can monitor your financial accounts for financial identity theft and notify you if it believes you have been compromised. Protect against identity theft with instant fraud notifications. It's painful but true: most identity thieves are people that you know - neighbors, friends, relatives, or co-workers.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "pp", + "text": "If potential employers acting in a business capacity were the only people who could see your resume, it would be fine to post your contact information on LinkedIn, and, on LinkedIn, you can protect your privacy through the use of the LinkedIn social network privacy settings. The Accounts & Settings section of LinkedIn allows you to choose how your information is displayed.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "pp", + "text": "Avoiding being tracked by cookies, while still maintaining Web usability, is the Holy Grail for Web users. There are a few steps you can take to make sure you avoid ad tracking. First, download a modern browser like Firefox. Internet Explorer is notoriously bad at keeping your computer secure and untrackable.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "pp", + "text": "Identity theft occurs anytime someone uses personally identifying information to open fraudulent accounts or commit crimes. As many as 9 million Americans have their identities stolen each year. Most victims know the person who stole their identity, after all, who else would know your mother's maiden name, city of birth, date of birth, and address?", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "pp", + "text": "It's proper etiquette in the white hat community to send instructions on how to patch the hole to the administrator of a compromised system via an email from his own account. Since hackers fight on their own turf, most individuals stand little or no chance against them without relying on the security consultants who release the updates to their operating system, browser, and anti-virus software.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "pp", + "text": "LinkedIn is a social networking site for employees and employers. It functions as a Web resume, allowing employers to recommend employees for work they have done in the past, and allowing employees to find new work from the thousands of posted available jobs. In the job market, \"putting yourself out there\" is often seen as a good thing.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "pp", + "text": "An individual's attempts to retrieve this information are often thwarted by the complexity of the system itself.\" Caldwell continues, \"As the government gains access to more and more aspects of a private citizen's life in the name of preventing terrorism, more ordinary people will unknowingly become targets of investigation, and more files will be gathered on the innocent.\"", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "pp", + "text": "Choose passwords that have uppercase and lowercase letters, symbols, and numbers. It is also good to have a different password for each of your financial accounts. This way, if an identity thief does gain access to one account, they will not be able to use the other one.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "pp", + "text": "This sort of passive monitoring of your reputation should be in everyone's online reputation management toolbox. According to Radically Transparent: Monitoring and Managing Reputations Online, the reason that Facebook smears can be so damaging to an online reputation is that Facebook ranks highly in search engines.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "pp", + "text": "The \"Do Not Track\" bill would give the FTC eighteen months to come up with a set of enforceable privacy protection regulations for online ad network tracking. Some, like Ryan Calo, director of Stanford Law School's Consumer Privacy Project, believe the bill does not go far enough.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "pp", + "text": "Of course, if you want, you can also make yourself impossible to find by anyone you have not directly initiated a connection with by making your public profile visible to no one.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "pp", + "text": "Smart phone apps collect data about you as you use them, and many deliver this data not only to the apps owner but to third parties as well. An investigative report by the Wall Street Journal [1] found that iPhone and Android apps routinely track and send data like your contacts, age, gender, location, phone ID, phone number and usage habits to anonymous parties, angering many users concerned with the privacy on the internet.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "pp", + "text": "Of the 101 apps reviewed by the Wall Street Journal, 45 did not even have a published privacy policy. Many of these apps simply do not allow users to opt-out of phone tracking. The most widely shared piece of personal information on the Internet is the phone's unique identifier number.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "pp", + "text": "Identity thieves often give themselves away by living out of their means, given their resources and credit. If you know how much money someone makes, but their lifestyle doesn't correlate with that, it might be a warning sign.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "pp", + "text": "For one, he said, the bill only applied to those who chose to opt-out from ad network tracking. It does not affect those who do not know that they can or do not know how.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "pp", + "text": "According to the report, the big offenders are not the kind of underbelly-scale applications you might expect. Angry Birds and Pandora are two of the biggest offenders.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "pp", + "text": "Briefly, the other options you have to further limit what people see about you include disabling Connections Browse, which keeps your connections private, Profile Views, which limits what information people who you have browsed can see, opting out of the Service Provider Directory and the LinkedIn Partner Advertising directory. These settings will limit the number of eyes on your profile but will not limit your ability to use your LinkedIn profile as a resume. You can also use this page to control the unsolicited e-mail you receive by modifying the settings on the Receiving Messages settings page as well as the InMails page.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "pp", + "text": "The black hat hackers are the criminal element, doing things that are illegal or immoral in order to make money or simply for vandalism. White hat hackers are often individuals hacking for the fun or the challenge with no intention to harm any of the computers they compromise.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "pp", + "text": "Building on this robust database of information, events and patterns surrounding your personal information privacy can lead to an increase or decrease in your ID Theft Risk Score. To check your ID Theft Risk Score, you are required to submit a Social Security number, Name, Address, Home Phone number, and Date of Birth. Additional details such as a Cell Phone number, E-mail address, and IP address can improve precision and add further insight into your risk level.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "qq", + "text": "Though Africans continued to enter the assimilado class, the stringent restrictions on assimilation and the reluctance of many Africans to give up their African culture meant that less than 1% of Angola's population was ever formally assimilated. In the post-WWII period white immigration to Angola reached new highs as industrialization brought about massive rural unemployment in Portugal.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "qq", + "text": "The commitment to fighting communism and the US's previous relationship with Holden Roberto trumped the opinions of the dissenters and the US continued to support the FNLA. US weapons, foreign mercenaries, and Zairian and South African forces were unable to defeat the MPLA with their Cuban and Soviet allies and American involvement declined during the following years under the Carter administration. The 1980 election of Ronald Reagan brought the US back into the fold of the Angolan Civil War, with continued support of UNITA. Though UNITA achieved some military victories with the help of the SADF, particularly at Cuito-Cuanavale in 1988 where they beat off a large attack by MPLA and Cuban forces, it became increasingly clear that neither side would gain an upper hand and that most of the military successes on both sides were due to the Cuban and South African forces.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "qq", + "text": "Some of these were ideological; Mobutu was a staunch Cold War ally of the US and was highly critical of communism. His experience with Soviet-supported Katangese rebels in the late 1960s helped establish these views and when this group began to fight on the side of the MPLA in 1975, it only increased the animosity between Mobutu and the MPLA. Other aspects of the MPLA and Mobutu's ideologies also clashed.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "qq", + "text": "In addition to the competition between the US and the USSR, several other factors motivated the involvement of international powers: the Sino-Soviet split, Third World solidarity against Western exploitation and imperialism, and in the case of the US, Angola's large oil reserves. The USSR was involved with the MPLA from its foundation in the late-1950s. Starting in 1958, MPLA founding member Mario de Andrade would travel to Moscow on a regular basis for various conferences and meetings.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "qq", + "text": "After Vasco de Gama secured a passage to India at the turn of the sixteenth century, Portugal lost interest in Kongo and other African kingdoms as major trading partners, and began to view them primarily as sources of slaves. The slave trade came to dominate Portuguese-African relations and nearly all economic activity in Angola.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "qq", + "text": "Becoming an assmilado meant showing a certain degree of educational attainment and financial security, in addition to adopting the Portuguese language and culture. The criteria for entry into the assimilado class were regulated by the Portuguese colonial authorities.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "qq", + "text": "Starting with the training of UNITA operatives in Beijing during the late-1960s, Chinese support eventually rested primarily on the FNLA. After the events of 1974-1976, China was discouraged by the course of the war and withdrew its military advisors and materiel aid. The Angolan War of Independence together with the Angolan Civil War cost hundreds of thousands of Angolans their lives, and occupied the country for over forty years. The effects of the conflict are still felt today as thousands of landmines make farming in many areas very dangerous and tensions between different ethnic and political groups still exist, though not on the scale it previously did.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "qq", + "text": "Despite this, the MPLA initially struggled to build popular support. Many Angolans were suspicious of the MPLA, which represented the old mestico and assimilado elite of the coastal cities and had a history of dominating the largely rural populations of the interior. Rival groups like the FNLA highlighted this distrust by publicly condemning the MPLA as out of touch with the peasants that made up 93% of the Angolan population.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "qq", + "text": "As the Afro-Portuguese were increasingly excluded from the higher levels of colonial administration, they had to compete with poor white immigrants for lower level jobs. Modern forms of transportation like the railroad and steamships began to dominate trade at the expense of the old mestico-controlled caravans, further undermining their economic activities.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "qq", + "text": "Tanzania and Zambia also served as transit points for incoming Soviet arms shipments. Though a relatively unified group during most of the civil war, divisions within the MPLA threatened its existence in its early years and into the 1970s. At the root of the inner factionalism was the disparate backgrounds of MPLA members, which included both educated mesticos and assimilados as well as uneducated peasants. Various groups formed factions that struggled for dominance within the movement.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "qq", + "text": "Cuba was not simply a Soviet proxy but rather had its own agenda for being in Angola. As a Third World country with a colonial past and communist government, Cuba wanted to sustain the global conflict against the West and imperialism through spreading Marxist-Leninist revolution.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "qq", + "text": "Members of the indigena group were given access to few political rights and restricted to only the lowest and most menial forms of employment. By contrast, assimilados, mainly urbanized, were granted some political rights and eventually Portuguese citizenship.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "qq", + "text": "Chief among the regional powers involved in Angola were Zaire and South Africa. Both countries had strong motivations for their presence in Angola and importantly the means to affect the course of the war. The rise of Black Nationalism and the decolonization of many countries in the region posed a major threat to the survival of the apartheid regime of South Africa. Politically and economically based on a persistent system of racial oppression and exploitation, South Africa, as well as the other remaining settler colony, Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe), was under heavy international pressure to grant rights to its African majority and faced various boycotts and trade embargos as a result.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "qq", + "text": "The MPLA was also not as focused on regional or ethnic issues, as the predominately Bakongo UPA based in northern Angola was. The USSR also practiced the policy of recognizing and supporting only one rebel movement within a conflict, a policy not shared by all of its peers.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "qq", + "text": "One major split was the Eastern Revolt led by Daniel Chipenda in the early-1970s, which set the guerillas doing most of the fighting against the political organization led by Agostihno Neto in Luanda. Chipenda eventually joined the FNLA and helped elicit the support of South Africa in the war against his old organization.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "qq", + "text": "Ranging from global superpowers like the United States and the Soviet Union to regional players like South Africa and Zaire, numerous countries entered the conflict and complicated the situation. American, Soviet, and Chinese involvement were rooted primarily in the existential Cold War struggle of ideologies and global geopolitics, with economic interests also playing a major role for the United States. Regional powers were influenced by the superpowers and motivated by a number of other factors as well. The changing nature of world politics would alter the course of the war and most of the major powers would withdraw from Angola in the late-1980s and early-1990s.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "qq", + "text": "By the 1980s, a Soviet investment of $5 billion in military hardware helped lead the MPLA to victory in the war. Weapons provided included \"T-34 and T-54 tanks, 100mm guns, 120mm multiple rocket launchers, amphibious vehicles, helicopters equipped with 20mm cannon and air-to-ground rockets\" as well as MIG-17 and MIG-21 fighter jets. Soviet and Cuban presence continued until the late 80s when global political changes and the end of the Cold War took away many of the incentives of remaining in Angola.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "qq", + "text": "In both of these situations, the rebel groups fought successful united campaigns against the Portuguese and were on the verge of victory at the time of independence. By contrast, no single nationalist movement in Angola was able to unite the various rebel factions in the struggle against Portugal for independence, and the three major groups that came to dominate the fourteen-year liberation war often fought each other as much as the Portuguese. The Movimento Popular de Libertacao de Angola (Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola) was initially formed in the late 1950s by a young group of Angolans studying in Lisbon and Paris, including Lucio Lara, Agostinho Neto, Mario de Andrade, and Jose Eduardo dos Santos (Neto's successor and the current president of Angola).", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "qq", + "text": "During these visits the MPLA developed a relationship with the Soviets, securing funding and in 1961 the explicit support of Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev, who stated that \"the patriots of Angola can be sure that the sympathies of the peoples of the great Soviet Union are fully on their side.\" Many MPLA leaders would go on to be educated in Moscow. The USSR chose to support the MPLA over rival movements in Angola for a number of reasons. As a left-leaning Marxist movement that explicitly condemned the imperial powers, the MPLA followed the same basic ideological principles as the USSR. The UPA/FNLA was more ambiguous on this issue, receiving support from the US and sometimes practicing anti-communist rhetoric.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "qq", + "text": "They further stated that an independent Angola under the MPLA would be dominated by urban mesticos and assimilados, effectively transferring power from one class of colonial masters to another.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "qq", + "text": "The Afro-Portuguese were also challenged by a growing population of urbanized and mostly missionary-educated Africans. In an attempt to create a more defined social hierarchy, the Portuguese implemented as system of assimilation, drawing a distinction between indigena (indigenous) and assimilado (assimilated) populations.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "qq", + "text": "According to John Stockwell, chief of the CIA's Angola Task Force in 1975, the FNLA \"had few educated men at the top--no intellectuals--and had spent much of its history in the cocktail parties of Kinshasa.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "qq", + "text": "Early Soviet support of the MPLA included food and clothing as well as weapons and increased progressively during the course of the war from goods valued at $25,000 in 1961 to $220,000 in 1973. Large scale Soviet assistance did not come until 1975 though. In this year another foreign power would join the equation, with Cuba's shipment of two shiploads of T-55 tanks and 500 military advisories. Though the Cubans and Soviets would work together closely in Angola, early actions were not coordinated as is widely assumed.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "qq", + "text": "The effects of the plantation system in the early twentieth century also exacerbated tensions between African ethnic groups. In the northern part of the country, large numbers of peasants were displaced to make room for commercial coffee plantations.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "qq", + "text": "Unlike the ideologically based MPLA, the UPA and other Bakongo nationalist movements appealed directly to the Bakongo ethnic group and the heritage of the old Kongo kingdom. Though Holden Roberto had ambitions of making the UPA/FNLA a nation-wide movement with broad-based support, it remained for most of its history an organization dominated by Bakongos, and was responsible for numerous acts of violence against mesticos, assimilados, whites, and non-Bakongo Africans, particularly the Ovimbundu who worked on the coffee plantations of the north. Its reputation for violence and the lack of discipline among its ranks led many to distrust the FNLA, and greatly decreased its effectiveness. Infighting plagued the organization throughout its history as well.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "qq", + "text": "Used as soldiers, settlers, and sailors, the degradados, together with exiled Jews, gypsies, and other \"undesirables,\" formed a large majority of the white population in Angola until the beginning of the twentieth century. The mortality rate among degredados was alarmingly high, and this further discouraged free immigration to Angola, creating a cycle of continued penal settlement. Because of their small numbers and unreliability, the degredados could not fulfill all the roles of colonial administration and commerce, a class of mesticos, also called the Afro-Portuguese, rose to take many these positions. Originally descendant from the union of Portuguese soldiers and merchants with indigenous African women, the Afro-Portuguese eventually became their own distinct ethnic group and grew to wield significant economic, and later political, power.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "qq", + "text": "Assimilados were further divided into two groups, \"assimilated objects\" and \"assimilated groups,\" with the former mostly made up of the established Afro-Portuguese families who worked in various levels of the colonial government and the latter of the growing class of missionary-educated Africans.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "qq", + "text": "Other communist countries in Eastern Europe also supplied arms and military advisors, including the German Democratic Republic (East Germany). Support from other African countries was more limited. Neighboring Zaire and South Africa actively backed the FNLA and UNITA, both committing significant numbers of soldiers to fight the MPLA. Other African nations were less hostile; during the independence war the organization was based at different times in Congo-Brazzaville, Tanzania, and Zambia.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "qq", + "text": "Despite its ostensibly obvious contradictions, lusotropicalism was widely accepted among the people of Portugal until the mid-1970s, and was used by the government to justify its continued involvement in Africa during a period when most European powers were leaving or had already left the continent. These colonial policies of the twentieth century instigated the forty years of conflict in Angola. However, a long history of violence and exploitation created the context for these struggles, starting with the Atlantic slave trade in the late fifteenth century.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "qq", + "text": "Savimbi's charisma and previous training in China helped him build an effective fighting force that challenged the MPLA for over twenty-five years. However, the fact that UNITA was built around Savimbi meant that after his death the movement disintegrated. Through the entire course of conflict in Angola from 1961 to 2002, foreign powers were involved in various degrees, from direct military assistance to monetary and diplomatic backing of one or more of the internal movements.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "qq", + "text": "Without the aggressive Mobutu regime as a neighborhood, the situation in Angola stabilized and the MPLA was finally able to crack down on internal dissent without being troubled with foreign intervention, ending the civil war a few years later in 2002. Like most other Third World conflicts of the twentieth century, the wars in Angola were heavily affected by the Cold War.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "qq", + "text": "According to some estimates, as many as 8 million slaves were taken from Angola, a figure higher than the total population of the country upon independence in 1975. The slave trade caused major disturbances in the interior, with the associated violence and depopulation ultimately leading to the demise of the Kongo and other indigenous states. The abolition of the international slave trade in the 1830s and of slavery throughout the Portuguese empire in the 1870s did not mark the end of forced African labor in Angola. Domestic slavery, particularly among the Kongo chiefs and highland kings of the interior was still widespread and slaves continued to be exported to Indian Ocean markets further east. Forced labor continued in a legal form under the new system of forced labor outlined in the 1878 Regulamento para os contratos de servicais e colonos nas provincias de Africa (Regulation for contracts of servants and colonists in the provinces of Africa).", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "qq", + "text": "This document essentially made former slaves into \"servants\" or servicais, who had to be \"contracted\" into labor. The Regulamento also stipulated that any Angolans who were not fully employed were considered \"vagrants\" and could be legally forced into five-year contracts. While slaves were no longer exportable commodities on the same scale they were before the abolition of the slave trade, slavery persisted in much the same way it had in the past centuries, despite the change in nomenclature.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "qq", + "text": "As both Cuba and South Africa agreed to leave Angola where they were both essentially fighting another country's war for them, US support for UNITA also decreased and under the Bush and Clinton administrations closer ties were made with the MPLA and it was recognized diplomatically as the legitimate government of Angola. With the Cold War over and its oil interests safe, the US had little reason to be actively supporting rebel movements in Angola. China was the third superpower to project its power in Angola. Chinese involvement was mostly limited to the first two decades of war and was rooted in its opposition to Soviet expansion coming out of the Sino-Soviet split. This anti-Sovietism held together the curious alliance of two African nationalist groups (the FNLA and UNITA), Zaire, apartheid South Africa, communist China, and the United States.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "qq", + "text": "Further south in the central highlands, the primary commercial crop was cotton, and British and Portuguese cotton plantations displaced the native Ovimbundu. Unlike the Bakongo farmers of the north who largely stayed together and settled in Zaire, the Ovimbundu dispersed in all directions, some remained in the area to work the cotton fields, while others migrated north to work on the coffee plantations or south to less populated areas. The employment of Ovimbundu on land formerly occupied by Bakongo farmers created tensions between the two groups.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "qq", + "text": "In the 1990s Zaire served as the main supporter of UNITA, as South African and American support for the organization dwindled. In 1997 a coup supported in part by the Angolan government overthrew Mobutu, and Zaire was renamed the Democratic Republic of the Congo.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "qq", + "text": "For the first few hundred years of Portuguese rule, the European population in Angola was minimal and largely limited to the coast. Though several attempts were made to found agricultural outposts with white settlers in the interior, these were largely failures. The oppressive tropical climate and hostile African neighbors made life difficult for settlers, many of whom lacked agricultural experience or expertise.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "qq", + "text": "The influence of the mesticos began with the slave trade, in which they often served as middlemen between the Portuguese traders and indigenous African kingdoms, leading and accompanying trade caravans into the interior. Though the slave trade was initially associated with the areas in and around the Kongo kingdom and its capital of Sao Salvador, Afro-Portuguese traders began to penetrate the central highlands to the south to find new sources of slaves. Luanda and later Benguela were established as ports to facilitate direct the new trade with Brazil and the other colonies. The decline of the Kongo due to a series of wars with the Portuguese in the seventeenth century, together with the stronger and more direct connections with colonial traders enjoyed by the Afro-Portuguese led to the eclipse of Sao Salvador by Luanda as the center of the Angolan slave trade, and by extension, economic activity in the region.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "qq", + "text": "This action would be the first of twelve invasions by the SADF, which would be vital for the survival of UNITA as a viable military force. The continued involvement of South Africa forced the MPLA to rely on Cuban and Soviet military support throughout the civil war. The transition to a post-apartheid government in the early-90s and the independence of Namibia meant that South Africa would no longer intervene militarily in Angola.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "qq", + "text": "This new system created even more divisions in Angolan society by separating the population into groups, which actively competed with one another. The old Afro-Portuguese families, who often identified economically and culturally with the white settlers, saw their historical privileges taken away and became increasingly critical of the colonial government and at odds with white settlers. Mesticos also felt threatened by the newly educated class of Africans, who were seen as usurping their traditional roles in the colonial hierarchy. This split within the assimilado group carried on through the civil war, with the MPLA leadership coming mostly from the older established group, and the leaders of FNLA and UNITA from the newer group.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "qq", + "text": "In the disorganized retreat back into Zaire, the troops wrecked havoc on the countryside and abandoned large amounts of American weapons, exposing the US's somewhat clandestine support of the FNLA.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "qq", + "text": "Counting urban mesticos and assimilados, in addition to some liberal whites among its ranks, the MPLA was explicitly inclusive and set out to unite Angolans of different ethnic, religious, and regional backgrounds into one independence movement. Many of the founders had been members of the Communist Party of Angola (PCA) and a Marxist class-based ideology was adopted by the movement, partially as a uniting force for a group without a strong ethnic or regional base.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "qq", + "text": "Furthermore as they were largely employed in lowly paid plantation work, the Ovimbundu occupied the low end of the economic scale, being scorned by both the Bakongo and Mbundu as crude and subservient. The animosity displayed by the other ethnic groups toward the Ovimbundu caused many of them to reject the two dominant nationalist groups, the FNLA and MPLA, during the liberation war, in favor of UNITA, an explicitly Ovimbundu-based organization. The continued fragmentation of its nationalist movements set Angola apart from other Portuguese colonies. In Mozambique Julius Nyerere united the various factions under the banner of FRELIMO, and Amilcar Cabral convinced the assimilados of Cape Verde and the peasants of Guinea-Bissau to unite as PAIGC.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "qq", + "text": "The underlying causes of the long conflict are many and complicated, having their roots in nearly five centuries of disruptive Portuguese rule in which millions of Angolans were enslaved or forced into labor and the population was divided into a racial hierarchy that led to distrust and resentment between groups. Constant internal factionalism and massive foreign intervention prolonged and intensified the conflict, leading to one of the most devastating wars on the African continent.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "qq", + "text": "While the MPLA espoused multi-racial and cosmopolitan views, Mobutu was a black nationalist with strong ideals of African authenticity. Starting in 1975, Zaire sent several battalions of regular soldiers as well as commando units into Angola, after unsupported FNLA guerillas proved ineffective. Even with significant weapons provided by the US and other Western nations, the Zairians were decisively defeated by the MPLA and their Cuban allies.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "qq", + "text": "To do this, the old system of indirect rule through mestico and African allies had to be replaced by direct Portuguese control and white settlement. Though European settlement continued at a relatively slow pace through the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, restrictions were gradually made on which civil service and military positions Africans or mesticos could occupy.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "qq", + "text": "Still, the Afro-Portuguese \"seldom, if ever, identified with the Africans because for all practical purposes they were Portuguese in nearly every way except colour.\" Later in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, some of the old Afro-Portuguese families began to merge with the other Kimbundu-speaking peoples of coastal and central Angola to form the modern Mbundu ethnic identity. The history of Afro-Portuguese dominance and compliance with the Portuguese colonial authorities created rifts between the coastal and inland peoples, which would continue to manifest themselves in the post-colonial conflicts, as the coastal and Mbundu-dominated MPLA struggled to win support among the Ovimbundu people of the interior. The relative dominance of the Afro-Portuguese began to be challenged in the late 1800s, as the Portuguese were increasingly pressured to \"modernize\" their colonies by their colonial neighbors, the British and Germans.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "qq", + "text": "Portuguese Angola and Mozambique were seen as potential solutions to South Africa's economic and security problems, and South Africa had worked with the Portuguese colonial government in the past. With both territories possessing large settler populations, friendly post-colonial regimes could be set up with South African military intervention, turning the former Portuguese colonies into buffer states and important allies in a hostile neighborhood. Furthermore, Angola's developed infrastructure and rich resource wealth could help South Africa economically, as it felt increasingly isolated by the international community.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "qq", + "text": "The Mbundu and Bakongo ethnic groups dominated the MPLA and FNLA leadership, while the largest group, the Ovimbundu, had limited representation. Seeking to create a nationalist movement for his own people, Savimbi formed UNITA, basing his power among the Ovimbundu capital of Huambo. UNITA received aid from the US and South Africa for most of its existence and espoused an anti-communist agenda, though Savimbi had himself been a Marxist at one time. After being defeated right after independence UNITA retreated deep into the Angolan bush and built up an army of several thousand men with fanatically loyal officers.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "qq", + "text": "A Soviet friendly nation in southern Africa might tip the balance of power in favor of the communists and set off more leftist revolutions in the region. Since 1961, the US had been supporting Holden Roberto with a modest stipend of $10,000 a year. In the light of the new situation, this sum was increased to $300,000 in 1975, and throughout that year $35 million was spent on arming the FNLA through airbases in friendly Zaire. US involvement was relatively clandestine at this stage, mostly involving the CIA and indirect aid to the FNLA through Zaire. An American population weary from Vietnam was not willing to enter another bloody Third World conflict so far from home.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "qq", + "text": "Immigration to Africa was seen as both a solution to Portugal's excess population problem and as a way to strengthen Portuguese control over its colonies. With the white population in Angola increasing from 44,000 in 1940 to 325,000 in 1974, Europeans soon took over not only upper and mid-level positions, but also most low-wage jobs in the city, displacing most of the urban African population. Having lost much of their status to poor white settlers, mestico and assimilado populations felt increasingly marginalized by the Portuguese, and members of these groups would form the leadership of most of the independence movements in the 1950s and 60s. In addition to the social-cultural hierarchy imposed by the Portuguese, ethnic divisions were also intensified by other colonial policies.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "qq", + "text": "As a highly lucrative business, it was often the primary occupation of most Portuguese in the area, including members of the colonial administration, with the governor essentially the largest slave-dealer. The Portuguese were leaders in the Atlantic slave trade, supplying not only their own plantation-dependent colonies with labor, but also those of France, Britain, and Spain.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "qq", + "text": "Besides the divisions among assimilados, there was also significant tension between assimilado and indigena populations. When they went through the process of assimilation, assimilados made a conscious decision to completely abandon their African heritage and adopt European culture. This process detached the assimilados from the largely rural, uneducated indigenas and often made it difficult for the two groups to see eye-to-eye and identify with one another.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "qq", + "text": "In Angola however, black Africans never made up less than 95% of the population, so the demographic situation there (and in the other Portuguese colonies) was never the same as it was in Brazil. Furthermore, the claim that racial mixing equates to racial egalitarianism is problematic, as there are significant racial inequities in Brazil and other countries with large mestico populations. The fact that the Portuguese were leaders in international trade of African slaves for nearly 400 years also challenges the theory.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "qq", + "text": "Without Cuban and Soviet backing, the MPLA would have never been able to defeat its opponents, who also had the support of foreign superpowers. The initial reasons for United States intervention in Angola were primarily economic. American oil companies were well established there since the discovery of oil in the 1950s, and in order to protect these interests, the US supported the Portuguese during the liberation war. By the time the Portugal was preparing to leave the continent in 1974, the threat of communist takeover by the MPLA with Cuban and Soviet support influenced the US to fund alternative groups to prevent a communist victory.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "qq", + "text": "However, at the root of the early failures of white settlement lied the Portuguese system of penal colonization. As with overseas colonization in general, the Portuguese were the first to begin and the last to stop the practice of using convicts as settlers in their colonies. The difficult nature of life in Africa made it difficult to find voluntary immigrants, so convicts, called degradados, were seen as an effective subsitute, as well as a solution to the problem of overcrowding in Portuguese prisons.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "qq", + "text": "The Frente Nacional de Libertacao de Angola (National Front for the Liberation of Angola) grew out of the UPA (Union of Peoples of Angola, previously Union of Peoples of Northern Angola), a predominately Bakongo movement based in northern Angola and led by Holden Roberto. While the MPLA had its origins in Lisbon and Luanda, the UPA was founded in Leopoldville (modern Kinshasa) in neighboring Congo, also home to a large Bakongo population. In the late 1950s and 60s, Leopoldville was a center of nationalist activism, hosting a large refugee community from Angola and over fifty Angolan political organizations, mostly made up of Bakongos.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "qq", + "text": "According to a British diplomat serving in Angola in 1902, \"nobody regarded the contract laborers as anything other than slaves.\" Claims of racial tolerance aside, the Portuguese set up social, political, and economic hierarchies based on race throughout their reign over Angola. These distinctions and inequalities, as well as internal displacements of African tribes, created significant tensions between members of different ethnic and racial groups which would come to shape the formation of nationalist movements and the course of the post-colonial civil wars.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "qq", + "text": "Despite the official backing of the FNLA, many within the US establishment did not agree with the decision to support the FNLA. Two important US officials in Luanda, Robert W. Hultslander, the CIA station chief, and Tom Killoran, the American Consul General, agreed that the MPLA were the most qualified of the groups to govern and sought peaceful relations with Washington. Hultslander further stated that its leaders \"were more effective, better educated, better trained, and better motivated\"; by contrast the FNLA \"was led by corrupt, unprincipled men who represented the very worst of radical black African racism.\"", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "qq", + "text": "The FNLA soldiers [were] slathering animals.\" Though consistently armed by the US and China and supported by troops and artillery from Mobutu's Zaire, the FNLA was not able to maintain military success against the Cuban-backed MPLA and ceased to be a major force in Angolan politics after 1976, . The Uniao Nacional para a Independencia Total de Angola (National Union for the Total Independence of Angola) was a latecomer in the independence struggle, formed in 1966 by Jonas Savimbi. A Swiss- and Portuguese-educated Angolan emigre of Ovimbundu descent, Savimbi was for a time a member on the FNLA but left the organization in 1964.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "qq", + "text": "This economic power soon became political, and by the nineteenth century the Afro-Portuguese dominated the areas of the central highlands closer to the coast, presiding over several semi-autonomous kingdoms (reinos) centered on the coastal ports of Luanda and Benguela. These reinos were under the technical sovereignty of the Portuguese crown but were in practice ruled by the leading mestico families. Seeing themselves as ethnically distinct from the indigenous Africans, the Afro-Portuguese were nonetheless visually indistinguishable from black Africans and often spoke Kimbundu as well as Portuguese.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "qq", + "text": "Increasing antagonism with the US meant that Cuba was also looking to foil American plans abroad, and the Angolan crisis was a perfect opportunity for Cuba to use its strong military to embarrass the US. Fidel Castro initially acted unilaterally and without notifying the Soviets on his intentions in Angola. However, Cuban and Soviet collaboration soon led to highly effective assistance to the MPLA, with the Cubans provided tens of thousands of well-trained soldiers and the Soviets technical expertise and military equipment, particularly in the field of heavy artillery and tanks, which were previously absent in the Angolan theater.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "qq", + "text": "Many of these farmers, mostly Kikongo-speaking members of the Bakongo ethnic group, fled to neighboring Zaire, where they flourished as small-scale commercial coffee farmers. As successful small entrepreneurs, many of the Bakongo diaspora in Zaire would be wary of the socialist policies of the MPLA, and would instead choose to support the ostensibly more business-friendly FNLA, which was also led by Bakongo and based in Zaire. After living in francophone Zaire for several generations, most of the Bakongo refugees adopted French, further dividing them from the mostly Portuguese-speaking groups in Angola.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "qq", + "text": "Having the largest and most powerful military of the region, South Africa had the means to accomplish its objectives. Military bases in South-West Africa (Namibia) served as a useful staging ground for intervention in Angola. In addition to its own motivations, South Africa was encouraged to intervene by the United States, who felt that they were needed to counter the Cuban and Soviet support of the MPLA. After invitations from both UNITA and the FNLA in the early days of the civil war, South Africa made its first incursion into Angola in June of 1975.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "qq", + "text": "Lacking strong domestic backing, the MPLA looked abroad for military and economic support. Its leftist revolutionary agenda naturally aligned the MPLA with communist nations and the Soviet Union and Cuba became the movement's strongest allies, with the Soviets providing material aid, money, and weapons and the Cubans eventually sending soldiers to assist with security and military campaigns.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "qq", + "text": "UNITA would have to depend on its other regional ally, Zaire, for continued support against the MPLA. Sharing a large border and deep cultural ties that went back to the Kongo kingdom, Zaire and Angola were strongly connected. Throughout the liberation war, Zaire served as a base of operations for the Bakongo-dominated FNLA and provided it significant military assistance. Besides the solidarity showed to their Bakongo kin, Mobutu's Zaire had other important reasons for fighting the MPLA.", + "category": "amt" + }, + { + "style": "qq", + "text": "The past eight years have been relatively peaceful for Angola and the economy has been growing at a rapid rate, though much of this is due to oil revenues and expansion of the oil industry. A fledging democracy is forming.", + "category": "amt" } ] \ No newline at end of file