Close Meditations of a Visual Kind

Yes, it's been ages.

I freely admit, I followed the tide (rather than fight it) over to That Faciem Liber place. Which isn't exactly free, and which, after many years of perusing, strikes me as not exactly listening to those who subscribe. Then again, why listen to the sheep that one is fleecing of their data for ones own profit?

Moving with my usual prodigious speed, I've been meditating about rejoining the world of blogging. It's not nostalgia, quite. I do recall the days of LiveJournal and melding into DreamWidth with fondness. I am not so naive to believe that things haven't changed, even here. However, it does still appear to be a place to practice writing, and do so with much less personal angst about the aforementioned fleecing.

Along with the times changing, so too my interests adjust. Not all, nor even in depth considering I call myself an Artist. My time situation the past year and a bit involved a good deal more spent on The Ranch and projects, while still maintaining at Hospital for the steady income. Consequently, Art needed to take a hit. The visual artwork I do, involving photography as a foundation, is or may be time-intensive. Most art is. Visual needs the ability to see; digitised needs a computer with some power. Since I prefer making large prints, a good sized display is preferable. I've tried working on laptops, it is do-able. Not the best. As for smart phones or tablets, far from optimal for my needs.

Writing, on the other hand, I can do using the smart phone, or a tablet. I can do it while riding the bus/coach to and from Hospital, which adds a good 20 minutes at least to working time. So I moved to writing again. A bit of poetry, not much. And to see what I could do, plus being curious enough to already begin exploring that world, Fan Fiction caught my attention. I started in J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter universe, because she is fairly friendly towards Fan Fiction. Don't dupicate her published works; but filling in Missing Moments, or creating Alternate Universe is quite acceptable.

That, plus missing the whole atmosphere of blog space as opposed to Faciem Liber space, brings me here again. For the nonce, I plan to come back by to read and occasionally natter. And, perhaps, once I've gotten a better lay of the virtual land, perhaps publish as well.

This morning is following another Hospital weekend work commitment. This time I worked the 'Evening' shift, 15:00 to 23:30. Not quite so mind-altering as a Midnight shift, and still leading to late to bed, possibly different sleep. So a slow start to the morning.

Or it could be that Herself put both Bros out on duty last night to watch over the Dirty Yard Birds (our chickens). We suspect a fox, most likely, for some recent losses which slowed down with moving Squrrl from spot to spot, adding another helpful aid (a marvelous use for conservative all-night talk show radio) and occasionally, two Border Collies on duty. Houdini, feeling he has risen to a Position in Life will oblige for a night or two, then make a fuss about being 'put' outside at night. He didn't fuss at me when I got home, and he stayed outside.

Until about 03:30 when I woke up to thunder. Houdini happily came inside and snuggled all 27 kilograms of himself into my armpit.

On the other hand, left Squrrl out on duty. Then within a half hour, heard Herself get up and go out. Shortly after, Squrrl walked through the bedroom on the way to his favoured 'spot' in the house. He's been getting some Indoor Dog time recently, particularly with the very high heat and heat index conditions we're experiencing. Herself mentioned as she headed back to bed that she needed to close the windows on Forrest Nissan Pickup...

Work, as in Hospital, does seem to affect my blogging time. Recently started working 10 hour shifts four days per week, rather than the 'traditional' five days by eight hours. This provides an additional 'BossStaysHomeDay' quite handily. It is also not terribly hard to work those additional two hours. They go by quickly, and fact is what with staying over to finish cases or some such, I'm often there for a good portion of those two hours anyway. It also helps Hospital to control overtime expenses, and what with various and sundry aspects of today's economic situations coming in to play is probably the largest reason that my two years of requests to work this schedule finally received approval.

Thing that affects blogging time, and truly considering all that extra time formerly known as overtime this is a long term situation, is that after work and commute home (between walking out to parking garage [healthy] and the drive out to Ranch about 45 - 50 minutes) I'm getting home in time to help with evening Ranch chores, then eat supper, then... off to bed.

Add to that the recent business of DDoS to the primary blog site and not a lot of expression going on here. Made a posting recently about how disoriented I feel following the weekend off-shift work, and how long that disorientation may last. Post disappeared into the DD0S. Some of that is on me, I neglected to do a copy/paste of the text before hitting 'Post'. Being somewhat 'flight of ideas' writing, it is truly flown away. Such is life.

That post was my first indicator that the DDoS started. Things settled down a bit over there, and I'm not even sure my current problem is due to the DDoS. Periodically I've problems accessing the secure login on LJ. Often it is due to the wireless router for the Ranch network needing a re-boot. Not sure it is always due to that though. At any rate, now I can read my LJ, and the Reading List commonly known as Friends List. Can't log into the site, though.

Made another post on DW using crosspost during that time period. Crossposting failed as well, and I've not attempted to re-post that quite yet. In some ways this is a minor thing (cross-posting, not being able to access). There is a roof over our head, food on our table, we've gainful employment to provide these things, we've got the Ranch to also help provide these things. In other ways...

Apparently, Reportedly, the DDoS is due to a political entity attempting to control (prevent) access of a significant number of their citizens to their blogs. Denial of access to media is control of a media. There may be a valid, there definitely is a significant argument that such is the internal business of any specified political entity. What does this become, though, when denial of access to a media which constitutes an expression of Free Speech impinges upon the traditional (and supposed guaranteed by law) civil rights of citizens in other political entities?

Inquiring minds want to know.

Well, during the DD0S and lack of postage, though I do believe I managed to put up something about it (yes, I did. Here on DW, the post which didn't cross) I got some Studio 318 time in. Initial post-production is done, with 'initial' defined as reviewing images for view-ability (as in no corrupted files), adding pertinent meta-data (as in Session Theme, Contract/Consent on file, Date, KeyWords, Categories), and then creating JPG files for proofing. Also part of this is the first backup, onto an external hard drive. Still to be done is burning DVD backup of the 'RAW' files, and the proofing itself.

That's for later today, after the Ranch is fed, when it's gotten too warm plus humid outside to be happy.

Or is it wheels within wheels, or some such? Over here, haikujaguar finished up earlier this week with the last installment to a web serial story, Spots the Space Marine. One of the things I enjoyed about her entire process of wrap-up is including a listing of the music she listened to while composing, and writing, the story. I know I've used a 'sound track' before when working on various projects, and this provides me (very selfish that) with intros to some interesting and good (judgemental on my part, YMMV) music. So where are the wheels within wheels?

Some of the music she listened to, it turns out, is also on the playlist (handy term, that, neh?) of another writer I enjoy reading, John Ringo. Perhaps for similar reasons at least related to the Spots tale, perhaps not. It remains, for me, to be another connection to artistic influences and appreciations in my life.

While listening/viewing some of the selections on the You Tube links, I did indeed actually notice the ad being displayed. Normally I tune these out, which I expect is much like a lot of other people. This one though...

Anyone who reads here knows I'm studying and experimenting with light, and lighting. One of the means of lighting I'm slowly escalating into using is LED in various manners. What I've done so far, specifically, uses over-the-counter rope lights for home decoration (think Holiday Season). This led to some research into other means to acquire and/or build lighting using LED systems.

I'm sure that the Wonders of the Internet provide the actual link to the ad display, with the background nosiness of the 'Webz allowing the site to 'read' my recent browsing history or even bookmarked sites. Still, I could happily take it as A Sign that one of the business' from which I'm planning on purchasing supplies showed me the ad.

::nods::

Yes. It's A Sign.

And, you should go read Spots, if you aren't already. Yes. Go read now.

( To Julie, With Thanks, March 10, 2001 )

We now send you along to a place where someone who truly is a wordsmith provides reading material rather than a word mechanic providing ... something.

Back in January or so of 2004, I saw a photograph by a (now) friend of mine, Zoe Wiseman. I'd link to that photo for you but it's on a site that requires membership: Community Zoe, a site dedicated to Fine Art Nudes. As mentioned, one needs to register for access, and the subject matter may not be one you're interested in. Zoe started as a model, and now is a photographer. The particular photo is a self-portrait where she's wearing a mask. The specific mask was one of the properties in Stanley Kubrick's last movie, Eyes Wide Shut. Someone involved in the production made the present of that mask to Zoe, someone she'd worked with on other projects in a long career in Art.

It sparked an interest in me; at the time I was about three years (with a gap) into the project I call Healing Art, related to breast cancer, and I was heading out to Zoe's neck of the woods to attend AORN Congress. So I contacted her, explained what she'd inspired about using a mask in some of that work, and inquired if she would be available when. Worst thing, she wouldn't be interested.

Turns out she is interested, we did get together and we did work with a mask. Not the one I describe above, another one, because due to that special gift nature Zoe reserves that mask for personal work.

All of this got me spinning around in my mind about masks. They conceal. They reveal. All of us wear a mask even when we think we are not, because a mask shows you a character. I've since worked with other masks (borrowed), and some of that work involved yet another mask (body-painted). That work led me to start looking around for my own masks to work with.

Two years ago I picked up a couple at the Bay Area Renaissance Festival in Tampa aka BARF. Add to that some acquired from an art supply store, one quite surreal in the visage it presents and the manner it is used. Very recently I saw another mask which I just flat out fell in love with. I don't usually consider that love is something one falls into, it's something one does. Still, this mask grabbed my attention and would not let go, and so I bought it.

The artist's name is Merimask and she shows her work on Deviant Art under that name, yet sells her work through Etsy. Merimask's shop is here, and this link should show you Kitsune, one of two masks I purchased. Herself took it off to her SCA event this weekend for the Masked Ball, though she's not sure she'll wear it. Wearing eyeglasses is rather difficult in this mask, and they truly don't look right outside of it. She's contemplating contact lenses again because of this mask, though.

Go, admire Merimask's work. Signed, original pieces. Exquisite.

In other art news today, Drops of Crimson E-zine publishes their third issue. Some great pieces on there, including an interview of an author by one salamet. Go. Read. Enjoy.

Meanwhile, back at Teh Ranch it's time to start evening rounds.

Not that, like, there's anything by moi in this issue.

Last month I began nattering on about posting something I'd written mumbly 20-ish mumblthing years ago. Back in the days when I played in the Current Middle Ages, also known as the S.C.A. (Society for Creative Anachronism). Not to slight anyone, as some folk are fairly serious about accurate re-creation of the time periods they play in between the Fall of Rome (approximately 400 C.E.) and the early Renaissance (1600 C.E.). Others, however, are not quite so serious. It's all good, particularly now from a distance. I've not been a part of the SCA a bit over 10 years.

One of the salient points is that one is supposed to create a 'persona', someone who could have lived some time within those limits, and while the 'rules' say anywhere in the world one of the more common 'unwritten' rules (at least while I played) was Western Europe, possibly as far east as the Holy Land or the Ukraine. I didn't play in those realms. My interests turned much Farther East, to the islands of Japan.

Another salient point, related to persona, is that one is supposed to create one's personal history for that persona. Now, I expect this gets done more often than not. I also experienced that some folk would become only passing familiar with that history, and others significantly more than passing familiar, and I think I fell somewhere in between. I would be much more likely to answer to the persona name once at an event than my legal name. It also astounds me, these days, to learn that the persona I portrayed intimidated a lot of people. Well, I did approach the whole thing as theatre, playing a role, being in character. I suppose not to far from what some folk do today, in LARP get-togethers.

But, intimidating? Moi?

At any rate, I did start to actually write this persona biography, as opposed to merely composing it or outlining it, as a series of stories. This started after the second Masque Laureate of Trimaris contest, an event which almost didn't happen, as it required three people to participate at the minimum. Trimaris (Baja Jorja) in those days stood as a Principality of the Kingdom of Meridies (most of the South East, Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia but not the Carolinas nor Virginia nor points north). And Trimaris wanted very much to be a kingdom of our own, which we demonstrated in many means, including creating the Masque Laureate.

This is the third of a triumvirate. Nearly all Kingdoms in the SCA have a Poet Laureate, and a Bard Laureate, titles held for six months to one year, for original works in the respective categories. In Trimaris we felt this prevented a number of other artists, performance artists, from being able to compete and showcase their talents (ensemble drama in period forms, dancers, and such).

So, to help the infant Masque Laureate get off the ground I signed up to be the third competitor, with someone who would be reading an excerpt from an original tragedy they were writing (in iambic pentameter), and a Middle Eastern dancer, Damara Narissa. Now, I fully expected Lady Damara to win, because she is very good, and within a 12-month of this particular event she did receive an Order of the Laurel for her dance.

She did not, however, win. Nor did the dramatist. Ah well.

The stories. The first of these three is the one which featured in the aside above. The second and third followed that, both chronologically and in terms of the persona history. I did receive a bit of constructive criticism from a writer mentor on the first of the three, and their critique resulted in the form you will see here.

And, I decided to wait until after the NaNoWriMo frenzy passed. *G* I admit to being tempted to post notes about This Many Words... nah.

This is open season, folks. Seriously. I'm looking for critique. One very specific question I want to know the answer to is this: Both these stories and Holt City Heist (previously posted here) are told in First Person Singular. Are the two narrators different people?

That same mentor I mentioned, one thing he told me is never apologise for unfinished work when asking someone to read it. These are all part of a larger composition, and hopefully stand on their own to some extent.

And, for what it's worth, I also wrote them at a point when I greatly enjoyed a particuler TV series, fairly long-running, and which had episodes (but not all) which had portions where the primary character would do first-person narrative.

And, when I first tried posting this today, LJ told me the post (included all three parts under individual cuts) was too large. So, it will be in three parts. Part the First: Gembuku. Part the Second: Sakura Ban'nin. Part the Third: Kurokuma.


In other news, Houdini enjoyed a long ride today up to Oleno State Park to help Herself pack up and bring home the leftovers from Feast of St. Benet's.

We've gotten to a confusing time of year, I suppose. Not necessarily big confusion at least for me, but at least some confusion probably for most people. I don't have a solution to that, but it's what I'm on about today for some reason.

I'd gotten thinking about some things I'd written some time ago, three parts of a longer story or three short stories in an arc, take your pick. Seemed like a good idea to find them and post them during November, just as my own little bit of tossing fuel on the fire which is NaNoWriMo, either encouragement for the participants or gentle teasing for same. You know, hey, look what I wrote no it isn't part of that game.

I couldn't find them. Well, I couldn't find the files of those manuscripts, more accurately, since I've not started looking for hard-copy which may be available. This is where life gets interesting, you know? I remember writing the first part using the very first computer I bought. An Apple II which the salesperson wanted to know, whatever was I going to do with 64K of RAM? Write stories, obviously. That particular rendition of the arc, the start of it, I'd used at an SCA event in Trimaris to help keep the ball rolling on a new (then) public award/bauble/event to showcase people's abilities.

See, back then the two annual and specific 'competitions' in Performing Arts, not the Arts and Sciences events themselves (though at least one was held at each of the two Art-Sci events) were the Poet Laureate, and the Bard Laureate. I expect anyone will be able to follow the Poet Laureate title, at least anyone who's read much poetry, as countries usually do name one of their best poets as their Laureate. It's the same concept; original poetry for one, original song/music for the other.

Trimaris as a group decided to go for a third, for another category of art which did not fit neatly into either of those two because it mightn't involve poetry, nor song or music, but was Performance Art. And so the concept of the Masque Laureate arose, to honour someone who originated performance art of some sort. Dance fit into this, as did theatre. The start was slow, though, and on the occasion of the second competition it looked as though it wouldn't happen because the required three entries didn't exist. So I put my name in the ring as 'Storyteller' to give the other two people their chance, because I knew one of them would definitely be the winner. And with two competitions completed, the Masque Laureate would be on a roll.

So I told the story of how the fellow I played in the SCA left home and started on his journey of adventure and personal vision quest. And I proved at least half-correct in my reasons for this; the Masque Laureate did keep up the momentum and still persists today in Trimaris. The person I just knew would win, though, a Middle-Eastern dancer of great skill and reputation (and who did receive, shortly after, a Laurel for her dancing skills), did not take the Masque. But that's another story.

That part of the story I wrote down, as I said, on the first computer I ever bought, so that would be in '85 or '86. Shortly after, early in '87 I wrote another part, providing background mostly for the SCA wedding event which Herself and I did. Herself's primary persona (for those who are more interested in SCA things) is not married; a secondary persona is married to my old personna. That's what went into the background story for that event. And sometime after that, because I remember writing it out here on the Ranch, I did a third part, set in time after the death of Toyotomi Hideyoshi and before the Battle of Sekigahara.

Now, I could be off in my recollections on when specifically I wrote two of those; it doesn't matter. I did write them (as opposed to composing them but never writing them). I learned the important lesson about what a 'hook' is, and why it needs to be at the very beginning, by showing them to a friend who made his income writing. At any rate, I went looking for those files yesterday. I don't think I've gotten through all my CD backups yet, but I know I didn't find anything on CD's dated as early as 2001. And I know I converted all the files from the Apple disks to what was then called IBM. Pre-Windows, eh?

Now, since I probably wrote two parts on the old Apple, which never saw a hard drive much less a CD burner, this means the backup files may be on old ZipDisk media from after the conversion in formats. I'll check that out today. Still, I will be surprised if I didn't copy those onto CD's at some time as well. Pretty darn sure I did. Which means, I've probably not tracked down all my backup CD's yet. The quest is on.

I did find a couple voice recordings from August 2001. A ton of memories swirled up even seeing the file names. How I made the recordings. Who the recordings were. Things which were happening then. Very briefly, that since these dated from August that year, all before the whole Twin Towers thing. My brother had called me from their boat, on their first trip south along the Intracoastal Waterway, their first voyage after moving aboard full time.

All three of the males in my immediate family sounded alike, and via either recorded or telephone media could be extremely difficult for others to tell apart. I used to say we could tell each other apart, but let's be honest when one is calling either of the others, it's pretty sure that we would know the other voice couldn't be our own.

Houdini lay behind my chair at the desk in Office when I found those files; he'd been 'helping' me herd files as it were. You know the thing, being patient and near, responding to voice (talking to oneself or even to the dog) with tail wagging and occasionally sitting up and nose-nudging for attention. He definitely stretched across the floor behind the chair when I started the first file because he scrambled to sitting, staring at the laptop with his ears perked and doing the RCA Dog 'Masters Voice' head-cock. Then looking at me, with my mouth closed, lips still, no sound. Back at the laptop, head cocking the other way. Back at me, with an entire expression of 'How can you be talking from there when you're here?'

Mamma Mudge whelped Houdini and his litter-mates the Brothers in 2002, over a year after that recording. John and Kay came by the Ranch between Christmas and New Years, 2001. The next year, though, on their second (and his final) trip south before leaving the US shoreline, we went over to visit them near Daytona. Houdini never met my brother.

I guess our recorded voices really did sound that much alike.