So... I may or may not have mentioned it before, BUT I've had the idea for a grammar book (and maybe even one on math and science concepts) floating around for a while. I have a way of connecting things and explaining things that just makes sense for me to write a book about it. Of course, as you know, I have a plethora of other random projects going on, but do you think that will stop me? Of course not! I woke up with a bug up my ass to work on this thing (actually, contractions and the foreward and the homonyms of 'your/you're/yore' to be specific) and now have a livejournal with which to collect these random things... And eventually write a grammar book? Why not. If nothing else, it'll be a blog. The LJ in question is kmlsgrammar, if you care to follow. Otherwise, it's on the links list on the left...

Also, I'm not a HUGE expert on techno/trance/rave/house/electronica music (mainly by exppressing that I really don't know what the difference is from one to the other, except that I kind of imagine techno is more DDR-style, House is a bit more of the club mix music, while trance involves a lot of melodies, and rave is a bastard remix of one or more of the above with some sweet, sweet bass that moves your blood in ways unparalleled without a mass of bodies alongside you -- all of which is purely individual speculation with no argument except personal fantasy) I do have a few DJs on my friendslist. Yes, even *I* am impressed by my awesomeness from time to time. I'll not count Abney Park's Robert Brown as a DJ, but a musician (which in my opinion means he records his music from scratch - DJs are like the bartender of music, while Robert is most certainly a chef) but I happen to have DJ Infamous, of the steampunk scene, and a pair of local buddies - TC Da CV Beats (who I went to middle school with, actually, and actually is more a musician, even though he DJs as well) and DJ KaKuMel, who is actually a minor celebrity in these circles. He is a well-known name in the raving scene, and generally does Nekocon's 'dances' (since apparently RAVE has a bad connotation - who knew?!).

Anyway, KaKuMel recently uploaded a mix last night, and linked me to his online archives, and since I know *I* will need them later, I'm posting them here. If you think you can handle hours of masturbatory rave music, I encourage you to try it, but keep some shamwows on hand. The shit's pretty awesome.

Let's see, what else...? I'm working pretty hard at Wendy's these days, and on top of it we have clowning coming back in, which is pretty splendiferous. Also, the local Firefly Shindig is coming up at the end of next month, so I'm starting to churn out some Jayne hats for it (like you do) and I lowered some of the prices on my Etsy. I mean, the Sherlock scarves were selling like hotcakes at $55, but since $65 no one's said a word. I mean, granted, it got WARM, but still. I'm also bringing the Jayne hats down to $20, I think, but I'll put them up a bit more come August. I have that Who scarf I'm working on here and there, little by little, but you know how it is - it feels like it takes FOREVER. I also have some Mermaid beads I've been working on, and they look hella nice. I need to take some pix and post them already, but...

I confess, Stork has been writing with Kate almost nonstop. Which means he's fresh in my mind, which means Dark Side is, like, over twenty chapters long, PLUS supplements. BUT, Kate gave me the wonderful idea to tweak it a bit so that instead of Stork and Piper, we have Roger Barger and the crew of the Valkyrie! :D It could very easily be done, and I'm looking forward to it. I might tweak a few things - Finn is Fynn, sure, but my Fynn is a bit rougher. He's more mercenarial. Junko... I'm not sure. I'll have to tweak him a bit. I think Stork will translate well into James, and Piper into Kristina. Some of the Captain's darker histories will need to be modified, I think, as it's a bit overdone as is, but Stork's melodramatic so it works. I'm thinking Piper translates nicely into Zoey, and Aerrow into Roger. Or maybe Stork isn't James, but this Herron character that keeps running around... who used to be the Cheng. It would work better. And then have James be Junko. Yes... this might work... :D It's reassuring that SOMETHING works, because damn! I tried to do Falling Apart for Screnzy this year, and didn't get very far. Also, Alan rarely wants to write in My Life, and it's a bit frustrating. Sticks made a come-back, though, and I've got over half a dozen new comix for that. The problem is, I don't have a scanner, so that kind of deters me from publishing as I used to... Still. If I can finish up Dark Side, I can get that published, both in novel form, podiobook form, and audiobook form, so maybe that money will start coming in...

The Etsy is slow for the summer season... I'm looking forward to things picking back up T^T I have no real idea of what I'm doing for Rich, even if I found a couple possibilities. Which I won't list here for obvious reasons.

Also, the circus is in town! I went to see it Sunday, by myself (Rich was admittedly peeved I went without him) but it seems a good thing I did - doesn't sound like we'll be able to go together this weekend, so at least we'll both have been able to see the show XD There's UniverSoul at the end of the month as well, and I'm looking forward to it...

Lessee, what else...? That's all I can really think of right now. The new place is well enough - the room is a bit of a mess, but I can't expect much better from myself with all the crap everywhere. There's some serious issues with parking here, but for the most part it's working out quite lovely. The thing that sucks is that Rich and I are plotting to joining Red Show next year, so moving all of this stuff into storage is gonna suuuck...

...oh wait, that's Shakespeare. My bad.

Having a problem with uppity Christians telling you you're demon spawn, doomed for hell? Fight fire with fire. As a raised Pentecostal Christian, I've done my share of Bible reading, and I'd like to help you win this battle.

But first a warning: It has been said that the Bible will keep the revelation - literally, someone can read the word and not catch the meaning. It was prophesied in the Old Testament, and Christ references it again in the telling of the parable of the sower:

( Matthew 13 )

They are stubborn, and ignorant, and will continue to fight because that's what they were trained is right, because they didn't study it themselves as they were taught:

"Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." ~Timothy 2:15

Here's some ammunition. Like Psalms says, “I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands. I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you” ~Psalm 119:10-11 -- if you study the word and meditate on it, you will have learned the scripture well, and will be able to unsheath it at any given moment.

"For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving: For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer." ~Timothy 4:4

( The New Covenant )


( Peter's Vision (Unclean) )


“If anyone says, “I love God,” yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother.” ~I John 4:20-21


( Matthew 7 )



What they'll use, and how to argue it.

"Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination." ~Lev 18:22
The word 'abomination' is 'unclean'. It's also 'unclean' to eat shrimp cocktail and to be anywhere near your wife while she's on her period. But it was okay to sleep with your handmaiden. See Peter's vision on 'unclean'.


( The Usual Suspect )


...that's what I've got for you for now. I'll add scriptures and arguments as I can gather them. But I'm a big supporter of gay rights. I don't agree with the people who go around spitting hellfire. That's just spreading hate, strife, and discontent, which is decidedly the opposite of what a God-fearing Christian should do. We should be smothering you with love, not condemning you. So obviously, they're doing it wrong.

Please, share, and comment if you have something you wish to add. (I will delete you if you cause me trouble.)

...I miss my mind the most?

Ozzy Osbourne!

...So, in other news, new profile pic. XD Introduced a girlfriend to Hollow-Art last night, and was pleased to find they had done some spreads for Hackers characters, including a rather nice one for Cereal Killer. Hackers is one of my favourite films, and as someone at least casually into that kind of thing (or at least passing knowledge of programming, l33t culture, and an occassionally channer) it holds a particular home in my heart. Plus, the characters are just fun. Yes, they're a little flat, but they hold much promise. Cereal Killer is the delightfully mad White Rabbit of the crew, and I enjoy watching him on screen very much.

...Yeah, I'll have to watch that today :P

So, life update. The Etsy is... cruising along at a nice pace. As usual, people make custom orders and then take two weeks to get back to me, and another two weeks to pay... It's rather frustrating, because I'd like that money, thank you very much. I've got way the hell too much yarn on hand, and intend to start just making scarves out of it, so I can kill the stash. My Doctor Who scarf in the works is about half-way done, and I've been kicking around ideas for a series of My Little Pony scarves. Sales are low, but I'm not terribly worried about it. It's all pocket money, really, and a lucrative hobby.

I've recently moved out of the house, and into an apartment. The new roommates are an easy-going sort - Sara sits at her computer and plays Star Wars all day when she's not at work, and Janine works at Wendy's on Hampton (where hopefully she'll get me an in on a decent wage slave job) and is a sharp witted little person with a wicked sense of humour and quite a collection of webcomics. I have to be careful, or she'll steal my attention for hours on end reading deviantArt comix XD . Steve is a military man that's in and out of the place, but also a published novelist, so I've been enlisted to badger him about writing on a daily basis (something Holleigh, a Facebook friend and writer, has also hired me to do). He seems to be the most outgoing of the crew, and is a sweet guy. There's a sparseness to the living room that rather amuses me - for a large room, there are couches on one end, and on the other an entertainment setup that's rather small, considering you're looking over the expanse of carpets to watch. There's a cat, too, named Ashes, who carries this place as his domain, although one must keep doors closed lest the feline gets himself into trouble.

My door is, conveniently, just across the hall from the bathroom (considering my recent acquisition of kidney problems, that's a nice thing) and the door to the apartment is facing the stairs, so moving in was fairly easy - trickiest part is taking the turn into the door. I've managed to get my four poster, king-sized bed back, although unfortunately the mattress was tossed out '6-8 months ago' when in the process of moving things, it was opened on accident and discovered to have been growing its own swamp. Silly thing. So I'm still using the queen from Troy's place - it leaves an odd foot or so of boxspring that at present I'm using as a bedside table, since it's the only furniture I have in here, as of yet. There is a black bookshelf, and a small bedside one that I need to bring over before I can unpack books, and also that damned collapsible desk that I've had for god-knows-how-long and still haven't managed to kill yet. Once those things have found a corner or summat to squeeze in to, I can commence with spreading my crap all over the room. To be honest, the bed takes up most of the space, but since I spend a lot of time lounging in bed with my laptop, I don't see this as a problem, heh... And my closet space is spectacular! I have rails for hanging clothes, and the thing has two sets of doors, despite it being one long closet. It's a delightful illusion of space, and I'm looking forward to hiding my crafts in there. There's a big, beautiful window, even if it only looks out on the street. The walls are white, but I shall cover them readily enough.

The thing that bugs me is... there's no FOOD here. I mean, there's a small stash of raviolis and stuff, baking stuff, and oatmeal. Yes, can of oats, oatmeal. I'm going to need to get a collection of things to flavour my oatmeal with, because that's a common foodstuff here. Also, ramen, but not much to put in it. I get the feeling they buy veggies and meat as they eat them, because it disappears quickly. I don't know how well a stash of frozen things for ramen and chilis will work out if that's the case... a lot of time the meals are out of boxes. Granted, Janine made something really scrumptious yesterday - it was a biscuits and grave with chicken box meal, that she tossed some corn in. It was really hearty, a hot, stick-to-your-bones kind of meal, but I feel a little frustrated with how little there is to actually really cook with. I hope I get that job, or at least sort out the PayPal debacle with Etsy, because I need to buy some good foodstuffs before I go nuts. There's no snackfood to speak of, and I seriously went foraging in my boxes for a granola bar so I didn't feel like I was starving. I have another one, and a box of wheat thins, but... I really need to go to the dollar store Monday (or tomorrow, really) and get some snax and things. I also want to get a toilet scrubber, because the bathroom is irking me, and I want to clean it to be useful, but they have some... magic wand Clorox thing that I don't now how to work. Call me old fashioned, but I do things with Scrubbing Bubbles, a scrubber, and a wipe cloth. And it smells like an apothecary in there - it was nice at first, but it's a little overpowering. Hopefully I'll get used to it. Or my nose will stop noticing it. T^T Which is kind of the same thing. There's also an odd dishes rule, but I intend to maximise my usefulness there, as well.

Tabi is actually just next door. I was... a little wary of this, because we don't really mesh terribly well, but I think after a small fiasco involving lack-of-communication and stress in which I actually had a small break down (which surprised me, honestly) she seems to have turned into more of a helpful godmother than an annoyed friend, which is pretty awesome (and what I need, right now) - she's dogsitting Gabriel until we can get his affairs in order, and she's got him signed up on her vet system, getting him shots, and eventually fixed, since we need him fixed before I can move him in, or Ashes might slaughter him. I've started a courtship between them, so hopefully by the time he's ready to move in (in two months) they will be tolerant of each other. Janine and Sara both cooed quite a bit over the fluffer, and it turns out Sara's more of a dog person (Ashes is Janine's cat), and seems to be ready for another canine in the house, heh. I've been going over to hang out with Gabriel (and, resultingly, everyone else) and was even enlisted to dog-sit yesterday when they had to take Vikki to an appointment, so things are going smoothly for now. For as much as we don't get along, she's proving herself a valuable friend, and I'm trying my best not to screw things up with her - I honestly need her, and truthfully, I do enjoy hanging out there, with the crafting and jokes - I just have to manage not to step on her tail. Not doing too bad, quite yet, but... we'll see how long that lasts. XD With my fat mouth, I'll screw it up eventually, heheh...

There is a convenience store in walking distance, but Brown, the proprietor, is a pretty clever, dirty businessman. $4 boxes of Pop-Tarts! Faygo that's more expensive than Pepsi and Coke! It's rather ridiculous. I think it's worth walking all the way down to 7-11 to save a little money -- and that's a good amount of walking. I'm really going to have to look into getting a bike, or seeing if my parents still have mine. (Actually, let me do that...) Plus, there's the grocery store and dollar store at the other end of First View, which is even CHEAPER. Trick is, my money's a bit tied up right now with PayPal being a twerp, and I need to get that fixed asap - and that'll take a while. So I might have to dip into the Home Fund to do the things I need to do T^T And I hate doing that...

Oh, the Home Fund. Well, this whole 'hey, I'm moving... and you might not be able to come with me. Just a heads up' thing, and Rich's 'Hey, Rich, I just got a really SWEET live-in nurse gig. I'll be moving out, you need a new place. Just a heads up' thing, I got really frakking fed up with the fact that neither of us have a stable home in which to live. Plus, there's the fact that he's just lousy with his finances (reminds me - grabs receipts) but is the only one with a solid(-ish?) income. The plan is to set aside money every paycheck and save up for a home. A mobile home, actually, which can be bought outright for $15k, or more or less, depending on if we get a sale and what we want, but still is ridiculously inexpensive. The trick is the lot fee, which can vary from $350-800 a month. If we can buy the home outright, we could just pay rent on the lot, which would be manageable plenty on his present budget. And they say you should try to live off of one paycheck alone - so anything I would make with Etsy or my own job is just bonus, and that's the best way to do things. If he sets aside $100 a paycheck, for five years (assuming his biweekly paychecks) that is $15k. If he sets aside $50, that's still $7.5k. And I've seen smaller homes at $8k. I even found a neighborhood in Norfolk I like, too! But we'll see about that. The thing is, I'll be contributing, as well. So we should - SHOULD - have plenty by the end of the five years. >.> Thing is, I've started trying to collect receipts from him, but it's a hard habit to instill. I have started the miserable nagging/guilt trip thing, and much as I hate doing it... you know how nagging works. You ask him to do something, he doesn't, you nag. Eventually, the nagging will be such a stress, he'll do it to AVOID the nagging - which is what he's supposed to be doing in the first place. It's a miserable training exercise for everyone involved, but the important thing is the thing gets done.

Mind... someone recently installed the Circus Dream in his head again. Since both of us are kind of not that well established where we are, it would be a very good time to do Circus. ALTHOUGH, I told him if he does run off with the circus he HAS to take me with him, so... Meh. Maybe that will happen. XD But they won't be here until April, so we have to make do until then. (If nothing else, I can take my Etsy with me and do it on the road! Plus whatever we make doing circus. Which isn't much, but when your room and board is covered so cheaply, it works.)

So... maybe circus? I dunno. That would be pretty frakkin' awesome if it worked. As a crafter and writer, I can really do my work almost anywhere, so I'd have nothing against it. It's on my bucket list between 'college' and 'kids', and since I have no money for college at present, but am working on a five year plan to getting a home (and married), the kids would follow, so the timing is right. I think that'd be pretty cool, but I'm trying to make it more of an idea, than a game plan? Just in case it falls through. Y'know? XD It's just my luck to get my hopes up... Plus we'd have to both go, so that's a whole room we're hoping they have for us to share. (That would be amazing for the finances, as I could keep better track of his money by hounding him about it until he gets in the habit, and we'd see how well we REALLY do living together in tight, confined spaces, heh...)

As it is... we shall see. I'm going to get a movie going and work on my Doctor Who scarf. XD I could reaaally use the money.

It's that time of year again. For those who haven't noticed yet, there's this thing called NaNoWriMo, a writing challenge to write a 50k word novel in 30 days (and I write it that way so you don't shit your pants at the four zeros). If nothing else, it's a good exercise, and to be good writer, you have to PRACTISE. I've got roomie writing this year, so much fun with that. At present, Blake's still being an arse about it (no, seriously. It's like pulling teeth with this guy!) but I'm hoping it goes well. If nothing else, My Life will likely get finished in his procrastinations, lol. I'm on the local Facebook group for it, and someone posted this great article, since apparently there are douschebags complaining that NaNoWriMo is, essentially, cheating. They're the same stand up comics who complain that the YouTubers are cheating. They're just whining. Their way of doing things is getting old fashioned, and they're growling about the new fanled ways of doing things. Don't pay them much mind.

I'm going to be at Nekocon this weekend selling schtuff for my Etsy, and I've got my first EMPLOYEE!!! I got one of my cafe buddies the stuff to start knitting Harry Potter scarves, so hopefully the whole 'many hands make light work' think will kick in and I'll be at least a little better off. I'm paying him for it, naturally. Because it's business! In all seriousness, the shop is doing well, and I get the occasional sale here and there (which is FANTASTIC) and also custom work for local friends. It's all very exciting! I'm writing fanfiction again (for Storm Hawks) -- or is it still? -- although Stork's blog is a little short. :P Great. Had to think of it. Now he's complaining that he hasn't blogged in a while. -sighs- I'll have to post on his blog again soon.

The RPG is getting worked on a bit at a time, too. I've got a nice backstory/subplot for the 5 Wizards, which may end up in my NaNo... but at this point, I have nothing, so we'll see. I might just do Falling Apart and be done with it :P

Oh well. Enough for now. Love love! Come see me at the con this weekend!

A little insight on me. I think this is going to minister to someone, so here it is. It's actually about a year old or so. Updated and tweaked a smidge, hope it helps someone.

Found this article today, thought I'd share:

Let’s look at the special linkages writers have forged between two classic characters and the weapons they use: Mike Hammer and James Bond. In Mike Hammer, Mickey Spillane created the quintessential hard-boiled detective and reinvented a genre. Ian Fleming’s creation became the model for spy novels for decades to come.

Anyone who has read about these two characters knows that Mike Hammer is one tough SOB and carries a government model .45 semi-automatic pistol. This is arguably one of the most powerful and reliable handguns you can carry on your person. Hammer not only shoots big holes in people with it, but also whacks them in the head with it from time to time. Almost three pounds of steel makes a pretty good blackjack.

James Bond, on the other hand, carries a .25 caliber Beretta that his superior, M, considers a “lady’s gun.” In one of the early Bond books, M issues Bond a Walther PPK in .32 caliber, a much stronger round than the .25 caliber bullet of the Beretta. Back in the field, what gun does Bond pull out during a fight scene? Yes, the good old Beretta. He had left the PPK behind. This tug of war over his service gun goes on for some time.

How do we get an inner knowledge of these characters by their weapons? Hammer is a big guy; he carries a big gun. He wears suits slightly larger than he needs to conceal this big .45 in a shoulder holster. He frequently looks rumpled. He sports a crewcut. He drinks beer and whisky. He is anything but elegant.

On the other hand, Bond is best pictured in a tuxedo. He drinks champagne and drives an expensive sports car. He looks completely at home in a Monte Carlo casino, where Hammer would be escorted to the door. Bond doesn’t like to carry anything bigger than the .25 Beretta because it ruins the lines of his jacket. His weapon is as subtle as he is.

Nobody would ever infer that Bond was not manly by carrying a “lady’s gun.” In fact, in terms of being a ladies’ man, Bond leaves Hammer in the dust. This contrast in the symbolic use of weapons shows very clearly how a gun can be an edifying personality component, rather than just a tool like a wrench that the character occasionally picks up and puts down. For someone whose life is put into danger, the weapon that he or she carries involves an intimate look at the way that character perceives danger.

Mike Hammer, true to his name, runs right at danger and smashes into it, believing that his power will prevail. James Bond, on the other hand, works within his environment, attempting to manipulate that environment to his own uses; he hides and observes; he gathers information; he relies on his gun only as a last resort. Where Hammer depends on his gun to solve problems, Bond relies on cunning and stealth.

Hammer frequently kills his enemies by blowing holes in them or through some use of brute force. Think of how James Bond finishes off the major villains: Doctor No gets buried in bird guano in the book, drowns in a nuclear reactor in the movie; in From Russia With Love, the killer, Grant, gets strangled in his climactic fight with Bond in a train cabin; Goldfinger gets sucked out the window of a jet plane. Bond doesn’t use a gun on them. He uses creativity.

_-*-_

It's a genuine remark. Even TV Tropes points out the differences in a character's Weapon of Choice have a significant insight into the character of the... character (Sorry, trying to avoid redundancy, but I got nothing), to the point that the Hero's righthand man is called 'The Lance', and you also have the Sniper and Heavy Man, all of which signify not only the character's role, but their physical attributes and preferred method of dealing with things. I also want to point out the Doctor (of Doctor Who) who's typical preffered 'weapon' of choice is a Sonic Screwdriver -- 'Doesn't hurt, doesn't maim, doesn't kill - but that's what I like about it' and in some incarnations, absolutely detests guns as a thing of violence, and little more. Compare with River Song, who always has her blaster, and is not only a damn good shot, but has no fear of her weapon, and will even use it to destroy her boy toy's fez if it suits her. Mels' first reaction to the Doc is to put a gun to his head and say, 'I've got a gun, you've got a time machine. Let's kill Hitler.' It shows her rash, militaristic (and mercenary, if we're honest) mentality and loyalties. She's trusting, and not, following the Doctor everywhere, while also stating, 'Rule 1: The Doctor lies.'

One can even refer to Harry Potter. The Sword of Gryffindor isn't just a very valueable prop, it's a symbol of courage and valour, and is the weapon of choice when destroying Horcruxes. And in a more subtle way, each wizard's wand says a bit something about them - Lily's wand was noted as 'springy, good for Charmswork', while James was 'sturdy, but flexible, excellent for Transfiguration'; every wizard has the wand choose them, and what wand connects with their soul (and, inevitably, magic-use style) is a reflection of that individual. Rowling did a lot of research for her wands, from wand core to length to wood to personalise the wands individually so that each wizard's wand says a little bit about them.

Or how about Storm Hawks? Piper and Cyclonis are both crystal mages, and as such wield the traditional staff. The Dark Ace has a broadsword, for more power. Ravess is an archer, which requires precision and perfection, as well as fine motor skills and subtle strength that is also reflected in her violin. Snipe, on the other hand, has his mace in an archaic, medieval show of strength, even though it's a bit unwieldy, just as much as he is - his 'More Dakka!' philosophy always backfires, because he thinks that brute strength will win the battle because, quite frankly, he doesn't have the smarts to do otherwise. Junko has his knucklebusters, because he fights with his fists, brute strength. Finn has his crossbow, for his precise aim (sharpshootah! -riffs!-) because 'Finn never misses' - mind, to balance with his cocky nature, this also isn't a very good hand-to-hand combat, as shown that he's a bit of a coward and doesn't always think things all the way through. Stork is non-agressive, and I'd say more paranoid than a coward (unlike Finn). He's dark and sinister, and borderline evil - he tries to avoid trouble, but at the same time, won't run away from a fight, and regularly swoops in to save the day - from the safety of the Condor, but still. He's an intellectual, and is more likely to evade/trap his enemies than take them head-on - when he is fighting others, his combat tactics are more defensive - primarily booby traps and the like on his ship, ride or person. But, when he does charge into battle, he goes in guns blazing, with a manic madness spurned on by pushing his Berserk Button. When actually forced into hand-to-hand combat, we see he's a powerful, agile fighter, and a force to be reckoned with, but he'd much rather avoid the fight. In an ironic way (but not really, if you think about it) Stork is the best fighter of the bunch - he's the one who takes the martial art's philosophy of 'avoid a fight, but be prepared for one' to heart. Mind, he's also pretty helpless when out of his comfort zone (as noted by him banging into poles and the like on a regular basis whenever he has the misfortune of being outside the ship), but he's very resourceful.

One can go on and on with examples, but it's an honest philosophy, and something to consider when you're writing - what weapon would your character likely use, and why? Even when playing Left 4 Dead, you'll notice that some favour melee (an axe for gore, a guitar for cool factor) vs. automatic (for those who like to hold down the button) vs. pistols (for those with the practical forethought to 'conserve ammo'). Do you seek out specialised weaponry because it's cool, or because it's more your style? How about the Sniper v. the big guns? Shotgun vs. rifle? Even in swords, rapier? Broadsword? Katana? Dagger? Knife? Shuriken? What you choose for your character will be influenced by their background, fighting style, and also supply. Are you practical, or sentimental? Is it 'Vera, my very favourite gun', or 'this here's my boomstick'? Do you have the same glock you were assigned when you signed on to the force (for cops) or are you Neo (the Matrix) and have a whole duffle of machine guns that you toss as soon as they're empty? Answering these questions will give you some insight into your character's way of thinking, style of dealing with problems and enemies, and even hint at their backstory - so next time you get the chance, take your muse to a shooting range and see what you can learn.

Alright. Today's post was brought to you by TV Tropes (it's dangerous to venture there, particularly as a writer and archetypist) and the Split Personality page. Listed at the bottom of the trope article, it mentions the following: "There are also some individuals who claim to have "healthy," or non-traumatic/trauma-induced, multiplicity, though the existence of that is even more controversial among scientists. More info on healthy multiplicity can be found here..." and the link follows to a list of websites, blogs and etc. for people with what they've termed 'healthy multiplicity'.


( Read more... )

( Read more... )

So... this 'healthy multiplicity' isn't uncommon. Lots of people have 'muses' and 'visitors', and it's not a sign of mental illness. A coping mechanism that helps you cope isn't a bad thing - you are coping, aren't you? But this is a bit more. This is a tapping into a higher realm of thought, a spiritual awareness of sorts. The characters prove themselves to be pretty independent of us, so I wouldn't be surprised if they will in turn move on to someone else. I know for a fact that Neil Gaiman, J.K. Rowling, Stephen King and Anne Rice have all mentioned their own muses, to varying degrees. It's just part of the business, in a way.

( Read more... )

...so, yeah, ps. Storm Hawks. It's a great show, and I've recently started a blog for putting up the transcripts (for which there appears to be none, at first glance) called storksscripts , that, actually, Stork has adopted into his own LiveJournal. It's a little scary how in-character the posts are, but I'm coming to accept that he's just going to be around for a while. Might as well make him comfy. XD I just gotta make sure I actually eat something... His neuroses could kill me.

So... quick snapshot. And I know, the question on everyone's minds!!! (Well, mine anyway) and the answer is YES, I am going to Dragon*con! Looks that way, anyway. Went and put something on Craigslist, have a hit, provided she answers in a timely manner... FRABJOUSNESS!!! I'm only going for Saturday, but that includes watching the new episode of Doctor Who with a panel of Whovians (FRABJOUS!!!), the Villain's Ball, Abney Park concert AND Voltaire concert! I even have a loving soul who can get me a ride to the airport post-concert so that I don't have to wander metro-Atlanta in the middle of the night or stalk the halls of the con and risk the previous happening. FRABJOUS! As it is, don't exactly have it in my hands, but I'm making plans, anyway. Worst thing happens, I don't get to go. Will be sad, but I'll try to carry on... T^T.

In other news, I've realised that 7 scarves is not going to cut it - lots of people are favouriting those Harry Potter scarves left, right & center, so I'm going to have to make a shit ton more in preparation of Christmas, and rest assured that Eleanor (who just got back from the hospital today, after three months of dragon-less bliss...) will be put to work as well. DERN SKIPPEH. I'm anticipating good business in the cold season, and have already jacked up my prices a smidge in anticipation. YAY!!! >.> Yes, lots of outbursts. Shush. Leave me be in my frabjousnessed joy. I'M GOING TO GO TO DRAGONCON, DAMMIT.

For now, howe'er, I have a ball game tonight and tomorrow night, directly after which I will head straight to the airport if all goes to plan, though I might do Sat morning if I MUST. I can get past no Who, and even no ball if need be, but AT LEAST I'll be there for the concerts, AT LEAST. Dog is being hidden away upstairs to avoid being eaten by the dragon (and is trying to get my garlic chicken (chinese) dinner, BUT NO, PUPPY, YOU CAN NO HAZ. IS MEIN! IZ PIPPLEZ FUDZ! U NO CAN HAZ!

Etsy is already starting up the Holiday Boot Camp soon (which I'm actually going to participate in this year, dammit!) and I reminded myself of Gothnowrimo, which I found out about the day before Halloween last year, lol XD so I'll try to do that this year, as well. Not sure what, yet, but I'm reading Ray Bradbury's Something Wicked This Way Comes at present, so I think that'll help, plus plenty of Danny Elfman music. Oh yes.

In other news... school's up, and although I have a bit of a glitch with my Accounting class, I'm trying to get it sorted. Boss clown says we're good to do the Admirals games this year, so W00T!

...woah, weirdest thing. So... I went to listen to music (because the CD I'd grabbed was scratching) but all my fave cds are downstairs, so I went through what I had, and found a CD that Tony had given me, of Bert's music. Most of it's jazz groove stuff - yeah, jams. Kinda really sloppy, but it's something I hadn't listened to in a while - and one of the better songs came up, and I swear, when I heard his voice, my brain kind of keeled over and died for a moment, right around 'Admirals' up there, and some of the lyrics were floating, I think the body and mind is jolted by the voice and connotation - tried to keep going and wrote 'gypsy' instead, which is from the words in the song. So weird, lol...

Anyway. Yeah, school, writing, crafts, work... Oh! Bento blog's back up again. Feel free to go check that out at kmlsbentos, if you like. ^-^ And be all stalkerish and see what I'm eating for lunch, eh? lol

Well, I guess that'll do for now. I gotta change for work. Take care, lovelies!

~Lady K

(Ps, I'd add the links, but Livejournal is being weird... I'll have to fix it later)

I have a list of songs that, if I had the forethought, I'd love to gift for a wedding, birthday, engagement, birth, what have you. They're songs that have some kind of core truth that I think everyone should really know, and have resonating into their soul. One of the best ways of getting a concept into your heart is via music, and I think a CD is a great way to do it. The kind of thing I want you to play many times in your life, and let the philosophies seep into your psyche. I don't have a full CD yet, but it's a work in progress, over many years now. In no particular order, because I'd have to mix it to sound nicer before I burn it:


1. That's How You Know - Demi Lovato (from the movie Enchanted, because I like this version better. Because the intro for the movie versions sounds off (imho) and it's a bit random, and that's a bit off-putting. this is about those little things you can do for the one you love to show your affection, even if it's not the words. little things like flowers, notes, putting on your favourite colours, etc., and also what to look for, so you won't miss out on a quiet lover's subtle expressions of devotion)
2. Escucha Me (Listen To Me) - Jaci Valesquez (a bit religious. One of those 'I've been there, and trust me, God is here for you' without being sicky icky preachy, which I hate. The bridge, 'words of wisdom, can you hear them?' is just, again, one of those 'trust your elders - they've been through what you're going, and can give you encouragement and support through whatever you're going through.)
3. Daughters - John Mayer (this one's a bit more on the mellow side, but another beautiful song. Often, people go through a lot when they grow up, and you have to be able to work around it. Sometimes people aren't ready for a commitment, and sometimes they have unresolved issues. It's not always your fault. It's important to be good to your children. 'on behalf of every man, looking out for every girl, you are the guide in the weight of her world.' Especially important at the birth of a little girl.)
4. Wives and Lovers - Jack Jones (yes, I know that some people are going to go 'CHAUVINIST PIG!' but you know what? Cheating works on both sides. It takes two to tango, and who doesn't appreciate a little effort? Just because you're taken (much less married) doesn't mean you can stop working at your relationship. Sometimes you have to do something nice, too. Research states that a married couple (especially if you have kids) needs to have a private date night at least once a month, for the sake of their sanity, and their relationship. You should take a little initiative periodically, and be the one to do something nice for your partner, not just accept stuff from them. Balance! Partnership!)
5. Lollipop - Mika (here's another poppy one, and Mika's one of my favourite artists. He's that kind of Mad Hatter character, who sings nonsense, but truth at the same time. In a light-hearted, kid-friendly song, there's also serious dating advice in here. As you get older, you'll recognise the double entendres and harsher truths hidden in the nice words, but the message is the same:  'Live your life until love is found, or love's gonna get you down' - don't try so hard! True love will find you. Be patient!)
6. Hushabye Mountain - Dick Van Dyke (this is a BEAUTIFUL lullaby from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, and is exactly what a lullaby should be: soft, beautiful, and reassuring. 'close your eyes on hushabye mountain. wave goodbye to cares of the day. and watch your boat from hushabye mountain sail far away from lullaby bay'. the visuals are nothing short of gorgeous, and if you don't feel like drifting off to sleep with a peaceful smile on your face, there's seriously something wrong with you. Also, make sure it's the Dick Van Dyke solo version - there's a reprise later in the movie with Truly, but Dick's rich voice is all you need!)
7. It's Not Easy Bein' Green - Kermit (this is one of those 'be proud of who you are' type songs. Kermit starts wishing he were another colour, something brighter and more interesting, but recognises how many great things are also green, and decides that, 'it's beautiful, and i think it's what i want to be'. I'll add 'Just One Person', but it borders on sappy - for ultimate effect, watch the Jim Henson Tribute. T^T That'll tear you up good.)
8. Letters - Abney Park (Actually 'Letters Between A Little Boy & Himself As An Adult', it's exactly what you think. It's another one of those pensieve songs, but it doesn't sound sad and sappy - but if you listen to the words, it can give you pause - unless you're good with your Little Boy. The message is important - 'never stop playing, never stop dreaming, and be careful not to turn into what I'd hate'. Don't waste your life - you can do something with it! Don't make excuses - a good life is a lot of hard work, but it's worth it to be proud of yourself. Would your 8 year old self be pleased with what you're doing with yourself, or horrified? Live a life your childhood self would be proud of.)