...something that's not funny at all - followed by something that is...

(No, I have no idea why my blog is fucking up the way it is. Sorry.)

Here's a statement for you, verbatim: "Abortion is an abysmal practice; but if you were to abort all the black babies, you would most certainly have a radical drop in crime rates."

Some right-wing, conservative whack job ACTUALLY SAID THIS ON THE AIR to one of his callers. This guy has a radio show. These are the kinds of people who are in power in our government right now. Abort all the black babies? What? WHAT?!?! Jesus CHRIST this makes me want to KILL MYSELF knowing that I share the title of the human race with people like this! This guy should be lynched...that's just not cool, at all. Goddamn.

And now to lighten the mood...

Donald Rumsfeld and his aides are giving Bush his daily briefing on Iraq. He informs the President: "You should know that three Brazilian soldiers were killed yesterday."

The President turns white, and slumps into his chair, looking shaken. "Dear God," he says, lapsing into silence.

His staff exchanges puzzled and concerned glances, as Bush has never displayed such a reaction to casualty news before. They nervously watch the President, who sits, head in hands.

Finally, the President looks up and asks, "OK, tell me again, how many are there in a brazillion?"


Hehe. Nice! It's funny because it's true - Bush really is THAT stupid.

Things on the job search front are awesome right now. I have interviews coming up three interviews coming up in the next two weeks, and more coming down the pike every day. Something is bound to break for me, and when it does, it's going to be back in business for Quill. Boo-yah! I also had an interview just this morning. So far, I've had five interviews, counting this morning, and three coming up, which makes eight possibilities for me. Nice!

Tonight is Heather's party, as most of your are aware. 8 o'clock pee-ehm at our place, for pizza and drinking. Then, we may go out, we may not. All depends. Happy birthday in advance, baby! Hope you have an awesome one!!


Quilled Tunes: "Don't Cha" - Pussycat Dolls

(Shut up; I can't get it out of my head. Reminds me of wifey...)

...eye of the tiger type stuff, and other things...

Seems we have a rampant case of 'bleakness' going around our circle. Trust me, I know how it feels...I'm there.

Sometimes life is a fight, a struggle. It can happen when you're ready for it, but often it hits you like a truck going full-throttle into a freight-train in the blink of an eye.

You then have a choice: fight or lay down.

Me, I'm not much for laying down. So I fight.

So should you. (All of you who are going through similiar.) If you can't find a reason to fight, fight for that. Then keep fighting afterwards.

You do that, and I promise you that even if things never turn out the way you like, you can never feel or be a failure. I swear it.

(This goes out to Scott, Nix, Beaver, and Question - and whoever else I might have missed.)

There's talk of going to Haunted Houses. Andrea has grabbed the bull by the horns and kicked things off. That's cool. Which haunted place should we visit? Want MY opinion? Of course you do!...that's why you're here. (Actually, I'll tell you whether you want it or not anyway...hehe.)

Silo-X / The Creature / The Crematory = $20.00

All three of those places are in Fenton. That's three haunted houses for $20; no driving involved, they're all in the same place. Sweet. I dunno about you, but that's the ticket IMO.

Other sweet things coming up are the concerts - Nine Inch Nails on Oct. 14th, and Gravity Kills on Oct. 28th! I'm lovin' it.

Speaking of the NIN show - you guys have to pay Scott. Those tickets are non-refundable, and he bought them all for you guys. Other than myself and Dave, Scott hasn't received a red dime for any of it, which sucks. At around $50 a pop, that's around $400!!

Money troubles I can understand, and totally sympathize with...but it is now money that's already spoken for, like with a credit card, because Scott needs to be reimbursed. Do it.


Quilled Tunes: "Bizarre Love Triangle" - Stabbing Westward/New Order

...the addressing of the masses...

Things are very busy. I'm both getting lots of stuff done and accomplished, and at the same time the waiting makes it feel that I'm accomplishing very little.

@Nix: I'm sorry that things are lonely for you, bud. I know it hurts. I'm here for you whenever you need to talk or vent, or laugh. Heather too I'm sure.

@Dan (Question): You are going to make it eventually, man...just hang in there. I can't imagine how hard it must be being in California with no friends around, but as I said, you always have friends just a phone call, instant message, blog comment post, or email away. I will be here if you need me for anything.

@Scott: You haven't said as much, but I know you too are feeling the rampant "bleakness" that's infecting a portion of our circle. It's not your way to need or ask for help, and I get that - nevertheless, I'm here for you, man. I hope business keeps growing and gets better for you. Call me, we must hang out soon.

@Heather: I just can't go a blog post without letting you know how awesome you are, babe. Thanks for being wonderful you!

@Beaver: We need to get together soon to discuss your job search - I think I can help you in some way, shape, or form. Call me.

@Everyone: Thanks for your wishes and prayers...I appreciate every one of them, and you.

As I said, things have been busy. I'm busier now than I was when I was working. Anyway, things are looking better each day. I will report more on the happiness later tonight or tomorrow. For right now, I must get ready for...stuff.


Quilled Tunes: "Personal Jesus" - Gravity Kills

...and once again, a blog entry...

Friday afternoon I met with some people at IPM Services; they're the ones that landed me the interviews with Paric and Behlman. It was a very promising meeting, and I found out that things are looking up.

After that, I went down to Goose Creek with Scuba. Dave also came with us. We spread about 8,000 lbs of gravel using shovels around his "Shabin". Then, last night, me, Scuba, Joe, Angel, and Chuck spent the night down there. (Heather didn't come because she had to teach her class this morning.) It took a little over two hours for Joe to solve the electric problem, and we had fire problems until Joe and I rigged a pit-grill for us to cook on using a supply of bricks. (Although I'm told that right after I turned in, the wood dried enough to make a nice blaze. Go figure.)

All-in-all, the "Shabin" is nice...I do enjoy the luxuries at home, however. Much thanks goes out to Scuba for managing to get us out of Goose Creek this morning...we almost got stuck in what turned into a giant mud-pit from the overnight storming.

@Heather: I really don't have a reason to address you here...at the risk of sounding like a sappy moron, I just wanted to tell you that I love you. Very much.

I have an interview tomorrow with Countryside Carpets & Interiors, a flooring contractor that did a lot of work with LaClair. Wish me luck.

Behlman has shown an interest, and we'll find out about Paric soon enough. Besides that, I've been hitting the phones and making some contacts, hopefully a handful of them will be helpful to me in one way or another. I've also got a couple of recruiters and head-hunters going, so we'll see what comes of that.

I apologize to those who might be tired of my talks about my job search (especially my wife, who is the absolute best). It's on my mind more than it should be, and I recognize that. I know I need to chill the fuck out and relax and just "do it". It's hard for me to do that for some reason, even with things happening and things looking up a bit.

Saw Posch and Kristin's apartment today - they have a really nice apartment, lemme tell ya! I wish ours had two bathrooms. :) Congrats to the both of them. We also visited for a little while, and caught most of some episodes of 'Full House'. God, was that show full of cheese! Oh well...brought back some memories from childhood in a sense. Gotta love nostalgia.

I have been so weird lately...in a very quiet, very ponderous mood. Definitely not my usual deal, either. But there's also a lot going on in my head, as some of you know, so...

Anyway...that's all I have to report for now. I just realized that I need a more solid handle on which months have 30 days in them, and which ones have 31. Yes, I'm aware there is a poem...which I either never learned, forgot, or a combo of those two. Yes, I know there is a "knuckle" technique for it...I just learned that. Funny stuff...


Quilled Tunes: "Rebel Yell" - Billy Idol

The Return Of The King (Of Quill) - To Some Semblence Of Normality

I've got a big portion of my fight back, now. :)

Thanks to everyone who've voiced and lent their support. Especially Nix and Question.

Interview with Paric went very well. They seem very interested. Found out that Behlman Builders is very interested for real, as they called their recruiter back with more questions about me. Keep you're fingers crossed for me, and say a prayer (for those of you that pray).

I'm eagerly awaiting these two concerts coming up. Nails and GK are going to be a very welcome fun-time for me.

Ever wanted to know How To Use A Vagina? Now you can know!

Nix, THIS is for you.

Quilled Scripts: "Eye Of The Tiger" - Survivor

Just wanted to post an entry to let you all know I'm still alive.

I'm in kinda a weird place that's not too pleasant. Despite that, I am optimistic, hopeful, driven, and motivated. I apologize in advance for any kind of sullenness or seemingly-depressed or down vibes I put out.

My interview with Behlman Builders was this morning. I feel very good about it; I think it went very well. Hopefully something will come of it. :)

@Heather: You're the most wonderful woman/person I know, babe. I know that seeing me kinda down gets you pissed or tired of it or down yourself; just know that it's just a mind-game I'm having to work through. Just a phase. Thank you thank you thank you thank you for being so supportive and just being there for me in general. Bigger and better things will happen for me, and for us, so don't think I don't share your opinion about that.

@Everyone: Thank you for the kind words and the support. I appreciate it more than you'll ever know.

I now continue my hunt for bigger and better things.

Needless to say, my blog might not be updated consistently, as I'm focusing on the more important issues at hand.

Say prayers for me and keep me in your thoughts, and send hopeful thoughts and such to me as I do this. I love you all.

- Steve a.k.a. Quill

...the only thing I can really say is DAMMIT...

People are gonna find out about this anyway, and I'd rather them get it from me rather than the rumor mill.

I got let go.

LaClair needed to "cut back on overhead" and I was the overhead. It wasn't because of anything I did...in fact, I was doing excellent; they just weren't doing as well as they wanted/needed to business-wise. (It wasn't for computer reasons or anything like that, and I know that some people might think or say that - if I hear about anyone that does, they're dead. I mean it. So don't.)

This is a good thing. I was being fucked pay-wise anyway. And I'm not completely unprepared for this as I've been working with a couple of head-hunters, and have my updated resume on Monster and Career Builder. I also have two interviews this week, so wish me luck everyone! Both Heather and I have been getting frustrated with it all, and we were half-way expecting me either to be let go or me to leave as soon as possible.

I apologize in advance if I get kinda weird about things for a bit - this sucks, and it's very hard, as some of you know all too well.

Also, I don't wish this to become a topic of conversation. You can talk to me about it, ask me questions, how I'm doing, how things are going, etc. - but please do me the courtesy of not discussing this at gatherings and whatnot. I'd rather not have any kind of emphasis on it, it's better that energy go towards other efforts, like support. I will definitely appreciate every ounce of support given to me, although I do not ask for it if you're not willing to give.

Thank you for your time.

In other news - well, actually the same news - these two companies seem really interested in me. I'm excited and hopeful about it. Say a little prayer for me - couldn't hurt, right? ;)

Items I recently picked up:

The Girl Next Door (DVD)[belated birthday gift]
Horror Express (DVD)
NIN "Further Down The Spiral" UK 10-Track Import (CD)

The Nine Inch Nails show is coming up. It will be a welcome distraction, especially if worse comes to worse and I still haven't found anything by then (that's a worst-case scenario though). And, the Gravity Kills show is also coming up too, which IMO is even better than the NIN show. But then, I AM a "Whore". More on that stuff later.


Quilled Tunes: "Dust In The Wind" - Kansas

P.S. I really do mean it about the not talking about it as a subject of conversation. Thank you all in advance for your respect on that front.

...karaoke, Tom & Anna's new house...

Last night at karaoke was fun. And...eventful. Uh...yeah. Anyway, Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" is a harder song to do than one would think. And Beaver is beginning to embrace the Gurfle nickname. Nice!

This is the weekend that Tom and Anna are moving into their new home! I'm very happy and excited for both of them. I wish I could be there, but the one-two combo of scheduling problems and costs of gas has thwarted my ideas for lending my assistance (note: if it was cost of gas by itself, that wouldn't have stopped me, though). I need to get my happy Quilled butt up there to hang out with them.

@Tom & Anna: Congratulations on your new house, you two! This is totally awesome, and I apologize perfusely that I cannot join in the fun of moving day. Hugs to you both!

The day is just beginning, and already my to-do list is a mile long. Ugh. That's okay though - it's better than not having a to-do list at all.

Sorry this isn't a very feature-filled posting...I do have this "What Video Game Character Are You?" Quiz from Liquid Generation for you:



Quilled Tunes: "Highway To Hell" - AC/DC

...Who is "Gurfle"?; other things...

Tonight I hang out with Nix and Gurfle. We’ll be doing dinner, and hanging out until 9:00 PM when we will venture to O’Leary’s for some KUH-ROW-KEY!

Who the hell is Gurfle, you ask? Why, that’s Beaver, under his NEW nickname. You see, Beaver has a speech impediment that makes him sound like this when he talks (see Reply #38):

“Ooompf ummpf uh uh uh OOOOOOOOOOO paintball oompf gurfle oompf umph umph oompf…”

And so, that’s one of his newest nicknames now – Gurfle. Fun times.

We watched the third installment of the Urban Legend film series. The dialogue was pretty stupid, and the effects and story were definitely straight-to-video quality…but it wasn’t completely terrible. It was actually a pretty good flick compared to some others I’ve seen (House Of 1000 Corpses, for example).

@Scott: I know that things suck as of late for you, what with poor business and that whole thing with Ryan going down. You don’t have to go it alone, just call me, I’m here for you always, bro.

@Nix: Fuck yawls milk!

@Gurfle: Nice paintball gun, dude. Thanks for coming over last night, Dan.

@Heather: I love you and I hope you enjoy your shows tonight. But babe…seriously…the O.C.? Ick. Just kidding. Love you, sexilicious!

If it’s wussy to want to throw a drinking party inside of a climate controlled cabin rather than in a tent on the hard ground, then I guess I’m a wussy in that regard. At least I don’t throw a tantrum when I fail to defeat the Gatekeeper in a board game, eh?

Quilled Final Thought Of The Blog:

I know sometimes I’m called a dick; but THIS is a true dick. I love posting that picture…hehe…

--------------------------------------------
Quilled Did You Know?:

Tin canning was not widely adopted until 1846, when a method was invented to increase can production from 6 in an hour to 60. Still, there were no can openers yet and the products labels would read: "cut around on the top near to outer edge with a chisel and hammer." The can opener was invented in 1858 by American Ezra Warnet. There also is a claim that Englishman Robert Yeates invented the can opener in 1855. But the can opener did not become popular until, ten years later, it was given away for free with canned beef.

--------------------------------------------------
Quilled Link(s) of the Blog:
Liquid Generation is an “uber” cool site.

Liquid Generation

BTW – check out what I got on the “What Kind Of Rocker Are You?” Quiz:


There it is – black and white PROOF that I am – METAL QUILL! I’m definitely the definition of metal. Quilled - \m/!!

_+880_____________________________
_++88_____________________________
_++88_____________________________
__+880_________________________++_
__+888________________________+88_
__++880______________________+88__
__++888_____+++88__________+++8__
__++8888__+++8880++88____+++88___
__+++8888+++8880++8888__++888____
___++888++8888+++888888++888_____
___++88++8888++8888888++888______
___++++++888888888888888888______
____++++++88888888888888888______
____++++++++000888888888888______
_____+++++++000088888888888______
______+++++++00088888888888______
_______+++++++088888888888_______
_______+++++++088888888888_______
________+++++++8888888888________
________+++++++0088888888________
________++++++0088888888_________
________+++++0008888888__________

--------------------------------------------------
Quilled Tunes: “Hurts So Good” – John Cougar Mellencamp

Quote of the Blog: “Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment.” - Buddha

Literary Quote of the Blog: “She was truest to them in the season of trial, as all the quietly loyal and good will always be.” – Charles Dickens, ‘A Tale Of Two Cities’

--------------------------------------------------
Quilled Joke Of The Blog:

Q: What's the difference between a psychologist and a magician?

A: A psychologist pulls habits out of rats!

--------------------------------------------------

Word(s) of the Blog:

apophasis \uh-PAH-fuh-sis\ noun

: the raising of an issue by claiming not to mention it

...a trinity of surprise!; some humorous things...

One of the signs of the apocalypse – I believe it’s number four or maybe six – has come to pass.

Last night, Hizzy’s trivia team got the lowest score in O’Leary’s in…80’s metal music. Which means Hizzy missed 10 out of 15 metal-related questions. Shit like that is just wrong. Unnatural. That’s like Nix turning down a screening for a horror flick. Or Scott turning down porn. Or me not taking a wide-open shot to insult someone or something.

Hizzy thinks she’s going to get razzed on for this. I don’t think so. Even hardcore uber-metal-heads have their off-days, right? Besides, they fought back with a 10/10 win in a different music category, so it all evens out. I just wanted to post about it because – well – something like that will probably never happen again; one of those once-every-Eon type deals.

Beaver played the Anti-Bush Video Game…and now has a solid idea of why I am so adamant about all this political stuff. That makes two people (Scott and Beaver) who previously were annoyed by my ranting and didn’t really know too much about it, and now definitely are on board, even if it’s not vocally. I guess that’s another impossibility that has come to pass.

@Beaver: Thanks for taking the time to check that shit out, dude. I know it just makes you sick to your stomach, too…trust me.

Continuing our diatribe on impossibilities: George W. Bush has accepted responsibility for the Federal government’s abysmal response to Katrina.

Now, just to clarify – he doesn’t mean it. He’s saying it to try to raise his all-time-low current approval rating (and sadly, people will be foolish enough to buy it and it’ll work). He’s “taking one for the team” so to speak – taking a bullet for the rest of the administration and the federal government in general. After all, he’s now a lame-duck president, and nothing short of an impeachment-level atrocity would kick him out before his clock is up. If it wasn’t for the fact that so many questions are being asked; if it wasn’t for the fact that so much concentration is on this thing; if it wasn’t for the fact that he desperately needs a higher approval rating…he wouldn’t be admitting any kind of fault or taking responsibility for anything. That’s the kind of president he’s proven to be: don’t admit fault for anything – even when wrong – unless you have no other choice.

However, I love that the fascist little prick has been forced to do it anyway. I love that he’s been forced to take responsibility for SOMETHING. Victory for the liberals (a.k.a. the moral side)! Suck on it, you donkey-raping, neo-con bastard!!

If death comes in threes, then so do unexpected events as shown. Wow.

It seems that I’ve gotten Hizzy hooked on LiquidGeneration. Cool! Now for Part 2 of the yet-undetermined number of quizzes that I’m going to post:

Which Movie Hero Are You?


Quilled Final Thought Of The Blog:

Fuck yawls milk! GURFLE!! \m/ (Click On Me For More Laughs; especially you, Nix.)


Quilled Tunes: “Let’s Get It Started [Retarded]” – Black Eyed Peas

Liquid Generation Quizzes - Pt. 1

Which Horror Movie Character Are You?

...fun videos; Gravity Kills; more features...

Quilled Irony Of The Blog: Per ‘3 Stooges’, people getting hurt is funny, unless it’s you. How sick is that? :P

Know what’s really scary? Camel Spiders. *shudder* Know what’s really funny? Having a shot-gun recoil into someone else’s nuts. Know what’s also funny? This woman getting tazed for not obeying cops. (For some odd reason, I love seeing people get tazed. It’s funny as hell.)

Also of note are this guy taking IPECAC for $200 (a substance that makes you vomit uncontrollably), Bill Gates getting hit with a pie, and this news woman doing a Freudian slip live on the air.

And, one more time, because it’s fun: Dick Cheney being told to go fuck himself by a New Orleanian. Rapper Kanye West: “George Bush doesn’t care about black people.” (Check out the expression on Mike Myers’ face…classic.)

Because I can't say it enough - Gravity Kills. Reunion concert. October 28th. The Pageant in the U-City Loop. Tickets at Ticketmaster available on September 23rd for $15. $18 day of show at the door. Be there!

There will be many meetings coming up very soon…meetings about the Loaf film project; meetings about the Porn Empire project; meetings regarding QUILLCADE. meetings about a wide variety of Bug Juice-related happenings.

Quilled ‘Consider This’:

It’s an act of terrorism when Arabs fly planes into our buildings – unprovoked – in the name of the Muslim god, Allah; it’s an act of freedom and democracy when we attack Iraq – unprovoked – in the name of the Christian God. Welcome to the United States of Hypocrisy, ladies and gentlemen…

--------------------------------------------
Quilled Did You Know?:

A number of nuclear cases involve ships or submarines colliding at sea or, in some cases, submarine nuclear power units becoming unstable and the subs having to be abandoned. According to Greenpeace there have been more than 120 submarine accidents since 1956. The most recent incident, in August 2000, was the loss of the Russian nuclear submarine Kursk in the Barents Sea. The Kursk is the seventh nuclear submarine lost, five of them Russian, two American. There are 92 known cases of nuclear bombs lost at sea.

[Quill Says: Jesus. Christ!!]

--------------------------------------------------
Quilled Link(s) of the Blog:
Come to the Bug Juice Mega-Forum…it’s fun!

The Bug Juice Mega-Forum

--------------------------------------------------
Quilled Tunes: “Easy Livin’” – Uriah Heep

Quote of the Blog: “We do not have to visit a madhouse to find disordered minds; our planet is the mental institution of the universe.” – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Literary Quote of the Blog: “He was obeyed, yet he inspired neither love nor fear, nor even respect. He inspired uneasiness. That was it!” – Joseph Conrad, ‘Heart Of Darkness’

--------------------------------------------------

Word(s) of the Blog:

odious \OH-dee-us\ adjective

: arousing or deserving hatred or repugnance : hateful

*******

panjandrum \pan-JAN-drum\ noun

: a powerful personage or pretentious official

--------------------------------------------------
Tired of being one of the ignorant misinformed? Try TRUTH!!

Incredible Shrinking Presidency

Cover-Up: Toxic Waters ‘Will Make New Orleans Unsafe For A Decade’!!

Finally Fooling None Of The People

--------------------------------------------------
On This Day In History – September 13th:

1692: French writer Michel de Montaigne, who introduced the essay as a literary form, dies in France at the age of 59.

1759: British general James Wolfe and French general Joseph de Montcalm are both fatally wounded at the battle of Québec. The British victory there ends the French empire in North America.

1922: The highest temperature ever recorded, 58° C (136° F), is measured at Al Aziziyah, Libya.

1942: The German seige of Stalingrad (now Volgograd) in the Soviet Union begins. Their failure to take the city during the four-month battle will halt their drive toward Moscow.

1943: Chiang Kai-Shek, the longtime military leader of Nationalist China, is elected president of the country.

1993: Palestinian leader Yasir Arafat and Israeli prime minister Yitzhak Rabin meet at the White House signing of a peace accord, which calls for limited Palestinian self-rule in Israeli-occupied territories.

...Gravity Kills in concert; props to Heather; other things...

Quilled Irony Of The Blog: Over 50% of you voted for this to happen in the aftermath of Katrina. Everyone who died in the FIVE DAYS it took our government to get off its ass is because of you, and after due to incompetence. Are you happy? Are you pleased with yourselves? Does that feel good? Choke on it.

BTW - I'm sure people are getting tired of hearing about Katrina, and want to just forget about it. I bet the victims of Katrina would give anything to forget about it, too - they don't have that happy option though. Just an FYI for ya there...

If you read my earlier post, Gravity Kills – IMO one of the greatest industrial rock bands ever formed – is having a reunion show in October! October 28th, 2005, at the Pageant. Tickets will be $15 in advance, $18 at the door, available via Ticketmaster on Sept. 23rd.

For those of you that don’t know yet, Heather has been asked to teach a Hip-Hop dance class at New Lady Fitness as well as her Latin Blast class. Here’s the kicker: Heather is creating the class from scratch – the routines, music, everything. Her boss there has given her the green light after just mentioning it as an idea.

@Scott: Congratulations, Heather – you ROCK!

Wanna see Dick Cheney getting heckled and told to fuck himself by a native New Orleanian? CLICK HERE.

Rapper Kanye West says that George W. Bush hates black people. CLICK HERE. (Which is clearly the case, and I’m glad someone finally had the stones to say it.)

Oh, by the way – I was right. I told all of you that you would SEE in perfect, crisp, black-and-white how terrible a leader “Dubya” was going to be in his second term – how much worse it was going to get – and I was 200% DEAD-ON correct.

COMPLAIN!! \m/ all you like about how my political rantings are “annoying” or “over the top”…but I was right. You all should have listened; I clearly know of what I speak. Tsk, tsk, tsk.

@Scott: Now you know why I’m so adamant about all this stuff – thanks for taking the time to get informed, and also for letting me know that you know where my head’s at now in regards to all this stuff. It’s nice to be understood for once, and even nicer to get through to someone about it.

(P.S. If YOU want to join Scott and become enlightened, play the Anti-Bush Video Game by clicking on the link or on the title of this blog. Or, you can...you know...remain blissfully ignorant. Up to you.)

In other news, Scott’s brother is OK – if you can call having your jaw wired shut and your car being gone OK. (But it does beat the alternative; so really, in relative terms it’s fan-fucking-tastic…)

@Scott: I’m glad that you’re brother is all right.

@Ryan: I’m glad you’re all right.

Also, for the 1% of the population of our group that hasn’t heard about Sarah Keinzle – through a suspiciously metal-sounding grapevine, or derivatives – she’s pregnant again. Pressing topic of must-know information, or just blissful indulgence in one person’s unfortunate situation? – you be the judge. (Ya know, compared to other things like Katrina, the upcoming GK reunion show, and heck, even what I’m having for dinner tonight…it just seems like option B to me, eh?)

Thanks, you’ve all been wonderful! Goodnight!


Quilled Tunes: “Free bird” – Lynard Skynard

HELL YEAH!!!!

OCTOBER 28TH, 2005

GRAVITY KILLS (REUNION) HALLOWEEN FREAK SHOW!!!!

AT THE PAGEANT IN SAINT LOUIS, MO

TICKETS WILL BE AVAILABLE VIA TICKETMASTER & TICKETMASTER.COM ON SEPTEMBER 23RD

$15 in advance, $18 at the door

I don't know (or care) whatever else is going on that day, but I KNOW where I'M gonna be!!!

P.S. No, that's not a joke.

...the ANSWER, and some other stuff...

Quilled Irony Of The Blog: If you complain about people always poking fun of your complaining when you don’t think you do it much, haven’t you just proven them right? (NOTE: This is not in any way directed towards Hizzy, just another irony.)

Now the moment you’ve all been craving – the answer to the riddle! (Actually, to be more specific and accurate, the moment Beaver has been craving; the guy was begging for the answer last night he wanted to know so badly.) Here’s the riddle and its solution:


“All people have known me since before they could crawl -

I have a several forms, yet known by all.

Some forms are loved, while others are cursed;

Can you figure my name by the end of this verse?

I bring feelings of joy, sadness, and pain;

The hint to the answer lies within this refrain:

I’ll tell you no story; I’ll spin you no lies –
My influence is huge, yet I have no true size.
From nation to nation, I’m a tie that binds;
Read me again, the solution you’ll find.


What am I?”


ANSWER: Music


Every baby experiences music before they can even crawl; some say that unborn babies can experience music inside the womb. Music has several forms, yet music is known in all corners of the world. Some forms of music are loved or hated, dependant on who you’re talking to. Music can elicit emotion in people, such as happiness, sadness, even pain, by association to experiences. Music’s influence is HUGE, and yet music doesn’t have a size that you could percieve in the physical sense. No matter what country you go to, a form of musical expression is there, therefore it’s one of the things we have in common. And what did the hint I posted have to do with all this? Well…just look closer. :)

“Can you figure my name by the end of this verse,” and “The hint to the answer lies within this refrain,” are the clues. Music has verse and often has a refrain to it; I even went so far as to post a refrain at the end of the riddle, with the ending asking you to repeat the refrain, just like in a song!

The people who got the closest to the solution of the riddle were Nix and Jon, who both answered words. Words – or language – fits everything except for the first line, as babies don’t have a solid concept of WORDS so much as they do SOUNDS before they start developing further. Good job, you two!

A bible, money, and weather are certainly not known to babies; and all three of them definitely have a finite and true size to them, one that you can hold on to or perceive.

Something That Needs To Be Perpetuated:

Yes, this is going to be politically oriented. Got this from Tom’s Live Journal, who snagged it from someone else, etc.

- Think Bush was bad staying on vacation instead of dealing with Katrina? Dick Cheney was shopping for a house!
- FEMA will not accept Amtrak’s help with evacuations
- FEMA turns away experienced firefighters
- FEMA turns away supply trucks from WalMart
- FEMA will not let Red Cross deliver food
- FEMA prevents morticians from entering New Orleans
- FEMA blocks 500 boat citizen flotilla from rescues and delivery of aid
- Chicago offers massive assistance. FEMA to Chicago: “Send one truck.”
- FEMA turns away generators
- FEMA: First responders urged NOT to respond
- This is how Michael Brown got this job that he is totally unqualified for
- Barbara Bush: “What I'm hearing, which is sort of scary, is they all want to stay in Texas. Everyone is so overwhelmed by the hospitality…and so many of the people in the arena here, you know, were underprivileged anyway, so this is working very well for them.” (Yes, she actually said that publicly…)
- Did you know that our government has prison “concentration” camps in place should a martial law-type situation ever be needed for illegal aliens? Guess who runs it? – FEMA.
- Isn’t it funny that Congress managed to move their ass in ONE day for Terry Schiavo, and it took them FIVE days to respond to the devastation of Katrina? They say that they couldn’t because states of emergency have to be handled on a State level and the Federal government isn’t allowed to intervene in State legislation (States’ Rights). But, Schiavo was a State legislation, and not only did Congress interfere to the fullest extent, but George W. Bush himself personally rushed to the White House to stick his nose in it.

--------------------------------------------
Quilled Did You Know?:

The first parachute jump from an airplane was made by Captain Berry at St. Louis, Missouri, in 1912.

--------------------------------------------------
Quilled Link(s) of the Blog:
Come to the Bug Juice Mega-Forum…it’s fun!

The Bug Juice Mega-Forum

--------------------------------------------------
Quilled Tunes: “Blue Monday” – New Order

Quote of the Blog: “Cinema is the most beautiful fraud in the world.” – Jean-Luc Godard

Literary Quote of the Blog: “. . . tell Wind and Fire where to stop,” returned madame; “but don't tell me.” – Charles Dickens, ‘A Tale Of Two Cities’

--------------------------------------------------

Word(s) of the Blog:

copacetic \koh-puh-SET-ik\ adjective

: very satisfactory

*******

politesse \pah-lih-TESS\ noun

formal politeness : decorousness

--------------------------------------------------
On This Day In History – September 9th:

1850: Under the Compromise of 1850, California enters the United States as a free state, in which slavery is illegal. California is the 31st state in the Union.

1914: The First Battle of the Marne ends, in which German troops in World War I are decisively halted in their drive toward Paris, France.

1968: Amateur Arthur Ashe wins the U.S. Open tennis tournament in the first year it is open to both professionals and amateurs.

1971: Inmates at the state prison in Attica, New York, take 30 guards hostage in a revolt over prison conditions. Forty-three prisoners and guards will die in the revolt, which is violently suppressed four days later.

1976: Mao Zedong, the leader of the People's Republic of China since its founding in 1949, dies of Parkinson's disease at the age of 82.

1997: As part of the peace process in Northern Ireland, Sinn Fein, the Irish nationalist political party associated with the Irish Republican Army, formally renounces violence.

...much needed shout-out to my best friend...

Scott's brother Ryan had a really bad accident yesterday. Thank God he's alright; he's really banged up, has a broken jaw, and his car was completely totalled. So if any of you are having a tough time getting ahold of the man, that's more than likely why.

@Scott: You know I've always got your back. Call me if you need anything.

@Ryan: Get better soon. (Even though you don't read my blog.)

That's all I've got for today. Remember, tomorrow is the unvieling of the answer to my latest riddle, so if you haven't posted your answer yet, I'd suggest doing it before then.

Here it is, ONE more time:


"All people have known me since before they could crawl -

I have a several forms, yet known by all.

Some forms are loved, while others are cursed;

Can you figure my name by the end of this verse?

I bring feelings of joy, sadness, and pain;

The hint to the answer lies within this refrain:

I’ll tell you no story; I’ll spin you no lies –
My influence is huge, yet I have no true size.
From nation to nation, I’m a tie that binds;
Read me again, the solution you’ll find.


What am I?”


THE HINT: The answer to the riddle is standing out right in front of you guys. It’s in the riddle itself. Think about it.


And...go.

...a clue to the riddle, and another feature blog...

Quilled BONUS Quote: “The responsibility of ministers for the public safety is absolute, and requires no mandate. It is in fact the prime object for which governments come into existence.” – Winston Churchill

Quilled Irony Of The Blog: Isn’t the idea of such a thing as “diet” soda somewhat of a practice in futility?

Hello everyone…Quill here, with yet another edition of your favorite web log (well, maybe not, but hey).

I’m going to be hooking up with a swords group here in town. Nix’s buddy Dave does this whole LARP-type thing with a bunch of people. I’m not into the LARP/role-playing aspects of it, I just like the combat aspects…but I’m told that’s cool too, so I’m good. Now all that remains is actually taking the time to rebuild/repair my ‘arsenal’ and I’ll be ready to rock, as they say.

I’ve been on a downloading frenzy over the past few days – lots of music, spanning several decades in scope, has been added to my soi-disant “Super Quill Compilation” of songs. When it’s done, it’s going to be one of the oddest things – House Of Pain, Crowded House, Nine Inch Nails, The Turtles, Vanilla Ice, and Veruca Salt are just some of the countless artists that will be mixed together; odd, and yet nostalgic in a very cool and fun way. At least I think so.

I owe you guys a clue, don’t I? Here it is – the answer to the riddle is standing out right in front of you guys. It’s in the riddle itself. Think about it.

BTW – someone better pay for the lackadaisical way our federal government shunned the good people of New Orleans and were slow to get off their ass to save people. Like I said, we went to Iraq in just a week’s time, there’s no way in hell it would even take us more than a full day to get all our resources on the scene to start helping. There was a news report on how a nursing home full of people drowned after being promised for days – DAYS – that help was “on its way.” There is no excuse for that. None.

And yeah, I know that some people might be sick and tired of hearing about Katrina, and would like to forget about it. I have to admit, I’m weary of hearing about it day in and day out myself. I’m sure the people down there would love to forget about it too, but they don’t have that option open to them. ;)

And now, for another feature-rich fun-fest!!!

Quill’s Final Thought (of the Blog):

How can you be in favor of a “quality of life” when: you support the death penalty in full; rush to bomb the shit out of an entire country; and delay in getting help to a city, in your OWN country, that gets wiped out by the biggest natural disaster in about the last century?

--------------------------------------------
Quilled Did You Know?:

The muscle that lets your eye blink is the fastest muscle in your body. It allows you to blink 5 times a second. On average, you blink 15 000 times a day. Women blink twice as much as men.

--------------------------------------------------
Quilled Link(s) of the Blog:
This game is hilarious on some fronts, serious on others, and very informative about our leader’s activities. Plus, you get to fight as Christopher Reeves, Hulk Hogan, He-Man, Mr. T, and Howard Stern…how could you go wrong?

The Anti-Bush Video Game

--------------------------------------------------
Quilled Tunes: “Piano Man” – Billy Joel

Quote of the Blog: “In the absence of justice, what is sovereignty but organized robbery?” – Saint Augustine

Literary Quote of the Blog: "For what do we live, but to make sport for our neighbours, and laugh at them in our turn?" – Jane Austen, ‘Pride & Prejudice’

--------------------------------------------------

Word(s) of the Blog:

panacea \pan-uh-SEE-uh\ noun

: a remedy for all ills or difficulties : cure-all

*******

riposte \ rih-POAST\ noun

1 : a fencer's quick return thrust following a parry
*2 : a retaliatory verbal sally : retort
3 : a retaliatory maneuver or measure

--------------------------------------------------
How about a nice, hot cup of TRUTH?

FEMA Chief Waited Until After Storm Hit

Bush’s Implicit Answer To Cindy Sheehan’s Question

GOP Agenda Shifts As Political Trials Grow

Washing Away The Conservative Movement

--------------------------------------------------
On This Day In History – September 7th:

1822: Brazil declares independence from Portugal.

1860: Red Shirt troops led by Italian nationalist Guiseppe Garibaldi take Naples, one of the final steps leading to the unification of Italy under King Victor Emmanuel II the following year.

1892: Gentleman Jim Corbett knocks out James L. Sullivan in the first heavyweight championship bout fought under the Marquess of Queensbury rules, which require the fighters to wear gloves.

1901: The Peace of Beijing formally ends the Boxer Uprising in China. Under the agreement, China pays an indemnity to the European powers and lowers trade barriers.

1977: U.S. president Jimmy Carter and Panamanian leader Omar Torrijos sign the Panama Canal treaties, which return the Panama Canal to Panamanian control in 2000.

1979: ESPN, the first all-sports cable network in the United States, begins broadcasting.

1986: Two years after winning the Nobel Peace Prize, South African clergyman Desmond Tutu is named Archbishop of Cape Town, becoming the first black leader of South Africa's Anglican church.

Control of the Panama Canal passed from the United States to Panama by way of the Panama Canal Treaty, signed on this day in 1977 and put into effect January 1, 2000.

Michael Moore's Open Letter to Bush Regarding Katrina [God Bless Him For It, Too!!!!]

Friday, September 2nd, 2005

Dear Mr. Bush:

Any idea where all our helicopters are? It's Day 5 of Hurricane Katrina and thousands remain stranded in New Orleans and need to be airlifted. Where on earth could you have misplaced all our military choppers? Do you need help finding them? I once lost my car in a Sears parking lot. Man, was that a drag.

Also, any idea where all our national guard soldiers are? We could really use them right now for the type of thing they signed up to do like helping with national disasters. How come they weren't there to begin with?

Last Thursday I was in south Florida and sat outside while the eye of Hurricane Katrina passed over my head. It was only a Category 1 then but it was pretty nasty. Eleven people died and, as of today, there were still homes without power. That night the weatherman said this storm was on its way to New Orleans. That was Thursday! Did anybody tell you? I know you didn't want to interrupt your vacation and I know how you don't like to get bad news. Plus, you had fundraisers to go to and mothers of dead soldiers to ignore and smear. You sure showed her!

I especially like how, the day after the hurricane, instead of flying to Louisiana, you flew to San Diego to party with your business peeps. Don't let people criticize you for this -- after all, the hurricane was over and what the heck could you do, put your finger in the dike?

And don't listen to those who, in the coming days, will reveal how you specifically reduced the Army Corps of Engineers' budget for New Orleans this summer for the third year in a row. You just tell them that even if you hadn't cut the money to fix those levees, there weren't going to be any Army engineers to fix them anyway because you had a much more important construction job for them -- BUILDING DEMOCRACY IN IRAQ!

On Day 3, when you finally left your vacation home, I have to say I was moved by how you had your Air Force One pilot descend from the clouds as you flew over New Orleans so you could catch a quick look of the disaster. Hey, I know you couldn't stop and grab a bullhorn and stand on some rubble and act like a commander in chief. Been there done that.

There will be those who will try to politicize this tragedy and try to use it against you. Just have your people keep pointing that out. Respond to nothing. Even those pesky scientists who predicted this would happen because the water in the Gulf of Mexico is getting hotter and hotter making a storm like this inevitable. Ignore them and all their global warming Chicken Littles. There is nothing unusual about a hurricane that was so wide it would be like having one F-4 tornado that stretched from New York to Cleveland.

No, Mr. Bush, you just stay the course. It's not your fault that 30 percent of New Orleans lives in poverty or that tens of thousands had no transportation to get out of town. C'mon, they're black! I mean, it's not like this happened to Kennebunkport. Can you imagine leaving white people on their roofs for five days? Don't make me laugh! Race has nothing -- NOTHING -- to do with this!

You hang in there, Mr. Bush. Just try to find a few of our Army helicopters and send them there. Pretend the people of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast are near Tikrit.

Yours,

Michael Moore
MMFlint@aol.com
www.MichaelMoore.com

P.S. That annoying mother, Cindy Sheehan, is no longer at your ranch. She and dozens of other relatives of the Iraqi War dead are now driving across the country, stopping in many cities along the way. Maybe you can catch up with them before they get to DC on September 21st.

The (almost) All-Feature Blog!!!

The Labor Day holiday weekend was great. I got a crap-load of songs added to my already-huge “Super Compilation” folder (which also benefits the mp3 collection as well). I don’t really have much else to report at the moment. Don’t forget, tomorrow I will be unveiling a crucial clue to the answer to my newest riddle. In the meantime, Quilled Scripts has been markedly feature-less lately, so…

Bring on the Feature Blog Entry!

Once again, the newest riddle:


“All people have known me since before they could crawl -

I have a several forms, yet known by all.

Some forms are loved, while others are cursed;

Can you figure my name by the end of this verse?

I bring feelings of joy, sadness, and pain;

The hint to the answer lies within this refrain:

I’ll tell you no story; I’ll spin you no lies –
My influence is huge, yet I have no true size.
From nation to nation, I’m a tie that binds;
Read me again, the solution you’ll find.


What am I?”


Quill’s Final Thought (of the Blog):

If I’m as dim-witted and slow as some people think/say I am…and no one can manage to fully crack the riddles which are of my own design…what does that imply? *wink*

--------------------------------------------
Quilled Did You Know?:

George Washington was the first president under the US constitution of 1789. However, the US was an independent nation for 13 years before the Constitution was signed. For one year during this time John Hanson served as "President of the US in Congress assembled." Technically, he was the first president of the United States.

--------------------------------------------------
Quilled Link(s) of the Blog:
Check out the omni-impressive Carlton Beer Ad:

Carlton Draught “Big Ad”

--------------------------------------------------
Quilled Tunes: “When Darkness Falls” – Killswitch Engage

Quote of the Blog: “Without music, life would be a mistake.” – Friedrich Nietzsche

Literary Quote of the Blog: "Nurture your mind with great thoughts. To believe in the heroic makes heroes." – Benjamin Disraeli, “Coningsby”

--------------------------------------------------

Word(s) of the Blog:

distemper \dis-TEM-per\ verb

: to throw out of order

*******

riposte \ rih-POAST\ noun

1 : a fencer's quick return thrust following a parry
*2 : a retaliatory verbal sally : retort
3 : a retaliatory maneuver or measure

--------------------------------------------------
TRUTH, TRUTH, TRUTH!!!

Living Paycheck To Paycheck Made Leaving Impossible

Despite Warnings, Washington Failed To Fund Leevee Projects

A Can’t-Do Government

California Senate Passes Gay Marriage Bill

CIA Commander: We Let Bin Laden Slip Away

--------------------------------------------------
On This Day In History – September 6th:

1837: Already one of the few U.S. colleges to admit African Americans, the Oberlin Collegiate Institute in Ohio becomes the first U.S. college to admit women to its regular college program.

1899: U.S. secretary of state John Hay circulates a letter arguing for an Open Door policy with regard to trade with China, rather than one that would carve up China into European spheres of influence.

1901: Anarchist Leon Czolgosz shoots U.S. president William McKinley at the Pan-American exposition in Buffalo, New York. McKinley dies eight days later.

1926: The Kuomintang Chinese nationalist forces led by Chiang Kai-shek reach Hankou at the confluence of the Han and the Yangtze rivers; Hankou becomes the Kuomintang capital.

1941: The Nazi government requires that all Jews in German-occupied territories wear the yellow star of David for identification.

1998: Japanese film director Akira Kurosawa, who often adapted Western literary works and forms to Japanese subjects, dies at the age of 88.

Labor Day

Quilled Irony Of The Blog:

It's called Labor Day, yet most people do absolutely NO labor whatsoever. Hmmmm...

************

Well, it's a three-day weekend - w00t! Last night, I hung with Beaver, Dave, Nix, and Nix's sister, Robi. Robi is pretty much just like Nix, only five years older and female. I didn't get home until 5:00 A.M. I need to remember to have Nix get me a copy of the video footage we shot of "Leg Wrestling Federation".

(By the way - you people better hope the only thing that can save you from high-rise terrorist death isn't the slaughtering of a cage full of baby birds, that's all I can say. Trust me. Hehe...guess you had to be there.)

I also got some new movies (I told you it wasn't over...hehe):

Jaws: The Revenge [Jaws 4] (DVD) *
Blade Runner: Director's Cut (DVD)
Carrie [SE] (DVD) *
Bride Of Chucky (DVD) *
The Dentist (DVD) *

* denotes horror movie

I'm also now the proud owner of...*dramatic music*...Nine Inch Nails "Only", Halo 20. Gotta love it! Boo-ya! If anyone wants burns or mp3 rips from that, Halo 15, or the UK Import of Halo 3, let me know...

Tonight is going out for Becky's birthday. Tomorrow is a barbeque over at Heather's parents' house. Monday I'm not too sure about just yet, we'll see.

If yesterday's ranting about Katrina sounded pissed off...good. If it offended anyone who say any of the stuff I tore apart...good. Anyone to say any of the stuff I touched upon should be ashamed of themselves for even thinking that stuff. Ashamed...and there's no justification for it, either. Period.

Anyway, the newest riddle has people's heads going already...excellent. I'll even give you guys a helpful hint come Tuesday. And yes, if you've already answered, read the clue and wish to post a second or third guess, go for it.

New feature on Quilled Scripts - Quilled Did You Know...? I predict that it just might be mimicked at some point by other people in our circle (as well as fully admitting that it's not like I'm the only guy to come up with the idea); however, you saw in here on Quilled Scripts first, folks. To start things off with a bang, I'll post three. :)


Quilled Tunes: "Future So Bright (I Gotta Wear Shades)" - Timbuk 3

Quilled Did You Know...?

- There are 6,000 species of reptiles, 73,000 kinds of spiders, and 3,000 types of lice. For each person there is about 200 million insects.

- Do you know the names of the three wise monkeys? They are: Mizaru (See no evil), Mikazaru (Hear no evil), and Mazaru (Speak no evil).

- Mel Blanc, who played the voice of Bugs Bunny, was allergic to carrots.

...on Katrina, and another riddle...

I've heard several opinions on this Katrina thing. I haven't posted about it yet. It's time I did. (Click on the title for information.)

For those of you who don't know (and if you don't, where the heck have you BEEN???), Hurricane Katrina, a category 4 storm - which is the second worst kind of hurricane, fyi - has completely decimated New Orleans and other areas in the south. New Orleans is literally GONE. There IS NO MORE New Orleans, it's sunk under several feet of water, and the water is still rising even today.

Yes, some people chose to stay there, regardless of the seriousness of the situation. Yes, people are snapping and acting like animals down there - looting...stealing...lashing out in violence against other people and military trying to help evacuate. I can certainly see how this would garner some disgust from people.

But you know what? None of that matters. As people, we have a moral obligation - not a choice, but a fucking responsibility - to rise above acting like animals in action or in mind and thought, and support each other. Those people down there, regardless of choosing to stay, regardless of the way they're reacting, JUST LOST THEIR FUCKING ENTIRE LIVES. THEIR WHOLE WORLD IS GONE FOREVER. To them, the apocalypse just came through; they've lost friends, family, their homes...EVERYTHING.

Plus, 95% of the people left in New Orleans were either people who were so low on the economic scale that they depended solely on public transportation to get around, or wouldn't leave for family and friends. I would have stayed in those events, if I had people I needed to look out for, people that would otherwise be alone in all this. Plus, where were the transports to pull these people out? Where were the helicopters, the buses, the vehicles provided by our military? They knew on Thursday of last week that this thing was coming - and our military is JUST NOW getting around to caring.

And if you wanna say, "Well, I wouldn't have stayed, I wouldn't be acting out in violence." you're fucking full of total and complete shit! Know why? Because you've never BEEN in a situation where you're entire way of life was washed away in one terrible weekend-long sweep - so you can't sit there and tell someone how mentally and emotionally stable you'd be if it happened to you. These people are in around 90 degree heat, on rooftops, de-hydrated, wading around in severely unsanitary and deep flood waters, they're lacking food and clean water, every basic necessity we take for granted every single day - how would you handle it? So fuck you. You know absolutely NOTHING about it, so just shut the fuck up.

And Bush - our "great" and Christian leader...where was he? On his ranch. Taking his relaxing vacation. He didn't even WANT to come back to his post for this thing; he was hesitant to cut his vacation short. Don't even fucking comment on how he couldn't have done anything - that's bullshit; he exercised and demonstrated his ability to do pretty much anything he wants with that whole Terry Shiavo bill that he passed; he could've done something, at the very fucking least he could have STAYED AT HIS POST HOLDING VIGIL during a crisis that laid waste to about a fifth - ONE-FIFTH - of our country. Fuck the living hell out of George W. Bush. If I could I would put HIM in front of Katrina and let HIM suffer.

Don't say "We couldn't have known the levees would break" because that, too, is total bullshit. Our military has been far too slow to get there to help these people. Instead of bringing the medical supplies and food to the refugees, they're putting it all in other spots, under the reasoning that the people should go to those places. How? How will they get there? I suppose that's their problem, eh? The fucking Mayor of New Orleans is doing more than Bush and the federal government, and he did it RIGHT AWAY instead of taking his goddamned sweet ass time about it.

Don't say, "The military got there as fast as they could" - fuck that! We went to Iraq, which is across the goddamned ocean, in a week's worth of time. We went to Afganistan with the same speed. Our military could have been there immediately after Katrina, but they dawdled; they took their fucking sweet ass time with it. Thousands of people are dying. Get the fuck off your ass and get there YESTERDAY, goddamnit!

And before you start in with the "Where's the rest of the world to help US, huh?" - I got news for you: Canada, France, Japan - a total of 12 countries are lending us aide, and without a second thought, and pretty much immediately. That's MUCH better than OUR track record, as we were the LAST country on the planet to make a move towards helping with the Asian tsunami aftermath, and we sure as hell didn't do much of anything when England had that train bombing.

Now is not the time to sit there and hold people responsible for sticking around down there. Now is NOT the time to argue the whys and the hows. Now is the fucking time to get off your ass and HELP PEOPLE WHO NEED HELP AND SUPPORT PEOPLE WHO JUST LOST EVERYTHING THEY'VE EVER KNOWN!!

Thank you. Sorry if that sounded harsh - holding my tongue about this is not an option. This is goddamned fucking ridiculous. We live in what's supposed to be the greatest country on the planet, and every single fucking day things get worse and worse; healthcare, this goddamn war in Iraq, Bush being the single worst President in history and screwing everyone in his path that isn't the rich "elite", and now THIS fucking debacle. I can't stand it. I can't FUCKING stand it. Fuck this shit. Fuck this goddamned corrupt government heirarchy. Christ, everything is fucking falling apart. I'm sick and tired of this...

I'll end this blog on a different note. Here's another riddle. You have until next Friday to solve it. Have fun...


“All people have known me since before they could crawl -

I have a several forms, yet known by all.

Some forms are loved, while others are cursed;

Can you figure my name by the end of this verse?

I bring feelings of joy, sadness, and pain;

The hint to the answer lies within this refrain:

I’ll tell you no story; I’ll spin you no lies –
My influence is huge, yet I have no true size.
From nation to nation, I’m a tie that binds;
Read me again, the solution you’ll find.


What am I?”


Good luck!


Quilled Tunes: "How Can I Live" - Il Nino

...THE ANSWER, and Re: The Meatloaf flick...

Well, it’s Thursday. And that means it’s time for the answer to another one of my mind-boggling riddles. Today’s closest guess is – Hizzy, not because of her answer, but the reasoning behind it (close, but no cigar).

“The common ground is my fare;

I’m known to people everywhere.

To some a step; to others an end;

To those who’re hopeless, I am best friend.


What am I?”


ANSWER: Religion


(FYI: by “fare” I meant the definition as an intransitive verb, meaning to “travel”; more specifically, “to follow (a course or path) as if by traveling”)

To reach a common place is the course or path of any religion. While it’s true that not all people practice religion, people everywhere know OF it (notice I didn’t say ALL people, I just said “people everywhere”). To some, religion is only a stepping stone to something greater, and to others, the religion itself is an end to the means. And the hopeless often turn to religion when they have nothing else in life.

Hizzy got the closest within her reasoning, as she was almost close to the answer of religion in her explanation. Good job, Hizzy!

******************

August is a busy, busy month for family. Yesterday was Becky’s birthday dinner. Monday was Marcia’s (Heather’s mom). My birthday was in there, of course. I’ve had so much cake and food that I’m almost dreading more holiday spreads. Almost.

And now to address this meatloaf thing:

This is going to be a trial of patience. Right now, we’re waiting on our script to be completely polished and completed. We’re also going to have to scout concrete locations for filming, get all our equipment needed, and get all the rest of our ducks in a row. This in and of itself is going to take a bit of time. That’s pre-production only so far.

As far as actual filming, we’re going to have to work around the fact that our esteemed director, Nix, has a job that whisks him out of town on a consistent basis, as well as our main camera person and musical composer, Scott. I have a “9 to 5” job, as do several other people involved in this. Day shoots are going to have to be weekends or holiday days because of this, and there’s no real guarantee who will be available. Our star, Dave, is in college and is currently handling that from the perspective of “I need to put school above all else” and very rightly so. All of this is going to turn the filming process into a very big, angry, and impossible BITCH of a task. But we will do it scene by scene if we have to, even if it’s a scene a day, and not consistently.

Post-production will be a mostly downhill ride, but even THAT is going to require some patience on everyone’s parts, due to factors already mentioned.

There’s a very large chance that we won’t even have this thing over and done with by Christmas of NEXT year (although that’s just me assuming the most amount of set-backs and delays, mind you)…but listen – this Meatloaf movie has been in development hell for years now. Nix came along with his knowledge and with the encouragement of Scott, and my blessing and cooperation, has now progressed farther than I personally ever thought it would. This CAN happen, but it’s going to take a decorum of dedication from all of us, at least from the standpoint of “let’s do what we can until this thing is fully realized and finished.”

My role is complicated in this thing – I’m the original creator, and have approval pretty much over everything in the script, which hasn’t been a problem because I agree 99.9999999% with Nix’s vision for my brainchild, and what I didn’t agree with, he was cool with working with me on. I’m labeled “producer”, but that’s not a very accurate description of my functions – I’ve pretty much been given the task of pulling shit together and keeping it that way. So that is what I’m going to do.

This thing has the potential to be GREAT. Even if no money comes of it; even if no one outside our circle enjoys it as it should be enjoyed; at least we’ll have something we can genuinely be proud of, and looks halfway decent.

End Meatloaf rant. (“Meatloaf rant”?!?!)

That’s all I have for you guys today. Rest those brains up, Quillmaniacs – another riddle is coming ‘atcha tomorrow, and it’s going to be a doozy!


Quilled Tunes: “Last” – Gravity Kills