Stoney Charms

Goodbye Good Street

2011-01-26T22:55:00.007-05:00

Etsy forums are devolving. End of January that bit of ether will end. Etsy forums to me are like the street of the internet, real but interactive and fun and interesting. Corporate interests are not the same as the interests of life as this devolution so eloquently demonstrates. Open forum structure supports the individual within the wider construct. Segregation stinks... Remember, the Dow Jones is not Grandma's cookbook. A good cookbook has recipes added and written on, a vitality of interaction and history and always includes apple pie.

One thing this brings home, is how the internet is a corporate owned and controled space. I'm not sure where to go with that.

This video, posted by Barney in the small ghost that still clings of the metalsmith's thread, makes me think "Calm Blue Ocean."

Goodbye Good Street.

Forks and Roads

2011-01-15T21:41:00.008-05:00

*I can't think of "forks in the road" without an image of Miss Piggy and Kermit and a Fork in the Road. Thank you Muppets.*

I've done this before. Bailing before the end of a game. And I listen, as I walk home. I live in Providence, RI. Most folks in the area are Patriots and Celtics and Red Sox fans. All I have to do is listen, and I know who won. Tonight was silence. *That wonderful silence you get with the snow. The silence that brings back memories of childhood, and sliding down the snowplow piled embankments holding the glee in your stomach, or singing carols under snow covered umbrellas.* I haven't checked the score, really I don't need to. What I feel like doing is reminding folks how this team exceeded our expectations. And that the Zets will loose to the Packers in the Super Bowl, and play like doormats next year. :)

What amazed me is how well the Pats have done. they have 21-23 (lost count) folks on the roster that are rookies or 2nd year guys. Out of a roster of 53. At one point in the season, there were only 3 guys starting on defense that started the season. When folks all picked the Patriots I was like, don't you know they have only Wilfork as a defensive line? They would move Wilfork around to where the team they played liked to run. In other words, that's the defensive equivalent of "finger in the dike."

"Finger in the dike" defense only takes you so far. So to does the wonderful play of rookies. Neither will win a Super Bowl. Big applause to to the players that took us away from crappy lives for a while and and gave the escapist illusion of success on a shoe string.

This time, there will be a "next year."

GO PATRIOTS!

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*Regarding the title. Well. I'm thinking job troubles and jewelry screw-ups. But. "It is what it is." *lol.**

The Making of a Locket

2011-01-06T16:54:00.005-05:00

First comes the design, I suppose. Actually, first might come the financing, the commission, and the many competing ideas on what to do. I'll start with the design that hasn't made the cut. And that's the rose lid. I made this out of silver sheet, and was thinking on making the final piece out of gold wire and gold sheet for the roses. Though, I could do silver sheet for the stems with gold roses. I dunno. Still mulling this over.

The reason i went ahead and made the mock up out of metal was, if I wanted to finish it off I'd sell it. (Try to at least!) Or I could stop with the lid and do what I think I'm going to do and mount it on the top of this black onyx.

*Yikes! Still needs to get cleaned up! Antiquing will soften some of those iffy lines, but shouldn't rely on it that much!*

My father wanted me to make my mother a locket, for Christmas. Uh, this past Christmas that is. I warned him it might take me a while, but would love to do it. Hence the rather conservative rose design. I'm also doing one with a tulip that I might post on flickr, or maybe not. I'm doing that mock up in paper mache. *lol.* Silver is expensive, and the tulip design is a bit less straight forward. *My mother likes flowers.*

A Fun Run!

2010-12-20T19:27:00.006-05:00

Sunday's game between the Packers and the Patriots was a nail biter! The Patriots are minus a lot of defensive players, particularly defensive linemen, and Sunday it showed. So it was up to the offensive linemen to step up! Or, uh, run... 71 yards!

Hah! and here is Tedy Bruschi's narration, which I thought perfect, reposted from ESPN's Boston blog:

"OK, here we go, I've got the L5 to block, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. Got it. Get ready, here comes the kick. It's a squib! It's coming right at me! I've got this. Wait for the bounce … time the bounce … there it is, it's up in the air. I've just got to get under it. Got it! Now don't fumble!

Get both arms around this bad boy and just run straight ahead. They'll tackle me soon. I see a lot of Packers in front of me, why don't I try to go left. Yeah, good idea. I should be tackled soon anyway.

Wait, where is everybody? I'm still running? They're gonna tackle me soon, right? I'm in the clear! Run faster! I can't believe they haven't tackled me yet! I'm still running! Why am I carrying the ball like a little girl carries her teddy bear? Just keep running! Oh man, so this is what it feels like. I'm pretty good at this!

Here comes somebody. Let me try this stiff-arm. I've seen Benny [BenJarvus Green-Ellis] do this a lot. It worked! I'm still running! I can score! Oooh blockers, sweet! Block the kicker! Good job! Cutback time, baby! I've never run this far in my life! I see it! I can score!

How will I celebrate? Should I dance? Why am I falling? I can't believe they tackled me. Is it over? How close was I? Four-yard line? I should've scored!"

And THAT is a dream come true for any offensive lineman or linebacker who has ever played the infamous "back row."

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lol. GOOOOOOOOO PATS!

When Bad Luck Isn't the Worst, Sometimes

2010-12-12T11:48:00.005-05:00

My place is old, and one of the things about old places is plumbing gets tired. Mine "pooped" out this past week. In this photo you see where the plumbers are inching up the building with new pipes. In the effort to save money, I'm doing the demolition/ construction end of the deal. You see the top of the wall to the left is cut away for more access to pipes. and the wall that's minus plaster, but still has some lath has plumbing here and there.

Why this is not a total omg is, the bathroom on top has not been used in 7 years, so there is no damage. I found out about the split in the stack from a plumbing problem below the split. Another positive is, I had to seal off this room to cut away all the plaster gobbledy gook, so I just shelled the adjoining outside wall to re-do with insulation. Might as well. And also, it gave inspiration for the name of my new pendant, the "Plumber's Special." ;)

Hat Trick

2010-11-26T19:57:00.010-05:00

*Sigh. There is something about a neglected blog... it is painful and sad somehow. It's like a connection that you want, but there's been a parting... and to reconnect you need to explain or give some accounting to life's drift. But life's drift is an ocean. And, I'm at sea without a compass or map and catching rainwater to maintain.* **Loved the story about those kids from New Zealand surviving after 50 days.**

But getting on to hat tricks.

This New England Patriots season has been most entertaining. And I am not referring to the stuffed toy snake a fellow near me had with him during the Colts game...(yikes.) But the variety of ways the Pats have won, whether the special teams of the Miami game or the defense stepping up against Pittsburgh. Though when all is said and done and Brady starts clicking, the Pats then shed methodical decentness of play and turbo charge into greatness. But it is the Hat Tricks that provide yet another level. Something I missed in the Pittsburgh game (If Brady had been playing Brady, the Pats would have lost that game. Thankfully, there is only one Brady.). What I missed was the fedora Belichick wore ***before the game!*** What a cheeky boy. lol. If the Pats won, Belichick would then tie the NFL win record of Coach Paul Brown, whom BB wore the hat in honor of. In other words, Bellichick did the same thing the Giants did when they showed up for that totally forcefully forgotten Super Bowl, when the Giants wore black. They said, you will loose. Bellichick was saying that to Pittsburgh. What a cheeky cheeky fellow. lol.

Honestly. I wouldn't have thought it of him. Great coaching or game plan? great use of personell? yes yes and yes. But I would think Belichick would have left attitude apparal or appearance to either Jerod Mayo or, in an awesome display of glee, Brady.

Art

2010-10-13T22:10:00.003-04:00

*I will entry more on this later. just haven't had great success on saving videos! this one I thought beautiful. "The Silent Evolution by Jason deCaires Taylor." animals are so victimized by humans. this juxtaposition neutralized that antagonism. I've heard reefs are built by sunk battleships. And reefs are killed by human pollution. we all have our living limits. it's nice to see a shared aquarium.*

Football and Hair

2010-09-18T15:26:00.008-04:00

*Continuing on with feedback regarding coiffure and the NFL.*

I'm wondering if Brady is jealous of Troy Polamalu's hair...

Hahahahahaha! I just had to use that pic. lol. But. I think Brady is working up to something. A head shave must be on the horizon. Maybe he's saving it should the Pats make it to the play offs. It would definitely confuse folks.... just imagine it. Ray Lewis (of the Ravens) come charging into the back field and say, uh, Where's the Goldilocks dude?

Last week I watched the Patriots game at a place that gave free shots with every touchdown pass by Brady. He threw 3, as I recall. There should have been 2 shots for a kick off return for a touch down, and at least a free beer if Guyton intercepts a pass and runs it back for a touchdown. That would have about covered things, I think. But. Then my memory of the game would have been even more fuzzy.

This week I'm thinking they should give free shots with every Sanchez interception, and Brady touchdown pass. The total might not be as many as last week (maybe 1 and 1,) but as long as the Pats win.

Goooooooooooo Pats!

Gooooooooooo PATS!

2010-09-08T20:54:00.004-04:00

hahahaha! And with that title I'll post the Cincinatti fight song *just because it is funny.*

But you have to admit, the New England Patriots song is more to the point...

I was going to write a post expressing angst over tough session ahead and blame it on Tom Brady's hair. lol. Because why not. But Mr GQ is still a great quarterback despite his locks. And while I have my doubts over the Pats abilities to prevail, I do think this season will be entertaining. Brady doesn't need hair like the fellows below to score. ;)

GOOOOOOOOOOOOOO PATS!

The Demise of the Bucket Bird

2010-07-20T20:10:00.002-04:00

Silence is golden on plane rides and before morning coffee. Not, as now, after trying to save the little maniac, the bucket bird. This afternoon I left him after his latest splat, down from his pot perch in the plum tree. I went out, grab the pot and went after his feathery ass, and he hopped chirping towards my massive holly bush. I should have put him in the branches of the holly from the first. Thing is though, everything likes to hide there, which includes all neighborhood bird seeking cats. But I decided to give him some time or something. I dunno. He wasn't taking to my forceful relocations well. One hour later I came back and heard... nothing.

Well. Almost nothing. There were the quiet questioning chirps of a parent nearby, and I watched as one grabbed a worm and headed to the holly bush. No gap mouthed maniac was there for enthusiastic reception. Nope. Only silence. I don't see evidence of kill. Just silence. And parents who are slowly giving up.

The violent storm on Monday I think knocked him down. I picked him up several times, putting him in a tree. And stood there once, watching a parent stuff that little maniac with worms 4 times as he flopped along belligerently on the ground. I might have bought him 24 more hours. He needed 48. Little birds are such dependent free spirits. I thought of the Calvin quote, when he told Hobbes "I must obey the inscrutable exhortations of my soul." Hobbes, "Ah, but of course" (of course.) Calvin then goes on to explain "My mandate also includes weird bugs."

On the Positive Side of Things...

2010-07-09T15:47:00.008-04:00

The June challenge of the Metal thread group involved turning a "sow's ear into a silk purse." *Open for interpretation and all that.* It was a fun challenge. I like the attitude of looking for possibilities in discarded or odd items. I might try to do more of these. It suits my brain.

What I used was a steel ball (bearing?) I found in the street. I wrapped it with silver. The silver was going to get further cleaned up after I antiqued it. But I stopped with the piece still looking a bit abused, and unpolished.

More of the Chatty Metalsmiths challenge pieces can be viewed here.

And my hero of fun..

New Post

2010-06-22T21:31:00.005-04:00

lol. I was stuck for the name of this post, terminating a long absence. My thought was to babble on about the hiatus, but.

See, sometimes I talk, sometimes I don't. I asked a poor fellow once, who patiently endured a rather content free stream of drivel of mine whether I talked to much. He said, "If you even it out, no." *perfect.* In those days I had more to talk about. I was living in Chicago, in one of those borderline areas where artists congregate. Those areas that are safe enough, but not yet expensive. The ones with the good bars and fun motorcycles. I was balancing inadequately on the nerve endings of an existence that had, like my occasional mind numbing loquaciousness, not too much substance.

But, as I recently said to a co-worker, whom I asked to do a favor which saved on trash produced, what's the point. This is where silence is the cat got my tongue. What's the point. As oil gushes into the gulf killing and killing, why worry about the small acts. Why conserve and be consciousness. *I'm not totally grandizing inarticulateness. There is something about disaster that silences. Silences the wetlands of Louisiana, for sure.* I feel like an aging trick or treater, waddling up to a particularly nice house, and the lights are turned out.

I need to get a motorcycle, and go camping.

*to enlarge the strip, click on it.*

Ocean Creatures

2010-05-22T21:06:00.004-04:00

In the 1990's, I had a job where occasionally I'd look out the window to the Boston harbor, and see the cormorants. They'd lift their wings to the air the sun to the environment around them. I may not have been alone in feeling a sadness in that picturesque view. Creatures like those birds have no choice but to exist in the polluted waters, the polluted air. They derive no benefit from all those massive chemicals washing downstream towards them. They must only survive, and spread their wings.

Even before the catastrophe that is now the Gulf of Mexico, (but was already a catastrophe in making as there was a 70 mile wide dead zone created by chemical runoff,) I thought of a very frought design* indicating my tension and sadness about the environment, specifically the Ocean. There is something so intimate about diving or swimming in an ocean to survive. I tried, but could not make any design so loaded with feeling work. I hope at sometime to be able to. I'll call those pieces "Killing the Ocean." The below piece, called "Small Hope" is the only thing I could get going on. It's more designy, and is less about hope than a letting go of total despair. It is the only thing I could do. Hence the name. Not that the design itself says "hope."

I won't be able to get this piece finished in time for the May challenge. The center tentacle area is to be cast in bronze, along with the circle beside it. The 2 side pieces will be in silver.

*This design is for the May challenge on the Metalsmith's thread. It was for an Ocean creature, highly polished. Not sure the tentacle piece will get highly polished, but maybe!

Spring Cleaning

2010-05-06T07:08:00.004-04:00

Well, kinda Spring cleaning! Wiping the dust off the blog anyway. Thought I'd post an inspirational video clip, and a photo of a ring I finished last week.

hahahahahaha! Doesn't that look like fun?

The top part is something I carved that never really made it on its own. I just combined it with a band I'd fabricated.

Have a merry May everybody. ;)

Things Not Known

2010-04-20T22:00:00.007-04:00

Well. I was given an award by a very nice individual, Almost Precious. This has happened before... but I tend to be struck dumb by the occasion. This time I suspect the lassitude of my brain waves match the occasion and I feel a centrifugal force of expression. The challenge was to talk about 10 things not known about myself. I'm thinking 4.

One was a tree I climbed in first grade. My mother told me not to climb this tree, but it was a perfect tree to climb. It wasn't my fault the limb broke and I fell to the driveway below, breaking a toe. I wouldn't've climbed it if it hadn't been good.

I rode a Suzuki 550 to Sturgis one year, not knowing about the Harley rally happening there. Accidents happen.

Red is my favorite color. But so is green. And orange. Purple black grey white and yellow. I also love pink and turquoise. To me, favorite colors are a list, discussion, debate and relist. I think there is a reason that colors are assigned to politics. If I believed in past lives, I hope I mixed colors for Caravaggio.

And the 4th is for flying. As a kid my most vivid dreams were of flying. One time I remember seeing my mother walk down the hallway from the crack at the top of my partly open door, during a "dream." My poor Suzuki 550 left me one brain fog morning as I flew up over the end of a car. The landing was tough, but the moment of shocking freedom memorable. The glimmer of hope I have for the future is the possibility of jet packs.

"Hope is the thing with feathers
That perches in the soul,
And sings the tune--without the words,
And never stops at all,"

hahahaha... well that is known. I love poetry, though sometimes in recent years I have to recreate the personal environment for poetry. It is always worth the experience. Cheers.

*I'll have to think about the passing on of this award! Though I am curious what Suldog might say bad about me.... lol.

Mechanical Beauty

2010-04-03T00:23:00.002-04:00

I got into light metals when making masks. The masks I made at the time were paper mache, and I spent an inordinate amount of time on the surface. I used modeling paste with the paper to build them, acrylic gel stuff to seal the back, but left the surface natural (For most of them. Some of the older ones were painted. Most all of the masks are gone.) To get a smooth surface, I had to sand and repair with added modeling paste and sand and repair over and over again. The pay off for all that effort wasn't much. But it got me thinking, that I really had to change mediums. (lol.) So I took a light metals class.

That light metals class was a blast. I loved the metal. During that time I wanted to do some metal mechanical masks. And with one I wanted to make a figure... That mask has stayed in my brain. Perhaps it's better there. It lead me to learn figurative sculpture, to the east coast, and now onto jewelry somehow. Several clips I've seen recently have reminded me of the intriguing beauty of mechanical creations. The first clip is an incredible one of Theo Jansen's Sandbeests.

And this next clip if a fun one of a simple mechanical brooch. It doesn't say where this is from, so sorry, I can't credit it.

Rose Rake Challenge

2010-03-31T20:46:00.008-04:00

Here's some pics of my Rose Rake Challenge piece from the Chatty Metalsmiths thread on Etsy. It has a small cobaltian calcite druzy stone. Obviously it isn't set yet! Neither is the ring oxidized to bring out the forms. The 2 sides of the ring are competing forms, with the leaf-like side having holes and the rake side with straighter lines. The druzy sits in an odd shaped cup between the 2. I had thought to do the rake side with square wire, but it didn't turn out that way! Hope you at least get an idea of the piece. Druzy is impractical for rings, but I enjoyed playing with something different.

Here are some of the other responses to the Rose/Rake challenge.

Addendum: here's the finished ring as I posted to the challenge page earlier this week:

Biz Cards

2010-03-16T21:50:00.008-04:00

Thank you very much, those of you who have visited. I am not apathetic about blogging, my blog or others'. I'd say more accurately I'm de-energized on life, at the moment. I'm finishing one job, beginning another, and have a mountain of projects I MUST DO NOW TO STAY SANE in my workroom. I also am in desperate need of business cards. I think I knocked off at least the card goal tonight. I've gotten rather tired of apologizing as I hand out my business card. "My card might look kind of silly, but check out my work..." I've ended up with a card that may not be less silly, but. Well. At least it's drawn and painted silliness. And that is the most serious kind. ;)

The card is reference to the avatar I use for my blog. And is from a previously posted drawing of mine. A troll, under a bridge, holding a flower and making the peace sign. (The colors are more vivid than this pic.)

One small project I finished is my Itty Bitty Cool Tree earrings. What I did was cut out the center of the Cool Tree Ring I'd carved, and made it into earrings.

Cliff Notes

2010-03-05T20:12:00.003-05:00

*Note the cliff note. Hahahahaha!*

This is what I most strongly saw in a piece of jade bought from BeadersBoutique. I may revise. The stone is a pretty translucent new jade stone. It might do better with form, than relief. But I love the idea of Icarus staring at the ocean before he takes off. Somehow I identify with it. ;)

edit: I think I'll stick with a simple torso for my first carving! lol. I decided the above scene might be just a *tad* complex.

Old Metal Work

2010-03-02T10:31:00.003-05:00

I saw this in an old house. I'm not an expert in antiques or anything, but I do enjoy the look of old metalwork. I didn't get up there to see what the green is...(getting closer would have involved me standing on an elderly gentleman's old bed. lol.) Could it be enamel? The fixture is cast, and weighs approximately 30 lbs.

Muttering Meditations, Pendantic

2010-02-28T20:18:00.003-05:00

There is a difference between self expression and self obsession, and it is not even esoteric in definition. I looked at a clip of the below artist, and though the clip was about 2 minutes and 40 seconds, I got bored. I thought about the ballet dancers in the clip and that my lack of appreciation had to do with this demanding art form used in such a trivial fashion... but it bored me. I thought about self obsession being a part of the end result of capitalist society... how being advertised to and receiving information through the reductive quality of advertisement would lend itself to such cultural self obsession... but it's boring. Sometimes I think intense naval gazing blinds a whole culture to the huge abyss between self expression and self obsession. And the inescapable fact that, self obsession is mind numbingly dull. I'm sure this lady is a decent person, but I'm totally not interested.

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;)

And here's a pic of my lady of the wax, slowly emerging.

The Stone Roots Pendant

2010-02-18T20:15:00.003-05:00

Well I'm sending this to my mother, regardless! And being a mother, she'll be delighted. They always say, know your target audience. lol. With some audiences the bullseye is bigger than the target... the delivery being what matters. What's great is I can sit there and tell my mother everything that's wrong with this and it will add to the charm. The next "Stone Roots" pendant will be improved, but probably less appreciated.

Time

2010-02-13T15:00:00.004-05:00

This is my first figurative thing in a while. It will be a pendant with a stone, but the overall shape will probably change. This is a couple of pictures of the first hours of the piece. The second pic might have about 5 hours in it already. And this is the last estimate of time spent you'll see on this! Which, is one reason my work is molded and cast. The amount of time it take me to produce stuff cannot be recouped in one offs. I still hope to do a series of one off figurative pieces. But. We'll see. I don't have plans to mold this one, yet. I don't have plans for it period. My figurative fingers are still in the reforming stage.

One reason I appreciate figurative work, and well made work in general, is time. Time becomes a visual element. Its not that every piece has to take many hours to make, but the time to develop the craft is also present. That quality to me is deeply and recognizably human, whether the piece succeeds or fails.

Pondering Pendants

2010-02-03T23:28:00.004-05:00

This is just a follow up post. Because this might be a model to be molded, it's not polished and antiqued. But I'm happy with it! Even though I managed to photograph it slightly crooked.... Like I'm unconsciously making up for the deliberate imbalance of the design.

With the model, I'm leaving the area around the stone blank. that's where I'll solder in a bezel or prongs to set the stone. I could add prongs before molding, but not a bezel. Oval cabochons vary too much in shape to do that. And I'm thinking this design calls for a bezel. There will be about 5% shrinkage which is why the area around the stone looks so big. Hopefully it works! If so, my mother will get one of these! I'm much happier with it than the triangular thingy.

Meditating on Cabs

2010-01-28T22:06:00.004-05:00

*No, this does not involve New York City or excessive drinking.*

I was unhappy with my previous oval cabochon design. (The triangular one.) Now I have a couple more designs to think about! The photo for this one I thought fun enough to post. The other is still a sketch. In this one, the huge bezel (the ring around the stone that hold a stone in) will be replaced by a more normal bezel. So picture this carved wax in silver. *I'm not too sure about this design either! Except I do feel that one day my patient mother will get something!*

Apply for a Job

2010-01-27T01:29:00.008-05:00

I'd love to apply for this job!
I need a job that only drives me crazy in small amounts, and being aa etsy forum moderator would be a perfect fit! Most posters are boring!

Qualifications:
I have no life. I am on Etsy whenever I'm not gainfully employed, which means quite a bit. I do not think I am quick to anger, and while I do consider some people nutty I realize that is totally within their rights and within the mainstream of humanity. I am comfortable judging people, though, and the mute button while used sparingly would be done with definite flair. It is not when someone is insulting or derogatory that is the worst, its when they are totally unamusing while being insulting or derogatory,

I am not certain I could come up with quotable closures, but maybe Shel Silverstein could help me out. I have his book "A Light in the Attic" on hand, and for weekends I think it would be sufficient. "The saddest thing I ever did see/ Was a woodpecker pecking' at a plastic tree./ He looks at me, and 'Friend,' says he,/ 'Things ain't as sweet as they used to be.'"

While that may or may not be appropriate to the snit of the moment, I do feel the imagery to be solid enough to have a global (mild) wtf moment. And Etsy is a world wide site.

Education:
This is tough. I do have a degree. It has been a dust collector at times, and an art enabler at other times! I also have a certificate in jewelry making and repair which is pretty useless and I am quite proud of.

Work Experience:
Cutting logs was the most memorable. Probably because it was the most odd. I was a kid and had no clue how ridiculous I was being. I then loaded the logs in a wheelbarrow and carted them 1/2 a block down a hill. Payment was much less a consideration than finally finishing.

One job I did not take was a yacht job in the South Pacific.

References:
My two cats. Their names are Ms Chubbs, and Ms Bird. That's all the references I need for a moderator job.

Associations:
My cats (as already listed) and my 1992 Toyota pickup. I'm heavily associated with my pickup. No one else drives it.

Achievements:
My biggest achievement is I am not incredibly obese, *yet.* This has always astounded me. There are individuals within my family that have battled weight gain. And despite my love for chocolate, frozen yogurt, chocolate chip cookies, brownies, cake pastries pasta cheese and french fries... I can tie my shoes without breathing hard. I can also still ride a bike, though it is now a recumbant with shock absorbers.

Other:
Here I'll link my self portrait, as I think it best depicts my inherent grace... http://stoneycharms.blogspot.com/2008/07/self-portrait-thursday.html

Contact:
After purchasing an item from my StoneyCharms etsy store, include job offer in comments. ;)

Question Answered

2010-01-21T13:01:00.015-05:00

I was delving through my photo album... I have only one. The pictures in it are 3 and 4 deep with the plastic coverings split and taped. Its been years since I've added to it. In most of the shots I'm obviously not the one with the camera! The first is me having a true Peace Corps moment. I tried to entice a burro (or whatever it was) into a hotel room while not not spilling my drink. I was only partially successful. The critter decided my offerings weren't adequate temptation.

This is a photo of a road in Scotland. I hitchhiked on it. The day before this road had been closed due to snow. I, of course, didn't know that. lol. Nor did I realize it was such a scenic route. I had figured I wanted to go from here to there and that was the squiggly line on the map I choose. *The squiggles probably represented mountains.* Two of the 3 cars going my way that day gave me rides. Nice folks, the Scots.

And here is where I answer the age old question, why women go to the bathroom in pairs. Here's my friend Kate and I on a great road trip through Colorado and New Mexico.

I'd like to say I've become smarter as I've gotten older. But I suspect, I'm just having a bit less fun.
*oh and. Its been years... like, I don't think you would recognize me from these photos!*

Amazing Video

2010-01-14T20:42:00.003-05:00

I must warn you it's of an elephant giving birth. I thought it would gross me out as I'm not into bodily functions. But it is amazing.

Fil Dogum Yapiyor (Elephant is Giving Birth) - Click here for the most popular videos

The Snarkwit of Snarkology

2010-01-12T17:54:00.004-05:00

This post is a reprinting some snark from etsy forms. Specifically from the snark thread, which miraculously remains unclosed. Anybody that has a problem with it, well, I snark you. (lol):

desnarkification is futile

Snarkaholic - People who are drawn to snarkiness. lol

I guess I gotta go to Snarka-anon

Snark-weiser: a tasty blend of beer and snark.

SnarkMart - a place where snarks go shopping. lol

ensnarklements: when two people are snarking back and forth incessantly

lmsao (you know it)

snarkcophagus where dead snarky people go.

snarkfest!

snarkmark - claiming your snark term

snarkabration: when too many people are having too much snarky fun

desnarking- the act of disproving someone else's bad snark

snurker: when a snarky person is a lurker
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Disagree. True snarkers cant keep their snarks to themselves.

I cant stop laughing... or snarking I m snarkeling

Snarkometer - to measure ones snarkiness.

snarkation- the act of turning a comment into a snark

The Church of Snarkatology

Snarkvo = convo gone bad

snarkometer

M.F.S. degree: Master of Fine Snark

PMS premenstrual snark

Snarksters - - aren't those urban hippy snarks?
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Only if they live in New Snark City

snark-at-us interuptus-
when the thread gets closed before you get to hit the post button on a particularly well planned and typed snarky post

Snarkitute - someone who snarks for money! hehehe

snarklopedia - what we are writing here

Snarkie = newbie snarker

Snarkobreak.. I m back now.. whew...

snarktator: one who exercises absolute snarkiness

There once was a Snark from Nantucket
loves snark so much would post "F*ck it"
The OP cried lame,
it caused her great pain
but the snarks all said you could suck it!

Snarkenstein --It's alive!

snark pit - you don't want to go there

I. AM. SNARKTICUS!

snarkblivious ~ unaware that a thread has been hijacked and responding to the OP

And here are some of the snarkators of the above snarks: theeye, ScentedLuxuries, cctexan3, DesignedByLucinda, paperstreet, sunflowerexpress, Art2ArtColorado, azjewelrydesign, KreatedbyKarina, fivelittlegems, LovelandBeads, peaseblossomstudio, BambooFashion

Snarknificent

Resolution

2010-01-01T14:42:00.007-05:00

Its the New Year. I'm not into resolutions. Not really. Its like I look around and say I've been meaning to do that, and that, and oh yeah that. Same old same old, in other words. Like I don't know how many times "brush up on my Spanish" has made the list, though this year "organize" is there too. (I know hopeless, and "organize" on any list of mine pretty well defines that.) So this year "eat more chocolate" is there, and I bought some chocolate fudge brownie frozen yogurt to get the New Year off to a good start. *I would have put down "drink more beer" but I didn't want to get redundant.*

I have this theory, that if you pay attention to what you were into between the ages of 10 and 12, you can peg what kinda makes you click. So like, for me, since I spent those years squirreled away in a workroom, messing around with different materials like twigs and sawdust, varnish wood burning lead soldering slate and chalk and beans and peas and boxes and clay and a jigsaw and whatnot... getting a job in a public relations firm, for instance, might not meet with the happiest of conclusions. *I still have that jigsaw, by the way.* So same old same old resolutions are like a scrap book revisited. They may not take you any where new, but they can make you smile.

Another thing that sidesteps into view, is the definition of success. Which is problematic with me. Because, well, I've thought about living out of a step van and (again) as a kid drew cartoon pictures of bums. At the same time, I *adore* showers, clean clothes and sufficient heat. I like being able to buy the metal and stones and tools I want. Money abstractly is not attractive, but anyone that says it isn't important has enough heat in their dwelling. You can't diss money with blue lips.

So if I were to add a resolution targeting my definition of success? a resolution about making stuff? What would it be? Selling would be nice for sure for sure. But more than anything, I want to make great stuff. I want to sit in my work room and have fun. I want to continue to evolve.
--------

Here's a pic of the pendant I've been mulling over. I've finished carving it now, just needs casting. I'm still up in the air about whether to have it molded, or just make it a one-off. I think there's enough slack there for molding (you need to allow 5% shrinkage.) But. Haven't decided. It will be cast into sterling silver, and the stone is torquoise.

And here is a pic of Linda's very fun piece. *The picture doesn't do it justice at all! Plus, the wall isn't right for it. but I have cats that like dangly things. so. What can you do.* *and the flash x'd out the shadows.*

I Want a Wes Welker Jersey!

2009-12-29T22:12:00.009-05:00

lol.

But before I get into that there's been something bugging me about the NFL game between the Colts and Jets. I know tons of ink has been spilled over this the last couple of days. But I've been mullin' while other's have been spillin.' Why did the Colts toss that game. Because that's what it was. Resting the starters? Nobody believes that, right? Next week the Colts play the Buffalo Bills. The Colts could rack up 35 plus points by halftime and chill. Then they have a bye week. Nobody believes they tossed the Jets game to "rest" the starters.

The baddest reason would be something to do with playoff teams/gambling/point spread. I don't know enough about that stuff, and also think the Colt's coach is too smart to be that stupid. So we can dismiss that. "Resting" the starters is, as I've already pointed out, ludicrous. Could it be superstition? The Patriots in 2007 were a pretty smooth machine. I think the combine pressures of Spygate and a perfect season added a teaspoon of bilious sulfur to the odds of eventually not playing their best, which lead to the final game-which-will-not-be-discussed, and loss. That loss. That loss-which-will-not-be-discussed. (!)

If its superstition then the Colts are gutless. Completely and totally gutless. I don't think a team can have the kind of record the Colts have and be gutless. No. What I think their goal was? Pissing Belichick (coach of the New England Patriots) off. lol. Consider. The Colts said "Pishha. Perfect seasons *like the Patriot's* don't matter! Our goal is more lofty! Its the Super Bowl!" (loud snickers are heard in the background.) And, it is rumored that Belichick has decent hearing. See, the deal is, the Colts want a bigger challenge, bigger than a mere perfect season. They want to face a pissed off Belichick in the play offs. Makes sense, doesn't it? Its the only thing that does.

So send the Wes Welker jersey to XXO! ;)
GO PATS!

Cheers!

2009-12-25T22:11:00.008-05:00

Merry holidays everyone. I'm not into Christmas presents. I've got way too much stuff already, and every time I visit a person's house that has a rather overwhelming, ah, texture about it I want to come home and get rid of more stuff. Stuff is the stuff of stuff. It makes me feel stuffy. *Exempted from the stuff category are tools, of course.*

But I did receive two excellent presents this year. One was a fabulous meal, totally vegan except for one rather small and lonely platter of meat. I also must complement my niece on the presentation, nicely interactive, as well as the food itself. And the other present was one of my nephew's t-shirts:

Truly, a good Christmas. I even have some cute cards to mail out sometime (soon!) And here is a clip of a part of this season I've been enjoying for some weeks now. *Christmas lights rock.*

Warning: Cuteness Overload

2009-12-15T20:27:00.001-05:00

I think this critter would fit in well in my household...

They're Here!

2009-12-12T15:42:00.006-05:00

My newest pretties. I think its taken me so long to finish them up because, well, time has been at a premium. But I also just wanted to pet them for a while. The Lucky Bird pendant has a moissanite stone in its head, and a pink troumaline in the bail. The moissanite is way more expensive than a CZ would be, and I'm not sure anyone would notice. (Unless I was standing right there saying ain't it cute.) The moissanite does have better light qualities than a CZ. But the main reason I wouldn't set a CZ in something like this is, after going through all this effort why not use a nicer stone.

The Lucky Lips pendant, (not sure how lucky it would make anyone's lips!), has a mexican fire opal for an eyeball.

Sometime I'll collect all my writings on the penny pieces and post it under a link at the side. It has to do with finding coins in the street and the lottery. The luck of the jewelry, by the way, is for the pennies. They were lucky to be found and given a new life. Hopefully they'll spread the love.

(ugh. another bad pic!)

To Show that I Enjoy...

2009-12-06T16:41:00.013-05:00

...Other games. *so you don't have to worry about my sanity should the Patriots stuff an otherwise winnable game IN A POOPY TOILET SEAT!* *Not that the bad beer good neck bar suffered a poopy toilet seat 2 weeks in a row. Or that the good beer bad neck bar has ever suffered a poopy toilet seat. I'm just sayin'!*

One reason I listen to Sunday morning NPR is Will Shortz. *The other reason is I need to get up sometime.*

And while I'm ripping off pics (the first was a Johm McPherson pic from UComics,) think I'll include one whose provence I don't remember. From somewhere and stuck in a folder at sometime...

Sometimes, you know, we live in a sick sick time. Other times there's the advances in modern medicine, technology of communication and movement and energy technology you name it. We are the prism of a lab tube. It is within us to succeed. We need to keep an eye on the clock, and the goal line.

GO PATS GET THE @#$@#&@! OUT!

There Ain't No Bad Luck Like... (A Poopy Toilet Seat)

2009-11-30T23:35:00.010-05:00

*For those that visit this blog after I've sobered and had time, the full title is "There Ain't No Bad Luck Like... (A Poopy Toilet Seat)." This is a pretty much G rated blog. Because that's where my mind is, I suppose. And I do find the word poopy cute in its minimizing type way. But my usage here sort of de-humorizes in it's grossness. Poopy toilet seat? Encountered while watching a New England Patriot's football game? Of course they'd loose.*

But getting back to Buddhism. This being the time to avoid "poopy" and the underlying issue of the moment, a lost football game. Buddhism. Like I was saying... I heard someone describe Karma last week and it severely disappointed me. I've always thought of Karma as some free flowing whatever like thing? And this robed individual was linking it to past lives and whatnot. What a boner.

*Oh. Just realized I haven't stated the biggest reason this blog is "G" rated. I've never learned to cuss well.*

*Obviously.*

Ah, Brady. Where were you. As long as you don't go driving a car into a fire hydrant (see Tiger Woods,) we'll assume you're okay. And it wasn't you're fault. Or the defense really. Some might say it was? But. I kinda thought you guys (and its only guys like why isn't there at least a female coach) are still in a formulating stage you should've resolved a couple of games ago. The secondary of the Pats is among the best, I think, but it remains to be proven.

Next time I'll check out the facilities first. GOOOOOOOOOOO PATS!

*Sigh.* Did I mention I haven't won the lottery yet?

*I haven't checked the final Pats/Saints score. ugh.*

Work in Progress...

2009-11-29T19:31:00.008-05:00

Here's a pendant I'm working on. My mother gave me that ugly green stone in the pic, and asked me to make a pendant for her out of it. *She doesn't know she's getting the pin yet.* *I think she thinks she's "helping" me.* *lol.*

I don't like the stone. I figured I'd use the stone as a size gauge, but set another stone that I liked more and tell her if she wants her ugly one put in she can take it to another jeweler. But. That was before I saw the price of cabachons that size. Yikes. So. She'll get a slightly smaller, but cuter stone. The wax isn't finished at all. Its just roughed out. I need to wait for the stone to finish it up. I think I might go for a one off... not mold and reproduce it. But I do think the basic shape works.

(The wax in the picture is carved, and will be lost wax casted for silver.)

Making Music with MY PIANO!

2009-11-21T13:07:00.014-05:00

When picking up MY PIANO! from the salvation army thrift store today, I expressed *hopeful* optimism that the piano can be tuned somewhat. Or, at least enough for my tin ear. I'm not musical at all. I know this very well having grown up in a family with a musically inclined older brother, and parents that could differentiate between musically inclined and not. The instruments I tried as a kid were piano, guitar, banjo, french horn and bass violin. The bass violin is something I played in grade school. There are no pics of that wonderful juxtaposition, unfortunately. I wonder if I had my black horn rimmed glasses at the time. ;) *oh. I think I looked into harmonicas at one time too.*

*The moment of greatest impact of my french horn career was when I decided to exercise my eyes during band practice. This involved making big circles with my eyes and looking out the corner of one side and then the other. That the clarinet section, which I was visible to, had difficulty playing was due to my ernest pursuit of visual health.*

But I've always felt that I'd never be really grown up or living somewhere until I owned a piano. It's sort of the fine wine of life. You have to understand. I don't own a stereo and have never owned a stereo. I've gone many years without a microwave or telephone or computer. Stuff is not a big concern of mine *unless you're talking tools.* There's just something centering about pianos, like a wooly mammoth in the room. Also, like the salvation army guy admitted about himself, I just like being around pianos. I have no illusions of making beautiful music, I just enjoy thinking about it. Here's MY PIANO!

----------

And onto other matters. I must admit I've been starting my New England Patriots games watching at the easy neck bad beer bar. Which didn't make last week (against the Colts) any less painful. I ended up at the bad neck good beer bar... with an Austrailian asking me "what's the local team?" when the Pats are at 4th and 2 late in the fourth quarter. And I'm explaining its them... them... "F*** ITS THEM!" Well. As just a fan, what can you do but have another brew. *As an aside, I'm learning to meditate.*

Here are a couple of other pics. One is the pin I finished for my Mother. The other is of a piece I've posted about before. I'm just happy with new the pic!

A Penny Pendant

2009-11-10T12:24:00.003-05:00

1965 was a good year, I suppose. Here's my first penny pendant, sterling silver with a pink tourmaline stone.

*I was tempted to use a penny to show size.*

"I Drink Beer"

2009-11-08T18:26:00.007-05:00

"to clear my mind..."

**lol. not to celebrate overindulgence, as it were, though it is a bit unclear. This being after a New England Patriots game and all. One in which I had a career high of 2 spilt beers in one half of play. Understandably, it was the second half. I do not remember a previous incidence of spilt beer, including falling over a couch, beer in hand and not one drop wasted. There was one (sad) sack moment of me pouring a glass of wine on a guy's head. But that's wine. And after a play play, not a football game.**

**I'm of that time frame where bouncers would laugh at fake ID's, and as long as the hair color was okay so were you. I think. I never was of the officiating crew but they seemed to be motivated by number of players in the field, and the longer the hair the better.**

**I have fallen off a barstool. Which could count as a false start, but was totally unrelated to football or overindulgence or beer spilt. And it was in the theatre district of Boston, not a sports bar.**

**Maroney (39) had a good day today. And I do believe he counted an assist of one of the beer spills. So did Moss and Watson and Tully Hyphen. What I like about Tully Hyphen is, he lost his Super Bowl ring in the Providence Place Mall and it was returned to him. That's a kick, for sure.**

Getting back to beer. Here's the thing. I was finishing up a penny pendant this weekend, and listened to Dan Reeder's "Sweetheart" album.

The Small Things

2009-11-03T09:27:00.002-05:00

*I am writing this with my new Cincinnati pen. If you tilt it a river boat floats up and down. I choose it over the horsey Kentucky pen. Because this feels like Cincinnati, even though the airport may be in Kentucky. That's its name, after all.*

Its the small things.

I've noticed my walks are producing less found change (off the sidewalks and streets.) Currently I am gainfully employed. Not sure if that effects my road change finding ability, or whether fall leaves hide the orphaned coins too well.

I still enjoy the walks. Particularly this time of year. Nothing feels harsh including the cool, the evening darkness, the eddy of leaves at street edges. I enjoy the sound of my feet on the pavement, the swish of the leaves and my jeans, a porch light pooling on a front door.

My meandering walk startles a girl cupping a cellphone. She breifly looks up, then stares back at the communication device. I can't tell her what she is missing. Up the street a kid is going "Oooo oOOO" in an aimless but not unmelodious fashion.

I have heard a prediction that by 2045 the interface of computers will be within us. (At that time, hopefully, cars will be fully automated. Driving while googling is not a good idea.)

I don't remember whether I've ever dove into piles of fall leaves. *I think that's more for cartoon characters without dogs in their strips.* But I recognize the desire for saturation in an evening fall walk.

Thanksgiving Comes First!

2009-10-26T13:16:00.006-04:00

lol. *I feel so declarative with that title. Like, don't mess with me!*

Thanksgiving comes second, really. Halloween comes first. And it is a fall party time, associated with walking in the leaves and eating lots. Okay, the food doesn't come close to Thanksgiving. Not even in the same realm. Halloween is mostly eating and drinking stuff that makes you feel bad soon thereafter. Thanksgiving is ranked by how great the left overs are.

What's fun as far as Halloween memories go are the costumes. One Halloween I and 2 friends dressed up as "Squoinks," which was a cross between a pig and a mouse. ;) It involved large papermache heads that were yellow. And no, it wasn't based on any cartoon character. I don't know where that brilliant yellow idea came from. But we were entertained and that's what counted.

Another Halloween, when I was 6, my brothers rigged up a haunted maze in our garage composed of moving boxes taped together. They would make spooky noises as the poor trick or treaters crawled their way through. I stood at the end of the masterpiece with a bowl of candy. The totally predicable thing happened when one scared kid surged out of the end of the maze, punched me in the eye and ran. Its the only time I've ever been socked in the eye. I feel experienced somehow.

This Halloween I'm planning on nothing more rambunctious than trying hot chocolate with peppermint schnapps at my parents. Though, some papermache might be fun. ;)

Two Penny Pendants

2009-10-17T13:06:00.003-04:00

*These are my newest models. More text later. Maybe. Its just one of those days, ya know?*

Good Fun

2009-10-15T21:07:00.002-04:00

Well. The title of this post had me stumped for all of 2 seconds. I'm sure everyone out there has seen "Major League," a 1989 pic with Charlie Sheen in it. I hadn't until the other night. I highly recommend it. It has everything I want in a film: unpretentious silliness. But if you don't have a couple of hours to waste, here's a best moment clip (and no, the film is in english, its just the clips seem to be in spanish. youtube has its quirks.)

That part had to be fun.

You Don't Always Know What You Think You Need

2009-10-10T19:55:00.003-04:00

*Or something like that.*

At the local thrift store this morning while in desperate search for some pants, *I have finally concluded I really am working my butt off,* I came across this fellow. I never realized I was missing him.

I think I'll put him on my computer table alongside my snowman. Pity my snowman's head no longer lights up.

Nipping it with a Bud

2009-09-29T23:11:00.010-04:00

*They say if you multi-task you don't do any particular task well. Or something like that. I'd claim the excuse of multi-tasking but I haven't had the energy lately to fake it. So my excuse for bloggel neglect is I've been just messing around inarticulately.*

On to more important matters. Relax New England Patriots fans. *Of course, you might notice the timing of this post... after Sunday's win. lol. You might think I ought to have posted this before. But hey, its easier to predict the future if its in the past.*

The Pats v. Jets game was not fun. I went to the place I watched the Pat's 2001 season, not where I've watched since. The main reason being my neck. So I blamed the Pats' loss to the Jets on my not drinking the fine beer of my normal perch. Yet I persevered this past Sunday for the Pats v. Falcons game. I again went back to the bad-beer easy-neck bar. The thing is, the 2001 season was a fine one. So my clutching a Bud while cheering ought to be a survivable offense. And the Pats came through. Through the fog of a healthcare debate the Pats won a game. lol. *Bar arguments can be so peculiar sometimes.* Though one thing about the game did stick out. Brady was yelling. My theory is, Gisele has him on a diet. He's looking skinny. So his temper is short. Someone quick give that fellow an apple pie.

I have been able to finish a few things. One is the lid thingy. Its been molded and is re-casted. Here's it in its last evolution. I'm happy with it.

Karma and the Injury Report

2009-09-14T23:37:00.018-04:00

I tell people I didn't become a New England Patriots fan until Brady. *Wipe that smirk off your face, or keep it. He wins. Fake tan or eyebrow waxing who cares. If it helps, get a freakin' pedicure I've always wanted one.* You see, when Brady played in 2001, it was exciting. The energy level was amped. When Cassel took over last year? He did a great job the next energy level down. Its not that Brady is perfect, its that a Brady lead offense is always out there. Always playing.

When I saw that the injury report listed Brady as "probable" with a "sore right shoulder" for tonight? I'm like take it to the bank I want to buy a Powerball ticket. *well I do anyway but that's another story.* *See previous stories on the injury list and Bellichick's odd karma.* *Also, my assorted musings on the lottery.*

Butt. There is always a butt involved in tights, as it were, with football. ;) *Its amazing how many little old ladies watch football but I digress.* ;) *oh isn't such digression fun.* ;) lol. But this time its a knee, poor knee. And, in the interest of karma, I won't go on about that knee but say the fellow involved inspired one of my favorite posts.

But I will talk about second guessing. And how I, default in my mortgage but catching up stand, making my point with a coming winter sky. A really good player plays from the heart. I don't like the way players are moved about like pawns. I know they are pawns? They know that too? But a really good player plays from the heart. Feed a broken heart to karma and she'll bite you in the butt. That's all I can say. (Though. Seymour has moved on I'm sure, suffering only mild ego bruising. He is a pro.) The plus side is listing Brady's shoulder as "sore" and "probable" on the injury list. Keep the gray hoodies on Bellichick and I think Pats're gold. The upside to karma is she's fickle, particularly with winter sports. I haven't won the lottery yet and when I do I'll expert the Pats on their goings' on.

It was a fun game tonight. I like Buffalo as long as the Pats beat them. Sort of like an indulged rival cousin. That last pass hand off mess? Gold. Pure youtube fun for years to come. *below an instructional video for the Bills. lol.*

EDIT Hah! here's the Bills. Told you they need an instructional video!

Kisses At Large

2009-09-10T20:02:00.010-04:00

I've alluded to my difficulties connecting with solvency. I have theories about this. The theories vary with the brew and the season. Which infers perhaps to the salient aspect on why solvency might be an issue. But life does not bore me enough to even go into it, lol, I'll leave that to the folks who make their bed in the morning. Why waste sunrise moments. Um, that is, if I were up that early. lol.

Though to subvert conclusions forming, I don't really care when I get up. I do remember a time jogging as the sun rose. (Youth is ephemeral, and somewhat bouncy.) But even later I have painted landscapes at nature's first green. Those colors rock. They really are worth hitting coffee in a drive thru on your way to a cold grey predawn scene.

But getting back to solvency and my tortured relationship to it. (I don't like talking to my mortgage company. One peculiar quality of a mortgage company I've noticed is, if you don't like an answer just hang up and call again. I have never gotten the same answer twice. lol. For real. lol. Its odd but I do, seriously, find that faceless conglomerate very personally not nice.)

So referencing kisses at large and solvency and whatever connection might be drawn to the 2. Clicking through etsy I saw this in Spamberly's shop.

I've not seen the movie. "waiting for guffman." And the probability that I'll see it is low. But, I can hear a laconic voice saying "i been workin' here at the d.q. for about um...eight months? seven? i don't know, somethin' like that, it's fun. just do the cones...make sundaes, make blizzards, 'n...put stuff on 'em, 'n...see a lot of people come in, a lot of people come to the d.q...burgers...ice cream...anything, you know? cokes...just drive in and get a coke, if you're thirsty."
My legs couldn't handle that job. My sense of humor would probably fail. But I'm there! "just drive in and get a coke, if you're thirsty."

Happiness. Or maybe some satisfaction. Or enjoyment of the pursuit. Whatever. The colors are out there. ;)

Labor Day

2009-09-07T13:28:00.004-04:00

I enjoy working in my workroom on holidays. Holidays, early in the day, are splendidly quiet. The traffic is light and even lawn mowers don't do much. Later on in the day people get a bit active in the hurry up and have fun mode, but the mornings are wonderful.

This fellow I started on yesterday, and pretty much finished it up this morning. I was going to change the bale. But think not now. He's carved out of wax, and will be cast into sterling silver. The circular bezel will hold a 3 mm stone.

He's kind of a fun way to get back into things. I've been busy with, ah, "life" I suppose you might say. If paying bills is considered life, and not a slow death!

Buying Beer on Credit

2009-08-29T11:43:00.009-04:00

*And cheers to the bartender who let me do it.*

It involves the New England Patriots, of course. I watch the games from a comfortable spot, about the 5th or 6th stool from the end. You see, the T.V. is at a certain angle and my neck has a certain capacity of angle, and its best if the 2 are within consensus range. Throw in bad eyes and you've a particular choice of stool. Throw in a couple of brews some football and...

But I digress.

This Friday was good. I got my comfortably angled spot, good beer, and Brady the quarterback was connecting. When the Pats went hot they sliced through the Redskins like the Pats of 2008. This season could be good. I'm not totally concerned about the defense yet. I think it will take a few more games for the secondary to gel, and hopefully it will! And Brady's right shoulder? He had to do that. (Fall on it with arm extended like he was asking Haynesworth for a tip.) He was on orders from Bellichick. Last season they opened with not putting Brady's sore shoulder on the injury list for the first time in, what, years? And you saw what happened.* So in the interest of a healthy knee and healthy offense Brady's sore shoulder must soldier on.

Back to buying beer on credit. A fellow Pats watcher, J, is moving to Austin. He says he might get into watching the Texans. Which, I gotta admit is preferable to the Cowboys. And as a fellow football watching non-t.v. owner, he's at the whims of the bar stool occupying majority. They do say all sports are local.

Anyway. The beer was for beer, football (even if its the Texans) and fun. Cheers and good luck.

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*Brady's knee was injured in the first quarter of the first game he played not on the injury list as "probable" with a sore right shoulder.

Shadow Shot Sunday!

2009-08-16T09:37:00.002-04:00

Good morning! Here's a shadow shot... my cat Ms Bird obliged me with a pose.

Life is Good.

2009-08-15T17:08:00.013-04:00

I could've ripped off some pic of Tom Brady who is, I think, being successfully coached by his model wife on the sultry look. Perhaps such coaching was the genesis of the comment he made about how modeling is more difficult than being a quarterback in the NFL. I don't buy that. I don't think many people do but as long as one particular lady does....

So Thursday I hurried my bubble butt down to my favorite perch for the New England Patriots games, and realized in the first quarter.... this is what I've been waiting for since the first quarter of the first game of last season. I usually do try to catch some of the preseason games. I like to see how some of the rookies are doing. Though its tough to figure out. Preseason games tend to devolve quickly and I have no real idea how folks do. But seeing Brady back? 'twas good.

Cheers peoples!

*Obviously the doodles have nothing to do with the post. By the time I finally got to the scanner at the library (and the one computer with the scanner was available) I forgot how I was going to use them in the post. ;)

Favorite Books and Writers

2009-08-08T10:56:00.018-04:00

What's great about lists like this is they make you feel good. Its an emphasis on the positive. These are just some off the top of my head...

Faulkner One thing about books is the places you encounter them. I first remember the Sound and the Fury as a kid. I pulled it out of my mother's bookshelf and read some of it thinking, how weird. It wasn't until about 20 years later that I read and felt the Faulkner pellmell. But whenever I think of Faulkner, I think of that hard covered dusty modern library edition. I also remember reading the short story "the Bear" (paperback) in Antigua Guatemala and thinking, why has it been so long since I'd read some Faulkner. Then there's that image of dragging a coffin all around everywhere. I do not remember when I read "As I lay Dying," as the image is so strong and ridiculous and fascinating that its place in reading time is lost.

Mark Twain I am sorta putting this in for Suldog. My connection with Mark Twain is a performance given in high school by a classmate. This guy was a couple of years ahead of me. I forget his name which is too bad because he's probably sickeningly successful. But he did the best Mark Twain performance in which for one hour, dressed in a white suit with white mustache and wig, he kept the attention of a large group of high schoolers.

Confederacy of Dunces The BBC did a top 100 list recently and this book was not on there! Not only that, but Midnight's Children was on there while this one wasn't! FAIL! I don't care how great the BBC does a british accent, they loose.

Tale of Two Cities I can't help it. Dickens knows how to set a scene.

Steinbeck For a guy with the middle name Ernst he did alright. I'm putting him in though for this Canadian fellow that had the rattiest chunk of dreadlock hanging down to his butt I've ever seen. I ran into the Canadian at the "Last Resort," a bar in Panachel Guatemala. Say "Steinbeck" to him and his sentences would start connecting and he'd even turn on his barstool some. If I were to pick a Steinbeck book I'd pick "Cannery Row" but then I've never read "Grapes of Wrath." *After a while, the not reading becomes more distinctive than the reading. But, I suppose I'll read it sometime anyway.*

Yehuda Amichai Selected poetry translated by Chana Bloch and Stephen Mitchell. Amichai's words are liquid.
Wildpeace
"Not the peace of a cease-fire,
not even the vision of the wolf and the lamb,
but rather
as in the heart when the excitement is over
and you can talk only about a great weariness."...

Li Po and Emily Dickinson People say that the referring to Emily Dickinson by her full name, vs just Dickinson is sexist. And, that may be true. But its also how she wrote. She is some one you want to cherish with a couple more syllables. Li Po will always be my favorite ancient oriental inebriate.

A Treasury of Great Poems Louis Untermeyer. Tales of a misspent youth.

James Baldwin Another pellmell writer. I think I might pick "Go Tell It on the Mountain" but the image I have of him is his eyes on the cover of a book of essays, "Nobody Knows My Name." Also, when I think of Baldwin, and I believe I've read everything by him, I slide into thinking about the room with lights in the Invisible Man. I bet anything Baldwin wished he'd written that scene.

Rex Stout No list is complete without Rex Stout. ;) I like his writing attitude. He's like the black and white Thin Man movies of mystery books. Here's my collection of Rex Stout books...

The collection is almost but not totally complete. However, the age range of the paperbacks is perfect, and some of the covers are fabulous. Nero Wolfe and Archie Goodwin rock.

The Persistent Life of a Small Bonsai

2009-07-29T11:32:00.007-04:00

Or at least, I don't think the Bonsai is dead yet. Last summer I gave up on worrying about this thing. I do fine with plants that that are outdoors, plants that can survive fairly well with benign neglect. The tag on this plant when I got it said to do all these things to it, (forget what,) and that it needs temperatures between 50 to 70 degrees F. It has been where it is now, hiding behind a rose bush outside, since last summer. *I live in Rhode Island. That little thing spent the winter outside.*

I feel like I should reward this plant somehow by transplanting it. Or something. Weeding around it?

And here is the lid, cast into bronze. *It's been cleaned, but not polished or antiqued.* It looks big on the glass, but I made it with about 5% shrinkage calculated in in case I decided to mold it.

One More Lid...

2009-07-19T15:23:00.011-04:00

The current thing I'm working on is a wedding present.... and I just dunno. Its another lid (for the glass boxes.) Weddings are so encased in homogenized format, that its tough to break through with something that feels fresh and fun. Except for the parties though! The parties do carry on rather well it seems. As for the gifty part, I think money is the best unless its an 18 year old couple that doesn't even own a skillet. But, you know, I make stuff a lot easier than I make money. ;) And money does seem impersonal anyway.

I decided on using the double ring symbol, and designed a branch like textured background. Here are some other marriage symbols I liked but didn't get into:

This is the thingie I've made so far. I'm going to have it cast in bronze, I think.

Warning: Serious Corn

2009-07-17T13:23:00.006-04:00

If you need a laugh, click on the video. You might have to be desperate for a laugh to click, but, this is a gem for those in serious need.

*The fellow in the middle must be a ringer. But he's a wonderful ringer. ;)

Flower Power

2009-07-14T15:40:00.007-04:00

Here's the next finished Lucky Penny ring, Flower Power! lol. The date on it is 1968. Kate suggested 1969 as Woodstock's year, and suitable for a Flower Power ring, but I'd already picked out a 1968. The stone is a 3 mm blue topaz.

Which brings up a funny point. As I stated before, I started picking up change I'd find in my walks for lottery tickets. Then I started admiring the varying road textures of the coins, and began making jewelry with them. The end result is, a growing mound of unrecycled road change. The only coins I use for lottery tickets anymore are quarters and pennies younger than 1983. (the last year of good copper content in pennies.) If I come across a totally unscarred dime, sure I'll recycle it. But, I have lots of great looking dimes, nickels and pennies covering my table top.

Which means, of course, I need to start selling lots or get a life! Eh. Maybe I'll go get a beer instead....

Indecision...

2009-07-05T13:22:00.009-04:00

I have a bunch of small glass boxes. About 40 I think. The boxes are big enough for a small ring, or some pennies. I had these boxes made up with the plans for lids, and have finally started on them! Because I only have so many boxes, I'm thinking on only molding one design. So of these two lids, which do you like best? i haven't finished them so its kinda unfair to ask. And I'm thinking on doing one more design. *The finished lids will be in brass or bronze... or maybe even "pink" silver. (Pink silver has a high copper content, and is not .925 sterling silver.)

Both of these designs I've done before. I've used this particular house motif in drawings, earrings and a pendant. I have also made a My Town ring. The house motif is pretty iconic. Some day I'll sit down and try to verbalize why I keep returning to this, my particular version of it.

New Goodies

2009-06-26T16:29:00.011-04:00

Here are a couple of new models I've been working on. I was unsure of the Fish ring... fearing it might turn out too dorky. I don't think it ranks obnoxiously high on the dork-o-meter though. I made it for pennies fished out of a fountain. Right now the bezel (where you put the stone) got crunched down a bit in casting. (Insert favorite gosh darn it phrase here.) So I can't fit any penny in. I can fix it. It just was taking a bit too much time and patience so I decided to go ahead and take some pictures with a dime.

**One of my problems with the fishy ring is... I kinda have a dork asthetic. Obviously. But when I tried to stylize the fish at all... I was messing with symbols, it seemed to me. And since I'm not religious, I don't like to utilize such symbols in my work unless its for a particular purpose. A fish symbol with the casual inference of religion didn't feel right. If I could stylize the fish successfully, to where I didn't see such casual inference, that would be best. I didn't make it in this round. I was left with dorkiness.

**This may seem like over thinking. (lol.) But this is one step where things succeed or not. It is not just that a design is pleasing, but whether there is a sense of coherent thought or intention behind the work. Which, in all honesty, may be one reason why my successes are dwarfed by my failures. I do not excel in coherence. In fact, I think dorkiness is okay, the way pizza and beer and football can satisfy if a few brain cells and a certain portion of the psych is left, fumbling for the ideal.
----
This is the flower POWER ring. Both of these models need to get cleaned up, then molded and recast for the finish piece. (They are carved out of wax then cast into the silver shown here.) I made the flower ring so that I can use nickels too. Or dimes.

new post

2009-06-19T16:37:00.005-04:00

*text to be added later... I don't have a scanner at home!*
---------
Well. I'm finally going to attempt to add verbiage. This post started out with the proposed title of "The Indistinctness of Ideas and Dreams." I have since become attached to the "*new post*" title. What follows is exerts from a rough draft.

I've always had this image of a cartoon kid striding forth on a cartoon road with multicolored balloons in hand. That's what I think when folks say "follow your dreams." And there's a circus somewhere.

I have tried to record my dreams. My writing becomes very blunt and sparse. I'm just trying to get it all down and sort out the fuzz.

What I found with dreams... there's the major thingie, but the rest, all the filler that goes into sculpture or painting... the infrastructure connecting the idea or dream to real space and perception... the stuff that solidifies the line and sets the scene. That's conscious and sometimes a lucky choice. Dreams don't tell everything.

The picture I posted here is a piece I sculpted maybe 10 years ago. I don't remember the genesis of it. Probably an idea, not a dream. (I pretty much chose this photo over a painting I did of 2 odd men, twins, and a toilet. lol. I decided it would always be too early in the day to view the toilet painting. The toilet painting was a dream scene.) The finger sculpture (Finger and a few thumbs, I should say) is about 99-100 fingers, all individually sculpted. This was not life casted at all. And as I made them and placed them on the surface they established relationships to the fingers around them. They became a polite crowd of nun like creatures in a small space.

Singing Penny Ring

2009-06-10T21:11:00.007-04:00

I might change the title of this ring. Who knows. I just listened, yet again, to little Gina Marie Incandela sing the "Star Spangled Banner." The major thing I'm following in the NBA playoffs is did the little girl sing. Well, that and I hope the Lakers loose. Which has given me a very small sliver of insight on how anyone can't not appreciate the beauty of the Patriots' winning ability. ;)

Here is the temporarily named "Singing Penny Ring" (Before I showed it as a model. Here's the real deal. Its a Peridot semi precious stone I set.)

And Gina. You go girl!

*oh. Guess I should explain the connection. Gina is considered Orlando's Magic (NBA) good luck charm. They are 6-0 when she sings before a playoff game. Gina has a form of autism, and learn how to sing when she was enrolled in a program to help her speak. The song she became fascinated with was LeAnn Rimes' rendition of the national anthem.

*but frankly, I just like hearing her sing. And I just finished this ring.

Shadow Shot Sunday!

2009-06-07T13:21:00.003-04:00

I have tried many times to take a picture of my gorgeous rose bush, and all the pictures look so banal. It never occurred to me until today how beautiful its shadow is.

On the Importance of Distractions

2009-06-06T20:15:00.005-04:00

Here is a picture of the fountain I might fish coins out of for the fish rings. You think anyone will notice?

And here is the beginnings of the fish ring (carved in wax.) It helps me out to take a photo sometimes and look at things. Gives perspective or something. Right now I think I just want a bit of a break. Like I'm thinking veggie hot dog or beer. But still feel the need to be productive. So I'll say I'm contemplating, while eating a veggie dog and drinking beer.

*still needs tons of work.*

Wishful Thinking

2009-06-02T18:50:00.009-04:00

(As some of you know, I started picking up change off the sidewalk because it was there, pretty much. And using that change to buy lottery tickets because of my flippant "well I'll buy health insurance when..." And then I started making lucky penny rings because, well, I've a bunch of pennies and why not, lol. The luck is for the penny, who, if not FRIED, is rescued and transmographied into gorgeous jewelry. ;))

So, adding a slightly tinged layer of the colorful haphazardness of life to the project, as if there wasn't enough already to obscure whatever original impulse there was, like, man I can so use some cash, I walked by a fountain on the way to drop off a job application. This fountain, oh I'll include a pic (sometime) because its nice the area is nice and it was a beautiful day, this fountain had in it LOTS OF CHANGE. LOTS. People throwing pennies away like it will bring them luck. *sigh* *Don't they ever think of the poor penny? Whose life is created for a transaction, not a watery grave?* *sigh* *And a penny is wonderfully sculpted, I might add.* When did people start throwing money away? That I've got to ask. Not during the Great Depression, that's for sure!

So, afterwards, contemplating the futility of seeking employment in the desert of financial opportunity that is Providence, Rhode Island, I decided to do more sketches. Why not. I've got these scarred pennies to consider. Hence, and I have the sketches for it, the Fountain Ring. The poor (an adjective not applied loosely) ring will make its appearance in a week or 2. I just had to talk about it now. And show off my perky in house model, my Little Fish Charm.

This means, you know, I will have to go fishing as some point. Oh dear. Picking up the ignored droppings of bipeds is one thing. Fishing out coins from a fountain at a tourist destination..... oh dear. I will become even more nocturnal it seems. Here is Stoney Charms' good luck charm, the Original Fish...

When the Crazies Came to Town....

2009-05-29T15:39:00.010-04:00

So I've seen them, across a wide divide. The Crazy People (of the Westboro Baptist Church) decided to protest in front of East Providence High School, because EPHS has a gay straight student alliance like many high schools. Unfortunately, my camera is not much better than my eyes, so that though I knew I was witnessing walking fruitcakes of hate, they remained oddly undefined caricatures in the drippy day. Its very sad, but they had a child of about 11 with them, carrying a hate filled sign.

For those that are unfamiliar with the WBC, they are from Topeka, Kansas, and run around the country protesting at schools and soldiers funerals. They were going to protest at the Holocaust museum here in town after leaving the HS. They carry signs like "God hates fags" and "Antichrist Obama." I participated in the counter protest with about 6 other members of the Rhode Island Atheist Society. The signs of the counter protest said "Teach Love not Hate," "WBC needs a hug," "Our Big Signs are Better" "We Support East Providence Students" and "LOL," among others. There were 5 to 8 WBC and maybe 80-100 counter protesters, and lots of cops. The WBC is reported to make money to fund their operations by instigating violence, then suing. They sure didn't get a fight from us!

I think their ability to incite an anger response has gone down. Maybe they still are able to do it at funerals. I don't understand the psychology of people like that. I showed up to support the students and also, I don't get angry quick so thought I might be able to help out there. But no one was angry. The students had a great time! lol. Below are a few pics, starting with one of the WBC.

The rest of the pictures are of the counter protesters...

More Uses for Spare Pennies

2009-05-25T14:51:00.005-04:00

Well. There seems to be a penny invasion going on in my workroom. This pendant is a horseshoe/star thing I made (carved out of wax then cast into sterling silver) some time ago. It didn't turn out... but sometimes you finish stuff up then use the rejects as a starting point for new stuff. (The next thing I made was the Good Luck pendant.) The rejects hang around like the orphans they are... and with this particular one I just soldered on a jump ring to a penny and joined the two.

The Lucky and the Not So Lucky

2009-05-20T21:31:00.012-04:00

*Here I must interject. I root for the rookies of the nfl. Its my love of the happy endings interfering with my desire to win, I guess. But, you know how when you're sitting in a high school gym watching some honor ceremony of some sort. You hope that even the girl wearing dark colored long sleeves and long pants in 80 degree temps succeeds. You want everyone to make it.

*But this year I'm tying to ignore the rookie stories. When I heard Tyrone McKenzie injured his ACL in the second day of the Patriots rookie camp... I attempted to be oblivious. But poor guy! Half those rookies at the very least won't make the team. Maybe only 2 or 3 will. And I really want the long snapper from Hawaii to succeed.... as well as everyone else! And to win. Go Pats!

So back to jewelry and my change road rescue. lol. I know the copper content of pennies has lessened over the years. I know the present coin doesn't have much copper. But I thought using easy silver solder was low key enough for a 1985 penny. Apparently not! That poor penny lost it on the ditch of my learning curve. There was way too much tin in the penny. 1983 is the magical date. Now I have to decipher the freaking date on those poor pulverized coins. The next rescue coin I picked on was a 1972 coin. That coin hung in there. The first picture is of the accidental euthanasia of last night. (White metal goes quick when it goes!)

These other 2 are of my first finished Lucky Penny Ring, 1972. *The coins are coins I find while out walking.*

Irresistible Strays

2009-05-18T22:19:00.005-04:00

This poor fellow.... I should have adopted him. Taken him home, cleaned him up and welcomed him to my kitchen.

I don't know why, whether it is living in a city or the specific location. But strays do show up here. Its a problem. My feeling about strays is, if you feed them you accept responsibility. And while I'd love to re-home all the strays, my personal economy is in need of a bailout. There is an orange tabby cat hanging around, keeping my birdbath empty, that really needs a good brushing. Poor kitty. I'd stake my toilet paper money that he had a home once.

I have 2 cats. One is a society lady, *rescue that is,* Ms Bird who loves the camera. Ms Chubbs was a bird chaser, out of my yard, always in desperate search of the meals that would bring her to her present voluptuous form.

This stray I found a couple of blocks away. Now while I do engage in change road rescue (and am making a lucky penny ring for their final home) and kitty rescue I find challenging (no rescue place will take in strays) I haven't yet done porcelain rescue. Given the face on this fellow, perhaps I should start!

Nice Surprises

2009-05-14T08:36:00.005-04:00

My birthday is May first. I've always enjoyed having a May day birthday.... in grade school we drew flowers for May day. Most of the time I don't tell people when my birthday is because, well... *dunno.* This year my birthday happily coincided with a bike ride in NYC with my mother and brother.

Last week I paused to admire some flowers of mine near my back door, and noticed a package. In it was this wonderful surprise from Kim. The pitcher is very attractive, and I was hoping for a good shot of it! But its tough to convey how nice the shape is, even with Ms Bird's assistance. Also in the package was a loufah sponge and a note saying this was from her "garden." And yes, I spent one long moment imagining the plant a loufah sponge would come from. *She meant the ocean. doh!*

lol. a postscript from Kim: "But I have to tell you something - loufahs are from the garden. They are a type of squash. You can eat them when they are young, but if you leave them on the plant until they get big and let them dry out, they can be made into sponges. After the skin is completely dry, you peel it off and shake out the seeds."

Isn't that funny. *goes back to imagining the plant a loufah would grow on!*

Cold Wet Fun

2009-05-03T21:36:00.006-04:00

It was fun, I think, or my brain is still suffering from hypothermia and thus impaired. I went on the 5 boroughs bike tour through NYC this weekend with my mother and brother and thousands of other fools. They had a tandem recumbent Bike E, I had a single recumbent Bike E. This is important. As, with the first pit stop (one of many. I think my brother was a covert evaluator of porta potties. Dunno. He never admitted to such a mission. I am merely conjecturing on evidence. We stopped everywhere.) Anyway, after the first pit stop, we noticed a break in the wheel well of the rear tire of their tandem bike. They checked it out because a clicking noise was heard while riding. The noise was was a strip of aluminum peeling up and hitting the brake.

Half way through the ride, a noticable bulge had appeared in the side of the tire, and the crack had widened significantly.

This is a *Yikes* moment. Last summer my rear wheel blew out, probably from such a cause. And, what happens is the rear tire freezes. I left skid marks when mine blew. But with a tandem, in heavy bike traffic, with my mother admiring the scenery while commenting on societal shortcomings ... yikes. We were half way through a 42 mile ride and taking public transit with a couple of recumbents would be a mess.... and, well, I do not think I am of the first generation of finger crossers. With 2 generations of the same family represented, I'd say maybe enough fingers were crossed. We kept riding and the tire survived....

I almost didn't. I don't know exactly when complete cold wetness was achieved with the one small island of almost dry on the top of my head... I think about the same time as the tandem tire became a combo physics and astrological experiment. I just know that by the end of the ride, though we did take a shortcut (due, *ahem,* to the tire concerns) I could have wrung out my clothes had my fingers been functioning properly.

Here's 2 pics, one of my mother and brother, before the start, still dry and enjoying breakfast. The last pic is of yours truely, truely all wet.

The Penny Rings

2009-04-23T21:52:00.005-04:00

Well I made 2 rings (Carved out of wax, now cast into silver.) The one on the right is the first one, the newer one is the one I think I'll get molded and recast. I need to adjust the area for the penny to allow for 5 percent shrinkage. Right now these are silver models, so they aren't polished or antiqued. The little cup on top will be a bezel for a stone, maybe a blue topaz.

A Shadow Shot Weekend....

2009-04-13T13:04:00.008-04:00

(As a variation on "Shadow Shot Sunday.")

Taxes cast a bit of a shadow on my weekend. It would be easier if I understood what was going on, had all the correct forms, and, frankly, cared. As it was my major achievement this weekend was a headache. A certifiable world class record setting wine and chocolate craving headache. A traffic stopping headache, in the brain that is, or in the location where a brain should be if I had managed to pull off the feat of finishing my taxes. I didn't. I haven't. I face this beautiful monday with ibuprofen bottle depleted and desire to catch a plane. (To anywhere. And, I don't like to fly.)

Here's two photos, one of the "shadow," and one of Ms Bird whose best counsel is, when at loss scarf some catnip then puke.

The Lucky Penny Ring

2009-04-02T18:20:00.007-04:00

I pick up change I see when I'm out, walking about. I call it "change road rescue." And this might seem, well, eccentric, um, to be kind. But I started doing it because my standard response when anyone asked about health insurance or my lack thereof, I'd say, "when I win the lottery.... " Or if asked about my retirement plans I'd say, " when I win the lottery." The trouble is, I don't believe in the lottery (as I have explained before, here, and here.) *Its a poor tax, not a stupid tax.... though the poor may be desperate enough to act stupid. Essentially, its a tax on dreams.*

So. To get around my reluctance to support a poor tax, I decided to pool the change I find while walking. Every 2-3 weeks, I accumulate enough for a powerball ticket. Two of my best finds are a 1896 penny (worth one dollar), and a 1918 dime (worth 5 bucks. Though it is a bit nicked. I found it in the street.)

Not all of the change I find is recyclable. Some of the pennies are torn apart, and some are just pulverized a bit too much. I keep these pennies, and have ended up with a rather gnarly stash of orphan pennies. Hence, the Lucky Penny Ring. Here is one design of the Lucky Penny Ring, and tomorrow I'm going to start working on another design. It is carved out of green wax and will be cast into silver. In one picture I have a diamond I dropped in just for fun. I will be setting a 5 mm stone there, but not a diamond! All pennies will be seeking their new life, with luck.

Shadow Shot Sunday... on Monday

2009-03-30T21:26:00.003-04:00

The picture was taken on Sunday. Sunday was an overcast cold wet day. I did not want to look outside for a possible picture, and didn't see immediately anything indoors. But, there were the peat pots patiently waiting for Spring on my windowsill.

*must apologize for the quality of the picture. They all turned out poorly!

Where Were You Thom Gunn?

2009-03-21T20:43:00.013-04:00

(This post is regarding a job application where I gave a 5 minute presentation in front of other job applicants and the employer.) (lol.)

"Ahem." Taps lectern. Peers about near sightedly.

I have noticed. As fool incarnate, one does not have rearview mirrors. One gets side view mirrors. Its part of the deal. The reason is obvious. Rearview mirrors are unnecessary and redundant. Side view mirrors are where you see those who already are in the act of passing you.

"Ahem."

Job shopping is weird. Particularly for someone whose best response is 6 edits away. And who automatically subverts all expectation, as homage to a youth spent amassing poetry books and attending poetry slams. To date my best non-answer is "Whether you like to be around a group of people fits within the spectrum of attending a basketball game or going to the bathroom." lol. I cringe to admit it, but yes I said that. lol. And, *sigh,* I didn't get the job. lol.

"Ahem." (Here I imaginarily pull my blog close and launch into a dreary recital of metals. Including several important facts about silver. lol. Would that I'd become momentarily discombobulated and lifted my left leg behind me, arms outstretched and skated forward in the hopeful to be fulfilled pose of a Christmas special. Or, like my 6 edits away from elegance in this post.)

"Ahem."

And in the side view mirror looms a fellow presenter's take on "Biogeography." Guy, if you ever stub an optical nerve upon this post, let it be known, you are my hero. I would like to know what your name is because you are that great. At that moment in time I was distracted by a rearview mirror that was not there. I should have risked a glance at the side view where you launched into another realm. Not often is one invited into an alternate universe in a 5 minute presentation for a job. You taught me something.... even if it can't pay the mortgage.

Thom Gunn, where were you.

"On motorcycles, up the road, they come:
Small, black, as flies hanging in heat, the Boy,
Until the distance throws them forth, their hum
Bulges to thunder held by calf and thigh.
In goggles, donned impersonality,
In gleaming jackets trophied with the dust,
They strap in doubt--by hiding it, robust--
And almost hear a meaning in their noise. "

The place I first encountered Thom Gunn's poetry was a used book store on Broadway in Chicago, a couple of blocks north of Diversey. Another couple of phrases in the same "On the Move" poem....

"Men manufacture both machine and soul,
And use what they imperfectly control
To dare a future from the taken routes."

Madness

2009-03-17T23:59:00.001-04:00

In honor of all the games I'm not watching.... here's this odd video.

Gushing about Gold

2009-03-15T18:07:00.006-04:00

(Continuing with my infomercial... )

Gold is a wonderful metal. It is malleable and ductile but durable, and does not oxidize or tarnish. It has been treasured though out history. Evidence of its use goes back as far as 6000 B.C. It was used in the first coinage between 643 and 630 B.C. It is an emblem of wealth, and a supporter of the financial system for years. The U.S. did not go off the Gold Standard until 1971. The Gold Standard based currency on a fixed retrievable amount of gold. Investors still buy gold seeking security or financial gain.

Gold is measured in troy ounces, 1 troy ounce being 31.1 grams. Because gold is a soft metal it is alloyed with other metals to harden it and make it more durable. The purity of gold is measured in karats, which is an ancient Middle Eastern unit of weight derived from the carob seed. 24 karats (or carats) is pure gold. 14 karats is the most common (particularly for rings) and has 58.3% gold mixed with other metals usually silver and copper. Different colored gold can be achieved with the other metals that are mixed with it. The karat designation applies to the amount of gold only. With white gold, nickel or palladium is used. With red gold, copper. Blue gold has iron in it (which makes it more brittle.) Any piece of jewelry should be stamped stating its gold content, and if there is a question a jeweler can test the metal.

About 78% of gold used each year is used in jewelry. The industrial uses include rhuematoid arthritis treatment, dentistry, electronics, and computers.

Gold is a joy to work with for the jeweler. 1064.43 °C is the melting point making it far more accessible than platinum. It is easily soldered and fabricated, but retains that luster that has made it so attractive and sought after through the ages.

Below is a clip that I found on youtube about gold. Warning: its a downer! When the Zimbabwean says a tin of grain for 1 gram of gold, that's 30 bucks! Way too much for the hungry! *And I went on youtube looking for the sound of one hand clapping...*

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ubJp6rmUYM&feature=featured

*the embed was disabled.*

Platitudes on Platinum

2009-03-14T18:39:00.002-04:00

Next week I'm going to give a short talk on metals.... and thought I'd practice some here. I'm not much of a public speaker. I never even threw spit balls from the back of the room. I've always been more of a window gazer, a watcher of sparrows dust and shadows. But. What the heck. I've even found a video of a little fellow that I think if I can channel him, I'll do okay.

I'd like to talk about some jewelry metals. Specifically platinum, gold, and silver. I'll cover a bit on some other materials at the end. Platinum was first described by the Italian humanist Scaliger in 1557. The name platinum came from the Spanish word for "little silver" or "platina del Pinto." It was a bothersome metal the Spanish conquistadors found in the 17th century in the Pinto River of Columbia. Grains of platinum were just tossed in the search for gold. At first platinum could not be melted or refined as platinum requires a high heat 1768.3 °C for melting, and the ability to do that did not evolve until the end of the 1700s.

Platinum is highly useful metal, as it does not corrode or oxidize. Its use in jewelry increased around 1900, and the industrial uses of platinum exploded in the 1970s. At this time approximately 50% of platinum is used in jewelry, and 50% industrial. The industrial applications of platinum include catalytic converters (in cars), smokestack scrubbers, and cancer treatment. Also, WWII bombers used platinum in their spark plugs. Traces of platinum are released into the air with catalytic converters. This is not thought harmful, but the effects have not been studied extensively.

With jewelry, platinum is prized for its durability, resistance to oxidation, and the high finish that can be achieved. When working with platinum you weld, you do not solder. Since platinum needs a much higher heat, the surface of the metal must be clean because if there was gold on the surface you risk pitting the platinum. The gold would melt into the platinum before you ever reached the temperatures needed to work platinum. With sizing a ring, a piece of platinum is pounded paper thin and put between the 2 ends of the ring. The area is then welded, and the thin slip of metal heats up first, melting into the joining parts creating the bond.

The best thing about all precious metals is though the environmental effects of mining and refining are highly dependent on the vigorousness of environmental laws, they define recycling. Every spec of metal is reused.

(I pause before continuing on to gold and silver. Wild clapping erupts. Well, here I'll let Trevor work his magic...)

Testing...

2009-03-08T09:23:00.003-04:00

This is just a test post. My blog has been blank since yesterday! The posts are there.... you just have to click on them. hmmmmm. Maybe I shouldn't have complained of my blog accurately reflecting my blank mind!

Attempting Competency in Life

2009-03-06T20:11:00.010-05:00

A friend of mine, Linda Price Sneddon, and I used to go landscape painting at 6 o'clock in the morning. At day break there are colors that in their very transience seem desirable. Natures first green, as it were. I am not much of a painter but love that rush. Standing before liquid possibility, a strength of texture that defies one human life cycle... I have only my own bad eyesight and tentative emotions to blame for a lukewarm palate, and cold coffee. Early morning landscape painting is the provence of the naive of profession (me), or the truly good (like Linda.)

(Here I would list my many attempts at competency. But I would rather get back to the landscapes. Which are, I think, necessary to the survival of human kind. When people stop looking... Its worse than trying to sell a collectable item without its cardboard box. Maybe a cardboard box can be replaced. Nature's first green can't be. We'd be boxless plastics floating the surface and clogging drains.)

There's a boatload of landscapes I'd like to reel in... like personal bookmarks in time. One is, my brother falling off a wall at a historic site. I don't remember much but yellow ocher and a nice blue sky. Or retrieving our planted irises from where the rains replanted them one block away. (orange, brown, slate blue and subdued green.) One of my favorites was the "Bridge." A fellow I knew said let's go to the "Bridge." I thought he meant some bar I'm like sure. He directed me as I was driving (my motorcycle... I never intended to be a cliche... really) and we arrived at a bridge. It was closed. Over one of that city's waterways we walked out on that darkness and he pulled up a trapdoor and down we climbed. Before us was the darkness of the illicit the undeveloped and the lights of a city not asleep or dreaming.

Night paintings are tough. I love them.

The origins of this post go on forever. The inspiration though was posted by Raven and it is this video:

Eyeball Considered

2009-02-26T20:02:00.003-05:00

(Sometimes I think what I like about blogging is coming up with titles. lol.)

Here's a mask I've been messing around with, probably not finished...

The mask is out of paper mache, smoothed with acrylic modeling paste. The eye is from another mask that never worked. Its painted in oil on a gessoed area of the paper mache. I cut it out of the old mask... and it is currently looking for a home in the new.

I love making masks, but have never figured out how to make them financially viable! The amount of time it takes to smooth out these surfaces is ridiculous. I'd have to be a well know artist with a 'tude to charge enough for them. The obvious is, the materials don't suit the intended effect. But. For some reason I keep returning to it. So, I still do these sometimes, more as a psychological hiccup.

Sputter...

2009-02-26T10:56:00.005-05:00

Its been that kind of an eon. "A geologic eon is the second-largest division of time in geology." And being a Stone, and a pulverizor of time, second-largest fits into the "bin fishin'" dimension, where records would have been set, if you'd only been there. (Though, records most likely would be set if nobody else is there...)

A Sputter is next to a putter in rhyme, but unlike a putter doesn't end anything. A sputter is an ineffectual jab in the air. Someone is left sputtering, while the more concise and articulate individual goes about their business. But at times or, presently, most times, life does identify with the sputter and the loose saliva it infers.

I haven't had much to say lately... the blankness of the blog reflecting quite accurately the blankness of my mind. I do have a mask I might finish up soon... and am tempted to take a picture of some job applications. Though, might spew upon the applications instead...

Evidence of Evolution

2009-02-16T13:25:00.005-05:00

Here is the latest stage my silver ball has evolved to...

Its a little larger than I'd anticipated. I'm going to work on the leaves a bit more... so that when it is antiqued the forms will stand out better. I haven't decided on the chain yet, though I think I'll use a cord. Need to mull that over. It will determine how large I make the holes. Making a ball is oddly satisfying. It fits in the hand nicely. Here's a view with the halves apart.

*this is a piece hand carved out of wax and casted into silver. I referred to in the post on Jan. 31st, the oh, balls post.

Economy: The Dismal Reality

2009-02-13T19:38:00.006-05:00

I applied for a study today that started out with the description: "Are you depressed? Feeling blue or irritable? Low energy? Lost interest or pleasure in things? Appetite change? Negative thoughts? Sleep disturbance?" I applied because being unemployed and without health insurance in a state with the second highest unemployment in the country, it fits me somewhat. Also, I will admit it amused me to apply to it. Getting paid to talk about how depressed I am trying to keep 2 cats fed in this economy? I'm there! But I didn't get a call back. *How depressing.*

Job listings can be interesting though. Like the ad for a Tattoo Artist & Piercer that has in its description "Piercers with 500 piercings under your belt.(not literally)" And, you know, an ad for a baseball umpire? I've never watched a full game of baseball. I went to Wrigley Field once for a rained out game. (Must say the brews in a bar nearby were worth the trip.) But I do sort of feel like applying to it. It sounds so mythical. In fact just thinking about this opens up a whole new realm. Sports announcer for the New England Patriots.... *lol.* What's really funny is I can't even interview Brady or Bellichick in my imagination. In my imagination I faint!

So I'm stuck trying to be a part of a focus group for cable t.v. (though I do not have cable or a t.v.... ) This, though, is way less interesting than some of the jobs I've heard about: scraping insects off of traps in apple trees, receptionist at a golf club (that's oddly odd), Easter Bunny at the mall, a 'pea-tester' with a tender-o-meter, zoo keeper, picking out microscopic little mammal teeth out of dirt, selling tickets at a carnival (me, me, me!), pig farm hand (no, no, no!), and model in a runway show. (This brings up an interesting point. Are all models on drugs? I would have to be. But, so too would the audience.) The jobs I've left off that list were the pelvic exam, uh, model, and an art model. Because both of those jobs are so core, oddness simply cannot apply to them.

For almost 2 months now, the days have been getting longer and the sun brighter. Spring, is good! ;)

P. S.

2009-02-09T14:33:00.004-05:00

Here's the pic I deleted off my post last night. The picture of my Tree House pendant was just not good at all. This is another of those models of mine I never made much of. The problem is in the texture, which i love. But. I'd need to redo it deeper for it to survive molding and recasting.

My goal in scrummaging through my odds and ends is to sell stuff that is just sitting there. But, ah, I like my tree house pendant! When you are molding stuff... you never have to say goodbye. The model is always with you. But if you sell the model? Its gone. Its history. However for me to keep it is rather silly as I seldom wear jewelry! *gets in my way.* Maybe a good bye old friendly chunk of metal type ceremony would help....

The Empty Brain Syndrome

2009-02-08T22:21:00.012-05:00

I have been suffering from this affliction lately, the Empty Brain Syndrome. The symptoms are, well, nothing. Occassionally a flare up can be noticed by... not much. Maybe it is chronic or contagious... who knows. The sufferers usually state that they are "fine" with flat small smiles as they examine their pocket change for.... something. Or nothing. The major characteristic or effect I have noticed, is the absence of bloggable rants. This could be not a bad thing, you say.

Here are some things I pulled out of my not-used jewelry model drawer. I've made all this stuff, (by carving out of wax then casting into silver), but they have never been reproduced, never molded. They've been stuck away... The kitties are precursors of Karma Kitty. The Metropolis Ring is a charm I made soldered onto a simple band that I'd carved (carved from 1/2 round silver stock. Why did I do that is an appropriate question.) The Kitties will be in the Etsy store tomorrow... as soon as I retake those horrible pictures. And figure out what to hang the kitties on. Er, what sort of chain to use. The Metropolis Ring... I dunno...

Oh, balls.

2009-01-31T19:49:00.006-05:00

I'm carving a hollow ball out of green wax... It is going to be cast into silver. And naturally it is taking an insane amount of time. I don't know why I do this sort of thing. Maybe by focusing on a small detailed whacko project its easier to ignore the larger whacko-ness of the world. Maybe. I do like how its going... just wish it were a tad quicker on finishing.

The first picture is after I've roughed it out. I drew a bit on some paper mache balls I had around to get the feel of what I wanted. My sketches are usually pretty sketchy. I have found one of the problems with translating what I'm thinking about is the same problem with translating dreams. (this is purely subjective. I'm sure others have other experiences.) My brain does not see the negatives. It only sees the positives. Like if you dream about a toilet (for instance), you have an impression of the room the toilet is in, but really you only see the toilet. So if you were to draw the toilet, you have to translate the impression of the room and the dream as well as draw the toilet. In other words, rendering nicely would be so helpful sometimes. Sounds obvious, huh?

When I finally finish the silver ball, it will be worn as a pendant on a silver cord, or cable chain. Or something.

Shadow Shot Monday

2009-01-26T20:05:00.004-05:00

I was on the phone... seeking advice about a computer class. Like, whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, or to take arms against a sea of troubles, and by opposing end them? Or something like that. And I noticed the shadow cast by Mr. Snowman at his usual perch, near my computer. The advice took a while. *Giving me advice is sort of like clearing underbrush in the Amazon jungle.*

I decided to stick with the class. And thus the native hue of resolution is sicklied o'er with the pale cast of thought. Soft you now! The wiry Mr. Snowman! Bozo wanna be, in thy orisons be some kind of fun remember'd.

Snowman

2009-01-19T10:59:00.004-05:00

This guy usually sits on my tabletop, near my computer. I took him outside for a shadow shot... or an appreciation of all that snow shot... It is good snow for a snowman.

Master Car Mechanic

2009-01-17T13:23:00.007-05:00

Well. Not really. I'm not a master car mechanic... but this sort of repair is something I think I could specialize in. The not-just-duct-tape-anymore type repair.

On one of those freezing cold mornings this past week I had to squeeze in my truck through the passenger's door. Not only had I parked too close to the house (because of snow), but for some odd reason I'd locked my truck. Of course the door froze. And in climbing in I shattered the cold old plastic of my rearview mirror with a bump.

*note the nicely rounded corners of the brass plate I made. lol.*

The Positives of the Negatives

2009-01-07T11:06:00.009-05:00

*A note of reassurance to those, like me, who view the world with no taste for rose colored glasses, who view the world with the need for yet one more cup of coffee or mug of beer, who dislike weedless yards and neatly trimmed hedges and think a bounce in the step is a waste of energy: I am not usually like this.

Flowers are not natural to my image terrain. Don't know why. But in my desire to make my mother something she might like and enjoy showing off to her mature lady friends I carved her this pin. I'm taking a pic now... though it may be a week before its finished. (Which, is one reason I take interim pics, my stuff takes a while to finish.) I'll antique it (brings out the lines and forms) and set 2 peridot (green) stones. I also have to make a third gold ball for the third little daisy. But. I'm kinda happy with the casting, this thing I wouldn't normally have made.

And. Well. I have to mention the end of the New England Patriots season. This past season was a great one. Really. And that last game against the Bills was amazing. I looked online for a pic of them righting the goal post for Gostkowski's attempted field goal. Between that moment, the passes to Evans, the referee having to hold the ball until the center was ready for it, and Cassel's kick that the wind carried an extra 10 yards... it was definitely a memorable well played game. The whole season was. It would have been nice if they'd made the post season... a recognition of the effort and ability of the team, but. In some ways it ended well. It ended with a win and with them setting another record, as the first team in 23 years to go 11-5 and not make the playoffs. And, after watching some of the Ravens Miami game? Well. The Pats have a more rounded team than Miami, and by the end of the season were doing quite well. But, that Raven's defense is something else. Ed Reed is an escapee from the Matrix movie.

And. Lately out of money insecurity, I have been taking computer classes. *Its what you're suppose to do, right?* Its tough for me because I'm a thing type person. Making stuff is kinda where I'm at. But where I'm at and where money is at is two different spaces. So. But the positive of that is I now have a web site. The form on the contact page DOES NOT WORK. (had to stick it in for a class.) And the pics CANNOT BE CLICKED ON. And the navigation bar wandered on a couple of the pages. So I have to figure out how to go in and fix all this... without any software on my computer. Which I will. After I do everything else including washing dishes and cleaning the toilet. Might even vacuum some.

That's my list of positives for the day and I'm out of coffee. Cheers!

Fumbling Flowers Flailing Frustratingly About

2008-12-28T11:56:00.002-05:00

I wanted to make my mother a pin for Christmas. *a bit late, I know.* Generally, flowers just aren't my thing. Dunno why. Their images just aren't in that portion of my brain that engages my hands and makes stuff. But, my mother is into flowers. This is my first attempt at a pin for my mother... and I'm not too sure about it. The green wax that I carved would be cast into silver. The stones that I laid on top would probably be peridots in the finished piece, should I finish this!

I can already see what I want to do differently. It takes finishing something up to this point sometimes to figure out the problems. Hopefully I'll finish up the re-do.... soon!

You Go Guys!

2008-12-21T17:43:00.003-05:00

And Merry Christmas too. Wes Welker gets the penalty? so freaking what. That snow angel was a nice snow angel. Anyway, it gets my vote. If the Pats don't make the playoffs? pfffffft!!!! They do know how to play well and make snow angels. 'tis the season. You Go Guys!

Pics and Drips

2008-12-17T21:12:00.004-05:00

I haven't decided whether to publish my website or not... Not sure if my lack of enthusiasm is due to this monster head cold, the weather, proximity of Christmas... or if I just really need to read a Rex Stout murder mystery and fuggedaboudit. Here are 2 pics I took... from under my porch cover as the weather dripped coldly.

Merry Holidays Everyone!

2008-12-08T20:19:00.006-05:00

Here's a video... shared by teegee... that just cracks me up. Best drinking song ever. Well. If you think you know a better one, lemme know! Its by the Gaelic Storm.

Now I must make a comment about the New England Patriots football team. They are showing off. Last year everybody thought they were running up scores. My response was... they had some records to crush. But its this year is where they are really showing off. Its a contest.... how many key injuries can a football team have and still win. By the fourth quarter in Sunday's game they were out (from back in the season), starting QB stud Tom Brady, safeties Rodney Harrison and James Sanders, of the three starting defensive linemen they had one (Wilfork and Warren out), linebackers Thomas (very big loss) and Bruschi and Woods were injured, and rookie CB Wheatley injured (he was a starting CB at the time of injury.) That's just defense. A serious portion of the season was spent with the top 3 running backs on the team out... leaving Ben Jarvis Green-Ellis who I will maintain they picked up because of his name. (He was an undrafted free agent rookie.) Thankfully the guy is a pretty good ball player, along with a great name.

So. The Pats are showing off in a very disgusting manner. Where is the outrage? Where are the Hate-riots? Where are the gleeful commentators with serious facades lathered on pronouncing that when a team is playing 2 linebackers who have been back on the team less than a week the Pats should... just... kneel the ball. Really. Where's the respect I ask you.

Favorite Foods

2008-12-04T22:44:00.005-05:00

Avocado, mango, olives.

Hot fresh french bread insides, and crust. In that order. Cranberry walnut bread. Cranberry walnut buttermilk bran muffins. Thick french toast with butter and maple surup. A short stack of buttermilk pancakes at 1 a.m., after dancing, when 19 years of age.

Tofu mushroom loaf and barbecued tofu. Spinach lasagna. Spinach soffle. Lightly stir fried spinach with soy sauce, louisiana hot sauce, garlic onions and red red wine. Spinach salad, spinach pizza and spinach ravioli. Carrots. And of course, carrot cake.

Herbed rice (the kind with a bunch of different spices that fills the house with scent.) Fried rice. Brown rice. Hot white sticky rice that clumps. Dahl. Vegetable curry. Mango chutney. Mexican Chipote seitan.

The cherry pie that my grandmother made. Apple pie. Pie crust with cinnamon sugar on top, baked when making pies. Cinnamon toast. Cinnamon rolls. Lattes with cinnamon on top.

Hot fudge sundaes, when 16. Chocolate chip cookies with nuts. Brownies. Minty chocolate chip frozen yogurt. Chocolate. Also, chocolate pecan pie after dancing, when 21 years of age.

Super Supper that my mother made.

*thanks mlh*

Workspace

2008-12-04T07:57:00.003-05:00

Just thought I'd show off my at work, work bench, before I run off to it this morning. What I like about this bench is the tray, which has sides to it. This makes for a convenient setting spot, which as you can see I always need more setting spots! The bench is more messy than my one at home, due to not having a enough stuff storage and others will occassionally borrow tools from the bench. And, well, I'm a bit messy. The bench pin is a bit wiggly, but, that only annoys me sometimes.

Applause for Ms Chubbs

2008-11-23T18:05:00.006-05:00

Here's The Amazing *slightly* Less Chubby Ms Chubbs, who has endured months of dieting to shed one pound...

And a picture of a ring. I may list this for sale... dunno. Its a simple 14k ring, a yellow gold twist between 2 white gold bands. I thought it would look rather fetching on my little Buddha. I bought the little Buddha a few years ago, not because I'm into Buddhism (the reincarnation deal really isn't my thing), but i just liked his attitude.

Low Points

2008-11-17T08:35:00.005-05:00

I'll start off with the high points first. I was going to call this, "Sometimes you loose," with particular reference to my cat, Ms Chubbs. She has lost a pound. I think its official now. Its gone beyond the wondering whether I'm weighing her post poop. If she lost a few more I'd be happy, she'd be healthier, and maybe she could clean her own butt. But even one pound loss is a victory.

Another high point was Moss' catch with 8 seconds left in the New England Patriots game, vs the Zets. That was a total Moss moment. However, not sure I want to write more, and therefore remember more, of that game. *I'm not a particularly good looser.* And besides, as I rushed to catch the last half, ducking out of a nauseating irritating computer class to do so.... Well. Suffice it to say, it was a full moon night.

But the low point I remember of the last half of the game? There was that amazing snap that resulted in about a 15 yard loss, I seem to recall, as I grabbed a beer. But what I didn't like, and was a major low point, was watching QB Matt Cassell yell at Big Ben Watson after he dropped a catch. Frankly, that was more painful than the dropping of the catch. And not very nice. I'm trying to not draw Brady comparisons, but I've never seen Beau Brady do that. Never. Which is one of the things I like about Tom Brady. Today I watched a bit of the Steelers game. And saw Rothensberger talk with a receiver that just dropped one of his passes. He wasn't yelling. *Yelling is uncool.* *Someone needs to tell Cassell that.* *Hey Cassell, yelling at your receivers is uncool.*

I was going to include yet another pic of my cat, The Amazing Less Chubby Chubbs, but she's being modest. Maybe later.

Change Is Tough

2008-11-09T12:04:00.009-05:00

(Well, in football it is. I read about the end of the salary cap after the 2009 season, and I don't know. NFL franchises are money making machines. And in the past, players have not benefited from the money stream. The retired players, with health problems, did not receive the health care or financial support from the game they helped develop into the popular sport it is today. The players do make money now, but not as much as is first reported. A guy can get cut after 8 games, after being signed for 70 million. To me the success of the New England Patriots has been a perfect trifecta of good owner, good coach, and good quarterback (and team.) How you divie up that money pie I don't know. I hope it gets resolved for the benefit of all. There should be enough to go around.)

This brings me to the nation situation, as it were. With the financial implosion going on, jobs hiding where I can begin to find, and home foreclosures of record setting levels to where the "American dream" resembles a wild west ghost town, in fog. How hard can change be? CHANGE IS TOUGH! Jeeza loui-za peoples. Tuesday night even after Ohio and Penn went down, I couldn't believe. I didn't, and still have trouble wrapping my mind around it. Jeesh.

Not only did Americans elect the first African American to the presidency.... he's got a funny name. (Sorry people, but Barack HUSSIEN Obama? Next to your Smith or Jones, or Washington or Jackson...) The American people chose possibility and hope over fear and stereotypes. Obama had a massive amount of money that I only wished I could have donated to. *I did buy a t-shirt!* But he needed it. He needed a freaking bulldozer. He had lots of sh*t to plough through.

But the American people stepped up. I'm still amazed. I'm watching the Pats (vs Bills) right now, seeking grounding or something.... so maybe I can blame the tears in my eyes on a football loss. But those fools are winning. You just never know.