Echo and Afterimage has been updated!
August 31st 2004
The first full issue of my weekly serial Echo and Afterimage is up!
The above link is to the main page, containing the prologue. Or the most recent issue can be found here.
Enjoy!
Archive for August, 2004
*sighs*
August 31st 2004
I was going to do a post on the shifting nature of mythology, but something else has come up instead…
A suicide case involving Wicca.
Sources close to the case say early Saturday morning, Sarah Casey and Debra Jean Kawaguchi, both just 13-years-old, walked onto the tracks as a train approached.
According to those close to the case, the girls allegedly left a note saying they killed themselves because they believed they would be reincarnated. Police believe both girls were involved in the practice of Wicca.
Wicca is an earth-centered religion sometimes known as witchcraft. Police believe the girls may have been helped by the Internet.
Now the question arises as to how widespread Wicca is in Starke County. It’s something police knew nothing about and are now trying to work with the schools to educate parents and students.
I’m conscious of two very strong emotions.
The first is sadness that these girls found no other way out, that they misinterpreted reincarnation as some kind of catch-all solution to their problems, that they didn’t get the help they needed. I’m sad for their parents, too, and for the communty. This is an awful, awful thing to have happen.
The second emotion is anger that this is getting pinned on Wicca. Let’s be clear on this, folks. We don’t advocate suicide. At all. Period.. Killing yourself so you’ll reincarnate is not some kind of beautiful solution to all life’s problems. Or any of life’s problems, really. How could it be? You’re just putting yourself back on the wheel again.
There is no necessity of finding out “how widespread Wicca is in Starke County”, as if it’s some kind of suicide cult. Wicca didn’t do this, any more than a Christian teen killing herself so she can “be with God” is the fault of the teachings of Christianity.
I know there’s a real desire in situations like this to understand “Why?”, but there are no simple answers. If they’re looking at Wicca for causes, they’re looking in the wrong place.
I know I’m preaching to the choir on this blog, but I had to get that off my chest.
*sigh*
Those poor, poor girls.
I don’t believe it….
August 31st 2004
….USA Today hired Michael Moore to cover the Republican National Convention for them.
Actually, the article makes several really good points about what the average person believes and how it’s not reflected in the leadership of the Republican party.
Oh, and also I love this line…
You’re in charge because you never back down. Your people are up before dawn figuring out which minority group shouldn’t be allowed to marry today.
Yes, this has started the day on an amusing note. I like that.
Witches Weekly
August 30th 2004
Questions brought to you by The Witches’ Weekly
Do you feel those with pagan beliefs should attempt to take more of a political stand?
Nope. My beliefs are my own, including my political stands and activism. I see things through in my own way. Every other Pagan is free to do the same.
Is paganism openly accepted where you are from? (city,town,state)
Montreal, Quebec, Canada. And Halifax, Nova Scotia too. I’ve never had any problems with people because of my beliefs. I’ve had lots of questions when people find out I’m Wiccan, but never any problems.
Given your beliefs, what’s one thing that a political figure could promise to you about your path, that would convince you to vote for them?
Come election time, there is no one thing that any politician could promise me that would make me vote for them. I distrust big promises made during a campaign. I’m more inclined to vote with the general philosophy and the track record of the party than I am to vote for a party that made one really great promise.
I have Google Mail invites!
August 28th 2004
Anyone out there want a Google Mail account? It has 1000mb of space, threaded messages and a great interface.
I’ve got 4 invites. Leave me a comment if you’re interested.
Today is a day…
August 28th 2004
…for ponytails, short shorts, and tank tops.
I am wearing what I like to think of as my punk rock tank top. It’s a lovely shade of pinkish-orange with two extra armband straps that don’t do anything except look cool. It was a last-minute purchase at the le chateau outlet.
In retrospect, I should’ve bought two.
Oh, and the tank tops you can get with the bra sewn into the lining? They are now my particular friends. I must get out and buy more if the weather keeps up like this.
The BIG ANNOUNCEMENT!
August 26th 2004
Remember how I promised a major writing announcement at the end of the month? Well, it’s the end of the month, so…here goes…
Starting September 1 and continuing on Wednesday of every week, I will be publishing a serial story entitled Echo and Afterimage on the Windandwaves site.
Some of you will have seen bits and pieces of this as a comic script I’ve been writing on and off for the past few years. In the interests of getting the story and characters out there, I’m writing it in serial form and putting it on the web.
For now it’s a prose story, but I may in the future decide to publish some issues in comic script format. It depends on how easily the story can be told in one format or another.
Also, because this story was originally intended as an ongoing comic, it will (at least generally) have story arcs that are several installments long.
I’d like to thank the inestimable t! for inspiring me to write a serial in the first place.
So with no further ado, I give you the prologue.
Future issues of the serial will be found at the Echo and Afterimage Main Page and I’ll post to the blog to let everyone know I’ve updated.
Oh, and wish me luck. I’m going to need it.
(PS. There’s also a small crafting section on the main windandwaves site now. This is just FYI for after you’re done reading Echo and Afterimage. That’s really the more important thing.)
…and I’m done!
August 26th 2004
Well, that was less complicated and took less time than I’d thought it would.
And now it’s done and all I have to do is update the template when I want to change my sidebar. This makes me deliriously happy.
I think I’ll take a break before finishing up the pages I’m writing. All this staring at the computer is making me feel a little headachey.
This is a job for…..TEA!
August 26th 2004
I downloaded the trial version of Dreamweaver today. I thought it would make my life much easier if I could have a template that I edited when I make changes to the main Windandwaves site. Then I wouldn’t have to edit pages individually when I want to change the sidebar (for example)
And it appears that it will work the way I want it to. Unfortunately, it means that I have to edit every page that already exists in order to make it include the template.
This wouldn’t seem like such a chore if I hadn’t edited every single page twice yesterday just trying to get the changes I’m making implemented. Now I have to do it all over again.
*whimper*
Yes…orange pekoe is definitely on the menu.
Self-Image
August 26th 2004
I was going through a box of old photographs last night, looking for some stuff for a website update I’m doing. I ran across some photos from when I worked at my university newspaper back in 95-96, and some stuff from Scott’s graduation, circa May 2000.
Wow, I was thin back then. Particularly in the ‘95-96 photos. I remember those days. When I used to eat and eat and eat and never gain weight. Sometime in the summer of 2000 that changed and I started to gain and had to start watching my diet, at least a little.
It’s not often I go back and look at the old photos and compare myself to them. I was actually pleasantly surprised to find that I don’t feel guilty or upset about the weight I’ve gained. If anything, I find I look better now than I did back then. I’m not fat, but I do look healthy, I think.
To be sure, I could still stand to lose a bit of weight. I have a bit of a stomach I’m not happy with and I’d like to be more in shape than I am. But overall I’m happy with my looks now.
Who knew I’d ever be happy that I gained weight?