I can't believe Fall is nearly here; I'm really fairly floored by that -- summer came and went so quickly.
I was pleased to renew some library books online -- I love that, the march of progress. Yet it's weird to see the library, now -- the books, largely unread, endless rows and floors, and one floor a corner of the floor, filled with computers with Internet hookups, packed with people. Like a hive. Books are old media. I love books, but it's so apparent how retro they are, more so in the library. At the rate our country's going, public libraries themselves may be gone in a generation -- combination of lack of funding and literacy, a toxic brew. I love books, but it did make me sad to see the unattended shelves full of books. Lost monuments. Ten years ago, there would have been a flurry of activity, but now, silent rows, a wealth of untouched ideas, lost worlds. Books are becoming a boutique industry.
I'm not melancholy at the moment; just reflective, thinking about things.
It's quiet tonight, and cooling off. The city seems quiet -- the battening down of the hatches, the passing of summer into our brief Autumn. Chicago's Fall is not a long one, compared with other places I've lived. The leaves all but leap off the trees.
B2 wants to be Bumblebee for Halloween -- the original TRANSFORMERS Bumblebee, which he loves. I think it's cute how much he loves that. B1 hasn't decided, yet.
B2 played soccer Saturday, in driving rain (they didn't cancel practice!) English coaches, great accents, loved that. B2 did a great job -- it's early, yet, and he's young, but his natural athleticism is remarkable: quick, strong, dextrous, competitive. I can already tell he's going to be one of those kids who'll be able to compete in anything he tries out for. He's a natural.
B1 never was -- not for T-ball, not for soccer. Oh, he gamely got out there and did it, but he's not a natural athlete by any means, and the intricacies of competition leave him sort of spinning his wheels a bit. I empathize with that -- I'll encourage him to be active in what he has a knack for, and what he enjoys. I don't have any conceptions of what he should be except happy and loved and accepted.
All the same, it's still remarkable that his baby brother is the natural, except in one area: rhythm. B1 has a natural sense of rhythm that pops up in unexpected moments. It's almost like because he doesn't have to think about it, he attains that measure of grace in movement that is lost to him in other activities. While B2 would be a natural musician in the sense of having dexterity and a diva-like sense of himself, I think B1 might have a knack at the deeper game, if I can encourage him to challenge himself and apply himself to things.
Failing that, martial arts and/or swimming would be good for B1 -- active, but not quite so team-based. Where his natural inclinations can come into play and he can excel in his own way.
Both boys are so smart, they crackle with intelligence. It makes me happy to see that, because they're going to need it in this world they'll eventually inherit.
Monday, September 13, 2010
Sunday, September 12, 2010
The Abyss Also Gazes Into You
And talking about eyes, celebrities, and zodiacal silliness, I totally have to bring up Scorpios. Because Scorpios also stand out -- I can detect female Scorpio celebrities with uncanny accuracy. I'll say "I bet she's a damned Scorpio" and I'll be right. Scorpio guys are harder to detect, and I don't know why that is; I think a general fucked-upness is in play with Scorpio guys that has them maybe at odds with themselves.
And lord help the world when a Scorpio gets a bee in their bonnet, because it's never coming out. The Scorpio Gaze is different from the Libra Gaze in that there's a hardness to it (regardless of how girly and pretty the woman is, Scorpio Eyes are HARD), and the second sterling quality of the Scorpio Gaze is that it bores into you. Whereas a Libra's just gazing at you flatly, a Scorpio is bringing their searchlight eyes to bear on you, seeing through you -- I have likened it to gazing in a dark pool of water, and you know there's a sea monster in there looking back at you; you can't quite see the monster, but you know it's there, and it's looking back at you, and it will kill you, if you're not careful. Let's look at some examples...
First, let me start with an exemplar. Vivien Leigh. She masterfully put her Scorpio Eyes to work to secure all sorts of roles, and she put those headlamps to bear in shot after shot. Very memorable (and, amusingly, she channeled the archetypal Libra with Blanche DuBois, but she still had Scorpio eyes in that role).
Grace Kelly is likely one that would fool most people -- they'd think "Oh, she's a Libra, right?" Because she has those elements. Except the eyes. Grace Kelly's eyes are the "tell" with her. A "Scorpio Test" I like to do is to cover the rest of the face, revealing only the eyes. If they're the eyes of a killer, then odds are very, very good that you're dealing with a Scorpio. Try it, you'll see. Monster in the water, gazing up at you from the depths. Wanting to eat you.
And who can forget Sean Young, in her fleeting star turn in "Bladerunner?" Exemplary Scorpio Eyes (and Scorpio lifestyle, if history is any indication). Again, the eyes aren't flat; rather, they are boring into you, across space and time, and are devoid of compassion. Pretty face, killer's eyes.
What about sweet, bosomy, goofy-faced Anne Hathaway? Such a nice young woman, masterfully suited for particular roles? Mmm hmm. The eyes. Mind those deadly eyes -- they will drown you.
Kelly Osbourne? Not that plump little child of celebrity. Not her, too, surely? God, yes. Deadly eyes. Scorpio Eyes.
Jenny McCarthy, the Joan of Arc of anti-vaccination? Yep. She might be mistaken for a Libra in the above one, if you weren't paying attention, but those eyes are boring into you, saying "Hey, don't you realize that vaccination is the greatest threat to humanity since fluoridation?" Sure, Jenny. Just try convincing a Scorpio that they're wrong. Seriously. Try it sometime.
Callista Flockhart is another exemplar. The Scorpio Gaze gives away nothing, while seeks to plumb your depths (if there). I imagine Scorpios could be good poker players, just because they'd sit across the table and freak out the other players with their killer's eyes.
Let's not forget Winon Ryder. She based a whole career on those sea monster eyes of hers. I imagine she thought she could shoplift with those eyes, like just stunning the clerks into submission.
Another 80s icon of sorts, Demi Moore. She epitomizes the Scorpio Gaze in a postmodern world. Determined, ruthless, deadly. The "tell" with Scorpio eyes is that they stand out from the face that surrounds them, and they bore into you.
Rachel McAdams is one who might fool the unwary, because of her "America's Sweetheart" kind of bearing, and her big, cartoonish smile. But she's a Scorpio, and the eyes are the Tell. She will fucking kill you, if you're not careful.
And lord help the world when a Scorpio gets a bee in their bonnet, because it's never coming out. The Scorpio Gaze is different from the Libra Gaze in that there's a hardness to it (regardless of how girly and pretty the woman is, Scorpio Eyes are HARD), and the second sterling quality of the Scorpio Gaze is that it bores into you. Whereas a Libra's just gazing at you flatly, a Scorpio is bringing their searchlight eyes to bear on you, seeing through you -- I have likened it to gazing in a dark pool of water, and you know there's a sea monster in there looking back at you; you can't quite see the monster, but you know it's there, and it's looking back at you, and it will kill you, if you're not careful. Let's look at some examples...
First, let me start with an exemplar. Vivien Leigh. She masterfully put her Scorpio Eyes to work to secure all sorts of roles, and she put those headlamps to bear in shot after shot. Very memorable (and, amusingly, she channeled the archetypal Libra with Blanche DuBois, but she still had Scorpio eyes in that role).
Grace Kelly is likely one that would fool most people -- they'd think "Oh, she's a Libra, right?" Because she has those elements. Except the eyes. Grace Kelly's eyes are the "tell" with her. A "Scorpio Test" I like to do is to cover the rest of the face, revealing only the eyes. If they're the eyes of a killer, then odds are very, very good that you're dealing with a Scorpio. Try it, you'll see. Monster in the water, gazing up at you from the depths. Wanting to eat you.
And who can forget Sean Young, in her fleeting star turn in "Bladerunner?" Exemplary Scorpio Eyes (and Scorpio lifestyle, if history is any indication). Again, the eyes aren't flat; rather, they are boring into you, across space and time, and are devoid of compassion. Pretty face, killer's eyes.
What about sweet, bosomy, goofy-faced Anne Hathaway? Such a nice young woman, masterfully suited for particular roles? Mmm hmm. The eyes. Mind those deadly eyes -- they will drown you.
Kelly Osbourne? Not that plump little child of celebrity. Not her, too, surely? God, yes. Deadly eyes. Scorpio Eyes.
Jenny McCarthy, the Joan of Arc of anti-vaccination? Yep. She might be mistaken for a Libra in the above one, if you weren't paying attention, but those eyes are boring into you, saying "Hey, don't you realize that vaccination is the greatest threat to humanity since fluoridation?" Sure, Jenny. Just try convincing a Scorpio that they're wrong. Seriously. Try it sometime.
Callista Flockhart is another exemplar. The Scorpio Gaze gives away nothing, while seeks to plumb your depths (if there). I imagine Scorpios could be good poker players, just because they'd sit across the table and freak out the other players with their killer's eyes.
Let's not forget Winon Ryder. She based a whole career on those sea monster eyes of hers. I imagine she thought she could shoplift with those eyes, like just stunning the clerks into submission.
Another 80s icon of sorts, Demi Moore. She epitomizes the Scorpio Gaze in a postmodern world. Determined, ruthless, deadly. The "tell" with Scorpio eyes is that they stand out from the face that surrounds them, and they bore into you.
Rachel McAdams is one who might fool the unwary, because of her "America's Sweetheart" kind of bearing, and her big, cartoonish smile. But she's a Scorpio, and the eyes are the Tell. She will fucking kill you, if you're not careful.
Pretty. Vacant.
I have a thing for Libra women; the rule of thumb is if a celebrity babe strikes my fancy out of the blue, odds are good that she's a Libra. I can't account for it, but it's so often true that I can usually spot them. Many of my celebrity crushes are Libra babes. A big tell is their eyes -- they have doll eyes, basically, with a flat aspect to their gaze. Here are some samples...
Naomi Watts. Hard-working actress who is generic enough that she gets a lot of work, but then people are like "It was that movie with, you know, what's her name?"
Avril Lavigne, who may or may not qualify as a celebrity, anymore. Does she still sing? I dunno. But dig those empty, empty eyes. What's she thinking about? Anything?
Gwen Stefani is one of the Libra exemplars -- pretty, fashionable, femme, stylish, but what's going on in that head? Her dark eyes help disguise it, but I bet there are ample tales behind the scenes.
Ah, Kate Winslet. Yes, yes, yes. A fine actress, and so fond of doffing her duds to reveal her delightful curves, what's not to like? And I do think she's mighty fine. And yet, those eyes, what to make of them? She's an exemplar in terms of my "Libra Eyes" meme. You can pick through any number of her shots and see them gazing out at you flatly.
It's hard to find a celebrity more "Libra-ish" than Gwyneth Paltrow. She's a true Libra exemplar, who manages the breezy flakiness and nutball trippiness with the blandly beautiful appearance and those astoundingly flat eyes (they look even emptier when she's actually acting, in motion -- her eyes are like marbles).
Another exemplar is Alicia Silverstone. She can look at you with those flat eyes and it makes you want to snap your fingers in front of her face like "Hello? Is there anybody in there?" It's not that Librans aren't smart, because I'm sure they are; it's just that their eyes have that shallow gaze that gives you absolutely no indication of what's going on in there.
And lest you think it's only female Librans who have this quality...
I mean, we know Matt Damon's a smart guy, right? But what's with those eyes? Again, the finger snap test comes into play, here.
Viggo Mortensen. Helllllooooo? Viggggo? Where you at, Holmes?
Now, Librans are usually smooth operators, socially, and can be superficially charming, even charismatic after a fashion (and who can argue with the Libran tendency toward exhibitionism?), but they all have those Libran dolls' eyes that are usually a dead-eyed giveaway, if you're paying attention. If eyes are the mirrors of the soul, then are Librans ultimately soulless? Are those mirrors two-way, or merely one-way? That proverb is never more perfect than with Librans.
Avril Lavigne, who may or may not qualify as a celebrity, anymore. Does she still sing? I dunno. But dig those empty, empty eyes. What's she thinking about? Anything?
Another exemplar is Alicia Silverstone. She can look at you with those flat eyes and it makes you want to snap your fingers in front of her face like "Hello? Is there anybody in there?" It's not that Librans aren't smart, because I'm sure they are; it's just that their eyes have that shallow gaze that gives you absolutely no indication of what's going on in there.
And lest you think it's only female Librans who have this quality...
Now, Librans are usually smooth operators, socially, and can be superficially charming, even charismatic after a fashion (and who can argue with the Libran tendency toward exhibitionism?), but they all have those Libran dolls' eyes that are usually a dead-eyed giveaway, if you're paying attention. If eyes are the mirrors of the soul, then are Librans ultimately soulless? Are those mirrors two-way, or merely one-way? That proverb is never more perfect than with Librans.
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Color Purple
When faced with the umpteen coloring books scattered around the apartment, I sometimes get the compulsion to color in them, but I always use trippy colors. So, when confronted with a zebra in a coloring book, rather than black and white, I opt for some trippy hues. When seeing a tree, I make it purple, or yellow, or whatever color hits at the moment. I like making whole scenes where the colors of everything are off. Then, when my boys get around to nosing through'em, they see those and are like "What the-- ?? Daddddddy!"
Friday, September 10, 2010
The Aliens Have Landed
Somewhere out there is an air conditioning unit that requires servicing. Right now, it makes a whirring sound, like a fan in need of some WD-40 or something, that sounds like a hovering flying saucer might, or like a giant monster cricket. And it cycles repeatedly -- it'll run for about three minutes, and will then shut down. And then you'll hear it again. I can never properly isolate the unit, because the way it echoes off the buildings, it's hard to isolate (and it appears to only be on at night). Anyway, I'm hearing it now. God help you if you hear it when you're awake (and trying to sleep), because you just hear that fucking noise. It makes me want to be a rooftop repair ninja, tracking down that sound and slathering the offending piece of machinery with WD-40.
There, it stopped. But it'll be back. At least the Reggae Asshole Brigade appear to be snoozing right now. They had that party over the weekend with "Gonna get fucked up!" as the crowd's mantra, shouted every few minutes. Life in the big city!
Back to sleep, hopefully!
There, it stopped. But it'll be back. At least the Reggae Asshole Brigade appear to be snoozing right now. They had that party over the weekend with "Gonna get fucked up!" as the crowd's mantra, shouted every few minutes. Life in the big city!
Back to sleep, hopefully!
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Maggie Q & A
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Autumn Angst
Chilly morning; Autumn officially hasn't begun, yet, but it's here. No Indian Summer, it seems. Just a dive into Fall.
I cranked out 3000 words yesterday, marching on toward my goal. Only 50,000 more to go, give or take. I've got new ideas in line behind the piece I'm working, vying for attention, but I'm being a trooper and getting this one done, first. That always happens -- a new idea is like "Look at me! Look at me!" But I stick it out, give'em a number, and make'em wait in line. Have to do that, to get anything done.
I'm a little angsty going into the Fall -- just trying to juggle a lot of plates, wondering what's going to happen in the elections, whether the country will opt for Republican Lite (the Democrats) or Republican Extreme (the Tea Party cadres). That's the truth of the choices we have -- today's Democrats are like yesterday's Republicans (seriously, their patron saint, Reagan, would have been drummed out of today's GOP for being a raging liberal and a traitor, since he actually worked with Democrats). And today's Democrats would have FDR, Truman, LBJ (and, hell, even JFK) spinning in their graves with the weak tea they offer. The Democrats actually did have a mandate for change, and wouldn't run on it. Obama's feckless pursuit of "bipartisanship" bought him exactly nothing, since the Tea Party hate him because he's black, and the GOP lined up against him because they wanted to deny him any victories at all. Sigh.
We need more political parties, truly. That's the real fix for the stalemate. Competition. But it's not coming in this election.
I cranked out 3000 words yesterday, marching on toward my goal. Only 50,000 more to go, give or take. I've got new ideas in line behind the piece I'm working, vying for attention, but I'm being a trooper and getting this one done, first. That always happens -- a new idea is like "Look at me! Look at me!" But I stick it out, give'em a number, and make'em wait in line. Have to do that, to get anything done.
I'm a little angsty going into the Fall -- just trying to juggle a lot of plates, wondering what's going to happen in the elections, whether the country will opt for Republican Lite (the Democrats) or Republican Extreme (the Tea Party cadres). That's the truth of the choices we have -- today's Democrats are like yesterday's Republicans (seriously, their patron saint, Reagan, would have been drummed out of today's GOP for being a raging liberal and a traitor, since he actually worked with Democrats). And today's Democrats would have FDR, Truman, LBJ (and, hell, even JFK) spinning in their graves with the weak tea they offer. The Democrats actually did have a mandate for change, and wouldn't run on it. Obama's feckless pursuit of "bipartisanship" bought him exactly nothing, since the Tea Party hate him because he's black, and the GOP lined up against him because they wanted to deny him any victories at all. Sigh.
We need more political parties, truly. That's the real fix for the stalemate. Competition. But it's not coming in this election.
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Blown Away
Wow, windy day today! 15-30 mph winds! A gusty start to the school year! I took B1 to school, which was a bit hectic -- they hadn't assigned teachers to the students, yet; rather, they had classroom assignments without explicit teachers. Made for a kind of chaotic start of the year, with parents jockeying to find out where their kids were were supposed to go.
Lovely day, wonderful weather.
The long weekend shot by. Amazing that it's fall already.
B2 has such a facility with language; it's quite cool -- he speaks well ahead of his peers. The words he uses, how he speaks, his understanding of syntax, etc. Love it. B1 wasn't particularly looking forward to going to school, but I'm sure he'll have fun once he gets into the groove.
Lovely day, wonderful weather.
The long weekend shot by. Amazing that it's fall already.
B2 has such a facility with language; it's quite cool -- he speaks well ahead of his peers. The words he uses, how he speaks, his understanding of syntax, etc. Love it. B1 wasn't particularly looking forward to going to school, but I'm sure he'll have fun once he gets into the groove.
Monday, September 6, 2010
Trebuchet happens
This morning, I was called upon to make a Lego trebuchet by the boys, no mean feat, given that the Legos we have are a mish-mash of various sorts, not sets explicitly trebuchet-intended. But I came up with a workable one that the boys began using to fling Lego projectiles around. B2 was miffed that I put wheels on it, so I took those off, trading mobility for stability. B2 is busy setting up targets and launching things at them. Gotta love Legos!
Today
Last day of Summer for the boys. B1 starts school tomorrow.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/September_6
Long weekend was pretty good, overall. The boys had a lot of fun, primarily with me, naturally! Today is autumn-chilly.
I climbed a tree in the park with the boys yesterday, which was amusing, since people would walk by and see us in the tree and react to it -- bland smiles, or, with kids around, they'd climb the tree (or its neighbors) for awhile, too. B1 calls the tree we were on "The Fun Tree."
Nothing fancy planned today.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/September_6
Long weekend was pretty good, overall. The boys had a lot of fun, primarily with me, naturally! Today is autumn-chilly.
I climbed a tree in the park with the boys yesterday, which was amusing, since people would walk by and see us in the tree and react to it -- bland smiles, or, with kids around, they'd climb the tree (or its neighbors) for awhile, too. B1 calls the tree we were on "The Fun Tree."
Nothing fancy planned today.
Saturday, September 4, 2010
Light
Lovely light day, already the autumn sun seems so in evidence, fall temps. Had the boys at one of the playgrounds, they had a good time, their playful chaos. Played with Legos aplenty until I was almost dizzy with construction visions. I made tortellini for dinner, a Sicilian tomato sauce with various olives. B1 pleased me by digging into it and giving it a literal thumbs up. Good boy!
Transitioning to Fall, school starts for B1 next week. He's not looking forward to it, although I'm trying to have him read each day, get him back in that spirit.
Sleepy.
Transitioning to Fall, school starts for B1 next week. He's not looking forward to it, although I'm trying to have him read each day, get him back in that spirit.
Sleepy.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)