A Pagan Wargamer's Journey [entries|friends|calendar] owlsforodin [ userinfo | livejournal userinfo ] [ calendar | livejournal calendar ]

Being the good son.... [02 Dec 2009|07:52pm] [ mood | tired ] Thanksgiving came and went uneventfully. I had a busy weekend, but I'm still in recovery mode. This morning, I played the good son and took my father in for eye surgery (a lens transplant). He made it through with no problems, and all of us are home resting. I'm spending the night with my parents so that I can take him in for a follow-up at O-dark-hundred in the morning. It's interesting having to remember that I'm not alone in my apartment. My old bedroom has been turned into a guest bedroom of sorts. Being in a corner of the basement means that it's colder than one might expect. It always was. Reasons to like my own apartment. I get to set THAT thermostat. I go back to work on Friday and plunge back into the cycle of Winter registration. So far, it looks like another big quarter is shaping up. If it follows from Fall, it should be bigger than last year and that was a record. It's good being the best 2-year college around. Part of me wonders how long that will last. What goes up must come down, and we had a couple of sub-par years before this recent boom hit. It looks like I timed my personal blot to Ullr, Norse God of Winter, properly. The coldest days so far will be tomorrow morning. Mah-velous. That's all from here. post comment

Another quarter over [25 Nov 2009|02:05pm] [ mood | drained ] Fall quarter’s over. Gott Sei Dank! I managed to get a “B” in Psychosocial Interventions. I’m not sure how, because I bombed both tests. I guess the other work was simply good enough to raise the total up. I’m taking Winter quarter off. I completely blanked on portions of the Final. After nine consecutive quarters, I need the break. The aforementioned test results scream that louder that anything could. I’ve just felt overwhelmed the last month or so. I’m not going over eight quarters in a row now. That shouldn’t slow things down too much. Recharge time. Take care of a few other things that have been pushed to the back burner. Start feeling like I have a life, instead of watching the time disappear faster than an SR-71 on full afterburner. Mostly, though, I should let my mind rest up before stuffing more Mental Health stuff into it. post comment

Why I don't like paralyzed government [18 Nov 2009|09:45pm] [ mood | cynical ] I finally figured out why I don't like the idea of an ineffective government. I'm an Air Force brat, and I'm old enough to remember the embarrassment that was the 1970's for the US military. Two events in that decade show me that a paralyzed government is highly likely to result in international humiliation. First, we "lost" the Vietnam War. OK, I know what the history books say. Militarily speaking, the Tet Offensive was a dismal defeat for the Communist forces. The Viet Cong was finished as a fighting force, and the North Vietnamese Army took such heavy losses, that it would five years before they would attempt another offensive. After Tet, we pulled most of the ground forces out, but kept most of our airpower in the area. When the NVA let loose the Easter Offensive of 1972, we bombed them back to the peace table in short order. When the final truce was negotiated in 1973, South Vietnamese territorial integrity was intact, and Communist military operations against the South were halted. Sounds like victory to me. Then Watergate happened, Nixon resigned, and Ford was hamstrung by a Congress that knew that public opinion was against returning to help enforce the truce. The Communists sensed that, and after a few tests in December of 1974, they went on full offensive against an unsupported South in 1975 that conquered the entire country. Yeah, your men in uniform felt very let down after that. Second, November 4, 1979. A date that should be living in infamy, and is somehow forgotten. As part of their revolution against a corrupt Shah, an Iranian mob stormed the US embassy and held 50 Americans hostage for the next 444 days. President Carter resisted all calls for military action. When a rescue attempt was finally made, poor planning led to a bungled effort. If anyone wants to know why Reagan was elected in 1980, look no further. I think the military voted in unprecedented numbers that election. It was no coincidence that the hostages were released within hours of Reagan taking the Oath of Office. So, I would rather have an effective government that did things that I disagreed with, than a paralyzed government that does nothing at all. After all, I can always vote against the incumbent in the next election. Think about that the next time you choose a President from one party and your Congressmen from the other, simply because you want one to keep the other in check. That's YOUR job as a voter. Voting for a person because you agree with their ideas is one thing. Voting for stagnation is another. It sounds like a good idea on paper, but in reality, you're just setting up your country for embarassment. OK, the rant is over. 2 comments|post comment

Killing me softly with a song... [16 Nov 2009|01:09pm] [ mood | working ] Heard while driving to lunch today, "When I see you doin' what I tried to do for me with a verse and a poem and a voice and a choir and a melody Nothing else matters" from Stevie Nicks, "Edge of Seventeen", from the album Bella Donna post comment

Another ear worm [13 Nov 2009|01:12pm] [ mood | musical ] This week's earworm is : From the album Little Earthquakes , Tori Amos and "Silent All These Years" Excuse me but can I be you for a while My dog won't bite if you sit real still I got the anti-Christ in the kitchen yellin' at me again Yeah I can hear that Been saved again by the garbage truck I got something to say you know But nothing comes Yes I know what you think of me You never shut-up Yeah I can hear that But what if I'm a mermaid In these jeans of his With her name still on it Hey but I don't care Cause sometimes I said sometimes I hear my voice And it's been here Silent All These Years So you found a girl Who thinks really deep thoughts What's so amazing about really deep thoughts Boy you best pray that I bleed real soon How's that thought for you My scream got lost in a paper cup You think there's a heaven Where some screams have gone I got 25 bucks and a cracker Do you think it's enough To get us there Cause what if I'm a mermaid In these jeans of his With her name still on it Hey but I don't care Cause sometimes I said sometimes I hear my voice And it's been here Silent All These... Years go by Will I still be waiting For somebody else to understand Years go by If I'm stripped of my beauty And the orange clouds Raining in head Years go by Will I choke on my tears Till finally there is nothing left One more casualty You know we're too easy Easy Easy Well I love the way we communicate Your eyes focus on my funny lip shape Let's hear what you think of me now But baby don't look up The sky is falling Your mother shows up in a nasty dress It's your turn now to stand where I stand Everybody lookin' at you here Take hold of my hand Yeah I can hear them But what if I'm a mermaid In these jeans of his With her name still on it Hey but I don't care Cause sometimes I said sometimes I hear my voice [x3] And it's been here Silent All These Years I've been here Silent All These Years post comment

Time for a recharge [11 Nov 2009|11:17am] [ mood | drained ] OK, only 2 more classes left.  I haven't been wanting to see the end of quarter this bad in a long time.  The good news is that I'm actually getting the homework done, so I've got a good chance of finishing the class with a decent grade.  I've already decided that I'm not going to take a class during the winter term.  I need a break.  I'll be back at it when spring term gets here. I'm enjoying the chance at a day off.  I'm hoping that I can get a few things arranged, and do some things that I haven't had opportunity to do in a while.  I'm in an interesting headspace right now. post comment

Earworm of the week! [06 Nov 2009|03:31pm] [ mood | musical ] This my earworm of the week, so I'm doing my best to make it yours. From 1979, from an album called The Pretenders, "Brass in Pocket" GOT BRASS IN POCKET GOT BOTTLE I'M GONNA USE IT INTENTION I FEEL INVENTIVE GONNA MAKE YOU, MAKE YOU, MAKE YOU NOTICE   GOT MOTION RESTRAINED EMOTION BEEN DRIVING DETROIT LEANING NO REASON JUST SEEMS SO PLEASING GONNA MAKE YOU, MAKE YOU, MAKE YOU NOTICE   (CHORUS)   GONNA USE MY ARMS GONNA USE MY LEGS GONNA USE MY STYLE GONNA USE MY SIDESTEP GONNA USE MY FINGERS GONNA USE MY, MY, MY IMAGINATION   'CAUSE I GONNA MAKE YOU SEE THERE'S NOBODY ELSE HERE NO ONE LIKE ME I'M SPECIAL SO SPECIAL I GOTTA HAVE SOME OF YOUR ATTENTION GIVE IT TO ME   GOT RHYTHM I CAN'T MISS A BEAT GOT NEW SKANK IT'S SO REET GOT SOMETHING I'M WINKING AT YOU GONNA MAKE YOU, MAKE YOU, MAKE YOU NOTICE   (CHORUS)   'CAUSE I GONNA MAKE YOU SEE THERE'S NOBODY ELSE HERE NO ONE LIKE ME I'M SPECIAL, SO SPECIAL I GOTTA HAVE SOME OF YOUR ATTENTION GIVE IT TO ME 'CAUSE I GONNA MAKE YOU SEE THERE'S NOBODY ELSE HERE NO ONE LIKE ME I'M SPECIAL, SO SPECIAL I GOTTA HAVE SOME OF YOUR ATTENTION   GIVE IT TO ME   post comment

Weekend? There was one? [03 Nov 2009|11:58am] [ mood | working ] It was a slow work week, but busy outside of work. The weekend proved to be quite busy.   Saturday, I participate in forging a ritual hammer for the OVHF (Ohio Valley Heathen Fellowship). It took much longer than anyone anticipated. I wound up getting home well after midnight. That made for waking up in the midafternoon on Sunday. I watched the Talladega race. I found the race quite watchable. NASCAR needs to figure out how to keep these cars on the ground when they get turned around. Every time I see a clip of Ryan Newman’s car landing upside down on Kevin Harvick’s hood, I cringe. And the wreck that marred the green-white-checker finish was totally unnecessary. I’m glad everone’s OK. NASCAR needs to find another solution to Talladega and Daytona other than those cursed restrictor plates.   I took a vacation day on Monday to take care of the car. It has an oil leak. Unfortunately, this isn’t a cheap leak to fix.   Intake manifold. Over $700. Which I don’t now, and won’t have for a couple of months. I checked with Dad, and he thinks that I should be fine as long as I can keep oil in it. I’m going to have to keep an eye on the oil level for a while. I was still glad for the day off, because I felt like I somehow skipped Sunday.   I’m back at work today, and things are going OK so far.     1 comment|post comment

The Asatru/Neopagan divide that shouldn't exist [28 Oct 2009|08:24am] [ mood | annoyed ] Here's a link to an LJ which links a Village Voice article that illustrates pagan politics and the relationship of Asatru/Heathenry with other pagan faiths.  Most significantly shows the divide between Asatru and other pagans, and that divide honestly annoys me.  Neopaganism in general and Asatru in particular are not so big that we don't need each other as allies against those who wish to quash true religious freedom. http://lokis-dottir.livejournal.com/124017.html?#cutid1 Makes one go, "Huh?" or worse. 3 comments|post comment

SSSLLLOOOWWW week [25 Oct 2009|09:07am] [ mood | contemplative ] What am I doing up so early on a Sunday? I wish I knew, but not taking my Seroquel last night probably assisted in the early rising. Fortunately, I caught that this morning, and I'm back on THAT schedule. When I first started taking Seroquel, all that I really noticed at the time was that thoughts didn't have the same ooomph behind them that they used to have. Then, I forgot to take it while sick last February, and I found out how out of control my thoughts had been without it. Ack! And I was only cyclothymic. I don't want to know what someone with bipolar I goes through. When the perceptual system is hammering on the emotional system like that, it's not hard to imagine why the reactions are so overblown. Back to the here and now. The last week has been BORING. Work was so slow that things that usually took me a day or two got done in a matter of hours. In class, I had been worried that I was a bit behind. Apparently not. The instructor went over the term paper, and explained that she really didn't think that we couldn't have started much sooner. Worry lifted immediately. That doesn't mean that I don't have work to do. It wasn't as urgent as I thought that it was. Friday night, we played Silent Death. The scenario was to get a pair of freighters to a station at the other end of the table. Sounds simple enough until I throw in that someone is trying to do the same is coming the other way. I won, but not by much. What I gained in freighter points, Rob nearly made up for in fighter kills. Saturday, I took the car in for an oil change. The small leak of a month or two ago is apparently much more significant. Time to move some money around and see where that is coming from. I hope that it's just a pan gasket. Other seals are much more time consuming and therefore expensive. Met up with the Kindred, and we went over the beginning of the Grimnismal pretty thoroughly. Studying myth in a group setting is interesting. Others don't let you get away with missing things or glossing over stuff. This journey through the Eddas is going to be an eye-opener. Today, I'm probably going to the woods, watch the NASCAR race, and get my head back toward the work week.     post comment

Gaming adventures without the games! [18 Oct 2009|07:17pm] [ mood | weird ] A good weekend after a wacky work week.  The week went by real slow, and when it was exciting, it was for all the wrong reasons.  It felt like two weeks before it was over. No gaming this weekend, but I pickup the "Check Your Six" rules for WW2 air combat.  There are many things that I like.  I hope the rules prove to be as straight forward as they seem to be.  The question is what scale models to use.  The most widely available is 1/300th.  There are some 1/144th and 1/200th scale models available, but the selection is limited.  Time to buy the accessories.   Hee Hee! I help my parents with some cleaning that required long arms and a young back.  Later, I met up with the Kindred, and we did some drumming after we set out the plan for the next few weeks. Today, I did laundry and mostly rested.  I don't know if I'm ready for the work week, but I'll get it done. post comment

How big is big [16 Oct 2009|09:22am] [ mood | WOW! ] Engineers examine corrosion on the USS Missouri in preparation for restoration work to begin.  The battleship is now a memorial, moored near the USS Arizona on Battleship row in Pearl Harbor, Hawai'i.     post comment

An inconvenient truth [15 Oct 2009|09:39am] [ mood | thoughtful ] An interesting thought crossed my mind recently. When was the last time the US truly negotiated the END of a war? We've negotiated some truces and some ceasefires, but negotiated an actual negotiated end to hostilities. Answer: The War of 1812. Yes, we've made treaties to end wars. However, we've generally beaten the other side so bad militarily that we could dictate the terms of peace without really having to negotiate all the hard. Mexico 1848. The southern states 1865. Spain 1898. Never signed on to the treaty of Versailles that ended WW1. Germany, Italy, and Japan were occupied for decades after 1945 before full soveriegnty was returned to them. Korea has only been under a ceasefire since 1953 with no formal peace. We negotiated a truce in Vietnam in 1973, only to have the other side ignore it in 1975. Many historians agree that the era of total war began with the Napoleonic Wars. The USA was very much still a young country at that time, and conflicts with the Barbary pirates and the War of 1812 were our first major military engagements after our war of independence. Total war ends with complete and utter defeat of either the enemy or oneself. Given the nature of insurgent warfare and terrorist groups, could this "total defeat" mindset be setting us up for own defeat because our goals are too high? And with that, is the US going to have to get used to truly negotiating outcomes as opposed to dictating them as we gotten away with until last half-century?   post comment

Still shaking [13 Oct 2009|10:08pm] [ mood | surprised ] OK, so after calming down a wee bit for a few days, Mother Nature has conjured up 5 M6+ shakers in the past two days.  And she's spreading the wealth around a bit more.  Two of these were in the Aleutian Islands.  The other three were in Indonesia or the South Pacific.  The area around the Santa Cruz Islands is still getting M5+ quakes daily.  I hope this calms down soon and stays calmed down for a while. post comment

Online agenda accomplished [11 Oct 2009|09:10pm] [ mood | accomplished ] Yay, I got my online agenda accomplished today 1.  Set up Twitter page for the Sinclair Alternative Religion Group 2.  Answered hazelmemory about some things 3.  Put together a ritual calendar for the Kindred 4.  Put together a post for the Kindred comparing shifting cosmic centers for both Mesoamerican and Germanic cultures 5.  Downloaded "Plowed" by Sponge for a ringtone for my cell phone 6.  Managed to post about my weekend to now. Not bad considering that I spent as much time watching the races as I have typing on the computer. Also, no M6+ quakes worldwide for 3 days.  Has Mother Earth finally let enough steam?   post comment

Why am I so tired? [11 Oct 2009|02:35pm] [ mood | listless ] How can I have such a boring work week and still be tuckered out? Answer: be heavily busy after work. Now, I'm getting the chance to truly kick back for a day. Class on Tuesday, errands on both Wednesday and Thursday, Friday night gaming, a wedding on Saturday. Finally a break on Sunday. It was not a good evening to not be aliens. CJ played Brood quite well. It took Target and I a turn or two to truly gang up on CJ, but by then, we both had been hurt enough. In the end, we both started making in-roads on the aliens by getting consistent missile locks. However, we ran out of time and ammo. The game has one glaring weakness. Defensive Value doesn't go down regularly with damage. All other systems and defenses do, but Defensive Value doesn't. It only goes down with Critical Hits, and there are only so many of those on any ship's damage track. That makes things a bit more difficult than they should be. At least, in my opinion. My Kindred leader and his long-time girlfriend got married on Saturday. I'm not in churches often, as you might guess. However, each time, I get mesmerized by artwork that goes into the stained glass windows. After the ceremony and the reception, I went home and changed. Then I went over to Borders and B&N. This morning, I did laundry and vacuumed the apartment. I'm currently watch the Red Sox-Angels game. The NASCAR race will start within the hour. I'm not sure what I'll do the rest of the day, but there are some computer things that I need to catch up on. We'll see how that goes.   post comment

And she cried "More, more, more!!" [08 Oct 2009|11:08am] [ mood | Come On! ] Add 3 more M6+ quakes to make the tally up to 13 such shakers in a little of a week.  These three were in the Santa Cruz - Espiritu Santo.  That area is being shook as hard as the Samoa-Tonga area was last week. Mother Nature, it's time to give everyone and everything a bit of a break. post comment

Q's about Twitter [08 Oct 2009|08:29am] [ mood | curious ] To all my LJ friends who may be more "with it" technology-wise, About Twitter, and unfortunately, I couldn't find much about the details of service from their website.  Or at least not without going into the sign-up portion first. Since what I seem to use the Sinclair ARF yahoogroup for is to make meeting announcements, I was wondering if Twitter would be a better platform.  I seem to hear more about Twitter than about Yahoo anymore. Yes, I know that it's a 140 character per post limit, and that one can channel the posts to LJ.  However, is this a free service?  And are there different levels of service based on price?  Would I have to sign up and have a personal account before I could make group account? Will I catch up to technology?  Not at the pace that it's changing. 2 comments|post comment

More Quake and Bake [07 Oct 2009|09:10pm] [ mood | surprised ] Apparently, Mother Nature is a bit hot and bothered right now. To add to the list of a few days ago, there has been a M6+ quake in the area between the Phillipines and Indonesia.  There has also been 3 M7+ quakes in the area between the Santa Cruz Islands and Vanuatu.  That's about 10 M6+ quakes from Sumatra to Samoa in the last week or so.  Isn't this a bit much? post comment

OK, enough already [06 Oct 2009|10:18pm] [ mood | aggravated ] What is up with Miami Twp and auto accidents?  I've witnessed about 6 or 7 in the last month.  It doesn't help that Miami Twp fire and police like to block the most lanes possible to inconvenience other traffic.  Anyway, enough people.  Bent sheet metal and broken glass is NOT a good thing! post comment

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