Archive for Family

Video Call with Deana in Holland!

wow, REALLY nice video call with Deana today, via Skype! Yeah, for FREE, too!

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She had Twittered me to see if I was around, so we Twitter-chatted for a little while– she?s got a new phone (Sony Ericsson Walkman W200i) and wanted me to help her get some music on it. It was just a little too abstract, so I asked her if she?d ever got her WebCam, and she said yes, on her new Sony Vaio laptop. Cool, I said, how about chat software or Skype. She said Skype, so I downloaded it, and we got it right up!

We talked for a little while about her and Holly, about how they?re learning Dutch– Holly?s apparently pretty much able to converse now with the natives. Deana?s picking it up just from immersion.

Then we talked about Meredith coming next week– Monday! And they?re going to Paris, then a big two-week tour all around Europe– Austria and Italy, really. And Meredith may be taking organ lessons from one of like three people who can play the Dutch Royal Family?s huge old pipe organ.

Then I told her about a favorite MP3 site: MP3va.com, which is probably a Russian site with probably illegal music on it, but I?ve been digging it since Dell showed it to me a couple weeks ago. I?ve been using it to ?fill out? my collection. Bought ?Handsome Cabin Boy?– the a capella Kate Bush Celtic folk tune from the B side of like Running Up That Hill, which I?ve been looking for for like ten years. And got it for 15 cents!!! So yeah, I?m diggin? it.

House fails to override Bush’s veto of CHIPS

Americans are spending billions upon billions of dollars to kill Iraqis and fuck up that whole country. But we can’t spend a goddamn cent more on the health of American children???? What the FUCK???

Of course the prez is all for it. But the newly-elected, Democrat-led House of Representatives can’t do a thing  about it? I know these fuckers aren’t representing me!

The prez and lame-duck Republicans say that this bill would allow too many children to have healthcare!!!

And the worse thing about the whole fiasco? The politicians are more concerned about their “careers” than they are about our children. 

Here’s an excerpt from the New York Times article:

“This isn’t the last fight we’re going to have where Democrats will try to put forth legislation that is populist or will tug at the heart strings,” said Tony Fratto, the deputy White House press secretary. [yeah, we wouldn't anybody's feelings about children to influence their decision to deny them healthcare.]

Mr. Fratto added, “Is it a good day? No. A good day will be the day that we pass legislation that the president can sign. But it is gratifying to know that we’ve got Republicans with sufficient backbone who are willing to stand tall and fight on principle in order to get the policy right.” [yeah, some "principle" or other is much more important than the health of our children.]

But some Republicans, like Representative Thomas M. Davis III of Virginia, who was chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee when Mr. Bush ran for election in 2000, were furious with Mr. Bush for putting them in such a difficult spot on children’s health.

“He’s not going to get his way on this,” said Mr. Davis, who voted to override the veto and predicted that Mr. Bush would ultimately be forced to sign a measure similar to the one he rejected.

“And he’s jeopardizing people’s careers,” added Mr. Davis, who is contemplating a race for the Senate. [yeah, the careers of career-politician is much more important than the health of our children.]

On the House floor, Democrats told Republicans they would pay a political price for their opposition.

Representative Charles B. Rangel, Democrat of New York, who is chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, said that “President Bush is going to be there at his ranch in Texas” at the time of the next election.

“He will not be with you at the polls,” Mr. Rangel said. “By that time, the truth will have caught up with the message that the president and you are using to sustain his veto.” [yeah, Rangel, hit 'em where it hurts: their careers! Forget about simply doing the right thing.]

Democrats are seeking ways to revise the bill to answer criticism from Republicans who said it did not focus enough on low-income children. Critics say the bill would allow coverage of children from middle- and upper-income families and of adults and some illegal immigrants. [Oh, come on! When nobody can afford healthcare, how can you argue about how poor you have to be to qualify for any healthcare???]

Mr. Bush has named three senior administration officials to negotiate with Congress. But Democratic leaders would prefer to deal directly with the president.

“We intend to sit down with the president any time he is ready,” Ms. Pelosi said. “We hope that will be soon.” [yeah, you tell 'em, Nancy. After all, it is the "principle" of the thing that matters.]

Chances for a quick compromise with the White House looked slim.

Representative John B. Larson of Connecticut, a member of the House Democratic leadership, said, “We have a president frozen in the ice of his own indifference toward the children of this country.” [Unfortunately, very true, Mr. Larson.]

Ms. Pelosi said she had no interest in an idea promoted by some Republicans in Congress: providing tax credits to middle-income families to help them buy private insurance for their children. [When he can think at all, he can only think in terms of tax cuts.]

Tempers flared when House Democrats compared Mr. Bush’s veto of the child health bill with his support for the war in Iraq.

Representative Pete Stark, the California Democrat who is chairman of the Ways and Means Subcommittee on Health, told Republicans: “You don’t have money to fund the war or children. But you’re going to spend it to blow up innocent people if we can get enough kids to grow old enough for you to send to Iraq to get their heads blown off for the president’s amusement.” [right ON, dude!!! Now that's calling it like it is!!!]

the “Napoleon Clock”

When we were in Corpus last month for Aunt Kay’s funeral, I found out about the W family’s “Napoleon Clock.” MW said at the time she thought it was worth “millions.” But her dad said more like “thousands.” Sheeeit. “Either way,” I said, “let’s SELL it!”

Anyway, it’s made by Swiss/French timepiecemaker Jean-Antoine Lepine. Here is a short bio from the Horological Foundation’s web site:

LÉPINE Jean Antoine, son of Jean. Paris (Place Dauphine), b.1720, d.1814.

He was bom in Switzerland in a village called Challex near Geneva. He started his horological career in Geneva but soon went to Paris in 1744 as apprentice to Andre Charles Caron, the King’s clockmaker. He married Caron’s daughter in 1756 and was made Master in 1765 about which time he was appointed Horloger du Roi.

Lepine was responsible for a great many inventions but none more important than a new calibre of watch movement that revolutionized watch making and with which his name is synonymous. This ‘Lepine calibre,’ in which separate bars were used instead of a single top plate was introduced about 1760.

Introduced the use of a mainspring barrel supported at one end only, and other changes, leading, with cyl. escapement, to thin watches. Described a repeating movement using rack in place of chain, in Mémbre de l’Acadademy des Science in 1766.

Watchmaker to: Louis XV, Louis XVI and Napoleon I.

  • Invented the virgule escapement and a keyless winding.
  • Acted as agent for Voltaire’s workshops at Ferney ca.1770.
  • 4-colour g. watch: Victoria and Albert Museum. S. Kensington
  • Enamelled watch and chatelaine: Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge,
  • Six watches: Guildhall Museum
  • Two with virgule escapement: Collection of the late Major Chamberlaine
  • 4-colour gold watch Fränkel coll.Lyre watch: Basle Museum
  • Gold enamelled watches: M.P.S. Dresden. Watch Carnegie Museum
  • Two 4-colour gold watches: National Museum Stockholm,
  • Watch in porcelain case: Gélis coll.Watch in ring: Ilbert coll.
  • Astro. clock and three mantel clocks: Buckingham Palace, London
  • Two clocks: Palais de Compiègne, one made for Napoleon. Clock made for Josephine, Mobilier National, Paris
  • An eminent maker. He worked as CARON ET LEPINE till 1769. Left his business to his son-in-law RAGUET in 1783.

    Lepine’s business was sold in 1810 to J. B. CHAPUY, who employed Jacques Lepine. It was sold in 1827 to DESCHAMP, who was succeeded in 1832 by FABRE. The business continued under the name Lépine till ca.1916.

    The clock’s design is themed around the Greek goddess of the Harvest, Demeter (or to the Romans, Ceres). See my Flickr site for more detailed images.

    Unfortunately, the clock’s in pretty bad shape. Demeter’s right arm, which holds a staff, has broken off. There is another piece that fits on top of the clock-box that has broken off. There is one more decorative piece that has broken off from somewhere on the mechanism. And there is supposedly a glass dome that fits over the whole thing. TW says it is around his house somewhere, but his immediate search was futile.

    However, the clock does seem to be the real thing. It is made of brass: i took a penny to the inside of the base and tried to scratch off what may have been brass plating, and nothing scratched off, which is a good sign that it’s not just brass plating, but solid brass.

    So, it seems like, if this clock was actually owned by Napoleon, (or even Josephine), it should be worth some pretty good money even in its condition. I’m posting queries to some antique clock message boards, to see if anybody knows anything more about it.

    Putting it out there…

    Kirtan: the Yoga of Singing. Of Course.

    Just heard Jai Uttal and his group (Jai Uttal and the pagan love orchestra) singing “Om Nemah Shivaya”, a gorgeous Hare Krishna-esque chant from their “Nectar” album. Upon visiting his website, I’ve discovered that there is– suprise!– a “yoga of singing,” called “kirtan.” And here is some information about a workshop Uttal will be holding around the turn of the new year.

    What a wonderful thing! As I heard the song, a call-and-response singalong, I just couldn’t help but sing along. And soon, I was picturing in my head “my people.” My future. The dream of my future, in a beautiful, natural setting, with my friends and family surrounding me, all of us singing together in this beautiful sound, feeling and sharing love and smiles.

    Kirtan. The Yoga of Singing. Of course.

    The God-Mind Connection

    M and I have been reading this really powerful book called “The God-Mind Connection,” by Jean K. Foster. I say “powerful” because it is really making me aware of how to tap into the infinite power of God. Now, that term “God” kinda bugs me, but I am definitely getting over it, simply because I’m realizing that such terminology for the unnameable is simply a convenience, and that I do, in fact, understand what is meant by the term “God,” anyway.

    But I have such mixed feelings about the possible job at EB BCo. in Seattle lately, with the sudden death of Aunt Kay and its accompanying complications, plus the fact that M and I have so little money these days, all of which makes it difficult to purchase the airfare to Seattle for said interview… I mean, if this is part of my “growth plan”, then why is it seeming so “hairy,” so borderline possible?

    According to Jean K. Foster, I need detailed pictures of my dreams…

    I do still dream about owning some land up in the San Juan islands— on Orcas Island, specifically– right on the water, up a gentle slope, with a little babbling brook running thru green, open pastures, surrounded by tall evergreens… Dappled with colorful, fragrant flowers, birds twittering, deer peeking thru the trees occasionally. A main house with a big kitchen and eating/congregating area, several spacious bedrooms, offices, libraries, a big bubbling hot tub…

    And out a ways, thru tree-covered paths or down beautiful sunlit trails, are scattered several other, smaller cabins where our friends and family live and help us maintain the place, tilling the garden, tending the animals, installing solar panels, windmills and power plants, constructing buildings off-the-grid…

    A place where like-minded people can raise their children and commune with other loving souls…

    Yes. Something like that.

    And, also in accord with Foster, a temple… A place where one may go to commune with God. A place in which to re-fuel… To re-charge and re-center… To remember and re-remember one’s calling.

    But what I really need to work on is inviting God into my heart, or at least inviting the Brotherhood of God (Foster’s “facilitators”) into my heart to that I can follow my “growth plan.”

    I thus feel that this move to Seattle is part of that plan. It gets us up there to that area.

    I feel, however, that another part of my growth plan is music and community. Drum circles. Communion via the drum vibration… This aspect of my life has just been missing for so long now…


    As one of my biggest problems right now is our debt, I just talked to this financial advisor, Zack Niehaus. (Very strange because he just called me, just as I’d typed “But what I really need to work on is…” above!) I’ve had problems trusting financial advisors before, simply because I guess I wasn’t really honest with them. The truth is that we are maxxed out. We have no credit available.

    Which, if seen from the proper perspective, means that “it can only get better.” I think if I can stay un-obsessed with my computers— which means my freakin’ iTunes Library, mostly— then I think I can maintain the track of positive productivity. I’m feeling great, too. Had a nice little quickie session with my sweetie just before I came to work, and at one point, I got the picture of our farm/commune up in Orcas, with the glowing addition of a child— our child— running, laughing, playing in the sun. So beautiful it makes me cry…

    It really seems that, when I am seeing from my god-mind, all around me are the resources I need to become what I am striving for. Ask the question about my addiction… “is there help for me with my addiction?”

    The God-Mind connection, the Brotherhood of God…

    There is no growth in my addiction, only stagnation, which, if anything is the Devil, it is stagnation: non-growth, sadness, and the realizing of my own personal Hell. And in my life, actually, nothing is just personal. I am married to the beautiful MAW, so I share everything with her. Including my own “personal” Hell.

    I do not want anything but the best—in other words, HEAVEN— for M. And thus, I only want the best for myself…!

    Love.

    Sister’s in Hospital

    My sister Deana’s in the hospital. Last night at 7, Mama heard “why? why?” from Deana’s room, ran in there, and found her unconscious on the floor. She tried to revive her, but cdn’t. Called 9-1-1. Ambulance cdn’t reviver her either. Took her to the emergency rm at Spohn South, and finally she came to enough to tell Mama her “head really hurt.” They did a CAT scan (which we know no results), and have been wanting to do a spinal tap, but when they tried Deana resisted too much.

    They think she may have meningitis. Apparently another court reporting student at Del Mar came in yesterday, but refused treatment. Meningitis is either a viral or bacterial infection of the spinal fluid. According to the CDC website, particularly suseptible are students at college dorms, those in close living quarters with carriers, and old people. 10-15% mortality rate. My parents are 75 and 70, and Deana has been living with them now for three months or so. Not good.

    Anxiously awaiting…

    Xmas is…

    Not feeling very Christmassy this year. The weather has been pretty cold for Corpus, and we had a Holiday party last night, but, i don’t know… just hasn’t sunk in that it’s Christmas yet. Maybe it will here on Xmas Eve at Mama’s…
    Maybe it’s that i’ve not bought many Xmas presents. No wrapping.
    M and I have said we’re not going to buy each other presents this year. But i know she’s going to. We say so every year, and she always gets me about three or four things. I hate that! I mean, if we’re going to say we’re not going to get each other Xmas presents, we should stick to our word! And while i know she means well, and that she wants to show her love for me, it bugs me because we ARE in such financial straits now WAY more than ever before…
    And i know Xmas is not abt the money you spend on people, but rather abt the quality of the time you spend with them or thinking about them. I’ve just not been feeling tremendously close to people lately. I’m so freakin’ scattered! I mean, i just got this Digital Performer– purchased it with the money from the sale of the Lotus Cup PA– i’ve not been able to get it going to the extent I want.
    Partly this is because i don’t have the space i need for setting up my speakers, mixer, mic, etc. I mean, it’s not gonna take a boatload of room, but i need more than i’ve GOT!
    We’re going to be giving my desk to M’s dad for Xmas, and then i’ll be moving my big office desk from the LC office to our house. That should give me a big base for my audio stuff. Yes. Cool.

    “Tree-House”

    http://yugen.files.wordpress.com/2006/06/Milena-sm.png
    M’s Birthday Poem- v2

    Tree-House

    This is our tree-house.
    It asks nothing of us.

    When i first saw her
    i was enchanted.
    My heart sang that night–
    there was communion, there was community.

    As we grew closer, her depth drew me in,
    both strange and beautiful,
    i fell.

    At first the fear was too strong,
    the mystery too dark,
    the exotic too alien.

    So i kicked her away, once, then again, and yet again…

    But she was infinitely patient.

    And now i find…

    I want to crawl inside her,
    like a seed,
    that sprouts roots inside her womb and branches out her heart
    to enfold the world,
    to embrace the local and the lonely;
    To bare our one soul
    to whatever rays of sunlight find their way
    to our green, green cells.
    And like chlorophyll transform that warmth,
    transform that light,
    transform the shit,
    the decay,
    the death,
    in which we are rooted…

    And like the branch that lengthens,
    buds,
    grows,
    reaches–
    constantly reaches out,
    i want to find that which isn’t me–
    but in fact just may be me,
    and in fact is me…?

    And the strange and new become comfortable and home,
    and what’s mine is yours and what’s yours is mine…

    Our tree-house is equal parts darkness and light,
    with a seedy underbelly dragging itself across mud & muck,
    and a shimmering pearly-white pate shining brightly above the treetops.

    And like our branches reaching up and away,
    our roots, too, reach down and out.
    They get dirty, get mean, get raunchy;
    Squeezin’ that slime ‘tween their toes,
    Grindin’ up stones;
    Suckling sweet sustenance at the breast of the earth.

    Out at one end of our tree-house
    bubbles a cool pond–
    spring-nourished, waterfall-fed,
    nestled comfortably in a clearing
    ‘twixt our tree and a cliff.
    And in the refreshing depths we sleep
    and dream of golden-scaled mermen
    and -women of silky sensuality carving curves inside curves,
    while mer-children splash & play in the shallows,
    and yellow-white butterflies dodge and dart
    ‘twixt the glinting droplets and rays.

    At another end, a clearing,
    where local two-leggeds lean
    toward their thumping boxes,
    then lean away,
    lean toward,
    and lean away,
    in a twisting, writhing series of sumptuous thumps.
    And others twist and writhe toward the sounds,
    away and toward,
    toward and away,
    arms flinging, hands pushing,
    at each other but not on.
    And around a crackling fire they chant
    and sing, and make joyful noises
    at the fullest hours of night,
    howling at the moon, lifting their hearts,
    falling and flailing, twisting and turning,
    until first light arrives,
    and the noises of the day finally overtake their tired songs.

    This is our tree-house,
    situated softly in the center of the place where we are.
    The tree asks nothing of us.

    But we see.
    We feel its syrupy veins,
    and smell its sweet sap,
    and slumber to the rocking
    of its branches,
    creaking in the night wind.

    This is our tree-house,
    which we have grown–
    ourselves we have grown
    this long and strong creature
    with its reach beyond that of either of our own.

    This is our tree-house.
    It asks nothing of us.

    – for M, 27 Sept, 2003

    sum growth & sum flicking away…

    the days i feel like i’ve made some progress on a problem are good days. The days i puke, too, are good days. But when it’s my wife that’s puking, it’s not so clear whether it’s “good” or not…

    She is getting better at it; used to be she would just keep drinking Maalox or taking Alka Seltzer until she was finally able to stave it off. Now she downs glasses of water and crams her finger down her throat. And it works; she has had at least three all-night ralphing sessions in the past, oh, six months.

    Ok. Looks like she’s done now– it’s 1:25am. She just put on 2001: A Space Odyssey; it always lulls her to sleep.

    Speaking of 2001, since i bought the DVD for my birthday on May 1, i’ve watched it a half-dozen times or so, and have noticed alot about it in the decade or so since i’d seen it last. Much of note illuminates the changes that have happened in the world in this past decade-or-so.

    For instance, one of the main themes of the film is HAL screwing up. Time after time during the introductory “Discovery’s Mission to Jupiter” scenes, references are made to how “perfect” HAL is, how he nor any of the 9000 Series computers have ever made a mistake. It was such a shock to realize that again, after all these years!

    I mean, here i make my living every day trying to work around computers that are screwing up. Every day. And in 2001, HAL is trying to reconcile human dishonesty and deception. The Discovery has a hidden, secret, mission that HAL knows about but the human crew don’t.

    I think in Arthur C. Clarke’s book, this is explained much more. I don’t remember for sure, but i think HAL doesn’t even know, consciously, the secret part of the mission until they actually arrive at Jupiter.

    But the point is, HAL goes kerbonkers. So Dave Bowman disconnects him. Or rather, “disconnects his higher functioning.” A lobotomy, in effect.

    And in the movie, from there to the end is just one acid trip after another until the Star Child at very end.

    But in the book, HAL actually encounters an alien intelligence, i think. Or does that come up in 2010? I know that by 2010, at least, HAL has become a disembodied, fully self-conscious being.

    I love science fiction! It’s so cool to look back to the real 2001, and know that that was the year of 9/11, and of Bush’s retreat back to the savage nature of the ape-scenes of 4-million B.C. 2001. Bush practicing more honesty and deception…

    What a huge opportunity lost! I totally understand why Natalie Maines told that London audience she was embarrased to be from the same state as Bush. Me too.

    In order to grow, we often have to flick off some old ways…