Wondrous Apparitions, Provided by Magicians.

Belatedly taking the advice passed out (randomly to the world) by several folks on the friendslist, I've just finished Curse of Chalion by Lois McMaster Bujold. It's not a great story about the fate of kingdoms and the rise of a dedicated intelligent young woman to political power, but it is an okay story about that. It's a quite good story, though, about devotion and the relationship of people to gods and so on.

In this passage, the protagonist is kneeling in prayer, on a prayer rug woven as a gift to the temple. The exact theology doesn't matter.

"His outflung hands traced over the threads of his rug, passed loop by loop through some patient woman's hands. Or, maybe she hadn't been patient. Maybe she'd been tired, or irritated, or distracted, or hungry, or angry. Maybe she had been dying. But her hands had kept moving, all the same."

“Now what sort of man or woman or monster would stroke a centipede I have ever seen? ''And here is my good big centipede!'' If such a man exists, I say kill him without more ado. He is a traitor to the human race.” - William S. Burroughs

I had occasion to post this in someone else's comment thread, but I feel it is a thing that bears repeating.

From Dr. Who (of all places.)(The Tom Baker era.)(brought to the forefront of my consciousness by lexpendragon):

"Ask me if I have a plan."
'Do you?'
"No, now ask me why."
'Why?'
"I can be very dangerous when I don't know what I'm doing."

Just wandering around today, feeling sort of soulless and predatory.
Which beats the hell out of yesterday, which was more like soulless and despondent.
Enjoyed some group video-game time last night... further supporting evidence that catharsis is shit, since simulated violence helps me to feel more aggressive, which is to say "able to deal with things and not just stare at them malevolently and wish they'd go away".

I'm much more social and pleasant today, but in the "too many teeth" way. I consider this fair warning.

How doth the little crocodile
Improve its shining tail
And pour the waters of the Nile
On every golden scale.

How cheerfully he seems to grin,
How neatly spread his claws
And welcome little fishies in
With gently smiling jaws.

Perhaps I'll make some buttons this evening. That seems a reasonably harmless channel for viciousness. Incidentally, druidevo, I got my button maker here.

Also, there is the God Auction costume in progress -- there are needles involved, and when there are needles involved, there's always a chance for gratuitous bloodletting (mine, usually). I have, in fact, bled on the project once already.

In pursuit of the God Auction costume, I am seeking a couple of things, preferably (but not necessarily)from local folks -- I could use some fabric remnants. Any color, pattern, etc. will do, but I prefer light fabrics. If you've got some stuff just sitting around in progress to becoming rags, I'd be glad to take it off your hands. Also, I'm looking for small items that light up (but preferably do not make noise constantly), and/or McDonald's-sized toys that are brightly colored, represent pop culture icons, or are otherwise visually interesting. I am willing to either destroy these and dispose of them, or preserve them and return them to their owners as requested. Much appreciation for any help that anyone can give.

( Also, Yeah Right )

For some reason this surfaced in my memory this morning and wanted to get some air. I don't know the source of the material.

"Three retired umpires were asked one day how they made their calls, how they knew what was a ball and what a strike. The first one said, quite simply, "Well, I called 'em like I saw 'em." The second chuckled a bit and said, "Then I was better than you - I called 'em as they were." The third one looked at the other two for a minute and then replied, "Huh. I always figured they weren't anything until I called 'em.""

wildnsquirrelly, on the Baby Cthulhu in Ghastly's Ghastly Comic: reminds me of my own kids
featherynscale: your kids have tentacles?
wildnsquirrelly : lol
wildnsquirrelly : you should try givin' em a bath
wildnsquirrelly : it's...
wildnsquirrelly: eventful
featherynscale: no thanks, really. I'm a non-breeder.
featherynscale: for a reason
wildnsquirrelly : S' ok...
wildnsquirrelly : I love you even though you're about as maternal as a goldfish
featherynscale: fish are terrible mothers
wildnsquirrelly : you'd think that, but why are there so many fish?
featherynscale: er... yemanja?

Also, I think the monsters under the bed are cuddly.