Demonstrate!

Mass demonstration planned for Thursday, 5-7pm at (big) Five Points in Downtown Atlanta. www.georgiapeace.org. I'll be there. Let me know if you need a ride or would like to meet up.Gather and let your voice be heard.It is Ostara, the Sabbat dedicated to beginnings and potential. Let's create something good.

Something good

Senate rejects oil drilling in Alaska wildlife refugeREMEMBERDespite all of the pain to come,despite all of the chaos and fear,we are still in a time of great potential.

Ooo, creepy!

The best reason I've seen to switch to all digital photography:One Hour PhotoAlso, further proof that Robin Williams is an excellent actor.

Poem by Rob Brezsny...

This Is a Perfect MomentPAINFUL BLESSINGSby Rob BrezsnyThis is a perfect moment. It's a perfect moment for many reasons, but especially because you and I are waking up from our sleepwalking thumbsucking dumbclucking collusion with the masters of illusion and destruction. Thanks to them, from whom the painful blessings flow,We are waking up.Thanks to them, from whom the awful teachings ooze,We are waking up.Their wars and tortures,their devils and borders,extinctions of speciesand brand new diseases,their spying and lyingin the name of the father,sterilizing seeds andtrademarking water,stealing our dreams andchanging our names,their brilliant commercials,their endless rehearsalsfor the end of the world.Thanks to them, from whom the painful blessings flow,We are waking up.Thanks to them, from whom the awful teachings ooze,We are waking upTheir painful blessingsare cracking open holesin the sour and puckeredmass hallucinationmistakenly called reality.News of the soul's true homeis pouring in, infiltrating our increasingly lucidwaking dreams.Wild ripe juicy eternity is flooding in.Our allies from the other side of the veilare swarming in.We're waking up.And as Heaven and Earth come together,as the dreamtime and daytime merge, as paradise and the underworld overlap,we register the shockingly exhilarating fact that we are in charge -- you and I are in charge -- of making a brand new world.Not in some distant time or faraway place, but right here and right now.As we stand on this brink, as we dance on this verge, we can't let the ruling fools of the dying world sustain their curses. We have to rise up and fight their insane logic;defy and resist and prevent their tragic magic;unleash our sacred rage and let them feel it.But overthrowing the living dead is not enough. Protesting the well-dressed monsters is not enough. We can't afford to be consumed with anger --can't be obsessed and possessed with complaint.Our sweet animal bodiesneed to feel rowdy blessings.Our amazing imaginationsneed to thrive on missionsthat incite our delight.We need truths in their wild state,insurrectionary beautythat excites our curiosity,outrageous goodness that drives us to perform heroic acts of lusty compassion,ingenious love that endlessly transforms us,tricky freedom that is never permanent but must be reinvented and reclaimed every day,and a totally-serious-yet-always-laughing justice that schemes and dreams about how to diminish the suffering and increase the joyof every sentient being.So I'm radically curious, my fellow creators;I'm seriously delirious:Since we are in charge of making a brand New World,where do we begin?What truths in their wild state are we planning to plantat the heart of our creation?What stories will be our reminders?What questions will be our fuel?Here's one for you: In the New Worldyou will know through and throughthat life is crazily in love with you -- life is wildly and innocently in love with you. In the New World, you will know beyond a doubtthat thousands of secret helpers areangling to turn you intothe gorgeous curiosity you were born to be.But then here's the loaded question.The love that life eternally floods you with has not exactly been unrequited, but there's room for you to be more demonstrative.If life is wildly and innocently in love with you, are you prepared to start loving life back the way it loves you?In the New World, you will.In the New World,you will reject paranoia with all of your smart heart. Instead, you will embrace Pronoia, Which is the opposite of paranoia. Pronoia is the sneaking suspicion that the whole living world is conspiring to shower you with rowdy blessings. Pronoia is the dawning perception that life is a conspiracy to liberate you from ignorance, and fill you with love, and make you brilliantly soulful. My fellow creators, I want you to know that I am allergic to dogma. I don't trust any idea that requires me to believe in it absolutely. There are very few things about which I am totally certain. But I am absolutely certain that Pronoia describes the way the world actually is. Pronoia is wetter than water, truer than the facts, and stronger than death. It smells like cedar smoke in spring rain, and if you close your eyes right now,you can feel it shimmering in your soft warm animal body like the aurora borealis.The sweet stuff that quenches all of your longingis not far away in some other time and place. It's right here and right now. Earth is crammed with heaven.

What lemmings do...

Acorn is deeply sensual. His senses of touch, smell and sight are highly refined. And as for his taste? It's impeccable. Acorn is extremely discriminating - when he sees the best, he won't ever settle for anything less. He would rather 'go without' than go for a poor substitute. But then that's Acorn all over. It really isn't fair to call him 'stubborn as a mule.' Mules are adaptable, easy going creatures who are always eager to please - or at least, they are by comparison to Acorn. Unfortunately, for a person with such expensive preferences Acorn is not a millionaire ...or at least, not yet. You never know, it may just happen because Acorns' relationship with money is very interesting. He treats it with a curious mixture of disdain and respect. He never lets it stand in his way, yet he will go out of his way to get it when he needs to. Acorn is a smart cookie and a shrewd operator. It is not though, merely in the field of finance that Acorn displays intuitive wisdom. Acorn has an affinity with nature. He can make almost any plant flower and bear fruit. This is just as well because Acorn has a hearty appetite. He likes his food as indeed he likes all his creature comforts. Fond though he is of all the above - and of all life's little luxuries - there is one more source of endless fascination that Acorn cannot resist. Acorn doesn't so much have a hearty appetite for sensual pleasure as a ravenous hunger for it! Which is funny really because you wouldn't necessarily think it to look at him. Acorn likes to play it cool. Acorn likes to pretend that nothing bothers him, fazes him or excites him. Like all Taureans though, Acorn is a powerhouse of passion, as those who are lucky enough to know him - or to love him - will breathlessly testify.

YALQ (Yet Another Lemminged Quiz)

The Network:You are the Voice of World Control.Fnord. Which Illuminati are you? brought to you by Quizilla

Reiki, T+2 days

Some of you have had me talk your ear off about this, so you can just ignore this post :)I got my Reiki I attunement on Saturday. I have to say that it was amazing.I've always done intuitive energetic healing work. It simply came naturally to me to be able to 'see' a disorder and often be able to marshall energy to fix it. That 'seeing' also allowed me to know when someone needed a physical adjustment of some kind, and so massage has always come naturally, too. Reiki is a different animal.Before Reiki, I used my own energy, or energy that I snatched from the environment. Sessions like that took real effort and were sometimes draining. I also had to be very careful about absorbing parts of the dis-ease.With Reiki, the energy is not mine, I am simply a conduit for it. The energy is boundless and healing/energizing for me even while it is healing/energizing the recipient. It is also clear that it cannot be influenced to do anything but heal. It is also really spontaneous. I can feel Reiki bursting out of my hands right now as I type this posting. I am compelled, even driven, to share Reiki with people. Strangely enough, my other energy talents (energy manipulation, sensation, manifestation, etc) seem to have disappeared for now. I believe that the other talents may return in some ways after I finish integrating this new thing.If you're reading this and have had your Reiki attunements, I'd love to compare experiences!

Plans for protest if/when the war begins

From the Atlanta International Action Center newsletter:A plan has been developed in Atlanta in the event of the war beginning. People are urged to gather at 5 Points (Woodruff Park area) in downtown Atlanta immediately upon hearing news of the bombing beginning but especially from 5-7pm each of the first 3 days of the war. Also, the first Saturday following the outbreak of war, there will be a march in downtown Atlanta beginning at noon at 5 Points.More information can be found at www.georgiapeace.org and http://www.notinourname.netRemember, if you disagree with the war, gather with others and let your voice be heard.

Grump grump grump

I'm not allowed to have coffee or food this morning in preparation for getting my Level 1 Reiki attunement today. I'm pretty excited about expanding my skills in energetic healing!Reiki better be worth me giving up coffee for a day :>\All hail the bean, may it brew forever!

Nicetameecha tsltgatl!

Wanted to welcome tsltgatl to my friends list. Thanks, triest for bringing him to MM! I'd always wanted to meet a meteorologist :)

Quiz lemminged from jrjarrett's LJ

Happy-Go-Lucky. You are a happy person and youdon't let your emotions get to you. You seeeverything that's not in a positive light asnot worth messing with and deal with emotionsas they come. You are usually very happy andprobably experience many emotional highs. Enjoylife. How Emotional Are You? brought to you by QuizillaDon't believe a word of it, I'm actually despondent. Not.

Poker & Billiards, Saturday, March 15th, 9pm - until

Okay, its official. Nickel/quarter poker and billiards at my place, this Saturday, March 15th, from 9pm until whenever.BYOB. I'll provide pretzels and the like. Also bring change for poker, though the house will try to provide some change capability.This is an open invite, but take responsibility for anyone you bring.Click for directionsIf anyone has an extra folding card table, please contact me at acorn@geoeclectic.com. I have a table that will work for one game, but we may have enough people for more than one simultaneous card game.

Quizlets, lemminged from ericdabear

You are a Satyr!! Like the goat-men of legend, youhave a STRONG sense of passion. Whether fordrinking, sex, or political debate, you embraceyour passions and drives with wholeheartedabandon. Just be careful not to let yourpassions consume you entirely. Which Changeling Kith Best Fits You? brought to you by Quizilla

Jacks or better

I'm thinking about hosting a poker night real soon, with lots of cigar smoking and beer or scotch swilling. Stakes would be small, maybe nickel/quarter...Anyone game?

Happy B'Day grizzlydan

Sung off key:Happy birthday to you!Happy birthday to you!Happy birthday dear grizzlydan!Happy birthday to you!...and maaaaaany moooooooore....

Purity Test

Thanks ericdabear, for the link. For others, here it is Purity Test.For what its worth, I got 37%. I've got to get busy on a few of those categories ;)

Pray for Peace

PRAY FOR PEACEby Ellen Bass (www.ellenbass.com)Pray to whoever you kneel down to: Jesus nailed to his wooden or marble or plastic cross, his suffering face bent to kiss you, Buddha still under the Bo tree in scorching heat, Yahweh, Allah, raise your arms to Mary that she may lay her palm on our brows, to Shekinhah, Queen of Heaven and Earth, to Inanna in her stripped descent. Hawk or Wolf, or the Great Whale, Record Keeper of time before, time now, time ahead, pray. Bow down to terriers and shepherds and siamese cats. Fields of artichokes and elegant strawberries. Pray to the bus driver who takes you to work, pray on the bus, pray for everyone riding that bus and for everyone riding buses all over the world. If you haven't been on a bus in a long time, climb the few steps, drop some silver, and pray. Waiting in line for the movies, for the ATM, for your latté and croissant, offer your plea. Make your eating and drinking a supplication. Make your slicing of carrots a holy act, each translucent layer of the onion, a deeper prayer. Make the brushing of your hair a prayer, every strand its own voice, singing in the choir on your head. As you wash your face, the water slipping through your fingers, a prayer: Water, softest thing on earth, gentleness that wears away rock. Making love, of course, is already a prayer. Skin and open mouths worshipping that skin, the fragile case we are poured into, each caress a season of peace. If you're hungry, pray. If you're tired. Pray to Gandhi and Dorothy Day. Shakespeare. Sappho. Sojourner Truth. Pray to the angels and the ghost of your grandfather. When you walk to your car, to the mailbox, to the video store, let each step be a prayer that we all keep our legs, that we do not blow off anyone else's legs. Or crush their skulls. And if you are riding on a bicycle or a skateboard, in a wheel chair, each revolution of the wheels a prayer that as the earth revolves we will do less harm, less harm, less harm. And as you work, typing with a new manicure, a tiny palm tree painted on one pearlescent nail or delivering soda or drawing good blood into rubber-capped vials, writing on a blackboard with yellow chalk, twirling pizzas, pray for peace. With each breath in, take in the faith of those who have believed when belief seemed foolish, who persevered. With each breath out, cherish. Pull weeds for peace, turn over in your sleep for peace, feed the birds for peace, each shiny seed that spills onto the earth, another second of peace. Wash your dishes, call your mother, drink wine. Shovel leaves or snow or trash from your sidewalk. Make a path. Fold a photo of a dead child around your VISA card. Gnaw your crust of prayer, scoop your prayer water from the gutter. Mumble along like a crazy person, stumbling your prayer through the streets.

Unwanted sexual gestures for lemmings

Which Unwanted Sexual Gesture Are You?

I am a revolutionary deviant!

You are the Marquis Da Sade. Even stripped ofexaggerations, Your real life was as dramaticand as tragic as a cautionary tale. Born to anancient and noble house, you were married(against your wishes) to a middle-class heiressfor money, caused scandals with prostitutes andwith your sister-in-law, thus enraging yourmother-in-law, who had you imprisoned under alettre de cachet for 14 years until theRevolution freed you. Amphibian, protean,charming, you became a Revolutionary,miraculously escaping the guillotine during theTerror, only to be arrested later forpublishing your erotic novels. You spent yourfinal 12 years in the insane asylum atCharenton, where you caused another scandal bydirecting plays using inmates and professionalactors. You died there in 1814, virtually inthe arms of your teenage mistress.You are a revolutionary deviant. I applaud you. Which Imfamous criminal are you? brought to you by Quizilla

Parotting myndsweep and eilanwhiteswan

You're an African grey. You are smart talkative andin your own way very pretty. What parrot are you? brought to you by Quizilla

Saying goodbye to Pearl

So, I'm saying my goodbyes to Pearl today. Pearl is my VW bus, and I've finally decided to sell her. This is a bittersweet moment. Today I'm selling my VW bus, Pearl. (She's named "Pearl" because that was Janis Joplin's nickname)I've had her since 1993, and traveled many places with her. We've been to lots of Rainbow gatherings, on consulting gigs in San Francisco, up and down the Rockies, to the Atlantic Ocean, the Pacific Ocean, and the Gulf of Mexico, too.I haven't been driving her much recently, and so it really became time to let her go. I have found a buyer who is about the age I was when I first got her, and he's "always wanted a VW bus". I think she's going to a good home.So, this is my tribute to Pearl, may she travel many new and exciting places and treat her new person well!

The Ultimate Rush

I went to a nifty beachside attraction in Biloxi last week called The Ultimate Rush. So, this thing is like a cross between a bungee jump and a swing. There are three tower structures, two of which are parallel and the third is set back behind and between the others.You get strapped into a harness, then suspended horizontally (face down) from a set of cords attached to the two parallel towers. Then they slowly reel you 110 feet up to the top of the third tower. When they give the word using a bullhorn, you pull your own ripcord and it lets you go. You swing down to within about 10 feet of the ground and then out over the beach. You end up swinging back and forth this way 6-8 times until you run out of momentum. The freefall at the start, and then at the apex of each swing was the real kicker for me.It was an absolute blast! I highly recommend doing this if you ever see one. Anyone else ever done this?

Gimmee a drink

""Which cocktail are you?"" brought to you by QuizillaHey, I don't really see myself as traditional!

What a week!

Whew, helluva week!Last Friday (Feb 21) I drove to Biloxi, MS to take part in a two-day core shamanism workshop. The drive wasn't too bad (5.5 hours in the rain), but after I arrived at the hotel my car wouldn't start! The starter on my old '86 bimmer had finally died. I say finally because it had been trying to die for the past month or so, but I was too lazy to fix it. Bad acorn! Bad acorn!The interesting thing about Biloxi, if you haven't been there in 15 years, like me, is that they now have gambling. Long/short story on my gambling is that, no, I didn't come out ahead this time. I did enjoy playing craps for the first time this trip, though! After losing several hundred across several days at craps, I resorted to my old standby, blackjack. That went better, well, uh, until it went worse again ;) Anyway, enough of that.The shamanism class was incredible. I'd done shamanic journeying before, but the more organized small-group teaching helped me get much more out of it. We did lower and upper world journeys, and I learned several techniques to help recover lost power for others. This was a real verification for me that this should be a more important part of my path. I also met some neat folks, including a Reiki master from Alpharetta, who will probably do my attunements in mid March.So, the special personal challenge of the broken starter is that I therefore needed to ASK FOR HELP. Yes, I'm not good at doing that, but I'm getting better ;) Long/short -- I ended up getting rides back and forth to the workshop, and was able to offer some folks without a place to stay room in my hotel, so it was all okay.On Monday, I bought a new starter and decided that I *should* be able to put it in myself. Well, that may have been true if I'd had the right tools and wasn't trying to do this in the hotel parking lot. I finally gave up and found that the cheapest mechanics in the world work in Biloxi. It cost me all of $35 in labor! $35!! I feel like I should drive to Biloxi the next time I need car repair!So, I wasted a few more (frustrating) days around Biloxi with a new acquaintance, and finally drove to New Orleans on Thursday.For the unitiated, Mardi Gras is Mar 4, 2003 and the week before is a huge party in NOLA. Thanks to Irish and earendel, I did find Lafitte's, which I concur is the best bar in the quarter. At Lafitte's, I met Mario Grillo, the extremely nutty editor for a number of porn magazines.I also left an offering at Marie Laveau's tomb in St. Louis #1. Thanks for the pointer on that, too, earendel.Across the rest of the evening, I met lots of beautiful people, some of who were mostly naked. Mmmm. I also danced until about 5:00am. I walked around the quarter and danced so much that my feet were sore for two days afterwards. I stumbled to my car and slept until 7:30am, then drove to a rest area and slept again until about noon. Finally I was on the road again and got back to Atlanta around 7pm on Friday. I'm definitely going to start doing Mardi Gras every year.I ended up with a head cold (and mucho exhaustion) and fell asleep soon after getting home. Unfortunately, I missed beauty_moves's phone call after the crowd returned from The Magic Flute, which really meant I missed myndsweep getting experienced. (Think "JH")Well, I think that's enough, don't you?

Bizarre signs seen on my recent travels

On a roadside billboard:Time flies when you're having Pork.Two of the same sign tacked to the back of a large piece of machinery on a flatbed trailer:Do Not Hump

(scots) gaelic & swahili

What do Scots Gaelic and Swahili have in common?

At least one thing: I'm interested in learning both. Anyone know a fluent speaker of either? I pick up languages very quickly (call me 'audio-eidetic'), but I really need in-person interaction to do it.

Anybody know someone?

Meadery

I've spoken to a few folks recently about the concept of a meadery -- in this case, really a brewpub that brews its own mead (and traditional non-hopped ales, too)....hmm, first a little backgroundAs most of you know, I am what one might call a "serial entrepreneur", which is to say that I've got the entrepreneurial bug in a bad way and I've done it several times in a row now. I'm currently working on two businesses that are both going decently well. However, I've been in computer and technology related fields for 20+ years now, and frankly I'm getting sick of it. So, I've been thinking long and hard about what my next project might be....So, I thought that opening a restaurant/pub/microbrewery might be fun, especially if I create a place that really appeals to the pagan community. There must be several dozen pagan groups that meet weekly in Atlanta, and I'd like to create a place where they ALL want to meet -- perhaps even offer freebies/goodies to get them to come.So, I'm opening this idea up for suggestions from the LJ peanut gallery. The two things foremost on my mind are:1. If such a place existed, would you be a regular patron?2. If such a place existed, where best to locate it?

just call me a lemming

Acorn succumbs to the dark side of the 'net and joins livejournal. No expectations from anyone please -- I'm not sure how much time I'm going to give this thing on a daily/weekly basis. If you really want me to know something, I suggest you use the archaic systems of email ;)