BBC NEWS Americas Wicca veterans seek grave symbols
The Dragon is not a Wiccan. In fact I think that any organized religion is kinda silly. A person's, or reptile's relationship (or lack thereof) with the Divine is an entirely personal thing, and adding mediators and community to it only waters it down and makes it less meaningful. But that's just me...
Anyway, if these kids are praying to the Goddess before IED's return them in itty-bitty pieces to the earth, I say it's their right, and the right of their families to proudly display the Goddess's symbol on their graves. I mean these kids are fighting and dieing for Democracy and the right to worship as your conscience dictates against intolerant theocratic fanatics abroad. Let's not make a mockery of their sacrifice, by saying the dictates of their conscience are any less valid than ours, OK. They, and their families paid their dues, in spades, we shouldn't make them fight against intolerant theocratic fanatics at home.
Wiccans in the US are taking the government to court over its refusal to allow their symbol on gravestones in military cemeteries.
Relatives of dead soldiers, including one killed in Iraq, are demanding that Wicca symbols be permitted.
Some 38 other religious symbols, including the Jewish star of David and the Buddhist wheel, are allowed.
The Pentacle, a five-pointed star surrounded by a circle, is one of the most important symbols in Wicca.
Thanks to the most holy, and debauched Mr. Warren Ellis
Friday, October 06, 2006
Electric Motorcycle Video
I know I've featured Todd Kollin's bikes on here before, but he's doing such cool stuff, and this vid really does show the bike from a new perspective.
Via Treehugger
also on Treehugger today organic booze! Not to be mixed with electric motorcycles, you freaking hippy!
Trash It
Trash It
Penn Jillette ( of the illustrious Penn and Teller) rants about motorcycles, airbrushing, and ....
wait for it....
Computers?!
So here's what I say and here's what I do. Make that computer yours. Make it belong to you. Make it look right to you. Dominate it. Rule it. Violate it. Posses it. Trash the mother. I'm not going to tell you exactly what to do with it, I've already stuck my nose too far into your business. I don't care if you put on backstage stickers to Lou Reed and the Red Hot Chili Peppers. You could peel the warning sticker off your 2 Live Crew CD and decoupage it right above the screen and change your prompt to (C:\)Oh, me so horny>Put on scuba stickers and pretend you aren't just a nerd like the rest of us. Or - be practical - no one can remember those WP commands so why not take a Sharpie and write "Just Kidding" right above the F1 key and "where the hell am I?" above F3. I haven't tried a wood-burning tool or a soldering iron (they're the same tool with different packaging, right?) But I bet it would look boss. Make it so if your computer was coming down the airline luggage carousel you wouldn't have to look at the claim check number to tell it was yours. "Many computers do look alike" - and that's a bad thing.
Let's talk about motorcycles. Maybe you waste a lot of time on your computer, your muscles atrophy and you consume too much diet cola beverage and dark chocolate. Maybe your computer is going to ruin your eyes or give you that disease in your wrists that you thought hypochondriac Californians just made up. But, no matter how bad the computer is for you, it's nothing compared to a motorcycle. You screw up on a computer you end up using a Leading Edge word processor for the rest of your life. You screw up on a motorcycle, you become part of America's highway system. But motorcycles are cooler. Why? It's not just because they're dangerous, removing asbestos is only considered cool in very limited circles. What have motorcycles got that computers haven't got? (I'm getting into my Wizard of Oz jag here.) What have motorcycles got that computers haven't got? - Airbrush - That's right, airbrush. You've seen motorcycle gas tanks. They have skulls, breasts and bulging biceps (sometimes on the same creature). They also have lots of bright colors that attract the kind of people you want to meet just like myna birds to a broken mirror.
Oh, yeah, give me all the logical arguments. Rationalize all you want. Tell me that you can't have naked people airbrushed on your computer because the paint fumes will seep into the disk drive and screw up it's innards. You think your computer is more delicate than a motorcycle? Go out to a biker bar, spit on the tip of your finger slide it along the first nicely painted bike you see. (But don't tell them I suggested it. Come to think of it, don't even mention my name.) Then, if you're still sentient, you tell me how careful you think these airbrush guys are. The airbrush guys that are alive today know how to be careful with the patron's property. It's a very quick evolution. In the airbrush business, the customer is not only right, the customer has colors and a buck knife. The airbrush guy or gal knows how to be careful.
Penn Jillette ( of the illustrious Penn and Teller) rants about motorcycles, airbrushing, and ....
wait for it....
Computers?!
So here's what I say and here's what I do. Make that computer yours. Make it belong to you. Make it look right to you. Dominate it. Rule it. Violate it. Posses it. Trash the mother. I'm not going to tell you exactly what to do with it, I've already stuck my nose too far into your business. I don't care if you put on backstage stickers to Lou Reed and the Red Hot Chili Peppers. You could peel the warning sticker off your 2 Live Crew CD and decoupage it right above the screen and change your prompt to (C:\)Oh, me so horny>Put on scuba stickers and pretend you aren't just a nerd like the rest of us. Or - be practical - no one can remember those WP commands so why not take a Sharpie and write "Just Kidding" right above the F1 key and "where the hell am I?" above F3. I haven't tried a wood-burning tool or a soldering iron (they're the same tool with different packaging, right?) But I bet it would look boss. Make it so if your computer was coming down the airline luggage carousel you wouldn't have to look at the claim check number to tell it was yours. "Many computers do look alike" - and that's a bad thing.
Let's talk about motorcycles. Maybe you waste a lot of time on your computer, your muscles atrophy and you consume too much diet cola beverage and dark chocolate. Maybe your computer is going to ruin your eyes or give you that disease in your wrists that you thought hypochondriac Californians just made up. But, no matter how bad the computer is for you, it's nothing compared to a motorcycle. You screw up on a computer you end up using a Leading Edge word processor for the rest of your life. You screw up on a motorcycle, you become part of America's highway system. But motorcycles are cooler. Why? It's not just because they're dangerous, removing asbestos is only considered cool in very limited circles. What have motorcycles got that computers haven't got? (I'm getting into my Wizard of Oz jag here.) What have motorcycles got that computers haven't got? - Airbrush - That's right, airbrush. You've seen motorcycle gas tanks. They have skulls, breasts and bulging biceps (sometimes on the same creature). They also have lots of bright colors that attract the kind of people you want to meet just like myna birds to a broken mirror.
Oh, yeah, give me all the logical arguments. Rationalize all you want. Tell me that you can't have naked people airbrushed on your computer because the paint fumes will seep into the disk drive and screw up it's innards. You think your computer is more delicate than a motorcycle? Go out to a biker bar, spit on the tip of your finger slide it along the first nicely painted bike you see. (But don't tell them I suggested it. Come to think of it, don't even mention my name.) Then, if you're still sentient, you tell me how careful you think these airbrush guys are. The airbrush guys that are alive today know how to be careful with the patron's property. It's a very quick evolution. In the airbrush business, the customer is not only right, the customer has colors and a buck knife. The airbrush guy or gal knows how to be careful.
From Quan Yin with a Dragon, to the Dragon's Kuan Yin
About a ten year old attempt at a Kwan Yin (how many ways can I spell her name?) that was really more a vehicle for testing some new materials and techniques. This was painted with new, at the time, water-soluable oil-paints. I believe it is currently in the collection of long-time friend and patron Ian Moore. (Unless he sold it to buy Guiness.)
Contemporary Kwan Yin
Is there some non-sectarian, non-denominational school of religious painting out there? This almost looks like it could have painted by the same person who illustrates the Hari Krishna Books, the kids' big books on the Old Testament, and the covers of The Watchtower. You know what I mean? It's undeniably 2oth century, but attempting to look wholesome and old-fashioned, so that even though it's probably only 20 or 30 years old, it looks like it was painted in the 40's or 50's. Even those wacky SubGenii aren't above this sort of nostalgic visual propaganda. Despite all that, I do really like this picture.
Kwan Yin's Guardian
Yes, I'm on an image search again. This time it's Kwan Yin, that I'm looking for. This ain't her, but it's lovely, nonetheless. I really like the eye-in-the-lotus, very tastefully done for a tattoo.
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