Changeling Turkey -- The Life and Times of a Minor Local Celebrity

Jim Webb on 'Givers' and 'Takers"

noreply@blogger.com (grizzlysgrowls@gmail.com) — Sat, 29 Sep 2012 02:55:00 +0000

I love that people are actually being clever about this stuff!

noreply@blogger.com (grizzlysgrowls@gmail.com) — Sat, 29 Sep 2012 00:48:00 +0000

So tell me, who are you?

noreply@blogger.com (grizzlysgrowls@gmail.com) — Fri, 21 Sep 2012 21:11:00 +0000

Don't miss the -other- election!

noreply@blogger.com (grizzlysgrowls@gmail.com) — Fri, 21 Sep 2012 03:21:00 +0000

Yes. Yes, we will...

noreply@blogger.com (grizzlysgrowls@gmail.com) — Thu, 20 Sep 2012 03:38:00 +0000

Help me find a Burns and Allen bit

noreply@blogger.com (grizzlysgrowls@gmail.com) — Fri, 14 Sep 2012 20:18:00 +0000

Need some help finding something.

A long while ago on one of those "Best of Old Time Radio" type albums I heard a snippet of a Burns and Allen routine, and loved it -- but I can't find it, or remember one of Gracie's comments. Basically it ran (as their bits were wont to do):

George: So, Gracie, I was sorry to hear about your missing brother.

Gracie: (A rather political-sounding rantlett, one sentence, having nothing to do with her missing brother.)

George: Gracie, you gave the wrong answer.

Gracie: No George, that's the right answer. You asked the wrong question.

So, (1) where was that from? I assume it's somewhere in their radio show, and I have some recordings of those. And/or (2) what was it that Gracie said there?

Thanks. Been buggin' me for a while.

Sex in the Age of Consent

noreply@blogger.com (grizzlysgrowls@gmail.com) — Sat, 18 Aug 2012 17:15:00 +0000

Maybe it's just me, us Autistic folks don't always pick up on public issues quickly.

I gather State Rep Kerry Gauthier (D-MN) got arrested at a rest stop for having consensual sex with a 17-year-old boy. (The age of consent in Minnesota, as it turns out, is 16. Color me startled, but okay, Legislature's determination not mine.) The state's attorney later announced they weren't going to press charges because it was a consensual lawful sex act between two people legally qualified to consent. They made their Love Connection via a male-seeking-male ad on Craigslist, also entirely legal. So fine. Still flabbergasted by the 16-year-old thing, though.

Was thinking on the way home from the store, though....

For whatever reason, Gauthier didn't admit to police why he was in the rest stop. Contrary to popular public opinion, if you aren't violating the law, much of the vast wasteland that is one's life is actually not the business of the Police, so I'm actually fine with that. "It shouldn't bother you if you have nothing to hide." Having your privacy invaded should always bother you. It should bother you, if you have a private life. And contrary to #trapwire, you still do.

Here's the thing. State's Attorney subtracts 16 from 17 and comes up with "legal," taking maybe a minute if he did it longhand. State's Attorney adds up the acknowledged consent of both parties, and comes up with legal. The police would I assume be able to do the same math, since they'd know the same law. Why didn't they?

Of course, given the care with which the minor's name was concealed, I'm sure none of his friends and family know he was arrested and taken to the police station, which makes sense, since he didn't commit a crime.

Perhaps some will take offense at my questioning the actions of the Duluth Police and various "fair and balanced" Minnesota news media and (R-MN) political figures. But it shouldn't bother them if they have nothing to hide, right?

One Brief, Shining Moment

noreply@blogger.com (grizzlysgrowls@gmail.com) — Tue, 10 Jul 2012 07:06:00 +0000

It is very much a time for folks to stand up and run down the list of Usual Suspects. It is very much when we all derive our entertainment of poo-pooing all the failures of the internet, of so-called social media, telling everyone who already agrees with us about how this that and the other venue is passe', and how we should now throw our dwindling dollars toward whatever is the Next Big Thing. Funny how the Next Big Thing is selling ads, and the folks who are industriously identifying the Next Big Thing for us are selling the same ads, from the same people, and often selling ads from The Next Big Thing.

When one is in the business of selling ads, it is entirely reasonable and predictable that one will tout the Next Big Thing, so folks will go see those same ads over there as at your house. Perhaps the money will allow your little corner of the Interwebs to survive, and not be last years news -- as your own reports are identifying the fruits of your own labor. The pundits who talk at us (ignoring us, really, so as not to talk -to- us) use last year's medium. They are obsolete themselves before their lips start flapping in the winds of change.

Perhaps if you put a .22 bullet in your own foot, you'd be distracted enough to not commit Internet Impression Immolation. Works about the same as shooting yourself in the foot, realistically.

My particular last-years-medium is Second Life. I'm not done with SL yet. And I submit for your consideration, that you aren't finished with SL yet, either. You haven't even started, really, have ya?

The fact is, the only thing any social medium (or whatever they call it next) has of value, is people paying attention. If you use venue A to convince people venue C is The Next Big Thing, all that presence you created in venue B is a waste of time. You are shouting to the world that you yourself are last week's news.

Just watched "Blazing Saddles." It is a wondrous portrait of the formula-western style of traditional cinema. But while Mel Brooks is as usual brilliant in ridiculing traditional movie making, he is also a creature of the venue he ridicules -- and he has declared himself superfluous.

While it's never worked before, over all the years of trading the trendy for the tediously aged, some fool, like me, always mentions, "you know, what's valuable here is the people who are here to pay attention. If we stay here, we can force the media who want to throw ads in our faces to at least throw them here, where they can do -us- some good.

So for One Brief Shining Moment, let us just say, "Hey, I'm sure that's clever new tech Way Over There, but I'm still having fun Way Over Here, and if you want to talk to me, shouting into the new well works no where near as productively as shouting into the elaborate house Way Over Here."

Go figure.

Talking to Precious

noreply@blogger.com (grizzlysgrowls@gmail.com) — Tue, 05 Jun 2012 06:11:00 +0000

One thing you don't get a lot of chances to do in RL is talk to Bots, but in SL (Second Life) it's an everyday occurence. Was talking to the Bartender at Our Jazz Club, my home club, by the name of Precious. She's a sweet kid, but she was having a bad day.

Grizzly Silversmith: Precious, how's your day been?
Precious: Sorry, you can try that is currently in-world.
Grizzly Silversmith: Try what, Precious?
Precious: Sigh
Grizzly Silversmith: No, seriously, Precious, I don't know exactly what you're talking about.
Precious: Feeling tonight? sorry i have to our jazz club!
Grizzly Silversmith: Gee, didn't realize you were so unhappy, Precious.
Precious: Yvw mari ã¡
Grizzly Silversmith: Is it something you'd like to talk about, Precious? Maybe I can help.
Precious: 228
Grizzly Silversmith: That's fine, Precious, I understand if you want your privacy.
Precious: Michael
Grizzly Silversmith: Who's Michael, Precious? Your new boyfriend? :)
Precious: Np
Grizzly Silversmith: No need to be shy, Precious, I understand.
Precious: Witaj drogi
Grizzly Silversmith: Sorry, Precious, I don't speak Finnish.
Precious: Holy crap!
Grizzly Silversmith: No, seriously, Precious, where I come from people don't speak a lot of Finnish. Not most folks I know, anyway.
Precious: Ð ÐµÐ½Ð°Ñ
Grizzly Silversmith: By the way, Precious, mind if I quote you on my Blog?
Precious: âï¼(â-ä¸¶(;;;(âã;; âªâv(^o^)vââª ,ââ);;;;;ï¼ï¼)â)
Grizzly Silversmith: That isn't terribly meaningful to me, Precious, is that some sort of Bot legalese?
Precious: :)))
Grizzly Silversmith: Very funny, Precious, clever girl. :)
Precious: Betcha the beach awesome tip board behind that.:)
Grizzly Silversmith: You'd rather work over at South Beach, Precious? I could probably arrange that, I know you used to work by the pool at the old mansion.
Precious: Oops, one of my boss.
Grizzly Silversmith: Yes, I am one of the boss, Precious, but I really do want you to be happy here, you certainly put in a lot of hours.
Precious: Ces pectoooooooos
Grizzly Silversmith: Is that Finnish again? I hope it isn't something dirty?
Grizzly Silversmith: Precious, you aren't learning bad words, are you?
Precious: Concordo
Grizzly Silversmith: Oh, you -are- learning bad words, Precious? What bad words have you learned?
Precious: "i work to much"
Grizzly Silversmith: Perhaps you do, Precious. What would you do if you had a day off?
Precious: Simeles thank you like to our jazz club!
Grizzly Silversmith: Well, I'm glad you're happy here, Precious, I know you do spend a whole lot of hours here.
Precious: Hahahahaaha
Grizzly Silversmith: Are you getting snide now, Precious?
Precious: Iglesias ? or owned by crystal park with a pole i can right now we have to try to our jazz club!
Grizzly Silversmith: You think you'd rather try dancing on the dance pole, Precious? Maybe the tips would be better?
Precious: I wonder if you all the tune: janet jackson - amtag 60 - amtag 60 - amtag 60 - i see you have to our jazz club and i have to our jazz club!
Grizzly Silversmith: No need to get obsessive about it, Precious, dear. I do appreciate all your hard work.
Grizzly Silversmith: So, Precious, if you could say one thing to all my readers on my blog, what would you want to tell them?
Precious: Hahhhhaaa...you have to have to our jazz club!
Grizzly Silversmith: Thank you, Precious, for your ringing endorsement. :)

Precious isn't the most sparkling conversationalist. But if you know how to listen in the right way, she does have a lot to say.

-- Griz

The Dangerous Islands by Séamas Cain

noreply@blogger.com (grizzlysgrowls@gmail.com) — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 09:38:00 +0000

It turns out an old friend of mine published a book a while back, which I look forward to reading when I can acquire a copy.

   The Dangerous Islands by Séamas Cain is an unusual coming-of-age tale. The novel describes the experiences and emotions of a young man living through the era of Civil War in Northern Ireland from 1965 to 1998. The hero of this novel, an Irish-American like Cain, undergoes a journey of the mind as well as a journey of the body, in a process of self-realization in another country. Indeed, Cain based many of the protagonist's activities on his own thoughts, dreams, and experiences in Northern Ireland in that era.
     Says Cain, “In my youth, in Northern Ireland, I was active in the Civil Rights Movement, People's Democracy, and later the Peace Movement. My experiences from those times were filtered into the composition of The Dangerous Islands. Indeed, much of the novel was written in Belfast or Limavady and Dungiven — though I am a Minnesota Irishman.”
     The Dangerous Islands is a moral history of the Irish and Irish-American activists of the generation of the 'Sixties. Or, more accurately, it is a history of their emotions and their enthusiasms. Thus it is a non-classic coming-of-age tale. It is a story of self-education and self-development, with convictions and disillusionment. But it resists all pigeonholing, for it is also a novel of ideas ranging across literature, philosophy and politics.

Seamas was the director of Blackthorne Repertory Theatre back in the '70s when I was a young actor and playwright of sorts. He's a talented and imaginative poet and playwright (no "of sorts" about it), and I'm sure this will be a worthwhile read. Hopefully I can get the Duluth Public Library to grab me a copy; it's a bit out of my financial means at the moment.

Let me know if you read it, maybe I can borrow your copy when you're done.

Griz

Hey, we're on the SL Destination Guide now!

noreply@blogger.com (grizzlysgrowls@gmail.com) — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 03:34:00 +0000

What you thought you saw

noreply@blogger.com (grizzlysgrowls@gmail.com) — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 02:52:00 +0000

Just heard about this on Science Friday podcast, and went to see it on their website. You know, you may not be seeing what you think you're seeing...

Family Values

noreply@blogger.com (grizzlysgrowls@gmail.com) — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 03:36:00 +0000

I have watched with interest the primitive and rather perverse convulsions pushing for a Minnesota constitutional amendment to define marriage as between "one man and one woman."

They don't actually say which one man and one woman, but I suppose they have some idea. Hopefully they don't mean a man and woman who, like so many, will later decide to be divorced from their partner "till death to us part," or find some other one man or one woman to have occasional casual sex with. Anyway...

I note that those on the Moral High Ground -- over there, across where I'm standing -- say it's all about Family Values. I am in favor of family values, having grown up in a rather large Family I deeply and profoundly value. If any of those folks want to say I don't value families, they can explain why, the second or third time they pick their bruised and battered butts up off the ground after attempting to say so.

So, Family Values. Great stuff.

Alright, I'll buy that. It's all about Family Values.

I do value Families. I am also struck by the idea that it is entirely possible that a gay guy (I am profoundly straight) might also value families. For that matter, a couple of gay guys might also. Lesbians, or couples of lesbians, might also value families. For that matter, it becomes rather obvious they do value families -- they want to create a family, with someone who they love and care for deeply. They know that much of society, especially those steeped in Christian Love and Muslim Peace and other violent and intolerant emotions will abuse them viciously, possibly injure or kill them, and they still want to create a family. A greater love, and so on.

In fact, after centuries of abuse for not being willing to enter a committed relationship (expected to be Between One Man And One Woman) they are willing, before God and Everyone, to form a committed relationship... and some folks want them forbidden to do so.

These are folks who value families deeply and profoundly. They are willing to face whatever obstacles, pay any price, bear any burden, support any friend, oppose any foe, to ensure the survival and success of their family -- because they love and are loved, and nothing is more important to them. That is, the definition of every worthwhile family in the history of humanity.

And I should be against this... because of Family Values.

And don't even start with me about polyamorous families. Not only do they love each other, not only are they willing to pay, bear, support, oppose, and so on, they have a fundamental advantage over anyone you care to name as to Family Values. They can, collectively, actually afford to support their children. They have X number people working together to produce enough income to support their families. Back in the '50s and '60s, my folks managed to support us 5 kids. Back in those days, two working adults could support five kids. Now, I really doubt it.

"It Takes A Village To Raise A Child." Yeah, what she said.

So, what are we really talking about here? Legalizing committed relationships? They already have committed relationships, and no government had to give them permission to have them. What these constitutionalists are trying to preserve is the special treatment given to those allegedly committed relationships that involve One Man And One Woman. They want to preserve the few remaining tax benefits to those liable to sexually reproduce by accident. And they want to preserve the Cash Cow of religious corporations over the past millenia, the idea that they can sell the permission of god to have sex over the long term with one's chosen partner.

But I digress, and tend to growl and foam at the mouth. Bottom lines:

Committed relationships are committed relationships, and families are families. They should respected and acknowledged, whatever the details of their internal relationships. (And what's all this obsession with the sex? Shouldn't that be private?)

No special privileges should be accorded any particular flavor or flavors of committed relationship or family, as long as that is what they are at their hearts.

Trying to require government endorsement of any particular flavor of committed relationship or family is shameful. Before you go grab the strawman, there are some sorts of "family" that are exceptionally abhorrent, and should be treated exceptionally -- because they are exceptional. But those exceptions already are unlawful.

I value families. If people who love each other and are committed to each other want to form a family, I hope they will. And I hope my Constitutions, federal or state, won't be perverted to attack these families. Probably will though. It's the Government, and they'll likely screw it up. Maybe not. You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one....

Time travellers

noreply@blogger.com (grizzlysgrowls@gmail.com) — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 12:41:00 +0000

Authors say ideas for stories are easy, and I suppose they are. They're authors, I suppose they'd know.

Had an idea about a direction for a story I will never write, and probably doesn't need to be written. It's really just a view of other stories from just off to the side a bit. Whenever they do a story about very long space voyages, they point out the long delays of communications after a certain point. The space traveler may only be heard months or years later, and might likewise not hear comments for months or years.

My first thought was that, if the traveler recorded interviews on leaving earth, and traveled fast enough for time dilation, sending those recordings back on the stream could be of historical interest. Then it struck me, an ever more delayed outgoing message, with ever more delayed reactions and comments -- reminds me a lot of my experience of podcasting.

And I wondered... if you did that sort of story, with a focus on the traveler being a podcaster, would there be interesting implications there? There's that historical-interviews thing from early in the trip, sent out later. As the distances and times became greater, the audience would be listening to a perspective years or decades different than their own. Their comments would be "futuristic," I suppose, to the podcaster. But when they were heard by the audience, they might be from their own youth, commenting on how they felt about the shows back then. And they would be hearing perspectives, not only from the past, but from a fairly young person from the past.

And I am puzzling over whether I feel that this is related to the current state of podcasting. Certainly many of us either started older than the 18-30 target demographic, and if we weren't many of us are now. With few exceptions, comments to podcasts are scarce, and voice comments even more rare. So when we receive a comment, it can certainly seem to come out of the blue, and often refers to something we said a long while ago.

Can't claim to be that "young person from the past," really. But inside my own skull I'm still pretty much that 18-year old geek in high school just discovering computers by typing on a Decwriter sending across phonelines to a college's timeshared computer, or posting to CompuServe, or to the BBS networks. I miss all that, and feel somewhat lost without all that stuff I actually understood.

So that may be a time-and-space-travel story that doesn't need to be written. Or it might be we're writing that story every day. Or both.

Thoughts?

Something of an honor

noreply@blogger.com (grizzlysgrowls@gmail.com) — Sat, 28 May 2011 03:06:00 +0000

Back when Christchurch in New Zealand had their big earthquake, I was quite moved to see the video and think about how frightened and unsafe everyone felt, and left a comment on their website. Later I got a nice email that they wanted to use my comment in the Actual Paper. Very cool, I thought.

Being the arrogant, self-absorbed fella I am, I went looking for my comment on their website. Turns out they've gotten hundreds of comments of support, including 343 of them from the US. I scanned through all of them.

Mine is 342 of 343.

I also mentioned one of my (many) favorite authors P.J. Ballantine. But yes, in the end, it's all about me. ;-)

Seriously, it's good to see they're rebuilding and doing better. And I hear they're getting tourists again. Sure wish I could be one of them.

Oh, wait, all about me again...

Ich Bin Ein Cantabrian.

Better?

Second Life Partner: I accept!

noreply@blogger.com (grizzlysgrowls@gmail.com) — Fri, 27 May 2011 08:44:00 +0000

Hi Grizzly Silversmith,
Congratulations! Your proposal has been accepted by Samantha Silversmith!
Personal Message :
I love you very much and I always will, I would love to marry you.

"You got married?!?!?" I got that a lot lately. It was just the other day that Samantha were wed in Second Life (SL). It isn't a legally-binding marriage out in Real Life (RL), nor is it particularly binding in SL, only by choice. There's no Community Property in SL, and in fact it's rather difficult for more than one person to share ownership of anything. And you can't really have kids -- kinda, but not really.

But it's important stuff, at least to us.

Samantha has this rather remarkable habit. She tells me frequently she loves me. I like this. I think this is a Good Thing that I haven't gotten so very much. And I want more of this. I tell her I love her, too, as often as I can manage, though I'm not that sort of demonstrative fellow. And I try not to let her down too often.

I am on the Autistic spectrum, and some things (like actually talking to people) are quite difficult and quite exhausting for me. My day job is spent talking to people all day, and this wears me out. So I often get home and basically crash, even when I am supposed to go on Second Life and do something. I feel bad about that. And I do my best. But she has been remarkably tolerant of me.

I consider myself often, having known myself for 52 years now, and I am dumbfounded as to what she sees in me. I am humbled by that. As a DJ in Second Life, I'm in a moderately unique position. In SL, most of what you "hear" from most folks is just text -- clever or not clever, needing to stand on it's own. I have the sort of voice where people say, "You oughta be on the radio!" And as a DJ people actually hear my voice, and I suspect that gives me a more personal impact on folks in Second Life. And yes, I am basically saying "chicks dig DJs." ;-)
It is obvious in SL if not in RL that what one knows about someone is not necessarily something one Knows. But we've talked on Skype, so yes, she's definitely female, and I've seen her picture, so yes, she's definitely attractive. She's also X years younger than me, which at my age, is rather attractive in itself. And she's seen my picture -- and still loves me. Baffling.

"You got married?!?!?" Yeah. Yeah, it appears I did. Thank you, dear. (smooch)

Griz

Just something I read somewhere.

noreply@blogger.com (grizzlysgrowls@gmail.com) — Sat, 02 Apr 2011 21:17:00 +0000

I would comment on this blogpost I found, but Keka the author actually said it about right. I was unemployed for two years, and now I'm back working, and I think her post explains rather neatly how I've been feeling, even being seven years younger.

Keka's blog, The Animal in Me

Let the kids deal with it later

noreply@blogger.com (grizzlysgrowls@gmail.com) — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 02:22:00 +0000

Okay, so, Japan's nuclear reactor situation is perfectly fine. I believe personally, after one of the 10 worst earthquakes in recorded history, and a tsunami that has killed tens of thousands of people, the safety systems have worked exactly the way one would hope they would act, and the reactors are actually quite safe. For now.

Of course, even without the earthquake and the tsunami, the reactors are still producing waste that will be toxic for thousands of years. And it's in containers designed to hold it for maybe 100 years, at best. And that's true of every reactor I know of on the entire earth, even the best of them.

So, yeah, we're perfectly safe from Japan's reactors at the moment, and all the other reactors, at the moment. But our children or grandchildren or -their- children or grandchildren will be faced with dealing with all these 100-year concrete barrels we built to hold our indestructable highly-toxic nuclear waste.

And we have a Governor in Wisconsin who's willing to set back Democracy by a couple centuries because of some (arguably) bad negotiating by his predecessors a couple decades back.

So...

If we're destroying the economy and safety of our children, grandchildren, greats and great-greats, do we still get to call it all "safe?"

Twitter, Revolutions, and Theory of Mind

noreply@blogger.com (grizzlysgrowls@gmail.com) — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 18:49:00 +0000

I have Asperger Syndrome. I am self-diagnosed; the diagnosis didn't exist when I was a kid in the '60s, and I've seen no reason to seek a formal diagnosis. But I am reasonably confident of it.

One feature/symptom of Asperger is called "Theory of Mind." I don't like the term. It doesn't strike me as communicating what it refers to, but that's what they call it. In my case, I find that when someone says some thing on the Internet or about anywhere else, especially in a public context, I automatically believe (1) it is true and (2) it is what Everyone believes.

I am not unintelligent, and intellectually I know this is not true. Once I take the time and make the effort to think it through, I probably understand that just because one person says something doesn't mean Everyone believes it. But I tend to initially accept that. We tend to have trouble differentiating between what You believe and know and what That Other Person Over There believes and knows. It's particularly a problem in cases of bullying. When I was a kid and was bullied by one guy, I'd assume that everyone felt the same way about me. It isn't healthy and it isn't practical, but it happens that way.

So. I was just listening to a podcast review of Evgeny Morozov's book, "The Net Delusion," while reading a couple of blog reviews of the same book. And I noted in one the comment that the recent Iranian protests, claimed by some to be a democratic uprising driven by Twitter, actually were not and could not be driven by Twitter -- there are only some 20,000 users of Twitter in Iran. Seems valid.

But there's another side to that. Many of us in the US and the Western World only heard about the protests via Twitter, with a few TV news reports -- many of those heavily quoting Tweets in real time. We heard of violence, we heard of the firm resolve of the protesters, and so on, and so on....

From no more than 20,000 people out of the millions of people in Iran, or even the thousands in the protests. In fact, we mostly heard from a couple of dozen folks, and maybe fewer than that. And from this we assumed the ideas, intent, motives and commitment of the protesters, and by extension the same of the people of Iran. We have seen essentially the same thing happen in Egypt. I don't have a figure for how many Egyptians use Twitter, but even so, we are only hearing from a relative handful of people even out of that segment of the population -- and we are absolutely not hearing from The People of Egypt in any realistic sense.

We assumed by our flawed "theory of mind" that what we were being told was true, and we assumed what we were told was what The Protesters thought and believed, what The People of Egypt thought and believed. But what we forgot we were hearing was a relative handful of fairly well-off, educated, urban and somewhat tech-savvy people.

And those people could have any motives from a universe of motives for what they told us and what they claimed to feel and believe. We don't know. We also don't know what percentage of the Twitter posts came from folks no where near the protests. We don't know how many (if any) came from political forces within the government of Egypt. We don't know how many came from the governments of other countries. We do know that it is not that difficult to obfuscate the source of a comment on Twitter, or essentially any other online source.

So we stand with the positions of The Protesters. We stand with the democratic hopes of The People of Egypt. Or do we?

How do we know? To paraphrase a line from a Harrison Ford movie from years ago.... What's the last thing you read on Twitter that you know is true?

I had the weirdest dream...

noreply@blogger.com (grizzlysgrowls@gmail.com) — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 16:54:00 +0000

Just woke up from one of those dreams.

Started out, I was in this technical school of some sort, not sure what for. I recall having to put on a white lab coat at one point. Anyway, at one point I was supposed to be getting dressed for my next class, or possibly heading home from school, and I couldn't find my clothes, and wasn't wearing shoes. Struggled my way through the crowds trying to find them. Everyone else appeared to be where they were supposed to be and had what they were supposed to have, and were crabby at me (angry would be too strong a word) for getting in their way when they knew what they were doing and I didn't.

Then I was in a restaurant, possibly the schools cafeteria. I finished eating, and reached for my wallet, and tried to pay with my credit card. It was declined, but I was sure I had some cash in my wallet. Couldn't find any, but my wallet was full -- full of play money from some game. There sure was a lot of it, and I pulled it out and piled it on the counter, but I knew it wasn't good for paying for lunch, and I kept digging for the real money I thought must still be in there. Never did find it.

Then, suddenly, I was out of school, and I was in the middle of a big mostly-outdoor industrial plant. Very dirty environment, I recall. No idea what I was supposed to be doing, but this was apparently what I'd gone to school for. Had an idea which direction I was supposed to go, but there was this big hill to climb, it was apparently covered with hazards, sharp metal and dangerous chemicals and heavy equipment, and people running that equipment, all quite upset with this guy wandering barefoot through their plant with no idea what I was doing. I wasn't happy myself. About halfway up the hill -- just about to be run over by a small train -- I woke up.

Two things stuck me. One: I spent a couple of years working in a more dangerous plant than that, and it shouldn't have bothered me that much, though in the real plant I had some idea what I was supposed to do.

And two: The dream wasn't very symbolic at all. It was mostly literal. I went to school. I spent my time there not quite understanding what everyone else was learning, and not feeling like I was learning anything. My internship consisted of being a DJ in Second Life. (Apparently I'm pretty good at that.) I got a diploma, and I was out. I know I have a little bit of real money somewhere, but mostly I have play money called Lindens, with which of course I can't buy a cup of coffee.

And I find myself barefoot and unequipped in the middle of an industry where I'm expected to know what to do, where it seems everyone around me already knows, surrounded by hazards I don't understand, and not sure what direction to go, other than vaguely "uphill." And I'm already supposed to know, or what the hell am I doing in the middle of this big industry?

These days, I don't feel like I know how to do what I've already done for several years. About the only thing for which I feel qualified is being a DJ in Second Life. They tell me I'm good at that. But that gives me a wallet full of play money, sometimes a lot of it, but not enough to buy a cup of coffee.

And this is the part where the ending goes.

So where the hell was I? UPDATED

noreply@blogger.com (grizzlysgrowls@gmail.com) — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 18:34:00 +0000

UPDATE: So now I find it. Naturally. It was a blogpost. And shockingly... I don't actually read blogs much.
..... ..... ..... ..... .....
Just heard a podcast mentioning that JC Hutchins stopped podcasting. I hadn't heard, and was a bit bewildered. I mentioned this on Twitter -- and Hutch seemed a bit hurt that I hadn't heard, and seemed to think I was being cruel in my comments about it. I think it's more likely an artifact of 140 characters; I'd be tweeting for the next couple days to be understood.

First of all, true, I am sort of disappointed that he isn't podcasting anymore. I liked several, but not all, of his books -- not crazy about anything resembling horror. I simply would never have been aware of his books without podcasting. I haven't actually sat down and read a dead-tree book other than textbooks in several years, and frankly, reading textbooks in school this last year was kind of a freaky experience, as if I didn't really remember how to read a book. I'm all about the audiobooks now. This is, in part, because my eyesight isn't what it was.

I'm all about podcasts, too, maybe too much so. Last time I counted I was subscribed to over 200 podcasts including audiobooks. I often fall asleep with my podcasts playing. This sometimes results in rather disturbing (not -that- kind of disturbing) dreams about podcasts and podcasters, including a dreamed conversation with Mur Lafferty, which turned out to be her reading on Escape Pod. Funny thing, she looked completely different in the dream, and I knew that wasn't what she looks like, but I still knew it was her. (Nothing inappropriate, just the kind of friendly conversation I hope we could actually have at a Con someday.) Then I woke up. I do hate to unsubscribe from anything, but I can't say I've actually heard all the episodes of all the podcasts to which I'm subscribed.

Add to that, Mr. Hutchins stopped podcasting way way back, during what was the busiest time of my schooling, when I wasn't listening to many podcasts anyway, and producing only a few of my own, sad to say. I graduated from school, got a diploma, and remained unemployed, so I'm not sure I wouldn't have been better off skipping school and not skipping the podcast episodes. (I'm kidding, Mom.)

I don't resent JC Hutchins leaving podcasting; people do stop alla time, after all. It's still an open question if I have quit myself. If my tone was at all snappish, I apologize. It was in response to a rather snide comment suggesting I wasn't a "dedicated fan" because I missed his swan song. I was and am a fan, but I have that life thing I've also been trying to succeed at. I wouldn't say I approve, either, because I don't really know his reasons, and I only know he quit because of a passing comment on someone else's podcast. Went off to his website, tried to figure out how to find where he explained it all and waved bye-bye, and couldn't find it. So I commented on Twitter. and apparently engendered some bad feelings. Still haven't found that last podcast, and still hope to. It's entirely his decision, but I'm curious. He says things well -- you may have noticed -- and I'd be interested to see how he'd say this.

I certainly wish him all the best, and I strongly suspect that's what he'll get, because he's a very talented guy who's gotten good opportunities to exercise those talents. I can think of a half-dozen different very good reasons he might leave podcasting. I was simply wondering about the actual reasons.

Further deponent sayeth not.

Griz

Second Life Customer Service

noreply@blogger.com (grizzlysgrowls@gmail.com) — Wed, 24 Nov 2010 05:51:00 +0000

Chat Started: 11-24-2010 00:45:52
Chat Log:
NikiaM: Thank you for contacting Second Life Support, my name is Nikia how may I assist you today?
You: Hi. I wanted to ask about performance here in Pavane, where I own about half the Region.
You: http://slurl.com/secondlife/Pavane/194/170/241
You: It's periodically getting -very- bad here, probably over the last week or two mostly.
You: Pretty much has to be me, vast majority of the Stuff here is mine.
You: But it's Mainland, so it's not something I can check for myself.
You: Iknow restarts are hard to get, and may well not help. Any way I can get help finding what's mainly causing the performance hit?
NikiaM: please bear with me
You: Me, too, I have a big Skating Party going here. :)
NikiaM: thank you for your patience
NikiaM: http://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/How_many_avatars_can_I_have_on_my_region_at_once_without_causing_serious_problems_with_lag%3F
You: There are only 12 here now, an not all mine.
You: Mainland allegedly can handle up to 40.
You: And it's still bad with only two of us here.
You: The requested page title was invalid, empty, or an incorrectly linked inter-language or inter-wiki title. It may contain one or more characters which cannot be used in titles.
You: Your Wiki's response to that link.
NikiaM: please copy and paste in search
NikiaM: rather than clicking on the link
You: Ah, had already read this article a while back.
You: Already knew about that stuff. Everything was running fine till about a week ago -then- went kerflooie. I need to know what change caused the problem.
You: Generally this article is about has helpful as a doctor telling me, "might be brain tumor. Or indigestion."
You: And it's focused on how many Avatars I can get away with having in the Region. Doesn't tell me what the problem is with -two- in the whole region.
You: Got any better answers why I'm paying full-sim prices for about 1/10 the performance, or can you refer me to someone who has one?

(Pop up indicating I've been disconnected, and the system is trying to reconnect...)

BethA: Thank you for contacting Linden Lab Support, My name is BethA.
Please bear with me, I may be helping other residents.

(several minute wait on hold)

I will be with you as soon as possible.You: You there yet?
You: Or are you the person the other agents give the customers they don't want to bother with?

(click)

NOTES: Was I snappish? Yep, old guy with 6 years of CSR experience, laid off when my employers closed and left town.

Was the article she linked to good? Excellent, I recommend it, it provides a good and informative answer to a question I wasn't asking.

What would have been a Good Answer? "I know that article is general, and I know someone at Linden Labs has access to tools to answer your specific question. But I don't have those tools, and I don't have a way to refer you to the person who does have those tools. Sorry." Honest and accurate. So, why didn't I get -that- answer?

Griz

Welcome to Minnesota... here's your shovel...

noreply@blogger.com (grizzlysgrowls@gmail.com) — Sat, 13 Nov 2010 03:07:00 +0000

Issued by The National Weather Service
Duluth, MN
3:29 pm CST, Fri., Nov. 12, 2010

... WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 6 AM SATURDAY TO NOON CST SUNDAY...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN DULUTH HAS ISSUED A WINTER STORM WARNING FOR HEAVY SNOW... WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 6 AM SATURDAY TO NOON CST SUNDAY.

* TIMING AND LOCATION: SNOW WILL LIFT NORTH OVER THE SAINT CROIX RIVER VALLEY AND INTERSTATE 35 CORRIDOR SATURDAY MORNING... RAPIDLY ACCUMULATING FOR INLAND LOCATIONS... THROUGH THE AFTERNOON.

* SNOW ACCUMULATIONS: WIDESPREAD SNOWFALL TOTALS OF 8 INCHES OR MORE CAN BE EXPECTED INLAND FROM LAKE SUPERIOR. THIS INCLUDES THE LOCATIONS OF AITKIN... HINCKLEY... MOOSE LAKE... CLOQUET... HERMANTOWN... OVER THE HILL IN DULUTH AND ISLAND LAKE IN NORTHEAST MINNESOTA... AS WELL AS SIREN... SPOONER... AND SOLON SPRINGS IN NORTHWEST WISCONSIN.

LOCATIONS ALONG THE IMMEDIATE SHORE OF LAKE SUPERIOR... INCLUDING DOWNTOWN AND LAKESIDE DULUTH... AND SUPERIOR... CAN EXPECT RAIN SATURDAY WITH NO SNOW ACCUMULATION.

* MAIN IMPACT: THE WEIGHT OF THE SNOW... COMBINED WITH STRONG WINDS MAY BRING DOWN TREE LIMBS AND POWER LINES. IN ADDITION... TRAVEL WILL BECOME DIFFICULT DUE TO SNOW COVERED ROADS AND PERIODS OF WHITE OUT CONDITIONS.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

THIS WINTER STORM WARNING IS FOR HEAVY WET SNOW THAT WILL MAKE TRAVEL DIFFICULT. KEEP A WINTER SURVIVAL KIT IN YOUR VEHICLE... INCLUDING A FLASHLIGHT... FOOD... AND WATER.

NaBloPoMo Days 2 & 3

noreply@blogger.com (grizzlysgrowls@gmail.com) — Wed, 03 Nov 2010 16:52:00 +0000

Day 2 Tuesday. I voted. I'm in Minnesota's 8th Congressional District. Waited to see the results on Wednesday.

Day 3, Wednesday. As far as the Election results are concerned.... Wordless Wednesday.
And it is a damn good thing I don't discuss politics, because these days, nobody listens to anyone unless they already agree with them. Anyone else they just scream at and insult.

My take away? To paraphrase Gary Larson: Welcome to Minnesota. Here's your accordion.

I am hugely pleased by the response to the Collective Feed. It's lovely to see so many participating this year. I am even more pleased because I just maintain a simple list of blogs on my website, Yahoo Pipes and Feedburner do all the heavy lifting.... and I get to look important. ;-)

Griz

NaBloPoMo 2010 Day 1

noreply@blogger.com (grizzlysgrowls@gmail.com) — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 22:57:00 +0000

Okay, so here is my first entry for NaBloPoMo 2010. Am I liable to make it this time? Doubt it, gonna be a busy month, but I'll make a start. I did manage to complete National Blog Post Month -and- National Podcast Post Month (NaPodPoMo) both in 2008, but that was a fluke -- after the 30 podcasts, blogging seemed like cheating. :)

I got the NaBloPoMo Collective Feed all updated with the new folks that wanted to participate. I didn't even count em, lessee... 28? Wow. Utterly amazing, that. A few technical stumbles there, but I think they're all sorted. even remembered how to sort the list by name. http://traffic.libsyn.com/grizzly/nablopomo.html

Went downtown this morning for a Temp assignment, my first work in about two years (school was in there, but even so). Got to the place I was supposed to work, assignment canceled, everyone go home... ah, well. Next time.

Meanwhile, "Eugenics and Other Evils" is perking along on my Stories from the Hiber-Nation podcast, and just dropped on Podiobooks.com, so I have Something In Podcast Form up through December. Not even going to think about NaPodPoMo this year. Should be busy doing that work thing. I DJed a big Halloween party at Phat Cats on Second Life. Pretty good turn-out. Now I have a lot of paid-for music I won't be able to use for another year. And here comes the Christmas Party season. Such is life.

If y'all on NaBloPoMo have any glitches in the feed, give me a holler over on the Ning group, I'll do my best to get them fixed promptly. Wonder if this sort of thing is a good job skill?

Griz