Current Mood: 
pensive
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Arianna's LiveJournal
02 March 2011 @ 12:20 pm
Make no mistake, I think that the Westboro Baptist Church is comprised of the worst sorts of bigoted assholes. I condemn their actions wholeheartedly and rejoice every time I see counter-protests, especially the ones that are creative and display a love of all people. ALL people.
But I love the Constitution, and I think the Supreme Court decided this case correctly. Ugly as it is.
But I love the Constitution, and I think the Supreme Court decided this case correctly. Ugly as it is.
Current Mood: 
Conflicted
Conflicted09 February 2011 @ 10:00 am
The Debatable Choir is thinking of recording a CD. If we did, and sold them at more or less cost, would you buy one?
P.S. If you already answered this question on Facebook, please skip it here. I'd like to get a rough guess at the interest.
FWIW, here are some videos from a recent concert. Acoustics weren't good but you get the idea:
P.S. If you already answered this question on Facebook, please skip it here. I'd like to get a rough guess at the interest.
FWIW, here are some videos from a recent concert. Acoustics weren't good but you get the idea:
04 February 2011 @ 08:19 am
This morning on the AEthelmearc list, THL Rowena ni Dhonnchaidh posted a link to a video of a feature TV story on the SCA that was recorded at a Crown Tourney in Concordia of the Snows in 1988. For those who aren't on that list, here's the link.
She says this is part one of four and the rest will be posted as she has time.
diablu in particular will want to watch this, as the opening sequence has him and his late wife Anna standing beside the reporter.
As such things go, it's not bad. A little banal as you would expect, though at least so far the reporter hasn't made outright fun of us. There are typical misspellings - "midevil," really? But for the most part the interviewees were reasonably well-spoken, though I do wish Queen Katherine hadn't bashed medieval food...
As usual, it's sweet and a little bittersweet to look at images of our younger selves.
She says this is part one of four and the rest will be posted as she has time.
diablu in particular will want to watch this, as the opening sequence has him and his late wife Anna standing beside the reporter.As such things go, it's not bad. A little banal as you would expect, though at least so far the reporter hasn't made outright fun of us. There are typical misspellings - "midevil," really? But for the most part the interviewees were reasonably well-spoken, though I do wish Queen Katherine hadn't bashed medieval food...
As usual, it's sweet and a little bittersweet to look at images of our younger selves.
Current Mood: 
thoughtful
thoughtful28 January 2011 @ 12:52 pm
I have been watching Al-Jazeera English's live reports of the riots in Egypt over the Internet. They claim 50,000 protesters are marching in Cairo, 80,000 in a southern city (I missed the name) ([EDIT] apparently Suez, so not southern, eastern) and similar numbers in Alexandria. Mubarak's ruling party HQ is on fire and no one is trying to put it out, which has people worried for the nearby National Museum. Protesters are overturning and torching police vehicles, and the police are completely overwhelmed. Mubarak announced a nation-wide curfew but it's being ignored. The military have now entered the cities, but protesters are purportedly welcoming the military in Alexandria. If it's true, and the military is siding with the protesters, then Mubarak is done for. Nobel Laureate Mohammed El-Baradei is under house arrest after being hit by a water cannon during protests earlier today.
EDIT: Al-Jazeera now reports an unconfirmed story that the military is clashing with police in Cairo, which would seem to confirm the premise that the military is siding with the protesters..
This revolution looks very real, and has the feel to me of past successful revolutions. It has the potential for an enormous shift in the politics of the Middle East, especially when combined the the unrest in other countries including Tunisia, Algeria and Yemen.
EDIT: Al-Jazeera now reports an unconfirmed story that the military is clashing with police in Cairo, which would seem to confirm the premise that the military is siding with the protesters..
This revolution looks very real, and has the feel to me of past successful revolutions. It has the potential for an enormous shift in the politics of the Middle East, especially when combined the the unrest in other countries including Tunisia, Algeria and Yemen.
22 November 2010 @ 09:36 am
For how much money would you be willing to spend a whole week away from the Internet, TV, and mobile phones? Would you suffer withdrawal pains?
It's called Pennsic. Alas, they don't pay me, I pay them.
26 October 2010 @ 02:00 pm
There's a tornado watch until 9pm tonight in Allegheny, Fayette, Greene, Beaver, Forest, Mercer, Venango, Washington and Westmoreland Counties in PA, plus parts of OH, WV, and MD.
This could be exciting.
This could be exciting.
16 September 2010 @ 08:33 pm
Happy Birthday to cayeux !
The big round ones are the scariest, but considering the year you've had, this one should be great!
cayeux ! The big round ones are the scariest, but considering the year you've had, this one should be great!
02 September 2010 @ 11:13 am
As with everyone else, please do not cross-post from my LJ anywhere else. I have a Facebook account, where I post little inconsequential stuff and never, ever, use my children's real names or other identifiers. I also never, ever post anything about my job or much of my personal life. LJ is where I post longer, more thoughtful stuff. Both my LJ and FB accounts have the highest security levels on them, and I like it that way.
Thanks.
Thanks.
29 July 2010 @ 09:45 am
1. Where are you camping?
N10, Polyhymnia, a subset of the Barony-Marche of the Debatable Lands in the middle of the Serengetti. Gate on Cariadoc's Path between Brewer's and Chandler
2. When are you arriving?
Saturday for Land Grab, then going home and returning (with the second load of stuff!) on Sunday Land Grab. There to stay from then on, except for occasional trips home to feed the cats and do laundry.
3. What cool stuff are you doing?
Marshalling youth combat for the first time, serving as a Pennsic University Ambassador, singing in the Debatable Choir concert (Monday Aug. 9 at 8 pm, be there!) and possibly the Pennsic Choir, shooting the Archery War Points, working the AEthelmearc Royal hospitality table for a few shifts, and teaching a calligraphy class on how to fix mistakes on scrolls.
4. What's your SCA name?
Arianna of Wynthrope
N10, Polyhymnia, a subset of the Barony-Marche of the Debatable Lands in the middle of the Serengetti. Gate on Cariadoc's Path between Brewer's and Chandler
2. When are you arriving?
Saturday for Land Grab, then going home and returning (with the second load of stuff!) on Sunday Land Grab. There to stay from then on, except for occasional trips home to feed the cats and do laundry.
3. What cool stuff are you doing?
Marshalling youth combat for the first time, serving as a Pennsic University Ambassador, singing in the Debatable Choir concert (Monday Aug. 9 at 8 pm, be there!) and possibly the Pennsic Choir, shooting the Archery War Points, working the AEthelmearc Royal hospitality table for a few shifts, and teaching a calligraphy class on how to fix mistakes on scrolls.
4. What's your SCA name?
Arianna of Wynthrope
23 July 2010 @ 01:34 pm
Daniel Schorr has died at age 93.
He was one of my heroes. Cantakerous troublemaker that he was, he seems to have done what was right to keep the public informed, especially of government misdeeds, regardless of the cost to himself.
I'll miss your voice on Saturday mornings with Scott Simon, Mr. Schorr. But you know, 93 isn't such a bad run, especially since you clearly kept your intellect and wit right to the end .
He was one of my heroes. Cantakerous troublemaker that he was, he seems to have done what was right to keep the public informed, especially of government misdeeds, regardless of the cost to himself.
I'll miss your voice on Saturday mornings with Scott Simon, Mr. Schorr. But you know, 93 isn't such a bad run, especially since you clearly kept your intellect and wit right to the end .
28 May 2010 @ 02:31 pm
As many of you know, Master Huon Daimbridge of Gode Cookys fame, feast autocrat of many fine events over the past 25 years, was hospitalized for three weeks with a serious infection and complications of diabetes. He is still sick even though they sent him home over a week ago.
This week I found out that, although the hospital gave him prescriptions for 17 different medications before releasing him, he has neither health insurance (for which he does not qualify due to several pre-existing conditions) nor the $800 to purchase those prescriptions. As a result, he hasn't filled a single one. He has no antibiotics, no pain medication, or any other medicines to help him in the long road to recovery.
With Huon’s permission, I am holding a fundraiser this Sunday at Debatable Lands' Barony meeting. We’ll have a box into which you can place donations, and we encourage you to contribute whatever you can.
In addition, one of Master Huon’s apprentices, THL Glynis of the Inn of the Laughing Fox, is donating at least one poster from the new Robin Hood movie starring Russell Crowe. We’ll be raffling off the poster, so bring your cash!
You can also send contributions to Huon directly, by mail. Send me a private message and I can provide his home address.
This is a private fundraiser, not sponsored by the Barony-Marche or the SCA, though the Baron, Baroness and Baronial Seneschale have graciously given permission for it to be held at Barony meeting.
Thank you in advance for your generosity. I look forward to seeing everyone on Sunday.
This week I found out that, although the hospital gave him prescriptions for 17 different medications before releasing him, he has neither health insurance (for which he does not qualify due to several pre-existing conditions) nor the $800 to purchase those prescriptions. As a result, he hasn't filled a single one. He has no antibiotics, no pain medication, or any other medicines to help him in the long road to recovery.
With Huon’s permission, I am holding a fundraiser this Sunday at Debatable Lands' Barony meeting. We’ll have a box into which you can place donations, and we encourage you to contribute whatever you can.
In addition, one of Master Huon’s apprentices, THL Glynis of the Inn of the Laughing Fox, is donating at least one poster from the new Robin Hood movie starring Russell Crowe. We’ll be raffling off the poster, so bring your cash!
You can also send contributions to Huon directly, by mail. Send me a private message and I can provide his home address.
This is a private fundraiser, not sponsored by the Barony-Marche or the SCA, though the Baron, Baroness and Baronial Seneschale have graciously given permission for it to be held at Barony meeting.
Thank you in advance for your generosity. I look forward to seeing everyone on Sunday.
27 May 2010 @ 11:43 am
Recently finished the newest book by my favorite author, Guy Gavriel Kay, "Under Heaven." As usual the plot and characters were intricate and brilliantly rendered, the descriptions vivid and the various subplots complex and interesting with surprising twists. I loved the book... right up until the ending, which I thought fell uncharacteristically flat, like he just got tired or couldn't figure out what to do next. Small alarm bells began sounding in my head about 100 pages from the end as I found myself thinking "OK, he doesn't have much time to resolve this humongous plot twist, how's he going to manage it?" Sigh. That's the first time I've felt let down by GGK. Anyone else on my flist read the book and had that feeling?
Current Mood: 
disappointed
disappointed14 May 2010 @ 04:31 pm
In three words, describe what's currently running through your mind.
Yay! It's Friday!
13 May 2010 @ 01:52 pm
Marian of Edwinstowe, of the Barony of Carolingia, was a fixture in the SCA long before I joined. She was a Lady with a capital "L", warm, kind and caring but with just the right touch of sass and humor. I was saddened to learn that she passed away last night after a long illness.
I only knew Marian slightly, though she was always kind to me. I remember at my first Pennsic, when the Pelican was a relatively new order, and some people who'd received Laurels for service "traded them in" for Pelicans. She was one of the people who did so at that court, held by Gyrth and Melisande. That was in 1978. She later received another Laurel, for her cooking, but a while back she eschewed the title "Mistress" and asked to be addressed simply as "Goodwife." It suited her.
Johan was very close to Marian, having lived in her home/boarding house, the Buttery, for a number of years on and off. Marian was one of the people who ran the Sated Tyger Inn at Pennsic with him. She was one of the cooks and contributed greatly to the menu and organization of the kitchen. She is depicted on the Burdened Tyger scroll that Johan got for the Sated Tyger, along with Elspeth Keyfe and a few others, though Johan himself was not, much to his amusement, Johan always spoke of Marian with enormous fondness. I think she was like another mother to him in some ways. She was always extremely welcoming on the occasions when I visited the Buttery.
Her loss will be felt keenly by a great number of people throughout the SCA. My condolences especially to all her dear friends in Carolingia and the Bridge.
Rest in peace, Marian, and know that you were deeply and widely loved.
Current Mood: sad
sad05 May 2010 @ 03:59 pm
Michael Brown apparently doesn't realize that his 15 days of infamy (as opposed to 15 minutes of fame) were up 4-1/2 years ago.
http://www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/05/05/brown.obama.oil.spill/index.html?hpt=T2
http://www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/05/05/brown.obama.oil.spill/index.html?hpt=T2
Current Mood: annoyed
annoyed28 April 2010 @ 10:52 pm
Recently I was digging through some old photos and found the oldest one I have of myself in the SCA. This is from an East Kingdom Crown Tourney in 1977 at a Boy Scout camp on one of the Finger Lakes, in Thescorre. From left: Anne of the Golden Mantle, Elric of Erewhon, me, Morgan Elandris, and Rosamund Mableswin Entenheales.
I was 19. Man, that was a long time ago.
Oh, and the King and Queen at that Crown were Frederick of Holland, aka Flieg, and Nicorlynn of Caer Wydyr, while the winner of the tourney was Gyrth Oldcastle of Ravenspur fighting for Melisande de Belvoir. It would be Gyrth & Mel's first time on the throne.
Current Mood: 
nostalgic
nostalgic14 April 2010 @ 11:03 pm
Tonight after a trip to the bookstore (as a reward for both kids getting the best grades of the school year so far for the 3rd term), we stopped at McDonalds. The little placard on the tables advertising their hunt for new employees caused the kids to insist that I take a photo and post it to FailBlog. You can see it here.
29 March 2010 @ 10:24 am
Happy Birthday to my apprentice,
lrstrobel ! Big hugs and no birthday smacks (at least, not from me!) :-)Current Mood: 
celebratory
celebratory25 March 2010 @ 10:01 am
I thought this was pretty funny, though the news of threats of violence against Democratic Congressmen who voted for the health care reform bill make it somewhat less so.
If you think you've seen this before, you're probably wrong - just wait for it.
If you think you've seen this before, you're probably wrong - just wait for it.