Ground control to Major Tom: Your circuit's dead. There's something wrong.

May be offline (again) indefinitely. Finances. Bills not being paid. Not real sure what is going on as I am in the dark. Will post as I can (from the library) if the plug is pulled. May be sporadic at best.

All in all it's just another brick in the wall.

Shepherd: Less

I don't want
to hold your hand
I want you
to hold mine
lead me
instead of playing
follow the leader
carry my baggage
be my porter
let me wash the dust
from my faded smile
and rest awhile
take charge
make dinner
leave me be
and let me recharge
or else
the well might run dry
the cabinets emptied
channel surfing
without cable
and where would
you all be then
shepherdless sheep
in a world of wolves

© 2008 by M.Chadwick

Copyright

Hey y'all - just a heads up about posting things (graphics or text). If you have something you would rather not have "borrowed" (for lack of a better word) be sure to put the copyright on it when you post it. i.e. Copyright 2008 by John Doe You can also use the C in the circle - © - in lieu of the word Copyright. This morning I discovered quite a few things of mine (graphics, blog post, poetry) that have been "borrowed" and posted elsewhere. By default, anything you create is automatically copyrighted, but just to be on the safe side, mark it as well.

More info here.

- Rabbit

EDIT: Another thing I was just made aware of by my Attorney - if any of you use Blogger or Blogspot - if you place a disclaimer in the sidebar stating:

All material on this site is Copyright © 2008 by [Your Name] unless otherwise noted. All rights reserved.

it will protect anything you post on your site. You can also go in and adjust the settings on your Blog Posts in Layout and change the automated text that appears after each post to include the Copyright symbol - just be sure you have the date appearing with the Copyright.

i.e.
© 2008 by [Your Name] at 10/06/2008 09:59:00 PM

Bringin' Sexy Back

Yes. I know it's a fake - but it's a pretty good Photoshop, nonetheless and just too fun not to share.

Click on pic for the Full Monty. Obviously Not Work Safe...

Try to be Ugly

I have a piece of paper that has been on my bulletin board since I worked at the paper writing Obituaries that simply says "Try to be Ugly." I made it almost 9 years ago because of the story below. I have searched and searched for years trying to find the story again to no avail - until today. It came at the most needed time because I have been in a very UGLY mood lately - and not in the sense of this story. It's a doozy. Grab a tissue. But it's too good of a story not to share and pass along.

- Rabbit

p.s. It's a bit graphic, too, so probably not the best to read while dining.

--------------------------------

Everyone in the apartment complex I lived in knew who Ugly was. Ugly was the resident tomcat. Ugly loved three things in this world: fighting, eating garbage, and, shall we say, love.

The combination of these things combined with a life spent outside had their effect on Ugly. To start with, he had only one eye and where the other should have been was a gaping hole. He was also missing his ear on the same side, his left foot appeared to have been badly broken at one time, and had healed at an unnatural angle, making him look like he was always turning the corner. His tail has long age been lost, leaving only the smallest stub, which he would constantly jerk and twitch.

Ugly would have been a dark grey tabby, striped-type, except for the sores covering his head, neck, even his shoulders with thick, yellowing scabs. Every time someone saw Ugly there was the same reaction. "That's one UGLY cat!!"

All the children were warned not to touch him, the adults threw rocks at him, hosed him down, squirted him when he tried to come in their homes, or shut his paws in the door when he would not leave. Ugly always had the same reaction. If you turned the hose on him, he would stand there, getting soaked until you gave up and quit. If you threw things at him, he would curl his lanky body around feet in forgiveness.

Whenever he spied children, he would come running, meowing frantically and bump his head against their hands, begging for their love. If you ever picked him, up he would immediately begin suckling on your shirt, earrings, whatever he could find.

One day Ugly shared his love with the neighbor's huskies. They did not respond kindly, and Ugly was badly mauled. From my apartment I could hear his screams, and I tried to rush to his aid. By the time I got to where he was laying, it was apparent Ugly's sad life was almost at an end.

Ugly lay in a wet circle, his back legs and lower back twisted grossly out of shape, a gaping tear in the white strip of fur that ran down his front. As I picked him up and tried to carry him home, I could hear him wheezing and gasping, and could feel him struggling. It must be hurting him terribly, I thought.

Then I felt a familiar tugging, sucking sensation on my ear. Ugly, in so much pain, suffering and obviously dying, was trying to suckle my ear. I pulled him closer to me, and he bumped the palm of my hand with his head, then he turned his one golden eye towards me, and I could hear the distinct sound of purring. Even in the greatest pain, that ugly battled-scarred cat was asking only for a little affection, perhaps some compassion.

At that moment I thought Ugly was the most beautiful, loving creature I had ever seen. Never once did he try to bite or scratch me, or even try to get away from me, or struggle in any way. Ugly just looked up at me completely trusting in me to relieve his pain.

Ugly died in my arms before I could get inside, but I sat and held him for a long time afterwards, thinking about how one scarred, deformed little stray could so alter my opinion about what it means to have true pureness of spirit, to love so totally and truly. Ugly taught me more about giving and compassion than a thousand books, lectures, or talk show specials ever could, and for that I will always be thankful. He had been scarred on the outside, but I was scarred on the inside, and it was time for me to move on and learn to love truly and deeply. To give my total to those I cared for.

Many people want to be richer, more successful, well liked, beautiful, but for me, I will always try to be Ugly.

~Author Unknown

When Peanut Butter Attacks

H.S. student charged with assault on severely allergic classmate

-A Washington man is facing an assault charge for allegedly smearing peanut butter on the forehead of a fellow student who is severely allergic to peanuts. Joshua Hickson, 19, slathered on the peanut butter after he learned of the victim's allergy while both were at lunch last month in Wenatchee High School. According to a Wenatchee Police Department report, Hickson took a peanut butter and jelly sandwich from another student and twice "wiped some of the inside contents" on the forehead of the victim, who did not suffer an allergic reaction as a result of the September 8 incident. When interviewed by police, Hickson admitted smearing the peanut butter on his classmate, but "claimed that he didn't think anything would happen." As first reported by the Wenatchee World, Officer Steve Evitt noted in his report that the "incident turned out to be fairly innocuous, but could have been fatal." If convicted of the misdemeanor charge Hickson faces a maximum of one year in jail and a $5000 fine.

-----------------

Now - while I know how serious this could have been, having severe food allergies myself, I couldn't help but to laugh. What kind of jackass attacks someone with their edibles??? Just fuckin' punch 'em in the face, dude. Don't waste your snack.

Cheers

I'm tired of being
Everything
I don't want to be
Anything
Martyr Goddess
Diva Superman
Glorified Nigger
Friend and Foe
I don't want to be
Raging like Dylan
in the dark
Plathesque
I'm tired of being
Miss Vida Standing
Chelsea's death
Mother's Failure
Grandma's pride
Fuck it
I.
Am.
Tired.
I want to shut the fuck up
and go sit down somewhere
I want to be
not nice
not pretty
not dazed
not me
Hell in a handbasket
on a midnight train to Georgia
I'm tired of being
a thousand me's
for a thousand you's
Fuck.
It.
(And fuck you, too)

(c) 2008 by M.Chadwick

Yes. You.

Blessed Be and Be Gone

I am God
of my universe
I am Earth Mother
to a thousand children
of love and darkness
I am Kali
to your bullshit
I am Aprodite
to your northward
pointing
lust
I am the Green Man
to fields of creativity
I dance in the Dark
I howl at the Moon
I scream at the Make Believe
all the while you
there
hiding
behind your warm fuzziness
like a mold
a fungus
a moss
covering your own life
suffocating
condemning mine
which you haven't the right
to consider
and to this i simply say
Blessed.
Be.
and
Be.
Gone.

© 2008 by M.Chadwick

Farewell to Summer

Wow. What a summer it has been. At the beginning of the season, we were still living over at the other house. The dogs were still alive and well. K was working at the new place. All seemed well. And then the bottom fell out. Lost the house. Lost the dogs. Lost the job. We were literally living on the street. Scraping together whatever coin we could beg, steal or borrow. Staying nights at an all night diner. Staying days at the public library. What a fucking summer. Then we got this place. K has a job that though she doesn't like, she at least goes to on a (somewhat) regular basis. Magic Gumbo has the prospects of taking off (finally). Rent is cheap. Bills are low. Money is coming in. I still need to find a "real job" as I don't make enough to really flick a booger at and would like some form of real security. But perhaps it is all coming together.

I am looking to move back home to New Orleans either in January or June of next year. Will just depend on the finances. I think once I am able to do that I will feel much more complete. While I am not complaining about being here - it's a roof over my head - with Roscoe and the Boys gone, I am so lost that I don't really know what to do with myself. Working at home with them around was not unnerving like it is now. They have been gone three and a half months now, and I still catch myself talking to them - or turning around to tell them something - and, of course, they are not here. So I look forward to seeing New Orleans again. Home. More to do. More work to work. More things to keep myself occupied.

For the first time in a long time, with the changing of Seasons, I am actually looking forward to what the future has in store. I think I have paid my dues. Done my penance. Survived my suffering.

It's time to look to the light and embrace it. Grow. Live. Laugh. And who knows, perhaps even love.

Here's to the future. Cheers!

Equinox: The Sun from Solstice to Solstice

CLICK PHOTO FOR LARGER IMAGE

Explanation: Today is an equinox, a date when day and night are equal. Tomorrow, and every day until the next equinox, the night will be longer than the day in Earth's northern hemisphere, and the day will be longer than the night in Earth's southern hemisphere. An equinox occurs midway between the two solstices, when the days and nights are the least equal. The picture is a composite of hourly images taken of the Sun above Bursa, Turkey on key days from solstice to equinox to solstice. The bottom Sun band was taken during the winter solstice in 2007 December, when the Sun could not rise very high in the sky nor stay above the horizon very long. This lack of Sun caused winter. The top Sun band was taken during the summer solstice in 2008 June, when the Sun rose highest in the sky and stayed above the horizon for more than 12 hours. This abundance of Sun caused summer. The middle band was taken during the Vernal Equinox in 2008 March, but it is the same sun band that Earthlings will see today, the day of the Autumnal Equinox.

[Borrowed from: Astronomy Picture of the Day]