Huh?

Performing with Ishtar this Thursday at YIV

mirvana — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 16:20:43 GMT

Join Ishtar as they play the classics of bellydance with a surf rock edge! Featured dancers are Mavi Kamani (that's me!). 8:30pm Doors/9pm Show $5 cover in the Back Lounge---the flier is wrong! BYOB for a nominal corking fee, or enjoy any of the fine coffees, teas, desserts, and appetizers from the menu.

Finally!

mirvana — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 18:17:43 GMT

Went to Maria's Intermediate dance class at her new Boheme studio in Bellvue last night and got my butt kicked thoroughly. I was long overdue for a butt-kickin' the likes of which can only be had by going to Maria's class. She changed up her warmup routine a bit, but the drills were similar to those we worked on the last time I went to her class in Squill. Lots of technique and layering. I didn't realize how desperately I missed going to bellydance class until last night. It might have been almost a year since the last time I went to class. The good thing about having taken such a long break is that I'm very motivated now to get back into it and stick with it for a while.

Attn: Airsofters

mirvana — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 21:38:24 GMT

www.darkthreads.com is live, and the forums are operational! Check them out here: http://www.darkthreads.com/forums.htm There is even an off-topic section for those who just want to chat about costuming and other stuff. Look for new products next week sometime. We will be offering the best military and tactical equipment that we can find, and everything is thoroughly field-tested so we can tell you all about it. I'll be posting product reviews and announcements to the blog, http://www.darkthreads.com/blog.htm when I can. If you would like to be a contributor to the DarkThreads blog, let me know.

Congrats Lady Melissa!...and persona development

mirvana — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 16:21:51 GMT

Belated congrats to Melissa who received an AoA from Aethelmearc at Pennsic this year. I didn't get a chance to mention it because I was dealing with all the PITA stuff, and work, and more work.... but anyhoo, she earned it many times over. She now ranks as my #1 favorite noble. Come to think of it, I have a lot of friends with pointy hats, mostly Barons/Baronesses of either the land or court variety, not to mention all the folks I know who hold offices, like herald or seneschal, and those with Laurels and such in the SCA. Why am I not yet "on the books" so to speak? Hm, I guess I'm just a slacker. In my 12 years of playing this game, I've never even bothered to officially join the SCA. Well Stefan's interested in fighting and wants to join membership, so perhaps I'll become "official" too. My Persona: This has been a long work in progress, but each year I go to Pennsic, I get inspired and develop more of a story around why I am there. Mavi Kemani - has only vague memories of parents and a home. She is not sure exactly where she came from or how old she is. When she was very young, she was sent on a sea voyage to an arranged marriage, perhaps, or maybe to study at a convent...but her ship was intercepted by corsairs, and she was sold to the Topkapi palace to become an odalisque. She was named Mavi because of her blue eyes, and her blue disposition. In the harem, she was trained as a musician and showed aptitude for playing the Keman, or violin, hence the name "Kemani." However, life in the harem was not for her. While attempting to escape the confines of the palace, she ran into a peculiar man who called himself, simply "The Doctor." He helped her escape, and gave her a device that enables her to travel through time and the universe. Since then she has had many incredible adventures and she tends to emulate many of the customs and cultures that she has seen on her travels.

Next show with Patricia Wake:

mirvana — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 19:35:31 GMT

Oct. 4 at Pegasus Android Lust, Margin of Error, Debutante, and Patricia Wake 8 pm, all ages $12 advance/ $15 at door More info: djheim@hotmail.com

You folks are awesome

mirvana — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 18:46:41 GMT

So many people have expressed their condolences for PITA---he would have loved all the attention. Thanks. It's a bit lonely without him, but the other kitties have upped their demand for attention in his absence and they be buggin'! But I guess you'll have that. Stef wants to get another kitty, and I totally understand that because the girls (Misty and Bella) are pretty much "mine." He used to have his own cat, Irwin---a rambunctious Siamese---which he gave over to a friend when he moved into a tiny studio apartment. However, I want the girls and I to have enough of an adjustment period before the feline dynamics change again. In other news, we are placing orders with vendors right now and we should have some products up in our Web store very soon. Check it out - http://www.darkthreads.com/ is live!

In Loving Memory of...

mirvana — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 21:47:38 GMT

PITA, the Greatest of All Feline Companions 1994(?) - 2008 May he rest in peace. He is survived by his human caregiver of 12 years, Mavi Kemani, who tried to give him a rich and fulfilling life. PITA was a very loving, affectionate, and amiable cat. He liked hanging out with people, and he got along pretty well with his other feline housemates. He liked being the center of attention, and he was the life of the party. He even got to hang out with rockstars. He had a great sense of humor, moreso than any cat I've ever known. He was always making me laugh. I could tell so many stories about his antics...he was a great comfort to me through the worst of times. It is indeed the end of an era for me. I will miss him so much. Much thanks to those friends who have already shared their condolences.

Sad

mirvana — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 20:37:58 GMT

I'm taking PITA to the vet tomorrow, for the long dirt nap...

Sadness

mirvana — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 18:58:00 GMT

PITA is telling me that it's time for him to go. Very soon.

Back from Pennsic

mirvana — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 02:13:26 GMT

9 days since I last touched the Internet, watched TiVo, or had a decent shower. 192 messages in my inbox. 22 tweets. Who knows how many flist entries? I didn't take even one photo. Oh well. See photos from last year. I accomplished pretty much what I wanted to do at Pennsic this year. Not much, actually. I watched "Pennsic TV"---the Lake Channel, a lot. There are a lot of interesting things on the lake channel: fish, frogs, birds, bats, rain, clouds, etc. I went to music class a couple times. I shopped. I spent too much money on a pair of killer boots. I danced at a party until I felt hot and uncomfortable. I played my violin with Patricia Wake a lot. I tested my limits for eating, drinking, and staying up late. Sadly, each year, my threshold for such activities gets lower. It sucks getting old. It was really nice seeing everyone at Pennsic, even if it was only for a few minutes. I was especially surprised and thrilled to see [info]aminafiddler. You go girl! Melissa the clarinet chick's music class RAWKED! I only went to the two melody-focused days, and it was like a rollercoaster ride of fun (for me as a musician). We worked on some of the more complex, challenging pieces that you don't typically hear around the campfire, and I bought her book. I am impressed with all the hard work she put into it. She is awesome. It was also especially fun to play with a large group of other melody musicians. One day, we had six violins and a double bass in the string section! My 12x12 mitered corner pavilion with awning from Four Seasons Tentmasters performed incredibly well through rain, wind, and mud. I highly recommend their products, and they provide excellent service. All the other stuff I brought worked out well, too, and it all fit into the car in one load!!! Will be revising pennsic pack list for next year accordingly. The new Japanese garb RAWKED. Will be making more. Weather was very good this year. Not too much rain, a few hot days, a few cold nights. It doesn't get better. I was concerned that boyfriend would hate it, but he said he had a good time. I think he's hooked. :) Jumped in the shower within minutes of walking through the door. OMG. Hot water. Shampoo. Ahhhhhhh. Pedicure is in my future. The only bad thing about coming home today was finding that PITA's ear mass has turned into a very large lump on the side of his head and neck. I was alarmed by how quickly it blew up like that. Will be taking him to the vet ASAP. He might not last as long as we hoped. I'm very sad about this...and I have a lot of catching up with real life to do in the next few days. It's gonna suck.

This Wednesday at YIV: Pennsic Edition

mirvana — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 15:09:08 GMT

If the weather's not too poopy on Wednesday, I might just show up at YIV: Pennsic Edition to hear Ishtar play. I might even bring my fiddle just in case there's an oppty to sit in and play a few tunes. It's been a while and I'm rusty on the M.E. songs, but hopefully its just like riding a bike...and I miss hangin' out with Melissa.

Origins Game Faire, Columbus OH

mirvana — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 22:25:22 GMT

I had a good time. I was in the TerrorWerks simulation most of yesterday, and I got to play a bunch of different NPCs. I didn't get to play marine again, but at least I put on all my gear and walked around the con for a bit. Did some shopping. Found all the Babylon 5 RPG books for $5 each and figured, wthn? So now we might do a Bab5 game. It is a universe I am more familiar with, anyway. If it weren't for TerrorWerks, I don't know if I would be into this. I'm way behind the times on the whole gaming thing. I played D&D avidly about 20 years ago. I played a little Robotech, Dragonlance, etc. It looks like most of the attendees spent hours at the gaming tables. At a con, I'd rather be dressed up as a character, physically moving around. That being said, I'm incredibly sore from my exertions yesterday. I'm sure I canceled out any benefits from the exercise with copious amounts of food and beer this week. Travelog: Columbus, OH Speaking of which, there are a lot of nice restaurants in the downtown Columbus area, but not a lot of fast food or convenience stores. The more trendy places seem to be clustered around High St. and the Arena District---both nice places to walk around. It's a college town, but perhaps a more high-brow one with lots of high-end boutique stores and such. Last night, we went to a Cthulhu Live LARP: Flight of the Valkyrie---a 1930s German airship. I would have enjoyed it much more if I weren't so tired. This was my first time actually playing Cthulhu Live; I read all the books, but didn't know what to expect. The character they gave me was very appropriate for me and easy for me to play, being a first-timer. I was an actress/former Burlesque performer, looking to further her career, so basically, I had an excuse to flirt with everyone in the game and be the center of attention. However, I started to run out of steam about mid-way through, and decided that my character, in light of the circumstances, would probably get "drunk." (We had no actual alcoholic beverages at the venue; I had to pretend "drunk".) So I "passed out" on the bar. At least, I made a good distraction. We were all gonna die anyway. ;) I'll post more photos later.

A few photos from Origins...

mirvana — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 17:09:46 GMT

Last night, we suited up for a dress runthrough. Come see us at Origins Game Faire! Terrorwerks is running 9am-7pm every day, ballroom 1, across from registration, Greater Columbus Convention Center. http://www.myspace.com/terrorwerks http://www.myspace.com/mgpairsoft

Little Houdini

mirvana — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 14:40:17 GMT

So last night he started rubbing the bad ear again, so much that it started bleeding, but this time not a lot. Just enough to make me wrap his head up in bandages and put the collar back on. He showed his discontent by laying on the floor like a beached whale and staring daggers at me, and then I went to bed. Sure enough, this morning, the collar and bandage are off and nowhere to be found. The ear's not bleeding, though. I called his regular vet and he doesn't have any appointments open today or tomorrow, but he is recommending a wound care plan that sounds reasonable. And if there is another emergency, I think I'm going to try taking him to EVets in Monroeville. They are a little closer to home.

PITA emergency

mirvana — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 00:16:07 GMT

Last night, I had already gone to bed when Stef came up and told me I need to come down and see PITA right away...PITA was on the couch acting as if nothing was unusual, and he wasn't in any visibile pain, but his ear (the one with the problem) was bleeding profusely, all over the couch. That was around midnight. I tried to stop the bleeding by applying pressure, but it wouldn't stop. We ended up taking him to PVSEC. On the way there, I prepared myself for the worst. I was thinking that we wouldn't be bringing him back. I was afraid that he wouldn't make it there. I just wanted him to last long enough so that I could hug him and say goodbye, but we got him there in time and they immediately took him away and kept him behind closed doors for like a couple hours...there were several other people in the waiting room. It wasn't unlike a people ER waiting room, where everyone has a grim face. We were waiting there long enough to see one family go in with a sick pet in arms, and then come out with a cardboard box, and a little girl crying. It was agonizing, sitting there the whole time thinking that I might have to bring PITA home in a box (it would have to be a pretty big box). I wasn't prepared for what happens next. The vet finally meets with us and says that PITA is stable. She says that he should stay overnight so they could monitor him, and then he could get re-evaluated for surgery in the morning when the surgeons are in. I told her that we already decided we didn't want to go through with the surgery, so I asked if bringing him home was an option. It was the only option, financially, because the low estimate for keeping him there was $545, and the high end (if he needed to stay an extra day or two) was $1k. It was $193 to take him home with a bandage and an e-collar. I'm just glad that I didn't have to make a decision like, get the surgery now so he can live, or have him put down right then and there. It was after 4 am when we finally got home. And I guess some would think it cruel of me to bring him home, with his quality of life now comprimised as it is, but let me tell you---he was so glad to get home. He reacted violently to having the collar on at first, and he banged around in his carrier in the car on the way home, but after we got home and I gave him a can of food, he wolfed it down and then he calmed down quite a bit. We got through the night without any mishaps, and he seems to be doing ok now, although he's very wobbly, and not so hot at navigating around the house with a big plastic funnel on his head. I was hoping that when it was time, he would let me know, but it's more complicated than that. To me, it seems that he wants to live, he loves his life, and he wants to be with me. I don't know what to do at this point. Stef and I are leaving for Origins Tuesday evening, and we've already put some money into this trip and it's an important networking opportunity for our new business, and well at least he has to be there. He would have to take the car (or rent one), so I'd be without a car, and I really don't want to miss it anyway. I've been looking forward to going for some time now. I feel selfish and guilty for wanting to leave PITA in someone else's care. That someone else would have to be my mom, for lack of any other options, and she is going to give me hella plenty for this one. Best case: I take the bandage off on Monday, there isn't anymore bleeding, and he gets through next week without incident. I'm going to try and take him to his regular vet in White Oak before we leave and discuss the long term care options. I don't want to take him back to PVSEC because I just can't afford it, and I don't want to think about the worst case.

PITA update

mirvana — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 15:14:11 GMT

I took PITA to a surgical specialist yesterday, and after considering all of our options I have decided to do nothing. The bottom line is that surgery probably won't make that much of a difference in the quality or length of his life, and he's doing really well now and doesn't seem to be in pain, so I don't want to put him through the trauma (and I don't want to spend $1700 for nothing). The growth in his ear could be a benign pollyp(sp?), in which case, it might irritate him, but it won't kill him. However, the vet leans more toward the other possibility that it is a malignent tumor, in which case, there is no guarantee that surgery would be curative. If they go in and see any bone damage, he's done-for anyway. He is 14. PITA may have a few months or a few years left, and surgery isn't going to change that. I would rather just keep him comfortable for as long as possible. Anyway, it was worth going to PVSEC for the consultation. I would go there again. The place is huge and looks like a hospital for people, not animals. Very professional looking, and they have an ER.

ART ALL NIGHT!

mirvana — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 13:51:37 GMT

Art All Night is a grassroots event staged by an all-volunteer crew. A joyful celebration of the arts and community, the show grows in popularity each year, bringing thousands of people from all over the region into Lawrenceville. Last year, Art All Night Lawrenceville featured work by 850 artists and was attended by over 7,000 guests. www. artallnight. com Date: April 26-27, 2008 Time: 6 p.m. Saturday to 2 p.m. Sunday Location: former Roomfull Express Warehouse # 2 57th Street in Lawrenceville our largest space ever! Patricia Wake and I will be performing on Sunday at 11 am.

Art All Night!

mirvana — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 14:27:35 GMT

PW and I will be there performing on Sunday at 11 am! Yay! More details to be forthcoming.

Gateway to the West

mirvana — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 00:44:49 GMT

Saint Louis was not bad. It reminds me a lot of Pittsburgh in many ways. I didn't have time to do much touristy stuff, but AJ and Andrew from YIV will appreciate this one: I found three Toynbee tiles while I was walking around downtown, on 8th near the baseball stadium.

BIG SHOW this Saturday!

mirvana — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 03:00:11 GMT

DON'T FORGET: It's gonna be lots of gothy fun goodness this Saturday, April 5, with Voltaire, Ego Likeness, Chuck Owsten & Bonfire Night, and Patricia Wake (feat. yours truly on violin) at Pegasus...and Ceremony afterwards and in between with the Nightshift DJs. All for the mere price of $15 at the door ($12 advance), and 18+! Doors at 8 pm. Don't miss it!!!

SubShock compilation CD

mirvana — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 20:30:42 GMT

PW sent one of our tracks to be on a SubShock compilation, and if you make a pledge to SubShock this Sunday at 10 pm, you can get that CD with our track on it! WOO! Subculture Shock, WNRN Charlottesville, Virginia, 22903 http://subshock.livejournal.com http://myspace.com/subcultureshock http://wnrn.org Correction to my previous post... The numbers to make a pledge are 434 979 0919 or Toll Free 1 877 967 6762. You can listen on wnrn. org if you're outside of Virginia, and the show is from 10pm-Midnight this sunday.

This Wed.: Vagabonds for Change

mirvana — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 17:57:23 GMT

PW and I will be performing a short set at YIV tomorrow night. Kicks off around 7 pm. We will also have tickets for the Voltaire/Ego Likeness show (April 5 at Pegasus) on us, if you would like to get the advance price. *** YIV is hosting a rally with Western PA for Obama on Wednesday March 26 beginning at 7pm. There will be food & drink, music and info about the campaign. With performances by Phat Man Dee Bellydance by Amethyst & Natasha Buddy Nutt Patrica Wake more TBA Come on out and support change!

Next show: Voltaire, Ego Likeness, Bonfire Night, and Patricia Wake

mirvana — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 23:10:27 GMT

Saturday, April 5 @Pegasus Tickets are available at: Paul's, Eide's, Dave's, Slacker, Wicked Discs, and The Exchange Sq Hill. Also from Jim @ Ceremony.

MegaCon: the full report...

mirvana — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 15:17:31 GMT

...can be found here - http://mirvana.livejournal.com/512311.html ---and here---http://mirvana.vox.com/library/post/megacon-orlando-fl-1.html Plus, photos uploaded to the flickr blog here---http://www.flickr.com/photos/mirvana/sets/72157604094695848/

Tonight at YIV

mirvana — Sun, 02 Mar 2008 21:25:57 GMT

Last night was awesome. Baby Dee and her ensemble were awesome. The sound in the music hall was awesome. I was impressed with the creativity and passion in her music. The harp and piano sounded beautiful. The supporting ensemble filled the hall with heavenly sound. I thoroughly enjoyed the performance and I'm glad I could see her live. Another unexpected surprise was that the show was MCd by Phat Mandee. I was also glad to see some familiar faces and friends in the audience. More awesomeness to be had at YIV, tonight. Show starts at 7 pm with Otantik, featuring none other than the bewitching Melissa of Ishtar, and special guest, Carmine from NYC, and one other (forgive me I don't know the name of the third piece), and Buddy Nutt---singer-songwriter multi-instrumentalist---and his bag of tricks. PW and I will be there. Should be fun. 4130 Butler St., Lawrenceville. There's usually plenty of parking and it's worth coming out just for the authentic Turkish coffee and sweets, IMO.