Oh noh

The dead letter project.....

SwirlJames — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 14:00:59 GMT

What would you write if you were dead? Some interesting answers.... http://www.thedeadletter.com/read.html

I'm off....

SwirlJames — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 14:05:23 GMT

Gone, vamooshed, flew the coop, ambulatory, errant, incognito, itinerant, locomotive, migranting, nomadic, perambulatory, peripatetic, portable, traveling, commuting, excursioning, expeditioning, peregrination, on pilgrimage, on safari, wanderlusting, cruising, covering ground, exploreing, out on a jaunt, journeying, junketing, annual breeding migration, moving, mushing, life passage taking, proceeding in a playa-ish direction, rambling, slow riding, roaming, run on empty, sightseeing, on sojourn, touring, traversing the gap, treking, far out tripping, visiting friends, voyaging, walking, wander, wend... to Burning Man!!! I'll be rambling between ESD Fire camp (3:00 and C), Club Verboten (4:30 and E), Kidsville (5:30 and Dart), ESD Medic Camp (9:00 and C), and where ever else the winds take me....

Why.....

SwirlJames — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 16:39:30 GMT

...is a secret so important.... ..that someone will die..... ...to keep it a secret?....

Good quote...

SwirlJames — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 00:45:27 GMT

"Beyond a critical point within a finite space, freedom diminishes as numbers increase. This is as true of humans in the finite space of a planetary ecosystem as it is of gas molecule in a sealed flask. The human question is not how many can possibly survive within the system, but what kind of existence is possible for those who survive"

When patent searches go wrong....

SwirlJames — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 00:43:00 GMT

Apparently, english is now optional on US patents...... Title: Pleasure promotive sexual drive United States Patent 6866645 Abstract: The pleasure promotive sexual device includes a mechanism assembly composed mechanical devices including a motor. When the motor is activated, an extension shaft in the mechanism assembly is interlocked for impelling a dildo provided at the front end thereof and for further automatic mechanical movements of stretching and contracting back and forth, and pleasure of a certain extent is achieved for the wife followed by that provided by the husband. Therefore both the husband and wife are able to easily come to orgasms, thus relatively flavoring lives of and building happy families married couples.

Sunshine and fire trucks...

SwirlJames — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 14:49:26 GMT

A perk of summer...

Famous Burners of History....

SwirlJames — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 14:03:06 GMT

In 1667, after the Cossacks had the defeated his army in battle, the Sultan Mehmed IV sends this letter...... "As the Sultan; son of Muhammad; brother of the Sun and Moon; grandson and viceroy of God; ruler of the kingdoms of Macedonia, Babylon, Jerusalem, Upper and Lower Egypt; emperor of emperors; sovereign of sovereigns; extraordinary knight, never defeated; steadfast guardian of the tomb of Jesus Christ; trustee chosen by God himself; the hope and comfort of Muslims; confounder and great defender of Christians—I command you, the Zaporozhian Cossacks, to submit to me voluntarily and without any resistance, and to desist from troubling me with your attacks." To this, the Cossacks historic reply; "You, turkish devil and damned devil's brother and friend, secretary to Lucifer himself. What the devil kind of knight are you, that can't slay a hedgehog with his naked arse? The devil shits, and your army eats. You will not, you son of a bitch, make subjects of Christian sons; we've no fear of your army, by land and by sea we will battle with thee, fuck your mother. You Babylonian scullion, Macedonian wheelwright, brewer of Jerusalem, goat-fucker of Alexandria, swineherd of Greater and Lesser Egypt, Armenian pig, Podolian thief, catamite of Tartary, hangman of Kamyanets, and fool of all the world and underworld, an idiot before God, grandson of the Serpent, and the crick in our dick. Pig's snout, mare's arse, slaughterhouse cur, unchristened brow, screw your own mother! So the Zaporozhians declare, you lowlife. You won't even be herding Christian pigs. Now we'll conclude, for we don't know the date and don't own a calendar; the moon's in the sky, the year in the book, the day's the same over here as it is over there; for this kiss our arse!" .......I'll bet these guys knew how to party!

Back from Florida....

SwirlJames — Fri, 16 May 2008 20:59:51 GMT

Back from Florida... D has full blown stage 4 colon cancer, but she was in remarkable shape and was cave diving like a crazy woman (gotta admire her bravery and strength). Her only minor nod to the winters worth of chemo was to allow me to be dive-sherpa for her and carry her double tanks and heavy gear up hills. She has a new oncologist who gave her a 2 year timeline. So, she is determined to spend the rest of her life (such as it is) doing things that she really enjoys and wanted to finish before she goes. Cave diving and finishing a couple of research topics are top of her list. I'm wondering what I would be doing if I'd been given a two year lifespan.

Trip to Florida...

SwirlJames — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 23:06:57 GMT

Fyre and I are heading to Florida for a trip. Tripwise, this one has the makings of one of the most memorable in my life. But not for the right reasons. Fyre's best friend D, is heading to Florida to do some cave and cavern diving with her guy. We're going to join them. D is an amazing person. She is stunningly beautiful 45 year old with a gorgeous body, possessing bright eyes that shine when she talks, and an adventurous spirit and the incredible sharp mind of a trained lawyer and a bilingual french antiquities scholar. Pretty amazing, huh? She is however, terminally ill with colon cancer. This may be the last time we see her.

Fantasies....

SwirlJames — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 19:05:07 GMT

A friend confided a really juicy sex fantasy to me a little while ago, and it piqued my interest in my own fantasy world. I noticed that I haven't really had a "holy fuck, if I think about that I will come in my pants" fantasy in a couple of months. Usually I have a bunch of those running around in my head, ready to call to action. Not wanting to co-opt anyone elses, I have gone in search of some of my own. I dunno though. It is kind of almost counterproductive at this point because the more I want to have a fantasy of my very own, the harder it seems to get one. I'm sure that there are dozens of new ones that I can find, but right now I'm pulling out the old ones like dirty shirts from the laundry pile and checking each of them to see if I can wear that one, but they are all old and stale and I'm kind of jaded on them. WTF? Cause I'm limiting myself too. I mean, the dog is looking at me with loving eyes, but I won't go there. That is the kind of fantasy that I just don't wanna sell myself on. I'm gonna go now... (BTW, the dog is safe)

Full moons and Eclipses....

SwirlJames — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 15:56:34 GMT

I loved the eclipse last night..... The moon was perfectly visible for once in our normally grey skies. It was wonderful to see the moon shining brilliantly, then slowly seeing the shadow of the earth creep across the face of the moon. I love how the full eclipse changes the moon to a wonderful orange. The question of the night....So if werewolves come out during a full moon, do they revert back to human form during the eclipse and then back when the eclipse ends?

tpyos

SwirlJames — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 13:04:41 GMT

I make a horrendous amount of typing mistakes when I type. On my old laptop, I got used to the keyboard and there was a delete key perfectly placed so that my third finger would automatically correct my mistakes as I made them. I could type at 40 words per minute and delete the twenty or so typos at the same time. Sadly, my new lptop has no delete key and so to caually correct my simtake takes a lot more work that it used to, interuppting the flow of my typing. So, my typos will stay and i will blog with thym until I get used to the new keyboard. Besides, I'm enjoying the new words that I make up. And google always suggests what it was that I was looking when I make a typo anywya...

Perimeter at the burn...

SwirlJames — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 02:59:50 GMT

There is a thread on tribe voicing concerns about the collapse zone of the 2008 pavillion... http://bm.tribe.net/thread/0f55fe26-9a11-4a61-8e70-b98a366c69ce I can remember getting the briefing from the ESD officer the night of my first burn and working the inner zone as a firefighter at the burn of the man.... I recall it being something like...."let the rangers do the perimeter, and don't stop anyone from getting too close to the fire, just let them know about the hazards that might be around, and be there to help them out if they get in trouble....and stay safe..." Most amazing safety briefing I ever had in 16 years of firefighting... In 2007, the crowd got really close, pressing into the fire. In my turnout gear, I was fine, but the heat of the flame was causing everyone to winch as the heat seared their skin. An absolutely stunningly beautiful asian girl was being pushed too close to the fire as the crowd circled around. She was smaller than the other rowdy milling crowd and looked like a leaf being pushed into the heat and flames of the burn. As the flow of the crowd came around, she looked in my eyes in panic and swirled into the eddy of my shadow. She took shelter in my heat shade as the crowd swirled around us. I opened my jacket and she tucked herself into my chest. We stayed that way for what seemed five minutes or so....the crowd racing around...my buddy grinning away beside me...and I just enjoyed the absolute beauty of the moment... We were called back to our staging point and I helped her get outside the inner swirling circle of people. She gave me a big hug, and a thank you. She then gave me a wonderful kiss and disappeared into the night. I love working the Burn.

Dive Master...

SwirlJames — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 01:33:35 GMT

I'm in the Cayman Islands for New Years...and a bit beyond. On a whim, I decided to get my PADI DiveMaster certification. I've been SCUBA diver for many, many years...but I figured that it was time that I started doing something new other than just jumping in the water and doing goofy stuff. Maybe there is a career change in it, who knows. I could hack being a guy who gets to dive three or four times a day and get paid for it, especially where the main occupational hazard is sunburn and bikini lock (a condition where you can't stop looking at certain part of a bikini). So, it has actually been some hard work. I've really enjoyed taking the Divemaster training. There is a crapload of information that I need to know for the exams, and while I enjoy gaining knowledge, there is still little pressure to make a good show on the exams. I really have enjoyed the teaching, diving and the social side after all the diving stuff have been done. I've done about 20 dives in the last 10 days, and I've seen a ton of really interesting undersea creatures, including sea turtles, sharks, rays, eels, and lots of lovely little fishies. I really love the feeling of relaxation i get at about 40 feet and beyond, my back just releases and the tension fades and I can just float... It's been beautiful here on Grand Cayman, with today being a rest day from all the diving. I sat by the pool, caught some sun and studied. Nice life.

Writing...

SwirlJames — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 23:23:02 GMT

Shit, I haven't been writing in such a long time, I wonder if I can get back to it. So, I've either not needed the release that writing gives me, or I have been sitting on stuff and not letting it out. It has definitely been the latter (former and latter have always fucked me up, englishy is a 'tupid languagey). Anyhow, time to start writing, I'd say.

I started with such hope

SwirlJames — Sun, 11 Nov 2007 23:11:19 GMT

Tonight, I started with such hope... Perhaps tonight, I would make a Squash Mulligatawny soup that would bring about world peace.... Alas, I sit here eating a bowl, and there is still lots of conflict in the world. Disappointment. Maybe I was hoping for too much. Still, it is a darn good bowl of soup. Maybe the chicken pilaf will....

Word of the day...

SwirlJames — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 14:50:38 GMT

at·a·rax·i·a [at-uh-rak-see-uh] –noun a state of freedom from emotional disturbance and anxiety; tranquillity. Now that would be a cool name for a theme camp....

Philosophy 101

SwirlJames — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 15:52:21 GMT

"You are the hero of your own story. Make sure it's a good one." - Tom MacNaughton

Media disinterested........

SwirlJames — Sat, 13 Oct 2007 21:28:17 GMT

I've run out of interest in the media.... But Tim Wilson already says it way better than I can. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-5d5IfdYK4

Grief...

SwirlJames — Fri, 05 Oct 2007 03:02:15 GMT

I was talking with Peter today while setting up scaffolding. We talked about Sue dying. We were both having an eerie lack of feeling, which for me was particularly unsettling as it was this "lack of feeling" in me once before that put me on a pretty sharp turn in my life to find more emotional literacy. Different people react to tragedy in different ways. For me, coming out of the blue like that, a sudden death, like she had been hit by a car, has been harder to process. I cry during sad or happy movies, I cry at melancoly songs, I love the release that I get during temple burn. So I needed some way of marking Sue's passing with something. On Tuesday, there was a memorial party thrown for her, I went, but couldn't stay for long due to other plans. Like a good wake, some people were able to release their grief there and move on. I didn't. During a critical incident stress program years ago, I was advised to take fifteen to twenty minutes alone when times of stress kicked up. Just get out of the busy world and think. So, this evening I did. I put a soothing, but sad playlist on my tunes, made a little temple of sticks, and burned it in my yard. I'm glad I did.

Sadness....

SwirlJames — Sat, 29 Sep 2007 00:44:12 GMT

A friend of mine died last night...during childbirth. Baby is fine and healthy. We're all in shock. That sort of thing doesn't seem to happen in our part of the world very often anymore. The human body is sometimes such a fragile vessel, and sometimes it is so remarkedly tough. She was a wonderful person, bright, happy and smiling....the kind of person that butterflies land on at garden parties.

Playa social norms versus default ones.....

SwirlJames — Fri, 14 Sep 2007 17:27:58 GMT

Playa enlightenment # 452: Hugs I realized that I hugged a lot of people at BM. If we met, generally we hugged. It got to be such a natural way of greeting that I didn't even think. Male, female...everyone got hugs. I like hugs better than handshakes anyway. They give you a better measure of the person you are meeting. Handshakes allowed ancient warriors to show that they didn't have a sword in their right hand, but still kept their shield intact. It seems to be a pretty good metaphor for the process. In the default world, I still hug good friends when I see them, and tend to hug new female friends in casual settings. Guys are harder to read, so I only hug new guy friends in very casual open settings. But it is harder to break playa habits. A couple of days ago, I almost hugged a Fire Chief who was contracting me for work. And a homeowner who I was negotiating land rights with. It still seems more natural to open up my arms and establish a trusting bond.

Fey Lizards and the Techicolor pool party.... (Part 1)

SwirlJames — Fri, 14 Sep 2007 02:01:19 GMT

I should have remembered that I put the tab of acid in the baggie with the magic mushrooms and the remainder of the pot...... Sitting in the bathroom of a luxury hotel in downtown Reno, it seemed like a good idea to get rid of the last of my baggie of pot before I headed down to the "Nikkie Beach Pool Party".... so I ate it. I had no idea what I was getting into at the pool party and the last thing I wanted was Reno 911 busting down my hotel room door because I got into trouble at a pool party. Doing 5 years in a Nevada corrections facility loomed dangerously before my eyes. 72 hours with random sleep, dust storms, massive fires, drinking and sex will do that to you. Make you a little paranoid. Even though the universe loves me, the cops on the side of the road from Gerlach didn't seem all that fond of me...in fact all of the dust covered drug hippie fag commie (wait...the commies are our friends now, right?) scratch commie, turban wearing, freaks returning from the art festival in the Black Rock desert seemed to have pissed off the cops quite a bit. But that was behind me...I was in a luxury hotel, having finished the remaining scotch whiskey in my flask and cleaned my room of any evidence of crime scene, I started my stroll down to the pool. I had on my black utilikilt, respectable shoes, sunglasses, and a towel...I figured I would be well dressed for my first immersion encounter with water in 12 days. My first hint of WTF was in the elevator. I'd completely forgotten about the tab of acid in the baggie. Suddenly, everything was so much clearer, sharper, more in focus. Ooooh, now I remembered. Acid tab/baggie/swallow... The ding from the elevator bell lasted for what seemed like hours..... Gathering strength, my journey to the pool continued. Down a long hallway, people whizzed by me like cars on the freeway, avoiding eye contact or staring at the carpet. I was alone in a sea of people. Suddenly, a maze of a thousand ringing slot machines spread out in front of me in some kind of twisted sick version of a playa night. Like bikes and art cars dancing around the room, they moved and weaved as I made my way through them. These machines were quick, but I moved with ninja like swiftness, blocking their lightning attacks with my towel. I was cool, frosty cool. Nothing noteworthy about me. I remembered that the black dots on the ceiling were spy cameras and that the hounds and lazers would be on me if I betrayed any sign of abnormality. Not that there would be anything abnormal in Reno about a shirtless 250 pound guy in a black dress, dusty running shoes and a white hotel room towel slowly wandering around lost in the casino room. I ceased attacking the slot machines. The pool....make it to the pool.... Like an oasis in the desert, I spotted the sign for the pool. My quest would surely end well now. Snow crunched under my feet as I made my way to the outside door. As I stepped into the afternoon air, the casino spell was broken and the fresh air brought me clarity of thought. I was here to investigate the pool party. (Part II continues the Pool Party)

How was Burning Man?

SwirlJames — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 14:36:31 GMT

The question that I get asked by all of my friends when I return is "How was Burning Man"..... My standard answer: "Awesome" But the truth is.....I don't really know yet. I haven't done the winding down and sorting out the jigsaw pieces of the week of chaos experiences, sights, emotions, and discussions yet. It takes a while to sort it all out and try to make something useful from it.... Perhaps it is just a week in the desert, but I want to learn something from the intense experience and so I'll keep turning the pieces around in my head trying to make sense of it all... Lots of jigsaw pieces: - putting out Burning Man - love that kinda dried up and disappeared before my eyes - setting up three theme camps, participation in so many things - seeing love in so new ways - lying on the playa in the dust by the trash fence - talking someone down from a very violent, bad trip - wonderful affirmations from people I respect - tongue tied, when I wanted to talk about my world with someone amazing - playing with the jello girl - meeting RobO, reiki master, crazy irishman, good friend - and so many others that I haven't even discovered.....

Ecological Disasters...

SwirlJames — Wed, 22 Aug 2007 23:16:33 GMT

A little over two weeks ago, I was kayaking around Robson Bight with my 12 year old son, on a magical whale watching tour. R and I went on a four day sea kayaking trip in the Johnson Strait, located on the northeast coast of Vancouver Island. We had an absolutely amazing trip, (not really great photos...lol) With this area being home to one of the world’s largest resident Orca populations, we were able to get up close and personal with these beautiful creatures. We were very lucky in getting the rare treat to see two humpback whales breaching (imagine a school bus leaping out of the water then crashing back down!!). We also saw porpoises, bald eagles, mink, sea lions, dolphins and more. It was an amazing trip and has renewed my love for getting out in the world and doing some rough leave no trace camping. I was so elated by the connection that I felt to the water, to the land and to the creatures that were living around us as we visited them. The only downer during the trip was the infrequent transits of logging barges, fishing boats and somewhat intrusive whale watching boats.... Sadly, a little over a week and a half later, one of these boats created an ecological disaster.... http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20070821.wbcbarge0821/BNStory/National A barge dropped it's load of logging equipment into the deep water just a little beyond where this picture was taken. I'm struck by the irony of the situation, and hugely saddened by the impact that may be occuring. WTF!!?!