deviantART: by:DefiantHeart

We didn't start the flame war.

~DefiantHeart — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 14:15:21 PDT

[link]

Watch it and think lovingly of the politics forum.

It's baby time.

~DefiantHeart — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 17:07:51 PDT

On Thursday 3/19/09 our son, Alexander (Xander) William, was born. He weighed 8 and half pounds and is 20 inches long.

Creating a child and becoming a parent is, by far, the greatest thing I have ever done and will ever do, I can't even begin to describe how amazing he is. There are so many things in this world that I can't wait to show him.

Here's my boy, Xander.
[link]

I believe...

~DefiantHeart — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 07:21:07 PST

"I can believe things that are true and I can believe things that aren't true and I can believe things where nobody knows if they're true or not. I can believe in Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny and Marilyn Monroe and the Beatles and Elvis and Mister Ed. ListenÂI believe that people are perfectible, that knowledge is infinite, that the world is run by secret banking cartels and is visited by aliens on a regular basis, nice ones who look like wrinkledy lemurs and bad ones who mutilate cattle and want our water and our women. I believe that the future sucks and I believe that the future rocks and I believe that one day White Buffalo Woman is going to come back and kick everyone's ass. I believe that all men are just overgrown boys with deep problems communicating and that the decline of good sex in America is coincident with the decline in drive-in movie theaters from state to state. I believe that all politicians are unprincipled crooks and I still believe that they are better than the alternative. I believe that California is going to sink into the sea when the big one comes, while Florida is going to dissolve into madness and alligators and toxic waste. I believe that antibacterial soap is destroying our resistance to dirt and disease so that one day we'll all be wiped out by the common cold like the Martians in War of The Worlds. I believe that the greatest poets of the last century were Edith Sitwell and Don Marquis, that jade is dried dragon sperm, and that thousands of years ago in a former life I was a one-armed Siberian shaman. I believe that mankind's destiny lies in the stars. I believe that candy really did taste better when I was a kid, that it's aerodynamically impossible for a bumblebee to fly, that light is a wave and a particle, that there's a cat in a box somewhere who's alive and dead at the same time (although if they don't ever open the box to feed it it'll eventually just be two different kinds of dead), and that there are stars in the universe billions of years older than the universe itself. I believe in a personal god who cares about me and worries and oversees everything I do. I believe in an impersonal god who set the universe in motion and went off to hang with her girlfriends and doesn't even know that I'm alive. I believe in an empty and godless universe of causal chaos, background noise, and sheer blind luck. I believe that anyone who says that sex is overrated just hasn't done it properly. I believe that anyone who claims to know what's going on will lie about the little things too. I believe in absolute honesty and sensible social lies too. I believe in a woman's right to choose, a baby's right to live, that while all human life is sacred there's nothing wrong with the death penalty if you can trust the legal system implicitly, and that no one but a moron would ever trust the legal system. I believe that life is a game, that life is a cruel joke, and that life is what happens when you're alive

and that you might as well lie back and enjoy it."

From American Gods by Neil Gaiman

First Comes Love, Then Comes Marriage

~DefiantHeart — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 08:30:34 PDT

...then comes baby in the baby carriage. Yep, and I are expecting! We're due to have a little one in late March. Last week we went to the doctor and got to hear the heartbeat. That little, fast paced, "bump, bump, bump" was the coolest damn thing I've ever heard. I can't wait to be dad.

In other news, and infinitely less important news, I'm still avoiding the Politics Forum and my sub ran out, neither of which bother me much.

Big News

~DefiantHeart — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 13:38:05 PDT

Getting Hitched

and I are getting married. I popped the question this past weekend at our favorite place in the world, the Mississippi. I'm very lucky to have such an understanding, gentle and beautiful woman in my life and I'm happy to say that she's going be in my life even when I get as old as I am grumpy.

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Soulja Boy TF2 Style

~DefiantHeart — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 11:52:27 PDT

TF2 fans, watch and laugh. [link]

Clubs

Knowledge

...get some here.

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Email Standards Project

~DefiantHeart — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 09:35:49 PST

The Email Standards Project works with email client developers and the design community to improve web standards support and accessibility in email.

I realize that people not directly involved in the creation and implementation of email newsletters may not care about creating industry standards for emails but I'd like you to take some time and think about this and consider supporting this group.

Email standards, like web standards, will create industry wide guidelines for the way that an email is designed and more importantly the way your email provider displays the emails you receive. As it stands, email clients like Outlook 2007 have taken email and pushed it's advancement back 5 years by refusing to supporting the code required to display certain HTML and CSS coded emails. Microsoft is far from the only offender, other clients such as Gmail, Lotus Notes, Apple .Mac and Hotmail all offer different levels of support for various levels of code.

Because of this inconsistency, designing for cross compatibility has become a near impossible task. Often times designing and developing emails results in picking and choosing which email clients to design for and thus excluding some recipients from viewing the email correctly.

Aside from making designers' and developers' jobs much harder this also has an impact on the average email user. How many people receive their bank information, billing statements and other important documentation via email? If you do this using Outlook 2007 or any of the other email clients with poor ratings you may not be seeing these important emails the way the sender intended and you could possibly be missing vital information.

You can support the Email Standards Project in a variety of ways. You can find a list of things you can do to help this project to create email standards by going to email-standards.org or, more directly, by clicking here.

Congrats

Congrats to the winners of the Politics Forum Election.

~Butchers
=OuroborosCobra
=Gibah
~happypelican
*poprocksandcharlotte

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Politics Forum Elections Voting

~DefiantHeart — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 06:10:56 PST

Voting for the Politics Forum Elections have begun.

Vote for stagnation! Vote for =DefiantHeart!

Also consider placing a vote for my fellow party members:

~LogicalRabble
*AzureSquire
~Kasenji
*CrimsonTigress
=Jeremyti
*lestat
=RaNdOm-HeRo58

Vote Here. [link]

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DA Politics Forum Elections

~DefiantHeart — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 06:59:03 PST

I accept the nomination from *CrimsonTigress and hereby announce my run for office under the banner of the always benevolent and truthiness filled party.

My platform:

If I am elected to the high office of Supreme Banana I promise to continue my rare appearances and my poor attempts to produce lulz in order to appear on ~Kasenji's quotes of the week.

I promise to support the rights of others and myself to argue over subjects that they honestly couldn't care less about and result to immature name-calling and ignorant denial when they are proven wrong.

I will support ignoring any messages received and pretending to be "taking a break from DA" after being proven wrong and making oneself look like a fool even though everyone knows that you're still here and lurking.

In short, I promise you that I will do absolutely nothing new. I will stand defiant against the change others want to see in our beloved forum. Change is new, change is bad and change is scary. VOTE FOR THE DEVIL YOU KNOW! VOTE FOR DEFIANCE! VOTE DEFIANTHEART!

"Let us begin by committing ourselves to the truth to see it like it is, and tell it like it is, to find the truth, to speak the truth, and to live the truth." -Richard M. Nixon

The Opposing Party

A word from =Jeremyti concerning the enemies of freedom, lulz and the Deviant Way... the ~Not-PBBMCSCSP party.

"Let's dissect this party for the public, shall we?

[~Not-PBBMCSCSP is] anti-

Peanut Butter: Obviously this means [it's] an enemy to the agricultural base.

Bananas: Primates love bananas. [~Not-PBBMCSCSP] does not. ~Not-PBBMCSCSP is anti-endangered species!

Marijuana: [Does ~Not-PBBMCSCSP] have something against healthy appetites for chemotherapy and AIDS patients? Dudes. That's just wrong. [~Not-PBBMCSCSP] should be ashamed for promoting the needless continuation of suffering.
....ffffffffftttt......

Cheetos: We already know that Cheetos aren't good for your pancreas. We don't need bureaucrats making our choices for us! Nanny government!

Sprite: What the heck is wrong with Sprite?! It's tasty, and it's caffeine-free! ~Not-PBBMCSCSP is obviously an entirely irrational party.

Crush: Once again, tasty and caffeine-free. The only possible reason for being both anti Sprite and [anti Crush is obviously that [~Not-PBBMCSCSP] is anti-organized labor. [Those] blue-collar haters should be ashamed of [themselves].

The truth has been revealed. ~Not-PBBMCSCSP is obviously a front for the Neo-Stalinnaziterrorismrulez party.

Our eyes are open."

Vote for the one true party. Vote for winners!

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Something To Think About

~DefiantHeart — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 11:46:52 PST

I spent this past Sunday afternoon and night in Madison, WI. We got a hotel room near the airport so my girlfriend could catch a plane for a business trip in the morning. After living together for two years now we both hate when one of us has to leave without the other for any extended period of time so I was feeling a little down. I didn't really want the morning to come. I didn't want her to go and I know that she didn't want to leave. She's gone for a week now and I'm prepared for a lonely 5 days but I'm more prepared for it now than I was before we got to Madison.

We spent some time at the mall that afternoon and grabbed a bite to eat, then we headed back to the hotel. In the lobby there were no less than 15 or 20 servicemen and women all dressed in their fatigues waiting for a bus to shuttle them to the airport. I smiled and nodded at a few of them as we walked past, some where laughing and talking, some where on cell phones saying their "I love yous", some where quietly waiting and a couple were surrounded by people who I assumed were family.

As we walked through the crowd to our room I suddenly felt a little foolish concerning my sadness and apprehension about my girlfriend leaving for a week. These men and women were being shipped off to God knows where and it could be months before they see their loved ones again, some of them may never see them again depending on where they were going and what they were doing and here I was fretting over one week.

Thank God for the men and women doing their jobs in the military and for having the courage and the willingness to spend so much time away from their families, wives and children. Because of these people, people like me get to stay home, work our office jobs, watch our crappy TV shows and spend time worrying about a week away from a loved one and for that our service men and women will always have my deepest respect.

There's nothing like having things put into perspective. It just made me think so I thought I would share.

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LOL ;)

~DefiantHeart — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 13:53:46 PST

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Merry Christmas From The Family

~DefiantHeart — Mon, 31 Dec 2007 12:57:24 PST

Mom got drunk and Dad got drunk at our Christmas party
We were drinking champagne punch and homemade eggnog
Little sister brought her new boyfriend
He was a Mexican
We didn't know what to think of him until he sang
Felis Navidad, Felis Navidad

Brother Ken brought his kids with him
The three from his first wife Lynn
And the two identical twins from his second wife Mary Nell
Of course he brought his new wife Kay
Who talks all about AA
Chain smoking while the stereo plays Noel, Noel
The First Noel

Carve the Turkey
Turn the ball game on
Mix margaritas when the eggnog's gone
Send somebody to the Quickpak Store
We need some ice and an extension chord
A can of bean dip and some Diet Rites
A box of tampons, Marlboro Lights
Haleluja everybody say Cheese
Merry Christmas from the family

Fred and Rita drove from Harlingen
I can't remember how I'm kin to them
But when they tried to plug their motor home in
They blew our Christmas lights
Cousin David knew just what went wrong
So we all waited out on our front lawn
He threw a breaker and the lights came on
And we sang Silent Night, Oh Silent Night, Oh Holy Night

Carve the turkey turn the ball game on
Make Bloody Mary's
Cause We All Want One!
Send somebody to the Stop 'N Go
We need some celery and a can of fake snow
A bag of lemons and some Diet Sprites
A box of tampons, some Salem Lights
Haleluja, everybody say cheese
Merry Christmas from the Family

by Robert Earl Keen

...and happy New Year.

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Are you SAD?

~DefiantHeart — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 08:54:33 PST

What is SAD?

Seasonal affective disorder, or SAD, is a type of depression that affects a person during the same season each year. If you get depressed in the winter but feel much better in spring and summer, you may have SAD.

Anyone can get SAD, but it is more common in:

* People who live in areas where winter days are very short or there are big changes in the amount of daylight in different seasons.
* Women.
* People between the ages of 15 and 55. The risk of getting SAD for the first time goes down as you age.
* People who have a close relative with SAD.

Causes

Experts are not sure what causes SAD, but they think it may be caused by a lack of sunlight. Lack of light may upset your sleep-wake cycle, or circadian rhythms. Or it may cause problems with a brain chemical called serotonin that affects mood.

Symptoms

If you have SAD, you may:

* Feel sad, grumpy, moody, or anxious.
* Lose interest in your usual activities.
* Eat more and crave carbohydrate, such as bread and pasta.
* Gain weight.
* Sleep more and feel drowsy during the daytime.

Symptoms come and go at about the same time each year. For most people with SAD, symptoms start in September or October and end in April or May.

Treatment

Doctors often prescribe light therapy to treat SAD. There are two types of light therapy:

* Bright light treatment. For this treatment, you sit in front of a "light box" for half an hour or longer, usually in the morning.
* Dawn simulation. For this treatment, a dim light goes on in the morning while you sleep, and it gets brighter over time, like a sunrise.

Light therapy works well for most people with SAD, and it is easy to use. You may start to feel better within a week or so after you start light therapy. But you need to stick with it and use it every day until the season changes. If you don't, your depression could come back.

Other treatments that may help include:

* Antidepressants. These medicines can improve the balance of brain chemicals that affect mood.
* Counseling. Some types of counseling, such as cognitive-behavioral therapy, can help you learn more about SAD and how to manage your symptoms.

If your doctor prescribes antidepressants, be sure you take them the way you are told to. Do not stop taking them just because you feel better. This could cause side effects or make your depression worse. When you are ready to stop, your doctor can help you slowly reduce the dose to prevent problems.

You may feel better if you get some exercise most days of the week. Being active during the daytime, especially first thing in the morning, may help you have more energy and feel less depressed. Gentle exercise such as walking, riding a stationary bike, or swimming is a good way to get started.

All this information and more can be found at [link]

I'm SAD

I was recently given a "happy" light and I've promised to give it a chance. I'm the most stubborn asshole I know so if I can admit I have a problem and try a treatment that seems a little odd anyone can.

Clubs and Such

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DA Political Forum

DA Political Forum Source Library. A collection of links and useful information.

DeviantART members from Illinois.

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The Love of My Life

~DefiantHeart — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 09:34:29 PST

~beaglefan

Following the example set by =Jeremyti's most recent journal[link] I thought I would show off the most important person in my life as well.

My beautiful girlfriend, ~beaglefan, supports me in everything I do and I want to show my support for her here by highlighting a few of my favorites from her gallery.

Go and check out what she's got going on and drop her a comment or two.

Clubs and Such

Support the creation of a religious forum.

DA Political Forum

DA Political Forum Source Library. A collection of links and useful information.

DeviantART members from Illinois.

Newest Favorites

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Stereotype

Bought a table saw... made a shelf. It took almost 29 years but I'm finally and stereotypically enthralled with power tools.

Clubs and Such

Support the creation of a religious forum.

DA Political Forum

DA Political Forum Source Library. A collection of links and useful information.

DeviantART members from Illinois.

Newest Favorites

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Devious Journal Entry

~DefiantHeart — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 06:03:58 PST

Stereotype

Bought a table saw... made a shelf. It took almost 29 years but I'm finally and stereotypically enthralled with power tools.

Clubs and Such

Support the creation of a religious forum.

DA Political Forum

DA Political Forum Source Library. A collection of links and useful information.

DeviantART members from Illinois.

Newest Favorites

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Devious Journal Entry

~DefiantHeart — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 12:03:33 PDT

Trick or Treat

~DefiantHeart — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 12:30:07 PDT

"By the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes."

Macbeth

It's almost Halloween, my favorite time of year and my favorite holiday. Here's some treats to help get everyone into the spirit of things.

Movies

IMDb's top rated horror movies.
Horror Movie Resource
The Evil Dead Fan Site
The Rocky Horror Picture Show

Fiction

Pseudopod Horror Fiction Podcast
HP Lovecraft
Edgar Allen Poe
Ghost Stories
A huge list of horror writers and links to their sites at horrorgenre.com

Art & Artists

Bram
Dark art community and gallery
Allen Koszowski
Chad Savage
A list and links to many other artists at horrorgenre.com

Misc.

horrorgenre.com
Halloween.com

Deviant - Features

by
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by
by
by
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Francis Bacon

~DefiantHeart — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 09:41:23 PDT

BBC Interviews

In 1963, 1966 and 1979 David Sylvester conducted interviews with Francis Bacon. A sampling of these interviews are available on the Gaurdian's website. Bacon gave a lot of interesting and thought-provoking answers but one that I found particularly interesting was when he was asked about his switch to figurative painting.

"Well, one of the pictures I did in 1946, the one like a butcher's shop, came to me as an accident. I was attempting to make a bird alighting on a field. And it may have been bound up in some way with the three forms that had gone before, but suddenly the lines that I'd drawn suggested something totally different, and out of this suggestion arose this picture. I had no intention to do this picture; I never thought of it in that way. It was like one continuous accident mounting on top of another."

"...like one continuous accident mounting on top of another." Ain't that the truth? I often feel that just about anything I create is nothing more than an accident that happened to work out well.

You can find the whole edited extract of the Francis Bacon interviews here. [link]

If you'd like to see some of Bacon's paintings and learn more about him you can find the official Francis Bacon website here. [link]

Places of Interest

#PoliticsForumChat

Stamps

9-11-2001

~DefiantHeart — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 06:17:07 PDT

River Rat

~DefiantHeart — Tue, 04 Sep 2007 16:50:19 PDT

River Rat Noob

This weekend I was finally able to take advantage of one of the greatest natural features my area and my country has to offer. This weekend I became a river rat and not just any river rat but a Mississippi river rat. If you've never had the opportunity to take a boat out on the Mississippi River and spend the day lounging on an island sand bar, I highly recommend it.

...and if you do get the chance to spend the day on the river make sure you take someone you love and a few of man's best friends to share it with.

Comic Collector Live!

I Found Comic Collector Live! advertised in the latest few issues of my regular comic books. It's a free program to download and it's an absolute breeze to use. This is the easiest software I've ever found when it comes to cataloging and organizing your comic books.

Most Listened To

Not that anyone cares all that much but to fill space here's the 10 most listened to songs on my I-tunes/I-pod.

Outlaw's Prayer by Mike McClure

White Trash Story by Casey Donahew Band

Nobody's Girl by Reckless Kelly

Mountainside by Bonepony

Chokin' On Air by The Britt Lloyd Band

Cowboy Song by Bonepony

Indianapolis by The Bottle Rockets

Man of Conviction by Brandon Rhyder

Seven Bridges Road by The Eagles

Lower 48 by The Gourds

Places of Interest

#PoliticsForumChat

Stamps

Final Thought

What did you think it was? Pervert.

Politics Forum Elections and Some Other Stuff

~DefiantHeart — Thu, 23 Aug 2007 19:45:46 PDT

Political Forum Elections

The politics election results are in. All hail the Supreme Banana

The results thread: [link]

Water Proof Paper

For the writers out there who want to do your work out in nature no matter the weather. [link]

Rite in the Rain is an all-weather writing paper made specifically to shed water in any weather condition

Places of Interest

#PoliticsForumChat

Stamps

Final Thought

Account Merge

~DefiantHeart — Fri, 15 Jun 2007 20:59:18 PDT

Merging Accounts

After a short stint having two DA accounts I've decide to merge my photography account with this one. Shortly, I'll be moving my 17 or so photography deviations over here. My gallery will start looking like a mish mash of different mediums but I think with everything in one place it will be easier 1) for myself to maintain and 2) to give my photography a viewing boost.

I hope my watchers won't mind the photos and please remember I'm only a photography hobbyist so any constructive input would be greatly appreciated.

Special Thanks

A special thanks to *kuschelirmel-stock for her wonderful tutorials and for allowing us CSS beginners to learn from her and her templates. Please, check out what she has at her stock account. She offers templates, tutorials, brushes, stock photos and probably some other resources that I've completely missed.

Secondly, I'd like to thank =devouredex for the subscription and for holding the contest that resulted in me getting a subscription. If anyone hasn't checked out his gallery you're missing out on some awesome illustrations and drawings. What this guy can do with some pencils and pens is absolutely amazing.

Stamps

Features

~ecduzit

Some Thanks and Recognition

First off, a special thanks to *kuschelirmel-stock for her wonderful tutorials and for allowing us CSS beginners to learn from her and her templates. Please, check out what she has at her stock account. She offers templates, tutorials, brushes, stock photos and probably some other resources that I've completely missed.

Secondly, I'd like to thank =devouredex for the subscription and for holding the contest that resulted in me getting a subscription. If anyone hasn't checked out his gallery you're missing out on some awesome illustrations and drawings. What this guy can do with some pencils and pens is absolutely amazing.

New Photography Account

I have a second account where I will be placing some photographs. Please take a look and tell me what you think. I'm new at the photography thing so any advice would be greatly appreciated. You can see my photographs at ~defiantheart-photo.

Features

~beaglefan

New Photography Account!

~DefiantHeart — Sat, 05 May 2007 21:57:36 PDT

I've created a new account to post some photography.

Also, take a trip over to my lovely girlfriend's gallery and say hi.

Check It Out

~DefiantHeart — Wed, 03 May 2006 06:14:54 PDT

Go say hi and take a look around.

The Lone Ranger

~DefiantHeart — Thu, 02 Feb 2006 11:13:42 PST

The Lone Ranger was ambushed and captured by an enemy Indian war party. The Indian Chief proclaims, "So, you are the great Lone Ranger. In honor of the Harvest Festival, you will be executed in three days. But, before I kill you; I will grant you three requests. What is your first request?" The Lone Ranger responds, "I'd like to speak to my horse." The Chief nods and Silver is brought before the Lone Ranger, who whispers in Silver's ear and the horse gallops away. Later that evening, Silver returns with a beautiful blonde woman on his back. As the Indian Chief watches, the blonde enters the Lone Ranger's tent and spends the night. The next morning the Indian Chief admits he's impressed. "You have a very fine and loyal horse but I will still kill you in two days. What is your second request?" The Lone Ranger again asks to speak to his horse. Silver is brought to him, and he again whispers in the horse's ear. As before, Silver takes off across the plains and disappears over the horizon. Later that evening, to the Chief's surprise, Silver again returns, this time with a brunette, even more attractive than the blonde. She enters the Lone Ranger's tent and spends the night. The following morning the Indian Chief is again impressed. "You are indeed a man of many talents but I still kill you tomorrow. What is your last request?" The Lone Ranger responds, "I'd like to speak to my horse....alone." The Chief is curious but he agrees and Silver is brought to the Lone Ranger's tent. Once they're alone, the Lone Ranger grabs Silver by both ears, looks him square in the eye and says, "Listen very carefully you dumb ass horse. For the last time . . . BRING POSSEEEE!!!!"

heh.

Happy New Year!

~DefiantHeart — Fri, 30 Dec 2005 11:06:30 PST

Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each new year find you a better man. ~Benjamin Franklin

New Year's Day: Now is the accepted time to make your regular annual good resolutions. Next week you can begin paving hell with them as usual. ~Mark Twain

An optimist stays up until midnight to see the new year in. A pessimist stays up to make sure the old year leaves. ~Bill Vaughan

For last year's words belong to last year's language
And next year's words await another voice.
And to make an end is to make a beginning.
~T.S. Eliot, "Little Gidding"

We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year's Day. ~Edith Lovejoy Pierce

New Year's Eve, where auld acquaintance be forgot. Unless, of course, those tests come back positive. ~Jay Leno

May all your troubles last as long as your New Year's resolutions. ~Joey Adams

Ho Ho Ho

~DefiantHeart — Thu, 22 Dec 2005 13:22:16 PST

Merry Christmas

Walking In Memphis

~DefiantHeart — Fri, 21 Oct 2005 12:56:18 PDT

Then I'm walking in Memphis
Walking with my feet ten feet off of Beale
Walking in Memphis
But do I really feel the way I feel

Ah, I never thought I could love a city as much as I love Chicago but sure enough there it is over 600 miles south of me... Memphis.

What an amazing place, great people, great food and some of the best music you'll ever find. We checked out the zoo, the art museum, the Cooper-Young art district, historic Elmwood Cemetery and of course the home of the King... Graceland. We spent every night on Beale streat and just drank it all in. The air on Beale is electric and music surrounds you from every side. I've been a lot of places but I've never been to a place with that much energy and life.

Yep, I loved Memphis and I'll definately be going back. There is still so much to see down there and so much to experience and...

...its the only place I can get the best rack of ribs I've ever had.

Much Needed R & R

~DefiantHeart — Tue, 11 Oct 2005 13:50:53 PDT

Gone. Out of here. Starting on 10/12 through 10/18 I will be relaxing in a smoke filled, dimly lit bar softly nodding my head to the wailing sounds of the delta blues and paying homage to the King while I tread softly through his Graceland.

Peace.

Poems by Steven Crane

~DefiantHeart — Fri, 08 Jul 2005 09:39:43 PDT

I have recently discovered the poems of Steven Crane. Some of his work really speaks to me so I thought I would share a few that I found to be particularly meaningful.

"Stephen Crane was the last of 14 children born to a Methodist minister who died when he was nine. As a child he moved three times in the New York area. Crane never cared much for schooling, but he did attend Syracuse University - although only for one semester, and his most noteworthy accomplishments were performed on the baseball field. He lived the down-and-out life of a penniless artist who became well known as a poet, journalist, social critic and realist. His contemoraries noted him as being an "original" in his field of work." [link]

In The Desert

In the desert
I saw a creature, naked, bestial,
Who, squatting upon the ground,
Held his heart in his hands,
And ate of it.
I said: "Is it good, friend?"
"It is bitter - bitter," he answered;
"But I like it
Because it is bitter,
And because it is my heart."

A Man Said To The Universe

A man said to the universe:
"Sir I exist!"
"However," replied the universe,
"The fact has not created in me
A sense of obligation."

I Looked Here

I looked here;
I looked there;
Nowhere could I see my love.
And -- this time --
She was in my heart.
Truly, then, I have no complaint,
For though she be fair and fairer,
She is none so fair as she
In my heart.

I Stood Upon A High Place

I stood upon a high place,
And saw, below, many devils
Running, leaping,
and carousing in sin.
One looked up, grinning,
And said, "Comrade! Brother!"

Once I Saw Mountains Angry

Once I saw mountains angry,
And ranged in battle-front.
Against them stood a little man;
Aye, he was no bigger than my finger.
I laughed, and spoke to one near me,
"Will he prevail?"
"Surely," replied this other;
"His grandfathers beat them many times."
Then did I see much virtue in grandfathers --
At least, for the little man
Who stood against the mountains.

Kick Some Ass

~DefiantHeart — Thu, 23 Jun 2005 08:42:16 PDT

Mood: Intimidating
Listening to: Umm... I think thats pretty obvious
Reading: Art & Fear
Watching: Snatch

How many people wanna kick some ass?
Whatcha gonna do when your sick of holding it back?
I think I'll kick some ass
How many people wanna kick some ass?
I would if I could

But I'm really just a sensitive artist
Perpatrating like I am the hardest
Acting like I'm not the smartest
I'm really just a sensitive artist
Honest

"Kick Some Ass" - Sroke 9

The Road Not Taken

~DefiantHeart — Thu, 02 Jun 2005 06:04:46 PDT

Yeah, I know it is a little cliche but, still, this is my favorite poem.

The Road Not Taken
by Robert Frost

TWO roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

Wow. That Kind Of Hurt.

~DefiantHeart — Fri, 20 May 2005 09:54:56 PDT

This poem struck so close to home it actually hurts a little to read it...

Home Again
By Fleta Aday

They say you can't go home again
And I guess "they" should know,
But, oh, my heart is weary
And I want to go there so.
To sit on Daddy's lap again
And feel his love for me,
To hear trot a little horsey
As I sit upon his knee.
To see Mama in the kitchen
Doing what she loved to do,
To help her if she'd let me,
But she didn't want me to.
I guess it's not the home I miss
But the feeling that I had
That everything would be alright
When I saw Mom and Dad.

They say I can't go home again,
But maybe "they" don't know.
I think I'll close my eyes and drift
And just see where I can go.
I'll taste the fresh milk again
Still warm from the cow
And feel the earth between my toes,
Soft and loose from Daddy's plow.
Maybe I'll hear Mama call again
"Kids, supper's ready."
And we'll all go rushing in. She'll say,
"Wait for Daddy."
Maybe me, Sis, and Brother will go
To the creek and spend a day
Chasing after crawdads, or on
The pondbank's slippery clay.
They say I can't go home again
But maybe "they" don't know
If I close my eyes and drift
Just where my memories let me go.

Rediscovering an Old Love

~DefiantHeart — Wed, 11 May 2005 07:08:21 PDT

Charcoal... yep I've rediscovered my love for charcoal. I love the control it gives an artist to really push and pull the lights, darks, highlights and shadows of a piece. I also love the element of surprise that I personally find when working with this medium. When I work with charcoal I often get disheartened in the begining of a piece because nothing ever seems to come together the way I see it my head. When starting a work in charcoal I can only work in a general direction creating simple blocks and blobs of black and white. Charcoal forces me to work through that time of selfdoubt because the properties that charcoal possesses allows me to work and rework an image until all of the blobs of light and shadow finally come together. At a certain point durring the process (a point that can only be felt) I take a step back, look at my image and become almost surprised that what I want is actually taking form. I see that my solid blocks of black have been worked into rendered images. The knowledge that I made that happen with just some lumps of charcoal and my fingers never ceases to amaze me and really deepens my love for creating art.

I feel a very real connection to my charcoal pieces. I believe that this connection comes from the process of really getting into the materials, of feeling the grit of the dust between my fingers and the teeth of the paper as I rub and coax the charcoal into the image that I want. At times, when I'm working, everything around me gets blocked out as my movements and actions become more fluid and the pace begins to pick up creating a cloud of dust over my work space. I usually become so engulfed by the materials that I come out of my studio looking like the old vaudville actors made up in blackface. When I see myself in the mirror looking like that I can only smile because I know that what I'm covered in is the result of my own creativity and my love for the ceative process.

Point of the story? I'm working on a few charcoal pieces and will hopefully be able to load them to my gallery in the coming weeks.

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

On another topic. I have joined the local theater group in my home town. I haven't performed in a play since highschool (8 years ago) but hopfully I will be able to give a shameless plug for a play in the future.

Orgins of 420

~DefiantHeart — Thu, 21 Apr 2005 12:15:09 PDT

Just incase anyone wanted to know how 420 came about instead of believing the myths...
Here is an article from parenting teens at about.com [link] and more info can be found in this article, "STONER SMART, OR STONER STUPID?", [link] by Steven Hager. All the info here was taken from these two links.

Known Myths

Police dispatch code for smoking pot is 420.
The number 420 is not police radio code for anything, anywhere. Checks of criminal codes suggest that the origin is neither Californian nor federal. For instance, California Penal Code 420 defines as a misdemeanor the hindrance of use of public lands.

There are approximately 420 active chemicals in marijuana.
Actually, there are approximately 315 active chemicals in marijuana. This number goes up and down depending on which plant is used.

April 20th is National Pot Smokers Day.
Well, it is now; but that wasn't the origin.

April 20th is Hitler's birthday.
Yes, it is his birthday. But, as 420 started out as a time, not a date, his birthday had nothing to do with it.

The date of the Columbine school shootings.
This happened after the term was already in use.

4:20 is tea time for pot-smokers in Holland.
Tea time in Holland is at 5:30 pm, or is it 2:30 pm? Seems no one is quite sure when the wonderful people of Holland drink their tea.

The Origin Revealed

According to Steven Hager, editor of High Times, the term 420 originated at San Rafael High School, in 1971, among a group of about a dozen pot-smoking wiseacres who called themselves the Waldos, who are now pushing 50. The term was shorthand for the time of day the group would meet, at the campus statue of Louis Pasteur, to smoke pot. Intent on developing their own discreet language, they made 420 code for a time to get high, and its use spread among members of an entire generation. While our teens feel that they know something we don't, you can let them in on the fact that it was your generation that came up with the numbers.

A quote from one of the Waldos in the High Times article states, "We did discover we could talk about getting high in front of our parents without them knowing by using the phrase 420." Fortunately, your teenagers will not have that same option.

Simply put, 420 is a symbol of pot and its culture. Today, April 20th events are international, and 4:20 pm has become sort of a world wide "burn time".

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

Now you might ask how the term spread across the country and the world. That one's easy... the Waldo's were from San Rafael, California and so was one very influencial band... The Grateful Dead.

William Blake Quotes

~DefiantHeart — Thu, 10 Mar 2005 07:09:19 PST

I have no words of wisdom to offer so I constantly seek the wisdom and inspiration of others. Enjoy.

To see a world in a Grain of Sand,
And a Heaven in a Wild Flower,
Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand,
And eternity in an hour.

I must create a system, or be enslaved by another man's.

Innocence dwells with Wisdom, but never with Ignorance.

It is easier to forgive an enemy than to forgive a friend.

Love seeketh not itself to please,
Nor for itself hath any care,
But for another gives its ease,
And builds a Heaven in Hell's despair.

No bird soars too high if he soars with his own wings.

Those who restrain desire, do so because theirs is weak enough to be restrained.

Art Quotes

~DefiantHeart — Tue, 01 Mar 2005 12:44:26 PST

"Art is literacy of the heart"
~ Elliot Eisner

"Good art is not what it looks like, but what it does to us." ~ Roy Adzak

"The aim of art is to represent not the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance."
~ Aristotle

"The job of the artist is always to deepen the mystery."
~ Francis Bacon

"Every artist dips his brush in his own soul, and paints his own nature into his pictures."
~ Henry Ward Beecher

"The function of Art is to disturb. Science reassures."
~ George Braque

"Artists who seek perfection in everything are those who cannot attain it in anything."
~ Eugene Delacroix

"No amount of skillful invention can replace the essential element of imagination."
~ Edward Hopper

Devious Journal Entry

~DefiantHeart — Thu, 02 Dec 2004 11:14:11 PST

True art is characterized by an irresistible urge in the creative artist
~Albert Einstein

The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and science.
~Albert Einstein

Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one.
~Albert Einstein

Great spirits have always suffered violent opposition from mediocre minds. The mediocre mind is incapable of understanding the man who refuses to bow blindly to conventional prejudices and chooses instead to express his opinions courageously and honestly.
~Albert Einstein

I am enough of an artist to draw freely upon my imagination. Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world.
~Albert Einstein

The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing. One cannot help but be in awe when he contemplates the mysteries of eternity, of life, of the marvelous structure of reality. It is enough if one tries merely to comprehend a little of this mystery every day. Never lose a holy curiosity.
~Albert Einstein

Thanksgiving

~DefiantHeart — Wed, 24 Nov 2004 09:34:32 PST

Happy Thanksgiving.
On your mark! Get set! Go to the awkward family dinner!

The Big Move And Doggie Doo

~DefiantHeart — Tue, 23 Nov 2004 13:13:02 PST

Since I have been on my own for many years now and my sister is out and preparing to get married my parents have been left with one child preparing to graduate highschool, time on their hands, and money in their pockets. My mom's life long dream has been to build a new house and now, with 2 kids out of her way and her wallet, her dream has been accomplished. The old place sold after being on and off the market for over 3 years and the new place has been built from the ground up in less than 3 months. Time to move!

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Of the entire family only three men showed up to help move all the furniture, appliances and one heavy as hell piano. Well, four men if you count my 73 year old grandfather who did the best he could but wasn't alowed to touch anything too heavy. My grandmother, mother and aunt were also there to help grab all of the little stuff while my father, my future brother-in-law and I had to carry out 3 beds, 2 couches, 3 recliners, 2 dinner tables, 2 entertainment centers, 4 dressers, a solid wood desk, a piano and the list goes on and on and on. Luckily, my father managed to borrow a 24 foot flatbed truck with a lift on the back. The truck was so huge that we figured we would have to only make 2 trips... thank god, I could already feel my back tightening up and we hadn't even started.

A problem presented itself right away. The dog, overly excited about all the people in the house and all the doors being open was going nuts and constantly getting under foot. This is the dog that was mine before he adopted my mother as his favorite person but I still love the hell out of him and spend as much time playing with him as I can. The dog managed to get in my father's way one too many times and took and angry boot up his ass so hard that he actually left the ground, at that point I decided to sacrifice my car to keep my dog out of the way. I picked up my pup and carried him out to the driveway. As soon as he saw me walk to the car his excitment increased with the thought of a road trip. It made me sad to close the door on him as he sat in the passenger seat wagging his tail waiting for a trip that wasn't going to happen, but it was for his and our own good.

The first load of furniture went rather smoothly and quickly, 1 hour to load, 5 minute drive, 1 hour to unload. It was actually surprising that we got everything unloaded so quickly because we weren't allowed to walk on the new carpet. Being forced to carry heavy furniture either with out shoes on or while staying only on the bedsheet covered areas was not only hazardous but also managed to raise everyones "pissed off" gauge. A few stubbed and smashed toes and a lot of tripping over sheets later we got everything inside and started to head back out to get the last load. At the rate we were going we were on track to be done in 2 more hours (record time!) but everything was working out too well and the fates decided piss on our day a little. Our back saving 24 foot flatbed truck with the hydraulic lift wouldn't start. Luckily the new house is on top of a hill so my dad just rolled the truck, popped the clutch and away we went.

Once back at the old house we realized that the battery for the truck was dead and for some reason would not charge but lucky for us we figured out that we could jump start it to get it back to the new house. So, into the house went to get what we were all dreading... the piano. Anyone who has ever moved a piano before knows that this is not an easy task and took use almost half an hour just get it outside and onto the lift. Thank God, for the hydraulic lift! Push the button and up it goes... I said up it goes! Shit. No juice in the battery means no juice for the lift. At this point tempers were boiling. The truck bed was a good 4 feet off the ground and there was no way we could lift the piano up. We decided the piano would stay but everything that we could manage HAD to go. After THREE hours and daylight fading fast we managed to lift everything we could into the truck and jump the engine to head out and spend THREE more hours just unloading the damn thing. By this time our tempers were not boiling anymore... they had totally evaporated and formed the meanest blackest cloud of anger and hate and venom anyone had ever seen. Our fingers were bloody and sore, our toes jammed and smashed, lumps rose from our heads, our pants were torn, and our backs were on fire... then I remembered... the dog was still in my car and had been there now for almost 6 hours.

Damage r...