http://search.deviantart.com/?q=by:Garathaan&section=today deviantART RSS for by:Garathaan en-us Copyright 2009, deviantART.com Thu, 17 Dec 2009 07:43:46 PST deviantART.com http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss http://s.deviantart.com/minish/widgets/apple-touch-icon-precomposed.png http://Garathaan.deviantart.com/journal/12722787/ http://Garathaan.deviantart.com/journal/12722787/ Tue, 24 Apr 2007 19:36:34 PDT
Well, I took my entrance exam to my local Technical college the other day and got the results. During the exam, I figured I did okay, but not great. So when the woman who worked at the testing center pulled my test results from the printer, I heard her say "awsome!". However, thinking she was referencing another would-be student's exam results, I thought "gee, must be nice."

I got up, walked over to her, thinking my test results would be 70's and 80's. Upon inquiring as to what my score was, she said "You did awsome!'. I had to see it to believe it. The results were:

pre-algebra = 90%
comprehensive writing = 95%
descriptive writing = 100%

That definitely made my day

The best part was when I saw my career counselor. After viewing my scores she said "I've never seen scores this high in pre-algebra before."

Later on, I was crossing the street at the tech school (same crosswalk that I was I hit in) and I met one of the young ladies who had witnessed the incident there. She asked me how I was doing, to which I replied "fine. I don't hurt or anything. No bruises, either". Then she told me how she was hit by a big truck when she was ten years old and had to go to the hospital

I found her attractive, especially her low, soothing voice. I couldn't help but think of her the rest of the day. Maybe I'll run across her once in a while at school ---by "coincidence" of course

I'm pretty sure at this point that I'll be accepted into school, but I don't want to take it for granted. ]]> ~Garathaan http://Garathaan.deviantart.com/journal/12647797/ http://Garathaan.deviantart.com/journal/12647797/ Wed, 18 Apr 2007 20:34:57 PDT
Well, I haven't been here for a while, but my life is about to go through a major change.

After living in my hometown for my entire life and in this house for over a year, I'm selling my home and moving to a nearby city and into an apartment. I've been completely out of money for a while now, and I've been looking for work. My roof leaks terribly (a $5000-8000 repair job), I can bearely keep the lights on, and quite frankly, I don't have enough education to find a decent job in IT. As far as that job I had lined up with that financial institution, one of my references didn't work out for me, so I didn't get it. It would have been sooooooo much $$$ for me, but now I am positively B R O K E! I have hit rock bottom, and I can't go on living like this anymore.

So now my apology.

I'm so sorry that I left you great guys here on DA for so long, and failed to return the courtesy of answering your messages. I know I may have made some promises about things such as certain features in my journals and such, so from now on, no more promises, as that lets down a lot of people. I've just been so sidetracked, but that is no excuse for my ignoring you. Again, I am sorry :sad:

But I'm very determined to change things in my life now, big time. I am currently enrolled in three job-seeking programs, multiple disability benefits programs (no response from either of them yet - I have a mild form of chorea, or muscular disorder, something that you may not notice if you saw me, but then again you might. I've had people say I should apply for disability benefits, so I have, even though I don't think I really need them). On top of all this, I need to have a rummage sale to sell 1/2 of all my belongings, and need to go apartment hunting. This fall, I am also going to school go get an associate degree in IT (programmer/analyst). All of the wheels are set in motion for all of this to happen, and happen it shall, so long as I don't get hit my any more minivans...

I was crossing a street via crosswalk where there are signs posted that say "State law requires vehicles to stop for pedestrians in crosswalks". Well, sometimes things happen.

I stepped out into the crosswalk, looked left, and saw the only vehicle that didn't stop. He was about fifteen feet away from me when I realized he wasn't going to stop, going about 15 to 20 or so mph. My reaction? Sheer disbelief. Before I knew it, he hit me, and I found myself spinning, as though someone had grabbed me by my arm and had spun around. Realizing I had survived the inital impact, I tried, against the forces of gravity, to prevent from landing on the hard pavement. And believe it or not, I wasn't even knocked over! God must have had his catcher's mit on.

Being concerned for the scared witnesses (all five of them, I think), I spread my arms out, let everyone see me, and assured them I was okay. Then the driver got out, and he asked if I was okay, and I smiled and said "I'm fine. Don't worry, I know it wasn't intentional, I don't have any pain." I was really concerned about him, because I can't imagine anything more horrifying than seeing a person's frightened face at the end of your hood when your driving. And I'm sure I looked horrified.

I keep playing this over and over in my head wondering how I could get hit by a minivan and not get hurt, much less remain on my feet. I'll be trying to figure this one out for years to come. That scene of that vehicle coming toward me is etched in my mind for years to come.

Of course, as I said before, God was watching

I missed you while I was gone ]]> ~Garathaan http://Garathaan.deviantart.com/journal/10241460/ http://Garathaan.deviantart.com/journal/10241460/ Sat, 30 Sep 2006 21:13:46 PDT
Well, I have been looking for work for some time now, and this week I attended a local career fest, and the floodgates have opened big time!

I've already had a second interview with a major financial firm and blew them away (their opinion btw). In addition, I have two interviews scheduled for Tuesday, and another one for Wednesday, and two other firms from the career fest are going to call me and schedule interviews with me. On top of all that, I've re-arranged my house, and I'm very seriously thinking of going to school for IT classes.

I've also inadvertently started three unofficial discussion groups at Barnes & Noble by introducing all my friends there to each other. We call ourselves the Eclectic Round Table because anything is fair game for discussion. And speaking of Barnes & Noble, I got my first glimpse of their new store in our local mall because they had the entire front uncovered (they open on the 25th), and all I can say is...

WOW!!! Acres and acres of bookshelves. The new B&N is as big as our Herberger's, with the entire inside front and outside front lined with giant plate-glass windows and a Starbucks Cafe up on a platform I'm almost as excited at that as I am about my new employment prospects.

Anyhow, today's my birthday and tomorrow's the first year of my mother's passing. Because I promised her on her deathbed I would attend church every Sunday, I have for a year as of tomorrow. I love her very much and I always will

So, between all my new B&N friends (these people overhead my older friends and I talking and joined in), my many job search efforts and sbsequent interviews and resume rewrites, and helping one of my new friends with a serious problem, I really haven't been here much. My life is doing another 180 - second one in a year, so now I'm getting dizzy .

Of course, my new friends here on DA have made this past year a lot easier.

I love you all ]]> ~Garathaan http://Garathaan.deviantart.com/journal/9902276/ http://Garathaan.deviantart.com/journal/9902276/ Tue, 29 Aug 2006 23:02:00 PDT Learning About the Universe Through Art

Mood: inquisitive
Reading: General Chemistry

The universe is a puzzle to me and I've been re-constructing it for a number of years now, in an effort to compile a book about it and how we, as humans, interact with it. One of the best ways to do this is, of course, through art.

Every day I challenge myself with new experiences, deviantArt being no exception. So I visit the galleries of our fine memberness, seeking out all kinds of creative genres here. Whether it be fractal art, painting, photography, sculpting, or any other type of deviations, variety is indeed the spice of life...and learning.

So I will be, starting in September, featuring random art types, known as *Genre Features* here in my journal, with links to galleries with those types of art in them, in hopes to open up new and different artistic worlds to you, my readers, and create some well-deserved recognition for those artists
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Also, starting in September, I will begin to hone my artistic skills to the point so that by October I can begin offering my deviations as prints (Yes, I have a prints account!). So please feel free to give me any suggestions that you deem appropriate, so that only my very best work is submitted for sale . Any tips you can give me would be greatly appreciated (I have, and will continue to consult the print account faq, so I'm thinking of things maybe not mentioned there). In return, I will give those who give me helpful pointers *Tipster Features* here in my journal, thus creating a win-win scenario (better chance of selling my prints and more DA recognition for the tipster
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I am also going to be spending even more time in my research for my book by studying the more mathematical and geometrical aspects of the various sciences. Many of the deviation types here on DA (fractal and photography, just to name two) offer insights into many of the basic principles of nature. The more I see of your incredible deviations, the more I want to study those principles

Those of you who love deviantArt, me! ]]> ~Garathaan http://Garathaan.deviantart.com/journal/9866517/ http://Garathaan.deviantart.com/journal/9866517/ Sat, 26 Aug 2006 20:42:08 PDT
Mood: restive

I will probably be taking Sundays off from DA from now on because I need to be 'disconnected' from the world at least once a week.

I'm saying this because if you leave a comment, thumbshare link, Dnote, ect. on a Saturday night (central time US) I may not get back to you until Monday or so, so please don't feel like I'm blowing you off or ignoring you. Also, if you feel as though I have ignored you, or if you feel as though I have not responded to something requiring my attention, just let me know and I will respond when I can.

Thanks you for your patience. ]]> ~Garathaan http://Garathaan.deviantart.com/journal/9863907/ http://Garathaan.deviantart.com/journal/9863907/ Sat, 26 Aug 2006 15:47:59 PDT
Mood: Ambitious

I have an affinity for trains, and as such I like to take walks along the railroad tracks. The other night I was doing this as it was getting dark and a storm was brewing.

I heard the train horn when the train was about five minutes out of town (I timed it). In the ever-encroaching darkness, I looked the long way down the track and saw the triple lights of the oncoming locomotive approaching. Meanwhile, the members of the local insect patrol (bats )were flying all about, preparing to take up point to hunt their insectoidal prey. A strong wind at my back and lightning flashing across the neat-raging sky with ever-increasing intensity, I anticipated when the great steel horse would cross my line of vision with great amounts of kinetic energy being spent at levels to get its cargo to some distant land.

The train lights were piercing through the increasingly prolific dust/mist combination upon the great engine's approach, when the crossing guard lights started flashing their bright glowing red lights, the train bearing down to a point not too far ahead, but nevertheless, a safe distance from me. The bells on the crossing gates chiming, the wind picking up, lightning continuing to tear across the ever-encroaching black vault of a fierce sky, the train warped, at speeds much inferior to those of light, right by me, blaring its horn. What an experience! "Dead would I be if I were on the tracks", I thought.

But of course, I wasn't. Too bad I didn't have my camera, though. Oh well, maybe next time A great experience, nonetheless.

]]> ~Garathaan http://Garathaan.deviantart.com/journal/9863819/ http://Garathaan.deviantart.com/journal/9863819/ Sat, 26 Aug 2006 15:39:39 PDT
]]> ~Garathaan http://Garathaan.deviantart.com/journal/9702289/ http://Garathaan.deviantart.com/journal/9702289/ Sat, 12 Aug 2006 12:42:20 PDT Weird and Wonderful

Mood: What can I say?

Well, as you may or may not know by now, I did manage to upload two deviations, which is good. But two things I don't get:

1)I attempted to use my FireFox browser, but when I typed in 'deviantArt', it said website not found (I typed it in several times to make sure I didn't misspell it). It could also not find any other web sites. I also tried to use NetCaptor, but the submissions process still hung between steps 3 and 4, so I went back to IE.

2)I intitially tried to upload 'Beauty in Space' as traditional>Miscellaneous, and it didn't work. Then I Submitted the same work under traditional> painting and it worked. Hmmm.

So I guess more deviations are in our future

Anyway, thanks to my friends for their help and understanding. You're the best! ]]> ~Garathaan http://Garathaan.deviantart.com/journal/9685128/ http://Garathaan.deviantart.com/journal/9685128/ Fri, 11 Aug 2006 00:00:47 PDT ...And I Don't Know Why!

Mood: disappointed

Well, for some reason my submission process will not go beyond step 3, as my computer hangs at that point. So until I hear back from the help desk, I cannot submit anything else. Nonetheless, I still like DA5, and realize that the staff is very busy, so I will be patient and wait for their reply. But then, compared to what could have happened with that near-terrorist attack yesterday, it kind of puts things in perspective. Remember, although we like to complain (yes, read *like* to, because some people honestly *do* like to!) things could have been a lot worse by now

I just want to say thank you to all of my visitors and friends, and that I will be submitting more deviations after my problem with the submition process gets fixed.

And to my photographer friends here, I bought some more film today...

Again, thanks for reading this! ]]> ~Garathaan http://Garathaan.deviantart.com/journal/9645173/ http://Garathaan.deviantart.com/journal/9645173/ Tue, 08 Aug 2006 10:12:50 PDT Congrats For a Great Transition!

Mood: Loving It!
Reading: Home Again With Me (James Whitcomb Riley)

I must say, I this version of DA. I find this very streamlined, very sleek, and incredibly easy to use. And I didn't even need to see the intro (I just skipped over it ). I would like to thank the staff for putting in what was undoubtedly thousands of hours worth of work and much blood, sweat and tears to make this the BEST site on the internet.

I like the simplified menu bar at the top of the screen, the cleaned-up gallery display, and I think it loads faster, too!

Yes, there will be some complaints, but that's only normal after a major upgrade such as this was. But of course, you can't please everyone all of the time, can you!

I'm sorry that I haven't replied to some of your messages, but I've just had so very many of them, so I'll try to get back to you in the next few days or so...just hang in there.

Again, thanks to the staff for a great rollout of DA5 ]]> ~Garathaan http://Garathaan.deviantart.com/journal/9608065/ http://Garathaan.deviantart.com/journal/9608065/ Sat, 05 Aug 2006 13:07:44 PDT

Mood: Ongoing
Reading: Home Again With Me (James Whitcomb Riley)

I tried to use 'help' but couldn't find 'stamps' there. Please be patient with me until I get it right (which hopefully won't take too long).

]]> ~Garathaan http://Garathaan.deviantart.com/journal/9590936/ http://Garathaan.deviantart.com/journal/9590936/ Thu, 03 Aug 2006 19:13:40 PDT Of King James, Sir Walter Raleigh, and the 'spooky' portrait which hangs in my library

Mood: Ongoing
Reading: Home Again With Me (James Whitcomb Riley)

This story begins in the 1930's in a small drugstore in Medina, OH. My grandfather on my mother's side was a pharmacist and owned a small drugstore in the above location. On one of the walls hung a dour-looking portrait of Sir Walter Raleigh [link] (not the picture seen on this site). Benignly holding a claymore in his right off-white gloved hand and topping his head off with a wide-brimmed black hat and clothed in an autumn-orange cloak and matching shirt with a wide lace collar, he has a very serious pall about his face, a very foreboding countenance. Needless to say, that representation of days gone by was passed down to my mother, who hung it in our living room wall, much to the chagrin of my sister and brother (I don't recall the reaction of my father to that painting). My siblings could not stand that picture of that great man who is said to have, in one of his may acts of chivalry, draped his cloak across a water puddle so that a woman, who was probably much appreciative of this altruistic act, could transverse the tiny lake without damage to her foot ware.

As I said, my brother and sister could not stand Raleigh's presence (in fact they often joked about burning that representation, against which my mother railed because she liked the painting so well), for you see...his eyes follow you across the room. That's right, whenever you step from one side of the room to the other, those dark, thoughtful eyes...they, well, follow you wherever you go. There's two people in the family who were unaffected by his eyes, and they were my mother and I. Of course, there's just a little more to the story than this...

Enter the seventeenth century and King James, King of Scotland, England, and Ireland (the first king to unite all three of the European kingdoms). History says that King James had Sir Walter Raleigh beheaded, fearing that Raleigh had conspired to have him assassinated, a fear founded on some false assumptions, goes the story. Well, jumping ahead to the twentieth century, it is recorded in the family Bible that my family is descended from King James, so enter the question: Is it possible for guilt to be genetically handed down through generations? Well, I don't really know, since guilt is an emotion. But isn't it ironic that a portrait of a man beheaded by an ancestor of ours would ‘haunt' certain family members of mine, let alone us even having a portrait of him in the first place?

Anyway, after my mom died in October I kept that painting, and it now hangs on the wall right here in front of me, to my left, gazing down upon me. But, as I sit beneath the watchful eyes of this long-dead gallant soul, I must admit: he does bring a sense of order, dignity if you will, to my humble abode. I often wonder what he would think about events of this day. What would he think about the world wide web, technology, modern medicine, and such? Well, regardless, one thing's for sure...I really like having him around. And I really hope he does rest in peace, although his portrait would seem to betray that possibility.

And yes, his dark, piercing eyes still, to this day, follow me around...which is more than okay with me ]]> ~Garathaan http://Garathaan.deviantart.com/journal/9435969/ http://Garathaan.deviantart.com/journal/9435969/ Thu, 20 Jul 2006 10:13:25 PDT
Mood: Busy
Reading: Biography of John Baldwin (A. R. Webber)

I have been organizing my library lately. My system is to arrange them first by category (science, art, religion, ect.) and then by title, with the exception of literature, where I arrange them by author. One thing about my new (old) house is that there are two walk-in closets on the ground floor, and my new library is no exception; so in there is where I put my computer manuals, reference books, and my own work.

Man, oh man, have I got books! Lots of books! I've got books that were handed down to me by my grandparents, books from the mid-to-late nineteenth century, including two large books about the history of Ohio (where my family's originally from), a set of Self-Interpreting Bibles copyrighted 1896 (where it mentions the telegraph and the train as being fulfilled prophecies according to the Book of Revelation) and McGuffey's First Eclectic Reader Revised Edition copyrighted 1879, and many other books too old to even have a copyright. Some of these books have beautiful pen-and-ink drawings, clear black-and-white photos, and images made with old-fashioned wood cuts (I have a collection of old wood cuts and other such things, too). Some of the more modern books, especially ones my Mom used to read, are from the 1930's (Dick and Jane Readers, Sax Rhomer's Dr. Fu Manchu novels (first editions, I think), and a copy of the Marble Faun by Nathaniel Hawthorne (the inside front cover has a written-in-ink date of 1927, but no official copyright date) and Mars Revisited by Dorrance and Company Publishing, copyrighted 1959.

Of course, I have added considerably to this vast collection over the years, as I've purchased many science books, and books pertaining to theology, philosophy, humor, and art. I have a copy of Stephen Wolfram's New Kind of Science, The Complete Guide to Publishing a Website by Future Publishing Limited (more of a magazine, but I still wanted to list it here), The Origin of Species by Charles Darwin and its counter-book Uncommon Dissent by William Dembsky, and The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey, not to mention various other books across an array of subjects. Of course, let us not forget the thousands of pages of Big Theories/Theories of Everything/Grand Theories that I've downloaded from the Web over the past several years, for purposes of researching for my book, which seems to be more of a journey than it does a writing project.

While unpacking some of my books I came across a few surprises: One is a book titled Alaska Trails 'N' Tails, which is a book of poetry and short stories written by Everett G. Greesley who, I found out, while reading the back flap, is a native of a small town just a few miles from me. Another one is written in 1925 by a relative, a judge, (now long deceased) about a famous Ohio man. Yet another book was a science textbook, with equations in it, owned by my grandmother, who was scientifically oriented. And, I sometimes find old family letters and notes written to other family members hidden between the pages of some of those books, those family members long gone. I wonder how many of those were actually read by their intended recipients? Perhaps, in some sort of acausal way, those occasionally-found messages are still bridging communications between people down through, and across, the ages.

The best, however, is yet to come, for behind a wall, where is located a back bedroom, are many more boxes of books, which cannot be unpacked until I am able to put up more bookshelves and buy/build more bookcases...whenever that will be.

The adventure continues...

]]> ~Garathaan http://Garathaan.deviantart.com/journal/9164326/ http://Garathaan.deviantart.com/journal/9164326/ Fri, 23 Jun 2006 22:46:26 PDT
Mood: energetic
Listening to: It's Now or Never (Elvis Presley)
Reading: Alternative Science

On Saturday, I was at Barnes & Noble when the weather turned stormy. As I looked out at the churning sky while preparing to leave, I figured I might as well attempt to make it to my car in spite of the cyclonic conditions. Big mistake! As soon as I exited their foyer and got just outside their solid-wood doors, the wind grabbed my rainbow unbrella right out of my hand. I tried to run after it, but to no avail. I could do little but watch my multi-colored rain shield, having seemingly achieved a mind of its own, dart ever-so gingerly across the parking lots of neighboring Kohl's, Target, and Office Max, at speeds over which I could not achieve a superior curve on foot.

The wind, being a harsh taskmaster, had also taken ahold of my kilt, and was blowing it at heights I really wish it hadn't (luckily, I was wearing something under it) giving the people sitting in the Starbucks cafe by the plate-glass window quite an eyefull, but I was a lot more concerned about retrieving my wayward umbrella. Thinking that I might have a better chance of catching up to my air-borne umbrella in my trusty Chevy Cavalier, I ran to it, hopped in, and carefully exited the parking lot.

Now in hot persuit that would make Sheriff Rosco P. Coaltrain proud, I sped over to the adjoining parking lots acrosse the street, no longer able to see my umbrella. But with steely determination, I slowed down and visually scoured the vast expanse of parking spaces, casting an attentive gaze in between the cornucopia of vehicles nestled in the parking spaces, to no avail. After a while, I spotted it in the hand of an employee of one of the big stores, while the gallant young man holding it was helping a lady customer to her car. Upon spying that, I thought two things: 1) good for him for helping that lady to her car and 2) I WANT MY UMBRELLA BACK!!! As soon as he got her dryly to her automobile, I carefull rolled up to him, rolled down my window, and explained to him my plight. He looked at me strangely, and agreed to give me back my umbrella.

Ok, so it's got a few small holes in it. So it has a few broken stems. So one part of it has to be propped up by hand when I use it. But I vow, vow I say, that I will fix it and it will fly...umm...shield me once again from nature's vigorous onslaughts!

On Sunday, I was *the* usher at church. When I got there, no one was handing out the church bulletins at the entrance to the sanctuary, so I grabbed them and greeted the incoming worshippers. When the service got underway I took my place in the back usher's pew (a tradition which is fading because now the ushers prefer to sit in the rest of the pews with their families). Concerned that I might be the only one there to usher, I was glad that four men were able to help take the collection at the appropriate time. But then, after the service, the pastor, with pleasant smile upon his face, came down the center isle, shook my hand, and said, "good morning!" again. After a brief pause, he noticed that no one was dismissing the people, so he asked if I wanted to. I replied "Sure!" and I did, and walked up the center isle to the front of the sanctuary, and nodded alternatively from one side to the other for the people in those respective pews to slowly exit.

After everyone was out in the foyer talking, I asked the head usher what was going on. He said that he had forgotten that he needed to usher the congregation out, and that his entire ushering team had failed to show up for last week too, and probably wouldn't show up until after the end of this month. I feel bad for the head usher, too, because it puts him on the spot when his team doesn't show up. Now, I am more than happy to fill in where needed, but...it would be really nice if those who signed up for the usher's list would actually, oh I don't know...show up and usher!

That afternoon I went to a big local park located in a nearby major city, where I ran into an outspoken and well-known former corrections department officer (aka retired probation officer) who was asking for signiatures for his public office election campaign. I cordially declined and... ]]> ~Garathaan http://Garathaan.deviantart.com/journal/9079394/ http://Garathaan.deviantart.com/journal/9079394/ Thu, 15 Jun 2006 17:03:02 PDT I would like to critique deviations in the same manner as Sister Wendy Beckett critiques art.[link]

Mood: Fine
Listening to: The Thieving Magpie (Rossini)
Reading: The Essential Calvin and Hobbes (Bill Watterson)
Watching: The Kingdom of Heaven

One of my favorite books is "Sister Wendy's 1000 Masterpieces".

I've always had an eye for fine art, and this book fulfills that need. In over 500 pages, Sister Wendy Beckett meticulously describes, next to the paintings, her thoughts blended skillfully with some history about those paintings. Cutting across dimensions of time and space, she covers paintings from the twelfth century into the twentieth century, and exploring the diverse styles of various artists such as Van Gogh, Wyjnant, Melozzo, Signac, Michelangelo, Puvis De Chavannes, Diebenkorn, and a host of other impressionists, provides for her readers many hours of reading and learning. Reprinted in splendid color, each painting represents a now, or moment forever frozen in time. The question each painting projects for our pondering is, "Did the artist paint what he or she actually saw, or what they thought they saw"?

One of my favorite paintings in the book is "The Last Supper" by Dieric Bouts, because of the immaculate detail of the dining room that Jesus and his disciples are seated in. If one looks closely, one can observe the symmetrical tiling on the floor and the carving at the top of the paneled doorway behind Christ, where Sister Wendy states "...The eye is led down the central line of the paneled door". In Pieter Bruegel's "Hunters in the Snow" Sister Wendy makes mention of the pig being roasted outside the inn (I noticed that the inn sign is askew) proving her sharp eye. And I cannot add one mite to Sister Wendy's description of "The Virgin in Prayer" by Giovanni Battista Salvi where she simply says "Everything in this image is both soft and strong". It is her perception of art and her keen observational gifts that make me wish I could sit down and take tea with her.

Do any of you, my readers have this book? And if so, what are your impressions of it?

]]> ~Garathaan http://Garathaan.deviantart.com/journal/9058448/ http://Garathaan.deviantart.com/journal/9058448/ Tue, 13 Jun 2006 15:33:27 PDT
Mood: Questioning
Reading: The Essential Calvin and Hobbes (Bill Watterson)

Well, the usually-conservative self has finally met up with his usually-hidden liberal self as I now have an actual "Grateful Dead" connection.

It started at Barnes & Noble while I was sitting in a chair sipping my mocha, or as I order it "decalfcalfemochaskinnynowhippedcreamicet ogo" (the new staff members of the cafe have a little trouble picking up on this order when I rattle it off all in one breath without any pauses between the words, but the experienced ones know exactly what I mean) and reading my usual assemblage of newspapers, occasionally glancing over the top of the numerically-gathered newsprint to observe the masses of humanity haplessly gliding by in their sundry vehicles on the highway outside of the giant plate glass window that I was sitting in front of. After mentally ingesting the local paper, state paper, and the Wall Street Journal, I decided to get up, return the newspapers to their rightful places on the metal upright rack from which they came, and go on the prowl for more mental stimulation in the form of books and magazines. Since I am intent on improving my artistic style I sauntered over to the art region of the great book store. While there, I let my eyes gently glide across the spines of the various books, hoping they would soon alight upon an interesting title. After a while, I came across a book about the art of Jerry Garcia.

Now, my mind is extremely open to a myriad of things; different foods, new reading material, unusual science, and so on, with art being no exception. Of course, I thought that this book would be interesting, since many people do not know that Garcia also drew and painted. Looking through the pages of that book, I admit that I saw a smidgin of myself in him, being open-minded and loving and longing to engage in the exploration, and sometimes, exploitation of those ideas. Anyway, I saw some very interesting pieces of Garcia's artwork that I wouldn't mind having mounted on the wall of my library. Having read the entire book in just that one sitting, I was preparing to disembark from my chair to put the book away, when a woman in a chair a little ways away glanced over and, after noting the book I was reading, said, "So, you're a deadhead too, huh?" Ironically, while looking at the multitudinous media and subjects of Garcia's handiwork presented in the book, I had, at least in some back-of-the-mind way, considered getting a Grateful Dead CD, just to see what type of music that someone who did that very eye-catching art would compile.

I looked at her, and somewhat nebulously responded, "This is quite a book. He did a lot of work that I like". Then, rising up from her chair, she explained how she had a ‘hand' in the book she was reading, "The Pleiadian Agenda" by Barbara Hand Clow. Having introduced herself, and while pointing to her name in the tribute in that book, she explained how she had met Garcia once and liked his artwork. I only glanced very briefly at her book to see what it was about. But nevertheless, I realized that I now had a "Grateful Dead connection", and was, for the first time in my brief life, seriously contemplating purchasing a "Grateful Dead" CD.

After truncating our discussion, she left and I got up to tell one of my friends who works there about my encounter and mentioned to him that I might get a Grateful Dead CD. Then the discussion starting delving into changing minds and different belief systems. As my friend and I continued our discussion, he looked up some books on his terminal at his workstation, turning the screen so that I may see them too. They were books about philosophy and New Age, some of them based on ancient writings (i.e. the coming of Nibiru [the tenth planet] as prophesied by Zacharia Sitchen ([link]), and other diverse writings. I explained that, even though I myself do not believe in those teachings per se, I enjoy studying them. As a Christian, I do believe in the Second Coming of Christ, and although I do not follow many of the viewpoints of the so-called spokesmen of my faith (Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson, and certain other prominent "leaders" of Christianity), I enjoy studying the different prophetical viewpoints of those who believe differently than I do, resulting in me occasionally questioning that in which I believe. But I digress.

As I go through recovering from the past three years of my life, I feel the need to keep trying new things, to "keep up" with everybody (for better or for worse), to keep growing...stronger, smarter, wiser, and more independent. It is only in the personal exploration of... ]]> ~Garathaan http://Garathaan.deviantart.com/journal/8917060/ http://Garathaan.deviantart.com/journal/8917060/ Tue, 30 May 2006 00:51:44 PDT
Mood: Thoughtful
Listening to: Carlo Maria Giulini L'italiana in Algeri (Rossini)

Today started out good, as I attended the memorial service in the park for Memorial Day. It was a beautiful sight seeing all the flags against a bright, crystalline sky, although these types of events are always a little afflictive. Afterwards, I stopped and talked with some friends before heading home to change into a tee shirt to go to the mall for my daily brisk walk.

At the mall, I had been walking a while, when I passed this cute girl who was draping off her boyfriend. As we passed she looked at my St. Andrews kilt (official USA red, white, and blue tartan) and said "hot!". This illicited no reaction from her boyfriend as I looked at her straight in the eyes, smiled, winked and said "thanks". Going our seperate ways, I finished my walk and went over to Barnes & Noble.

While there working on my book (I hadn't done so since Oct. of last year) so many things came to the forefront of my mind. Theories about time, causation/acausation, neuroplasticity, the philosophical geometric shape of reality, ect. I must have written more today than I've ever written before! I wonder what broke my writer's block, and if it will stay unblocked long enough to get any appreciable work done anytime soon I wish they would invent a way to relieve memory block, because on the way out of the store I left my keys inside. Then the other day, I stopped to give an elderly lady a lift, so I rolled down the window and asked her where she was going, and, after her reply, I got out and went around to help her in. But upon arriving at the other side of the car, I discovered that I had locked the keys in the car with the motor running

This evening, I was out for my evening walk when I passed this lady who said she lost her cellphone, so I helped her look for it. Is it just me, or does it make you more self-conscious when you're out in public constantly looking down to find something?

I took my siamese cat, Amon-Ra to the vets the other day. He's fifteen years old, purrs non-stop, loves to snuggle with me all night...and is in purrrrrrfect health

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]]> ~Garathaan http://Garathaan.deviantart.com/journal/8874143/ http://Garathaan.deviantart.com/journal/8874143/ Thu, 25 May 2006 13:24:57 PDT
Damn the torpedoes and full speed ahead!

I know this isn't much of a journal entry, but I'm off to Barnes & Noble now, so I will write more later.

--------------------------------30--------------------------------- ]]> ~Garathaan