(no subject)

One of my favorite authors, Steven Brust, apparently wrote this. It's sung to the tune of 'Yellow Rose of Texas.' It amuses me in several ways.

Edit: It is by him; I re-copied the version below straight off his web page.

My girlfriend is a Pagan, she don't believe in Christ.
Theologically suspect, but in practice rather nice.
She's been teaching me her favorite fertility rites.
And every time I learn one, I yell out, "Jesus Christ!"

My girlfriend is a Pagan, I truly have been blessed.
I don't mind the pentagrams, or the lack of rest.
We've been doing all we can to see the crops don't fail;
If when I die I meet with Pan I'll shake him by the tail.

My girlfriend is a Pagan, I guess she is a witch.
She prays to her Goddess while wearing not a stich.
She says incense and crystals give her mystic energy,
And she has to use it somewhere, which works out best for me.

My girlfriend is a Pagan, who could ask for more?
At the altar she's a heathen, in the bedroom she's just fine.
I'm happy as a pig in shit, what more can I say?
My girlfriend is a Pagan, and I'm learning how to pray.

(c) 2002 by Steven Brust

(no subject)

I've mixed up 4 of the perfume oils from Black Phoenix Alchemy Labs (herein referred to BPAL because it's shorter, dammit). I spray-ized Lust, Scorpio. Typhon, and Masquerade. I mixed the sample with 1/8 oz. of everclear and 1/8 oz of water. Unfortunately, this may be too diluted, because the scents don't seem to stick around for very long at all. But it's cool- I can just spray more on and if I grow to like something enough I'll quit being a cheap-skate and get a 5 oz. bottle.

I'm trying to decide if I like any of them enough though. I've shoved my sprayed arm under several noses and get the same reaction every time- "Oh, that's nice." which beats "you smell like a cheap whore!" or projectile vomiting, but it's not that informative. Hub honestly doesn't seem to care about perfume at all (though he doesn't object when I wear it) so this is all going to be for my benefit mostly.

The Scorpio is still pretty fruity. I like Lust, though it's a little too sweet; probably because of the myrrh. Typhon is nice too, but it seems to fade even more quickly than the others. I'll try Masquerade tomorrow.

(no subject)

Class Thursday was pretty short. But it seemed to go well; people seem to be relaxing somewhat and feeling freer to chat. This is a happy thing. We're half-way through this course now.

Friday I had lunch with MIL. She just broke up with her girlfriend of 4 years, and even though she was the dumper, she was still sad. We had planned to go to an Italian place at the restaurant row up in Round Rock where she works, but she drove up to Bennigans nearby so I figured she had changed her mind. She was talking very intently about the break-up so I didn't interrupt her. It wasn't until we sat down and she opened the menu that she realized we weren't at the Italian place. I told her it was fine, maybe something in her needed to go to Bennigans for some reason.

She mentioned recently joining the Tapestry Singers, which looks very cool, and I might try and see if I can't swing by for a rehearsal. I miss music in my life; I was all over it in school and when I started working 'til 7:30 I dropped out of the community band. This group meets on one of my workdays starting at 7, but it might be possible for me to work a shift trade with someone. I'll have to see.

Next I went to Costco to get an assload of water and trail mix for my upcoming camp-out, plus assloads of deoderant, goat cheese, crackers for the goat cheese, and hand soap. They also had a really cool blanket with Celtic knotty things on it that would be nice and warm to snuggle under at said camp-out. Then to home, slather on the sunscreen, and to the lake. The water was really choppy, probably because of everyone in their motorboats trying to get a head start on the long weekend. It made swimming a chore and the water was all silty, but I still managed to get to the bouys and back at least once, and to get some relaxation in and read a book for a bit too while I dried off. I got another year pass for the park... I may not use it many more times since fall is coming, but I still feel like I get my money's worth. I really enjoy visiting that park. I'd like to hit Hamilton Pool again sometime soon; I haven't been all year and the pass gets me in there for free too.

Happy Labor Day

Yet another interesting article about how we Americans tend to work too hard for no particularly good reason. Don't want to register to read it? Okay, I will enable you in your laziness because I love you.

The paragraph which caught my eye was this one:

"Calvin made work not just cool but obligatory. He believed certain people were predestined to go to heaven and others to be damned, and the only way to tell the Elect was to see who was working hard and had money, wealth itself being a sign of divine grace. He not only turned Catholic teaching about the perils of riches on its head, he contended that losers should blame themselves, not the system." ( John Calvin: Assmaster )

Pangur Ban

I and Pangur Ban, my cat,
'Tis a like task we are at;
Hunting mice is his delight,
Hunting words I sit all night.

Better far than praise of men
'Tis to sit with book and pen;
Pangur bears me no ill will;
He, too, plies his simple skill.

'Tis a merry thing to see
At our task how glad are we,
When at home we sit and find
Entertainment to our mind.

Oftentimes a mouse will stray
Into the hero Pangur's way;
Oftentimes my keen thought set
Takes a meaning in its net.

'Gainst the wall he sets his eye
Full and fierce and sharp and sly;
'Gainst the wall of knowledge I
All my little wisdom try.

When a mouse darts from its den.
O how glad is Pangur then!
O what gladness do I prove
When I solve the doubts I love!

So in peace our tasks we ply,
Pangur Ban, my cat and I;
In our arts we find our bliss,
I have mine, and he has his.

Practice every day has made
Pangur perfect in his trade ;
I get wisdom day and night,
Turning Darkness into light.'