so many draft posts, so little time

In the absence of a real post, here's a fun article for you. It's an exclusive interview with members of the 'real' global vampire community. I actually thought it was a parody at first, but apparently not. This first exchange I found interesting:

Q: What do you think is the largest major concern facing the modern vampire subculture?

A: I would say that currently, the largest concern and struggle for the modern vampire subculture is trying to solidify identity and structure for the various facets in the subculture.

Seriously? That's their greatest concern right now. As opposed to say, the fact that they are delusional? I guess that can be hard to spot from the inside.

On a more serious note, though, I wonder what it is in a person that causes them to 'awake' to the idea that they need to drink other people's energy or blood. I don't think it's an issue if their prey are willing (and there are people out there who willingly let others drink from them), but what intrigues me is the need to do it. Other rituals, like piercing and tattoos, other rites of belonging or passage, I can kind of grasp the reasons for them, but this one still floors me. And when someone simply believes they are a vampire, well yes, that speaks delusion to me. But delusions have a purpose and damned if I can even guess at this one...

two things a tattoo told me

I just saw this tattoo on the contrariwise blog (tattoos inspired by literature, song, etc) and I think my first response is a bit telling.

1. It bothered me that the line was straight instead of following the natural line of the arch of the foot. Aesthetically it's not as pleasing, but it also feels like they've tried to impose something rigid onto something free and flexible. Seems a shame given that the words themselves suggest a freedom to live as you choose without judgment or constraint.

2. It also bothered me (way more than it probably should have) that there is no full stop on the end of the sentence. For me to have it written without one, I would have had to make the first letter lower case.

It's a strange thing about rules when it comes to language. It's not just a matter of obeying the rules and I'm aware that language changes and develops over the years. But I really like the sense of order and 'rightness' that comes from grammar, spelling and punctuation rules. So much so in fact that 'correct' language that conforms to those rules is actually more beautiful to me.

It's the same feeling I get from using traditional poetic forms. I like free verse, I often use it myself, but sometimes when I force myself to be creative within a strict traditional form with a set rhyming scheme or other limitations, what I produce is so much better ~ more musical, more satifying to read aloud. The ideas have more clarity and the thing as a whole is more beautiful to me.

Does anyone else find that? Not just with writing, but any art form? Also, if you were going to get a 'literary' tattoo, whch line/s would you choose and why?

fun stuff on geekologie

Geekologie always have pretty fun stuff. This week it includes:

If the Matrix ran on Windows.

Fiber Optic Wallpaper

This popping edamame keychain which I めちゃめちゃほしい.
















And this story about a guy who crystalised an entire apartment. So freaking cool. If I ever own my own house I'd love to do that to one room (and yes probably never will, but stop thinking in terms of reality). Actually I've always wanted a tatami room, too. Maybe I could crystalise it first and then replace the crystally floor with tatami matting. The apartment (shown in the video below) looks like a dark, wet, sparkly cave, but imagine a room like that after someone with the money to do it had fitted it out properly and gotten great light in there. It would look unbelieveable. I wonder if the crystals stay once they form or have a limited span...? I feel like they'd stay, based on no scientific knowledge of the subject whatsoever.

all my friends in los angeles should expect an email

From Neil Gaiman's blog comes the news that the illustrator I find most intriguing in the world, Dave McKean, is not only having an exhibition at the The Merry Karnowsky Gallery (July 19 - August 16), but also will be at the opening on the 19th of July. Which is open to the public. Of which I am a member. Except that I live 12,325 km (7658 miles) away.

AAAAAARGH!

If I was rich I'd be on a plane next week to LA. (Though in fairness if I was rich I would have been visiting jojo, Tetchan and Ai in LA every six months for the last five years. And a bunch of other people in a bunch of other places.) But anyway...if anyone in or near LA happens to read this, do try and get along to this thing.

Dave McKean is not like any artist you've ever seen before.

One of my (previously) secret goals in life is to write a book for which Dave McKean would want to do the cover. Actually I'm writing the book now. Getting Dave to read it might be more difficult. Perhaps after it wins a Hugo. (Hey what's the point of having goals if they aren't lofty?)

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