Glibertarians.com 2019 Archive

Category: Advice

  • IFLA: The “No Special Effort” Edition of the Horoscope for the Week of December 29

    Last horoscope of the year!  And I’m not going to look for things happening on off-days, what there is what you’re going to get.

     

    There’s only one alignment, but it’s a good one:  The Earth remains aligned with the Sun and Jupiter, which is all great news for the home life.

    Capricorn gets its month in the sun, which means I get to link to the best of Xan Griffin’s zodiac songs.  It also retains the Jovian combo of Saturn and Jupiter which gives them tremendous power, but not necessarily any particular direction inherent in it.  So use it wisely.   Mercury in Sagittarius indicates that you’re going to receive excellent advice this week. The moon joining with Venus in Aquarius is at basic level a sign of femininity, more specifically motherhood, and also nature.

    The cards agree with GRRRRL POWAH!  and the general overall domestic bliss (King/Queen of a suit drawn together, one reversed?  Do I really have to spell it out?)  However, the overall theme of the week is “shit’s gone pear-shaped, yo.”  Ten of the twelve cards were drawn reversed, and to say that swords are overrepresented is putting it mildly.  Many sets included, majors indicate this will be an important week.

    Capricorn:  4 of Swords reversed – Wise administration, circumspection, economy, avarice, precaution, testament

    Aquarius:  King of Swords reversed – Cruelty, perversity, barbarity, perfidy, evil intention

    Pisces: Queen of Swords – Widowhood, female sadness and embarrassment, absence, sterility, mourning, privation, separation

    Aries:  King of Wands reversed – Dark man, friendly, countryman, generally married, honest and conscientious

    Taurus:  Justice reversed – Law, legal complications, bigotry, bias, excessive severity

    Gemini:  The Moon reversed – Instability, inconstancy, silence, lesser degrees of deception and error

    Cancer:  9 of Swords reversed –  Imprisonment, suspicion, doubt, reasonable fear, shame

    Leo:  Page of Swords – Authority, overseeing, secret service, vigilance, spying, examination

    Virgo:  King of Cups reversed –  Dishonest, double-dealing man, roguery, exaction, injustice, vice, scandal, pillage, considerable loss

    Libra:  The Sun reversed – Material happiness, fortunate marriage, contentment, growth ending

    Scorpio:  9 of Cups reversed – Truth, loyalty, liberty, mistakes, imperfections

    Sagittarius: 8 of Cups reversed – Great joy, happiness, feasting

     

     

     

     

  • ZARDOZ FRIDAY NIGHT LINKS OF UNEASE

    ZARDOZ SPEAKS…TO THE ASSEMBLED STAFF. ZED, WERE YOU SUPPOSED TO BRING BAGELS AND COFFEE?

     

    ZARDOZ SPEAKS TO YOU, HIS CHOSEN ONES. ZARDOZ HAS UNCERTAIN COGITATIONS RUNNING AROUND HIS CIRCUITRY. YEAR END REVIEWS HAVE BEEN HELD. ZARDOZ GETS THE FEELING A PAPER TRAIL IS BEING CREATED AGAINST HIM! THE QUESTIONING FROM THE GLIBERTARIAN POWERS THAT BE WAS MOST INTENSE. “WE SPENT $285,000 ON GREEN BREAD?!” “CAN’T YOU JUST USE THE IN-HOUSE HR PEOPLE TO RECRUIT BRUTAL EXTERMINATORS?” THIS IS NOT THE WORST OF IT – ONE OF THE BRUTAL EXTERMINATORS HAS REPORTED TO ZARDOZ THAT INTERVIEWS ARE SURREPTITIOUSLY BEING HELD FOR AN UNNAMED POSITION.

    THEREFOR, ZARDOZ SHALL PROVE HIS WORTH BY GIVING THE CHOSEN ONES THE GIFT OF THE LINK…AND ADVICE! GO FORTH AND COMMENT! OH, AND DO YOU WELL TO REMEMBER, THE PENIS IS EVIL, AND THE GUN IS GOOD!

    • THANK YOU FOR FLYING AIR BORAT.
    • WAS IT DURING A THREE HOUR TOUR?
    • PERHAPS ZARDOZ SHOULD RECRUIT AMONGST ALBANIAN GANGS?

    SUPERIOR ADVICE ON BEHAVIOR!

    Q: My neighborhood grocery store has recently begun featuring a guitar-playing singer during busier shopping times. His makeshift stage is just by the door, so one is in his field of vision upon entering and exiting the store, as well as while browsing the produce.

    While the songs aren’t offensive, loud or bothersome in any way, I find the whole arrangement awkward and generally try to avoid eye contact. Am I being rude? How should one respond to a live entertainer when shopping for necessaries?

    A: WEAKLING! IF THE MERE PRESENCE OF A MUSICAL BRUTAL WHILST SHOPPING PUTS YOU OFF THIS MUCH, HOW WILL YOU BE ABLE TO CLEANSE THE FILTH OF BRUTALS, WHO PLAGUE THE EARTH?GRANTED, A GUITAR PLAYER IN THE PRODUCE SECTION MAKES AS MUCH SENSE AS A PAN FLUTE PLAYER IN THE BRUTAL EXTERMINATOR’S ARMORY. THEREFOR, ZARDOZ WILL SOLVE ALL THESE PROBLEMS AT ONCE.

    LET US SEE…WHINER, STORE MANAGER AND MUSICIAN. ALL PRESENT AND GATHERING GRAIN.

    ZARDOZ HAS SPOKEN.

    …

    …

    …

    “Yes, I am proficient in Excel and Word.”

  • IFLA: The “Tidings of Comfort and Joy” Edition of the Horoscope for the Week of Dec 22

    When looking over this week’s charts, nothing was there on Sunday.  It would have been tempting to squint a bit, maybe nudge the ruler to force something into being, and there was something almost happening.  So I tracked the relative motion of Venus and Mercury and bingo!  On Christmas day, there is a SEVEN planet triple conjunction!  So if you want to do something, the odds are on your side.  But what if you just want to chill?  Maybe not so much.  Here’s what’s going on.  First:  Mars-Mercury-Venus.  Yes, Mercury is between Mars and Venus.  It happens.  Orbital mechanics are like that.  In fact did you know that The planet physically closest to Earth is usually Mercury?  Yup.  Your elementary school science teachers failed you, but you probably already knew that.

    Anyway, back to the first alignment:  Mars-Mercury-Venus.  The two poles male/female balanced around chaos.  Um-Yang, the Sacred Chao, whatever you want to call it.  Powerful, but in and of itself of questionable auspicity — are these complementary or competing forces?  Is the center the still point of destruction or the frictionless pivot?  Well, Mars is unconfigured otherwise, But Mercury…

    Conjunction:  Mercury-Luna-Earth.   In this case we have yet more ambiguity, with a leaning towards disorder.  Both Mercury and the Moon signify change, and both can bring luck but they also tend to mean “travel” which is contrary to the homebody nature of the Earth.  So we need more information.  Are any other planets involved in other constructions?  What is the Sun doing?  Fortunately (IYKWIM) there are answers.

    Jupiter-Sun-Earth.  Here we have some solid and unambiguous evidence of benevolence.  The sun and Jupiter are the two most auspicious planets, and having them aligned with the Earth means regardless of whatever is happening with the earlier conjunction with Mercury (and tracing back from there to the Venus-Mars construction)  things are going to be pretty darn good.  It is a most excellent and merry Christmas sign.

    Sagittarius:  9 of Cups reversed – Truth, loyalty, liberty, mistakes, imperfections

    Capricorn:  10 of Cups – Contentment, repose, human love and friendship

    Aquarius:  9 of Swords – failure, miscarriage, delay, deception, disappointment, despair

    Pisces:  2 of Coins reversed – Enforced gaiety, simulated enjoyment, literal sense, handwriting, composition, letters of exchange

    Aries:  Judgment – Change of position, renewal, outcome

    Taurus:  Knight of Cups – arrival, approach, advances, proposition, demeanour, invitation, incitement

    Gemini:  The Lovers reversed – Failure, foolish designs, lovers strife

    Cancer:  7 of Wands – valour, discussion, wordy strife, negotiations, war of trade, barter, competition, success

    Leo:  The Emperor – Stability, power, protection, realization, aid, reason, conviction, authority, will

    Virgo:  Knight of Swords – Skill, bravery, capacity, defense, address, enmity, wrath, war, destruction, opposition, resistance, ruin

    Libra:  Queen of Wands – A dark woman, countrywoman, friendly, chaste, loving, honorable.  Also, love of money, success in business

    Scorpio:  9 of Coins reversed – roguery, deception, voided project, bad faith.

     

     

     

  • STEVE SMITH FRIDAY NIGHT LINKS AND ADVICE

    BEST SWEATER!

    STEVE SMITH HAPPY. HIM HAVE GOOD CHRISTMASTIME. HIM FIND CAMPERS ACTING OUT “THE 12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS”. THAT MEAN STEVE SMITH GET RAPE DRUMMERS, PIPERS, LORDS, MAIDS, BIRDS AND A TREE. HIM HAVE NO USE GOLDEN RINGS.THEN HIM LISTEN FAVORITE ALBUM:

    HAVE A HOLLY RAPEY CHRISTMAS. IT BEST TIME OF YEAR!

    NOW STEVE SMITH RELAX WITH FUNNY GLIBERTARIAN PEOPLE. HIM GIVE LINKS. GOOD LINKS. AND ADVICE. FROM STEVE SMITH!

    • POLAND PEOPLE TELL EU “YOU BE QUIET. NO TELL US HOW RUN COUNTRY!” WHAT NEXT? PLEXIT?
    • COUSIN SEA SMITH….THIS YOU DO?
    • STEVE SMITH THINK THIS BIT EXTREME. YOU JUST GIVE 1 STAR RATING.

     

    NOW STEVE SMITH GIVE THE BEST ADVICE. BETTER THAN OLD HOOMAN.

    Q: My kindergartner arrived home with a princess birthday party invite. We’re new in town, and she’s going to a small private school, so I thought this was a perfect chance to meet new parents.

    My husband dropped us off at a very expensive home, where there were coolers full of beer, champagne and wine. It was a Sunday and not even noon. I don’t drink, generally, and definitely not with strangers, or around my 5-year-old, or on Sundays OR mornings — never mind a Sunday morning with my child and a bunch of strangers.

    I was confused, for starters, but as I spent the next two hours wandering the party, literally EVERYONE was drinking beer and asking why I wasn’t. They didn’t even have cake or open the presents. I left at the designated party end time, right before the “beer chugging championship” began in the kitchen.

    Is this normal for wealthy families? Not only am I scared to bring my daughter to another party, I’m concerned that when it’s her turn for a birthday party, we’ll be the “weird” ones who actually play kids’ games and serve cake. I’ve sacrificed to put her in a nice private school, and now fear I’ve doomed her to be the poor kid.

    A: STEVE SMITH THINK YOU BIT UPTIGHT. HIM HAVE ANSWER FOR THAT. HIM LOOSEN YOU UP, WITH RAPE. THEN YOU WANT DRINK WITH NEIGHBORS! IF STEVE SMITH HAD PINECONE FOR EVERY TIME HIM HEAR “Oh God…how can I forget this horrible day!” HIM WOULD BE BANK OF CASCADIA. SO DRINK, LOSE FEAR. LOSE BAD MEMORY. BREAK CHAMPAGNE BOTTLE OVER NEIGHBOR HEAD AND SMILE. BE TOAST OF NEIGHBORHOOD.

    ALSO, GIVE CHILD UP FOR ADOPTION. YOU GOING RAISE HEADCASE.

    FREE CASCADIA!

     

  • IFLA: The “Moments of Happiness” Edition of the Horoscope for the Week of December 15

    I hope everyone made it through last week.  This week looks better.

    The Mars-Mercury-Sol alignment is still there, it’s moving off which should reduce the amount of squabbling going on around you.  Coming into alignment at the same time that one is breaking up is the sun sliding between Jupiter and the Moon, bringing (literally) “changes for the good.”  Now this is attached to a more prominent alignment of the aforementioned moon with the Earth and Venus indicating a peaceful, loving home life.

    Good or bad news depending on who you are, but the ethical demands of Sagittarius are lessening.  It’s also indicating a good time for journalists, but I’m sure that’s just a coincidence.  Capricorn keeps its power trio going, so be sure to work on difficult mental activities that you’ve been avoiding.  The only really new development in this part of the sky is the Moon in Cancer, so it’s a good time for secrets, anything to do with water, and for getting that odd lump on your butt checked out by a qualified physician.

    Remember how last week’s cards were grim?  This week’s are amazingly good.  I’ve never seen as pleasant a draw for you guys.  There’s only two reversed cards, and fully five of them are upright wands (which is exactly the euphemism you might think).  Wands are the creative/positive aspects of masculinity (as opposed to Swords which are the negative/destructive) so with the wimmen enjoying the benefits of Venus-Luna, it’s a good week for all Glibkind.

    Sagittarius:  4 of Wands – repose, concord, harmony, prosperity, peace

    Capricorn:  The High Priestess – secrets, mystery, silence, tenacity, wisdom, science

    Aquarius:  King of Wands – Dark man, friendly, countryman, generally married, honest and conscientious

    Pisces:  8 of Wands – Activity in undertakings, swiftness, messenger, great haste, great hope, felicity, love

    Aries:  7 of Wands – valor, discussion, wordy strife, negotiations, war of trade, barter, competition, success

    Taurus:  Knight of Wands – Departure, absence, flight, emigration, change of residence, casual hookup

    Gemini:  The World – Assured success, recompense, voyage, route, emigration, flight, change of place

    Cancer:  Judgement – Change of position, renewal, outcome

    Leo:  King of Coins – Valor, realizing intelligence, business and normal intellectual aptitude, sometimes mathematical gifts and attainments of this kind; success in these paths

    Virgo:  The Emperor reversed – Benevolence, compassion, credit, confusion to enemies, obstruction, immaturity

    Libra:  8 of Swords reversed –  Disquiet, difficulty, opposition, accident, treachery

    Scorpio:  Ace of Swords – Triumph, the excessive degree in everything, conquest, great force in love as well as in hatred

     

  • ZARDOZ FRIDAY EVENING LINKS AND ADVICE

    ZARDOZ SPEAKS TO YOU, HIS CHOSEN ONES. THE BRUTAL EXTERMINATORS HAVE BEEN RECRUITING – AND ZARDOZ WOULD HAVE THE OPINION OF THE CHOSEN ONES, ON A NEW RECRUIT…APPARENTLY ANYONE WHO CROSSES THIS PERSON ENDS UP CLEANSED.

    ZARDOZ BELIEVES THE TWO ROUNDED FACE POUCHES HOLD EXTRA AMMUNITION!

    PLEASE INFORM ZARDOZ OF YOUR COGITATIONS ON THIS IN THE COMMENTS. AS A REWARD FOR YOUR ASSISTANCE….ZARDOZ GIVES THE DUAL GIFT OF LINKS AND ADVICE! GO FORTH AND COMMENT.

    • IF ZARDOZ COULD WEEP…OR WAS SO INCLINED, EVER… THE TRAVAILS OF THIS POOR BRUTAL WOULD BRING A LITHOID TEAR TO ZARDOZ’S CHEEK.
    • ZARDOZ WISHES HIS CIRCUITS WOULD ALLOW FOR LAUGHTER. THIS INSPIRES THE DESIRE FOR MIRTH CIRCUITRY.
    • YOU MAY ASK WHY ZARDOZ WISHES THE FILTH OF BRUTALITY CLEANSED FROM THE EARTH? OBSERVE THIS.

    AND NOW THE CHOSEN ONES RECEIVE ADVICE ON MANNERS. GO FORTH AND ETIQUETTE!

    Q: I host all holiday celebrations. This is because I have the space and the cooking skills, and for the most part, I enjoy spending time with family and friends and preparing a huge, elegant meal for them. With one exception, the crowd seated around the table always seems to enjoy the feast very much.

    However, we have one family member, an older woman, who acts like a spoiled toddler at the table: making faces, gagging and spitting out any food that is not to her taste, then loudly announcing the specific reasons she does not care for the food, and what I should have made instead. She has even gone as far as to remove family favorites from the table, throwing plates full of food in the trash, yelling that she is protecting everybody else from being made ill by that horrible slop!

    What she does like are instant foods and canned goods that are doctored up with sugar, garlic, prepackaged seasoning mixes and sometimes bacon. I cook from scratch and have a lighter hand with the seasonings. I try to make sure there are things on the table that she will eat, but she is the only one who wants that stuff, which also makes her very angry. Otherwise, I do my best to ignore the insulting and childish behavior.

    My immediate family and I have had a terrible year, full of grief, stress, physical pain and illness, with more troubles on the horizon. I am having difficulty dealing with this extended family member’s outspokenness at times that are not so emotionally loaded as holiday celebrations, and have, on a couple occasions, snapped at her. If it were possible to be out of town for the holidays to avoid the unpleasantness, that is exactly what we would do, but we have obligations at home.

    How do I keep my temper in check and create some boundaries while still being a good hostess? Do I somehow find the energy to cook her a big, separate meal in an attempt to keep the peace? Do I do it her way to shut her up, and let everybody else complain? Do I suggest that she go to the Asian restaurant down the road, the only business open over the holidays, if she cannot eat what is on my table? Do I confront her about her behavior? If so, how do I do it in a way that does not make others uncomfortable?

    I need a plan, or I am afraid I will be unable to keep from sharing a few honest opinions of my own, and things will get ugly!

    A: ZARDOZ SAYS, IF GREEN BREAD AND GOBLETS OF WATER ARE GOOD ENOUGH FOR THE ETERNALS, THEY ARE GOOD ENOUGH FOR YOUR WHINY, DRAMATIC AND SENILE RELATIVE.

    “Someone shut Aunt Millie up about the bread!”

    UPON FURTHER COGITATION, PERHAPS SHE SUFFERS FROM IGNORANCE OF HOW MUCH WORK GOES INTO THE PREPARATION OF SUCH FOOD. ZARDOZ CAN HAVE HER EDUCATED FROM FARM…

    “You missed one…”

    TO TABLE…

    Mmmmm…. green!

     

    Is this non-GMO, Gluten-free, Fair Trade green bread?

    SO A GOOD ROUND OF GRAIN, BAKERY AND DELIVERY SLAVERY WILL SHUT GRANNY UP.

    ZARDOZ HAS SPOKEN.

  • A Ranking of Ryes, Round 1

    Welcome to another edition of “Not Adahn Gets Drunk at the Keyboard.”  This will be the first in a series of rye reviews, primarily because I like the spirit and my LLS has and entire wall dedicated to this once side-eyed drink.  Rye whiskey has always been probably the best value in the brown liquor market, with prices being cheap and the quality almost never dropping below “drinkable.”  Now with it becoming popular, the magic of the market has resulted in ryes selling for Scotch prices (looking at you, Whistle Pig) which is something I just have a psychological block against paying.   So I’m not going to.  Fortunately, I can fill out a number of these while spending less than $40 a bottle.  I’m limiting myself to four at a time due to palate fatigue.  As is typical for my tasting protocol, I’ve got distilled water to open up the high-proof offerings, as well as taste modifiers of bread, butter, cheese, chocolate and salted almonds.

    Tonight’s Contenders. Also, notice that although the Pixel has excellent resolution, it is absolute ass at color reproduction.

    Old Overholt Straight Rye Whiskey– Nose is sweet, spicy, a bit cardboardy.  It anesthetizes fairly quickly, so I’ll take it away from my nose for a bit before drinking.  Taste is mild, woody, gentle, dangerously drinkable.  And this was sub-$20.  God bless rye whiskey!

    Jim Beam Rye – I’m rather looking forward to this one.  I was very fond of the old yellow labelled version, as it was the first whiskey that I thought tasted good at body temperature poured out of a steel flask at a football game.  I haven’t tried this new green labelled “pre-prohibition style” whatever that’s supposed to mean.  The nose is much drier than the earlier one.  You can smell the barrels, but other than that, it fairly clean.  Oh that’s nice.  It’s sharper, very much in the Beam idiom of sweet carmel and a big hit of char extracts.  Now that I think about it, those are probably carcinogenic AF.  I need to dig out some carbotrap tubes and run this on the GC-MS at work to see exactly how bad this is for you.  I still like it.  I will admit that there may be some emotional attachment to the brand going on, as it played a notable role in my college years.  My fraternity brothers have long been excellent bullshitters, with stories being so good that they became believed and passed down as fact to the next class.  One of these stories was of “Brother Beam.”  Proof that Jim Beam was a member of our house was demonstrated by the color of the bottle labels (black, white, yellow) and the fact that if you were lying on the floor paralyzed by alcohol and saw a Jim Beam bottle lying near you, the ribbon and wax seal logo kinda sorta looked like our badge.  I typically dilute anything over 80 proof, though I don’t think this needs it.  I’ll do so anyway for consistency’s sake.  A few drops does increase the spice to sweet ratio, and oddly enough makes it a little astringent.  I don’t think I like it any better that way. A little fat on the tongue (from a really good cheddar in this case) also tones down the sweetness.

    Bulleit Rye – The Elon Musk of the spirit world, this rye thinks it’s better than everyone else having a cork rather than a screw cap.  Well lah-dee-dah Mr. Fancy-pants.  I keed.  I’ve also never had this one, though I do like their “Bourbon.”  I may have poured the two previous glasses a little too full, there are numb regions on my tongue I’ll need to taste around.  OK, I don’t know if it’s me or it, but this thing has very little smell.  It’s the whiskey, because it sure has a flavor.  And that flavor is impressive.  I”m not quite certain where to begin since it caught me completely by surprise.  Let’s have another taste and I’ll try to pay closer attention.  Ok, I’m not even sure this is rye.  There are tremendous herbal flavors, green fruits, if it wasn’t for the primal flavor you could believe this was a white wine.  But you know, still tasting like whiskey.  Yeah, I’m tempted to disqualify this from the rankings for being out of genre, but holy hell this is an impressive spirit.  How strong is this… 90 proof?  Ok, a few mLs of water it is.  Very interesting – adding water increased the nose.  I’m getting… chocolate? Yeah, chocolate, and burnt oil, concord grapes and citrus peel.  This smells really good.  The flavor unfortunately, instead of being transformed the way most whiskeys are, was merely diluted.  Still, if you wanted to spend time in a bar just smelling your drink, get this and dribble a little water into it.  Can Mormons do that?  I’m pretty sure Baptists can’t since their rules are only elaborations of the first rule which is to Have No Fun that is not The Lord.  Yeah, I should have a bottle of this in the house at all times.

    Rittenhouse Rye Bottled-In-Bond – I adore old cookbooks.  I have in my possession a 1940 booklet of an advertisement purporting to be a reference manual put out by the National Distillers Products Corporation which goes into great length about how “Bottled-in-bond” is the assurance of the highest quality American whiskey.  In fact, on page 6 is notes that “Such whiskey meets all the standards for medicinal whiskey as set forth in the United Stated Pharmacopoeia.”  Relevant to this particular post, it also calls Old Overholt the “greatest of all Pennsylvania ryes.”  It further notes that “The Scotch always omit the ‘e’ used in the American spelling of ‘whiskey’.”  Obviously, such a handbook is to be taken quite seriously, so I look forward to this rye which is produced under regulations which are “the most stringent in the world.”  If you’ve paid attention to the pictures, you noticed that this one was darker in color, which makes sense as it was diluted less than the others prior to bottling (oh, for those of you without access to The Host’s Handbook, bottled-in-bond whiskey is always 100 proof).  Before I smell this one, I’ll need to wash the 80-year-old-book smell from many hands.  Having done so, the aroma of this whiskey is more on the bass side of bourbon, with blackberries mixed in with caramel and maple.  The first sip, neat:  yummy.  Compact, warming, a little sharp, a little… dare I say medicinal?  With cheese:  rounder, less distinctive. Now, taking it to ~80 proof with distilled water:  It’s like an entire circus of charred-cask clowns has gone berserk in my mouth.  Holy fuck, there’s “opening up” and then there’s “a porcupine on acid looking at a Klein bottle made of Mobius strips.”  The transformation is total and absolute.  With respect to the National Distillers Products Corporation, this Pennsylvania rye kicks the everloving shit out of Old Overholt.  It is with a heavy heart that I must concede that the U.S. Government has had a hand in producing something great here.  I would turn in my Libertarian card, but I never got one.

    Same order as above. Not much difference, but then again Rye isn’t all about being a special snowflake.

    I titled this a ranking, so I guess I have to pick a winner:

    Honorable Mention:  Bulleit Rye – This is fantastic stuff, but too atypical to continue on to to the next round.  I’m still drinking the fuck out of it.

    Best Value Whiskey:  Old Overholt – this is a legitimately good whiskey, and it’s cheaper than Jack.

    Winner of Round 1:  Rittenhouse Rye Bottled-In-Bond.  This shakes my confidence in FedGov turning everything it touches into crap.  That’s how good this is.

     

  • Give not thyself up, then, to fire, lest it invert thee, deaden thee, as for the time it did me.

    It is not down on any map; true places never are.

    Better to sleep with a sober cannibal than a drunk Christian.

    As for me, I am tormented with an everlasting itch for things remote.

    A noble craft, but somehow a most melancholy! All noble things are touched with that.

    There are certain queer times and occasions in this strange mixed affair we call life when a man takes this whole universe for a vast practical joke, though the wit thereof he but dimly discerns, and more than suspects that the joke is at nobody's expense but his own.

    ...to the last I grapple with thee; from hell's heart I stab at thee; for hate's sake I spit my last breath at thee.

    I try all things, I achieve what I can.

    Our souls are like those orphans whose unwedded mothers die in bearing them: the secret of our paternity lies in their grave, and we must there to learn it.

    Ignorance is the parent of fear.

    for there is no folly of the beast of the earth which is not infinitely outdone by the madness of men

    Talk not to me of blasphemy, man; I'd strike the sun if it insulted me.

    ...and Heaven have mercy on us all - Presbyterians and Pagans alike - for we are all somehow dreadfully cracked about the head, and sadly need mending.

    Human madness is oftentimes a cunning and most feline thing. When you think it fled, it may have but become transfigured into some still subtler form.

    It is the easiest thing in the world for a man to look as if he had a great secret in him.

    To enjoy bodily warmth, some small part of you must be cold, for there is no quality in this world that is not what it is merely by contrast. Nothing exists in itself. If you flatter yourself that you are all over comfortable, and have been so a long time, then you cannot be said to be comfortable any more. For this reason a sleeping apartment should never be furnished with a fire, which is one of the luxurious discomforts of the rich. For the height of this sort of deliciousness is to have nothing but the blanket between you and your snugness and the cold of the outer air. Then there you lie like the one warm spark in the heart of an arctic crystal.

  • IFLA: The “Strange Things are Afoot” Edition of the horoscope for the Week of December 8

    The skies are being a bit mysterious today.  No alignments or conjunctions, no occluded oppositions.  Just a bunch of planets minding their own business.  Or so they’d like you to think…

    Usually when the sun is in your sign, you’ve got other good things going on, if for no other reason than two of the luckiest planets (Mercury and Venus) are never too far away from the Sun.  Unfortunately, this week Sagittarius isn’t seeing that, so its prime influences foresight, perception, precision will be dominant without extra goodies starwise.  Sagittarius’ loss is Capricorn’s gain as Venus is there this week.  Also joining her is her uncle Jupiter and her grandfather Saturn.  We have three generations in one of the oldest and most primordial signs, making this an excellent time to pass down skills and family lore, so get to either learning or teaching.  This is also a time of family disputes, given the somewhat… troubled history between Jupiter and Saturn, as well as the fact that Venus, being produced without procreation herself, is most explicitly NOT an avatar of familial love.  However, Venus is a harmonizer, which will let hhe polarities represented by Jupiter and Saturn exist in a sense of completion rather than opposition.  There is a lot of power in this celestial arrangement, so make use of it while you can.  Especially since there is going to be some chaos this week as the moon is in Aries.  Mars and Mercury in Scorpio means… something about attacks?  An attack you can see coming.

    A rather grim draw this week.  Lots of swords, lots of reverses including the only major.

    Sagittarius:  10 of Cups reversed – A false sense of security, indignation, violence

    Capricorn:  2 of Coins – gaiety, recreation, news and messages in writing, obstacles, agitation, trouble, embroilment.

    Aquarius:  King of Swords reversed – Cruelty, perversity, barbarity, perfidy, evil intention

    Pisces:  10 of Swords – pain, affliction, tears, sadness, desolation

    Aries:  Page of Wands – This card has a typical reading which I’m ignoring because of this footnote “A dangerous rival, if followed by the Page of Cups.”  Guess what was drawn next?

    Taurus:  Page of Cups reversed  – Taste, inclination, attachment, seduction, deception, artifice

    Gemini:  King of Coins – Valour, realizing intelligence, business and normal intellectual aptitude, mathematical gifts and attainments of this kind; success in these paths

    Cancer:  2 of Swords reversed – Imposture, falsehood, duplicity, disloyalty, misdirected revenge

    Leo:  The Lovers reversed – Failure, foolish designs, marriage frustrated and contrarieties of all kinds

    Virgo:  5 of Coins reversed – Disorder, chaos, ruin, discord, profligacy

    Libra:  4 of Swords – Vigilance, retreat, solitude, hermit’s repose, exile, tomb, coffin

    Scorpio:  8 of Swords – Bad news, violent chagrin, crisis, censure, power in trammels, conflict, calumny, sickness

     

     

  • STEVE SMITH SPECIAL ADVICE AND OPEN POST

    STEVE SMITH AIM PLEASE!

    STEVE SMITH READ COMMENTS FROM FUNNY GLIBERTARIAN HOOMANS…HIM SEE HIM DISAPPOINT.

    STEVE SMITH NO WANT FUNNY GLIBERTARIAN HOOMANS BE DISAPPOINT! SO HIM MAKE OPEN POST….WITH ADVICE. LATER, HIM GO TELL SPUD HOW SORRY HIM IS…IN PERSON CRYPTID.

    BUT HERE ADVICE. FROM STEVE SMITH.

    Q. A woman sat behind me at a coffeehouse, put her headphones on, and started up a very personal conversation via phone. I was working on my computer, so I had my own headphones on. However, I could not turn up the music loud enough (and at a tolerable enough level for my ears) to drown her out.

    I shot a couple of glances behind me (I know, ridiculously passive-aggressive), and, after the second one, she said loudly, “Hang on a minute,” then directed her attention to me and asked, “Is it all right that I am on the phone?” I turned and said, “Well, it’s a bit loud.”

    She snapped back (loudly), “I am NOT loud!” I replied, “OK,” and turned around. She ended up gathering up her stuff in a huff and left.

    I was left to wonder if I am the rude one by thinking it’s quite rude to hold loud phone conversations in spaces like coffeehouses and restaurants. With more and more people working remotely, I have encountered this more frequently.

    I’ve had people say to me, “How is it any different than two people sitting next to you and having a conversation?” It just is. No matter who you are, you speak in a louder voice when talking on the phone (especially in a noisy coffeehouse) than you do just chatting with a friend at your table. And there are now several studies that show that hearing one side of a conversation causes more distraction and less ability to remember things than hearing a two-sided conversation, apparently because your mind is rushing to fill in the other, unheard side of the conversation.

    If I have to take a quick phone call while in a coffeehouse or similar space, I step away briefly. If the call is going to be longer, I pack up my stuff and head to my car. Perhaps I am overly conscious of my fellow coffee drinkers or diners, but this seems like the most considerate thing to do.

    So, is it rude to hold a long phone conversation or conference call in a busy place of business? And, if Miss Manners does deem it rude, what is the best way to handle it in the future? I really doubt that my passive-aggressive glances are the right approach.

    A. STEVE SMITH UNDERSTAND DILEMMA. HIM OFTEN WANT TELL HIKER, “WHY SO LOUD ON BLUETOOTH? IT TOO EASY FIND YOU! NO CHALLENGE!”

    STEVE SMITH HEAR MILE AWAY!

    MANNERS IMPORTANT. WHEN IN PUBLIC PLACE. STEVE SMITH ALWAYS MAKE SURE HIM NICE QUIET WHEN APPROACH CAMPGROUND. IT MORE POLITE WHEN HIM RAPE RV PEOPLE!

    SO STEVE SMITH SAY NEXT TIME, HIT LOUD RUDE HOOMAN ON HEAD WITH BIG ROCK. THEN THEM NO LOUD.

    NO MAKE LOUD PHONE CALL!

    FREE CASCADIA!