News Round Up, Friday, May 17, 2013

Random commentary of the day: I got into an argument with a Star Wars fan by accident. On an article about not having to pick sides, I agreed with another commenter that it was all a matter of personal taste. Some fanboy proceeded to write a long-winded argument that Star Wars is THE show/movie/series to be a fan of, period. I explained that I prefer realism, especially sci-fi that includes my own planet (Earth) as well as my species (human). He replied that the Force is real and is used by politicians and other charismatic leaders to control the masses. My response? Okay then………….. I still prefer Star Trek.

House Votes For Obamacare Repeal Again

I’m tired of the symbolic voting in our Congress. Seriously, instead of wasting time so new representatives can put on record their political views, how about we work on that budget that’s overdue? I do, however, love the White House’s response at the end of the article.

Republicans Altered Benghazi Emails, CBS News Report Claims

So… did I just read that right? The Republicans leaked emails about Benghazi AFTER altering them to fit the talking points they’ve been on and on about… then rereleased correct ones after the White House released a real set? ARE YOU KIDDING ME? Can we NOT outright lie and cheat to get our way, PLEASE? That’s so childish!

Homophobia’s Cruel Mother’s Day

Never abandon family. You can disagree, argue, scratch and fight. You can stop talking for a while, refuse each others calls, and ignore emails. But when sorrow and death touch a family member’s life, you damn well better stand up!

John Andrew Welden Accused Of Killing Girlfriend’s Fetus By Trickery

This guy took away his ex-girlfriend’s choice to have a baby by slipping her abortion medications. I’m pro-choice, and he broke my rules by taking away the woman’s choice to become a mother. I hope he spends a LONG time in jail for his assault.

Jim Matheson, Mike McIntyre Stand As Only Democrats To Vote For Obamacare Repeal

I actually find this media habit amusing, on the Democrat side. We take people who voted against something we consider positive (like expanded health care access), and we shame them. We don’t let it go until [a] they change their minds, [b] they get voted out of office, or [c] both. Maybe a smart guy, wanting to keep his position next election cycle, could sit out the 37th vote to repeal an existing law?

Karen Handel Announces Run For Senate In Georgia

This lady annoys the bejeezus out of me! I’m definitely biased, as a prior user of Planned Parenthood (for STD and cancer screening, as well as birth control). I find her attitude ridiculous, just as I find my governor Rick Perry to be an insensitive and bullheaded twit. In fact, anyone and everyone who pretends that Planned Parenthood is just for abortions needs to sit down and shut up; I’m tired of stupid people trampling the facts. UGH!

Elizabeth Warren Vows To Fight Legislation Weakening Dodd-Frank

I wish Elizabeth Warren was my representative! I may not fully understand the reforms and laws she’s fighting to keep in place sometimes, but I trust her to know what she’s talking about. She’s also proven a desire to help us, the People, instead of corporate interests. Everytime she makes the news, I applaud.

South Africa Initiation Ceremonies Result In 23 Deaths In Mpumalanga Province

I like to see this kind of modernization of a traditional, tribal ritual. Instead of outlawing initiation ceremonies, the government in South Africa has regulated them in a way that allows for the rites of passage to occur with as few unnecessary deaths as possible. While 23 is a large number, in relation to the 30,000 registered participants this year it is very small percentage.

GE Crop Thriller Leaves Bond and Bourne for Dust

I’m not surprised or upset that our government lobbies in other countries for laws that benefit our corporations; at this point, that’s par for the course. However, I had an interesting discussion with my friend the other day on GE foods. I have no issue with a GMO that contains *only* plant genes; by that, I mean that a potato hybridized from various types of potatoes is groovy. It’s when we start putting bacteria genes in a strawberry and similar junk that I get nervous, mostly by the lack of thorough testing (and the new proteins and enzymes created by the added genes). I’m all for biotech to help feed our planet! I just want it done safely.

Amy’s Baking Company Reopening On Tuesday With Sold Out Event

HA! These twits were horrible people, threw a tantrum on television, then proceeded to bitch and moan on the internet. Now they’ve realized their mistake and are trying to fix their business. Do you know why the reopening is sold out? Because everyone loves to watch a train wreck!

Organic Food Industry Gains Clout On Capitol Hill, Causing Tensions Within Congress

Muuahaha! Us hippies are ruining everything! Oh no! In all actuality, this whole debate is one big joke. An amendment to allow “Got Milk?” style organic campaigns isn’t a big deal to anyone but farmers, and it only seems fair to allow organic farmers to opt into a similar publicity campaign.

Starbucks Diaper Change Prompts Call To Police

I have to say, I like this dad’s response, but it wasn’t the best choice. You’re in Starbucks, and there’s no changing table. As you change your baby in the seating area, some punk gives you grief over it. At this point, the best way to handle the situation is to ask for a manager… generally from another department. Then you explain what happened calmly but firmly, and demand action.

From managerial experience, I can tell you that you should also contact corporate once you leave the store; unless this is a repeated offense, the manager is mostly likely just going to “talk to” the associate in question, without filing a formal write-up report. By contacting corporate, you send the wrath of hell down the food chain and someone gets a write-up for sure. Trust me, I was that unfortunate manager faced with a rude associate; I know what I’m talking about.

Preschool threatens to dismiss worker for lunch food choice

…O.o? So… you can’t eat a lunch from home if you work for this school? Or is it just her special, healthier-than-the-school-lunch lunch that offends school officials? This is stupid. Period.

News Round-up, Thursday, May 16, 2013

Just because I feel like it…

Obama Student Loan Policy Generates $51 Billion Profit, Causing Democrats To Lash Out

Regardless of how you’re calculating student loan profits, they’re still far too high at the expense of students and their futures. I’ve never accepted any financial aid that required a payback later; it’s my way to avoid being screwed by the government and our country’s debt system.

Cougar Life’s Breastfeeding Billboard Is Being Pulled Down

This billboard is going against the fight mothers have been making for years now, that breastfeeding is natural and non-sexual. CougarLife implies that a man should be jealous of the nipple in a baby’s mouth, which is ridiculous and places a strain on the already questionable rights of breastfeeding mothers. With women getting booted from stores and restaurants regularly (even when the law says they have a right to breastfeed anywhere), this company’s choice is completely in poor taste.

Teen Depression In Girls Linked To Absent Fathers In Early Childhood

Considering [A] my dad was military and spent a LOT of my early life away and [B] I was relatively depressed as a young teen… this study has merit. I’m not sure why, though. I tended to view my dad as a playmate more than a parent when he was around in my youth, and my mom was (and is) my best friend. I didn’t miss my dad, because his being gone was the norm.

Cambodia Building Collapse: Shoe Factory Accident Kills 2, Injures 7 In Phnom Penh

As each of these incidents occur, two emotions run through me. First, I’m sad for all the workers and their families, especially the ones who haven’t been found in the collapse in Bangladesh. The second emotion is relief… that I buy used products from thrift stores 90% of the time I shop, which prevents me from being part of the guilty cycle of cheap goods for cheap wages. I still buy some things that I’m sure are produced in questionable locations, but a large part of my life is recycled and reused.

Farm Bill Approved By House Agriculture Committee, Includes Food Stamp Cuts

I have to say, 3% cuts don’t seem like a big deal to me. Then again, I’ve never been unfortunate enough to qualify for SNAP. I will point out that our country is shit if 1 out of every 7 people are on SNAP. That’s ridiculous!

Eating As Though the Environment Mattered

I have a pet peeve against any form of guilt tripping. No amount of making me feel guilty will inspire me to make positive changes; for a negative (guilt) you get a negative (apathy, hopelessness). Instead, try focusing on the positive effects of flexitarianism, of limiting meat in our diets, or of other choices a person can make that are less extreme than cold-tofurkey veganism.

Man distributes Abercrombie & Fitch clothes to homeless to ruin brand’s image

I’ve never been into brand names; I actually go out of my way to avoid them in clothing. That said, I find this guy’s idea the best reaction to Abercrombie’s attitude problem. Instead of just complaining or refusing to shop at their stores, he’s gone a step farther and offered used pieces of A&F clothes to homeless people. Thus, he’s helping out the homeless AND “ruining the brand’s image”, or at least the image it claims to want. Bravo!

‘Star Trek’ Secrets Revealed! The Story Behind Spock’s Vulcan Salute

As a Trekkie and student of comparative theology, I find this fascinating! I love the Vulcan salute, and my love doesn’t change based on its status as a partial religious gesture.

‘Sexy Merida’ Pulled by Disney After Backlash

I love when the internet wins! I’m sure you’ve heard the various arguments against sexualizing a character like Merida, so I’ll only add this: I missed her tomboyish-ness. Even in a dress, she looks like she belongs in the woods, riding wild on a horse, shooting arrows. Girling up her dress and taking away her bow removed that hint of non-femininity to me.

Oh God: Another Military Sex Assault Case, This Time With Pimping

…Head + Desk = Me. I live right outside of Fort Hood, and I’m not surprised. I’m ashamed, as the child of a retired soldier, to see so many fuck-ups ruining the reputation of our armed forces. This is going to sound whiny and old, but when I was growing up, this shit didn’t fly. (I’d like to keep my mind closed to the idea that maybe it was just more covert, thank you!) But really, I’m even more sure that I will NOT allow my children to even begin considering the armed forces as a career option.

New App Makes Boycotting Bad Businesses That Much Easier

I’ve downloaded this app, but it keeps crashing. Due to several articles like this one, the developers said they’re working on getting everything back up to working order. I love the idea of being able to filter my purchases with specific goals (avoid anti-LGBT rights supporters, for example). And, since I already read all labels for allergies in my house, adding a quick scan for political standings isn’t a big deal for me.

How A Poster Of A Sexy Dude Helped One Game Developer Make A Point

I love the boss’ reaction to having a sexy man poster taped up in place of his sexy lady poster! The fact he laughed, recognized the issue, and took the pranksters to lunch says a lot about his character.

Projects in Motion

Today has been an organizational day. I’ve been messing with my blog, updating categories and making once-private posts public. As I browsed my various posts, it got me to thinking: sometimes it looks like I never finish a project. My projects are all so long-term and low yield that they just happen over time, without me updating myself or others on what’s been going on.

That said, I wanted to make a list for myself. Think of this as a mile marker on my path in life.

Healthy Eating

The idea: I’ve blogged off and on about vegetarianism and preservatives. I’m a flexitarian for sure, and I’ve experimented too many times to count. I’ve tried vegetarianism, tried to switch to ethical meats once I became aware of a local health food store, gone thirty days drinking only water, started reading labels to avoid preservatives, and wanted to start using herbal remedies and eating organic.

The reality: I’ve made some definite life changes that stuck.

• I read all labels on my foods, avoiding preservatives as much as possible; this means I’ve given up a lot of favorites (like Pillsbury Cinnamon Rolls in a tube), but I feel better about my food choices.
• I eat organic as much as possible, using the Dirty Dozen list to help me make hard decisions when money’s tight.
• I mostly drink water, with green smoothies covering breakfast every morning and the occasional soda every couple of weeks.
• I haven’t switched to ethical meats, because it really is beyond my budget. I try not to waste, and I go for smaller animals (less environmental impact). I’m not willing to go fully vegetarian, because a bean can never replace bacon… but I make small efforts.
• I’ve been using some herbal remedies. My main example is replacing antibiotic ointment with a homemade salve; I only made the damn salve after a sudden reaction to Neosporin! I’m glad to have made the switch, and I’m looking for practical switches for others hygiene products.
• I make my own cleaners. I use vinegar for everything, and my homemade laundry soap takes 1-2 tablespoons per load. This was also the result of allergies to cleaning chemicals… I really don’t exist well in the presence of man-made toxins!

All in all, I’m pretty happy with the progress I’ve made.

Spiritual Goals

The idea: I’ve talked about a lot of things on this blog over time. Some of them included vlogging, finding a better focus in shamanism, and finding a comfortable way to walk my path after a long hiatus.

The reality: I’m working on it. I know, it doesn’t seem like it… but I’ve been working with practical issues.

• I don’t own a decent camera, and the laptop I use has a crappy microphone. I went out and purchased a decent-but-cheap microphone, but I haven’t had time to try out a recording.
• I have notes for the various starter videos I intend to create, since I’m a rambler without some kind of outline. I’m still trying to decide between organic and structured flow, though. I personally like the idea of just recording a vlog like any other phone-to-YouTube vlogger, but the perfectionist in me wishes I could do all the editing and cool effects of the higher quality vlog channels I watch. I’m working on finding a realistic model for my own videos.
• I have a family, and we study together each week now, as well as celebrating key days (like the full moon tonight). They help me stay on a focused path and grow as an individual, and I help them find confidence in leading a small group. It’s win/win.
• I’ve actually compiled (literally translated into “come, get in a pile!”) all of my pagan notes from previous studies and random research tangents. I’m working on the pile slowly, going through and weeding out the good from the bad. I’m rebuilding my binder book of shadows, mostly because it’s the format I like best. At the moment, my original binder is stuffed full of JUNK, including journaling and articles and poetry and BLAH. I’m slowly chipping away at its mass, organizing it into something usable.

As you can see, I’m working on spiritual projects. They just take so much time, and I only have hours here and there to spare for them.

For my writing endeavors, I’m a flop. I’ll be honest; I’m a bit scared. I’m scared to commit to a project like writing a novel or writing a good pagan ebook. Why? Because once I commit, it gets added to The List of Things To Do *key dramatic music*. As long as I refuse to commit, I can work on my writings in bits and pieces without feeling guilty for “doing nothing” for long periods of time. Eventually, I’ll settle down with my muse and focus on my writing in some fashion… however, today is not that day/week/month.

And my mommy goal has been postponed. I had some minor health issues, then some minor family drama, then some financial issues… you get the idea. I’ve decided to postpone my plans until after our lease is up and we move into a cheaper place. That gives me a few months to get as healthy as possible and prepare my mind and body for the change. I’m also re-evaluting my feelings on being a stay-at-home mom vs a working mom; I’m starting to think that I’d be happy to work, but only if one of the boys were willing to stay at home instead. (I’m still very anti-daycare.) We’ll see what happens.

So there we are! I’ve accomplished a TON that I just never think about until I list it like this. Woohoo for lists, right?

Thoughts on Meditation

With a study session on meditation coming up, I’ve been contemplating my various meditative experiences. Have a look!

When I was a young pagan pup, I made up a meditation (or was inspired to?). Sitting cross-legged, I’d swirl my body in small circles and visualize a tornado taking me away. When I landed, I’d be in a dark, damp cave. Ahead would be a double door, ornate and heavy-looking. I’d look around nearby and find a key; I instinctively found it each time. Unlocking the doors, I’d cross into an alternate version of my own neighborhood. In this world, the rules of physics didn’t apply; I could fly by jumping up and willing it to be so. The only real rule was that nobody I knew would be there; any people or creatures I ran across were guides taking on a familiar form, that’s all. I distinctly remember mixing potions from herbs in this beautiful, big room at a local museum.

Back before I had internet at home, I used Tetris and solitare as meditative tools. Keep in mind, I didn’t have internet at home until 2005 due to living in Germany as a broke Army brat. To use the games as tools, I had a process. I would put on noise-cancelling headphones, turn on a random mix of music, and start playing. Somewhere between levels and songs, my mind would move to an altered state of consciousness. I wouldn’t hear my name, even if my music stopped; I wouldn’t really see the game I was playing. In fact, the few times I was interrupted would cause me to pause, but when I returned I would immediately lose at Tetris. The level I was on would turn out to be far beyond my normal focus. I don’t use this method often anymore, but it’s a highly effective way to alter my consciousness for calming and problem-solving purposes.

During a meditation class in my old coven, I met Isis. I don’t particularly like Egyptian mythology; I have a long and detailed reason that I’m not going to explain right now. That said, I was actually participating in a meditation to meet a goddess. The meditation began with a stone. We focused on it, and it expanded to become the ground beneath our feet. As we walked, we saw a woman in the distance; when she arrived in front of us, we would see her and ask her stuff. I have issues “seeing” images, so most often my experiences are hard to describe. However, I saw flashes of white robes, a golden headdress of wings, and thick kohl eyeliner with dark hair. We approached a bonfire (via the guide’s instructions for the meditation) and celebrated with other females and goddess; I couldn’t see anything but blurs and flickers of light, but I felt the pressure of people nearby and heard the sounds of celebration. After the meditation, I looked through a deck of goddess cards as part of our post-meditative discussion and was amazed to see an image of Isis looking exactly how I’d seen her. I haven’t worked with her since, as she didn’t communicate that particular desire, but I’ve always remembered her contact.

During an inner temple meditation, I saw my true self. You were told to look around, and there would be some representations of each element visible in your temple. Mine was a big marble room, with three steps in the middle leading up to an altar surrounded by pillars. Everything was marble. On the path up to my altar, there were two little pools carved beside the pathway. The meditation told you to find the water in your temple and seek your reflection; that would be a vision of your true self. I was a lithe-but-curvy blonde with a peacock headdress (and nothing else) on. It made me think of Hera, but I felt no presence, and I haven’t felt any tug to research or worship her. However, I’ve kept my eyes open to any further contact.

Once, I took an unguided meditation that blew my mind. It was based on the starter exercise in Follow the Shaman’s Call. I was having trouble visualizing anything like a tunnel or stairs to my inner world. Suddenly, after trying very hard to go “down the tunnel”, I was in a cave so dark I couldn’t see, but I could sense there was water in front of me. Having read that sometimes a challenge is presented (and knowing my fear of drowning), I dove in and swam… and swam… until I felt some fear that I wouldn’t be able to breathe. I stayed calm, reminding myself that I was in control. At the last second before I would’ve lost my cool, my head broke the surface of the water. I was on a calm beach, at night. The sands stretched up to a tree line, a forest that felt soothing and right. I walked across the beach and placed my hand on a tree before being interrupted; I said farewell and rushed back the way I came, having read that you should always finish a journey by returning EVEN if interrupted (it’s better for grounding your spirit). That book was borrowed and never returned, so I haven’t tried that journey again.

The last major meditation I can remember was unfocused. I tried to follow a guided meditation, but I found myself shifted to leopard form. Then I ran across a bear who demanded I behave (like a stern mother) and there were no words. I hadn’t learned how to understand messages without words, so the interaction left me confused (on top of the confusion an unexpected shift creates). I’ve gained some understanding of my shifts and of non-verbal communication in meditation since then, but I haven’t tried that particular meditation in ages.

Reviewing my experiences, I have to admit that I mostly think of meditation in terms of journeywork. When you include any process of focusing (or unfocusing) the mind or altering your state of consciousness, I can say that I meditate far more often. I spend at least a few minutes a day in meditation, using music or time in the shower to realign myself. Sometimes I even “zone out” during a rerun and let my brain reorganize itself in an unguided process. I may have to incorportate more purposeful meditation in my day-to-day life; we’ll see what this next study session has to offer, and go from there.

Herbalism thoughts on Earth Day

I’ve never had an interest in herbs, herbalism, or herbal magick. I happen to prefer natural remedies, though, so I have to spend some time researching basic herbalism.

That said, my family’s first class was all about herbs. We decided to assign the following: Choose at least five herbs, then research their magickal and medicinal uses. Be prepared to craft an experiemental use of at least one herb for magickal and/or medicinal purposes.

Our class started with a trip to Temple, to visit Nature’s Grocer and gather our supplies. They happen to have large amounts of organic bulk herbs, so we were in cheap herb heaven. We all decided to up our number of herbs from five to ten, so our hauls from the store looked like we were trying to supply an entire restaurant or something.

My herbs were chosen based (mostly) on their magickal properties. I tried to find herbs that were used for psychic awareness and power. My final list included: cinnamon, grass, lavender, thyme, bay laurel, dandelion, wheat, oats, roses, and ginger.

Did you know regular grass, plucked and held in your hand, can enhance your psychic ability and intuition? Me neither!

For my practical application, I had two goals. First, I made a small pillow of psychic herbs (grass, dandelion, cinnamon, thyme, and bay) to sniff before and during divination; I’m going to play with it this week and see how well it helps. My other goal was to create a traveling spirit bundle kit. I purchased two small multi-compartment containers, allowing me to carry about a tablespoon of each herb with me at all times; in addition, I have several pieces of colored cloth and some string. The idea is that I can stop anywhere, create a spirit bundle, and move on. The idea originally came from a YouTuber sometime last year, though I can’t remember who she was.

I’ve decided to work on expanding my awareness, for now. It’s a general goal, allowing me to apply each lesson we cover to my personal growth. This week we’re going to look at meditation, perform a couple guided meditations, and discuss our results. I’m hoping to talk to my spirit guide, or perhaps to talk to Fox (the spirit of the pelt I rescued from a thift store last year). I may focus on shapeshifting if I have trouble contacting a guide; half of my meditations end with me as a non-human, so I might as well work on understanding and controlling that process instead of just experiencing it.

Having practical plans for studying and growing as a Wiccan is beautiful and soothing. Studying with my family makes me accountable to my own promises; if I say I’m going to make a rune set out of clay before the next full moon, they’ll bug me until I show them a rune set. And if I say that something new sounds interesting, they follow me down a new path and explore it.

Happy Earth Day, by the way!

Books = Clutter?

I own a lot of books.

I currently have approximately 300 books sitting on my shelves. With 200 or so being non-fiction, I’ve read at least half of my books cover to cover; the others have been used as a resource for myths, recipes, or similar materials. My books fill four small three-shelf stands to the brim.

I used to own more.

How much more? Well, I gave away about five boxes of books to a library before moving overseas in 2007. I’ve sold books to used bookstores multiple times recently, cloth bags shoved full in rows on their counters. I’ve let my friends have boxes of books that I weeded out based on repeated content or non-interest on my part; dozens of coverless romance books found new homes. In my life, I’ve probably owned a couple thousand books.

Books are my friends.

I started collecting books after fourth grade, once I’d gotten well hooked on Animorphs and started reading romance books with my mother. In seventh grade, I discovered Wicca and earth spirituality; my book collection exploded when I got my first job at a bookstore a few years later. In college, books available for 25 cents each had me collecting mythology, women’s studies, and anthropology texts. Shortly after that, a loophole for employees at another bookstore let me walk home with dozens of coverless paperbacks from the romance and fantasy sections. Books are my escape mechanism, especially when I’m lonely, depressed, or in need of a break from stress.

I have a Kindle, but I’m not impressed with e-books (yet).

E-books are overpriced. I won’t get into a long-winded discussion on why I feel that way, but it means I don’t feel happy owning e-books. Then we add the complications of how thoroughly you actually “own” your e-books , and I’m not ready for the e-book commitment. I’d love to be, since I’m a Trekkie and an eco-freak who loves the idea of technology correcting an issue of paper use for me. There are just too many kinks still being worked out for me to invest in a fully digital library.

My problem is space.

I’ve slowly chipped away at the junk in my life. Knicknacks, old clothes, duplicate items. I’ve given away tons of stuff to charity and weeded out unneeded pretties for gifts and barter with friends. That said, I’m 26 and live with three other adults (same age range, give or take a couple years). As a group, we create a LOT of clutter simply by existing. My main contribution is my book collection; it takes up parts of two walls in our living room.

Am I ready to change?

I had an interesting (sleepy) discussion last night about all of this. Am I ready to let go of the last pieces of clutter I cling to? And should I? It’s an interesting philosophical and logical question. What would have to happen for me to willingly give up my books?

• I would need a copy of each book for my Kindle. It’d need to be a file type that was easily transferable (i.e. if I get a Nook or some off-brand reader, I want to be able to use my e-books still).
• I’m paranoid, so I’d want my e-library stored in at least three places: my Kindle, an external hard drive, and a cloud like Google Drive. I’d want to make sure I never lost my library completely due to losing my Kindle or some other misfortune.
• I would need understanding from my loved ones. Just because I agreed to switch to e-books wouldn’t mean they could immediately dump all my books off at the used book store. I’d need time to let go in batches, to see if I truly *need* to keep any of them for purely sentimental reasons. Maybe that copy of “Stranger in a Strange Land” with the coffee ring was with me when I found out my neighbor died in Iraq; maybe he gave it to me.
• I would need money. This is the simplest and hardest of my issues. I like legal stuff. I don’t download songs or movies, and I use services like Hulu and Netflix rather than watching shows online (though I know a few places to look if I really can’t wait for the newest episode of, say, Doctor Who). That said, I have personal issues with downloading pirated e-books, even though they cost too much to buy. Another sad fact is that some of my books are OLD and not available in digital formats; I’d need to find someone who took the time to scan up a copy, which happens to be illegal as well. *sigh*

I’m seriously considering this idea of book-free life.

I’d have to commit to a LOT of changes. I wouldn’t get to buy books at the store; instead, I would order the e-book as soon as it was available, and deal with overpricing (in my opinion) in that market. In some cases, that would suck; look at Robert Jordan’s e-book of his final Wheel of Time installment, now releasing a few months after the print edition. But most of my authors don’t do that kind of staggered release date junk. I’d have to convert my e-books to transferrable file types using tools you find online, so that I could back them up and prevent crap like Amazon suddenly pulling a title from my personal library; I’m not sure about the legalities or technicalities of that yet. And I’d have to give up on awesome places like Hastings and Half Price Books, only browsing and writing down titles to go get (and often the best ones are too old to be digitalized, which takes me back to illegally scanned junk… ugh!).

What are your thoughts?

Vlog Project Update

My vlog project is under way, but WOW! it’s hard!

I hate being on camera. I’m a perfectionist, and nothing I do (the words, nonverbal communication, lighting) is good enough. That said, it’s a LOT of work to get myself comfortable with reality rather than perfection.

Reality is beautiful.

And unpredictable.

And messy.

I’ve realized that I can’t emulate some of my favorite Youtubers, because I lack the equipment and skills. All I have is a basic camera and my Windows Movie Maker (or Youtube’s own editor… they’re the same thing).

I started off recording an introduction, Lesson Zero if you will. It was a description of myself and why I was teaching Wicca via Youtube. Half a dozen takes later, and I have a mildly tolerable video clip that covers half of what I meant to say. I look awkward and uncomfortable, because I am.

My plan to fix this is giving up… on my original copycat formating. Instead of a head-on, report-to-audience build where I’m staring at a camera babbling, I want to try filming myself talking to my friend/editor Sarah. With the camera set next to her, I can talk and make eye contact (and receive nonverbal feedback) with a human being. It won’t be as clean or professional as my original idea, but it will be more affective; I’m at my best when I’m rambling to a friend.

My goal is to have 1-3 videos ready for editing and posting by this weekend. I’m not sure how realistic that will be, but I’m hopeful… I want to get this project out there!

Once I have videos to post, I’ll be sharing them here (as well as on my Facebook). The point is for them to be seen, right? Until then, it’s off to work I go! My notes won’t write themselves!