I am friend-locking my LiveJournal due to the dramatic behavior of others accumulated over time. This post is for those who might be interested in what I have to say, and offer something interesting in return. Friending me does not guarantee a reciprocation, however, and I do use filters.

Thank you, and have a nice day.

A couple of days ago, I found out something fascinating about the Michael Jackson HIStory promo video. The opening speech and choral music in the video are in Esperanto. The speech (translated) says (in part):

"... everyone of the world builds this sculpture in the name of worldwide motherhood and love, and the healing power of music."

The same guy (the construction foreman) later says (translated) "Come here!" while motioning to others. The green star symbol of Esperanto shows up as a giant metal star, the metal star on Michael's shoulder, and the star on the caps of the (multi-ethnic) soldiers, who instead of saluting, do Michael's dance moves at the Arch of Triumph.

Looking at the video in this context, together with the cinematography, it's a beautiful work of art with a sweet message, that of healing music conquering the world and bringing joy.

This copy of the video has the Esperanto captioned, after about a 50-second intro with some comments in French (e.g. filmed over 10 days, costing 7.5 million francs, where the Esperanto starts, etc.):



It's too bad that critics of the video never bothered to look at the positive messages and symbols, and foolishly said it was celebrating fascism or dictatorship.

It's 1000 years older than stonehenge:

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2009/06/090615-stonehenge-tombs-crop-circles.html

It was only a generation or so ago that we were living in an analog world. Writing with pencils, computing with slide rules, using manual typewriters and spirit duplicators for copy, taking dictation with shorthand and steno, television and telephones with simple circuits, listening to the radio with a crystal and a "cat whisker", learning semaphore in boy scouts, creating light with carbide lamps, playing card and board games made from simple materials, etc. Yet we were able to produce nuclear power, go to the moon, make advances in computing, and so on.

Now everything is digital. Yes, pretty much everything. Quick, easy, cheap, and common. But then we worry about power outages, industrial pollution from electronics manufacture, loss of common skills (e.g. penmanship and spelling), dependency on megacorps for supplies and updates, and other concerns. Many of us try to live greener, not just in power consumption, but also in better contact with people and nature. And yet the loss of many of these skills has happened so rapidly that many are having to use the internet to regain the information.

Some individuals have decided to make their households independent of the power grid, either for cost or for preparedness reasons. Having solar panels and generators is a solid step in that direction. But I think it would be complementary and just as helpful to have lower-tech items around (and enough practice to use them). Who knows what kind of manufacturing or distribution crises will interrupt supplies, or what kind of energy tax will make many items cost-prohibitive?

I'm not advocating a sudden, backward change. But I do think that it's a good idea to reconnect with some older versions of stuff we use--stuff that some of us remember as kids. Play some poker around a table. Dust off the Scrabble or Monopoly box. Play the Dictionary game. Try out some candles or lanterns for setting the mood. Improve one's penmanship or calligraphy. Sketch some pictures. Try shorthand as a "human tape-recorder". Learn fire by friction (can only be learned through experience). Talk around a campfire. Learn the ways of the local weather and critters. Tell time by the sun and stars. Try out sailing. Learn to ride horses.

No need to be complete Luddite, but there's something to be said for simple stuff that works. And in the years ahead, it can come in handy.

A rare sword from Bamburgh Castle (Northumbria) from the 7th century was both advanced in construction and showy in appearance:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/tyne/5097510.stm

While the techniques of layering were known by both Celtic and Germanic tribes at the time, and different compositions of steel were welded together in a native form of pattern-welding, this find was unusual in that it had two additional strands in the construction, which would have made it exceptional in both beauty and strength. A Saxon Excalibur? :)

To be brief--there has been some intense drama lately, and it saddens me. Because I don't log on to LJ much, because I don't want to inadvertently drag others into the conflict, because I don't want people getting hurt through misunderstandings, and because I don't want my position in the GFS to cause problems, I've made some cuts on my friends list. It pains me, as it isn't because of personal conflicts involving me, and there are those who have been good to me. Perhaps things will be better after some of this settles down. :(

For those that haven't already heard, siggy_gfs and I are Gesiths in Fyrnsidu, we're on the Witan, she runs the Scopas Gildscipe (Bardic guild), and I run the Feohterna Gildscipe (Warrior guild). Wessex Hearth is back, with better organization.

Also, siggy_gfs's new book Visions of Vanaheim is now available. It is a major work, covering a lot of material on Vanic practice, and weighing in at almost 600 pages. She wrote most of it, with several others contributing various articles, including yours truly. :)

Ok, now with the dry news stuff out of the way, here's more explanation and detail. We're Gesiths because we're experienced Heathens, rather than newbies (FWIW I've been identifying as Anglo-Saxon since 1998). We run our respective guilds because we each have things that we want to contribute to the organization. She's been writing poetry and filking songs for a long time, so it's only natural that the historical Anglo-Saxon equivalents (poetry, verse, riddles, flyting, etc.) would be explored. I've been running the local ARMA sword group for a while, and have done enough related research that I wanted to have a place in Fyrnsidu to explore historical warrior skills and roles in a Heathen context, as well as their modern study and application. Visions of Vanaheim is the result of many writings and discussions of Vanic practice, and a printed book that consolidated this was needed.

The Gift meme, mostly copy/pasted from freyaw:

The first 7 people to respond will get something created by me. That is: MADE. Handcrafted. Stuck together. Conceived. Etecetera.

This offer does have some restrictions and limitations:

- I make no guarantees that you will like what I create, but I will do my best.
- What I create will be just for you.
- It'll be done this year (2009).
- What you will get will depend on where you are (there are things that can't be posted internationally) and how I am feeling.
- If there's something you know I do well, you can even request something - but I don't guarantee to fulfil the request.
- You have to be willing to send me your address so that I can get it (whatever it is) to you :P

The catch is that you should post this in YOUR journal. There is no obligation to repond to me, but you do need to make the offer to others. It's like pass-the-parcel - or paying it forward! :-)

GO!