another attempt at a haiku

A fine purchase made


Possession is a fine thing

Longing begins again…
 
Bye
 Mike

Fake agates

What little I have was taken away with one stroke: my own writing used against me, becoming a permanent stain on what was and will be: thanks. Was the broadcast of the threat a penalty, discipline, punishment or just a bit of fun such as a twisted mind has when torturing their latest victim.

Enough of my paranoia.

The good news and that would be the revisiting of a marble that I have been trying to perfect. The marble in question is the agate. Agates were a passion in my youth when I used to hunt for them along the Buffalo creek North of Winthrop Iowa.

As a marble collector I used to look for the old hand ground agate marbles. Then as a marble maker: I tried my hand at a few imitations of agates in glass and my latest examples are the best yet. The shadow agate really looks good and if you are familiar with the shadow agate you know how cool they are.

box making images

The images are in no particular order: not unlike the way I run my life.

Bye

Mike

A path

destruction and death, only way to go

come, come walk down my path

the heart is restricted and cold,

seduction, it's behind me, let's go
 
Bye
 Mike

3 weeks

Three weeks without oxygen: is that long enough: is three weeks a good business plan: I think not!


Then there is the prospects of Winter following Fall, I think that is the right order, and it is going to be cold in the garage where my micro studio is located. I need new socks too. The socks will soak up the moisture from wet snow that will be finding an upward flow into my shoes via the holes in the soles. The good news... the "studio" is a mere three blocks away, how wet can one get anyway.

Finally got four packages in the mail for a small sum of 24 bucks and a bit of coinage.



Edit effort and successful... can not spell, even with a spell checker!

Bye
Mike

Perfection is not possible

Perfection is not possible, even for God, a case in point would be one of the creations of God and that would be the house fly. A creature that must have super powers when it comes to avoiding a deserved execution, an ability that only a god could bestow. However I asked myself why create a house fly, the bane of all people... but WAIT, if I act NOW I will and did realize that the 'house' fly was most likely around when we were proto humans and we did not concern ourselves with fly's except as a light snack, it was only when we developed housing and subverted the flies natural order in nature thus the fly became a pest to be dispatched to fly heaven, totally disregarding Gods original purpose for the fly.


So I still stick to my premise that even God is not perfect... God created humans...
 
Bye
 Mike

could it get worse...

...yes!  I have stuff to get done first...
   Should be able to get oxygen today.

Bye
 Mike

An old rant with an update

A funny thing happened at the library sale.


bait and switch?



First, there was an indication from the library staff that there was going to be all new computers at the new library and that the desk top computes in use by patrons at the old library would be sold. These were computers that were used by patrons to access the Internet etc. The laptops, being fairly new were going to the new library.

At the sale, where a lot of stuff from the old library was to be sold, there was a line of computers for sale, towers, monitors, keyboards etc.

To paraphrase the auctioneer; He said that the group of computers we were bidding on were in use at the old library and were unplugged at the library and are now for sale. The auctioneer also said that they were being sold as is... a common practice at an auction.

There were computers not in the group we were bidding on that had messages taped to them that they did not work for one reason or another.

The computers were being sold as choice, my buddy went with the first bid that was pretty good, we bought two computers, on HIS money.

We set them up... did not work... one gave a message that it needed a password so we checked at the new library... 'password, ER uh...' then... "we sold them as is"... We then learned that the computers that were being used by patrons at the old library were now at the new library and were being reworked for use there.

Bait and switch...?



Mike Edmondson

too poor to ignore this, what money I do make is via the Internet...



The above rant was written about a year ago. I do have an update that at least smooth's out part of my feelings about this issue, as perceived by me. Eventually I used spare parts from the library computers to bring an older computer up to a state where it could run programs that it could not run at the time. However the transaction has not paid off for my buddy... I still have a bit of sawdust in my shoulder that just may stay just to keep me cranky.
 
Bye
 Mike

Yes it is Friday

No oxygen yet: still fine tuning the marble box making operation. And organizing, as long as I have down time on my hands, my computer files and backing them up to various drives so that each drives files are named the same on all drives.

what is up with me and boxed marble sets

Been cutting parts for marble boxes and organizing the operation so when I get some oxygen I can get some marbles made to fill them.


The following is where I stand in the way of finished boxes:

Sets made

six pack guineas
  #1
  #2
  #3
  #4 June 15/09
  #5 June 24/09

six pack tribute slags
  #1
  #2
  #3
  #4

12 count fancy slags
  #1
  #2
  #3
  #4 September 7, 2009

Fancy slags six count
  #1

12 count W.B.C. Guineas
  #1
  #2
  #3
  #4
 #5


12 count tribute slags
  #1

Hard Times six pack (NOT NUMBERED) The boxes are signed inside the lid and inside the box.

one
note:
   I did add a (box #1) to the first box.

Bye,
   Mike

Just blubbering away

Been off for over a week: Some money may show up today, however Michelle may need it to for her car insurance... She just got the electric bill paid in time unlike when I gave her approximately 1/3 of my marble show money in June so she could get the lights turned back on. So I may go a few more days without oxygen thus not making glass stuff in my micro studio.

I have been busy getting more of my stuff in order at the apartment.

My marble box making operation is all set up and I am now cutting parts for future boxes... still need to get some work in the mail...

Got around to processing the following image of the building that used to be part of the old hospital here in Independence: the new library is on the left.

Bye

Mike, from the library

The Valley of Shadow and Magic

                        A journal: recounting my observations while exploring the valley.

  The valley is ringed with nearly impassable mountains and has no other borders other than bands of orcs' roaming between vast cave systems. Traveling across the mountains into the valley, though difficult and fraught with danger, one will, with luck, come into a land of beauty shrouded in a light haze, a haze only seen at the periphery of sight. The mountains at your back may have instilled a sense of fear; fear no more, you are now entering a land and place where magic rules and all inhabitants are under its sway, even you. Every person and creature has its share of magic from the Shadow dragon’s to simple villagers.


The magic originates from the deep roots of the mountain range circling the valley, a magic not seen on our side of the high peaks. All the magic in the valley is drawn into the valley by powerful forces. The only denizens of the valley that would be capable of dealing with such elemental magic would be dragons in that dragons are born of magic thus capable of using it as naturally as we use, without thinking, our heart to pump life forces to the rest of our bodies. The valleys magic is a shadow of the real power at the roots of the mountains thus making dragons the pivot point.

Long ages ago early man found their way into the valley and after many generations some of the people developed various abilities to be able to use magic some had more talent than others a talent that had to be taught but there were no teachers in the beginning.

The use of magic comes, as a birthright to dragons while the rest of the valleys denizens wielding magic have to have a talent for it. Early on there were people who knew they were different and were drawn to seek out dragons. Dragons can be dangerous and have to be approached with caution and the person pursuing contact better have honorable intentions, a shadow dragon will know. However the early adventurers who sought out a dragon did not do so at will but were drawn to the dragon by the dragon. When shadow dragons realized that there were people in the valley capable of wielding magic they decided that proper instruction in its use was necessary. They did not want people with ability inadvertently learning to wield magic without knowing what they were dealing with. Only the people with great innate talents were summoned even though they thought they were doing so on there own freewill. These talents came from villagers to people who had large land holdings. The subject beholding a dragon at close range for the first time did not so much as have lessons from the dragon but the dragon imbued the knowledge into the subject at hand. They also made certain that the student would leave with a distinct respect for the power they had been given. These students left as mages' who became teachers for other adepts, dragons are not that fond of human contact so had little interest in ‘teaching’ others of less ability. After the dragons sent enough mages back into there own lands to teach they went back to there own wild ways and left the humans to there own ways. The dragons do keep an eye on the balance of the shadow magic in the valley used by those adept at magic.

I have mentioned the haze and if you have not guessed, the haze at ones periphery is the shadow magic used by peoples of the valley. This magic flows from the dragons into the valley, a magic that maintains the mysteries of the valley. Dragons are the balance between the two degrees of magic.

The haze, the visual manifestation of shadow magic, gives existence to the valley and makes the land a mysterious place to live. A villager or merchant may travel a hundred miles to a week long fair to sell goods and in the course of his travels pass through a dark dense forest with overhanging branches blocking out the sun and upon his return along the same road, find the forest less dense with plenty of light slanting down through the branches. The roads do maintain a proper bearing for the traveler, this being possible due to wizards constantly maintaining the various routes. A job fit for wizards who are the real travelers. Roads may be accurate between destinations except in one aspect; the one hundred miles may be accurate but the time to travel the road tends to change as the haze shifts and swirls just out of sight. Such changes are taken in stride by seasoned travelers.

The size of the valley is not known: the roads traveled within the valley may be accurate between village a and town b but as one travels closer to the mountains the haze exerts greater influence as it gets closer to the powerful elemental magic contained deep within the mountains. The most accurate maps detail the center of the valley and even then if one gets off the main roads to follow trails, distances do change and only those with a gift of direction in all conditions do well. Someone who became a hunter would be such a person with a gift of direction; others would be wielders of magic.

Denizens of the valley

Dragons in control of the most powerful magic;

Shadow dragons…

Are born of magic and are as real as you and I in that they are flesh and bone; their life force is the elemental magic. Dragons are as intelligent as humans while retaining their wild natures; it is the wild side that makes them dangerous. Dragons are by nature solitary creatures.

Shadow queen dragon…

Queen dragon’s eyes will glow when one looks directly into the queen’s eyes.

Shadow baby dragon…

Shadow forest dragon…

Have a preference for living in forests

-Wielders of shadow magic;-

Shadow mages…

Spend most their lives in their towers studying and compiling information gathered by wizards. Talented boys are trained in calligraphy and bookbinding then sent off to mages who are in needing people to create books containing the compiled information.

Shadow wizards…

Travel and explore the valley gathering information plus they are renowned for there story telling

Shadow forest wizard…

Has preference for wandering the vast forests in the valley

Shadow seers…

Have abilities to find recently lost items, apply remedies for common ailments for villagers and livestock, alike plus for weather forecasts.

Shadow blind seer…

No pupil; interpreter of dreams

Shadow merchants…

Travel the valley offering their wares or services to anyone with enough gold, silver or some other goods to barter. A merchant has a colorful shadowy cloak as a symbol of there trade. They generally have minor talents in the art of magic such as sharpening knives so that the edge last longer.

Shadow orc chieftain…

Wields enough magic to keep his tribe in line

Wizards apprentice…

Adepts who study under a wizard’s tutelage.

Artifacts;

Night stone…

Showing the phases of the moon as seen from the valley

Moon glow stone…

A handy item to have when a little light is needed

Lighthouse lens…

Lights the way for sailors and is used by captains to look into the near future while sailing across the great lakes in the valley. Are hand held except for a few that are large and set atop of a tower.

Shadow evil eye…

White or milky white iris with tapering red toward the back of the eye used as a protection to ward off possible bad effects of magic.

Other items;

Towers…

Serving a duel purpose as watchtowers and a place where a wizard maintains a home when not on the road. You will generally find a wizards apprentice on duty.

Shadow towers…

Are few and far apart. A mage spends most his time living in these spectacular towers studying information gathered by wizards.

Magic mushrooms…

A delicacy that grows in the forest and is hard to find but if you are brave enough…a wizards apprentice is generally the one designated to search them out. Thought to be good for ones health and general well being. So far there are only two types I know of.

People of the valley;

Villagers…

There are other people such as town folk, landed gentry and those who are up to no good. Villagers are noted most often because they are closest to the land and tend to be the ones with the best chance to possess the raw ability to wield magic. I have mentioned that all the people have their share of magic but that does not mean that they can overtly use it.

A note here may be helpful;

The valley people using magic have attached shadow to their designation even though the shadow magic comes from shadow dragons; seers, wizards and mages, and others add shadow to their title as if magic was there birthright, even orc chieftains who have very little ability with magic add the ‘shadow’ designation. Exceptions are the apprentices to wizards.







The original idea of wild dragons came to me in a dream or at least I thought so, as it turns out the dream came about because of some observations while visiting the valley, it was the sort of observation that is fleeting and not always remembered. On a recent visit I sought out a shadow dragon I have become acquainted with and learned as much as I could about the wild dragons.

out of oxygen and stuff

Once I get to the micro studio, where there is a fantastic east light streaming through the window, I will fire up the torch and use up the K tank of oxygen in a couple hours and then sit down, stare into the light coming through the 18 by 18 INCH window and wonder about the near future until I get another oxygen tank.


Ah ha, make marble boxes until I have enough money for oxygen.

Did you know... that I make tweenty one pieces of paper and cardboard and then asemble the parts into a box.

The making of cardboard boxes for marble sets.

The prototype.

First you drink a lot of beer. Cut the boxes up into flat usable pieces. Cut up brown paper sacks into flat paper, that the beer did not come in, I had something go right for once when I was given a box full of new 14" x 8 3/8" brown sacks, I am wearing one right now. Do some math and get the math wrong over and over. I finally got a really good usable prototype box done. Now if I had been smart enough, I would have used the brown side of the cardboard to hide the Bud label, with the next box I was a little Weiser and hid the label...

... After way too many trials and errors I had forms and templates plus correct measurements for making the strips for the side of the 12 count box. Then I became really stupid... a condition I have suffered from this year... I decided to make a 6 count box, how hard would that be... just about as hard as the 12 count box, you do not cut dimensions in half!... The 6 count box is now known as the six pack.

The first boxes went through some tweaks thus increasing the complexity of the box, just what I needed.

Bye
Mike

I remember this day!

10/14/07 And I thought Saturday was… gray and gloomy; Sunday is gray, gloomy, dark, along with a cool drizzle, even the furnace duct work has developed a constant tap-tap-tap where cold rainwater has finally found its lowest level where it drips unon a tin sheet. The tapping is like the famous Chinese water torture, it is driving me to the lowest levels of despair. A positive alternative to staying cemented in my concrete studio is a cavern deep in the earth

one and two are easy...

Kicked out July 15, found a piece of paper that said so, my memory is not so good, never was.
Reorganized… better said; organized Michelle's apartment so that there was room for my stuff and as it turns out there is plenty of room. The hard part is getting Michelle to complete three easy steps; one, get it out, use it and put it away, the first two she is perfect at, number three is where she lets gravity take over and thus over the years the disorganization became a way of life.
Over thirteen years my desire was to help her put her life in some sense of order, it was always a flop, there was no mental stamina on my part to continue the struggle after a few days. My happy pills have muted my tendency toward defeat thus my current efforts are producing fruit. The push for 'change' is a bit slow, you can’t lead a ? to water but one can coax a ? to drink.
The road was slow getting my new space in order and getting used to a new routine and staying with it has been achieved…
Designed a new label for a box of marbles;
More on these marbles later...

Bye

Mike