What I Am Up To Now!!

Those of you, who have been reading the chapters of Nights Dance Into Day, will have noticed that I did not publish the next chapter here on Sunday as I usually do.  I promise that it will appear on Tuesday of this week.

All writers have a process for character development that they follow. I am no different. My character, Diego Garcia Malone, was conceived by me but his essence is a compilation of the thoughts of many people that I have introduced him too.  This is my way of developing a character that is believable.

Diego is a tough guy but he has a sensitive side that he does not like to show or have exposed. His feelings toward his niece, Franny, is a place where readers would have seen this side of him come through. For those who have read my first book, Nights Dark Dance, that same sensitivity was displayed with his wife.

Something else that the readers, of Nights Dance Into Day, may not realize is that each chapter is being written just days before it is placed in this blog.  Since NDID is not under contract to any publisher; I only write one or two chapters a week as my contracted work is a mandatory exercise.

Ok! Why am I telling you all this?  I love the characters in this book. Even though it is not contracted; I want to continue to develop it. It is my way of writing for fun not profit.

Since NDID is about to take a major plot change within the next two or three chapters; I want to test market new characters now under development and get a feel for the present characters public perception. On Monday and Tuesday nights I will be doing a series of public book readings and discussion groups with local people. This will help me set my characters course and help my plot development.

I do this with all my writings. I find it not only helpful to me as a writer but I enjoy the interaction with people that actually read. It is a win-win situation for me.

Last fall I went through this same process for my two contracted books; 'The Promise' which is based on my Second Life relationship with my partner Thinkie and 'Gods People', a story about Dutch farmers who risked their lives trying to protect Hebrews during World War II. Both these stories will require trips to Canada's Maratine Provinces, Ireland and Europe this year for research and site visits. God I love this work,,lol.

I love telling stories and revealing characters that are real and jump off the page. Characters that the reader wonders about when they are done reading that book. I have actually had someone ask me what Diego is up to now. Like he is someone I talk with on a daily basis. Finding a memorable character, for any writer, is an exhilarating feeling. Like Patricia Cornwell' 'Kay Scarpetta' or Michael Connelly's 'Harry Bosch'.  The reader always wants to know more about those characters. That is what I want for mine.

Now I have bored you to tears twice this week. So I will pass on another anecdote to make you smile.

Punctuation is powerful and the women are sooooooo right!!

Night after a long day of working for Relay For Life of Second Life. Where is the Captain Morgans Rum??

Love ya,
Night

English!! To Funny To Ignore!!

While having a conversation, with my friend Cally the other day, about downloading the Phoenix Viewer; she said to me, " on second thoughts I will leave it until Saturday in case it all goes tits up and I cannot cover tomorrow!!" That conversation got me thinking about the English language. it is a difficult language to learn. Thinkie, my SL partner always says to me "Why do you have to use $10,000 words in your blog?"  I actually do it for two reasons; 1. as a writer I am constantly trying to improve my vocabulary and 2. I want to force people to think about what I write and maybe educate them a little.

The English language is full of sayings that intrigue me. Especially those sayings that have become native to the English language through the United Kingdom. After all; that's where the language originated. So I decided to try and find the origin of some of these sayings.

My method of research;;;Google of course, lol. I am using the web site http://www.phrases.org.uk/. It is quite informative on this subject.

Tits Up ~~ 'This is a 20th century phrase, probably of military origin. There's certainly no mention of it in print prior to WWII. It has been suggested that the term derives from the behaviour of aeroplanes' altitude indicators, which turn upside down when faulty and display an inverted 'W' resembling a pair of breasts. There's no real evidence to support this speculation and it seems more likely that the phrase is just a vulgar alternative to the earlier 'belly-up', which has the same meaning.'

 The bastardization(there you go Thinkie,,grab your dictionary) of words and terms runs rampart through the English language. I suppose that is true for all languages.

Bobs Your Uncle ~~ Used to describe the means of straightforwardly obtaining a successful result. Its origin is in question, Three possibilities have been  postulated; 1. British Prime Minister Lord (Robert) Salisbury giving his nephew a political job he was unqualified for and uninterested in caused the term to be used as a source of success, 2. a derivative of the term 'all is bob', meaning all is safe and 3. derived from the lyrics of the 1931 song 'Follow Your Uncle Bob' sung by Florrie Ford. The lyrics being:

Bob's your uncle
Follow your Uncle Bob
He knows what to do
He'll look after you

You will laugh when I tell you that I thought that this saying was a nautical one that derived from the sinking of ships and someone saying 'Your Uncles ship has sunk and he is bobbing on the ocean' makes sense to me, lol.

Indulge me please. One more.

Whoops-a-daisy ~~ An exclamation made when encouraging a child to get up after a fall or when lifting a child into the air.

Found in many different forms:

Upsidaisy
Upsa daesy
Upsy-daisy
Oops-a-daisy
Oopsy-daisy
Hoops-a-daisy

The interesting thing about this one is that it is a saying that is almost always spoken but rarely written. So no official spelling has ever been assigned to it.

I find the English language fascinating. please go to that website; there are hundreds of sayings listed there.

Yes I have bored you to tears so I will leave you with a copy of letter that has come into my possession so at least you will finish reading today's blog with a smile on your face.

Obviously he is on her again!!

Love ya,
Night

PS......Welcome to my readers in China, Iran and Thailand. Thank you for dropping by. 

I Am Queen Of The World!! Where Is My Crown?

I love being a woman. It seems that the slightest smile, on even a questionably good looking woman, can open doors, advance you in lines while waiting to pay for things and give you an edge in many situations. And believe me; when I have to wait in line for an early morning cup of coffee; getting that hot wonderful cup of wake up orgasmic liquid in my hands is crucial to how I deal with people that rest of the day.

Damn!! Be right back!!

                                   Look at this while I am gone!!

Ahhh!! I have my coffee now!!

 Being a woman brings great responsibility. It is not to be taken lightly. Men have fought wars over women. Whole industries turn on our whims. The future of civilizations have turned on what lies between our legs. Yes, a heavy responsibility indeed.

“Because I am a woman, I must make unusual efforts to succeed. If I fail, no one will say, "She doesn't have what it takes"; They will say, "Women don't have what it takes";”

~~Clare Boothe Luce

This is so true. Women are always lumped together. Our color, religion, socioeconomic background or physical stature does not matter. If one of us fails we fail as a group. Men can fail at everything and still have someone break that failure down to some small aspect of that particular man. Now this sucks but it is our cross to bear.

They say women talk too much. If you have worked in Congress you know that the filibuster was invented by men.”

~~Clare Boothe Luce

Here is an example of the point I was just making.  We are  accused of talking to much. A blanket of a statement that has covered us all for ages. Men slip under the radar when It comes to talking. Have you ever been sitting in a bar when some guy comes up and tries to impress you. OMG! His mouth moves so fast, for so long and says so little that my head spins making me look like that little girl from Omen.

“The practice of putting women on pedestals began to die out when it was discovered that they could give orders better from there”
~~Betty Grable

All through the ages women have been put on pedestals. Pedestals now seem just for sculpture. But women belong in a lofted position. Looking out over what we have created. A place where we can be adored and worshiped. Not as the Goddess' I believe we are but just as a simple deity that holds the future of the human race(OMG! I am in that race!) within her shapely smooth thighs.

“There is in every true woman's heart, a spark of heavenly fire, which lies dormant in the broad daylight of prosperity, but which kindles up and beams and blazes in the dark hour of adversity.” ~~Washington Irving

Now this guy gets it. Things go bad and men fall apart. The stock market crashes and men are jumping out of windows. The slightest thing goes askew and Chicken Little(a male remember) runs around yelling; "The sky is falling! The sky is falling!"  And while all the crises and disruptions go on causing men to take flight; it is women that hold civilization together.

“Nobody objects to a woman being a good writer or sculptor or geneticist if at the same time she manages to be a good wife, good mother, good looking, good tempered, well groomed and unaggressive”
~~Leslie McIntyre

Oh Yes!! Women can go out and compete with men in any endeavor these days. From invention to fighting wars but when the end of work day whistle blows we better get back home, before the men, and make a happy home for them. Can you even imagine a world where women could not do everything. It is true we are expected to do everything. But when it comes right down to it; WE CAN DO EVERYTHING.

So sisters; when your boobs sag and hurt with age, when you hormones run amok every twenty eight days, when you are in bed making believe your man is 'the greatest lover' or when you are chasing children around trying to make it safe enough for them to survive to take over the job of saving the world, or become a man, hold your heads up high and smile. YOU ARE IN CONTROL!!

Love ya,
Night

Holy $%&#!! I Am Part Of The Human Race??

So much crap runs around in my head. It is amazing that I sleep at all.  First of all; Human Race, Why?  Why is it a race? And if it is actually a race; WE ARE LOSING IT!!

Ok! Homo Gautengensis, Homo Erectus and Home Sapien go into a bar~~nah that's not working. They never would travel together. To many differences in eating habits. Lets get back on track.

The discovery that I am a Human Being has sent me into a tizzy. I so feel like I am above this humble, misunderstood and unreliable group of beings. Look at this goofy group. There is just no way I am part of this family.
                          

                                I have got to prove that I am not in this race.

Monkeys are superior to men in this:  When a monkey looks into a mirror, he sees a monkey.
~~Malcolm de Chazal

Now we are talking. When I look in the mirror I see a woman of stature and grace. Standing upright and well groomed. All hairs in their correct places and professionally woman scaped.


Man is rated the highest animal, at least among all animals who returned the questionnaire.
~~Robert Brault

OK! I never received a questionnaire but I must have been sent one. If these Humans are in charge of the mail; well no wonder my questionnaire never arrived. But I can guarantee you that I would have scored much higher than this Human group.

Ocean:  A body of water occupying two-thirds of a world made for man - who has no gills.
~~Ambrose Bierce

I do not have gills but I can swim. Refer back to that picture of The Human Race. None of those losers can swim.

Such is the human race, often it seems a pity that Noah... didn't miss the boat.
~~Mark Twain

So as I understand this Noah guy. God told him a flood was coming and everything would be destroyed. So instead of helping save The Human race; he fills the boat with animals. Even the ugly ones. I think the Humans were losing this race long before I came along.

If man were relieved of all superstition, and all prejudice, and had replaced these with a keen sensitivity to his real environment, and moreover had achieved a level of communication so simplified that one syllable could express his every thought, then he would have achieved the level of intelligence already achieved by his dog.
~~Robert Brault

I love my dog and she really is more intelligent than many Human Beings I come across. But she is no match for me in many categories. For example, I have the use of toilet paper, you know what that's for right? Well my dog licks her butt clean. Now even if I had the flexibility to stretch my head around to my butt; I would still reach for the toilet paper.  Now who is the higher species here.

There is just no way that I am in any sort of race with this guy or any of his genetic relatives.

Please refer back to yesterdays Blog. If the destruction of the earth causes me to move SOMEPLACE ELSE; I can guarantee you that I will not be part of that mans race in any form. I must be SOMEONE ELSE.

Love ya all even if you may be human,
Night

PS...I'm only human. I make mistakes. But I've learned from experience, that those mistakes, are what makes life worth while.
~~Unknown

When We Really F$$k Up Earth We Will Need To Go Someplace Else!!

Everyone who has been reading this blog, for any length of time, knows that my brain is a place of imagination and that my fantasies may become whimsical at times. But in the production of my fantasies; TRUTH lingers somewhere on the fringes of my imagination.

So having said that; last night, while tossing and turning trying to get to sleep; my fantasies hit the proverbial fan.

It all started with a picture of a bird with a plastic aluminum can holder stuck to its head. Actually I saw this on this weeks episode of 'How I Met Your Mother'. So anyway; here is this bird hopelessly stuck in a plastic ring. As you can imagine my fantasies took flight.

If we can screw up a bird; the planet's destruction has to be at hand. So now I am in a panic. Where do I go? Who will go with me? What will I take? (BTW, My Pocket Rocket went into my backpack first;;Just saying a girl has her needs.)

OMG!!  2am!! This all needs to be settled now. It can not wait. Every fiber of my being is fired up. But it's 2am! Who can I consult about this at this hour.

Oh Yeah!! The God of research never sleeps. I jumped out of bed and rushed to the nearest computer to consult Google. Google was the second thing going into my backpack.

I asked my good friend Google; "Where do I go when I wake up one morning and discover that I have a plastic beer can holder wrapped around my neck?"  At that point all the birds will be gone and the plastic can holders will be attacking people. Earth will be done for!!! Abandon The Planet!!

Google told me about a new planetary discovery that will solve my problems. The earth like planet of Gliese 581c. The first thing that my imagination latched onto was the name. WTF!!  I can not even pronounce it. But because I had not discovered it nor had ever been there; renaming it myself seemed inappropriate. So for the purposes of my fantasy; 'I will call it Planet Someplace Else'. Seems right.

Now problem number two was how far away it was. TWENTY LIGHT YEARS!! For those of you who are of the unscientific ilk; that is 117,313,920,000,000 miles or/189,216,000,000,000 kilometers. I rushed right out to my car to check to see how much gasoline I had in the tank. Because I am not leaving earth without my Beemer. So lets see; I get 24 mpg when I am highway driving(this trip qualifies for highway driving). Gasoline costs $3.12/gal; as of this morning. That means I need 4,888,080,000,000 gallons. I need to go to an ATM and withdrawal $15,250,809,600,000 to cover the gasoline. DAMN I NEED A BIGGER BACKPACK!!

I had my oil changed; as I do before any long trip. Packed the car and then sat down to set out a route and figure out exactly how to set the Beemer's GPS system.

Google provided me with a map.

                 

Yeppers; that's my new home orbiting around its sun. Cute little thing; is it not.  Actually; its bigger than earth by some 4,000 miles across and weighs 5 times more than Earth. Hmm; does this mean I am going to weigh 5 times more than I do now when I arrive at Someplace Else. To the grocery for some Slimfast; and into my backpack it went. I also picked up a lot of dog food because I am not going Someplace Else without her.
                  

This is a view of what Someplace Else will look like when I arrive. Not bad. maybe a little over the top red by hey it is Someplace Else and I will have to get use to it.

The planet lies within what Astrobiologists call the Goldilocks Zone, where it is not so cold that water freezes and not so hot that it boils, but where it can lie on the planet's surface as a liquid.  Someplace Else should have average surface temperatures estimated to be between zero and 40c (32-102f). Lakes, rivers and even oceans are possible.

Packing has been further complicated by the need for such a variety of clothes to cover that temperature differential. I am definitely going to need help carring this backpack.

Now as to who to take with me. I need a man to procreate as populating Someplace Else will be a priority. But I really want to take a woman(silly,,you all know why, lol). I have decided to take Matthew Mcconaughey because he is cute, has produced good looking children and he makes me laugh. Now for my love life. I have chosen Milla Jovovich. The woman is stunning and kicks ass. I will be well loved and definitely well protected. Ah!! The security of my fantasies.

So I am prepared. At the first sign of a plastic ring stuck around  my neck; I AM GOING SOMEPLACE ELSE!!

Love ya,
Night

PS....To read more about Someplace Else go to his website.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-450467/Found-20-light-years-away-New-Earth.html

I Am Confused!!

There is an entity lurking all around us.  I briefly saw him behind a tree. Later I saw her near a school.  Every where I look there are signs of it having been present.  So many things are caused by him. I am not sure what it all means but I am keeping a close eye on her movements. It scares me! It confuses me! It makes me think! I see fires and she was there. I hear about wars and he is seen wandering the battle fields. I see human carnage and it forces me to watch.

But then I see happy marriages and she is watching. I see children born and he is hovering about. I see rivers and streams and it is nearby. I see mountains and plains, deserts and swamps, animals grazing and fish swimming and it tells me to smile.

I wander in the streets and I see happy and sad people, good and bad people, men and women, workers and non workers, hunters and fishermen, farmers and sheep herders and so many more and she is watching everything.

I am confused. This entity goes by many names in so many different places.

I am bewildered. She is loved by some and ignored by others.

I am baffled. He is reached out for by many but rejected at the same time.

I am confounded. It is held in high regard yet so despised.

I am perplexed. She loves me but some say she does not listen.

I am disconcerted.  I understand him but I don't understand him.

I am mystified.  It needs to be in my life but I am just not sure of it.

She seems like magic. He is shrouded in mystery.  It is legend. She fills my thoughts. He shreds my inner being. It makes me think. I do not want to think about it.

I am confused to the point that sometimes, when it is lurking about; I do not want it with me. She has followed me since birth. But I did not know about him until I was older.  It wants me to know about things; but I don't want that knowledge.

I am confused and yet I am curious. She makes me curious. He makes me think. It wants me to understand.
I do not want to understand but I think I have too. She draws me in and compels me to dream. He pulls me to my good side; but my other side is so much more fun. It tells me I am good but I feel evil.

If it had just one name; rather than so many. Then maybe I could understand. Maybe I would not be confused.

I see her as a woman. You see him as a man. They just see it for what it is.

One group has 99 names for him. Another has 72 names for her. And yet another has thousands of names for it.

They are called the Timeless Being, First Person, Cosmic Controller, Shiva, Gurmantar, Yahweh, Elohim, The Light, Allah, Wele, Lesa, Joul, Jehovah, El Cantare and hundreds of others.

I am so confused and yet I believe. How can that be.

It's a feeling I have. One I grew up with.  Told that I needed to believe and yet grew to question. But questioning is good. Questioning leads to answers. And answers lead to understanding. And understanding leads to over coming confusion.

So I ask questions. I envision what I need to answer my questions.  I study. I read. I watch.

My questions are answered in the birth of a child. In a field of sun flowers that turn there heads to watch the sun pass over. In an ant hill with so many working for one goal; survival. In the trees, plants and animals that are wandering about. And in the human beings that interact with me. Some for good.   Others for reasons I can not explain.

But with every question that is answered; something within grows.  Seems that all those entities with all those different names ask only one thing of us.

Faith

Please ask the questions!!!

Love ya,

Night

The Night From Hell!!

It started out as just an ordinary day. Working around Red River getting ready for the shows.  Everything was going so smooth. I had been invited to a Masquerade Ball by my friends Porter and Loegan. It was a celebration of their Second Life partnership.  I picked out a nice gown and wore a cute mask. I was so looking forward to the party.

As my luck would have it; my Second Life partner had to log off and I was without a date for the party. I felt uncomfortable going alone so I went looking for an escort. NO! NOT THAT KIND OF AN ESCORT! YOU ALL HAVE  SUCH DIRTY MINDS!  Just someone to take me so I was not the girl standing around alone. Someone to dance with,,,and that's all.  Anyway this was my first mistake.

I arrived at a sim that everyone told me had many eligible men to escort me.

I was mobbed by eligible men but they all kept trying to bite me. Now I  am no prude when it comes to foreplay but after all I was in a very nice gown,

One nice gentleman lifted me upon his shoulders and tried to carry me off. He was so my choice for my date. But some military looking guy was shooting everyone and I was afraid my gown would get bloody so I left. Alone and disappointed I decided to go to a bank and get some cash. Without a date I would be paying my own way.

Have you ever gone to a bank wearing a mask. Mistake number two. The police were quickly called.

I was handcuffed and thrown into a police car. My first thought was that the policeman was kind of cute. Maybe he would take me to the party.

NO!!! He shoved me into a jail cell with a less than talkative cell mate. Looked like the guy had been there awhile and was not getting out anytime soon. No date possibility there.

The prison food was horrible and all the men serving were hairy and smelled like Vaseline and other things I could not even begin to describe. My chance at an escort to the party was dwindling very fast.

They finally let me out. Seems that the arresting officer had conducted an illegal search and while I had very much enjoyed the strip search; he did not even offered me a decent meal afterward. I found that to be rude and even if he had agreed to escort me I would have said no.

So I bought my own meal at McDonald's and headed home. There was only one thing on my mind at this point.

A SHOWER!!! I just needed to wash this night out of my system.

In reality; Porter and Loegan's party was wonderful. They had constructed a river boat, provided wonderful music and made the night totally fun. They are so good together. I wish them much love and happiness.

BUT NEXT TIME FIND ME A DATE PLEASE!!!

Love ya,
Night

PS.....There were no Zombies injured or killed in the making of today's blog.

The Royal Wedding!! My Invitation Is In The Mail!

I am so excited!!! The Royal Wedding Invitations have been posted. Mine should arrive shortly. I have been making plans since Kate phoned me with the news months ago. This is an event I would not miss.

I will arrive in London about 2 weeks prior the the wedding. My friend Cally and I will go gown shopping and prepare ourselves for what will be the event of our lives.

I want to take this opportunity to do some Royal Wedding education for all of you who will be stuck watching this event on television.

Royal Wedding fasts:

Queen Victoria popularized the 'White Wedding Gown' at her 1840 wedding to Prince Albert. Prior to that brides wore colorful dresses and some even black gowns.

Queen Elizabeth II met her future husband Lieutenant Phillip Mountbatten, later named The Duke of Edinburgh, in 1934 when she was 13 years old. They were married in 1947.

When Lady Diana Spencer married Prince Charles in 1981; the wedding day was declared a holiday and 2 million people crowded the parade route.


I have been ready for this my entire life. Finally my time spent studying my Cotillion lessons are going to pay off. I am sure Cally and I will find just the right gowns for the ceremony. And, of course, other outfits appropriate for the many parties and events surrounding the wedding itself. Makeup and hair will be done professionally.

I have booked rooms at The Montague on the Gardens, a lovely boutique hotel. We will dine out each night and enjoy London to its fullest.

I wish you all could join us but you must realize that only the privilege few will be able to view this historic event first hand.

Cally and I will put the POSH back in London!!!

TaTa,,
Lady Night Nicholls

PS....OK! You all do know that I am a fiction writer right? Or am I? HMMM!

Nights Dance To Day~~~Chapter 9

Chapter 9

　
　
When we got back together it was Saturday. The operation was scheduled for Monday. Wailer had the van ready. It was a Dodge Grand Caravan. He had stripped out the insides leaving just the drivers seat. Four point restraint hooks were welded into the one side and the floor. He had tinted all the windows so no one could look in and had covered the walls with a sound proofing material. He had also welded the rear door shut. He called it his perfect prison on wheels.

The plan was a fairly simple one. Wailer would wait in a parking lot across from the park. Pete and I would join the homeless that frequented the park. We know that there was a particular bench Martin liked to sit at and make his phone calls. His body guards would chase anyone sleeping or sitting on that bench and any other bench close by. Pete and I would make sure that we were the ones on those benches. That put us one on one with the guards and close to Martin. With surprise on our side it should be a quick operation. We both knew it would be bloody but putting the guards down was the only way to make sure we were in complete control.

Pete had located an empty warehouse in Brooklyn and made arrangements for us to use it without being disturbed. That’s where we would take Martin.

We would meet at midnight on Sunday and stay the night at Pete’s apartment to make the final preparations
　
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

With nothing but time to kill until Sunday night; I decided to make an appearance at my parents house for Sunday dinner. Sunday dinners had not changed at all since I had been away. Everyone in the family was present and my arrival sent women into a frenzy to make sure that at least one of my favorite foods would be on the table.

After spending time greeting everyone and meeting the my newest nieces and nephews; I was dragged aside by my father for the scolding I knew was coming. My father never understood my long absences and I really could never explain it to him. The nature of the work I use to do was not conversation for the dinner table. Plus, I never wanted my life to visit my family.

Before dinner I finally had a few minutes alone with Keane and Franny. I had questions that needed answering.

“How are you feeling?”
“Better now.”, she said.
“Franny I need to know what Martins plan was?”

She started to cry. I always had a soft spot for her. My only two soft spot my entire life were Franny and my wife. “He was going to sell me. I heard them talking. There were other girls but I don’t know where they were. $50,000! That’s what he was getting for me!” The crying had turned into anger.

“Uncle Diego; I heard him mention Maria and that I was payback. I don’t know what that meant.” Maria was my wife. She was an investigative journalist and been killed in a car explosion a year ago. I blamed myself.
“Did you hear anything else?”
“Nothing.”, Franny.

I got through dinner and all the family activities but was in a daze the whole time. I could feel my blood starting to boil. I needed to stay in control. I filled Pete in as soon as I got to his place.

“Do you have any idea what they are talking about?”, Pete
“Not at all! But Martin is about to have a very bad day!”
=========================================================================

Note: The character, Maria-Diego's wife, was originally named Cally after my Second Life friend. I decided that I did not want to kill off a character with that name in this story. Cally does appear later in the story.

Love ya,
Night

Steven Wright~~A Visionary?

I love Friday nights at Red River. Last night there was fantastic music provided by Genevive Romanas, a Second Life vocalist, and DJ Annie Lane, from Qnation.fm and more specifically The Nooner with Miss Annie. The night is full of good music but the conversation can be down right amazing. There are people, mostly women, from all over the world dancing, laughing and talking.  Last night, in a single fun filled evening, we discussed fashion, sex, television shows, male stamina in the form of the ability to stay in one place for a given amount of time, music and 'Do we really need the moon?'

It is that conversation about the moon that I found most interesting. Anything to do with outer space I find interesting anyway; but when a discussion is peppered with intelligence and humor while being accompanied by appropriate music about the moon,,,well it just makes me happy.

So I decided to grab a few quotes from the world renowned science expert(tongue in cheek here, lol) Steven Wright. Mr. Wright is a comedian, who through somewhat outrageous statements, makes you think and laugh all at the same time. While the main goal of humor is to make you laugh; making you think is a by product that most humorists strive to accomplish.

So lets bring on Steven Wright!!!

If toast always lands butter-side down, and cats always land on their feet, what happens if you strap toast on the back of a cat and drop it?

My friend Cally will be working on this one all day, lol. God help all the cats in her neighborhood. I so want to try this one.

OK, so what's the speed of dark?

You are going to laugh at me but I have actually thought about this before I ever read it. What is wrong with me?

Think about these next three very closely.

How do you tell when you're out of invisible ink?

Support bacteria - they're the only culture some people have.

If Barbie is so popular, why do you have to buy her friends?

The intersection where humor meets logical has to b a very funny place indeed.

I was in a job interview and I opened a book and started reading. Then I said
to the guy, "Let me ask you a question. If you are in a spaceship that is
traveling at the speed of light, and you turn on the headlights, does anything
happen?" He said, "I don't know." I said, "I don't want your job."

I have been in many job interviews where I wanted to be the one asking the questions. I do not think I would have been this clever.

If you want to read more Steven Wright quotes go to  http://www.weather.net/zarg/ZarPages/stevenWright.html

        The Red River Girls backing up Genevive Romanas last night. Cally on drums,,,Sienna on piano.



One last Steven Wright quote just for me

Boycott shampoo! Demand the REAL poo!

Love ya,
Night

Love~~Hate It! Love It! Gotta Have It!

My Life has always been a roller coaster of emotions. For a long time it seemed like something new happened to me everyday; straining my emotional fabric to its terminal point. It was worse when I was young. Coming to the realization that I was gay and coming out a age 16 might have been the pinnacle of emotional turmoil for me. But it certainly was not the end of my emotional roller coaster. For a very long time I hated the thought of falling in love or being in a relationship. That all seemed so scary to me.

So I decided that I hated love and just would not participate. Yeah,,That worked out, lol.  This quote sums up my 'pre finding love' feelings very well.

“Have you ever been in love? Horrible isn't it? It makes you so vulnerable. It opens your chest and it opens up your heart and it means that someone can get inside you and mess you up. You build up all these defenses, you build up a whole suit of armor, so that nothing can hurt you, then one stupid person, no different from any other stupid person, wanders into your stupid life...You give them a piece of you. They didn't ask for it. They did something dumb one day, like kiss you or smile at you, and then your life isn't your own anymore. Love takes hostages. It gets inside you. It eats you out and leaves you crying in the darkness, so simple a phrase like 'maybe we should be just friends' turns into a glass splinter working its way into your heart. It hurts. Not just in the imagination. Not just in the mind. It's a soul-hurt, a real gets-inside-you-and-rips-you-apart pain. I hate love.”

~~Neil Gaiman

I wish I had written that. It is exactly how I have felt most of my life. Actually, it is that feeling that had control of me when I first arrived in Second life. Nearly four years, in Second Life,  and a lot of learning changed my approach to love and in many ways.  And certainly for the better.

“Meeting you was fate, becoming your friend was a choice, but falling in love with you I had no control over.”
~~Unknown

I use a lot of quotes by the infamous philosopher UNKNOWN; and I hate that because I like learning about the person behind the words. The above quote rings very true. You do not chose love; it chooses you. Some of my favorite stories are about people who have been friends for a long time; both looking for love and not seeing it right in front of them.  Then one day it's like a light came down and hit them across the head. They see their long time friend in that light and BAM,,Love. Those stories always make me smile.

“If I never met you, I wouldn't like you. If I didn't like you, I wouldn't love you. If I didn't love you, I wouldn't miss you. But I did, I do, and I will.”

~~Unknown

I have this quote floating around my computer screen as a screen saver. Every day it reminds me of the loves I have had, have in my life; and how grateful I am for every one of them. Even the ones that ended in pain. Because each journey into love, no matter what the outcome, is a learning experience. A building block that helps you construct the stairs that will lead to that light and the someone that will be yours for ever.

So don't be in a hurry to find love or that perfect someone. The universe has its plan and when the time is right that light will shine.

Night

PS...Kind of mushy stuff today,,,Yeah!!  Grandma is in from Red Creek. Women HUH! LOL!

Presidential~~~Or How My $1000 Suit Made Me Look Good!!

When I read today's quotes; I was reminded of how the word 'presidential' has been widely used over the past few decades, in the United States. Countless times I have heard news reporters and news commentators say "Mr So and So looked very presidential today or Mr So and So's statements made him look very presidential.'


The dictionary definition states that presidential is an adjective that means:


1. of or pertaining to a president or presidency.
2. of the nature of a president.

 So basically, in the usual vague dictionary way, it means that what ever situation you find yourself in you must look like you are the president. Because if you look like the president all will be OK. Mind boggling is it not

 Over the years; looking presidential has become much more important than actually doing things that make you presidential. Many people actually vote for the person who looks more presidential. Because looking like a president must mean that you will be a good president. What bull shit that is. It has become similar to voting for the freaking prom queen.

Today's offerings:

[On Clint Eastwood running for Mayor] What makes him think a middle-aged actor, who's played with a chimp, could have a future in politics?
~~ Ronald Reagan


This may take some explaining for some of my younger readers or those who are not into movies. Clint Eastwood made the 'Every Which Way But Loose' movies which featured an orangutan and Ronald Reagan made a movie named 'Bed Time For Bonzo' that featured a chimpanzee. Ronald Reagan was actually a very funny man in a dry sense of humor way.

I’ve never been to an Al-Qaeda Christmas party, but I have seen the invites. No music, no dancing, but we promise the fastest game of pass the parcel you’ve ever seen.
~~ Omid Djalili


Omid Djalili is a very talented comedian, who loves in England,  and comes from Iranian ancestry. He proves that there is humor in the Muslim world. Look up his body of work; you will be impressed.

Today, the L.A. Times accused Arnold Schwarzenegger of groping six women. I'm telling you, this guy is presidential material.
~~ Dave Letterman


No comment is necessary.

I have not put much stock in our presidents. I like some, I hate others and I am totally baffled by others. But some how we go on. That also amazes me. Thank God for our system of 'Checks and Balances'

The next time you find yourself standing in a voting booth; look into the soul of the people that are asking for your vote. There are few things more precious than the vote you are about to cast. Because when you vote for someone you are passing your voice to them. Make sure that their voice mirrors yours.

Night

When It Comes To Sex~~~Everyone Has Something To Say!!

I played in an exhibition Roller Derby game tonight with my Second Life team; Poison Ivy. It was our first game ever. We played the Riot Bitches and they really lived up to their name. We lost by 30 points and I pretty much sucked. If my life depended on my ability to block someone; Profile Perving would be no more, lol. I will improve.

You can not throw a rock into a group of people and not hit someone that has not had something to say about sex. Very few subjects draw more attention than a discussion of sex. Subjects like God and politics probably come closest.

And the winners are!!!

Sex is nature, and I believe in going along with nature.
~~ Marilyn Monroe

My favorite blond philosopher!!

It isn`t premarital sex if you have no intention of getting married.
~~ Drew Carey

Agree! Agree! Agree!

When I came here, I couldn't speak a word of English, but my sex life was perfect. Now my English is perfect but my sex life is rubbish.
~~ Julio Iglesias

There was a time when I could have said that about my sex life post New York City. Thank God some things improve without government assistance.

I think I mentioned to Bob [Geldof] I could make love for eight hours. What I didn't say was that this included four hours of begging and then dinner and a movie.

~~ Sting

Some people call that married life. I have no idea on the subject.

Don't have sex man. It leads to kissing and pretty soon you have to start talking to them.
~~ Steve Martin

I always thught that an ex girl friend of mine had said that first.

I admit, I have a tremendous sex drive. My boyfriend lives forty miles away.
~~ Phyllis Diller

Have you ever seen Phyllis Diller?? Forty miles is way to close!!

I blame my mother for my poor sex life. All she told me was, 'the man goes on top and the woman underneath'. For three years my husband and I slept on bunk beds.
~~ Joan Rivers

The question about Phyllis Diller~~~Ditto for Joan Rivers!! In the past 2000 years the Roman aquaducts have had less work done on them then Joan Rivers has had done on her body.

There's a new medical crisis. Doctors are reporting that many men are having allergic reactions to latex condoms. They say they cause severe swelling. So what's the problem?
~~ Phyllis Diller

I can see latex condom sales increasing in the 3 to 5 inch range,,lol.

If it weren't for pickpockets, I'd have no sex life at all.
~~ Rodney Dangerfield

God I have so been there!!!

My girlfriend always laughs during sex -- no matter what she's reading.

~~ Steve Jobs

I think I have been here too!!

I think that I told you yesterday that every funny quote has some truth to it. I think we just proved that again. If you try and look at the funny side of life as much as possible; I believe that your lives would have less stress and tension. Sit on any park bench for an afternoon and you will gather enough material to fill a small book. Spend a week on that bench and you will acquire an encyclopedia of funny anecdotes. Because Life is funny!!!

Night

Intelligence!! It Loves Me~~~It Loves Me Not!!

Intelligence is a quality we all desire but many of us squander what God has given us on trivial pursuits. Some of the most intelligent people on the planet are spending their days playing video games or engaging in other minor pursuits.


But for today; some the most intelligent and talented people are talking about intelligence and making me laugh.  I so need a good laugh. I have left links to some of these people so you can check them out further.


Put your hand on a hot stove for a minute, and it seems like an hour. Sit with a pretty girl for an hour, and it seems like a minute. THAT'S relativity.
~~ Albert Einstein

When an intelligent person, especially one I so admire, can display the humorous side of their personality,,Now That Is Sexy!!!

Why don't they pass a constitutional amendment prohibiting anybody from learning anything? If it works as well as prohibition did, in five years Americans would be the smartest race of people on Earth.
~~ Will Rogers

Think about this one!! It has a little bit of everything contained within it,,,a knock at the American political system, clearly an insight into stupid law passage and a view of the American psyche; Tell us what to do and we sure as hell are going to thumb our collective noses at you and do the exact opposite. 

Pol Pot - he rounded up anybody he thought was intellectual and had them executed. And how he told someone was intellectual or not was whether they wore glasses. If they're that clever, take them off when they see him coming!
~~ Ricky Gervais

HMMM!! Have you ever wondered about intelligent people and their grasp of common sense. Wonder no more!!

Of all the things I've lost, I miss my mind the most.
~~ Mark Twain

This is one of my favorites. It is simple, concise and so very true. As I age, gracefully lol, I seem to be thinking this very thought a lot.

Great minds discuss ideas. Average minds discuss events. Small minds discuss people.
~~ Unknown

This explains the relationship between scientists and economists and the supermarket tabloids.

An intellectual is someone who has found something more interesting than sex.
~~ Edgar Wallace

I find myself out of the intellectual community here because there is nothing more interesting than sex. Sex covers the entire gamut of human emotion and human emotion is a science of interest all on its own.

Military intelligence is a contradiction in terms.
~~ Groucho Marx

An old standard. I always wondered who coined it.

Intellectuals solve problems; geniuses prevent them.
~~ Albert Einstein

My buddy Al is back, lol. Nothing holds more truth than this quote.

Skill is successfully walking a tightrope over Niagara Falls. Intelligence is not trying.
~~ Anonymous

Here is a life lesson we all should grab and hold close.

This week I will be displaying my collection of funny quotes about different aspects of life. I heard Jeff Foxworthy, that great Southern Philosopher, say that there is an aspect of truth in all humor. So this week let us allow life to write some humor for us.

Because there is nothing funnier than a human being being well a human being.

Night

Attitude!! A Life Skill Of Infinite Value!!

Over the years I have learned to adapt my attitude to fit the situation that I find myself experiencing.  It is a skill that I have developed over a lifetime and may be the one skill that has driven my career forward. Especially when I may have not been the optimal person for a job or task.

The other thing about attitude, that I had to learn, is that once you achieve the goal you are pursuing; tempering that confident 'I did it' attitude with humility is a key to staying on top. I had to learn to turn off my 'Inner Bitch' and separate it from my otherwise winning attitude.

This may well be the longest quote I have ever used but it rings true for me.

“The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, the education, the money, than circumstances, than failure, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company... a church... a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice everyday regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past... we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude. I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it. And so it is with you... we are in charge of our Attitudes.”

~~Charles R Swindoll

My knowledge of attitude was learned from my family. My father, a career military man, always portrayed himself as an invincible figure in front of his men. His success in leading these men, over a long career is evidence of attitude portrayal working to perfection.  Because my farther was the most gentle loving person I have ever met. The persona of the rough tough military man was only for work. The real man was only portrayed at home.

My father learned how to manipulate his attitude from his grandfather, my great grandfather. My great grandfather was an Italian immigrant who came to the USA in 1910 at the age of 17. He was a tailor's apprentice in the town of Sermide, Italy. He was from a family of tailors. It is what they did and they rarely looked beyond that profession. By the age of 19 he had become proficient in English and had his own small tailor shop, along with his cousin,  in Brooklyn, NY.

He wanted more for himself. He met my great grandmother when they both were 20 years old. They fell in love. But he would not marry until he could provide a good life for her.

He had always been interested in the work done by an accountant who had an office next to his shop. So, at nights he would study with that accountant to learn the business. Within a year he had sold his interest in the tailor shop and went to work with this accountant as a Book Keeper; actually making more money than he had made working in his own shop.

Still no wedding though.

After about 2 more years; there happened to be a job opening up  for an accountant at a clothing store in Brooklyn. My great grandfather found out what the job entailed. He crammed a years worth of accounting knowledge into 4 weeks and went to interview for the job.

This 5' 4" Italian immigrant without a high school education, let alone any college, went into that clothing store armed with a lot of knowledge of the clothing business  a little knowledge of accounting and an attitude as big as all of Italy and applied for that job. He used that confident attitude to make the store owner  believe that he was he best person for that job. Two weeks later he became that stores accountant. About a month later he and my great grandmother married.

Within 5 years of starting that job he had completed a Business Degree and was promoted to the head accountant of the clothing store chain.

I tell this story out of pride, of course. But more importantly to illustrate what a confident attitude can do for you.  In your home situation you can be timid, loving and affectionate. But in your career or when out in public a strong confident attitude will win you favor every time.

And yes; you can portray a strong confident attitude without being abusive. The key is to learn where to draw the line between the two. A lesson I learned, at an early age, from my fathers example, from the stories about my great grandfather who I was never privileged to meet and through athletics.

Attitude is a skill of infinite value.  Learn to take advantage of it and amazing things will happen for you.


Night

Nights Dance To Day~~~Chapter 8

Chapter 8

　

　
“I am concerned about not having a third person for this job!”, Pete showed that concern on his face.
“We have to control three men quickly and only one of us can be in the park. Both of us need to be on the ground to take out the guards cleanly and load Martin into a car. We need a driver.”, Pete said. He knew that I would not bring Keane back into this.

“Anybody in mind?”, I asked.

Pete told me that Vann Malabo was available. Vann Malabo, nick named Wailer because he was shot when he was 15 years old and everyone said they could hear him ‘Wailing’ for 20 blocks around. He was a brash 26 year old now who had no match when driving a car through city streets and staying below the radar at the same time. He had been a Marine and was proficient with both weapons and hand to hand combat.

“Does he know that this isn’t a paying job?”

“ I told him. Told him it was a personal job for you. He said he is in if you want him.”, Pete said.

“This means delaying at least 2 days to bring him up to speed. I think we could use a little more surveillance time anyway. Call him!”

Vann was just as I remembered him. A deceivingly skinny looking kid who I know could handle himself. We filled him in, over a meal at Pete’s apartment. The kid listened and said nothing. Just sat there looking stupid but I could feel he was taking it all in.
After Pete and I finished talking Vann said, “ We need a van with a sliding side door; its easier to pull someone into.”

Pete, “Makes sense. What else do you need?”

Vann, “ The van needs a side rail inside to handcuff this prick to and an eye hook welded to the floor to shackle his feet to. I don’t want him getting loose while I am driving him around.”

“How much time do you need to set it up?”. I asked.

Vann, “Give me 36 hours to find the truck and outfit it. I already have all the equipment needed to get the job done.”

“Call me in 24 hours with a progress report.”

Vann headed out to get his part done. Pete and I stayed behind and went over the operation. We decided to keep up surveillance as before and gather as much information as we could. The more we knew the easier this would all be.

“The kids got balls.”, Pete.

“He is going to need them before this is over!”

OMG!!! Profilus Interruptus!! Or Something Spelled Like That!!

I have over estimated the trove of available quality quotes and usable material in Second Life profiles. I will, of course, continue my search of every Second Life profile I come across. But for now;;;What to do? What to do?

As you probably already guessed ; I Have A Plan!!!  I am expanding out my Profile Perving to other virtual worlds, Facebook and of course I will be looking into those hidden and invisible profiles that everyone has tucked away in their real lives. OOOOOOOOO!! I am all wet with excitement!!

I picked this quote up on a short trip into Inworldz this morning. I like exploring!!

“We are shaped by our thoughts; we become what we think. When the mind is pure, joy follows like a shadow that never leaves.”
~~Buddha

During my life I have day dreamed a lot. Especially when I was going through the bad times. So, what is a day dream? The dictionaries are full of all sorts of explanations to answer that question.

I like this one:

~~a visionary creation of the imagination experienced while awake
especially :  a gratifying reverie(to speak wildly in the abstract) usually of wish fulfillment

In other words; thinking, while you are awake, about something you want to accomplish or maybe something you want to gain.  So, if as Buddha said, "We are shaped by our thoughts, ect.", then we may well be the result of some of our day dreams.

Think about the day dreams you have had over your lifetime. The first thing that comes to my mind is that I do not remember many of them. The second thing is that I do not remember many that involved bad or hurtful thoughts.

When my father passed away; I was 18 years old and very much alone in the world. Cut off from any real family support or guidance. I clearly remember sitting on a park bench for a very long time, after my father's funeral, day dreaming madly about what was to become of me. Constantly using these thoughts to work out different scenarios for my future. At that time everything looked bleak and my day dreams certainly reflected that fact. I also clearly remember using this day dreaming thoughtful state to set out a plan for myself.

On that day, while day dreaming on that bench, I set down a plan to make a life for myself. Most of what I day dreamed that day has come true for me. Maybe that is where my attraction to Buddhist Philosophy started; I am not sure.

I have met people, over the years, that have not spent time thinking about anything useful to their lives. Their day dreams consist of thoughts that add up to; 'How do I get through this day?'. What they need to be thinking about is 'How do I get through this Life?'.

I try not to over think ideas as I believe that first impressions of your ideas are probably the correct ones. Over thinking probably muddies the waters and makes clear thought difficult. This does not mean that you do not look at all the possibilities. I usually follow a thought down a path until I hit a road block; then back up to where that thought made sense and take a different turn on that thought process' path. I do this until I reach an outcome that I desire or the path ends requiring a new thought process to begin. It is done one thought at a time. One process at a time. Confusion is minimal and thought can be much clearer.

All you need is a fairly quiet place to accomplish this process. I have two favorite places; the beach outside my house early in the morning around sunrise and during an early morning horseback ride. But anyplace works. I actually used this method at a restaurant, in Times Square; and had a successful conclusion to my problem.

The best resource comes from within ourselves. Yes, Buddha taught me that.

Love ya,
Night

Second Life Is All About People~~ The Two Schools Of Tought!!

When I talk about Second Life, with people that have not experienced it; I find myself trying to give an elaborate explanations for something that is actually fairly simple.  When reading Second Life profiles; two schools of thought, as to what Second Life is, comes jumping out at you.

First, and probably the position every new person to Second Life finds themselves in, is that SL is a game. We have been given so may gaming opportunities with computers and gaming platforms that to think that SL is just another game would be an obvious first observation.

Second, and this idea forms after a short time in SL for those who even show the slightest maturity, is that Second Life is a Social Network. I truly believe this to be the case.

Each day we interact with people all over the world. Just as Facebook does. But I believe that Second Life gives a much more personal insight into the people we interact with than other social networks do. On Facebook we input information and share it with others. Friends are added to your Friends List, except for those you actual come into contact with in your actual life, without any real interaction. 

On Second Life; interaction with others is constant, with or without voice input and many times over extended lenghts of time. You actually get to know someone much as you would if you are sitting across the kitchen table from them. Well at least you do if you ever get over the 'SL Is A Game Belief'. Truthfully, most people who never advance past the GAME phase; are short lived in Second Life.

At events I host inworld; I see groups of people arrive together for each event, couples always together and friends enjoying each others company for long periods of time. Second Life mimicking Real Life is a fact not a fantasy.

Of course there are some down sides to any life, this quote, I believe covers them nicely.

There are things that we don't want to happen, but have to accept; things we don't want to know, but have to learn; and people we can't live without, but have to let go.
-Unknown-

At an event, this past week, I saw to women enjoying the show and learned that they have been friends since 2006 in Second Life. After speaking with them I found that in all that time they rarely miss a day that they do not speak to each other. This is true for many other people in SL. I actually have SL friends that I have spoken to almost everyday for nearly 4 years. Now that is a social network worth investigating.

Of course, just like any other activity, Second Life will give you what you put into it.

Finally; for those that say they absolutely need the physical contact of Real Life, I give you this.

"It's often just enough to be with someone. I don't need to touch them. Not even talk. A feeling passes between you both. You're not alone.
~~Marilyn Monroe"

The woman might have been blond; but there is more intelligence there then meets the eye.
  
Love ya,
Night 

Make Her Happy And Discover All The Possibilities!!

My thinking about 'Rules For Dating In Second Life'; started me thinking about how to keep some one happy while dating or even more importantly; when you take a partner.

I found this set of 'Questions To Ask Yourself About Your Relationship'. Another find in the profile of a woman worth knowing.

Have you told her you loved her?
Have you held her hand in public?
Have you made her feel like she is number one in your life?
Have you made her feel like she is a priority and not an option?
Have you made her feel like she is the one and only?
Have you done something unexpected just because?
Have you made her the focus of your day?
Have you planned an evening for just you two without her even knowing?
Have  your words and your actions meet up in the one in the same?
Have you put her first before you?
Remember romance to most women just takes a little effort to make her feel she is your heart, soul, and your love.
Say yes to one of these questions each day and you will be surprised what she will do for you.   

I would never ask anyone to apply anything to their relationships, that I have not applied to my own. So after reading these; I decided to apply them to my  Second Life partnership. I can honestly tell you that Thinkie and I have done every one of those things for each other. Maybe that is why we have lasted 34 months together. Probably the only one that we have not done multiple times is holding hands. I think being avatars, with some physical restrictions, would explain that. But we do mentally hold hands, in bed each night, while talking before logging off. I think that counts.

There is nothing written, in these questions, that anyone can not apply to there Second Life relationships. Actually; applying them to your Real Life would not hurt one single bit.

Please remember, that if you disagree with what I write or want to put in your two cents,  I beg you to comment as often as you want. Believe me I can take it.

Night