Welcome to... The Saloon

[dada]

Yeah, I figured as much. It was worth a shot.

Mods, can we get a ruling on this, maybe an intervention? I say peartreed is trolling me, and have asked for it to stop.

I think some outside perspective would be helpful, here. I don't want to say anything I'll regret, and hopefully it will deescalate the situation. If you don't think I'm being trolled, I'll respect your judgement.

[minime]

You'll note my last reply was to minime, not you. It's not always all about you. At least not in the world the rest of us occupy. What threads through a discussion thread is the subject matter, not the self-conscious imagined subject of the discussion. And that subject matter is shared, at least in civil discussion and conversation. It is only interpreted as personal all the time by the self-absorbed.

Imagine a president who is blameless, but blames everyone and anyone else for their faults and misjudgments and insulting diatribes.

And imagine someone who announces the schedule of their agenda and departure as a commitment to themselves, then changes it on whim. Certainly a human entitlement, but how credible and trustworthy would their further commitments, comments and causes be?

That was directed to me? My post above it was not directed to you, but to dada, AD and elfismiles. The three HAs! I figured you were just doing literary arpeggios.

Anyway, the number of members who have announced their departure, left for whatever reason and then come back, is legion. It doesn't affect their credibility to me, or to others here at RI, at least on the reading of it.

Re: The X-Files. Watched the new season. Seems to have run out of steam. Run out of relevance. Maybe you're not involved anymore. Maybe the rest of teevee has caught up. Something. Something... Would much rather they (you) take advantage of the precious little time left to advance the main story line. Probably just me, but I prefer closure when I can get it.

Though I did like the drone episode. Was that yours?

[minime]

Yeah, I figured as much. It was worth a shot.

Mods, can we get a ruling on this, maybe an intervention? I say peartreed is trolling me, and have asked for it to stop.

I think some outside perspective would be helpful, here. I don't want to say anything I'll regret, and hopefully it will deescalate the situation. If you don't think I'm being trolled, I'll respect your judgement.

Careful what you wish for. I came here and picked a table in the back, in the dark between the piano and the back door, hoping against hope that the powers that be would take pity on a dusty, weary traveler. Better not to call on them unless absolutely necessary.

[dada]

Yeah, magic is dangerous, I know. But you know me. Always starting trouble. Messing with powers I can't understand, and stuff.

Hey, you know what would be cool? If this saloon had a mechanical squid. You know, like a mechanical bull. But, squid. Wonder where you can get one of those. Maybe ebay.

[stillrobertpaulsen]

Yeah, I figured as much. It was worth a shot.

Mods, can we get a ruling on this, maybe an intervention? I say peartreed is trolling me, and have asked for it to stop.

I think some outside perspective would be helpful, here. I don't want to say anything I'll regret, and hopefully it will deescalate the situation. If you don't think I'm being trolled, I'll respect your judgement.

No, I think peartreed was just trying to address things you brought up not understanding that you weren't talking to peartreed. I don't see any rules being broken here. If you just want to address certain posters, I would recommend placing a quote from them or finding some other way to indicate you just want to address those posters exclusively to hopefully avoid future confusion.

[dada]

Yes, I think that will do. Thanks, srp. A bit of moderation goes a long way.

[elfismiles]

We've got TOP MEN (er um...) TOP PEEPS working on one for ya:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xM7gJSDiIms

Yeah, magic is dangerous, I know. But you know me. Always starting trouble. Messing with powers I can't understand, and stuff.

Hey, you know what would be cool? If this saloon had a mechanical squid. You know, like a mechanical bull. But, squid. Wonder where you can get one of those. Maybe ebay.

[dada]

Nice, elfismiles! That is one sexy machine. It wouldn't only be for riding on, either, it's also a beautiful piece of art. People will flock to the saloon to ritually worship, I mean, admire the mechasquid. That will be good for business. The Royal Mechasquid, rightful ruler of all fleshy beings. And it talks! That is so great.

What, can't anyone else hear that? Oh. Well, I was just kidding.

[minime]

Yeah, magic is dangerous, I know. But you know me. Always starting trouble. Messing with powers I can't understand, and stuff.

Hey, you know what would be cool? If this saloon had a mechanical squid. You know, like a mechanical bull. But, squid. Wonder where you can get one of those. Maybe ebay.

Of course, there is magic, and then there is magic. Any sufficiently advanced magic is distinguishable from technology.

The Master and His Emissary. The Tempest. Metamorphoses. Aeneid. The Iliad...

Conversations between the living and the dead through black antiquity.

You can have any kind of magic that you want.

Squid Inc.

[Cordelia]

Feliz Cinco de Mayo!

I'm flush today--however many batches of Ginger Beer Margaritas, on me.

[minime]

Yeah, magic is dangerous, I know. But you know me. Always starting trouble. Messing with powers I can't understand, and stuff.

Hey, you know what would be cool? If this saloon had a mechanical squid. You know, like a mechanical bull. But, squid. Wonder where you can get one of those. Maybe ebay.

Of course, there is magic, and then there is magic. Any sufficiently advanced magic is distinguishable from technology.

The Master and His Emissary. The Tempest. Metamorphoses. Aeneid. The Iliad...

Conversations between the living and the dead through black antiquity.

You can have any kind of magic that you want.

Squid Inc.

Well, dada, I was interested in your reply, but I'm glad you went away. Reminds me of the end of Good Will Hunting. Naaah, not really.

I think I'll follow your lead, although not really. But I think I'll follow your lead.

Godspeed!!

I read somewhere it's the only unaccented two-syllable word in the English language. I wonder if that's true.

[minime]

It's behavioral, gone organic. A group pathology. Self-reinforcing behavior in a closed environment. Left-hemisphere run amok. Victims of the ism/jism schism. No way out through an open door.

But you know: Can't help everyone; can't save anyone. Can only hope no one gets hurt in the process.

Miles to go...

[Iamwhomiam]

But you know: Can't help everyone; can't save anyone. Can only hope no one gets hurt in the process

Clearly, you have not been paying attention. Let me tell you about this little country called Syria... ...not to mention civilian gun deaths right here at home have exceeded automobile fatalities in number of youths lives lost. The process is eternal, with no beginning, though an ugly end's foretold.

And no other place to find refuge. Enjoy the storm while it passes far above me.

One glance of the squid brought to mind this fond memory:

Here be Dragons



I first encountered the Flaming Lotus Girls sculpture, Serpent Mother, in late August of 2006 while attending the Burning Man festival in Nevada's Black Rock desert as a guest and representative of the parents of children killed along with my son, to witness the burning of the Temple of Light, a 7-sided pagoda of aromatic cedar designed and built by volunteer members of the Seattle Burners community. The best description of it I could locate online is here, on page 122 of Burning Man: Art on Fire: Revised and Updated: https://tinyurl.com/y8m84zpe

"Serpent Mother is a 168-foot-long sculpture of a skeletal dragon-like serpent coiled around her steel egg, creating a protective circle inside which 100 people could gather."
Description continues on page 122. It's astoundingly brilliant and not something one easily forgets seeing.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=POdZiBYrpW4

More? Sure:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hHX5mrgvStw

Encor? Sure:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VO2T_hcVJr0

No Squid yet, how about a Steampunk Octopus?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GMfzFIERJIg

[minime]

"Serpent Mother is a 168-foot-long sculpture of a skeletal dragon-like serpent coiled around her steel egg, creating a protective circle inside which 100 people could gather."

Yes. "It's behavioral, gone organic. A group pathology. Self-reinforcing behavior in a closed environment. Left-hemisphere run amok. Victims of the ism/jism schism. No way out through an open door."