NeoWayland's Technopagan Yearnings

Mon - July 18, 2011

Poking around

Okay, I am back.

Long story short, I've had personal issues which have left me massively short on time and energy.

I will be migrating the sites to another platform.

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Posted: Mon - July 18, 2011 at 09:39 PM
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Fri - January 7, 2011

Left handed wave

Okay, I had what are called "personal issues." Then I had fallout from the personal issues. Then I had fallout from the fallout, so to speak.

And last week on my way home from New Mexico (another really long story), I had a flat tire, a broken lugnut, and a sprained wrist.

I really don't feel like typing much, and using the mouse with my left hand just seems wrong. And it's taking too long to hunt and peck on the keyboard.

Anyway, I'm still here. But I probably won't be blogging for a bit.

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Posted: Fri - January 7, 2011 at 10:30 AM
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Wed - November 17, 2010

Pardon me while I blink in the winter sunlight and get my bearings

One of the things that happens when I get stressed is that I have to cut down on the things that stimulate me. Unless I am very careful, my emotions swing wildly out of control. I used to call it borderline bipolar because that is how it had been diagnosed. But it is really not that. It's really a form of disassociation.

With autism (and Asperger's Syndrome), the person has to spend a fair amount of emotional energy just staying connected with people and the world around them. This isn't something that comes "naturally," although some of us can get quite good at faking it when we have to. I call it masks. But there is always a price to be paid, and the longer you put it off the higher the cost.

What that means is that when I'm called on to do my bit in an intense situation over several weeks, the rest of my life pretty much drops by the wayside. The Robot takes over the Job That Pays The Bills, and my "off time" is spent mostly sitting quietly in the dark with music playing or the TV droning on in the background. I'm not actually watching it, usually I'm wearing a bandanna as a blindfold.

"On stage I make love to twenty-five thousand people; and then I go home alone."
— Janis Joplin

What I do demands that I project confidence, assurance, and compassion. That takes passion, and the emotion has to come from somewhere. It takes time and rest to reconnect.

Otherwise I become the Robot the strands that keep me sane and alive drop away.

One of my companions took it well, the other, well, that is another connection to fix. If she lets me, the lady always chooses.

It occurred to me this time that my naturism might be an outgrowth of the stress. Just when I think that part of me is normal…

So today I'm not in a quiet dark room with the drapes drawn. I've even been sketching a bit. Like the NW logo that you can see as the new category graphic. I'm proud of that one, I've been looking for something simple and distinctive.

Think I will go find some fixings for dinner. Maybe I'll even have a guest.

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Posted: Wed - November 17, 2010 at 04:00 PM
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Mon - November 1, 2010

Sneaky

Yep, I'm back hopefully a little more balanced.

I just wanted to use this entry to change my banner picture.

Gotta love a sky full of stars.

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Posted: Mon - November 1, 2010 at 02:01 PM
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Wed - October 6, 2010

Severe Thunderstorms & Tornados

So far the only thing we've had here are some pretty heavy thunderstorms. Not even a power outage, although some cable channels keep going in and out.

We have had reports of tornados all around us, but at the moment it seems to be in a lull.

Since the storm system still stretches from south of Phoenix to north of Grand Junction, it's anyone's guess how long the lull is going to last.

Anyway, me and mine are alive and well. Just wanted to let you know that.

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Posted: Wed - October 6, 2010 at 01:24 PM
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Mon - October 4, 2010

Hiatus

My lady companions have strongly suggested that I drop things for a while and get my head back where it should be.

Blogging is one of the options I can skip for a while.

I guess I am not pleasant when I alternate between grumpy and depressed.

Since the lady always chooses and I am not enough of an idiot to forget that, I'll be back in a couple of weeks or so.

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Posted: Mon - October 4, 2010 at 07:00 AM
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Tue - September 28, 2010

On commitment

In part of my ongoing effort to "corrupt" the youth of America, there is a young man I know who has just turned 14. He writes and illustrates his own books. His parents are divorced, and his father is attempting to deal with a substance abuse problem.

Anyway, I judge that the young man is almost ready for Dramatica Pro, but the software is priced beyond what a friend of the family should give him. So I'm arranging with the young man's father to look at the site.

It's serious software used by professional writers, especially for screenplays. Besides the outlay of cash, the software teaches a different way of looking at story, the progression of dramatic elements, and how the characters interact. It's not something taught in the average language arts course or creative writing course. By it's very nature, using the software teaches a fair amount of practical psychology.

Which is something that a troubled young man with a tendency to bury himself in his own fantasy worlds needs desperately.

Not to mention the opportunity for the non-custodial father to earn serious points with his son.

Yeah. Dealing with multiple issues for both the father and the son. When I meddle, I really meddle.

Getting back to the point I want to make here, using Dramatica Pro requires a significant commitment of cash, time, study, and experimentation. I judge that it's beyond what the young man can do right now, but not what he can do in a couple of years. It's not that the concepts are that difficult, it's just a different approach than what he has been taught or has picked up on his own.

And that is the point of this post.

It's not that the concepts are that difficult, it's just a different approach than what he has been taught or has picked up on his own.

Of course this idea has implications for modern Pagans. And for just about anyone who has chosen a different faith than the one that they were raised in.

Commitment means something other than flashing the right tattoo or putting on the costume. It means frustration. It means getting your fingers burned. It means bruises and scrapes. It means stuff isn't going to go perfectly well, even when you follow the instructions exactly. It means you're going to go off the map into someplace you never expected to be.

It also means satisfaction and accomplishment when everything finally works.

That's when the next challenge whomps you upside the head.

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Posted: Tue - September 28, 2010 at 01:28 PM
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Measure that!

One site I follow regularly is Cool Tools, I'd call it a must for a technopagan or someone with a tool obsession. Like me on both counts.

So last week I was reading about this Mini Measure Shot Glass. I wasn't driving into Flagstaff, but I knew someone who was and I asked her to pick me up two (one for the kitchen and one for the sanctum) . They cost all of $3.50 each in Bed, Bath, and Beyond.

This is one of the best commercial alternatives I've seen to measuring spoons. My hands aren't quite as steady as I would like them to be sometimes.

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Posted: at 01:00 PM
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Thu - September 23, 2010

Silly season "friends"

This is a brief political bit. Feel free to skip.

I already commented on the O'Donnell witchcraft thing. What I'd like to do here is point out is that sometimes publicity is not a good thing.

We're silly season fodder. And during the Halloween season, the press comes looking for "interesting" stories.

With a few exceptions, these people aren't your friends. Their looking for weirdness to sell their viewers/readers. They may say the right things and treat you nice to get the story, but when push comes to shove you're just the Monster of the Week. All non-mainstream faiths are, it's just that the word witchcraft is one of the hot buttons Christians conditioning stresses.

Thankfully not all Christians are like that.

With that being said, remember that just because witchcraft, Wicca, or Paganism is in the feature story today doesn't mean that we've finally achieved respect from the press. Headlines and articles don't equal respect. And our lives and ideas will be used as weapons to discredit someone else when the opportunity rises.

I said it before.

I can deal with someone opposing me because of my politics. I can deal with someone who attacks me because of my religious beliefs. I can deal with open hostility. I know where I stand with people like that.

They hate me or my actions for (insert reason here). Fine, that is their choice. Let's move onto the next bit. I'm willing to live and let live if they are.

But I don't like someone buttering me up because they need my support, only to drop me the first chance they get. I don't need sweet talk to distract me from the knife at my back. I don't need someone promising the world just so they can get a boost up.

<snip>

For people like this, you stop being an enemy only as long as you can deliver something they want. Unless you toe the line, you have no value in their eyes. And since you are not really human, they are not bound by their promises to you. Give them what they want and they will go away for a while. Don't give them anything, and they will try to find a way to take more from you without your consent.

Don't believe what they tell you. See what they've done in the past. If you are a silly season story today, you won't get respect from it tommorrow. Recognition yes, but never respect.

It comes down to that quote I love to use.

"Reputation is what other people know about you. Honor is what you know about yourself. The friction tends to arise when the two are not the same."

...

"Guard your honor. Let your reputation fall where it may. And outlive the bastards."
— Lois McMaster Bujold, A Civil Campaign

Thus endeth the sermon. Let's go find something good to talk about.

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Posted: Thu - September 23, 2010 at 02:55 PM
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Wed - September 22, 2010

Meant to be used

"No matter how beautiful the form, god inspired crafting is meant to be used. It's dishonorable to receive a gift from the gods and put it on a shelf just to look at on special occasions."
— NeoWayland, So What's A Technopagan Anyway? And What Do They Yearn For?

Okay, so yes, it's self-referential.

Doesn't mean it's not true though.

May you find your own god-gifts this equinox.

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Posted: Wed - September 22, 2010 at 01:35 PM
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Tue - September 21, 2010

It can be easy, being green

I've been on a green kick for a couple of weeks now.

I usually keep the main part of the house too dim to support plants, and there's not enough space in the sanctum for plants. But oh yeah, I've been enjoying the plants.

Which explains the new banner picture, even though it's not strictly "seasonal." I know it's a couple of days early.

So here's how things stand with my personal calendar, liberally adapted. It works for my area, even though it's not official.

The Autumnal Equinox is one of the four solar festivals in my calendar. It marks the middle of autumn and the harvest season. That makes sense if you remember that the Winter Solstice is traditionally Midwinter and the Summer Solstice is traditionally Midsummer. It also fits the usual Arizona weather pattern. My definitions have varied some over the years, but these seem to be the ones that work best.

The fall equinox also marks the end of the Arizona monsoon season, at least by my reckoning (esoteric Weather Service definitions aside). The weather is great, cooler but still very pleasant.

And of course the plants are green. Have I mentioned how much I am …into green? I don't wear it very much, but I really dig it. When I redesigned the site a few years back, I chose the grays and greens so that almost any banner picture I used would look good. With apologies to Kermit the Frog, green is pretty important. Red and green are life colors. Green in the fall promises fertility in the spring.

Green promises life for a desert dweller.

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Posted: Tue - September 21, 2010 at 12:38 PM
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Tue - September 14, 2010

Are you paying attention?

I've been reading The Psychic Mafia lately. I don't think it will rate a full review, although it's a handy reference for dealing with some of the scammers that I run into occasionally.

One thing that offends me is when the author talks about the card files that the fake mediums kept on the "marks," and just how much that information was shared among the people who were out to scam the victims.

Now I am a big believer in networking, and this strikes me as abusing those ideas.

Yes, I keep files on the people I deal with. Not because I want to scam them, but because fellow-feeling doesn't come naturally to me. I have to work at it. So I do, hard.

Here are a few ideas.

Names, aliases, emails, phone numbers, web pages, addresses, these are the obvious bits to gather. Although obviously you don't sit them down and ask the questions point blank. You make a note as the information comes up.

Dates are important too, especially birthdays and anniversaries. Remember that not all anniversaries are wedding anniversaries.

Family, friends, and associates are a bit trickier. I use a "one off" rule. And unless the circumstances are unusual, I concentrate on the living. Spouse or Significant Other obviously, and children. Siblings if it comes up. Parents if they are still alive. Grandparents, uncles, aunts, second cousin by marriage, not so much. If I can, I usually put the "one off" birthday next to the name. If I get more than a name and a birthday, then it's time to give the "one off" their own separate entry.

But where things really get fun are the profiles. I started with the Mackay 66 which business writer Harvey Mackay publicly introduced in Swim with the Sharks Without Being Eaten Alive: Outsell, Outmanage, Outmotivate, and Outnegotiate Your Competition. I won't go into too many details here, but I can get a little obsessive if I don't watch myself.

Now, what the blazes does this have to do with Paganism?

It's a set of tools I've developed over the years to help me compensate. I won't deny that in unethical hands, those same tools could be used to make me look like I have the Powers of the Universe on speed-dial. The difference is, I'm telling you about the tools. I'll even give you sources for the ones that aren't original with me. It's just a matter of preparation, organization, and planning. It requires no special spiritual insight, no unique connection to the Divine.

Yes, those same tools can be used in bloody manipulative ways. Regrettably, I've done that too. I'm trying to do better now.

It's "hidden knowledge" only in the sense that it's not usually taught systematically. Most people pick up some or most of it without thinking about it. It's like muscle memory. Most people don't have to consciously think about the movements involved in walking, some do. Chances are, you can read body language "instinctively," I have to think about what it means.

Sometimes it means I'm really good at spotting the scammer before things get too far along. And if they do it in front of me, that makes them Fair Game.

Lately I've noticed more and more that the Grand Semi-Universal Truths that can make a good Pagan work even better to make you a great human. This is one of them. Tools, techniques, and specifics aside, it comes down to three very simple ideas.

Pay attention to other people.

Find out what's important to them.

Make it important to you.

The rest is just polish. Use those ideas, and people will respond to you.

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Posted: Tue - September 14, 2010 at 02:23 PM
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Wed - September 8, 2010

Okay, rain break over

Before I put my new theory of community aside for a bit, there are some other ideas I want to attach.

Remember that not everything we call a community is actually a community. For example A group built around a charismatic person could easily demand that members are an extension of the focus, not individuals themselves. Personally, I want allies not servants. But not everyone sees it that way.

I'd love to have a hard and fast rule about what makes a good community or a bad community. But like most definitions of good and evil, it basically reduces to "That depends."

It seems to me that the most practical definition of a good group/community/culture/society is the one that brings the most satisfaction to the most of it's members. Notice I didn't say anything there about happiness. Revisiting the charismatic example, does that bring satisfaction to it's members? If it doesn't, then it's probably a "bad" group, but the members haven't recognized it as such.

If they don't recognize it as "bad" and do not know the alternatives, is it really "bad?" My oh my, it gets deep here fast, doesn't it?

I recognize that there aren't going to be universal definitions or rules governing groups, communities, cultures, and societies. None the less, there are some ideas that seem to scale very well. They may not be universal, but I think they work as general cases.

One of my working theories. states that cultures and civilizations expand when they have trade, immigration, and tolerance. Without trade, immigration, and tolerance, cultures contract and become more insular.

It's a generally accepted flexibility of thought that makes trade, immigration, and tolerance possible. The more trade, immigration, and tolerance there is, the more vibrant and interesting the culture becomes. You never know what will cross pollinate or what will take root where.

If this idea scales along the group/community/culture/society line, then I need a more practical definition of tolerance than the current American one. The whole "I'm ok, you're ok, and let's excuse that guy's behavior because he is only human" thing just doesn't work. So let's use a more historically accurate definition of tolerance.

Let's define tolerance as "We won't attack you on sight. And if you're nice enough, your child can marry one of our children. Anything more and you have to prove that it's worth it." So it's not blindly accepting and adopting the other guy's behavior and beliefs. It's more "We'll mostly ignore you and you can do your own thing as long as you don't mess with our own thing."

By current American norms, that's pretty harsh. History shows that is a fairly open meaning of tolerance though.

We can now say that one factor in a communities growth is the trade, immigration to and from other communities, and tolerance of those other communities.

The next measure I'd throw into the group is how much the various community members share with other members, and by extension with allied communities. I can't help but draw on my evangelical background here. If church members only went to church to worship, it was pretty obvious that the church was dying. But if they had something to bring them together besides worship, then they survived. Companies are the same way, that's the reasoning behind the softball teams and other team activities. Not to mention spur of the moment competitions like basketball or cubicle wars. It's a version of the Pillow Talk Problem, and indeed the Greek ideals of love are a good place to start.

I think that's enough from me for now. I'd love to know what you think.