things to do and talking heads talking about gag orders

[gurdonark]

Today a clear shot directly to the postal employees greeted me at the local post office. I sent off several CD packages to people hither and thither around the world. I'm grateful for the enthusiastic response, which has been vigorous enough to be gratifying while being modest enough to reach about the figure I had budgeted. I still can send more, if anyone remains interested--poll is a few entries back. One soul suggested that I send one into circulation, recognizing that it might be fun to hear it, but it's not really a "keeper". I thought this is a good idea, and if you'd rather just get a listen and forward it on, let me know. I've got enough, though, if folks want their very own.

I got word that a nervousness.org person wishes to exchange for my CD. I frequently specify my exchanges in very broad terms these days, such as "I'll send you (something specific I list) if you send me 'something wonderful you made'". It's a curious thing, though, "something wonderful" that I am sent often turns out to be dolls. Now, the dolls I receive are always wonderful, and are as hip as the next thing (and certainly a step above Lite Brite or My Little Pony dollar store stickers), but I wonder if I give off some kind of doll magnetic field. We'll see--I'll finish the packaging for Scott_M's much superior work of roots rock soon, and see if it has a doll-ish luster. Guys and dolls, indeed.

I want to run an eBay ad for "Vibrating Electric Fields", as a corollary to my rule that I can sell almost anything to almost anybody. I developed this rule when I sold my chess poem book so well, but hard economic times eventually choked off its sales. Nothing is a bellwether of a troubled economy so much as highly discretionary spending on chess poems.

I am pleased that my Yahoo guppy rescue group has two members, and yet I feel an urge to run a brief classified ad in "Aquarium Fish" magazine to truly promote it as if it were not something slightly satirical. After all, a recent issue of that magazine, which featured one article advocating ecologically imperfect marine collections and another article on ripping exotic fish from the remote Amazon tributaries, symbolized for me just what is wrong with fish-keeping. It's not an extreme sport--it's about living creatures, and there are more than enough domesticated species in the trade that nobody need ever loot the remote tropics again. So maybe I'll find the twenty dollars to run an ad, and see if I can generate something with my little joke.

I'm also realizing that my notion of an "ad hoc" chess club, which runs tournaments on whims, does not meet the demand, which is for more predictable scheduling. I therefore must find a hotel or school at which to run a proper tournament, run an ad with a prize fund and all that in the local chess outlets, and do something more conventional. I guess that it's just the market dictating the result, but I was hoping for something more unconventional.

I got word today that next month folks from the deaf advocacy group will be meeting with folks from the theatre group to discuss the potential to produce the Dummy Hoy play. They invited me, and barring the unforeseen, I intend to go. I've volunteered to help with this effort, which should be a stretch for me. So far, my net contribution has been to run one eBay auction of chess books, which generated a very modest 25 dollars, but I'm hoping I can do something more concrete to help. Glad-handing is not among my strengths, but I feel the need to acquire new muscles socially.

Tonight the cable news talking heads discuss the upcoming "Laci Peterson" trial, which seeks to determine if Ms. Peterson was killed by her husband. Talking heads debating gag orders for public consumption makes me want to gag them all, although the issue of public trials is a key issue. I hate it when even important issues get trivialized,though.

I've a few more CDs to send out tomorrow, and then I want to get Scott's finished in the next weekend or two. But I'm looking at my other pending things, and starting to work out things I'd like to get done. I have a book of poems I've finished long ago, but not printed up because I'm not good at design. I did another experiment in "found poems" long ago, which I've not printed up, because I did not have cool pictures to go with them. I have not proofread my novel "Lonely Distance" for its publication, although proofreading is among my skills. I was thrilled last night to see that I'd journaled the idea for the novel some four months before I wrote it for nanowrimo. Now I want to get it completed, and published. I've chosen, long ago, the print-on-demand firm I wish to publish it, and a friend has all but finished the cover art. I just need to get the thing revised. It's a curious thing, though, because the novel bears so much resemblance to my weblog, albeit my weblog as written by an alien-obsessed guy hundreds of years in the future. I want to work on evening it out, and perhaps making it less gurdonweird.
I also have minor mail art catch-up things to do, which I can do within ten days with effort.

I have so many things I wish to do, and I note they often get done over time. But I want to do more, and do better.

Comments

[mesawyou.livejournal.com]

All the Laci Peterson stuff is fascinating but it has turned into a trial in the media and has pretty much tainted anybody with a television.

[gurdonark.livejournal.com]

I think it will be hard to find a panel for that one.

[laruth.livejournal.com]

Arg LJ just ate my relatively long reply! Damn.

Anyway, just wanted to say that I'll make sure that I won't be sending a doll thing in return for your cd ;)

Also, the fish group sounds good. Just like a funny story I have to share (which I wrote down, but got eaten up). Got to rush - library about to shut. Sorry!

[gurdonark.livejournal.com]

I'll bet you could make a really nice doll. I may be missing my chance for an Official Ruth Canberra Adventure Doll, complete with attacking magpies!

When you get the computer not to crash out, then be sure and share your fish story!

[marstokyo.livejournal.com]

One soul, here. I do definitely want to hear this..so if you're sending them round, count me in. :-)

[gurdonark.livejournal.com]

I thought your "recycling" suggestion was great, but since nobody has jumped on it, I'll just send you one. I don't think it's a keeper--more a one-shot extended joke, so I thought your suggestion was a good one. But I'll send it on--I think I have your address at my office.

Re:

[marstokyo.livejournal.com]

I'll email you as I think you may just have the P.O. Box and that's defunct.

[gurdonark.livejournal.com]

Please do, as I think I got the street address, but it never hurts to have it in more than one computer filing cabinet.

Re:

[marstokyo.livejournal.com]

just did :-)

[asphalteden.livejournal.com]

I'm still not positive I understand why this particular case of foul play has gotten all the media attention it has, instead of the many other murders taking place in America. Is it because she was pretty and pregnant?

[gurdonark.livejournal.com]

Pretty, pregnant, disappeared, anglo, photogenic, and with those around her media-inflamed, but this story happens unheralded every day in some place or other, to no notice.