Endless Evening

Post 3 of 3

2008-04-25T04:46:42Z

I am a poor wayfaring stranger,
While traveling through this world of woe.
Yet there’s no sickness, toil nor danger
In that bright world to which I go.
I’m going there to see my Father;
I’m going there no more to roam.

I’m only going over Jordan,
I’m only going over home.

I know dark clouds will gather round me;
I know my way is rough and steep.
But golden fields lie out before me
Where God’s redeemed shall ever sleep.
I’m going there to see my mother,
She said she’d meet me when I come.

I’m only going over Jordan,
I’m only going over home.

I’ll soon be free from every trial,
My body sleep in the churchyard;
I’ll drop the cross of self denial
And enter on my great reward.
I’m going there to see my Savior,
To sing His praise forevermore.

I’m only going over Jordan,
I’m only going over home.

'Lo, there do I see my father.
'Lo, there do I see my mother, and my sisters, and my brothers.
'Lo, there do I see the line of my people, back to the beginning.
'Lo, they do call to me.
They bid me take my place among them.
In the halls of Valhalla,
Where the brave may live
forever.

The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald

2008-04-17T14:09:45Z

On November 10, 1975 the Edmund Fitzgerald, a huge lake freighter that was 729 ft long, sunk in Lake Superior when changing winds generated waves large enough to register on radar and were estimated to be around 35 feet high. All 29 lives on board were lost. Matter of fact she went down so quickly that a distress call was never issued.

Gordon Lightfoot memorialized the event in his song, `The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald`. Recently the musician known as Nash the Slash did a cover of the song and I have been listening to it quite a bit recently.

"The legend lives on from the Chippewa on down
Of the big lake they call Gitche Gumee
The lake, it is said, never gives up her dead
When the skies of November turn gloomy.

With a load of iron ore - 26,000 tons more
Than the Edmund Fitzgerald weighed empty
That good ship and true was a bone to be chewed
When the gales of November came early

The ship was the pride of the American side
Coming back from some mill in Wisconson
As the big freighters go it was bigger than most
With a crew and the Captain well seasoned.

Concluding some terms with a couple of steel firms
When they left fully loaded for Cleveland
And later that night when the ships bell rang
Could it be the North Wind they'd been feeling.

The wind in the wires made a tattletale sound
And a wave broke over the railing
And every man knew, as the Captain did, too,
T'was the witch of November come stealing.

The dawn came late and the breakfast had to wait
When the gales of November came slashing
When afternoon came it was freezing rain
In the face of a hurricane West Wind

When supper time came the old cook came on deck
Saying fellows it's too rough to feed ya
At 7PM a main hatchway caved in
He said fellas it's been good to know ya.

The Captain wired in he had water coming in
And the good ship and crew was in peril
And later that night when his lights went out of sight
Came the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.

Does anyone know where the love of God goes
When the words turn the minutes to hours
The searchers all say they'd have made Whitefish Bay
If they'd fifteen more miles behind her.

They might have split up or they might have capsized
They may have broke deep and took water
And all that remains is the faces and the names
Of the wives and the sons and the daughters.

Lake Huron rolls, Superior sings
In the ruins of her ice water mansion
Old Michigan steams like a young man's dreams,
The islands and bays are for sportsmen.

And farther below Lake Ontario
Takes in what Lake Erie can send her
And the iron boats go as the mariners all know
With the gales of November remembered.

In a musty old hall in Detroit they prayed
In the Maritime Sailors' Cathedral
The church bell chimed, 'til it rang 29 times
For each man on the Edmund Fitzgerald.

The legend lives on from the Chippewa on down
Of the big lake they call Gitche Gumee
Superior, they say, never gives up her dead
When the gales of November come early."

Nash the Slash MySpace Profile with the song on it

Wicked

2008-04-16T15:05:01Z

Observer: You're a wicked man.
Number 6: Wicked?
Observer: You have no values.
Number 6: Different values!
Observer: You won't be helped.
Number 6: Destroyed!
Observer: You want to spoil things.
Number 6: I won't be a goldfish in a bowl!

Now this is more like the NC I am used to...

2008-04-15T18:11:33Z

Remember about the new state policy that could be selectively followed, depending on the agency? It was a shock to read about it but do not worry because the "Friend of God and other Invisibles" is already working to destroy the one small step that was surely to disappear once the new administration took over.

E-mail just received from Equality North Carolina:

Rose,

Yesterday we announced that the State had adopted a new policy protecting state employees from discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. Already, the right wing is trying to take away our victory.

Anti-gay House Minority Leader Rep. Paul Stam and the NC Family Policy Council have publicly denounced the policy and called for its removal. Reports in the press indicate that this State Personnel Commission has removed the new, non-discrimination language from their website.

Equality NC Foundation has been advocating for the new non-discrimination language at every step. We are deeply disappointed by these developments, but are working to ensure that the inclusive policy remains in effect.

We cannot allow pressure from Rep. Stam and the Family Policy Council to take away these basic protections for our state workers.

The process on this policy, and a related rule, has been long and involved. It's a bit complicated to explain, but North Carolina State government has both "rules" and "policies." Rules carry more weight and have more legal authority than policies, though policies are also consequential.

Last summer the State Personnel Commission voted to approve the policy and also began the rule-making process for a rule on this matter. That rule was unanimously approved by the State Personnel Commission at their December meeting. In February the 10-member Rules Review Commission voted 4-2 that the State Personnel Commission did not have the statutory authority to expand the rule in this way.

Although the proposed rule could not take effect, the policy was duly adopted by the State Personnel Commission and they have not rescinded it. Therefore, the policy protecting LGBT state-workers from discrimination remains in force.

Contrary to Rep. Stam's assertions, the State Personnel Commission's actions on this policy are firmly within its statutory mandate to "establish policies and rules governing ... programs of equal opportunity," and "provide for a fair and modern system of personnel administration."

We cannot let anti-gay legislators like Rep. Skip Stam, and anti-gay groups like the Family Policy Council, succeed in taking away our rights.

We'll keep you updated as this develops. You can help by making a tax-deductible contribution to Equality NC Foundation to support this critical effort. Click here to help us stop these attempts to roll-back our rights.

For Equality,

Ian Palmquist, Executive Director

What If,,,,

2008-04-15T11:06:13Z

"And what if I'm a weeping willow
Laughing tears upon my pillow
What if I'm a socialite who wants to be alone
What if I'm a toothless leopard
What if I'm a sheepless shepherd
What if I'm an angel without wings to take me home

You don't know me
Never will, never will
I'm outside your picture frame
And the glass is breaking now
You can't see me
Never will, never will
If you're never gonna see

What if I'm a crowded desert
Too much pain with little pleasure
What if I'm the nicest place you never want to go
What if I don't know who I am
Will that keep us both from trying
To find out and when you have
Be sure to let me know

What if I'm a snowstorm burning
What if I'm a world unturning
What if I'm an ocean, far too shallow, much too deep
What if I'm the kindest demon
Something you may not believe in
What if I'm a siren singing gentlemen to sleep
Sleep...
Sleep..."

Today's funny link

2008-04-14T18:30:01Z

Must be at least slightly kinky to ride, no worries it is also pretty safe for work

US Govt Sanctioning Art Theft

2008-04-12T14:36:33Z

Mind Your Business: You Will Lose All The Rights to Your Own Art

It is currently against international law to coerce people to register their work for copyright because there are so many inherent problems with it. But because big business can push through laws in the United States, our country is about to break with the rest of the world, again, and take your rights away.

With the tens of millions of photos and pieces of artwork created each year, the bounty for forcing everyone to pay a registration fee would be enormous. We lose our rights and our creations, and someone else makes money at our expense.

This includes every sketch, painting, photo, sculpture, drawing, video, song and every other type of creative endeavor. All of it is at risk!

If the Orphan Works legislation passes, you and I and all creatives will lose virtually all the rights to not only our future work but to everything we've created over the past 34 years, unless we register it with the new, untested and privately run (by the friends and cronies of the U.S. government) registries. Even then, there is no guarantee that someone wishing to steal your personal creations won't successfully call your work an orphan work, and then legally use it for free.

In short, if Congress passes this law, YOU WILL LOSE THE RIGHT TO MAKE MONEY FROM YOUR OWN CREATIONS!

Click through to read it all.

Wow, the Intelligence community is changing...

2008-04-03T19:07:29Z

I know that most of you have no idea what dealing with this community is like except for maybe a really cool movie or made for TV special. However, you do not have to be a big expert to see that things are changing at a fundamental level. That is if you have actually read about any of the going ons and chances are, you have not.

I think one of the big changes is bringing the GAO back into the picture. In particular that the agency is being called in for an oversight project involving the Director of National Intelligence's reforms. The GAO has been sidelined by committee leadership since 2002 and it is about damn time that they are being called upon and especially for something of this magnitude.

Meanwhile the DNI has come out and said that the old "need to know" culture of the Intelligence community is old, counterproductive, and needs to go. Instead a selective open information sharing culture {PDF} should be in its place so that we can battle against terrorism. This means more connectivity throughout the agencies instead of the old separate fief-doms that still exist today (and actually still promoted by many). Expect the dinosaurs to fight this tooth and nail. See the Information Sharing Strategy {PDF}.

On top of all of that is some pending legislation which will reform the State Secrets Privilege. Read the legislation here. The Bush administration is dead set against it {PDF} as it would mean keeping the checks and balances of our government in place and will not allow the President (this or any) to basically do whatever they want. See the rebuttal {PDF} that was sent to the Attorney General.

That is not to say that some of the old ways are not still around. Back in September of 2001 there was a Homeland Security Council that was created. It still exists today but the public would never know it. It is not registered and there does not seem to be any way in which the public can contact it or interact with it in any way. This has been noticed {PDF}.

keep up with the latest with Secrecy News.

Time for explanations

2008-04-02T03:08:25Z

I have decided that in order to protect myself that I need to be upfront about what I am. That is right, what not who. No one ever asked the right question. It was always, "Who are you?" and they always knew that I held back. I moved around constantly once I left home, it was necessary due to what I am.

Fortunately for me the documents that I so long sought have now been made public and placed here on Youtube of all places.

Be a Sinner

2008-04-01T20:29:35Z

Your Deadly Sins

Wrath: 60%

Gluttony: 40%

Lust: 40%

Sloth: 40%

Pride: 20%

Envy: 0%

Greed: 0%

Chance You'll Go to Hell: 29%

You will die, but first you will turn into an evil robot.

How Sinful Are You?

roses_n_chains @ 2008-03-28T10:11:00

2008-03-28T14:23:01Z

Now for all you'll ever know
That you've never seen me
And someday you're gonna show
What your one desire means
Now I'll only set the stage
Focus lights on me
I make sure the power's on
I'm the scenery

Oh, what will the signal be
For your eyes to see me?
Watching off sides as I wait
Just in case you need me?
So I still will set the stage
Send my thoughts to you
I'm receiving every wave
The sound, send love through

[spoken]
You know, love's not what you think.
Too weak to stand on, like quicksand, in which you sink.
Love is anything you make it.
How can I let you feel my love? Feel me? And still feel free?
I may not have the answers now. So what?
To be in time, is on the beat.
[/spoken]

Oh, what will the signal be
For your eyes to see me?
Watching off sides as I wait
Just in case you need me?
So I still will set the stage
Send my thoughts to you
I'm receiving every wave
The sound, send love through

[spoken]
Now I have revealed exactly why I'm here.
I'll be your angel, if you want to see how perfect sharing love with an angel can be.

Aaaaaah, ahhhh ahhh ahhh ....
Oooohhhhh .....
All right

Operation Reconnect

2008-03-26T05:58:14Z

April 12th - Operation Reconnect - support the bringing together of families that have been torn apart by the uncaring policies of Scientology. Let your voice join in and allow them all to be heard.

We are Anonymous.
We are Legion.
We do not Forgive.
We do not Forget.
Expect Us.

My god it's full of............... molecules

2008-03-20T13:49:46Z

The soon to be defunct Hubble Telescope made a rather interesting discovery. Off in another galaxy there is a large planet, about the size of Jupiter, that appears to have methane and water which are needed to support life. The catch? The planet is 1700 degrees which is too hot for any form of life, as we know it, to come into existence there. Still it offers hope that somewhere out there in the galaxy there may be life in some form or fashion and that we may not be alone in the universe.

Jupiter-Sized Planet Offers Signs Of Pre-Life Molecules

If this planet in particular doesn’t offer habitable conditions, in terms of size and temperature, astronomers never stop looking for a planet capable of offering conditions similar to Earth’s. And the confirmation of the existence of methane and water in HD 189733b’s atmosphere only go to show that there are still so many things we don’t know about the Universe.

Bad Questions

2008-03-19T01:17:41Z

Neat little robot

2008-03-18T06:14:28Z

The Bringer of Doooooooom may want to skip out on this though.

roses_n_chains @ 2008-03-13T13:19:00

2008-03-13T17:19:34Z

Why we need to say enough is enough

2008-03-08T17:21:59Z

Listen closely

roses_n_chains @ 2008-03-08T00:38:00

2008-03-08T05:38:54Z

all i want is for this to stop i need all this to stop all i want is for this to stop i need all this to stop please god just make it stop god damn it never stops fuck me just make it stop

One LGBT Murder Every 8 Days...

2008-03-07T15:47:17Z

Yet the NC Senate felt compelled to strip out every single category in the Anti-Bully Bill because of the phrases "sexual orientation" and "gender identity". The conservatives do not care that children are being beaten, raped, and murdered for being different and often have nowhere to turn to because of the blind hatred and bigotry that is preached from the pulpit.

Two gay teens killed in just two weeks

In the last year alone, young gay people have died at the hands of straight friends in central Florida, been beaten to death after leaving a bar in Greenville, S.C., and assassinated in an eighth grade classroom in California. Last weekend in Athens, Ga., a 17-year old gay man carrying a purse was beaten and verbally gay-bashed by three boys he knew, according to a March 4 report in the Athens Banner-Herald.

Annual Report on Anti-LGBT Hate Violence Released
Reports Shows That Dramatic Increase in Hate in 2003 Continued Apace Through 2004

According to NCAVP representatives, the data collected in for 2004 confirms that a dramatic rise in anti-LGBT hate incidents noted by the organization in the second half of 2003 continued unabated, and perhaps even worsened in throughout 2004.

FBI Releases 2006 Hate Crimes Statistics
According to Federal Statistics, Anti-Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Hate Crimes Up 18%

Article of Faith: A Call to People of Faith to Stand Against Anti-LGBT Violence

The sacred texts of our religious heritages do give us a window into human nature and our proclivity to violence. The annals of history, ancient and contemporary, are strewn with death and destruction wrought by the hands of the religious. However, the core teaching of every major faith is peace, not violence.

Thirty-six times the Hebrew Scriptures express the commandment to love the stranger because they themselves were strangers in the land of Egypt. The central commandment of the Christian Scripture calls the followers of Jesus to love their neighbor as they love themselves. In calling for dialogue between people of all faiths, Muslim scholars from around the world quote from the Quran, And the servants of the Infinitely Compassionate are those who walk on the earth in humility and when the ignorant accost them, they only reply with “Peace!” (Quran 25:65). Every major religion has some version of the golden rule, do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

Violence against LGBT people {Wiki}

Headed for hell

2008-03-05T15:28:34Z

Love adventure death and glory
The short goodbye the whispered story
One last glance at the chameleon dance
And into the dark across the park
I ain't no mark for the Venus of the hardsell
(Say it)
I ain't no mark for the Venus of the hardsell

Saints and sinners raw beginners
Lipstick traces and tv dinners
Cigar smoke bars and expensive new cars
The Acapulco dive and the media jive
They all survive for the Venus of the hardsell
(Know it)
They all survive for the Venus of the hardsell

Empty graves and shallow heads
Shallow smiles and empty beds
Betta get a room without a view
Sail out of sight of land
Momma won't like it but you should
Travel with a rough-neck crew
Listen out for all that's said
Just worry when the hounds ain't fed
(Gotta)
Worry when the hounds ain't fed

'cos one mutt yaps and the pack starts baying
Blood for the gods it's cheaper than praying
Soldier boys die but superman still flies
Violent days - it's a permanent craze
It never pays to love the venus of the hardsell
(leave it)
Don't screw around with the venus of the hardsell

There's new uniforms at the church bazaar
Fanatics got the rising star
Thin dark streets ring with matching men's feet
Past the billboard bride troops the national pride
It's all supplied by the venus of the hardsell
(F**k it)
It's all supplied by the venus of the hardsell

Nixon's Name's left in the moon where Apollo's masons called the tune
To cast their influence from above and damn all lunacy and love
You know they made her the Venus Of The Hardsell
(raped her)
You know they made her the Venus Of The Hardsell

They're winning momma and it's getting dark
D'you think there's time to build an ark
Tomorrow's a fiction yesterday a lie
I had a friend stuck his works in his eye perhaps he'll die?
I wonder why we don't cry for the Venus Of The Hardsell
Don't sigh for the Venus Of The Hardshell
Don't lie for the Venus Of The Hardsell
Don't die for the Venus Of The Hardsell

constantine/lester/mucous membrane

For someone and not just myself

2008-03-04T15:36:35Z

but I will not name who

"Please release me from the guilt I hold
Please release me from the pain I own
Please release me to the sky above
Please release me from this stranglehold
I am choking on the air I breathe
I create my own worst enemy
I tear myself apart with jealousy
Then blame you for what I've done to me
This is all I have to give
This is all I have to say
Please hear me now
and take it away
I release this now
I am choking now
I am burning now
I've gone down in flames
I am breaking now/ I release this now
I have pulled you down/ I am choking now
I am burning now
This is all I have to give
This is all I have to say
Please hear me now
and take it away
Take it away... "

Do You Want To Play A Game?

2008-02-27T17:54:16Z

Click here for giggle goodness

Presidential Address?

2008-02-23T14:06:20Z

roses_n_chains @ 2008-02-19T14:31:00

2008-02-19T19:32:55Z

Now. You're looking at now sir. Everything that happens now, is happening now.

What happened to then?

We passed then.

When?

Just now. We're at now, now.

Go back to then!

When?

Now.

Now?

Now!

I can't.

Why?

We missed it.

When?

Just now.

When will then be now?

Soon!

"Take my petals and cover me with the night"

2008-02-15T14:32:57Z

Rose Rose Rose Red
Will I ever see thee wed
I will marry at thy will sire
At thy will

A thousand years gone by
Too late to wonder why
I'm here alone
If in my darkest hour
She rose that fell a flower
I should have known

Rose Rose Rose Red
Will I ever see thee wed
Only if you can capture me

CHORUS
Tell me no more stories
And I'll tell you no lies
No one wants to hurt me
But everybody tries
And if you think that I've been waiting
For my planets to align
It's Time you go on
Get your things, get up, get out
I'm doing fine, yeah yeah

Someday these walls will speak
The floors beneath you creek
To call my name
Here in my web of dreams
My whispers turn to screams
And place the blame

Rose Rose Rose Red
Will I ever see thee wed
Only if you discover me

CHORUSx2

For this freedom
I have given all I had
For this darkness
I gave my light
For this wisdom
I have lost my innocence
Take my petals
And cover me with the night

CHORUSx3