Unshelved	by Bill Barnes and Gene Ambaum

Followup: Barbara Van Brimmer Endowment

For those interested in contributing to an endowment in memory of Barbara Van Brimmer, the OSU medical librarian who died earlier this month, you can either print out a donor card or follow these steps:

1. Make gift cheque out to the The Ohio State University Foundation
   
2. Indicate the purpose of the gift in the memo line of your cheque, 'Contribution for the Barb Van Brimmer Medical Heritage Endowment'
   
3. Mail cheque to the Office of Medical Center Development & Alumni Affairs, 1375 Perry Street, Building 13, 5th Floor, Columbus, OH 43201.
   

Eilir raved on 11:14 Links to this post

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Hogwarts Headaches...

or, the perils of escalating verbage:

Healthscout Articles

Eilir raved on 11:08 Links to this post

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Yay! The Friday Five is back (and I'm #3!)

1. What was your first Halloween costume? A princess. I was really upset when a lady dressed like a witch gave me an apple. I knew the story. :)

2. What was your best costume and why? My current--Cthulhu. It's imaginative and unusual. Although that groupie from Rocky Horror in the paisley tuxedo was pretty decent. :)

3. Did you ever play a trick on someone who didn't give you a treat? No.

4. Do you have any Halloween traditions? (ie: Family pumpkin carving, special dinner before trick or treating, etc.) It's a religious holiday, so there are libations and offerings made in remembrance of loved ones who have died.

5. Share your favourite scarey story...real or legend When I was a kid, we were scared by a camp tell of a glowing, skeletal green axe murderer.

Eilir raved on 00:03 Links to this post

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Success!!!

Take one dowel rod, stick it in a Styrofoam ball, cover that with aluminum foil and a sea-green leaf of tissue paper (taping as you go). Add lots of long strips in front. Take two balls of aluminum foil and wrap in gold tissue paper so that you form an eye stalk. Tape generously. Take a contrasting green bit of tissue paper to add eye ridges. Build up the back of the head with excess tissue paper and cover with the sea-green paper.

Take a wire coat hanger and cut the bottom part in the middle and bend the wire out on each side to create 'shoulders'. Attach this to the dowel rod at the proper height.

Take two squares of aluminum foil wide enough to fit around the wrist with some left over and attach more strips of the tissue to the foil. These create 'tentacle' hands.

Take two more hangers and unwrap them out to form wings and cover with tissue paper. Leave the hook for attaching to the costume.

Add a long green robe that has a see-through panel in the 'chest' area, and presto! Cthulhu Ftagn!

If you have no idea what I'm talking about, Cthulhu is a giant, alien creature that in the stories of Howard Phillips Lovecraft slept in a sunken city under the sea. He is best known from the story 'Callof Cthulhu', which also gives its name to a horror role-playing game based on the mythos of Lovecraft and his admirers. Lovecraft, although he met little success during his life, had a profound effect on generations of writers that followed. His stories of corrupt family lines, crooked manses, and the unearthly beings whose mere existence unhinged the human mind are haunting. Even if you don't normally care for horror, you should check them out. By today's standards, it's really almost more supernatural thriller, with the true horror usually coming as a sort of punch-line that you have to wrap your mind around.

Eilir raved on 22:30 Links to this post

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Happy Halloween

: 'Fallen' by Sarah MacLachlan, 'It's Been Awhile' by Staind, 'I'm Still Here' by Vertical Horizon
: Creative

For your Halloween viewing pleasure:


Speaking of monsters, I'm working on my costume tonight. I've got a styrofoam ball, a dowel rod, various shades of tissue paper, coat hangers, and a giant green robe, the key ingredients for fashioning a semblance of a 7-foot great Cthulhu. :) I'll try to get pictures made and post them here, and probably send one to Chaosium if it comes out nicely.

Eilir raved on 19:59 Links to this post

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Go me!

Oh, how appropriate...

: 'Unwell' by Matchbox Twenty
: Refreshed

I've been paid and I've paid back the loan that kept me from being evicted, the court costs involved, and now I'm turning to the other bills. I even got my reimbursement cheque, finally. :) Between that and having three days off (and with a conference going on at work, it'll be slow during the part I am working), I'm doing a lot better. My stomach was still having some issues today, but not nearly as bad at it had been.

I just switched my utilities bills over to e-billing, meaning that instead of getting mail that I invariably wind up losing, it'll come to my e-mail box. That probably doesn't seem spectacular, but I have no trouble staying organised as long as it's on a computer; paper becomes clutter. Since I have a tendency to lose bills, I tend to pay them late, and that builds up a problem. One of the quirks of my particular form of obsessive-compulsive disorder is that I have trouble dealing with all the steps to send off a bill. It's a reminder that I have to deal with the world outside, and I tend to sort of build up this sort of nest of clutter to keep the world out, which means I then lose the physical bill or my chequebook or don't have the stamps--that sort of thing. I know it sounds stupid, but it's an anxiety thing; there's a reason I'm on Paxil, and it's helped immensely. I've gone from living in piles of stuff with little pathways wending their way around to some semblance of normalcy--a real home and not a hoard. What surprises people is that all the years this plagued me, I did okay at work. But at work, it's not really an issue, because I just make a requisition, and I do most of those using e-mailed forms, too, so it's just one step. Junk mail goes immediately into a shred box or a trash can that other people then come and empty, and most of my files are kept on the computer (and backed up regularly). Also, I'm not watching my own limited funds dwindle--as the balance at home goes down, I get more fearful, afraid that I won't have enough to live on, and then in the process I wind up with late fees and things that make it all worse. I'm careful with my work budget, but I'm not emotionally vested in it. Does that make sense? Probably not. I know it's irrational. That's the trouble with anxiety disorders--they are completely irrational, quirky brain chemistry starts and fits that mess with your life, although they're at least not the true craziness of psychosis, where you lose touch with reality itself. But irrational though it may be, I'm starting to understand that this is exactly what I'm doing. My anxiety causes me to obsess on failure, so I don't take action, which of course ensures the failure. And it causes me to compulsively build up obstacles. I'm tired of living my life like that, and the fact that things are even tighter now means I can't afford to do it at all. Fortunately the therapy, both aimed at my brain chemistry and my coping skills, have literally meant the difference between night and day for me. I have hope for the first time in a long while that I can handle life's curve balls head on.

I also set it up so I can pay all of bills online, since that option's available now. So...I won't have any excuses to procrastinate. That basically means that I can pay everything but my rent online. Yay. Now if I could just get all my income into direct deposit. :)

Eilir raved on 19:27 Links to this post

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Drat...and a puzzle

Last night I wrote a very long post only to discover that Blogger was down for maintenance by the time I went to publish. Sooo...I'm not sure I'll be able to recreate the moment, it was mostly about health issues and feeling down. I feel much better today, so I'm not sure I want to try to revisit that. But one thing I did want to pass on, just in time for Halloween...a holiday crossword. Enjoy, and sorry it wound up posting later than I intended. :)

Eilir raved on 14:13 Links to this post

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The Librarian, a movie

Okay, there may be some stereotypical nerd stuff involved, but as someone who is a librarian who's 36 and still working on degrees, I'm intrigued.... Check out: Fangoria - America's Horror Magazine for details. I want that job! :)

Eilir raved on 14:10 Links to this post

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Proclaim your pride

Check out these Librarian Tees!

Eilir raved on 11:44 Links to this post

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Okay, RL fans...going, going...

No one has actually taken me up on the lucky #10000 reader contest. So I'm giving you a second chance. Just be the first to drop me a line mentioning the contest, and you'll win a nifty prize and a mention here on the blog. Got it? Simple, right? You don't even have to solve a puzzle.

Eilir raved on 19:34 Links to this post

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I'm not used to it becoming dark so early...

although, of course, our system of time and daylight savings are purely artificial...but my mind was used to it getting dark between 7 and 8 and now its 6 and 7, so it's a mental adjustment. I'm sort of linked to the weather and changes anyway in terms of my mood. Today was rainy and cold and although I meant to take advantage of being off to do some stuff around the house, I tend to be up and all housework-happy on bright sunny days. So today was mostly getting rest, watching a little TV, and cuddling up with the animals. I have to admit, maybe that's what I needed.

I was also hoping I'd get my medical reimbursement in the mail today so I could get some groceries and some laundry done, but no such luck (having three cents in my account's a little nerve-wracking). But at least my rent is paid, my reimbursement and retirement cheques are on the way, and I get paid Thursday, and I've scraped interesting meals out of a fairly low larder, so things are looking up a bit.

I've felt a little like a slug today. But it's been a fairly calm and restful. and tomorrow I have my last day of vacation for the week, so there's still time to 'do stuff'. I needed today. Today was the first day in about a month where my insides weren't cramping or otherwise misbehaving from stress. I used to have an overscheduled life. Now I try to spend every other day or so at home and I haven't been doing that lately. I had to learn to enjoy spending time with myself again. I didn't quite get to the point of curling up with a book--my true happy thing to do--but watching old favourites like Murder, She Wrote and M*A*S*H, were nice, and I saw an older Charmed I hadn't seen before.

But it's dark now and I'm warm and cozy and part of me just wants to sleep for a little bit. So, I think I'm going to take a nap. I've had the luxury of sleeping in the last couple of days but tomorrow I have a doctor's appointment and work over at KET. And of course, Halloween is a busy time for me, NaNoWriMo is about to start, and then we run into the general holidays that tend to take up a lot of time, too. I guess I should enjoy a little rest while I have it. I think I'll go to bed for a little while, then get up and get some work done.

Hope your life isn't too stressful at the moment. Or, if it is, take a few minutes to just breathe.

Eilir raved on 19:23 Links to this post

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Not a hoax, but not for me...

Well, I've scanned through the 'novel' that is the jumping point for the talent contest I mentioned the other day. Granted, I could be misjudging this project, but my intuition is to not bother. Between the interminal e-mails and attempt at hype and the first tangible item to read...well, this was the e-mail I sent back:

I have read through the novel and have decided that I do not want to particpate. Frankly, I'm not impressed by its quality, I would not in any way want to profit by the tragedies of 9.11, and I'm concerned by the ramifications in terms of promoting misunderstanding rather than peace. Please remove me from your list. Thank you.

Eilir Rowan

The project basically builds on a lot of the anti-Islamic anger post-9.11 and uses the attacks as a backdrop. I have no doubt that I could help breathe some life into the characters, but I'd rather not get in on this one. It's possible that they might be heading towards some sort of resolution through this, but it could go several ways. Maybe it would okay for someone else. But not me.

Eilir raved on 00:11 Links to this post

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Tell Bush to recall himself

Not that I think it would be likely to happen, but I do agree that if you apply the arguments Republicans made for the recall of Gov. Gray Davis to President Bush, there's a strong case for it. So, I added my name to the petition. So, if you agree, tell Bush to recall himself. But more importantly, there's another election in 2004--and hopefully voters who disagree with how the current Administration has performed will come out in the numbers necessary to bring about change.

And for those of you who do agree with this Adminsitration's handling of things, come out and vote, too. I'd rather see someone in office with 'a clear mandate' than have it come down to hanging chads and court opinion. :)

Eilir raved on 22:01 Links to this post

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Figures that sometimes those general horoscopes are right:

: 'End of the Beginning' by Ancient Future
: Frazzled

Things start out on the wrong foot this morning and seem to go downhill from there. You're in some kind of slump and you might need some help pulling yourself up and out of it. You can't seem to find a group of people that you feel comfortable around, yet you don't really want to be by yourself either. Spending time with a pet or with children can help ease your pain and make you forget what's bothering you, even if it is just for a little while. If you don't have any kids or animals of your own, offer to baby-sit for someone close to you or spend time at an animal shelter.

My weekend has been its typical full schedule, but I have Monday through Wednesday off, so I'm hoping that will help pull me out of my slump. It couldn't hurt, anyway. :)

Pluses to this weekend:

• I finally got my computer seated so it doesn't sound like it needs a muffler; it started sounding like it would take off a few days ago and needless to say concentration was not possible. Of course as I type that, it started up again. Sigh. A good hit to the top seems to tamp it back down and quiet again. If I can just keep it in this configuration...it's like trying to get a TV antenna JUST right. But it's liveable (and no, I can't find anything loose).
  
• I've figured out how to finish the current Cthulhu adventure...I think.
  
• I've decided what to go as for Halloween--Great Cthulhu himself. I have a putrid green robe that I think was part of a giant costume at some point--it has a viewable window for my head at about chest high for the robe. I can then take tissue paper and make a squid face and attach it to a stick like a sign. I'm not sure anyone will know what it is, but still...it ought to be fun.
  
• Someone treated me to lunch today. Yummy Chinese food. :)
  

Minuses for the weekend:

Oh, there were several...but you know what, I really don't feel like enumerating those. They're all things I can surmount, anyway. So, I'm going to end on a postive note, no matter how tired and cranky I feel. In the meantime, I'm going to spend time with my animals and listen to soft New Age music and think calm, happy thoughts. I'm tired of being one big ball of nerves, and I'm on vacation. I ought to be enjoying myself, right?

Eilir raved on 21:00 Links to this post

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I wish I could tell

whether I'm actually about to try out for an interesting experiment or if I'm getting my chain yanked through some sort of elaborate hoax or worse.

It began a month and a half ago with an advertisement on Blogger's ad at the top of this page for a web talent contest, a sort of interactive novel that brought different talents together in a mix of role-playing, writing, and production all at the same time. Obviously, my interest was piqued.

In the interim I've received several e-mails from one person full of all sorts of bizarre, mysterious hoops that are either designed to protect the product or to get me to help market an equally bizarre, mysterious something-or-other; whether propaganda, fraud, oh, who knows. So, I'm a little paranoid. So, I'd rather have info up front. I haven't' dropped out of the thing yet. But I'm waiting to get the mysterious download of the first part of the novel before I throw my full resources into the thing. Somehow I wouldn't be surprised if the 'Producers' as they keep being called read this and throw me out of the thing entirely, but really, if they purport to want people who can think, I'm demonstrating that right now. Unfortunately, the only references I've found online have been to the contest announcement, rather than anything about its veracity. And the new website at least has a list of other names that may, indeed, be the 'Producers', but again, I don't believe everything I read. I guess what gets me is there are a lot of odd steps, with the e-mailed instructions in direct opposition to the ones on the websites, with a bit of mockery in the e-mails towards anyone who doesn't want to run through the process.

Unfortunately, perhaps, this whole peculiar thing has raised my hackles in terms of sensing something 'off' but at the same time I'm just too damn curious to drop out now. Still, if anyone else has an idea of what's going on, let me know. If, as I continue, it turns out to be legitimate (or not), I'll follow up in a later post. (I've at least gotten a response from the latest hoop, so I should know something in a couple of days). I still wonder if at the end of everything I'll find that the wizard is just one small person behind the curtains. But we'll see.

Eilir raved on 00:19 Links to this post

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Disturbing issues on the public health front in Africa

Nigerian Muslims Skeptical of Polio Plan: Certainly an individual is within his basic human rights to refuse immunisation for himself or his children. But when it comes to eradicating disease, these decisions put others at risk. Think of all those American mothers who, out of mistrust for the varicella vaccine, held 'chicken pox' parties--never mind that the disease has far more complications than the vaccine and can be deadly--especially for adults who have never had it. But in turn, I think it's fair for the state to say, fine, but if you want to go to school, enter the workplace, or even travel from place to place, you need to show proof of immunisation. Period. If the leaders of an area use fear and rumours to encourage people not to take life-saving vaccines, then they must deal with the problem of an populace susceptible to disease and unable to carry out the very things that will help their economic and political stability--and be liable for the resulting paralysis and deaths that occur. That seems fair. Some may choose to travel to another state to receive the medicine. Many, of course, will not be able to. But so long as there are those who can provide it without government interference, the choice is in the hand of the individual. If the government does interfere, I think the national government of Nigeria--which is already dealing with issues related to the recent move towards conservative Islam in the north such as the well-publicised adultery trials, with their sentences of stoning--may find ways to sanction the north for the greater good of Nigerians.

Our own government does this as well. Don't want to reduce your speed limit? Fine. But don't expect federal money. That sort of thing. There are ways to influence policy without directly opposing it or punish people directly just because their leaders would rather use religion for their own agenda.

I hope there is better cooperation in the attempt to eradicate polio and other diseases. Although I recognise the concern (certainly there are many Westerners who don't trust big companies or organisations either), there comes a time when leaders--those presumably with greater education or resources--must decide whether to choose on the side of personal or party power or on the side of the greater good that would have been advocated by any just faith.

Eilir raved on 17:13