Oddly enough, Oraia Sphinx over at Sphinx Words has tagged me as a “Kreativ Blogger”.

Earth & Magick. Meical ab Awen blends earth science and earth spirituality in his blog (and the podcast of the same name.)  Plus he’s got a wickedly funny sense of humor. 

Many thanks, Oraia!  You’re better, though, and not by a small amount, either!

An apparently there are ‘rules’ to being tagged.  Here they are:

1. You must thank the person who has given you the award.

THANKS, ORAIA!

2. Copy the logo and place it on your blog

Say what?

3. Link the person who has nominated you for the award

Oraia the SphinxOraia the SphinxOraia the SphinxOraia the SphinxOraia the SphinxOraia the SphinxOraia the SphinxOraia the SphinxOraia the SphinxOraia the SphinxOraia the SphinxOraia the SphinxOraia the Sphinx

4. Name 7 things about yourself that people might find interesting

Ah, hell. That’s assuming there ARE 7 things people might find interesting.

1. I was born in Chile and am a naturalized US citizen.
2. I was raised in the Panama Canal Zone, when there still was one.
3. I left San Francisco the day before the big earthquake.
4. I left Tampico the day before their big hurricane.
5. I am published in technical journals, short fiction, poetry, and creative-nonfiction.
6. I founded LibertyHallWriters.org , home of the infamous flash challenges and co-founded and host ShowMeYourLits.com , a litfic hangout that uses the methods I developed for Liberty Hall.
7. I have broken my skull, left collarbone, left shoulder socket, left shoulder blade, left arm, left hand, left leg (twice), right hand, right knee and right foot (in at least 25 places, the doc stopped counting and said “We’re just gonna fuse it all together in one big lump, okay?”).

5. Nominate 7 other Kreativ Bloggers

1. Oraia the Sphinx! I just love her writing. She has an uncanny ability to communicate technical ’stuff’ in a relaxed and intimate manner.
2. Gus DiZerega, of course.  Go get ‘em, Gus!
3. Jason at The Wild Hunt.  Love the blog and the music ain’t bad, either.
   
4. Apulieus Platonicus for Egregores. A veritable smorgasbord of philosophy. Always something to learn there.
5. Chas Clifton at Letter from Hardscrabble Creek. Chasssssss.
   
6. Magaly at Pagan Culture, for making me laugh.
7. ALL the contributors at the Pagan Newswire Collective. For informing us all.

6. Post links to the 7 blogs you nominate

I think I just did.

7. Let the nominated victims bloggers know they have been tagged

Hmm. How do I let the Collective know? Have to call up Star Trek Command to find the right hailing frequencies, I guess.

Earth & Magick is April’s Featured blog at http://paganwriters.com/ A short interview should also show up on the site, soon.

Thanks, Angelique!

My podcast has been down for months due to computer issues, but today
I’m back up and able to continue.  I expect to finally have #4 out within several weeks.

If you are interested in doing your own podcasting, here’s what I use:

• Operating System: Windows 7 (ugh! but I have to use it)
• Audio recording/editing/mixing software: Audacity
• Supporting software: LAME, Behringer drivers
• Audio recording hardware: Behringer XENYX 502 Podcasting Kit w/ UCA-200 USB interface – http://tinyurl.com/28okx64

But here’s what I recommend:

• Audio recording/editing/mixing software: Audacity – free – download from http://audacity.sourceforge.net/download/
• Supporting software: LAME- free – download from http://audacity.sourceforge.net/download/
• Audio recording hardware: Soundcard – http://tinyurl.com/24kvtdt
• Headphone Mic – http://tinyurl.com/27dw82w

Audacity and LAME are also available for Mac and Linux.  In fact, the
USB soundcard I recommend above also works in Mac and Linux.

Here’s why I do not recommend the Behringer Podcasting Kit for beginners:

1. You can get good quality using my recommendations for about $100 less.
2. I tested the Behringer Kit against my recommendation, and here are the results:

 

 USB Soundcard with Noise Reduction [0:07m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 USB Soundcard without Noise Reduction [0:07m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Behringer Podcast Kit with Noise Reduction: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Behringer Podcast Kit without Noise Reduction: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Yes, if you use a Behringer Kit or other dedicated podcasting kit you will have more flexibility and control,  but it might be wise to start by spending less and saving your money for when you are more experienced.

I am constantly astounded by the sheer hubris of the baptists. In reading through various baptist websites to see how they respond to fuckwad (eg Pat Robertson), I read the following:

“Second, the Haitians are suffering because we are fallen people living on a fallen planet. In the Garden of Eden, this tragedy would not have occurred. In God’s perfect plan there would have been no Hurricane Katrina, no tsunami in Southeast Asia, no cancer or heart disease or
earthquakes. But when we fell into sin, the entire planet was affected. As a result, “the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time” (Rom. 8:22). The earthquake is not the Haitians’ fault. God cares for their pain as his own.“

(http://www.abpnews.com/content/view/4730/9/ – paragraph 7).

So, do I take it to mean that the batpuppies think humanity is the cause of plate tectonics?!

Tectonic Plates

(note that Haiti lies on the Caribbean plate margin)

Before I get too dismayed by their presumption, let me see if I can put it in terms that my simple mind can understand…

Eve wanted some fun and tempted Adam and they coupled, which caused “the Fall”, and plate tectonics resulted.

Whoa! Way to go Eve! Talk about making the earth shake…

Photos from Samhain Ritual – 2009.

Posted by permission of Photographer/Anthropologist, April Field.

We chose to create a Circle for the Dead, intersecting with the permanent Circle, to the West. We had a Samhain Altar in BlackBerry Circle, and an Altar to the Dead in the Circle for the Dead. We paid homage to our Honored Ancestors at the altar to the Dead. The atmosphere was amazing.

I’m using Audacity and Celtx as my audio editor and scriptwriting tools, respectively. They both take a bit of learning, but are far easier than high-end software, and they’re both FREE!

While I’m researching the subjects of the ‘casts on the web, I use Evernote to clip the information I think I’ll use later. Then, once I’m ready to start brainstorming the essays, I use MindManager to play with the ideas and create a logical order to the ideas and information floating around my all-too-chaotic mind.

Last weekend I made my own cape. I was VERY nervous ’cause the last time I used a sewing machine it took me a long time to get all the damn thread out of my thumbnail. This time I got away with only a smashed finger!

The cape is black, took 6 yards of material, a LOT of bias tape (I now know what bias tape IS) and 10 hours of work (I was determined to get the damn thing done in 1 sitting). Many thanks to Jen and James for the use of their equipment and their patience. But, you know what? I thought sewing was all about sewing. Nooooooooo! It’s all about pinning! No one told me about all the damn pinning! 42 feet of bias tape takes a LOT of pinning! Still, no blood was shed, although it took a whole 6-pack to get through the ordeal.

I’m gonna look GOOD for Samhain! And if I screw up, it’s going to be hard to find me in the dark…

Now have a Facebook page. See Meical abAwen .

Also, I Mobified the blog, to make it easier for mobile users to see. Y’all make up almost 10% of the listeners! Thank you!

Well, of course! Some people will listen to ANYTHING. Still, I’m pleased that 99 downloads have occurred. Thank you! I hope to do better job of the show as this ‘cast continues. Please let me know what works, and what doesn’t and I’ll respond as I can.

Meical