oooh /:-)

Rather pretty bit of writing, stolen from copper_rose

"Rise up. Rise up. Take back what is yours, what has always been yours. The time for skulking in the dark is almost at an end. The flame shall rise, it shall fire again. Do not forsake your own shores, your own light, your deepest self. Take delight in all that is yours to give. Do not tarry, do not flee, do not cry oh rescue me--for yours is the power, the glory of the mighty dark and the splendid dawn. Yours is the cry to shatter chains. Lead the way, dream the dream, and do not fear for the world marches with you."

Please feel free to light a candle if you would like to put your thoughts and energies into renewing the flame of Freedom, particularly the freedom to be who you are best meant to be, and pass along the idea if you know anyone who might want to do the same.

Gay Rights

This bit stolen from athenaltena (along with the edit, as I agree with it).

"Why is it that, as a culture, we are more comfortable seeing two men holding guns than holding hands?" - Ernest Gaines

We would like to know who really believes in gay rights on LiveJournal. There is no bribe of a miracle or anything like that. If you truly believe in gay rights, then repost this and title the post as "Gay Rights." If you don't believe in gay rights, then just ignore this.

(Reposted from a gratifying number of you.)

Edit: Not entirely sure I like the language of this after mulling for a bit, it seems very "You're with us or you're against us!" which has always struck me as a very anti productive attitude. I would say "support" as oppose to "believe" as I think people can have differing beliefs and still be supportive of this issue, since fundementally I feel it's an issue about human rights before belief. I'll keep it up, however, but I definately don't like the tone.

My New Reading List >:-)

In honour of Banned Books Week (link filched from miriam_alessa)

The 100 Most Frequenly Challenged Books of 1990-2000

Of them, I have read or own:
Scary Stories (Series) by Alvin Schwartz
(I love the illustrations in these books; they're so beautifully creepy!  Perfect for this time of year, too >:-)

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
(Read this one in High School.  Highly recommend it..)

Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
(I wept for Lenny.)

Harry Potter (Series) by J.K. Rowling
(Ah, yes, these evil, eeeeeeviyl books!  ^_^  Gods how I love them.)

Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson
(Very, very, good book. I hear they're making a movie, actually.  I hope they do it justice.)

Goosebumps (Series) by R.L. Stine
I used to devour these and Fear Street like candy when I was in middle school.  To this day horror is one of my favourite generes.

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle
(I loved this book!  Why on earth is it being challenged??  Is A Wind in the Door on here too?  *looks*  No... But what the hell did Where's Waldo ever do to anyone?  I bet they couldn't find him, the sore loosers :-P)

The Witches by Roald Dahl
(Ze Grrrrrrrrand High Veetch vill surrrrely currrse somevone for this!)

Julie of the Wolves by Jean Craighead George
(This was one of my favourite books for a while, right along with Island of the Dolphins.)

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
(This is a great book, and anyone who'd try to ban it plainly either didn't read it, or were too dense to get the point.)

A Light in the Attic by Shel Silverstein
(WTF????  Seriously!)

Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
(Another great book.  It makes you think--that must by why they're against it :-?)

Sleeping Beauty Trilogy by A.N. Roquelaure (Anne Rice)
(I've read the first two, but haven't found a copy of the third yet.  They're very interesting, actually.  I recommend them to anyone who's interested in BDSM and comfortable with sexuality.)

James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl
(0_o  Again, I don't get it.  Marvelous book! Why is this under fire??)

Lord of the Flies by William Golding
(To be honest, I wasn't as fond of this book, I think more for the writing style than anything, but I very much appreciated it's message and it--of course--shouln't be banned.)

How to Eat Fried Worms by Thomas Rockwell
(Perfectly good book, no good reason to ban it. :-P)

(I have quite a few yet to read :-?)

Meanderings masquerading as an update (but, hey, 'tis the season ;-P)

Managed to get through Tae Kwon Do without killing anyone or breaking anything today (yeah, I'm disappointed too), but I /am/ proud to say that I've got about 80% of the knowledge I need to qualify for Yellow Belt at the end of the month.

Since Aurey's computer was knocked unconscious by the storms up there last night, I spent the evening expanding my art gallery at the Domus Mundi and subsequently ransacking several movements worth of artists.

It occurred to me that I really should see if there's anything here that would make for good research for my character in Secrets of the Past.  I'm playing a thief and grave-robber who (at a very inopportune moment) recovers memory of having once been the priestess of a small village and former enemy of the main villain (who had murdered said village way way back when).  Ooooh, I can't wait for the rewriting to be finished so that we can start really playing again!  I'm illin' for RP!  I think I may even have the shakes.... o.0   (And yes.... I am, in fact, a goofball.)