Usually money isn’t the reason to take a stand.

It is11970876821491823388johnny_automatic_ox.svg.hi[1] said that the love of money is the root of all evil.

I can grok that.

So I’ve been watching the Bundy rancher situation. You know, the situation where this rancher was grazing his cows on “public land” as his father and his grandfather did before him. And how the government wanted a huge fine for such public land use. (Public land can only be used if you PAY for it. It’s yours after all!) And how they swooped in with helicopters, military men, trucks, and barricades to take Bundy’s cows. And how a bunch of American people waged a large protest against this matter. And how the BLM finally backed down yesterday, saying they would let Bundy graze his cattle and have his cows back.

My thoughts on this thing have went, in order:

  1. Bundy. Isn’t that the serial killer?
  2. K. He’s a rancher who owes fines and should pay them. I don’t necessarily agree with the fines ,but we know how the government is.
  3. Now that I’m thinking about it, it’s kind of sad. His ancestors were sent out there to steal the land from the local natives and populate it. Now that they’re done, the government is stealing it back.
  4. K. There used to be 57 ranchers in his area and the regulations he is currently fighting with have shut down all of them. Except him. This is more serious than people realize.
  5. They’re stealing his cows what??
  6. Damn straight those cowboys need to go in and steal those cows back.
  7. Damn straight the BLM needs to back down and give his cows back.
  8. Damn straight the Bundy’s had better keep their guard up. The government is backing down PUBLICLY. We all know how the government is…..

The situation actually has had me kind of depressed in the past few days, watching it the way I have been doing. Reports I’ve found have been mainly through Alex Jones, who spins propaganda with the best of them, so I’ve taken the reports a little at a time. I’ve poked at things here and there and watched other reports from other places on the rare occasion I could find them.

It’s been depressing because my memories are quite clear on how things used to be before mandated car insurance. When walking around barefoot wasn’t a crime. And I’d spend just all day in the vanishing woods making tube rafts and playing Huckleberry Finn. When it was *okay* to be free. But people are really retarded these days. I mean, I was at our local farmer’s market a few months ago and it was raining. I kept slipping, so to preserve my weak ankles and bad back I took my shoes off. The slipping stopped. The glares began. And they were really stupid glares, too. I mean there I am standing outside on dirt at a farm with chickens in a pen over the way. You’re glaring at me over SHOES? We’re OUTSIDE! Why don’t you get your uppity ass back to your sterile environment and never leave there, bitch? Betting my immune system is healthier than yours. (mumble)

Someone pointed out to me on Facebook today that I should be aware that the BLM is trying to get money for fines the guy owes. And that money goes to reparations for the local tribes. I’m on the wrong side of this case!

No. See. I’m pretty sure I’m not. I did consider the people there. I also looked around myself. And I still look around myself.

Hasn’t anyone noticed we’re not allowed to do so much anymore? Are we that firmly distracted by our ipads and video games? There was a woman a few months ago that let her children play outside. She lived in a cul de sac so she didn’t think anything of the kids getting to play outside the way kids have been doing for generations.  Child care services took care of THAT before the day was over.

There was a man in Oregon who decided to be a bit more self sufficient – that thing the government claims they want from us. He was collecting the rain water that fell on his own properly for personal use. The government found out and blam. See, rain water in Oregon is public property. In case you haven’t figured it out yet “public” means everyone but you.

There was a woman in Florida who went 100% self sufficient. She was completely off the grid. Her clean looking house used rain water and she cooked on a grill. She had no need for these modern amenities. The news did a story on her. And the next day the city did an eviction notice. She’s fighting the matter in court now.

Who gives a flying FUCK about money when our freedoms are being taken away? I guarantee you my ancestors, when they lost their land, weren’t as worried about money as they were their freedom. That’s me saying this even though my tribe was one of the first to sell out. We sold out for peace, though. For not being another Wounded Knee. We were given land in land acts and then it was all taken away in 1972 or so when the government decided we weren’t Indian enough anymore. We were the first to cave in. We were invalidated as a result.

Closer to home, I watched things get taken away from my family. We were shrimpers you know. My father loved the river, loved the sea. We actually used to have okay money when I was a kid. And then regulation after regulation happened. Things got worse and worse until finally one day Dad couldn’t afford to captain his boat anymore. Our way of life is firmly over. We’ve been invalidated. As a matter of fact, you won’t find many small time shrimpers like Dad was anymore. Not in Fernandina Beach at any rate. We’ve been regulated out.

Oh, it was to save a turtle they claimed. It was to save this. It was to conserve that. But the more the regulations and taxes were levied the more we, as a family, came to realize what was really happening was the big boats were left standing. And small business – that American dream they don’t teach in schools anymore – fell to the wayside. It was never about saving some turtle. Especially since Dad always reached up his nets and saved the turtles and dolphins right away. You can do that when you’re a small shrimper.

Bundy’s way of life in his area is being regulated out. 57 ranchers. He’s the only one left. Whose cows are we going to eat when our ranchers are gone? Radioactive stuff from the East perhaps? Do some research on how the Japanese radioactive wave is still, to this day, leaking over here. And ask yourself, you sure you want radioactive milk? You sure you should be comfortable with the fact that even though the fish from Japan no longer meet safe levels of radioactive measure they still ship it in? And they raised the levels to make it okay? Why aren’t you upset? Why haven’t you put two and two together, and shook in some cancer for good measure?

I guess because you’re more worried about a pair of shoes in an outdoor market.

Beating the Beatsheet

It’s another insomniac night for Yours Truly. Sometimes on nights like this I get a lot done. Other nights not so much because it really takes a lot of energy to draw stuff. I’ll look at what I gotta do. I’ll scroll the images up. I’ll scroll them down. I’ll wish I was sleeping.

Tonight is one of those anti-art nights. But the juices want to flow even though after a nice hot bath I’m ready to try sleeping again. I already wrote a filk to the tune of The Sounds of Silence in under an hour. (I’ll perform it someday, too.) I scrolled up, I scrolled down. Oh hell. I’ll do some character development for my novel, still as of yet unnamed.

So I opened up the beatsheet. And then I opened the character chart. A character chart is basically a questionnaire you fill out about your characters. It helps you to get to know them better, which is pretty important. Even minor characters deserve at least a little thought.

For example, there’s a scene where my main protagonist walks into an apothecary. The owner of the shop, whom the readers never meet, is a plump middle-aged woman with hair that doesn’t like to stay put. She was wearing yellow that day. She loves flowers and cats. And has a temper. Oh, boy does she have a temper. Watch out. She can also poison you to death and you won’t know it until a year after you’re dead.

What’s the point to all that? Oh, well, you never know. I may need to mention her in conversation or something. Or a more major character may have an event happen to them and I’ll need her. And it just helps make events more rounded. Maybe a ring this woman made comes to light after it kills the king or something. Who knows.

To my surprise the beatsheet for my main characters is done. The minor characters in my story I don’t feel I need to worry about them. My minor characters tend to float through and rarely leave an impression, even though I try really hard to write differently.

And I thought it would be a nice preview if I shared some of it here… it doesn’t contain spoilers. Just a list of folks that are involved. Kind of like a movie preview. This book has been in progress for a while now, but you know how it is. Survival is a meanie. We’re about to go through a lifestyle change. We’re hoping it will allow me to write closer to full time. And some swearing. I’m rarely serious when writing stuff like this.

  Alethea Asher Gavin Reginald Bookie Helena and Robert Hellsworth
role Protagonist/ Heroine Protagonist/Hero Protagonist/ Hero Supporting character/duped dummy Antagonist/ villain Supporting characters
sex Female Male Male Male Male Male and Female
Age 17 18 20 40 ageless 40-ish
place of birth Dark Amber Hellsworth Hellsworth Rome Hellsworth
place of residence Hellsworth Helmsworth Helmsworth The manor Seattle, Washington Hellsworth
height 5’4″ Who The Fuck cares
body type Bulky Muscular for a kid Lithe
hair Dark brown, curly Strawberry blonde Brown Black Brown
eyes Black Hazel Brown Nondescript Brown
skin Pale Ruddy Pale to olive Olive Olive
facial features freckles Bumply nose Look sculpted Shaven Purty
style Prefers boys clothing but will wear a dress if necessary Dirty Always looks like he just stepped out of a steampress He’s a butler. I mean, duh. They are a lord and lady and shall look as such all of the time even when having nightmares or walking the plank
education Homeschooled in the dark arts of transmitigation, lycanthropy, demonology and pizza pies. No, not really. He hates to read. Has the equivalent of a complete Jr. High education with particular interest in hawkery The Authentic English Butler Academy, graduate College level junk
peers When people figure out she’s her father’s daughter, they tend to avoid her and be extremely polite. Frequently shunned Loved by all, gets praised a lot. Has no peers. He’s a butler. Duh. But he was top of his class and well liked. They think he’s a stinky weak poo head for getting trapped in a book without even giving so much as a papercut. They are liked by their peers. The petty ones envy them.
family Mother died in childbirth. Father died while battling a runaway spell. Which goes to show you should never fall asleep with the cauldron running. Father is a chimney sweep. Mother is laundry maid. Two brothers, one sister. Mother and father are lords of Helmsworth. Younger sister that likes dolls. n/a Two children, Gaven and Sophia. Alathea is the only child to Helena’s close cousin who was raised as a sister.
occupation Witch All purpose chore boy The lord and heir to Helmsworth Butler Book Whatever lords and ladies do
Good witch or bad witch? Hasn’t decided yet Basically good but will break the law if it interests him Real good. And by the book. Asshole. Bad witch. They’re family
languages
personal identity Her father’s daughter He is comfortable with his lot in life. Knows he’s the heir and takes it for granted. Feels he is the family’s only true protector He’s a demon. I mean, duh. They’re still into each other after all these years
personality traits Timid but will fake being brave. Can be slightly indecisive but pretty much knows what she wants. Not good at keeping secrets. Keeps secrets because he forgets them within four minutes. Easy going, but will draw a line if the situation is going against his personal morality. Romantic, polite, knows how to turn a girl’s head, good with business, loves to hunt Acts snotty, hard to change his mind Bloodthirsty, Gives papercuts frequently, deceptive, but loyal once bound Both are quiet natured and love to sit outside and drink tea. The mother is often sad about her cousin and wishes to be closer to Alathea.
quirks Hates to lie. Will tell a sob story, though. But they’re not lies. They’re all true. Picks at his fingernails Loves gaming and hawkery Neat freak They keep their secrets
flaw Not a good liar. Forgetful Tends to put gaming first Judgmental Easily tricked by use of promises of new gilding (vain) The need to know bullshit
soft spot The book. Sappy, falls for sob stories Hawks The family. Libraries. Children
skill Magic Grunt work Business Buttling Magic Whatever lords and ladies do