The Old Gods

Ack. This was supposed to be published before the “art as embellishment” post, but I accidentally scheduled that other post and it published while I was on vacation. Lately, I’ve been doing a lot of historical research on Pre-Christian Germanic culture. Much of this is what people think of as “Viking” culture, but that topic is such a jumble of confused ridiculousness that I try to...

Celebrate Lughnasadh

Celebrate! Today is Lughnasað. The word Lugnasað is Gælic in origin and hearkens the Gælic god Lugh:1 In Celtic mythology, the Lughnasadh festival is said to have been begun by the god Lugh, as a funeral feast and games commemorating his foster-mother, Tailtiu, who died of exhaustion after clearing the plains of Ireland for agriculture. The word is Gælic, but the time is universal. Every culture that noted the...

Our soldiers should die in war

This is one of those essays that someone writes only because they have no plans on ever running for any public office, but I think it’s something important and something that needs to be said. Our soldiers should die in war. Now, before you fly off the handle and send one of Insitu’s unmanned aircraft to bomb my house, I’m going to lay a bit of foundation. I’m a disabled veteran who’s...

Is The Internet More Important Than Water?

I just saw a very disturbing article describing how the French government has declared that access to the internet is a “human right:” Access to the internet is a human right, claim France’s most senior lawmakers. The web was ‘an essential tool for the liberty of communication and expression’, according to the Constitutional Council. (via Internet access is a fundamental human right,...

Righting Stories

For many people, writing is a therapy. I know that I’m one of those people and I always feel somewhat better when I find other people for whom that’s true as well. Reading the words of people like Morgan makes me feel more normal. One thing I’ve learned about myself as time goes by…I write WAY more when I’m down and feeling crappy and bleh and stuff. When things are going right, I...