Digging to the rhythm and the echo of a solitary siren.

Writer's Block: Looking Back

2009-04-20T01:34:46Z

Apparently my first post was heat-related. You must be so hot, little friend.

For those not interested in clicking that link, I've quoted the post below:

[echo] (</a></b></a>echoic) wrote,

@ 2001-07-26 04:50:00
"It is 4:50 AM and 81 degrees in this room - despite the fact that I have several fans going. It's too bad my Patton (Vornado-style) is in another room. It is currently being utilized by the alien-joseph as a sleeping aid.

My foot hurts, how about you?"

The "little friend" I refer to is one of my guinea pigs. The Internet Archive tells me it's Fred I'm referring to... I feel sad that I had to look it up to be sure I wasn't talking about Franco.

Looking back evokes so many different emotions.

LiveJournal is turning 10 and we're feeling nostalgic. What was your first LJ post about?

View 503 Answers

53 Weeks Later...

2008-12-03T22:43:03Z

'Tis been 53 weeks since my last LJ update. Having said that, this won't be much of an update.

I'm going to install Dee's vs.tweet, but not here. That's going to run over on echoverse.lj.com.

You can find sporadic updates over at the main page of echoverse.org. Further options on locating me shall be forthcoming.

Hey, does anyone else think it's time I updated my photo? Well, I don't care if you do, I'm going to do it at some point. The one currently being shown is from 2005!

The Radiator, The Cellar, and that damned furnace!

2007-11-24T11:30:16Z

"I'm afraid of what's in the cellar."
Look here, fruitcake. Or go to the shoddy "main" page.

E-Z PASS NO CASH: The E-Z PASS Anniversary!

2007-06-30T17:02:06Z

It has now been (a little more than) five years since E-Z PASS first captured the hearts of me and hallways.

To celebrate the 5 year anniversary of our first E-Z PASS violations, I shall re-post Jennzah's original LJ entry documenting the experience.

FUCK EZ PASS
27th-Jun-2002 08:23 am

first off. anyone who lives on the east coast, do YOU, your FAMILY, or anyone you KNOW have the E-Z Pass for the Jersey Turnpike or wherever? this pisses me and echo off severely. we hate the E-Z Pass (though it makes us laugh PROFUSELY, we have not stopped laughing about it for hours).

we went to NYC today. first off. we did not know that you needed and E-Z Pass. we do not have an E-Z Pass. so here we are all ready to go into the Lincoln Tunnel. we accidentally went into the E-Z Pass lane. i was videotaping and Echo was driving and all of a sudden these two burly cops come up and say "HEY! turn off the camera" and tell me i cant tape in the tunnel. (severe fines, as in TEN GRAND!) then Echo has six dollars out tryin to give it to the cops because she is unaware she was in the E-Z Pass lane.

this is where our E-Z Pass troubles started for the day.

apparently it was an E-Z Pass NO CASH lane.

he informed us that Echo would be sent a bill in the mail and sent us on our merry way.

so we stayed in the city untill 11:30 p.m

we left the city.

this is when the REAL trouble with the E-Z Pass fuckers started. WHAT THE FUCK IS WITH THESE E-Z PASS NO CASH LANES? we must have gone through like seven of them. Echo is going to get hunted down and thrown in the slammer. all because she does not have an E-Z Pass! and because those fuckers on the Jersey Turnpike fired all the money collecters so they are ALL E-Z Pass NO CASH lanes! so we had to skip through them.

now mind you, we kinda screwed up going out of the city and were half way to Atlantic City by the time we figured out that we'd fucked up. so we had to turn around and go back towards NYC. BUT THAT WAS E-Z Pass's fault! we had to go through TWO of those fucking E-Z PASS NO CASH lanes! GRRR. they got our license plate. and possibly even photos of us.

but we got their photo too. and video tape.

The only place they did not have an E-Z Pass NO CASH lane was by the Delaware Water Gap going into Pennsylvania.

so. i ask. WHAT THE FUCK IS WITH THIS E-Z Pass thing? FUCK YOU, E-Z Pass! me and echo are going to infiltrate and take it down, we swear.

even though it's so funny we nearly die. LOL.

and that was our day in new york.

pictures to come.

A funny walk down memory lane, circa 03/12/03 12:07 PM -0500

2007-06-05T21:31:49Z

Mephistopheles of Morning Television
by Good Time Charlie

Well, I have something I must report to you.

This evening, as most respectable little boys and girls lay snooze, my
domestic partner and I happened to catch eye of a most disturbing sight
indeed. There, on our late night telly, an obviously intoxicated Al
Roker, clad in a three button white suit and aquamarine shirt a' la Miami
Vice danced the Batusi in perhaps the lewdest and most vulgar fashion
either of us had ever witness. Legs twisting, arms flailing, and his
thick pelvis gyrating as if to maintain the movements of a hoola hoop, The
weather man in question strutted about like a possessed rabid rooster in
heat.
The coup de gras, however, came when the overzealous fat man snatched the
drink away from a horrified Conan O'Brian so that he could take a gaping
mouthful of the liquid inside only to spray it all over the unfortunate
television host like an elephant might spray his companion on a hot day.
The stunned Irishman could do little more than sit motionless behind his
desk in apparent awe of the shenanigans taking place before him.

I hate Al Roker. I think that he is one of the most useless and annoying
characters found on television today. And what exactly is his job anyway?
He is certainly no reporter. I think one would have a difficult time
calling him a meteorologist based on the fact that he gives only the the
most vague and general of weather reports. He announces the birthdays of
a few hundred-plus year old relics and holds the microphone for a few
"lucky" lookers on out in Rockefeller Center and that's about it.
Worthless.

Yet, I have digressed from the original reason for this report. (I'm
quite stoned, so you'll have to forgive me and my oh, so verbose writing.)

Al Roker, despite his atrocious participation on early morning television,
should not be to blame. After all, he is only following the insipid
formula of his predecessor- his Caucasian counterpart- the ebullient
buffoon known as Willard Scott !!!

He is the real one to hate. His ridiculous laugh, his unnatural love of
the aged, his equally useless weather reporting. He is an evil that
should go the way of the Dodo!

Your sister, however, has never heard of him in her life. I'm shocked by
this. I mean, like him or not, I have always considered Willard Scott to
be one of those ubiquitous, low grade television harlequins that every
American recognizes.

I hate his stupid mug. Always up in the camera like he's going to come
through the screen and attempt to give me a slobbery kiss.

Back wicked demon!! I rebuke thee!!!

Anyway, we just wanted to know if you had ever heard of him.
Awefully long email just to ask a simple question, eh?

I am attaching a photograph of the offender that I'm sure you'll laugh at
as much as we did.

Love Always,
-Max Ex Mick

xoxo

Re: Mephistopheles of Morning Television
by echo

Number 1: Do I have your permission to reprint this e-mail on the Internet?
Number 2: Jennifer is insane. She knows who Willard Scott is. Her memory
has to be jogged in some way unkown to me, for at the moment, I, too am
stoned. Therefore the run-on sentence thing is getting out of hand.
(This is why I write things over and over. Jenn thinks it's funny that I
proofread my e-mails and often go through drafts, etc. I AM A WRITER.
WELL, I DO THAT. Just as I can be verbose. Something you & I have in
common.

Let's get back to Willard Scott. I know he started it, but can you be
more specific about what it is that triggers such emotion in you? When
Hammond's brain finally clicks and she recognizes who we're talking about,
I'm sure she'll have a very passionate stance on this matter.

Damn if I'm proofreading this. No retyping, blah blah blah. My left arm
still hurts from a certain incident that is just not worth going into.
What I'm trying to type here is,

I'll message you later,
Love ya more than my luggage,
Kara Lynn

°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°
the sky turns green
where i end and you begin
http://www.echoing.org
°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°

On Vox: QotD: The Main Cast

2007-04-24T14:37:35Z

Who are the most frequently mentioned people on your Vox blog? Submitted by Amirul B Ruslan.

» Read more on Vox

How appropriate.

2007-03-15T14:51:08Z

echo is emotionally distant.

I bet no one's surprised that you never post your current mood. In fact, I bet most of your friends are so sick of you locking them out of your life that they hate you behind your back. Shame.

wanna know your lj's moodring color? enter your user name and hit the button. (discussion thread)

Merlin induces hysteria.

2007-03-06T07:44:08Z

Last night, something terrifying happened to Merlin. His legs started giving out, causing him to fall several times.
Boy, did he have us all upset (that includes Merlin himself).
The first incident happened when I let him in from outside. As my mother and I watched in horror, he fell on his side and started kicking his legs hysterically to try to get back up. I can't really describe what it looked like. When he was able to right himself, he was scared - totally freaked out.
Seeing that happen, along with his reaction, made everyone panic, which in turn made him even more nervous.

Mom immediately thought it was an epileptic fit. I knew it was not. My beloved Boko, our late canine family member, had epilepsy. So I know an epileptic fit when I see one. This certainly was not - Merlin was quite aware of what was going on, his eyes weren't glazed, and the "fit" lasted much less than a minute. I can understand Mom wanting to label it as something familiar...
If it wasn't epilepsy, what the hell was wrong with his legs?
He seemed to be asking us the same question.
Arthritis? Did he get hurt outside? Are we going to have to get a dog wheelchair? Because I totally would. If he ever needs one of those, he's getting it.
He was clearly uncomfortable. He wouldn't lay down, stand or sit still for long. He kept moving around to test his legs. This caused more falls.

On the advice of a veterinarian (not his), we gave him some baby aspirin. (Boko had arthritis as well, and we used to give him aspirin.)
He started to feel better. He was also getting tired, and that kept him from moving around so much.

We took him to his vet today. She got a good look at how he was walking and acting (taking into account the adrenaline rush he gets when he goes there), took his temperature and discovered he has a fever.
She thinks it's a virus, and that it's making his body ache. There's also a chance that he slipped outside - it's been pretty icy.
He is now on two prescriptions; she's holding off on doing blood work and other tests to see if he responds to the medication.
Already he seems to be feeling a bit better. Best of all, he isn't falling all over the place.
We're to call the doctor tomorrow and the next day to keep her apprised of the situation.

It's working so far, but we can tell he doesn't feel well. My poor baby :(

I was kind of bracing myself for the worst. I cannot express in words how relieved I am. He's sick, but it's something treatable, something non-fatal. Phew.

I'm telling you right now:
I LOVE MY MERLIN SO MUCH, I CANNOT HANDLE LOSING HIM.

Tick, tick, tick, tick.... Call 911!

2007-02-12T00:30:50Z

I'm having a horrible day, physically speaking. I phoned my mother, who was downstairs, from my bedroom. I was trying to relax in bed, but I had to ring Mom to give her a list of items I need from the store.

During our conversation, she yelled, "HEY!" followed by the unmistakable noise of Merlin moving the kitchen table about.
"The dog's moving the table. I know why he's doing it."
She went on to explain that one of the burners on our gas stove was continuously ticking. Normally they make that clicking noise when the pilot light is going to ignite the flames. I don't know about you, but that sounds to me like gas was be steadily distributed into the air.
Mom was so blase about the whole thing. Obviously none of this concerned her in the slightest.

I got off the phone with her, called Jennifer to order her downstairs to investigate and possibly alert someone of this potentially explosive situation.

Jenn came running back up to tell me to get fully dressed, we'd probably have to go outside. I went to the top of the steps and immediately smelled something. (Maybe that was all in my head, but I definitely detected an odor that was awfully gas-like in nature.)
After yelling this out, I proceeded quickly to the kitchen to check things out for myself. Mom had gone ahead and lit the offending burner, which I suppose would keep gas from filling up the house.
The dog was acting very nervous.
He knows when something isn't right. He was trying to warn us, for Christ's sake! That's why he was moving the table; it was his way of getting this message across.

Mom, on the other hand, was sitting there as if nothing was wrong. She even blamed Merlin's anxiousness on me, and told me to put him outside - not for safety's sake, but to stop him from pacing, shoving the table, etc.
She also told me something I previously did not know. This has happened to the oven before!

I started opening windows and doors for fresh air. Jenn & I were quite upset, questioning Mom, pointing out why this was such an extreme safety violation.
Interspersed among all of this were my pleas to Jennifer to call someone.
"Call someone! You have to call someone!"
She asked me for the phone number to the fire department. The phone book only has 911 listed for fire-related incidents. Though she didn't want to call 911 for this, it was our only choice.
Mom didn't want anyone to be called, remained nonchalant and kept trying to convince us that things were fine, we're overreacting. I should qualify that: she was indifferent about the stove, but vehemently against any sort of authority making a visit.

Furthermore, she started closing the windows and demanded I shut the front door because "we're not heating the neighbourhood!"

Jenn phoned 911.
Meanwhile, Mom lit a cigarette in the kitchen! She could have blown up the place!

I returned to the front door and held it open. I saw a firetruck approaching...

A cute fireman came into the house to inspect the stove. He was followed by a man in a special uniform and hat. I can only assume he was in charge or perhaps some kind of fire inspector as I was too concerned about the ticking stove to get a good look at his uniform. Or to submit queries unrelated to the matter at hand.

The two men checked everything for us. It turns out there wasn't a gas leak.
They unplugged the oven to make it stop ticking. Special Uniformed Hat Man took a lighter and waved it around different areas of the oven to prove we aren't in danger of an explosion and/or fire.
As he did this, Jenn stepped back. He said, "Gee, you're not very trusting, are you?"
Forgive us, sir, we were raised by a Safety Director. Things going up in flames always seemed imminent, what with all the warnings Dad imparted throughout our lives.

Mom couldn't believe we didn't trust her judgment regarding the burner not being a potentially lethal problem.

While the firefighters were here, they voiced something that Jenn and I know quite well, whether Mom wants to take it to heart or not.
It's better to be safe than sorry.

Damn straight!

A Peach Card

2007-01-02T19:19:14Z

This is going to come out wrong due to my current state of mind. I feel apologetic about it because I wish my words would be a fitting tribute of some sort...

Peaches, it's my uncle's name. He's actually my great uncle and we never called him "Uncle Peaches" - just Peaches, everyone called him Peaches.

He was a simple man. He was a great artist. For every special occasion he would create a personal card just for you. The back of it always had the date with his card signature:
A Peach Card

When I was a young girl, I loved Unicorns and Pegasuses. I thought I was the first person to come up with the idea of the two merged into one, a Unisus or a Pegacorn.
Peaches made me a poster with the four animals - a unicorn, a pegasus and because I couldn't decide what to name the mixed breed, a pegacorn and a unisys. What a fond memory I have of him.

Peaches died just after Christmas. The viewing is today.

My favourite memory of him is the time he said this to me, without any prompts and after I hadn't seen him in a while: "I don't care what anybody says about you, I still love you."
He said it because he wanted me to know it, that regardless of all of the bullshit happening in our family, he wasn't against me personally, and wasn't choosing sides. His feelings condensed to one simple sentence that spoke volumes and meant a lot to me. It still does.

He was one of the good ones.

Tiger's Eye: The Ring

2006-12-15T10:13:25Z

[x-posted from elsewhere]

My father always wore two rings; I can't recall ever seeing him ring-less. One was his wedding band, the other a beautiful tiger's eye ring.

When he died, I wanted the tiger's eye ring to be passed to me. I didn't (and still don't) care about any monetary value it might or might not have - to me it is worth so much more than that. It's priceless.
I wanted to keep it, possibly putting it on a chain so I could wear it around my neck. It would be a way of keeping a part of him always near me. Obviously he's always with me in spirit, but the ring is something tangible and so definitely his.

I don't remember exactly how this went down because I was still in shock over losing him. I'm pretty sure I've said this before, but in case I haven't: His death was like a nuclear bomb, almost completely obliterating the events right before and after it from my memory.
So this part of the story is taken more from my sister's than mine.

Apparently I didn't tell anyone I wanted the ring. Why would I? Why the hell would I be thinking of and/or speaking about his possessions at a time like that? The most I can pull from my memory is vague - possibly forming this idea when me, Mom and my aunt (from my mother's side) were in the funeral home making arrangements and we were talking about what he'd wear in the casket. Or maybe it was after the funeral, when the director gave his personal effects back to us and Jennifer was here. I'm not sure. And I guess it doesn't really matter.

At some point I discovered Mom was giving or had already given the ring to Jenn. From the way she tells it, I went ballistic. That sounds right, I'm sure I did.
"You're giving that ring to her?! I can't believe you're giving her that ring!" Hysterics and words to that effect. You get the gist.
She wanted it for the same reasons as I. The detail that altered her wish from mine: she was returning to L.A. and wanted to have something of Dad's out there with her.

While I understood this, I suspected her of, well, losing things. On the other hand is me, someone who cannot throw anything away, someone who may "lose" stuff in her room, but a precious item misplaced in the blue cell means it can be found again. This ring is irreplaceable. If she lost it, that would be it - gone, daddy, gone. I don't know if I said this aloud. I might have just being carrying on about her getting the ring.

The extreme vocal protests upset my mother. She didn't want this to become an issue between me and Jenn, a problem that we'd continue to fight about. It was also leaning toward being another "jewelry incident", and believe me, we don't want one of those. Yet another vague recollection: me bringing up a previous jewelry incident. (There are a few - very basic - parallels*)

I don't know how the argument ended. Me telling her to take the ring to avoid another incident? If yes, did I use a bitter tone of voice to invoke guilt or just bitterness in general?
Was it the other way around? Her telling me to take the ring? Probably not.
However it happened, she "claimed" the ring and had a much better reason for being the one to keep it.

This is where the fractured memories all come together in a way that don't complete the picture in a logical, easy-to-explain-it-away fashion.

I remember Mom telling me she was going to take the ring back and keep it herself. (To avoid unnecessary drama.)
Mom does not remember saying this.
Jennifer was not present when she said it. Nor does she recall hearing about such an arrangement.
Jenn remembers putting it in her purse, taking it on the plane... and LOSING IT ON THE PLANE.
She's been racked with guilt ever since.
I don't remember feeling upset about her losing it. In fact, I don't even remember her telling us she lost it. I think I'd remember that, don't you? Even if I hadn't earlier suspected her, the loss of such a precious item wouldn't go *poof* from my mind... would it? Perhaps it has. Maybe it was erased or remains temporarily inaccessible from my memory.
I'm not alone: Mom doesn't remember the ring getting lost, either.
But Jennifer does remember the ring disappearing and calling the house, hysterically telling us she lost it. She doesn't remember anyone telling her that the ring was here, at the house.

It stands to reason that if the ring wasn't with her, one of us would tell her to calm down, it's here, it's safe. Leaving her free from being all twisted up inside about losing it.
However, she still believed it was lost forever... until Monday (12/04/2006).

I was sitting here in front of the computer, probably frittering and wasting the hours in an offhand way. I heard Jennifer get up and start the process of getting ready for work. This pegs the time as 11:50-ish AM.

Suddenly, suddenly, all of a sudden, she comes in here, brandishing a ring with a look on her face I cannot describe.
"Is this Dad's ring?" She was speaking with a tone I am also at a loss in describing. The words were coming out really fast. You have to tell me, is this Dad's ring? Is it? Is this his ring? Does it look like it? My God, you have to tell me...

She went on, explaining why the answer was so important:
Since Dad died, she has not dreamed of him. But the previous night, she had four dreams in a row, all of which were about Dad. All four were basically the same.
Dad coming up the steps, heading into his bedroom while Jennifer was saying something to him like, "Dad, wait. I have to ask you a question." After responding, possibly saying something like "Give me a minute," he would then disappear after going into the bedroom.

In each dream he was wearing different clothing, his dialogue differed a bit, but it always played out the same way - him coming up the stairs, going into the bedroom, then vanishing.

When she woke up and had to get ready for work, she went into Mom and Dad's bedroom to return something she borrowed.
Something caught her eye. Sitting on the dresser, where Dad kept going in the dreams, was the tiger's eye ring. It was just there.

And that's when Jenn came running in here, asking me if it was his ring. It sort of looked like it, but it was hard to tell because he was always wearing it. The only time she or I had held it (at least recently enough to remember) was right after he died.
We inspected it closely. It was far too big to be Mom's, or any other lady's ring. What are the odds that we would have two rings with the same features, anyway?

One of the first things I asked when she came to me: "Is this The Happy Death Cross?" By that I meant, is this Dad's version of THDC?**

I immediately began looking for photographs of him so we could compare the ring we were now looking at to the one on his hand.

And of course, every single readily available picture had his right
hand obfuscated in some way. The one photograph I have of him on the computer that actually features his right hand is blurry.
Jennifer had to go to work soon. We were
pressed for time and couldn't go through other pictures to do further comparisons. We kept looking at this ring from various angles.

We would have to ask Mom to be sure that this was, indeed, his tiger's eye ring and not some other ring that just happened to look like it. We discussed some of the things in the bulleted list above.

I put it on the dresser that's in here and told Jenn to step back.
That's got to be his ring, look at it from the distance we'd normally
see it. It's definitely his, isn't it?

Was this really his ring? Did Jenn lose it on the plane? Or did she not lose it, like she thought?

Jenn had to go to work and I had to wait for Mom to come home so I could ask her about this. I was almost certain she would tell me she had taken it away from Jennifer to keep us from fighting about it.

Instead, she hit me with a shocker.
She doesn't know where it came from. It was just there. Unexpectedly and without any explanation. Just there.
But how did it get there?

Did he bring it back?
Or had he come to Jennifer in dreams just to show her where it was?

Whether he brought it back or not is something none of us can verify. But having those dreams, then his ring showing up on the dresser out of the blue are facts I cannot ignore. It's too big to be a simple coincidence.
I believe the second option I presented is true. I believe he was showing Jenn where to find it. Possibly to ease her mind, maybe to give us all a sign or both... Maybe I just want to believe...

When I told my mother I suspected this could be The Happy Death Cross sign I've been hoping for, she told me I sounded like the nuts on my father's side of the family. Well, yeah. I'm a nut, and I'm certain a large portion of that comes from the DNA I share with them. Let's not forget the exposure I've had to these people for most of my life. In fairness to the lunatics on Dad's side, I have to point out that Mom's side is chock full o' nuts, too. And a lot of my insanity is of my own making.

Craziness aside, this whole ring incident is awesome. Awesome as in, I am in awe.
It would be different if Mom said she had it all along. But no, she doesn't know how it ended up on the dresser.
She's not a believer in things of a supernatural(?) or ghostly(?) nature. She likes her sci-fi to remain on the TV screen. She's also not the type to make something like that up. (Trust me, I grilled her extensively about this.)

The ring has been authenticated.
It is without question the ring my father always wore on his right hand.

Now I am left to wonder:
Is this the sign I've been waiting for?
Is my father in heaven?

One last note: My sister wrote about this in her journal. To avoid "contaminating" my written account of these events, I have yet to read her post. I shall do that now that I've posted this.

*After asking if I could have it, an elder gave a ring to someone else.
**The Happy Death Cross is a part of family mythology (on Dad's side).

Livejournal Comment Spam

2006-12-15T06:55:52Z

I don't know why I'm surprised by it...

Going Postal... in a non-violent fashion.

2006-11-29T23:05:09Z

Hi there, fruitcake!

1. I'm alive.
2. My sister has not harvested my organs for any purpose.
3. But she continues the smoking lectures.
4. The cat is addicted to catnip and acts like a crackhead when we run out.
5. I have a lot of post cards to send to people (hence the subject line).
6. I should probably send regular cards as well.
7. Want me to send you a card of some sort? E-mail me (it's on my profile page)
8. I have CDs to send also.
9. I'll have to give in sooner or later and admit that X-mas is on the way, then proceed to buying gifts.
10. #10 to make this list a round number.

I've been trying (and failing) to keep up with the goings-on of LJ friends and various other RSS feeds...

But I need to focus on this mailing things to people stuff. I've acquired stamps, solving one of the problems.

xoxo,
echo

How many of me?

2006-10-30T19:48:21Z

HowManyOfMe.com

There are:
2
people with my name
in the U.S.A.

How many have your name?

There are 2 people with my name. I assume I'm one of them. (What if I'm not?!!!?!?!?) Who is the other chick with the same first and last name as mine? I wish I could find her. Or him. You never know, it could be a guy.
I'd prefer it to be some dude, as discovering some girl with "my name" is out there running about somehow makes me feel less special...
But only slightly less. I'm certain this other person doesn't have my middle name, and my entire name rocks, so HA!

Got this from mylittlechicken.

The Jung Personality Test

2006-10-05T16:39:38Z

I took this again. Can't remember what results I received in the past. I suppose I'll try again in the future.

INFP - "Questor". High capacity for caring. Emotional face to the world. High sense of honor derived from internal values. 4.4% of total population.

Free Jung Personality Test (similar to Myers-Briggs/MBTI)

ECHOING.ORG GETS A LIVE MAKEOVER

2006-09-01T22:00:15Z

With the upcoming birthday of echoing.org, I decided to give it a new look.

The trouble is, I'm feeling uninspired. So I started off with basic XHTML & PHP and absolutely no CSS. Just a bunch of words, appearing in the browser's default setting.

Since then, I've added some colours and now a modified photograph of - guess what? Oh, yeah, one of my favourite go-to pictures for layouts these days. The photo is the view from a boat on the Atlantic Ocean taken during my most recent trip to Atlantic City.

Right now it's looking... very generic. Except for the "I took this photograph and laugh in your face, people who use copyrighted pictures without permission!!!"

I should add that I'm guilty of the above offense. Rarely, but still...

Do me a huge favour, please. Take a look at how things are progressing and give me some advice. If you think it sucks - tell me! If you like the direction it seems to be going in - tell me! If you just pop in for a second to look, please sign the book.

I'm in the middle of re-coding some PHP goodness in addition to the ongoing makeover echoing is receiving.

Here's hoping I'll finish it in time for the actual anniversary!

cheers,

echo

Save The Internet! [x-posted anywhere I can find a willing textbox]

2006-08-08T07:58:19Z

The following was not written by me, it comes directly from The Queen. I am cross-posting it anywhere and everywhere.
Please read it, thank you.

Saturday, August 05, 2006

HOT WET ANAL SEX IN HERE part one

Now that I got your attention, I have something to tell you about that has nothing to do with sex. Sorry. It might be the only way I could get you to look in here. So look. Or else your ability to look at HOT WET ANAL SEX on here might be mightily impeded.
This is part one.

American capitalism. This concept has allowed the human race to progress at a dizzying speed that some are not so sure is good. I, however, believe that this is the beginning of man's finest hour, should we so choose to bring our best into fruition. This can't be done any other way than through the free market economy. I'm sorry, my socialist friends. It just doesn't happen so well in any other way. If it did, we would already be doing it. Some of you will mention that other countries are doing x, y and z better than us, but I counter you with the idea that not only did we invent x, y, and z, but we then had the sense to sell it to other countries for a profit. The VCR comes to mind right away. Most folks believe the Japanese invented it but that is not true. It was us.
Now I mention this because I want you to know that I am a die hard believer in this grand American experiment. I also know that the unbridled life force equals death, like in cancer, or war. So it is a delicate balance. Too much, and you die. Not enough and you wither away. This is why our concept of checks and balances is so mindblowingly effective and beautiful. The thing is, though, that it is not just the government, which YOU hire and YOU pay that has to participate in the checking and balancing. YOU have to help out, especially when the fat cats at the top are getting away with all kinds of murder, robbery rape, and pillage at the expense of the teeming masses beneath. That would be you. The teeming masses. If you want to keep your internet the way it is right now,meaning that there are no "tolls" at most sites imposed by companies and sanctioned by the government because we weren't paying attention, then listen up! Don't let the internet fall prey to the same disease that cripples California's electricity.
When it came time for the decision to be made about how to handle California's energy supply, the populace was asked a question directly. This was how it was worded. I know, because I worked at one of the information gathering companies that collected data for the surveys that backed the political arguments that changed the laws.
We called registered voters in CA and asked them something like this:

"Do you remember when there was only one telephone company and you had to get your phone, your phone lines and your local and long distance services through them? There was no choice, and therefore, no competition. The free market was not working in the phone industry at that time. Then, government came along and broke up the monopolies, which produced the competition between phone companies that led to your lower costs for phone service that you enjoy now. Thinking of this situation, do you think that energy should be deregulated the same way to allow for competition? There would be 'built-in' protections, of course. Consumers will have the ability to set a price that they will not go over when purchasing the energy, so you don't have to worry that they will be able to set whatever ridiculously high price they can and you have to buy it."
Sounds pretty good, doesn't it?
The only problem is that the person on the phone doesn't know that they are not the "consumer" in this equation. Their local power company is the consumer. So if the consumer says they will not pay over, say, a dollar per kwatt for electricity (the producers, now deregulated and able to tell the "consumer" to go to hell if they don't want to pay) they don't pay over the dollar. The beauty for the producer? The CONSUMER DOESN'T GET THE POWER. Period. It's not a bunch more laptops and Christmas trees that cause blackouts and brownouts in Cali, it's partly the fault of the deregulation of the power production companies. This was voted on. This was a referendum that the citizens said yes to because they didn't understand the implications. And thousands are in the dark every year since. Enron execs laughed like hell over that one, on the phone to each other in recorded conversations. And even though record profits were made, thousands of the employees lost everything they worked for thier whole lives. Something is wrong with this picture.
So what this brings me to is this. Right at this very moment there are forces aligning against you, and against me and against everyone that uses the internet. They are going to make a decision for you if you don't step up and do your part of the checking and balancing. I love the free market, but I have also driven down one of the largest streets in one of the largest cities largely in the dark with no working stoplights because the checks weren't balanced.
CONTACT YOUR CONGRESSPEOPLE! WHEN I SAY THAT, I MEAN CALL THEM, SEND THEM A LETTER, SEND THEM AN EMAIL. TELL THEM IN THAT EMAIL LETTER OR PHONE CALL THAT YOU ARE A REGISTERED VOTER (GOD I HOPE YOU ARE!) AND THAT YOU ARE NOT GOING TO VOTE THEM BACK IN IF THEY DO NOT SUPPORT

NET NEUTRALITY!!!

Let me tell you what this means in easy to understand terms. If there is no net neutrality, this will become pay to play, kids. It means that the largest companies will be the only ones to afford the highest speeds and that they will buy those speeds and sell them to you for more than you can afford. Why should the biggest companies be able to have the highest delivery speeds online while we are condemned to the lowest of the low? Think about this.

The sad part is, I'm going to have to rework this and present it to the AARP. They are the only group that I can think of that actually votes as a block and makes their votes effective. We could do that too, you know. That's partly what this internet is born to do, whether you realize it or not. Of course, HOT ANAL SEX is fun on here, too, but how much fun will it be when you have to wait 45 minutes again for it to load? The internet will eventually bring people that are physically distant into accord with each other mentally and otherwise so that they can effect change for the good of the group. You see where I'm going with this? You may believe your one vote doens't count. But I can gaurantee you that one vote times one million is enough to make anyone in office stand up and pay attention. And that, dear readers, is partly why this move to eradicate Net Neutrality cannot be allowed to happen. They are trying to take away our ability to use this little rock in a slingshot to bring down Goliath.
Plus you won't be able to download weird sex.
Please. Find your representative. Use the net while you are still able to do this. It's easy. Type in congress and then find your state and area and write to them. Sign the petition.

savetheinternet.com

And pass this on. It's more important than you realize. Thank you.

Want more information? Watch Moby tackle the issue.

The Madcap Will Shine On Forever

2006-07-11T16:57:17Z

Roger Keith "Syd" Barrett

1946-2006

Pink Floyd's Barrett dies aged 60

Syd Barrett, one of the original members of legendary rock group Pink Floyd, has died at the age of 60 from complications arising from diabetes.

The guitarist was the band's first creative force and an influential songwriter, penning their early hits.

He joined Pink Floyd in 1965 but left three years later after one album. He went on to live as a recluse, with his mental deterioration blamed on drugs.

"He died very peacefully a couple of days ago," the band's spokeswoman said.

"There will be a private family funeral."

A statement from Pink Floyd said: "The band are naturally very upset and sad to learn of Syd Barrett's death.

"Syd was the guiding light of the early band line-up and leaves a legacy which continues to inspire."

-- BBC NEWS

JUGBAND BLUES
(from the album "Saucerful of Secrets")

It's awfully considerate of you to think of me here
And I'm much obliged to you for making it clear
That I'm not here.
And I never knew the moon could be so big
And I never knew the moon could be so blue
And I'm grateful that you threw away my old shoes
And brought me here instead dressed in red
And I'm wondering who could be writing this song.

I don't care if the sun don't shine
And I don't care if nothing is mine
And I don't care if I'm nervous with you
I'll do my loving in the winter.

And the sea isn't green
And I love the queen
And what exactly is a dream
And what exactly is a joke.

REST IN PEACE,

MY CRAZY DIAMOND

More than 43...

2006-05-31T06:06:02Z

I’ve been photographing sunsets and sunrises since I was a child. (I prefer sunset to sunrise.) I can’t possibly count how many pictures of sunsets I’ve already taken.
I’d like to start a ‘43 Sunsets’ project. No previous sunset pictures of mine will be recycled. I wonder how long it will take me to get this done in an organized manner…
All sunset photos captured after I post this shall be catalogued under the ‘43’ theme.

See more progress on: Photograph 43 Sunsets

Also Known As: Lost On Purpose

2006-05-31T05:58:57Z

I love getting “lost on purpose”. That’s my fun little way of referring to taking a road trip without a planned ending. Grab my camera, get some good music going, perhaps have a puff or two (or three…), take along some friends and just hit the road.
This kind of trip is definitely worth your while. Unless you have an issue with being in a car for a long time ;)
So congratulations to me for doing this as often as possible! Gas prices have recently limited my ability to go on road trips without a predetermined destination.
However, I may get the chance to drive cross country with my sister. We’ll see how that works out.

See more progress on: go on a road trip with no predetermined destination

STOP BANDWIDTH ABUSE by NOT spreading around the "bread abuse" forward.

2006-05-21T02:30:02Z

PLEASE STOP SPREADING THE BREAD ABUSE FORWARD

Please, if you see the forward that is circluating around - DO NOT REPOST IT ANYWHERE.

It is a forward that is neither funny nor worth your time. Furthermore, it has cost me money.
The forward is entitled (sort of) "BREAD ABUSE", and goes on to show pictures of people eating bread, toasting it, etc.It is all over myspace, livejournal, xanga, diaryland... that list goes on and it's also being e-mailed.

The images used in this forward are HOTLINKED. If you do not know what that means, use a search engine and look for: hotlinking, direct linking and most importantly BANDWIDTH THEFT.

The forward in question is full of direct linking and bandwidth theft. Guess what? One of the images has been hotlinked from my domain.
That's MY bandwidth that is being stolen and it is COSTING ME MONEY.
I'm sure it is doing the same with all of the other direct linked images.

Please be very nice and DO NOT pass around the "bread abuse" forward as it asks.
Having it repeatly posted everywhere is having a negative effect on many people.

I understand that not everyone knows how certain things work on the Internet...
The average person probably gets the forward or sees it as a post, thinks it's a ha-ha, wants to show it to others (to stop 'bread abuse'), copies the forward and pastes it, then unwittingly steals the bandwidth of others.

They think they are simply passing on a harmless joke. Unfortunately, there are scores of people who have already reposted the 'bread abuse campaign' and the results ARE NOT HARMLESS.

It is not the fault of people who don't know about bandwidth theft, hotlinking/direct linking and their effects.

In this particular case, it is the fault of whomever originally created the 'stop bread abuse campaign'.

For those of you who know about bandwidth theft and related issues, I'm sure you can understand why this makes me angry.

Instead of copying the 'bread abuse' forward as it asks, please do the following:
Pass around this bulletin. No direct links or bandwidth theft here.

Also, if you are currently displaying the 'bread abuse' campaign, PLEASE REMOVE IT IMMEDIATELY.

Thanks very much for your attention to this notice.

PLEASE STOP SPREADING THE BREAD ABUSE FORWARD

2006-05-21T01:55:20Z

Please, if you see the forward that is circluating around - DO NOT REPOST IT ANYWHERE.
It is a forward that is neither funny nor worth your time. Furthermore, it has cost me money.
The forward is entitled (sort of) "BREAD ABUSE", and goes on to show pictures of people eating bread, toasting it, etc.
Those images are HOTLINKED. If you do not know what that means, use a search engine and look for: hotlinking, direct linking and most importantly BANDWIDTH THEFT.

The forward in question is full of direct linking and bandwidth theft. Guess what? One of the images has been hotlinked from my domain. That's MY bandwidth that's being stolen and it is COSTING ME MONEY. I'm sure it is doing the same with the other direct linked images.

Please me very nice and DO NOT pass around the "bread abuse" forward as it asks. Instead, pass around this bulletin. No direct links or bandwidth theft here.

Edited to add: "Please me very nice..." Oops, I meant "Please be very nice..."

I want my food sealer... you're tryin' to keep it from me!

2006-04-07T20:57:20Z

More fun with the food sealer in the form of a recovered text message:

Committee Man

2006-03-05T23:24:27Z

A man just came to our door and rang the bell, for some reason I actually answered it.

He asked for my father; he was working from a list of registered republicans because he wants to run for "Committee Man" and needs a certain amount of signatures to do so.

When my father was younger, he was Committee Man. I used to tease him about it, saying things like, "Okay, Committee Man!" in a voice full of sarcasm. I thought it was funny. I hope Dad thought so too. I think he did, but now I wonder if it ever hurt his feelings.
It's difficult to describe why I would use that nickname in jest because you have to know the background... or maybe you don't, I'm not sure. Dad was very political; My Uncle Frank was involved in politics and that's how the whole Committee Man thing came about.

I wanted to sign the sheet for the guy, but I couldn't because I'm not a registered Republican. Mom is asleep because something is wrong with her back. I think it's best not to disturb her.

But now I'm crying because if Dad were here I wouldn't be sitting at this computer writing this, or crying. I'd be laughing it up with him - ha ha ha, a candidate for Committee Man was just here.

I hope Dad is laughing about it somewhere. He probably doesn't want me sitting here trying to hold in sobs. Time to give my heart a hug.

Yet another quiz entry!

2006-02-21T11:59:14Z

Firstly, there is this:
Interactive Johari Window - go ahead, make my day :)

How You Life Your Life

You are honest and direct. You tell it like it is.
You say whatever is on your mind. Other people's reactions don't phase you.
You tend to have one best friend you hang with, as opposed to many aquaintences.
You have one big dream in your life, and you never lose sight of it.

How Do You Live Your Life?

You Should Get a MFA (Masters of Fine Arts)

You're a blooming artistic talent, even if you aren't quite convinced.
You'd make an incredible artist, photographer, or film maker.

What Advanced Degree Should You Get?

You Are 50% Boyish and 50% Girlish

You are pretty evenly split down the middle - a total eunuch.
Okay, kidding about the eunuch part. But you do get along with both sexes.
You reject traditional gender roles. However, you don't actively fight them.
You're just you. You don't try to be what people expect you to be.

How Boyish or Girlish Are You?

You Are 70% "Average American"

You are average because you don't think people should be jailed for using marijuana.

You are not average since you don't donate to charity.

How "Average American" Are You?

Hey, I'm not that average!!!!!!!!!! Please, do not consider me an AC (Average Citizen). If I appear average, it's an undercover thang.

You are a Self-Discoverer

You're not religious, but you've created your own kind of spirituality.
Introspective and thoughtful, you tend to look inward for the divine.
You are distrusting of all forms of organized religion.
You especially dislike religious gurus and leaders, who you feel are charlatans.

What's Your Religious Philosophy?

What Your Underwear Says About You

You like to think of yourself as innocent, even though you're not!

You're comfortable in your own skin - and don't care to impress anyone.

The Underwear Oracle

You Are an Irish Coffee

At your best, you are: wild, spontaneous, and outgoing

At your worst, you are: too extreme and reckless

You drink coffee when: you want to keep drinking booze

Your caffeine addiction level: low

What Kind of Coffee Are You?

Low level of caffeine addiction? These people are lucky I'm caffeinated right now!

You Should Learn French

C'est super! You appreciate the finer things in life... wine, art, cheese, love affairs.
You are definitely a Parisian at heart. You just need your tongue to catch up...

What Language Should You Learn?

I took French in middle and high school. C'est moi!

Digging to the rhythm and the echo of a solitary siren.

Writer's Block: Looking Back

53 Weeks Later...

The Radiator, The Cellar, and that damned furnace!

E-Z PASS NO CASH: The E-Z PASS Anniversary!

A funny walk down memory lane, circa 03/12/03 12:07 PM -0500

On Vox: QotD: The Main Cast

How appropriate.

Merlin induces hysteria.

Tick, tick, tick, tick.... Call 911!

A Peach Card

Tiger's Eye: The Ring

Livejournal Comment Spam

Going Postal... in a non-violent fashion.

How many of me?

The Jung Personality Test

ECHOING.ORG GETS A LIVE MAKEOVER

Save The Internet! [x-posted anywhere I can find a willing textbox]

The Madcap Will Shine On Forever

Roger Keith "Syd" Barrett1946-2006

REST IN PEACE,MY CRAZY DIAMOND

More than 43...

Also Known As: Lost On Purpose

STOP BANDWIDTH ABUSE by NOT spreading around the "bread abuse" forward.

PLEASE STOP SPREADING THE BREAD ABUSE FORWARD

PLEASE STOP SPREADING THE BREAD ABUSE FORWARD

I want my food sealer... you're tryin' to keep it from me!

Committee Man

Yet another quiz entry!

Roger Keith "Syd" Barrett

1946-2006

REST IN PEACE,

MY CRAZY DIAMOND