Has it been lost entirely amidst the clickity-clacks of text glibness and curt emails?
Do you ask about others as prerequisite to talk about yourself?
Do you live to discuss the misfortunes of others?
Is someone else's intrusion upon your space or time a frequent topic?
Is the folly of others in general a point of constant discussion?
Do you live for the conversation where your listener suddenly frowns, shakes their head, and emits some sort of "Jeez...whew!...oh my god...well I'm dashed...?"
Do you only feel that you have had satisfactory communication with another human when you've offered them another chance to feel helpless against the tides of reality?
Or maybe you are a Seeker, enlisting others in your search through twisted strands of logic to come up with an all-encompassing version of Why This or That is So.
-Do you cite previous empirical evidence for these chats?
-Do you invite your listener's knowledge? Do you do this in order to fill a gap in your own thought? Or do you merely ask your friend to bring over their toys so you can show them how much better your own are?
-Are you actually yearning to profess to someone all that you have gathered and fashioned into a grand sweeping Theory of Everything?
-Do you truly want to share something of your mind, or do you merely want to flex and fish for a compliment?
-Do you use conspicuously inappropriate terms, misuse words, and tangle it all into a cauldron of circumlocution in order to baffle and therefore win over your opponent? I mean conversant?
Do you use your intelligence as a blunt object? A laurel wreath?
Do you enjoy shitting on those with degrees? Are you fond of assigning alternate reasons for other peoples' education such as blue blood? Ed snobs? Ethnic competition?
Or perhaps the opposite is true, that you revel in the relative inadequate formal education of your partner, as this, you presume, assures that you will win every discussion?
Do you feel you have a Duty to inform others of global crisis issues? Do you believe because they did not know, they have never cared?
Do you love the sound of your own voice? Is your throat chakra spinning with all your platitudes?
Are you afraid of silence?
Are you afraid of not-knowing?
I sentence thee to a thorough reading of every "better to remain silent and be thought a fool..." quote ever written by people much smarter than I.
Wednesday, August 28, 2013
Saturday, August 24, 2013
Friday, August 23, 2013
Thursday, August 22, 2013
New Shorty up on What Weekly!
New weird little story was published in the What Weekly Baltimore online journal--hooray!
The Collector by Juliana Grace
The Collector by Juliana Grace
Sunday, August 18, 2013
Champagne Chronicles
Scene: Fresh from watching the glorious Bridesmaids, two mimosas deep, strutting down to 24-hr mart to buy pretzel chips for the GIGANTOR tub of Nutella I bought just this day, (and incidentally a bag of Pepperidge Farm Dark Chocolate Cheesecake cookies) walking back on road 2 because at road 1 encountered friendly construction workers and I mean you smile once, you make their day, smile twice, and you've got a thing going. On said road 2, tall, gorgeous, mixed race gentleman walking opposite direction nearly eats shit on uneven sidewalk then makes eye contact and says, "I was focusing too much on you!" to which I reply, "I understand."
Friday, August 16, 2013
Thursday, August 15, 2013
The Lion and the Scorpion Are Friends
I'm the jerk who has never listed the birthdays of the most important friends in my life, and have noticed only through Facebook when I've already missed it. But I hope that as I do, my Leo friends will consider this entire phase of their constellation their celebratory time, and accept my thorough albeit belated wishes for a benevolent universe to smile on them.
In that vein, I noticed that I missed two birthdays of import, both bearing the Leo zodiac sign. I don't know anyone who chooses friends or lovers based on this alone, but it's always interesting to take note of the patterns that one seems to attract.
First, a brief summary of the personality traits, drawn from various sources and condensed based on recurring themes.
Scorpio: Water sign. Passionate, magnetic, stubborn, brave, fiercely loyal; prone to jealousy, distrust based on gut impressions, violent. Controlled by Mars and Pluto, Mars/war, Pluto/secrecy, intelligence, desire power, drawn to the sensual and darkly sexual.
Leo: Fire sign. Charismatic, dramatic, creative, outgoing. When she enters the room, everyone takes notice. Fiery and self-assured. Controlled by the Sun/self, warmth, radiation, ego. Joyful, humorous, and boasting a regal manner, Leo loves time with friends and is a sun-worshiper.
One can see some striking similarities, most notably the curious magnetism surrounding both signs. Both are extremely confident and passionate signs, often to great effect together. This reflects what I notice about these two friends, that wherever we go together, we do not go unnoticed. We seem to control the room and everyone in it. The Scorpio admires and encourages Leo's spotlight and radiating warmth, content to watch it all go down. These two friends of mine are gorgeous, scene-stealers, and we often end up with a few tagalongs at bars and clubs. I often become violently jealous of their attention, and resentful of these unremarkable hangers-on who are understandably attracted to my friends.
As Pluto influences the idea of regeneration and rebirth in a Scorpio, the life-giving and energetic Sun characteristics of a Leo are in this way complimentary.
It's not a coincidence that my latest song, "Sister Narcissa," about one of these friends, has the lines, You tell me I'm lovely/I tell you you're gorgeous...I'm better in your eyes/you're better in mine.
Mutually desiring of respect and admiration, these two signs can totally boost each other. This might explain the often "buzzed" feeling I get after spending time with either of these ladies...at least in part.
I like best this passage on our compatibility:
"The best aspect of the Leo-Scorpio friendship is their mutual dedication to each other and the activities in which they participate. Both Signs have very powerful, yet strategically different, personalities. They are seen as a strong pair by others, and their mutual commitment to fulfilling their goals makes theirs a powerful friendship." (http://www.wate.com/global/Story.asp?s=4512454)
There is talk on other sites of the aspect of these two being "fixed signs," and prone to disagreements and clashes due to mutual stubbornness, or Leo's propensity for free expression of opinions and Scorpio's reticence and strong dislike of divulging secrets. But I often find the opposite is true, that I'm the brash one talking a blue streak, and my lovely Leo nevertheless respecting my passion, letting me speak and say all sorts of jerky things, and responding with warmth and intelligence to shine a bit of sunlight in my dark recesses. I find that the strong mutual respect shared between us overrides our desires for independence, for power and spotlight.
In summary, a very happy belated birthday to my beautiful Lionesses. I am more because of you, and I only hope I can prove to be the kind of friend who returns this exponentially.
In that vein, I noticed that I missed two birthdays of import, both bearing the Leo zodiac sign. I don't know anyone who chooses friends or lovers based on this alone, but it's always interesting to take note of the patterns that one seems to attract.
First, a brief summary of the personality traits, drawn from various sources and condensed based on recurring themes.
Leo: Fire sign. Charismatic, dramatic, creative, outgoing. When she enters the room, everyone takes notice. Fiery and self-assured. Controlled by the Sun/self, warmth, radiation, ego. Joyful, humorous, and boasting a regal manner, Leo loves time with friends and is a sun-worshiper.
One can see some striking similarities, most notably the curious magnetism surrounding both signs. Both are extremely confident and passionate signs, often to great effect together. This reflects what I notice about these two friends, that wherever we go together, we do not go unnoticed. We seem to control the room and everyone in it. The Scorpio admires and encourages Leo's spotlight and radiating warmth, content to watch it all go down. These two friends of mine are gorgeous, scene-stealers, and we often end up with a few tagalongs at bars and clubs. I often become violently jealous of their attention, and resentful of these unremarkable hangers-on who are understandably attracted to my friends.
As Pluto influences the idea of regeneration and rebirth in a Scorpio, the life-giving and energetic Sun characteristics of a Leo are in this way complimentary.
It's not a coincidence that my latest song, "Sister Narcissa," about one of these friends, has the lines, You tell me I'm lovely/I tell you you're gorgeous...I'm better in your eyes/you're better in mine.
Mutually desiring of respect and admiration, these two signs can totally boost each other. This might explain the often "buzzed" feeling I get after spending time with either of these ladies...at least in part.
I like best this passage on our compatibility:
"The best aspect of the Leo-Scorpio friendship is their mutual dedication to each other and the activities in which they participate. Both Signs have very powerful, yet strategically different, personalities. They are seen as a strong pair by others, and their mutual commitment to fulfilling their goals makes theirs a powerful friendship." (http://www.wate.com/global/Story.asp?s=4512454)
There is talk on other sites of the aspect of these two being "fixed signs," and prone to disagreements and clashes due to mutual stubbornness, or Leo's propensity for free expression of opinions and Scorpio's reticence and strong dislike of divulging secrets. But I often find the opposite is true, that I'm the brash one talking a blue streak, and my lovely Leo nevertheless respecting my passion, letting me speak and say all sorts of jerky things, and responding with warmth and intelligence to shine a bit of sunlight in my dark recesses. I find that the strong mutual respect shared between us overrides our desires for independence, for power and spotlight.
In summary, a very happy belated birthday to my beautiful Lionesses. I am more because of you, and I only hope I can prove to be the kind of friend who returns this exponentially.
 |
| HAPPY BIRTHDAY FROM YOUR FAVORITE DESERT PREDATOR!!! |
Monday, August 12, 2013
Sunday, August 11, 2013
Friday, August 9, 2013
Goodbye Face
They want you trapped, and they want you to do it to yourself.
Maybe this is the only online place where I don't have to be reminded of how boring everyone is. I begin to bore myself, when given too much freedom to express this or that that I believe now only because I had shit for sleep, shit to eat, and a shit drive home. Or that I believe this or that because someone licked my ass and gave me a kitten.
I don't care about shocking. I don't care about impressing. I want to care about the work I do, which is hard when no one else does. I think maybe you have to be your sole believer, your only disciple. Disciple must be linked with discipline. Discipline is being a disciple of yourself, of your own work, even when it means fuck all to anyone else.
We may not own our own minds anymore. Did we ever?
Artists are quitting their art because internet people are cowards and are mean to those who create, because they themselves will never create anything of importance except maybe a child raised by McDonalds and Dell, or a healthy throbbing tumor. They won't rest until we are all boring and marching dutifully into the meat grinder.
I find it disturbing that someone I barely know can download and print out a picture someone else took of me, send it to a printer and have a book made up with my face in it, never tell me or ask permission.
Our culture is cheap, and seeks to cheapen us. I feel cheap, used and abused, but I can't file a restraining order this time. I've trapped myself again.
Are you embarrassed by sincerity?
I like pinterest. This is my pinterest: http://pinterest.com/floraisadora/inspiration/
I like bandcamp. This is my bandcamp: http://julianagrace.bandcamp.com/
I like some of what I write. You will never see it until it is beautiful.
I like my blog. If you are curious you can read it.
Maybe this is the only online place where I don't have to be reminded of how boring everyone is. I begin to bore myself, when given too much freedom to express this or that that I believe now only because I had shit for sleep, shit to eat, and a shit drive home. Or that I believe this or that because someone licked my ass and gave me a kitten.
I don't care about shocking. I don't care about impressing. I want to care about the work I do, which is hard when no one else does. I think maybe you have to be your sole believer, your only disciple. Disciple must be linked with discipline. Discipline is being a disciple of yourself, of your own work, even when it means fuck all to anyone else.
We may not own our own minds anymore. Did we ever?
Artists are quitting their art because internet people are cowards and are mean to those who create, because they themselves will never create anything of importance except maybe a child raised by McDonalds and Dell, or a healthy throbbing tumor. They won't rest until we are all boring and marching dutifully into the meat grinder.
I find it disturbing that someone I barely know can download and print out a picture someone else took of me, send it to a printer and have a book made up with my face in it, never tell me or ask permission.
Our culture is cheap, and seeks to cheapen us. I feel cheap, used and abused, but I can't file a restraining order this time. I've trapped myself again.
Are you embarrassed by sincerity?
I like pinterest. This is my pinterest: http://pinterest.com/floraisadora/inspiration/
I like bandcamp. This is my bandcamp: http://julianagrace.bandcamp.com/
I like some of what I write. You will never see it until it is beautiful.
I like my blog. If you are curious you can read it.
Tuesday, August 6, 2013
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