Handbasket Emporium: An-Sceal Beothail -- Life is a series of obscure quotes...

Points of Contact

Email Me

ICQ: 14258888

AIM: ReesaNT

Handbasket Archives

Blogger and Tom help me keep my life story up to date.

Out Of Context Quotes

Monday, September 17, 2001

Downloaded a bunch of stuff by Cats Laughing and the Flash Girls last night... Pretty good. Possibly, the first Magnetic Fields song I ever heard should not have been "How Fucking Romantic", but I got some others too, to see what they sound like.

For some reason, one of the Flash Girls songs I got, Banshee, lists Neil Gaiman as the artist. Heh. I don't hear him in there, and I don't think he's playing, but the thought was pretty cool anyway. What I'd really like is if someone had a recording of his readings from the Magnetic Fields gig...

Also, did I mention that -everyone- must find Deirdre Flint's album "Shuffleboard Queens"? Because I meant to, and you should. Hillarious folk music, like "The Boob Fairy" and "The Bridesmaid Dress Song" which never fail to set Mari and I to howling, and the title track, which has to be one of the best modern odes to women's friendship.
posted by Reesa on 9/17/2001 12:45:07 PM | An-Sceal |

The intrepid duo Mari and Stan are letting me stay with them for a couple days while I take a class on this side of town, and after Mari left for work this morning, I was left to fix my own breakfast, wander around barefoot on the soft, soft carpet and generally amuse mysel until it's time to go.

I pulled open the fridge, looking around for something to eat, ancd eventually the freezer to cold up a Coke to take with me. In the freezer is a nice package of taoster waffles, which I thought about for a minute and then immediately decided against. "Waffles are a Sunday thing" I said to myself, and then immediately giggled. Sometimes I think I know the routine a little too well.

I'm still surrounded by the scent of an Escada perfume, stolen from a lingering hug that made me want nothing more than another 2 or 3 hours in bed. I love this scent, I love this scent ON her...and I'm sure that 50 years from now I'll be walking down the street somewhere and snap my head around, looking for the shape of my lover in the crowd.
posted by Reesa on 9/17/2001 07:51:02 AM | An-Sceal |

Sunday, September 16, 2001

Tomorrow I get to learn how to use the county-wide purchasing program. I don't know that I care that much, but at least it gives me solmething to do in the mornings, and gets me out of work for a few hours. Course, if they'd just give me the damn manual I'd proably learn it quicker than I will in the class. But now. This is the county. We do things the Hard Way(tm).
posted by Reesa on 9/16/2001 09:17:05 PM | An-Sceal |

BTW, Tom. Tried to call again last night- glad you enjoyed your movies, sorry I missed you. I'm at Mari and Stan's for the next couple nights. I have a training class for work over here in Springfield on Monday and Tuesday mornings, so I figured I'd just stay here.
posted by Reesa on 9/16/2001 08:31:51 PM | An-Sceal |

Stall Wars- a HL art piece

Oh dear gods. *giggles* Better even than the Yoda Mentos ad!
posted by Reesa on 9/16/2001 07:50:00 PM | An-Sceal |

Bystander Art

First off, as a fan of comics, I love this concept. Even if I didn't have a small thing for really hopeless, angsty Highlander fic, I would love the art. As it is, this made me happy all evening.

The wholse site is really great- I'm stunned by the picture in the HL section that is nothing more than a hiking boot and some clothes left on the floor. Just the gloss of the hardwood flooring is beautiful.
posted by Reesa on 9/16/2001 07:29:24 PM | An-Sceal |

More fun with ICQ! Anyone have ANY idea what this person might mean?

"hi i think if a girl like u stay a night with aboy like me u wont get in my hand more than 5min
and if u stay more maby it will cost u ur life!"

A little freaky.
posted by Reesa on 9/16/2001 06:28:55 PM | An-Sceal |

Thursday, September 13, 2001

And as long as I'm thinking of it, thank you, Shan. That was it, more or less, but I'm swearing off the whole topic because apparently it's only okay to have an opinion as long as it's the same one everyone else has.

A special thanks to those of you who took the time to send me hate mail. Your invective was stinging, your points crystal clear and your choice of words superior. Thank you for reminding me that freedom of speech extends only as long as it takes to offend someone. While I know that I am still quite able to speak my mind, I think doing so would only invite continued anger and resentment to come my way, and the entire point I was trying to make is that whatever energy you are putting towards this should be used for as much good as you can do with it for the victims and rescuers.

And yes, because I feel a bit defensive right now, I have taken my own advice, and donated money to the Red Cross because they don't need blood right now, as well as planning to to give blood in a couple weeks when they will.

I am sorry, once again, for appearing to lash out at people. As someone obviously wiser than I said on one of my mailing lists, "WHATEVER response you are having is the correct one. Period. End of discussion. If you are having a reaction, it's automatically valid."

This is the last I'll be saying on this subject, other than the odd newslink. While I do stand beside the original intent of my post (Which was not how it was taken), I also feel that my opinions, emotions and words dealing with this event spring from a different point of view, and I have no wish to incur further disapproval and bile because of that. What happened was a sick, sad tragedy, and nothing -anyone- says at this point will change that. I choose to withdraw from further discussion because I don't feel like contributing anymore anger to the world right now, and to those I offended, I wish you the best on your own paths.
posted by Reesa on 9/13/2001 11:04:12 PM | An-Sceal |

Crap...Tom, I suck. I totally forgot to call you. I sat here all evening, deleting files and moving crap around on my computer, and I never once thought "I was supposed to call Tom!"

posted by Reesa on 9/13/2001 10:23:28 PM | An-Sceal |

And to change the subject...

Josh Charles was in Hairspray.
posted by Reesa on 9/13/2001 08:33:01 PM | An-Sceal |

Wednesday, September 12, 2001

This site will remain closed for 24 hours in respectful silence.
posted by Reesa on 9/12/2001 08:23:44 PM | An-Sceal |

I am not expressing myself well at all.

I don't want to seem like I'm backpeddaling, but let me try to explain.

I am not saying I am unnaffected by what's happened- far from it. I've cried and been sick and I think I'm honestly still in shock- last night I sat down and started shaking and didn't stop until I'd taken a sleeping pill and gone to bed. This morning I woke up with an ache in my jaw that wouldn't quit, which means I ground my teeth all night. This is horrible, the most awful thing I hope I am ever alive to see. Jesus, I'm not heartless. I feel this like a blow that just keeps on pounding at me all day. I've had panic attacks twice now, once when airplanes flew over my house late last night and once when I was driving the Beltway, wondering if it would happen again, how many more would be lost...how many ARE, now.

This isn't about me though. This isn't the time for me to demand attention for how -I- feel. How -I- feel isn't that big a deal. How the victims families feel, how the survivors feel, how the law enforcement and military and rescue teams - that's what's important. I'm not saying that I don't feel for them- on the contrary, I've got a finite amount of energy, and I think it's so much more important that it be directed towards the real victims that I am, in all likelyhood, rejecting out of hand the reactions and pain of the people who I feel are asking for asking for that energy just because they want to make themselves feel better. These are the people I was referring to as drama queens, and while that label may seem harsh, it was one that came readily to mind. Not people who are shocked, hurt, scared or angry, but the people who are those things and asking for time and emotion that should be rightfully given to victims of this tragedy. In a way, yes, we as human beings are all victims whenever a crime of hate and violence is committed, but now is the time to put aside your own pain and reach out to the person, because there is one, who is worse off than you. It may have seemed that I meant we should all close our ranks and be thankful if we had not lost someone, and that isn't what I meant either. Open your eyes, seek out someone who needs your help, and prove that something can be salvaged- that we're beaten, not broken.

I am not a patriotic American by any means. I don't agree with our government, many of our policies or the moral right. This is one time though, when my full support is with state and local officials, and when even my dislike of GW doesn't matter as we try our best as a country to move ahead and save what we can.

I'm going to burn my soapbox now, and again, I do apologize. It was never my intent to seem unaffected or without sympathy for the people who have been horribly hurt by this. I hurt right along with everyone else, but I still feel that my energy and time are best spent doing what I can for the victims, rather than those who could be helping as well, but who are choosing take time and effort that should be given to the families and friends of those who we have lost.
posted by Reesa on 9/12/2001 07:57:12 PM | An-Sceal |

On further reflection, I think that perhaps I've overshot the mark. Not everyone can be cold and emotionless after all...that takes years of disfunction. So, in a rare case here, my apologies to anyone who thought that post was directed at them. In fact, it was more than likely NOT, and as always, I refer to my official disclaimer on the sidebar, but I truly never meant to hurt anyone's feelings with that.

I think I said what I wanted to say as a follow-up in a message to Cleo, which I will shamelessly quote now before I go to work. (Hey, the schools may be closed, but your secretary never sleeps...)

So now I feel like an absolute wanker. I"m sorry.....
Cleo � 09/12/01 02:45am

No, no...gah! Not what I meant. I think by that point I'd just had it with drama queens. Everyone feels AWFUL...but the people who KNOW everyone they love is fine, and are still taking it as a personal blow. Yes, people have died...but I just think it's a bit low to treat yourself to a wallow in self-pity when you KNOW your loved ones are all right. I'm sick of the people playing the "I'm more shocked and hurt than you" games, and the people who are just trying to make themselves the centre of attention when they could be doing -something- to help.

Or perhaps I'm just a bitch. There is that possibility.
Reesa [reesa@mindless.com] � 09/12/01 05:31am
posted by Reesa on 9/12/2001 06:47:42 AM | An-Sceal |

Tuesday, September 11, 2001

And please, please, stop saying that we have lost our innocence. We have never been an innocent nation.
posted by Reesa on 9/11/2001 09:38:33 PM | An-Sceal |

Can I just say something that won't win me a lot of friends, but will get me called a stone bitch?

Don't expect sympathy from me if this didn't directly affect you. This is awful, this is a terrible day, for our country, for the people who lost loved ones, and my heart and sympathy truly does go out to the victims of this- but if you are not a victim, if you did not lose loved ones, limbs...don't expect me to pat your hand and tell you it'll be okay. You can measure what you lost in easy terms- faith, hope, security- there are people who will measure this is friends lost, in loved ones who will never come home- some of whom may never even be accounted for.

You are alive. You are relatively unharmed. You don't need sympathy- you need action. Donate blood. Donate time. Donate money. Meditate or chant or do protection spells or pray. Offer a shoulder, offer your love, and in the coming months, offer calm and willing support for the people who haven't escaped this as unharmed as you have. Just don't wallow in your own self-pity, wringing your hands and crying like you've lost your soul. You will be fine. You will be changed, and you will hate it, but you will live through this, and you owe it to the people who -didn't- not to demand time and attention that you don't need right now.
posted by Reesa on 9/11/2001 09:34:57 PM | An-Sceal |

Penny Arcade says something by saying not much at all.
posted by Reesa on 9/11/2001 05:19:01 PM | An-Sceal |

I'm at Mari and Stanley's watching all of this on tv and wondering how much more I can watch before I'm seriously sick. My father called me after my sister called him and yelled at him, then my mother called me, and my sister again...

Is it bad that I'm in such a state of disbelief and shock that all I want is a nap to make this headache go away?

For better coverage of what's going on, check out Peter's blog and Tom's site I'm here in the DC metro area- my girlfriend's father was in the Pentagon, and had almost gone out for a run around that side of the building, but is fine. A teacher at McLean was coming back from Georgetown, and sat there on the bridge watching the plane come in and then the explosion. She said she felt the bridge rock, and she started crying as she talked about it.

I've heard that Bush will make this right, that we're lucky Clinton isn't still in office, and I've heard the other side of the coin, that this is Bush's fault, and how screwed we are with Skippy at the helm during a time like this. I personally dislike Bush, I don't support his policies and I think he's a moron- but for fuck's sake people, that's not what this about. There are thousands of people who are -dead-. National landmarks and centres of business and defense are gone or in virtual ruin, and if the only thing you can focus on is Bush's passing aqquaintance with the English language, then your priorities are seriously -fucked-.
posted by Reesa on 9/11/2001 04:31:30 PM | An-Sceal |

This is just the quickest way to let everyone know this- I'm fine. So is everyone I love, as far as I know. I don't know what's going on, other than that Fairfax County Public Schools are OPEN till the end of the day.

So don't call me and ask.
posted by Reesa on 9/11/2001 12:57:41 PM | An-Sceal |