The Cliffs of Insanity

I've received my first submission for the "Draw Cadmus Pariah" contest and, I must say, the competition just got incredibly stiff. C'mon folks, get into the fray. You won't be sorry!

I'm thinking of begging Barry Andrews to be the judge in all this, too. Wouldn't that be a scream? I'm not kidding. I'm talking about a real scream. Well, I'd scream anyway....

No previews of the entries are allowed. Everyone will get to see the wonderful talent these folks possess after 28 April. Now, get to drawing, painting, sketching, photographing, or whatever it is you do! I want to see what you see when you hear the name "Cadmus Pariah." Even if you don't draw, please pass on this info to any friends who might. The contest isn't limited only to folks on my friends list.

No joy with the headline thingie yet, so I'm just gonna post my piccie and the wee essay. Again, I was only allowed 100 words. I started out with several hundred more and had to pare it down, so it's really not all I wanted to say. Actually, it's probably for the best that I could say everything I wanted; otherwise, I may have been lynched for being Uber-Liberal instead given the Good Book.

( hallelujah and pass the ammunition )

I got me a neato pair of shoes at Wally World today. They're called Earth Shoes, but they aren't the classic Earth Shoes from the 70s (like what Jeff Lynne is wearing in the picture on the inner sleeve of ELO's "A New World Record"). They're good for walking and everyday wear, and that's exactly what I needed. Breaking away from my traditional black, these shoes are black, dark grey, light grey, with touches of yellow. I can live with that for $16.95.

We'll be getting a new family member soon. Sheba, Mandy's faithful companion of 7 years has lost out to Mandy's little girl and must now live elsewhere. Elsewhere turns out to be with us because Aunt Tudi has loved Sheba since the day she saw the dog. From the looks of it, Sheba is part Cocker and part Bassett, so she's also an enlongated canine like Riley-dog. I'm hoping that she'll be keen on playing with Riley since Chester is a little asshole who refuses to play with anyone but Aunt Tudi and myself. I asked that Sheba be caught up on her shots and dewormed accordingly before she joins our menagerie. I really can't afford her bringing any bugaboos to the house to where I'd have to treat everyone, especially since I may be looking at some hefty medical bills for Chester. I'll be taking him on Wednesday to be checked out, along with Smidgen for her eyeball thingie. We had to put that off since Aunt Tudi was still on the mend from her stress test.

So here's a picture of Sheba with her soon-to-be former family.

( sheba girl )

Is it just me or does Israel Kamakawiwo'ole's version of "Somewhere over the Rainbow" inspire bittersweet, wistful tears in the eyes of listeners worldwide? It's a shame he is gone. Earth is a lesser place for no longer harbouring this beautiful soul.