If you know about the SCO lawsuits on Linux users everywhere, you’ll get a kick out of this picture.

, I immediately thought of you, Blondel, and Xanadu when I saw this on Thursday night.

Mad props to who introduced me to The Pirate Movie, an Australian beauty. Roughly, it’s a 1980s send-up of Gilbert & Sullivan’s The Pirates of Penzance, and even retains 6 of the original songs. I’m surprised I didn’t see it as a kid; my biological father is a huge fan of G&S!

Rating: 4 stars. A must see, especially if you like cheesy 1980s films.
Perfect companion piece: Xanadu.
Available on DVD in Region 2 (Australia, UK) but not in North America except on VHS.

(singing) Give us a happy ending, every time….

1. Have you ever deleted LJ friends because they were being creepy/abusive towards you? (Details appreciated, no names required)

   Yes, twice. In one case, I also banned someone from posting to my journal. I’ve had my share of stalkers in the past, and I have to do my best to keep myself safe. People are entitled to their opinions, and if they’re going to slag me in public, I can choose to keep that content off of what amounts to my personal webspace. In other words, if you don’t like me – fine, but take it up with me directly, not through a public forum. If we can’t see eye to eye, we have to agree to disagree, and move on.

   Slander and libel are not things to which I take kindly, or lightly.

2. When are you coming to visit me in Montreal, girl? :)

   So my current plan is to get my instrument rating this summer, if my finances hold out. That means that I’ll be probably flying to Montreal for practice, and I would insist on seeing you.

   Further to that, my plan is to have my own aircraft in ~3 years’ time or so, at which time weekend trips to Montreal will become cheaper and easier. :)

   And perhaps I’ll make time to explore the VIA Rail System too…

3. Do you believe there’s such a thing as being purposefully ignorant? Is that ever a respectable thing to be?

   Sure. Here’s a prime example. I have some ex-partners, with whom I don’t really share a lot of common interests. They’re just not the sorts of people with whom I’d enjoy hanging out nowadays. So I don’t avail myself of information regarding their current whereabouts or activities. In fact, I prefer not to know. Sometimes, when I get updates from them, it feels like they are trying to make me feel a certain way (usually negative) by revealing specific kinds of information to me. I really don’t like attempts at non-consentual external manipulation of my feelings.

   When it comes down to it, I wish none of them bad lives, failure or sorrow. I want them to find happiness, in whatever way pleases them best — so long as it does not depend on me not being happy. If they want to tell me about their happiness, to share the joy, I’m all for it. But I also hope that they understand that boundaries can be a good thing.

   Ultimately, I think this is the meaning behind Robert Frost’s Mending Wall. Yes, “Something there is that doesn’t love a wall.” But respect my boundaries, as I respect yours. We are not all capable of having no boundaries. Miss Manners has made an empassionned plea for boundaries in the workplace entitled In Praise of Boundaries; I think it’s an excellent read.

   But I digress.

   Inversely, ignorance as a means of preventing yourself from dealing with emotions or beliefs that run contrary to well-accepted theories or provable facts is just a way of sticking your head in the sand. This, to me, is not respectable. It is a form of self-loathing and deprecation. If you can’t trust your own senses and abilities, what can you trust? It is up to each of us to take responsibility for our lives, and to avail ourselves of as much information as possible to make the best of it.

4. What’s your opinion of Mardi Gras, as someone who lived in New Orleans?

   Ooh, one of my favorite topics! :) Mardi Gras has changed so drastically over the years. For me, it’s a time of secret costume balls, mystical Krewes throwing random parades, beads and doubloon trinkets, “Throw Me Somethin’ Mister!”, dressing up fun, green, purple and gold colors, King Cake, all sorts of fantastic foods, and above all else a desire to have a good, friendly fun time for everyone.

   These days it seems to be a corporate-sponsored free-for-all, more about “Show us your tits!” and “Get drunker than hell!” than fun for the whole family. Sure, it’s always been about Bacchanalian fun, but that was never for the sole amusement of frat boys. (And besides, it was a time of year when even as a child I’d get a full glass of wine with dinner!)

   Nowadays many of the old societies won’t parade anymore due to forced integration laws — this is less about white elitism and more about organizational infiltration (I wouldn’t come over and legislate me joining your group if you didn’t want me, now, would I? That just makes us enemies, not friends). There’s a casino or two there now as well, one the locals fought to keep from being built for years, only to find it forced on them anyway. And the old, good jazz and dixieland is falling by the wayside as well.

   For me, it was always a time of acceptance for all races, all sexual orientations, even all genders, but without having to drive it home: just plain old folk managing to get along for the sake of having a great time.

   I do my best to keep this same spirit alive every year by throwing my own Mardi Gras party. This year, it coincides with my 30^th birthday. It’s a time for me to share my love of cooking with everyone, to wear masks and costumes, to play good music (both authentic and not authentic), to get a little wild, to let my accent come out, and perhaps to imbibe a little alcohol if it strikes me to do so. It’s a time for relaxed, Southern fun — that’s the point, that’s the spirit, that’s why it will always be special to me.

5. How would you describe your friendship style?

   Summarized in three words: loyal, opportunistic, and private. (Is this clear?)

Thanks for the great questions! Leave a comment if you want me to interview you, or you want to interview me on other topics.

Look VERY carefully at this brand new advertisement for Microsoft FrontPage.

I am still laughing!!!

Mistaken setting on a posting — Please read, especially if you’re not on my friends list.

Finally, a publication to show it like it is.

• Sign the Save The Apollo Launch Tower petition! You might know that one of my passions is the preservation of technology history. This is a prime example of what we can achieve with just a little bit of work. While I’ve visited the facilities that helped build the space shuttle in Louisiana, I never did get to see anything Apollo-related outside of the Smithsonian. And someday I want to take my kids, or my students, to see something like this. Don’t you?
• I’ve applied to audition with a local band that turns out some awesome music. More info as it happens.
• Busy cleaning stuff up at work from being gone for a week, may take me a while.
• Eager to head out in Toronto to some good restaurants and explore the city through its cuisine — who’s with me? “Subsidies and grants may be available on a needs basis.” :)
• Heads up — more special topic-related posts coming on the friends-only groups within 48 hours. Stay tuned!

I constantly embrace change, even when it hurts. But it’s the change I thrive on, the dynamic that keeps me going, the spice in my existence. I know it makes me hard to approach sometimes; the question seems to be “Who am I getting today?” for many of you. The only advice I can give is for you to understand that the best way to approach me is gently, caringly, slowly and lovingly, regardless of how long you’ve known me or in what capacity. Approached this way, I will invariably respond to you in kind. And isn’t that a great place to start?

I also respond very, very well to explicit communication, especially via the written word, so email is always welcome. I read and answer every personal email I receive, even if it takes me a few days!

Sometimes people don’t listen to what you say; sometimes, they can’t hear you. And sometimes I’m not listening, or I can’t hear. But I’ve learned how to detect those situations, and (typically) wait for better conditions before communicating on my own speculations. Intuition may be the most powerful cognitive process we possess as humans, but it is prone to fail in spectacularly debilitating ways, especially in those of us who have experienced severe trauma.

If I ever seem standoffish, please, assume it’s me — that I just need additional time to cogitate, to evaluate, and finally to articulate. Get my attention, let me know you want to chat, and I’ll give of myself when I am ready. As I change, I become better at responding more rapidly. I will not act in untoward ways; instead, I move more slowly and deliberately, feeling each step under my bare foot before transferring my weight to it.

As I get older, I realize that the truest moments in my life have been when I have acted without expectation and with full disclosure. These are the moments of pure love, and any of you with whom I have interacted beyond a friendly “Hello” have received my love in this very way. *warm smile*

I look around for my constantly-changing family, and I realize once again that you’re all out there, on LJ, on IRC, over the phone, sometimes within reach of the Toronto mass transit, but always reachable via email or paper letter. Some of you have left — bon voyage, and good luck on your paths; I hope we meet again someday. Some of you are just arriving — welcome, take off your shoes, have a homemade praline & stay a while! My metaphorical door, as always, is wide open.

…and my first real week there, was full of warmth and self-reliance. Let me tell you, it felt great to be travelling again, and to realize that in a short span of time with a car in a city, I can rapidly find the things that make me happiest.

Highlights:

• Got to see , & , Shinohara, Shogun, , SirViolet and K.T. (I’m so sorry I didn’t get to see you on Saturday night!)
• Took in at least one recreational educational seminar
• Had a fantastic time discovering Eclipse, an extensible Java-based platform often used as an integrated development environment (IDE) – I even got caught on film (you can see my hair in a bun at the far right)
• Upgraded 3 of my company’s install sites
• Got a lot of time to write in my offline diary
• Was cradled in soft duvets and pillows, reminding me that I am a human being, and I deserve to be treated like one! :)
• Fell in love again with National Public Radio — not as a sole source of news or information, but a damn refreshing change from the general media.

I’ve come back to Toronto to find myself starting with a clean slate, a refreshed perspective, and a new sense of purpose. Old projects back-burnered have been renewed. Unfulfilling activities have been eschewed. Tabula rasa, but with my wisdom in tact.