Vapor, nicotine juices, flavor thoughts, and summertime is coming.
I'm the brownish one.

I’m the brownish one.

I have tried a ton of flavors now. I use a regular 510 atomizer for dripping when I taste new flavors.

I originally posted this list to another site via my profile there. figured some of you might like to see it.

Where I haven’t indicated otherwise, these are all 0 extra flavor shots, highest available VG content, and 24 mg nicotine content.

Things I have liked a TON:

  • MBV: sweet cream, high VG, 2 extra shots. I liked this right away, it’s a very simple flavor, and when steeped becomes solid but still simple. this is my in-between flavor, an all-day vape if I am not in the mood for anything complex.
  • Archvapor “special”: My first setup was a gift from a redditor ( /u/DangerousFat [+1][1] , thanks!!! again) and it came with a small bottle of this. It’s been on constant rotation ever since, for me. It replaced that strong tobacco craving I had at the start. I bought a huge bottle of it that I let steep and have used ever since.
  • ECblend carrot: Sounds odd, but it is sweet and crisp. After steeping a bit, it’s just like a glass of carrot juice. I mix this with home-made ginger VG extract, for extra oomph, but it’s good on its own. I like it on hot days.
  • Panda RY4: I am not a big fan of the other panda flavors I’ve tried, but this is just simple, sweet, and has enough bite to be good. I ran out fast.
  • The Vaporchef’s honey nut tobacco: this is another ADV. It is nutty, and jjjuuuust sweet enough. It’s better after a few days of waiting but I always start in on it right away. This is another one I got a big bottle of.
  • MBV graham cracker: Dry, and good. It is for when I am eating something sweet/drinking something sweet and don’t want a sugar overload. It’s very good as a vape with coffee, too. It’s got a really definite graham flavor. I got it with an extra flavor shot.
  • Vixen vapors: honeysuckle. Oh lawdy. I will need more of this. It’s not even steeped! No perfumey flavor, just straight sugary flower taste.

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something else I made today- and a quick up for PV using instead of smoking.

I haven’t smoked in two days, and I’ve smoked a single pack of cigarettes in the past week. I finally got good gear for PV/ecig use, so I haven’t felt the urge to smoke.

I can also see this becoming an all-consuming side hobby for me. I made these little desk-props for my pvs today out of polyclay. I plan to paint them (one’s a dick, one’s tits, and one is an eye)…maybe I’ll make a few more too, that are a little more interesting or fleshed-out.

PV e-cig desk prop or holders

“dwelling portably, formerly known as Message Post, Sept, 2001-2005”

Printed originally in “dwelling portably, formerly known as Message Post, Sept, 2001-2005”

A tightly-printed little stapled zine, Dwelling Portably was printed in Philomath OR. I have three or four issues of it, and it would be almost two novels’ worth of typing to get them posted online in their entirety. This zine is CRAMMED with text, tiny tiny text. I’ll try to get the more interesting snippets up.

“”about Chaz’s hobo castle and Ozark land,

I don’t recommend building around campers. Building around something is much more difficult, and the result is not a new building because this old thing is in there. Better to start from scratch and, if you do a good job, you will have something worthwhile when you’re done. If I was doing it again, I would build a straw-bale house.

I now have a far better toilet system, inspired by Joe Jenkins’ Humanure Handbook. I now cover with sawdust, then compost. If done properly, the heat will kill all pathogens, and, in two years, I’ll be able to use the compost directly on my garden. Eastwind Community has successfully used this system for several years, and fertilize their extensive organic gardens. I helped collect one day.

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independence, surviving, and remembrance.

In 2003, on the 4th of July, I tried to kill myself.

from that time:

 “I feel pain, and I don’t know where to put it or what to do. I am also SO FUCKING ANGRY that I wanna blow up, tear up, the world sometimes. I am striving not to take that out on the people around me. I am striving for “alone time”. I am striving for…clarity. I cannot make up my mind about anything.  Everything I could do now that is good, feels like my second choice in direction, and not a close second either, but a booby prize. And I don’t know if I can do all the things the world wants me to do and that I’m supposed to do, because I feel utterly exhausted even thinking about the smallest thing.”

Mopery! (I know mopery actually means something else.) I was utterly destroyed at the time. I had been in my worst, lowest kind of depression for months, and then began a long protracted breakup as well, that weekend.

It was one of the lowest times of my entire life. I lived through it, and it’s a little fresh today, so I won’t go into too much detail right now. But I will say that I have not tried again, my life has changed for the better, and my ability to weather down times has grown- and that I am glad I survived, and am here.

I wasn’t selfish- I was in pain. I wasn’t a coward- I was at the end of my rope. I know that if you have never been that far down, inside, you don’t understand that. I am glad that you don’t because it really is bad. Suicide, for some people at some times, is like a dog chewing off a leg to escape a trap.

I’m going to spend today, unlike every other year so far- nurturing the crap out of myself, instead of partying with my people. It’s a good day. I’m free, and I’m alive.

You guys, light a firecracker or ten for me. I’ll see you at the next shindig.

ETA:

my mom says, “It’s not that bad things happen to good people.It’s that good things happen to bad people. That’s what gets me.”

I agree.

excerpt from “through the looking glass”, an article by Mary Cecil about her experience with psychosis and commitment

Mary Cecil voluntarily committed herself to an institution in the early 1950s. This account was published in its entirety in Encounter, in 1956. Again, the article is excerpted from the book “The Inner World of Mental Illness”.

(for other excerpts, see here, or here)

After a fortnight in a sort of reception ward in the mental hospital, I complained to the doctor that nothing was being done. They didn’t appear to appreciate the urgency of the position. There was I, helpless in the hands of a fiend from Hell and anything might happen any minute. (Ms. Cecil believes that a hallucinated voice is the Devil, sent to harass her.) The Hospital ambled through its days, sweeping us off to Occupational Therapy or out to grass, as the mood took it. One might be suddenly singled out and, eager with hope, be subjected to a blood test or some flippancy like that.

“Ah, but we’re doing so much for you,” the doctor said earnestly…”In fact,” the doctor continued fatly, “we’re going to give you some injections. You’ll be moved to another ward.”

I’d learned already that it was a waste of time asking questions. Psychiatrists thrive on their air of mystery. Anyway, the fact of strange surroundings was enough. In this ward there had been some outbursts from explosive patients. …I noticed that the more obstreperous patients were dragged off, protesting violently, to some outer dungeon spoken of in whispers as the Villa. I added that to my fears and redoubled my attempts to appear totally harmless.

She discusses insulin treatment she received after being transferred to the next ward- a treatment used commonly at that time.

After tea I saw a lady doctor who said I was to have some injections. I saw myself ablaze with vitamins in next to no time. At bedtime the men disappeared into one dormitory and we women into another, so that was all right. Just as I was getting into bed I noticed a sheet marked the Villa. There was a curious taste in my mouth, had I been tricked into the place? Heart thudding, I gazed out the window and saw a small building by itself. “That’s the Villa,” breathed the woman in the next bed.

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an excerpt from “living with schizophrenia”, by Norma Macdonald

Excerpt from an essay published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, ca. 1963. Written by Norma Macdonald, a woman who had been re-admitted multiple times for recurring schizophrenia and aggression.

Another excerpt from the same source, written by a different woman, is available here.

            I began to see that in schizophrenia I had much more than a handicap, I had a tool and a potential. This sort of mind, controlled and used, has a far-reaching imaginative power, a sharp instinctual awareness, and the ability to understand a wide span of emotional and intellectual experiences. Perhaps in 10 or 20 more years I will be able to control it much better than I do now, and then perhaps it will be more use to me. (…) So far few of my conclusions seem to be practical.

.
Simplest of all is perhaps the knowledge that this illness rests very definitely upon physical factors. …if I hoped to remain well I must have three square meals, my necessary nutrients, and at least eight hours’ sleep nightly. I know that by going without food for a day or two or by missing sleep two or three nights in a row I could (and do) lapse into a state where dreams worry my mind at night, fatigue sets in, voices begin to pester me, and suspicion of the motives of even my best friends rises up to turn my life into a living hell.

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online selling, etsy, ethics.

Update: people are beginning to migrate from the (myspace )I mean – etsy. Here is a page attempting to list their new shops and venues. And other are protesting it all.

The place has always had resellers; people breaking the rules to pass off mass-produced stuff as handmade.
There’s a lot of money to be had from people who want to NOT support corporations, who want to buy local, handmade stuff. A lot of people don’t like buying things that were made for pennies by slave labor. Lots of companies know that, and will lie about how their stuff was made, to get that dollar.

The people who produce things with slave labor want that dollar, too.

“Former eBay and PayPal executive Stephanie Tilenius has joined the Board of Directors of Etsy, joining Etsy founder Rob Kalin, FlickR’s Caterina Fake, Union Square Ventures’ Fred Wilson, and Accel Partners’ Jim Breyer (also on Walmart.com.’s board) on the board. Tilenius left eBay last year and now heads Google’s commerce division.”

So they invaded etsy (and a few other places) and have been trying for a while now to find ways to successfully sell to people who don’t want to buy from them. Recently, an attempt to pass off furniture built in Bali as “handmade in CA” was busted. The thing is- etsy isn’t supposed to be a place to buy factory-made goods being resold. Its own mission statement says that buying direct from people who are making things by hand, not in factories, is the point.

I signed up there because of that but now…well, the fact that when confronted with a (GIANT SHITPILE OF) evidence, including an email from the man who actually makes the furniture, that the stuff is not produced in CA, and that the original seller is a fraud, etsy chose not to apologize, not to admit fault and remove the seller—but to close discussions about it and deny. (note- the fraudulent seller? is not only still open, but still in their list of “featured sellers”)
So, I’m in the process of migrating. (check out my home page– new links to my stuff for now! All my rocks, sticks, logs, and moss will stay on etsy- but anything I made, art, paintings and stuff- originals- has been moved. still debating whether to keep my prints there or not, my “production work”)

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Some of my favorite things.

I usually post all my own work here, and occasionally a review of an artist or a few artists.

Today is one of the days when I feel like showing what some of my friends make. I belong to a team on etsy which runs on chaos and confusion. It’s enchanting in a way. There’s none of the usual melodrama or arguing found on that site- it’s a strange and silly group of people. The only real rule is to help each other out- and to enjoy doing it.

Here’s a link to that team– if you use etsy, you’re welcome to join us (you don’t have to have a shop to join in the mayhem.)

First of all, there’s Debbi. Now, she does digital stuff, photographs. She works in NOLA, which means all her stuff has that creepy, southern vibe. But she has also given me tons of ideas for my own work, including the notion to do curated shadowboxes. She is a promotional wizard and she is also the queen of amokery, even.

Also, I love her work.

You

can check out more of her things here.

.

I should also say that she is soooooooo fabulous.

Anyone who likes the dirty south should enjoy taking a peek at her stuff.

Then, there’s Francesca. I know two Frannies, this one is the dark one- her work is gothic, and sometimes strange. She does a lot of things with tiny bones, with feathers. She’s totally obsessed with day of the dead motifs.

Her stuff makes me smile. I know she also, like me, LOVES skulls.

You can see more from her here.

I’ve talked to her quite a bit, and her tastes are really similar to mine. She likes dead things, tattoos, and good music.

What I would call good, anyway.

People who like my stuff will probably like her stuff A LOT.

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And Brittany. She makes cute kid stuff- usually.

Which means that I don’t need it, given that I have no kids.

BUT! I got her book on bullying for my nieces and nephews.

AND! she also makes this scary guy!

Well, not scary. just goth. I think she’s going to make some more of these,

I really hope she does. This one sold right away.

She is like Mary Poppins, ever so polite, kind, and decent. It’s kind of funny that someone like that would be my friend. but she is! You can see more of her work here- and you should definitely check it out if you have/like/know any kids.

.

daniblu makes cool things too.

AND

she is very sweet, and kind.

Of everything she does though-

I am in LOVE with these.

They’re just big enough for plugs. and just soft enough to keep things from breaking.

Holy crap.

You can find the rest of her work here. 

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I also like Shayne’s work a lot. He does chicks, hot chicks. More day of the dead stuff. Zombies. Vampires.

And

he’s goofy as hell.

I think he would like to be serious at times but he is just…not.

He lives near some friends of mine out in the desert, so I’m hoping on my next road trip I get to meet him and kick it a little.

You can find more of his stuff here.

He reminds everyone all the time that he’ll make prints in just about any size…so I’ll say that for him too. The man has drive.

I’ve got about ten more people I WANT to include, but I will wait until next time to write about them all. I’ll just leave you with a few pictures to click on, that go to more things made by each person.

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I’ll be posting some paintings later on today- I’m almost done with the sasquatch, so even if it fails I will put him up!

All these folks are awesome people. I mean it.


tattoo convention! ink traveler’s photos.

ink travelers tattoo conventionink travelers tattoo conventionHere are some pictures from the tattoo convention, what a great time!

Thanks to my clients who sat so well this weekend, and everyone who bought some of my art, I really had a great time chatting with everyone and talking shop. xox

more after the jump.

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the great oregon storm. alsea, january 2012.

This morning, at John Boy’s, a man walking in overheard my conversation with the cashier-“so the road is gone?” I asked. She replied, “yes, 34 is a landslide! but the alsea falls is open, but there are trees down.” The man walking by said, “Yes, the terrible loggers- the terrible loggers will clear that road.”

Twelve miles west of town, the road is gone. Four miles east- the road is gone. There is a side road, over the falls, covered in downed trees. The last few days have been interesting here.

“ORE34, 4 miles East of Alsea

Incident #: 121760
Closure
Crash/Hazard
Lanes Affected: (Westbound) 1 Lane , Shoulder (Eastbound) 1 Lane 
Comments: A landslide has the highway closed, use alternate route.
Public Contact: ODOT/NWTOC Salem
Last Updated: 01/20/2012 07:43 am”

The first night, I thought it was going to snow. As the sun set, the fog settled in, and the first flakes came. I knew we were in for it, in a way I’d been waiting for it. By nine pm, the woods around the house were creaking, groaning, and shattering under the weight. It sounded like a gun battle. I thought, at first, that maybe the zombies had come- or that some neighbors were having a shotgun party. I got my revolver out, and slept.

In the morning, the snow was thick. Everywhere I looked giant limbs were lying in it. The trees had taken a beating, and a few of the deciduous trees were broken almost in half. The doug firs that shelter my back yard had lost a lot of branches- many of them on my roof. I went into Alsea, and the store had no power. My house had no power. My car slipped in the snow- then it began to rain.

It’s still raining now- not the torrent it was that day, but the usual Oregon dribble. The rain at first though was heady- huge drops, constant. When I first moved to Alsea the water was high, but now it was raging. In Corvallis the roads had flooded, and a friend of mine living in Monroe area said they were pretty much cut off by the flooding.

This morning they declared the county a disaster area.

In my town, there’s lots of washouts. The road right by my house is about ten inches deep in places. There are tree branches all over the place, and you can see where people woke early and got out their chainsaws to clean up a bit.

Since I am stranded here, for the time being, with the roads gone, I think I’ll probably do some art- at least until the sun goes down. The power has been on and off the last few days, so I’m hoping it stays running through tonight.

I’ll post more as events unfold. Here’s the rest of the photos I took today, and a few from friends in nearby towns.

I’m going to post as many photos as I can find from locals, check back later as I will update here in this post. Click through for the rest.

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