All Searches Lead to Sci-Fi

One day while searching for information on Dreadnoughts I found that one still exists and it is here in Texas with Parks and Wildlife. Of course it is named the U.S.S. Texas and is located at the San Jacinto Battleground State Historic Site. It was the battle-cry of "Remember the Alamo" that ignited the followers of Sam Houston at San Jacinto in the battle for Texas independence. The U.S.S. Texas BB35 is the oldest and last surviving Dreadnought and it served in both World Wars. http://www.usstexasbb35.com

One of my passions are International Harvesters. I take pictures of Scouts when I travel and occasionally cruse the web for info, pics or parts. I named my 1976 International Scout II (below) Clementine.

Today I was looking up Boneshakers in search of a particular early style of velocipede/bicycle.

Early bicycles had no tires/tubes. They rumbled along on wheels that were made of iron or wood and were literally "bone shaking."

What do my searches have in common? Every time I would search my subjects the Sci-Fi author, Cherie Priest would come up.

I Loved Science Fiction, perhaps this is a sign that I should start reading it again. 

Two great names that go great together.

T. S. Eliot’s Iconic Vintage Verses About Cats, Illustrated and Signed by Edward Gorey

by Maria Popova

Two grand masters of delight, together.

Until the wonderful Lost Cat: A True Story of Love, Desperation, and GPS Technology came out, the great Edward Gorey had the corner on feline art with his timeless illustrations for the 1982 edition of Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats (public library) by T. S. Eliot, a documented cat-lover, who penned these whimsical verses about feline psychology and social order in a series of letters to his godchildren in the 1930s. The poems were first collected and published in 1939, adding Eliot to the ranks of other famous “adult” authors who wrote for children, and eventually became the basis for the famed Broadway musical Cats.

Some time ago, I had the good fortune of tracking down an original edition of this tiny treasure, signed by Gorey himself — please enjoy:

THE NAMING OF CATS
The Naming of Cats is a difficult matter,
It isn’t just one of your holiday games;
You may think at first I’m as mad as a hatter
When I tell you, a cat must have THREE DIFFERENT NAMES.
First of all, there’s the name that the family use daily,
Such as Peter, Augustus, Alonzo or James,
Such as Victor or Jonathan, George or Bill Bailey –
All of them sensible everyday names.
There are fancier names if you think they sound sweeter,
Some for the gentlemen, some for the dames:
Such as Plato, Admetus, Electra, Demeter –
But all of them sensible everyday names.
But I tell you, a cat needs a name that’s particular,
A name that’s peculiar, and more dignified,
Else how can he keep up his tail perpendicular,
Or spread out his whiskers, or cherish his pride?
Of names of this kind, I can give you a quorum,
Such as Munkustrap, Quaxo, or Coricopat,
Such as Bombalurina, or else Jellylorum –
Names that never belong to more than one cat.
But above and beyond there’s still one name left over,
And that is the name that you never will guess;
The name that no human research can discover –
But THE CAT HIMSELF KNOWS, and will never confess.
When you notice a cat in profound meditation,
The reason, I tell you, is always the same:
His mind is engaged in a rapt contemplation
Of the thought, of the thought, of the thought of his name:
His ineffable effable
Effanineffable
Deep and inscrutable singular Name.

THE SONG OF THE JELLICLES
Jellicle Cats come out to-night
Jellicle Cats come one come all:
The Jellicle Moon is shining bright -
Jellicles come to the Jellicle Ball.
Jellicle Cats are black and white,
Jellicle Cats are rather small;
Jellicle Cats are merry and bright,
And pleasant to hear when they caterwaul.
Jellicle Cats have cheerful faces,
Jellicle Cats have bright black eyes;
They like to practise their airs and graces
And wait for the Jellicle Moon to rise.
Jellicle Cats develop slowly,
Jellicle Cats are not too big;
Jellicle Cats are roly-poly,
They know how to dance a gavotte and a jig.
Until the Jellicle Moon appears
They make their toilette and take their repose:
Jellicle Cats wash behind their ears,
Jellicle dry between their toes.
Jellicle Cats are white and black,
Jellicle Cats are of moderate size;
Jellicle Cats jump like a jumping-jack,
Jellicle Cats have moonlit eyes.
They’re quitet enough in the morning hours,
They’re quitet enough in the afternoon,
Reserving their terpsichorean powers
To dance by the light of the Jellicle Moon.
Jellicle Cats are black and white,
Jellicle Cats (as I said) are small;
If it happends to be a stormy night
They will practise a caper or two in the hall.
If it happens the sun is shining bright
You would say they had nothing to do at all:
They are resting and saving themselves to be right
For the Jellicle Moon and the Jellicle Ball.

BUSTOPHER JONES: THE CAT ABOUT TOWN
Bustopher Jones is not skin and bones –
In fact, he’s remarkably fat.
He doesn’t haunt pubs — he has eight or nine clubs,
For he’s the St. James’s Street Cat!
He’s the Cat we all greet as he walks down the street
In his coat of fastidious black:
No commonplace mousers have such well-cut trousers
Or such an impeccable back.
In the whole of St. James’s the smartest of names is
The name of this Brummell of Cats;
And we’re all of us proud to be nodded or bowed to
By Bustopher Jones in white spats!
His visits are occasional to the Senior Educational
and it is against the rules
For any one cat to belong both to that
And the Joint Superior Schools.
For a similar reason, when game is in season
He is found, not at Fox’s, but Blimp’s;
But he’s frequently seen at the gay Stage and Screen
Which is famous for winkles and shrimps.
In the season of venison he gives his ben’son
To the Pothunter’s succulent bones;
And just before noon’s not a moment too soon
To drop in for a drink at the Drones.
When he’s seen in a hurry there’s probably curry
At the Siamese — or at the Glutton;
If he looks full of gloom then he’s lunched at the Tomb
On cabbage, rice pudding and mutton.
So, much in this way, passes Bustopher’s day –
At one club or another he’s found.
It can cause no surprise that under our eyes
He has grown unmistakably round.
He’s a twenty-five pounder, or I am a bounder,
And he’s putting on weight every day:
But he’s so well preserved because he’s observed
All his life a routine, so he’ll say.
And (to put it in rhyme) `I shall last out my time’
Is the word of this stoutest of Cats.
It must and it shall be Spring in Pall Mall
While Bustopher Jones wears white spats!

Complement Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats with Lost Cat and Gay Talese on the social order of New York’s cats, and consider supporting Gorey’s legacy with a donation to the Edward Gorey Charitable Trust.

Thank you Brain Pickings Weekly.

Louie the Ringneck Parakeet

On April 3rd, 2012 we had three major storm systems generating tornados in the DFW area. It was quite a day, I was pulling hat felts in the kitchen and heard that all the schools were in lock down until trouble had passed. Later that afternoon our next-door neighbors found a bird and ask me to bring a cage. I could tell by looking at the bird that it was a parakeet by its beak and I thought it might be an Indian Ringneck, but the bird was blue. That is when I found the video of Marnie the charming Asian Ringneck Parakeet. Below is a video of his birthday party. If only Louie was tame. He acts as if he had never been in a cage before. I posted him on Parrots 911 and Craig's List. No one has claimed him and it has been a year. Louie loves Kroger's 9-grain bread and waffles toasted. Louie's favorites are sweet potatoes, corn, apples, and some greens items, especially celery. He is not sure of peanut butter, but at least he is trying it (eggs, forget it so I gave  him some Quiko egg supplement).  Actually, I have always fed my cockatiel and budgie fresh foods. I think Louie has learned from them because he did not eat much at all when we first found him, today he is very fit and healthy with a fabulous new coat of feathers after his first molt. Watch Marnie, he is as sweet as birds can be.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iEjfqIc__1w

The Beginnings of Wonders

Welcome to Little Wonders of Art and Ideas.

Fall hat I was trying different designs on and hope to make more hats.