Butterfly Habitat

Tapestry Singers annual garage sale
October 4, 8 a.m. - noon
5205 Shoal Creek Blvd
Austin, TX 78756

Thank you so much for the garage sale stuff!

This has been pretty well publicized but it can't hurt to spread it a little more: Errol is lost. Destiny, his young owner, was seriously injured in a wreck near Meridian, MS, and Errol made a break from the scene. He's been spotted in the area but so far nobody has managed to catch him. There's a search and reward fund if you've got any spare change to contribute. Sounds like Destiny is doing well but what she really needs right now is to know her buddy is home again.

I don't do stuff with yarn, but if you do then please run over and check out The Opalescence, opals's new store for her hand-spun yarn. She's got some beautiful stuff that makes me with I did do stuff with yarn! But no, I will resist temptation - I've tried knitting and crochet, and it never really stuck. I will content myself with the thought of all the gorgeous things other people can make from Opal's yarn.

Do you have cats? Do you listen to Irish music? Did you love Irish Drinking Songs for Cat Lovers? I've just received my copy of the brand spankin' new Whiskers in the Jar from the delightfully talented Marc Gunn & The Dubliners' Tabby Cats. "Kitty in the Door" was worth the price of admission all by itself. You should all run over to www.catdrinkingsongs.com and order stuff right now. Many thanks to marcgunn for the nice afternoon smile!

P.S. If cat drinking songs aren't your cup of tea, check out Victims of Irish Music (which I'm spinning right now) or some of Marc's other music.

In the U.S. alone, an average of 10 women die each day from cervical cancer. My friend and co-worker Marian was one of them.

For each woman who pledges to talk with her healthcare provider about cervical cancer, Merck & Co. will donate $5 to organizations that are working to help increase cervical cancer awareness. You can direct the funds from your pledge to the Black Women's Health Imperative, the Gynecologic Cancer Foundation, the Lance Armstrong Foundation, the National Asian Women's Health Organization, or the National Latina Health Network, or divide the funds among all five organizations.

It'll only cost you a minute of your time - please take the pledge today.

Tapestry Singers (the Austin Women's Chorus) present "Pride and Prejudice"
Saturday, April 26, 7:30 p.m.
Hope Presbyterian Church
11512 Olson Dr.
Austin, TX 78750
(map)

$12 adults, $8 students/seniors. If you appreciate choral music, please consider us this weekend! If you want to hear us but money is an issue, please let me know and we'll work something out.

Tapestry Singers, the Austin Women's Chorus, presents:

Pride and Prejudice
A program of choral music
April 26, 2008, 7:30 p.m.
Hope Presbyterian Church, 11512 Olson Drive (located south ofAnderson Mill Rd. and west of 183/Research Blvd.)
Tickets: $12 general admission; $8 senior citizens; $8 children

Tickets will be available soon, from chorus members (like me!) or online at www.tapestrysingers.org.

We'll be singing songs about freedom, struggle, hope, and inspiring individuals who believed in their cause. I'd love to see you there!

On December 26, Nin the cat retired from his position as an Observer at the Mount Washington Observatory. Now you can vote for his successor. On Tuesday, January 8, polls will be open from 8 AM to 7 PM, so that you can choose for yourself which of the candidates will become the next mascot of the Mount Washington Observatory and New Hampshire's top cat.

Lost dog alert: A massive doghunt is underway in North Carolina for Tulip, a three-year-old Irish wolfhound. Her "parents" left her with a new pet sitter, and somehow she escaped while they were out of town. More info here and here.

Update: Tulip was found, safe and in good health, on December 27.

News from my favorite nuclear polka band:

"Brave Combo's collaboration with the Big Ten Network continues this weekend with a segment filming that will take place on Saturday at FitzGerald's in Berwyn, IL before BC's regular show. The production company is looking for extras for audience shots at two different times, 11am and 3pm. (Brave Combo will only be there for the later one). They need about 20-30 people for each time slot. Participating in the shoot does not gain you entry into the Brave Combo show later in the evening, just the thrill of possibly appearing on the show, "Friday Night Tailgate" on the Big Ten Network. If you are interested in participating, please send an email to lori@brave.com to get further instructions later Friday night."

By the way, Brave Combo gets my nomination for cleverest URL... www.brave.com/bo.

From the Fandom Association of Central Texas
John Picacio says:

Who: Michael Moorcock & John Picacio
What: Release party/booksigning for Mike’s new major hardcover release THE METATEMPORAL DETECTIVE & (very early & very unofficial) Moorcock Birthday Party
Where: Book People (6th & Lamar)
When: Saturday, December 8th, 3pm

"As with all Book People events, it’s free; everyone’s invited. Basically,if you’re reading this, I’m inviting you to come out to the event, and if you don’t already own Mike’s new hardcover release THE METATEMPORAL DETECTIVE, come purchase it, get him to sign a copy for you, and celebrate his birthday a little early with us. His b-day is December18th, but since this event is only 10 days before that, I figure we might as well tie the two together. Obviously, this is not the kind ofbirthday party where you bring gifts, and your presence will be gift enough.

I think it’ll be a fun time, and I’d really appreciate it if the FACT folks could please spread the word to EVERYONE within the FACT community and the regional sf/f community. FYI: Mike just did a signing for THE METATEMPORAL DETECTIVE in Paris, France and had a really strong turnout, so I’m hoping this Texas signing will be equally well-attended. As many of you know, even though Mike lives part of the year in Texas, the opportunities to visit with him are unfortunately rare, so mark your calendars and please join us out there at Book People on December 8th.

If any of you are interested, I’ll likely be bringing to the signing some of my original interior illustrations for the upcoming Ballantine/Del Rey release of Moorcock’s ELRIC: THE STEALER OF SOULS (February 2008). The drawings won’t be for sale, but they’ll be on hand to show around to all friends and any Elric fans who join us out there."

If you like to act, or you like to make stuff, or you like to scare people, or you want to help raise funds to fight breast cancer, or you're a big Defuser fan, or all of the above, have I got a deal for you. Come out and help us with Scare for a Cure, October 26-31 at Elks Lodge 201. We are meeting Tuesday and Thursday nights as well as Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays to work on building the Scare.

Come out and help The Defuser defeat Lord Vile in a battle of GOOD vs. EVIL!

P.S. Besides, scaring people is REALLY FUN!

You are invited to join Tapestry Singers as we celebrate 20 years of singing together.

20th Anniversary Concert & Reception
Sunday, October 7, 2007, 3:00-5:00 pm
Hope Presbyterian Church, 11512 Olson Drive, Austin TX (Map)

Tapestry Singers, also known as the Austin Women's Chrous, was founded to bring women together to celebrate their heritage and to share in the pure joy of singing. We have performed on many occasions and with many other talented musicians, including Fred Small, Sara Hickman, Terri Hendrix, and Austin's own Therapy Sisters.

With one exception, each song chosen for our 20th Anniversary Concert has been sung by Tapestry in the past and holds distinct meaning for us. From the spiritual to the passionate to the irreverent, the songs represent some of our best moments over the past 20 years.

The concert will feature a program of song by the full chorus, followed by a set from “Loose Threads,” our small ensemble. We will then invite Tapestry alumnae from the audience to join us onstage as we end our performance with a rousing “Tapestry-palooza” of song. The evening will end in a reception featuring 20 birthday cakes, one for each year of our history.

Download the flyer
For more information

Tickets are $12 for general admission and $8 for students and seniors, available from Tapestry members (<bats eyelashes>), from the Tapestry web site, or at the door.

Just doing my part to pimp this movie. We saw it last night at the Alamo. I don't know why it hasn't gotten more buzz - I don't think it's doing particularly well at the box office, but it's wonderful and you should all go see it. And tell your friends.

Someone on the local Freecycle list posted a wanted ad today for a "marine wench." {snerk} I'd be interested to hear how that turns out... ;)

Awhile back I found a copy of Guy Gavriel Kay's "The Summer Tree" at Half Price Books. (Many thanks to ororo for the recommendation.) For some reason I've been reading it rather slowly - unusual for me - but last night I finished it (and now I MUST track down Book Two!).

But inside that used book, I also found a handwritten note that reads: "I want you to know how much I appreciated you sending me that important letter. Many thanks, [name withheld]." I find myself wanting to know the story of that note, too! I'll be sending it to FOUND as soon as I get a chance to scan it.

UK military spokesman Major Mike Shearer said: "We can categorically state that we have not released man-eating badgers into the area."

Now there's something you don't hear every day.

"Tapestry Singers is starting our 20th anniversary with a bang. Join us on Sunday, October 7 at 3:00 pm at Hope Presbyterian Church in Austin for a celebration of Tapestry Singers' first 20 years! Ruth Huber, the founding mother of the chorus, will be joining us. Also, Tapestry alumnae will be invited to join us on stage to sing a few Tapestry favorites."

Rest assured, you will hear more about this. There will be begging, whining, and groveling closer to the event. ;D

It's official, I'm singing. Which means I'll be begging local readers to come to our concert. (Yes, we're singing the tune referenced in my title.) First weekend in October is all I can tell you right now. Stay tuned for details!

Gonna take a Sentimental Journey,
Gonna set my heart at ease.
Gonna make a Sentimental Journey,
To renew old memories.

This was offered to someone on the Irish Wolfhound list who recently lost her dog:

" It came to me that every time I lose a dog they take a piece of my heart with them. And every new dog who comes into my life gifts me with a piece of their heart. If I live long enough, all the components of my heart will be dog, and I will become as generous and loving as they are." —Cheryl Zuccaro

Sci-fi writers join war on terror
"Looking to prevent the next terrorist attack, the Homeland SecurityDepartment is tapping into the wild imaginations of a group ofself-described "deviant" thinkers: science-fiction writers."

The Falcon Cam at UC-Santa Cruz has been an exceptionally powerful distration today. The baby falcons are very active now and, even though they aren't even fully fledged yet, are obviously practicing with their wings. The cute, it burnnnnnnnnnnns.

Update: Oh, and the owlets from our local Eastern Screech Owl Next Box Cam are also hopelessly cute.

Been meaning to mention this for quite some time but keep forgetting. Stonyfield Farm fat free "chocolate underground" flavor. Oh. My. God.

This has been a Public Service Announcement.

R.I.P. Peter Murray, a.k.a. GingerBear. May your road be easy going for a six-inch bear, and may it be strewn with gumdrops.

Phineas recommends this one highly, as it had most satisfying results this afternoon.

1. Stand out of sight of your person and yowl loudly. (If you are normally a vocal cat, you will need to dig a little deeper for this trick. You are looking to convey a sense of direst emergency.) You may repeat this step as needed, but be sure to move on to step two immediately if you hear your person get up to see what ails you.
2. Execute a final yowl, but cut it short midway through. This is most effective if you can manage to end the final yowl with a desperate choked-off gasp.
3. While still out of sight of your person, quickly hide in a place where you can't be seen. You don't want to reveal yourself for any reason at this point, so be sure you use one of your best hiding places for this step.
4. Relax and enjoy the entertainment while your person searches frantically for you.
5. When you are bored with this game, wait until your person is looking in another room, then pose yourself in the middle of the hallway. Your person will appreciate the joke more if you prepare your best "I've been here all along" face.

(Don't hit me! That's beki's term for the nine channel managers, not mine!) Anyhow, I know some of the others are on my friends list. Have you seen this? channel service application for #callahans Were any of the other channel managers approached before it was submitted? (I wasn't, and I have actually been in channel a little more often since we got ourselved moved.)

Spotted in greendalek's journal: Lee Iacocca preaches it

I agree with most of what he says. There are people of all ages out there, fighting the good fight for the America we thought we knew, but there aren't nearly enough. One of my assignments to myself this year is to figure out what I personally am going to do about it.

It didn't take Phineas long to discover the nifty new sofa we got from a fellow Freecycler. Here is said sofa, about 10 minutes after we'd moved it out of the garage.

Seeing's how the Stumble! extension to Firefox is obviously going to waste every bit of time I've got to spare... see the very first page it found for me?