Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas to everyone who visits this blog.

Well, this year we gave Santa Penguin, our family Christmas site, an overhaul. Mom has a new story up and Grandma Anne has some new sketches on it.

Enjoy!

Ugh, what a mess!

As you and others have noticed some highly unethical tactics have been used to desecrate what was once a beautiful place of learning and wonder...

These three things are at the core of you all have gone through.

First, remember that repentance is a decision. It is nothing less than a chosen course of action that must be pursued if any changes are to happen.
It takes a desire to do what is right to make such commitment. It also takes courage and tenacity to hold true to that promise.

Secondly, anything can(and often will) flourish with encouragement. Praise and flattery were used to gain power. Depredation was used to put down rivals. Power lust, and the resulting power struggle are at the centre of the conflict.

Thirdly, slander is a deed and a decision. It is an illusion must be sustained by continual effort if it is to have any permanancy. So it has been.

You know, when Mom would happily talk of roleplay, that roleplay would often include spelunking, explorers sharing the joy of discovery(neat discoveries!), penguins, a hat with "wizzzard" written on it in sequins, a carnivourous couch, and goodnatured laughter. At the heart of the matter was an abiding friendship shared by the team. Yes, there were moments when someone would act insesitively intentionally. Yes, there were moments when trolls would come the way of the explorers. However, humility, mutual respect and the explorers' concern for one another overcame many obstacles.

That is what I saw during those times I had joined in prior to the revolution-regression. I understood why my mother was so fond of so many of you and of the Community.

However, this scenario changed when several people the community looked to began to promote many attitudes and actions that, in time, undermined the nature of the Old Community.
These included promotion of self over friends(sister to 'looking out for number 1).

Thankfully, healing can in the form of from-the-heart apologies and from-the-heart forgiveness.
I call for a counter-revolution to be brought about by a deliberate choice to treat others well!

Forgiveness brings healing and apologies open the door. Do not ever forget that.

God save you all. I will pray for you and for the truth to be known.

The Great Tree of Possibilities

I was pondering the implication of the name "The Great Tree of Possibilities" again as I read my mother's Myst fanfiction Visitation.

You see, your average tree has a trunk from which all its branches spread. That trunk is essentially the visible starting point. Thus, the simile implies that all possibilites spring from one fact or one deed. What if that fact is based in more facts or that deed was caused by millions of others before it? When you reach the last of Tree's roots, what do you see? Those little tubers are in turn are in the soil. I think that soil is ultimately reality, truth.

I believe that even possibility must operate in firm fact.

As for how Ages come to be, I think that they probably come from the infinite mind of the Maker. Writers merely decribe places that either exist as possiblities or as fully functional worlds.

Is love worth the price?

Is caring about others worth the occasional(and sometimes not-so-occasional) grief that goes along with it?

Well, God seems to think so. God knows everything about everything; past, present, and future. He cannot be tricked. Consequently, He must have known that He would be betrayed by many of His creations. He also knew that the ones who stayed with Him would still grieve Him from time to time until sin is destroyed. He still chose to make them and to allow them to think for themselves.

Because of His choice to make angels and humans and give them free will, I know God values love and free will very highly indeed.

The sorrow that often pursues love can come from an unkind word or deed, from an accident, from losing a friend to something...

In spite of the pain, God still chooses to love His creatures. In spite of the pain, love still enriches a person's life in ways indescribable.

Treat your friends well. Make sure they know you care. You never know when you could lose them or how.

A small happy glowing thing...

...that was actually helpful during the power outage after Ernesto. It is a glass goblet made for the release of Lotr: Fellowship of the Ring.

My grandmother found this several days before Ernesto came. At the time, I just thought that its glow was just a pretty toy. However, that same glow made it possible for me to find it very easily in the dark.

In Memory of those who died on September 11 2001

God, please have mercy on the souls of those who died. Please also help us who still live to do what is right before You. You are why America was never taken over. You gave America her prosperity. You set a covenant before us, that if we would do what is right and seek Your will, then we would prosper.

My old Harry Potter theories - Some were right, Some were wrong

Here are some of my old theories from before book 6 and book 5.

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Here is a theory that was right.

1 2 3 4 3 2 1 Pattern

This theory goes like this: The full series of the books will sort of "mirror" each other.
This is the pattern:
1 2 3 4 3 2 1

The events in book five that caught my attention. Lupin's inability to get a job and the reason for it, interference from the Ministry of Magic that almost causes fatalities, and Snape's memory are all storylines that can trace their first appearances to Prisoner of Azkaban.

Therefore, book five - book 3

Book six explained much of Voldemort's history and appears to have sort of resolved Ginny's crush on Harry.

Therefore book 6 - book 2

We know that book seven is likely to tie up many loose ends present in book one since they are the first and last books in the series.

Therefore, book one - book seven
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If you've read the book, then you know whether this was right or not. If you haven't, well... I don't want to spoil it for you.

Prior to book 6 I had thought that Voldemort was actually a member of some obscure branch of the Black clan because of some descriptional similarities and the fact that most of the Blacks identified heavily with Slytherin and with what most wizards considered evil magic...

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Now for something completely unconfirmed...

I think that Jo probably does show some national pride with the names of her characters as well as an excellent knowledge of old beliefs. I was reading Scotland: A Concise History one afternoon when I found two names that could also give us a little back story . I hope you find them interesting too.


The Headmaster of Hogwart’s name has many connotations. It is his first name that especially interests me. Not only does it mean ‘white’ in Latin, Albus could be a variant of Alba or Alban. Both were old names for Scotland used during the early middle ages. At the time it many folks called Scotland Albania.


Grawp:

This guy’s name was trickier. In both cases you had to sound out the old name from the name on which it may be based. It could have been based on Mons Graupius, a small mountain in eastern Scotland. Mons Graupius was the site of a major battle between the Roman army, which was led by Agricola at the time, and the Caledonians, who were led by their chief Calgacus.

It may be a bit of a stretch but his name could have also come from the Grampian mountain range. That range and the forest around it were often used against the Romans in guerrilla warfare. I suggest this because, in the story, there had been giants in Britain( and probably in Scotland) who’d mostly died out. Due to their own violent ways, they posed many problems to wizards trying to live in or near the mountains. Can you imagine giants trying to live and hunt near Hogwarts? If there had been a tribe of them near the school, over time the various headmasters of the school could have chased them away or set up numerous precautions against the giants. Once these things started to happen, the surviving giants could have migrated south, thus explaining why Hagrid and Maxime had to head through France to find them and why Dumbledore was saying that British wizards had been harsh upon giants.
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Three Fun Character Quizzes - and some Thoughts

Well, here are some more fun quizzes.

You scored as Goofy. Your alter ego is Goofy! You are fun and great to be around, and you are always willing to help others. You arn't worried about embarrassing yourself, so you are one who is more willing to try new things. Goofy 69% The Beast 63% Peter Pan 63% Ariel 56% Cinderella 56% Pinocchio 56% Donald Duck 50% Sleeping Beauty 31% Snow White 19% Cruella De Ville 19% Which Disney Character is your Alter Ego? created with QuizFarm.com

I have always liked Goofy. Unlike Donald Duck, he doesn't throw tantrums or stay mad at any of the other characters in the cartoon. He is usually very nice to everyone. He was like that in Kingdom Hearts, too. He kept the team together by helping his friends past their quarrels. That totally made made the tone of the game, having him act like that. I think that more than once he behaved that way in the original Disney cartoons, too.

You scored as Congrats you're a Jedi. Hey, you're a Jedi! May the force be with you. Congrats you're a Jedi 92% You are an enemy of the Jedi (and the Rebel alliance) 42% No way are you a Jedi. 33% Are you a Jedi? created with QuizFarm.com

You scored as Sirius Black. You are a gifted wizard and very loyal to your allegiance. Whilst you have a big heart and care very much about those around you, you can be a little arrogant and reckless at times. Sirius Black 85% Albus Dumbledore 80% Harry Potter 75% Ron Weasley 70% Remus Lupin 65% Ginny Weasley 60% Hermione Granger 55% Severus Snape 55% Draco Malfoy 45% Lord Voldemort 40% Your Harry Potter Alter Ego Is...? created with QuizFarm.com

When Sirius isn't fighting with Severus Snape, he can be a lot of fun. Snape appears to really draw Sirius's worst tendencies obtrusively in to the open. It is such a shame that they fight, especially since if they could get along they could accomplish some pretty impressive magical feats.

I wonder if Snape isn't an Animagus too. After all, it looked like he and the Maurauders kept close tabs on each other. They appeared to learn spells from fighting each other. Perhaps he turns into a cat or into another dog. I can just see him turning into a skinny black cat with a bad attitude and a distinct lack of loyalty. However, cats and dogs can get along nicely. They can even become friends - in some cases.

This brings to mind some other possiblities. For example, Pettigrew was not happy about becoming Snape's butler. In fact, Pettigrew always seems nervous around Snape. In Snape's worst memory, I was surprised that Pettigrew did not really do more than laugh nervously at Snape's predicament. Pettigrew is a rat Animagus. If Snape turns into a cat, then that would explain a lot concerning Snape's character.

Princess

It is a very happy occurance when something just comes together. Such was the case with this picture. I am especially happy with how her pose came out.



For those who use Poser, I want you to know that everything in this picture except for her pose can be obtained easily for free.

The girl is Sara, a free toon character available at the Daz forums. Her dress and the background are from The Sara Project, which is a place you really should visit even if you don't intend to use Sara. They've got lots of free props. Her hair was made by Kozaburo. The tiara she is wearing is from RuntimeDNA. Her fan was made by PhilC.

A Brace of Quizzes

Well, I found a couple of quizzes.

You Are Midnight

You are more than a little eccentric, and you're apt to keep very unusual habits. Whether you're a nightowl, living in a commune, or taking a vow of silence - you like to experiment with your lifestyle. Expressing your individuality is important to you, and you often lie awake in bed thinking about the world and your place in it. You enjoy staying home, but that doesn't mean you're a hermit. You also appreciate quality time with family and close friends.

What Time Of Day Are You?

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Your Brain's Pattern

Your brain is always looking for the connections in life. You always amaze your friends by figuring out things first. You're also good at connecting people - and often play match maker. You see the world in fluid, flexible terms. Nothing is black or white.

What Pattern Is Your Brain?

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Errr, not really. But I liked how fractal-ly that purple pattern looks.

Textures for Sione's Tunic and Transmaps for it and for Sione's Half pants :)

Well, right now, in the Daz forums there is a thread discussing some new free clothes for Aiko 3. These consist of a blouse, a pair of halfpants, a short dress, a an object called a tukui, and a carnation. Here is the link to the freebies if you don't have an account at Daz(hint: you don't have to buy a thing to have one). Please keep in mind that you may have to lower your cookie protection level and the level of you ad blocker somewhat in order to download Sione's stuff, so please use a little care as to what else you have up in a browser at the same time.

I really liked the blouse and since noone had made any textures for it except for the tunic's maker, I decided to make a new texture for it. :D

Here is what I did. This was rendered and tested in Poser6.

I would like to thank Bice for sharing the fabric tiles I used and I would like to thank Sione for sharing such neat outfits with fellow Poser users.




Make sure that when you use the lace texture for the halfpants that both the falloff and the edge are set to zero so that the rest of the pants remain visible.

Tunic Map


Lace Sleeves


Lace Edge for the Halfpants

Welcome

Welcome to my shiny new blog, however you found this place.