I Am Honored

Totally Irrelevant at www.totallyirrelevant.com found my tee-shirt design (above) worthy of inclusion on their website. They (he? she?) write or attach poignant essays to tee-shirt designs as they are inspired to. The essays are so well-written and compelling that I am honored, despite the essay not being relevant to motorcycling. But, the name of the site considered, what would I expect? Totally Irrelevant, you made my day! Thank you.

Visit the site and read a while! Good stuff there.

Alice Lake

My daughter-in-law did an ancestry search and found the following record of my great (x10) grandmother Alice:

Mrs. Alice Lake. Born about 1610 Childwell, Riverpool, Lancester, England. Died June 05, 1648 in Dorcester Massachusetts.

In about 1651, near modern-day Boston, Alice Lake, a mother of five, lost her baby to death. After her baby died, she imagined she saw the baby. Because of that, she was accused and convicted of being a witch, and she was executed. The claim in the town of Dorchester, MA, was that the devil was coming to her in the form of her deceased, beloved child. Records are scant, but they show she had an opportunity to recant her story on the day of her execution and possibly to save her life. She did not recant her story, but she said she knew why God was punishing her: She had engaged in sex prior to marriage, become pregnant, and attempted a self-abortion. She was ruled by two strong, womanly pulls -- guilt and grief.

In the early part of the 20th century, Alice had a descendant who was a medical doctor who spent many years researching her story and trying to track her descendants. This man described Alice's story best:

"Here is a penitent, broken hearted, submissive woman, laying bare the greatest secret of her bosom, asking forgiveness; yet the damnable tactics of the fanatical Christian Church string her up like a miserable tramp."

There is a site on the 'net that considers the sexual implications of the "witch charges." It is not a site intended for children, but in light of that fact that Alice Lake confessed sexual "crimes" in what may have been a confession attempting to save her life, the point of view of the article is worth considering.

I spent the better part of six months trying to figure out Alice's story, and in the end I had no definite answers. The records of her trial are lost; Alice can be seen only in traces and reflections. There is no known record of her from when she still lived. The first the records to show she lived was after she was dead, when the townsmen were trying to figure out what to do with Alice's children since she was dead and her husband had fled. Like most of the women accused of witchcraft, Alice was not well off financially; in today's world, she and her husband would be described as "poor, working class." She was a married woman with at least five children, all presumably fathered by her only known husband, Henry Lake. In 1651, those children would have been a girl about ten, a boy about seven, a boy about five, a child about three who likely was a boy, and an infant. Alice's year of birth is unknown, but because of the ages of her children, she was likely about 30. Like most working class women of the time, she would have worked from sun up till sun down, and likely even after sun down by the light of the hearth fire and by the light of candles she had likely made. She had no conveniences and two little children who would still have been soiling themselves. If she had siblings, parents, or other relatives where she was living, no researcher to date has found them. She carried with her the Puritanical guilt of having had sexual intercourse before marriage, a guilt further complicated because she became pregnant before marriage. Then her youngest baby died.

After her baby died, she told people she saw the baby. Maybe she did. Others who have not been judged insane or witches have claimed to see dead people: Look at the Christian religion. Or, maybe she grieved so much that her mind allowed her to imagine that she saw her baby to ease her grief. Or, maybe she knew she did not see her baby, but claimed she did so as to have something to hold onto. As painful as the death of a loved one is, most recognize a mother's loss of her baby as a special loss. In Alice's case, that grief was compounded because -- while she had lost her youngest baby to a death she did not want -- she knew she had attempted to cause death to one of her other children by attempting an abortion. [From the earliest comment about this self-attempted abortion, it appears she did not succeed with the abortion.]

The Reverend John Hale had been a young boy when Alice was executed. He went on to graduate from Harvard and became a minister. He supported the witch trials until the witch hunters came after his pregnant wife, the last woman accused of witchcraft in Salem in Nov. 1692. The Rev. Hale wrote the following (about Alice?) in 1697:

Another that suffered on that account some time after was a Dorchester Woman. And upon the day of her Execution Mr. Thompson Minister at Brantry, and J.P. her former Master took pains with her to bring her to repentance. And she utterly denyed her guilt of Witchcraft; yet justifyed God for bringing her to that punishment: For she had when a single woman played the harlot, and being with Child used means to destroy the fruit of her body to conceal her sin & shame, and although she did not effect it, yet she was a Murderer in the sight of God for her endeavours, and showed great penitency for that sin; but owned nothing of the crime laid to her charge.

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And the voices that brought this sort of thing to happen back then are still with us today. Of course, not every community church is this fanatical, nor is this level of fanaticism anything but a shrill voice of a small minority. But, I am led to wonder about the people then, who rallied and supported the church in the witch-hunts of the day. Who attended the executions and threw stones. Were they driven of their own fear and hatred to burn somebody alive? Or were they led to it by the authoritarians of the church who used this tactic to bolster their power and authority? Did the men who carried out these abominations truly believe in it? Were they revelling in their power? What about the local politicians who allowed it and accepted the bolstering of their own authority by it? Are we any different today? The loud voice of the fanatical minority is always there to be used by the power-hungry, to influence the indifferent and the frightened, and would gladly sacrifice pawns of today in their quest for more power. Toys and fashion change with time, but does human nature?

In Loving Memory of Alice, I swear to always question the voice of authority, to deny the shrill voice of the puritanical fanatic, and to look more sharply at who's doing the pointing than who's being pointed at.

Zombie

"Zombie," (Cranberries) below is a powerful "rock anthem" composition, equal to any. It speaks to the blind focus that drives those who've devoted themselves to the call for war. Those who've been propelled by the snow-balling monster of vengeance that's been set in motion by forces far away from their homes, as seems to be the usual case. The call to war did not eminate from my neighborhood, it didn't start with my town council. Not from my mayor. The call for war always starts from far away, and serves the purposes of far away. And, far away always seems to be in a Green Zone, insulated from the effects of the monster far away has itself created. Though not insulated from the profit$ of it. I saw no change in my neighborhood from beginning to end of war, except for a couple of guys not coming home.

Cranberries - Zombie

"Leaders of the Free World" reminded me of this song, a great song, dig it.

VV Music Review - Elbow

I wouldn't review if it I didn't love it. I love it. It's complex, moody, full and captivating. Nothing but good to say. The bass-line in here is so grooving it nulls the pain of its goodness in its transportational force-wave essence.

I just came from streaming "Leaders of the Free World parts 1-8." If you like complex rhythms from the rock-opera poetic instramentalist deep end, a visually-stimulating soundtrack you can run in the background of your own headphoned, creative endeavor, or pay close attention to, driving you to live up to the excellence of your contemporaries, Elbow composes rock music. VV recommends giving Parts 1-8 (on Youtube) a listen/view on Youtube. Below are samples, it was a difficult choice of what to put up as samples, but if you like them, you'll like the rest.

Rated: A. Buy the CD.

At least watch "Leaders of the Free World Part 4," ...and 2... and 8... and 2! 2 is awesome, too!

She does go through it all like the prow of a ship. propelled by forces, putting her head down and cutting through the waves.

Elbow

Tom Waits, King Crimson, Eels. Shake. Pour.

Elbow - Leaders Of The Free World

Great song. Installed on my soundtrack.

Samuel Clemens, 1910

Apparently Clemens' word is eternal, too.

Victory of the Loud Little Handful
by Mark Twain


The loud little handful - as usual - will shout for
the war. The pulpit will - warily and cautiously -
object... at first. The great, big, dull bulk of the
nation will rub its sleepy eyes and try to make out
why there should be a war, and will say, earnestly and
indignantly, "It is unjust and dishonorable, and there
is no necessity for it."

Then the handful will shout louder. A few fair men on
the other side will argue and reason against the war
with speech and pen, and at first will have a hearing
and be applauded, but it will not last long; those
others will outshout them, and presently the antiwar
audiences will thin out and lose popularity.

Before long, you will see this curious thing: the
speakers stoned from the platform, and free speech
strangled by hordes of furious men...

Next the statesmen will invent cheap lies, putting the
blame upon the nation that is attacked, and every man
will be glad of those conscience-soothing falsities,
and will diligently study them, and refuse to examine
any refutations of them; and thus he will by and by
convince himself that the war is just, and will thank
God for the better sleep he enjoys after this process
of grotesque self-deception.

Mark Twain, "The Mysterious Stranger" (1910)

Dr. Laura Advice Letter

I received the following in an anonymous email back in '04. I know that sharing it now, two years later, is not an abomination, for God's word is eternal.

The original, unedited text:

Laura Schlesinger is a US radio personality who dispenses advice
to people who call in to her show. Recently she said that, as an
observant orthodox Jew, homosexuality is an abomination
according to Leviticus 18:22 and cannot be condoned under any
circumstance. The following response is an open letter to Dr.
Laura, penned by a US resident, which was posted on the
Internet.

Dear Dr. Laura:

Thank you for doing so much to educate people regarding God's
law. I have learned a great deal from your show and try to share
that knowledge with as many people as I can. When someone
tries to defend the homosexual lifestyle, for example, I simply
remind them that Leviticus 18:22 clearly states it to be an
abomination - end of debate.

I do need some advice from you, however, regarding some other
elements of God's laws and how to follow them.

1. Leviticus 25:44 states that I may possess slaves, both male
and female, provided they are purchased from neighboring
nations. A friend of mine claims that this applies to Mexicans
but not Canadians. Can you clarify? Why can't I own
Canadians?

2. I would like to sell my daughter into slavery, as sanctioned in
Exodus 21:7. In this day and age, what do you think would be a
fair price for her?

3. I know that I am allowed no contact with a woman while she is
in her period of menstrual uncleanliness - Lev.15: 19-24. The
problem is, how do I tell? I have tried asking but most women
take offense.

4. When I burn a bull on the altar as a sacrifice, I know it creates
a pleasing odor for the Lord - Lev.1:9. The problem is with my
neighbors. They claim the odor is not pleasing to them. Should I
smite them?

5. I have a neighbor who insists on working on the Sabbath.
Exodus 35:2. clearly states he should be put to death. Am I
morally obligated to kill him myself, or should I ask the police to
do it?

6. A friend of mine feels that even though eating shellfish is an
abomination - Lev. 11:10 - it is a lesser abomination than
homosexuality. I don't agree. Can you settle this? Are there
'degrees' of abomination?

7. Lev. 21:20 states that I may not approach the altar of God
if I have a defect in my sight. I have to admit that I wear
reading glasses. Does my vision have to be 20/20, or is there
some wiggle-room here?

8. Most of my male friends get their hair trimmed, including the
hair around their temples, even though this is expressly
forbidden by Lev.19:27. How should they die?

9. I know from Lev. 11:6-8 that touching the skin of a dead pig
makes me unclean, but may I still play football if I wear gloves?

10. My uncle has a farm. He violates Lev.19:19 by planting two
different crops in the same field, as does his wife by wearing
garments made of two different kinds of thread (cotton/polyester
blend). He also tends to curse and blaspheme a lot. Is it really
necessary that we go to all the trouble of getting the whole town
together to stone them? - Lev.24:10-16. Couldn't we just burn
them to death at a private family affair, as we do with people
who sleep with their in-laws? - Lev. 20:14.


I know you have studied these things extensively and thus
enjoy considerable expertise in such matters, so I am
confident you can help.

Thank you again for reminding us that God's word is eternal
and unchanging.

Your adoring fan,
(name withheld)

Motorcyclone-4

Four of them done, and available for prints, etc, at the cafepress store. For a mere $20 plus the regular price of the product, your bike (with you on it) can replace the bike in the image. It can also say whatever you want it to say. Contact: vicevoices@yahoo.com.

Beautiful Machine

Found this photo while looking for photos to make the bike in "Motorcyclone-1," and thought I'd share. It's by Tony Cenzi Customs, more of their work can be seen here. It's a work of art, and WHEN I can afford one...

Harry Nilsson sings Coconut

Hey Doug Hoeffler! You out there? Did I spell your name right? It's been about 20 years, drop me a line!

Proud Moments

Jules' portfolio submission for job character-designing with Grandpa. He's getting a handle on the show-style, and may just get the job! (If not for those pesky child-labor laws!) (The character is "Dada.") Can a Grandpa be any prouder? Nope!


This morning Jules got up too early and wanted to watch his Grandpa's cartoon! Can a Grandpa be any prouder? Nope!

Motorcyclone-1

Goofing around with photoshop. Mirrored the background horizontally (so the funnels would fit with the direction of exhaust pipes), then extended it to the right and down (copy paste, move, blend). The bike was "constructed" from photos of 3 different bikes, plus a part or two. Duped and extended the funnel clouds (to make two funnels) to connect with the exhaust pipes. Airbrushed, blended, and face hidden in cloud. First of a series, more Motorcyclones are forecast for this storm season.

original photo credit - Steven Maciejewski

The Monkees - Randy Scouse Git

Dusty Springfield - Can I Get A Witness

1964

Barry McGuire - Eve Of Destruction

Cat Stevens -

"Matthew & Son"

Harry Nilsson - Everybody's Talking