more post-Arisia, bit by bit, and a challenge

One of the things I did at Arisa was help with the Fast Track sessions (kids 6-12ish). Never mind that one of those little plague carriers was probably the one who got me sick, they were bright, energetic, mostly-adorable kids, and great fun to be around for short periods of time. *grin*

(kids of fandom are great not because they're naturally any smarter or cuter than everyone else's kids, but because they have no fear. None. They know it's okay to act out their dreams, wear weird costumes, do things that aren't mainstream, etc. The trick is to make sure they know how to pass when they have to, too.)

Anyway, one of the tracks I participated in was the haiku/scifiku session, which ended up being one of my favorites, because everyone really got into it (including one youngster who has a real future as a political satirist waiting, if his parents aren't careful). And I promised I would post my results and so here they are.

1. example of the nature-based haiku:

child climbs
old tree leaves falling
eats apple

(some discission on the pronunciation of 'child' having one or two sounds...after some consideration the judges let my eastern seaboard 'chi-uld' pass)

2. example of senryu, the social-based haiku (observation of people around you, also including humor):

no music playing
our emcee madly stalling
that entrant scratches

3. example of scifiku (Geoffrey and I were challenged with specific phrases -- mine was "transport beam")

Safe they say
all right beam me up
he's dead, jim

(not inspired, but the material and time was limited)


So, here's a challenge, assuming you've gotten this far. Don't let yourself be outdone by a bunch of 6-12 year olds! Drop and gimmie 17 syllables of a genre topic....

EtA: hah. wusses.....

a pause to smooch...

Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT) and his voting-bloc, and all of us citizen-voters who stood up and shouted and got the bloc formed to say not just no but HELL NO to the FISA Amendments Act of 2007, which would have given amnesty to the telcoms for their part in Bush's "wiretapping without warrants" gig.

It ain't over yet, not by a long shot, but we just proved that yes, we-the-People do have the power to be heard, and to get our Senators to respond to our will. Sometimes, the system actually does work.

I am pleased to say that all of my Senators, from NJ, CT and NY, voted nay [except Ole Joe, who had the decency to get the hell out of DC and not cast a vote].

Also, kudos to Senators Clinton and Obama, who both got off the campaign trail to come back to vote Nay. McCain did not cast a vote. Spineless, or scared of what might be revealed if the lawsuits go forward? Anybody's guess...

If your senator voted Yea, feel free to kick them. Hard.

http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=110&session=2&vote=00003

Previous post on the topic: http://suricattus.livejournal.com/809371.html


*disappears back into the madness of packing, client-work, and writing...*