: sherwood.nu Blogger archives Archives

February 14, 2005

Even older entries now online

After importing my Greymatter entries, which date back to February 2002, I went to work on my Blogger posts.

I used Blogger from November 2001 into February 2002, back when sherwood.nu was hosted on Morgan's smalltownfreak server. I made the switch to Greymatter and Ben's server not long after he and I started dating.

I didn't have commenting set up back then, so there were no comments to import with my Blogger entries. That's probably a good thing, considering my Greymatter spam issues. I hope Movable Type alleviates those sorts of problems.

The next big project: Importing my November 2000 through March 2001 Web journal posts. These predate sherwood.nu, even, and were all created by hand in HTML. Hope it's not too hard to figure out.

Posted by Courtney_Sherwood at 08:09 AM | Comments (0)

February 19, 2002

Tuesday, February 19, 2002

When you're in the presence of Voltron Afghanistan seems a million light years away.

posted by Courtney Sherwood 8:44 AM

Posted by Courtney_Sherwood at 11:11 PM | Comments (0)

February 18, 2002

Earlier today, I

Earlier today, I almost posted a tribute to Jimmy Carter in honor of

Presidents' Day. But you see, I have this policy: I try to be at least moderately

interesting on this page.

So what should I put here, then? Maybe I should write

about Seattle, and how I went there this weekend. Or about Ben, except that I'm wary of

writing about other people; each person needs to tell his/her own life story. Or

about work, or the emergency room, or Portland, or the psychological barriers that a

river can create, or international email penpals, or rumors emanating from the midwest,

or strange wooden shrines in the woods, or how I haven't gotten a normal night's sleep in

a week.

But maybe it's more interesting to vaguely allude to some of the stuff

that's going on in my life, and leave the rest of it to your imagination. So here's your

assignment: take all of the elements from the preceding paragraph and weave them together

into a story in 500 words or less (or more). Email your story to

href="mailto:courtney@sherwood.nu">courtney@sherwood.nu by 5 p.m. Friday, and I'll

post the best submissions this weekend.

Posted by Courtney_Sherwood at 12:00 PM | Comments (0)

February 12, 2002

Posted by Courtney_Sherwood at 12:00 PM | Comments (0)

I am so

I am so happy.

Posted by Courtney_Sherwood at 12:00 PM | Comments (0)

February 04, 2002

There's this band

There's this band that I really like, Old

97's, and they have this song called "What we talk about." The song is a vignette, a

portrait of a not particularly pleasant late night moment. At one point in the song,

Rhett Miller sings "You're on holiday, on a bender, in a daze," and there's something in

his voice that always makes me want to go on a bender of my own. Total intoxication

suddenly seems like such a pure motive.

Days like today, I lust after those pure

moments of oblivion. "Days like today?" you ask. I guess things have been going too well

in my life lately. My body decided to teach me a lesson about enjoying myself, so late in

the day Saturday my face turned bright pink. Mmmm, there's nothing like a random rash

from out of nowhere to make a person's week, eh?

The pink is fading, and I think

it's time I got revenge on my body for turning against me with a serious drinking binge.

On the way home from work today, I picked up some vodka and Kahlua. I think it's time for

me to invoke my own moment of pure oblivion. Can we say "White Russian bender?" Well,

probably not. In the end, I don't think I have the stamina to become an alcoholic. Still,

you know what they say: A spoon full of vodka helps the allergy medicine go down. Time to

see if they know what they're talking about.

Posted by Courtney_Sherwood at 12:00 PM | Comments (0)

February 01, 2002

Rabbit rabbit. It's

Rabbit rabbit. It's February -- the month everyone loves to hate.

Posted by Courtney_Sherwood at 12:00 PM | Comments (0)

January 28, 2002

Finally, a web

Finally, a web site exists that answers a question that has been haunting me

night and day. Which is cooler: bunnies with

href="http://isweb21.infoseek.co.jp/animal/sokaisha/011101/011101.htm">leaves on their

heads or bunnies with

href="http://www.fsinet.or.jp/~sokaisha/rabbit/991004/991004.htm">pumpkins on their

heads? Or perhaps you'd like to look at all the

href="http://www.fsinet.or.jp/~sokaisha/rabbit/rabbit.htm">bunny options (in

Japanese) and choose for yourself. (Thanks Ben).

Posted by Courtney_Sherwood at 12:00 PM | Comments (0)

January 26, 2002

It's snowing! I've

It's snowing! I've been told that this is a rare thing in Portland. Right

now we have about a quarter of an inch on our balcony, and large flakes drifting past the

window in the street lights. I made three snowballs and put them in the freezer, to keep

as evidence. The past two weeks of my life have seemed surreal and dream-like, and the

snowballs testify to the reality of the moment.

Posted by Courtney_Sherwood at 12:00 PM | Comments (0)

January 25, 2002

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January 19, 2002

Posted by Courtney_Sherwood at 12:00 PM | Comments (0)

January 15, 2002

There are those

There are those who say that Texas is a nice place to live. Then there's

href="http://www.nytimes.com/2002 12:00:00/01/16/national/16DALL.html">this:

Last

year, a new state law reined in the use of unsupervised informers in drug prosecutions

after a case in which 12 percent of the black population of Tulia, Tex., was arrested,

mainly on the word of an undercover agent. Since last September, informers' testimony

must be corroborated by a police officer. But enforcement of that law by the courts is

spotty, said Richard Carrizales, another Dallas defense lawyer.

Fun.

Posted by Courtney_Sherwood at 12:00 PM | Comments (0)

January 14, 2002

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January 13, 2002

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January 10, 2002

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January 08, 2002

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January 07, 2002

I am taking

I am taking a class in news writing at Portland

State. It is raining. For much of this evening I've had Rolling Stones songs in my

head. I've been thinking about two of my new years resolutions: to gain greater

professional and personal satisfaction. I'm pursuing the one and too much of a coward to

do anything about the other.
Obituaries. For my class next week, I will have to write

an obituary of a classmate. Someone else will write my obituary. We will interview one

another.

Q: Where were you born?
A: Bangkok, Thailand.
Q: What is your cause

of death?
A: ...

I need to come up with my cause of death by next Monday. There

is something personally satisfying about declaring my own cause of death. Life and death

in newsprint: personals and obituaries. They share a peculiar affinity, no? Each is a

concise presentation of all the best things one person has (or had) to offer. At the same

time, they are the written incarnation of lust and decay. The future: my obituary. The

moment: my personal ad.

And then the phone rings.

Posted by Courtney_Sherwood at 12:00 PM | Comments (0)

January 01, 2002

I resolve:1. To

I resolve:
1. To attain a greater level of professional

satisfaction.
2. To give Portland at least a few more months.
3. To create

art.
4. To find new social outlets (via ... bowling, social activism, becoming a

regular somewhere, going to more shows, joining clubs, entering contests, etc).
5. To

hike at least once a month, even in the nasty rainy months. And even more when the

weather is nice.
6. To be bold in the pursuit of personal interests.
7. To try to

eat more fruits and vegetables and less toast (even though toast is indeed the ideal

food).
8. To never give up on living life to its fullest.

There are more, but

that ought to do it for now.

Posted by Courtney_Sherwood at 12:00 PM | Comments (0)

December 27, 2001

I am home

I am home for the holidays.

Home seems the same, but there are subtle

differences. The best student in the family is now my mother. Three of my brothers have

different hair (none of it natural). Two of them have different significant others (both

girls this time, both staying with us). The youngest brother seems pretty much unchanged,

but taller. There is one less cat and one more dog. And there are reminders of my

grandfather's and uncle's lives and deaths in many rooms. Still, the house is crowded and

alive.

My X-Mas letter will be going out today or tomorrow. Hold your breath, get

your hopes up, or don't.

Posted by Courtney_Sherwood at 12:00 PM | Comments (0)

December 21, 2001

Posted by Courtney_Sherwood at 12:00 PM | Comments (0)

December 18, 2001

According to the

According to the radio this morning, it needs to rain for three more days

for Portland to acheive a new "most consecutive rainy days" record. This will almost

certainly happen. It has rained every day for 32 days already.

Somehow, I thought

that eternal gray skies and constant rain were normal for the winter in this city. All

this rain seemed like a bit much, but I just told myself that natives have been dealing

with it their entire lives, and they've survived. But apparently I was wrong. Apparently

the deities of rain have decided to pour record-breaking levels of water all over the

place. Normal dismal weather is one thing, but abnormally dismal weather is too much.

Waaah.

Posted by Courtney_Sherwood at 12:00 PM | Comments (0)

December 16, 2001

Lord of the

Lord of the Rings kicks Harry Potter's ass.

Posted by Courtney_Sherwood at 12:00 PM | Comments (0)

December 07, 2001

Posted by Courtney_Sherwood at 12:00 PM | Comments (0)

December 04, 2001

Oh, I forgot

Oh, I forgot to mention: I wrote a

novel last month. It was a piece of crap. This month I intend to watch videos. (So

far: Invasion of the Body Snatchers, Little Shop of Horror, the Muppets Take Manhattan,

the Gay Divorcee). It's important to set goals.

I also intend to send out holiday

greetings to people, which I've never done before. Send me your address, if you dare, and

I'll send you a photo of myself emblazoned with a Yuletide greeting, and I might even

throw in a mass-produced letter to boot. Email:

href="mailto:courtney@sherwood.nu">courtney@sherwood.nu

Posted by Courtney_Sherwood at 12:00 PM | Comments (0)

December 01, 2001

Today is World

Today is World AIDS Day 2001.Twenty years after AIDS was first reported,

more than 60 million people have been infected with the virus. HIV/AIDS is now the

leading cause of death in sub-Saharan Africa. Worldwide, it is the fourth biggest killer.

November 30, 2001

Posted by Courtney_Sherwood at 12:00 PM | Comments (0)

November 28, 2001

Posted by Courtney_Sherwood at 12:00 PM | Comments (0)

November 25, 2001

Time Cube is

Time Cube is truth. Be

careful.

Think Cubic Creation or
Life

on Earth will perish from
it.

Education stupefies
humans.

Cubelessness is a human
evil,

negating human right to
live.

Ignoring Time Cube is Evil

Posted by Courtney_Sherwood at 12:00 PM | Comments (0)

November 23, 2001

Yesterday was about

Yesterday was about gluttony. The menu: Wassailed apple cider, sparkling

cider, coke, orange juice, water, veggies and ranch dip, fresh biscuits with honey and

butter, acorn squash stuffed with long grain and wild rice, garlic mashed potatoes,

quiche-like stuffing, candied yams with brown sugar and marshmallow goo, homemade

cranberry sauce, vegetarian gravy, pumpkin pie, ginger bread, Breyers vanilla ice cream,

Dreyers chocolate swirl ice cream, home made whipped cream. Also, there was wine but no

cork screw. And the meat eaters had a turkey.

Today is about restraint. It's

href="http://www.adbusters.org/campaigns/bnd/">Buy Nothing Day. Even if you can't

resist filling up your gas tank or buying that morning caffeine boost, take a minute to

think about the repercussions of rampant consumerism. Public officials have encouraged

Americans to shop to boost our economy. But how affordable is a shopping spree when most

of us are in debt and pitifully unprepared for encroaching retirement? How sustainable is

mass consumption in a world where resources are limited but population growth doesn't

seem to be? Who's behind the labels we

so blithely affiliate ourselves with, and what are the repurcussions of supporting these

corporations? Did you know that eco-friendly Tom's

of Maine is owned by Proctor & Gamble? That

the publisher Simon & Schuster is owned by

href="http://www.ibiblio.org/kevina/protest/">Viacom (parent company of Paramount,

UPN, MTV, CBS, Showtime, Blockbuster, VH1, TNN, Nichelodeon, CMT, etc). Perhaps these

uber-corporations are unavoidable for people who want to lead normal lives (or even just

watch Buffy). But by taking the day

off from shopping, we can take a symbolic stand and clear some time to think about what

really matters and what our actions really imply. Today is the busiest shopping day of

the year, and I intend to buy nothing.

Posted by Courtney_Sherwood at 12:00 PM | Comments (0)

November 18, 2001

13,172 words down,

13,172 words down, 36,828 to go in the next eleven days. At least I have a

good excuse for my online silence. I think I can I think I can I think I can. Choo choo.

Posted by Courtney_Sherwood at 12:00 PM | Comments (0)

November 12, 2001

Posted by Courtney_Sherwood at 12:00 PM | Comments (0)

November 11, 2001

So apparently I'm

So apparently I'm part of a

href="http://www.villagevoice.com/issues/0115/edlafarge.php">two hundred year old

movement with this book I'm writing. I had 6,808 words typed in when I did word count

last night. I've written another seven pages by hand since, so we can estimate about

8,700 words total.

In case you missed it somehow, this is all about

href="http://www.nanowrimo.com">NaNoWriMo (national novel writing month), a game and

a challenge to write a 50,000-plus word novel by the end of November

30th.

Originally, I was going to write about an obnoxious version of myself in a

warped version of my life. Instead, I'm telling the story of a fiddle playing man from

Kentucky who took a Greyhound west one day and ended up working at a ski resort in Iowa.

There's a love affair, there are suspicious deaths, there is lots of sex and drug use.

And almost everybody's name starts with the letter "J." The writing is crap and the plot

is poorly constructed, but I feel like this is one of the most interesting and inspired

things I've ever written.

Posted by Courtney_Sherwood at 12:00 PM | Comments (0)

November 07, 2001

We'll see what

We'll see what comes of this.

posted by Courtney Sherwood

href="2001_11_04_blogo.html#6957711">8:22 PM

Posted by Courtney_Sherwood at 12:00 PM | Comments (0)