The Portrait of Zool

I found The Way to Love by Anthony deMello a most insightful and rewarding read. His other books, most notably Awareness, I also found to be excellent.

Well, do have fun - and hope to see you dropping by when you can.

I went to see War of the Worlds as well, and I also liked it. Yes, it did have plot holes, but I think this has much more to do with the modern restrictions of the medium than thoughtlessness on the part of the makers. Making a movie can be a very impure thing, balancing such things as budget, story, limitations of movie technology, and story elements added to give more general audience 'appeal'. For example, it is highly unlikely the EMP stopped all the cars by burning out the selonoid. Instead it is far more likely such an EMP would have damaged the delicate CPU and control circuitry. However, to keep the story moving, and show more devestation and move the scenery, they had to give the lead character a car, so they wrote in something easier to fix knowing that most people wouldn't know the difference. Yes, some electronics were still shown as operative, however there is such a thing as EMP hardened electronics, developed for the govnmt in case of nuclear attack. Also, vacume tube technology is not effected by EMP, though I spose that's moot. In any case, it is highly unlikely that general civilians would have EMP hardened equipment, but important to the story is the (nearly) complete cessation of all our machines and services, and to move the story he still had to be shown things and be able to move around the country, so the writer had to give him a car (which was shown to great effect when the mob attacked him for it) and he needed irrefutable information of the otherworldly activation of the tripods and their numbers, which video filled the bill. With all that in mind, what struck me as an even greater bow to showing as much story as possible for the audiences benefit was how the lead character reacted to the initial tripod emergence. Because the story is being told from his perspective, every time something happened, he would run back a few feet and then turn around to see the next thing happen. Quite frankly, by the time that thing emerged there would be miles between it and me, because as soon as the street started to split apart I would be moving as fast in the other direction as I could possibly muster. So would most people, I think - nature can be so unforgiving to the slow witted. But these are the kinds of concessions made to telling a story though the camera. What I liked about it was definitely all the modern day Godzilla type destruction and also I thought the tripods and aliens were remarkably wrought. There were some very strong scenes, such as the 'Not my blood' scene Zadown mentioned and the scene where he was seperated from his son. In all, the film definitely takes you to a dark, dark place, but in the end brings you back again - perhaps too suddenly for some people, but the more time given to the resolution, the less time for the hopelessness that is the original premise - yet another compromise for the society that likes it's entertainment in two hour chunks.

We at the Pen love to write. That's pretty much what we all have in common here, and why the Pen came to be in the first place. Drama, comedy, fantasy, horror, and yes, love too, are all common themes in the countles tales spun by our esteemed members. Recently the poem "I Love You" by one of our most highly esteemed members drew out some controversey, and several of us Pennites believe this is worth following up: Love is universally central to many writing plots and themes, as well as humanity itself, so any insights we can garner as a group on the subject, or even into our own psyches, could only benefit our writing. Please leave your thoughts on the poem and/or on love itself, so we can all share and discuss. And as with any discussion, please always be respectful. (P.S. ...and a big thanks to Salinye for letting me steal her thunder! )

Woo-hoo! :woot: A new Aardvark story! Hilarious, as usual - except for that poor fool who got crossed off the list. *Checks self to make sure he doesn't live at a university...*

I really appreciate this. I'm not going to get into the mechanics of it because I think it expresses itself quite well. What struck me about "I Love You" is that it's not about love at all, of course, but reveals from the opening stanza the inconsistancy and even hypocrisy of the use of the word "love", and also how poeple's insistance that they are using the word correctly when they are not has become a kind of enforced irrationality in society. Truly, one cannot "understand" being constantly shown a hand grenade and told it's an apple. Each stanza in turn shows another aspect of what we call love, such as neediness, vapid sentimentality, animal desire, unconscious and thinly disguised demands and self-securing manipulations. These are not love. In order to truly love, you must not need the other, because the need will always distort perception and generate manipulation to get (or keep) what you need. How can you love what you cannot even percieve correctly? How can you love what you manipulate? Truly it is an epic misunderstanding laid bare. Good Job Wyvern. Very well done.

Happy B-day Nyyark! I'd bake you a cake and write you a poem, but I can't cook (unless someone knows how to BBQ a cake) and that doesn't rhyme, so...

LOL! You sure got the character right! Thanks for the gift, I really appreciate it.

Zool blinked in surprise. His face clouded for a moment, and with a grumble of resignation he tore out the good-for-nothing anti-birthday-thread ward and threw it away. "Durned thing didn't work any better last year!" Breaking into a delightful grin Zool decided to go with the flow. "All right, if you want a show, what is with that disco music?" With a wave of his silver walking stick the thudding disco music was replaced with the live sounds of Cibo Matto and the Beastie Boys, and the Museum custodian MC was recostumed in sequined vest, New wave glasses and hairdo, and a sparkling smile. The hall was filled with an aggressive synth squeal that rose quickly to dissolve into a punchy rolling beat backed with a brassy space melody. The MC smiled at the spotlight and began to strut the stage, singing; (Sung (loosely) to the first verse of "Sci-fi Wasabi" by Cibo Matto) "Whass up Z? Wha-2-be? We're searchin' the Keep, which date to keep Sticks, or colors, or Master's winks We all know that love is a panacea is picture-perfect love a-waitin' for ya? or in the Cabaret room could it be doom? Is it a Wyvern scheme or just a bad dream? Your heart, is hung, your hands, are wrung You never had a chance, now you take a chance Go on and choose, (you lose!) to draw your fate Are your friends your enemies? Try to break out of inanity Ain't no analogy for individuality, break into insanity That's how you do it, you are your harmony Now choose her identity!" At that moment the music ended as the MC swung the Mic in Zool's direction and the spotlights all centered on the Portrait. All Zool could see beyond the glare of the lights, and the three paintings he was to choose from, was darkness. Then he heard someone in the audience drop a pin. A painted drop of sweat slowly swung down the curve of his nose and off the tip... ...and then Sweet showed up. The entire Cabaret was held in suspense as she introduced herself. Unable to get a word in edgewise, Zool acquiesced when food was mentioned. Delighted with the birthday cake, he cut a slice and found it delicious! Ahh, saved by the cake... at least for the moment! *edited for fun :woot: *

ROFL!

Only somewhat taken aback at his warm welcome, Panther takes heart and takes a closer look at his surroundings. Overstuffed filecabinets, irregularly piled furniture and a blizzard of papers were mixed liberally with the detritus of hundreds of Wyvern's failed money-making schemes. Lord Panther looked with bemusement at random drawings scattered on the floor including plans to manufacture and sell business suits made of recycled trash, skunk-drawn carriages, and a restaurant featuring "31 types of imported air" (Wyvern had particularly high hopes for that one). Each also had a large black 'X' drawn through it, leading Panther to conclude correctly they had all turned out to be unmitigated disasters. He noticed off in one corner apart from everything else was a broom, looking like it had seen a lot of use at one time it was now idle, covered with cob webs and thick dust. On one wall stood a large painting, so large Panther was surprised he had not noticed it when he had first come in, though of course he had been busy making his application and all. It was a full standing portrait of a man dressed in black leather trimmed in red, with a huge mane of jet-black hair swooping up from his head to a flamboyant curl. Over his arm hung what looked like a boneless featherless chicken, while his other arm sported a silver handled walking stick. The painting looked back at him. Panther looked back at the painting, his neck hairs beginning to prickle. He nearly leaped out of his seat when the figure in the painting bowed towards him, but through battle hardened instincts showed hardly any outward sign at all. "Lord Panther," said the painting as he made his bow. "Pardon me, but I couldn't help from my vantage point but read your application as you wrote it. Allow me to introduce myself. I am the Portrait of Zool, a fixture here at the Pen, also formerly of Terra old. Your reputation does proceed you, you will find, by those with firsthand knowledge of the legends of Terra old and The Legion of the White Rose. I am pleased to at last make your acquaintance, and hope your wandering does find respite here in the Keep of the Pen is Mightier than the Sword. Welcome."

LOL! *SLAP!*

Bitch-Slap You are 42% Rational, 14% Extroverted, 71% Brutal, and 42% Arrogant. You are the Bitch-Slap, the hallmark response of any abusive husband! You are more intuitive than others, focusing more on feelings than rational explanations, and you are also probably very brutual because you care more about yourself than the well-being of others. As most of us know, brutality combined with emotion often leads to BITCH-SLAPPING, which is why you are called "The Bitch Slap". (This does not mean you are emotional, only that you are more affected by emotions than rationality when making decisions.) Another trait you possess is that you are very humble, which could mean you are insecure because very few people are brutal AND humble. Not only that, but you are also rather introverted, and any tendencies towards brutality you possess may also result from the fact that you bottle up your emotions and don't show them to others until you explode in rage. Most likely, however, you are not a VIOLENT person, just someone who is rather selfish. At any rate, being a bitch-slap does not necessarily mean you will abuse your spouse; it only means you are rather intuitive, uncaring toward others, brutal, introverted, and possibly insecure. To put it less negatively: 1. You are more INTUITIVE than rational. 2. You are more INTROVERTED than extroverted. 3. You are more BRUTAL than gentle. 4. You are more HUMBLE than arrogant. Compatibility: Your exact opposite is the Braggart. Other personalities you would probably get along with are the Schoolyard Bully, the Class Clown, and the Brute. Well that certainly explains a lot....

*Zool chuckles at the result of Wyvern's failure to heed Gyrfalcon's warning. One day he would find out that Gyr really had everyone's, including Wyvern's, best interests at heart when he made those rules.* "Yes," spoke the portrait of Zool from his quiet perch on the wall, "Congratulations to you all. Your promotions are certainly deserved."

An interesting para-physics subject is Quantum Metaphysics. This might seem a little off topic, but once one starts to contemplate alternative views of physics one could start to explain other odd things like Presentiment or Quantum Teleportation or even consciousness itself. It is an exciting age to be in when science is able to peer into the abyss of questions previously reserved for the mystics, and actually begin to see through the blackness...

The Portrait of Zool momentarily pops to life long enough to point out the set of tire tread marks across his canvas. "Definitely amoung equals it's every portrait for himself. When we can turn the other cheek with all, then I will be impressed."

Good catch on the typo Master P. Thanks.

The night falls like an unveilling of cosmic wonder and delight The sunlight that guides our days dissolving letting the infinite out Only then can we see released from our frenetic days and time imprisoned ways how we burn so bright yet so short Like a falling star out of destiny and into fate

OOC: In general, using someone elses familiar is tantamount to RPing their character. If in doubt, PM the author whose familiar you want to use and ask/coordinate with him/her. As for using someone elses head, that depends on the extent of use. Again, to be safe it is best to PM the involved person beforehand.

Hugtackle - boisterous, exuberant, affectionate and energetic emotive greeting, usually with a running head start (See Flying Hugtackle). Carp - Smelly slippery instrument of choice by Mods against unruly posters. A holdover from the ancient AMUBB, first seen by this poster from Tzimfemme and Gyrfalcon. Also a sometimes Familiar of Tzimfemme.

Ah, you've saved me a spot, how nice! Been waiting to find time to write something worthwhile, but availiabel time just aint letting it happen. Perhaps I can do something after you have written your piece. So, apologies, and sign me up coach!

That depends. Anything can be done to excess. Otherwise, I would call it a productive outlet with benefits that will often bleed into other ares, such as creating new friendships, developing concentration and intellectual accuity, as well as just making life more interesting, thus inspiring someone to be more active all around. On the other hand, anything can be done to excess, which is a different kind of inspiration...

Great story! That is a tough word limit, I must agree.

"Make way! Make way! Zool coming through!" Grimmael, sweating profusely under his heavy load, was making one of The Portrait of Zool's frequent moves, the life size portrait dwarfing his faithful servant's half shrunken form. Zool had demanded he be moved from the Grand Entrance Hall back to the pantry through the kitchen where he sometimes got the urge to hang, sometimes for days at a time, so he could look upon and dream about all manner of food, which he used to eat regularly back when he had a body. "Make way!" Zool called again with self-important urgency in his voice. Grimmael's view was almost totally blocked by the giant painting. "Zool coming throooaaaAAAAGGH!!" Just then the strained servant stepped on a winged globe that had been left rolling on the floor, shooting the globe one way as servant and painting went spinning in two other directions. *CRASH! BANG BANG BANG! OOF!! ACK!!* Conservatory guests ran to aid the fallen man. Fortunately, there was a small eating area off to one side of the Conservatory, and Grimmael had broken his fall on a table, two place settings of Hai Chow china, and two chairs, only one of them occupied. "Are you okay? Are you all right?" asked the concerned onlookers. Belchfire started to answer that he was a bit perturbed to be wearing his $28.95 Chicken Viscus entree, but was cut off when he was pushed aside by a dozen arms reaching to assist the addled Grimmael. "Uuungh..." moaned Grimmael, "What was that...?" Straightenening as he suddenly regained his bearings, he cried out, "Zool!" All eyes turned to the large painting leaning against the opposite wall. Like some kind of wierd hundred-legged beast the concerned onlookers all ran en-masse to investigate the fate of Zool. He appeared to be none the worse for wear. His frame was stout, and he fortunately had not toppled onto any of the many potential canvas-piercing projections loose in the conservatory, but had skipped along the wall, turning end over end. He had landed back to the wall, even standing upright... sort of... "I'm okay, I'm all right," reported Zool. "I was a bit disoriented, but now I... am... fine..." As Zool finished his sentence his depicted eyes had caught the sight of Minta being ankle shuffled by her Zombie familiar. He then looked nervously around the Conservatory, but his eyes kept returning to Minta. Also, he was holding his arms above his head, bent at the elbows, and Matt, his sweeping toupee, had been flattened on the top where his arms bent. All in all he looked okay, but odd - odder than usual even. Minta's other minion with the sandwich-board was still strutting around, but Zool was always in too much of a hurry, even when doing nothing - he couldn't be bothered to read sandwich-boards. It took Grimmael a second to take it all in and figure out what happened, and then he had to stifle a laugh. Zool must have been pretty disoriented by his spinning fall, and then coming to rest with everything topsy turvy. Perhaps he thought he had straightened himself, but why the ground was now at the top of his painting he hadn't thought to question. "Zooliolio, weeeee! I can go longer than youuuu can..." sang Minta brightly. "Shhhh!" said Grimmael, after also taking in the sandwich-board. He gave Minta an exaggerated wink which Zool couldn't see. "If you tell him he's playing, the game will end," he whispered conspiratorially. Grimmael was a bit miffed at Zool's constant demands to be moved. He knew it wasn't at all necessary, and he thought a little revenge was in order for his fall - perhaps Zool would think twice before his next impulsive demand - poor Winged Globe! - and then he had to turn away from Zool lest his wrathful grin be seen.

ROFL!