Cosquair: dragon riders and dragon cavalry. Live in scattered fortresses and towers that house both people and dragons. Use mainly iron and steel tools, weapons, and armor (with some adaequomaunt blades and arrowheads). The dragon chambers are lined with ausifax.

Adaequomaunt: a hard (self-healing) crystal that is freezeforged from a very viscous water-like substance (called "saximber") that is the color of glistening water (that is at times both silvery and turquoise) and inflicts rustblight on any substance when it comes in contact with iron (including blood).

Adamas [Latin]: adamant; the hardest steel ( Read more... )

There has been a lot of discussion of late on how easy it is to get disability benefits from Social Security's disability insurance program (including the disability-related auxiliary benefits programs) and Supplemental Security Income program.  I would like to focus on the requirements for the adult programs only for a bit as the children's ( Read more... )

The last couple of months there has been some serious talk about forming an artist cooperative or circle among several of my artistic friends (and a few in particular).  It will be less graphic design oriented than THE INK BLOT was.

THE INK BLOT was a university club that almost became a business.  Some legal issues with how ownership ought be split ( Read more... )

Which of the 2 Yixing teapots below do you think best embodies the idea and image of 3 bambu (one of my all time favorite teas)?

( Read more... )

綠鼠狼 = Lǜ Shǔláng

茶 = Chá = tea

茶碗 = Cháwǎn = a tea bowl.

蓋碗 = Gàiwǎn = a covered tea bowl (i.e., a tea cup without a handle, but with a lid that fits inside the flared lip of the cup to act as a filter and typically a saucer underneath to protect the hand from heat).

茶馆 = Cháguǎn = a teahouse.

功夫茶道 = Gōngfu Chá Dào = Chinese Kung Fu Tea ceremony (i.e., way of tea ( Read more... )

其 十 九
登 陟 寒 山 道 ， 寒 山 道 不 窮 。 溪 長 石 磊 磊 ， 澗 闊 草 濛 濛 。
苔 滑 非 關 雨 ， 松 鳴 不 假 風 。誰 能 超 世 累 ， 共 坐 白 雲 中 ？

my friend translated it thus:
Clambering up the Cold Mountain path,
The Cold Mountain trail goes on and on:
The long gorge choked with scree and boulders,
The wide creek, the mist-blurred grass.
The moss is slippery, though there's been no rain
The pine ( Read more... )

I think it is the nature of early youth at Christmas to be perched in a spring-loaded, Hobbesian-stance over the tree, whereupon the child finally falls asleep, but ever ready to get the drop on the presents as soon as the sun broke, heralding the morn.

I recently saw the joys of a child bouncing up and down awaiting the coming presents.  I watched ( Read more... )

Sometimes I wonder if it is the twilight or the dawn.