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SATURDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2005: ...Especially as the LairMistress was Recently ousted from her Harry Potter RPG because of differences of opinion on characterization and her writing of a wedding scene. If this sounds a trifle Bizarre, it was. Also very sad. I'm writing a sort of therapeutic fic right now about the experiences of two HP characters and their roleplayer in Exile. Now, if I can just get my former colleagues still playing to communicate with me again on Occasion...
The Recent AGHOST Conference was loads of fun, in spite of the weather, nosebleeds and myself being inconveniently On the Rag and with a cold to boot. We got some actual orb photos!! However, because I used a disposable camera after dark, most of them came out quite Grainy-looking; I'm going to put them on Photoshop and see if they can be salvaged before I email them down to AGHOST HQ. All the more reason to order me a digital camera as soon as Possible, unless one is ForthComing for XMAS.
In Other news, Jason Webley is once Again hibernating, but he is not Dead Again. I guess five deaths in as many years is Enough for now. I didn't write a review for the Lovely show at the Catwalk Club, but Jason was Indeed in top form, as was his opening act, Rev. Peyton's Big Damn Band from Indianapolis, probably the best opening band Jason has ever brought to a show. Freakin' great southern boogie/R&B from a bunch of Midwesterners! Who woulda thunk it? Anyway, lots of fun and bobbing for tomatoes was had by all (Sing, tomato, sing...etc.!); and Jason has gone UnderGround, awaiting inspiration for new songwriting. Which is what the LairMistress is fixing to do as Well. About time some new work came out of this Fever'd brain...
One last thing...we're going to be flying Back East to Tennessee on Monday, December 19 for the Usual two-week holiday R&R! So, in case you LairLurkers get sufficiently Bored, we are posting LairLinks to some of our Favorite Harry Potter fansites and stuff. Just for fun, y'know...
MuggleNet.com
The Leaky Cauldron
J.K. Rowling's Official Website
The Harry Potter Lexicon
Warner Bros. Harry Potter Website
Veritaserum (Book and Film News)
The Harry Potter Automatic News Aggregator (HPANA)
The Dark Mark (HP News Site)
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FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2005:...If I can just avoid getting throat problems before Then, and if I can get my Rusty vocal cords warmed up in a Timely fashion! Said Poetry Gig will be at the Cat & Cannon Bookstore at 7:00 pm, Sunday, November 6. Two lovely black and white cats actually live there. One is named Vladimir; the other is named Estragon. I don't think they're Waiting for anyone...
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FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2005:...Tomorrow, Saturday, November 5 at 7:30 pm. Along with a group called Rev. Peyton's Big Damn Band. Here, MoreOver, is a LairLink to The Catwalk in Pioneer Square. Jason is not, apparently, supposed to kill himself as in past years, but he does allege that it is his last show of the season. Maybe after that he'll go back to Singing in Supermarkets...Anyway, be there, along with all your friends, enemies and strangers!! Jason's website has all the details...
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FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2005: Yeah, you read that Right. Guess we needed a bit of an adventure, or something. We're going to be at the 3rd Annual Pacific Northwest Ghost Hunters Conference, hosted by the organization AGHOST (Amateur Ghost Hunters of Seattle-Tacoma), next weekend, November 11-13. Would have been nice if the conference was a wee bit more Accessible like last year (the 2004 conference was right here in the U-District); but it's about time we got out More. So we're going to ferry out to lovely Port Townsend, WA, where the Conference will be hosted partly at Old Fort Worden and partly at Manresa Castle. The LairMistress will be spending two nights at the English Inn B&B, when not touring Spooky sites and taking classes and workshops all about EVPs, Ghost Photography and Such. Who knows, the strange and spooky knowledge might just come in Handy one of these days...
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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2005: Good evening, LairLurkers! Your LairMistress is now writing from lovely Colville, Washington, home of her Aunt Sharon, Grandmother Lena Engstrom, four dogs (including a Certain special-needs rottweiler mix who seems to want to like me, but he's too Scared), three cats (only two of whom I've seen So Far), two horses and a truckload of tropical fish. While here (since Monday the 3rd), I've taken a digital camera crash course, learned some dog obedience skills, and given my Dark Hope Rising characters a new post or two. I will be riding back West with Sharon on her Coastal vacation, and expect to be home sometime Sunday.
Trouble with the RPG is, sometimes I wish its plotline and scenarios would look a little Different from the way they are being constructed, which is why I've been journaling offline, creating various scenes and dialogues among Snape, Tonks and myself, among other things. I've also begun work on what will probably be a rather long Snape/OC slash fanfic (assuming I actually finish the blooming thing), which has the working title of Palms of Victory I Shall Wear. This is the one in which Hogsmeade is opened up for Muggle tourists, including a group of young American Muggle evangelists, one of whom falls for Snape like ten tons o' bricks. The title comes from the old gospel hymn, "Palms of Victory", which I hope to have Snape sing in a trad round robin at a Yorkshire pub, eventually.
I have also been wishing, now and again, that our RPG wasn't a Snarry-based one (that is, with Harry and Severus as each other's one true and only soulmate, Forever 'n' Ever, Amen), because I am still madly in love with Snape myself, and I often wish that he and Tonks could get it on Instead. Or, at least, get along on Friendlier terms. Hence, I've been writing offline ficlets portraying that very thing in Explicit detail, as I've been learning to write erotic fiction by observing the work of some very skilled fanfic writers.
In addition to this, I sometimes come up with my own Snape scenes in meditative or daydreaming states in coffeeshops. For example, my Snape Muse and I finally took the plunge last Saturday night, and made a Winter Vow! With an exchange of pendants as tokens, no less!! That is to say, we embarked on a Temporary Monogamous partnership that will last till dawn of the coming Spring Equinox; this, of course, was Inspired by Mary Mackey's Earthsong Trilogy novels. And so, Snape Muse and I are very happily, temporarily Betrothed for about the next five-and-a-half months. Go us!!
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TUESDAY, JULY 26, 2005:...because it Sucks like hell when this happens to a character you really love, because or in spite of himself. Snape lovers and shippers Everywhere have been deeply Traumatized by the events (especially near the end) portrayed in the Latest Harry Potter book, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, a/k/a HP Book 6. And we're not taking it bloody Lying Down!!
Not to give too much Away, but Severus Snape, to whom I've grown tremendously Attached since last fall, is portrayed very Badly in the new book--or so it seems, at least, to those folks who fail to read Between the Lines! We at the Lair have a strong suspicion that this entire book has to be read between the lines almost like a major investigation of Sorts, and I've never read anything Quite Like this Before!! Memo to Self: I really must read all the other HP books carefully, in addition to this one that I've just bought, to see how much they need to be read between the lines as well. Plus, I really want a nice little Portable DVD player, so I can see the films more often Besides! Anyway. Our dear, Snarky Snape is portrayed as doing something very Shocking near the end, after which the book cliffhangs quite Abruptly, forcing all and Sundry to wait a couple of years for, as we fervently hope, Snape's vindication and Harry's defeat of the Hitler-like Bad Guy, Voldemort/the Dark Lord/You-Know-Who/[insert your fave Voldie Aspersion here].
In the Meantime, we roleplayers at Dark Hope Rising soldier on (way outside canon, it now appears); and we at the Lair would like to offer you some of our Favorite LairLinks of Snapery, as we collect them, Below. Peace, Love and Courage to Potions Master Severus Snape, and to all who love and trust him, from a Ravenclaw LairMistress! Faith, Hope and Snapery, Everyone!!
UPDATE (TUESDAY, AUGUST 2, 2005): Okay, don't panic, now! We just don't have all the LairLinks in front of us, that's All! Here are a few, though to keep you Busy--more to follow:
Why Snape? Fansite
Dark Hope Rising RPG Journal
SnapeSupport LiveJournal
We Trust Snape LiveJournal
Do_Me_ProfSnape LJ
Severus Snape's Slytherin Society
WWSD: What Would Snape Do? Part II (Original Essay)
Shaded Paradox: Severus Snape Fanlisting
A Ray of Hope--A Chink of Light (Essay by ajnastarheart)
Snape Defense Essay
Designer Potions: Severus Snape Support Site
Severus Snape Society
Dumbledore Is Not Dead
Favorite Snape Fic: Night-Blooming Heartsease
'Nother Favorite Snape Fic: Transfigurations
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TUESDAY, JULY 26, 2005 [UPDATED WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 10, 2005]: We're Late in posting this, LairCronies, but we wanted to acknowledge that our friends in Britain have been suffering, and fighting back, Mightily, since they and London's transit system were repeatedly Attacked by terrorists this past July 7, and, more Recently, on July 21. The terrorists are Wrong in killing Innocent civilians to accomplish the withdrawal of armies from Iraq; and Dubya and Blair are Wrong in occupying that country against the will of Ordinary citizens, both of Iraq and of their own nations. Nobody is listening to the ordinary people of Iraq, or asking them what they really desire and need. Foreign occupation only encourages terrorism, and terrorism only engenders fascism. Maybe one day the terrorists and the pinheads in power, alike, will figure out this equation Somehow, but I'm not holding my breath. Meanwhile, it's people like you and me, in the United States, Iraq, Britain and Spain, who are getting hurt, maimed and killed.
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SATURDAY, JULY 2, 2005: May as well be Straight with you, LairLurkers: practically Nothing has been happening around here!! That's how bad I've been at tearing myself Away from the bloody roleplaying. When I HAVE been able to come up for air, here's some of what I've found:
Animation Factory seems to have gone Members Only! Gah!! And we at the Lair don't really fancy joining up with One More Thing, especially if fees factor in. Damn, but they ARE still the best in the business, and we want more of their blooming gifs, and Soon! A 3-month trial membership, perhaps, and grab all we can? It's on the table, anyways... (UPDATE: Actually, we have just found a few free samples left on their site; just not nearly Enough of them).
Our Accordion Guy, only just done wowing the crowds at England's Glastonbury Music Festival (a/k/a "Glasto"), is doing a few gigs this weekend in Wales! *skips over to Jason's tour page to find out exactly where*. He is still On for The Old Fire House this coming Wednesday, July 6; then it's off across this continent, having just returned from the next one across the Pond! "Goodbye forever, once again..." (UPDATE: Actually, tonight, July 2, he's back in England, at some place called Malvern Hills...)
I still can't quite access my
The Fremont Solstice Fair was a blast as Always, naked bicyclists and all. Unfortunately, as happened last year, we forgot the Lair's Birthday!! Again!! The Lair's Fourth Birthday was this past Monday, June 20, for us Errant LairMistresses.
Just one final note or three: The Lair's EPK Page WILL be finished Eventually; it's past time to update our Cafepress LairShops; and it's getting to be Archive Lair Reshuffling Time again. Arrrgghh...
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FRIDAY, JUNE 10, 2005: What's happening now? Well...
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MONDAY, MAY 16, 2005: ...What should the LairMistress go and do, but sign on to a Harry Potter Roleplaying Game (RPG)?!! Now, the Home Lair has been sadly Neglected for over a month, the LairMistress's digs need dusting something Terrible, we MISSED Jason Webley's season-opening show at the New Paradox (now THERE'S a good indication of how Far Gone we are! At least, we made the Inaugural production of Camp Tomato!); and there's been no tracking Whatsoever of Jason's Tour Schedule thus Far!! And not nearly Enough busking, besides! Oh, the Humanity!!
So, what HAVE we been doing with a whole heap of our time Lately?! We've turned into a pink-haired British punk witch named Nymphadora Tonks (only don't call Tonks "Nymphadora" within her earshot, if you know what's good for you. She hates her first name with a passion, even in the original books)! In fact, we seem to be channeling her at Greatestjournal.com, to surprisingly good reviews by other roleplaying members of the RPG, known as Dark Hope Rising! Dark Hope Rising is a Harry Potter-based RPG, for people aged 18+ only, due to explicit adult content (especially Slash scenes), violence, language, and Really Intense ritual magic, among other things. I've never done anything like this before, but the other players (mostly from Australia, the U.S. and Canada) have been quite Patient and Supportive to date.
Trouble is, I seem to have gotten just a little bit TOO into it, to the detriment of the Home Lair, and various other activities, as mentioned Above! Guess I need to focus more on reality, though reality has been kind of Slow of late. Maybe that's why I'm getting Obsessive about being Tonks and interviewing Snape (among other characters)! I've also needed to pick up some new skills, especially the use of Yahoo! Instant Messaging, both on my cell phone and on whatever computer I can gain access to. I've also had to research the character as much as possible; read through several months' worth of previous posts in the RPG (I got a late start, joining up in April after observing casually for a few months before); and learn as much about the "Potterverse" and the Harry Potter version of Magic, in a very short time, as Humanly Possible! Of course, I'd love to seduce the hell out of Snape; but this RPG is "Snarry-based" (fanfic-speak for "[Adult/Legal-Age] Harry Potter and Severus Snape in a romantic and/or sexual same-sex relationship"), so unfortunately Sev is gay this time Around...
Anyway, that's what I'm doing a good bit of the time at Present. In fact, I may be roleplaying on IM shortly, so must be running Along again. Sigh...at least I'm doing some fairly decent fictional writing, if not singing muchly...
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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 23, 2005: Okay, so I've just been Bloody Lazy during the past week since the gig at Mr. Spot's Chai House--either that, or I'm way too EnSconced in the Online treasure trove of SnapeLore!! The gig. Okay. Actually, it went pretty well, considering that I never did get out to Capitol Hill with my silly flyers. I dropped two of the instruments off at the Chai House the day before, so there wouldn't be so bleeping much to carry the day of. On the Day of Show itself, I trooped in way TOO early, guitar in hand, and discovered that there was nobody at the tables, and that I would have to do my own sound setup. Yikes!! But, as it turned out, the sound system wasn't that hard to turn on and set up, given the handwritten directions taped to the inside door of the cabinet (though figuring out how to open the f***ing cabinet was a challenge in itself!). In fact, the PA got me sounding pretty good in the little space; better, at least, than the sound systems a lot of open mic venues have. So I got my own soundcheck taken care of in record time, and sat down for my free taquitos and chai drink with plenty o' time to spare.
Five minutes before showtime, there wasn't a bloody soul in the house but me and the guys in the kitchen!! Oh, God, the Curse of Disregard strikes Again! thought I. But I continued to sit and meditate during the next few minutes, praying and visualizing and the like; and finally decided, "Hell, if nobody else shows up, I'll just get up and play for the guys in the kitchen! They're not going Anywhere!" Then, five minutes past eight o'clock, a bunch of college-age kids came in, just as I began my first set. A couple of songs later, more people came in. About a third of the way through my first set, a bunch of my artist friends from Art/Not Terminal came in and stayed for the duration. The next thing I knew, my first one-hour set was Finished (as I suspected, my set list was longer than I actually needed, and not everything got Played), and it was break time! During the break, Shannon Kringen and a friend of hers came in, and also stayed for the rest of the show. Thus my artist friends formed the core of the audience (and provided most of the tips!), with bunches of other people coming and going in Typical casual coffeehouse fashion. And there I was on the little stage, singing originals and folk covers, reciting poems, doing a joik demo or two, and getting very warm. In what seemed like No Time at All, I found that I'd actually gone past the 10:00 closeout time, and so announced and performed my last couple of songs, and repeatedly thanked everyone for being there, and the Chai House folks for hosting the show. There was a certain amount of cleanup following, but that was Okay; I was on a complete Natural High/Energy Overload (indeed, I had a heckuva time getting to sleep that night, and I had an early morning desk shift back at the apartment the next day! Grrr...), and didn't mind that part of it at all. The guy behind the counter said that I did my cleanup bit better than some acts had in the past.
Well, so THAT'S how one does a coffeehouse solo gig, eh? That was fun! I really ought to do it Again sometime. In fact, I'll HAVE to do it again, quite a bit, if I want to get properly Known in these parts (not to mention ElseWhere)! And yes, getting such gigs is quite a bit like going after a Conventional job! Best get crackin' with the promo kits again, LairMistress! You've got plenty of songs the world needs to hear Already!! 8->!
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"For you shall go out with joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands." (Isaiah 55:12)
Yahoo! Full Coverage of Pope's Passing
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SPECIAL REPORT (FRIDAY, MARCH 4, 2005): We're on for both sets at Mr. Spot's Chai House on Tuesday, March 15, 8-10 pm!! Look it up on their March Calendar, if you don't believe me!! Hopefully my damaged right index finger is Good to Go by that evening!
HERE ARE THE BASIC DETAILS:
I'm expecting to do Expanded versions of my OutDoor busking sets (while drinking lots of tea, to keep my voice Going Strong), with the inclusion of fiddle drones and bodhran/frame drum in addition to the nylon-stringed Geetar. As Seattle's only known Gaelic-singing busker, I expect the Irish language will be conspicuously Present, along with my one Memorized song in Persian, and at least one of my Macedonian songs. Both Original songs and folk/world covers will be featured. Frame drum solos, joik solos, percussion assistance from my Webley-style bottle noisemaker and avocado-shaped shaker are all Distinct possibilities. I am even tossing around the idea of reciting one or two of my Nualláin Verses poems ("Seidhr", perhaps?), accompanied on guitar and/or frame drum. Now, if I could just borrow a compact electronic keyboard for the occasion!
Anyway, Now is the time both for practice, and for Shameless Self-Promotion! My basic flyer is done in three different sizes; they just need to be cut out and distributed. If anyone would like to help with flyers and other promotion for this show, just Email me, and I will send you the basic flyer templates as email attachments. One thing I am starting to learn about getting gigs is that it is much like sending out resumes with cover letters when pursuing Conventional jobs--only the focus is on the audio sample, rather than on the resume or writing sample. Aside from that, the job-hunting process is quite Similar; and Lord knows I have Plenty of experience in this process's Conventional incarnation!!
Anyway, come out and see how the LairMistress plays in a Chaihouse! Be there or be Murky!!
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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2005: Okay, dear LairLurkers, a Quick recap on the somewhat-Belated news...
I put more ice on it after I got home; and the next day, my doctor gave me a Padded metal finger splint, to protect the whole finger from further injury, and told me that my Stricken digit would probably be out of commission for a couple of weeks. I've had an Interesting time Since then, learning to write, type and do other tasks without using the primary finger of my dominant hand. Alas, there's been no busking since just before this incident. People have suggested that I take up the dobro, or some similar instrument where I could use the splint as a "slide." I'm going to have to try playing something soon, before I go off the deep end. The fingertip is healing Faster than I expected, but there's some nerve damage that prevents me from bending that joint very far. Hope that doesn't last too Long, as I'll be needing to earn more income pretty Soon now. Anyway, I'll keep y'all Posted on the Future progress of my Ill-Fated phalanx...
I went and joined the core group the next day (learning the song lyrics and theatrics as I went), as we repeated the skit in practically all the supermarket and co-op type places in the Capitol Hill neighborhood. I didn't know if I would have the stamina to walk all over the neighborhood between Broadway and 15th East, but I managed Somehow! The core group didn't have car space for me when they headed north to the Lynnwood supermarkets, but at least I was able to join one girl's birthday celebration and have a nice lunch at Dick's before we parted company. In all, there were 46 "Supermarket Invasions" throughout the Seattle area, Lynnwood and Everett. We hope the Seattle-area supermarket staff and shoppers enjoyed our little show!! We also hope to see Jason and Andru Bemis perform in Tacoma next Saturday, February 19!! Dangit, I'm still having trouble typing right now...
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FRIDAY, JANUARY 21, 2005: Well, LairFolks, we've some Recent stuff to report, news Good, Bad and Indifferent all together!
First the Good Stuff: our Friendly Neighborhood recording/engineering fellow busker, Thaddeus Spae, has provided us with Uploadable mp3's to complete the production of the Lair's own Electronic Press Kit (they are mp3 files of our CD demo, also recorded at Thaddeus' Bard's Cathedral Studio)!! Now, we just have to figure out how to upload them! Many thanks to Thaddeus, and good luck to himself and Howling Hobbit on the (re)formation of their 1920's-'30's classic duo, Snake Suspenderz!
The Bad News next: we've just been forwarded the email from our friends in INOC/CCPI, giving us the news that our fellow Seattle peace activist, Kathleen Williamson, broke free from her body and crossed over this past Monday, January 17, after battling cancer for several years. We worked together to end the sanctions on Iraq for several years, and she continued her work and struggle from a wheelchair these past couple of years. She seldom missed a meeting (even if by telecon), and rarely missed an Iraq-related lecture or rally, regardless of the state of her health, even traveling to DC and New York for Iraq and peace-related actions. Peace, Love and Courage to Kathleen and her family who remain here for now!!
And finally, the Boring Stuff: Shuffling of the Archive Lairs has been done this afternoon: correctly, we hope. ARCHIVE LAIR 2004 is now Up and Excavated! Please refer to that SubLair, as well as Archive Lair 1 and Archive Lair 2 for all the details, 'cause we're sick of repeating them Already. Happy New Year!!
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SPECIAL JASON WEBLEY UPDATE (FRIDAY, JANUARY 28, 2005): Check out Jason's Homepage and Events Page, Cronies!! "Something", says he, "is happening" at produce sections in Selected grocery stores in this Very area this Very weekend! We'll be able to reach at least two of said grocery establishments, so we'll just have to go and see what "happens" at one of them, anyway!!
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MONDAY, JANUARY 10, 2005: Hello, LairFolks, I'm back home safely from Tennessee; don't worry, it wasn't my plane that got lasered in the Nashville Airport (not to my awareness, anyway)!! Once I got home, I had to run out and photograph my Featured Artist exhibit at Art/Not Terminal shortly before taking it down again. Also, I finally reopened my checking account; naturally, I'm not sharing any info about that Here! While recovering from jet lag, I sent small donations to four different organizations helping with Tsunami Relief: Mercy Corps, Oxfam America, the American Friends Service Committee, and Doctors Without Borders; of course, we encourage all of you LairLurkers to donate to these and other Reputable humanitarian organizations, to express our solidarity with our Stricken brothers and sisters throughout the Indian Ocean region. No amount is too small, and all will be tremendously Appreciated, and put to good use!! I will also be resuming busking soon, when I will be offering free SASE envelopes to passersby, complete with address labels to various charities that people can pick out as they prefer! I expect to begin this on Wednesday, having finished up with a couple of very Grueling meetings, to be held Tomorrow...Anyway, I'm back, and trying to keep my energy Up in the midst of Seasonal Depression season...
And, of course, very soon we'll have to excavate a whole new Archive Lair for 2004, and get going with the bi-quarterly Archive Shuffling Process once Again...!!
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Return to the Home Lair.
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New Recap of Important Stuff Happening Now...
Just When You Thought Real Life Couldn't Get Any Weirder...
Live from the Front Desk of Art/Not Terminal: So, LairMistress, How Did the Gig Go...??
Ave atque Vale, Brother Karol
--Pope John Paul II (Karol Wojtyla), 1920-2005. Photo © Gabriel Bouys/Getty Images
Pope John Paul II (Karol Joseph Wojtyla), 1920-2005
Google News Coverage
CNN Coverage on the Passing of Pope John Paul II on Saturday, April 2, 2005
Beliefnet Coverage plus: Light a Virtual Candle
**NEWSFLASH** The LairMistress's Solo Gig at the Chai House is CONFIRMED for March 15!!
Karen the LairMistress
Solo acoustic folk/world
at Mr. Spot's Chai House
5463 NW Leary Avenue, Seattle, WA (Ballard neighborhood)
8:00 pm, March 15, 2005 ~ ALL AGES.
*No cover, but tips/donations are always Cool.*
*4-Song CDs will be Available for purchase.*
Come in and Lurk Awhile, have a Chai Latte, and share the LairMistress's Odd tastes in folk and world music!!All the News That's Fit to Print (But Which I'm Having a Heckuva Time Typing)...
LairShuffles, MP3's and Peace to Kathleen...
Honey(s), I'm Home...!!
