Azure Jane Lunatic (Azz) 🌺 (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
azurelunatic) wrote2011-08-31 06:13 pm
azurelunatic) wrote2011-08-31 06:13 pm
Icons, explained
rydra_wong asked me about these icons: The decision process behind choosing the capybara as the mascot for the complex network of interrelations between liberty, that state of desperation when one realizes that one really doesn't have anywhere to go but up (but only if one claws and fights and yells in order to get there), activism, and ill-advised pasting of Janis Joplin lyrics onto CC-licensed images, is one that is best not examined at hours that aren't 3am, but I assure you, it made *perfect sense at the time*. This icon represents the struggle for one's liberties, rock bottom and nowhere else to go, and drunken decisions made on the internet at well past one's bedtime.
The phrase "As useful as a chocolate teapot" delighted me. This icon is equally well-suited for tea parties and rants about software.
Like many small children, I had been given a stuffed sheep shortly after I was born. Concerned that if something happened to the sheep, I'd be completely inconsolable, my parents attempted to dilute my attention by introducing a stuffed cat, which I immediately clung to twice as hard. When I was 11, my bedtime preparations included sleeping with one baby blanket worn like a scarf over my head, one on top of my other blankets, holding my cat tightly. Within the next year or so, I had acquired a boyfriend. He gave me a cute little piece of carved soapstone. It fit nicely in my hand, so I added it to my nighttime-keep-the-evil-away setup.
When I went off to sleepaway camp, the cat and blankets stayed home, but the soapstone bear came with me. I wound up getting a pretty little piece of rose quartz between the sessions of camp. It was nice and felt friendly. Since the bear was a bit fragile, the rose quartz was the newest symbol of safety while sleeping. I tragically lost it the following Thanksgiving, and had to replace it with another, lesser, piece of rose quartz. Since then, I've been holding various rocks in my hands when I sleep off and on. They're collectively known as my "huggy rocks", and are picked for appearance, shape to fit in my hand, and friendly feel. This is not actually one of my rocks, but the appearance is not dissimilar. I like fluorite.
I had a hilarious conversation a while ago. A youngish friend was relaying some of the history of one of their other friends, an older man. He mentioned that the fellow's affiliations included Raven.
"Ah," I said. "Would you tell him, 'Hello, cousin,' for me?"
The message was relayed, though my friend was deeply confused.
"I was born in Alaska," I explained.
This was also relayed, and the fellow and I shared a moment of understanding. My friend was, however, out of the loop.
Sometimes, when a young Lunatic is born in Alaska, Grandfather Raven claims her as one of his many own. Sometimes, when a young Lunatic is coming into adulthood, Eris smiles and says hello.
So in December '09, along with all of the other things that were going on then, my aunt asked if I wanted to come to a clicker-training workshop with her. She didn't want to go alone, and the practical bits of the course were to be on chickens. I agreed to come along. I had a lovely time, bar all the other stress I was under, and had great fun with the chickens. They had White Leghorns, Brown Leghorns, and a few very beautiful, very soft, very talkative, very pecky Black Star hens. This was the first hen I got to use in the training. She was soft and somewhat tentative, but got more confident after she figured out what I was asking her to do. The White Leghorns were all rescues; they were retired laying hens who would have otherwise been in deep trouble. I dubbed her Miss Puffy ButtMeringue FancyPants, "Butt Meringue" for short, the entirely possibly urban legend being fresh, if that's the word, in my mind. (Chickens have a feathered rump; on white chickens, it does look rather meringue-ish.) Not quite the sweetest hen ever, but close.
If you'd like me to look at your icons and pick ~5 that I'd like you to talk about, please include the word 'sigilism' in your comment.
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Photo of purple yarrow flowers. Keywords: Achillea millefolium
Comment: Otherwise known as yarrow.
Description: Photo of purple yarrow flowers.
http://www.dreamwidth.org/userpic/94170/122249
Keywords: Run
Description: A computer's Run prompt.
http://www.dreamwidth.org/userpic/94144/122249
Keywords: Tholos reconstruction
Description: Artist's reconstruction of a building at the Asklepieion in Epidauros. At first glance it looks like a fancy cake.
http://www.dreamwidth.org/userpic/94134/122249
Says "LJHS Marching Band - Proud to Play - We have tubas, we know where you live." Keywords: LJHS Tubas
Comment: Created by [livejournal.com profile] cadhla
Description: Says "LJHS Marching Band - Proud to Play - We have tubas, we know where you live."
http://www.dreamwidth.org/userpic/94125/122249
Keywords: Ghillies
Description: A pair of Scottish dance shoes
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Keywords: axial tilt
Comment: [livejournal.com profile] red_shoes
http://www.dreamwidth.org/userpic/659602/50596
"As of 0700 GMT, Operations has declared case CAPSLOCK" Keywords: flash traffic
Comment: User Generated Content
Description: "As of 0700 GMT, Operations has declared case CAPSLOCK"
http://www.dreamwidth.org/userpic/98217/50596
Keywords: boom
Description: Big rocks from outer space solve many problems.
http://www.dreamwidth.org/userpic/98205/50596
Keywords: bi-curious george
Comment: [livejournal.com profile] muskrat_john
http://www.dreamwidth.org/userpic/98202/50596
Keywords: steampunk
Comment: User Created Content
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I once got to scritch a capybara.
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(Did you also want icons to talk about?)
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Keywords: cat macro wank
Comment: the lovely cleolinda
Description: picture of weather map with cat macro and "wanky skies"
http://www.dreamwidth.org/userpic/659074/200106
Keywords: spill self-respect in entitlement
Comment: flightstothesea
Description: text: "oops, did i spill some of my self-respect in your entitlement?"
http://www.dreamwidth.org/userpic/659080/200106
Keywords: you presume i give a shit
Comment: [personal profile] ladypolitik
Description: rahm emanuel, "you presume i give a shit"
http://www.dreamwidth.org/userpic/659104/200106
Keywords: dick hands
Comment: [personal profile] verity
Description: text: "don't touch me with your dick hands"
http://www.dreamwidth.org/userpic/659230/200106
Keywords: anthea email
Comment: [livejournal.com profile] redscharlach
Description: cartoon anthea, text: "excuse me while i email someone more interesting than you"
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I found this one via Fandom Wank. (Shocker, right?) It's part of an animated icon, but I personally can't handle animated icons and I know people on my r-list/f-list who can't either so I don't have any. I use it whenever there is drama. I took one of the less snarky ones so that there is less chance of hurt-y feelings when I use it, because generally I use it in comments to a post someone else made about someone stirring up drama with them. Also, I love the "invisible sandwich" cat macro that kitty pic is taken from.
Keywords: spill self-respect in entitlement
This is my go-to for social justice issues. More often than not, it is all too appropriate. Would you like some sarcasm to go along with my self-respect? Here, you can have some. I have a lot of it. I don't mind giving that away.
Keywords: you presume i give a shit
I have not been able to use this one very frequently, which is a shame! For anyone reading this who is not familiar with US politics/US politicians' faces, this is Rahm Emanuel, a former Democratic congressman, former chief of staff to President Obama, and current mayor of Chicago, known for his hard-driving ways and general lack of consideration for others' feeeeelings. In other words, he plays by the Republican handbook. He also has a background in ballet.
Keywords: dick hands
This has a great backstory! I generally use it when commenting on posts involving Erin/
Keywords: anthea email
Anthea is a character from the new BBC Sherlock, a modernized version of Sherlock Holmes. (I'm not sure if you've seen it, but it's really good!) Anthea is Mycroft's personal assistant, and she is glued to her Blackberry. When John tries to hit on her, she smirks and looks right back down at it. Again, another snark icon I should start using more often! Why am I so afraid of hurting people's feelings! My friends are smart enough to know I don't mean *them* when I am posting using icons like that! I am silly.
Those were long-winded. But you happened to pick some really good ones to talk about! Good job! :D
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I am strangely pleased to discover I wasn't the only kid who slept with a pile of reassurance items, rather than just the traditional one.
At one point, a plastic purple basket was drafted to hold all the "cuddle stuff" I took to bed with me. :D You are the first person I've ever encountered who had multiple cuddle items, so I feel a bit less retrospectively silly now!
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*eyes the scattered pile of paperwork and miscellany cluttering his desk* You're not alone in the spotty org, if it helps. *g*
Sigilism!
Re: Sigilism!
Keywords: Wheelchair Pirate
http://www.dreamwidth.org/userpic/392252/360919
Keywords: Computer God
Comment: SomewhatBent Images
http://www.dreamwidth.org/userpic/392240/360919
Keywords: Computer God
Comment: SomewhatBent Images
http://www.dreamwidth.org/userpic/392226/360919
Keywords: Peace
Comment: SomewhatBent Images
http://www.dreamwidth.org/userpic/392234/360919
Keywords: Shiny
Comment: SomewhatBent Images
And from your icons, it appears as though you like things to be tidy, you are creative and into photography and visual art, you like tea, and you may be a wheeled person.
Re: Sigilism!
I am working on getting my brain and my body back... I'll try to post along and let folk know how that's going.
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http://www.dreamwidth.org/userpic/556655/256943
Text "Snark is My Fandom" with snark punctuation in background. Keywords: snark
Comment: Happy accidental design
Description: Text "Snark is My Fandom" with snark punctuation in background.
http://www.dreamwidth.org/userpic/866879/256943
Keywords: Mythbusters
Comment: Text is a quote by Adam Savage regarding the image.
Description: Text: "The Totality of Mythbusters." Photo: Kari with :O face.
http://www.dreamwidth.org/userpic/644053/256943
Keywords: Happy Neal
Comment: Thanks to [personal profile] china_shop for the screencap.
Description: Picture of Neal Caffrey with a ridiculously large smile.
http://www.dreamwidth.org/userpic/353934/256943
Keywords: Knit heart
http://www.dreamwidth.org/userpic/413982/256943
Keywords: Vin Charades
Comment: From vindiesel comm
Description: Vin Diesel tugging his earlobe. Balloon with words, "Sounds Like".
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