READ FIRST

Posted on 2013/01/18 by The Loveshade Family

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Goodbye Kenny Rogers

Posted on 2020/03/21 by Alden Loveshade

Kenny Rogers, regarded as a “country music icon,” has passed away. He was 81.

Not only am I a fan of his music, I have some connections, largely emotional.

Years ago, right after a date when I was in college, I knew I had fallen in love for the first time. The song I was listening to at that moment was “The Gambler.” It was a cover version of a song written by Don Schlitz–the cover sung by Kenny Rogers, the first singer to put the song at no. 1 on the charts. So even though I was a poker player in college, I associate that song as much with love as with the game.

In my early journalism days, I was an editor of a college newspaper. One of my fellow students who contributed was one of Kenny Rogers’ sons. I remember him as creative and a nice guy.

Finally, I had a one act play produced for a California festival. While I haven’t verified it, that festival was apparently part of the inspiration for the Stagecoach Festival at which Kenny Rogers was scheduled to perform in his retirement tour. But he didn’t make it–he was already too ill.

As in the song “The Gambler,” Kenny Rogers has walked away. But we’ll continue to hold on to his music and his legacy.

Country Music Icon Kenny Rogers Dies at 81

 

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Exchange Students Coming to Your Planet

Posted on 2020/02/22 by Alden Loveshade

Cover art by Laura Givens for the fantasy/horror/science fiction collection “Exchange Students.”

I, Alden Loveshade, contributed the story “Orange Sun, Grey Sky” to this fantasy/horror/science fiction collection available 25 February 2020. The story follows a female exchange student on a planet where gender has been eliminated.

“Study abroad! See new places! Meet new people! In our exchange student program, you can literally study anywhere or anywhen you can imagine. We’ll send you to new planets. We’ll send you to new dimensions and realms of existence. We’ll send you through time itself! Read this exciting anthology packed with twenty-two tales of science fictional and fantastic exchange students.”

Edited by Sheila Hartney and published by David Lee Summers, it features stories by Roze Albina Ches, Jaleta Clegg, Ken Goldman, Paula Hammond, Sheila Hartney, Chisto Healy, Joachim Heijndermans, Sean Jones, Tim Kane, Alden Loveshade, Tim McDaniel, J Louis Messina, Jennifer Moore, Brian Gene Olson, David B. Riley, Katherine Quevedo, Holly Schofield, Jonathan Shipley, Lesley L. Smith, Emily Martha Sorensen, Margret A. Treiber and Sherry Yuan.

Note for GURPS fans: the galaxy in which my story is set was used in home, online, and Strategicon convention games.

Reserve (or purchase on 25 February 2020 or later) your copy in paperback or ebook form at the following:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/1885093896
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0851SFVLV
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1005851

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Ultimate Socialism vs. Christian America

Posted on 2020/02/13 by Alden Loveshade

The thought of Socialism in America is very, very frightening. Many Christian Americans find it an anti-Christian demonic deception that goes against everything true believers hold dear.

Left unchecked, it could lead to what some Christian Americans would see as the ultimate blasphemy before God.

Acts 2:44-47 of the Holy Bible (New International Version) describes what happened to Christians in the dangerous days of early Church history. These early Christians living in a non-Christian nation got caught in ultimate socialism, what many see as the ultimate attack on true Christian American values:

“All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.”

While I am responsible for this post, it was partially inspired by one by John DeProspo.

An opinion of an individual members of The Loveshade Family does not necessarily reflect the views of the whole family.

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Donald Trump’s Attorney: No Witnesses, Please

Posted on 2020/01/28 by Alden Loveshade

Jay Sekulow, one of President Donald J. Trump’s lead lawyers, doesn’t want any hearsay at Trump’s Impeachment trial. He said, “You cannot impeach a president based on an unsourced allegation.”

Sure, that makes sense. The Sixth Amendment to the United States Constitution guarantees the right to be confronted with the witnesses in a criminal trial, so why not for an Impeachment trial?

In this case, Sekulow spoke in regard to former National Security Adviser John Bolton. Bolton allegedly said that he heard Trump tie in aid to Ukraine with Ukraine agreeing to an investigation of the Bidens.

So the obvious solution is to have Bolton himself testify at the Impeachment trial so it’s not unsourced but is direct from the witness, right? No–Trump’s team (and political party) wants to stop Bolton from testifying.

I wonder how that would work if everybody who was going on trial could choose which witnesses, if any, could testify against them. It might go something like this:

“Your honor, the Prosecution wishes to present its first witness to the crime who–”

“Objection, your honor; the Defense objects to this witness testifying.”

“In that case, your honor, the Prosecution wants to present a second witness to the crime who–”

“The Defense objects, your honor; we don’t want that witness testifying either.”

“All right. Well, that still leaves us the victim who–”

“The Defense objects.”

“The Prosecution has no further witnesses.”

“In that case,” says the Judge, “case dismissed.”

https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/trumps-legal-team-wraps-senate-trial-arguments-questions/story?id=68584065

An opinion of an individual member of The Loveshade Family does not necessarily reflect the views of the whole family.

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Order of the Pineapple 2020: Michael E. Brown and Robert Shea

Posted on 2020/01/18 by The Loveshade Family

Pat Pineapple as drawn by Order of the Pineapple member Toby Bruno–before the Order existed.

EDIT: Some people apparently had trouble posting on this and possibly other blog entries. Sorry about that, but we think we have the problem fixed.

The 2020 winners of the Order of the Pineapple have been announced! (This is only awarded once a year on January 18 aka Pat Pineapple Day).

The honorees for 2020 are Robert Shea and Michael E. Brown!

Robert Shea alias Josh the Dill co-wrote The Eye in the Pyramid, The Golden Apple, and Leviathan (The Illuminatus! Trilogy) with Robert Anton Wilson. The books spread Discordianism (and crazy if tongue-in-cheek conspiracy theories) when virtually nobody knew about it (or them). The trilogy won the Prometheus Hall of Fame Award. He and Wilson wrote letters about conspiracies to themselves at Playboy and then answered them. Robert Shea on Wikipedia

Michael E. Brown, professor at Caltech, led the team that discovered Planet X (name of the SubGenius world) and helped get it nicknamed Xena and later named Eris as part of “The Jake That Changed a World campaign” led by Discordians/Erisians. He wrote about it in How I Killed Pluto and Why It Had It Coming, in imitation of the Principia Discordia subheading How I Found Goddess And What I Did To Her When I Found Her. Mike Brown on Wikipedia

The Order of the Pineapple is also called the DisOrder of the Pineapple and the Pineapple DisOrder, but it’s usually abbreviated O.P.  (The award has also been called Patus Pineappleus Bromeliadic and the winners The P.P. Bromeliadics or Bromedliaddicts). It honors those felt deserving, particularly those who have given extraordinary service to “the participatorial study of comedic attitudes and eccentric tendencies.”

The O.P. is awarded to very few people, typically only one or two a year.  It’s presented on only one day a year, January 18 CE, which is 18 Chaos of the Discordian calendar.  That date is recognized as Pat Pineapple Day.  Pat is the Mascot of the ECG and Patron Saint of the very recently dissolved D D of the ECG.  It is absolutely required that members of the Order eat something containing or resembling pineapple on January 18–unless of course they don’t feel like it.

Congratulations to them both!

Order of the Pineapple

Order of the Pineapple Wiki

NOTE: The Winners’ Acceptance Speeches are in the Comments Immediately Below.

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Alden Loveshade: Why Wait Til I’m Dead Again

Posted on 2020/01/14 by The Loveshade Family

Three years after its original posting, we’re reopening comments for Alden Loveshade’s “Why Wait Til I’m Dead?” post of three years ago this month. Alden asks that, rather than wait until the funeral to say what you want to say, do it now so Alden can read it.

Please comment at:

http://loveshade.org/blog/2017/01/07/alden-loveshade-…wait-til-im-dead/ ‎

Posted in Crime and Punishment, Discordian and Ek-sen-trik, Education and Learning, Family and Friends, Health and Medical, Love and Sex, Media and News, Politics and War, Religion and Philosophy, Science and Technology | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Loveshade Family End of the Year 2019

Posted on 2019/12/28 by The Loveshade Family

Alden Loveshade posted his end of the year letter, but we decided Alden didn’t possess a year-end monopoly, so more of us decided to get in on the fun. So this is highlights from our various lives (although some people will insist we’re all sockpuppets of each other.  But then again, some people think chickens have lips.)

FAMILY MEMBERS

Alden Loveshade: I had some articles and a story published/scheduled to be published, and a satirical news article picked up by at least three news satire websites. I play tested a game book, had a book move from query to formal proposal level, got rights back to a book that’s planned to be reprinted, and co-wrote and edited another book that’s currently being considered. And I designed a playing card for a special 50th anniversary deck. (Click HERE to see more)

Alien Loveshade aka BloodStar: (Currently outside of contact with Earth and happy about it too.)

Gamemaster Loveshade: (No Comment)

Lorien Loveshade: On Sunday June 16 2019 Herbie proposed to me at The Gathering at the Grove and I accepted! We plan to get married on Aug 6 2020! Herbie has two kids Emma and Christopher. This years I am teaching first grade students.

Reverend Loveshade: Ms. M.C. and I are still living at Rosenteeth Commune which isn’t truly a commune nor do we run around with roses in our teeth. Usually. My sother and I are the pleased parents of daughters Puffletoes Twinkleton and Wunderkätzchen and son Cobbraven. I’m still writing fake news and my lady is teaching real news.

Death and Resurrection: Gamemaster Loveshade aka The Gamemaster of Florin aka The Midget said, “It only takes 25 years for an anti-establishment gang to become its own establishment.” With that in mind, the Discordian Division of the Ek-sen-triks CluborGuild, formed in 1994, shall in all pomp and circumstance hereby be declothed and dissolved effective at 5 minutes and 37 seconds after midnight UTC on Nude Years Day of 2020 (AD 1 January 2020 or 1 Chaos 3186 YOLD). (We should have done that this year to avoid the 25 year mark, but Eris screwed up the date for us.  But that makes it even better–this way we get to dissolve The Establshment!) So we’re looking for ideas for a name/motto/slogan/purpose for a new gang.

But in other news…The notorious Ek-sen-trik-kuh Discordia: The Tales of Shamlicht, the book pulled from publication right after it was published due to criminal accusations and threats against the publisher, will be coming back from the dead! Look for it in 2020!

ASSOCIATES

Dr. Sinister Craven: Toyalla and I are working on a special project I’m not at liberty to discuss. But it involves a prairie squid and Miskatonic University. That’s all I can say.

Miley Spears: I’m finally going into the Peace Corps! I’ve wanted it for years but it’s finally happening. That means I won’t be online much because I’ll be living where there’s not much electricity and no Internet except at the main office. They said my cell phone should still work at least if I can find a place to charge it! And I just became a Lady of Sealand!

Loveshade X: Unlike the rest of you, I really am a g****m sockpuppet. Because of a legal judgement, I do not claim to be a member of the s***y The Loveshade Family. But I do claim that the year 2020 will see the f***ing rise of the Early Church of the SubGenius!

Graphics by Alden Loveshade

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Christianity Today and Donald Trump

Posted on 2019/12/22 by Alden Loveshade

Donald Trump holding the Bible (image believed to be in the public domain).

The editor of Christianity Today, a evangelical Christian periodical started by Billy Graham, has written an editorial entitled “Trump Should Be Removed from Office. ” Editor in Chief Mark Galli called an impeachable political action of President Trump “profoundly immoral.”

This has sent shock waves through evangelical Christianity and beyond. Some will, of course, try to turn this into a partisan issue, but I don’t believe it is. For one thing, Billy Graham’s son Franklin Graham has been a very strong supporter of the Republican Donald Trump. For another, Christianity Today, which generally avoids divisive political issues, also had an editorial favoring the removal of Democratic President Bill Clinton during his time of facing impeachment.

Another important factor is that the article doesn’t sound like a political tirade, it sounds like a reasoned opinion based on Christian values that does not condemn the person. It says, “We love and pray for our president, as we love and pray for leaders (as well as ordinary citizens) on both sides of the political aisle.”  That, by the way, is what Jesus of Nazareth taught his followers to do.

My personal hope is that this will help Christians who have been hesitant or even afraid of going against the pro-Trump tide to assert and stand by their beliefs.

An opinion of an individual members of The Loveshade Family does not necessarily reflect the views of the whole family.

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Alden Loveshade End of the Year 2019

Posted on 2019/12/20 by Alden Loveshade

How ya all doin’?  Letting another year end?  Well, here’s another End of the Year Letter!

In writing news, I had some articles and a story published/scheduled to be published, and a satirical news article picked up by at least three news satire websites.  I play tested a game book, had a book move from query to formal proposal level, got rights back to a book that’s planned to be reprinted, and co-wrote and edited another book that’s currently being considered.  And I designed a playing card for a special 50th anniversary deck.

I of course designed the graphics in this letter, and also designed several album covers for non-existent musicians.  Why?  Because I’m practicing to design some for real entertainers.  Think the Beatles might be interested?

Remember last year’s nearly overflowing tank (pond)?  For the third time in recent years, the water level hit a record high.  Now, that tank is almost completely dry.  Go figure.

One of my nephews eloped this year, apparently without telling anyone ahead of time—well, except for his bride.

I’m keeping my weight down with diet and exercise.  Fortunately, I figured out that when it’s too cold to exercise outside, instead I can stay inside and watch TV—while wearing a loaded backpack, lifting hand weights, and pacing back and forth.  Now I can hardly watch Star Trek: Voyager while sitting down.

After a few days trying to retrieve an escaped hen, I got help herding her—from a cat.  I can’t take credit for cat training; he just happened to be in the right place at the right time.  Speaking of animals, I was visited by a couple of deer, one of which liked eating out of a feeder for wild birds.

The deer didn’t attend our third Gathering at the Grove get-together, this year in honor of 1969 with the theme “Woodstock on the Moon.”  And I got asked permission to give the bride-to-be!  (No, not my daughter; I was the proxy giver-awayer).

Merry Chanukah, Happy Christmas, Great Kwanzaa, Wonderful Yule, Fine Winter/Summer Solstice, Terrific New Year!
An opinion of an individual member of The Loveshade Family does not necessarily reflect the views of the whole family.

Posted in Discordian and Ek-sen-trik, Family and Friends, Media and News, Politics and War, Religion and Philosophy, Science and Technology | Tagged , , , , , , , | 21 Comments

What if the Bad Guys Had Won?

Posted on 2019/11/23 by The Loveshade Family

“What if the Bad Guys Had Won?”

Guest post by Deby Fredericks

That question is the basis for my high fantasy novella series, Minstrels of Skaythe. Three hundred years ago, the cruel mage Dar-Gothull seized power after taking down his rivals one by one. Since then, he’s reshaped everything in his own terrible image. Skaythe is an upside-down world, where merciless strength is “good” and caring about others is “bad.”

In creating this setting, I wanted to challenge some of the standard assumptions in fantasy. Our great legends tell us that freedom from tyranny can only be won in battle. Or that some sort of “chosen one” will lead an army to rescue the people. Even in small matters, we are told we must fight for what we want or need.

Personally, I question that warfare makes anything better. So I set out to explore ways that people of good conscience might resist a despot without resorting to violence. My heroes travel as minstrels. Music and dance, juggling and puppetry are their weapons. Rather than fighting to overthrow Dar-Gothull’s regime, they try to comfort the suffering of the people, even if only for a short time. For this crime they are branded as renegades and hunted throughout the land.

—–

Dancer in the Grove of Ghosts

“He’s dead. He just doesn’t know it yet.”

Mortally wounded, Cylass is abandoned on the battlefield by comrades who would just as soon have him out of the way. But as he waits for death, a strange savior appears. The dancer, Tisha, heals him with her forbidden magic, but also draws the wrath of his cruel former lord.

Soon guardsman and renegade mage are on the run. Will Cylass help Tisha, as she helped him? Or will he do the smart thing, and turn her over to the vicious Count Ar-Dayne?

Illustrations by Tithi Luadthong.

An opinion of a guest of The Loveshade Family does not necessarily reflect the views of the family.

—–

Amazon e-book:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07ZXLHC62

Other e-book formats:
https://draft2digital.com/book/496360

—–
Deborah Fredericks

Fantasy and Children’s Writer
Find out more at my web site or my blog
or join my mailing list.
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