Merytsetesh

I don't feel like a professional. Some days I don't even feel like an adult!

In other words, I'm giving in to peer pressure and getting an Etsy store! I don't have any listings yet (or even a store name, gotta brainstorm), but expect lots of macrame, pottery, and assorted pagan stuff. So if you have ever seen anything in my gallery that you like, chances are it will be for sale soon.

As both a pagan with heathen tendencies and a fan of the Avengers, I'm thinking of making bindrune necklaces for the actors who played the major gods in the movie Thor. I have a few ideas for designs, but my big question is how would I even get the finished product to the actors? If I could even get ahold of one I could ask him to pass the rest along I suppose. Does anyone know the best way to get in touch with Chris Hemsworth/Tom Hiddleston/Anthony Hopkins/Idris Elba/Rene Russo or their agents so I can get a mailing address? Maybe I should just hit up Hiddleston on Twitter or something, "Hey I have viking swag for you guys, gimme a PO box so I can ship these mythical motherfuckers."

I'd just like to thank everyone who has left comments on my work, added them to their favorites/collections, watched me, or otherwise enjoyed my art in some capacity. Lately I've been more proactive about submitting my art to clubs and as a result my traffic has increases substantially, too much for me to thank each personal individually like I used to. Even if I don't comment I do try to check out your galleries and favorites to build up my own collections. You guys have good taste!

...you never know what you're gonna get. Opening the gas kiln is always exciting because you finally get to see if your weeks (sometimes months) of labor came out looking gorgeous or like sculpted poop. Glazes are hard to predict. How much water the glaze has, how thick it's applied, if it painted or poured on a piece, where it's located in the kiln, all of these factors and more affect the outcome.

That being said, we did a huge gas kiln fire last week in ceramics class. Nothing came out exactly how I hoped, but it's all close enough. I'm about 90% satisfied with the glaze. Nothing broke, dripped, or got stuck, so I can't complain!

Two issues I feel strongly about right now: ACTA, which is SOPA's bigger, meaner, international brother, and the disturbing tread of child abuse in Africa against so called child "witches." As both a supporter of free speach and a REAL witch, both of these are near and dear to my heart.

First off, ACTA. If you haven't heard about it yet, you need to. What is ACTA? I know we have short attention spans, so here's a quick video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQ56UN…

Have some bullets points: (blatantly stolen for Magic Rat, whom I shall eternally thank for bringing this issue to my attention.):
- ACTA will apply to every country that signs the treaty.
- ACTA is far more aggressive. ACTA will not simply affect websites and have them blocked out of the internet - its measures go as far as surveillance of anything you share through private channels.
- ACTA doesn't have a campaign against it that is as wide-spread and organized as the SOPA one. This is DANGEROUS, as there's less time between now and the final signing of ACTA.
- ACTA has effects on healthcare, trade, and even tourism. You know those cheap generic drugs you rely on to live? Yeah, those are copyright violations according to ACTA.
- ACTA has to be stopped. Unless of course you don't mind having your right to free speech trampled on.

Things you can do:
- Write your senator and congressmen telling them that the American people do not support ACTA.
- Sign this online petition. At the moment, it has more than 1.5 million signatures. Add yours here: www.avaaz.org/en/eu_save_the_i…


Second, Africa's witch children. Okay, odds are this isn't an issue that directly affects you, but any one with a heart and bit of sense can see this is a problem.

About a decade ago an evangelical extremist named Helen Ukpabio formed the Liberty Foundation Gospel Ministries. According to her, children are can agents of Satan and must be exorcized. Unfortunately, these exorcisms often take the form of brutal beatings, burnings, acid, being buried alive, and other horrific kinds of abuse. Many children die of it and those that survived are stigmatized as witches for life, often being abandoned by the same families who tortured them. Preachers pray upon people's illness, poverty, and other misfortune, using the child "witch" as the scapegoat.

Warning: This video featuring real footage of an exorcism a.k.a. child abuse: www.youtube.com/watch?v=MlRG9g…

Officially, Helen Ukpabio denies her teachings encourage such abuse, but the facts are against her. Just watch her propaganda video "The End of the Wicked" and see for yourself how ridiculous she is.

Warning: This video has crappy B horror movie effects depicting children eating people: www.youtube.com/watch?v=NUeKBi…

Unbelievably, she is coming to my home state, Texas, in March to spread her ignorant, hate mongering bullshit. A protest against her is being planned right now, and I plan on spending my spring break down in Houston rallying against her, picket signs, chants, and all.

Things you can do:
- Sign this petition asking President Obama to deny Helen Ukpabio entry to America: www.change.org/petitions/the-p…
- Show up in Houston between March 14th and 25th. Check out the Facebook group Stand Against Helen Ukpabio for details.
- Support Stepping Stones Nigera, one of the only organizations trying to help these children: www.steppingstonesnigeria.org/ They shelter, clothe, feed, and educate them, but there are tens of thousands of children who need help and they only have so much money and space. And yes, I put my money where my mouth is and donated $16. Every penny counts.


I'll get off my soapbox now.