fistula spume
fistula spume
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Something you don't know about me.

Posted almost 5 years ago
I wanted to make a post that is about me as a person. I wanted to say a little something about me and I hope that maybe you might comment something about yourself. As some of you may know I'm a smoker that enjoys beer, my cat, my wife, making art, and not enjoying working for an insurance company. What some of you may not know about myself is that I am a "Chiricahua":http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chiricahua Apache. To be more exact I am a Fort Sill, Warm Springs, Chiricahua Apache. You wouldn't know it to look at me. I'm an English bloke according to my wife or something else European looking. I am however 3/16ths Fort Sill Apache. It is a part of my life that I am very proud of. I have a direct link through my father's father's (so on) relationship to "Cochise":http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cochise , "Mangas Coloradas":http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mangas_Coloradas, and "Geronimo":http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geronimo. My last name is Houser, but according to my granddad they changed it from Haozous to escape prejudice. My tribe was the last to stop fighting according to relatives and because of that there were only around 32 left after years of being in prisoners of war camps (which the government denies to this day). We've built up around 600 members now but because of blood quantum law's we'll probably be eliminated before 2100. Anyway. Enough of my history (there's more than a post worth). What of yours? Any unique things I don't know about you?
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Comments (66)

  1. RGM
    RGM says I was raised to be a witch...you know warlock...mexi catholic style, but said nah'...to it! Kinda freaky but silly at the same time...
    Permalink posted 05/17/2007
  2. levek
    levek says My ancestors came from France and settled some 80 miles North of Québec City, on the Saint-Lawrence River, at the end of the 17th century. My father told me that when he was a kid, there were 60 pupils in his primary school and all of them were Lévesque. The teacher had to use knicknames. My father was one of the people who were offered free land in North Western Québec. They had to clear the forest and start farming. Those settlers were exempted from conscription in the Second World War. In the years that followed, conscription was extended and my father got married to avoid being sent to war,and when they called married men to arms, he became a father so he would not have to go. So, I was the savior - a child of the war. That was 65 years ago.
    Permalink posted 05/17/2007
  3. tybees
    tybees says I really like tacos......oh man, I got nothin'.
    Permalink posted 05/17/2007
  4. I am
    I am says Here part of a textbook answer. "The record of this family in Europe is authenticated to a very early period. In that record, obtained many years ago, at great expense from authentic documents in Europe, it appears that its great ancestor was one Veil-the-Heilman, who, about the year 1305, obtained from Emperor Albright the honor of Knighthood, and a nobility diploma. Down to the 16th century, the name constantly occurs in the Genealogical Register of the German Nobles. But in the year 1509, the Knight, John-the-Heilman, of Heilsdorf, was deprived of his position by the Emperor Max, and he and his descendants fell to, and have since remained in, the citizens rank. Notwithstanding this, many of the more prominent of the families even in their citizen state, retained the ancient family coat of arms to a very recent date.:" My family has been well documented. What you don't know about me is, I really like old kung fu movies and scrapple.
    Permalink posted 05/17/2007
  5. Rawkkiddoh
    Rawkkiddoh says Although my mother would kill me for posting this, my grandfather was a body gaurd of Al Capone and served time in prison for him. Oh, and I like tacos as well
    Permalink posted 05/17/2007
  6. I am
    I am says Dude, that is just toooooooooo cool.
    Permalink posted 05/17/2007
  7. Rawkkiddoh
    Rawkkiddoh says I wish I knew more, my mom is embarrassed by the fact and wont speak of it to my brothers or I. Never got to meet the man, I guess he was a hard drinker with a short temper
    Permalink posted 05/17/2007
  8. fistula spume
    fistula spume says You all blow me away. I expected a little and got a lot. I'm just so surprised how much you can trace it. Way cool stuff. My wife is looking into her past via me; her father was adopted and she wants to know where he came from. She's knows he is dutch/french, but that is it. Any ideas?
    Permalink posted 05/17/2007
  9. I am
    I am says What is her maiden name, Sam?
    Permalink posted 05/17/2007
  10. kristiana
    kristiana says I believe my great-great grandmother (through my father's mother) was at least half, if not full, Maliseet ("a Native American/First Nations people who inhabit the Saint John River valley and its tributaries, roughly overlapping the International Boundary between New Brunswick and Quebec in Canada, and Maine in the United States"). But we don't talk of such things in my family. My grandmother doesn't anyway. Except once, when she blurted it out, forgot to be ashamed. Yes, it's sad but true. Before I had any such idea of this I had vision-quest type dreams. Only years later would I meet and talk with an Elder who did not hesitate to interpret my dream/experience when I told her of them. That was comforting in a very nice way. One can read Jung all one likes, but he leaves something to be desired. Through the same grandmother I was able a couple of years ago to trace back as far as the 1300s, Scotland. To Midlothian. They were also supporters of Mary Stuart, hid her at a time she needed friends. This result was very surprising and goosebump-inducing for me. I have been interested in the idea of genetic memory for a long time. There are lots of other kooky stories, but it's late. Oh, and I belong to Haplogroup K.
    Permalink posted 05/17/2007
  11. fistula spume
    fistula spume says Waalkes, but that's her father's adopted name. I gotta figure out who her fathers real parents are. They're all dutch in the Michigan area. He was born in 1948 in Grand Rapids Michigan.
    Permalink posted 05/17/2007
  12. I am
    I am says kris, not seem like a dummy ... I checked out Haplogroup's on Wiki. I didn't understand it. What does that mean exactly? And, Your up later than I am. What gives? I am a true night owl.
    Permalink posted 05/17/2007
  13. I am
    I am says Midlothian. Kinda rolls off the tongue doesn't?
    Permalink posted 05/17/2007
  14. ivylander
    ivylander says Nothing even remotely exciting about my ancestry. Scotch-Irish and some German, generation upon generation on both sides of farmers, ministers and schoolteachers. The first to come over on my father's side was a Methodist minister who rode a circuit in the Cumberland Gap. We have the sort of family that is widely dispersed and disinclined to get together. (This is sad, but my wife's family more than makes up for mine's diffidence.) A couple of years ago, when I'd finished cleaning up my mother's apartment in Texas after her death, I was driving her car back to Pennsylvania and stopped, on the second day, for lunch in Elizabethtown, Kentucky. As I gave the cashier my credit card, she noticed my last name and said, "Oh, that's my boyfriend's last name, too. Your family from around here?" I answered no, that my family had originally settled in the Cumberland Gap. "That's where he's from, too," she said. "Maybe you're related." Perhaps if I hadn't been so emotionally spent by that point I would have followed up. Now I wish I had.
    Permalink posted 05/18/2007
  15. soulrocket
    soulrocket says The father of the grandfather of my grandmother was extremely rich & got the title of Baron from el Cid Campeador who was the guy that "re-conquered" Iberia (we had not a name for Spain back then) & send the arabs away. He was into gambling, prostitutes, drinking & everything else you could imagine. At the end of his life he got mad at the grandfather of my grandmother & disinherited him. As a result the rest of our family is very rich but we are not. I visited once the Baron’s "castle" & it was kind of dissapointing... a mere big house in a village lost by the hand of God. I could retain the Baron title by paying $450 a year, but who cares about those things? The other part of my family comes from the North of Spain & shows Celtic roots... the origins of the family comes from an island of inbred inhabitants (that would explain a lot of things). Most of the family members are living around the world these days... Brazil, Venezuela, Cuba, the USA. Immigration was a big thing back then. This is the part of the family i like the most. signed baron soulrocket "el magnifico"
    Permalink posted 05/18/2007
  16. ivylander
    ivylander says Disgraced royalty - I am distinctly envious, SR. And it is somehow perfect for you....
    Permalink posted 05/18/2007
  17. kristiana
    kristiana says I Am, one of my girlfriends kept me on the phone for many hours, and I found myself still buzzing by the wee hours...but yes, I'm a night owl too. Take a look at the Human Genome project, on the National Geographic website. It's very nice to look at, and might explain things a bit better than wiki.
    Permalink posted 05/18/2007
  18. fistula spume
    fistula spume says That's way cool about your heritage Kristiana. Really I'm just wowed by everyone's history. I knew Rawkkiddo was a gangsta but I had no idea it was blood related. I didn't know there was a baron in our midst either. That's very interesting soulrocket. Everyone has such interesting goods on their back ground. Ivylander. I think being the king of Ivyland has to have its perks and future generations will say I was related to him. Besides my Apache history I'm also Cherokee and Blackfoot. The other half is mostly Irish with wee amounts of Dutch, English, and German. I'm pretty much half indian half Irish which means I like to drink but I can't handle it.
    Permalink posted 05/18/2007
  19. contrabandwidth
    contrabandwidth says One part of my family are very proper WASP's who can trace roots back to Spanish and French royalty in a self published family book called "The Wagaman's and Allied Families" (doesn't get more blue blooded than that). One of my WAY distant relatives was painted by El Greco. The French side had a part in the Louisiana Purchase. My father's side traces to Upstate New York and were most likely poor German dirt farmers. My Great Great Grandfather invented the bedspring and the "Legget Trap" which is a device used for Trap Shooting. He formed a company called Legget and Platt, which is a huge Aluminum product manufacturer (and bed springs) today. I both take pride in my family history but also feel kind of ridiculous at the same time, because at one time it was such a status thing to trace your family back to the original settlers of the country through all those racist groups like the DAR and such. Some of those things like being on the Social Register, were really important to people in my family, and I really have no interest in antiquated things like that.
    Permalink posted 05/18/2007
  20. nicki
    nicki says I wish I was related to "William Gaddis":http://www.williamgaddis.org/.

    The cheekbones are about right.
    Permalink posted 05/18/2007
  21. fistula spume
    fistula spume says That's very interesting contrabandwidth. I actually know of Legget and Platt through work but I didn't know the "Legget Trap" tidbit. Gaddis doesn't look too shabby in this drawing either nicki. I think the cheekbones are about right.
    Permalink posted 05/18/2007
  22. Kate
    Kate says Well, I am mostly Irish and my middle name is Higgins. My brother's is Marley. Who got the better one?
    Permalink posted 05/18/2007
  23. fistula spume
    fistula spume says Is his first name Ziggy? That' s really going to help me determine who got the better one. :)
    Permalink posted 05/18/2007
  24. kristiana
    kristiana says https://www3.nationalgeographic.com/genographic/index.html If anyone is interested, it doesn't cost very much, considering, and part of the proceeds go towards the project itself. One can choose to share their results in the database (as I did) that is growing, which is helping to piece together the picture of human migration. Fascinating stuff. I know this sounds kooky, but I guessed the route my mothers followed...and I was right. That was pretty gratifying for someone who has been convinced for many years that there is something to the idea of a genetic memory for place/people, etc. Have a look at the haplogroups - each one (there are about 25-26 for males, and same for females, I think?) has a description and rough outline of the route followed out of Africa. There are also pictures of people who belong to those groups alongside, which makes it even more engaging!
    Permalink posted 05/18/2007
  25. kristiana
    kristiana says Navigating - click on the interactive atlas highlighted in the yellow box, and then at the bottom click "genetic markers". Y is for males, mtdna is for females. Uncheck which ever one you're not interested in, and then the haplogroups are listed by letter...
    Permalink posted 05/18/2007
  26. fistula spume
    fistula spume says That looks way cool. I can't view the atlas at work but I'm definitely checking this out. Where am I from? We'll find out that I'm not from Earth and then I'll be transported to an underground lair somewhere. Oh well. Thanks for the link kristiana. Very interesting!
    Permalink posted 05/18/2007
  27. kristiana
    kristiana says ...or better yet, from Po. :)
    Permalink posted 05/18/2007
  28. doombilly
    doombilly says American of Irish and German descent. Allthough sometimes I bathe enough to be de-scented. I can wiggle my ears.
    Permalink posted 05/18/2007
  29. kristiana
    kristiana says "...a direct link through my father’s father’s (so on) relationship to Cochise , Mangas Coloradas, and Geronimo." Sorry, forgot to mention, THIS IS WAY COOL. "I’m pretty much half indian half Irish which means I like to drink but I can’t handle it." Haha! But really, the Irish can't handle it either! This may seem nit picky, but you forgot to capitalize "indian", and really, maybe we should be saying First Nations people, or Native Americans, right? Around my corner of the world, First Nations communities are really trying to get their shit together. Tough battle, with the emotionally crippling legacy of the "residential schools", rez life, drug/alcohol abuse...but healing has begun. CBC has been abuzz the past couple of weeks with Native demands that land claims battles which have shamefully gone on for decades (or longer) finally be settled this summer. They are done talking. And I say good on them. I have a feeling there are going to be many demonstrations this summer. Hopefully something positive can come out of it before we have another Oka...
    Permalink posted 05/18/2007
  30. kristiana
    kristiana says This is what a soldier having a face-off with a Mohawk warrior looks like... what you can't see is that the soldier has pissed himself.
    Permalink posted 05/18/2007
  31. kristiana
    kristiana says How about a musical tie-in? (thanks to Ms Shannon Thunderbird) I think this is an important, timely story. Part 1! "The drum represents the universal heartbeat of Noo Halidzoks (Mother Earth) - the universal mother to us all. The first sound that was heard in the world was her heartbeat. The first sound a baby hears in the womb in the heartbeat of the Mother. The heartbeat is manifested through playing a special rhythm on the drum. This rhythm facilitates healing and realignment of the four realms of human existence (Mental, Spiritual, Emotional, Physical) because the Creator revolves around the rhythm. The drum when combined with the voice, creates a hum that rests between the voice and the drum and is thought to be the spirits of the Ancestors. Therefore, Native hand drums are not percussion instruments per se or a toy, they are considered female and human because of their direct tie to the earth. Her heartbeat on the drum can be done in a variety of ways, here are two suggestions: Tsimshian: Four steady beats, followed for two quick beats - one, two three, four, one/two, two three four, one/two, two, three, four.....) * Anishinabe - two rhythmic beats - one/two - one/two - one/two..... When playing a drum, it should never be hammered in an aggressive way, this suggests giving it a 'beating' and one must never 'hit' a woman! The teaching goes even further by stating that the drum mallet should not be referred to as a 'beater' because of the suggestion of aggression contained in the word. Thunderbird refers to all her drum mallets 'Clayton', after one of her favourite Elder Friends, Seneca Elder, Clayton Logan. The Big Drum was a gift from the women to the men a very long time ago, so that men could experience a resonant connection to the Earth Mother that naturally occurs with women. Therefore, it has been tribal custom for the most part, that women not sit at the big drum or play it. Whoever wrote this rule was obviously a very threatened man, for there is no basis in history for such action. As Native history has evolved, this practice is changing, and there are more and more instances where women are taking back the big drum, and raising their voices in joy. Also, this in some part has been borne out of the fact that many families who have only girl children, must continue to pass down important teachings."
    Permalink posted 05/18/2007
  32. kristiana
    kristiana says As Native history has evolved, this practice is changing, and there are more and more instances where women are taking back the big drum, and raising their voices in joy. Also, this in some part has been borne out of the fact that many families who have only girl children, must continue to pass down important teachings."
    Permalink posted 05/18/2007
  33. fistula spume
    fistula spume says That's fun info. I capitalize Indian half the time. I think about it and then I can't remember whether or not I should. Our tribe is slowly trying to rebuild itself. It too was plagued with drugs and alcohol and just poverty in general. They're doing a lot of great work now. Part of it is because they opened a casino and have gotten other contracts. I don't like the casino but it has helped a lot with education, housing, medical clinics, day care, and various other stuff. A lot of history has been lost due to the prisoner of war camps. Our tribe wasn't recognized by the government until the 70's thanks to my great aunt Mildred. They were able to get some tribal lands back and restitution but it can't really make up for the loss of thousands of people. My uncle is the chairman now and I think he's done a lot to help progress the tribe in the last 4 years. We were being ripped off by some guy and his lawyer prior to that for millions. Those days sucked. Much better now. My brother goes to local grade schools to give talks about tribes that were native to our area but are now extinct. He really enjoys that. You wouldn't know it but in my early drawings I tried to keep the 4 realms in my mind whenever I created something. I was quite obsessed with the idea in my early 20's.
    Permalink posted 05/18/2007
  34. kristiana
    kristiana says It's still a good idea, the 4 realms, I mean. Same here, often the community benefits financially from building a casino. I say go for it. You should always capitalize! I took a Native education course last year, and my professor (an Elder) was very serious about language use. It matters more than one often remembers. Certain words connote undesirable things. Many NAtives don't take this as seriously as my teacher did, but he had good points. Should I continue with the drum story?
    Permalink posted 05/18/2007
  35. fistula spume
    fistula spume says Losing language is a biggie. It really all goes when you forget your language. As far as some traditions like not allowing women to do certain things I'm all for change. Although I think we should have a tribal prince ceremony just to be fair (I'm kidding of course). Sure, continue on with the drum story. I liked it. I enjoy the drums at our tribal celebrations and dances.
    Permalink posted 05/18/2007
  36. kristiana
    kristiana says "In the twenty-first century, as Indigenous cultures continue to adapt, evolve and move forward, and given the fact that women are taking back the drum which is their right to do because of the lack of leadership shown by Native men, it is becoming more common to see women big drum groups at powwows. This is a slow evolution because of the fierce patrilineal protection of turf (unfortunately Euro-centric attitudes toward women have been learned well by many Native Men). There has been much animosity and outright refusal to allow women drum groups to participate at powwows and other events. This whole "which gender is allowed to play the big drum" is sexist and borne out of Christian dogma of recent history. There is no such thing as irrefutable proof that women cannot sit at a big drum. If women think they are "offending" men by playing the big drum, Thunderbird suggests that those men who are offended are hanging onto territory which they do not own and, therefore, have no right to claim ownership, for the simple reason that the drum (no matter the size) is a universal symbol of healing, harmony, dignity, honour, respect, courage and wisdom. It is also FEMALE, so it seems odd that women are denied what is rightfully theirs....a female sister!. Moreover, as noted below, if we are all given a heartbeat, why is it that women must shut theirs down during important events or ceremonies?? Wherein, it is true that women, a long time ago, gave the big drum to men so they could feel the resonant connection to the Earth Mother that women naturally feel, the gift came with some simple rules: * Men were to respect women, and women's leadership role in the community. * they were never to raise their voices or hands against women or children. * they were to protect the "giver of life" at all costs. Alas as recent history shows, this continues not to be the case as family violence in Native communities continues to b e at least five times the national average, a national scandal in any language! Men have no longer earned the right to ownership of the drum. Moreover, the whole notion of 'ownership' flies in the face of even the most basic of Native teachings as regards sharing and caring for each other. The prophecy which states, "when the maple trees starts dying from the top, women will take back the drum" is starting to happen, the trees are dying. Men have not fulfilled their responsibilities and promises; women must now re-assert themselves in order to save themselves, their children and the Earth Mother. Ms Thunderbird says, "Get with it, times have changed, women's voices must be heard by whatever means if Mother Earth has any chance of survival."
    Permalink posted 05/18/2007
  37. fistula spume
    fistula spume says That was a good read. We are coming to the end of the Hopi's Fourth World soon. As well as the end of the Mayan calander among several other things. I read once that the reason some people gravitate towards music with heavy bass hearkens back to when we were inside the womb and all of the sounds that we heard were heavy on this sound from having to pass through the mother. That might also be why anti-authority music (more typically heavy metal) is all or mostly treble sounds as it is an escape from the sounds that one identifies with their mother. It is unfortunate about the crime in the tribes but maybe things can be resolved. It seems like there have been a lot of good going on lately. Time will tell. Great comments Kristiana.
    Permalink posted 05/18/2007
  38. kristiana
    kristiana says Glad you enjoyed! These are just the type of topics I feel passionately about - great job luring me in! Boy, there are so many prophecies...and the Elders were often right in their predictions of the past. Yep, the Mayan one freaks me out a wee bit. You missed my "Po" reference? If you want more of the same, but different (but not), I can now take you to Africa...
    Permalink posted 05/18/2007
  39. kristiana
    kristiana says "there are a number of different versions of the Dogon’s origin myths, as well as differing accounts of how they got from their ancestral homelands to the Bandiagara region. The people call themselves Dogon or Dogom, but in the older literature they are most often called Habe, a Fulbe word meaning ‘stranger’ or ‘pagan.’ Certain theories suggest the tribe to be of ancient Egyptian descent. After living in the region of Libya, they are believed to have migrated to somewhere in the region of Burkina Faso, Guinea or Mauritania (different scholarly sources give different places for this period). Around 1490 AD, fleeing invaders and/or drought, they migrated to the Bandiagara cliffs of central Mali...." know anything about the Dogon? Fascinating stuff.
    Permalink posted 05/18/2007
  40. fistula spume
    fistula spume says You're going Terrence McKenna on me. I can go to Africa. Yeah I wasn't sure what Po was. Where's Po?
    Permalink posted 05/18/2007
  41. kristiana
    kristiana says "The earliest study of the Dogon was undertaken in 1903 by Louis Desplagnes, a lieutenant in the French colonial army. The first scientists to visit and study the Dogon people were the French anthropologists Marcel Griaule and Germaine Dieterlen, who initially made contact with the Dogon in 1931 and continued to intensively research them for the next three decades. Griaule and Dieterlen conducted detailed investigations of the complex Dogon rituals and symbolism, and the cosmological ideas of which they are an expression. Griaule’s two most important works are Masques Dogons (1938) and Dien d’Eau (1948). The latter work was published in English in 1965 under the title Conversations with Ogotemmeli: An Introduction to Dogon Religious Ideas." Marcel Griaule and his colleagues came to believe that all the major Dogon sacred sites were related to episodes in the Dogon myth of the creation of the world, in particular to a deity named Nommo. Nommo was the first living being created by Amma (the sky god and creator of the universe) and he soon multiplied to become four sets of twins. One of the twins rebelled against the order established by Amma, thereby destabilizing the universe. In order to purify the cosmos and restore its order, Amma sacrificed another of the Nommo, whose body was cut up and scattered throughout the universe. The Dogon say their astronomical knowledge was given to them by the Nommos, amphibious beings sent to Earth from Sirius for the benefit of mankind. The word Nommos comes from a Dogon word meaning, "to make one drink," and the Nommos are also called Masters of the Water, the Monitors, and the Teachers. In the late 1940’s, Dogon priests greatly surprised the French anthropologists Griaule and Dieterlen by telling them secret Dogon myths about the star Sirius (8.6 light years from the earth). The priests said that Sirius had a companion star that was invisible to the human eye. They also stated that the star moved in a 50-year elliptical orbit around Sirius, that it was small and incredibly heavy, and that it rotated on its axis. All these things happen to be true (the actual orbital figure is 50.04 +/- 0.09 years). But what makes this so remarkable is that the companion star of Sirius, called Sirius B, was first photographed in 1970. While people began to suspect its existence around 1844, it was not seen through a telescope until 1862. The Dogon beliefs, on the other hand, were supposedly thousands of years old. The Dogon name for Sirius B (Po Tolo) consists of the word for star (tolo) and "po," the name of the smallest seed known to them. By this name they describe the star's smallness -- it is, they say, "the smallest thing there is." They also claim that it is "the heaviest star," and white. The tribe claims that Po is composed of a mysterious, super-dense metal called sagala, which they declare is heavier than all the iron on Earth. Not until 1926 did Western science discover that this tiny star is a white dwarf, a category of star characterized by very great density. Many artifacts were found describing the star system, including a statue examined by Dieterlen that is at least 400 years old. The Dogon also describe a third star in the Sirius system, called Emme Ya. Larger and lighter than Sirius B, this star revolves around Sirius as well. Around the star Emme Ya orbits a planet from which the mythic Nommos originally came. To date, however, astronomers have not identified Emme Ya. Will our celestial observation devices one day be powerful enough for us to find this legendary planet, thereby adding still more mystery to the extraordinary - seemingly impossible - astronomical knowledge of the Dogon? In addition to their knowledge of the Sirius group, the Dogon mythology includes Saturn's rings and Jupiter's four major moons. They have four calendars, for the Sun, Moon, Sirius, and Venus, and have long known that planets orbit the sun." Ok, that should do you for awhile, haha! When I was about 20 I decided to try my hand at painting. I would just sit down and do it without really thinking about it. One I did of a starry sky, and the word "Sirius" popped into my head. I had some knowledge of constellations and what not. But I wasn't really sure why "sirius" popped into my head, but that's what I called that painting. Years later I read this stuff about the Dogon and thought...."huh". Ha!
    Permalink posted 05/18/2007
  42. kristiana
    kristiana says whoops, here's the part that got cut out.... n the late 1940’s, Dogon priests greatly surprised the French anthropologists Griaule and Dieterlen by telling them secret Dogon myths about the star Sirius (8.6 light years from the earth). The priests said that Sirius had a companion star that was invisible to the human eye. They also stated that the star moved in a 50-year elliptical orbit around Sirius, that it was small and incredibly heavy, and that it rotated on its axis.
    Permalink posted 05/18/2007
  43. fistula spume
    fistula spume says That was great reading. I read about this in my late teens when I was getting into wanting to know more about the world that is completely outside of me. There's some weird cults in the US that subscribe to the Dogon ideas but they take it to a crazy extreme. I saw a show a couple of years ago on the History channel that covered Dogons, some tribe in Siberia, and a couple of others around the world that had similar stories and the pictures that they showed of the aliens or Gods were all very similar. The Dogons are incredibly interesting. I've had ah-ha moments like your Sirius one at certain points in my life. When I was a younger teen I had a very detailed dream about the Nibelung that named a lot of things that correlated with the myth. I didn't figure that out until around 6 years after the dream. I used to write that stuff down all the time when I was younger. I've gotten out of practice. My dreams have only gotten stranger with age. Thanks for the memories! And yes, I am from Po. Keep it on the DL.
    Permalink posted 05/18/2007
  44. fistula spume
    fistula spume says oh and Doombilly I am jealous of your ear skills.
    Permalink posted 05/18/2007
  45. Marco1019
    Marco1019 says This is a very fascinating thread. As for me, I can't say I know too much about my ancestry given that most of my family is in South America (Venezuela and Ecuador), and I haven't seen them since I was about 6. That being said, I am the first member of my entire family born in the US (my older sisters were born in Caracas). My mother jokingly refers to me as "The American". :)
    Permalink posted 05/18/2007
  46. I am
    I am says Okay I am thoroughly amazed. Not only did kris get to bed really really late last night she managed to post some amazing stuff today. Some one get her a towel and a good stiff drink. There is so much here I am going to print it out so I can absorb it fully. Kate's middle name is Higgins. Wasn't he the butler in Magnum PI? Cool middle name. I to am jealous of doom's ear bit. You know soul if you kept the title Baron, you might get invites to some outrageous parties.
    Permalink posted 05/18/2007
  47. kristiana
    kristiana says FS, when you refer to "Nibelung", do you mean the Burgundians, Merovignians...dwarves? :) I'm curious! I Am...it's mostly copy and pasting. Glad you like the stories though! And yes, I enjoyed a nice bottle of wine this evening. My ping pong game has improved dramatically. And I've been enjoying the new Arcade Fire, which I finally received on vinyl in the mail yesterday. Good times. (I also didn't have to get up until 9:30 this morning) And I agree about those parties our Baron could get into!
    Permalink posted 05/18/2007
  48. I am
    I am says We could sign on as his entourage.
    Permalink posted 05/18/2007
  49. RGM
    RGM says I like tacos also...
    Permalink posted 05/18/2007
  50. I am
    I am says In my area, Mama Felix has the the best tacos. Good luck finding her though.
    Permalink posted 05/18/2007
  51. Anna
    Anna says Both my mother and my father come from "Pontus":http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pontus, they, and me, are "Pontic Greeks":http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pontic_Greeks. The "Pontic Greek genocide":http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pontic_Greek_Genocide is the tragic part of our story. I think you might find "Pontiac music":http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pontic_Greeks#Music interesting.
    Permalink posted 05/19/2007
  52. ciphermedia
    ciphermedia says Half Jewish, Ex Catholic, Would Be Buddhist. (Except that cockroaches and mosquitoes must die. Which means I'll probably come back as one...) Not really vegetarian, more like VegeAquarian (ok, pescetarian for the pedants). However, I get scent-memory cravings for sausage sangas (with tomato sauce & onions on white bread) whenever I smell barbeques. Actually, I had one recently, and it was yum, so I guess that makes me a pretty crappy vegeAquarian. Love beer too fistula (mmmm, beer...), vodka, eating great quality food (well I do own an organic food shop) and am into architecture (have been studying part time - next career path) and the environment. Used to be a Cinematographer & worked in the film industry for 18 years. Family from Australia for over five generations (quite a while in a recently settled country like Australia) but originally from English & Irish extraction. Family history is full of lawyers and Judges, but somehow I escaped. Oh, and I love music!
    Permalink posted 05/19/2007
  53. Anna
    Anna says (and by coincidence, today is the commemoration day of the genocide)
    Permalink posted 05/19/2007
  54. kristiana
    kristiana says Very sad, and more sad that I've never heard of...well, there are just so many atrocities in the world, who can keep up huh? Hope you have a good day keeping your loved ones close, Anna. What kinds of things do you do to commemorate? RGM, what do you mean "raised to be a witch"? Half Jewish, ex Catholic? My goodness. Ever read any Simone Weil? And 18 years in the industry, wow. Architecture, very cool as well. So are you studying sustainable "green" buildings which blend into a natural landscape? I love Japanese architecture, myself. It's all fascinating stuff though. I seem to recall Nietzsche wrote some nice things about architecture and its role in our lives - yep, I used some quotes from him when I wrote about the palace on Crete for a Greek Art & Architecture class I took. I don't think he was expecting a philosophy paper, but he gave me an A anyway, haha!
    Permalink posted 05/19/2007
  55. Anna
    Anna says No worries. We could have an Atrocity Exhibition if we wanted to, unfortunately. There are monuments all around the country around which we have small ceremonies, with speeches, traditional songs and dances that talk about the pain & suffering (I wish I could describe it more thoroughly, but I don't know how to translate some things in English). I don't know if there is a really adequate way to remember and honour those 350,000 people. I believe that what you said, "keeping your loved ones close" is the best possible one, in combination to keeping their memory alive. Thank you.
    Permalink posted 05/19/2007
  56. kristiana
    kristiana says I understand when you say some things can't be translated. My boyfriend is Jewish, and the past six years of dinners, holidays, conversations with extended family and attending Synagogue (once, for the experience) have been very moving and eye-opening. Take care...
    Permalink posted 05/19/2007
  57. gollygee
    gollygee says About 17 years ago we had a big family reunion on my mother's side of the family, where we found out that if you go back far enough from her father's lineage we go back to... PIRATES! :) But closer to our time now we're from France, then Canada, and then just over the border into Berlin, NH (where most of my mom's side of the family still lives). On my dad's side, they're all French too, except they came directly from France to Ellis Island, which is why we spell our name Dupont now instead of Du Pont. I've been trying to start capitalizing the P though, but after signing my name the other way for so long, it's hard! But yeah, whenever anyone asks me my heritage, I say "French and Pirate!" :)
    Permalink posted 05/19/2007
  58. ciphermedia
    ciphermedia says Kristiana, Sustainably designed architecture is in large part the reason I'm studying building design It's actually not an architecture degree - I'm too old & have too many financial comitments to spend five years doing a full time architecture degree! Haven't read the Nietzsche stuff - will have to chase it up.
    Permalink posted 05/19/2007
  59. fistula spume
    fistula spume says Gollygee I'm jealous of your pirate heritage. That's totally awesome. Ciphermedia you're making me hungry. Organic food store sounds very nice. 5th generation Australian would have to be a long time going back. Very interesting stuff. I really enjoyed reading about the Pontic people Anna. Now I do want to hear Pontic music. Sounds lively. Thanks for the info. Kristiana my dream was about the dwarves and their treasure. I dreamed a lot of details about the Germanic/Norse mythology. I thought I made it up but years later I discovered that it was a real thing and it kind of freaked me out. Cool stuff for sure.
    Permalink posted 05/20/2007
  60. LadyC
    LadyC says joining in on this great post sam, i am a writer and some family actually have asked me to gather our history together. it's daunting, mysterious and painful and i cannot for now. i am chinese from shanghai and canton but born in canada. my mother's northern chinese side was very affluent and artistic and rumour has it that they may have been a part of the opium trade. i have seen photos of them and it recalls a very glamourous, hollywood feel. this side of my family carry many caucasian features as well. in the 40's, they were forced to move to hong kong where eventually my parents met. my father's side is poor. a small village on the canton/hong kong border, now ripe with property development, squatting etc. between my parents, there are 6-7 dialects spoken, i am lucky to speak one but cannot read or write chinese characters. the tales of multiple wives and husbands exist and are confirmed. immigration brought most of the family to north america in the 60's/70's for fear of the 97 handover from the british so thus, our 3rd generation speaks perfect english and allowed probably our parents the safe passage to a new country.
    Permalink posted 05/22/2007
  61. fistula spume
    fistula spume says Chinese and English. I assume you speak French as well? That's a really interesting family story LadyC. I imagine gathering info on such a family would be a big task that might require some travel. Maybe you could make a documentary? Very interesting. Thanks for sharing!
    Permalink posted 05/22/2007
  62. kristiana
    kristiana says Sam, have you ever read any Jung? Sometimes I totally disagree with him, but he was brilliant, no doubt about it. You might be interested in the stuff about archetypes and dreams! Cipher, I figured as much. I just spent the past 2 days at a cabin perched on a cliff. Everything ran on 12 volts (including a hot tub), generated by solar and wind power, or else propane (stove and fridge). Very simple set-up, infinitely livable. Curling up at night beside the wood stove, by the light of oil lamps. I didn't want to leave.
    Permalink posted 05/22/2007
  63. Hermes
    Hermes says Well, I'm pretty German, but interestingly I have no more knowlege about my roots than about two generations from now - less than many of you. 1/4 comes from the Black Forrest, 1/4 from the border to Switzerland, which is pretty much the same. The other part comes somewhere from the east, what is Poland today. My father had to take refuge as the second word war ended, and that part of Germany went to Poland. So he was one of millions that came from the east. I don't know more, and at least regarding my fathers side it's quite impossible to find out more, because many of the churches were destroyed during World War II, that held the information about familiy relations and that kind of things. I'm still studying, but not long any more: computer science and alongside philosophy. I'm specialised in neural information processing and machine learning and will hopefully find work, that's related to that - I hate databases and that boring kind of stuff, that the majority of us computer scientist is doing all day long. Artificial life is also a very interesting field. By the way, there's also articially composed music - may I should make a post about that - after having found out more about that. Musically my life began very boring. My parents only listen to German "Volksmusik", what is horrible. In my school Metal was the only thing to hear, and HipHop was considered as ridiculous. Until then my music taste was over-directed. My muscial emancipation began with 17, as a school fellow showed me Drum'n'Bass, that just had swapped over from England a few year before, and Jazz. I moved to Hamburg to make my civil service there, 800 kilometers from home. There I came in contact with Acid Jazz, TripHop and more Drum'n'Bass. Later on I rediscovered HipHop and different kinds of electronic music. Since then I'm open for all kinds of music, exept German "Volksmusik" and Rock - still a trauma from the early days. Maybe I will overcome this trauma one day. Regarding Rock I already began to overcome my prejudices - I saw one a thing called stone rock on a festival, that was quite impressive. And Franz Ferdinand did the rest. Generally I tend to the more experimental kinds of music, that explore the frontiers. One day I have to remix the fucking German "Volksmusik", to show it's true hypocritical core ;). We already founded the "Deutsches Liedgut Euthanasie Projekt", what translates to something like "euthanasia project for german song commodities" "Liedgut" is very difficult to translate. It has exactly this target, but we produced only one song so far, that's quite amateurish. The name reflects also our disposedness to dark music, as represented in Gothic and newer industrial - not the metal related thing ;). So, that's pretty all, I can tell you for a start. But with the time we will for sure exchange musical experiences a little bit.
    Permalink posted 05/22/2007
  64. fistula spume
    fistula spume says Kristiana that cabin trip sounds like a dream. Yeah I have read a bit of Jung and know his general ideas. My wife really likes him and has quite a few books. Her dad was a psychotherapist I believe. I like his thoughts on synchronicity and coincidence. Also like Joseph Campbell's "The Power of Myth". Sounded great Hermes. Still an interesting background just like everyone else. I looked up Volksmsik online. Doesn't seem to be popular with anyone under 49 years old. I do like a lot of electronic music in a lot of forms. I pretty much am open to a wide variety of music. I try to get whatever I can get my ears on. I'm a big fan of Drum'n'Bass as well. Thanks for posting.
    Permalink posted 05/22/2007
  65. Hermes
    Hermes says Sadly it still is popular under some young people, but the percentage is somewhere below one percent, I guess (and hope).
    Permalink posted 05/22/2007
  66. doombilly
    doombilly says
    "fistula spume says: oh and Doombilly I am jealous of your ear skills."
    Yeah, flashed me outa some tricky situations during the cold war.
    Permalink posted 05/23/2007

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