More rain and a meme

[altivo]

Another deluge hit at about 4:45 this afternoon, just as I was doing barn chores and trying to get everyone fed. Tonight's forecast? 90% chance of thunderstorms, and we have a watch. Tomorrow's? 70% chance of heavy rain.

Behind the cut is a meme taken from songdogmi, who didn't tag anyone so neither will I.


Instructions: Each player starts with 7 random habits/facts about themselves. People who are tagged need to write on their own blog about their 7 things, as well as these rules. At the end of your blog, you need to choose 7 people to get tagged and list their names.

1. I am an early riser, almost always up by about 5 am. I don't like to sleep late, never have.

2. I'm just literate enough to be dangerous in a selection of (mostly dead) languages: Classical Greek, French, Anglo-Saxon, Middle English, Sanskrit, German, Old Irish, Latin.

3. I like traditional poetry, but don't try to write it. (For example, Hardy, Tennyson, Longfellow, Shakespeare, Dickinson, Frost, or Housman.)

4. I was first aware of my furry tendencies when I was six or seven years old, though I didn't know there were others like myself until much, much later. I first acted them out in public when I had the role of Benjamin the donkey in a stage version of George Orwell's Animal Farm at age 30.

5. On the other hand, I didn't really know I was gay until I was 24 years old. While I'm perfectly comfortable with that, I've never quite figured out how to "be gay."

6. I love large, friendly dogs, and large friendly cats almost as much as I love large friendly horses.

7. I am really, seriously offended and irritated by junk telephone calls. I think the people who make them for a living are rude morons. I think the people who profit from them are criminals.


I need an icon for wet horse. I'll bet there's an image of the cartoon Altivo that looks that way. (Found one.)

Comments

[doc-moreau.livejournal.com]

I've never seen that cartoon. Would you recommend it? (and what is it called?)

[cetasdolphin.livejournal.com]

Far be it from me to suggest this in Altivo's own journal (and he could probably correct me if I am wrong on this) but if you mean his icon, I think it is picture of the horse out of the Dreamswork's movie Road to El Dorado.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Yup. I'm surprised that more people don't recognize the name and associate it with that film. Actually, "Altivo" is a fairly common Spanish name for a stallion, much like calling a dog "Rover" or "Fido".

[jmaynard.livejournal.com]

What's it mean, if anything?

I never actually met a dog named Rover, or Fido, or Spot...

[altivo.livejournal.com]

I've known dogs with all three names. Fido is Latin for "I am faithful." The others are obvious, obviously. ;D A neighbor of ours presently has a dog named "Kitty". I've also known cats named "Fido" and "Dawg".

Altivo in Spanish is an adjective, literally meaning "high, elevated" but used in other senses, including "haughty" or "proud" or sometimes "noble". It is also used in a specific context when judging horses, referring to a high-stepping, elegant way of moving.

[cetasdolphin.livejournal.com]

I skipped over that particular movie though, even when it was shown on TV a few weekends ago either on one of the networks or Cartoon Network. I loved watching Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron (and even got the soundtrack to it) but trying to watch Road to El Dorado is trying to watch a paint dry. From the bits I did watch of that movie I was amazed the two idiot humans even got to the Indian city and then was wondering what drugs the Indians were on to allow them access to the gold and start worshipping them as gods. It is a bit of a shame though that Dreamworks stopped making traditional cel animation after that movie and focused more on their 3D movies. The animation for both that movie and Spirit was rather good and they managed to do the horses rather well in both. (Somewhat so that I sort of fell in love with Rain here)

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Ah, see, you missed it. Altivo was the one who found the way to the city of gold, really. Miguel and Tulio think they are the stars, but they are actually the comic relief. (Also the naive gay subtext, which keeps me snickering every time I watch it.)

[altivo.livejournal.com]

I missed this at first. No, my default icon, which was on this post when you first commented and appears on this reply, is not from the Dreamworks film. This one is a commissioned drawing by chris_sawyer of my online role playing character 'Tivo. 'Tivo is an anthropomorphic Clydesdale horse.

[cetasdolphin.livejournal.com]

Eh it seems you changed your icon between posts then, I was just responding to Doc Moreau's question about the cartoon horse icon that you use. I knew it had to be from the movie Road to El Dorado, I just didn't realize the horse's name was Altivo in the movie.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

It's the Dreamworks feature The Road to El Dorado and I think it's pretty brilliant. The horse is a sidekick character but he's much smarter than the two idiot humans he accompanies.

[quickcasey.livejournal.com]

Appropriate userpic.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Heh. I think your fence will leak. It's full of holes. ;p

[doug-taron.livejournal.com]

I was wondering how you guys fared in the storm. Sounds like you came through OK. Chicago is a mess. We were very lucky on the museum grounds. However Lincoln Park is littered with downed trees, some quite large. My car narrowly missed being turned into steel pizza yesterday.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

We had almost nothing but dry thunder last night. No wind to speak of, and Gary said there was a quarter inch of rain in the gauge this morning. Sounds like Chicago had major wind. The forecast for this afternoon has us getting another deluge though.

[gabrielhorse.livejournal.com]

I don't/haven't watched many Disney movies since the 80's- I think The Great Mouse Detective was my last... I like horses & I like suggestive adult artwork, sometimes anthro- does that make me a furry? *shrugs* I guess... It never was a big concern/interest to me... I've read some Dickinson & Shakespeare, but I'm more a fan of Poe's works, myself... Well, except for Hamlet... I had my first gay experience when I was 15, but it really wasn't until I was about 23 I figured it out- I suppose the interest in male/male furry art was a big clue :P I've seen people who "act gay"- acting belongs in movies and theatrical perfomances, not in everyday lives- unfortunatly, I feel TV is partially to blame- for inspiring "fakeness", not "gayness"...the rest of the blame goes to marketing, and the people who work in it... I pity those who make junk telephone calls... I feel very sad for them... less so for people who work kiosks in the mall... I'm beginning to feel sorry for you, having to endure all that rain... *shrugs* oh well...that pic was a good choice, though. Imagine the sun & the horse covered in sweat, and that's me after a long day's labor... the expression would be from smelling coworker's cigarette smoke :( I think I'm becoming seriously offended at smokers....

[altivo.livejournal.com]

El Dorado isn't Disney, it's Dreamworks, which in my opinion almost always means it's better. You'd certainly like Spirit, Stallion of the Cimarron (also Dreamworks) when you have a chance to see such things again.

You qualify as a furry. Whether you choose to use or accept the label is up to you. :)

As for the gay thing, I don't necessarily mean "act gay" so much as "be gay". I have a defective sense of recognition, sometimes called "gaydar", and don't recognize other gays all the time. I am sexually and socially inhibited. I don't have the self-confidence or awareness that I associate with a truly healthy gay male. ;p

We agree entirely on television and tobacco smoke. In fact, I think both are about equally obnoxious. Even if you try to ignore it, television often offends the ear because people keep it turned on and turned up all the time, even while talking to you. Tobacco offends not only the nose and lungs, but gets into your hair and clothing and is utterly irritating.

*nods*

[gabrielhorse.livejournal.com]

Heh, I can't tell the difference, myself... well, I probably could if I cared- Disney makes the cookie-cutter product stuff, doesn't it?

Okay, I'm quoting you if anyone asks if I'm furry :P

I'm inclined to think I have some level of one or the other, I'm not sure which: self condfidence- probably, awareness- meh, sometimes.

*chuckles* I find television offensive because of how stupid the things coming off it sound- volume usually isn't as big an issue. Save by spending- how the fuck is that going to work?!?!?!

Re: *nods*

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Disney does a lot more "mass-market" stuff, yes. Whatever will sell. (Though they have still turned out some high quality work in the last 20 years, despite that orientation. It may be accidental or unintentional, but it has happened.)

Yup, you have a good helping of self-confidence, which appears to have done well for you in recent weeks.

[cabcat.livejournal.com]

Love the icon :)

1. Is that a typical horsey trait?

2. Sanskrit? O.O How did you learn that one?

3. I chatter, chatter, as I flow
To join the brimming river,
For men may come and men may go,
But I go on forever.
*thankyew thankyew* I prefer Byron myself as far as poetry goes but that's mainly because I like the caustic turn of phrase. Probably considered lowbrow by most :)

4. A Stalinist Donkey? How can you top that :D

5. Usually the having sex and being physically attracted to members of the same gender is pretty much how to be gay ;)

6. *measures himself* Hmmm 5ft 8inch and coming in at 176lbs does that mean I'm a big cat?

7. We actually have a do not call register in Australia now :D Its free and its great, no telemarketers, however Charities, surveys and political polls are exempt. Still I don't mind surveys and I haven't had a call from a political source well actually since I've been alive.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Early rising is undoubtedly a typical horsey trait.

By not sitting in a classroom because the class was scheduled at the same time as my advanced Greek, unfortunately. So I did it all by following the assignments and texts on my own (difficult, and doesn't work as well as being in class) but I did pass the course. And let me tell you, if you think it's hard to read some people's handwriting in English, you should try doing it in Sanskrit. Eew.

Byron's not lowbrow, exactly, but I know too much about his personal life to respect his work. Snobby of me, I suppose.

Benjamin was a cynical donkey who was secretly having an affair with Boxer the draft horse. Hardly a Stalinist, though. That would be Napoleon, the chief pig.

If only being gay were that simple. See response to gabrielhorse above.

You are definitely a large, friendly cat. ;D

We have "do not call" here. It's a joke. There's no enforcement, and the calls have started up again. They just change their methods a bit and mask their number so you can't report them.

[cabcat.livejournal.com]

*shows you his cursive scrawl* How does this compare to Sanskrit? :)
As to Lord Byron, he was a colourful character, a bit of a ponce an rather self important which also led to the death of his daughter.
Would you believe I haven't read "Animal Farm" yet.

As to the "being gay" if you mean conforming to this idea that gay mean are all toned, tanned, fashionable and social well I'd say only a proportion fit that bill.
For example,
I am overweight by about 12kgs,
I'm usually scraggly, socially avoidant and enjoy spending my time working with my hands on mechanical electrical and other assorted supposidly unpleasant and rather ungay tasks ;) I don't drink in sports bars, enjoy eating out that much and prefer homely cozy homes rather than modern fashionable places.

All stereotypes you understand but that's my point, Being gay is not a clique or social behaviour subgroup. So don't worry about things.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

*eyes your handwriting sample* Looks like Linear B. I never did get the hang of that stuff. Egyptian hieroglyphs would be easier.

Oh I know about the stereotypes and all that. Still it can hurt to overhear someone saying about you that "He's not really gay. He doesn't..." Especially when it happens quite often, as it did at one time. The label doesn't really matter that much anyway. But being able to mix and socialize more easily would be nice.

[cabcat.livejournal.com]

I just put that down to ignorance. As far as I'm concerned if you are attracted to your own gender physically and would like to spend your life with a partner of the same gender that makes you gay and well that's about it :) Nice and simple perhaps but well there you are ;) No additional baggage involved.