This presents the opportunity for a lead character to mention a stargate trifecta (consisting of alternate realty, alternate dimension and time travel), on one hand referring to events occurring in-story, while surreptitiously breaking the third wall and humorously referencing the series itself.

This is not something that could be done easily (or with any regularity) in properties such as Star Trek or Star Wars. For obvious reasons.

You would think that after all this time has passed since it’s conception that people would by now be constructing poems which, of themselves originally, may have not had any real meaning, but were built with fertile imagery and cross-movement style sufficient enough that random passing readers would find some deep hidden meaning in them. That said meaning was not the foundation of the poem and only a shaped reflection of the readers own searchings being the point of course.

But there seems very little available in this regard.

Strange…

2009 nov 16

This should be fun. Should have done this years ago.

(And FYI, yes, tennesseefolk.com is my domain. Basically the wife and I are using it to host various misc personal/community related items these days.)

They’re just so very cool.

This is “Koo”. He’s a red Betta. His name comes from the classic Russian science fiction film http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kin-dza-dza!. (As to what the word “koo” actually means … well, that’s a long story. And it would rather much ruin the film if I just told you.)

His tank-mate (Scrubby) is a scared orange bottom feeder that mostly hides in his hollowed out coconut I gave him. (From which he stares at me with one eye day and night and day … and night … It gets creepy after a while.)

(I’m actually just looking across the road up into a cave out front of our local artisans/hillbilly-potters.)

We went out of our way (by several hundred miles) to try to catch the Pluto Express as it was launched from Kennedy. No luck though. Delays. Naturally of course, as these things will always happen, it finally got off the ground just about the time we pulled out on the road heading back to Tennessee. :)

A povray 3.1 model of a blue cat condo.

My cats made me put their favorite objects up here: The catcondo with fully articulated carpeting is a favorite as it took several hours to work out the math to mesh all the carpet fibers around the object. And yes, the fibers are all seperate objects.

Code:

///catcondo.pov
// 1024×768 AA 0.3 for computer speed comparisons
//susy’s cat condo 1998
// lsellers@usit.net http://www.public.usit.net/~lsellers http://www.intrafoundation.com
// 2001 nov. tweaked slightly under povray 3.5beta7

#declare highquality=1; //0=fast low quality, 1=realistic computational expensive model/lighting (slow)

//
#declare T_LightWood =
texture {
pigment {
wood
color_map {
[0.0 color rgb<.85, .65, .51>]
[0.9 color rgb<.75, .50, .45>]
[1.0 color rgb<.55, .36, .34>]
}
turbulence 0.12
octaves 3
scale <0.05, .05, 1>
rotate <4,3,0>
}
finish {
diffuse 0.9
brilliance 1
specular .5
roughness .5
}
}
#declare T_BlueCarpet =
texture {
pigment {
color rgb<.5,.5,1>
}
normal {
quilted 1
turbulence 0.4
}
normal {
granite .1
turbulence 0
}
finish {
diffuse 0.9
brilliance .5
}
scale .1
}

camera {
location  <0,2.5,-2.5>
//    look_at   <0,1,0>
look_at   <.5,1,0>
angle 60
}

light_source { <4,5,-6> color rgb<1,1,1> }

#if (highquality=1)
media { scattering { 3 rgb<.1,.1,.1> }}
#end

plane {
y, 0
pigment { checker pigment{ rgb<1,1,1>}, pigment{ rgb<0,0,0>} }
scale .5
finish { reflection 0 }
hollow
}
plane {
z, 4
pigment { checker pigment{ rgb<1,1,1>}, pigment{ rgb<0,0,0>} }
scale .5
finish { reflection 0 }
hollow
}

//catcondo 1.2d 1.9h .9hole
//susy’s cat condo by lewis sellers 1.2d 1.9h .9hole
#declare catcondo = union {
difference {
cylinder {<0,0,0>,<0,1.9,0>, .6}

cylinder {<0,1.8,0>,<0,1.91,0>, .5} //top
cylinder {<0,.2,0>,<0,1.7,0>, .5 texture{T_LightWood}} //cavity
cylinder {<0,-.01,0>,<0,.1,0>, .5 texture{T_LightWood}} //bottom

cylinder {<0,.55,-2>,<0,.55,0>, .325} //bottom hole
cylinder {<0,1.35,-2>,<0,1.35,0>, .325} //upper hole
}
intersection { //make ledge
box {<-1,.9,-1>,<1,1.0,0>}
cylinder {<0,.2,0>,<0,1.7,0>, .5} //cavity
}

#if (highquality=1)
//start seed
#declare s=seed(131);

// the main exterior minus cat holes. dist=sqr( (x1-x0)2 + (y1-y0)2 )
#declare obs=0;
#while (obs <= pi*2)

//speed optimization by cache
#declare cx=cos(obs)*.6;
#declare cz=sin(obs)*.6;
#declare cx2=cos(obs)*.63;
#declare cz2=sin(obs)*.63;

#declare oby=0;
#while (oby <= 1.9)

#declare justdoit=1;

#if (oby>.225 & oby<.875)
#declare l=vlength(<cx,oby-.55,cz-(-.6)>);
#if(l<.325)
#declare justdoit=0;
#end
#end

#if (oby>1.025 & oby<1.675)
#declare l=vlength(<cx,oby-1.35,cz-(-.6)>);
#if(l<.325)
#declare justdoit=0;
#end
#end

#if (justdoit=1)
cylinder { <cx,oby,cz>, <cx2+(rand(s)*.01),oby+(rand(s)*.025),cz2+(rand(s)*.01)>, .01 }
#end

#declare oby=oby+.0125;
#end

#declare obs=obs+pi/128;
#end

// inner flat top
#declare obx=0;
#declare obs_i=0;
#declare cc=0;
#while (obx <= .5)
#declare obs=0;
#declare cc=cc+1;
#declare obs_i=obs_i+1; //variable density
#while (obs <= pi*2)
cylinder { <cos(obs)*obx,1.8,sin(obs)*obx>, <cos(obs)*obx+(rand(s)*.01),1.83,sin(obs)*obx+(rand(s)*.01)>, .01 }
#declare obs=obs+pi/obs_i;
#end
#declare obx=obx+.0125;
#end

// outer flat top
#declare obx=.5;
#while (obx <= .6)
#declare obs=0;
#while (obs <= pi*2)
cylinder { <cos(obs)*obx,1.9,sin(obs)*obx>, <cos(obs)*obx+(rand(s)*.01),1.93,sin(obs)*obx+(rand(s)*.01)>, .01 }
#declare obs=obs+pi/128;
#end
#declare obx=obx+.0125;
#end

// top inner horiz ring
#declare oby=1.8;
#while (oby <= 1.9)
#declare obs=0;
#while (obs <= pi*2)
cylinder { <cos(obs)*.5,oby,sin(obs)*.5>, <cos(obs)*.47+(rand(s)*.01),oby+(rand(s)*.025),sin(obs)*.47+(rand(s)*.01)>, .01 }
#declare obs=obs+pi/128;
#end
#declare oby=oby+.0125;
#end

// ledge
#declare obx=0;
#declare obs_i=0;
#declare cc=0;
#while (obx <= .5)
#declare obs=pi;
#declare cc=cc+1;
#declare obs_i=obs_i+1; //variable density
#while (obs <= pi*2)
cylinder { <cos(obs)*obx,1,sin(obs)*obx>, <cos(obs)*obx+(rand(s)*.01),1.03,sin(obs)*obx+(rand(s)*.01)>, .01 }
#declare obs=obs+pi/obs_i;
#end
#declare obx=obx+.0125;
#end

// bottom cat hole <0,.55,-.6> .325
#declare obs=0;
#while (obs <= pi*2)
#declare obz=-.60;

#declare cx=cos(obs)*.325; //cache x base
#declare cy=sin(obs)*.325+0.55; //cache y base
#declare cx2=cos(obs)*.295; //cache x2 base
#declare cy2=sin(obs)*.295+0.55; //cache y2 base

#while (obz <= -.50)
#declare obz_m=obz+abs(cos(obs)*.1)+.001; //cutting the cat hole into a cylinder doesn’t give a perfect ring. must mod depth
#declare obz=obz+.0125;
cylinder { <cx, cy, obz_m>, <cx2+(rand(s)*.01), cy2+(rand(s)*.01), obz_m+(rand(s)*.025)>, .01}
#end

#declare obs=obs+pi/128;
#end

// top cat hole <0,1.35,-.6> .325
#declare obs=0;
#while (obs <= pi*2)
#declare obz=-.60;

//speed optimization by caching
#declare cx=cos(obs)*.325; //cache x base
#declare cy=sin(obs)*.325+1.35; //cache y base
#declare cx2=cos(obs)*.295; //cache x2 base
#declare cy2=sin(obs)*.295+1.35; //cache y2 base

#while (obz <= -.50)
#declare obz_m=obz+abs(cos(obs)*.1)+.001; //cutting the cat hole into a cylinder doesn’t give a perfect ring. must mod depth
#declare obz=obz+.0125;
cylinder { <cx, cy, obz_m>, <cx2+(rand(s)*.01), cy2+(rand(s)*.01), obz_m+(rand(s)*.025)>, .01}
#end

#declare obs=obs+pi/128;
#end
#end

texture {T_BlueCarpet}
}

object{catcondo rotate<0,0,0> translate<0,0,0> }

/*
#declare c=0
#declare py=-10
#while (py < 10)
#declare px=-10
#while (px < 10)
object{catcondo rotate<0,degrees(cos(c)),0> translate<px,0,py> }
#declare c=c+pi/10
#declare px=px+2
#end
#declare py=py+2
#end
*/

Date: October 12 1998 09:12 PM

// cat tail rocker by Lewis Sellers, 1998.
// lsellers@usit.net http://www.public.usit.net/~lsellers http://www.intrafoundation.com

#declare highquality=1; //0=fast low quality, 1=realistic computational expensive model/lighting (slow)

// define textures
#declare T_HardWood =
texture {
pigment {
wood
color_map {
[0.0 color rgb<.75, .55, .41>]
[0.9 color rgb<.65, .40, .35>]
[1.0 color rgb<.45, .26, .24>]
}
turbulence 0.3
octaves 3
scale <0.05,.05,1>
rotate <8,4,2>
}
finish {
diffuse 0.9
reflection 0.1
brilliance 1
specular .5
roughness .5
}
}

#declare T_OakWood =
texture {
pigment {
wood
color_map {
[0.0 color rgb<.85, .65, .51>]
[0.9 color rgb<.75, .50, .45>]
[1.0 color rgb<.55, .36, .34>]
}
turbulence 0.12
octaves 3
scale <0.05, .05, 1>
rotate <4,3,0>
}
finish {
diffuse 0.9
//reflection 0.1
brilliance 1
specular .5
roughness .5
}
}

#declare T_SmoothOakWood =
texture {
pigment {
wood
color_map {
[0.0 color rgb<.85,  .65, .51>]
[0.9 color rgb<.75,  .50, .45>]
[1.0 color rgb<.55, .36, .34>]
}
turbulence 0.12
octaves 3
scale <0.05, .05, 1>
rotate <4,3,0>
}
finish {
diffuse 1.0
reflection 0.2
brilliance 1
specular .6
roughness .1
}
}

#declare T_Stucco =
texture {
pigment {
wrinkles
color_map {
[0.0 color rgb<.7,.7,.7>]
[0.9 color rgb<.6,.6,.6>]
[1.0 color rgb<.4,.4,.4>]
}
turbulence 0.3
octaves 3
scale <1,1,1>
rotate <8,4,2>
}
finish {
diffuse 0.9
}
}

//the simple room
//floor
box {<-10,-1,-10>,<5,0,4> texture {T_HardWood} }
//the walls
box {<-11,-1,3>,<5,8,4> texture {T_Stucco} }
box {<-10,-1,3>,<-11,8,-17> texture {T_Stucco} }

//rocking chair. all struts are .05w slats are .2w
#declare rc_rearpost = lathe {
linear_spline
9,
<0,0>, <.05,0>, <.1,.5>, <.1,4.7>, <.05,4.8>, <.1,4.9>, <.1,5.1>, <.05,5.15>, <0,5.2>
texture{T_OakWood rotate<90,90,0>}
}
#declare rc_forepost = lathe {
linear_spline
6,
<0,0>, <.05,0>, <.1,.5>, <.1,2.25>, <.05,2.5>, <0,2.5>
texture{T_OakWood rotate<90,90,0>}
}
#declare rc_slat =
box { //slat n
<-.1,2.2,.97>,<.1,4.0,1.03>
texture{T_OakWood rotate<90,90,0>}
}
#declare rc_seatslat =
difference {
box {<-.09,0,-.93>,<.09,.1,.93>}
box {<-.1,0,0>,<.1,.1,.5> rotate<-15,0,0> translate<0,0,-.93>}
texture{T_SmoothOakWood}
}

#declare rc_leftarm = union {
difference {
box {<-.2,0,0>,<.1,.1,2.4>}
box {<-.21,-.1,1>,<-.1,.2,2.6>}
cylinder {<-.15,-.11,1>,<-.15,.11,1>,.05}
}
cylinder {<-.05,0,0>,<-.05,.1,0>,.15}
texture{T_SmoothOakWood}
}
#declare rc_rightarm = union {
difference {
box {<.2,0,0>,<-.1,.1,2.4>}
box {<.21,-.1,1>,<.1,.2,2.6>}
cylinder {<.15,-.11,1>,<.15,.11,1>,.05}
}
cylinder {<.05,0,0>,<.05,.1,0>,.15}
texture{T_SmoothOakWood}
}
#declare rc_roundbrace =
intersection {
difference {
cylinder {<0,0,-.05>,<0,0,.05>,2.1}
cylinder {<0,0,-.06>,<0,0,.06>,2.0}
translate<0,2.1,0>
}
box {<-1,-1,-.2>,<1,1,.2> rotate<0,0,45>}
}
#declare rc_rocker = union {
intersection {
difference {
cylinder {<0,0,-.05>,<0,0,.05>,2.1}
cylinder {<0,0,-.06>,<0,0,.06>,2.0}
translate<0,2.1,0>
}
box {<-1.75,-1.75,-.2>,<1.75,1.75,.2> rotate<0,0,45>}
}
rotate<0,90,0>
}
#declare rockingchair = union {
union {
//rear
object {rc_rearpost translate<-.9,0,1>}
object {rc_rearpost translate<.9,0,1>}

//fore
object {rc_forepost translate<-.9,0,-1>}
object {rc_forepost translate<.9,0,-1>}

//struts
cylinder {<-.9,.5,-1>,<.9,.5,-1>,.05} //low fore
cylinder {<-.9,1.5,-1>,<.9,1.5,-1>,.05} //high fore
cylinder {<-.9,1,1>,<-.9,1,-1>,.05} //left
cylinder {<.9,1,1>,<.9,1,-1>,.05} //right

//seat
//box {<-.9,1.6,-1>,<.9,1.7,1>}
object {rc_seatslat rotate<0,0,-20> translate<-.8,1.6+.20,0>}
object {rc_seatslat rotate<0,0,-15> translate<-.6,1.6+.13,0>}
object {rc_seatslat rotate<0,0,-10> translate<-.4,1.6+.07,0>}
object {rc_seatslat rotate<0,0,-5> translate<-.2,1.6+.05,0>}
object {rc_seatslat rotate<0,0,0> translate<0,1.6+0,0>}
object {rc_seatslat rotate<0,0,5> translate<.2,1.6+.05,0>}
object {rc_seatslat rotate<0,0,10> translate<.4,1.6+.07,0>}
object {rc_seatslat rotate<0,0,15> translate<.6,1.6+.13,0>}
object {rc_seatslat rotate<0,0,20> translate<.8,1.6+.20,0>}

//back lattice
box {<-.8,4.0,.95>,<.8,4.1,1.05>} //top
object {rc_slat translate<-.5,0,0>}
object {rc_slat translate<-.2,0,0>}
object {rc_slat translate<.2,0,0>}
object {rc_slat translate<.5,0,0>}
box {<-.8,2.1,.95>,<.8,2.2,1.05>} //bottom

//back head board
difference {
cylinder {<-.8,4.5,1>,<.8,4.5,1>,.2}
box {<-.85,4.2,.9>,<.85,4.8,.7>}
box {<-.85,4.2,1.1>,<.85,4.8,1.3>}
}

//left arm
object {rc_leftarm translate<-.9,2.5,-1.5>}

//right arm
object {rc_rightarm translate<.9,2.5,-1.5>}

//back brace
object {rc_roundbrace translate<0,1.5,-.9>}

//fore brace
object {rc_roundbrace translate<0,1.5,.9>}

rotate<0,0,0>
translate<0,.3,0>
}
//rockers
object {rc_rocker translate<-.9,0,0>}
object {rc_rocker translate<.9,0,0>}

texture {T_OakWood}
}

//ok. put the chairs on the floor
object{rockingchair rotate<0,0,0> translate<0,0,0> }
object{rockingchair rotate<0,-42,0> translate<-5,0,0> }
//object{rockingchair rotate<-90,45,0> translate<-2,1,-2> }
//object{rockingchair rotate<0,-45,0> translate<3,0,0>}

//our lighting…. we have two choices

//this renders quickly
#if (highquality=0)
light_source { <5,5,-5> color rgb<1,1,1> fade_distance 5}
#end

//this renders slowly, but looks much better
#if (highquality=1)
light_source { <10,10,-9.5>, color rgb<1,.99,.9> area_light x*6,y*6,3,3 jitter fade_distance 5}
//media { scattering { 3 rgb<.1,.1,.1> }}
#end

camera {
//    location <2,4,-1>
//    look_at  <0,2.5,-1>

//    location <2,4,-1>
//    look_at  <0,2.5,0>

//    location <.5,3,-1>
//    look_at  <0,2.5,0>

location  <3, 4, -6>
look_at   <-.5, 2.5, 0>

//location  <11, 11, -6>
//look_at   <-.5, 2.5, 0>
}

There was no plot. There was no plan. Faces waiting stared out in stillness from the long drawn darkness.
“What is wind?” someone asked.
“A cool essence, invisible, that caresses me when I’m alone,” was the sweet exuberant response.
“Oh,” someone replied, with a hushed of-course-I-should-have-known-that tone.
There was wind.
“Thank you,” the soft voice whispered, melting like liquid into faint furling echoes of the sweeping, nearly silent wind.
“You are welcome!” he smiled, basking in the wind. “And, by the way – you are not alone.”
After a while, however, the constant wind began to chill him. By then he knew he was quite alone.

[A short story by Lewis A. Sellers Sept 11 1991 4-6pm]

When he rose again, he stretched his mouth wide as if to both laugh and, perhaps at the same time, tear savagely into that heavy darkness draped over all things. No where in the twilight shrouded forest stirred any living thing. No noise wound through the vine-tangled trees but the occasional hysterical wind — a wind that carried no sounds he wanted to hear, a wind that betrayed him with every wistful turn.

Come dawn he descended into the valley, sure now he was heading south again. The last Cong he?d encountered had been a full two days and sixty clips back. Or something like that it seemed. Not that it mattered. Just keep going south, and someday ?

Crawling quickly on forearms from tree to tree, he stopped to hole-up down near a clearing that gave a good unobstructed view cross the valley. No camp smoke. No bomb-blasted dead lands. Naw, he smiled, scratching his burly beard, naw, wouldn’t fall for it again. There’d be machine-gun mounts at the top of the hill — ten thousand Cong dug into the hillside too, far underground, just waiting for him. He knew it. There always was. They couldn’t really think they’d trip him up again. No. Ardently he shook his head in satisfaction at that sentiment, and wrung his rusty tags in sweat.

Silently his weapon slid from a makeshift holder on his back. Twenty-two rounds for his M16 he quietly counted. Just keep going south and someday he?d hear the sweet swishing of the chopper coming to bring him home again.  Someday, he mouthed,  someday, and crawled quietly cross the valley floor as other mouths stretched wide to smile. ]]> http://lasellers.tennesseefolk.com/archives/5/feed 0 http://lasellers.tennesseefolk.com/archives/1 http://lasellers.tennesseefolk.com/archives/1#comments Fri, 06 Sep 1991 15:16:27 +0000 Lewis Sellers http://lasellers.tennesseefolk.com/?p=1 [A short story by Lewis A. Sellers (Sept 6 1991 10:16am)]

And as the sun rolled over the mountains of the Earth, she fell asleep at last. Katherine’s hair flowed through the fields with the whispering winds that blew out from the trees on the far mountain’s edge.

“What are you doing?” asked the grass that frolicked at her naked feet. But she did not answer. The sun shone down too warmly upon her soft cheeks. Katherine could but linger while the coming warmth stirred the morning air.

“Katherine, what are you doing?” softly spoke the blue skies. Her eyes awoke to see their beauty, but the sky was seen to be obstructed. Dressed in the morning’s darkness, a man knelt, eyes of fire, moving his hands softly over hers. And under. And embraced them more.

“Silly girl, what are you doing?” His voice was kind laughter. There was no malice save she could not see into his mind. He did not rise always as the sun, only sometimes, or much too often. His eyes did not always flow down, but more than occasionally up to the farthest skies, where of he would speak of things she could not see . . . though she tried . . . and sometimes taunted him from on high even as he struggled.

No, he was a mystery, but rarely harsh, at least to her — on occasion though, far off the townsfolk of the mountains cried when he would visit them again. And sometimes linger on for many days.

Still, the sun came up, and he came back and told her always it would be so. So Katherine sleeps below her sun at night, and bids the winds to blow.

Run away, run away, to the silent shores
             of the stillpoint we shall go
And in the forests and in the fields
          and burn them while the blind hand kills
men and mountain, God and whore
       the bloody swords we held high
           shall fall forever more
                  into the silence of the deep
        The mountains cry
           the winds will weep
       and we shall to the stillpoint flow
         and men shall laugh
                 and gods shall go . . .
             into the stillness of the night.

In the cold September air
while tree trunks glistened fair
none did hear the autumn come
none did fear the winter -- none
but sweet children in their eyes
looked and were quite surprised
as the leaves blew through and round
laughing in the languid sun
and color pouring everywhere
whereso their eyes did gaze
where then their hands did touch
and trembled only in the midst of all
enamored, enraptured in the rending fall.