Eyes Wide Open

Seeing is believing. We say that sometimes. Believing is seeing. That might also be said. Both are true, not one or the other.

The world is as much a projection as a perception.
Every time any one of us looks at the world, we create it.
We never see it all. We never see it just exactly as it is.
Because we can't.
In part because we have a set of very specific and limited tools.
A dog smells more, a bee sees what we can't, a cat hears more.
...and in part because we see mostly what we expect and want to see.

I stand still and close my eyes and then open them for a moment.
And then close them again.
Point, shoot, flash, wind, on to then next framed shot.
I've just made a work of art - an impressionist picture.

Every time I open my eyes I've created another painting.
Because it's all changing - now becoming what was and what is next.
It's like looking at one of those flip books of sequential pictures.
When you fan through the book it seems like a movie.
But it's not. It's just a series of moments that pass for motion.

My images of the world are an art show.
An ongoing, ever changing exhibition in the museum of my mind.
That's as near to the truth as I can get.

Peddlin' my Wares

Well, I finally got a bundle of barrettes made and a blog set up to sell them!

You can see them here: Crafty Celti. There, you'll find all the details on how to purchase them and how much. I hope everyone likes them!

Here is a sample of what you'll find there:


They're first-come-first-served, so get them while they're hot! :D

***

Ooh, I should also mention that today is our 8th wedding anniversary. I have a dozen lovely roses on my desk and we're taking the kid to a sitter and going out for dinner. Woot! Happy anniversary, honey!

Hit & Run Psycho

Our local Salvation Army thrift store is like a 6 day a week garage sale. We like to go there sometimes and see what treasures we can find. One Saturday, several years ago, we did just that. I don't remember exactly when it was, but it was before the D man was born.

After browsing the store and paying for our treasures, we came out to the car to head home. Chris and a friend who was with us were lagging behind. As I walked up to my car, which was diagonally parked, I noticed there was a woman loading her kinds into the back of her car. She had her door open and it was pressed against the side of my car. After she shut the door, I approached mine and sure enough, there was a big, nasty door ding right where her door had been touching. I bent over to inspect it, and then looked at her.

"Is there a problem?" she snarled.

"Well, it looks like you door dinged my car."

She flipped. I mean FLIPPED. I can't even describe it properly, but she turned all red and started bouncing around yelling at me. "Did you see me hit it? Did you SEEEE me?" I said "No, but it sure looks like it." She started jumping up and down and cursing and, at this point, it was apparent that she was nuttier than a fruitcake.

"Never mind, never mind!" I said, and I opened my door and got in my car. Amazingly, she then started punching and kicking the door of my car.

"Oh, no, you didn’t!" I said and I opened the door and got back out to see how much damage she had just added to the nasty ding.

I'll pause for a moment to provide a little more information on the surroundings to help you picture it a bit better. Psycho bitch was quite a bit smaller than me – I probably have a good 6 inches on her. She was with her two small children – I would guess 5 and 3, and her mother, who was driving a very large, piece of shit Chevrolet sedan – I think it was a Caprice.

As I stepped out of my car, most likely with a considerable amount of fire in my eyes, she dove for the door of her car. I'm guessing she thought I was about to kick her ass. She jumped into their car, and yelled "go!" at her mom, who did exactly that – she floored it.

Well, psycho bitch's door was still open, and I was right there between the two cars. Her door connected with the side of my car, and all hell broke loose. The driver's side window exploded in my face, the rear view mirror hit me, and chrome pieces were flying as her door wreaked havoc on the side of my car as she squealed the tires in reverse with me sandwiched between the two cars.

Everything, at this point, is a bit of a blur. As glass exploded, metal shrieked on metal and chrome bent and peeled, I somehow managed to literally dive over the trunk lid of my car and land on the ground behind it. As I came to my feet, I threw the piece of chrome that had been wrapped around my midsection at them and screamed as they burned rubber out of the parking lot. I'll never forget seeing her two grubby-faced children looking at me with huge eyes out of the back window as they sped away.

I fell to the ground, stunned, shocked and hurt. Chris and our friend had come around the corner just as all hell had broken loose, and saw the whole thing. Chris took off after them on foot, chasing them about ½ block before giving up and coming back. There were two other people in the parking lot that saw the whole thing as well.

Someone ran up to the police station, which is only a half block away, and a couple of officers came down to where we were. A couple of the witnesses had noted her license plate number, so they took note of that and made their report. They took pictures of the damage to my car and to me. I had several small cuts starting at about mid-calf all the way up to my hip as I had been wearing a skirt (now torn). They even had me hike up my skirt so they could take a picture of my busted open hip. I had a few small cuts on my abdomen, too, from the chrome. Despite all this, I didn’t appear to be seriously hurt, so they did not call an ambulance. Chris drove me and my poor beat up car home.

A few days later, I got a call from the detective assigned to the case. He said that he talked to them, and that the driver did not know that she had hit me. What?? How could she have not known? That was a huge lie! He informed me that, since our stories didn’t match and he didn’t know whom to believe, there was nothing further he could do. WHAT? What about the witnesses!?

I was flabbergasted. This clown had no intention of pursuing the matter – too much trouble, I suppose, or he didn’t want to deal with the paper work. I don't remember exactly what I said to him, but I do know that it was a rather lengthy discourse on how wrong it was that she would get away with this and what a pathetic waste of my tax money he is. He had nothing to say – he just didn't care.

I was too traumatized by the whole thing to put any energy into pursuing it at that point. Well, that, and I expected that any effort would be futile. I went to the doctor on Monday, and she checked me over. I had 22 cuts and puncture wounds on my leg, and 3 punctures on my abdomen. The bruises, which had a couple of days to set in, were huge – one on my abdomen was 10" wide and they were all very colorful. One cut on my hip should have had stitches, but she said it was too late to stitch it at that point. I still have a weird pucker-like scar there. She measured, counted and documented my injuries, determining that none were too serious and told me I could go. I was in a tremendous amount of pain, and asked what I should do about that hoping that she'd prescribe something that would take it all away. She told me to just take some Advil. *pout*

So, no charges were filed, but the insurance company did go after her for the $1500 in damages to my car. She paid them back in small payments and I even got a check for my deductible when she paid it off. How many times have I kicked myself for not pursuing it? ...for not pressing charges? ...for not suing her? Many. Honestly, suing them would have been futile as it was obvious from their car and home that they had nothing.

What the hell was up with psycho bitch, anyway? Why did she flip out like that? She had to have been on some kind of screwed up drugs like freakin' angel dust or something to act like that, really. I've never seen anything like it. ...and those kids! What kind of example are they setting for those kids? My gawd - juvenile delinquents in training.

I don't know how many times I drove by their house (yes, psycho bitch and her two little piggies lived with her mom) and pondered ideas for revenge. Visions of Molotov cocktails came to mind. How giddy I would be to watch it burn. I even thought about putting them in jail myself – securely gluing their windows and doors shut, painting all the windows black and cutting their phone line. I thought about setting the car on fire, putting sugar, water and various other goodies in the gas tank.

I never did any of it, though. I knew it was not my place and that it would bite me in the ass if I did. I'm sure karma has been taking good care of them. It sure did make for some lovely daydream fodder, though. Someday, perhaps, we shall meet again.

SASF v.8.26

...that's Short Attention Span Friday, a tradition around here, for those of you who have no idea what the hell SASF is. :)

Three cheers for Friday!

***
Best Band on the Planet

Green Day, one of my favorite bands, was named the best band on the planet and best live act Thursday at the Kerrang! music awards. The band, whose singles include "American Idiot" and "Boulevard of Broken Dreams," took top honors at the annual event, which was held in London.

...and I’m going to see them live on Sept. 17. Weeeeee!

***
Spouting Off

"Recently, a young cancer survivor and some friends were kayaking across Lake Michigan to raise money to fight cancer. When they got about 3/4 of the way across, a storm approached and they found themselves surrounded by several water spouts (tornados over water). Check out the story and be sure to click the video link. That's some pretty sweet footage!

***
Something Wicked This Way Comes

The new Harry Potter movie, Harry Potter & the Goblet of Fire, comes out in November. I'm excited about this since I love the first three movies. This one looks like it's going to be gooood. Check out the trailer.

By the way, a set of the first four books is being shipped to me as I type this. Oh, what have I done? LOL

***
Incredible Find

Archaelogists say they have found a 1.8 million-year-old Homo erectus skull - the oldest such skull to be found in Europe.

According to David Lortkipanidze, director of the Georgian National Museum, the skull was found August 6 and excavated on August 21 in Dmanisi, about 85 km southwest of Tblisi, Georgia.

The researchers said their find was more than one million years older than any outside Africa. The skull and other remains have been cited as evidence of Homo erectus's migration into Europe at least 500,000 years earlier than has previously been thought.

(from Wikinews)

1.8 MILLION years. I can only begin to imagine what the world was like then...

***
It Takes All Kinds

Hey, it’s good to be passionate about something, right? Well, these people are passionate about ironing. Yes, that’s right - Ironing. You just have to go look.

Thanks, Owl, for introducing me to these nutjobs exciting individuals. lol


Yes, that’s Mt. Everest and Machu Picchu among those photos. These people are serious, folks. *smirk*

***
Silly, Silly Celti

I check my site meter fairly often, wondering who may have stopped by and not commented (ahem) and what interesting searches may have brought people my way. Occasionally, I’ll notice a particular IP address "camping out" on my blog or coming by quite often.

A week or two ago, I noticed one that was coming to the blog several times a day, some times staying there for up to an hour. Curious, I dug deeper trying to figure out who it was. They were coming from a direct link like a favorite or bookmark and I didn’t recognize the domain. I could tell they were in Central time zone, but not what city. They seemed to be coming between 8am and 5pm - a work blogger. Hmmmm...

So I watched. I tried to determine if the visits correspondeded to any comments. I pondered. They kept coming every day. Do I have a stalker?

Most of the time I don't worry about these things too much. One time, however, my curiosity got the best of me and I posted a "calling out" post mentioning the person's IP and domain and asking them to identify themselves. I was mostly worried that it could be a "real world" spy, but discovered that it was Mike. Hi Mike. Yeah, I'm a dork, but you love me, right? lol

Just as my curiosity was starting to get the best of me again, and I was considering posting another "calling out" post, I figured out who ny stalker was.

I have been stalking myself. D’oh! When I figured it out that it was ME, I felt like a complete fool. Oh, well, you have to be able to laugh at yourself, right? I am. lol

***
Tattoo of the Week

Yeah, I’ve been slacking in the tattoo department - I haven't posted a tattoo of the day in...um...a long time. To remedy this a bit, I'm going to try to include an odd and/or amusing tattoo with each SASF post. Today's "winner" would be this one:

Wonder how often he’s called two-faced. *snicker*

***
Tootin’ My Own Horn

I work in marketing for an office equipment dealership. A big part of my job is to design posters, brochures, samples, mailing pieces and such for our sales force to use.

We set a lofty goal for ourselves (with big rewards, should we reach it), and that's to sell $1,000,000 worth of equipment during the month of August (it would be the first time we’ve ever done that, too).

Well, as of yesterday, WE DID IT! Woot! My boss asked me to make some big posters congratulating everyone on making the million. He liked my idea of a "mission accomplished" theme, so I made this:


I put it all together using Photoshop and was very pleased with how it turned out. The posters, of course, are huge. Have I mentioned how hard Photoshop rocks? Yep, I think I have. Well then, there you have it. *grin*

***

Have a great weekend, peeps!

*Hiccup*

I'll be taking a wee break from the "3 times I damn near got myself killed" series. I know, I know...it's just that the last one, "Hit & Run Psycho" isn't coming out too easily. It was a horrible experience and there are some very painful memories involved. I'll probably get it done over the weekend when I have more time to sort out the memories.

In the mean time, Denny posted this groovy questionnaire, so I'll slap it up here and then spend the rest of my day gathering goodies for SASF. *rubs mits together, grinning*

1. When you look at yourself in the mirror, what's the first thing you look at?
Never really paid attention...My eyes, I think.

2. How much cash do you have on you right now?
Well, ON me I have $0 because I don't have any pockets. I think there's about $3 in the purse.

3. What's a word that rhymes with "TEST"?
Pest

4. Favorite plant?
Rosemary. I looooove fresh rosemary.

5. Who is the 4th person on your missed call list on your cell phone?
Chris. He always calls when he knows I'm in the car, and I always have the stereo blasting so I can't hear it.

6. What is your main ring tone on your phone?
Brain Stew by Green Day

7. What shirt are you wearing?
Black t-shirt with a cool lattice-like neckline

8. Do you "label" yourself?
Sure do! I'm a freak and proud of it. lol

9. Name brand of your shoes currently wearing?
Skechers

10. Do you prefer a bright or dark room?
dark - much easier on the eyes and more relaxing

11. What did you have for breakfast?
scrambled eggs and a Red Bull

12. Since question 12 is weirdly missing, make some shit up.
Awww, 12 just didn't want to be overshadowed by the awesome number 13! Wuss!

13. What were you doing at midnight last night?
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

14. What did your last text message you received on your cell phone say?
"Hey baby, what are you wearing?" or some silly shit like that.

15. Do you ever click on "Pop Ups" or Banners?
Hell no!

16. What's an expression that you say a lot?
"imagine that!"

17. Who told you they loved you last?
my son, the D man. :)

18. Last furry thing you touched?
That would be my dog, Lexi. Silly mutt.

19. How many hours a week do you work?
Well, at my job, 40. Then there's laundry, dishes, cooking, cleaning...

20. How many rolls of film do you need to get developed?
none. There is a roll in the camera that has probably been there too long, but I hardly ever use that camera now that I have the digi.

21. Favorite age you have been so far?
Hmmm...I would say 28. Young enough to have LOTS of fun and old enough to know better. ;)

22. Your worst enemy?
Procrastination

23. What is your current desk top picture?
A really cool scene from Harry Potter with the Dementors in the woods.

24. What was the last thing you said to someone?
"I'll get it done here shortly" in response to my boss asking me about this big poster thing. (shhhh! lol)

25. If you had to choose between a million bucks or to be able to go back in time and fix all your mistakes which would you choose?
I guess I'll let me greedy side show and choose the million. I don't think I'd really want to change my past because everything has been a learning experience and has made me who I am. I like who I am except for the fact that I'm freaking broke! LOL

Nightmare on the Métro

During the time I lived in Paris, I spent a lot of time on the Métro. Public transportation, you see, is the way to go there. A car is more of a pain than it is useful - the streets are narrow and crowded and there is literally nowhere to park.

One night I was on the Métro heading home with my French roommate, Anne, and my friend Tupou who is from Tonga. It was around 10pm and we were sitting in the "booth" like seats, me facing the two of them. A young man was sitting behind and across the aisle from them - let's call him loner.



A couple of stations after I noticed the loner, two men got on, and they sat with him - one next to him and one in front of him. As the train barrelled down the tunnel, I saw the man next to the loner pull out a hand gun and stick it in his ribs. I whispered to my friends "you guys, that guy's got a gun!" and, simultaneously, all of the passengers sitting behind me hit the floor. Loner jumped up and grabbed the gun which was still being held onto by the other man and they began fighting over it, falling over the seats and into the aisle. Several shots went off as we were ducking and squatting, trying to stay out of the way. A window shattered, apparently shot out and bullets where ricocheting off the interior walls of the train.

As the train came into the next station and they continued to fight not ten feet from us, we dove for the doors. I was frantically jerking at the mechanism that opens the door (they open automatically, but some times stick) prematurely as the train screeched to a halt. As I crouched as low as I could get, a shot rang out and I felt the impact from the bullet on my foot. I jumped and let out a "yip."

The doors slid open and all of the passengers burst out of the car, me being one of the first. I have never seen one of those train cars empty so fast. I looked down at my foot fully expecting to find a smoldering hole there. No hole - it must have hit the floor right next to my foot. I was dumbfounded as I watched the passengers run one way up the stairs and out and the robbers run the other way.



The doors of the train closed and it left the station, the conductor having no clue what had just happened.

My friends and I were ok, and the loner was cursing and spitting on the tracks. One of the robbers had nailed him with mace. We asked if he was ok, and he managed to say that he will be, so we got the hell out of there and took a cab home. Needless to say, the three of us did not sleep for a long time, we had so much adrenalin rushing through us. We were fortunate to be alive and intact. In fact, as far as I know, no one was hurt. Amazing.

Side note - I didn't tell my parents about this until I came home 6 months later. Ignorance is bliss. heh

Next Episode: Hit & Run Psycho

By the Skin of My Teeth

I am a lucky woman. Really, I am. There are three times that I nearly got myself killed and managed to squeak out of it pretty much unscathed.

The first time was when I was 17 years old. I had been over at a friends house on a Saturday night. We were drinking and I was quite drunk, so I called my mom and asked if I could spend the night. She said no because, if I did, I wouldn't go to church in the morning (yes, I was forced to go to church until I was 18 - another story entirely).

I knew that I was too drunk to drive. What to do? Well, my friends and I decided that my friend Mary should drive me home, Scott would follow and give Mary a ride back. I really should have just left my car there as Mary was drunk, too. We took the curvy, hilly country road that was the quickest way to my house. Mary missed a curve, and my Chevy Impala sailed through the air into a very deep ditch and rolled 2 or 3 times. I remember bouncing around inside the car and seeing grass going by the windows. I literally thought to myself "Grass. That's grass. There isn't supposed to be grass there." as we spun around.

When we came to a stop, right side up amazingly enough, we were able to crawl out of the car and I witnessed the carnage - my car was totalled. Mary and I were shook up, but otherwise seemed fine. I had, however, caved in the entire dashboard/glovebox of my car with my knees and the removed the rear-view mirror with my head, I suspect. My car was completely trashed - headlight laying on the ground, all four corners and top smashed. Shit.

As we crawled up the grassy bank towards the road, Scott had doubled back seeing that we were no longer behind him and found us. He gave me a ride the rest of the way home, and guess what? I didn't go to church in the morning because I was one hurtin' unit. I still have indentations on my shins from where I bruised the bone caving in the dash. I was very bruised up and very lucky. Yes, mom regretted making me come home that night.

My dad tortured me with that car for months after that. The poor thing looked like a demented banana-mobile - front end smashed upward and to the left, back end smashed upward and to the left. He had the tow truck put it in our driveway so I had to look at it, the icon of my shame, every day while he "parted it out" before sending it to the junkyard.

Mary, who promised to pay me back for our agreed upon 1/2 of the value of the car, suddenly found some unknown reason to be mad at me and not speak to me. Chalk one two up to a learning experience. I had the privilege of driving a nice beater (a '76 Buick Appollo) for a long time after that.

Next episode: Nightmare on the Paris Metro

...and Now, the Rest of the Story

(Cheese alert - who can name where that title came from?)

Behind the other mugshots from Friday and other miscellaneous crap. Woot!



On the left, we have Mr. Midget Porn. Since you usually can't anticipate an arrest for drunk driving, a motorist does not have the luxury of planning a wardrobe for the mug shot session. Floridian Jon Matteson, who in July 2005 pleaded no contest to a reckless driving count, knows all about that predicament. The 28-year-old was wearing a rather distinctive t-shirt when he posed for the below Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office mug shot following his December 2004 DUI arrest. I'm sure Matteson was more appropriately attired in Circuit Court, when he was sentenced to a year's probation, fined $775, and ordered to perform 50 hours of community service.

On the right, meet Eric Rogers. This classic shot was plucked from the files of the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Division of Community Corrections. Rogers, 23, had been arrested for public drunkenness and was booked into the Kentucky lockup a couple of years ago (he has since been nabbed for several other minor offenses). It appears that Rogers's booze arrest was somehow connected to a raucous party at the University of Kentucky, a bash that might have seen Rogers meet up with a can of white paint. Since the paint report remains to be confirmed, we'd like to believe that poor Rogers found himself on the business end of a tasty meringue confection.



This delicate flower of a lady, however, has no story listed to accompany her lovely photographs. Sad. I must say that I would most likely be inclined to give a similar performance if I found myself in her shoes. You go, girl! lol

I did, however, find another wonderful gem while I was searching for her story. It's Tommy Lee after having been arrested for "assault and inciting a riot with ethnic animosity" (the alleged crimes occurred during a concert). It's a doozie, but my image host has decided to take a crap, so I'll just link it for you here, dangit. The man has got to be higher than a freakin' kite in the pic. lol

My Initiation as a Soccer Mom

We had a kickoff party Saturday for the D man's soccer team. I scored quite a haul of soccer equipment for him at the equipment exchange they had (2 shorts, socks, shoes and shin guards. woot!). The party was at the aquatic center, so it wasn't very effective for getting to know anyone. We swam the whole time, and the D man was thrilled to go down the water slide by himself for the first (and second, and third...and ninety-ninth) time. I hung out at the bottom and caught him each time.

First soccer practice for the team of 4 year olds: Wednesday night
First game for the team of 4 year olds: Saturday
Meep!

Tomorrow (hopefully)...how I damn near got myself killed three times.

SASF v.8.19

Well, it's that time of the week again, cheeeldren. I'm still kind of wishy-washy, rather contemplative, and leaning towards the cranky side, but not nearly as pathetic as yesterday.

Let's see what's brewing today, shall we?

***
Sign, Sign, Everywhere a Sign

You see pictures of funny signs everywhere - some much funnier than others. A dirty mind helps. lol

Here are some rather cute ones that I found this week:

heh heh - these are fun. Reminds me of the main street going through our neighborhood - Beaver Ave. We have Beaver Cleaners and Beaver Mowers right next door to each other. Makes me giggle every time I go by.

***
Dew You?

I don't drink soda pop. I just don't - it's full of sugar, chemicals, sodium. It's evil. I don't let my kid have it either, because it's horrible for them. That being said, here's a little quiz for you to try out: Mountain Dew Code Red Ingredient or Poison? Best of luck! LOL (...and I fully expect feedback on your results along with your intentions for future Mtn. Dew consumption after taking the quiz. lol!)

***
Geekgasm

Woot! Found a fun new blog appropriately called the Woot Blog. They feature all kinds of cool geeky gadgets - the the Eureka Toolbox Vacuum (sweet!), Toshiba Progressive DVD-R/RW/RAM Recorder (double sweet!), and the SanDisk 128MB and 802.11b WiFi CompactFlash Card (drool!). Check it out!

***
Hogwarts!

It's official - I've been sucked into the Harry Potter phenomenon.

I had been waiting to rent the movies until I thought D was ready - until I thought he'd understand them and be interested in them. Well, the week before last, I rented the first movie, then the second and now we have P of A. D and I are both hooked. They are brilliant! What wonderful stories, characters, images...I could go on and on. Not to mention the fact that Harry is sooo cute (NO, I'm not a perv. He is. Shut up!)

Now, I have to read the books. Yep...gotta do it.

***
Idiocy at it's Finest

Here is a fine example of the many things that are so wrong about our society:
Huffer

Meet Patrick Tribett. The Ohio man was nabbed in July for "abusing harmful intoxicants" as he attempted to make a purchase at a Dollar General Store. The 41-year-old Tribett, it seems, had been huffing spray paint and needed a refill. According to a Police report, Tribett's pupils were constricted and he replied slowly to their questions. Oh, and "officers observed the paint on face and hands," as can be seen in the mug shot. Tribett, who was previously busted for assault, domestic violence, and inhaling harmful intoxicants, was booked into the Belmont County Sheriff's Office lockup.

The story (linked above), also links to various other fun mugshots, such as these...

and these...

***
Shrunken Heads, Shrunken Heads, Roly Poly Shrunken Heads

I'll wrap up today with a fun game I found. It's Dr. Strangemitten's Shrunken Heads - a new "twist" on one of my old faves, Tetris. heh. I've already wasted too much time playing this.

***
Have a great weekend!

Naked

Yeah, I bet that title got some attention. heh

Unfortunately, that's not the kind of naked I'm talking about. I'm talking about feeling exposed, raw, vulnerable. That's right where I'm at today.

Things have just really been sucking lately, in general. I feel like I'm on a muddy bank, slowly losing my footing and sliding down, down, down...

ug

I don't know how to break this cycle. Maybe things will pick up a bit here in a few weeks. D starts soccer in 2 weeks, and I'll be doing a lot of "bench" time, I'm sure. Maybe I'll have a chance to get some good reading in, but I doubt it.

Chris has all but abandoned the business and is back to being a wage slave now. Along with the business, he seems to have abandoned all hope, too - back to the old destructive patterns. At least he isn't being mean, but I feel something unpleasant brewing beyond the horizon.

I've been really busy at work, which is good. I was actually getting a bit worried about the lack of things to do - you know, paranoia about them no longer needing me. It's nice to be needed.

My neck has been hurting like hell for what seems like weeks. It comes and goes - about the time I'm ready to go to the doctor, it shapes up. It hurts this morning. I feel like I'm fighting off a kidney infection, and I'm so very, very tired...

Anyhoo, there is a song that comes to mind to which I'll share the lyrics to with you. It's a Tracy Bonham song. I can't stop listening to it and yes, it's the inspiration behind the title of this post. I need coffee now.

Naked

my stubborn skin is wearing thin
I bared my soul
you waltzed right in
I gave you everything and you just made me feel so very
naked
and I can’t remember how I let myself become so unraveled
I’m naked
pretty as a heart ache
waiting for my second skin to settle in

I spilled my guts on your best shoes
you keep it in
I let it loose
it’s only love that makes me
feel like getting so completely
naked
and I can’t remember how I let myself become so unraveled
I’m naked
pretty as a heart ache
waiting for my second skin to settle in

your hardened heart can’t hide you now
it loves as much as you allow
and in the end the eyeball army will just take you down
and you’ll be
naked
nothing but a heart ache
and you know there’s
nothing that can hide you now
you’re naked
pretty as a heart ache
going out exactly how you came in.

Yeah, I need a hug or a hundred...from someone who really give a shit. Really. It's days like these when I feel like a person who really understands and cares just isn't out there.

Blogging's Dark Cloud

Every once in a while, I get frustrated with this here blog. I do. Surprised? I didn't think so.

I've been blogging since March of 2004. I don't think that makes me an expert, by any means, but I've been around for a while.

Some times, I just can't think of a damn thing to post. Sure, there are a hundred things going on in my life, but none of them seem "blog worthy," you know? I ran across a pamphlet yesterday that made me giggle like an idiot, but also made me think...







This point I can totally relate to - I get around 200 visits per day and an average of what?...15 comments? Bleh. Yeah, I'm whining. Deal with it.


Let's see...
Biochemical Resistance - check
Content Anxiety - check
Self Loathing - check
Pressure - check
Uh oh...

Great suggestions! *cough*

LOVE his shirt! lol
"Blog for your own enjoyment or you're in trouble." Um...yeah!

So, perhaps I'm suffering from Blog Depression!? Do they make medicine for this? Blogzac? Wellblogtrin? *snicker*

Nah, I'm ok. I DO blog for my own enjoyment. So there.

...but you like me, right? Right? lol

*Urp.*

*sigh* It's Monday. Yep.

Got to bed fairly late last night only to be roused shortly after falling out by noise from D's room. He puked all over his bed. yay. This was about 12:30. I cleaned him up & cleaned up his bed. He then wanted to crawl in bed with Mommy since his tummy hurt so, after asking him several times if he was sure he was done vomiting, I let him. Well, after about an hour or so, he threw up all over our bed, too. Damn. I whisked him off the the bathroom & cleaned him up while Chris cleaned up the bed. I am happy to report that his little tummy was empty after that.

Gawd, I hate puke. It was all I could do not to join him. ug.

Needless to say, it was quite a short night. I let D sleep until he woke up on his own. He wouldn't eat anything, and I didn't want to take him in to preschool if he couldn't hold down food. So, I entertained myself by washing all of the pukey blankets, pillows and sheets while he watched cartoons. Finally, about 10 or so, he asked for some cereal which he held down just fine. It was off to school after that. It must have been some kind of short-lived little bug. Sheesh!

So, if that's how my week started out, it can only get better. *rolls eyes*

SASF v.8.12

Erg. It's been a busy week at work. Derned work, keeping me too busy to get my blog on. *grumble*

So, here I am, almost noon and I'm finally getting this up.

My apologies to those on dial-up – there are a LOT of pictures in this post.

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What Do You See?

Take a look at this picture:


Did you see a couple in an intimate pose?

Apparently, research has shown that young children cannot identify the intimate couple because they do not have prior memory associated with such a scenario. What they WILL see, however, is the nine dolphins in the picture!

So, I guess we've already proven you're not a young innocent child...heh heh. If it's hard for you to find the dolphins within 6 seconds, your mind is indeed corrupted and you are probably a pervert! LOL

Here's help... look at the space between her right arm and her head (the tail is on her neck) and follow it up. Look at her left hip and follow the shaded part down - it's another one. There's another oneon his shoulder..... see them now?

By the way, in case you're wondering, I couldn't see them without help. *snicker*

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Busted!

This is a simple but funny little game. You have to see how long you can get away with staring at this girls rack without being busted. It's called "Lust for Bust." A bit tasteless, but amusing nonetheless.

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Farktastic

Fark.com is a great place to find links to funny and interesting stories, pictures and such. One of the things I enjoy most there, however, is the Fark Photoshop contests – there is at least one each day.

Contestants are given an original picture (and sometimes a theme) and they use their creativity and mad photoshop skillz to manipulate the picture. Some of the results can be absolutely hilarious. I participate in these some times under the Fark name celticcross13.

Here is the original and some of my faves from a recent contest:
Original:


Depending on the person’s photoshop skills, the entry can be anything from a very simple change, such as these...




getting a little more complicated…



Holy shit! It’s Christopher Walken!






...to a complete turtle extravaganza! A tribute to Cootera, perhaps? hee hee

I think my favorite, based on skills and creativity, is the Blues Brothers one...although I really like the ebay one, too, just because the concept is so funny. Which one is your fave?

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From the HOLY SHIT Files

6 year olds in Japan taking subway to school – these people are INSANE. One little boy, referred to in the article, takes two trains in a 90 minute trip to school every day by himself. He is only 6! I can’t believe people do this. There is NO way my 6 year old would be going anywhere by himself, much less in a public transport system with who knows how many preditors and thieves who could prey on him. What if he gets lost? ...takes the wrong train? My answer to the question they pose – "are they too young?" YES!

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Spamming the Spammer

Seems Mango has taken up vigilante style and is giving a spammer a dose of his own medicine. heh

"I hate Spam. Now, I’ve never had chopped, processed ham pressed into rectangular metal boxes. It’s probably ok. Anything with that much salt will no doubt taste acceptable.

I meant the other kind of spam. No, not the email kind. Worse. Comment spam.

Comment spam sucks. I am convinced it’s worse than regular spam. You don’t even get to laugh at how people spell v14gr4, or p.e.n.i.l.e e.n.h.a.n.c.e.m.e.n.t, or even pron. No. Just an email from movable type telling me I need to moderate a suspected spam comment.

So, not only do I get a BORING spam email, I then have to LOG IN to my other blog, then manually delete the offending comments and insert some new blacklist string so they leave me alone. It’s annoying.

I decided to do something about it.

This fuck decided to spam my blog with stupid gibberish and an html link. Now, I don’t allow links in comments without my approval, so I got a flurry of spam notification emails. Great.

I looked the fool up. I sent the following email (using my Hotmail account that just collects spam).

"Stop sending comment spam to my blog. I have a comment moderator, so your stupid litte script is not working. Sending 10 comments a day seems excessive, not to mention annoying. Knock the shit off. Consider this a friendly warning."

15 minutes later, I received a huge pile of comment spam.

So, I did what any good Christian would do. I signed him up for every bible quote, email porn of the day, weather channel and traffic update I could find.

I look in my inbox, and find 10 more spam comments from the same IP. But, with a twist.

Instead of HIS website, he sent comment spam to EVERY post listed with the following URL www.dontevercallmyname.com. Invalid, unregistered, but it seems as though I touched a nerve. So, I sent another email. It involved significantly more swearing.
I instantly received 128 comments in reply. The URLs (all still bogus) getting more and more threatening.

It’s go time.

Mango is not going out like that."

Attack!

Owen, Junior
info@ my-mortgage rates.com (remove spaces, of course)
Dallas, Texas

Feel free to spam the shit out of him, if you’re so inclined. I hope he chokes on all of it. lol

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Polically Correct Bullshit

You know, it drives me crazy when some band of idiots decides it would be a good idea to make a movie based on a book, but they change the story so drastically that it completely screws it up!

Well, here we go again...

Da Vinci Plot May Get New Twist to Placate Catholics

(From The Times)
So, if they take out religion, the Magdalene, the sacred feminine, Opus Dei, the sex ritual, the Priory of Sion... then, I guess they'll be left with a great car chase movie...

The film version of The Da Vinci Code is attempting to reduce the offence that the best-selling book caused to Roman Catholics.

Sony Pictures, the studio behind the film starring Tom Hanks and Sir Ian McKellen, is reported to have been so concerned that it has consulted Catholic and other Christian specialists on how it might alter the plot of the novel to avoid offending the devout.

Film officials have held talks with Catholic groups and other organisations despite Dan Brown, the author, insisting that “it’s only a novel and therefore a work of fiction”, The New York Times reported yesterday.

The Catholic League is calling for Ron Howard, the film’s Oscar-winning director, to include a disclaimer acknowledging that the movie is fiction.

The Da Vinci Code, which is being filmed this summer with locations including Winchester Cathedral and Rosslyn Chapel, near Edinburgh, is based on a novel that has sold 25 million copies worldwide. Among its more controversial claims is that Jesus married Mary Magdalene, a former prostitute, and that she bore him a child. This has been denounced as virulently anti-Catholic and a risible hoax.

The studio has been asked to consider whether the central premise — that Jesus had a child with Mary Magdalene — could be more ambiguous and whether the name of Opus Dei could be removed.

Condemnation of the book has been widespread. Last month the Roman Catholic Church in England and Wales denounced it as logically and historically flawed. In March the Vatican appointed a top cardinal to rebut what it dismissed as lies, distortions and errors.

Sony declined to comment.

IDIOTS! Oh, jeebus, I’m not even going to go off on this one. I think I’ll just leave it at that. *grumble grumble*

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100 Scariest

Along the same lines as yesterday’s post, my buddy Archmage pointed us to Retrocrush’s 100 scariest movie moments of all time. This is cool – click on the thumbnails and it will give you the details of the scene & what movie it’s from. …and yes, there is at least one moment from Silence of the Lambs in there.



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United States of Whatever

I have at least one fun linky linkerton for you today:
Set to a punky tune by Liam Lynch, here's proof that a cool video CAN be made using a shitty webcam: United States of Whatever

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Have a great weekend!

Are the Lambs Still Screaming?

I love a good horror movie. One of my favorites is Silence of the Lambs - one of the three movies in the Hannibal Lecter trilogy. Oh, what a fine villain Hannibal is - a psychology enthusiasts dream. It is a brilliant study of the psychology of serial killers and a game of cat-and-mouse between Lecter and Starling – a convoluted game with rules that are clearly understood only by the incarcerated psychiatrist. What a brilliant film!



How many Hannibal Lecter fans do we have reading here? Want to take a little quiz, just for giggles? The answers will be down at the bottom of the post - don't cheat!

1. Who originated the role of Hannibal Lecter?
a. Sir Ian McKellan
b. Brian Cox
c. Sir Anthony Hopkins
d. Dame Judy Dench

2. Anthony Hopkins said the voice of Hannibal Lecter was a combination of:
a. Jodie Foster and Paul Newman
b. Wallace and Grommit
c. Humphrey Bogart and Margaret Thatcher
d. Truman Capote and Katherine Hepburn

3. On whose novels are "The Silence of the Lambs" and "Red Dragon" films based?
a. Joseph Campbell
b. Ed Harris
c. Thomas Harris
d. Anne Rice

4. Another Thomas Harris novel was the basis for a disaster film from the 1970's. What was its title?
a. Black Sunday
b. Poseidon Adventure
c. The Big Bus
d. Towering Inferno

5. In a cameo as the FBI Director, what famous Hollywood producer/filmmaker spiced up scenes with Jody Foster?
a. James Toback
b. Robert Rodriguez
c. Roger Corman
d. Dino De Laurentiis

6. In which film did Anthony Hopkins first appear?
a. The White Bus
b. Silence of the Lambs
c. Meet Joe Black
d. The Lion In Winter

7. Jodie Foster played FBI Agent Clarice Starling in The Silence of the Lambs. However, director Jonathan Demme first offered the role to another actress. Who was she?
a. Susan Sarandon
b. Michelle Pfeiffer
c. Rosie O'Donnell
d. Meryl Streep

8. What event in young Clarice Starling's life shocked her into temporarily running away from home?
a. Catching mommy kissing Santa Claus
b. Losing her favorite pet
c. Seeing livestock slaughtered
d. Getting a big tattoo

9. Jodie Foster started her acting career at the age of two, but she didn't direct until she was nearly 30. What film from the early '90s did she direct?
a. Little Man Tate
b. Malcolm X
c. Maverick
d. Nell

10. In Silence of the Lambs, what did the killer look for in a victim?
a. green eyes
b. nice car
c. soft skin
d. upbeat personality



Quiz Anwswers:
1-b Brian Cox originated the role, in 1986's Manhunter, but turned down The Silence of the Lambs. The part was offered to Gene Hackman who was slated to direct the film until Jonathan Demme took over.

2-d Capote's nasal sneer and Hepburn's throaty tone gave Lecter his characteristically frightening, if somewhat annoying, voice.

3-c Anne Rice might wish she'd written the Hannibal Lecter trilogy, but Thomas Harris was the real father of this horror masterpiece.

4-a Thomas Harris wrote the novel on which 1977's Black Sunday was based. This is his only film not based on Hannibal Lecter.

5-c Roger Corman, who produced more than 300 films, played the role of the FBI Director. Some say it's his best work.

6-a While often thought of as his first film, Anthony Hopkins's breakthrough role in The Lion in Winter wasn't his first time on screen. His first film role was the character Brechtian in the 1967 short film The White Bus.

7-b Michelle Pfeiffer, and later Meg Ryan were offered the role before Jodie Foster was even considered.

8-c While the idea of mommy and Santa Claus is scary, too, Clarice ran away because she saw lambs being killed.

9-a She directed and acted in Little Man Tate.

10-c The serial killer "Buffalo Bill" was interested in wearing his victims' skin.

***

Ahhh, such memorable moments - the dark basement scene with the infrared goggles, the Italian cop's demise over the Piazza, the dinner with Ray Liota, the murderous pigs, Hannibal's escape from custody, the death head moth lodged in the dead girls throat...they go on and on. I think I might just have to rent them this weekend.

My favorite quote from these films?
"A census taker once tried to test me. I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice chianti." - Dr. Hannibal Lecter

The Celtic Cross

One thing that I don't think I've touched on here is the origin of my chosen blog name - Celtic Cross. It's much more than a cool looking symbol - there is a rich history and deep meaning to it for me.

The Celtic Cross is one of the most common images that comes to mind when someone mentions the Celts. I have always felt a very strong connection to my Celtic roots. Most of my ancestors came from Scotland, Ireland and England, so it runs in my blood.

Many also associate this widely used symbol, however, with the Christians as a representation of the crucifix and, more often than not, as a monument for the dead.

The history of the Celtic Cross is much older than it's common Christian influence. In fact, the earliest known images of the cross within a circle are neither Christian nor Celtic. The oldest examples of the "Celtic" cross are those engraved or painted on flat pebbles, dating from 10,000 BC and found in a cave in the French Pyrenees. These "ancestor stones" were believed to contain the spirits of the dead. In Scotland, The stones at Callanish are laid in the shape of a Celtic cross. Callanish also predates the time of Christ.

Throughout the Irish country side, cross circles are found laid out on the ground. Through oral traditions, legend and lore, many believe these circles were gathering places for spiritual worship. Even the artifacts found engraved in walls or on stones maintain each leg of the cross in equal size.

The extended lower leg is believed to be an addition from Christian influences. This view of the cross has become known as the 'High Cross'. In relation to this, the symbolism is particularly applicable to me considering my Christian upbringing and subsequent exploration of the spiritual realm outside of Christianity. It is, to me, an ancient symbol of my true heritage transformed into a representation of a Christian ideal by outside forces.

For the pagan practioner, the original form of the Celtic Cross is of the most interest. Through oral tradition and archeological evidence we know the ancient Celts used the circle and cross for spiritual rituals and ceremonies.

Each leg of the cross represents both directional points, as well as, elemental ordinals. The circle represents both the circle of life, the cycle of the seasons and the endless path of knowledge.

Keep in mind that the cross was primarily found laying flat on the ground, the points or legs of the cross laid out in the cardinal directions. Each point of the cross signifies the direction, an element and a cycle of time both for the day (midnight, sunrise, noon and sunset), the year (winter, spring, summer and fall), the elements (air, earth, water and fire), the 4 parts of man (soul, body, heart and mind), and the cycle of life (death, fertility, union, birth).

Another view of the cross and it's components are based on the Druidic view of the 5 Elements:
North - Calas - represents midnight, Samhain, death, and the earth
East - Fluidity - represents sunrise, Imbolg, fertility, body, and water
South - Breath - represents noon, Beltaine, union, heart, and air
West - Uvel - represents sunset, Lughnasadh, birth, mind, and fire
Center - Nwyvre - represents the soul, the Divine Spirit

This interpretation is attractive because of the prominence of time cycles and solar symbols in Celtic mythology and how the celtic cross and its associated art works seem to relate to the sun or to solar symbols.

Today, the cross can still be a magnificent tool for ritual and ceremony. It can be laid out either inside or outside for ritual gatherings using the symbolic elements described above.

Once created, you can enter the circle from the north and walk along the circle, in meditation of your life, your spirit, and whatever evolutionary element you wish to examine and learn from.

The Celtic Cross can be seen as just another example of the Sacred Circle, with an emphasis on Celtic philosophy. However you choose to relate to the cross, it is an ancient symbol worthy of reverence and respect.

By choosing the Celtic Cross as the icon of my blog, I invite my visitors into my circle and welcome you into my life.

SASF v.8.5 - Weird, Crazy World

Amazing Art

Check out this sidewalk art - I don't know how the guy does it, but they look 3d!












The guy on the left is the drawing and the guy on the right is real. I assume that this is the artist. Very impressive!

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New Twist on a Coin Trick

This guy performs a coin trick with a surprising twist. *cringe* Not for those with weak stomachs. heh

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Gotta Love the Bunnies

They've done it again...

The Rocky Horror Picture Show - in 30 seconds, performed by bunnies.
See it here.

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Smoked Turkey?

I was working on a flyer for a company that does BBQ parties and did a google search for "smoked turkey" a few days ago. A very strange image came up, and I clicked it, taking me to this site.

Now, I am a very open-minded person, but I don't get it. Well, I kinda do, but... well... just go check it out. This guy is ...um...different. yeah. Look around for a bit - it gets weirder and weirder.

It takes all kinds!

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Your Parents are Here!


It's not often that I find a game on-line that holds my interest. Incriminati, however, is pretty fun! You have to hid incriminating evidence within a time limit before you get busted. It gave me teen years flashbacks. LOL

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Weird Trivia

In the 1400's, a law was set forth that a man was not allowed to beat his wife with a stick no thicker than his thumb. Hence we have "the rule of thumb".

Many years ago in Scotland , a new game was invented. It was ruled "Gentlemen Only...Ladies Forbidden"...and thus the word GOLF entered into the English language.

The first couple to be shown in bed together on prime time TV were Fred and Wilma Flintstone.

Every day, more money is printed for Monopoly than is printed by the US Treasury.

Men can read smaller print than women can but women can hear better.

Coca-Cola was originally green.

It is impossible to lick your elbow.

The State with the highest percentage of people who walk to work: Alaska

The percentage of Africa that is wilderness: 28%

The percentage of North America that is wilderness: 38%

The average cost of raising a medium-size dog to the age of eleven: $6400

The average number of people airborne over the US at any given hour: 61,000

Intelligent people have more zinc and copper in their hair.

The first novel ever written on a typewriter: Tom Sawyer.

The San Francisco Cable cars are the only mobile National Monuments.

Each king in a deck of playing cards represents a great king from history:

Spades - King David
Hearts - Charlemagne
Clubs -Alexander, the Great
Diamonds - Julius Caesar

111,111,111 x 111,111,111 = 12,345,678,987,654,321

If a statue in the park of a person on a horse has both front legs in the air, the person died in battle. If the horse has one front leg in the air the person died as a result of wounds received in battle. If the horse has all four legs on the ground, the person died of natural causes.

Only two people signed the Declaration of Independenceon July 4th, John Hancock and Charles Thomson. Most of the rest signed on August 2, but the last signature wasn't added until 5 years later.

...and the funniest:
At least 75% of people who read this will try to lick their elbow

hee hee hee hee hee