Blabbity Blah Blah Blah

Soooo, I've kind of fallen back into the journalesque type of post. It's been a long time since I've posted like this and frankly, it feels good. I was poking around in my archives looking for something specific, and was taken back to a time in my life when I was very creative while also being very disturbed and unhappy. It's funny to observe how creative I can be when I'm at my most miserable. Sad, really...it's like something has to be sacrificed in exchange for happiness. Perhaps not...hmm. Nevertheless, reflection is a good thing and a blog is a great place to document it all. It's there, documented if our memories fail us - and they do fail us so much more than we realize.

Speaking of failing, I overslept this morning. It's Chris' fault, really...I was on the couch because he was snoring so fucking loud that the windows were rattling. Even with earplugs in, I couldn't sleep, so off to the couch I went. Well, when the alarm went off, he turned it off and went right back to sleep. The phone woke me up about 10 minutes before my usual departure time. He made up for it all, though, by taking the D-man to school for me – saved my butt. I made it to work on time, miraculously, though I am so very not put together today.

What really is stuck in my mind, however, is the dream I was having just before I woke up. It was kind of a Lost, Pitch Black, Survivor hybrid involving people from my past, my present and people I don't know. There were mysteries and conspiracies going on all over the place. The last thing I remember was that we have found/made some bombs out of "nitrox" (the jet fuel used for the Hot Wheels World Race cars, no doubt) and people were sneaking them out and pocketing them. I had one in my pocket, too. They looked like those candy test tubes that glowed in the dark.


Yeah, kinda like that.
Click here if you want to see the truly bizarre interesting picture I found while searching for that pic. Wow.

I have no idea what/who I was planning to blow up, but I was quite happy about it and the fact that I knew who else was armed. Heh. Damn, I have some weird dreams.

My CD burner is cracking me up. It sounds like a jet revving up to take off.

My blog came up as the #1 hit in Google for the poor sod who searched for: "i want a girl friend so badly. i cant stand it anymore i am very sad. perhaps i should consider ummmm getting one very soon hmmmm :( ahhhh but what can you do huh womans and sex its probably the best things in life" ...um...Dude. Go down to the girlfriend store and get one, quick!

I just had a document cross my desk for "Bliss Cancer Center". WHY WHY WHY would you name a cancer center Bliss!?!? Does anyone else see the irony?

People are SO freaking weird. Fascinating.

I adopted a pet spider this morning. I like her very much. Her name is Morgandy which means "little one from the edge of the sea." Don't ask - I have no idea. Everyone, I'd like to introduce you to Morgandy:





In other pet news, miss Lexi was VERY happy to be home last night. She was exhausted, though...I wonder if she slept at all while she was there. She got lots of extra love last night.

Enough blathering. I'll leave you with some lyrics to ponder, from what is inspiring me and playing in my ear at the moment...

Sticks and stones, battle zones
A single light bulb on a single thread for the black
Sirens wail, history fails
Rose-colored glass begins to age and crack
While the politicians shadowbox the power ring
In an endless split decision, never solve anything
From a neighbor's distant land I heard the strain of the common man

Let it be me
this is not a fighting song
Let it be me
not a wrong for a wrong
Let it be me
If the world is night
Shine my life like a light

Well the world seems spent and the president
Has no good idea of who the masses are
Well I'm one of them and I'm among friends
We're trying to see beyond the fences in our own backyards
I've seen the kingdoms blow like ashes in the winds of change
But the power of truth is the fuel for the flame
So the darker the ages get there's a stronger beacon yet

Let it be me
this is not a fighting song
Let it be me
not a wrong for a wrong
Let it be me
If the world is night
Shine my life like a light

In the kind word you speak, in the turn of the cheek
When your vision stays clear in the face of your fear
Then you see turning out a light switch is their only power
When we stand like spotlights in a mighty tower
All for one and one for all
Then we sing the common call

Let it be me
this is not a fighting song
Let it be me
not a wrong for a wrong
Let it be me
If the world is night
Shine my life like a light

Whirlbrain

It's a good thing that I am the type that needs to keep my mind busy. That need is certainly being fulfilled lately.

I just found out that the D-man has a spot for kindergarten in the school we want him to go to. It is a great new school that has a different approach than traditional public schools - project based and experience based learning. Their philosophy is wonderful and, given the D-mans independent and creative nature, I think it will give him the opportunities he needs to really soar. It is difficult to get a place in these schools as they are open to the entire district and there is great demand for the limited number of spaces available for students. I have been working on getting him into this school now for the last two years. I am SO relieved and excited.

Our dog, Lexi, is missing. One of Chris' friends accidentally let her out Friday night, and she took off. This has happened a few times and she always comes right back. This time she didn't. We drove around the neighborhood & couldn't find her. Well, we've looked many times this weekend and have asked around, and there is no sign of her. So, today I get to go to the city dog shelter at lunch to see if she's in jail there. Ug.

I have a horrible stomach ache. I have no idea why, but it's getting worse as the day goes along. Shit.

I made a necklace and earrings for my mother-in-law's birthday that I'm very pleased with (...and it's very nice to be able to make cool gifts when you're flat broke. lol). I haven't done much beading lately, and this has given me the itch to dive back into it.


ta da!

We didn't get to go see Goblet of Fire at the IMAX this weekend because it was all sold out. Poo. I guess I'm going to have to get on the ball early this week to get tickets for next weekend. I'm in the middle of reading Goblet of Fire right now, and it will be interesting to see it again with the new perspective of having read the book. I've been having a lot of Harry Potter dreams. It's quite amusing.

I saw Pitch Black for the first time this weekend. Yeah, I know...it's old. I loved it and I can really see me getting into this series. I've already seen Chronicles of Riddick (loved it, too) and, of course, there's Vin Diesel. Rrrrrowr! Damn, he's fine. Heh

Oooh, I just got an e-mail notice that I am the winner of the Super Powerball Lottery Program in England. I need to contact this nice lady who e-mailed me about it so that I can claim my share of the $40,000,000 prize. I'd better get on it. ;)

UPDATE 2:40 pm:
Lexi is home. The stinkpot got picked up by the dog catcher and was in jail. BOY, was she happy to see me. I went back and identified her (as she wiggled, jumped & whined) and when we left the room to go back up to do the paperwork, she howled like crazy. $96.50 later, she is very happy to be out of there. Next time she runs off, damnit...well...hopefully there won't be a next time. damn.

SASF v.2.21.6

SASF = Short Attention Span Friday - Yay!

I take no responsiblity for any injury due to negligent knee-slapping or offense that may be taken when perusing the items below. If you're easily offended, you might just want to move along now. lol

***
Happy Little Trees

"We don't make mistakes here, we just have happy accidents. We want happy, happy paintings. If you want sad things, watch the news. Everything is possible here. This is your little universe."

I always loved this show - it made me giggle and I was always amazed and the ease with which he would churn out these paintings. I found an interesting article about the cult of Bob Ross. Check it out.

***
Unoriginal

I deal with a lot of companies as a part of my job. Once in a while, I prepare a proposal or something for these companies that have the most unoriginal names possible. WHY, if you were starting your own company, would you name it something like:

Products, Inc.
Auto Body Shop
Law Offices
Business Consultant
Christian Church
Construction Materials
Environmental Consultants
Financial Forms
Insurance Associates
Marketing Consultants
Photo Printing
Law Offices
School Pictures
Veterinary Clinic

Yes, these are actual company names from my files. I understand that it's good to have your company name have something to do with what you sell or do, but sheesh! Give me a break! Are there really that many business owners out there with a complete lack of creativity?

***
Do you take it?

OMG, this is so sick and wrong, but yet so funny. It's NSFW, so you've been warned.

It's just so bad, bad, bad. Bwaaahahahaha!

***
Eggzactly Nuts

More eBay nuttiness for you today, folks. Hurry, hurry, you can buy a Cadbury egg with a nipple! Bidding currently at only $107.50. Good gravy, just a little more proof that people will freakin' buy anything.


***
Holy Soccer me in the Ass!

World freakin' Cup Tickets - You can attend the final game for the bargain price of $6550.00 each. *cough* You have GOT to be kidding. Sure, that'll be no problem. *cough, sputter* Hell, I think I could get tickets for the Quidditch World Cup cheaper than that!

***
Poor Kitty! *snicker*

Damn these games, they're so addictive. This one is, like many other things you'll find here, so bad but so funny. See how far you can shoot the kitten out of your cannon (kitty spirits of the world, please forgive me. lol)
903 feet beeotches, beat that.

***
All the Way to the Eff Bee I

Fancy a visit from the FBI to your blog? Just spew out a bunch of these words and (supposedly) they'll come a runnin'.
Osama, ritual abuse & eavesdropping opium! Woot!

***
Heh



***
Chocolate IS good, but WTF?

They have GOT to be kidding. No...no, I don't think they are.

The most seductive cookie in the world
*snort*

***
Oceanic Flights Cancelled

Lost fans might find this interesting. The more you play with it, the wierder it gets. Freaky.


***
Well, I'm glad you made it this far and are still with me. You all have a great weekend now. I'll be taking the D-man to see Harry Potter & the Goblet of Fire at the IMAX theater this weekend. Woot! Should be interesting, too, since I'm about half way through the book.

Slaps & Tickles,
Celti

HNT - Whack!

It’s that time of the week again, kids.

In honor of the new ring tone I have on my cell phone (The Tale of Brave Sir Robin from Monty Python), which makes me giggle every time my phone rings, I give you whack-a-Celti:

heh heh
Damn, I love Monty Python.


Happy HNT!

Dear Kotex

I recently noticed that the peel-off strip of my maxi-pad had a bunch of "Kotex Tips for Life" on it - annoying advice such as:

- Staying active during your period can relieve cramps.
- Avoiding caffeine may help reduce cramps and headaches.
- Drink 6-8 glasses of water a day to keep you hydrated and feeling fresh.
- Try Kotex blah blah blah other products.

Obviously, the person behind this was someone who has never possessed a functioning pair of ovaries. Go ahead and tell a menstruating woman TO HER FACE that drinking 6-8 glasses of water will help keep her feeling fresh. See what happens and report back. I'll wait here. While you're at it, dump out the coffee at work and remove the chocolate from the vending machine. I guaran-damn-tee that the first responders will be females who just ovulated.

Look, females don't need or want tips for living on feminine hygiene products. Younger girls are already hearing "helpful" crap like that from their elderly relatives. Veteran females have already concocted their own recipes for survival, mostly containing alcohol or chocolate.

Printing out crap advice while sneaking in ads for the brand THAT WAS ALREADY PURCHASED is just plain wrong, not to mention rude and enough to send a girl running to Always.

Mostly we'd like to forget that we even need these products. It's not a fun time, but DO NOT try to cheer us up by adding smiley faces or bunnies or flowery cutesy crap to your products or the packaging. Put the shit in a plain brown wrapper so we can throw it in our carts discreetly and have it blend in among the wine and beer. There is nothing more annoying than having a blinding pink package announcing your *ahem* state to everyone in the damn store. ...this is not to mention the poor saps that are kind enough to buy these items for their ladies. The ultimate goal of your product should be functional invisibility at every stage, including the point of purchase.

So take your tips for living and shove them right up your asses. (Try drinking six to eight glasses of water to make you feel fresher while you're doing it!)

Crampingly Yours,

Miss PMS

...And you may ask yourself, well...how did I get here?

I've been having a bit of a case of "bloggers cramp" lately. It's eternally frustrating because it's quite rare that I have little to say. I've just been so busy with work that having time to sit and think about a post or what to write has been a challenge.

I have been doing this here blog thing for almost 2 years. In fact, March 1st will be my second bloggiversary. Unbelievable.

My sweet, mischievous Owl posted last with tidbits about why he blogs. Of course, I don't think I've really broached that subject, although I know I've touched on it a few times.

I got a job about three years ago that allowed me to browse the 'net if I had all my work done, so I was browsing about, searching for topics that interest me. I ran across a blog - I believe it was Frilly. She was funny & sassy, and I was intriuged by how she managed to post her journal on-line. I followed some of her links, most notably Bitter Little Man and I was hooked. He rants about everything, pretty much. He has an absolutely horrible attitude and it's fucking hilarious. I also found, as I jumped links, Celestial Blue. CB, whom I still consider to be one of my best blog buddies, is witty, intelligent, and socially conscious...and she's cute, too. This cool canuck was the first one I really started exchaging comments with, and she encouraged me early on to keep it up and people would start reading me. She's awesome and she inspired me to start my own.

Over the past two years, I think blogging has helped me tremendously. It's helped me work out issues (OH, yes, I have issues. lol) It's allowed me to meet and develop friendships with so many awesome people, people with whom my path would have never crossed has I not explored this world, and it's allowed me to work on my writing skills, create a documentation of my life and many of the stories I might forget as it goes along, and it's been a tremedously valuable source of information.

This is my 504th post on this blog. There are also a few other blogs that I post to. I've spurted out poetry, poured out my heart about the things that stir me most deeply, ranted about issues that make me crazy, blathered on about my wonderful son as any mother should be expected to do, bared my flesh for all to judge me by, bared my soul. I have to do it - it all has to have an outlet and you are my audience, my therapy group, my circle of friends.

Anyway, this seems to be coming out as quite sappy so I'll wrap it up. All of you that come here are important to me. I really don't think I could/would give up this blogging thing. Why would I want to? I appreciate you all coming along and I hope you enjoy the ride.

*smooch*

And you may ask yourself
Where does this highway go?
And you may ask yourself
Am I right? ...am I wrong?
And you may tell yourself
My god!...what have I done?

SASF v.2.17.6 - Picture Pages

Today's Short Attention Span Friday post will consist of a collection of pictures that made me giggle. I am in no condition to be writing anything of any substance today since I got completely hammered last night and now I am paying the price. My head hurts and I'm stuck on stoopid, folks. I overslept this morning and it's going to be a challenge to get anything accomplished today. *cramp*

Buckle up!
***


Now, I know how to appreciate a good lube just like anyone else - you know, WD40 and such (what were YOU thinking?) ...but OMG, check out the illustration. Bwaaahahaha!


Truth in Advertising


"Everything you need for your shotgun wedding!"



I don't want two, so why the hell would I want FIVE?


What a smart ass! I wonder what the boss told him to do next. heh


"But I don't get it, boss, the billboard's not working!?"


Well, this should be no problem.


Perhaps someone should not drink & make signs.


This made me giggle enough that I actually stole this little table advert from a bar I was in earlier in the week. Kick ass! lol


There was a one drink limit at our company picnic last summer.


I WANT a pair of these.

It's Olympics time again. I was browsing through a gallery of images from the games and ran across a few that caught my eye...


It's a hockey player upside down cake!


Is that an "oh shit" face?


Is depantsing a foul in hockey? *snort*


This one is simply begging for a caption. Ideas?
***

Well, I hope you all enjoyed this wonderful copout post. I promise to be better to myself this weekend and you do the same, m-kay?

Celti

HNT v2.16 - Ancient Skin

Pulled a couple out of the archives for you today, peeps.



It's yours truly checking out a 3000 year old Egyptian mummy. Ancient things like this have always fascinated me, and this mummy's home burned away many, many hours of my time exploring. It's in the Louvre in Paris. I had a pass that allowed me free entry unlimited times, any time. I went there often and still never saw everything. Of course, I spent most of my time in the Egyptian Antiquities and Greek, Etruscan, and Roman Antiquities sections. I was especiallly drawn to the sculptures as well, endlessly fascinated by how the artists could transform a chunk of rock into something so detailed and beautiful.

Although the Louvre was superb, nothing compared to the real thing. While I was living in Europe, I had the opportunity to spend two weeks in Greece with my friend Loukia, a genuine Athenian. Since Loukia had a lot of things to do related to her school work, I spent a lot of time exploring ruins and museums on my own. I could easily go back there an spend months. Unfortunately, since I was alone a lot of the time, I don't have many pictures.


This is on the Isle of Hydra, I believe, or maybe Spetses. We were waiting for the hydrofoil to pick us up to go to the next island. If given my choice of any vacation I want, I would go back to Greece in a heartbeat. Ela mazi mou!

Oh, and happy HNT!

Ich Liebe Valentine's Day

So, today was the day dedicated to some saint who most likely inadvertently became directely associated with the most convoluted of emotions, love. Hmmmm...wonder how that happened.

Anyway, I was given a beautiful crystal rose in a spiffy box and a lovely card. He giggled at the hearts-n-arrows boxers he got, along with a giant heresy's kiss. Solid. The D-Man got a giant red stuffed bear.

We went to dinner tonight at a local German restaurant - the Hessen Haus. Yeeeeaaaah. I still have accordion music and yodeling rattling around in my head and I've been having visions of beefy men bouncing around in their lederhosen.

They certainly get an A for effort as far as authenticity goes. The atmosphere is very German and there were things on the menu that left me scratching my chin. Our waiter was very jovial, and never wrote a thing down but neglected nothing. He was impressive, but he wasn't wearing lederhosen. Damn.

We had an appetizer involving several different cheeses. How appropriate.

They serve weinerschnitzel and jaegerschnitzel and lambergerschnitzel and beer that looks like chocolate and on and on. My father-in-law dined on what appeared to be an entire ham and mother-in-law had jaegerschnitzel. Chris got the elk tenderloin medallions, which weren't what he'd hoped. I had pheasant in mushroom Riesling sauce and I tell you - the sauce was the boss. It was so flavorful and it was excellent. I think I made the best choice from the menu.

Best of all, it was a peaceful meal. The D-Man was at home with a cool couple eating shrimp. Heh.

Now, I think I shall partake in some tunes in an attempt to drown out the polka and sign off since I have this piece of german chocolate cake to attend to.

Johari

Spcknght found something pretty cool - it's a Johari window generator. The Johari Window was invented by Joseph Luft and Harrington Ingram in the 1950s as a model for mapping personality awareness. By describing yourself from a fixed list of adjectives, then asking your friends and colleagues to describe you from the same list, a grid of overlap and difference can be built up.

I've always been very curious about how others perceive me versus how I perceive myself. One thing that I noticed while doing this was the lack of negative words - there are a few that lean towards the negative, but very few. I suppose it doesn't hurt to put a positive spin on things, but, in light of that, how accurate can it be? What if I saw myself as irresponsible, obnoxious and annoying? lol

If you would be so kind, please visit my Johari window and submit the words you associate with me. Hey, it never hurts to delve into a bit of self-analysis, huh? You can create your own there, too. C'mon - you know you wanna. :)

SASF v.2.10.6 - Such a Strange World

Welcome newcomers! SASF is a tradition around here - it stands for Short Attention Span Friday.

It's such a strange and fascinating world we live in. Here are some great examples...

***
Steve, Don't Eat It!

Steve is the adventurous type. He likes to try new things like Beggin' Strips, Potted Meat Product, Pickled Pork Rinds, Prison wine... ug. He should go on Fear Factor, really.

The description of his experience drinking his wife's breast milk had me in stitches. "It tastes like milk, just slightly more sweet. And mentally, just slightly more making me want to gargle with Clorox and assume the fetal position while I question my life."
*snicker*

***
Should I?


Would you think I'm crazy if I tell you that I want to do this?

***
Archeologists' Wet Dream

A deep sea robot recently found the remains of a Greek shipwreck from around 350 BC! Check out the story here. "The wreck is like a buried UPS truck," said David Mindell of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. "It provides a wealth of information that helps us figure out networks based on the contents of the truck." Man, I LOVE this kind of stuff.


***
Bone Church

The Sedlec Ossuary is a small Christian chapel decorated with the bones of approximately 40,000 people. It's located in Sedlec, which is a suburb in the outskirts of the Czech town Kutna Hora. Morbidly fascinating!


Now that's a chandelier! Meep!

***
The art of Seamus Moran

While we're on the subject of unusual art, check this out.



"A knot in a plank of wood appears as a round or oval shape for all that is seen is a two dimensional cross section giving few clues to its three dimensional form. It is only when a tree is allowed to decay that it becomes possible to see the astonishing beauty and variation in these structures. The wood is far more dense in knots so they remain intact long after the branches and trunk have disappeared. It is almost as though the dead tree has left a skeleton.

When Seamus Moran discovered such skeletal trees in a wood near his home in Cornwall, he collected some knots and, after taking moulds of them, used the castings to form striking sculptures. The method of repitition and combinationof naturally occuring, obviously organic shapes is further developed by chemically induced rust all over the surface of the resin/iron casts."

***
I don't get it.

Someone tell me what the hell this is all about...? Please?

***
Could it Be

...that I'm allergic to work? For the last two days, I've felt fine until I get here. After arriving, the headache starts and I feel nauseous. Yesterday, before leaving, I was convinced that I was coming down with something - chills, face hot...but after I got home I was fine. WTF!? I think I'll be searching my office this afternoon to see if I find anything funny. I can't imagine what it could be...

***
Hard Core Billiam

Hard Core Billiam has the shiznit goin on. Can this guy really be serious? I had a lot of trouble figuring out what he was saying. When I scrolled down and found the IM conversation he posted, however, I laughed so hard I nearly pissed myself.

hardcorebilliam: Wot up?!
BettieDanger: who is this?
hardcorebilliam: billiam
hardcorebilliam: who else wuld it be?!
BettieDanger: I don't know?!
hardcorebilliam: awesom!
BettieDanger: and it's spelled "would" and "awesome"
hardcorebilliam: im billiam an i am hardcore
hardcorebilliam: wot iz?
BettieDanger: oh dear god please strangle yourself with girl pants.
hardcorebilliam: hey now
hardcorebilliam: letz not be hatin

...and it goes on and on.

***
Dead Body Guy

This guy apparently has a hobby of posing as a dead body for pictures. I found it quite amusing and he really seems to enjoy it.


Peeping doesn't pay! lol

***
Google Fight!

You just gotta check it out.

***
Be My Hardcore Valentine!

I am a bit disturbed by how thoroughly amused I was by this: Harry Potter hardcore valentines Wow, some people's imaginations never cease to amaze me. lol

*snort!*

***
Well, you have a happy Valentine's day and a great weekend, peeps.

buh...buh...buh...BOO!

Today, it's my pleasure to entertain you with a few ghost stories. I have always been fascinated by ghosts and hauntings, and some of the most famous haunting stories can be quite entertaining. (IMHO, anyway)


Ahhh, the lovely Tower of London, home to many a ghoul.

Built by Willian the Conqueror between 1078 and 1098, The Tower of London has a long and bloody history. An "inescapable prison", over the past 1000 years, the Tower of London has seen more than its fair share of murders, executions, tortures and poisonings. It's little wonder, therefore, that a few of its victims should remain there after death. Many ghostly legends are associated with the Tower.

In 1483, two young princes were murdered in the Tower, and their ghosts were reported to have haunted the tower until the year 1674, when their bones were found and buried in a proper ceremony.

The most famous and most often reported ghost in the Tower Green is Anne Boleyn. She was beheaded by her husband, Henry VIII, in 1536 because she gave birth to a daughter instead of a son. She is now said to carry her head under her arm around the tower and she is surrounded by eerie light. Anne has also been seen in the Tower Chapel. One night, a guard captain and a sentry set off on their rounds, but when they reached the chapel they both noticed lights coming from inside. The captain sent for a ladder and climbed up to a window to look within. He found the interior lit with a blue-white light, and a ghostly procession of men and women in Tudor costume could be plainly seen walking down the central aisle. At the head of the procession was the spirit of Anne Boleyn. Suddenly the light faded and the chapel was left in complete darkness.

In 1816 a sentry was walking his beat in front of the Jewel House when he saw a dark shape moving on the steps of the building. He approached the figure just as the moon came out from behind some clouds, revealing a huge bear lunging at him. Panicked, he struck out at the bear with his bayonet but the blade simply passed through the bear, which then engulfed him. He was later found unconscious by another sentry and died shortly after.

In 1864, a soldier saw a ghost and again attempted to use his bayonet. The soldier fainted when he realized his antagonist was a ghost, and was later court-martialed for neglecting his duties. The charges against the soldier were eventually dropped when two witnesses came forward to support the soldier's ghost story.

A great many other ghosts of historical significance are said to haunt the Tower of London, including Henry VI, Thomas Becket, Lady Jane Grey, Guy Fawkes and Sir Walter Raleigh.


The execution of Lady Jane Grey

On the 12th February 1957 a guardsman came face to face with one of the ghostly residents at the foot of the Salt Tower. It was 3:00 am when something struck the roof of the sentry-box in which he was sheltering from the rain. Stepping out, he looked up to see what it was, and saw a shapeless white ghost on the top of the tower. He shouted, bringing out the guard captain and the duty warder. They both searched the Tower, but could find nothing. Is it a coincidence that on 12 February 1554 Lady Jane Grey was beheaded on Tower Green, which lies less than 200 yards away from the Salt Tower?

The ghosts of King Edward V and Prince Richard, brothers who died mysteriously at the Tower as children in 1483, have been seen. A more gruesome haunting concerns the Countess of Salisbury, who was sentenced to death in 1541. Her execution ceremony has been re-enacted by spirits on the Tower Green.

Other hauntings at the Tower include the sounds of a phantom patrol marching past, terrible screams and the cries coming from the torture chambers and bizarre smoke-like apparitions floating in the air around the battlements.

I wish I had known about all of this before I visited the Tower of London. Perhaps I would have looked around a bit more closely.

Thought for the Day

"Imagine we are all the same. Imagine we agree about politics, religion and morality. Imagine we like the same types of music, art, food and coffee. Imagine we all look alike. Sound boring? Differences need not divide us. Embrace diversity. Dignity is everyone's human right." - Bill Brummel, Documentary Filmmaker

Memento

"So where are you? You're in some motel room. You just wake up and you're in...in a motel room. There's the key. It feels like maybe it's just the first time you've been there, but perhaps you've been there for a week, three months... It's....it's kind of hard to say. I don't...I don't know. It's just an anonymous room."

How is this for a scenario? A man breaks into your house in the middle of the night. He rapes and kills your wife and leaves you with brain injuries. Furious, you pledge your life to track down and kill whoever is responsible. There is just one problem - after the head injury, you are no longer capable of creating new memories; everything before the accident is crystal clear, but now you cannot remember anything new for more than a few minutes.

The main character, Leonard, tries to manage his life and his quest by taking Polaroid pictures of the people he meets, scratching notes on them as to what their relationships are and if they can be trusted or not. In order to not lose track of the most important details of his quest, he tattoos notes all over his body consisting of things such as "John G raped and killed your wife." and license plate numbers.

Ponder this: What happens to guilt if you cannot remember what you did? How can a person have emotions if he does not know where they came from? How can we learn from our experiences if we cannot remember them? What is the purpose of revenge if someone cannot recollect or prosper from it?



Memento is the most thought-provoking film I have seen in a long time. It is unusually absorbing and places you quite effectively in the main character's shoes. How can we be in the same mental status with the main character when he cannot remember anything? The story is told backwards. Each individual scene plays running forward, often overlapping, so you really have to pay attention.

One thing that struck me hardest about this film was the manner in which the other characters take advantage of Leonard's disability. They lie to him and manipulate him into doing their bidding, and you never exactly know for sure who they are or if they are on his side or betraying him. There is another character in Leonard's memory from before the attack that, later in the film, you think may actually be Leonard himself.

Memento is a unique mystery thriller. It demands that the viewer follow along, participate, and fit puzzle pieces together. It doesn't provide any easy or obvious answers. Hell, even the DVD menus are perplexing and mysterious.

After watching it on Saturday, Chris and I found ourselves discussing it for the rest of the weekend, comparing theories and ideas about the details. We rented it on the recommendation of a friend, whom I need to thank. I was surprised at how old it is (filmed in 2000) because I had never heard of it, but I'm glad we discovered it nonetheless. I think it's one we'll be adding to our collection.

SASF v.2.3.6 - What's the Buzz?

On the Jukebox: John Mayer, Clarity

Holeeee crap. January is history, peeps. Damn, that went fast. ...not that I wanted it to last, really. It's been a nutty month - a bit too nutty for my taste (and that's unusual). I've got some yummy little morsels for you today, though. I feel spring in the air, no matter what that stupid groundhog said. Yippee!

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Tattoo of the Week


I like this one because it's such an original idea. As I save my pennies, I have been considering switching from a celtic cross to some kind of celtic tree, but it certainly wouldn't be like this one. I think it's pretty cool, though.

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It Wasn't Meant to Be

For those of you who are American Idol fans, you might like this. It's "Ryan the Screamer" - this poor kid thinks he's got something cool going. Maybe if he wants to try out to sing for Pantera, perhaps, but NOT American Idol. I, personally, only watch the few episodes of each season because I like to see the ones like this. After that, it gets boring.

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Butter Sputter

Oh, Canada, how I adore thee. I'm so happy for you that you have such a handle on things - things like margarine. Yes, that's right - the dreaded margarine. Scandal! Agriculture Department inspectors swooped down on four Wal-Mart stores in the Quebec City area recently and seized 72 plastic tubs of yellow margarine with an estimated street value of $179.28. The margarine is butter yellow, which makes it illegal for sale in Quebec. They made yellow margarine illegal to protect the dairy farmers. I shit you not. What do you suppose they're going to do with that margarine? Hmmm...maybe they'll come up with something. (btw, that last link is not particularly work safe) Hot Buttered Yowza!

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Get Over it Already!

It seems that some people have been getting their panties in a bunch (ba dun dum) over thongs. Specifically, it is the top of thongs showing above the waistlines of young ladies everywhere. So, some genius created the "backless thong". Honestly, I don't see how this thing would stay on if you moved. Looks like it would fall off to me. Ok, if you're wearing pants, maybe not, but WTF? Why not just go commando, for Pete's sake? Sheesh.

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Touch ma belly, baybee!

Man, I love this blog. What an original idea!
Check out Touch My Belly

It made me giggle quite a lot.

Thanks be to Sylvana for the link!

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Good Vibrations

Huge strides are being made in vibration technology. ...and you know that people seem unable to get enough of fancy new gadgets and accessories for their iPods. It'll never end, I swear. The latest? The iBuzz.
Yes, yes indeed, it's a vibrator that psynchs up with the music playing on your iPod. Whatever makes your toes curl, I suppose.

Cyber sex is big - there's no denying that. Well, some clever pervs have come up with something to take cyber sex to a new level...

Guys, this is your on-screen control panel for controlling the Internet Rabbit - a.k.a. your cyber-lover's toy. Leave it to those naughty Brits. *smirk* Oh, my.

You have to watch how you use these things, though...
Recently, a poor, unfortunate kinky shopper was overwhelmed by the pleasures of her vibrating knickers and collapsed, hitting her head on a grocery store shelf, knocking herself unconscious. (Again, another naughty Brit. I'm tellin' ya!) heh. OOPS!

In other news, an Australian airport was recently evacuated due to a buzzing trash bin. Turns out that some silly bloke threw a buzzing vibrator in it, and I'm guessing they thought it could be a bomb. D'oh! LMAO

If you're interested in joining the fun, there's an organization that is searching for online toy testers. Join the "orgasm army" if you dare. We expect full reports if you do. lol

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Just for Giggles


Bad squirrel! Now you must die! heh

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Last, but not Least

Winnebago Man! This is fairly old, but for those who haven't seen it, it's damn funny. It involves considerable vulgarity, however, so you've been warned.

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Have a fantastic weekend, friends and neighbors. I'm going to a blogger meet-up with umpteen Iowa bloggers this weekend. Woot!

Peace,
Celti

HNT 2.2 - Chinese Crested Celti?

I've always been a bit intrigued by these dogs:

The Chinese Crested Hairless. They're funny little dogs, and they look a lot like little horses when groomed in this manner. I would imagine, however, that they wouldn't like the winters here in these parts. I can just about see it shivering now. It's interesting that they have hair only on their feet and heads (hmmm...part hobbit? lol).

I think my fascination with them is party because I am a lot like them - I am practically hairless except for my head and ...well, not my feet. heh

I tried to capture my arm with a dark background so you can see that there's pretty much no hair. There is some, but it is so fine and so few that you really can't see them. My legs are the same way, so I VERY rarely have to shave. Yeah, I know...lucky girl. I never have to tweeze my eyebrows as they are very fine and thin, and the hair I do have is all very soft and fine.

I've always thought it a bit peculiar, but I have to say that I'm quite happy about it. You can stick tape to me and I won't scream when you rip it off. lol

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By the way, today is Candlemas (also known as Imbolic). Please light a candle tonight to banish darkness and herald the coming of Spring and with it, better things. You can read more about Imbolc/Candlemas on the Celtic Spirit website. A big thank you goes out to Inanna for the reminder and the link.

Happy Birthday Elizabeth

I mentioned, in yesterdays post, that my best friend's little girl was having emergency open heart surgery. Well, today is her 5th birthday. She is laying in a hospital bed, on a ventilator and hooked up to what seems like 1000 monitors. I went to see her last night, and could only hope as I talked to her that they are taking care of her pain. It's got to be excrutiating.

This will be the third birthday in a row that she's spent in the hospital.

Elizabeth was born with major heart defects. I remember holding her on the night she was born, thinking she was perfect and filled with joy and excitement. Her mom got pregnant right after I did, and our babies were born only 3 months apart. We were looking forward to our little ones growing up together. The next day, however, it became apparent that all was not well.

From what I understand, Elizabeth's heart had several holes, a valve missing and veins and arteries coming in and out of the wrong places. They did surgery when she was 2 weeks old to put in a shunt to open up blood flow - a life saving procedure that couldn't be delayed. Unfortunately, she suffered a stroke right after the surgery. She had surgery again when she was 14 months old, and they completely rebuilt and repaired her heart. It was amazing and horrifying at the same time.

Since then, she has struggled with blood flow problems, horrible asthma, seizures...yet this sweet, resilient little girl has held on. She is a fighter. Her spirit is inspiring as is her parents' love and dedication.

This time around, she was having some problems with scar tissue build up restricting blood flow. It had gotten so bad, that they decided to schedule surgery for March. When they did some tests last week, it was so alarming that they rescheduled it for yesterday. She came through it ok, and now the road to recovery begins again. We're hoping that this will be the last time they have to do it for a long time if not forever.

So, happy birthday, Elizabeth. We're looking forward to when you are finally healed up enough for you and the D-man to play again. ...and may this be the last time. Take care, sweetheart.