12/05/2006
Chicken Kabobs in a Middle Eastern Marinade Recipe
Posted by: 'Margaret Ball
*Ingredients*
4 cloves garlic
1 small onion, chopped
1 tablespoon paprika
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon cardamom
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 cup plain yogurt
18 boneless, skinless chicken thighs or 12 boneless, skinless breasts, cut
in 1-inch cubes
olive oil, as needed
salt to taste
chopped Italian parsley
lemon wedges
18 bamboo (soaked in water) or metal skewers
*Cooking Instructions*
1. Puree the garlic, onion, spices, lemon juice and yogurt in the container
of a blender or food
processor.
2. Place the chicken in a non-aluminum container and cover with the
marinade. Turn well to coat evenly. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4
hours and up to 12 hours.
3. Preheat the broiler or make a charcoal fire.
4. Thread the chicken on skewers, brush with a little oil and sprinkle with
salt and pepper. Cook about 4 to 5 minutes per side for thigh meat, 3 to 4
minutes per side for breast meat. Sprinkle with parsley and serve with lemon
wedges.
*Nutrition Facts*
Serving size: 1 kabob
Calories 96
Total Fat 3 g
Saturated Fat 0 g
Protein 14 g
Posted by: 'Margaret Ball
*Ingredients*
4 cloves garlic
1 small onion, chopped
1 tablespoon paprika
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon cardamom
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 cup plain yogurt
18 boneless, skinless chicken thighs or 12 boneless, skinless breasts, cut
in 1-inch cubes
olive oil, as needed
salt to taste
chopped Italian parsley
lemon wedges
18 bamboo (soaked in water) or metal skewers
*Cooking Instructions*
1. Puree the garlic, onion, spices, lemon juice and yogurt in the container
of a blender or food
processor
2. Place the chicken in a non-aluminum container and cover with the
marinade. Turn well to coat evenly. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4
hours and up to 12 hours.
3. Preheat the broiler or make a charcoal fire.
4. Thread the chicken on skewers, brush with a little oil and sprinkle with
salt and pepper. Cook about 4 to 5 minutes per side for thigh meat, 3 to 4
minutes per side for breast meat. Sprinkle with parsley and serve with lemon
wedges.
*Nutrition Facts*
Serving size: 1 kabob
Calories 96
Total Fat 3 g
Saturated Fat 0 g
Protein 14 g
12/04/2006
Scientist: Humans Strange, Neanderthals Normal
By Charles Q. ChoiSpecial to LiveScienceposted: 08 September 200612:05 pm ET
Neanderthals are often thought of as the stray branch in the human family tree, but research now suggests the modern human is likely the odd man out.
"What people tend to do is draw a line from our ancestors straight to ourselves, and any group that doesn't seem to fit on that line is divergent, distinct, unusual, strange," researcher Erik Trinkaus, an anthropologist at Washington University in St. Louis, told LiveScience today. "But in terms of evolution of our family tree, the genus Homo, we're the outliers and the Neanderthals are more toward the core."
Humans are not at the inevitable end of a sequence, Trinkaus said. "It just happens that we happen to be alive today and Neanderthals are not."
Trinkaus spent decades examining fossil skeletons and over time realized that maybe researchers looked at Neanderthals the wrong way. Over the last two years, he systematically combed through fossils, comparing Neanderthal and modern human skull, jaw, tooth, arm, leg traits with those of the earliest members of the genus Homo in terms of their shape.
"I wanted to see to what extent Neanderthals are derived, that is distinct, from the ancestral form. I also wanted to see the extent to which modern humans are derived relative to the ancestral form," Trinkaus said.
Trinkaus focused on skeletal features that seemed most strongly linked to genetics, as opposed to any traits that might get influenced by lifestyle, environment or wear and tear.
When compared with our common ancestors, Trinkaus discovered modern humans have roughly twice as many uniquely distinct traits as Neanderthals. In other words, Neanderthals are more like the other members of our family tree than modern humans are.
"In the broader sweep of human evolution, the more unusual group is not Neanderthals, whom we tend to look at as strange, weird and unusual, but it's us, modern humans," Trinkaus said.
Modern humans, for example, are the only members of our family tree who lack brow ridges, Trinkaus said. "We are the only ones who have seriously shortened faces. We are the only ones with very reduced internal nasal cavities. We also have a number of detailed features of the limb skeleton that are unique."
Trinkaus published his findings in the August 2006 issue of the journal Current Anthropology.
Top 10 Missing Links
Scientists Build 'Frankenstein' Neanderthal Skeleton
Neanderthals and Humans: Perhaps They Never Met
Peace or War? How Early Humans Behaved
Timeline of Human Evolution
Been saying this all along, I'm ready...
Humans must colonize other planets?
Fri Dec 1, 8:41 AM ET
Humans must colonize planets in other solar systems traveling there using "Star Trek"-style propulsion or face extinction, renowned British cosmologist Stephen Hawking said Thursday.
Referring to complex theories and the speed of light, Hawking, the wheel-chair bound Cambridge University physicist, told BBC radio that theoretical advances could revolutionize the velocity of space travel and make such colonies possible.
"Sooner or later disasters such as an asteroid collision or a nuclear war could wipe us all out," said Professor Hawking, who was crippled by a muscle disease at the age of 21 and who speaks through a computerized voice synthesizer.
"But once we spread out into space and establish independent colonies, our future should be safe," said Hawking, who was due to receive the world's oldest award for scientific achievement, the Copley medal, from Britain's Royal Society Thursday.
Previous winners include Albert Einstein and Charles Darwin.
In order to survive, humanity would have to venture off to other hospitable planets orbiting another star, but conventional chemical fuel rockets that took man to the moon on the Apollo mission would take 50,000 years to travel there, he said.
Hawking, a 64-year-old father of three who rarely gives interviews and who wrote the best-selling "A Brief History of Time," suggested propulsion like that used by the fictional starship Enterprise "to boldly go where no man has gone before" could help solve the problem.
"Science fiction has developed the idea of warp drive, which takes you instantly to your destination," said.
"Unfortunately, this would violate the scientific law which says that nothing can travel faster than light."
However, by using "matter/antimatter annihilation," velocities just below the speed of light could be reached, making it possible to reach the next star in about six years.
"It wouldn't seem so long for those on board," he said.
The scientist revealed he also wanted to try out space travel himself, albeit by more conventional means.
"I am not afraid of death but I'm in no hurry to die. My next goal is to go into space," said Hawking.
And referring to the British entrepreneur and Virgin tycoon who has set up a travel agency to take private individuals on space flights from 2008, Hawking said: "Maybe Richard Branson will help me."
Not a New Art, but needed...thoughtful.
Coffin painter creates art for the afterlife
By Michaela RehleMon Dec 4, 9:46 AM ET
Coping with death is easier for the bereaved when you celebrate the beauty of life in a person's final resting place, according to a German painter who decorates coffins with flowers and other symbols of nature.
Alfred Opiolka, from Wertach in southern Germany, recently began adorning burial caskets with bright images of roses, marigolds and butterflies when he decided traditional coffins failed to fulfil all the emotional needs of parts of society.
"I see the painting almost as a kind of service to the community, even though I don't want to talk about it terms which sound too elevated," he said. "It makes me very happy that I can really move people by doing this work for them."
He hit upon the idea after being hired to paint a funeral home, a job which he said altered his perspective on death.
"I think the commission changed my life. I've thought about life and death differently since and have a new perspective," he said, noting that one of his greatest wishes was to be able to paint a church with the same natural motifs as his coffins.
Opiolka, who began painting the coffins about three months ago, has so far received just a handful of commissions.
But he said those alerted to his work (www.wandelmaler.de/) in recent media reports have responded very emotionally.
One tearful woman asked him to make a coffin with garden flowers for the day her 94-year-old mother passed away.
"She told me, 'The garden meant everything to my mother', and thought that the coffin was the best final farewell she could make to her mother when she departed," he said.
Opiolka said that although he knew brightly coloured coffins were used for burials, he was not aware of others who hand-painted the caskets in the way he does.
The 46-year-old, who was born in Poland but moved to Germany as a child, uses water-based paints for the coffins, which he makes from pinewood. They cost 1,500 euros ($1,986) and above.
Nevertheless, Opiolka said the coffin decoration was much more than just a means of making money, and stressed he was only interested in painting natural motifs which appeal to him.
"I was asked once what I'd do if someone wanted a Snickers coffin," he said. "I'm a tolerant person, and if it really matters to someone, they should get one. But others could do that. It's not something that would be right for me."
By Michaela RehleMon Dec 4, 9:46 AM ET
Coping with death is easier for the bereaved when you celebrate the beauty of life in a person's final resting place, according to a German painter who decorates coffins with flowers and other symbols of nature.
Alfred Opiolka, from Wertach in southern Germany, recently began adorning burial caskets with bright images of roses, marigolds and butterflies when he decided traditional coffins failed to fulfil all the emotional needs of parts of society.
"I see the painting almost as a kind of service to the community, even though I don't want to talk about it terms which sound too elevated," he said. "It makes me very happy that I can really move people by doing this work for them."
He hit upon the idea after being hired to paint a funeral home, a job which he said altered his perspective on death.
"I think the commission changed my life. I've thought about life and death differently since and have a new perspective," he said, noting that one of his greatest wishes was to be able to paint a church with the same natural motifs as his coffins.
Opiolka, who began painting the coffins about three months ago, has so far received just a handful of commissions.
But he said those alerted to his work (www.wandelmaler.de/) in recent media reports have responded very emotionally.
One tearful woman asked him to make a coffin with garden flowers for the day her 94-year-old mother passed away.
"She told me, 'The garden meant everything to my mother', and thought that the coffin was the best final farewell she could make to her mother when she departed," he said.
Opiolka said that although he knew brightly coloured coffins were used for burials, he was not aware of others who hand-painted the caskets in the way he does.
The 46-year-old, who was born in Poland but moved to Germany as a child, uses water-based paints for the coffins, which he makes from pinewood. They cost 1,500 euros ($1,986) and above.
Nevertheless, Opiolka said the coffin decoration was much more than just a means of making money, and stressed he was only interested in painting natural motifs which appeal to him.
"I was asked once what I'd do if someone wanted a Snickers coffin," he said. "I'm a tolerant person, and if it really matters to someone, they should get one. But others could do that. It's not something that would be right for me."
12/03/2006
Think about this and donate to your local shelter...
T'was The Night Before Christmas
( at the shelter )
'Tis the night before Christmas and all through the town,
every shelter is full ~ we are lost but not found.
Our numbers are hung on our kennels so bare,
we hope every minute that someone will care.
They'll come to adopt us and give us the call,
'come here, Max and Sparkie ~ come fetch your new ball!'
But now we just sit here and think of the days
we were treated so fondly ~ we had baby ways.
Once we were little, then we grew and we grew ~
now we're no longer young, and we're no longer new.
So out the back door we were thrown like trash,
they reacted so quickly ~ why were they so rash?
We 'jump on the children', 'don't come when they call',
we 'bark when they leave us', 'climb over the wall'.
We should have been neutered, we should have been spayed,
now we suffer the consequence of the error they made.
If only they'd trained us, if only we knew.....
we'd have done what they asked us and worshipped them, too.
We were left in the back yard, or worse ~ left to roam
now we're tired and lonely and out of a home.
They dropped us off here and they kissed us good-bye
'Maybe someone else will give you a try'.
So now here we are, all confused and alone
in a shelter with others who long for a home.
The kind workers come through with a meal and a pat,
with so many to care for, they can't stay to chat.
They move to the next kennel, giving each of us cheer
we know that they wonder how long we'll be here.
We lay down to sleep and sweet dreams fill our heads
of a home filled with love and our own cozy beds.
Then we wake to see sad eyes, brimming with tears
our friends filled with emptiness, worry and fear.
If you can't adopt us and there's no room at your inn
could you help with the bills and fill our food bin?
We count on your kindness each day of the year
can you give more than hope to everyone here?
~Author unknown~"
( at the shelter )
'Tis the night before Christmas and all through the town,
every shelter is full ~ we are lost but not found.
Our numbers are hung on our kennels so bare,
we hope every minute that someone will care.
They'll come to adopt us and give us the call,
'come here, Max and Sparkie ~ come fetch your new ball!'
But now we just sit here and think of the days
we were treated so fondly ~ we had baby ways.
Once we were little, then we grew and we grew ~
now we're no longer young, and we're no longer new.
So out the back door we were thrown like trash,
they reacted so quickly ~ why were they so rash?
We 'jump on the children', 'don't come when they call',
we 'bark when they leave us', 'climb over the wall'.
We should have been neutered, we should have been spayed,
now we suffer the consequence of the error they made.
If only they'd trained us, if only we knew.....
we'd have done what they asked us and worshipped them, too.
We were left in the back yard, or worse ~ left to roam
now we're tired and lonely and out of a home.
They dropped us off here and they kissed us good-bye
'Maybe someone else will give you a try'.
So now here we are, all confused and alone
in a shelter with others who long for a home.
The kind workers come through with a meal and a pat,
with so many to care for, they can't stay to chat.
They move to the next kennel, giving each of us cheer
we know that they wonder how long we'll be here.
We lay down to sleep and sweet dreams fill our heads
of a home filled with love and our own cozy beds.
Then we wake to see sad eyes, brimming with tears
our friends filled with emptiness, worry and fear.
If you can't adopt us and there's no room at your inn
could you help with the bills and fill our food bin?
We count on your kindness each day of the year
can you give more than hope to everyone here?
~Author unknown~"
Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care
In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there
The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
With no thought of the dog filling their heads,
And Mamma in her kerchief and I in my cap,
Knew he was cold, but didn’t care about that.
When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from my bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Figuring the dog was into the trash.
The moon on the breast of the new fallen snow
Gave the luster of mid-day to objects below,
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But jolly old Santa-with eyes full of tears.
He unchained the dog, once so lively and quick,
Last years Christmas present, now thin and sick.
More rapid than eagles he called the dog’s name,
And it ran to him quickly despite all its pain.
"Now, DASHER! now, DANCER!
now, PRANCER and VIXON!On,
COMET! on CUPID!
on DONNER and BLITZEN!
To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!
I’ll find him a home where he’ll be loved by all."
I knew in an instant there would be no gifts this year,
For Santa Claus had made one thing quite clear,
The gift of a dog is not just for the season,
We had gotten a pup for all the wrong reasons.
We had chosen the pet with a great deal of haste,
Then thrown him outside as though he were waste.
A dog should be family, and cared for the same
You don’t give a gift, then put it on a chain.
And I heard him exclaim as he rode out of sight,
"You weren’t giving a gift! You were giving a life!"
~Author unknown~
Don't let this be you , or I will personally
Kick your Ass to Hell and Back,
Animals are Love. Not disposable EVER!
Traditional Latkes-by Margaret Ball
3 large Idaho potatoes, washed but not peeled
1 small onion
2 large
eggs, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2
cup Crisco(r) Vegetable Oil
applesauce, for serving
sour cream, for serving
Grate the potatoes and put in a large bowl.
Grate the onion and add to the
potatoes.
You can use a hand grater or food processor to grate the
vegetables.
Add the eggs, flour, and salt and stir to combine. Let the batter stand for
about 10 minutes so that it thickens. Pour off any excess liquid that
gathers around the edges or on the surface. The batter will not be as
cohesive as most but will hold together in the hot oil.
Heat the oil in a skillet over high heat for 1 minute.
It should be to a
depth of about 3/4 inch.
Lower the heat to medium-high.
Using your hands, form the batter into small pancakes, each about 2 inches
in diameter.
Gently and carefully drop the latkes into the hot oil and cook
for 30 to 40 seconds on each side or until crispy.
Drain on paper towels.
Serve warm or at room temperature with applesauce and sour cream on the
side.
12/01/2006
Wanted: Bell-Ringers in Montana -
hey it's a job...beggars can't be choosers, or can they?
idiots...money is money , especially when you stay at a HOMELESS SHELTER...:::disgusted sigh::::
idiots...money is money , especially when you stay at a HOMELESS SHELTER...:::disgusted sigh::::
11/30/2006
11/29/2006
Topological field theory of the initial singularity of spacetime
hey I was actually reading this..:)
Man accused of spray-painting 3 goats
1. Why?
2. If you have a problem with people, tell them,don't just torture their pets.
3. shaking head:::, this guy is wacked...., find him a rubber room somewhere...
nice way to wake up and see on your startpage, while the wee ones watch their morning fix of SpongeBob.
:::Oh Yeah Big News:::
I'm putting up the tree today, Hubby went and got us a new one:)
with lights already on- cool! Xab is going to help :)
I hope Prish doesn't eat the tinsel,
thats all we need is sparkly festive puppy poo...sigh...
2. If you have a problem with people, tell them,don't just torture their pets.
3. shaking head:::, this guy is wacked...., find him a rubber room somewhere...
nice way to wake up and see on your startpage, while the wee ones watch their morning fix of SpongeBob.
:::Oh Yeah Big News:::
I'm putting up the tree today, Hubby went and got us a new one:)
with lights already on- cool! Xab is going to help :)
I hope Prish doesn't eat the tinsel,
thats all we need is sparkly festive puppy poo...sigh...
11/28/2006
11/27/2006
Yum....by Kathy Bennet...
CINNAMON ROLLS
---------------------------
2 PKGS YEAST
1 DUNCAN HINES YELLOW CAKE MIX
5 CUPS FLOUR
2 1/2 CUPS WARM WATER
BUTTER, CINNAMON, SUGAR
MIX CAKE MIX, FLOUR, AND YEAST IN WATER.
ADD FLOUR UNTIL NOT STICKY. KNEAD FOR 15 MINS.
LET RISE FOR 1 HOUR UNTIL DOUBLE IN SIZE.
PUNCH DOWN AND ROLL OUT. SPREAD WITH BUTTER,
CINNAMON AND SUGAR. CUT INTO 1 INCH PIECES
AND PLACE ON COOKIE SHEET. LET RISE AGAIN.
BAKE AT 350 FOR A HALF HOUR.
THESE ARE THE BEST CINNAMON ROLLS I HAVE EVER
HAD.
EASY TO MAKE TOO. PUT ICING ON TOP WHEN DONE
BAKING."
---------------------------
2 PKGS YEAST
1 DUNCAN HINES YELLOW CAKE MIX
5 CUPS FLOUR
2 1/2 CUPS WARM WATER
BUTTER, CINNAMON, SUGAR
MIX CAKE MIX, FLOUR, AND YEAST IN WATER.
ADD FLOUR UNTIL NOT STICKY. KNEAD FOR 15 MINS.
LET RISE FOR 1 HOUR UNTIL DOUBLE IN SIZE.
PUNCH DOWN AND ROLL OUT. SPREAD WITH BUTTER,
CINNAMON AND SUGAR. CUT INTO 1 INCH PIECES
AND PLACE ON COOKIE SHEET. LET RISE AGAIN.
BAKE AT 350 FOR A HALF HOUR.
THESE ARE THE BEST CINNAMON ROLLS I HAVE EVER
HAD.
EASY TO MAKE TOO. PUT ICING ON TOP WHEN DONE
BAKING."
11/24/2006
11/22/2006
Turkeys try to catch train out of N.J.
was going to say something But I think I know people in Jersey...
::::millions of N.J. jokes :::
::::millions of N.J. jokes :::
11/21/2006
11/18/2006
11/17/2006
A Texas Chili ContestNote: Please take time to read this slowly.
If you pay attention tothe first two judges,
the reaction of the third judge is even better.
For those of you who have lived in Texas, you know how true this is.
They actually have a chili cook-off about the time Halloween comes around.
It takes up a major portion of a parking lot at the San Antonio
city park.
The notes are from an inexperienced chili taster named Frank,who was visiting from Springfield, IL.
Frank: "Recently, I was honored to be selected as a judge at a chilicook-off. The original person called in sick at the last moment and Ihappened to be standing there at the judge's table asking for directionsto the Coors Light truck, when the call came in. I was assured by theother two judges (native Texans) that the chili wouldn't be all thatspicy and, besides they told me I could have free beer during the tasting,so I accepted.
"Here are the scorecards from the event: (Frank is Judge #3)
Chili # 1 Eddie's Maniac Monster Chili..
.Judge # 1 -- Little too heavy on the tomato; amusing kick.
Judge # 2 -- Nice, smooth tomato flavor, very mild.
Judge # 3 -- What the hell is this stuff? You could remove dried paint
from your driveway. Took me two beers to put out the flames. I hope that'sthe worst one. These Texans are crazy!
Chili # 2 Austin's Afterburner Chili...
Judge # 1 -- Smoky, with a hint of pork, slight jalapeno tang.
Judge # 2 -- Exciting BBQ flavor; needs more peppers to be taken seriously.
Judge # 3 -- Keep this out of the reach of children. I'm not sure what I'msupposed to taste besides pain. I had to wave off two people who wanted togive me the Heimlich maneuver. They had to rush in more beer when they sawthe look on my face.
Chili # 3 Ronny's Famous Burn Down the Barn Chili..
.Judge # 1 -- Excellent firehouse chili. Great kick. Needs more beans.
Judge # 2 -- A beanless chili, a bit salty, good use of peppers.
Judge # 3 -- Call the EPA. I've located a uranium spill. My nose feels
like I have been snorting Drano. Everyone knows the routine by now. Get
me more beer before I ignite. Barmaid pounded me on the back, now mybackbone is in the front part of my chest. I'm getting pie-eyed from all of the beer...
Chili # 4 Dave's Black Magic...Judge # 1 -- Black bean chili with almost no spice. Disappointing.
Judge # 2 -- Hint of lime in the black beans. Good side dish for fish,or other mild foods; not much of a chili.
Judge # 3 -- I felt something scraping across my tongue, but was unable
to taste it. Is it possible to burn out taste buds? Sally, the barmaid,was standing behind me with fresh refills. That 300-lb. woman is startingto look HOT...just like this nuclear waste I'm eating! Is chili anaphrodisiac?
Chili # 5 Lisa's Legal Lip Remover...
Judge # 1 -- Meaty, strong chili. Cayenne peppers freshly ground, adding
considerable kick. Very impressive.
Judge # 2 -- Chili using shredded beef, could use more tomato. Must admit
the cayenne peppers make a strong statement.
Judge # 3 -- My ears are ringing, sweat is pouring off my forehead, and I can no longer focus my eyes. I farted and four people behind me neededparamedics. The contestant seemed offended when I told her that her chili had given me brain damage. Sally saved my tongue from bleeding by pouring beer directly on it from the pitcher. I wonder if I'm burning my lips off.It really pisses me off that the other judges asked me to stop screaming.Screw those rednecks.
Chili # 6 Pam's Very Vegetarian Variety...Judge # 1 -- Thin, yet bold vegetarian variety chili. Good balance ofspices and peppers.
Judge # 2 -- The best yet. Aggressive use of peppers, onions, and garlic.Superb.
Judge # 3 -- My intestines are now a straight pipe filled with gaseous,sulfuric flames. I pooped on myself when I farted and I'm worried it willeat through the chair! No one seems inclined to stand behind me except that Sally. Can't feel my lips anymore. I need to wipe my butt with asnow cone.
Chili # 7 Carla's Screaming Sensation Chili...
Judge # 1 -- A mediocre chili with too much reliance on canned peppers.
Judge # 2 -- Ho-hum; tastes as if the chef literally threw in a can of chili peppers at the last moment. **I should take note that I am worried about Judge # 3. He appears to be in a bit of distress, as he is cursing uncontrollably.
Judge # 3 -- You could put a grenade in my mouth, pull the pin, and I wouldn't feel a thing. I've lost sight in one eye, and the world soundslike it is made of rushing water. My shirt is covered with chili, whichslid unnoticed out of my mouth. My pants are full of lava to match myshirt. At least during the autopsy, they'll know what killed me. I've decided to stop breathing; it's too painful. Screw it; I'm not getting any oxygen anyway. If I need air, I'll just suck it in through the 4-inchhole in my stomach.
Chili # 8 Karen's Toenail Curling Chili...
Judge # 1 -- The perfect ending, this is a nice blend chili. Not too bold,but spicy enough to declare its existence.
Judge # 2 -- This final entry is a good, balanced chili. Neither mild, norhot. Sorry to see that most of it was lost when Judge # 3 farted, passed out fell over, and pulled the chili pot down on top of himself. Not sure if he's going to make it. Poor fella, wonder how he'd have reacted to really hot chili?
If you pay attention tothe first two judges,
the reaction of the third judge is even better.
For those of you who have lived in Texas, you know how true this is.
They actually have a chili cook-off about the time Halloween comes around.
It takes up a major portion of a parking lot at the San Antonio
city park.
The notes are from an inexperienced chili taster named Frank,who was visiting from Springfield, IL.
Frank: "Recently, I was honored to be selected as a judge at a chilicook-off. The original person called in sick at the last moment and Ihappened to be standing there at the judge's table asking for directionsto the Coors Light truck, when the call came in. I was assured by theother two judges (native Texans) that the chili wouldn't be all thatspicy and, besides they told me I could have free beer during the tasting,so I accepted.
"Here are the scorecards from the event: (Frank is Judge #3)
Chili # 1 Eddie's Maniac Monster Chili..
.Judge # 1 -- Little too heavy on the tomato; amusing kick.
Judge # 2 -- Nice, smooth tomato flavor, very mild.
Judge # 3 -- What the hell is this stuff? You could remove dried paint
from your driveway. Took me two beers to put out the flames. I hope that'sthe worst one. These Texans are crazy!
Chili # 2 Austin's Afterburner Chili...
Judge # 1 -- Smoky, with a hint of pork, slight jalapeno tang.
Judge # 2 -- Exciting BBQ flavor; needs more peppers to be taken seriously.
Judge # 3 -- Keep this out of the reach of children. I'm not sure what I'msupposed to taste besides pain. I had to wave off two people who wanted togive me the Heimlich maneuver. They had to rush in more beer when they sawthe look on my face.
Chili # 3 Ronny's Famous Burn Down the Barn Chili..
.Judge # 1 -- Excellent firehouse chili. Great kick. Needs more beans.
Judge # 2 -- A beanless chili, a bit salty, good use of peppers.
Judge # 3 -- Call the EPA. I've located a uranium spill. My nose feels
like I have been snorting Drano. Everyone knows the routine by now. Get
me more beer before I ignite. Barmaid pounded me on the back, now mybackbone is in the front part of my chest. I'm getting pie-eyed from all of the beer...
Chili # 4 Dave's Black Magic...Judge # 1 -- Black bean chili with almost no spice. Disappointing.
Judge # 2 -- Hint of lime in the black beans. Good side dish for fish,or other mild foods; not much of a chili.
Judge # 3 -- I felt something scraping across my tongue, but was unable
to taste it. Is it possible to burn out taste buds? Sally, the barmaid,was standing behind me with fresh refills. That 300-lb. woman is startingto look HOT...just like this nuclear waste I'm eating! Is chili anaphrodisiac?
Chili # 5 Lisa's Legal Lip Remover...
Judge # 1 -- Meaty, strong chili. Cayenne peppers freshly ground, adding
considerable kick. Very impressive.
Judge # 2 -- Chili using shredded beef, could use more tomato. Must admit
the cayenne peppers make a strong statement.
Judge # 3 -- My ears are ringing, sweat is pouring off my forehead, and I can no longer focus my eyes. I farted and four people behind me neededparamedics. The contestant seemed offended when I told her that her chili had given me brain damage. Sally saved my tongue from bleeding by pouring beer directly on it from the pitcher. I wonder if I'm burning my lips off.It really pisses me off that the other judges asked me to stop screaming.Screw those rednecks.
Chili # 6 Pam's Very Vegetarian Variety...Judge # 1 -- Thin, yet bold vegetarian variety chili. Good balance ofspices and peppers.
Judge # 2 -- The best yet. Aggressive use of peppers, onions, and garlic.Superb.
Judge # 3 -- My intestines are now a straight pipe filled with gaseous,sulfuric flames. I pooped on myself when I farted and I'm worried it willeat through the chair! No one seems inclined to stand behind me except that Sally. Can't feel my lips anymore. I need to wipe my butt with asnow cone.
Chili # 7 Carla's Screaming Sensation Chili...
Judge # 1 -- A mediocre chili with too much reliance on canned peppers.
Judge # 2 -- Ho-hum; tastes as if the chef literally threw in a can of chili peppers at the last moment. **I should take note that I am worried about Judge # 3. He appears to be in a bit of distress, as he is cursing uncontrollably.
Judge # 3 -- You could put a grenade in my mouth, pull the pin, and I wouldn't feel a thing. I've lost sight in one eye, and the world soundslike it is made of rushing water. My shirt is covered with chili, whichslid unnoticed out of my mouth. My pants are full of lava to match myshirt. At least during the autopsy, they'll know what killed me. I've decided to stop breathing; it's too painful. Screw it; I'm not getting any oxygen anyway. If I need air, I'll just suck it in through the 4-inchhole in my stomach.
Chili # 8 Karen's Toenail Curling Chili...
Judge # 1 -- The perfect ending, this is a nice blend chili. Not too bold,but spicy enough to declare its existence.
Judge # 2 -- This final entry is a good, balanced chili. Neither mild, norhot. Sorry to see that most of it was lost when Judge # 3 farted, passed out fell over, and pulled the chili pot down on top of himself. Not sure if he's going to make it. Poor fella, wonder how he'd have reacted to really hot chili?
11/14/2006
Welcome to WarmUpAmerica!
I think this is a good thing, I will be doing it....how about you...
The Warm Up America Foundation and Save the Children are teaming up to save newborn lives in developing countries. Learn how your knitted or crocheted cap can help us save a life and how your voice can help us save millions.
Get the ball rolling today. Click on the "Get in the Loop" link to your right to download the Caps to the Capital Action Kit, which includes the three easy steps that knitters and crocheters nationwide can take to be a part of this grassroots effort. For additional cap patterns and helpful technique hints, see links below.
Four-needle cap patterns & Links to technique information
Press information
We want to hear from you!Whether you are working with friends or by yourself, keep us in the loop. Send us pictures, notes and ideas of how you got started and encouraged others to join you!
Meet the Knitters & Crocheters for Newborns
What is Warm Up America!
How you can get involved
Individual and group involvement
Making a financial contribution
Crochet and knit patterns
Tips on joining Warm Up America! afghans
KIDS Warm Up America! Here's how to involve your youngsters and teens
Meet the people who Warm Up America!
About the Foundation...
Public Service Ads--Spread the word about Warm Up America!
Contact us
The Warm Up America Foundation and Save the Children are teaming up to save newborn lives in developing countries. Learn how your knitted or crocheted cap can help us save a life and how your voice can help us save millions.
Get the ball rolling today. Click on the "Get in the Loop" link to your right to download the Caps to the Capital Action Kit, which includes the three easy steps that knitters and crocheters nationwide can take to be a part of this grassroots effort. For additional cap patterns and helpful technique hints, see links below.
Four-needle cap patterns & Links to technique information
Press information
We want to hear from you!Whether you are working with friends or by yourself, keep us in the loop. Send us pictures, notes and ideas of how you got started and encouraged others to join you!
Meet the Knitters & Crocheters for Newborns
What is Warm Up America!
How you can get involved
Individual and group involvement
Making a financial contribution
Crochet and knit patterns
Tips on joining Warm Up America! afghans
KIDS Warm Up America! Here's how to involve your youngsters and teens
Meet the people who Warm Up America!
About the Foundation...
Public Service Ads--Spread the word about Warm Up America!
Contact us
11/11/2006
Lastminute Auction - Bargain Hunter - Online Auctions
crap on Ebay ...expiring , with no bids...lol...
11/08/2006
Paul Harvey Writes:
We tried so hard to make things better for our kids that we made them worse.
For my grandchildren, I'd like better.
I'd really like for them to know about hand me down clothes and homemade ice cream and leftover meat loaf sandwiches.
I really would. I hope you learn humility by being humiliated, and that you learn honesty by being cheated.
I hope you learn to make your own bed and mow the lawn and wash the car
And I really hope nobody gives you a brand new car when you are sixteen.
It will be good if at least one time you can see puppies born and your old dog put to sleep.
I hope you get a black eye fighting for something you believe in.
I hope you have to share a bedroom with your younger brother/sister. And it's all right if you have to draw a line down the middle of the room, but when he wants to crawl under the covers with you because he's scared, I hope you let him.
When you want to see a movie and your little brother/sister wants to tag along, I hope you'll let him/her.
I hope you have to walk uphill to school with your friends and that you live in a town where you can do it safely.
On rainy days when you have to catch a ride, I hope you don't ask your driver to drop you two blocks away so you won't be seen riding with someone as uncool as your Mom.
If you want a slingshot, I hope your Dad teaches you how to make one instead of buying one.
I hope you learn to dig in the dirt and read books.
When you learn to use computers, I hope you also learn to add and subtract in your head.
I hope you get teased by your friends when you have your first crush on a boy\girl, and when you talk back to your mother that you learn what ivory soap tastes like.
May you skin your knee climbing a mountain, burn your hand on a stove and stick your tongue on a frozen flagpole.
I don't care if you try a beer once, but I hope you don't like it. And if a friend offers you dope or a joint, I hope you realize he is not your friend.
I sure hope you make time to sit on a porch with your Grandma/Grandpa and go fishing with your Uncle.
May you feel sorrow at a funeral and joy during the holidays.
I hope your mother punishes you when you throw a baseball through your neighbor's window and that she hugs you and kisses you at Hannukah/Christmas time when you give her a plaster mold of your hand.
These things I wish for you - tough times and disappointment, hard work and happiness.
To me, it's the only way to appreciate life.
Written with a pen.
Sealed with a kiss.
I'm here for you.
And if I die before you do, I'll go to heaven and wait for you.
Send this to all of your friends.
We secure our friends, not by accepting favors, but by doing them.
We tried so hard to make things better for our kids that we made them worse.
For my grandchildren, I'd like better.
I'd really like for them to know about hand me down clothes and homemade ice cream and leftover meat loaf sandwiches.
I really would. I hope you learn humility by being humiliated, and that you learn honesty by being cheated.
I hope you learn to make your own bed and mow the lawn and wash the car
And I really hope nobody gives you a brand new car when you are sixteen.
It will be good if at least one time you can see puppies born and your old dog put to sleep.
I hope you get a black eye fighting for something you believe in.
I hope you have to share a bedroom with your younger brother/sister. And it's all right if you have to draw a line down the middle of the room, but when he wants to crawl under the covers with you because he's scared, I hope you let him.
When you want to see a movie and your little brother/sister wants to tag along, I hope you'll let him/her.
I hope you have to walk uphill to school with your friends and that you live in a town where you can do it safely.
On rainy days when you have to catch a ride, I hope you don't ask your driver to drop you two blocks away so you won't be seen riding with someone as uncool as your Mom.
If you want a slingshot, I hope your Dad teaches you how to make one instead of buying one.
I hope you learn to dig in the dirt and read books.
When you learn to use computers, I hope you also learn to add and subtract in your head.
I hope you get teased by your friends when you have your first crush on a boy\girl, and when you talk back to your mother that you learn what ivory soap tastes like.
May you skin your knee climbing a mountain, burn your hand on a stove and stick your tongue on a frozen flagpole.
I don't care if you try a beer once, but I hope you don't like it. And if a friend offers you dope or a joint, I hope you realize he is not your friend.
I sure hope you make time to sit on a porch with your Grandma/Grandpa and go fishing with your Uncle.
May you feel sorrow at a funeral and joy during the holidays.
I hope your mother punishes you when you throw a baseball through your neighbor's window and that she hugs you and kisses you at Hannukah/Christmas time when you give her a plaster mold of your hand.
These things I wish for you - tough times and disappointment, hard work and happiness.
To me, it's the only way to appreciate life.
Written with a pen.
Sealed with a kiss.
I'm here for you.
And if I die before you do, I'll go to heaven and wait for you.
Send this to all of your friends.
We secure our friends, not by accepting favors, but by doing them.
11/07/2006
washingtonpost.com: MP3
Okay I'm Back...
The Kids are better, Hubby is almost better,
I am some what recovered, The dogs are still insane...
so life goes on....
Here we go into the Holiday season countdown....
some Holiday mp3 's for you to listen to and then delete*
* I do not condone mp3 stealing it is wrong, ok to listen to so you can go Buy the CD..
The Kids are better, Hubby is almost better,
I am some what recovered, The dogs are still insane...
so life goes on....
Here we go into the Holiday season countdown....
some Holiday mp3 's for you to listen to and then delete*
* I do not condone mp3 stealing it is wrong, ok to listen to so you can go Buy the CD..
11/01/2006
10/31/2006
10/27/2006
10/26/2006
10/25/2006
Montana principal returns after 'wedgie' - Yahoo! News
ok this is funny, Livingston is a VERY small town.
I mean you blink you miss it , we used to go through it all the time
while going to events or camping or going to Chico Hot springs,
one of our Food /WC pitstops...I find this hilarious....
I mean you blink you miss it , we used to go through it all the time
while going to events or camping or going to Chico Hot springs,
one of our Food /WC pitstops...I find this hilarious....
10/24/2006
Madame Kat Von D
"Win A TATTOO From Me!!! Halloween Costume Contest!!!
Hey Everybody!
It's almost Halloween and it's time to dress up!!!
A few of you have emailed me saying that you were thinking of dressing up as me for Halloween. So Oliver and I came up with a really awesome idea!!
Check it out...
Dress up like me for Halloween, take your picture and email it to: KATVONDLA@YAHOO.COM
and I will pick the very best Kat who will receive a tattoo from me!!
The tattoo will be 3'x3' and the winner will have to travel to me to get it in Los Angeles at True Tattoo at a mutually agreeable date.
The winner will be announced November 8th--so submit your photos no later than November 5th.
Go crazy and get super creative!!
Remember there are no gender restrictions...so boys get your legwarmers out!!!
Can't wait to see what you guys come up with!!!
Ciao!
Kat Von D
www.katvond.net
ps. there will also be a prize for the best under age 18 costume as you can not get tattooed until you are 18!!!"
Hey Everybody!
It's almost Halloween and it's time to dress up!!!
A few of you have emailed me saying that you were thinking of dressing up as me for Halloween. So Oliver and I came up with a really awesome idea!!
Check it out...
Dress up like me for Halloween, take your picture and email it to: KATVONDLA@YAHOO.COM
and I will pick the very best Kat who will receive a tattoo from me!!
The tattoo will be 3'x3' and the winner will have to travel to me to get it in Los Angeles at True Tattoo at a mutually agreeable date.
The winner will be announced November 8th--so submit your photos no later than November 5th.
Go crazy and get super creative!!
Remember there are no gender restrictions...so boys get your legwarmers out!!!
Can't wait to see what you guys come up with!!!
Ciao!
Kat Von D
www.katvond.net
ps. there will also be a prize for the best under age 18 costume as you can not get tattooed until you are 18!!!"
10/20/2006
Quote of the day.
Originality exists in every individual because each of us differs from the
other. We are all prime numbers divisible only by ourselves.
Jean Guitton (1901-1999)
Philosopher"
other. We are all prime numbers divisible only by ourselves.
Jean Guitton (1901-1999)
Philosopher"
10/19/2006
Urban Legends Reference Pages: Marine Initiation
:shaking head...some people will believe anything....this is so false.
I know they NEVER do things like this.
I know they NEVER do things like this.
N.Y. funeral homes plead guilty to body part theft
ok this is just wrong, on so many levels...really.
10/18/2006
How to tell where they're from by how they drive
* One hand on wheel, one hand on horn: Chicago
* One hand on wheel, one finger out window: New
York
* One hand on wheel, one hand on newspaper, foot
solidly on accelerator:
Boston
* One hand on wheel, cradling cell phone, brick
on accelerator:
California.
* One hand on wheel, cradling cell phone, brick
on accelerator, gun in
lap: Los Angeles
* Both hands on wheel, eyes shut, both feet on
brake, quivering in terror:
Ohio, but driving in California.
* Both hands in air, gesturing, both feet on
accelerator, head turned to
talk to someone in back seat: Italy
* One hand on latte, one knee on wheel, cradling
cell phone, foot on brake,
mind on game: Seattle
* One hand on wheel, one hand on hunting rifle,
alternating between both
feet being on the accelerator and both on the
brake, throwing a McDonalds
bag out the window: Texas city male
* One hand on wheel, one hand hanging out the
window, keeping speed steadily
at 70mph, driving down the center of the road
unless coming around a blind
curve, in which case they are on the left side
of the road: Texas country male
* One hand constantly refocusing the rear-view
mirror to show different
angles of the BIG hair, one hand going between
mousse, brush, and rat-tail
to keep the helmet hair going, both feet on the
accelerator, poodle steering
the car***, chrome .38 revolver with mother of pearl inlaid handle
in the glove compartment: Texas female*** Coal is an excellent driver, he sits on Bianca's back and Prish works the brake and gas...
* Four wheel drive pickup truck, shotgun mounted in rear window, beer cans on floor, squirrel tails attached to antenna: West Virginia
* Two hands gripping wheel, blue hair barely visible above window level, driving 35 on the interstate in the left lane with the left blinker on: Florida"
* One hand on wheel, one finger out window: New
York
* One hand on wheel, one hand on newspaper, foot
solidly on accelerator:
Boston
* One hand on wheel, cradling cell phone, brick
on accelerator:
California.
* One hand on wheel, cradling cell phone, brick
on accelerator, gun in
lap: Los Angeles
* Both hands on wheel, eyes shut, both feet on
brake, quivering in terror:
Ohio, but driving in California.
* Both hands in air, gesturing, both feet on
accelerator, head turned to
talk to someone in back seat: Italy
* One hand on latte, one knee on wheel, cradling
cell phone, foot on brake,
mind on game: Seattle
* One hand on wheel, one hand on hunting rifle,
alternating between both
feet being on the accelerator and both on the
brake, throwing a McDonalds
bag out the window: Texas city male
* One hand on wheel, one hand hanging out the
window, keeping speed steadily
at 70mph, driving down the center of the road
unless coming around a blind
curve, in which case they are on the left side
of the road: Texas country male
* One hand constantly refocusing the rear-view
mirror to show different
angles of the BIG hair, one hand going between
mousse, brush, and rat-tail
to keep the helmet hair going, both feet on the
accelerator, poodle steering
the car***, chrome .38 revolver with mother of pearl inlaid handle
in the glove compartment: Texas female*** Coal is an excellent driver, he sits on Bianca's back and Prish works the brake and gas...
* Four wheel drive pickup truck, shotgun mounted in rear window, beer cans on floor, squirrel tails attached to antenna: West Virginia
* Two hands gripping wheel, blue hair barely visible above window level, driving 35 on the interstate in the left lane with the left blinker on: Florida"
10/17/2006
Music..
Rammstein will release a new live DVD titled "Volkerball" in mid-November. The DVD contains footage shot from various concerts around the world and is 140 minutes in length.
"Volkerball" comes in 3 versions: a Standard Edition that includes a bonus audio live CD, a Special Edition that includes the audio CD and a bonus DVD, and a Limited Edition that includes both DVDs, two CDs, and a 190 page photo book.
Eisbrecher will release their next album, "Antikorper" on October 24th.
Fans of Rammstein should love Eisbrecher's pounding yet groovy German industrial/metal sounds.
The first two singles from the album, "Leider" and "Vergissmeinnicht" both charted on the German Alternative Charts (DAC) and the combined "Leider/Vergissmeinnicht" limited edition double single has been a hot seller .
"Volkerball" comes in 3 versions: a Standard Edition that includes a bonus audio live CD, a Special Edition that includes the audio CD and a bonus DVD, and a Limited Edition that includes both DVDs, two CDs, and a 190 page photo book.
Eisbrecher will release their next album, "Antikorper" on October 24th.
Fans of Rammstein should love Eisbrecher's pounding yet groovy German industrial/metal sounds.
The first two singles from the album, "Leider" and "Vergissmeinnicht" both charted on the German Alternative Charts (DAC) and the combined "Leider/Vergissmeinnicht" limited edition double single has been a hot seller .
10/16/2006
10/15/2006
10/14/2006
Cute Overload: The 'overload' part of 'Cute Overload'
People—I hope you're sitting down, because "Starr" might require it of you. Introducing "Starr" the 2006 blond Rodeo Queen of Western Days. She won hands down, obvy.
10/13/2006
Friday The 13th
According to Smithsonian Magazine "fear of the #13 costs American a billion dollars per year in absenteeism, train and plane cancellations, and reduced commerce on the 13th of the month."
Fear of Friday the 13th dates back to Nordic Mythology. Many of their thirteenth Gods met with violent deaths, such as Loki, the trickster.
Ancient Romans regarded the number 13 as a symbol of death, destruction and misfortune.
Lizzy Borden uttered a total of 13 words at her trial.
There were 13 original colonies.
A witches coven consists of 13 members.
Tarot Card number 13 is the Death Card, depicting the Grim Reaper (although it is read as transition or change and not literal death).
Hotels rarely have a room number 13. Usually it is called 12a or 14. Same with floors of buildings and the elevators without a #13 button.
Highways sometimes will skip exit 13 altogether also.
There are 13 steps leading to the gallows.
13 knots in a hangman's noose.
13 feet which the guillotine blade falls.
The driver of Princess Diana hit pillar #13 at Place de l'Alma when she was killed in Paris, France.
13 people, Christ and his 12 disciples, were in attendance at the last supper. This is where the Christian belief ties in, making Friday a believed unlucky day, as the crucifixtion occurred on a Friday.
Certain ocean liners will be held in dock until after midnight to appease passenger's fears on Friday the 13th.
British study concluded that even though there were less cars on the road on Friday the 13th (as compared with other Fridays) more accidents were reported.
Trisadekaphobia is the technical name for fear of Friday the 13th.
Apollo 13, 1970, the 13th mission launched from pad #39 (13 x 3), mission was aborted, after an explosion occurred in the fuel cell of their service module. The rocket had left launcing pad at 13:13 CST and the date was April 13th.
Epluribus Unum has 13 letters.
The US Seal has 13 stars, bars, feathers in the eagle's tail, 13 bars in one claw, 13 olive branches in the other.
A "quatrorzieme" is a professional 14th guest hired by the French who had only 13 guests in attendance for dinner, who felt that was unlucky.
A baker's dozen consists of 13 for a reason! So the story goes a witch near Albany, NY demanded 13 items every time she came in to a particular bakery, and one day the old baker could not afford her extra biscuit. She sneered some strange words at the man, and he suffered terrible luck from then on, until he brought her another 13 rolls. After that life was once again easy for the baker and word spread around town. The custom is still sometimes practiced today.
Fear of Friday the 13th dates back to Nordic Mythology. Many of their thirteenth Gods met with violent deaths, such as Loki, the trickster.
Ancient Romans regarded the number 13 as a symbol of death, destruction and misfortune.
Lizzy Borden uttered a total of 13 words at her trial.
There were 13 original colonies.
A witches coven consists of 13 members.
Tarot Card number 13 is the Death Card, depicting the Grim Reaper (although it is read as transition or change and not literal death).
Hotels rarely have a room number 13. Usually it is called 12a or 14. Same with floors of buildings and the elevators without a #13 button.
Highways sometimes will skip exit 13 altogether also.
There are 13 steps leading to the gallows.
13 knots in a hangman's noose.
13 feet which the guillotine blade falls.
The driver of Princess Diana hit pillar #13 at Place de l'Alma when she was killed in Paris, France.
13 people, Christ and his 12 disciples, were in attendance at the last supper. This is where the Christian belief ties in, making Friday a believed unlucky day, as the crucifixtion occurred on a Friday.
Certain ocean liners will be held in dock until after midnight to appease passenger's fears on Friday the 13th.
British study concluded that even though there were less cars on the road on Friday the 13th (as compared with other Fridays) more accidents were reported.
Trisadekaphobia is the technical name for fear of Friday the 13th.
Apollo 13, 1970, the 13th mission launched from pad #39 (13 x 3), mission was aborted, after an explosion occurred in the fuel cell of their service module. The rocket had left launcing pad at 13:13 CST and the date was April 13th.
Epluribus Unum has 13 letters.
The US Seal has 13 stars, bars, feathers in the eagle's tail, 13 bars in one claw, 13 olive branches in the other.
A "quatrorzieme" is a professional 14th guest hired by the French who had only 13 guests in attendance for dinner, who felt that was unlucky.
A baker's dozen consists of 13 for a reason! So the story goes a witch near Albany, NY demanded 13 items every time she came in to a particular bakery, and one day the old baker could not afford her extra biscuit. She sneered some strange words at the man, and he suffered terrible luck from then on, until he brought her another 13 rolls. After that life was once again easy for the baker and word spread around town. The custom is still sometimes practiced today.
10/12/2006
10/11/2006
You Know You're Addicted to Ebay When...
Every time you go to the grocery store, you offer the cashier one cent more for each item in the cart of the person in front of you.
To cut costs, FedEx and UPS are considering relocating their operations centers to your house.
Sitting on the floor of your empty apartment, you stare at your fingers and wonder whether they'll sell better individually or as a matched set.
Your spouse is loving and caring but you decided to file for divorce because you need the storage space.
You're the reason they adopted the "No selling your children's vital organs" policy.
You find yourself searching eBay auctions for milk, eggs and bread.
When your wife agrees to have sex with you, you become suspicious and ask how many other bidders there were.
Just ask your kids, eRay and eFaye.
After a particularly passionate night, you lean over and whisper in your spouse?s ear, "Excellent service, great communication! Would recommend again! AAAA++++"
You set your alarm clock for 3 am so you can log on to protect your bid.
You've called someone a naughty name for outbidding you at the last second.
You've questioned your sanity because of the price you've bid... more than once.
You've changed all your clocks to "eBay official time (PDT)."
You've bid on something even though the picture doesn't show up correctly.
You've purposely run up the bid on something similar for which you paid more.
You've rolled your eyes at the word "antique" or "vintage" used on something made in the past decade.
You've gritted your teeth each time you've clicked on a description that uses the word "L@@K."
You've turned up the volume on your email alert so you'll never miss an Outbid Notice.
You've made "My eBay" your default home page.
You've emailed a seller to correct their description with accurate dates or details.
You've come to rely on "convenience cash" from PayPal and wish you could pay all your bills like that.
You've earned a "Shooting Star" Feedback Profile for more than 10,000 purchases!
You won't go to estate auctions because they don't take PayPal.
You actually get these jokes and pass them on to other friends who are addicted to Ebay.
To cut costs, FedEx and UPS are considering relocating their operations centers to your house.
Sitting on the floor of your empty apartment, you stare at your fingers and wonder whether they'll sell better individually or as a matched set.
Your spouse is loving and caring but you decided to file for divorce because you need the storage space.
You're the reason they adopted the "No selling your children's vital organs" policy.
You find yourself searching eBay auctions for milk, eggs and bread.
When your wife agrees to have sex with you, you become suspicious and ask how many other bidders there were.
Just ask your kids, eRay and eFaye.
After a particularly passionate night, you lean over and whisper in your spouse?s ear, "Excellent service, great communication! Would recommend again! AAAA++++"
You set your alarm clock for 3 am so you can log on to protect your bid.
You've called someone a naughty name for outbidding you at the last second.
You've questioned your sanity because of the price you've bid... more than once.
You've changed all your clocks to "eBay official time (PDT)."
You've bid on something even though the picture doesn't show up correctly.
You've purposely run up the bid on something similar for which you paid more.
You've rolled your eyes at the word "antique" or "vintage" used on something made in the past decade.
You've gritted your teeth each time you've clicked on a description that uses the word "L@@K."
You've turned up the volume on your email alert so you'll never miss an Outbid Notice.
You've made "My eBay" your default home page.
You've emailed a seller to correct their description with accurate dates or details.
You've come to rely on "convenience cash" from PayPal and wish you could pay all your bills like that.
You've earned a "Shooting Star" Feedback Profile for more than 10,000 purchases!
You won't go to estate auctions because they don't take PayPal.
You actually get these jokes and pass them on to other friends who are addicted to Ebay.
Read it
The Life of A Soldier
Your alarm goes off, you hit the snooze and sleep for another 10 minutes.
He stays up for days on end.
_________________________
You take a warm shower to help you wake up.
He goes days or weeks without running water.
__________________________
You complain of a 'headache', and call in sick.
He gets shot at as others are hit, and keeps moving forward.
__________________________
You put on your anti war/don't support the troops shirt, and go meet up with your friends.
He still fights for your right to wear that shirt.
__________________________
You make sure you're cell phone is in your pocket.
He clutches the cross hanging on his chain next to his dog tags.
__________________________
You talk trash about your 'buddies' that aren't with you.
He knows he may not see some of his buddies again.
__________________________
You walk down the beach, staring at all the pretty girls.
He walks the streets, searching for insurgents and terrorists.
__________________________
You complain about how hot it is.
He wears his heavy gear, not daring to take off his helmet to wipe his brow.
__________________________
You go out to lunch, and complain because the restaurant got your order wrong.
He doesn't get to eat today.
__________________________
Your maid makes your bed and washes your clothes.
He wears the same things for weeks, but makes sure his weapons are clean. __________________________
You go to the mall and get your hair redone.
He doesn't have time to brush his teeth today.
__________________________
You're angry because your class ran 5 minutes over.
He's told he will be held over an extra 2 months.
__________________________
You call your girlfriend and set a date for tonight.
He waits for the mail to see if there is a letter from home. __________________________
You hug and kiss your girlfriend, like you do everyday.
He holds his letter close and smells his love's perfume. __________________________
You roll your eyes as a baby cries.
He gets a letter with pictures of his new child, and wonders if they'll ever meet __________________________
You criticize your government, and say that war never solves anything.
He sees the innocent tortured and killed by their own people and
remembers why he is fighting.
__________________________
You hear the jokes about the war, and make fun of men like him.
He hears the gunfire, bombs and screams of the wounded. __________________________
You see only what the media wants you to see.
He sees the broken bodies lying around him.
__________________________
You are asked to go to the store by your parents. You don't.
He does exactly what he is told
. __________________________
You stay at home and watch TV.
He takes whatever time he is given to call, write home, sleep, and eat. __________________________
You crawl into your soft bed, with down pillows, and get comfortable.
He crawls under a tank for shade and a 5 minute nap, only to be woken by gunfire. __________________________
You sit there and judge him, saying the world is probably a worse place because of men like him.
If only there were more men like him!
____________________________
If you support your troops, re-send this to everyone you know,
If it gets to another veteran who hasn't received it yet, it will bring back memories.
Your alarm goes off, you hit the snooze and sleep for another 10 minutes.
He stays up for days on end.
_________________________
You take a warm shower to help you wake up.
He goes days or weeks without running water.
__________________________
You complain of a 'headache', and call in sick.
He gets shot at as others are hit, and keeps moving forward.
__________________________
You put on your anti war/don't support the troops shirt, and go meet up with your friends.
He still fights for your right to wear that shirt.
__________________________
You make sure you're cell phone is in your pocket.
He clutches the cross hanging on his chain next to his dog tags.
__________________________
You talk trash about your 'buddies' that aren't with you.
He knows he may not see some of his buddies again.
__________________________
You walk down the beach, staring at all the pretty girls.
He walks the streets, searching for insurgents and terrorists.
__________________________
You complain about how hot it is.
He wears his heavy gear, not daring to take off his helmet to wipe his brow.
__________________________
You go out to lunch, and complain because the restaurant got your order wrong.
He doesn't get to eat today.
__________________________
Your maid makes your bed and washes your clothes.
He wears the same things for weeks, but makes sure his weapons are clean. __________________________
You go to the mall and get your hair redone.
He doesn't have time to brush his teeth today.
__________________________
You're angry because your class ran 5 minutes over.
He's told he will be held over an extra 2 months.
__________________________
You call your girlfriend and set a date for tonight.
He waits for the mail to see if there is a letter from home. __________________________
You hug and kiss your girlfriend, like you do everyday.
He holds his letter close and smells his love's perfume. __________________________
You roll your eyes as a baby cries.
He gets a letter with pictures of his new child, and wonders if they'll ever meet __________________________
You criticize your government, and say that war never solves anything.
He sees the innocent tortured and killed by their own people and
remembers why he is fighting.
__________________________
You hear the jokes about the war, and make fun of men like him.
He hears the gunfire, bombs and screams of the wounded. __________________________
You see only what the media wants you to see.
He sees the broken bodies lying around him.
__________________________
You are asked to go to the store by your parents. You don't.
He does exactly what he is told
. __________________________
You stay at home and watch TV.
He takes whatever time he is given to call, write home, sleep, and eat. __________________________
You crawl into your soft bed, with down pillows, and get comfortable.
He crawls under a tank for shade and a 5 minute nap, only to be woken by gunfire. __________________________
You sit there and judge him, saying the world is probably a worse place because of men like him.
If only there were more men like him!
____________________________
If you support your troops, re-send this to everyone you know,
If it gets to another veteran who hasn't received it yet, it will bring back memories.
10/10/2006
Girls-Only Blogthings - What Fall Shoe Should You Wear?
| You Should Wear Animal Print Shoes |
 You have a brash personality, and you aren't afraid to wear something outrageous. You're the exact personality designers design for - so enjoy yourself! |
Girls-Only Blogthings - What Kind of Bra Are You?
"
"
| You Are a Lace Bra! |
 Dreamy, romantic, and ultra-feminine You're a womanly woman who makes guys feel like men Your perfect guy is strong, determined, and handsome With a softer side that only you can draw out |
Blogthings - Which of the X-Men Are You?
| You Are Storm |
 Exotic and powerful, Storm descended from a line of African priestesses. Emotions can effect your powers, but you are generally serene. Powers: controlling weather, creating winds that lift you into flight, generating lightning |
Blogthings - What Kind of Intelligence Do You Have?
| Your Dominant Intelligence is Linguistic Intelligence |
 You are excellent with words and language. You explain yourself well. An elegant speaker, you can converse well with anyone on the fly. You are also good at remembering information and convicing someone of your point of view. A master of creative phrasing and unique words, you enjoy expanding your vocabulary. You would make a fantastic poet, journalist, writer, teacher, lawyer, politician, or translator. |
10/09/2006
10/05/2006
Lighted Bras: Enlighted Illuminated Clothing
ok I know kinda weird, just happened across it???
my first thought was...
as a female who wears them...
WTF?????
my first thought was...
as a female who wears them...
WTF?????
Why did the chicken cross the road?
DR. PHIL:
The problem we have here is that this chicken
won't realize that he must
first deal with the problem on 'THIS' side of the
road before it goes after
the problem on the 'OTHER SIDE' of the road. What
we need to do is help him
realize how stupid he's acting by not taking on
his 'CURRENT' problems
before adding 'NEW' problems.
OPRAH:
Well I understand that the chicken is having
problems, which is why he wants
to cross this road so bad. So instead of having
the chicken learn from his
mistakes and take falls, which is a part of life,
I'm going to give this
chicken a car so that he can just drive across
the road and not live his life
like the rest of the chickens.
COLIN POWELL:
Now to the left of the screen, you can clearly
see the satellite image of
the chicken crossing the road...
ANDERSON COOPER - CNN :
We have reason to believe there is a chicken, but
we have not yet been
allowed to have access to the other side of the
road.
JOHN KERRY:
Although I voted to let the chicken cross the
road, I am now against it!
It was the wrong road to cross, and I was misled
about the chicken's
intentions. I am not for it now, and will remain against it.
NANCY GRACE:
That chicken crossed the road because he's GUILTY!
You can see it inhis eyes and the way he walks.
PAT BUCHANAN:
To steal the job of a decent, hardworking American.
MARTHA STEWART:
No one called me to warn me which way that chicken was going.
I had astanding order at the Farmer's Market to sell my eggs
when the pricedropped to a certain level.
No little bird gave me any insiderinformation.
DR SEUSS:
Did the chicken cross the road? Did he cross it with a toad?
Yes, the chicken crossed the road,
but why it crossed I've not been told.
ERNEST HEMINGWAY: (this is my favorite one)
To die in the rain. Alone.
JERRY FALWELL:
Because the chicken was gay!
Can't you people see the plain truth in frontof your face?
The chicken was going to the "other side."
That's why theycall it the "other side."
Yes, my friends, that chicken is gay.
And if you eat that chicken, you will become gay too.
I say we boycott all chickens until we sort out this abomination
that the liberal media whitewashes with
seemingly harmless phrases like "the other side."
That chicken should not be crossing the road.
It's as plain and simple as that!
GRANDPA:
In my day we didn't ask why the chicken crossed the road.
Somebody told us the chicken crossed the road, and that was good enough.
BARBARA WALTERS:Isn't that interesting?
In a few moments, we will be listening to the chicken
tell, for the first time, the heart warming story of how it experienced a
serious case of molting, and went on to accomplish its life long dream of
crossing the road.
JOHN LENNON:
Imagine all the chickens in the world crossing roads together, in peace.
ARISTOTLE:
It is the nature of chickens to cross the road.
BILL GATES:
I have just released eChicken2006, which will not only cross roads,
but will lay eggs, file your important documents,
and balance your check book.
ALBERT EINSTEIN:
Did the chicken really cross the road,
or did the road move beneaththe chicken?
BILL CLINTON:
I did not cross the road with THAT chicken.
What is your definitionof chicken?
AL GORE:
I invented the chicken!
COLONEL SANDERS:
Did I miss one?"
The problem we have here is that this chicken
won't realize that he must
first deal with the problem on 'THIS' side of the
road before it goes after
the problem on the 'OTHER SIDE' of the road. What
we need to do is help him
realize how stupid he's acting by not taking on
his 'CURRENT' problems
before adding 'NEW' problems.
OPRAH:
Well I understand that the chicken is having
problems, which is why he wants
to cross this road so bad. So instead of having
the chicken learn from his
mistakes and take falls, which is a part of life,
I'm going to give this
chicken a car so that he can just drive across
the road and not live his life
like the rest of the chickens.
COLIN POWELL:
Now to the left of the screen, you can clearly
see the satellite image of
the chicken crossing the road...
ANDERSON COOPER - CNN :
We have reason to believe there is a chicken, but
we have not yet been
allowed to have access to the other side of the
road.
JOHN KERRY:
Although I voted to let the chicken cross the
road, I am now against it!
It was the wrong road to cross, and I was misled
about the chicken's
intentions. I am not for it now, and will remain against it.
NANCY GRACE:
That chicken crossed the road because he's GUILTY!
You can see it inhis eyes and the way he walks.
PAT BUCHANAN:
To steal the job of a decent, hardworking American.
MARTHA STEWART:
No one called me to warn me which way that chicken was going.
I had astanding order at the Farmer's Market to sell my eggs
when the pricedropped to a certain level.
No little bird gave me any insiderinformation.
DR SEUSS:
Did the chicken cross the road? Did he cross it with a toad?
Yes, the chicken crossed the road,
but why it crossed I've not been told.
ERNEST HEMINGWAY: (this is my favorite one)
To die in the rain. Alone.
JERRY FALWELL:
Because the chicken was gay!
Can't you people see the plain truth in frontof your face?
The chicken was going to the "other side."
That's why theycall it the "other side."
Yes, my friends, that chicken is gay.
And if you eat that chicken, you will become gay too.
I say we boycott all chickens until we sort out this abomination
that the liberal media whitewashes with
seemingly harmless phrases like "the other side."
That chicken should not be crossing the road.
It's as plain and simple as that!
GRANDPA:
In my day we didn't ask why the chicken crossed the road.
Somebody told us the chicken crossed the road, and that was good enough.
BARBARA WALTERS:Isn't that interesting?
In a few moments, we will be listening to the chicken
tell, for the first time, the heart warming story of how it experienced a
serious case of molting, and went on to accomplish its life long dream of
crossing the road.
JOHN LENNON:
Imagine all the chickens in the world crossing roads together, in peace.
ARISTOTLE:
It is the nature of chickens to cross the road.
BILL GATES:
I have just released eChicken2006, which will not only cross roads,
but will lay eggs, file your important documents,
and balance your check book.
ALBERT EINSTEIN:
Did the chicken really cross the road,
or did the road move beneaththe chicken?
BILL CLINTON:
I did not cross the road with THAT chicken.
What is your definitionof chicken?
AL GORE:
I invented the chicken!
COLONEL SANDERS:
Did I miss one?"
Once a Marine Always a Marine
- Welcome to Sgt Grit Marine Corps Specialties
OutStanding!
I'm going to be a Marine Parent soon,
My Step Son, is going to Marine Boot Camp Next week...
We are very Proud of him.
He's doing a very good thing.
OutStanding!
I'm going to be a Marine Parent soon,
My Step Son, is going to Marine Boot Camp Next week...
We are very Proud of him.
He's doing a very good thing.
Sgt Grit Marine Forums - Oct 2-16, 2006
I personally agree with this....
"What should we do in the war on terrorism?
Be more aggressive (72.2%) UUUUURRRAHHHH!
Be more understanding, negotiate more (22.2%)
Cut and run (0%)
More circle singing of Kumbaya (5.6%)
"What should we do in the war on terrorism?
Be more aggressive (72.2%) UUUUURRRAHHHH!
Be more understanding, negotiate more (22.2%)
Cut and run (0%)
More circle singing of Kumbaya (5.6%)
10/03/2006
UPDATE :Bonk
Well Bianca (Bonk) is doing well.
she is healing and starting to eat food again.
she is still on the very thin side..
She really hates the "cone of silence".
She thinks she looks great, for modelling : High FUR-shion...
We are spoiling her rotten ,handfeeding her ,
and loving her.
Glad she is ok now, it was an extremely close call .
From the Dark One,a fwd .. Back In Black..
"The Faversham, a pub close to Leeds University, is a brightly decorated bar, popular with lawyers and office workers. But a couple of decades ago it was the very heart of goth. The Fav, as it was known, was where goth's dark lords, the Sisters of Mercy, would hold court, and where black-clad students who had enrolled at the university or Leeds Polytechnic to be close to their heroes would go in the hope of some goth stardust rubbing off on them. 'Heads would turn the minute we walked in,' remembers Gary Marx, the guitarist who founded the Sisters with singer Andrew Eldritch. 'People wouldn't literally throw themselves at our feet, but it was close.'
Goth has returned to cast a long and dark shadow over rock music this summer and autumn.
In August, the NME put the Horrors on the cover - a London band influenced by the Cramps who look like five grinning death's-heads. Other new acts such as Betty Curse and Dead Disco have put out CDs, and two compilations have claimed to bring together goth's forefathers. Goth has even reached the mainstream. Victoria Beckham and Colleen McLoughlin have recently dabbled in 'goth chic' - faces made up to look pale, black lacy clothes and deathly nail varnish - though it's hard to imagine the Beckham and Rooney households rocking to Betty Curse, let alone the forgotten bands of the first wave of goth.
It's a dramatic revival: barely a year ago, London's goth hangout, the Devonshire Arms, was saved from closure after a nationwide appeal to goths to boost its business.
The original goths seem unnerved by the return of their cult. 'I read this thing that described Russell Brand as 90% gothsays an appalled Julianne Regan. The singer with All About Eve, she admits to "exploring" graveyards despite being in her 40s and is thus "guilty as charged" of being a goth. "I thought, 'Don't they mean 90% twat?'"
And the Horrors?
"Pure NME Camden wankery. As goth as a daffodil in a yellow kitchen."
Oh dear. So what is goth anyway?
And how did a dead cult become, well, undead?
Steven Severin of Siouxsie and the Banshees - who always maintained they weren't a "goth band", but were nevertheless a pivotal influence on the black-clad bands of the 80s - insists it's important to distinguish between "goth" and "gothic". "Gothic", Severin says, describes the bleak, dark music being made by Joy Division and also the Banshees around 1978-79. Severin admits his band pored over gothic literature - Edgar Allen Poe and Baudelaire. But "goth", he says, has connotations of "people in purple lipstick running off to Whitby". According to Severin, the prototype goth band may have been the Velvet Underground - "intense, feedback-driven songs and macabre subject matter" - although Bauhaus's 1979 single Bela Lugosi's Dead is now generally credited with starting the genre.
Initially, it wasn't called goth. In February 1983, NME lumped together several mostly forgotten bands (Southern Death Cult, Sex Gang Children, Brigandage, Specimen, Blood and Roses) and tagged them "positive punk". Meanwhile, Marx fondly remembers tabloid hysteria about "suicide pact kids killing themselves listening to Sisters of Mercy", an eerie precursor of a story the Daily Mail ran only last month warning of the "threat to our children" posed by goth and emo (although they're two different cultures).
Most of goth's enduring musical cliches were laid down by the Sisters, who lived together in Village Place, a stone's throw from the Faversham. Marx (formerly Mark Pearman, before a name switch fooled the DHSS, as was) had come to Leeds from Hull, attracted by gigs by the likes of the Fall and Gang of Four. His co-conspirator was a languages student who decided that the name Eldritch (meaning "wizard") carried more mystique than his own Andrew Taylor. Eldritch has often claimed the Sisters/ goth phenomenon was his immaculate conception, but Marx admits at least some of it was fluke.
Yes, Eldritch had the band's logo (a dissected head surrounded by a pentacle, which he had adapted from Gray's Anatomy) before they had even played a note. But according to Marx, the characteristic doomy goth sound only emerged when the Sisters added Craig Adams, a child piano prodigy. Adams was "running from his past", says Marx. "He turned up with a fuzzbox on his bass and wanted something brutal, relentless." A £60 drum machine (nicknamed Doktor Avalanche) replaced Eldritch's early bashes on drums. When the "wizard" concealed his less-than-Sinatraesque vocals with reverb, goth's defining sound was complete. The Sisters namechecked MC5 and Motorhead in interviews and caused a "considerable reaction" within a music press who had been frothing over Haircut 100.
Eldritch became thought of as a poet of doom, fond of dark pronouncements. But Marx admits that there were no black candlesticks at Village Place. In fact, even the goth look was partly happenstance: wearing nothing but black meant the band could put all their washing in one load. In fact, in early photos the Sisters looked "nondescript, like students", but that changed when Marx realised his check shirts looked silly next to the leather jackets worn by Eldritch and Adams in homage to the Ramones. Once Marx also adopted black, a uniform was born.
The enduring image of the Sisters live is of four black stetsons poking out of dry ice: a cross between Once Upon a Time in the West and horror flick The Fog. That, too, was an accident. Guitarist Wayne Hussey, who joined in 1983, recalls that the band had been touring America in a minibus and one night he got so drunk that he fell asleep on Gary Marx's shoulder. Marx then "threw up in his sleep all over my head. The venue wouldn't let me in 'cos I had sick in my hair. So I went across the road and bought a hat - and that's where the look came from."
Around the country, others realised black could have benefits above and beyond its ability to conceal stains. Alien Sex Fiend's Mrs Fiend (she is literally Mrs Fiend, having been married to the band's Nik Fiend for 28 years) remembers a disastrous photoshoot when a green light wiped out all her make-up.
"I looked like a fucking corpse, but not in a good way," she remembers. After that it was "black, the blackest you could find". Home-dyed clothes and hair horrors proved equally striking: "People said, 'Excuse me, dear. Have you been electrocuted?'"
Early goth was largely a provincial movement: the Sisters in Leeds, Bauhaus in Northampton, the Cure in Crawley. The London scene congealed around the Batcave club, associated with bands such as Alien Sex Fiend and Specimen; there, boys and ghouls rubbed shoulders with the likes of Siouxsie Sioux and Nick Cave. Mrs Fiend remembers "fetish gear, Victorian clothing, girls with their tits out. One night the DJ played the Sex Pistols and for the first time, everyone sat down. It was obvious that no one was interested in continuing what had gone before."
Goth spread rapidly - fans visited the Batcave or Leeds Phonographique and then set up their own clubs - and a sense of community developed. Goths formed bands with each other, slept with each other, copied each other and recorded with each other: Severin collaborated with the Cure's Robert Smith as the Glove. The Sisters' Merciful Release label helped soundalike bands such as the March Violets and Salvation, which Marx suggests was a hangover from the self-help culture established by Leeds bands the Mekons and Gang of Four. The "suburban Siouxsie" clone became a peculiar feature of 80s Britain, and whenever the Banshees toured in Latin American or Mediterranean countries, Severin notes, they noticed Siouxsie had become "a role model for dark-haired women".
Goth could be silly, but many bonded through genuine alienation. Regan admits she was "introspective and depressed" and sought solace in darker music. "Mentally ill?" she considers. "Some of us."
Another glue binding the scene together was drug use. Goth is virtually the only youth movement not identifiable with a single substance, but Regan admits that it was "very wild. It started with snakebite and a laugh and ended in psychosis for some. Luckily, I was a sissy."
"All my friends took drugs," admits Hussey. "I used to put speed in my coffee." Initially, drugs enabled the guitarist to mask a natural shyness, but eventually his character transformed. He began the 80s quietly reading Rimbaud and ended them fronting the Mission, whose wine-spilling, cartoon image was almost Carry On Goth. "We made buffoons of ourselves in public," he says, "but it was endearing for a lot of people."
It didn't last. Hussey vividly remembers standing on a railway station platform and seeing two girls in Stone Roses T-shirts. "I knew something else was coming."
In the 90s, goths all but disappeared as dance music became the dominant youth cult. The movement went underground and fractured into cyber goth, Christian goth, industrial goth, medieval goth and the latest sub-genre, zombie goth. Around the world, however, goth hit the mainstream. Goth crossbred with electronica and heavy metal in the form of Nine Inch Nails and Marilyn Manson. While the music of Nine Inch Nails owed more to the industrial-influenced music of Throbbing Gristle and Ministry, their subect matter (murder and trauma) and style (head-to-toe black leather) were unmistakably goth. Marilyn Manson, meanwhile, fused Alien Sex Fiend's electro-goth with Alice Cooper's theatrics and went to the arena circuit. In Germany, the industrial-techno-metal sextet Rammstein took much from gothic horror, and Hussey says his mother often tells him how much the cult Finnish band HIM sound like the Mission.
And now it's hip again here.
Goth will exist in one form or another as long as young people are alienated and fascinated by death.
Mrs Fiend expresses anxiety that goth could turn into an off-the-peg fashion style. However, Severin is darkly optimistic.
"They read French novelists. They've gone into it with a complete passion and I don't blame them," he says of the new goths. "I've always thought there's room in pop for different languages, one of them being an exploration of the blacker side of human nature.
There's nothing to be afraid of in the dark."
Five goth classics
Bauhaus: Bela Lugosi's Dead
The 1979 single that invented the genre overnight. In an atmosphere of unease, Peter Murphy eulogises Lugosi's portrayal of Dracula with a cry of "Undead! Undead! Undead!"
Available on Crackle - Best of Bauhaus (4AD)
The Sisters Of Mercy: Amphetamine Logic
This stark, driving track defines the Sisters' oeuvre and sums up Andrew Eldritch's cod-vampiric lifestyle: "Nothing but the knife to live for."
Available on First and Last and Always (Merciful Release)
The Cure - A Strange Day
The Cure were always more of an alternative pop band than 100% goth, but A Strange Day's melancholy sees them fitting into the genre.
Available on Pornography (Fiction)
Red Lorry Yellow Lorry - Walking on Your Hands
The Leeds-based Lorries, originally a typical if moody indie band, adopted goth cliches such as flanged guitars for this thrilling 80s nightclub staple.
Available on The Gothic Box (Rhino)
Siouxsie and the Banshees - Night Shift
One of the darkest cuts from the album Juju: a harrowing groove that explores street prostitution.
Available on JuJu (Polydor)
· The Gothic Box 3CD/DVD set of early goth is out now on Rhino. Blue Sunshine by the Glove has been reissued by Universal
Ban stupid people, not dogs.
Goth has returned to cast a long and dark shadow over rock music this summer and autumn.
In August, the NME put the Horrors on the cover - a London band influenced by the Cramps who look like five grinning death's-heads. Other new acts such as Betty Curse and Dead Disco have put out CDs, and two compilations have claimed to bring together goth's forefathers. Goth has even reached the mainstream. Victoria Beckham and Colleen McLoughlin have recently dabbled in 'goth chic' - faces made up to look pale, black lacy clothes and deathly nail varnish - though it's hard to imagine the Beckham and Rooney households rocking to Betty Curse, let alone the forgotten bands of the first wave of goth.
It's a dramatic revival: barely a year ago, London's goth hangout, the Devonshire Arms, was saved from closure after a nationwide appeal to goths to boost its business.
The original goths seem unnerved by the return of their cult. 'I read this thing that described Russell Brand as 90% gothsays an appalled Julianne Regan. The singer with All About Eve, she admits to "exploring" graveyards despite being in her 40s and is thus "guilty as charged" of being a goth. "I thought, 'Don't they mean 90% twat?'"
And the Horrors?
"Pure NME Camden wankery. As goth as a daffodil in a yellow kitchen."
Oh dear. So what is goth anyway?
And how did a dead cult become, well, undead?
Steven Severin of Siouxsie and the Banshees - who always maintained they weren't a "goth band", but were nevertheless a pivotal influence on the black-clad bands of the 80s - insists it's important to distinguish between "goth" and "gothic". "Gothic", Severin says, describes the bleak, dark music being made by Joy Division and also the Banshees around 1978-79. Severin admits his band pored over gothic literature - Edgar Allen Poe and Baudelaire. But "goth", he says, has connotations of "people in purple lipstick running off to Whitby". According to Severin, the prototype goth band may have been the Velvet Underground - "intense, feedback-driven songs and macabre subject matter" - although Bauhaus's 1979 single Bela Lugosi's Dead is now generally credited with starting the genre.
Initially, it wasn't called goth. In February 1983, NME lumped together several mostly forgotten bands (Southern Death Cult, Sex Gang Children, Brigandage, Specimen, Blood and Roses) and tagged them "positive punk". Meanwhile, Marx fondly remembers tabloid hysteria about "suicide pact kids killing themselves listening to Sisters of Mercy", an eerie precursor of a story the Daily Mail ran only last month warning of the "threat to our children" posed by goth and emo (although they're two different cultures).
Most of goth's enduring musical cliches were laid down by the Sisters, who lived together in Village Place, a stone's throw from the Faversham. Marx (formerly Mark Pearman, before a name switch fooled the DHSS, as was) had come to Leeds from Hull, attracted by gigs by the likes of the Fall and Gang of Four. His co-conspirator was a languages student who decided that the name Eldritch (meaning "wizard") carried more mystique than his own Andrew Taylor. Eldritch has often claimed the Sisters/ goth phenomenon was his immaculate conception, but Marx admits at least some of it was fluke.
Yes, Eldritch had the band's logo (a dissected head surrounded by a pentacle, which he had adapted from Gray's Anatomy) before they had even played a note. But according to Marx, the characteristic doomy goth sound only emerged when the Sisters added Craig Adams, a child piano prodigy. Adams was "running from his past", says Marx. "He turned up with a fuzzbox on his bass and wanted something brutal, relentless." A £60 drum machine (nicknamed Doktor Avalanche) replaced Eldritch's early bashes on drums. When the "wizard" concealed his less-than-Sinatraesque vocals with reverb, goth's defining sound was complete. The Sisters namechecked MC5 and Motorhead in interviews and caused a "considerable reaction" within a music press who had been frothing over Haircut 100.
Eldritch became thought of as a poet of doom, fond of dark pronouncements. But Marx admits that there were no black candlesticks at Village Place. In fact, even the goth look was partly happenstance: wearing nothing but black meant the band could put all their washing in one load. In fact, in early photos the Sisters looked "nondescript, like students", but that changed when Marx realised his check shirts looked silly next to the leather jackets worn by Eldritch and Adams in homage to the Ramones. Once Marx also adopted black, a uniform was born.
The enduring image of the Sisters live is of four black stetsons poking out of dry ice: a cross between Once Upon a Time in the West and horror flick The Fog. That, too, was an accident. Guitarist Wayne Hussey, who joined in 1983, recalls that the band had been touring America in a minibus and one night he got so drunk that he fell asleep on Gary Marx's shoulder. Marx then "threw up in his sleep all over my head. The venue wouldn't let me in 'cos I had sick in my hair. So I went across the road and bought a hat - and that's where the look came from."
Around the country, others realised black could have benefits above and beyond its ability to conceal stains. Alien Sex Fiend's Mrs Fiend (she is literally Mrs Fiend, having been married to the band's Nik Fiend for 28 years) remembers a disastrous photoshoot when a green light wiped out all her make-up.
"I looked like a fucking corpse, but not in a good way," she remembers. After that it was "black, the blackest you could find". Home-dyed clothes and hair horrors proved equally striking: "People said, 'Excuse me, dear. Have you been electrocuted?'"
Early goth was largely a provincial movement: the Sisters in Leeds, Bauhaus in Northampton, the Cure in Crawley. The London scene congealed around the Batcave club, associated with bands such as Alien Sex Fiend and Specimen; there, boys and ghouls rubbed shoulders with the likes of Siouxsie Sioux and Nick Cave. Mrs Fiend remembers "fetish gear, Victorian clothing, girls with their tits out. One night the DJ played the Sex Pistols and for the first time, everyone sat down. It was obvious that no one was interested in continuing what had gone before."
Goth spread rapidly - fans visited the Batcave or Leeds Phonographique and then set up their own clubs - and a sense of community developed. Goths formed bands with each other, slept with each other, copied each other and recorded with each other: Severin collaborated with the Cure's Robert Smith as the Glove. The Sisters' Merciful Release label helped soundalike bands such as the March Violets and Salvation, which Marx suggests was a hangover from the self-help culture established by Leeds bands the Mekons and Gang of Four. The "suburban Siouxsie" clone became a peculiar feature of 80s Britain, and whenever the Banshees toured in Latin American or Mediterranean countries, Severin notes, they noticed Siouxsie had become "a role model for dark-haired women".
Goth could be silly, but many bonded through genuine alienation. Regan admits she was "introspective and depressed" and sought solace in darker music. "Mentally ill?" she considers. "Some of us."
Another glue binding the scene together was drug use. Goth is virtually the only youth movement not identifiable with a single substance, but Regan admits that it was "very wild. It started with snakebite and a laugh and ended in psychosis for some. Luckily, I was a sissy."
"All my friends took drugs," admits Hussey. "I used to put speed in my coffee." Initially, drugs enabled the guitarist to mask a natural shyness, but eventually his character transformed. He began the 80s quietly reading Rimbaud and ended them fronting the Mission, whose wine-spilling, cartoon image was almost Carry On Goth. "We made buffoons of ourselves in public," he says, "but it was endearing for a lot of people."
It didn't last. Hussey vividly remembers standing on a railway station platform and seeing two girls in Stone Roses T-shirts. "I knew something else was coming."
In the 90s, goths all but disappeared as dance music became the dominant youth cult. The movement went underground and fractured into cyber goth, Christian goth, industrial goth, medieval goth and the latest sub-genre, zombie goth. Around the world, however, goth hit the mainstream. Goth crossbred with electronica and heavy metal in the form of Nine Inch Nails and Marilyn Manson. While the music of Nine Inch Nails owed more to the industrial-influenced music of Throbbing Gristle and Ministry, their subect matter (murder and trauma) and style (head-to-toe black leather) were unmistakably goth. Marilyn Manson, meanwhile, fused Alien Sex Fiend's electro-goth with Alice Cooper's theatrics and went to the arena circuit. In Germany, the industrial-techno-metal sextet Rammstein took much from gothic horror, and Hussey says his mother often tells him how much the cult Finnish band HIM sound like the Mission.
And now it's hip again here.
Goth will exist in one form or another as long as young people are alienated and fascinated by death.
Mrs Fiend expresses anxiety that goth could turn into an off-the-peg fashion style. However, Severin is darkly optimistic.
"They read French novelists. They've gone into it with a complete passion and I don't blame them," he says of the new goths. "I've always thought there's room in pop for different languages, one of them being an exploration of the blacker side of human nature.
There's nothing to be afraid of in the dark."
Five goth classics
Bauhaus: Bela Lugosi's Dead
The 1979 single that invented the genre overnight. In an atmosphere of unease, Peter Murphy eulogises Lugosi's portrayal of Dracula with a cry of "Undead! Undead! Undead!"
Available on Crackle - Best of Bauhaus (4AD)
The Sisters Of Mercy: Amphetamine Logic
This stark, driving track defines the Sisters' oeuvre and sums up Andrew Eldritch's cod-vampiric lifestyle: "Nothing but the knife to live for."
Available on First and Last and Always (Merciful Release)
The Cure - A Strange Day
The Cure were always more of an alternative pop band than 100% goth, but A Strange Day's melancholy sees them fitting into the genre.
Available on Pornography (Fiction)
Red Lorry Yellow Lorry - Walking on Your Hands
The Leeds-based Lorries, originally a typical if moody indie band, adopted goth cliches such as flanged guitars for this thrilling 80s nightclub staple.
Available on The Gothic Box (Rhino)
Siouxsie and the Banshees - Night Shift
One of the darkest cuts from the album Juju: a harrowing groove that explores street prostitution.
Available on JuJu (Polydor)
· The Gothic Box 3CD/DVD set of early goth is out now on Rhino. Blue Sunshine by the Glove has been reissued by Universal
Ban stupid people, not dogs.
Odd Quote of the day.
"Loooo My darling, Looooo."
Mermaidman & Barnacleboy VI - The Motion Picture,
SpongeBob Squarepants
Season 4, episode 65
10/02/2006
Blunt's "Goodbye My Lover" most requested funeral song - Yahoo! News
humm, I'll have to go take a listen, never heard of it...no pun intended...
The Blue Wolf: The Epic Tale of the Life of Genghis Khan
hummm, that would explain those thoughts of "I Must Conquer", my amazing horseriding ability, and fondness for yurts....
Hey you never know?
Hey you never know?
10/01/2006
AENEMYA.COM
Dark fantasy digital art and website design by kReEsTaL aka Marie Guillaumet - Gothic, erotic and dreamy original artwork
Pretty cool...some good links for Dark Art...Enjoy!
Pretty cool...some good links for Dark Art...Enjoy!
Sustainable Clothing, Corsets, Bridal Corset, Certified Organic Cotton, Hemp Fabric Store, Austin, Texas
Yeah!! I'm absolutely going to be checking this place out:)
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