Happy Halloween!

The Nightmare Before Christmas: This Is Halloween



(Stop my player on the right before you push play on this)

Alright boys and girls ... Have Fun, Be Happy, and BE SAFE!

Halloween Countdown - 2

Lucifer

This world of ours is a world of opposites.
There is light and shade,
there is heat and cold,
there is good and evil,
there is God and the Devil.

"Diabolus enim et alii dæmones a Deo quidem naturâ creati sunt boni,

sed ipsi per se facti sunt mali."

"The Devil and the other demons were created by God,

good in their nature but they by themselves have made themselves evil."

Devil is a title given to a supernatural entity, who, in most Abrahamic faiths, is the central embodiment of evil. We obtain our Devil from the Jews, and they got him from Babylon. The Jews cultivated the science of Demonology, and at one time it was believed that there were nine kinds of demons: Beelzebub, prince of the false gods of the other nations; the Pythian Apollo, prince of liars; Belial, prince of mischief makers; Asmodeus, prince of revengeful devils; Satan, prince of witches and magicians; Meresin, prince of aerial devils, who caused thunderstorms and plagues; Abaddon, who caused wars, tumults and combustions; Diabolus, who drives to despair, and Mammon, prince of the tempters.

No matter what we call him, the Devil is our symbol for what is bad and undesirable. From our human perspective, we see the world as a struggle between light and dark. We want to vanquish the bad so the good can prevail. In fact, good and bad cannot be separated, just as you cannot separate a shadow from its source. Darkness is simply the absence of light, and it is caused by errors that hide the truth.

Christianity views Satan as an angel cast from heaven by God, for being prideful, deceitful, and the tempter.

The name Lucifer originally denotes the planet Venus, emphasizing its brilliance. The Vulgate employs the word also for "the light of the morning" (Job 11:17), "the signs of the zodiac" (Job 38:32), and "the aurora" (Psalm 109:3). Metaphorically, the word is applied to the King of Babylon (Isaiah 14:12) as preeminent among the princes of his time; to the high priest Simon son of Onias (Ecclesiasticus 50:6), for his surpassing virtue, to the glory of heaven (Apocalypse 2:28), by reason of its excellency; finally to Jesus Christ himself (2 Peter 1:19; Apocalypse 22:16).

The Syriac version and the version of Aquila derive the Hebrew noun helel from the verb yalal, "to lament"; St. Jerome agrees with them (In Isaiah 1:14), and makes Lucifer the name of the principal fallen angel who must lament the loss of his original glory bright as the morning star. In Christian tradition this meaning of Lucifer has prevailed; the Fathers maintain that Lucifer is not the proper name of the devil, but denotes only the state from which he has fallen.

The Devil's Dictionary
Note:
Since the material here represents the view of one individual and was written in the early 1900's, there will no doubt be material here that you will find sexist, nationalist, racist, or just generally offensive. Proceed at your own risk.

Halloween Countdown - 4 & 3

(Eek)
Sorry to my little pumpkins out there for falling behind on my Halloween posts, but I do have a life you know ...
(not really, I just want you to think that I do).

Origin Of The Werewolf Legend

During the middle ages, especially from the 15th to 17th century, Europe was under the dark shadow of ignorance and superstitions. Towns were underdeveloped and always surrounded by woods. The fear of wolves was like a nightmare. Their attacks were so frequent and atrocious in nature that people even feared to travel from one place to another. Every morning, countryside people would find half-eaten human limbs scattered on their fields.

The first recorded Werewolf sighting took place around the countryside of German town Colongne and Bedburg in 1591. An age-old pamphlet describes those shivering moments vividly. A few people had cornered a large wolf and set their dogs upon it. They started to pierce it with sharp sticks and spears. Surprisingly the ferocious wolf did not run away or try to protect itself, rather it stood up and turned out to be a middle-aged man. His name was Peter Stubbe
(also known as Stumpp) and he was from the same village.

Stubbe was put on a torture wheel where he confessed to sixteen murders including two pregnant women and thirteen children. The history behind his downfall was rather bizarre. He had started to practice sorcery when he was only 12 and was so obsessed with it that he even tried to make a pact with the Devil. Wearing a magic girdle he started to attack his enemies, real or imaginary. After several months he took the guise of a wolf and continued his evil acts with more brutality. In the wolf form he use to tear up his victims’ throats and suck warm blood from veins. Gradually his thirst for blood grew and he roamed around the fields in search of prey.

The savagery of his crimes was beyond imagination.
The trial record mentioned a few of them.

• Once, two men and a woman were walking along a road that went through the forest that Stubbe used to hide in. He called one of them into the forest. When the first man did not return, the second one followed his trail and also disappeared into the forest - the woman ran for her life. Later, two mangled male corpses were recovered from the forest, but the woman’s body never reappeared. It was believed that Stubbe had devoured her.
• Young girls playing together or milking the cows in the fields were his frequent victims. He use to chase them down like a hound. He would catch the slowest one, rape and kill her, then he would drink her hot blood and eat the tender flesh from her body.
• However; the most gruesome sin he committed was upon his own son. He took him to a nearby forest, cracked the poor child’s skull open and ate the brain from it.

No punishment could match the magnitude of Stubbe’s crime. His flesh was pulled off with red-hot pincers, his arms and legs were broken and he was finally decapitated. His carcass was burned to ashes.

The Magistrate of Bedburg built a grim monument to remember the ghastly incident. Workmen put the torture wheel atop of a tall pole with Stubbe’s head above it, structured with the likeliness of a wolf. Sixteen pieces of yard-long wood cuts were hung from the rim of the wheel to commemorate the poor souls of all his victims. Word of Stubbe’s trial and execution spread across the land.

His brutality, atrocity and savagery were beyond human comprehension and was readily related with the behavior of a wolf. People started to believe that such individuals were living among them in the shadows ... They named them Werewolves.

Read more about Werewolves
Read more about Peter Stubbe





Witches

One of the more enduring symbols of Halloween, horror and folklore is that of the Witch. Ugly and evil, they are shown flying on their broomsticks, or stirring their cauldrons. Witches were thought of as ugly because evil is ugly.

The focus of witchcraft on medieval women can be seen in what have become the symbols of witchcraft: the broom, the cauldron and the cat. All of these are associated with the household and women's work.

Witchcraft is defined in dictionaries as the human exercise of alleged supernatural powers (sorcery). A woman believed to have such powers may be called a witch or sorceress. Although the man should be called a male witch, some people use the names: wizard, sorcerer or warlock.
Witches were not always thought of as evil or ugly. In ancient times, witches could be healers or wise women of the community. But as Christianity spread, they were often condemned because their power supposedly came from somewhere other than God.

Later, accusations of witchcraft often were used as a way to keep talented, intelligent women from threatening the male supremacy. They also could be used to make people toe the line with regard to community standards. Anyone who was thought of as different or rebellious could be accused.
Thus men were often accused as much as women.

Following the advice in the witch hunting manual Malleus Maleficarum - The Hammer of Witches - witch hunters used a variety of tests to try the accused. Believing that a witch wouldn't bleed when cut, they employed a variety of instruments to test this theory.
The book was written by two monks and it was a text that instructed Inquisitors how to question suspected witches and how to force a confession from them. So intense was the power of the Malleus Maleficarum that it is believed that over six million people died in Europe due to its teachings; many such individuals being women and children. Further, many deaths were from the result of torture; suspected witches were tortured with a number of implements and techniques including being drawn and quartered, and being burned alive. This period came to be known as the burning times.

Confession under torture was another favorite. Using a variety of grisly devices, the witch hunter would try to extract a confession from the victim. Although torture was sometimes held in secret, it often was a public spectacle, providing entertainment for the masses.

Birthmarks were often seen as the mark of the Devil. In a voyeuristic show, hunters would strip their victims before the crowd to inspect for the Devil's marks.

Another test, often shown in medieval woodcuts, involved dunking - or worse, throwing - women into a pond or well. If they floated , it was thought that they had been rejected by the water of baptism and thus were witches. If they sunk, it indicated that they were innocent. Of course, this could also involve drowning, but at least they were innocent and their soul was saved.

While witch-hunts are thought of as a medieval phenomenon, the height of the atrocities actually occurred between the 15th and 18th centuries. In fact, it was not until 1320 that the Church officially declared witchcraft as a heresy.

One of the most famous women to be condemned to death for witchcraft was
Joan of Arc; in 1431, Joan of Arc, who was continually accused of being a witch because of her ability to hear voices speaking to her, was burned at the stake. By 1486 however, the witch hunt craze had been born with the writing of the Malleus Maleficarum.

While there is no definitive answer as to the number of people tried for witchcraft, it seems safe to say that tens of thousands - perhaps as many as hundreds of thousands were victimized.

United States History: The Witches of Salem

Currently, individuals who practice the earth-based religion of Wicca are called witches. Wiccans practice the philosophy of harming none and believe in the karmic principles of universal balance. Additionally, Wiccans believe in the inherent right to have free will.

Witchcraft increased in popularity around the time that witches like Gerald Gardner and Doreen Valiente began writing about pagan practices and principles in the 1950’s. At last count, there were over 250,000 Wiccans globally and the number increases each year. Further, such individuals claim their origins as being that of a pre-Christian origin and view the burning times as emblematic of ignorance.

Halloween Countdown - 5

Fun Facts

Halloween traditions of trick-or-treating were brought to America in the 1840s by Irish escaping the Great Potato Famine. The Irish Potato Famine (1845-50) prompted over 700,000 people to immigrate to the Americas. On Halloween, Irish peasants begged the rich for food and played practical jokes on those who refused. To avoid being tricked, the rich handed out cookies, candies, and fruit. A practice that turned into our present day trick-or-treating.

Orange and black became Halloween colors because orange is associated with harvests and black is associated with death.

Did you know - There are no words in the dictionary that rhyme with orange? Hard to believe for such an important color?

The same is true for the colors purple and silver. But, who cares about silver and purple...they are not pumpkin colors!

The biggest pumpkin in the world tipped the scales at a whopping 1,446 pounds. This gigantic gourd was weighed in October 2004 at a pumpkin festival in Port Elgin, Ontario, Canada.

Candy corn, anyone? More than 35 million pounds of candy corn will be produced this year, an estimated $1.93 billion in candy sales. That equates to nearly 9 billion pieces! Enough to circle the moon nearly four times if laid end-to-end.

Tootsie Rolls were the first wrapped penny candy in America.

What's the most popular Halloween candy?

Snickers tops the list for trick-or-treaters.

Halloween is the sweetest holiday of the year, beating out Easter, Valentine's Day, and Christmas. In fact, one quarter of all the candy sold each year is purchased between September 15 and November 10.

Halloween is second only to Christmas in spending. U.S. consumers spend as much as $1.5 billion on costumes each year, and more than $2.5 billion on other Halloween paraphernalia, such as decorations and crafts. More than $100 million is spent online.

Halloween is the 8th largest card-sending occasion.

There are over 28 million Halloween cards sent each year!

And a little Ha-Ha:

You might be a Redneck if
the Halloween pumpkin on your front porch has more teeth than your spouse.

Halloween Countdown - 6

Sorry boys and girls ... No Halloween post today.

Instead, I wanted to share this
with all of my Huckleberries out there.

125th Anniversary of the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral

"The Town too Tough to Die," Tombstone was perhaps the most renowned of Arizona's old mining camps. When Ed Schieffelin (SHEF·e·lin) came to Camp Huachuca (hwah·CHEW·kuh) with a party of soldiers and left the fort to prospect, his comrades told him that he'd find his tombstone rather than silver. Thus, in 1877 Schieffelin named his first claim the Tombstone, and rumors of rich strikes made a boomtown of the settlement that adopted this name.

Days of lawlessness and violence, which nearly had then -
President Chester A. Arthur declaring martial law in Tombstone
and sending in military troops to restore order, climaxed with the infamous Earp - Clanton battle, fought near the rear entrance
of the O.K. Corral, on October 26, 1881.

The Gunfight at the O.K. Corral was an event of legendary proportion which has been portrayed in numerous Western films.
The actual event occurred on Wednesday afternoon, October 26, 1881,
in a vacant lot, known as lot 2, in block 17, behind the corral, in Tombstone, Arizona Territory. Some of the fight also occurred in Fremont Street in front of the vacant lot.

Some thirty shots were fired in thirty seconds.
Although only three people were killed during the gunfight,
it became more famous than many other gunfights that resulted in larger numbers of people killed.

Truly a Historical American Landmark, Tombstone is America's best example of our 1880 western heritage, which is well preserved with original 1880's buildings and artifacts featured in numerous museums.

Halloween Countdown - 7

I admit to more than a

passing interest when it comes to Vampires. Maybe it's the thought of being young and beautiful forever.
Always in a lustful mood.

Being powerful and feared.

Being able to have and take anyone you want ...

I know what you're thinking ... but just shut-up and let me believe that what Hollywood tells me is true and that Vampires really do look like this: *sigh*

Anyway ... Where was I?

Oh yes, in honor of Halloween,

I give you the one who started it all, Vlad Tepes.

Vlad Tepes was born in November or December 1431, in the fortress of Sighisoara, Romania. His father, Vlad Dracul, at that time appointed military governor of Transylvania by the emperor Sigismund, had been inducted into the Order of the Dragon about one year before. The order - which could be compared to the Knights of the Hospital of St. John or even to the Teutonic Order of Knights - was a semimilitary and religious society, originally created in 1387 by the Holy Roman Emperor and his second wife, Barbara Cilli. The main goals of such a secret fraternal order of knights was mainly to protect the interests of Catholicism, and to crusade against the Turks. There are different reasons why this society is so important to us. First, it provides an explanation for the name "Dracula;" "Dracul," in Romanian language, means "Dragon", and the boyars of Romania, who knew of Vlad Tepes' father induction into the Order of the Dragon, decided to call him "Dracul."

"Dracula," a diminutive which means "the son of Dracul," was a surname to be used ultimately by Vlad Tepes. A second major role of this Order as a source of inspiration for Stoker's evil character is the Order's official dress - a black cape over a red garment - to be worn only on Fridays or during the commemoration of Christ's Passion.

In the winter of 1436-1437, Dracul became prince of Wallachia

(one of the three Romanian provinces)

and took up residence at the palace of Tirgoviste, the princely capital. Vlad Tepes followed his father and lived six years at the princely court. In 1442, for political reasons, Dracula and his younger brother Radu were taken hostage by the Sultan Murad II; Dracula was held in Turkey until 1448, while his brother Radu decided to stay there until 1462. This Turkish captivity surely played an important role in Dracula's upbringing; it must be at this period that he adopted a very pessimistic view of life. Indeed, the Turks set him free after informing him of his father's assassination in 1447 - organized by Vladislav II.

He also learned about his older brother's death - Mircea was the eldest legitimate son of Dracul - and how he had been tortured and buried alive by the boyars of Tirgoviste.

At 17 years old, Vlad Tepes Dracula,
supported by a force of Turkish cavalry and a contingent of troops lent to him by pasha Mustafa Hassan, made his first major move toward seizing the Wallachian throne. But another claimant, no other than Vladislav II himself, defeated him only two months later. In order to secure his second and major reign over Wallachia, Dracula had to wait until July of 1456, when he had the satisfaction of killing his mortal enemy and his father's assassin. Vlad then began his longest reign - 6 years - during which he committed many cruelties, and hence established his controversed reputation.

His first major act of revenge was aimed at the boyars of Tirgoviste for the killing of his father and his brother Mircea. On Easter Sunday of what we believe to be 1459, he arrested all the boyar families who had participated to the princely feast. He impaled the older ones on stakes while forcing the others to march from the capital to the town of Poenari. This fifty-mile trek was quite grueling, and those who survived were not permitted to rest until they reached destination. Dracula then ordered them to build him a fortress on the ruins of an older outpost overlooking the Arges river. Many died in the process, and Dracula therefore succeeded in creating a new nobility and obtaining a fortress for future emergencies.
What is left today of the building is identified as Castle Dracula.

Vlad became quite known for his brutal punishment techniques; he
often ordered people to be skinned, boiled, decapitated, blinded, strangled, hanged, burned, roasted, hacked, nailed, buried alive, stabbed, etc. He also liked to cut off noses, ears, sexual organs and limbs. But his favorite method was impalement on stakes,
hence the surname "Tepes" which means "The Impaler" in the Romanian language. Even the Turks referred to him as "Kaziglu Bey," meaning "The Impaler Prince." It is this technique he used in 1457, 1459 and 1460 against Transylvanian merchants who had ignored his trade laws.

There are many anecdotes about the philosophy of Vlad Tepes Dracula. He was for instance particularly known throughout his land for his fierce insistence on honesty and order. Almost any crime, from lying and stealing to killing, could be punished by impalement.
Being so confident in the effectiveness of his law, Dracula placed a golden cup on display in the central square of Tirgoviste. The cup could be used by thirsty travelers, but had to remain on the square. According to the available historic sources, it was never stolen and remained entirely unmolested throughout Vlad's reign.
Dracula was also very concerned that all his subjects work and be productive to the community. He looked upon the poor, vagrants and beggars as thieves. Consequently, he invited all the poor and sick of Wallachia to his princely court in Tirgoviste for a great feast.
After the guests ate and drank, Dracula ordered the hall boarded up and set on fire. No one survived.

In the beginning of 1462, Vlad launched a campaign against the Turks along the Danube river. It was quite risky, the military force of Sultan Mehmed II being by far more powerful than the Wallachian army. However, during the winter of 1462, Vlad was very successful and managed to gain many victories. To punish Dracula, the Sultan decided to launch a full-scale invasion of Wallachia. Of course, his other goal was to transform this land into a Turkish province and he entered Wallachia with an army three times larger than Dracula's. Finding himself without allies, Vlad, forced to retreat towards Tirgoviste, burned his own villages and poisoned the wells along the way, so that the Turkish army would find nothing to eat or drink. Moreover, when the Sultan, exhausted, finally reached the capital city, he was confronted by a most gruesome sight: thousands of stakes held the remaining carcasses of some 20,000 Turkish captives, a horror scene which was ultimately nicknamed the "Forest of the Impaled." This terror tactic deliberately stage-managed by Dracula was definitely successful; the scene had a strong effect on Mehmed's most stout-hearted officers, and the Sultan, tired and hungry, admitted defeat (it is worth mentioning that even Victor Hugo, in his Legende des Siecles, recalls this particular incident).
Nevertheless, following his retreat from Wallachian territory, Mehmed left the next phase of the battle to Vlad's younger brother Radu, the Turkish favorite for the Wallachian throne. At the head of a Turkish army and joined by Vlad's detractors, Radu pursued his brother to Poenari castle on the Arges river.

According to the legend, this is when Dracula's wife, in order to escape Turkish capture, committed suicide by hurling herself from the upper battlements, her body falling down the precipice into the river below - a scene exploited by Francis Ford Coppola's production. Vlad, who was definitely not the kind of man to kill himself, managed to escape the siege of his fortress by using a secret passage into the mountain. Helped by some peasants of the Arefu village, he was able to reach Transylvania where he met the new king of Hungary, Matthias Corvinus. However, instead of providing some help, Matthias arrested Dracula and imprisoned him at the Hungarian capital of Visegrad.
It was not until 1475 that Vlad was again recognized as the prince of Wallachia, enjoying a very short third reign. In fact, he was assassinated toward the end of December 1476.

Halloween Countdown - 8

Tasty Tuesday Treats For All The Good Boys And Girls

OK, so this has nothing to do with Halloween,

but it is some eye candy for you nonetheless - enjoy!
(yes boys, I have treats for you too ... keep scrolling)

Ladies, meet Raoul Bova
A tasty Italian import.
Italian men are my kryptonite,
and those eyes ...
Aye, Dios mio!
I'm warning you though -
He's all mine!
Mine, mine, mine!

OK, OK ...
I guess I'll share, but only if we can all have some fun together.

And for all you good little boys,

and in keeping with

the Italian theme,
this is the beautiful
Monica Bellucci.

Halloween Countdown - 9

History of the Jack-o-Lantern


People have been making jack-o-lanterns at Halloween for centuries. The practice originated from an Irish myth about a man nicknamed "Stingy Jack." According to the story, Stingy Jack invited the Devil to have a drink with him. True to his name, Stingy Jack didn't want to pay for his drink, so he convinced the Devil to turn himself into a coin that Jack could use to buy their drinks. Once the Devil did so, Jack decided to keep the money and put it into his pocket next to a silver cross, which prevented the Devil from changing back into his original form. Jack eventually freed the Devil, under the condition that he would not bother Jack for one year and that, should Jack die, he would not claim his soul. The next year, Jack again tricked the Devil into climbing into a tree to pick a piece of fruit. While he was up in the tree, Jack carved a sign of the cross into the tree's bark so that the Devil could not come down until the Devil promised Jack not to bother him for ten more years.

Soon after, Jack died. As the legend goes, God would not allow such an unsavory figure into heaven. The Devil, upset by the trick Jack had played on him and keeping his word not to claim his soul, would not allow Jack into hell. He sent Jack off into the dark night with only a burning coal to light his way. Jack put the coal into a carved out turnip and has been roaming the Earth with it ever since. The Irish began to refer to this ghostly figure as "Jack of the Lantern," and then, simply "Jack O'Lantern."

In Ireland and Scotland, people began to make their own versions of Jack's lanterns by carving scary faces into turnips or potatoes and placing them into windows or near doors to frighten away Stingy Jack and other wandering evil spirits. In England, large beets are used. Immigrants from these countries brought the jack o'lantern tradition with them when they came to the United States. They soon found that pumpkins, a fruit native to America, make perfect jack o'lanterns.

Despite the colorful legends, the term jack-o'-lantern originally meant a night watchman, or man with a lantern, with the earliest known use in the mid-17th century; and later, meaning an ignis fatuus or will-o'-the-wisp. The names "Jacky Lantern" and "Jack the Lantern" persist in the oral tradition in Newfoundland, referringing to the Will o' the wisp type phenomena, rather than the carved pumpkin Jack o' Lantern.

Halloween Countdown - 10

In honor of Halloween, the most fun and perhaps my favorite holiday, I will be posting little tidbits of history and humor for your reading pleasure. I hope you enjoy.

Ancient Origins

Halloween's origins date back to the ancient Celtic festival of
Samhain
(pronounced sow-in).

The Celts, who lived 2,000 years ago in the area that is now Ireland, the United Kingdom, and northern France, celebrated their new year on November 1st. This day marked the end of summer and the harvest and the beginning of the dark, cold winter, a time of year that was often associated with human death. Celts believed that on the night before the new year, the boundary between the worlds of the living and the dead became blurred. On the night of October 31, they celebrated Samhain, when it was believed that the ghosts of the dead returned to earth. In addition to causing trouble and damaging crops, Celts thought that the presence of the otherworldly spirits made it easier for the Druids, or Celtic priests, to make predictions about the future. For a people entirely dependent on the volatile natural world, these prophecies were an important source of comfort and direction during the long, dark winter.

To commemorate the event, Druids built huge sacred bonfires, where the people gathered to burn crops and animals as sacrifices to the Celtic deities.

During the celebration, the Celts wore costumes, typically consisting of animal heads and skins, and attempted to tell each other's fortunes. When the celebration was over, they re-lit their hearth fires, which they had extinguished earlier that evening, from the sacred bonfire to help protect them during the coming winter.

By A.D. 43, Romans had conquered the majority of Celtic territory. In the course of the four hundred years that they ruled the Celtic lands, two festivals of Roman origin were combined with the traditional Celtic celebration of Samhain.

The first was Feralia, a day in late October when the Romans traditionally commemorated the passing of the dead. The second was a day to honor Pomona, the Roman goddess of fruit and trees. The symbol of Pomona is the apple and the incorporation of this celebration into Samhain probably explains the tradition of "bobbing" for apples that is practiced today on Halloween.

By the 800s, the influence of Christianity had spread into Celtic lands. In the seventh century, Pope Boniface IV designated November 1st All Saints' Day, a time to honor saints and martyrs. It is widely believed today that the pope was attempting to replace the Celtic festival of the dead with a related, but church-sanctioned holiday. The celebration was also called All-hallows or All-hallowmas (from Middle English Alholowmesse meaning All Saints' Day) and the night before it, the night of Samhain, began to be called All-hallows Eve and, eventually, Halloween. Even later, in A.D. 1000, the church would make November 2nd All Souls' Day, a day to honor the dead. It was celebrated similarly to Samhain, with big bonfires, parades, and dressing up in costumes as saints, angels, and devils. Together, the three celebrations, the eve of All Saints', All Saints', and All Souls', were called Hallowmas.

Dream With Me

What if I told you that I knew you
From a far away dream

If I told you to kiss me
Would your lips part and invite me

As you close your eyes
Would you be able to hear the beat of my heart

The quickening of my breath
The heat of my skin

If I told you to touch me
Would your fingers trace the curves of my body


What if I told you that I longed to hold you
Wrap my arms and legs around you

Would you lift me into your arms
And carry me around

Embrace and inhale
The essence of my desire

Come
Dream with me

It's Happened ...

I've been tagged by a Madman Dreamer

Would you bungee jump?
Uh, bungee jump - no. Skydive - yes!

If you could do anything in the world for a living what would it be?
I'd be a travel authority for PBS like Rick Steves, only I'd be way more fun to watch because I'm cute!

Your favorite fictional animal?
Snoopy. It's all about the happy Snoopy dance!

One person who never fails to make you laugh?
My dad's invisible friend Maynard, who I grew up with.

When you were 12 years old
what did you want to be when you grew up?

What do you mean when I grow up?
Is Wonder Woman not an option?

What is the first thing that you do when you wake up in the morning?
Take off my undies (the only thing that I wear to bed), and wait for you to join me in the shower.

Have you ever gone to therapy?
Does beating the ever loving shit out of someone count as therapy?

If you could have one super power what would it be?
You mean besides my powers of super seduction?
Hmmm ... I'd have to say teleportation. That way I can go and visit my favorite Cabezon, friends and my favorite freak when the urge arises. And of course I would on occasion use my powers for good.

Your favorite cartoon character?
Betty Boop.
She knew how to work that sex appeal.

Do you go to church?
I use to, but had to stop because I couldn't find any fashionable fire retardant shoes.

What is your best childhood memory?
The first time that I saw a wild dolphin jump into the air while out on a family deep sea fishing vacation.

Do you think that marriage is an outdated ritual?
I think that the ritual of ceremony has become outdated,
but the romantic in me still believes in the beauty of the idea and what it represents.

Do you own a gun?
Yes, several.

Have you ever hit someone of the opposite sex?
Are you complaining about that now? You were the one who told me to put on the red latex and pull out those whips!
You big baby, those bruises will fade away ...

Have you ever sung in front of a large number of people?
No, and I never will, but I'll whisper in your ear all night long.

What is the first thing that you notice about the opposite sex?
Lips.
Oh so biteable, kissable, suckable lips.

What is your biggest mistake?
Mistakes are just lessons we learn -
My life is still a work in progress ...

Say something totally random about yourself.
I love full embrace body hugs and
I've died twice.

Has anyone ever said that you looked like a celebrity?
No. I'm a one of a kind original masterpiece.

What is the most romantic thing someone of the opposite sex has done for you?
Sent me 21 bouquets of flowers to celebrate my milestone birthday.

Do you actually read these when other people fill them out?
Only if I find you interesting.

Catalog Surfing

I love looking through catalogs.
What can I say? I'm a girl, I like to shop ...

If you've paid attention here then you know that I just love Spiegel. Well, among other catalogs that I think are fun to browse through are Brookstone and The Sharper Image. Who doesn't love gadgets?!

Lots of cool looking shit that you get all excited about for a day or so before it starts collecting dust somewhere on a random shelf.

Anyway, the reason for my inane rambling ...
I came across these exercise machines and thought they perhaps belonged in a different type of catalog

(you know the ones that you get that come wrapped in discreet brown paper).

WooHoo...Ride'Em Cowboy!
Ladies, all this needs to perfect your riding skillz and impress your man is an extra attachment (or two, ouch).

It's not just me right?

That "exercise" position looks more like an

open invitation to jump on in ...

And to top it all off,

it's called The Love Handler.

Trinidad

Happy Birthday Grandma
I miss you.

Grandparents are special people with wisdom and pride.
They are always offering love and kindness

and are always there to guide.
They often make you feel so confident and strong.
Their arms are always open, no matter what you did wrong.
They try to help out in every way that they can.
They love all their grandchildren the same

whether you're a child, woman, or man.
They are always there to listen and to lend a helping hand.
They show you respect and they try to understand.
They give their love, devotion, and so much more, that's easy to see.
Grandparents, what perfect examples

of the kind of person that we should be!

A personal observation:

It's 12:15 p.m.

I see via my counter that

Trinidad and Tobago

Made a 1st time visit today.

It may be a random coincidence to you

But for me, it has an entirely different meaning.

My grandmother's name was Trinidad.