Month: July 2008

  • Shampoo successes and free samples

    Just a little update on my hair.... It's Much better since I stopped using regular shampoo. It really loves the stuff I cooked up on my stove, and the new washing routine. I only shampoo once a week, and condition every other day. I haven't brushed it since I started; I just comb through it with my fingers while I'm still in the shower. On the off days when I don't wash it at all, I've made a spray of 3 cups of water I distilled mixed with 10 drops of Rosemary oil, two drops of Lavender, and 1 tbsp of Jojoba. I shake it up really well and then spray it on my hair until it's thoroughly damp. This is mainly to hydrate it... the oils help bond the moisture into the hair so that my curls stay all day. I've never used gels or hairspray or a blowdryer, so my hair has always been soft, but by the end of the day, my curls would be mere waves. I honestly can't remember my hair being this nice since I was a little kid.

    Now I feel like Curly Sue, and if my hair was soft before, it's like handling feathers now. So... I recommend this hair routine for anyone with naturally curly hair. It really works! It works so well in fact, that I've been thinking about maybe making custom shampoos and selling them. I feel like I should be saying something like, "I'm not just the president of the hair club for women, I'm also a client." heh If I do decide to start making shampoos for others though, I'll have to get testers for the different formulas I come up with. Just cause it works well for me, doesn't mean it would work well for everyone with every hairtype. So... if anyone wants samples, send me a private message with your snailmail and hairtype (fine/coarse, colored/natural color/graying, curly/wavy/straight, and any hair/scalp issues or allergies you have) and when I cook up my next batch I'll send you a sample to try. Then just let me know how it goes.

    I've put off making a conditioner so far because I don't have an empty container to put it in. Currently I'm using a Suave Naturals conditioner which has no silicone in it. When I empty the bottle, I'll be peeling the labels off and reusing it to hold my cream rinse experiments.

    Tattoo
    My webnovel so far...



    Chapter 1.1 in which Glory is not mindful of the store
    Chapter 1.2 in which Glory is made to do something she would really rather not
    Chapter 1.3 in which Glory thinks she might be sick
    Chapter 1.4 in which Aaron makes a mistake
    Chapter 1.5 in which Glory is made to see the error of her ways
    Chapter 1.6 in which the circle remains unbroken

    Chapter 2.1 in which Aaron makes another mistake
    Chapter 2.2 in which Glory reflects on her path
    Chapter 2.3 in which we learn Aaron is not really a nice boy
    Chapter 2.4 in which Glory speculates on the holiness of salt

    I have also added a character profiles page and an historical documents (background) page. I have not yet added a map, or maps, but it's only a matter of time.
    July 6th


    Julian the Blessed (331-363 BC) was born today. He was a learned philosopher and Roman emperor who attempted to restore pagan religions to Rome.


  • wcfq 11c: My one and only crush

    Everybody has a relationship story, whether it
    be how you found your true love or just the crush you had in second
    grade. What's yours?
    yellojellopudding


    Once upon a time in a town far, far away... I confessed to a fellow classmate that I thought a certain boy named Mike was cute. This was way back in junior high school (6th grade) and the boy in question had red hair, blue eyes, and freckles. He was cute in an Opie/Howdy Doody/Richie Cunningham way. Yeah, so I'm a dork. I still think red hair and blue eyes is cute. It's my one and only physical hangup. Unfortunately, the girl I told went and blabbed... to everyone, and by the following day, I had this boy following me around school alternating between teasing me and asking me if I wanted to go on a date.

    I thought he was cute, but beyond that, I wasn't interested really. He was a classclown and hung out with people who teased me in general. So he badgered me for a good week before I broke down and agreed. I made up a story about having to ask my parents... blah blah. Not true of course. My parents never concerned themselves with my private life. But he didn't know that.

    The thing is, I knew he didn't want to go out with me. It was a big joke because I was pretty much the most unpopular student in school. I didn't fit into any cliques. I had my own fashion sense... half thrift-store chic and half artsy fartsy. (I painted my jeans with sea/star scapes and drew all over my sneakers. A style that actually came into fashion in France the following year. I was such a trend setter. o.O) I didn't have my hair permed (it's naturally curly) and I didn't use a can of hairspray every morning to make my bangs stand up like some kind of valleygirl reject.

    So finally after a week of him dogging my steps through school and following me most of the way home nearly every day... I finally said yes, fine. Yes, I will go out with you.

    And he laughed at me and said he'd never wanted to go out with me. It was just a big joke. Which I knew before he admited it... but it still hurt (because I kind of wanted to believe maybe he really did want to go out, he was so persistent about it. And I wouldn't have minded having someone to confide in when people were cruel and I couldn't contain it any more.)

    But at least he stopped bothering me after that.
    July 4th


    The Athenian festival to honor Athena was called the Panathenaea. On the sixth day, the goddess' statue was dressed in a new robe. This was also a holy day of the Roman Goddess Pax, goddess of peace.... which is ironic considering this when the Declaration of Independence was signed... an act of war against the English monarchy.

    (No holidays tomorrow, so there will be no post; I'm taking the day off.)

  • Kween of the Queens Challenge : Independence

    Kween of Queens Challenge 2008-13

    How do you claim your independence?


    I gave my declaration long ago...

    When I was still in grade school I resolved to not be tyrannized by the fashionistas and the PC police. I resolved to be who I am, not what they called me. It's easy enough to declare your independence from the status quo, but that's just the beginning of the war for the right of self-determination.

    It took me years to create myself as separate from the judgments of my peers, to find the strength not to be cowed when my individuality put me on the front lines of non-conformity. I come from a society that values individuality, even as it berates its fringe cultures to conform. Society values intelligence, even as it denigrates its children, telling them their dreams are unrealistic and supporting a life of mediocre strivings. Those with high ideals and dreams need not apply here unless they can take their knocks and ignore the oxymoronical dictates of a society more concerned with how they look than with what third world country's children were responsible for putting the stitches in their ensemble.

    In childhood, I declared my independence from lackadaisical morals that only apply when other people are watching. I resolved to always be the "better man," to never be the sore loser or the poor winner, to hold the door for whoever came after me whether I was thanked or not, to never block an intersection, prevent a car with its turn signal from merging into my lane (and to always use mine), or fly through a yellow light no matter how late I might be running. I was born with a brain. It would be a shame not to use it. I am determined to be honest; who else will bring the unpopular truths to light so that they can be dealt with? My mother taught me manners, and by golly, I'm going to use them whether it's to say please when asking for more water at a restaurant or thank you after I have bought something from a tired and ill-tempered cashier. I won't use foul language unless I really, honestly mean it and even then, sparingly. I resolved.... to always be the good example that inspired others  to follow  in my footsteps and  not the bad example that  is  so  much easier  to imitate.



    June 3rd


    The New Year of the Seminole Indian tribe of Florida begins on this date, and is celebrated with an annual Green Corn Dance honoring the new corn crop. Eating the first corn marks the start of a new year.



    The Festival of Cerridwen honors the goddess of knowledge, wisdom, plenty, and pigs.



    In Italy, this day is sacred to the Witch of Gaeta; while in Greece, the goddess Athena is honored.



    Sothis begins in Egypt, honoring the rise of Sirius.



    The Dog Days of Summer officially begin. According to Hellenic traditions, the rising of the Dog Star heralded the hottest part of the year for the Northern Hemisphere. The Dog Days of Summer, as calculated by the Greater or Lesser Dog Star (Sirius or Procyon), may continue from 30 to 54 days. A generally accepted period is from July 3 to August 15.

    The Greeks referred to the Dog Stars as Maera and Hecuba, and the Romans called them Canicula and Sycamine. It was called Isis Hathor by the Egyptians and symbolized by the form of a cow with disc and horns or as a cow recumbent in a boat with head surmounted by a star appearing from behind the western hills. In the earlier temple service of Denderah, Sirius was Isis Sothis and at Philae Isis Sati or Satit.  Sirius, Canis Major, was Al Shi'ra or Al Si'ra in Arabic parts of the world, and Canis Minor was called Al Jummaiza or Al Ghumaisa, 'the Dim' from the fact that her light was dimmer than that of her sister Al Shi'ra. They were also called Al Aliawat al Suhail, the Sisters of Canopus. The Norse called Sirius Loki's Brand.



  • wcfq 11a: Talent or Persistence

    If you had to choose one, would you rather have talent, or the fortitude to be persistent in whatever you do.
    Prometheus


    From personal experience, I'd rather have persistence than talent. Anything worth having is worth working for. It's often been the case where the most talented people end up being the laziest because they don't have to work in whatever area they excel to be good. They're talented and so they don't want to spend the time to be better; they don't think they need it. Whereas someone with little or no innate talent, but a strong appreciation of the field, needs to have the persistence to develop a skill in that area. Skills are more important than talent because people with skill have made the effort to improve themselves and broaden their skill set in that area. Whereas talented people who do not have the patience to develop what they are born with are something like a one trick wonder, a savant... good but not creative. They lack the ability to synthesize new ideas in whatever field their talent lies.



    I took this test two years ago and saw it again on     TheCheshireGrins site. It's interesting to see areas where I've changed...

    Take Free Advanced Global Personality Test
    personality test by similarminds.com

    Stability results were medium which suggests you are moderately relaxed, calm, secure, and optimistic.
    Orderliness
    results were medium which suggests you are moderately organized, hard
    working, and reliable while still remaining flexible, efficient, and
    fun.
    Extraversion results were moderately low which suggests you are reclusive, quiet, unassertive, and secretive.

    trait snapshot:

    changeable,
    in the middle, suspicious, somewhat traditional, dislikes chaos, down
    to earth, group oriented, practical... you scored in the middle on the
    overall factors of this test. (Funny, it doesn't look that way to me.)

    Apparently, two years ago I was....
    8% more extroverted
    10% more stable (yikes! lol)
    12% more accommodating
    20% more interdependent
    13% more intellectual
    a whopping 46% more materialistic (not that I was all that materialistic to begin with),
    27% more adventurous (now this one is disturbing)
    27% more romantic (a little concerning as well),
    7% more anti-authority
    6% more dependent
    13% more sexual (as if I could get less sexual)
    33% more histrionic (I never thought I was the hysterical type, and now even less so)

    the same mystically, artistically, hedonism, narcissism, conflict seeking, wealth, aversion to change, individuality, paranoia  (I'm pretty paranoid apparently)

    8% less orderly
    7% less religious
    7% less in work ethic
    6% less avoidant
    13% less dominating (puzzling)
    7% less cautious
    7% less of a Peter Pan complex (ha!)
    33% less physically active (... good for me?)
    27% less vain (Yipe! I didn't think I was vain)

    In some of the old categories I was 50% self-absorbed, 56% concerned with physical security, 56% hypersensitive, and only 36% female cliche. lol
    June 2nd


    The Italian Il Palio in Siena is a festival of medieval games.



     In ancient times, the citizens of Rome celebrated the Feast of Expectant Mothers. At temples throughout the city, all pregnant women gathered to receive blessings and honor Bona Dea, Carmenta, Lucina, and other goddesses associated with birth and fertility.


  • July

    The month of July was named for Julius Caesar who reorganized the previously skewed calendar to what is now called the Julian Calendar. Instituted in 26 BC, this was known as the Year of Confusion because of the irritation switching calendar caused. This was the calendar of the west for the next 1600 years. July is sacred to Apt (or Apet), Athena, Sothis, Spider Woman, and Rosea.

    The Irish name for this month was I'il or an t-Iuchar, the border time. Traditionally during the last two weeks of July and the first two weeks of August, Sirius, the dog star, can be seen in the sky. The Anglo-Saxon name was Aeftera Litha, "after Litha," or sometimes Maedmonat, "meadow month." Hewimanoth, "hay month," was the Frankish name, and the Asatru call it Haymoon.

    July's Full Moon is called the Buck Moon. It is also the Blessing or Wort Moon and the Honey Moon, a name it shares with June's Moon. It is also called the Moon of Claiming, Fallow Moon, Thunder Moon, a name shared with August, and Moon of Blood (due to mosquitoes), a name it share with October. It is sometimes also called the Full Hay Moon.

    The sun passes from Cancer to Leo on July 23rd. The birth flower for July is the larkspur. Onyx, sardonyx, carnelian, turquoise or rubies are the stones listed for those born in July. The birthstone of Cancer is the moonstone or pearl, while Leo's stone is the ruby, onyx, or smoky quartz. Albite, chrysoprase, emerald, green tourmaline, opal, pink tourmaline, and rhodochrosite are also significant to Cancers, and amber, carnelian, chrysocolla, citrine, fire agate, garnet, pink tourmaline, ruby, and topaz are associated with Leo.
    July 1ST


    The people of India and Nepal honor a promise given by the Nagas, snake deities, with the Naga Panchami. Nagas control weather, especially water, and they can also cure or cause disease, bring good luck or bad, and prevent or cause death by snake bite. According to legend, a farmer once accidentally killed three baby snakes while farming. The angry mother snake entered his house and killed all but the daughter who put a bowl of milk in front of herself for the snake. The snake not only spared her life but offered her anything she wished. The girl wished for her family to be restored and for the snake to refrain from killing anyone else that day. This was granted and the snake slithered away. Snake images are displayed on religious altars, and offerings of milk, grain, and food are placed at the mouth of snake holes. Live serpents are carried through town or pulled around in pots on carts. Plowing and digging are forbidden.



    In Japan, this day is sacred to Fuji, the ancient Japanese goddess of fire. Fuji is also regarded as the grandmother of Japan, and on this special day (which also marks the start of Mount Fuji Climbing Season) she is honored with prayers and burnt offerings.



    Rain today meant rainy weather for the next four weeks.



    In the Zoroastrian religion, Tir Jashan honors the spirits of rain.



     Nostradamus died today in 1566.