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  • Writers Choice Featured Questions Week 32

    five questions for this week

    unfeatured questions stolen from the featured question chatboard, dated from October of 2007

    If you had a chance to travel to any part
    of the world, where would you go?
    LucyWrites

    What do you consider “Your Theme Song,”
    and what is the meaning and lyrics?
    Kaykalee

    Do you believe in the phrase
    “Everything happens for a reason”?
    Why or why not?
    jesuslovesstevie

    Are you the type of person who roots
    for the underdog in a competition? Why?
    BadnarikChick

    Do you give your change to the people who
    appear to be homeless or who hold cardboard
    signs asking for money? Why or why not?
    Ezekiel36_33to36
    Answer any one or all of these questions in the coming week. I try to mix the whimsical with the serious here, so hopefully there is at least one question here for everyone.
    January 19th

    Thorrablottar, Husband’s Day, is sacred to the Norse God Thor. Men ceremoniously welcome him into their homes. Rising before anyone else, the head of a household is instructed to go outside clad only in his shirt and underwear and hop all the way around his home on one foot. Then he bids Thor welcome to his home. Wives are supposed to treat their mates especially well.

    On the 5th day of Pamenot in the Egyptian calendar, the festival of Lights occurs as Neith Goes Forth from Sais.





  • Tattoo

    the webnovel so far…

    Chapter 1: Blood is Thicker
    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: A Farewell to Arms
    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
    Chapter 2.5 in which Glory learns of the necessity for upper body strength, but makes do with  what she has
    Chapter 2.6 in which Aaron tries to make amends, but is still pretty much an ass

    Chapter 3: Small Sacrifices
    Chapter 3.1 in which Glory is spat on, twice
    Chapter 3.2 in which a cop is threatened
    Chapter 3.3 in which someone is crying
    Chapter 3.4  in which there’s more to the moon than meets the eye
    Chapter 3.5  in which Glory comes face to face with an loony environmentalist
    Chapter 3.6 in which Glory gets turned around
    Chapter 3.7 in which Glory is threatened
    Chapter 4: The Shape of Things to Come
    Chapter 4.1 in which a doctor makes his rounds
    Chapter 4.2 in which Glory is asked some awkward questions
    Chapter 4.3 in which Glory adopts a pet
    Chapter 4.4 in which Glory gets a surprise, but decides she should not have been surprised at all
    Chapter 4.5 in which Glory explains why there are no debts where duty is concerned
    Chapter 4.6 in which a shapeshifter is an enemy to no man
    Chapter 4.7 in which Glory defends Toby’s right to make a phone call
    Chapter 4.8 in which the nose knows
    Chapter 4.9 in which good pizza is wasted on a possum
    Chapter 4.10 in which the ruse is discovered and much blood is shed
    Chapter 4.11 in which names are dropped and there is much frustration

    Chapter 5: Of Mice and Men and Other Things
    Chapter 5.1 in which money can’t buy happiness
    Chapter 5.2 in which Glory makes herself at home
    January 18th

    In Japan, the annual Outakai-hajime, or poetry party, is held at Court. Poems on a given theme are selected from the entries submitted by the public and are read aloud.



  • WCFQ 31c: That’s… strange

    What’s the strangest thing that’s ever happened to you?
    ksmurf12

    Well, one time I think I saw a UFO. It was very high up in the sky, but shaped like a blimp, that is, oblong. And it was white and shiny. I was about 14 and it was in the late afternoon. Most people don’t believe it was a UFO because it was very close to an airport, and if it had been coming in for a landing or whatever, I could see their argument, but it was so high up it could have been a freckle on the skin of the sky. So it was definitely not close enough that the nearness of the airport should really have any meaning.

    Another time, well, this is something that happened to my sister really. My family lived in a house with a really unpleasant ghost. It liked to throw my boombox down the stairs at night when we were sleeping. Guess it was a music critic. Our room was in the newly renovated attic. Part of the attic had not been fixed up and there was a door to that part of the room that was forever coming open. It would really give me the creeps if I woke up in the morning and saw this door open when I knew I had made certain it was closed the previous night. Well we liked to play a game called hide and seek in the dark, so it wasn’t so much that you had to find a place to hide as you had to be perfectly quiet.So my sister decided to sneak back there, but fell on some boards on the floor. She said something grabbed her leg. As she fell, she fell to the side, which is a good thing because a pair of scissors was wedged between the boards and would have stabbed her otherwise. Obviously there was no reason for a pair of scissors to be back there, let alone stuck point-up in boards.

    There was one time that I worked at a convenience store and one of my coworkers didn’t believe in numerology. So I said I could get the numbers to win the pick three using numerology but that it was so difficult to narrow it down, it wouldn’t be cost-efficient to play. She really harrassed me about it, so I finally came up with a series of 20 numbers. I won $40. So I doubled my money, but I haven’t played since because it’s just too much work, and I have no self-confidence.

    Ravens tend to follow me, espcially when I am feeling unhappy. They’re one of my spirit animals. When I’m feeling particularly anxious, they’ll usually show up and then I know it’ll be okay. They’re not my only spirit animal, but I see them more often than others. They even talk in my dreams. None of my other spirit animals talk with words in my dreams. They’re mostly of the “actions speak louder than words” variety. lol
    January 16
    (sorry I missed yesterday, I misread when I was due in at work and ran out of time)

    Romans honor the goddess of all harmonious relations, Concordia (Greek Harmonia), with prayers for Peace. She is depicted in a bronze shrine dedicated to her in Rome in 304 BCE, and the Republican Romans built temples in her honor in the forum romanum and on the Capitoline Hill. Today was one of the dies comitiales, when committees of citizens could vote on political or criminal matters.

    The ‘Queen of the Universe’ appeared in the clouds to all the inhabitants of the town of Arras, France.

    Mattu-Pongal is the third day of Pongal, dedicated to the worship and veneration of cattle (mattu). The horns of the cattle are decorated with turmeric and kumkum, and small bells and flowers are hung around their neck. After the cattle have been paraded through the streets, the pongal that was been offered to the local deities is given to the cattle to eat.




    January 17th

    Felicitas, the minor goddess of good luck, is honored.

    The last day of Pongal is known as Kanyapongal. Coloured balls of the pongal are made and are offered to birds. A kind of bull-fight, called the ‘Jallikattu’ is held in Madhurai, Tiruchirapalli and Tanjore in Tamil Nadu and several places in Andhra Pradesh. Bundles containing money are tied to the horns of ferocious bulls, and unarmed villagers try to wrest the bundles from them. A Bullock Cart race and cock-fight are also held. In Andhra Pradesh, every household displays its collection of dolls for three days. Community meals are held at night with freshly harvested ingredients.



  • Contests, Anthologies, Magazines…

    Whether it was Xanga or my connection yesterday, I could just not get on to post a blog. At this point, it could be either one. Sunspots maybe? I must have lost connection about five times yesterday (yes, I have dialup), and when I was on without interruption, the weblog editor would just not ever finish loading. I finally gave up around 9pm.

    So for my mini-vacation imposed by carlessness, I read Let the Right One In on Monday, read comics I picked up last week on Tuesday, and cleaned most of yesterday before running out of steam and “trying” to come online. Sometime today I’ll pick up my car, and tomorrow I go back to work. I am not enthusiastic. lol I could stand to take another week off. I could stand to have regular meals, or eat whenever I feel hungry, instead of being told when to eat because it’s convenient for business. Bleh. To me, that is the worst thing about working in a customer service industry. Not that I’m a gourmand, but I do get low blood sugar… and also eating a meal when you’re not hungry just because you won’t get the chance to later is a good way to become overweight. It’s bad for the metabolism and creates bad eating habits.

    It’s now just over two weeks into the new year. I’ve been collecting notices of anthologies, (free) writing contests, etc through my gmail alerts. I don’t know how many, if any, I will get to participate in, but I figured I’d post them here for people who may have more free time than me. These are all paying markets or free contests, with links if available (which you should click on for more details).




    Anthologies

    Horror Bound Online Magazine publications is announcing a call for submissions for a future anthology called Return of the Raven. (temporary title). This is a tribute to the master of Horror, Edgar Allan Poe. If you are inspired by the work of the master and his themes, tone, characterization and style then read on:

    LIMITS ON SEXUAL/EROTIC CONTENT, PROFANITY, VIOLENCE AND GORE. No sexual/erotic content or profanity. The editors of this anthology are not big fans of either violence or gore. If there is going to be violence and gore, it better be a very compelling read!

    LENGTH: 3,000-7,000 words (for short stories); multiple submissions ok

    DEADLINE: March 31st, 2009 or until the anthology is filled. Within one (1) week of submission, you’ll receive an e-mail confirming receipt. (If not, feel free to email and ask.) After that, you will NOT hear back unless your story will appear in the anthology.

    PAYMENT: 0.01 cents (CAN) per word. Payment made upon publication. You must have a paypal account. Money will be deposited into that account.

    PRINT RIGHTS: First print rights, exclusive print rights for three years from time of publication. Author retains copyright. No reprints please.

    SUBMISSION & QUESTIONS: Send to admin@horrorbound.com. File must be in .doc format or .rtf. NO PDFS.

    Triangulation is an annual 125-150+ page short fiction anthology that publishes science fiction, fantasy, horror, and any other speculative fiction that caught the editors’ fancy. 2009′s theme is “Dark Glass.” They pay semi-pro rates. They accept short fiction up to about 5,000 words. This is a soft word limit, but the more space a story would take, the more it will need to impress. There is no minimum word count. No fanfic, even if it’s fanfic of a fictional universe that has passed into public domain (Lovecraft is a no-no). 

    Submission deadline is March 31, 2009. All electronic submits must be sent by that time, all snail mail submits must be postmarked by that date.

    Compensation: Two cents per word (USA funds, rounded to the nearest 100 words, $10 minimum payment) on publication and a single contributor’s copy. The anthology will be published in late July of 2009.


  • WCFQ 31a: My favorite bad joke

    What is your favorite “bad” joke?
    worldofolives

    Warning: This is long and may be offensive to Christians (particularly Catholics), but to Pagans it will be friggin’ funny as Heck!

    Pagan Football

    Heard one night on Between the Worlds Radio, WIKA…

    Bob: “For those of you who have just joined us, this has been one hell of a game! The Salem Witches, led by the ferocious play of Sven Gahrinnson, a huge Asatru defensive end, have taken a 21-14 lead over the Bethany Baptists.”

    Sam: “That’s right, Bob. Sven’s a force, but Bethany’s quarterback Paul Damascus has been throwing passes with all the zeal of an evangelist passing out tracts on Judgment Day. Leading the Baptists’ “Fire and Brimstone” offense, Damascus has been burning the Witches’ secondary all evening.”

    Bob: “Sam, now that was uncalled for…”

    Sam: “Hey, if the Witches hadn’t put a spell on the referees they wouldn’t even be in this game!”

    Bob: “And if the Baptists hadn’t soaked the field with holy water, the Witches would still be able to use their running game, not to mention the third degree burns that Salem’s tight end received.”

    Sam: “His name was Vlad! I’ll bet he wasn’t only a witch but a…”

    Bob: “Don’t say it!”

    Sam: “But the Bible says…”

    Bob: “SAM! Let’s return to the action on the field.”

    Sam: :::mumbling::: “Well it does…”

    Bob: “Salem’s just about to kick off with 2:35 left in the fourth quarter. JohnPaul is on his own five yard line to receive for the Baptists. Here’s the kick… It’s a beauty! Just look at the hang time!”

    Sam: “I’d look for a penalty on that kick. Illegal summoning of air elementals, I would think.”

    Bob: “JohnPaul takes the kick… he’s on the ten… the fifteen.. WOW! WHAT A HIT!! Sven just leveled JohnPaul! I’m amazed Bethany’s return man could even hold on to the ball. Uh oh… JohnPaul’s not moving. The trainers are coming out to the field.”

    Sam: :::chanting gleefully::: “Threefold law! Threefold law! Sven’s going to pay! He meant to hit him hard.”

    Bob: “Sam, this is football! You’re supposed to hit them hard. Besides, Sven’s not Wiccan, he’s Asatru!”

    Sam: :::mumbling::: “Well, they’re all going to burn in hell. They aren’t Christian, after all. The Bible says…”

    Bob: :::cutting off Sam::: “It looks like JohnPaul’s going to be okay. He may not know what time zone he’s in after that hit, but at least he’s on his feet. The Witches’ defense takes the field. Sven holds down the left side while Gavin Lord leads Salem’s “Wild Hunt” defense. Listen to them howl! The Witches’ fans are going wild, the pep band is leading a spiral dance while the cheerleaders are drawing down the moon. I can’t imagine how Bethany can even hear the count over all this noise! “Here’s the snap. Damascus drops back. Here comes Sven! Damascus is scrambling, chased by the Wild Hunt. He has nowhere to run, not with the Hunt on his heels. Damascus throws the ball away, stopping the clock with 2:08 left to play.”

    Sam: “There’s a flag on the play. I’ll bet it’s against the Witches”

    Bob: “My guess is holding on the offense, Sam.”

    Sam: “Yeah, right. You’re just saying that ’cause you don’t want the Baptists to win.”

    Bob: “No, I’m saying that because one of Bethany’s offensive linemen is still holding someone’s kilt!”

    Sam: “They should call that a foul. After all, the Bible says…”

    Bob: :::cutting Sam off again::: “The refs have marked off the penalty and the players are lining up again. Damascus is calling the signals. Here’s the snap. He drops back and throws. It’s caught by Moses at the 30 and he’s brought down immediately. That’s going to bring up the two minute warning.”

    Sam: “Let’s break for a word from our sponsor, New Jerusalem Witnessing Tracts.”

    Bob: “Let’s not. We’re back! The word on JohnPaul’s injury is either a slight concussion or demon possession. The team is calling in a specialist from the Vatican to be sure. It seems that Sven hit him hard enough that the Bethany return man thinks he’s in a past life. He keeps saying, “I was really just kidding. I like lions. Really. Good kitty!” “There’s 1:58 left on the game clock and from the look of things on the field, I think that Bethany’s starting to panic.”

    Sam: “Why do you say that?”

    Bob: “Because it looks like they’re going for the ‘Hail Mary’ play.”

    Sam: “And why do you say that?”

    Bob: “Just listen to the Baptists’ fans.”

    Fans: “Hail Mary, Mother of God… Hail Mary, Mother of God…”

    Bob: “Here’s the snap. Damascus drops back … he’s under pressure … Damascus scrambles to the right, looking for an open receiver … he reverses the field, running to the left … Sven is right on his heals … He throws .. Touchdown!! What an immaculate reception! Touchdown Bethany!”

    Sam: “Yes! Yes! YES!!!”

    Bob: “Let’s be a little objective here…”

    Sam: “Time to make those sinners pay!”

    Bob: “Bethany’s going for the two point conversion. The Wild Hunt is growling, you can hear it even over the roar of the crowd. This could be the game right here, folks. The Baptists are pulling out all the stops. “I think that’s even the Ark of the Covenant that they’re parading over there. Here’s the snap … It’s a quarterback sneak! Damascus dives into the heart of the Wild Hunt! Look at that pile! Damascus is somewhere at the bottom. It’s going to be a moment before they sort this one out, folks. “One of the Baptists is in Sven’s face. Uh oh… I think he’s witnessing to the Asatru. Yep! There’s the flag! That’ll be unsportsmanlike conduct on Bethany. Fifteen yards off the kick off. “It looks like the Baptists have made the conversion! Bethany leads 22 to 21.”

    Sam: “That’s not the only thing they converted. It looks like Sven is headed back to Bethany’s sideline.”

    Bob: “No! Sven! You’re a warrior! Come back! Come back!”

    Sam: “Oh… is da widdle asatwoo a kwistjun now?”

    Bob: :::ignoring Sam::: “Fourth quarter … 1:22 left on the clock … Bethany sends a deep booming kick into Salem’s end zone. Wait … who is that returning the kick? Long hair … curves … It’s Artemis! Those Bethany defenders don’t know who they have coming at them!”

    Sam: “If she turns anyone into a stag and they don’t call a penalty, I’ll protest!”

    Bob: “Artemis fields the ball deep in her own end zone. She’s bringin’ it out! She’s at the five, at the ten … breaks a tackle … to the fifteen, the twenty … she’s on the sideline with room to run … Does anyone hear trumpets? Are those angels over there? OHMI’GOD! WHAT WAS THAT FLASH OF LIGHT?!?!??!”

    Sam: “Where did all of Bethany’s players go? Where are their fans?”

    Bob: “Looks like its the Rapture … Artemis is left with a field empty of defenders … She’s at the fifty … the forty … the twenty … Touchdown!! Salem’s ahead by five with Bethany nowhere in sight!”

    Sam: “Judgment Day … It can’t be Judgment Day…”

    Bob: “Looks like the refs are talking this one over. The clock is stopped with fifty-eight seconds left to play. The Bethany Baptists are nowhere in sight and the Salem Witches lead 27 – 22. Here’s the official ruling … That’s game! The Bethany Baptists forfeit the game and the Salem Witches win, 27 – 22!”

    Sam: :::still bemoaning his fate::: “Judgment Day … It was Judgment Day and no one came to get me! It can’t be Judgment Day! Why? Why, Bob? Why?”

    Bob: “Don’t know, Sam. It’s your system of belief, not mine. You’re welcome to hang out with us Pagans.”

    Sam: “Dear GOD! It was Judgment Day and they sent me to Hell! This is Hell, isn’t it Bob?”

    Bob: :::thinking of being the only Pagan that Sam knows::: “Only for me, Sam. Only for me.”
    January 13th

    Frigg is honored today by her followers, the Freefolk from Frigefolc or ‘Frigg’s People.’


    In Austria, the final Witchcraft laws were repealed in 1787.



  • Writers Choice Featured Questions Week 31

    five questions for this week

    unfeatured questions stolen from the featured question chatboard, dated from October of 2007

    What is your favorite “bad” joke?
    worldofolives

    Have you ever considered donating blood? If so, what was the outcome?
    supercodexvi

    What’s the strangest thing that’s ever happened to you?
    ksmurf12

    How important is it to you that you feel like your job/work/career is significant in whatever way you define significance?
    BabblingBrooke135

    Is there any person or cause that you would be willing to sacrifice your life for?
    wherestherum_17


    Answer any one or all of these questions in the coming week. I try to mix the whimsical with the serious here, so hopefully there is at least one question here for everyone.
    January 12th

    The Roman festival of Compitalia honors the Lares and Manes, household gods. The Compitalia and the Feralia are part of the Mania. Mania is the goddess referred to as the Mother or Grandmother of Ghosts. The Romans celebrate the Compitalia on the 12th of January and also the 6th of March. Loaves of bread are fashioned in the shape of men and called Maniae. Woolen effigies of men and women are dedicated to the goddess Mania and hung at the doors of all the houses in Rome in the hope that, in her rounds through the city, she will accept the effigies for the inmates of the house and so spare the living from death for another year.



  • Tattoo

    OK, let me start by saying… I’m an idiot.

    …………….why?

    Because I scheduled my webnovel to update January 11th, 2008. Duh me! Sorry to anyone who was looking for it this morning. I didn’t catch it till around noon.

    My car goes in to the shop tomorrow for four days. Even though my insurance offers a free rental (for a day), I decided to take off from work for the four days. Believe me, there’s plenty for me to work on at home, from cleaning to redoing my lost page of tattoos to catching up on my reading. I stopped in at the comic shop last week, and there’s a bag that’s been sitting next to my bed in anticipation of these four free days. Not to mention, I bought the novel that new vampire movie Let the Right One In is based on. So far, it’s pretty good. Not your typical vampire book (thank the gods!)

    I’ll get paid for two of the days off with left over vacation, and two are my “regular” days off. I worked today in order to get these four in a row. My only anxiety is that they’ll find something wrong with my car internally and it’ll end up taking longer than four days. Not that this should be the case, since I’ve been driving around for a couple weeks now and, aside from those two flat tires right before Christmas, no wheels have popped off. Still, I’m paranoid. It’s annoying. On the other hand, I wouldn’t mind if they were done early or something.

    BTW, we’re starting the horror book club back up in February if anyone’s near Allentown, Pennsylvania, or even if you just want to read the book and discuss it online… We have books selected up to June, but if anyone has any suggestions or requests, we’re open to them. I’m thinking of suggesting Let the Right One In, but I’ve only read about a third of it, so we’ll see. The movie looks excellent too. I’m still not certain of the significance of the title.

    The Horror Book Club

    Meeting the first Saturday of every month
    This year’s schedule so far:

    February 7th: Dracula
    by Bram Stoker

    March 7th: Dark Hollow
    by Brian Keene

    April 4th: Adrift on Haunted Seas
    by William Hope Hodgson

    May 2nd: H P Lovecraft’s Book of the Supernatural
    edited by Stephen Jones

    June 6th: Dr Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
    by Robert Louis Stevenson
    & The Jewel of Seven Stars
    by Bram Stoker



    Tattoo
    the webnovel so far…

    Chapter 1: Blood is Thicker
    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: A Farewell to Arms
    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
    Chapter 2.5 in which Glory learns of the necessity for upper body strength, but makes do with  what she has
    Chapter 2.6 in which Aaron tries to make amends, but is still pretty much an ass

    Chapter 3: Small Sacrifices
    Chapter 3.1 in which Glory is spat on, twice
    Chapter 3.2 in which a cop is threatened
    Chapter 3.3 in which someone is crying
    Chapter 3.4  in which there’s more to the moon than meets the eye
    Chapter 3.5  in which Glory comes face to face with an loony environmentalist
    Chapter 3.6 in which Glory gets turned around
    Chapter 3.7 in which Glory is threatened
    Chapter 4: The Shape of Things to Come
    Chapter 4.1 in which a doctor makes his rounds
    Chapter 4.2 in which Glory is asked some awkward questions
    Chapter 4.3 in which Glory adopts a pet
    Chapter 4.4 in which Glory gets a surprise, but decides she should not have been surprised at all
    Chapter 4.5 in which Glory explains why there are no debts where duty is concerned
    Chapter 4.6 in which a shapeshifter is an enemy to no man
    Chapter 4.7 in which Glory defends Toby’s right to make a phone call
    Chapter 4.8 in which the nose knows
    Chapter 4.9 in which good pizza is wasted on a possum
    Chapter 4.10 in which the ruse is discovered and much blood is shed
    Chapter 4.11 in which names are dropped and there is much frustration

    Chapter 5: Of Mice and Men and Other Things
    Chapter 5.1 in which money can’t buy happiness
    January 11th


    The Roman Carmentalia honors the Carmenae, prophetic nymphs identified with the nine muses. Their leader is Carmentis, a goddess of prophecy and protectress of women in childbirth. She is also honored with another Carmentalia on the 15th of January.

    The 11th and 15th were among the most important festivals for Roman mothers. Roman matrons celebrated along with the flamen (a priest devoted to a particular god of the Roman pantheon) and pontifices (a council of nine, fifteen, or sixteen priests). Two Carmentes, called Porrima and Postverta were worshiped as her sisters and attendants. Near the Porta Carmentalis, which was named for her, was a Flamen Carmentalis. It was not lawful to defile her shrine with leather or any skin of slaughtered beasts.



    Juturna, an old Italian goddess of fountains and prophetic waters, is honored with the Juturnalia on the anniversary of the day on which her temple was erected in the Campus Martius by Lutatius Cotulus. All aqueduct workmen and others in a similar field celebrate the Juturnalia.



    As part of the New Year’s celebrations in Japan, the kagami-mochi, a two-tiered rice cake which was placed in the alcove of the living room or kitchen, is cut up and eaten today. This custom, called kagami biraki, originated with the samurai class.



    On the 27th day of Mechir, a Feast of Sokar occurs.



  • WCFQ 30c: Of Chickens and eggs and eggish things

    What came first, the chicken or the egg????
    NONA_MIA


    I gave this question a lot of consideration a long time ago and came to the conclusion that the egg came first.

    Basically, the egg is a cell. It has a nucleus (yolk), cytoplasm (white), and a cell membrane (the shell). Everyone but the creationists agree that the first life forms on earth were single celled organisms. In essence, the first lifeforms were eggs, itsy bitsy little eggs that you’d need a microscope to see. Eventually those eggs evolved by borrowing traits from other cells (which is what happens when an egg is fertilized) and gathered together with like minded cells to make communities (multicellular organisms) to their mutual benefit (not being easy pickins for more aggressive cells and multicellular oganisms). Obviously, the multicellular outlook was a vast improvement on single cellular living. Cohabitation means you share all the costs of living, but you also have to deal with all the crap the cell next to you puts out until trash day. Of course, the multicellular outlook is so popular that even multicellular organisms gather together and to form families for greater security and benefit. lol Though it seems the more cells in an entity, the more it strives to survive… look at countries…. they’re like macrocosmic chickens protecting their little eggs.

    Eventually the first egg laying animal evolved which we will call a chickard or a lizken. In time, the lizards and birds separated into different animal kingdoms to give us our chickens and lizards. Even so, the egg as we know it came from the lizardy-type pre-chickenish animals. The chickens just made the shell a but thicker so that some day people could grind them up and use them to make homemade sidewalk chalk.

    But it was definitely the egg that came first. The egg, like the cheese, stands alone.


    Yeah… I’m really tired, and I have to go shovel out my car and head to work soon.




    January 10th


    Securitas was commonly invoked by Romans when some imminent danger had been averted, but also annually on this day. She is depicted seated, relaxed, with a scepter in her right hand and a globe at her feet



    This day honors Geraint, the 9th century Blue Bard of Wales.



    On the 26th day of Mechir, Isis sees the face of Osiris, and Min Goes Forth to Coptos.



    After Benin lifted a ban on the practice of Voodoo in the mid-1990s, it was declared an official religion in the former French colony, and January 10th is celebrated as National Voodoo Day, a public holiday ranking with Christmas and the Muslim Eid. Celebrations draw thousands of tourists each year to Benin, especially to the coastal city of Ouidah. Voodoo has a strong popular presence in Haiti and similar African-origin rituals are celebrated in Cuba under the name of Santeria and in Brazil as Candomble.



  • Borders of the Absurd

    So, we’ll call Wednesday “The Day of the Dirty Old Men.” Early in the day, I was minding my own business at the register, helping to clear the line. My coworker was explaining the Borders rewards card and that it was free, when out of the blue, the old man she was talking to says quite loudly, “Oh I love it when you talk dirty to me!” (Do old men even think about what they’re saying before opening their mouths??) His wife must have chastised him because then he says, “I have to have my fun!” Ick! Ick! Eww!

    But wait! It get’s better! Later on, an old guy with a cane came in wanting to know if he could use his Visa gift card in the store, to which I replied in the affirmative. Later on, he comes up to me and asks me to open one of the locked cases of DVDs. So okay, no problem. But then he leads me over to the case with the porno and sports DVDs in it. Please, please, please let it be a sport DVD he wants! Nope. Porno. And then he proceeds to tell me he has this one, this one, and this one…. Gahhhhh! The only way it would have been worse is if he picked up one, showed it to me, and said, “What do you know about this one? Is it any good?” EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW! Whyyyyyyyyyyy????????

    Oh, it get’s better…… We’ll call Thursday the Day of the Unholy Stench. Now our building is quite old. Ten years, and it’s never once been remodeled, though they’ve been promising to do so for the last five years. There are leaks in the ceiling where rain literally cascades into the store if we have a good storm. There’s a huge crack in the floor of the backroom that goes from one end of the room to the other. Maybe there are more under the carpeting in the rest of the store. Hard to say. There are cracks in the walls and chipped paint. We have to call in a service person at least once a month for the bathrooms. Sometimes two out of three stalls are clogged in the ladies room. And the smell! Ugggghhhh! Sometimes I think people specifically come to our store to leave their gut bombs. They don’t want to risk having their homes cordoned off as a health hazard.

    But yesterday, it was not the bathroom that was the culprit. Now several days ago, it became apparent that the drain/grease trap in the cafe was not draining properly. That’s never fun because it reeks when it’s cleaned. So finally, it wouldn’t drain at all so they called in a repair man for that. In the meantime, some regular maintenance on the building turned up three tripped breakers, which he duly switched back on. Now apparently, in the ten years the building has been in use, these breakers have NEVER been switched on. Would you like to hazard a guess as to what they controlled?

    Well apparently, the reason the store is always so cold…. is because the heat has never been turned on in half the store and in the ten years the building has stood and maintenance people have come and gone, not a single one of them has ever thought to flip those breakers on. I don’t know whether to applaud the guy who did notice or smack him. So ten years of accumulated dust and dirt and who knows, bat droppings, suddenly got flash fried. The cafe filled with smoke. Thankfully no sprinklers went off.

    Then to add to the rich aroma of burning detritus, the guy came to repair the grease trap. By the time I got there at 4pm, the smell was quite… robust. It was like some vile combination of vomit and burning hair (and I’m being charitable). Surprisingly no customers complained. Even more surprisingly, people were actually still getting food and drinks in the cafe and sitting over there where the smell was the worst. Seriously, if I’d had the choice and walked into the store to shop, I’d have done an about face. Now, I have a very strong sense of smell, but it was like a wall of odor and it moved around the store like the phantom of smell. It smelled everywhere, but sometimes you’d just walk into a particularly dense odoriferous entity, like a demon of stink. The only thing I can think is that almost everyone who was in the store had a cold. I have the beginnings of a cold myself, but…. Damn! I’m sure it hurt business. We didn’t make plan at all. I seriously think we should have scrapped the day and either closed the store to customers and stayed just to get our backlog of post holiday straightening done or simply locked the doors and burned the place to the ground.

    I’m almost afraid of what today may bring.
    January 9th

    The Dirge of Isis and Nephthys to call on the soul of Osiris is commemorated today.



  • wcfq 30+1: Our own worst critics

    Why do you think it’s so much easier
    to find things wrong with ourselves?
    AvenueToTheReal


    5 good things about me

    • I have very nice hair.
    • I’m pretty smart (or so I’ve been told).
    • I can entertain myself without relying on tv or other people.
    • I have a strong sense of right and wrong.
    • I’m frugal.

    5 bad things about me

    • My feelings are easily hurt, but I won’t often tell someone that they’ve hurt my feelings because I want them to realize it for themselves. Plus I’m afraid they either meant to hurt my feelings or will know better how to hurt me in the future if I clue them in.
    • I’m not very good at socializing. I can talk to people and hold conversations, but I don’t like parties or doing things that involve a crowd. Sometimes I think that hurts my chances of having friends because we don’t “hang out.” Mostly they just come to me for advice.
    • I don’t have much faith in people. I don’t trust them. I expect them to betray me or at least disappoint me. I keep people at arms length because I don’t feel like I can depend on them when push comes to shove.
    • Sometimes I feel like a hypocrite. Not for any particular reason, but people tell me I am so nice or so smart or so insightful, etc…. and I think they are wrong.
    • I wish I was more strong-willed so that I could go completely vegetarian instead of allowing my mother to talk me into eating fowl. She says if she doesn’t cook any meat for me, then she feels like she hasn’t cooked for me at all, even though I’m the one who does most of the cooking.

    Hmmmm, there seem to be a big difference in these two lists. My bad list is a lot more detailed. Probably because I think about what’s wrong with me a lot more than I think about what’s right with me. Very few people can look at themselves objectively. People have a tendency to exaggerate, either the good or the bad (depending upon their personality). Most people who know me in the real world think I’m pretty upbeat and optomistic. My answers here, I think more than my posts, show that I am not a very optomistic person. Hey, there’s another bad quality… I’m a pessimist. But on the plus side, another good quality is I’m honest. lol
    January 8th

    Justitia, the Roman goddess of Justice, is often portrayed evenly balancing both scales and a sword while wearing a blindfold, but she was originally depicted holding a cornucopia and scales. She was also sometimes portrayed holding the fasces (a bundle of rods around an ax symbolizing judicial authority) in one hand and a flame in the other (symbolizing truth).

    Galileo Galilee died this day in 1642. During his life, he was condemned for speaking the truth, that the world was round and revolved around the sun and was not, as the Church asserted, the center of the universe.

    Samuel Liddell MacGregor Mathers was born in 1854 and died 1918. As a prominent occult scholar, he was an author and a leader of the occult revival in the late 1880′s. He had a life long fascination with magic, mysticism and Celtic symbolism that led him to hold high office in the S.R.I.A. (Societas Rosicruciana in Anglia).  He, together with Dr. William Wynn Westcott and Dr. William Woodman was a co-founder of the influential occult Order known as the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn.

    Born Violet Mary Firth, Dion Fortune, also a member of the Golden Dawn, died today in 1946.

    This is the 24th day of Mechir in the Egyptian calendar. It is the date of a Festival of Isis and celebrates the Birth of Aion.