The Lonely Sock

Predictions for the Week of My Sister Claudia's Visit

2012-04-04T16:39:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow my evil sister Claudia will be arriving from out west. She will be staying with us for Easter, from April 5^th – April 11^th. Claudia has always been difficult from when she was little – even my mother would say so. She has treated my brother Geoffrey and I like garbage all our lives, and whenever she visits it’s like a tornado of anger, rage, anxiety, temper tantrums, and guilt trips sweeps through our home.

I should clarify a few things right now:

1) Claudia has recently become a psychologist.

2) With any dispute we have, she uses her education in psychology to justify anything she does and make anything we say or do appear wrong.

3) I’m positive that Claudia is a narcissist. I’ve been reading a lot about narcissism, and I believe she has at least 8 out of 9 characteristics of a narcissist.

4) Everyone in my family has health problems – me, my brother, my mother, and my father. Everyone but Claudia. And Claudia is the LEAST understanding person because she has never had to deal with illness or disability. And because narcissists lack empathy.

5) She has an extremely inaccurate view of our levels of disability and the challenges they can cause. This may in part be because she hasn’t seen us for about 2 years. Regardless, seeing us and seeing all that we can’t do will be a rude awakening for her. Most likely though, she will accuse us of not trying hard enough.

6) She has been pressuring us for years to go and visit her out west. We try to explain how impractical this is given our health problems, but she refuses to believe it and/or claims that it is all due to not taking good enough care of ourselves.

7) She is extremely controlling.

8) My mother claims that Claudia has matured a lot. This of course is based on phone conversations and nothing more. That said, Mom is still very nervous about Claudia’s visit.

9) When my brother and I talk to Claudia on the phone, we’ve both noticed that she is a lot nicer, yet we both get the sense that she is trying with all her might to hold back. In other words, Geoffrey and I both think her agreeableness is just an act.

So, now that you are briefly caught up, the following is a list of predictions I am making regarding what will take place from the time Claudia arrives tomorrow till the time she leaves on the 11^th. I am getting them in writing and posted online so that if any come true, I can prove to my family that I had predicted them before her arrival. This is not to say that I anticipate all of my predictions to come true. I am simply trying to cover any and all possibilities.

Predictions for the Week of Claudia’s Visit

1. Claudia will object to me biting my nails and/or tell me that my nails are gross.

2. Claudia won’t know how to turn on the TV or put on a DVD.

3. If me or my brother can’t sleep at night and get up to watch TV, Claudia will yell at me and my brother to turn down the TV. This may lead to a fight.

4. Claudia will talk, yell, or try to annoy me when I’m watching TV - probably during something good like a documentary that won’t be on again.

5. Claudia will recommend that we eat organic fruits & vegetables and this could start an argument/fight when we try to explain that they are too expensive. If she then buys some for us and we don’t eat them, there will be an even bigger fight.

6. Claudia will ask me and my brother to go to dinner with her and when we say no due to legitimately not feeling well, she will:

A) start fighting with us and/or throw a temper tantrum

B) accuse us of not taking good enough care of ourselves

C) get mad and declare that we just don’t want to go with her, which will partly be true

D) tell us that the reason we don’t feel well enough to go out is that we are not motivated enough

7. When Claudia finds out that I have pain in my chest and trouble breathing, she will freak out and won’t believe that it is actually related to my Fibromyalgia, which it is. Regardless of how much I fill her in on the subject, she will secretly believe that I have some kind of heart condition, and thus my diet must be dangerously flawed, just like the rest of me and my life.

8. If I’m able to go on a walk while she’s here, she will excitedly offer to come with me, as she feels that exercise and nutrition are her areas of expertise. When I tell her as nicely as possible that I prefer to go alone, that it’s my “me time,” she will get upset and possibly start a fight.

9. She will want to use my Wii Fit, or she will want us to do Wii Fit together. If I don’t want to, this will start a fight.

10. Claudia will either borrow my things without asking, or she will ask only to start a fight when I refuse to lend her my things. Some things she might take include:

A) my shampoo and conditioner

B) my make up

C) my socks – WHICH IS ABSOLUTELY FORBIDDEN!

D) my shirts and possibly pyjamas as they will be very roomy

E) my curlers or spoodles

F) my hair-bands, elastics, other hair accessories, face mask, face soap

G) sweaters

11. When Claudia sees that my fatigue keeps me from helping out around the house or doing anything with her, this will start a fight in which she lectures me to stop doing things that she thinks cause my fatigue, even though said things are unrelated.

12. Claudia will try to convince me not to repaint my room, remove the carpet, and refinish the hardwood floor. She will want to know why it’s so important to me in the first place. Since I will most likely refuse to tell her, this will start a fight.

13. If Claudia notices that I neatly underline passages in books I read, she will wonder why and possibly try to convince me that I shouldn’t bother, because it’s not like I’m studying the book for school.

14. Claudia may try to convince me to take distance education courses at the university, especially if she sees that I am able to read once in a while. When I explain that my concentration is unpredictable and that I probably won’t be able to make deadlines, she will show very clearly that she isn’t satisfied with my explanation. This could start a fight as well, as she will not understand why I can read some books and not do reading for school.

15. If Claudia takes a shower she won’t clean out the tub and this will start a huge fight.

16. Claudia will lecture me, my mom, and my brother Geoffrey about the amount of Coke we drink.

17. Claudia will try to convince me, my mom, and my brother to get rid of stuff that we want to keep. This could start a huge fight.

18. Claudia will complain about how crappy our telephones are and nag us to get new ones.

19. Claudia will either complain about my mother’s driving, refuse to let Mom drive her anywhere, or suggest that Mom’s license be taken away. This will really hurt my mother’s feelings and, of course, start a huge fight.

20. Claudia will start a fight about how much time my brother and I spend in the house, and won’t accept that it is due to our pain and fatigue.

21. Claudia will get extremely frustrated with my mother for always falling asleep on the toilet at night. Claudia will not be able to keep her awake at night and will get angry that the alarm Mom uses doesn’t work. She may attempt to buy my mother a better alarm, but if this also doesn’t work, Claudia may suggest that my mom should be in a nursing home. If not, she may suggest that this extreme drowsiness is due to one of my mother’s medications and try to convince her to stop taking something that she actually needs.

22. Claudia will get extremely frustrated with my mother for falling asleep in front of the TV or while beading. This too will cause a fight, especially if my mom refuses to go to bed. There will be an even bigger fight if my mom is drinking tea in this drowsy condition, in which she can spill it all over herself.

23. Claudia will want to use our digital camera, and thus will be angry when she finds out that the battery is broken and we have not yet bought a new one.

24. Claudia will want to use my laptop and will be angry when I refuse. She will ask why my brother is allowed to use it but not her. I will explain that we’ve made an agreement, in which he will help me repaint my bedroom in exchange for use of my laptop, but she will still be angry.

25. Claudia will be angry that our desktop computer in the basement is broken, and will nag us to plug in her old computer. If Dad refuses, Claudia will nag me about this, as she feels I am the one in the family she has the most control over. Since it is not my computer and I have my own, she will be wasting her time.

26. At some point during her visit, she will be so exasperated with us for something, and will declare that she shouldn’t even have come.

27. Claudia will try to convince my family to move out west with her. Apparently she has already mentioned it to my mother before. She will claim that the nice weather and scenery will help us with our health problems, and that if she lives nearby she can help us with things like chores.

Okay, that’s it for now. After she’s gone I’ll try to write to let you know which ones came true. Wish me luck, and wish my family luck as well.

Unique Christmas Gift Ideas ... With A Twist!

2011-12-17T20:22:00.000-08:00

Since I haven’t blogged in a while and Christmas is coming up, I thought I might recommend some last minute Christmas gift ideas.

1. Ad Nauseam: A Survivor’s Guide To American Consumer Culture
Edited by: Carrie McLaren and Jason Torchinsky

I am half-way through reading this book and I love it! Originally I almost decided not to purchase this book because I discovered that it was a compendium of material from Stay Free! magazine, which I had never read nor heard of for that matter. I assumed that this book would not be appropriate for me as I am unfamiliar with the magazine, but I am extremely glad that I took the chance and bought it. I especially enjoy reading it now in the month of December – somehow reading a book about the tactics advertisers use sell products and the negative affects the media can have on society feels a little bit like rebelling against the commercialization of Christmas!

Indigo.ca price: $15.16
Amazon.com price: $11.49

There are probably many other books that are enlightening about advertising and the media. I would recommend buying such a book for someone, but as this is the only such book I have read, this is the only one I can recommend by name. Maybe you can even find one that talks specifically about the commercialisation of Christmas! Somehow, a book about the media and advertising seems like an appropriate, albeit a tongue-in-cheek, gift to give.

2. Humanitarian Gifts

World Visionis a humanitarian organization that focuses on emergency relief, education, healthcare, economic development, and the promotion of justice. It is one organization through which individuals can sponsor children, and during the holiday season, people can buy a gift for individuals and families in need. Many of these gifts such as goats, pigs, and chickens, can allow families to become self-sufficient. Other gifts besides animals and agriculture involve healthcare, education, shelter, water, and business. The gifts vary in price range, and some will multiply, as businesses and organizations will match your donation. You can give this gift yourself, or if a friend or loved one is willing, you can give the gift in their name. You can even make a request on your Christmas wish list for a friend or family member to buy such a gift in your name.

For more information, and to browse the Gift Catalogue, visit the following website:

https://catalogue.worldvision.ca/Gifts/Forms/Home.aspx?mc=4267225&lang=en

World Visionis not the only humanitarian organization that is accepting gifts this holiday season. If you would like to find another organization, you can try UNICEF, OXFAM, The Red Cross, and probably many others.

3. The Lump of Coal and The Latke Who Couldn’t Stop Screaming

Author: Lemony Snicket

Though I am an adult, part of the reason I love Lemony Snicket’s children’s books is because they are unlike ANY books I read as a child. Not only are they hilarious, but he is the first writer I have ever read that really does the unexpected and challenges conventions – not just in terms of plot or characters, but in what the audience expects. For example, I once read a book by him in which I discovered that there was something funny written in the small print of the copyright page. I don’t know about you, but I certainly don’t think to read the copyright page of a book to see if there is something funny hidden in it, and that’s why I think it is such a brilliant idea! It’s like a DVD Easter Egg, except in a book! When it comes to subverting the reader’s expectations, these children’s books are no exception.

An Excerpt from The Lump of Coal:

“The holiday season is a time for storytelling, and whether you are hearing the story of a candelabra staying lit for more than a week, or a baby born in a barn without proper medical supervision, these stories often feature miracles.”

Written by: Lemony Snicket
Illustrated by: Brett Helquist

Amazon.ca Price: $10.82

Amazon.com Price: $10.39

An Excerpt from The Latke Who Couldn’t Stop Screaming:

“It is very frustrating not to be understood in this world. If you say one thing and keep being told that you mean something else, it can make you want to scream. But somewhere in this world there is a place for all of us, whether you are an electric form of decoration, peppermint-scented sweet, a source of timber, or a potato pancake."

Written by: Lemony Snicket
Illustrated by: Lisa Brown
Amazon.ca Price: $10.47

Amazon.com Price: $6.11 and up

Both storybooks are humourous and appropriate for the holidays, the second even teaching about the history of Hanukah, despite its label as a Christmas story.

4. Think Geek
Stuff For Smart Masses www.thinkgeek.com

I discovered products from Think Geek when I was doing an online search for products I’d seen on The Big Bang Theory. I love the things Leonard and Sheldon have such as a shower-curtain with the periodic table of elements – very appropriate for two physicists! I should note that I haven’t yet purchased anything from this website, so I am not recommending these products or the website from personal experience; I’m simply recommending them as products I find interesting and unique. For example:

Gingerdead Men Cookie Cutter $4.99

5 inch gingerbread cookie cutter with skeleton impression! This could be a fun gag gift for doctors, nurses, surgeons, chiropractors, physiotherapists, X-ray technicians, or maybe just someone you shop for who can appreciate something out of the ordinary.

Caffeine Mug $6.99

8 oz coffee mug with a diagram of the caffeine molecule! Obviously this would be appropriate for coffee connoisseurs (and by that I mean addicts). This would be especially appropriate for those caffeine lovers who have some knowledge of chemistry.

Giant Plush Microbes $8.99 each

Stuffed animals for people who like science! When I saw these I fell in love. I do not own any of these myself but I do hope one day to start collecting these adorable microbes such as E. Coli, Cough, Flesh Eating Disease, and Bad Breath! There is also a Red Blood Cell, Brain Cell, Nerve Cell, Stem Cell, and – possibly my favourite of the cells – a Sperm Cell and Egg Cell!

I think these are so cute, funny, and creative that I not only want them, but I actually wish I was the one responsible for the creation of this product. It isn’t often that I think something is that great.

Someone interested in science and biology might enjoy these lovable creatures, as well as people with a strange or morbid sense of humour! For a list of the microbes available, click the following link:

http://www.thinkgeek.com/interests/giftsunder10/6708/?pfm=holiday2011_galacticgiftsunder10_1_6708

5. The Unemployed Philosopher’s Guild
The Unexamined Gift Is Not Worth Giving www.philosophersguild.com

Products from this website have a similar quality to those from Think Geek, but they seem to differ in that Think Geek seems to cater to lovers of science and technology, The Unmployed Philosopher’s Guild seems to cater more to lovers of the humanities such as literature, history, philosophy, psychology, etc ...

I should note that I did purchase a product from this website in the past. I purchased a pair of Freudian Slippers ($24.95) for my sister Claudia as a congratulatory gift for achieving her PhD in psychology. For those who don’t know, Freudian Slippers are a pun on the term “Freudian Slip” which is an error in speech or action that unintentionally reveals unconscious thoughts. As for my experience with the website, when the slippers arrived they were slightly defective in that only one slipper had spectacles. When I telephoned the company and explained the issue the company sent me a free pair of the same product free of defects. I did not have to pay for the delivery or return the defective pair. It is for this reason that I give the company a very positive review.

Here are some examples of products from this site that could make great Christmas gifts:

Lab Cutters $15.99

Each set of cookie cutters contains a beaker, a flask, a test tube, and an atom. Like the cookie cutters from Think Geek, these would be appropriate for someone who likes to bake and decorate cookies during the Christmas season, especially someone with an interest in science and chemistry, or perhaps just someone with an unusual sense of humour and a taste for the unexpected! Get it? A taste for the unexpected ...?

Wonderland Passport Notebook $3.95

This comes with travel tips and an official passport information page! Other Passport Notebooks include Oz, Neverland, Camelot, The Garden of Eden, Paradise, Hell, Nirvana, Utopia, Pangaea, Plato’s Republic, and The Unconscious! I love the diversity of this product. I think it’s a creative and fun idea for fans of the appropriate works of literature and like the Giant Microbes from Think Geek, this is a product I wish I developed myself. I love that this item seems to blur the boundaries between reality and fantasy/literature.

Now that I am noticing all the potential passport destinations, I am starting to wonder if I should have decided against the book I bought for my sister Claudia, and instead presented her with the passport to Hell. Hmm ... that still might be suitable for another time.

6. Philosophy and Pop Culture Series

When I enjoy a work of fiction, I usually think it’s so great that I have to spend time analyzing it and picking it apart to find out what important messages it has in it. Ask my brother Geoffrey. He knows I can’t watch a TV show or movie without over-thinking it. But if you ask me, a work of fiction is truly great if it can be dissected and analysed. For anyone who thinks likewise, I recommend the Philosophy and Popular Culture Series.

I get a lot of enjoyment out of these because I feel like they really talk a lot about the major issues in the respective works. For example, Mad Men and Philosophy discusses a lot of real issues in advertising that come up on the show and True Blood and Philosophy discusses prejudice.

Similarly, I think there is also a Psychology and Pop Culture Series, of which the only book I currently have is The Psychology of Harry Potter. I can definitely recommend this book, as well as A Taste of True Blood: The Fangbanger’s Guide. I think all of these works are available at Amazon.com and Amazon.ca, and I also purchased some from Chapters.

Even if the TV and book fans you know aren’t particularly analytical, I would still strongly recommend such analytical works to a casual reader who might be a big fan of a particular series or novel. The chapters are essays written by individual authors about diverse topics, and reading each chapter in order is not necessary. Not only do I get a lot of enjoyment out of these books, but I think they allow me to appreciate their respective works of fiction even more. I also hope that they inspire people to think critically about the works of fiction they enjoy and to think deeply about what messages those works teach their fans.

7. Homemade Mixed CDs

If you know how to make a mixed CD using your computer and have whatever programs are necessary to do so, one great personal gift you can give a loved one is a mixed CD with a particular theme. For example, if know someone who truly appreciates laughter – or someone you think should lighten up a little – you could make them a comedy CD filled with funny songs. For sources of funny songs you can look into Saturday Night Live, South Park, and comedians Adam Sandler, Sarah Silverman, and Mario Cantone.

NOTE:

Try to arrange the songs in a suitable order, and be sure to make a nice album cover for the CD case. Don’t forget to write out the list of songs on the inside sleeve of the cover either, unless of course you would like them to be a surprise.

Other possible themes for mixed CDs include songs from the 50s, 60s, 70s, or 80s, songs to listen to while exercising, relaxing songs, and love songs.

If you would like to make a mixed Christmas CD for a friend or loved one, here are some of my suggestions for songs to include:

1. Trim Up The Tree (How The Grinch Stole Christmas)

2. Mr. Grinch (How The Grinch Stole Christmas)
3. Whoville Theme (How The Grinch Stole Christmas)
4. We Are Santa’s Elves (Burl Ives- from Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer)
5. Jingle Jingle Jingle
6. Christmas Time Is Here (Charlie Brown Christmas)
7. 12 Days of Christmas (The Muppets)
8. Nuttin For Christmas (Shirley Temple)
9. Marshmallow World (Darlene Love)
10. Christmas (Darlene Love)
11. What Christmas Means To Me (Stevie Wonder)
12. Someday At Christmas (Stevie Wonder)
13. Feed The World (Band Aid)

14. The Chanukah Song (Adam Sandler)

15. Snoopy vs The Red Baron (The Royal Guardsmen)

16. Step Into Christmas (Elton John)

17. Last Christmas (George Michael)
18. O Holy Night (South Park)
19. Christmas Time In Hell (South Park)
20. Mr. Hanky The Christmas Pooh (South Park)
21. Wonderful Christmas Time (Paul McCartney)
22. Happy Christmas (John & Yoko)

Well, these are my only ideas for now. I hope they were useful, though I think it may be a little late in the holiday season for them to be of much help for this year. If anyone has any comments or criticisms I would be glad to read them, along with any other unique gift ideas.

In case I can’t write again until after the 25^th, Merry Christmas, and Happy Holidays!

Halloween Songs!

2011-10-31T17:31:00.000-07:00

For today’s Halloween post, I am posting what I think are great Halloween songs. If anyone is considering making a Halloween-themed mixed CD to play at parties, or simply to put them in the Halloween spirit, I think these songs are for you! If for some reason the music videos that I have added from YouTube will not play, please do a YouTube search yourself and listen to these songs.

I will start with a great song by a friend of mine who covered a song originally by Smoosh. This is "The Quack" by Invisible People:

It would be impossible to make a list of great Halloween songs without including something from The Rocky Horror Picture Show. There are probably many other great songs to choose from the 1975 film starring Tim Curry and Susan Sarandon, such as "The Rocky Horror Theme", and "Over At The Frankenstein Place". But for now I am simply including "Sweet Transvestite": Enjoy!

I love this song by The Guess Who whether it's Halloween or not. The lyrics to "Shakin' All Over" are somewhat ambiguous - they can be about the fear of love but coupled with the music they imply to me of fear of something much spookier!

I love "Little Red Riding Hood" by Sam the Sham and the Pharoahs! There's something sinister about this song that makes it perfect for Halloween. I think the popularity of werewolf costumes and Little Red Riding Hood Costumes make this song very appropriate!

This song was recommended to me by my brother Geoffrey, who informed me that it was featured in the 1978 film Halloween starring Jamie Lee Curtis. This is Blue Oyster Cult with "(Don't Fear) The Reaper:"

Fans of HBO's True Blood will certainly recognize "Bad Things" by Jace Everrett. This song is used as the theme for the show and plays during the graphic opening credit sequence. If you ask me and my mother, the singer actually sounds like Bill Compton, the vampire who dates Sookie Stackhouse!

This is another song introduced to me by my brother Geoffrey, who informed me that most songs by this group are appropriate for Halloween! The one featured by The Cramps here is called "I Was A Teenage Werewolf:"

The next song comes from first album, Static Age, by The Misfits. "Teenagers From Mars" is a great Halloween song because its lyrics are dark and the subject matter is that of extra terrestrials - teenaged extra terrestrials! It combines science fiction with young people, and much of Halloween celebration is geared towards minors!

And finally, we have the 1978 song "Werewolves of London" by Warren Zevon. What I find interresting about this song is the catchy, upbeat melody coupled with both goofy and graphic lyrics! It reminds me of the sadistic humour of many horrific villains.

Of course, there are always the classics ... "The Monster Mash" by Bobby "Boris" Picket and the Cryptkickers from 1962, Michael Jackson's "Thriller" from 1983, and Ray Parker Jr.'s "Ghostbusters" from the 1984 film. You might also want to include "Haunted House" from 1963 by Jumpin' Gene Simmons, "Purple People Eater" from 1958 by Sheb Woolley, and even "Love Potion #Nine" from 1953 by The Clovers. I would also include "Do The Hippogriff" by The Weird Sisters from Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, and "The Jitterbug" from a deleted scene in The Wizard of Oz, performed by Judy Garland.

Use your imagination, and have a wicked Halloween!

A Witches Tea Party Under The Halloween Moon: Wrapping Halloween Presents

2011-10-29T23:34:00.000-07:00

For part 4 of my Halloween-themed blog posts I would like to begin posting my contributions to “A Witches Tea Party Under The Halloween Moon.” For my first contribution, I am posting unique Halloween gift-wrapping ideas.

Halloween Gifts

As far as I am aware, most people do not give gifts at Halloween other than candy, but for guests at Halloween parties, this could be a great way to give party-favours. After all, a wrapped present has an air of mystery – the concealing wrapping paper causes suspense in the recipient, and Halloween is all about mystery and suspense!

For my gift-wrap projects I used Halloween tissue paper, but you can also use Halloween Scrapbooking paper or experiment with cardstock and construction paper. For my first present I used orange tissue paper, and once wrapped I decorated it using a rubber pumpkin stamp. To compliment the black ink I topped the gift with a black bow.

For my next gifts I used Halloween Muffin Papers to create elaborate bows.

For the first bow I made several slits along the creases of the muffin papers with concentric circles. I taped one of these to the centre of the wrapped gift and topped it with some stacked muffin papers. Some of them I attached right side up and some upside down.

In the centre I attached one of the slitted muffin papers that I had curled with scissors.This effect can be achieved using the same technique with scissors for curling ribbon. You can experiment by using all curled muffin papers, fold the slits in zig-zags instead of curling them, of using a combination of curled and zig-zagged muffin papers.

For my last gift, I wrapped the box using plain white tissue paper, and cut the centres out of several of the skull muffin papers.

I attached the circles of skulls throughout the wrapped box, and used the remaining creased rings to make an elaborate bow.

Some I cut and curled with scissors – again, similar to curling ribbon – while I taped the ends of the others together. After creating a long, curving spiral of the creased paper, I rolled them up into a coil, keeping the centre higher in a similar manner to a flower.

You can experiment by using images from Halloween stationary or scrapbooking paper, or even stickers. You can also use black, white, or orage streamers to make the bows, or use a combination of coloured streamers.

Halloween 2011 Blog Party Hosted By Frosted Petunias

2011-10-23T20:09:00.000-07:00

I'm just writing a quick post to say that I am planning on participating in Frosted Petunias' Halloween blog party, entitled "A Witches Tea Party Under The Halloween Moon" which takes place on October 29th and 30th.

You can reach the party's website by clicking on the icon to the right of my page, or by clicking on the following link:

http://halloweenmoontea.blogspot.com/

Halloween Jack O' Lanterns from 2010

2011-10-22T20:15:00.000-07:00

My internet was down for a few days so I was unable to continue my Halloween themed blog posts. Nevertheless, I will continue today by posting photos of my Jack O’ Lanterns from last Halloween. I hope you like them, and I hope you will feel free to leave any comments, suggestions for future Jack O’ Lanterns I could carve, links to websites with great pumpkin-carving ideas, and even links to photos of your own work. Enjoy!

Mad Scientist Performing Unwanted Brain-Surgery

I got the idea for this when browsing the toy section of Dollarama. There I came across 2 sets of doctor kits entitled “My Family Doctor,” which contained plastic stethoscopes, syringes, microscopes, medicine bottles, and even toy surgical tools. Since both contained slightly different items, I bought both.

To create the Mad Scientist, I carved 2 small holes beside each eye so that the round eye-glasses could be attached. It seemed appropriate to use the round eye-glasses, as every mad scientist I could picture seemed to wear round eye-glasses. Dr. Finkelstein from A Nightmare Before Christmas is a perfect example.

I attached a small gourd for the nose and 2 larger gourds for the arms using metal skewers, and to attach the syringe and scalpel I used clear Scotch Tape.

To make the syringe look more authentic, I took it apart and inserted a metal skewer through the hole to use as a needle. I secured the skewer in the tube or barrel using the clear Scotch Tape and replaced the blue plastic pump.

For the Brain-Surgery Victim I simply cut a hole in the top of a small pie pumpkin so that if compared to a head, it would look like the top part of the skull was removed. Using a black Sharpie marker, I drew a frightened expression which included a quivering, screaming mouth. I then filled the hole with the seeds and strands or “brains” from my other pumpkins.

Cinderella’s Pumpkin Carriage

After designing and carving this Cinderella-inspired coach, I enhanced the design by outlining the holes with a black Sharpie marker and adding green Glitter-Glue for a more magical effect.

I included 5 miniature pumpkins in the design – 4 for the 4 wheels, and one which I cut in half to use as a seat for the driver and a platform for the footman. Attaching those 2 halves was very difficult, and in the process I tried a combination of toothpicks, Popsicle sticks, and a hot glue gun.

For the wheels I drew a design with a black Sharpie marker on the tops of 2 miniature pumpkins and used them for the wheels on the back (left) side. Similarly, I drew an alternate design on the bottoms or the remaining 2 miniature pumpkins and used them for the front (right) side wheels. On these, I also added a dab of the green Glitter Glue to what would be the axils of the wheels. I connected the wheels using green Pipe Cleaners which I twisted and coiled to give the appearance of vines.

I found an artificial green vine that I attached to the stem using a hot glue gun, and also attached some artificial orange-glitter maple leaves. I thought the orange-glitter leaves alluded to the fairy dust that accompanies any spell, such as the spell a fairy-godmother might cast on a pumpkin to turn it into a temporary vehicle for a deserving scullery maid.

I was very happy with both pumpkins, and I got a lot of compliments on both. As I expected, girls were more impressed with Cinderella's Pumpkin Carriage while boys were more impressed with the Mad Scientist Performing An Unwanted Brain Surgery. Though both took a lot of work I was glad that everyone could appreciate at least one of my projects.

Halloween Skull Wreath

2011-10-03T21:36:00.000-07:00

This is another one of last year’s Halloween craft projects. I made this skull wreath using a “Floral Craft Ring” from Michaels. A wreath form would probably work just as well, as would a home-made cardboard ring.

Using a Hot Glue Gun, I attached several assorted plastic skulls which I had collected the year before. I chose to buy many of them after Halloween because the prices were marked down, and I tried to buy them from various stores to so that some could look slightly different than others in shape, size, and colouring. For example, you can see that the 2 examples of plastic skulls below are not identical:

I would suggest looking for them at Michaels, Wal Mart, Shoppers Drug Mart Dollarama, and other dollar stores.

Before gluing anything, I attached a think black string through one of the holes in the Craft Ring and tied it firmly so that it can be used to hang the wreath on a hook. After doing this, I glued 3 large foam skulls from Michaels around the stringed hole, covering the surface and the string. I then began gluing the rest of the smaller skulls around the ring, making sure to cover the surface of the ring, and using the various kinds throughout. I attached them at different angles, and sometimes would glue one on top of the others – this was useful for covering any areas where the frame was still showing.

It is not neccessary for the wreath to be symetrical ... just have fun with it!

Halloween Pumpkin-Decorating Project

2011-09-26T16:09:00.000-07:00

I’ve been working on some Halloween crafts pretty early this year, so I wanted to start blogging about Halloween crafts and decorating ideas. To start with, I am posting photos of 3 miniature pumpkins I decorated last year with black pens and Sharpies.

I liked this project a lot because:

- there was no mess and therefore no clean-up required

- since the pumpkins were drawn on and not carved, they lasted much longer than a traditional carved Jack-O’-Lantern, which would begin to rot after only a few days.

- due to their durability it was not necessary to finish the project quickly, which meant that I could work on a single pumpkin a little bit every day

- the small pumpkins were very light, took up very little room and did not require a large working space, making it easy to complete this project in front of the television

- the completed project worked really well as an indoor Halloween decoration either grouped together or placed individually next to other decorations such as potion bottles

- they could also be used as seasonal centrepieces for dinner tables during the season

Instructions

- For the 3 pumpkins shown here, I drew on the pumpkins with a pencil very lightly, as I found it difficult to erase any mistakes if the pencil was too dark. When happy with the design, I traced over it in black marker.

- For 2 pumpkins, I drew elaborate vines, which I thought was appropriate given that pumpkins grow on vines.

- To draw the vine stencils can be used, but I found it much easier to copy the stencils or just improvise my own design rather than using stencils to trace a design on the pumpkin. You can also use a pattern or design you already like as a guide and attempt to copy it.

- On the last white pumpkin I drew a spider-web pattern, drawing the vertical lines inside the pumpkin’s natural grooves, and then gently drawing curved horizontal lines connecting them, each spaced further from the last.

Last but not least, I also drew on this Butternut Squash in the black marker, to make it look like a ghost. This was extremely simple, as I simply drew 3 elongated, tear-like ovals.

Further Suggestions

- Instead of using just a black marker try using glitter-glue as a substitute, or create a design in black marker and embellish it with glitter-glue.

- Instead of drawing on miniature pumpkins, try doing this with large pumpkins as a substitute for the traditional carved Jack-O’-Lantern.

- Try drawing on something besides pumpkins, such as various squashes and gourds.

- Try painting the small pumpkins different shades of orange, white, or even black! You can even use several different colours on one pumpkin!

ExerBeat for Wii Fit by Namco Bandai

2011-09-06T00:00:00.000-07:00

I haven’t written in a while because I’ve been extremely fatigued. My goal for this summer was to make over my bedroom, but my fatigue has made this impossible. I hadn’t even celebrated my 26th birthday in July because I was never feeling well enough. In fact, I opened my presents on Sunday night – September 4!

Though I haven’t had a chance to use all of my presents yet, I was able to test out the gift that I wanted the most – ExerBeat by Namco Bandai.

According to my Rheumatologist, the only proven treatment for Fibromyalgia is frequent aerobic exercise, and that I can start very slowly at 5 minutes aerobics per day. It was my 2011 New Year’s Resolution to make daily aerobics my top priority, and with my Wii Fit and Wii Fit Plus I became very close to reaching my goal. I felt that I was really improving, that my pain was more manageable, and that my energy had improved. Of course, I did incorporate other activities into my aerobics such as taking a trip to the mall as an opportunity to walk around some afternoon, or going on walks outside in the summer. However, Wii Fit made it possible for me to complete some aerobic exercise when stores were closed or when the weather was either too hot or too cold to go on walks. This is why I made it a priority when making my birthday list to ask for another exercise game for the Nintendo Wii.

Since I only had 2 opportunities since opening the gift to test out the game, I cannot give an in-depth review here today, but I can say that I am very happy with it. If I can write a better review at a later date, I certainly will.

Users of Wii Fit or Wii Fit Plus will probably find ExerBeat easy to adjust to, as there are many similarities. For example:

1. With Wii Fit’s instructions appear on the screen in a speech bubble spoken from an avatar of the Wii Balance Board. Similarly, ExerBeat’s instructions appear in a speech bubble spoken from a music note by the name of Rhythm. Rhythm recommends a short tutorial. I watched this the night I got it and would recommend it.

2. With both Wii Fit and ExerBeat, activities are presented in a similar layout and not all activities are available to users from the beginning. With both games only certain activities in each category are available and the rest must be earned or “unlocked” by completing the activities that are already available. I like this feature of both games because it gives users a sense of achievement, rewarding them for their completion of various exercises.

3. Both Wii Fit, Wii Fit Plus, and ExerBeat incorporate humourous and creative exercises into their menus. My favourite Wii Fit game is Penguin Slide, in which my avatar or Mii is dressed in a penguin costume, standing on an iceberg and surrounded by an audience of penguins who seem to be cheering me on as I try to catch as many fish as possible. Similarly, there are funny and creative games on ExerBeat that involve twirling pizzas and fending off pirates!

4. Both Wii Fit Plus and ExerBeat measure the approximate amount of calories burned and measure the intensity of the exercises in METS. They also both have charts or graphs to measure how much time users spend working out each day, the option to set personal goals, and a calendar that can be stamped so that users can keep track of their progress.

5. The Wii Fit and ExerBeat menus are very similarly organized. The Training menu of Wii Fit lists activities in the following categories:

Yoga -------------------------(15 activities)
Strength Training ----------(15 activities)
Aerobics ---------------------(9 activities)
Balance Games -------------(9 activities)

Wii Fit Plus provides 15 additional activities, as well as 3 additional Yoga activities and 3 additional Strength Training Activities.

Similarly, the Exercise menu of ExerBeat lists activities in the following categories:

. Dance Exercise
. Martial Arts
. Body Conditioning
. Party Fitness

Unlike Wii Fit however, the first 3 categories branch out into further, more specific categories from which you must choose:

. Dance Exercise ---------> Aerobics / Hip Hop / Latin Dance

. Martial Arts ------------> Boxercising / Karate / Karate Forms

. Body Conditioning ----> Stretching / Yoga and Pilates

This means that, while Wii Fit might provide 15 different activities each in Yoga and Strength Training, ExerBeat provides about 15 activities in all 8 sub-categories! So if I am correct, this is the breakdown of what Exerbeat offers:

. Dance Exercise

- Aerobics ----------> 20 activities
- Hip Hop ----------> 20 activities
- Latin Dance ------> 20 activities

. Martial Arts

- Boxercising ------> 20 activities
- Karate ------------> 20 activities
- Karate Forms ----> 10 activities

. Body Conditioning

- Yoga / Pilates ----> 10 yoga, 10 pilates = 20 activities
- Stretching --------> 10 activities

. Party Fitness ------> 5 activities

Now, I must stress that I am not criticising Wii Fit or Wii Fit Plus for lack of variety. I intend to use both Wii Fit Plus and ExerBeat together. I am simply praising ExerBeat for its variety for my particular needs, and for my Fibromyalgia, variety of aerobic exercise is a major need! I also think that my familiarity with Wii Fit and Wii Fit Plus has allowed me to begin using ExerBeat without much difficulty. For example, I am somewhat used to having to follow certain visual cues with the Wii Remote in order for the game to register the accuracy of my movements.

I hope to use ExerBeat to complete some aerobic exercise a little bit every day, and hopefully build stamina little by little, and decrease pain and fatigue in the long run. I’ll write about any progress I make whether with the Wii game or without, and as usual I welcome any comments or recommendations for similar games.

My Amazon.com Review of "Emotional Vampires"

2011-07-28T17:32:00.000-07:00

The following is my review of the book Emotional Vampires: Dealing with People Who Drain You Dry by Albert J. Bernstein Ph.D. I gave the book 1/5 stars.

Insulting, Ignorant, and Arrogant

The only way I was able to gain insight from this book is by taking it with a grain of salt. I started becoming sceptical of the claims in this book when I read the following statement on page 97:

“Histrionic vampires invented sexual harassment, both doing it and suing for it.”

This is unbelievably offensive to anyone who has ever been sexually harassed, which is considered a form of abuse. This claim is similar to the myth that victims of rape were “asking for it.”

Apart from making such offensive statements, the author also insults various professions. For example, in the chapter on Narcissism, he states on page 146-147:

“To begin with, the process is called ‘creativity’ only when it generates ideas that are useful, convenient, and cost-effective. The rest of the time it’s called ‘being weird’ or ‘having a bad attitude’ ... Creativity means seeing things differently than other people, and it means believing that your vision is better than what’s already there. Nothing could be more insensitive, irreverent, annoying, threatening, and well, Narcissistic.”

To the Albert J. Bernstein, everyone in the creative professions such as artists, inventors, and writers are narcissists. Not only is his definition of creativity full of errors – for example, lots of talented, creative people such as Agatha Christie and Vincent Van Gogh actually think their work isn’t any good – but the Narcissists I’ve known were the LEAST creative people in the world! They spent more time trying to project an image that society would accept and admire judging the quality of things by the standards of society, and criticizing anything unique and creative than actually doing or developing anything creative.

If I had to guess, I would say that this author is either jealous of people in the professions he criticises, or deeply misunderstands them and has no desire to truly understand them, and thus feels the need to “diagnose” them.

Other than the occasional advice on how to respond to “emotional vampires,” I think the best thing about this book is the illustrations – I would like to see more of the artist’s work, but oddly I cannot find the name of the illustrator anywhere in the book. Could this be due to Dr. Albert J. Bernstein’s obvious dislike of creative people?

The Shocking Truth - What a 26-Year-Old Girl Really Wants For Her Birthday

2011-07-16T14:00:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was my birthday ... I am now 26. About a month ago, I typed out my birthday list for my family and posted it on the fridge. No sooner had I done so than I immediately began to regret not adding certain requests. It occurred to me to reprint the list with the necessary amendments, but I concluded that I had already asked for so much that it wouldn’t be practical to add anything more.
Nevertheless, I have had a lot more time to think about what I want for my birthday in the last month, and feel that I should definitely list my desires somewhere. So here it is – for anybody curious about what a 26-year-old girl really wants for her birthday, keep reading for some shocking insight:

What A 26-Year-Old Girl Really Wants For Her Birthday

1. PEACE AND FUCKING QUIET!

For the last few days, this has been what I have wanted more than anything else in the world and the one person who constantly refuses to give me this gift is my mother. I love my mother very much and I know that she loves me too. But she is getting longer and longer-winded and, for some reason, louder and louder! I would give anything to not have to hear the conversations she has with my dad in the kitchen while I am in my bedroom with the door shut trying to sleep.

2. A Brain for My Dad

This is something I have wanted since the age of 9 or 10, the age where it really dawned on me just how ignorant and thoughtless my father actually is. After watching a documentary a few days ago, I told my dad about what I learned – apparently every atom in our bodies was once inside a star that exploded. This means that we are literally made of stardust! I thought this was amazing, so I informed my dad of this newly learned fact. I should have guessed that he wouldn’t believe it. He thinks that God created the world in 7 days, that we came from Adam and Eve, that evolution is untrue, that science is “a lotta bullshit,” and yet continues to take his medication, use light bulbs, surf the web, and drive an automobile. Yes ... science is a lotta bullshit ... it never gave us anything useful!

3. A Limit Placed On My Dad’s Sneezing

Everyday my dad has sneezing fits at least twice. And these fits contain 10 or more sneezes. If they were politely covered up or relatively quiet I would not have such a problem with this. But when my dad sneezes it sounds like he’s screaming! Is that really necessary? I realize people can’t control their sneezes, but couldn’t they control their voice to a certain degree when sneezing? Every time he sneezes, I want to loudly yell “SHUT UUUUUUUP!”

4. Laws Passed Regarding Annoying Commercials

I am starting to think that annoying commercials are dangerous to the sanity of the public, not to mention prejudiced against the elderly and people with health problems. Anyone unable to work or participate in certain kinds of activities might spend a great deal of time in front of the television. While the programs available may be annoying themselves, the commercials that interrupt them make me want to brutally destroy the television! They are loud (Gillette Fusion Proglide), repetitive (DejaView shows), sexist (Axe Hair Products), poorly acted and scripted (Bump It), mind-numbingly stupid (IntelliEAR), obnoxious (ShamWow and Slap Chop), and lastly, by using excerpts of popular songs they ultimately “promote” their product by ruining a song for the public forever (Swiffer). Some senior citizens like my mother and people with disabilities like me and my brother rely on television at times when we are too tired or physically unable to occupy our time otherwise. It’s bad enough that the shows available appeal to the lowest common denominator, but to subject us to these mindless commercials is unusual cruelty. I wouldn’t be surprised if long-term exposure to these ads actually kills more brain cells than dangerous drugs. I think there should be strict laws passed against mindless, meaningless, boring, loud, repetitive, ads and that if a commercial breaks a law no more commercials for that product can be aired. If anyone could pass such legislation as a birthday gift to me, I would be forever grateful.

5. Better Quality Programming

While I do not despise television shows as much as the commercials that molest them and their viewers, I do long for better quality programming. I want more documentaries about diverse topics aired all day every day: like I said, some people with health problems may rely on television to occupy their time so only airing complete garbage is insulting and cruel. Some people are smarter than to be satisfied with The Jerry Springer Show, which is really just the modern-day equivalent to the barbaric carnival freak shows of the past. Here are the following TV shows that I do enjoy – executive producers take note:

>;- Great Thinkers Of Our Time (The Mark Steel Lectures)
- History Bites
- Art Attack
- Twin Peaks
- LOST
- The Twilight Zone (1950s)
- True Blood
- Pushing Daisies
- Mad Men
- Doctor Who
- Daria
- The Big Bang Theory
- Alienated

6. Cameron Diaz and Julia Roberts to Stop Smiling On CameraOkay, I get that these two actresses are famous and attractive, and I get that they appear in chick-flicks. I also get that they have nice smiles and everything but, after a while, seeing their lovely smiles ALL THE TIME lowers their uniqueness. Every time I see a commercial for a dumb chick-flick featuring one of these women, I feel like the voice-over should really just say “See this guy make this girl this happy!” Alternatively, the voice-over could also say, “You probably identify with this girl so if you see this movie, this is how happy it will make you feel!” Even scenes not shown in the ads seem to show these actresses unnaturally happy at moments in the film that don’t seem to be that special! Am I the only one who’s noticed this?!
There are probably other actresses who could show their teeth a little less also.

7. Prohibition on Re-making Old Movies

Apparently some people are way too cool to like any entertainment that was not created this year. Anything old is just disgusting! Well, that attitude is really great for business because that means that the movie, fashion, music, and television industries can recycle anything and still make money off of it! Think about it: if the public is too cool to try and watch older movies such as Halloween, Clash of the Titans, and King Kong, then studios can re-make them employing famous actors of the day and using modern special effects and technology. Then the movie-goers will automatically assume that the hotter actors and better affects mean that the film will be worth seeing, that it would be like taking something old and crappy and making it better! Well ... it’s not. For those of us who can appreciate older movies and aren’t so easily distracted by special effects and beautiful people it feels like HARDLY ANY MOVIES ARE BEING MADE.
Think about it. Imagine for a moment that there was a portion of the public that did not want to see ANY re-made movies and ONLY preferred the originals ... think of how little a selection of movies at the theatres there would be for such an audience! People who are unafraid of entertainment from the past still deserve to have movies geared towards them. If a studio re-makes a film, I think they should have to re-interpret or add something to it so that those of us who enjoyed the original can still enjoy the re-make.

I think that’s all for now. If I can think of any more birthday list amendments I will certainly add them.

Dr. Keith Ablow and Fox News Smear Bill Maher

2011-07-01T13:30:00.000-07:00

The clip I am discussing can be viewed at the following YouTube link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=53p0_ZlCCR4&feature=mh_lolz&list=WL79479D6CCED517CC

I don't actually watch Real Time With Bill Maher and I DEFINITELY do not watch Fox News, but I was stunned at the above clip that someone posted on the HBO website.

I would like to point out the following observations:

1) The news reporter couldn't even properly name Bill Maher's documentary! He called it "Religiosity," while it is actually called Religulous - it is a portmanteau of the words "religion" and "ridiculous."

2) The psychiatrist, Dr. Keith Ablow, states that Bill Maher is "not affiliated with life at all." How can a living person NOT be "affiliated" with life? He has life, he works with living people, he lives in a society of living people ... am I missing something?

3) Keith Ablow claims that Bill Maher hates or "has it in for" women. If Bill Maher is in favour of abortion, how does he HATE women ... it sounds like someone pro-abortion is in favour of women being able to make their own choices. It also sounds like he would very strongly care about women, as women who live in areas where abortion is not legal still seek abortion from people who are unqualified to perform them. This means that 20 million unsafe abortions are performed every year in places where it is illegal, and each year 67 000 women die due to complications from these procedures. With these statistics in mind, I'd say that anyone in favour of legalizing abortion is actually "pro-women" and"pro-life" for that matter, in the sense that legalized abortion performed by qualified doctors could prevent many deaths.

http://www.who.int/reproductivehealth/publications/unsafe_abortion/9789241596121/en/index.html

4) Maher didn't call Bristol Palin a "slut" for being "horny." It doesn't seem like he is implying that there is anything wrong with being "horny." But this supposed psychiatrist is! Ablow practically said that if any women have sex because they are horny then they are sluts! It's obvious to me that Bill Maher is just trying to point out the fear and shame people have of sexuality and sexual feelings. I doubt he would be making fun of this if the young woman simply acknowledged that it's not practical for everyone to wait to have sex until they are married -- after all, not everyone ends up getting married!

Bill Maher didn't actually criticize or make fun of Palin for being "horny." It seems he was doing kind of the opposite - criticizing her for feeling the need to hide the natural urges every human being has.
To Dr. Ablow on the other hand, use of the word "horny" implies that she is a slut ... therefore implying that only sluts get horny. A slut is supposed to be someone who sleeps with MANY people, not just one, but this doctor is implying that a girl doesn't even have to sleep with a man to be a slut ... she just has to have the desire to sleep with a man to be a slut.

I hope no young girls saw this, because obviously Keith Ablow is the one who is ANTI-WOMEN.

I also thought the alternative Ablow suggested was hilarious - he pointed out that Bill Maher could have phrased her not as being horny, but as HAVING FEELINGS for the boy. Let's get serious for a minute: if people only had sex WHEN they wanted to express their love for someone, they wouldn't do it that often. Married people would stop having sex after the first year of marriage! When one partner would try to initiate something the other would say, "It's okay honey, you don't have to prove to me that you love me ... I believed you the first time." Even married people sleep together often because they are horny!

It's because of people like Keith Ablow that this young girl felt the need to cover up consciously consenting to sex before marriage. As a comedian, Bill Maher was pointing out the silliness of this kind of attitude, and as conservatives the news station and doctor had to re-validate and re-inforce this attitude.

Spectacular SOCKS - LittleMissMatched

2011-06-13T00:44:00.000-07:00

Once upon a time when I was in high school, I was getting ready to leave for class when I noticed that my only 2 pairs of socks clean each had one sock with a hole in the bottom. It just so happened that both pairs were of the same brand, so it occurred to me that I could literally wear the mismatched socks - one sock from each pair - and my feet wouldn’t know the difference. Ever the nonconformist, I did just that – I chose the intact sock from each pair and wore them to school, not caring whether anyone noticed I was wearing two different socks. In fact, I was actually proud of this fashion innovation and pointed it out to my friend Sarah while changing for gym class. Ever the tightly-wound conformist, Sarah scoffed at me for making what she considered an uncool fashion faux pas. Well, in this segment of Spectacular SOCKS, I would like to point out that my supposed fashion faux pas had made mainstream fashion with LittleMissMached!

I discovered LittleMissMached while browsing the children’s section in Chapters at Devonshire Mall. Being a sock enthusiast, I was immediately drawn to a spinning rack displaying packages of socks. To my amazement, the packages did not contain pairs of identical socks, but a trio of unique socks! Talk about lonely socks! I bought the following 2 pairs for $10.00 each:

At first I thought $10.00 was a bit pricy for 3 unmatched socks, but then I considered that with each package the buyer receives 3 different options for combining the socks, and thus with each package really contains 3 pairs of socks! Observe:

3 socks in a package: Sock A, Sock B, and Sock C

The following combinations are optional:

Sock A + Sock B = 1st mismatched pair
Sock A + Sock C = 2nd mismatched pair
Sock B + Sock C = 3rd mismatched pair

Three combinations of mismatched pairs of socks can be made – and if you choose to alternate which sock you wear on which foot, you can even argue there are six possible combinations per package!

I visited the website LittleMissMatched which you can reach at the following link:

http://www.littlemissmatched.com/

Apart from socks, the website offers apparel for girls and women. You can shop according to which clothing items you are looking for such as T-shirts or Pajamas, or browse the various Collections like the Zany collection. Zany boasts that it includes every colour: “You’ll never have to choose one colour over another!” while Kooky includes complimentary colours: “Opposite colors attract when it comes to our Kooky stuff!” Another collection called Preppy Zoo is “a colourful zany twist on bold animal patterns!”

I love the other socks they have available, not to mention the accessories such as Duffel Bags, Tote Bags, Flip Flops, and Water Bottles. What I love the most besides the patterns and designs themselves, is that the patterns on the accessories actually correspond to the patterns or designs on the socks! This means that if there is a particular pattern or set of designs you like in the set of 3 socks, you can buy other items with these same designs! The Zany Black Backpack, for example, matches all three patterns of stripes, polka dots, and stars in my black set of socks. So while your socks may not match each other, they can certainly match your purse and flip flops!

There is also a Bed and Bath section on this website that offers fun and “zany” items for girl, baby, and toddler bedrooms.

While I love the products available on this site, I have a few very large complaints and I greatly hope this store will work on changing them:

Complaint # 1

This store ships within the U.S. only. It ships to all 50 states and to Puerto Rico, but does not ship to Canada – which means that I cannot order anything from this website, no matter how much I love the products. This is a shame, as I am obviously a big sock enthusiast.

Complaint # 2

This store only gears its products to girls and women. Perhaps it is apparent in the name of the store, LittleMissMatched, but I was a little bit disappointed that they have no products geared towards boys and men. Some products in the Bed and Bath section that for toddlers and babies seem to be targeted at boy children, but I am merely assuming this because the colour blue is featured. This seems a little bit disappointing, as the products for girls have such a variety of colour. Even if the products for boys have a slightly different colour palette, I think they should be just as bright and colourful. I would love to see more products on this website marketed to boys and men – from socks and apparel to accessories and bedding.

Complaint # 3

This store does not carry plus-sizes. Even though products are labelled as being for “Girls and Women” the largest size available in clothing is a size 16, which is meant for a woman with a 27 inch waist, 32-33 inch chest, and an overall weight of 101-110 pounds. If this store was only targeting children or girls, I would not necessarily have as big a problem with this. The labels on the website, however, specifically say that the apparel is for "girls and women". Furthermore, even if the products were geared to children and teens only, I would still like to see plus sizes available for them.

In conclusion, I love the idea of selling mismatched socks. I also love the fun colour combinations, patterns, and designs available. The variety is great, and I love the different collections. I also love that, while the socks may not match each other, they can match other accessories available. Still, I would love this store so much more if I was able to order the products from their website and have them shipped to my home in Canada. And of course I would prefer to be able to wear ALL of the products, including the clothing, which is not available in my size. If anyone from LittleMissMatched is reading this, I love the products from your website, and if you can make your products available to Canadians you can be sure that I will be your first Canadian customer. If you can broaden your apparel to include plus size clothing, I will most likely spend even more money buying the clothes from your website. I am willing to bet that other Canadians and plus size women will do the same, and if you make a line of products aimed at boys and men, you will probably gain even more customers!

That's all for this segment of Spectacular SOCKS. If anyone has any comments, please feel free to share them, and if you have any suggestions for more Spectacular SOCKS blogposts and reviews, please let me know.

Easter Crafts

2011-04-24T13:58:00.000-07:00

Above are four wooden hanging decorations that I bought unfinished from Dollarama. Unfortunately I do not have "before" pictures to show what they looked like before I painted them. I found them last year in the seasonal section of the store which usually includes craft decoration supplies partaining to the holliday or season. I painted them using Acrylic craft paints, some of which can be found at Dollarama as well in the craft section.

Baby Chicks

I chose to use colours typically associated with Easter and Spring such as pale pinks, purples and yellows, Lime Green, and Turquoise Blue. Though pale shades are often used in Easter decorations, I also included darker shades of pink, purple, yellow, and green because all shades are usually found in nature. Easter is closely associated with the beginning of Spring and end of Winder, new life, and thus with nature itself, so I thought it was important to include other shades typical of flowers, grass, the sky, etc ... I also outlined or drew features such as eyes using a dark, inky pen after the paint was dry.

Close-Up Images

Easter Bunnies

For the Easter Bunnies I outlined eyes, noses, whiskers, and other details with pencil before going over them in pen. I chose to give them a cartoonish rather than realistic appearance. I also chose to use two different shades of green for the grass to add more colour. I added some flowers to the background of one decoration to make it more colourful. Since the shapes of all four decorations are those of the Easter Basket, I painted the basket handles each with three different colours of stripes. While the stripes don't actually look woven like a basket, I do think the colours chosen give the right effect. If I could redo the pieces, I would probably choose shades that compliment each other more for the handles, and would paint the stripes to look woven in the stile of baskets.

Close-Up Images

Why I Love Wii Fit!

2011-04-01T19:03:00.000-07:00

Greetings fellow bloggers! I have taken a sabbatical from writing about the fascinating world of socks to put most of my energy towards physiotherapy. To be specific, I have been told that the best treatment for my Fibromyalgia is daily aerobic exercise, and so for the last 3 months I have been exercising daily using my Nintendo Wii.

I have had Wii Fit for a long time now, but have only been able to use it regularly since the start of the new year. For the last two years the game was sitting in our living room closet barely used, and I felt wasteful and guilty for having asked my parents for it in the first place. But now that I have started a new medication, my energy and motivation is greatly improved, so I am now able to be more proactive about my condition. Now that I am actually physically capable of exercising regularly, I am so thankful that I had the Wii Fit waiting for me. For the last 3 months I have been completing my aerobic activity using Basic Step and Advanced Step. Originally I was only able to complete 15 minutes of aerobics per day, repeating the 3 minute Basic Step workout 5 times. Now I am able to complete 35 minutes of aerobics per day, repeating the 3 minute Basic Step 5 times and the 5 minute Advanced Step 4 times.

I should note that I have never been much of a “gamer,” the only video game I had any real experience with was Super Mario Bros. 1 released in 1985.

And when I asked my parents for a Nintendo console for my birthday, I only wanted one that I could use to play the old Super Mario games from my childhood. So basically, when I ripped off the wrapping paper and found the strange, unfamiliar Nintendo “Wii”, I was actually quite disappointed. I also felt pretty stupid that the included game disc included what I thought to be childish games. Tennis? Golf? Bowling? Who wants to sit in their living room hitting

balls back and forth by pressing buttons with their game contro

ls!? I might as well play the old Pong game from 1975!

Not being very tech-savvy, I had no idea at first that this console came with a motion-sensor, and thus game play involved actually exercising with the Nintendo. I felt rather stupid upon discovering this, as I had actually shouted at my parents for buying me such a boring, childish game. I decided to try to find out more about the games that were available for this console, and came across Wii Fit and its accompanying balance board. I immediately recognised that this could be useful in my rehabilitation from Fibromyalgia and discussed this with my parents. After many wild-goose chases for the recently released product, my father finally came home with one and my mother and I were overjoyed. When I registered my information on the game while awkwardly learning how to use this new-fangled technology, I became very quickly discouraged. My Wii Fit age wasn’t too bad, but I was informed of my weight in such a way that you would think I was as obese as it was possible to be! Furthermore, when I actually attempted the 3-minute Basic Step, I felt stupid for even thinking I was capable of using this device to exercise in the first place! Clearly this was designed for complete jocks who had no physical health problems and who probably coasted by at university on football scholarships. After such discouragement, I didn’t touch the gadget for months. I did get it out occasionally, however, to try to complete the aerobic exercise necessary for my eventual independence, and each time it was with the intention of using the device regularly at 3 times per week at the very least. Despite my good intentions, I had only used my Wii Fit, on average, once a month for the last 2 years! Now, that’s all changed. This year I have used my Wii Fit almost every day for the last 3 months – almost 90 days in a row. I have used it more in the last 3 months than I have in the last 2 years. This really reaffirms for me that my lack of physical activity has not been due to laziness – despite what the average ignorant asshole destined for Hell seems to think – but that it was simply a matter of being on the wrong medication. Now I know that no matter what insecure girls with body image issues try to convince me of, I am truly hard working when it comes to my health and fitness, and any lack of work on my part is due to legitimate problems that caused legitimate obstacles. In other words, the insecure girls who hate their bodies who have actually pressured me to exercises might as well have pressured a quadriplegic to stop being lazy and taking the elevator, and to take the stairs in order to heal their paralyzed limbs.

Though I am not yet completely able-bodied, I feel that Wii Fit has helped me a lot with my Fibromyalgia in the short time that I have been using it. I love this game for the following reasons: 1. Users can easily see their improvement over time, which is extremely encouraging as it shows evidence that practice has been effective.

The motion sensor, Balance Board, Wii Remote, and Nunchucks can register your movements, and thus determine your accuracy in each activity. Your accuracy is then used to determine your score, which is then shown to you on a top 10 list of your best scores. So each time you attempt a specific activity, you can see how your accuracy compares to your previous attempts. Seeing your score improve is evidence that your accuracy has improved and thus users can feel that they have achieved results. Even an improvement by 3 or 4 points from one day to the next is evidence of improvement. This is extremely important to me because I have never felt that practicing a sport or physical activity has led to improvement of my skill or fitness. Perhaps this is because I have always had physical problems, but I always felt to some extent that exercise was futile. With Wii Fit, I always see even the most minor improvements. 2. Wii Fit rewards users for their accomplishments and completion of various activities by making available new activities or harder versions of the exercises. This allows users to feel a sense of accomplishment and reward, while allowing for some variety and novelty in the activities. 3. Several Wii Fit activities are creative, fun, and humourous, which allows users to have fun while exercising. Fun and humour should never be under-estimated! One of my favourites is a game called Penguine Slide, in which the user’s avatar is dressed in a penguin costume and has an audience of cheering penguins who are all very supportive and encouraging! The game takes place aboard a floating, wobbly ice berg, on which the user must shift their weight from the right foot to left and so on in order to catch as many fish as possible. The music alone makes this game worthwhile, but the fact that I am surrounded by penguins who seem to be big fans makes me smile every time I play this game! Watch a demo of Penguine Slide by clicking on the screen below. 4. Wii Fit games can allow users to participate in existing sports which the user may never have played, and may never get the opportunity to try. One aerobics activity I often played is called Rhythm Boxing. I enjoyed this because I have never before taken boxing lessons or even an aerobics class that involves the use of a punching bag! For people like me who have health problems, this is a wonderful feature, as some of us cannot often leave the house any time we wish!

I would also like to note that a famous character with a famous health problem has been known to use a Nintendo Wii for just this reason. Fans of HBO’s True Blood may recall the scene in which Vampire Bill Compton is seen on a bright sunny day on what appears to be a golf course. At first this is quite confusing, as the vampires of True Blood cannot go outside during the day as the sun burns their skin. As the camera slowly zooms out, viewers see that Vampire Bill is not playing with a real golf club, but is holding a Wii Remote, and that he is actually in his living room playing Wii Golf, and it is in fact night time. Even True Blood vampires use the Nintendo Wii to exercise and participate in activities that their condition would otherwise render impossible! You can see Vampire Bill Compton playing with his Nintendo Wii in the True Blood clip below:

5. My favourite thing about Wii Fit has to be that it gives me something to look forward to each day.

This might seem a little bit silly to some people, but the combination of the above 4 qualities make Wii Fit the highlight of my day. It makes me feel good to see that I improve in each activity, and it makes me feel good to think of how much more aerobics I can do each day compared to when I first started. I love the novelty of the activities, and this is why I eventually purchased Wii Fit Plus. This has 15 additional activities, and I am trying not to try all of them right away so that I'll have something new to master. The fun and humourousness of the activities is also important to me because I do not often get to go out and have fun in the same ways that other young people my age do. Often, just discovering a new activity or option about the game can be entertaining, though other young people who are more used to video games may not find these new discoveries as amusing as I do. And of course, I get to feel good about knowing that everyday I am doing something to improve my health and ultimately lead me to be more able-bodied and independent. But in the meantime, Wii Fit is allowing me to make up for experiences I wouldn't otherwise be able to have right now, such as Boxing, Kung Fu, and Skiing.

In conclusion, I would just like to say that people often comment on our use of technology, expressing a fear that we are in fact becoming to dependent on technology. I don't deny this. But if the wheel is an early development of technology, then this means that the wheel chair is in fact a product of technology. Wheelchairs are a product of technology that make it possible for people with disabilities to be mobile and allows for a degree of independence. For people with certain disabilities, the wheelchair is an extremely important piece of technology. So while I agree that our increasing dependence on technology is disturbing and often unnecessary, I will also be the first to say that, for those who are not perfectly able-bodied, technology makes it possible to experience life and remain independent - whether it is the wheelchair aiding in mobility, or a video-game that simulates sports to aid in physiotherapy and rehabilitation from a health problem.

Maybe reliance on technology is only disturbing when we are able to live comfortably without it and its use ultimately causes us not to use our own abilities and thus to eventually lose them altogether. But maybe technology should be praised when it makes it possible for us to do what we otherwise could not and aids in our health and independence. Maybe the key to judging whether a piece of technology is beneficial or harmful is to determine whether it leads to dependence or INdependence.

To learn more about Wii Fit visit http://wiifit.com/

2011 New Year's Resolutions

2011-01-31T14:03:00.000-08:00

Okay, the following is my new list of New Year's Resolutions for 2011, and I plan to record the progress of my following these goals right here on The Lonely Sock! Here goes:

1. Have Fun!

 Everyday, read the entry from The Almanac of the Infamous, The Incredible, and The Ignored by Juanita Rose Violini.

 Everyday, read the entry from This Book Will Change Your Life by Benrik, and actually attempt as many tasks as possible!
--> Record progress on blog and join Benrik cult!

 Go to a different restaurant, cafe, or bar, every 1-2 weeks!
--> Record progress on blog and evaluate restaurants.

2. Improve Fibromyalgia – Become Physically Independent!

 Exercise daily, mostly with Wii Fit or other Nintendo Wii exercise programs.

 Abstain from Fast Food, Soft Drinks, Candy, and other Junk Food.

3. Be Creative!

 Complete 1st issue of magazine.
 Make crafts using reused and recycled materials.
--> Post pictures of all on blog along with instructions
 Design, sew, and paint original clothes.
--> Post all clothes on blog.

4. Read More!

 Record books or essays read on blog and briefly discuss/review.
 Record all books I plan to read on blog.

Ads For Proactive Solution Insult Your Intelligence

2011-01-22T17:34:00.000-08:00

I have to speak out about this. Proactiv Solution commercials totally insult the public's intelligence! Maybe I'm just noticing this because I've become so interested in AMC's Mad Men, a show about an ad agency - but I have been paying a lot more attention to ads lately, particularly those that use ridiculous tactics.

Ads for Proactiv Solution feature celebrity endorsement, but it’s clear that the endorsements are scripted in such a way that they specifically use and rely on the public’s perception of that celebrity – even if those perceptions are false. It’s as if Proactiv Solution knows that many people identify celebrities with the characters they play and their portrayals in the media, and thus assumes that everyone is ignorant enough to do so.

For example, one ad features actress Jenna Fischer who plays receptionist Pam Beasley on NBC’s The Office. Her character is one who works nine to five, Monday through Friday at a desk in an office. Her character is one who has to get up early, get ready, drive to work and be there at a specific time just like many average working people. Now, I’m not saying that actors and actresses don’t have to do this as well while they are filming, but I think their schedules might be a tad different than average people.
If you watch her Proactiv Solution commercial below, you will see that Jenna Fischer emphasizes the time she has had to spend in the morning concealing her acne. I find this odd since it implies that she has a regular nine to five, year-round job that she has to wake up early to get to. She’s an actress ... even if she does have to wake up early to get to her job, there is a make-up artist at the set who puts make-up on for her when she gets there ... she wouldn't even be putting on her own make-up!

It's clear to me that Proactiv Solution assumes that the public will see the receptionist Pam Beasley from Dunder Mifflin rather than the actual actress who plays her, and is actually counting on the public to have such a misconception in order for their ad to work!

So far, I think every annoying Proactiv Solution commercial has done this, however subtle.

For example, one version with singer Avril Lavigne states that she "doesn't let acne push her around." Of course she doesn't! She's wearing a leather jacket in this ad, so obviously she's really tough! Even people who don't know much about her know that she's been seen in "tomboyish" and punk clothing, which people probably associate with nonconformity, boldness, and toughness.

Usually when companies use celebrity endorsements, it seems like they aim the ad at fans who might wish to be like those celebrities, and thus people who know a little bit about that celebrity. Proactiv is doing the opposite. The ads are geared to everyone, so they rely on assumptions the public makes about specific celebrities due to their portrayals in the media, the characters they play, the clothes they wear, or the way they appear in magazines.

Bottom Line: I've been somewhat curious to try Proactiv Solution myself but every time I see one of their commercials I realize I can't bring myself to give money to a company that assumes I'm stupid enough to associate celebrities with stereotypes.

DVD Storage Box Craft Instructions

2011-01-15T09:52:00.000-08:00

One of my goals for this blog and my eventual magazine (yes, I still plan to create one) is to include craft instructions for inexpensive projects that require re-used or recycled materials found in the home. This is important to me for two reasons:

1. The prices of craft supplies sold in stores are disgustingly high.

It seems to me that an unfinished item sold for the purpose of finishing or altering should not be so expensive. When you buy something, you are partly paying for the work or service of having it put together, painted, completed, etc ... and since raw materials are by definition not completed and meant for the buyer to complete, I believe they should be far less expensive than a completed item.

2. With the poor economy, I think it is doubly wrong to sell an unfinished, raw materials for just as much money as a finished item, if not more.

It seems to me that only the affluent can really afford craft supplies such as scrap-booking supplies, and I’ve always seen crafts as originating from the actual trades that people learned to make a living (occupations such as carpentry, pottery, quilting, etc ...) Skills that used to be learned for the sake of earning money are now near-impossible to use to make a little bit of extra money because it would be impossible to break even. Craft supply industries have become for-profit industries.

In conclusion, I would like to provide less expensive craft ideas that include recycled materials that one might normally throw away, thus saving money and promoting environmentalism and resourcefulness. My first item is a decorative storage project, entitled DVD Storage Box.

I developed this idea because I was running out of space for DVDs and wanted to use some kind of box that could:

. easily hold the remaining DVDs upright instead of sideways or lying down in piles
. be pulled out and pushed back out of sight like a drawer
. display the DVDs when pulled out so that rummaging through them would not be necessary
. appear to compliment the decor of the family room so that it would not look out of place

I thus chose the following materials:

- cardboard box left over from an 18-pack case of Coca Cola

- dark red fabric that closely resembled the red of the family room rug

- gold ribbon

- scissors

- stapler

- hot glue gun

Instructions

1. Measure the amount of fabric needed to cover the outside and inside edges of box so that no cardboard will be visible. You may also wish to cover the inside and outside bottom with the fabric.

2. Cut the desired amount of fabric.

3. Staple or hot glue fabric in place so that fabric is taut around edges. Try to keep all staples or glued areas level. Use as many staples as desired. Staples and glued areas may face outside, inside, or both if necessary to hold fabric in place.

4. Choose a ribbon that will best compliment the fabric colour and decor of the room, and measure enough to line the box so that it covers any staples or glued areas inside and outside.

5. Cut the desired length of ribbon.

6. Using the hot glue gun, glue the ribbon along a straight line all the way around the box so that it covers and hides any staples or glued areas. Do this along the inside and outside of the box. You may also wish to glue an additional line of ribbon around the box parallel to the first, as well as one along the rim. Use your best judgement and your own imagination.

This was my finished product:

It stores many of my DVDs so that they are standing upright side by side instead of lying down one on top of the other in towering piles. This box slides behind a row of DVDs kept on a shelf beneath our TV, and if we go to the side of the TV we can easily slide it in and out like a drawer. This is much neater, more attractive, and far more convenient than having the remaining DVDs stacking in piles behind the other DVDs.

Ideas for Variations

. You can also use this craft idea for CDs, Video Games, Computer Programs, and Books that you wish to keep neatly and conveniently displayed.

. You may also wish to line the box with some kind of paper like gift wrap.

. It might be interesting to try using leftover wall paper, especially if the box is used in the same room where the wallpaper is visible.

If you have any craft ideas that involve recycled or re-used raw materials, I would love to hear about them. Please share any ideas that might promote environmentalism, resourcefulness, and just plain common sense.

Spectacular SOCKS ... The Christmas Edition!

2010-12-20T14:21:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the belated Christmas edition of Spectacular SOCKS! Since Christmas is still very fresh in our minds, I thought it would be appropriate to devote this segment of Spectacular SOCKS to the Christmas Stocking. I’ve searched the web this holiday season for some beautiful – and some rather unusual – Christmas Stockings to display, and so below you will find what I thought were some truly Spectacular Christmas Stockings!

1. Home-Made Craft Christmas Stockings

Crazy Flannel Christmas Stocking

This was created by Aubrey Schwartz, founder of Mauby’s (My Life. My Passion. One Design At A Time).

Posted on Wednesday, December 8, this stocking is made with beautiful earth tones that remind me a lot of autumn and the harvest. The fringed, earth-toned patches of fabric give this stocking a rustic feeling, which is perhaps part of the reason I like it. It reminds me a lot of nature and the outdoors. The patches also give the impression that it was made from fabric scraps, but it would probably be very complicated to find various fabric scraps that complement each other so well. To me the fabric-scrap appearance reminds me a bit of a collage – a fabric one instead of a paper one!

See more pictures of this great stocking, along with instructions on how to make it yourself at Mauby’s website:

http://www.maubys.net/2010/12/crazy-flannel-christmas-stockings-charm.html

2. Christmas Stockings for Movie Fans

Anyone remember this eye-sore from the 1983 film A Christmas Story ...

... well, fans of this nostalgic Christmas classic will be pleased to know that they can purchase a Leg Lamp Stocking for their very own from A Christmas Story House Gift Shop! If you ask me, displaying this stocking would be far classier than actually having the real leg lamp, which you can purchase from this website as well if you are bold enough. But wait – that’s not all! You can also purchase leg lamp key-chain ornaments, leg lamp neckties, leg lamp pyjamas, a leg lamp snow-globe, a leg lamp string of lights, and (I think this is my favourite) a leg lamp cookie cutter! You can buy these all and probably much more from:

http://www.redriderleglamps.com/productDetails.cfm?merchID=100324231322921397

Check it out ... I double-dog dare you!

3. The Curly-Toe Stocking

One style I like a lot for decorative use is the “curly-toe” stocking. I like this a lot because it reminds me a little bit of the kind of shoes sported by Christmas elves in most Christmas movies – think Will Ferrell in the 2003 film Elf. They also remind me a little bit of clowns or court jesters. Here is a great example:

Red and Green Satin Velvet Personalized Christmas Stockings from Caribbean Charms.

Both red and green are great Christmas colours, and they look great together. The swirl-pattern of the fabric makes these stockings look very elegant, and the hanging tassels add a nice touch. The pompoms on the toes add to the elf- or clown-like fashion of the stockings in addition to the “curly-toe” style itself.

http://www.caribbeancharm.com/Red-and-Green-Satin-Velvet-Personalized-Christmas-Stockings_p_1017.html

The following are not actual stockings, but stocking ornaments, yet they are another example of the “curly-toe” style that I think demonstrates the elf-like quality of this style.
You can find this RAZ Whimsical Curly Toe Stocking Ornament Set of 4 at Trendy Tree

http://www.trendytree.com/raz-christmas-decorations/raz-whimsical-curly-toe-stocking-ornament-set-of-4.html

4. The Whimsical Christmas Stocking

I love a lot of the more elegant yet whimsical stockings that I've seen in stores and online. As discussed above, many have curled toes that allude to Christmas elves, clowns, or court jesters. Here are some examples from Essentially England.com. Some, like the Luxurious Christmas Stocking on the left, are designed to appear as though they could fit an actual person. Perhaps this is because it is meant to recall a different era in history, as the website states that it "wouldn't have looked out of place at the court of King Charles I." It's colours, design, and elegant detail remind me of royalty, and thus of fairy tales as well.

The stocking on the right is entitled Crazy Christmas Stocking "Masquerade", and I think the name is definitely appropriate. The colours vibrant and rich, but unlike the stocking on the left, this certainly does not look like it could fit a human being! To be honest, I think that it's unwearable shape is what I like about it ... it calls to mind some oddly-shaped character out of a fairy tale that isn't quite human, and therefore must be magic! The "Masquerade" in the title also calls to mind the masquerade scene in Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera, and all the beautiful costumes worn by the characters.

The elegant whimsical stockings like those at Essentially England.com may be more expensive than traditional children's stockings and would best be suited to decorative use than for stuffing on Christmas Eve. View more stockings from this website at the following link:

http://www.essentially-england.com/whimsical-christmas-stockings.html

5. High Heeled Boot Stockings for Shoe-Lovers

One stocking style I’ve noticed out in the stores the last few years is the high heeled boot-style stocking. Unlike the traditional stocking-like stockings that really just resemble large socks, this is meant to resemble a large feminine, high heeled boot! I’m guessing these are meant to appeal to the real shoe-enthusiasts who love shoe-shopping and own several pairs of shoes in different styles ... basically the characters on Sex and the City.

The Personalised Ornate Shoe Christmas Stocking from A Special Gift.com

Though I am not a shoe-enthusiast myself – let’s face it, socks are cheaper, comfier, and take up less room – I still love this stocking. The green at the heel and toe actually appear to be the same shape as a high heel shoe and the matching bow at the back is a great touch. The hanging tassels remind me a little bit of a fringe that might hang down from the hem of a dress, but it could also look like a fancy garter belt!

http://aspecialgift.com/

6. The Gothic Stocking

On one website called Earth Daughter Arts, I came across two beautiful gothic stockings! These stockings are available for purchase at the website's online store. To the left we have Victorian Goth-Steampunk - an elegant silver stocking that combines the styles of the a "high heeled boot" and the "curly-toe." The black pattern is certainly reminiscent of Victorian fashion while the fringe at the top again calls to mind the hem of a dress. The red stocking to the right is entitled Pirate Bay - appropriately named for the skull and cross-bones pattern. The shiny red and black fabric make this a rather dark and sexy Christmas stocking, as does the lacy, garter belt-like fringe at the top! I also think the diagonal black stripes give this stocking a dark and mysterious style!

http://www.earthdaughterarts.com/gallery/goth-stockings.html

7. The Sock Monkey Stocking

Spectacular SOCKS segments are all about celebrating socks and all things made from socks. Yes, Christmas Stockings are essentially socks, but so is the iconic sock monkey, so what could be more sock-related than a Sock Monkey Christmas Stocking? Probably nothing!

Every time I've gone shopping lately, I've seen tons of things related to the sock monkey - not just actual sock monkeys, but sock monkey T-shirts and even a sock monkey 2011 calendar! If sock monkeys are supposedly IN right now, I couldn't very well ignore them in a sock-related blog article, now could I? So I searched the web and found this cute Sock Monkey In A Stocking Christmas Ornament. While this piece is not a stocking itself, I can assure you that there are sock monkey-related Christmas stockings available. I chose to include this piece not only because it is 2X sock-related, but because of its design and colours. I love the red polka-dots against the Grinch-like green background, and how the red of the stocking matches the red of the monkey's lips and hat. I also love the red patches on the heel and toe of the stocking - this makes it look very sock-like and sort of reminds you that the stuffed animal inside is indeed made from a sock itself ... very clever! I found this particular ornament on Amazon.com, but it may be available elsewhere as well:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0028ARONQ?ie=UTF8&tag=moviebarbiedo-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0028ARONQ

8. Funny, Sarcastic Christmas Stockings ...

and some that raise pride and awareness ...?

Though I'm more in favour of old-fashioned, home-made Christmas stockings for actual use on Christmas morning and perhaps the more elegant stockings that can be nice on display in the home, I still admire the humourous and sarcastic Christmas stockings like those from Cafe Press. This website has a VERY WIDE selection of humourous Christmas stockings that can appeal to a wide variety of people. For example, the caption on one stocking reads, "I Have AUTISM And I Think You're Weird Too." I find it very interesting how there are several Christmas stockings on this website that are designed to raise awareness of and express pride in different health conditions such as Autism. For example, one stocking has a caption that reads, "Autism Is Not A tragedy. Ignorance Is A Tragedy." They even have some that have to do with my personal favourite health problem - Fibromyalgia!

Of course this website also has other humourous stockings, some that even poke fun at Christmas celebrations! The stocking to the right, for example, displays zombie snowmen hungry for human brains! Another stocking on this website had the caption, "Santa Claus has the right idea - visit people only once a year." I think these are great for people who are a little fed up with Christmas, especially the commercialized, profit-driven aspect of it all.

Check out the wide variety of funny, sarcastic, and even awareness-raising Christmas Stockings at Cafe Press:

http://www.cafepress.ca/+stocking

9. Stockings from Magical Lands !

Literature buffs like myself would probably appreciate the following stockings, especially lovers of children's literature. These Christmas Stockings are much more expensive than many that I have shown so far, and thus would be better suited to decorative use than for stuffing with small gifts.

Katherine's Collection Christmas Stocking

Madhatter Stilt Leg from Laraines.com

I love that this stocking is named after the Mad Hatter from Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures In Wonderland. Depictions of Wonderland usually involve wild colours and outrageous costume designs, and the colours and design of this stocking definitely reflect the wonderful madness of Wonderland! This beautiful, colourful stocking also reminds me of circusses and clowns, perhaps because of the vibrant colours, and the heel and toe being large in comparison to the ankle.
http://laraines.com/christmas-stocking-leg.html

Also from Laraines.com we have Katherines' Collection Las Vegas Harlequin Christmas Stocking. Though geered towards "card sharks" or Vegas lovers, I am including this stocking as a Magical Land stocking because this too reminds me of Wonderland. Anyone familiar with Carroll's Alice stories knows that Wonderland is ruled by the Queen of Hearts and that other playing-card characters live in Wonderland, their suit denoting their profession. When I saw this stocking, I imediately thought of the Wonderland characters in their playing-card attire, and though I realize it is geered towards card-lovers, I think devote Alice fans will likely be drawn to this stocking as well!

http://laraines.com/kacochstpr2.html

Wizard of Oz 20'' Legs and Sequinned Ruby Slippers Christmas Stocking by Kurt Adler.
Wizard of Oz lovers will certainly recognize these wicked feet! Oz-lovers could hang this stocking as a symbol of their love for the movie, or perhaps as a souvenir commemorating the time they crashed in Oz and accidently landed on the Wicked Witch of the East! Not only do you have the Ruby Slippers to prove it, but you have the stockings from the witch you defeated!

Okay, maybe that's a morbid interpretation of this stocking. How ever you look at this stocking, it's available at Amazon.com at the following link.

http://www.amazon.com/Wizard-Sequined-Slippers-Christmas-Stocking/dp/B000U619T0 Slippers-Christmas-Stocking/dp/B000U619T0

10. The Professional/Hobby Stocking

Some stockings I've come across appeal to people in specific professions, feilds, or hobbies. This handcrafted Ballet Slipper, for example, is available at Boot and Crown. Again, this stocking is more expensive and perhaps better suited to decorative use. I particularly like the idea of a ballet slipper as a Christmas Stocking because it reminds me of Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker, a ballet about a young girl's adventure on Christmas Eve. Perhaps non-dancers who simply love the Nutcracker and its soundtrack would display this stocking along with an assortment of wooden nutcrackers as an homage to this classic Christmas story.

http://www.bootandcrown.com/catalog.php?category=2

11. The Ice Skate Stocking

Last but not least I am including another stocking you may have seen in stores this holiday season. I think The Ice Skate Stocking is popular because ice-skating is a winter sport that only takes place this time of year. For example may recall the openning of A Charlie Brown Christmas, in which the Peanuts Gang are ice-skating on a frozen pond! And, I don't know about you, but I always assumed that Santa Claus, Mrs. Claus, and all of the elves at the North Pole were quite capable of ice-skating as easily as they could walk! It certainly makes sense given their icy climate. Instructions on how to make this particular Ice Skate Stocking are posted on Disney's Family Fun website, along with all the materials necessary.

http://familyfun.go.com/crafts/ice-skate-stocking-667382/

Well, that's the end of my review of Spectacular Christmas Stockings. I hope it was enjoyable, even though this is a rather belated posting.

If you have any photos of Christmas Stockings that you would like to share with me - and of course photos of Christmas-related socks - please leave a comment and a link! I would also love to read what you think of these Christmas finds, and whether or not you think there are any other types of Christmas Stockings I have neglected to include.

Have a Happy New Year everyone!

The White Rabbit and the Call To Adventure

2010-12-13T10:55:00.000-08:00

Today I wanted to talk about something that has eluded me for a long time, something I have been following and trying to understand for quite some time now – the White Rabbit!

Okay, I haven’t literally been following him, and it’s not so much him that I am trying to understand; I am trying to understand the deeper meaning of Lewis Carroll’s Alice stories – Alice’s Adventures In Wonderland and Alice Through The Looking Glass. They seem to be children’s stories, and yet I feel that they must be so much more than that, and isn’t that how it is with all “children’s” stories – they appear to be simple and straightforward and yet underneath they are so much more than what they seem? Putting it in those words, it’s almost as if the children’s stores are the White Rabbit – they appear to be simple, common, and un-noteworthy and yet to the trained eye there are clues that there is something waiting to be discovered beneath the surface!

I’d like to discuss here, my theories about the significance of the White Rabbit in this particular story, and compare him to similar figures in other stories. To begin with, I will start by discussing just who the White Rabbit is in what Joseph Campbell would call, the Monomyth.

Perhaps I should take a detour here and define the Monomyth. The most basic way I can explain the Monomyth, is this:

Think of the Monomyth as the skeleton that every story has in common. If you took every story ever written and stripped it down to its most basic elements and compared them, you would see that each story is actually the same story, just retold with a new spin. Kind of like how The Wiz is the African American version of The Wizard of Oz, and how Star Wars is actually a science fiction version of Lord Of the Rings. The bare bones of every story, and thus the elements they all have in common make up the Monomyth.

For further information on the Monomyth, visit the following Wikipedia page:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monomyth

or read some of the works discussed on the page by Joseph Campbell such as The Hero With A Thousand Faces. Reading about Jungian archetypes will help too!

So now that we have that out of the way, I would like to draw your attention to an important part of the Monomyth, and that is the “call to adventure.” This is summed up on the Wikipedia page as the following:

“The hero starts off in a mundane situation of normality from which some information is received that acts as a call to head off into the unknown.”

In other words, for Joseph Campbell, the call to adventure in all stories has the following:

- hero going about his or her usual business / daily routine
- hero experiencing boredom in that routine
- hero receives information from elsewhere
- information sparks curiosity in outside world of unknown
- discovering unknown seems better than current boredom
- curiosity drives hero to leave current boring situation

This describes exactly what Alice experienced in Chapter 1: Down The Rabbit Hole! The opening paragraph shows our hero Alice in a very mundane situation:

“Alice was beginning to get very tired of sitting by her sister on the bank, and of having nothing to do: once or twice she had peeped into the book her sister was reading, but it had no pictures or conversations in it, `and what is the use of a book,' thought Alice `without pictures or conversation?'

So she was considering in her own mind (as well as she could, for the hot day made her feel very sleepy and stupid), whether the pleasure of making a daisy-chain would be worth the trouble of getting up and picking the daisies, when suddenly a White Rabbit with pink eyes ran close by her.” (Alice In Wonderland page 1-2)

Let’s take a break and look at what corresponds to Campbell’s call to adventure so far:

- hero going about his or her usual business / daily routine ...... check!
- hero experiencing boredom in that routine ................................ check!

Let’s continue:

“There was nothing so VERY remarkable in that; nor did Alice think it so VERY much out of the way to hear the Rabbit say to itself, `Oh dear! Oh dear! I shall be late!' (when she thought it over afterwards, it occurred to her that she ought to have wondered at this, but at the time it all seemed quite natural); but when the Rabbit actually TOOK A WATCH OUT OF ITS WAISTCOAT- POCKET, and looked at it, and then hurried on, Alice started to her feet, for it flashed across her mind that she had never before seen a rabbit with either a waistcoat-pocket, or a watch to take out of it, and burning with curiosity, she ran across the field after it, and fortunately was just in time to see it pop down a large rabbit-hole under the hedge.

In another moment down went Alice after it, never once considering how in the world she was to get out again.” (Alice In Wonderland page 2)

Now let’s see if this fulfills any of the other characteristics of the call to adventure on our list:

- hero receives information from elsewhere .......................................... check!
- information sparks curiosity in outside world of unknown ............. check!
- discovering unknown seems better than current boredom .............. check!
- curiosity drives hero to leave current boring situation ...................... check!

So, we can definitely see that what Alice experiences in Down the Rabbit Hole corresponds to what Campbell calls the call to adventure, and likewise, the White Rabbit corresponds to what Campbell calls the “herald” or the character who calls the hero to adventure.

It may appear that the White Rabbit is not literally calling Alice to follow him – in fact, he appears completely oblivious to the fact that he has sparked her curiosity! But let’s look at what exactly a herald is. A herald can literally mean:

- A messenger, especially one bringing important news
- A harbinger, giving signs of things to come

Keeping these things in mind, let’s look at what Campbell actually says about the herald:

"The herald or announcer of the adventure, therefore, is often dark, loathly, or terrifying, judged evil by the world; yet if one could follow, the way would be opened through the walls of day into the dark where the jewels glow. Or the herald is a beast (as in the fairy tale), representative of the repressed instinctual fecundity within ourselves, or again a veiled mysterious figure – the unknown." (The Hero With A Thousand Faces - page 53)

The White Rabbit is definitely a fairy tale beast, but also a mysterious figure who represents the unknown, and this is what it is about him that draws Alice away from her mundane world – the indication that people and things are different elsewhere and that there is a whole different world yet to be discovered!

If we examine some images of the White Rabbit, we see more evidence of his role as a herald who calls the hero to adventure. For example, when we first meet the White Rabbit, he is dressed in very human attire and looking at his watch – a sort of prop that he has become known for carrying. The first words that Alice hears him speak are a declaration that he is shall be late if he does not hurry ...

it is very likely that Alice not only wondered what he would be late for, and whether it was something very important, but also if it was not something she would feel sorry for missing.
To me, the White Rabbit appearing in this way, passing Alice by is a reminder that time is passing us by ...

... and that if we do not heed the warning that it is getting later and later, we will soon find our lives have passed us by. In this sense, the White Rabbit could represent time passing us by, but also life passing us by. If this is the case, the White Rabbit is certainly a messenger, and certainly brings signs of things to come. He acts as a Memento Mori - a reminder that one day we will all die.

To illustrate my point, I would like to compare this appearance of the White Rabbit to another famous character who has given us just the same warning:

Anyone who has ever seen Ferris Bueller’s Day Off would probably agree that the title character is all about the call to adventure, and knows that he literally lures his friends away from their mundane routine high school day by convincing them to skip class for a day and go out on the town! Ferris knows that life moves pretty fast, and he doesn’t want his friends to miss it either. Though Ferris is the hero of his story, he too is the herald!

You can see in the following clip that Ferris literally calls his friend Cameron Frye to adventure – although he calls him on the phone, I’m sure you get the picture. Cameron demonstrates what often happens initially when the call is received – "the refusal of the call."

Not all stories involve a refusal, however, and from the paragraph quotes above we can see that Alice certainly didn’t refuse. But I showed this clip of one herald physically calling another person to adventure to explain how I see another image of the White Rabbit.

Though the White Rabbit was not trying to call Alice to follow him in the first place, and Alice has already accepted the adventure at this point in the story, this illustration of the White Rabbit blowing a horn actually appears to be a call. It is as if he is blowing the horn to call us or get our attention and holding out the scroll to indicate that he has a message for us. For this reason, I think this image visually indicates that the White Rabbit is a sort of herald, a messenger, perhaps giving signs of things to come.

Joseph Campbell has more to say about the herald who calls the hero to adventure:

“Whether dream or myth, in these adventures there is an atmosphere of irresistible fascination about the figure that appears suddenly as guide, marking a new period, a new stage, in the biography. That which has to be faced, and is somehow profoundly familiar to the unconscious – though unknown, surprising, and even frightening to the conscious personality – makes itself known ...” (The Hero With A Thousand Faces page 55)

I found this to be a very enlightening quote. The herald is often something very intriguing, irresistible, and enigmatic. After all, look at this picture of the White Rabbit ... isn’t he mysterious? Don’t you just want to follow him into the dark ... wherever he might be going?

So, while a big point I’m trying to make is that the White Rabbit and many other figures like him in literature act as a herald calling the hero to adventure, I want to put forth some more theories as to what I think this means. As I stated above, I think the herald in this case can often be a Memento Mori – a reminder that life is short and time is constantly moving forward. The White Rabbit may be a more obvious Memento Mori as he actually carries a watch, but perhaps there are similar less obvious heralds who remind us that the clock is ticking ...

Remember this handsome devil from Peter Pan? This is the crocodile who chased Captain Hook ever since he swallowed his severed hand. Hook’s arch-enemy Peter Pan cut off his hand in a duel and threw it to the crocodile, who liked the taste of Hook’s hand so much that he followed him ever since, “licking his lips” for the rest of him! Luckily, this croc swallowed, of all things, a clock! So, even though Hook is terrified of the crocodile, he is warned every time he hears the ticking of the clock that the crocodile is approaching.

It’s interesting isn’t it? Like the White Rabbit who carries a watch in his coat pocket, the crocodile sort of carries a clock in his belly, except that we see the White Rabbit’s watch and can only hear the crocodile’s clock. The message is still the same. Since the ticking accompanies the approach of the crock, when Hook hears the ticking he literally fears his own time running out and death approaching! As with the White Rabbit, the ticking clock is again a reminder that life is short and will one day end, and yet Hook doesn’t take this as a sign, or a message to act. Instead it paralyzes him with fear and drives him to seek revenge against someone who, coincidentally, will never have to experience the feeling of aging and life passing him by. It seems Hook misunderstands that his mortality and aging are reasons to live, but thinks instead that these are reasons to be angry and takes out his anger on the young who have more time.

So perhaps for Captain Hook, the crocodile could play the role of the herald, calling him to adventure and to live. And Campbell did say that the herald “is often dark, loathly, or terrifying, judged evil by the world ..." He too acts as a Memento Mori, but while the White Rabbit may be a Memento Mori that represents life and life passing by, perhaps the crocodile represents the opposite – the approach of death.

That said, I think the more obvious herald in Peter Pan is Peter Pan himself! Visually, he is a counterpart to the crocodile in that the crocodile is green and Peter is the only other character who wears green. Peter wears green because he is dressed in leaves, perhaps representing his close ties with nature, while the crocodile is an animal and thus a part of nature. We may be tempted to think of the crocodile as evil in comparison to Peter, but both do seem to be allies against Captain Hook, and I do think there is a very iconic scene in which Peter too becomes associated with a clock:

I think Peter Pan as a herald is a good example of another aspect of the call to adventure that the White Rabbit – and even Ferris Bueller – represent. This is the call to be "open to experience".

According to good old Wikipedia, Openness To Experience is one of five major domains used to describe human personality, and consists of "active imagination, aesthetic sensitivity, attentiveness to inner feelings, preference for variety, and intellectual curiosity.”

“http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Openness_to_experience

An active imagination ...?
Curiosity ...?
A preference for variety ...?

Weren’t these the traits that Alice had? Were they not also the traits that Wendy had?

Wikipedia explains further that “people who score low on openness are considered to be closed to experience. They tend to be conventional and traditional in their outlook and behavior. They prefer familiar routines to new experiences, and generally have a narrower range of interests.”

Preferring familiar routines? I’m sorry, but this is just not what the call to adventure is all about! Something tells me that people who are “closed to experience” don’t see White Rabbits go by or ask their mothers to leave their nursery windows open so that a strange boy can come back!

Maybe that's what's so important about keeping the nursery window open in the first place ... maybe it isn't really the nursery window we are keeping open, but our hearts and minds! Peter could only enter the nursery windows that were open, and so perhaps to keep the window open, is to keep your mind and heart open to adventure so that when the herald arrives, he knows that you are one of the very few who are ready or can even recognise the oportunity for adventure in the first place!

The open window, is the sign welcoming invitation that you will let him in so that he can show you all sorts of new possibilities ...

According to Wikipedia, there are 6 elements of openness to experience:

1.Fantasy - the tendency toward a vivid imagination and fantasy life.
2.Aesthetics - the tendency to appreciate art, music, and poetry.
3.Feelings - being receptive to inner emotional states and valuing emotional experience.
4.Actions - the inclination to try new activities, visit new places, and try new foods.
5.Ideas - the tendency to be intellectually curious and open to new ideas.
6.Values - the readiness to re-examine traditional social, religious, and political values.

Openness corelates to creativity, and interestingly, "there are social and political implications to this personality trait. People who are highly open to experience tend to be politically liberal and tolerant of diversity. As a consequence, they are generally more open to different cultures and lifestyles. They are lower in ethnocentrism and right-wing authoritarianism."

I think the above excerpts from Wikipedia allow us to see a common bond between the people who get called to adventure – or at least the people who accept the call without refusing. They are all people who are open to being called, of experiencing a new world with new rules, and maybe getting to experience another society or culture! Furthermore, they are all able to imagine that such unique places may exist, and more importantly, are not arrogant enough to assume that their world is better than anything that may differ from it!

Another great demonstration of how being open to experience is necessary in order for the herald to call the hero to adventure is in the lyrics to Bob Dylan’s Mr. Tambourine Man. I realize that many are convinced that Mr. Tambourine Man is simply about a drug, either marijuana or LSD, and that perhaps the Tambourine Man is the drug itself, or the drug dealer! But I have another theory, and I’m sticking to it:

The Tambourine Man is the White Rabbit, Peter Pan, the herald whom the hero must follow in order to leave the mundane, routine world, and the invitation to play a song corresponds to keeping the nursery window open! It is the indication by the hero that the hero is open to experience, and thus ready to accept the herald’s call to leave. Still not convinced? Look at the following lyrics:

Take me on a trip upon your magic swirlin’ ship
My senses have been stripped, my hands can’t feel to grip
My toes too numb to step
Wait only for my boot heels to be wanderin’
I’m ready to go anywhere, I’m ready for to fade
Into my own parade, cast your dancing spell my way
I promise to go under it

http://www.bobdylan.com/#/songs/mr-tambourine-man

Of course these are only some of the lyrics. The rest of the lyrics can practically tell an adventure story! While some think the words “take me on a trip,” “senses have been stripped,” and “smoke rings of my mind” indicate that the song is about a drug-induced hallucination, I would like to point out that the Wikipedia page about the Monomyth states that Bob Dylan is one of many artists influenced by the Monomyth – therefore, though the page does not cite this specific work by Dylan, I think it makes perfect sense for listeners to hear this song as an indication of openness to experience and a call to adventure.

The last verses of this song struck me as very interesting, and reminded me of another adventure story I know. The verse is as follows:

Then take me disappearin’ through the smoke rings of my mind
Down the foggy ruins of time, far past the frozen leaves
The haunted, frightened trees, out to the windy beach
Far from the twisted reach of crazy sorrow
Yes, to dance beneath the diamond sky with one hand waving free
Silhouetted by the sea, circled by the circus sands
With all memory and fate driven deep beneath the waves
Let me forget about today until tomorrow

While references to a windy beach, haunted trees, a diamond sky, and a sea and waves could easily remind me again of Alice’s Wonderland and Peter’s Neverland it reminded me of another mysterious land – a mysterious island to be specific, complete with foggy ruins and smoke rings ...

Yes, of course I am talking about the mysterious island of ABC’s LOST! While this show begins as a show about the survivors of a plane crash who land on a strange island and must learn to survive and get along with each other, it turns into a story about each character sorting out their baggage. Perhaps this is why we literally see characters sorting through the plane’s luggage in one of the first episodes!

In another of the very first episodes, we see that one of the main characters experiences a vision – a vision of someone in his life who has recently died.

This episode is appropriately entitled The White Rabbit, and when Dr. Jack Shepherd confesses to seeing and following a vision of his recently deceased father to a man named John, John replies, “You’re chasing the White Rabbit!”

At first Jack is confused by this statement, so John asks him if he is familiar with the Alice stories. Coincidentally, Jack replies that his father used to read him the Alice stories when he was a child. Now it would appear that his father is the White Rabbit, and Jack is Alice in a bizarre Wonderland.

This picture is very similar to the picture of the White Rabbit with his back turned to us, but walking on into the dark in such a way that the viewer feels compelled to follow!

SPOILER ALERT for those who have not seen LOST and plan to. For those who have seen all 6 seasons of LOST or do not care to have secrets revealed, by all means, read ahead!

Those of you who have seen all 6 seasons of LOST know that Dr. Jack Shepherd had a relative on the island with him who, unbeknownst to him, happened to be his half sister, sharing the same father. So, it would seem that, since Jack’s father appeared to him, he might just appear to his other child as well ... and he did! Claire Littleton is Jack Shepherd’s half sister, and with her long blond hair and youthful appearance, doesn’t she just remind you of Alice?

It makes sense that he would appear to her, driving the point home that he is the White Rabbit on this show – or at least one of many, for there are many heroes who each experience a call from a herald unique to them. Nevertheless, it makes sense that someone referred to as a White Rabbit would appear to someone so Alice-like while she was asleep. And wouldn’t you know it? She disappears after she sees him!

Again, those of you who have seen all 6 seasons of LOST know why Christian Shepherd has appeared to his son Jack and daughter Claire - because he isn’t Christian Shepherd ... he’s the smoke monster in disguise!

Yes, this supposedly human man is actually a manifestation of the mysterious devil-like villain that inhabits the island. Most of the survivors of Oceanic 815 and other inhabitants of the island have witnessed this creature, whom most refer to as "the monster". It usually appears as a cloud of black smoke that shoots around the island at will, often in a slithering manner like a snake and making what another character referred to as a “ticka ticka sound.”

So, keeping this in mind, can the apparition of Christian Shepherd, or the Smoke Monster in disguise, count as a White Rabbit, a herald calling the characters to adventure? After all, devout viewers can see that this creature is evil and has actually murdered other characters. Certainly he cannot be the same as the White Rabbit can he?

My answer to this? Yes and No. No, he is not the same as the White Rabbit. The White Rabbit was not evil, even if his appearance to Alice may have caused her to have an accident and fall down a large hole into a sort of underworld ... If anything, the villain in Wonderland might be the Queen of Hearts, although Alice seems to experience many other threats from various other characters ... but the White Rabbit doesn’t seem to be one of them. So what’s going on here?

Well, the Smoke Monster is not the same as the White Rabbit in that his only role is the herald during the call to adventure – the Smoke Monster also plays the role of the villain. This is sort of the opposite of how Ferris Bueller played the role of both the herald and the hero – Smoky here is both the herald and the villain. The White Rabbit is only the herald. So I think what's important here is that the herald is not always a good guy, and can serve more than one function, play more than one role, even if that role is the villain. If it is the villain, this does not mean he should not be followed. Often the villains can be the one to draw the hero into the adventure and the hero returns home better for having gone on his/her journey!

LOST has a lot of references to Alice In Wonderland and Alice Through the Looking Glass, and there are many other characters who seem to play the same role as Alice, being led, and characters who play the same role as the White Rabbit, doing the leading. But another story to which LOST is similar is the previously mentioned Peter Pan. A mysterious island that characters have to fly to? And again, notice how the slithering Smoke Monster happens to make a ticking noise ... similar to a certain crocodile on another island!

Lastly, to prove my point about how the herald can often be a villain – or at least be vilified by those who misinterpret the story – I would like to point out how similar the island on LOST actually is to the Garden of Eden, and the Smoke Monster to the serpent.

First, recall how difficult the island is to find and how it is protected by Jacob – humans were actually banished from the Garden of Eden and it was then guarded by the angel Uriel. The Smoke Monster who often leads others is a slithering creature who claims that Jacob’s rules are not really making a difference or protecting anyone or anything. The serpent similarly reveals to Eve that God’s forbidding the fruit of knowledge is actually meant to keep them ignorant and powerless, which would trap them in the garden and keep them from gaining knowledge. A character named Desmond experiences a similar state of imprisonment for a reason he is eventually tempted to test. Like Adam and Eve, he too must suffer the consequences afterwards.

I think the similarities between the serpent and the Smoke Monster demonstrate that the serpent too is another herald, a White Rabbit, who literally tempts another to break a rule out of pure curiosity. And what is the result? Some might say punishment, and fall from grace ... Really? A fall from grace? That sounds very shameful, and yet Alice didn’t seem to feel ashamed after falling down the rabbit hole...? Wasn’t that a similar fall? It took place in a sort of garden and she was led by an animal ... a talking one for that matter! This depiction of the story is interesting because the serpent is very human, and there is an owl perched on the tree ... owls often symbolize wisdom! Owls were one of the symbols of Athena, the goddess of Wisdom. When you put it in these terms, the fruit of knowledge seems like more of a gift than a curse.

Let’s be realistic here! A hero never accepts a quest from a herald without eventually gaining something, even if the herald is actually the villain! And what do the heroes usually gain? Knowledge! Look at this depiction of Eve with the serpent beneath the Tree of Knowledge - doesn't it look like she knows something you don't? Maybe like she's smarter than you ...?

This said, I’d like to propose a new way of seeing the banishment from the Garden of Eden – not as due to the breaking of a rule or a terrible crime, of disobeying God or being tempted by an evil, devilish serpent – but as the reception of knowledge, wisdom, and logic that comes with adulthood. Eventually, we all reach puberty (eat the fruit), become more aware of our bodies (realize we are naked), and it’s probably around this time that most of us start questioning our parents’ rules (that if we eat the fruit we will die). Disobeying them can have negative consequences (pain during labour) – any decision can. But we can also learn that we are old enough to make our own decisions and solve any problems (nudity) that result from them! Once we can solve our own problems and use the resources around us to do so, we have reached maturity, and no longer need the security and safety of our parents’ house (Garden of Eden).
This is not a bad thing. It appears to be a rejection, and it appears that certain consequences such as pain during labour are an actual punishment. But what if they are just some of the things we can expect to happen now that we are grown up? What if they are just some more problems that we might encounter that require some experimentation with the earth’s natural resources in order to be solved?
If we think about it in these terms, it’s almost as if eating the fruit of knowledge represents the first scientific discovery, and thus leads to the first invention – clothing! Looking at it this way, I just can’t see the serpent as the bad guy. To view the serpent as the villain would mean to always view the herald as the villain, and the whole adventure of discovery and openness to experience as evil! If we all view things this way, we will never fall down rabbit holes, go on adventures, learn things we didn't know about the world, learn things we didn't know about ourselves, and come back as better, wiser people! Maybe this is what is so intriguing about the White Rabbit, and all of the heralds in every story ... they all remind us of the serpent in the Garden of Eden, and they all make us wonder if they can really be trusted. But maybe that's just because the herald is always something or someone that seems so small and unimportant and it feels strange that something so small can be responsible for something so big - for having such a big effect on someone else's life ...

Spectacular SOCKS: Dobby, A Free Elf

2010-12-01T23:47:00.000-08:00

Welcome to another, albeit belated, segment of Spectacular SOCKS! Due to the recent theatrical release of the new Harry Potter movie, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1, this segment of Spectacular SOCKS will be dedicated to our good friend Dobby the house-elf.

Those of you who are unfamiliar with the Harry Potter series may ask what does a house-elf have to do with socks? Well, I’ll tell you!

Dobby debuts in the series in the second novel, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, in Chapter Two, Dobby’s Warning, in which Harry becomes aware of the existence of house-elves. Harry discovers Dobby, a creature he had never seen before, in his bedroom at number four, Privet Drive. Dobby is introduced to the reader with the following description:

The little creature on the bed had large, bat-like ears and bulging green eyes the size of tennis balls ... The creature slipped off the bed and bowed so low that the end of its long thin nose touched the carpet. Harry noticed that it was wearing what looked like an old pillowcase, with rips for arm and leg holes. (Chamber of Secrets, page 15)

From his very introduction, Harry and the reader can see from his physical appearance that Dobby, though humanoid, is not human. Since Harry is not any more familiar than the reader with such magical, non-human creatures, Dobby himself has to explain just what he is. Dobby explained, as always, referring to himself in the third person:

“Dobby is a house-elf – bound to serve one house and one (wizard) family for ever ...” (Chamber of Secrets, page 16)

What I find significant here is the use of the word “bound.” Dobby is bound to serve a wizard family, meaning not that he is employed as a servant for a wizard family, but that he is enslaved by a wizard family, staying and working for them against his will as if tied up and imprisoned!

It soon becomes apparent that though Dobby is not human, he has many of the same abilities of a human, such as the ability to speak, reason, and make decisions for himself. It stands to reason that these qualities make him deserving of equal rights with humans, and yet he is enslaved by a family of wizards who make him punish himself by self-inflicting wounds whenever he disobeys them.

Readers discover the level of cruelty that Dobby endures when Harry politely asks Dobby to have a seat in his bedroom – Dobby has never experienced such politeness from a wizard and bursts into tears. At first, Harry assumes he has hurt Dobby’s feelings and apologises for offending him. Dobby’s replies, “Offend Dobby ... Dobby has never been asked to sit down by a wizard – like an equal.” (Chamber of Secrets, page 16). As if his low self-esteem is not evidence enough of Dobby’s constant abuse, in Chapter Ten, The Rogue Bludger, Dobby tells Harry, “Dobby is used to death threats sir. Dobby gets them five times a day at home.” (Chamber of Secrets, page 133)

Harry even asks Dobby at one point why he cannot simply escape if he endures so much abuse – as Harry lives in a suburb with Muggles or non-magic people, he is unfamiliar with many magical creatures and wizard customs. Dobby explains his situation:

“A house-elf must be set free, sir. And the family will never set Dobby free ... Dobby will serve the family until he dies, sir ...” (Chamber of Secrets, page 16)

Dobby also does not wear the same clothes as humans, and it becomes apparent that his pillowcase attire is meant to further distinguish himself from humans, sending the message that he is not to be treated with the dignity of a human. For example, the pillowcase is described as “filthy” and when Dobby uses it to blow his nose, he was described as “looking so pathetic,” and prompting Harry to ask “Why d’you wear that thing, Dobby?” Dobby gives the following reply, which proves to be very important:

“’Tis a mark of the house-elf’s enslavement, sir. Dobby can only be freed if his masters present him with clothes, sir. The family is careful not to pass Dobby even a sock, sir, for then he would be free to leave their house for ever.” (Chamber of Secrets, page 133)

Thus Dobby’s pillowcase denotes the dehumanization that accompanies slavery, for Dobby is not to be treated with the same dignity or rights that a human being would have, and thus he is not to wear the same articles of clothing that a human would wear, even the smallest and least expensive articles of human clothing – socks! This is why Dobby informs Harry that even a single sock cannot be handed to Dobby from his masters, lest the family accidently grant him his freedom.

In the very last chapter of the novel, Harry learns just who Dobby serves. In Chapter Eighteen, Dobby’s Reward, Harry learns that Dobby is bound to serve the Malfoy family, a family of dark wizards who follow the evil Lord Voldemort. It makes much sense that Dobby is a slave in the Malfoy household, as the Malfoys are classist and extremely prejudiced – their beliefs in their own superiority due to their wealth, power, and “pure blood” status explain why they would believe in slavery and treat Dobby with such abuse and dehumanization. The identity of Dobby’s master is revealed when Harry is about to leave Professor Dumbledore’s office when the door bursts open:

Lucius Malfoy stood there, fury in his face. And cowering under his arm, heavily wrapped in bandages, was Dobby ... Mr Malfoy almost knocked Harry over as he swept into the room. Dobby went scurrying in after him, crouching at the hem of his cloak, a look of abject terror on his face. (Chamber of Secrets, page 246)

After a brief and incriminating discussion in Professor Dumbledore’s office, Mr Malfoy leaves angrily and even kicks Dobby through the office door as he does so. After witnessing the cruelty Dobby receives, even in his weakened, bandaged condition, Harry quickly devises a plan, and leaves Professor Dumbledore’s office carrying the destroyed diary of the evil Lord Voldemort:

Quickly, wondering if this plan could work, Harry took off one of his shoes, pulled off his slimy, filthy sock, and stuffed the diary into it. Then he ran down the dark corridor. (Chamber of Secrets, page 248)

It would appear that Harry remembered every detail of Dobby’s explanation about why he wore a filthy pillowcase, that if Dobby’s masters presented him with clothes, he would be set free, and thus they must take great care not to hand him the smallest article of clothing ... even a sock!

Harry cleverly distracts Mr Malfoy by handing him his disgusting, dirty sock, from which he removes the diary. Unfortunately, when Mr Malfoy saw the diary, he was so furious at the implication that the diary of Lord Voldemort belonged to him that he carelessly threw the dirty sock aside, not realizing that Dobby was right there to catch it! The chapter continues:

"Come, Dobby. I said Come!"
But Dobby didn’t move. He was holding up Harry’s disgusting, slimy sock, and looking at it as though it were a priceless treasure.
"Master has given Dobby a sock," said the elf in wonderment. "Master gave it to Dobby."
"What’s that?" spat Mr Malfoy. "What did you say?"
"Dobby has got a sock," said Dobby in disbelief. "Master threw it, and Dobby caught it, and Dobby – Dobby is free." (Chamber of Secrets, page 248)

This scene is changed slightly in the film, but it is still very effective, and worth viewing:

This, dear readers, is what the Harry Potter series, and Dobby the house-elf, has to do with socks. It was a single, smelly, dirty, slimy sock that aided in Dobby’s ultimate freedom from the abusive Malfoys!

After Dobby’s triumphant liberation from slavery, he found work in the Hogwarts kitchens for a descent salary – a salary that went to pay for, you guessed it, socks! The role of a single sock in Dobby’s liberation seemed to have led to Dobby developing a love-affair with socks – not unlike yours truly! He loved giving socks as gifts, and he certainly loved receiving socks as gifts! And why not? After all, when Dobby first received a sock as a gift, he was simultaneously receiving his freedom. It might have been dirty, smelly, slimy, and completely disgusting, but that single sock that Harry gave to Dobby was truly a Spectacular SOCK!

Interestingly, Dobby preferred single socks, as opposed to pairs of identical socks. Perhaps it is because his freedom came from receiving a single sock as opposed to a pair, or perhaps it is because he was still unaccustomed to wearing human clothing, and thus unfamiliar with the traditional wearing of matching socks. But who’s to say that Dobby is not right, that it is not more fashionable and attractive to wear two different socks than two matching socks? Perhaps the little elf knows something we humans are too uncreative and traditional to notice?

In closing, I just read on Harry Potter Wiki that the name "Dobby" was appropriately chosen from the old English word dobby. According to http://harrypotter.wikia.com/wiki/Dobby, the Oxford English Dictionary states that dobby was:

“a benevolent elf that would perform household tasks secretly in the night, like the elves in tales of the elves and the shoemaker. However, just as those elves disappeared when the shoemaker made them shoes, so the dobbies were said to disappear when offered clothing.”

An elf who secretly enters homes, does various chores such as laundry, and slips out before the family can catch him, and who also happens to be a lover of single, unmatched socks?

Perhaps we’ve solved the mystery as to where so many individual socks have mysteriously disappeared to leaving their mates behind in the laundry!

With that, Dobby, free elf, this segment of Spectacular SOCKS is dedicated to you.

The Cover of The Purity Myth and The Cover of Twilight - Why Are They So Similar?

2010-11-17T20:05:00.000-08:00

I don’t have a lot of time for a long entry today, but I wanted to discuss something.

I’ve been spending a lot of time reading lately, and one of the books I’ve skimmed through is called The Purity Myth by Jessica Valenti.

This book states – and I totally agree – that obsession with virginity and pressure of abstinence is actually hurting girls and women, and that the beliefs taught and encouraged about sex, virginity, and abstinence are sexist, dangerous, unrealistic, and unnatural.

While skimming through the book, I noticed something about the cover, particularly its similarity to some other books on my shelf ... books that I regretted buying after reading:

If you are to compare the covers of the first two books in The Twilight Saga, published in 2005 and 2006 to the cover of The Purity Myth, published in 2009, you will see a striking resemblance. And what a coincidence: it just so happens that The Twilight Saga is practically abstinence propaganda, ultimately preaches sexism, and promotes and condones abusive, controlling behaviour of men towards their partners! This is exactly the kind of thing that Valenti discusses in The Purity Myth.

I have not yet read the complete book, but do you think it’s possible that Valenti (or the publishers or cover artist) is implying that The Twilight Saga is part of this culture of dangerous teachings about sex, sexuality, and men’s control of women’s sexuality?

Let’s look at some similarities between the book covers:

- All three books have a black background, perhaps representing the night sky, alluding to the traditional time when vampires walk about and sex takes place, as well as when vampires and sexual predators is thought to be a threat.

- All three books have a similar, almost identical font in which the titles are printed in all lower case letters and the names of the authors are written in all upper case letters.

- All three books have a white font against the black background, though the actual titles of the Twilight books appear to be more in metallic silver when they reflect the light.

- The cover of Twilight features pale arms holding out a red apple with a visible stem, while the cover of The Purity Myth features two daisies with long stems, one complete with petals and one empty of petals.
The apple on the cover of Twilight alludes to the Judeo/Christian story of creation in Genesis, in which the first woman was tempted to eat an apple that was forbidden as it would lead to her death. While the apple in that story seemed to represent knowledge, it is often associated with sex and thought to be a metaphor implying that human sexuality is harmful and a sin. This makes sense as in Genesis, when Adam and Eve ate the apple, they noticed immediately after for the first time that they were naked and felt ashamed of their nakedness, whereas before they were completely innocent and had no guilt about their nudity. The cover of Twilight alludes to Adam supposedly being tempted to eat the apple by Eve, as the hands on the cover are holding out the apple to the potential reader in a similarly tempting way, and perhaps there is meant to be an implied threat of the loss of innocence if the apple is accepted.

Similarly, the daisies on the cover of The Purity Myth can be used to symbolise sex like the forbidden fruit, as flowers too are plucked like fruit. Furthermore, one daisy is shown with not just a plucked stem, but plucked petals. It is probably no coincidence that daisies are symbolic of innocence, much like the un-plucked, un-bitten apple, and thus we can assume that the complete daisy represents innocence while the plucked daisy with plucked petals represents a loss of innocence like a plucked, bitten apple.

- The Purity Myth features a flower, as does New Moon, most likely a reference to the expression “deflower” used to refer to the penis breaking the hymen during a woman’s first time with intercourse. The term implies that something beautiful is being taken away from the woman by the man, and you will notice that the flower on the cover of New Moon appears to be in tact save for a tiny petal that has fallen. This may in fact allude to a piece of abstinence propaganda that takes place in some schools, in which a teacher displays a flower explaining that the flower represents the student, and proceeds to pluck petals one by one explaining that each time the student engages in premarital intercourse, the student is giving away or losing a petal to their partner. The analogy then goes that by the time the student is ready for marriage, she (probably not he) does not have a complete flower to give to her spouse, and the flower the teacher holds is most likely empty of petals. This doctrine implies that each time a girl (usually not a boy) has premarital sex part of herself is being taken away from her and that when she has sex during marriage her aim is to give herself to her husband, symbolically presenting him with a complete flower. Students are meant to consider whether they would rather give a complete, beautiful flower with many petals or a bare stem, and thus to conclude that it is a greater gift to wait till marriage to have sex and give themselves completely to their spouses. Thus the flower with a single red petal falling on the New Moon cover implies a threat of loss of virginity before marriage and the threat of many more petals lost, and thus the two flowers used in the classroom analogy are present on the cover of The Purity Myth – one that has not yet lost any petals and one that has gone through the complete plucking process.

I find this to be a very disturbing aspect of abstinence dogma. Though breaking the hymen can occur during the first time a woman engages in sex, no sexual act actually takes away the human body or necessarily takes away the sense of self, and this dogma teaches girls that it does. Not only does it teach girls that they will lose themselves slowly with each partner, but it teaches that they are giving their partners ownership of their bodies and thus losing more ownership and autonomy with each act of sex and each new partner. What’s worse is that it teaches that marriage is actually the complete loss of a woman’s ownership of her self and autonomy in a single instance – not even gradually over time! At least with premarital sex, the girl got to keep her stem; with marriage she loses the entire flower! If you ask me this makes marriage much less appealing than premarital sex with more than one partner!

The cover of The Purity Myth alludes to this abstinence propaganda analogy, and perhaps helps us to see that the cover of New Moon may be meant to allude to this analogy but to validate rather than debunk it. After all, the falling red petal resembles a falling drop of blood, so the loss of this petal implies some sort of threat to the safety of the flower, and isn’t that just a perfect symbol of The Twilight Saga? For in most vampire stories, the act of vampirism is a metaphor for sex and, in this series, the vampire Edward’s compulsion to and refraining from attacking Bella reflects and occurs alongside his compulsion to and refraining from engaging in premarital sex with her.
When it is finally debated and agreed upon that Edward will engage in vampirism with Bella in order to make her a vampire – which is not fully her decision or even his, but rather the subject of a vote by Edward’s vampire family – he says that he will only do it on the condition that she marry him first, further connecting the act of vampirism to sex. So, not only is this sex-like act purposely going to take place only after marriage along with their first time with intercourse, but this sex-like act will actually be taking away something from the woman – her human body and life!

No wonder the cover of The Purity Myth alludes to the covers of books in The Twilight Saga. The cover of The Purity Myth alone reveals a doctrine in The Twilight Saga that is ultimately harmful to girls and women.

Message from Twilight: Ladies, expect a man who really loves you to make any important decisions for you and be incredibly controlling while lacking appropriate boundaries. Let him get away with things that normal people like friends and family should not get away with, and expect that he cannot control his impulses to sleep with you (and thus give you some terrible disease that will kill you) because he is naturally more sexual, strong, and impulsive than you and should not necessarily be expected to control himself. Expect that when you marry him it will be okay for him to do any of these things to you because that is just what husbands and wives do, and don’t feel bad about any feeling of losing yourself once you are married because you are now an extension of him.

Message from The Purity Myth: Basically, the above message from Twilight is complete bullshit. Men and women are just as sexual, just as sexually active, though everybody has a different libido and sexuality is as diverse as people are diverse. Every individual has the right to control their own sexuality and decide for themselves when to have sex and who to have sex with. Proper education of sexually transmitted diseases and contraception is vital and more effective than misinformation and damaging propaganda that promotes controlling and abusive behaviour in men and submission and acceptance of such behaviour from women. Men who are dating women should be expected to maintain just as many boundaries as anyone else in the woman’s life, and should maintain the boundaries they would like others to maintain in their lives. Even after marriage these boundaries are important. After marriage, nobody owns anyone or anyone’s sexuality.

Halloween 2010 Blog Party Post Part 3: Halloween Colours In Costumes and Decor

2010-10-28T20:39:00.000-07:00

For Part 3 of my Halloween 2010 Blog Party posts, I would like to discuss something important in when choosing Halloween decorations, creating Halloween crafts, and picking out the absolute best Halloween costumes:

C o l o u r !

Most people only associate 2 colours with Halloween - Black, and Orange. While these colours are important, I would like to take some time to discuss other great Halloween colours, what makes them great Halloween colours, and great reasons to use them ...

Orange and Black are commonly thought to be Halloween colours, as Orange is associated with pumpkins and bonfires, and Black is associated with the night sky, black cats, bats, etc ... But there are many other great Halloween colours that go unused in decorating such as certain shades of Green - particularly Lime Green.

Green is a great Halloween colour because it compliments Orange, and next to Black it recalls The Wicked Witch of The West from The Wizard of Oz.

It can also be associated with a witch’s brew, magical potions, the liquids in beakers and test tubes of a mad scientist, and even with certain monsters such as some depictions of Frankenstein’s monster!

Purple can be a great Halloween colour for the simple reason that it compliments Green so well. Batman’s The Joker shows us this, as his Purple suit is complimented by his Green hair! Combined with Black, Purple can also be a very sexy colour indeed, and can be used in very striking costumes for women.

Furthermore, since colours associated with Christmas are frequently Red, White, and certain shades of Green and Yellow, perhaps a lot of the remaining colours can be associated with Halloween, and Purple is one of them!

My theory is that Orange, Green, and Purple all work so well as Halloween colours because they are all Secondary Colours – colours made by mixing 2 primary colours. While we can associate certain shades of Green with Christmas due to its association with evergreen boughs, I think the Primary Colours are all representative of Christmas:

- Red for certain berries and the colour of Santa Claus’s costume
- Yellow for stars, candle light, and of course the glittery dust associated with magic
- Blue for the chilly weather, ice, and snow at this time of year,

With this in mind, I think we can use all of the remaining or Secondary Colours for Halloween when decorating.

I should note, of course, that Red is still an exception to the rule. Just as the Secondary Colour Green can be associated with Christmas and Halloween, Red too can be associated with both Christmas and Halloween, as it is the colour of blood, and can be reminiscent of many vampires and their capes! Of course, we mustn’t forget that it is often the colour of seductive lips!

Moving on, never forget about Black and White! Not Black. Not White. Black and White - particularly stripes! Black and White are often used to represent opposition, opposing forces, and light verses dark, so what better colours can be joined on a night where the frightening is celebrated and the dark side is confronted? Together they acknowledge the presence of both light and dark or good and evil influences and may even imply a struggle between good and evil!

Black and White stripes remind us again of the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz, but this time of the Wicked Witch of The East, last seen wearing a dramatic pair of Black and White striped stockings.

Black and White stripes are also reminiscent of Tim Burton movies, as they are one of his trademarks that appear in almost all his films. Just look at his 1988 title-character Beetle Juice!

Not only can Black and White appear together in stripes, but in spirals they call to mind images of hypnosis – often a very spooky concept! If one looks closely at such a spiral, one can almost imagine peering into a deep, dark well ... or rabbit hole!

In some instances, Black and White may be used to recall Black and White movies, and therefore previous times in history.

Finally, my favourite association with Black and White together around Halloween is that of a wedding. A wedding, you may ask? What does this have to do with Halloween?

Imagine for a moment, the following characters from some very frightening stories:

. Count Dracula and Lucy Westenra of Bram Stoker’s Dracula

. Eric and Christine of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera

. Hamlet and Ophelia of Shakespeare’s Hamlet

What do all of these pairs of characters have in common? Each male character in these “couples” is depicted in a Black suit while each female character is depicted wearing a long White dress. Isn’t it interesting how these clothes are identical to the traditional concepts of a bride and groom?

It makes sense that the characters in these stories wear these colours, as these stories could be considered Gothic Literature. They seem to fit all of the characteristics of Gothic Literature, one of which is women in distress, another of which is women threatened by a powerful, impulsive, tyrannical male! The women in the above lists are indeed in distress, and the men in the above list can be thought to be the threatening men! Perhaps portraying them in traditional wedding costumes is ironic, and yet perhaps it is meant to reflect the fear many have of marriage and intimacy ...

For more information on Gothic Literature, visit Elements of the Gothic Novel: http://www.virtualsalt.com/gothic.htm

Well, I hope you've enjoyed my review of the depths of Halloween Colours, and I hope that this helps when choosing decorations, making or choosing Halloween costumes, and creating Halloween crafts. I look forward to any comments and additional opinions on what makes some colours Halloween colours!

Halloween 2010 Blog Party Part 2: Halloween Crafts!

2010-10-28T17:25:00.000-07:00

For Part 2 of my Halloween 2010 Blog Party posts, I would like to show some simple crafts with a brief summary of how I created them.

A Rocking Witch!

For this doll, I used a plain cloth doll that I had already purchased. For everything else, I used scraps!

. To create the stockings, I used an old pair of socks that I was no longer wearing. I cut them so that they could fit around the doll’s legs, glued one end of the sliced sock to the doll leg with a glue gun, wrapped the rest of the fabric around the leg to meet the other glued-down end, and then glued again on top. This is probably my favourite part of the doll! I think the stockings make her look very stylish and funky!

. For the black dress I used small pieces of left over black fabric. I positioned some around the doll and experimented until it resembled a dress. Oddly, the scrappiness and lack of sewing or cutting actually creates the appearance a realistic dress!

. To make the hair, I used black and gold yarn. I cut several strands all the same length allowing them to be long enough to hang down the back of the doll, while also allowing them to be long enough to come down slightly over the face to appear as bangs. I adjusted the yarn till I was satisfied with the appearance and glued down on the top of the head. I love the effect that the gold strands have against the black yarn of the hair!

. For the hat I again used scraps of black fabric, but I also used silver and green pipe-cleaners to line the rim and cone part of the hat. The pipe-cleaners hold the hat in the desired shape and also allow the hat to be adjusted in any shape desired.

. The scarf is simply a long rectangle of orange fabric that was leftover from another sewing project. A small clothespin holds the scarf and dress fabric in place at the back of the doll’s neck.

. Her smile is a simple, small line of black fabric paint. The other facial features are made of glued on fabric, with black fabric paint for the pupils.

. Other than that, I used pieces of metallic confetti to decorate the hat and dress. This, combined with the metallic gold of the yarn and the metallic pipe-cleaners on the hat allow for a shininess that one can only assume comes from magic! Or a rock star ... you decide ...

Frightful Bookmarks!

... For Frighteningly Good Books!

These bookmarks were very simple to make.

. They were created out of sheets of cardstock, which were previously purchased in a package of sheets of various colours. I then chose the colours of paper that could be best associated with Halloween. More on Halloween Colours in my next entry!

. I cut the paper long-ways into inch-thick strips that I then folded in half to create an appropriately sized, sturdy bookmark.

. I then chose Scrapbooking Embellishments that were purchased from Dollarama, and decided which looked best on the different colours of paper. After this, I just glued away!

. Last but not least, I cut small slits to make a small triangle near the top so that a ribbon could fit through and tied it in a knot. I chose ribbons that complimented the Scrapbooking Embellishments, mostly Black and White.

Halloween 2010 Blog Party Part 1: Jack O' Lanterns from the Last 2 Halloweens

2010-10-23T23:26:00.000-07:00

2008 and 2009 Sorceress Jack O' Lanterns

For this Jack O' Lantern from 2008, I turned the pumpkin on its side while carving and used the stem for the nose. This allows the pumpkin's natural lines or ribs to appear as wrinkles when a face is carved. I used a long, black Halloween wig for the hair. To display the Jack O' Lantern, however, I actually placed this one face-up as opposed to face-forwards. This meant lying the wig on the ground on the porch and placing the pumpkin on top of it. I thought this would work as the pumpkin used was small, and placed by the door the Trick-Or-Treaters would really get a better look at it this way.

The following pictures are of a similar Jack O' Lantern from 2009:

I used a bruise on the pumpkin to appear as a mole. I think the affect was great!

The eyes were tricky: I carved holes for the eyes and used the pieces that were removed for the pupils. I carved them into egg-like, oval shapes and removed the skin. I continued to slice away to make them rounder, and when satisfied, positioned them in the eye-holes and held them in place with toothpicks. I felt this was worth the trouble because it allowed the light to shine behind the pupils all the way around.

From this angle, you can see that the smile is not only very crooked, but the corners are also curled. This makes the smile very mysterious!

2008 Cannibal Jack O' Lantern

These are pictures of a larger pumpkin I used, which I thought would look great eating some smaller pumpkin victims!

I carved a large mouth and used the remaining pieces from the mouth for the larger pumpkins sinister hands. For the smaller pumpkins I carved three of their faces to have different frightened expressions. I tried using a black Sharpie permanent marker for the front pumpkin, and I like the bold affect this makes. In the future, I may consider only drawing the faces of the smaller pumpkins, as candles cannot be placed inside, and thus the black marker would stand out better.

Most of the smaller pumpkins are placed on the hands in front of the larger pumpkin to create the affect that the larger pumpkin is bringing them slowly towards his mouth in a frightening act of cannibalism, yet one of the tiny pumpkins is already being chewed!

2009 A Mad Scientist's Victim (or An Artistic Depiction of a Migraine)

To carve this pumpkin, I turned it on its side and carved the face on the bottom, using its blossom end or belly-button as the nose.

I carved the lid in what would normally be the side of the pumpkin, but when placing it back on top, I replaced it upside down so that it could act as a kind of bowl for its seeds and fibrous strands - when piled on top of the bowl-lid, the seeds and fibrous strands look like brains!

Though not visible from the photo, I chose to scatter some of the seeds and "brains" along the ground around the pumpkin. I added stitches around the head to give the impression that this individual has suffered a similar fate to another famous stitched up character often referred to as "Frankenstein."
Perhaps from personal experience as a migraine sufferer, I felt that drooping eyes with pupils rolled towards the top and a frown that exposes the teeth would be an effective way to portray pain. Perhaps other migraine sufferers can identify with this poor guy!

I hope this has been enjoyable, and if anyone would like any further instructions on how I created these particular Jack O' Lanterns please feel free to leave a comment. As always, I also welcome comments, suggestions, and constructive criticism.

If you have any Jack O' Lantern photos you would like to share with me, again, please leave a comment and a link, and I would love to check them out! Believe me, I am always looking for inspriration!

Though I am definitely no professional, I would be willing to offer suggestions for your pumpkins and tips on how to create a particular type of Jack O' Lantern.

This has been Part 1 of my Halloween Blog Party 2010 posts. I plan on posting more entries for the blog party, and will most likely end them with a final set of photos of my Jack O' Lanterns from this year's Halloween. I do not yet know what I will be carving, but I welcome any suggestions or links to inspirational Jack O' Lantern pictures.

For now, happy carving everyone!