It's a Mad, Mad, Madblonde World

Voice Post

2009-10-30T22:31:54Z

Bewitched, Bothered, & Bewildered....

2009-10-28T15:20:59Z

HAPPY HALLOWEEN to all my lj friends!

I've missed you all very much, & am sorry I've had to limit my time here so severely. I hope a few of you are still around to see this, but since I do it as much for me as for anyone else, I'll continue the tradition as long as I can. I'll be offline until after the holiday, so here is my annual “holiday spirit” post.

If you're looking for some online resources to help "set the mood" for the holiday, I have compiled a list of favourite/useful links. I began collecting these (mostly free) Halloween resources a few years ago, but try to add & update a bit every year, so please check it out. Enjoy!

Lost In The Web:
The Book of Halloween (period book recounting origins & traditional celebrations in the UK & Europe): http://www.sacred-texts.com/pag/boh/boh02.htm
A page of links to sites that discuss the history of Halloween & its customs: http://www.halloweenmagazine.com/history.htm
Halloween traditions from around the world: http://www.jackolanterns.net/traditions.htm
Halloween superstitions: http://www.halloweenhowl.com/halloween-superstitions.shtml
Some General Halloween websites:
Halloween News (articles, links, tips, fairly comprehensive & looks pretty utd): http://www.halloween-news.com/net/index.html
HalloweenMagazine.com (general info/tips/cards/links): http://www.halloweenmagazine.com/
Halloween.com- http://www.halloween.com
The Halloween Database- http://www.halloweendatabase.com/
Halloween Online: http://www.halloween-online.com/
Halloween link lists: http://www.darklinks.com/dhauntweb.html,

Happy Haunting!
In the Haunted House (commercial haunted houses):
This site bills itself as the most complete listing in/for the country (beware, annoying but closeable pop ups): http://www.horrorfind.com/Haunted_Houses/
A few back-ups, in case it's an empty boast: http://www.hauntworld.com/ (easy to search) or http://www.hauntedhouse.com/search/Haunted_Attraction_Directory/
A site devoted to commercial houses, dark rides, & their tricks: http://www.halloweenproductions.com/
The best haunted house I've ever been in (though the website SUCKS as it doesn’t really tell you much about the place, just ticket info, etc): http://www.edgeofhell.com/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=1
DoomBuggies (a site devoted to Disney's Haunted Mansion ride/s): http://www.doombuggies.com/

I DO believe in Spooks! I DO! I DO! (TRULY haunted places. Apologies for the SERIOUSLY truncated list this year, but I simply don't have time to try to include ghostly links for all my flist, &/or check all the links I've used in the past. If you're really interested, google works, or check out last year's post- http://themadblonde.livejournal.com/288414.html .):
Haunted Places Listings for all states & around the world- http://www.theshadowlands.net/places/
Haunted Places in the Twin Cities: http://twincities.citysearch.com/roundup/40468/ (or for ghost hunters: http://twincitiesparanormalsociety.com/)
Haunted Places in MN- http://www.prairieghosts.com/hauntmn.html

Spook Searches (large sites that list haunted places by state/area. PLEASE NOTE- most of these do NOT verify submitted stories!):
The Shadowlands: http://theshadowlands.net
Real Haunted Houses: http://www.realhaunts.com/ (annoying but closeable pop-up here)

Historic Hauntings (A Collection of Articles on Ghosts, Hauntings and the Unknown)- http://www.prairieghosts.com/haunt_history.html

Haunt Your Own Home
The Monster List of Halloween “do it yourself” projects: http://www.halloweenmonsterlist.info/ (this is an EXCELLENT site, with current links & NOT commercial)
How to make a Haunted House: http://familycrafts.about.com/cs/mischalloween/a/091100a.htm
Professional Props: http://www.thehorrordome.com/ or http://www.spookyfx.com/

Ghost Lit (If you like your ghost stories a little less local & more literary):
Horror stories & poems: http://www.horrormasters.com/
Literary Gothic: http://www.litgothic.com/index_fl.html
A nice blogger has posted many links to online horror stories: http://www.astoryuntold.net/pd-horror-stories-roundup-1/
http://www.astoryuntold.net/p-d-horror-stories-roundup-2-2/
The Haunters & the Haunted 57 ghost stories from literary works, folklore and myth: http://www.bartleby.com/166/ (annoying but closeable pop-up)
Victorian Ghost Stories (a nice little selection): http://www.lang.nagoya-u.ac.jp/~matsuoka/ghost-stories.html
Amalgamated Brotherhood of Spooks library (a good variety & some hard-to-find stories): http://www.amalgamatedspooks.com/library.html
The Ghost Stories of M.R. James: http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/8486 or http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/9629
The Moonlit Road (ghost stories of the South): http://themoonlitroad.com/
The Little Colonel's Halloween (a fictional account of a typical period celebration): http://www.littlecolonel.com/books/Holidays/Chapter11.htm

Recommended Reading (A list of 10 excellent short stories for the season, many of which can be found online): http://www.vintagehorror.com/node/138

Dark Poetry: http://thingsthatgoboo.com/scarypoems/darkpoems.htm or http://www.horrormasters.com/Themes/DarkPoetry.htm

Something Visual that's not too Abysmal:
Instant Gratification (stuff to watch online):
Thomas Edison's "Frankenstein:"

Edward Gorey's "Dracula" (stop motion animated feature using Gorey designed toy theatre- ADORABLE!):

Vincent Price reads the Raven

The Walls Keep Talkin’

The Skeleton in the Closet

Betty Boop's Halloween Party:

Mickey Mouse in "The Haunted House"

Lonesome Ghosts

Donald Duck’s Halloween

Egyptian Melodies (for bonnyann & quarryquest:

Broomstick Bunny

Hyde & Hare

A Witch’s Tangled Hare

Monster Mash

1965 SHINDIG Halloween Episode, starring Boris singing the Monster Mash, Lurch singing & dancing to his namesake tune, the Lurch, and three other songs by Jim Doval & the Gauchos, & The Wellingtons.

Thriller

Michael Jackson |MTV Music

Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion Super 8

Tales from the Darkside (thanks to James Friskin!)Halloween Candy ((part 3 stalls briefly then continues)

Ray Bradbury Theatre (thanks AGAIN to James!) The Banshee (part 2 is labeled part 3 - there are only 2 parts)

Home-Rental Horror:
A Horror movie fansite w/ list of the best 100 ever: http://www.best-horror-movies.com/100-greatest-horror-movies.html
a list of lists of horror movie choices for different occasions: http://www.bellaonline.com/subjects/8287.asp
The annual Halloween movie recommendations of Brian Showers: http://www.brianjshowers.com/articles_halloweenfilm2009.html
(see also http://www.brianjshowers.com/articles_halloweenfilm2008.html
http://www.brianjshowers.com/articles_halloweenfilm2007.html
http://www.brianjshowers.com/articles_halloweenfilm2006.html
http://www.brianjshowers.com/articles_halloweenfilm2005.html
http://www.brianjshowers.com/articles_halloweenfilm2004.html
http://www.brianjshowers.com/articles_halloweenfilm2003.html )

Lights Out
If you like Old Time Radio, there is a wonderful webgroup here: http://timespast.ning.com/ , & if you choose to join the “OTR before 1962” group: http://timespast.ning.com/group/OTRbefore1962 , there is an AMAZING collection of Halloween Radio shows (available only to group members, but well worth joining if you like OTR) here: http://timespast.ning.com/group/OTRbefore1962/forum/topic/show?id=1535737%3ATopic%3A37241
Or for streaming shows, Horror Old Time Radio (beware: annoying commercials): http://www.live365.com/stations/radiobones

Monster Mood Music:
Evil Online:
Halloween Radio (3 different tracks): http://www.neverendingwonder.com/halloween.htm
The 13th Track (online music & ordering info for Halloween recordings) http://www.13thtrack.com/
Haunted Radio- http://hauntedradio.50webs.com/
Halloween Jazz (a FABULOUS playlist of Big Band Boo-gie) http://www.mixpod.com/playlist/31276238
"Spook Party" & "Ghoul-Arama" (two super-ghoul original mixes complete w/ cover art for your own cd)- http://scarstuff.blogspot.com/2006/04/various-ghouls-spook-party-scar-stuff.html

Make Your Own Spooky Music: (Halloween musical suggestions for your own mixes):
a list of lists: http://userpages.chorus.net/burleigh/music/h_playlists.html
rock mix suggestions: http://userpages.itis.com/burleigh/music/my_hsongs.html
classical: http://music.minnesota.publicradio.org/features/0010_halloween/playlist.shtml
free downloadable midi & wav files: http://www.theholidayspot.com/halloween/music.htm

Sing Your Own Spooky Song:
Pumpkin carols: http://www.paganlibrary.com/music_poetry/peanuts_pumpkin_carols.php

Booed Food (recipes):
elegant entertaining: http://www.perfectentertaining.com/halloween/
silly snacks:
http://www.masterstech-home.com/The_Kitchen/Recipes/Recipe_Indices/Seasonal_Recipe_Indices/HalloweenRecipesIndex.html or http://allrecipes.com/features/holidays/halloween
Ghoul Treats: http://www.razzledazzlerecipes.com/halloween/goulish.htm
plenty of pumpkin recipes: http://www.pumpkinnook.com/cookbook.htm#recipe

A Slice of Halloween (pumpkin carving sites):
The Pumpkin Nook: http://www.pumpkinnook.com/hween/carve.htm
Pumpkin Carving 101: http://www.pumpkincarving101.com/
Pumpkin Masters: http://www.pumpkinmasters.com (more commercial but fun free patterns)
Tips for creating a new pattern: http://wls.wwco.com/garden/patterns.html
Pumpkin carving art: http://home.comcast.net/~cyberdman/index.htm

Virtual pumpkin carving:
Carve & Post it: http://www.cubpack81.com/images/carve_pumpkin.swf
Carve & Email it: http://www.theoworlds.com/halloween/

Dressed to Kill
An excellent page of costume idea/planning site links, including several for wheelchair users: http://www.costumepage.org/hallocst.html

Last minute/inexpensive costume ideas you can put together yourself:
Pretty Easy: http://papa.essortment.com/easyhalloweenc_rdfm.htm
also easy & lots of ideas (including costumes for those in chairs): http://www.robinsfyi.com/holidays/halloween/costumes.htm
cool site w/ one annoying pop-up: http://www.costumeideazone.com/
Easy, 3-colour face paint costume ideas: http://www.startribune.com/lifestyle/family/33402089.html?elr=KArksUUUU
Martha Stewart goes buggy: http://www.marthastewart.com/portal/site/mslo/menuitem.3a0656639de62ad593598e10d373a0a0/?vgnextoid=59bac137bf22f010VgnVCM1000003d370a0aRCRD&rsc=related

& tongue in cheek: http://members.tripod.com/disneyitis/LATE_H_COSTUMES.HTM

Art in the Blood (my fave Halloween artists):

the paintings of John Atkinson Grimshaw: http://john-atkinson-grimshaw.chez-alice.fr/Page1.htm or http://www.bridgemanartondemand.com/index.cfm?event=catalogue.artist&artistID=2565
The Haunted Studio (Lewis Barrett Lehrman): http://www.hauntedstudio.com/Gallery1.htm
Dandelion Halloween Cards (Lori Preusch): http://www.dandelionpress.com/halloween.html
Vintage Halloween Postcards: http://halloween.lisamorton.com/cards.html
Halloween collectables chronicled on Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/vintagehalloweencollector/

Frightening Fun:
Halloween Hangman:

Monsterise Your Name: http://www.i-mockery.com/halloween/bag/monster-initial-generator.php
Monster Mash Up (use your own picture, &/or those of friends & family to create a personalised chorus line of famous monsters performing "The Monster Mash."): Monster Mash up http://cms.oriental-trading.com/a/hBKxClAAdAtd7B7umFlD1qQ0k.AdAtd7rL/mmlanding

Hope some of these might come in handy &/or help get you into the Halloween Spirit. Happy Haunting!

Does your mother know that you're out?

2009-10-20T22:30:32Z

It's Tuesday evening, therefore I must be at the library, trying to catch up. Why yes, I know that fine aroma of homeless person, patchouli, & books. Ah, home away from home.

Hmm, wonder if the audio is working?

Hey lj peeps. I'm here 'til 8. Give a shout if your online.

Voice Post

2009-10-10T18:18:52Z

For she's a jolly good fellow...

2009-10-08T23:17:55Z

Many Happy Returns of the day for the ever delightful aingeal8c!

Well, it makes me think of the good old days. Happy Birthday to you! You sure grew out of your baby ways! Happy birthday to you! It's your birthday, we wish you many more- health & wealth & friends by the score! Cut the cakes & let's eat some more! Happy birthday to you!

...pulled out a Plum!

2009-10-07T00:29:48Z

After two months and hundreds of images, the National Trust for Historic Preservation and Fireman's Fund Insurance are proud to announce that 12 finalists have been picked -- and now YOU can vote for the winner! As a proud (if sporadic) member of the Friends of Plum & Pilot Islands (see their website & my logo design here: http://www.plumandpilot.org/iWeb/PlumandPilotIslandsInc/Home.html ) I would hugely appreciate it if you would take the time to visit this site, register to vote (they just want name & email address, & you can opt out of receiving emails) & vote for fund to restore the beautiful & historic boathouse on Plum Island. Remember- those of you lucky enough to have daily internet access- you can vote every day! Yay, go, Boathouse!!!

http://www.preservationnation.org/take-action/this-place-matters/

You say it's your birthday...?

2009-10-06T23:27:39Z

Many Happy Returns of the day for the ever delightful bghsmith!

Well, it makes me think of the good old days. Happy Birthday to you! You sure grew out of your baby ways! Happy birthday to you! It's your birthday, we wish you many more- health & wealth & friends by the score! Cut the cakes & let's eat some more! Happy birthday to you!

Voice Post

2009-10-03T20:23:22Z

Out of touch...

2009-09-29T23:30:51Z

What day does "House" run these days, please? Do they show episodes online, as they do w/ Chuck? David Marciano is apparently on the show this week & I'd love to see him.

Bisexuality Day

2009-09-23T17:55:34Z

Celebrate Bisexuality Day is observed on September 23 by members of the bisexual community and their supporters.

Taken from Wikipedia: This day is a call for bisexual people and their families, friends and supporters to recognize and celebrate bisexuality, bisexual history, bisexual community and culture, and the bisexual people in their lives.

First observed in 1999, Celebrate Bisexuality Day is the brainchild of three United States bisexual rights activists: Wendy Curry of Maine, Michael Page of Florida, and Gigi Raven Wilbur of Texas. Wilbur said,

“
Ever since the Stonewall rebellion, the gay and lesbian community has grown in strength and visibility. The bisexual community also has grown in strength but in many ways we are still invisible. I too have been conditioned by society to automatically label a couple walking hand in hand as either straight or gay, depending upon the perceived gender of each person.
”

This celebration of bisexuality in particular, as opposed to general LGBT events, was conceived as a response to the prejudice and marginalization of the bisexual persons by some in both the straight and greater LGBT communities.

In its first year, an observance was held during the International Lesbian and Gay Association, which occurred during the week of the 23rd. While at first it only took hold in areas with an extremely strong bisexual presence, it is now celebrated worldwide.

It features event such as discussions, dinner parties and dances in Toronto and a large masquerade ball in Queensland, Australia. At Texas A&M University, the week featured discussion panels and question-and-answer sessions. Princeton University celebrates this day each year by throwing a party at its LGBT Center. It has also been celebrated in Germany, Japan, New Zealand, Sweden and the United Kingdom.

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

I'm in love with my car....

2009-09-20T21:21:24Z

Thanks to aingeal8c, I now know where I can find a 1972 Buick Riviera. It's even the right colour! Anyone love me enough to get me a $6K Xmas gift? ;-)

http://www.autotraderclassics.com/find/vehicle/vehicleDetail.xhtml?adId=162110&conversationId=20103

Our House...

2009-09-20T20:08:48Z

Mr. M is apparently going to be appearing in an episode of "House." Cool, hope they give him something meaty.

Voice Post

2009-09-18T23:34:25Z

Tell me why...

2009-09-13T20:24:35Z

I have no idea, except that it was there...


Character	Pairing	Genre
Vecchio: So what's my hair saying? It's saying 'deadly and dangerous but not afraid to cry.'	Fraser/Vecchio: Even Fraser gets confused about whether he's just friends with Ray or not. Granted, he'd had a bump on the head at the time, but...	Darkfic: Shit happens. Even on TV.
	Do the meme!

It's about time, doncha think?

2009-09-13T20:05:48Z

Gods having a fast 'puter makes a difference. Just caught up on 2 more blogs when it took me almost 2 hours & didn't finish the first (getting distracted by a ghost ballad didn't help, I know). Now, do I stay for my 3:30 reservation & push on 'til the Library closes @ 5, or do I go, get the shopping & other chores done? Damn this weekend went fast.

Say what...?

2009-09-13T18:47:19Z

I am NEVER going to get through the backlog if I don't keep getting distracted. Diefenbaker hunts & ghost ballads notwithstanding, I've only got so much time here....

Ooh, look, something shiny!

Voice Post

2009-09-13T00:01:16Z

Long gone

2009-09-12T22:54:50Z

Maybe tomorrow....

Voice Post

2009-09-01T23:19:02Z

Voice Post

2009-09-01T17:45:19Z

Voice Post

2009-08-19T19:55:33Z

Voice Post

2009-08-13T16:33:39Z

Speak Softly, Love...

2009-08-11T23:03:45Z

I finally broke down, just through sheer lack of other material, & begged Bear to buy me "The Last Don" & "The Last Don II" (working title "The Even Laster Don"). He promises to watch the first with me someday, if only for Rory Cochrane's sake. I'm not sure, once he does, that I'll be able to arm twist him into watching LD2, but @ least I can assure him it's better. Because, you see, I've now watched them both.

TLD- well, to start w/, yes, anyone who is bothering to read this probably knows why I wanted to watch it. & yes, he's one of the best things about it. & no, that's not just partiality. As for the dialogue: ouch (BAD dialogue, no biscuit!). Darryl Hannah- OUCH OUCH OUCH! UNCLE! YOU'RE HURTING ME ALREADY! Of the other "starrings" even Mr. Gedrick does not seem to be able to rise above the cardboard dialogue, though he does a lot better w/ the better writing of LD2. Kirsty Ally spends most of her time running around in negligees being crazy (not too badly, mind, but still...) & Mr. Cochrane manages to make his psychopath pretty enjoyable. The saving graces, though, are the "also starrings." Mr. Marciano manages even lines like "The Don would not approve" with his usual honesty & conviction, & it's not his fault if the writers gave him almost no opportunities to display his charm, comedic timing, or wonderful emotional range. Thank the gods whoever was responsible for LD2 had better sense & made good use of him in the second series. TLD does feature a delicious 2.5 scene cameo from darling Ramona Milano who positively lights up the little screen. It's like donning a pair of 3D glasses every time she gets on camera, her character is so real & ALIVE. Unfortunately, I spent the rest of the series wishing she'd come back, only to be bludgeoned repeatedly, endlessly w/ Ms. Hannah.

I know, I know- you're thinking I don't LIKE Ms. H. That's not entirely true. I don't find her particularly lovely (sorry, like my girls curvy), she moves badly & doesn't speak particularly well, but in light comedy (like "Steel Magnolias" which we just re-watched the other night) she's fine. Not deep, but she manages. But as the tragic seductress trying to carry the last third of an already somewhat overwrought miniseries? Or worse, WHATEVER it is they think they were doing w/ the incredibly odd "movie w/in a movie"? I realise that the intention may have been to make it SEEM like a bad movie being filmed, but there are ways to do that & still do good work.

As for Mr. Aiello- well, he's not BAD. He's just not great- not really good enough to do the role he was given & be THE PRESENCE that he needs to be in this miniseries. It's like watching a washed out copy of a better performance, just as the dialogue & narrative that the writers gave him were juiceless reproductions of earlier, better Puozo material.

Both miniseries are male-heavy & lean pretty eagerly toward misogyny; women there mostly as objects or agents of chaos. Both seem to walk uneasily the fine line between straight-up drama & self-conscious "let's cash in on the Mafia mythos" quickies. TLD is much less successful in making its disparate parts fit comfortably into a cohesive whole. It carefully trots out the entire range of Godfather clichés, but they are stiff & unnatural, like dead things preserved in amber. LD2 embraces the clichés without being afraid to wrinkle them. TLD tries to cover a time span of 30 years; focuses on two conflicted & conflicting leads (Mr. Gedrick- the raised-to-be-killer-but-really-has-soft-heart; & Mr. Cochrane, the natural-born-psychopath-who-enjoys-funny-hats); AND it was locked into having to give "NAMES" the better part of the action. However, the second series relied mainly upon good actors, improved (from the first series, @ least) writing, a tighter story line, mafia violence, nudity, & priest nookie. Yes, the lessons of "The Thorn Birds" have been handed down along with those of "The Godfather." ;-)

So, what about "The Last Don II?" Well, I have to confess, I started 1/2 way through the series & didn't know it until I reached the end. I either assumed that I'd forgotten a particular character's introduction in the first series (always possible w/ my appalling memory for names & faces) or that certain characters were being introduced w/ unusual but possibly commendable lack of set-up to be disposed of w/ despatch. Hey, a certain lack of exposition, & the presumption that the audience is actually bright enough to figure it out can be refreshing. But then, there was this (relatively) calm, happy resolution & I sat there thinking "well, what are they going to do NOW?" Nothing, idiot, that was the end. You missed the entire first 1/2; go back.

So I did. How is it that "Due South" has led me to a spate of series where men spend their time conversing with their dead fathers? There was Mr. Mantegna again, charming but hardly the "No. 1 Hammer" that he is made out to be from the first series (not that he was particularly fear-inspiring in the first series either). There were the token introductory scenes with Mr. Aiello, fortunately tempered with some LOVELY emotional work from Mr. M. There was Ms. Ally being gently but firmly led back to sanity & outerwear by her saviour priest. There was a tall & truly lovely replacement for Ms. Hannah, who, in 3 lines, conveyed a richer, deeper, & more honest character than Ms. H did in 3 ENDLESS hours. There was the bad "Ahhnald" rip-off, & the red herring. & there was Patsy Kensit, trying desperately to do something other than look worried that this would be the last role of any size she would ever be given. Again, she wasn't bad, particularly considering the writers pretty much removed her spine after the first scene, but from the beginning there's just not a lot of THERE there.

However, above all, there was an opportunity in LD2 for some of the best actors from the first series to shine, to show a little more range, a little more fullness of character, a little less restraint imposed by wooden dialogue, & just a touch of fun. Even better, Giorgio (yes, that's Mr. M's character) finally gets married & gets some. He is even reported to have worn a grass skirt, but sadly, we learn about the honeymoon only through exposition.

So, on the whole, should you go out & buy copies? Well, if you like Mafia epics full of wiseguy hits & regularly scheduled (if not inspired) sex scenes, sure; although, if you can, borrow the first one & buy the second.

Voice Post

2009-08-11T19:10:53Z

Happy Birthday, NAN! Happy Birthday, Nate!

Voice Post

2009-08-10T17:33:55Z

Happy Birthday JOSIE!!