Monthly Archives: May 2023

VIXENS::Wendy O. Williams

Posted by M - on

vixen
n. an attractive or sexy woman; a femme fatale

As a self-crowned Rock Vixen, I reserve the right to establish the criteria for what is considered a Vixen. Whether Musician or “Video Babe”, she’s got to Rock – 80’s style! They may be eye candy to the guys, but to us gals these ladies influence (and inspire) us with their glamor, talent, style, and attitude.

Born May 28, 1949, Wendy Orlean Williams is most famous as the lead singer of the punk rock band, Plasmatics.

She was noted for her onstage theatrics, which included partial nudity, exploding equipment, firing a shotgun, and chainsawing guitars. “Not really Punk, not really Metal, Wendy O. Williams was the shaving-foam wearing, chainsaw wielding, animal loving vegetarian, porn star, stunt driver, contradiction in terms, who, whether she intended to or not, set a new standard in rock’s ever evolving performance rule-book.” [source]

With the Plasmatics

Although Wendy experimented with drugs as a teenager, she abstained from alcohol, drugs, and tobacco in her later years. A committed vegetarian from 1966 (Radical at the time.) until her death in 1998, Williams believed in leading a healthy lifestyle and aiming for self-improvement. She was once featured on the cover of Vegetarian Times.

I subscribed to Vegetarian Times back then and remember this issue.
It sparked quite the fervor among the birkenstock-wearing crowd, too. LOL

Did you also know that Ms. Williams was a weightlifting enthusiast?

“[I]n those days women with muscles were not considered ‘feminine’, but she thought this was garbage, part of the way the social structure or norms or tastes are manufactured to keep women weak, or let men be dominant. So, her daily routine always had a lot of strenuous physical exercise built in, partly because she needed to be in great shape to do the very physical shows and videos, she did, and partly because it was a way of releasing steam itself…steam (or rage) generated by looking around and seeing what was going on in the world.” [source]  (I can relate.)

A radical animal rights activist her whole life, Wendy retired from the music scene in 1991, moved to Connecticut, and began working as an animal rehabilitator.

The thing about animals is that they don’t judge you.

While Wendy O. Williams starred in a handful of films, she frickin’ KICKED ASS in Reform School Girls – a send-up of the women-in-prison film genre. (Yes, I have a copy on DVD…natch.)

Wendy O. Williams in Reform School Girls (1986)

Another shot of WOW in Reform School Girls.

From the July 1984 issue of Vegetarian Times:
Queen of Shock Rock Wendy O. Williams’ mega-healthy salad dressing recipe
The Unsung: How Wendy O. Williams became the anarchic darling of CBGBs
Wikipedia

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Happy Caturday! (5.27.2023)

Posted by M - on
By Prince Ramses XII

First thimgs first: Happy Birthday to Me!! Yep, I turmed four last Momday. Got lots of extra goodies amd spemt the aftermoom hamgimg im the Jumgle with HER. It was a womderful day.

I’m just happy SHE didm’t make me wear a silly hat. MOL

PLEASE SHARE

If you or amyome you kmow is havimg trouble makimg emds meet, they may also be havimg trouble affordimg dog food amd cat food. Imstead of givimg up a beloved pet(s), there are resources available that offer help – imcludimg free pet food!

Where to Find Free Pet Food

  • Ask your local shelter if they have a pet food bank.
    Some animal shelters maintain a pet food bank. When a distraught companion animal guardian visits the shelter with the intent to surrender their animal, instead of signing a surrender form they are given an application for food subsistence.
  • Meals on Wheels found that pets are the only family that some seniors have and that some of their clients were sharing their meals with their pets when they couldn’t afford pet food. In 2006, Meals on Wheels started the We All Love Our Pets (WALOP) initiative. Not all local Meals on Wheels programs offer pet food, so check with your local program. www.mealsonwheelsamerica.org
  • The Humane Society of the United States maintains a list of national and local organizations that offer free pet food, low-cost spay/neuter services, and temporary foster care if you need help: www.humanesociety.org/resources/are-you-having-trouble-affording-your-pet
  • Feeding Pets of the Homeless offers resources for finding both food and veterinary care. You can use their website to search for help in your area: petsofthehomeless.org/get-help/find-locations/
  • Use search engines to research “pet food banks” and “meals on wheels programs in (your city)”. You may be surprised at all the good things that are happening in your own community.
  • Talk to your grocer about saving dented and newly out-of-date pet food items and donating them to a shelter where you may be able to avail yourself of same.
  • Use social media to let everyone you know you are taking up a collection to build a food bank and ask for donated food items once intended for a now-deceased animal.
  • Consider making an online wishlist with pet food and other pet essentials and sharing it with friends, family, or on social media. Amazon.com and WishList.com have tools that let you make a public list: www.wishlist.com

Finally, please consider donating pet food items to your local shelters (both animal and human) and food banks/pantries.

The Animal Connecti in SF states on its website: “PLEASE NOTE: WE ARE VERY LOW ON DONATIONS AND YOU MAY HAVE TO WAIT A FEW DAYS OR WEEKS BEFORE WE CAN MAKE AN APPOINTMENT FOR YOUR TO PICKUP FREE FOOD. We have so many requests and have to limit volunteers in order to social distance and rely heavily on donations. We appreciate your patience. PLEASE CALL OR EMAIL US IF YOU ARE IN NEED OF FREE PET FOOD!”

FullBellyBus (SF, CA) has mobile pet food pantries which deliver pet food to the homeless shelters in SF that allow people to bring their pets: fullbellybus.org/mobile-pet-food-pantries

Pet Pantries Are on the Rise—Here’s How to Support One Near You – There’s a link where one can find a pantry near them.

May is National Pet Month
(EVERY momth should be Matiomal Pet Momth. – R)

Dogs prepare you for babies.
Cats prepare you for teenagers.
– Alan Hunter

This Cat Sanctuary in Old Roman Ruins Is a Must-Visit

A walk through the historic centre of Rome will no doubt take you pass Largo di Torre Argentina, a large, excavated square located just a couple of blocks from the Pantheon. A closer look with reveal not only a fascinating collection of ancient temples, but a cat colony lurking amongst the ruins.

The ancients ruins of Largo Argentina were first discovered in 1927 when, after the Italian unification, Mussolini began to reconstruct and rebuild vast sections of the city. At the time known as Torre Argentina, the square was named after the Latin word for Strasbourg, Argentoratum, due to the historic residence of Papal Master of Ceremonies Johannes Burckardt who hailed from Strasbourg and built a palace here in 1503. During the demolition of the area, workers came across the remains of a colossal ancient marble statue and subsequent excavation led to the discovery of four Republican-era pagan temples, dating back to between the 4th and 2nd centuries BC, as well as a section of the Theatre of Pompey, the site of the assassination of Julius Caesar in 44 BC. Indeed, there is an annual re-enactment of the murder of Caesar at the exact spot every year on the Ides of March (15th March) to honour the anniversary of his death.

Once the area was completely cleared at the end of the 1920s, it gradually became home to some of Rome’s vast population of feral cats who historically sought shelter among the city’s ancient ruins and crumbling remains. For many decades the stray cats of Rome, including the ones at Torre Argentina, were cared for by ‘gattare’ (cat ladies) who would feed and care for them on an irregular basis. In 1994, volunteers took over and began spaying or neutering as many cats as possible to control the population, setting up the Torre Argentina Cat Sanctuary.

Nowadays, there are an estimated 150 cats residing at Torre Argentina and the dedicated volunteers also feed, provide care for and vaccinate the cat population all across the city with the main base still found among the ruins. The sanctuary is open to visitors daily from noon until 6pm when cat-lovers can meet the furry residents and browse the souvenirs at own Cat Shop. The sanctuary also arranges adoptions, either by finding the animals loving homes or setting up distance adoptions to build a steady supply of much-needed donations.

Despite the controversial move by archaeological authorities in recent years to call for the closure of the cat sanctuary, citing the effect the large animal population has on the dignity and conservation of the ancient holy sites, petitions in favour of the sanctuary gained over 30,000 signatures, providing enough awareness to save the sanctuary. However, although a compromise appears to have now been reached, the sanctuary still lives with the threat of eviction and depends more than ever on the support and donations of its visitors to ensure the historic cats of Rome can keep their home.

Torre Argentina Cat Sanctuary website

To deter fleas put pennyroyal or tansy leaves IN your pet’s bedding.
(You don’t want them eating the leaves.)

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“I bid you velcome.”

Posted by M - on

Bela Lugosi in Dracula (1931)

Here I sit, tapping away, drinking wine (blood red, of course), and reflecting on my life-long love affair with the Undead. Vampires. You see today is World Dracula Day and I just finished re-watching my copy of 1931’s Dracula starring the inimitable Bela Lugosi as Count Dracula. Because what else would one do on such a day? Drink blood? But I digress.

When I was a young girl I read all the classic horror novels and short stories I could get my hands on. Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1897) was by far my favorite. I read it over and over again. In fact, I’m re-reading it now. Well, not right now – I find it difficult to read novels and write at the same time. Your library should have a copy but you can also read it online for free. (I’ve included a link to it at the bottom of this Post.)

Vlad the Impaler

While most people are aware that the character of Dracula is most likely based on the real-life personage of Vlad Ţepeş (also known as Vlad III, Vlad Dracula, and Vlad the Impaler), what you may not know is that Prince Vlad is actually considered a national hero for defending his homeland against the Ottomans (In Search Of Dracula: The History of Dracula and Vampires). The fact that he impaled a few enemies here and there is nothing compared to what is committed in our modern wars. But I digress…

The name Dracula, which is now primarily known as the name of a vampire, was for centuries known as the sobriquet [nickname] of Vlad III. Diplomatic reports and popular stories referred to him as Dracula, Dracuglia, or Drakula already in the 15th century. He himself signed his two letters as “Dragulya” or “Drakulya” in the late 1470s.[7] His name had its origin in the sobriquet of his father, Vlad Dracul (“Vlad the Dragon” in medieval Romanian), who received it after he became a member of the Order of the Dragon. Dracula is the Slavonic genitive form of Dracul, meaning “[the son] of Dracul (or the Dragon)”. [source]

So basically Dracul = dragon.

Prince Vlad was a member of the Order of the Dragon, as was his father. The Order of the Dragon was dedicated to halting the Ottoman advance into Europe.

Vlad wearing Order of the Dragon insignia

Lugosi’s Dracula sports the Order of the Dragon insignia

The neck order worn by Dracula is clearly the insignia of the Order of the Dragon and NOT the Star of David. (Both Vlad and Stoker were Christians, so it stands to reason that Dracula’s religious beliefs would be steeped in Christianity; hence his being repelled by a crucifix. Apparently some writers don’t do their homework.)

Bela Lugosi as Dracula (1931)

Strange to say, there were hairs in the centre of the palm. The nails were long and fine, and cut to a sharp point. As the Count leaned over me and his hands touched me, I could not repress a shudder… The Count smiled, and as his lips ran back over his gums, the long, sharp, canine teeth showed out strangely.

My very feelings changed to repulsion and terror when I saw the whole man slowly emerge from the window and begin to crawl down the castle wall over that dreadful abyss, face down with his cloak spreading out around him like great wings.
I saw the fingers and toes grasp the corner of the stones, worn clear of the mortar by the stress of years, and by thus using every projection and inequality move downwards with considerable speed, just as a lizard moves along a wall.

I was not alone… In the moonlight opposite me were three young women, ladies by their dress and manner. I though at the time that I must be dreaming when I saw them, for, though the moonlight was behind them, they threw no shadow on the floor… Two were dark, and had high aquiline noses, like the Count, and great dark, piercing eyes, that seemed to be almost red when constrasted with the pale yellow moon. The other was fair, as fair as can be, with great wavy masses of golden hair and eyes like pale sapphires… All three had brilliant white teeth that shone like pearls against the ruby of their voluptuous lips.

– Dracula (1897)

When Dracula says, “The blood is the life,” he is quoting Deuteronomy 12:23, which prohibits the consumption of blood.

NOTE: “I never drink…wine.” is NOT in the book.

Bela Lugosi as Dracula (1931)

Dracula premiered at the Roxy Theatre in New York City on February 12, 1931.

The elegant and dignified Bela Lugosi remains the epitome of Dracula. When one thinks “Dracula”, one sees Lugosi’s aristocratic Dracula and he remains my favorite. However, I would be remiss if I didn’t give shout-outs to these fine portrayals:

A FIERCE Sir Christopher Lee in Dracula: Prince of Darkness (1966)

Romantic and sensual Frank Langella in Dracula (1979)

Lasciviously sexy Gary Oldman in Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992)

I felt in my heart a wicked, buring desire that they would
kiss me with those red lips.

Dracula online (Library of Congress)
Count Dracula in Popular Culture
Dracula’s Kiss (Cocktail)
All things related to Dracula on Atlas Obscura
Bela Lugosi, Jr. talk about his famous father
(He’s every bit as handsome as his Dad, too.)
My Life as an Archetype: The Vampiress

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Let’s raise a glass of Wine and celebrate World Tarot Day!

Posted by M - on

Today is World Tarot Day. It’s ALSO National Wine Day. Cheers! 🍷 (I’m drinking an organic Rosé from California winery Territory.)

I did not draw those cards in a reading. I selected them specifically because because of the IMAGES. If the middle one seems familiar to you, you might remember her from the homepage. The Queen of Scepters (Wands) is my significator card; the one that represents myself. She even has her own page – which receives more visits than any other Page or Post. The Five of Skulls (Pentacles) is the card I drew on my birthday to offer guidance and support for twelve months, at which time I will draw another “birthday” card. The Four of Grails (Cups) serves as a “teaser” for Friday’s Post.

I first learned Tarot using the Rider–Waite Tarot. While researching the pages for My Life as an Archetype I discovered hundreds of beautifully rendered decks. Many took my breath away. While there were a number of vampire-themed Tarot decks, The Tarot of Vampyres spoke to me.

Intuition will show you the Truth when logic cannot.

People new to this form of divination think they have to memorize the meanings of each of the 78 cards in a deck. While there’s nothing wrong in doing this, it really won’t help you master the art of becoming a Cartomancer because the objective is to decipher the message of the card or cards using your intuition. Because a reading is dependent upon the query being asked, any given card will give a different message every time it’s drawn. My personal technique is to divine what the card(s) are telling me based on the “story” being told in the spread. Which is why I fell in love with The Tarot of Vampyres. Each card has a story to tell me.

The history of the Tarot can be traced back to the mid-15th century. It was originally used to play card games such as Tarocchini. Divination using tarot cards didn’t emerge until the late 18th century. A Tarot deck is comprised of: the Major Arcana (22 cards) and the Minor Arcana (56 cards). Cards in the Major Arcana represent life lessons, karmic influences and big archetypal themes. The Minor Arcana is broken-up into four suits (Wands, Cups, Swords, and Pentacles) each having 14 cards: Ten numbered cards and four court cards (King, Queen, Knight, and Page). Many decks, such as The Tarot of Vampyres, rename any or all of the 78 cards; however, the representations remain the same.

SOME Tarot decks come with a companion book, such as Phantasmagoria. Both The Tarot of Vampyres deck and its companion book were created by Ian Daniels.

The Tarot of Vampyres applies symbolism from the Vampyre myth to illustrate the meanings of traditional Tarot cards. Such imagery connects us to the deep wellsprings that the Vampyre myths explore; light and darkness, death and rebirth, love, passion, and hunger are amongs the themes enacted. Our fears of loss and need for belonging are played out in these myths, too, whether as a thirst for eternal intimacy or as a need to heal our relationship to the earth and with our own ancestry and destiny. The Tarot of Vampyres’ aim is to help us peer behind the veils of our waking and dreaming realities into the deeper meaning behind life.

The tarot is an outer oracle of which the inner oracle is the source.
– Philippe St Genoux

Curiosités Arcanes::Divination::Tarot
Daily Tarot Cards
All Tarot Posts
Bonding with your Deck (sometimes there IS only one)
wikipedia.org/wiki/Tarot

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Beefcake::Henry Cavill

Posted by M - on

beefcake
n. an attractive man with well-developed muscles

(and long hair…)

Henry Cavill

(Cavill rhymes with “travel”.) He is a British actor, a Taurus, Roman Catholic, and an avid gamer. I first swooned over him as Charles Brandon in Showtime’s The Tudors, but nothing prepared me for his role as Gerald of Rivia in The Witcher* (Netflix). That chest, those arms, that butt! Sigh. I did think he was a perfect fit as Napoleon Solo in 2015’s The Man from U.N.C.L.E. but a waste as Superman. (I understand they wanted him to lose weight for that role – “they” were obviously men because no REAL woman would complain about his physique.) Gorgeous man.

Melot (Tristan & Isolde)

Geralt of Rivia (The Witcher)
Yes, I know it’s a wig but who the feck cares!

Geralt of Rivia (The Witcher)

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*For the record, as of Season 4 Netflix will be replacing Cavill. I’ve seen his replacement and can promise I have no intention of following the series once Season 3 has ended. Henry Cavill = Geralt. Geralt = Henry Cavill.