Alphabet Blocks for Your Budding Mad Scientist

For the very young techno-wizard or witch who has everything.... (1)

A Young Mad Scientist's First Alphabet Blocks:

These lovely blocks contain many carefully engraved illustrations of the equipment, training, and activities that a budding mad scientist will require... Each block measures 1 3/8 inches square and depicts six mad science concepts and the appropriate letters...We don't use any dyes or harmful finishes on the blocks and all of their edges are rounded and smooth.

Both boys and girls are pictured in the images. A complete list of the images represented by the letters is as follows:

A - Appendages
B - Bioengineering
C - Caffeine
D - Dirigible
E - Experiment
F - Freeze ray
G - Goggles
H - Henchmen
I - Invention
J - Jargon
K - Potassium
L - Laser
M - Maniacal
N - Nanotechnology
O - Organs
P - Peasants (with Pitchforks)
Q - Quantum physics
R - Robot
S - Self-experimentation
T - Tentacles
U - Underground Lair
V - Virus
W - Wrench
X - X-Ray
Y - You, the Mad Scientist of Tomorrow
Z - Zom

My thanks to Fyrehawk for the link.

Sia

Endnotes:

Xylocopa also offers hand-made beads, paper products and jewelry.

Please note: I do not receive any compensation from vendors or anyone else for mentions on this blog.

Black Cat Adoption Special

Black Friday can be about a lot more then rude crowds and shopping. I support a nonprofit No Kill Cat Shelter in our area, and they are hosting a Black Cat Adoption Special. If you want two cats, they are also offering a discount under their Better With a Buddy Program (1) . If you live in Portland and the six surrounding areas, and are looking for a cat, here is one good option:

Black ‘CAT’ Friday Adoption Special

Celebrate the Beginning of the Holiday Season with a New Kitty Companion — After a hectic morning shopping for all those Black Friday deals, stop by the Cat Adoption Team for some soothing kitty companionship. In honor of “Black Friday”, the Cat Adoption Team is offering a very special adoption discount on all our black or mostly black cats.

WHAT: $25 off adoptions of black or mostly black cats/kittens
Approximately 100 cats or kittens of all shapes and sizes are black or mostly black and looking for a home for the holidays.
WHEN: Black Friday, November 23, through Sunday, November 25
WHERE: Cat Adoption Team
14175 SW Galbreath Dr
Sherwood, OR

And at the 9 adoption outreach locations across the metropolitan area (www.catadoptionteam.org for locations)

Click here to see a list of cats:
(Kittens are not listed individually, but they have over 50 - 200 available at any given time)

Outreach Centers:

Clackamas: Clackamas PetSmart

Beaverton: Nature’s Pet

Beaverton - Washington Square: Washington Square PetSmart

Hillsboro: Hillsboro PetSmart

Portland: Pet Loft on Macadam Ave

Tigard: Tigard PetSmart

Tualatin: Tualatin Petco

Tualatin: Tualatin PetSmart

Wilsonville: Wilsonville PetSmart

Hours vary store by store.

ALSO: Put a gift under the CAT Giving Tree
Find that purr-fect gift for the cat lover in your life in our lobby store
Buy a CAT 2008 Faces of Love Calendar for only $10 – make a great gift

Get information on the upcoming Santa Paws Pet Photos in December

The Cat Adoption Team (CAT) is the Pacific Northwest’s largest non-profit, no-kill cat shelter with its own full service veterinary hospital on-site. CAT’s mission is to work with the community to save the lives of homeless, sick and injured cats and kittens by offering shelter, adoption, foster, hospice, spay/neuter and veterinary services to end needless feline euthanasia. A leader in the shelter community with its extensive shelter medicine, adoption and foster care programs, CAT cares for 400 to 600 cats and kittens on a daily basis with the help of a dedicated team of staff and volunteers at CAT’s main shelter in Sherwood, foster homes and various outreach locations throughout the Portland Metro area. CAT not only partners with the community but with local county shelters, rescue groups and veterinary offices to take in cats that might otherwise be running out of options due to medical problems or space constraints. CAT saves over 3, 000 lives per year and relies heavily on the support of the public and generous volunteers. Thank you for visiting our site and helping us save lives!

Website: http://www.catadoptionteam.org/

Telephone: (503) 925-8903

(1) Bring home a couple of friends and enjoy a $50 discount on any pair adoption for cats and kittens. Adoption discounts qualify at the shelter in Sherwood, pre-adoptions out of foster care, any of CAT’s adoption outreach locations. Double your fun for half the price.

Pagan Shopping:

Black Cat & Pumpkin Catnip Blanket

Related Articles:

Those Lucky Black Cats

Italy's Black Cat Day Aims To Halt The Killings

Links:

Wise Bread: Living Large On A Small Budget

Help Others on Black Friday through Heifer International

Those Lucky Black Cats

Did you know that black cats are lucky? They get a bad rap in this country, but the truth is that black cats have been viewed as luck bringers and guardians over many centuries and in many cultures. The black cat has an amazing history and their story is closely intertwined with ours. Their treatment has varied, depending on how we humans view them. (1) Let's begin with an old charm, and a modern problem, and move on from there to the myths, stories and science surrounding these dark beauties.
Black c

Black cat, cross my path
Good fortune bring to home and hearth
When I am away from home
Bring me luck wherever I roam

- Old English Charm

Sleeping in a crate at the Montgomery County Humane Society with three other orphaned cats, 3-month-old Lark would seem to be the model of an adoptable cat. She is fuzzy, friendly toward people, and the domestic shorthair kitten has her life in front of her. There’s just one small problem with Lark: she’s black. In the numbers game that is animal adoption, that detail moves Lark and other cats like her to the proverbial back of the adoption line.

It is a sad but true fact that overcrowded animal shelters
will euthanize black cats first because it is so hard for them to find homes.

Top 10 Reasons To Adopt A Black Cat

10. You'll save $$ on their Halloween costumes.
9. You can always find them in the snow.
8. Holding a black cat is very slimming.
7. Black cats will match any decor.
6. A lint brush isn't required for a black-tie affair.
5. When you love a black cat, Luck is on your side.
4. Black cats are like onyx, a beautiful gem.
3. Hey, they don't care what color you are!
2. Love knows no color.

And the number one reason to adopt a black cat...

1. They are the least likely to be adopted.

The Lucky Black Cat

Throughout history, and in many cultures, black cats were seen as lucky, sacred and protective beings. For example:

* Freya, the Norse Goddess of Love & Fertility drives a chariot pulled by two black cats.

* To dream of a black cat is thought by many people to be a lucky omen.

* Many theater folk love cats, perhaps because they, too, were once ostracized and shunned. It is blieved that a black cat in the audience on opening night portends a successful play.

* In the south of France, black cats are referred to as "matagots" or "magician cats." According to local superstition, they bring good luck to owners who feed them well and treat them with the respect they deserve.

* Fisherman's wives kept black cats while their husbands went away to sea believing that the black cats would prevent danger from occurring to their husbands. These black cats were treated like royalty and were considered so valuable that they were often stolen. At one point, they became so expense that few fisher folk could afford them.

Whenever the cat of the house is black,
The lasses of lovers will have no lack.

~ English Proverb

* In Australia and Britain and other parts of the world where black is a protective color, black cats are though to be lucky. It was believed that their color gave them the power to ward off negative forces.

* In Ancient Egypt, cats were sacred and protected by the Goddesses Sekmet and Bast. A home that kept a cat was blessed. Egyptians believed that cats captured the glow of the setting sun in their eyes and kept it safe until morning. Killing or harming a cat was a horrible crime in their culture, and was punished by death.

* In the English Midlands, a black cat as a wedding present is thought to bring good luck to the bride.

* Many cultures believe that cats with gold or green eyes bring prosperity. Because of their eye and coat colors, black cats are thought to have ability to attract abundance and the power to protect it.

* Many cultures consider cats to be mystical creatures which were really fairies or in disguise.

* Some say that the ancient Celts believed that black cats were reincarnated beings who could foretell the future.

* Cats have always been associated with motherhood, protection, love and fertility, and it many cultures, black is the color of protection.

* Advocates of Feng Shui remind us that cats are drawn to harmony. Therefore a happy cat is the sign of a happy, harmonious home. A figurine of a black cat is often placed in the home, facing north, to ward off evil.

* In some cultures, brides were given black cats as good luck on their wedding day.

* In Finland black cats were thought to gently carry the souls of the dead to the other world.

* In Scotland it was believed that if a black cat crosses your path it will mean good things to come. A black cat on your porch will bring prosperity.

The smallest feline is a masterpiece
- Leonardo da Vinci

* For those who loved The Da Vinci Code, Leonardo da Vinci loved cats, and included many in his sketches, including one in the British Museum which show a Madonna with child and cat.

* King Charles I of England owned a black cat, whom he valued very much. He treasured the cat so much that he had his guards watch over it 24 hours a day. As luck would have it, the day after the cat died from an illness, the king was arrested.

Mysterious * Alluring * Beautiful * Playful * Elegant * Gorgeous.

All these words and more describe the unique glamour and mystique of the black cat. Mary Ann Miller, writing for The CatSite.com, tells us how such beautiful animals got such a bad rap here in the U.S.

Science & Black Cats

Black Cats and the Cure for Cancer:

Some researchers believe that studying the ancient mutation of color in black cats may lead to a better understanding of and treatments for aids and various types of cancer.

Hope for the Homeless - A Feral Cat Contraceptive Vaccine:

Action Cat notes that "Michelle Meister-Weisbarth, a student at the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, has developed a genetically engineered bacterium that can be used as an oral contraceptive to control the unwanted cat population.

Meister-Weisbarth has been working with faculty mentor and molecular biologist Dr. Stephen Boyle, using genetic engineering technology to modify an approved vaccine, a strain of the bacterium Salmonella, which could then be delivered to feral cats in the wild via a vaccine-laden bait." An FAQ follows at the website.

Lastly, because They Inspire and Delight Us

Many writers have written poems and stories about their cats. Anyone who owns a black cat will testify to their ability to amaze, delight and inspire us with their beauty and grace. They are panthers, in little. Anyone lucky enough to live with a black cat can tell you that they are very fortunate indeed. I will leave you today with the cat poem titled Rescued Cat

Rescued Cat

Once I was a lonely cat,
just looking for a home.
I had no place to go,
no one to call my own.
I wandered up and down the streets,
in rain in heat and snow.
I ate what ever I could find,
I was always on the go.
My skin would itch, my feet were sore,
my body ached with pain.
And no one stopped to give a pat,
or gently say my name.
I never saw a loving glance,
I was always on the run.
For people thought that hurting me
was really lots of fun.
Then one day I heard a voice
so gentle, kind and sweet,
And arms so soft reached down to me
and took me off my feet.
"No one again will hurt you,"
was whispered in my ear.
"You'll have a home to call your own
where you will know no fear."
"You will be dry, you will be warm,
you'll have enough to eat,"
"and rest assured that when you sleep,
your dreams will all be sweet."
I was afraid I must admit,
I've lived so long in fear.
I can't remember when I let
a human come so near.
And as she tended to my wounds,
and bathed and brushed my fur.
She told me about the rescue group
and what it meant to her.
She said, "We are a circle,
a line that never ends."
"And in the center there is you
protected by new friends."

"And all around you are
the ones that check the pounds,
and those that share their home
after you've been found."
"And all the other folk
are searching near and far."
"To find the perfect home for you,
where you can be a star."
She said, "There is a family,
that's waiting patiently,
and pretty soon we'll find them,
just you wait and see."
"And then they'll join our circle
they'll help to make it grow,
so there'll be room for more like you,
who have no place to go."
I waited very patiently,
the days they came and went.
Today's the day I thought,
my family will be sent.
Then just when I began to think
it wasn't meant to be,
there were people standing there
just gazing down at me.
I knew them in a heart beat,
I could tell they felt it too.
They said, "We have been waiting
for a special cat like you."
Now every night I say a prayer
to all the gods that be.
"Thank you for the life I live
and all you've given me.
But most of all protect the cats
in the pound and on the street.
And send a Rescue Person
to lift them off their feet."

by Arlene Pace

Sia


Links:

Cat Poems

The Lucky Black Cats Group. Their motto is "Black is beautiful, especially in fur"

Feng Shui for Cats (humor)

Cat Persecuted as Familiars (Not for sensitive readers)

Pagan Shopping:

The Lucky Black Cat Spice Company
Hand crafted, no fillers, no MSG, gluten free, non-irradirated

Cat Faeries: Special Gifts for Cats

Feng Shui Cat figurines


Please note: FCE has no affliliation with these groups or stores. We have not received any gifts or funds for their mention here.

Poster Art: Le Chat Noir

Endnotes: (updated 8/30)

(1) Best Cat Art notes that Pope Gregory IX declared the cat to be a "Diabolical Creature". Persons that kept cats were suspected of being witches, and were put to death along with their feline pet. Cats were beaten, killed and driven away from towns and villages. In fact the domestic cat population of Europe came close to being wiped out. Some of the superstitions from those times surrounding cats, have survived history, such as believing it bad luck to let a black cat cross your path. Eventually the witch hunts ceased, and cats once again became highly prized and loved, household pets. By the late 1800s distinctive breeds were being established and cat shows held, with the long-haired breeds especially popular.

Sia's note: Ironically, the Black Plague, which was spread throughout medieaval Europe by rats and killed many millions of people, was made a thousand times worse by the killing of so many cats, their natural predator. The Irish have a saying that to kill a cat brings 17 years of back luck - seems right to me.

Links:

The Black Cat - Female Heriones

Cat Superstitions
My thanks to this website for some of the notes on luck and black cats.

The Palo Alto Humane Society says this about black cats:

What is it about black cats and kittens, that they're always the last to get adopted? It's not many a cat that can successfully pretend to be a black panther in miniature! This is the one color of cat that you can bet will be a 'character' cat. Quirky, usually with exceptional temperaments.....black cats are, without doubt, the 'dark horse' at the personality stakes. It's as if they've been purpose-designed to appeal only to the non-superficial amongst us. Give one a chance. You won't be disappointed.

And if you're feeling very avant garde...try two together. You too could have your friends and neighbours treating you with added respect, when they see your two black cats walking towards them purposefully!

Cat Magic or Cats Knot Working

Sia's Post:

Defend Our Pets is asking people to circulate and sign their petition to Congress to keep our pet food safe. (1) Once at that site you can also sign Senator Dick Durbin's petition to the Food and Drug Administration to clean up our pet food supply. The Congressman writes:

Recently, I spearheaded a Senate Committee hearing to find out what went wrong -- why contaminated pet food made its way into the food supply, and how we can make sure it never happens again. So far, we've learned that the response of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has been wholly inadequate.

That is why I hope that you will forward an email to FDA Commissioner Andrew von Eschenbach -- tell him that it's time for the FDA to improve the safety of our pet food supply now!

Fun for Crafty Pagans

Heaven and Earth Counted Cross Stitch is a counted thread design company that is dedicated to creating beautiful and intricate cross stitch designs. Here you will find the charted artwork of many talented artists such as Linda Ravenscroft, Brigid Ashwood and Jessica Galbreth plus artwork of the Masters from the Pre-Raphaelite era.

I owned a retail store for many years, and this company takes designs by artists both modern and vintage (whose card designs I loved to carry in my store, and show at Pagan conventions) and turns them into art you can make. This includes the luminous designs by Josephine Wall, Jen Delyth and Cynthia Matyi

I got a kick out of the Bast Goddess by Carrie Hawks
(She should illustrate some children's books.)

Check out the Celtic Art section while you are there. I loved the Pre-Raphaelite images and the Tapestries.

My thanks go out to Wendy@Waltzing Dog for some of these links. Take a look at her site to see links to her fairy quilts and the Harry Potter henna art and her photos from the Sin City Henna Conference. (Wish I'd been there). I wish her all the best in creating her Labyrinth Garden.

Off the Shelf:





For scholars:

Cat in the Mysteries of Religion and Magic

and

Classical Cats : The Rise and Fall of the Sacred Cat

Help Support Full Circle: Any money made from book sales via the Powell's Books or Amazon links at this blog goes to support non-profit efforts such as the Pagan Voting Project, the Spiral Steps Support Groups, The Gaia's Guardian's Project (which supports those who do companion animal & wildlife rescue and work to protect the environment), and the Earthwise Networking Project (which helps like-minded folks connect to do some good where they live). Thank you so much.

Art: Cats Knot Working by Cynthia Matyi

End Notes:

(1) Text of Petition: As pet guardians deeply affected by the recent tragic deaths of many of our pets,and the failing health of many,many others, we ask for your support and assistance in preventing a recurrence of this disaster. We ask for:

	Tougher laws and regulations concerning the quality of pet food sold More stringent inspection of pet food Funding to assure these inspections Certification of foreign inspection standards PRIOR to allowing imports Accurate labeling that shows the quality of ingredients Labeling that shows ingredients from foreign sources A ban on foreign imports if inspection standards are lax Tough penalties for violators

13 Moons: Why 13 Is My Lucky Number

Recreation of Lussell's Venus, France, 25,000 BCE
Banner by Lydia Rhule

Whenever Friday the 13th comes around we hear a lot of piffle about why the number 13 is thought to be unlucky. Most web sites will pass along the old canard about Judas and the Last Supper. That's not the real story. The real story is much more interesting (and before I tell it, I will ask the indulgence of feminist and other scholars for simplifying a very long tale indeed). Here we go:

The 13 Moon Calendar - AKA the Lunar Calendar - is a 28 day calendar that dates from prehistoric times. It dovetails with a woman's menstrual cycle. The link between women's blood mysteries, and the moon is held in high esteem among many Neopagans. This calendar was used all over the world for many thousands of years, and is still used in some cultures today. For example, the ancient major holidays celebrated by Muslims, Jews, and many people in Asian and India are all based on a lunar calendar. Native Americans also used a lunar calendar, and some still use it.

The so call "Venus Laussel" image (2) dates back 25,000 years. It is one of the earliest known calendars. The Woman/Goddess figure portrayed in this neolithic carving holds a lunar crescent in her right hand. (1) It has 13 notches, one for each of the 13 moons in the lunar calendar. (Here is a note on her position in the cave and how that relates to God/ess worship of that period.)

The number 13 has long been associated with the moon, women's mysteries and the Goddess. When patriarchy (usually run by those warrior guys with the pointy spears and the horses) took hold, women were subjugated, enslaved, dehumanized and turned into chattel. Queens, priestesses, artists, healers and leaders became mere breeders who would produce soldiers for the endless wars required by the God/King of that region. Worship of the Goddess in this period was destroyed as far as was possible. Conquerors would then change the rituals, stories and myths to make Her less powerful and subject to their male, solar God. (There are many books that write about this transition, but you can start with The Chalice and the Blade by Riane Eisler - see book notes at the bottom of this post). Anything that belonged to Woman and the Goddess (including snakes, cats, the moon and the number 13) was held to be suspect and demonized. Stories were later made up to hide the real reasons why these things were so feared.

Ever wondered why there are 13 Witches in a coven? Each witch stands for a different moon in the year.

Donna Henes writing for Pagan Circle says that

Thirteen is certainly the most essentially female number — the average number of menstrual cycles in a year. The approximate number, too of annual cycles of the moon. When Chinese women make offerings of moon cakes, there are sure to be 13 on the platter. Thirteen is the number of blood, fertility and lunar potency.

She points out that,

Post-patriarchal mythology is also rich with symbolic references to the mystical power of 13. Besides Christ and his 12 disciples, there are Jacob and his 12 sons, Odysseus and his 12 companions, Medea and her 12 princesses, Romulous and his 12 shepherds, Roland and his 12 peers, Arthur and his 12 knights, and the head of Osiris and his 12 dismembered body parts...The United States has a full complement of significant 13’s, beginning with the original 13 colonies. The Great Seal pictures 13 stars, 13 bars, and a bald eagle sporting 13 tail feathers, holding 13 arrows and 13 olive branches. The official motto, "E Pluribus Unum" contains 13 letters.

The lunar calendar is found in many cultures, from the Incan, to the Druidic to the Egyptian, to the Essene, to the Mayan, to the Polynesian and the various Asian cultures, mostly famously the Chinese calendar. The ancient Hebrews also used a lunar calendar, and they, too, worshiped the Goddess. This 13 moon calendar was used throughout neolithic times and in the period we know as "pre-history"; a time when the Goddess and her image could be found around the globe. Not surprisingly, much of the best art from this period comes from Africa, the birthplace of us all.

This Christian story about the number 13 and Last Supper was simply their way to justify fear and distrust of what that number represents. The church Fathers knew that many outsiders in the Middle Ages; midwives, herbalists, alchemists, as well as "pagans and heathens" (my Celtic, Viking and German ancestors among them), were drawn to this number because they thought it was lucky, powerful or blessed in some way. The church feared it, just as they feared cats and the sexual/social power of women. This power was something they urgently sought to control.

Many people who dwelt outside of cities in those times (and thus outside much of the church's power) still lived and farmed by the lunar calendar. Among these "simple folk" may well have been those who passed along as much of the old traditions and stories as still survived.

 Let me be clear. I am not one of those people who believes that humans once enjoyed a splendid, pacific matriarchy. In other words, I do not believe we ever had a civilization entirely run by women (although I'm perfectly willing to try it, now). Nor do I believe that we have ever had a human civilization of any kind that was totally without violence or conflict, although the archaeological evidence from Thera (which may have been the origin for the myth of Atlantis) and the beautiful Catalhoyuk show that we came very close to that ideal. Even so, I've seen no scientific evidence to prove the earthwise version of Eden, beloved by so many feminist and Neo-Pagan writers, ever existed. Nor do I think that women are inherently better than men or that we could live and reign in perfect peace. (3) The problem is patriarchal systems; this is not about that nice guy next door or the one in your bed. (Well, for your sake, I hope not). If history doesn't convince you that humans are bloody minded, just look around your family dinner table during the holidays, and then tell me that humans can live closely together without conflict. Learning to handle conflict in healthy, creative and constructive ways is one of the great challenges of being human.

I believe that the sacred feminine was once honored and that in that time women enjoyed respect, power, and freedom. I believe that we, as human beings, and especially our children and elders, were all the better for it.  I believe that these cultural memories and strengths, and much of our personal power, was stripped from us long ago, and that we are now taking back Her gifts. Its important for us as individuals, for our spiritual growth as a culture, and quite possibly for our survival as a species, to reclaim the Sacred Feminine. In doing so we can also retrieve a positive, earthwise connection to Mother Earth and her creatures. So, for me, as a Green Witch, a Celt, a feminist and a one who honors women's spirituality, the number 13 is a very lucky number indeed.

Sia

Other Links:

The Subjugation of Women - Root Cause of Hunger

Early Calendars & Astrology (Venus & The Dog Days of Summer)

Why 13 Is a Very Lucky Number Indeed by Urban Shaman

Homepage for Catalhoyuk

The Christian Goddess Endnotes:

(1) Some scholars believe it to be a horn, possibly an early horn of plenty.

(2) The term "Venus figure" is problematic at best. Among other things, it demotes these figures to the level of sexualized icons or fertility totems, and denies them the status of revered Goddess figures.

(3) Again, let's try it for 30 generations or so, and find out.

Art by Lydia Ruyle
Women's History:

The Chalice and the Blade: Our History, Our Future by Riane Eisler

For those who love images of the Goddess: The Great Mother (Mythos Books)

and Celtic GoddessesQueen of the Night: Rediscovering the Celtic Moon Goddess

Two by Gerda Lerner:

The Creation of Patriarchy (Women & History)

and

The Creation of Feminist Consciousness: From the Middle Ages to Eighteen-seventy (Women & History)

Click here to read an interview with the author

Women & The Mythic Arts

A Mirror To Her Self - The Feminine Face in Art:

You may have already seen this work by Eggman13 at YouTube (about 1 million people have). I loved it so much, I wanted to share it with those who may not have yet seen it.

My thanks to Terry Windling for the link.

The Endicotte Studio for the Mythic Arts

If you love Arts & Letters, you will adore the witty, informative and visually enchanting Blog. offered by the ESMA website.

Check out the Mythic Reading Lists, the Book Review Archives, The Gallery, The Writing Room, The Multi-Media section, and the Newsletter, as well.

Prints and T-shirts are also available.

The Endicott Studio, founded in 1987, is directed by Terri Windling and Midori Snyder, and supported by creative contributions from the Endicott Circle of mythic artists and scholars.

Revenues raised from books purchased through our site (via Amazon.com) benefit charities for children at risk.

Isn't It Iconic?

Now they've gone and done it. The folks at the Art of Spirit Live Journal Community share Pagan icons and graphics. Drat. Like I needed more icons.

Ok, maybe I do.

Goddess Bracelets:

I found this pretty site the other day. They look made to last, which is not something you can say about the work of every bead artist. Also, she puts a lot of time and effort into the notes on each Goddess. The pictures are clear enough to give you a good feel for what you are buying (again, not something that every web retailer does).

I do my own beading, so I'm picky about quality. If you buy one and you like it, let me know.

Wizzards!

Off the Shelf:

The Hollow Chocolate Bunnies of the Apocalypse by Robert Rankin

The Color of Magic by Terry Pratchett
This is the first book published in the famous Discworld series, and the first of the "Rincewind books" within that series.

Little Miss Sunshine (DVD)

Sia's Post

Yvonne Aburrow
Lovely.

Check out a Live Journal post by Yvonne Aburrow a while back titled Things We'd Like To See. I quite agree. Yes, indeed. That would be most helpful. Add a dragon that attacks spam (I want rending! I want fire!) and I'm in.

For those of you who don't know her, she is the author of several books on myth, magic, animals and trees.

Speaking of Wizards:

Rincewind, one of my favorite Wizzards (and you know he's a Wizzard cause it says so on his hat) is about to appear on film. Terry Pratchett's book The Color of Magic will be brought to the screen by Sky One. Their rendition of Hogfather got good reviews, so we hope that this production will be as good. (They are throwing more money at this production, but we all know what that did to Pirates II and III. (1) Alas, this presentation of The Color of Magic, like Hogfather before it, will only appear on British TV. American fans will have to watch the DVD's.

David Jason will appear as Rincewind. Most of the actors appearing in these productions are, naturally, from the UK, however; it is rumored that Steve Carrell might play the character of Twoflower, a hapless tourist.

Mr. Carroll is best known for his work on television in The Daily Show and The Office, as well as for his movie roles in The Forty Year Old Virgin and Little Miss Sunshine. At this point, the rumor is unconfirmed and may well be little more than wishful thinking on the part of U.S. fans. Personally, while I love Steve Carrell (in particular, I admire his darkly funny and very sensitive portrayal of the suicidally depressed Proust scholar in Little Miss Sunshine), I would prefer to see an Asian actor playing a part of an Chinese character.

For more on this issue read Hollywood Yellowface, an article at the Bright Lights Film Journal webpage.

Sia

(1) and once again the cry goes up to the heavens from Pirate fans, "With all that money yer spend'n, why don't ja hire a writer!? Arrrggggh!

Happily, in the case of the Discworld series, they have one of the better ones.

Art: Rincewind with Quantum Butterfly by the amazing Mr. Paul Kidby. Check out his website for Discworld images and t-shirts.