Let’s kick the new year off right by feeling really good about ourselves. I got this idea from The Dilbert Blog, and I think it’s a darned good one.
For this post, you have my full permission to brag about anything that you or anyone close to you are working on. All of the social conventions about bragging are suspended. Your awesomeness needs to be front and center, stat.
Tell us about your incredible art project, the fantastic goals you accomplished, the degrees you completed, and anything else that you’re excited about. Don’t stint on the glowing praise. Everything your mother told you about not blowing your own horn? Ignore that shit. What victories did you win? What are you really happy about?
Mini Folk Charm Necklace – I like the idea of this “teeny figures in bottles” necklace, but I’d either paint them like zombies or replace them with something like miniature tombstones.
The Metamorphosis of Prime Intellect – Science fiction novella dealing with a future where everyone is immortal, so “death jockeys” die elaborately and painfully for sport. (Beware: highly graphic in places.)
The Chirurgeon’s Apprentice – “A website dedicated to the horrors of pre-anaesthetic surgery.” I heart modern medicine.
Cap’n Wacky’s Boatload of Evil – Includes the amusing “Gallery of Unfortunate Halloween Cards,” a bunch of lists with titles like, “Signs You May be a Werewolf,” and other assorted silliness.
Macrame Owl – Organization “dedicated” to saving the declining populations of macrame owls. I especially like their Rescue page.
Cthulhu Dice – Quick-playing dice game, the goal of which is to be the last one sane. Reviews suggest that the dice make a nice expansion for other games as well. The related Zombie Dice looks cute too. (Hat tip to Sisifo)
D&D Coloring Book – Downloadable scans of a splendid coloring book from the heyday of Dungeons & Dragons. Time to dig out my crayons.
You know what’s wrong with New Year’s Resolutions? Other than the fact that we’re choosing a completely arbitrary division of time to determine when we should try to improve our lives? They’re boring. Lose weight? Boring. Save money? Boring. Get more sleep? Bo-ring.*
I’m thinking that in addition to these sorts of meat-and-potatoes resolutions, everybody needs to make a really fun, frivolous one. Something that isn’t too expensive or time-consuming that perhaps you’ve thought about doing but never attempted because it would be out of character for you, or you don’t know how to get started, or you’re worried about what the neighbors would think, or you just can’t muster the motivation, or [fill in your favorite excuse here].
So here’s what I want you to do: Come up with something within your time and budget constraints that you’d really like to do, and resolve to do that thing this year. Think less “long-term self-improvement” and more “this sounds like fun.” Research the perfect design for a tattoo you’ve always wanted. Dye your hair some outrageous shade. Plan and throw a really good Halloween party. Add at least one spooky accent to a decorating scheme. Plant an herb garden and use miniature tombstones as plant markers. You get the idea.
My goal is to learn to play the ukulele. What’s yours?
*Note that I didn’t say these things weren’t necessary. I said they were boring.
They describe themselves as a, “creative consortium dedicated to visionary interpretations of mythic media references,” which essentially means that they create representations of everything from Buffalo Bill’s Body Lotion to Sarlacc Warning Signs.
Best of all, they want you to play too:
If you’re an artist or designer, and you need release – release it on us.
If we like it, we post it. We’ll make you fake famous.
So if you’ve ever had the desire to design a business card for Herman Munster or a Yellow Pages ad for the Bates Motel, now’s your chance. There’s a whole community of like-minded artists who’d love to see your stuff.
I’m a big fan of cemeteries, so I was pleased to discover the Cemetery Club site. Its tagline is, “Where cemeteries come to life and cemetery fans come together,” and although it’s somewhat on the sparse side content-wise, it’s got some good resource links and information about things like tomb rubbings.
It’s also home to Epitaphs, an online magazine devoted to old cemeteries. The magazine accepts submissions, so if you have an article, photograph, or book review this might be a good place to get some exposure.
The site owner also maintains a couple of relevant pages on Facebook, one for the magazine and one called Grave Book which features, “Headstones, Cemeteries, Abandoned Buildings and Haunted Houses.”
If you’re fond of graveyardy things–and if you aren’t, you’re definitely on the wrong blog–go check ’em out.
This isn’t goth, but you better believe it qualifies as horror.
The Star Wars Holiday Special has been spoken of in hushed tones in geek circles since its release. It was a naked cash grab by George Lucas trying to capitalize on the success of Star Wars, and it was so bad it damn near scuttled the movie franchise. No really. As Rob over on Topless Robot, where I found this turkey, put it:
The Star Wars Holiday Special is an atrocity against god and man. You think it’s going to be so bad it’s good, but it’s not — it’s so bad that nothing in life ever seems quite as good again.
He’s not kidding, you guys. Bea Arthur runs the Mos Eisley Cantina (and sings!). Diahann Carroll is a virtual reality sex slave for Wookiees. Han Solo is oddly huggy. Leia is clearly drugged out of her mind. It’s…special.
And here’s the whole damn thing, complete with commercials from 1978. You are welcome.
Downton Abbey Flat – Article about a woman who has gone Full Victorian in a one-bedroom flat in Leicester. The text has a bit of that point-and-laugh-at-the-weirdo vibe that this kind of piece tends to display, but the photos are lovely. (Hat tip to LimeyFish)
Memento Mori Watch – It’s a shame this is just a concept design because I would buy this so hard.
DeathPop Club – Bubblegum-type bands get a deathrock logo makeover.
Edible Wands – Instructions for making edible Harry Potter-style wands that will (depending on the type you make) change color when dipped in a liquid, glow under black light, or turn your tongue colors when eaten.
Kawaii Smartie Skulls – Cute little skull-shaped jello shots, with links at the bottom to previous recipes for spooky jello shots.
Our third Secret Santa Can Suck It exchange was heaps of fun, and everybody outdid themselves with their gift ideas. Below is a list of all the participants: Go take a look at all the splendid virtual gifts!
pdq doesn’t have a blog, so I’m posting her gift for xJane here.
For xJane: a small home makeover in an All-Things Cthulhu vein.
For the dining room, a lovely chandelier to eat calamari by.
For the living room, a spectacular octopus coffee table to park her re-animation beverages on of a morning.
Then there’s the reading room. If she doesn’t have one, I’m giving her an addition to house one so that she may park herself on her lovely octopus chair (with her Cthulhu scuffs nomming her soles) and read the entire collection of H. P. Lovecraft’s work. I’m throwing in the many Cthulhu-cycle stories by other authors, like Neil Gaiman’s A Study in Emerald because they are sooooooo good.
Her bedroom is in need of these sheets and such, and a necklace completes it all.
Happy Solstice, and a very scary one, to xJane and all the regulars at Shadow Manor :)
I am a sucker for “fake reality” products like 
I’m a big fan of cemeteries, so I was pleased to discover the 
