Clea's Cave

Jade Emperor Hell Money Munny

Haven't figured out how to photograph the Glow-In-Dark aspect, but even the painted bits are covered with GID Mod-Podge, so he really glows.  This was fun!

Marilyn Chambers 1952-2009

i'm nearly the same age as Marilyn, and remember seeing Behind The Green Door in the theater when it was new.  At that time, films like Green Door and Deep Throat were considered by many people to be part of a sexual, and a larger cultural, revolution.  The fact that it had a sordid and exploitative side, or that it didn't change everything, doesn't distinguish it from the politics or other aspects of the 'revolution' of the 60's and 70's.  It turns out that often what we think is significant, isn't, as we overlook something else which might be. This interview from 1977 gives a peek into how Marilyn viewed herself and was viewed, back in the day.  Back then she seemed very much the sort of person i wished i could be.

Many years later, my beloved Studio North art film theater (now The Magic Bag) had become an adult cinema.  The videotape revolution was drying up porn palace revenues, and the place had begun having live burlesque and stage shows.  A girlfriend of mine attended a performance with Marilyn Chambers headlining, and returned raving about what a fabulous gal she was - so funny, friendly, and generous to all the other females.  As my friend wasn't usually so effusive about other women, or people in general, for that matter, i remembered this endorsement.

So about ten years ago, i found myself at The Cinema Wasteland Movie and Memorabilia Expo with Took, who snapped the photo above.  It's a great, great, convention, but it gets kind of dull when you're sitting at a vendor's table all weekend.  It was even duller, i think, for Marilyn Chambers, who was a guest primarily because she was the lead in David Cronenberg's Rabid.  (If you haven't seen Rabid, please add it to your queue NOW.) She wasn't selling a ton of photos or autographs, and she was all alone at her little table.  We would get up and pace the room, doing the circuit like caged animals, and would gravitate to each other's tables every day.  Perhaps it was because Took and i were ladies of her age, or maybe because we all liked to laugh, but Marilyn treated new acquaintances like forever friends.  i remember meeting her not so much because she was famous, or infamous, but because she was a blast.  Also, pushing fifty at that time, she was still really sexy.  Yes, the years of ups and downs, struggles with drugs and alcohol, had taken a toll, but the Marilyn essence was an inside-out sexy.  The attractiveness of a person who is alive to possibility never dies.

Yesterday when reading the shocking news of her death, i noticed a bit of emphasis on her living alone in a trailer.  Perhaps to family, friends, fellow professionals, she was bitter or sad.  But i never got that from her in an environment which certainly reminded her of the mainstream film career her adult films capsized.  It seems to me that a person with her dignity and class deserves celebration, not pity or cheap moralizing.

Susie Bright has a good remembrance in that vein here.

Great Detroit Derby Girls Piece

thedetroiter.com has a great story by Nichole Rupersberg, with photos by Sean McClelland, capturing the excitement of seeing a flat track bout for the first time.  Check it out!  This thanks to a heads up from DDG staff member Took Gallagher, who has a non-Derby related art blog here.

If you're reading this elsewhere in the US or Canada,  check The Women's Flat Track Derby Association for a league in your metropolis.

Detroit Derby Girls

Technorati Tags: DDG

My Geek Creds

From the fine Electronic Cerebrectomy blog, here's a meme.  Please grab it, or pick up my tag on facebook.

(  ) You spent a day watching all of the Lord of the Rings/Star Wars/Star Trek movies.

(  ) You spent next two days after watching commentary, outtakes, and behind the scenes footage. No, but i have done this for many, many movies.

(X) And you bought the soundtrack. 

(X) You went to a midnight release of a movie.

(  ) You camped in front of the theater for more than 12 hours to get tickets.

( ) Camping did not prevent you from being in costume.

(X) You can have an entire conversation with friends consisting of quotes from your favorite movies.

(  ) You own at least three game systems.

(  ) You have lost weight because you forgot to eat while trying to reach the next level in your game.

(  ) You own more than four game controllers (of any kind).

(X) You have existed on 3 hours of sleep per night so that your "Sims" get 8 hours and are refreshed for work.

(  ) You upgraded your computer because you wanted to buy a new video game/expansion pack.

(  ) You have dressed as your game avatar, or as a npc in that game.

(  ) You achieved level 60 on World of Warcraft.

(X) You have played "Dungeons and Dragons" or any other RPG. -- Those were fun times.

(X) You know what "RPG" stands for.

(  ) You dressed as your RPG character would dress.

(X) You own dice with more than six sides.

(  ) You have been accused of having a "gamer" scent.  No, but i know what 'gamer scent' is.

(X) You can identify a Black Lotus.  i have a Black Lotus.

(  ) You can identify a Charizard.

(  ) You have bought any of the "Harry Potter" books after standing in line until midnight.

(  ) You waited to get your "Harry Potter" book in costume, quoting favorite lines.

(X) You have attended any function with "con" in the name.  They are too numeral to mention.

(X) You stood in line at said "con" for more than 4 hours to have an item signed.

(X) You spent more than $50 on a costume to wear to "con" because you wanted it to be authentic.

(X) You own more than 50 comics.

(X) You collect your comics in longboxes.

(X) You know what a "longbox" is.

(X) You've met and had your comics signed by the creator(s).

(X) You know how many "Robins" there are.

(X) You know that the portrayal of Rogue in the movie "X-Men" is completely wrong.

(X) You have chatted online more than in person.

(X) You chatted online enough to learn the time zones.

(X) You think that when the Mythbusters say "Don't try this at home," they really don't mean YOU.

(X) Have participated in a movie/tv marathon that involved a drinking game.

(X) Can sing along with the Buffy Musical Episode.

(X) You know Seth Green from more than just the "Austin Powers" movies.

(X) You can name all 8 Kevin Smith-directed movies without referring to IMdb. -- And I liked Jersey Girl, too.

(X) You have participated in a "Clerks"-esque discussion about Star Wars (or any other movie).

(X) You have participated in a Kirk vs Picard discussion.

(X) You have participated in a Star Wars vs Star Trek discussion.

(X) You have participated in a Babylon 5 vs. Star Trek:DS9 discussion

(X) You know who jms is.

(  ) You have ever corrected anyone who called you a Trekkie. Nobody has ever called me a Trekker OR a Trekkie.

(  ) You have worn a Star Fleet Uniform.

(  ) You own a Star Fleet Uniform.

(  ) You think "Twilight" is lame because everyone knows that vampires burst into flame in the sunlight. i'm not interested in Twilight, but wouldn't object to that.

(  ) You have written fanfic.

(X) You have watched Bizzare Foods and thought "I'd try that."

(  ) You can pinpoint the moment at which "Lost" jumped the shark.  i'm not sure that it has.  The entire show is just one huge and leapy shark - the Fonz doesn't even have a chance.

(X) You know who Stan Lee is.

(X) You know who Jack Kirby is.

(  ) You know who Geoff Johns is.

(X) You have built a website.

(X) You have started a blog.

(X) You maintained a blog for over a year.

(  ) You know what the Genie SFRT is.

(  ) You have a Twitter account.  i have vowed to not tweet.

(  ) You have over 500 followers on Twitter.

(  ) You purchased a smartphone just so you could check Twitter on the road.  About to get an iPhone, still will not tweet.

(  ) You forget your family members' birthdays because they aren't your friends on Facebook. i try to get everyone on facebook.

(X) You have given virtual gifts on Facebook.

(  ) You have Superpoked your boss on Facebook.

(  ) You have gotten a date through Facebook (and we're not talking dinner and movie with your buddies).  No but i had a transcontinental romance vis compuserve, and met my husband through AOL.

(  ) You have broken up with someone/been broken up with through Facebook.

( ) You've reached level 30 or higher in Mafia Wars.  i'm too busy playing Vampire Wars to better my score there.

(X) You know what Mafia Wars is.

(X) You participated in more than three social networks.

(X) You've spent more than 200 hours playing the same video game. Sims, Alice... a few.

(X) You've seen any movie in the theater more than three times. Citizen Kane, Chinatown, Nashville, Phantom of the Paradise come immediately to mind.

(X) You can name the episode of MST3K where Joel was replaced by Mike.  Of course, it's a classic!  i heart Mitchell.

(X) You've argued why the comic is way superior to the show/movie when discussing "The Tick," "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles," "X-Men," "Fantastic Four," "Spider-Man," etc.

(X) You have the soundtrack for "Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog" on your MP3 player.

(  ) You are willing to defend the Star Wars prequels. No, i pretty much find them indefensible.

(  ) You openly disparage the Star Wars prequels because they don't live up to "Empire."

(  ) You're openly concerned about the time line ramifications that J.J. Abram's "Star Trek" movie presents to the canon.  i enjoy Star Trek, but don't think it has a canon.

(X) You own anything written by Neil Gaiman, Alan Moore or H.P. Lovecraft.  It's kinda stalker-y how much by Moore and Gaiman.

(X) You have a flying spaghetti monster on your car.  How did you know?

(X) You've seen a midnight showing of Rocky Horror Picture Show with live actors in front of the screen.

(X) You know the REAL reason Spider-Man had a black costume.

(  ) You know the NCC numbers of at least two starships other than the Enterprise.

(  ) You know what "NCC" stands for.

(  ) You own an original Star Trek Concordance, Technical Manual, and Blueprints.

(  ) You own at least two medieval weapons.

(  ) You have participated in battles with foam-covered swords. -- Still do, occasionally. Hey, they're only a buck at Le Mart du Wal.

(X) You know who "Major Matt Mason" is.

(X) You have seen bootleg copies of the original Fantastic Four and Justice League movies.  i have a bootleg of the FF movie.

(  ) After having had children you realize there's now more people to costume and relish it.

(  ) You've managed to turn four days at Euroquest* into nearly eight because, who needs sleep?

(  ) You've spent more than $1000 on your "spot-on" costume. (and it's still not quite right...)

(  ) You've made a fan film.

(  ) Your fan film has been seen by more than your immediate family.

(X) People know you by your online name instead of your mundane name.

(X) You know what Pennsic is.

(  ) You've camped at Pennsic.

(  ) You have/had personalized plates on your car proudly proclaiming your fandom.

(X) Your spouse and/or friends do as well.  Okay, i'm counting my late husband's vanity plate "XCONCOM", which i still use.

(  ) You yell at your kids when they try to open a toy/book/comic/figure etc. that you're collecting.  i pretty much open and play with all the toys and read the comics, so i'd never do that.

(  ) Your kids have broken your Hallmark collectible Star Trek/Star Wars, etc. ornament.

(X) You've traveled more than 500 miles to attend a con.

(X) You have a tattoo related to your fandom of choice.  That would be my Eye of Agomotto... and the SubGenius tats.

(  ) You met your spouse at a fan-related event or con.

(  ) You got engaged (to be married!) at a sci-fi convention.

(X) You are publicly willing to defend Dollhouse, because Joss Whedon must be trusted.  i'm not proud, but there it is.

Technorati Tags: memes

Box Shaped Heart

Really, It's Gone Too Far....

This has been a difficult week for me.  Film buff that i am, i can't really ignore all the Watchmen hoopla, and because i love the book i don't want to, AND because i love the book, i feel i must try.  Not going to see the movie, rereading the book instead.  So here comes Slashfood with this cupcake photo.  It would be prety fun to decorate these sweet babies.  Check out the original blog, Cupcakes Take The Cake, for yet another Watchmen cake. 

Odd Snack O' the Day - Dashijie Orthodox Flattened Olive

i'm always trying new snacks at the Asian groceries, and this one was so strange we couldn't resist.  It's difficult to tell exactly what the Chinese manufacturers meant by 'orthodox' olives, but we're guessing they are the black ones, because there was also a light green variety which must be UNorthodox or reform, since no specification is made.

The neat thing about this item is that the makers began with a dubious concept - a sort of candied ripe olive - and meticulously followed through until an authentically bizarre, but somehow tasty, result was achieved.  The Fuzhou Dashijie Olive website shows a selection of preserved fruits and drinks, including several types of plums and olives.

The ingredients: fresh olive, sugar, salt, licorice root, fennel, clove, sodium benzoate, potassium sorbate, and radish red. The presence of licorice and fennel with a strong olive flavor makes sense, it's a classic flavor combo found in Spanish tortas de aceite.  Individually wrapped, the 'olives' have a slightly dry and wrinkled skin and an actual pit in the center, for authenticity.  As you can see from the opened one in the second picture, even when unwrapped and split they look like the real thing, individually wrapped and measuring about an inch in length.  The flavor is strongly of olives, but very sweet, with the licorice notes both kicking the sweetness up a notch, and smoothing it into a more refined herbal flavor, more like a sweet than a candy.  The texture is as if you took a very large, lightly brined ripe olive and left it out in a dry room for several hours, as it moves toward leathery.  If you really love olives, this is well worth a try at $3.69 for a big bag of more than a dozen olives.  i plan to check out the green olive version, and try seeking out this brand of preserved plum as well.

Lest We Forget

Hugh's List Of Bush Scandals