Image from www.Frightdome.com

Fright Dome is a haunting experience in the Circus Circus Hotel in Las Vegas. The Adventureland area of the resort is transformed into Fright Dome for several nights during the month of October. In its 13th year, Fright Dome consisted of 6 haunted houses, amusement rides, scare areas and movie experiences.

I happened to be staying in the Circus Circus Hotel during the last week of October this year. I had never been to Las Vegas before and was looking forward to this experience. I have to admit I was rather wary going into it but I found it quite fun.

The first thing my 22 year old daughter and myself did once inside the doors was head to a roller coaster. I have no idea which roller coaster it was as there are, I think, three different ones in this location and we were wandering in darkness among throngs of people. We did not notice individuals heading towards us as being any different than any other patron until they approached us and revved up a chain saw or blew a horn in our ears. Various characters from zombies to clowns wandered around this indoor event scaring people.

After the roller coaster we stood in a long line for a haunted house called The Doll House. Inside the haunted house we experienced creepy dolls. It was hard to tell the dolls from real people dressed as dolls until they jumped out at you. As long as you didn’t touch them, they would not touch you. At times we were walking in complete darkness. It was scary but fun.

The next haunted house we lined up for was Wasteland. We thought the line was short until we were ushered outside into five very long rows of people lined up. We stood in that line for approximately an hour and a half. My legs were sore from standing and I was getting a little peeved that we spent $50 each and spent a good deal of that time standing in line-ups. The event closed at midnight so come 11:00 we had only experienced 4 events. We rushed around looking for short lines and took a tour through a 3-D Crazy Clown maze, sat through a 4-D Friday the 13th movie which consisted of a 15 minute movie where 13 individuals were killed and the spectators were sprayed with water that appeared to be blood spewing at us from the screen. And finally another adventure movie where the chairs moved as we appeared to be flying through a Haunted Forest.

There were places called “Scare Zones” which was walk-through areas as you went from one event to another and were frightened by various scary characters. The finale consisted of a rave concert on stage with characters we saw throughout the night.

Photo courtesy of the author

Considering the size of the production, I guess $50 is a reasonable price though the fact that we were unable to experience everything due to long line-ups and time constraints (7pm-midnight) left me slightlly dissatisfied. I got my scares and screams. My daughter told me to “Chill, Mom” but I told her it was part of the experience.

My one recommendation if you want to experience Fright Dome next year is to go earlier in the month of October. We went two days before Halloween which was probably why there were so many people and such long line-ups – too close to Halloween.

Image from www.Frightdome.com

Fright Dome is a haunting experience in the Circus Circus Hotel in Las Vegas. The Adventureland area of the resort is transformed into Fright Dome for several nights during the month of October. In its 13th year, Fright Dome consisted of 6 haunted houses, amusement rides, scare areas and movie experiences.

I happened to be staying in the Circus Circus Hotel during the last week of October this year. I had never been to Las Vegas before and was looking forward to this experience. I have to admit I was rather wary going into it but I found it quite fun.

The first thing my 22 year old daughter and myself did once inside the doors was head to a roller coaster. I have no idea which roller coaster it was as there are, I think, three different ones in this location and we were wandering in darkness among throngs of people. We did not notice individuals heading towards us as being any different than any other patron until they approached us and revved up a chain saw or blew a horn in our ears. Various characters from zombies to clowns wandered around this indoor event scaring people.

After the roller coaster we stood in a long line for a haunted house called The Doll House. Inside the haunted house we experienced creepy dolls. It was hard to tell the dolls from real people dressed as dolls until they jumped out at you. As long as you didn’t touch them, they would not touch you. At times we were walking in complete darkness. It was scary but fun.

The next haunted house we lined up for was Wasteland. We thought the line was short until we were ushered outside into five very long rows of people lined up. We stood in that line for approximately an hour and a half. My legs were sore from standing and I was getting a little peeved that we spent $50 each and spent a good deal of that time standing in line-ups. The event closed at midnight so come 11:00 we had only experienced 4 events. We rushed around looking for short lines and took a tour through a 3-D Crazy Clown maze, sat through a 4-D Friday the 13th movie which consisted of a 15 minute movie where 13 individuals were killed and the spectators were sprayed with water that appeared to be blood spewing at us from the screen. And finally another adventure movie where the chairs moved as we appeared to be flying through a Haunted Forest.

There were places called “Scare Zones” which was walk-through areas as you went from one event to another and were frightened by various scary characters. The finale consisted of a rave concert on stage with characters we saw throughout the night.

Photo courtesy of the author

Considering the size of the production, I guess $50 is a reasonable price though the fact that we were unable to experience everything due to long line-ups and time constraints (7pm-midnight) left me slightlly dissatisfied. I got my scares and screams. My daughter told me to “Chill, Mom” but I told her it was part of the experience.

My one recommendation if you want to experience Fright Dome next year is to go earlier in the month of October. We went two days before Halloween which was probably why there were so many people and such long line-ups – too close to Halloween.

You can create printed artwork with potatoes. Think about cutting a potato in half and cutting away part of the exposed surface to create a raised image. Get a stamp pad and use the potato like a rubber stamp.

Note: this will require using knives and sharp tools so you’ll have to decide how much help or supervision your child will require.

Most of the tools are readily available including knives, food coloring, cookie cutters, plates, and paper towels. You will also need paints or ink, paint brushes, and paper on which to print.

The kitchen is a good spot to work. Cover the work area with newspaper. Finished potato-stamps will keep for about a week or two in a plastic bag in the refrigerator.

Start with a plan about what you want to create and how to get there.

On a cutting board, slice your potato in half. If necessary, blot the exposed surface of the potato dry with a paper towel.

No Cutting Needed

For the simplest design that requires no further cutting beyond the initially halving, use small potatoes of varying sizes. Paint the cut surface of each spud with a paintbrush or dip it into a paper plate which has paint in it. Let the excess drip off.

You can also create your own stamp pad made from a sheet of damp (not wet) paper towel folded in quarters and laid into a cookie sheet or on a plate. Just pour a little ink or thin paint on it or use a bit of food coloring. If you apply two colors separately on one towel, they should create an interesting blend when they run together in the middle. Food coloring and drawing ink are good stamp pad inks.

Press the flat, painted surface with even pressure on your paper then pick it straight up from the paper.

Using different size potato halves, you can create a painting with different size blots of different color paint. 

To create a lighter print, you can thin your ink with water. On a stamp pad, that means just dripping a few more drops of water on the pad.

For darker prints, use more paint on the potato or ink in the pad.

You can also continue using the potato without reinking.

Make a Monoprint

A monoprint is a one-time only design you first paint onto the flat of your cut potato. When done, gently press the surface onto the paper without wiggling it. Pull it straight away from the paper. A second type involves painting the entire cut half of the potato in one color, then use your fingertip, the end of a paint brush, or the eraser end of a pencil to erase ink from the painted surface to create your design. Then print.

Geometric Blocks

Cut halved potato to create the shapes you want. Circles, squares, triangles, and rods can be used individually or in combination to create complicated pictures. Trim off the sides of a halved potato to create a square. A a square diagonally cut in half will produce triangles. Create rod shapes by cutting slices off your potato half. Use a biscuit cutter, an apple corer, or potatoes of greater or lesser size to create various circle sizes. You can make little circles by carefully twisting a plastic drinking straw into the surface of your smallest halved potato, trimming away the rest of the surface around the straw using a knife, leaving just the little circle when you carefully twist the straw clear. Experiment with different items around the house to create similar raised geometric shapes.

Nongeometric Blocks

Use a cookie cutter to punch through a thick slice of potato to create a piece that matches your cookie cutter shape. Another approach is to also draw a design, like a spaceship, on the surface of a thick, flat piece of potato, then use a knife to cut the excess along the edge of your drawing.

Textured Blocks

You can cut grooves into the flat surface of your halved potato. This will create a trough whose surface will not come in contact with the paper. This way, you can create an easter egg design, for example, consisting of a solid egg-shaped print with zig zag and straight white lines through it.

Use your imagination to come up with tools to make this effect work. A potato peeler or the head of a nail might help. You can also use a toothpick, nail, or pencil, depending on how wide a trough you want. You can drive a pencil point or big nail into the potato, jabbing, twisting, and lifting straight up.

On the other hand, you can fill the troughs with ink and print only with that to create a line drawing effect. To do that, spread your ink across the entire surface, then wipe or scrape the ink off the exposed surface, perhaps with a damp paper towel or the edge of a knife. Press the potato down firmly on the paper and don’t wiggle.

Some Things to Keep in Mind

Remember that if you want to create letters, for example, spelling out your name, you’ll need to remember that what you create will print as a mirror image so you’ll have to plan ahead.

Once you’ve printed your first piece of art, you can always make improvements to the potato stamps you are using, before printing an improved image.

When you have created an image on the surface of one potato half, you are free to print one part of your potato stamp image one color and another part another color.

With linoleum cutters or a knife you can also create more advanced carved relief prints, where all the surface of your halved potato is cut away except what will be used to print.

You can create printed artwork with potatoes. Think about cutting a potato in half and cutting away part of the exposed surface to create a raised image. Get a stamp pad and use the potato like a rubber stamp.

Note: this will require using knives and sharp tools so you’ll have to decide how much help or supervision your child will require.

Most of the tools are readily available including knives, food coloring, cookie cutters, plates, and paper towels. You will also need paints or ink, paint brushes, and paper on which to print.

The kitchen is a good spot to work. Cover the work area with newspaper. Finished potato-stamps will keep for about a week or two in a plastic bag in the refrigerator.

Start with a plan about what you want to create and how to get there.

On a cutting board, slice your potato in half. If necessary, blot the exposed surface of the potato dry with a paper towel.

No Cutting Needed

For the simplest design that requires no further cutting beyond the initially halving, use small potatoes of varying sizes. Paint the cut surface of each spud with a paintbrush or dip it into a paper plate which has paint in it. Let the excess drip off.

You can also create your own stamp pad made from a sheet of damp (not wet) paper towel folded in quarters and laid into a cookie sheet or on a plate. Just pour a little ink or thin paint on it or use a bit of food coloring. If you apply two colors separately on one towel, they should create an interesting blend when they run together in the middle. Food coloring and drawing ink are good stamp pad inks.

Press the flat, painted surface with even pressure on your paper then pick it straight up from the paper.

Using different size potato halves, you can create a painting with different size blots of different color paint. 

To create a lighter print, you can thin your ink with water. On a stamp pad, that means just dripping a few more drops of water on the pad.

For darker prints, use more paint on the potato or ink in the pad.

You can also continue using the potato without reinking.

Make a Monoprint

A monoprint is a one-time only design you first paint onto the flat of your cut potato. When done, gently press the surface onto the paper without wiggling it. Pull it straight away from the paper. A second type involves painting the entire cut half of the potato in one color, then use your fingertip, the end of a paint brush, or the eraser end of a pencil to erase ink from the painted surface to create your design. Then print.

Geometric Blocks

Cut halved potato to create the shapes you want. Circles, squares, triangles, and rods can be used individually or in combination to create complicated pictures. Trim off the sides of a halved potato to create a square. A a square diagonally cut in half will produce triangles. Create rod shapes by cutting slices off your potato half. Use a biscuit cutter, an apple corer, or potatoes of greater or lesser size to create various circle sizes. You can make little circles by carefully twisting a plastic drinking straw into the surface of your smallest halved potato, trimming away the rest of the surface around the straw using a knife, leaving just the little circle when you carefully twist the straw clear. Experiment with different items around the house to create similar raised geometric shapes.

Nongeometric Blocks

Use a cookie cutter to punch through a thick slice of potato to create a piece that matches your cookie cutter shape. Another approach is to also draw a design, like a spaceship, on the surface of a thick, flat piece of potato, then use a knife to cut the excess along the edge of your drawing.

Textured Blocks

You can cut grooves into the flat surface of your halved potato. This will create a trough whose surface will not come in contact with the paper. This way, you can create an easter egg design, for example, consisting of a solid egg-shaped print with zig zag and straight white lines through it.

Use your imagination to come up with tools to make this effect work. A potato peeler or the head of a nail might help. You can also use a toothpick, nail, or pencil, depending on how wide a trough you want. You can drive a pencil point or big nail into the potato, jabbing, twisting, and lifting straight up.

On the other hand, you can fill the troughs with ink and print only with that to create a line drawing effect. To do that, spread your ink across the entire surface, then wipe or scrape the ink off the exposed surface, perhaps with a damp paper towel or the edge of a knife. Press the potato down firmly on the paper and don’t wiggle.

Some Things to Keep in Mind

Remember that if you want to create letters, for example, spelling out your name, you’ll need to remember that what you create will print as a mirror image so you’ll have to plan ahead.

Once you’ve printed your first piece of art, you can always make improvements to the potato stamps you are using, before printing an improved image.

When you have created an image on the surface of one potato half, you are free to print one part of your potato stamp image one color and another part another color.

With linoleum cutters or a knife you can also create more advanced carved relief prints, where all the surface of your halved potato is cut away except what will be used to print.

You can create printed artwork with potatoes. Think about cutting a potato in half and cutting away part of the exposed surface to create a raised image. Get a stamp pad and use the potato like a rubber stamp.

Note: this will require using knives and sharp tools so you’ll have to decide how much help or supervision your child will require.

Most of the tools are readily available including knives, food coloring, cookie cutters, plates, and paper towels. You will also need paints or ink, paint brushes, and paper on which to print.

The kitchen is a good spot to work. Cover the work area with newspaper. Finished potato-stamps will keep for about a week or two in a plastic bag in the refrigerator.

Start with a plan about what you want to create and how to get there.

On a cutting board, slice your potato in half. If necessary, blot the exposed surface of the potato dry with a paper towel.

No Cutting Needed

For the simplest design that requires no further cutting beyond the initially halving, use small potatoes of varying sizes. Paint the cut surface of each spud with a paintbrush or dip it into a paper plate which has paint in it. Let the excess drip off.

You can also create your own stamp pad made from a sheet of damp (not wet) paper towel folded in quarters and laid into a cookie sheet or on a plate. Just pour a little ink or thin paint on it or use a bit of food coloring. If you apply two colors separately on one towel, they should create an interesting blend when they run together in the middle. Food coloring and drawing ink are good stamp pad inks.

Press the flat, painted surface with even pressure on your paper then pick it straight up from the paper.

Using different size potato halves, you can create a painting with different size blots of different color paint. 

To create a lighter print, you can thin your ink with water. On a stamp pad, that means just dripping a few more drops of water on the pad.

For darker prints, use more paint on the potato or ink in the pad.

You can also continue using the potato without reinking.

Make a Monoprint

A monoprint is a one-time only design you first paint onto the flat of your cut potato. When done, gently press the surface onto the paper without wiggling it. Pull it straight away from the paper. A second type involves painting the entire cut half of the potato in one color, then use your fingertip, the end of a paint brush, or the eraser end of a pencil to erase ink from the painted surface to create your design. Then print.

Geometric Blocks

Cut halved potato to create the shapes you want. Circles, squares, triangles, and rods can be used individually or in combination to create complicated pictures. Trim off the sides of a halved potato to create a square. A a square diagonally cut in half will produce triangles. Create rod shapes by cutting slices off your potato half. Use a biscuit cutter, an apple corer, or potatoes of greater or lesser size to create various circle sizes. You can make little circles by carefully twisting a plastic drinking straw into the surface of your smallest halved potato, trimming away the rest of the surface around the straw using a knife, leaving just the little circle when you carefully twist the straw clear. Experiment with different items around the house to create similar raised geometric shapes.

Nongeometric Blocks

Use a cookie cutter to punch through a thick slice of potato to create a piece that matches your cookie cutter shape. Another approach is to also draw a design, like a spaceship, on the surface of a thick, flat piece of potato, then use a knife to cut the excess along the edge of your drawing.

Textured Blocks

You can cut grooves into the flat surface of your halved potato. This will create a trough whose surface will not come in contact with the paper. This way, you can create an easter egg design, for example, consisting of a solid egg-shaped print with zig zag and straight white lines through it.

Use your imagination to come up with tools to make this effect work. A potato peeler or the head of a nail might help. You can also use a toothpick, nail, or pencil, depending on how wide a trough you want. You can drive a pencil point or big nail into the potato, jabbing, twisting, and lifting straight up.

On the other hand, you can fill the troughs with ink and print only with that to create a line drawing effect. To do that, spread your ink across the entire surface, then wipe or scrape the ink off the exposed surface, perhaps with a damp paper towel or the edge of a knife. Press the potato down firmly on the paper and don’t wiggle.

Some Things to Keep in Mind

Remember that if you want to create letters, for example, spelling out your name, you’ll need to remember that what you create will print as a mirror image so you’ll have to plan ahead.

Once you’ve printed your first piece of art, you can always make improvements to the potato stamps you are using, before printing an improved image.

When you have created an image on the surface of one potato half, you are free to print one part of your potato stamp image one color and another part another color.

With linoleum cutters or a knife you can also create more advanced carved relief prints, where all the surface of your halved potato is cut away except what will be used to print.

BOOKS. Plenty of survival books at the local book store with details on how to survive on land or sea. Get them a book on edible wild plants of the area or how to deal with those difficult people stranded with you. Or how about one on edible insects? Look for a military survival handbook. In terms of fiction, there’s Robinson Crusoe and the most successful of the knock-offs that followed, Swiss Family Robinson, and a search may turn up others that relate, not just the lifeboat-types, of which there are many. A selection for your giftee might be just the thing for the winter months.

COOL BUDGET GIFT. If you are really strapped for cash, try this. Fill a backpack from the thrift shop with some trinkets, a flashlight, a $1 mylar space blanket, a few bags of soup mix, the cheapest first aid kit you can find….and a notebook filled with URL’s of online survival guides and references, including the address of one of the several sites where you can read the U.S. Army Survival Field Manual online.

SURVIVAL SHOW ON DVD. Go for the obvious, but always appreciated. Although the focus is on streaming video these days, there are past seasons of the various shows on DVD.  (I have many seasons of Man vs Wild and Man, Woman, Wild, as well as Survivorman.) Be a hero. Buy your giftee a new copy of her favorite season or used copies of a couple of his favorite seasons. Available on Amazon, eBay, and elsewhere.

MOVIES/TV.  No shortage of movies on DVD. There’ve been a number of movies about shipwrecks and surviving air crashes, notably Tom Hanks’ Castaway (did you notice how long it took him to get around to building a signal fire, losing a potential rescue from a passing ship?). Castaway provides a surviving-a-shipwreck scenario that is arguably the most relevant movie you’ll find to Survivor. Disney’s Swiss Family Robinson, for example, features a leap from the initial castaway experience to completion of the treehouse, albeit a cool one. Naturally, there is TV’s Lost series on DVD. For fun, pick up the Robin Williams/Walter Matthau movie, The Survivalist, a comedy about a guy who goes overboard on survivalism when he has a run-in with an armed robber played by Jerry Reed.

VIDEO. There are several DVD videos out on wilderness survival tips. Check Half.com, eBay, Amazon, and so on, see what’s available. One video I have features a special segment on multiple ways to start a fire. Then there’s Les Stroud’s Survivorman first season on DVD available from his website. Bear Grylls has two episodes on DVD available on his website but apparently nothing else. Not yet, anyway.

DISNEY WORLD. Had I not been so tired at the time, I would’ve enjoyed the Swiss Family Robinson treehouse at Disney World more than I did. You follow staircases up into the faux tree and through the various rooms and platforms. For someone raised on the movie and the book, it’s quite an experience. Naturally, if you’re in the area, you’re going anyway, with or without him.   Brilliant!

FIRST AID KIT. These are available at many stores and can be as extravagant as you wish. You can fine a small, handy kit of pocketbook size at any department store or pharmacy or WalMart. You can also go out and get something larger with a bit of shopping. Very practical and advisable thing to keep on hand. Invaluable in any emergency situation, especially if stranded with a bunch of conniving cloddies and no Survivor base camp to be evacuated to when you cut your feet up on the coral.

EMERGENCY KITS. Everyone can use an emergency kit, often referred to as a “bug out” kit by those concerned with threatening situations that might uproot them like hurricanes, earthquakes, and a return of I Love Lucy reruns. Besides first aid equipment, this includes various items of survival equipment like radio, food, rope, signal mirror, and such.

SOUVENIRS. Okay, okay, so they’re really just armchair survivalists. The heck with it. Get them some Survivor souvenirs. A hat with the logo, T-shirt, tote bag, or something else they’ll find useful. Check eBay, run a Google search.

MAGAZINES. Get your Survivor fan a gift subscription to Backwoods Home Magazine ($23.95/6 iss/1 year), Mother Earth News ($14.95/6 iss/1 yr), and similar magazines. You’ll also find them at better-equipped newsstands. For specialized subject matter, books are great, but magazines offer variety. You never know what you’ll turn up.

TV SET. Your giftee can enjoy Survivor with a brand new TV set with a huge screen. Alternatively, if you are more budget-challenged like the rest of us, you can get him one of those tiny TV’s he can take with him anywhere. He’ll like either.

MUSIC. To get her in the mood for the show as airtime approaches, she’ll appreciate the theme music from Survivor:The Official Soundtrack. Anyway, the CD is available from Amazon and other merchants, at new or used prices. If you want her in the mood for anything else, you’re on your own. I’ve found Johnny Mathis works well.

HANDCRANK DEVICES. Prepare for any emergency with a hand-crank radio so you can listen to weather reports. Also get a hand-crank Illuminator LED flashlight for $15. It never pays to bank on power remaining on following an earthquake, flood, or other earth-shattering emergency. I’m not kidding, this is just a plain good idea. There’s also a seen-on-TV handcrank flashlight you can get. Anything handcrank and practical is a good addition to a survival kit.

BUGS, WILD GAME. Thanks to the internet, you can find and purchase lollipops with scorpions set in them, chocolate covered ants, and jerkies made from various wild game. You can also buy insects in their pure, edible form. In many parts of the world, insects are a normal part of the local cuisine, from grasshopper to water bugs. In fact, in Southeast Asia and the Amazon, the locals cook tarantulas over a small fire and eat them. Perfect Survivorman snack food.

BOOKS. Plenty of survival books at the local book store with details on how to survive on land or sea. Get them a book on edible wild plants of the area or how to deal with those difficult people stranded with you. Or how about one on edible insects? Look for a military survival handbook. In terms of fiction, there’s Robinson Crusoe and the most successful of the knock-offs that followed, Swiss Family Robinson, and a search may turn up others that relate, not just the lifeboat-types, of which there are many. A selection for your giftee might be just the thing for the winter months.

COOL BUDGET GIFT. If you are really strapped for cash, try this. Fill a backpack from the thrift shop with some trinkets, a flashlight, a $1 mylar space blanket, a few bags of soup mix, the cheapest first aid kit you can find….and a notebook filled with URL’s of online survival guides and references, including the address of one of the several sites where you can read the U.S. Army Survival Field Manual online.

SURVIVAL SHOW ON DVD. Go for the obvious, but always appreciated. Although the focus is on streaming video these days, there are past seasons of the various shows on DVD.  (I have many seasons of Man vs Wild and Man, Woman, Wild, as well as Survivorman.) Be a hero. Buy your giftee a new copy of her favorite season or used copies of a couple of his favorite seasons. Available on Amazon, eBay, and elsewhere.

MOVIES/TV.  No shortage of movies on DVD. There’ve been a number of movies about shipwrecks and surviving air crashes, notably Tom Hanks’ Castaway (did you notice how long it took him to get around to building a signal fire, losing a potential rescue from a passing ship?). Castaway provides a surviving-a-shipwreck scenario that is arguably the most relevant movie you’ll find to Survivor. Disney’s Swiss Family Robinson, for example, features a leap from the initial castaway experience to completion of the treehouse, albeit a cool one. Naturally, there is TV’s Lost series on DVD. For fun, pick up the Robin Williams/Walter Matthau movie, The Survivalist, a comedy about a guy who goes overboard on survivalism when he has a run-in with an armed robber played by Jerry Reed.

VIDEO. There are several DVD videos out on wilderness survival tips. Check Half.com, eBay, Amazon, and so on, see what’s available. One video I have features a special segment on multiple ways to start a fire. Then there’s Les Stroud’s Survivorman first season on DVD available from his website. Bear Grylls has two episodes on DVD available on his website but apparently nothing else. Not yet, anyway.

DISNEY WORLD. Had I not been so tired at the time, I would’ve enjoyed the Swiss Family Robinson treehouse at Disney World more than I did. You follow staircases up into the faux tree and through the various rooms and platforms. For someone raised on the movie and the book, it’s quite an experience. Naturally, if you’re in the area, you’re going anyway, with or without him.   Brilliant!

FIRST AID KIT. These are available at many stores and can be as extravagant as you wish. You can fine a small, handy kit of pocketbook size at any department store or pharmacy or WalMart. You can also go out and get something larger with a bit of shopping. Very practical and advisable thing to keep on hand. Invaluable in any emergency situation, especially if stranded with a bunch of conniving cloddies and no Survivor base camp to be evacuated to when you cut your feet up on the coral.

EMERGENCY KITS. Everyone can use an emergency kit, often referred to as a “bug out” kit by those concerned with threatening situations that might uproot them like hurricanes, earthquakes, and a return of I Love Lucy reruns. Besides first aid equipment, this includes various items of survival equipment like radio, food, rope, signal mirror, and such.

SOUVENIRS. Okay, okay, so they’re really just armchair survivalists. The heck with it. Get them some Survivor souvenirs. A hat with the logo, T-shirt, tote bag, or something else they’ll find useful. Check eBay, run a Google search.

MAGAZINES. Get your Survivor fan a gift subscription to Backwoods Home Magazine ($23.95/6 iss/1 year), Mother Earth News ($14.95/6 iss/1 yr), and similar magazines. You’ll also find them at better-equipped newsstands. For specialized subject matter, books are great, but magazines offer variety. You never know what you’ll turn up.

TV SET. Your giftee can enjoy Survivor with a brand new TV set with a huge screen. Alternatively, if you are more budget-challenged like the rest of us, you can get him one of those tiny TV’s he can take with him anywhere. He’ll like either.

MUSIC. To get her in the mood for the show as airtime approaches, she’ll appreciate the theme music from Survivor:The Official Soundtrack. Anyway, the CD is available from Amazon and other merchants, at new or used prices. If you want her in the mood for anything else, you’re on your own. I’ve found Johnny Mathis works well.

HANDCRANK DEVICES. Prepare for any emergency with a hand-crank radio so you can listen to weather reports. Also get a hand-crank Illuminator LED flashlight for $15. It never pays to bank on power remaining on following an earthquake, flood, or other earth-shattering emergency. I’m not kidding, this is just a plain good idea. There’s also a seen-on-TV handcrank flashlight you can get. Anything handcrank and practical is a good addition to a survival kit.

BUGS, WILD GAME. Thanks to the internet, you can find and purchase lollipops with scorpions set in them, chocolate covered ants, and jerkies made from various wild game. You can also buy insects in their pure, edible form. In many parts of the world, insects are a normal part of the local cuisine, from grasshopper to water bugs. In fact, in Southeast Asia and the Amazon, the locals cook tarantulas over a small fire and eat them. Perfect Survivorman snack food.

BOOKS. Plenty of survival books at the local book store with details on how to survive on land or sea. Get them a book on edible wild plants of the area or how to deal with those difficult people stranded with you. Or how about one on edible insects? Look for a military survival handbook. In terms of fiction, there’s Robinson Crusoe and the most successful of the knock-offs that followed, Swiss Family Robinson, and a search may turn up others that relate, not just the lifeboat-types, of which there are many. A selection for your giftee might be just the thing for the winter months.

COOL BUDGET GIFT. If you are really strapped for cash, try this. Fill a backpack from the thrift shop with some trinkets, a flashlight, a $1 mylar space blanket, a few bags of soup mix, the cheapest first aid kit you can find….and a notebook filled with URL’s of online survival guides and references, including the address of one of the several sites where you can read the U.S. Army Survival Field Manual online.

SURVIVAL SHOW ON DVD. Go for the obvious, but always appreciated. Although the focus is on streaming video these days, there are past seasons of the various shows on DVD.  (I have many seasons of Man vs Wild and Man, Woman, Wild, as well as Survivorman.) Be a hero. Buy your giftee a new copy of her favorite season or used copies of a couple of his favorite seasons. Available on Amazon, eBay, and elsewhere.

MOVIES/TV.  No shortage of movies on DVD. There’ve been a number of movies about shipwrecks and surviving air crashes, notably Tom Hanks’ Castaway (did you notice how long it took him to get around to building a signal fire, losing a potential rescue from a passing ship?). Castaway provides a surviving-a-shipwreck scenario that is arguably the most relevant movie you’ll find to Survivor. Disney’s Swiss Family Robinson, for example, features a leap from the initial castaway experience to completion of the treehouse, albeit a cool one. Naturally, there is TV’s Lost series on DVD. For fun, pick up the Robin Williams/Walter Matthau movie, The Survivalist, a comedy about a guy who goes overboard on survivalism when he has a run-in with an armed robber played by Jerry Reed.

VIDEO. There are several DVD videos out on wilderness survival tips. Check Half.com, eBay, Amazon, and so on, see what’s available. One video I have features a special segment on multiple ways to start a fire. Then there’s Les Stroud’s Survivorman first season on DVD available from his website. Bear Grylls has two episodes on DVD available on his website but apparently nothing else. Not yet, anyway.

DISNEY WORLD. Had I not been so tired at the time, I would’ve enjoyed the Swiss Family Robinson treehouse at Disney World more than I did. You follow staircases up into the faux tree and through the various rooms and platforms. For someone raised on the movie and the book, it’s quite an experience. Naturally, if you’re in the area, you’re going anyway, with or without him.   Brilliant!

FIRST AID KIT. These are available at many stores and can be as extravagant as you wish. You can fine a small, handy kit of pocketbook size at any department store or pharmacy or WalMart. You can also go out and get something larger with a bit of shopping. Very practical and advisable thing to keep on hand. Invaluable in any emergency situation, especially if stranded with a bunch of conniving cloddies and no Survivor base camp to be evacuated to when you cut your feet up on the coral.

EMERGENCY KITS. Everyone can use an emergency kit, often referred to as a “bug out” kit by those concerned with threatening situations that might uproot them like hurricanes, earthquakes, and a return of I Love Lucy reruns. Besides first aid equipment, this includes various items of survival equipment like radio, food, rope, signal mirror, and such.

SOUVENIRS. Okay, okay, so they’re really just armchair survivalists. The heck with it. Get them some Survivor souvenirs. A hat with the logo, T-shirt, tote bag, or something else they’ll find useful. Check eBay, run a Google search.

MAGAZINES. Get your Survivor fan a gift subscription to Backwoods Home Magazine ($23.95/6 iss/1 year), Mother Earth News ($14.95/6 iss/1 yr), and similar magazines. You’ll also find them at better-equipped newsstands. For specialized subject matter, books are great, but magazines offer variety. You never know what you’ll turn up.

TV SET. Your giftee can enjoy Survivor with a brand new TV set with a huge screen. Alternatively, if you are more budget-challenged like the rest of us, you can get him one of those tiny TV’s he can take with him anywhere. He’ll like either.

MUSIC. To get her in the mood for the show as airtime approaches, she’ll appreciate the theme music from Survivor:The Official Soundtrack. Anyway, the CD is available from Amazon and other merchants, at new or used prices. If you want her in the mood for anything else, you’re on your own. I’ve found Johnny Mathis works well.

HANDCRANK DEVICES. Prepare for any emergency with a hand-crank radio so you can listen to weather reports. Also get a hand-crank Illuminator LED flashlight for $15. It never pays to bank on power remaining on following an earthquake, flood, or other earth-shattering emergency. I’m not kidding, this is just a plain good idea. There’s also a seen-on-TV handcrank flashlight you can get. Anything handcrank and practical is a good addition to a survival kit.

BUGS, WILD GAME. Thanks to the internet, you can find and purchase lollipops with scorpions set in them, chocolate covered ants, and jerkies made from various wild game. You can also buy insects in their pure, edible form. In many parts of the world, insects are a normal part of the local cuisine, from grasshopper to water bugs. In fact, in Southeast Asia and the Amazon, the locals cook tarantulas over a small fire and eat them. Perfect Survivorman snack food.

Today I had a situation. I look back and I don’t think I handled it as well. I just was not as diplomatic as I could have been or should have been. Of course, hindsight is always something that shows up excessively too late. Still, I do believe the result would have been the same.

First, I need to give you some background. I have been in a crappy mood for most of the day. Projects that I am involved have been falling apart. I am excited and then, the sudden crash! I really need that money. I owe everyone!

Then, I have been dealing with the Butt Heads at Craigslist.org. These Jerks keep deleting any post I put up there, but they will let any Scammer who feels like it places an ad. If you are into Porn, that is a great place to find ads. However, if you want to place a REAL Gig, you can forget it. There has to be another place to put ads up that is just like Craigs… The

Backpage pretty much sucks.

On top of all of this, I have been battling a few infections and the drugs aren’t working. The nurse from my doctor’s office wasn’t helpful in any manner.

I have been also dealing with Morons that send me really messed up messages on my Social Sites. That is a daily thing and I know that it is mostly my fault for being on there in the first place. I am there to Network, but thus far, I only seem to find Scammers, Perverts, and Religious

Zealots. None of these people read my profile before contacting me.

You should also know that I am a Recruiter for a Psychic Website. That is the reasons I am so pissed off at Craigs. If I post an ad, they just remove it from the site. You should see the standard Bullshit email they sent me when I complained. Because of this, I don’t have the interviews that I should be getting. That means no money!

Today I had only one interview. It was with someone named Wendy. I was so hopeful. I wanted to hire this person and was trying to convince myself that I should, even if she was an incompetent psychic. Maybe, we could train her. Maybe, the website would be a good place for her to hone her skills. I was doing my best to be open to all possibilities. I can usually tell if I am going to hire someone in the first 30 seconds and the rest of the interview is left for him or her to convince me that I am wrong. Keep in mind; I speak with many crazy people.

The interview was set at the same time I was trying to created Chicken and Dumplings, ala Cracker Barrel for the second time. I screwed up the first time by using corn meal by mistake. Again, it didn’t look like it was going well and the dogs were ecstatic.

I let the chicken simmer on the stove and went to make my call a few minutes earlier than our appointment time. The company will send an email explaining to the applicants that they should leave a 15-minute window before and after the scheduled time.

I asked for Wendy when the female voice answered. When the person on the other end of the phone said that this was “HE”, I was a little confused, thinking that I just didn’t hear correctly. It sounded like a female or a boy that had not been through puberty. I was totally tossed off guard. I was looking at a photo of a Girl!

With a name like Spike, I am in no position to make any judgment call. I also, have a voice like Kathleen Turner or Brenda Vaccaro. When I was a kid, people that called, asking for my father, would constantly call me “Son”. “What’s your name, Son?” Yeah. I let it go for a few minutes. Then I would say, in the huskiest voice,

“Susan”… The result: Dead air! That was 40 years ago and I am still laughing my ass off about it.

I honestly, was not sure if this person was messing with me. She kept insisting that she was a boy. Again, I was confused and keep in mind; this was a Job Interview via phone. She never once said that she was Transgender. Before I looked at her picture, I thought she might have actually been male. I thought maybe, the name was wrong. If nothing else, I have spoken to many males that just have a very high-pitched voice, which may or may not have anything to do with their sexual orientation.

She was really pissed off and offended by my ignorance. She told me how insulting I was and that was not the acceptable way to approach the subject. I’m not sure there is a correct way to approach the subject. We never made it to the actual interview, either. I just thanked her for her time and hung up.

Within ten minutes, she called me back, I expect, to have an argument and to give me crap about what she considered offensive. I didn’t give her the chance. I immediately told her that I couldn’t care less about her sexual orientation. I could not care less if she was green with purple stripes. I didn’t mean to offend her, but if she was going to react like that with me, I couldn’t use her. People online are going to respond the same way or even worse. They are going to see and hear a girl. They are too concerned and confused about their own lives and sexuality to be dealing with HIS.

Again, I am open-minded. One of the most stable and coolest people I have ever met is a hermaphrodite. Someone who should be REALLY messed up! I wonder how the Tea Party sees that one.

I still feel that I could have handled it better than I did. If she had just told me she was Transgender, the topic would have ended and I would have moved on to the actual interview.

I still, seriously, have no idea how you would

bring up that kind of topic and have it be socially acceptable. It’s right up there with congratulating a woman on her pregnancy when she is just very obese. If you are in person, I don’t think it would come up in an interview. If you are foolish enough to put yourself in that kind of a situation, you should be prepared. If you are going to go out on that unconventional limb, don’t do it half-assed! She should have changed her name to Wendell.

Some idiot posted on Tagged a picture of himself in a dress and a blonde wig. He looked stupid! I told him that he needed a lot of help. He should watch a movie or read a magazine. He didn’t appreciate that, either. He should not have put it up for everyone to see, if he didn’t want people to comment. I have seen many Drag Queens that are just gorgeous. My friend, Rebecca Glasscock is one of them. She was on Rue Paul’s Drag Race. She just makes a woman want to run to a plastic surgeon and start over.

Again, my name is Spike. I have been getting crap about it for decades. I also, am the type of person that will say what is on my mind. Obviously! I will always tell it like I see it.

I see no reason to lie or sugar coats anything. After all, that would be just too exhausting.

Today I had a situation. I look back and I don’t think I handled it as well. I just was not as diplomatic as I could have been or should have been. Of course, hindsight is always something that shows up excessively too late. Still, I do believe the result would have been the same.

First, I need to give you some background. I have been in a crappy mood for most of the day. Projects that I am involved have been falling apart. I am excited and then, the sudden crash! I really need that money. I owe everyone!

Then, I have been dealing with the Butt Heads at Craigslist.org. These Jerks keep deleting any post I put up there, but they will let any Scammer who feels like it places an ad. If you are into Porn, that is a great place to find ads. However, if you want to place a REAL Gig, you can forget it. There has to be another place to put ads up that is just like Craigs… The

Backpage pretty much sucks.

On top of all of this, I have been battling a few infections and the drugs aren’t working. The nurse from my doctor’s office wasn’t helpful in any manner.

I have been also dealing with Morons that send me really messed up messages on my Social Sites. That is a daily thing and I know that it is mostly my fault for being on there in the first place. I am there to Network, but thus far, I only seem to find Scammers, Perverts, and Religious

Zealots. None of these people read my profile before contacting me.

You should also know that I am a Recruiter for a Psychic Website. That is the reasons I am so pissed off at Craigs. If I post an ad, they just remove it from the site. You should see the standard Bullshit email they sent me when I complained. Because of this, I don’t have the interviews that I should be getting. That means no money!

Today I had only one interview. It was with someone named Wendy. I was so hopeful. I wanted to hire this person and was trying to convince myself that I should, even if she was an incompetent psychic. Maybe, we could train her. Maybe, the website would be a good place for her to hone her skills. I was doing my best to be open to all possibilities. I can usually tell if I am going to hire someone in the first 30 seconds and the rest of the interview is left for him or her to convince me that I am wrong. Keep in mind; I speak with many crazy people.

The interview was set at the same time I was trying to created Chicken and Dumplings, ala Cracker Barrel for the second time. I screwed up the first time by using corn meal by mistake. Again, it didn’t look like it was going well and the dogs were ecstatic.

I let the chicken simmer on the stove and went to make my call a few minutes earlier than our appointment time. The company will send an email explaining to the applicants that they should leave a 15-minute window before and after the scheduled time.

I asked for Wendy when the female voice answered. When the person on the other end of the phone said that this was “HE”, I was a little confused, thinking that I just didn’t hear correctly. It sounded like a female or a boy that had not been through puberty. I was totally tossed off guard. I was looking at a photo of a Girl!

With a name like Spike, I am in no position to make any judgment call. I also, have a voice like Kathleen Turner or Brenda Vaccaro. When I was a kid, people that called, asking for my father, would constantly call me “Son”. “What’s your name, Son?” Yeah. I let it go for a few minutes. Then I would say, in the huskiest voice,

“Susan”… The result: Dead air! That was 40 years ago and I am still laughing my ass off about it.

I honestly, was not sure if this person was messing with me. She kept insisting that she was a boy. Again, I was confused and keep in mind; this was a Job Interview via phone. She never once said that she was Transgender. Before I looked at her picture, I thought she might have actually been male. I thought maybe, the name was wrong. If nothing else, I have spoken to many males that just have a very high-pitched voice, which may or may not have anything to do with their sexual orientation.

She was really pissed off and offended by my ignorance. She told me how insulting I was and that was not the acceptable way to approach the subject. I’m not sure there is a correct way to approach the subject. We never made it to the actual interview, either. I just thanked her for her time and hung up.

Within ten minutes, she called me back, I expect, to have an argument and to give me crap about what she considered offensive. I didn’t give her the chance. I immediately told her that I couldn’t care less about her sexual orientation. I could not care less if she was green with purple stripes. I didn’t mean to offend her, but if she was going to react like that with me, I couldn’t use her. People online are going to respond the same way or even worse. They are going to see and hear a girl. They are too concerned and confused about their own lives and sexuality to be dealing with HIS.

Again, I am open-minded. One of the most stable and coolest people I have ever met is a hermaphrodite. Someone who should be REALLY messed up! I wonder how the Tea Party sees that one.

I still feel that I could have handled it better than I did. If she had just told me she was Transgender, the topic would have ended and I would have moved on to the actual interview.

I still, seriously, have no idea how you would

bring up that kind of topic and have it be socially acceptable. It’s right up there with congratulating a woman on her pregnancy when she is just very obese. If you are in person, I don’t think it would come up in an interview. If you are foolish enough to put yourself in that kind of a situation, you should be prepared. If you are going to go out on that unconventional limb, don’t do it half-assed! She should have changed her name to Wendell.

Some idiot posted on Tagged a picture of himself in a dress and a blonde wig. He looked stupid! I told him that he needed a lot of help. He should watch a movie or read a magazine. He didn’t appreciate that, either. He should not have put it up for everyone to see, if he didn’t want people to comment. I have seen many Drag Queens that are just gorgeous. My friend, Rebecca Glasscock is one of them. She was on Rue Paul’s Drag Race. She just makes a woman want to run to a plastic surgeon and start over.

Again, my name is Spike. I have been getting crap about it for decades. I also, am the type of person that will say what is on my mind. Obviously! I will always tell it like I see it.

I see no reason to lie or sugar coats anything. After all, that would be just too exhausting.

Today I had a situation. I look back and I don’t think I handled it as well. I just was not as diplomatic as I could have been or should have been. Of course, hindsight is always something that shows up excessively too late. Still, I do believe the result would have been the same.

First, I need to give you some background. I have been in a crappy mood for most of the day. Projects that I am involved have been falling apart. I am excited and then, the sudden crash! I really need that money. I owe everyone!

Then, I have been dealing with the Butt Heads at Craigslist.org. These Jerks keep deleting any post I put up there, but they will let any Scammer who feels like it places an ad. If you are into Porn, that is a great place to find ads. However, if you want to place a REAL Gig, you can forget it. There has to be another place to put ads up that is just like Craigs… The

Backpage pretty much sucks.

On top of all of this, I have been battling a few infections and the drugs aren’t working. The nurse from my doctor’s office wasn’t helpful in any manner.

I have been also dealing with Morons that send me really messed up messages on my Social Sites. That is a daily thing and I know that it is mostly my fault for being on there in the first place. I am there to Network, but thus far, I only seem to find Scammers, Perverts, and Religious

Zealots. None of these people read my profile before contacting me.

You should also know that I am a Recruiter for a Psychic Website. That is the reasons I am so pissed off at Craigs. If I post an ad, they just remove it from the site. You should see the standard Bullshit email they sent me when I complained. Because of this, I don’t have the interviews that I should be getting. That means no money!

Today I had only one interview. It was with someone named Wendy. I was so hopeful. I wanted to hire this person and was trying to convince myself that I should, even if she was an incompetent psychic. Maybe, we could train her. Maybe, the website would be a good place for her to hone her skills. I was doing my best to be open to all possibilities. I can usually tell if I am going to hire someone in the first 30 seconds and the rest of the interview is left for him or her to convince me that I am wrong. Keep in mind; I speak with many crazy people.

The interview was set at the same time I was trying to created Chicken and Dumplings, ala Cracker Barrel for the second time. I screwed up the first time by using corn meal by mistake. Again, it didn’t look like it was going well and the dogs were ecstatic.

I let the chicken simmer on the stove and went to make my call a few minutes earlier than our appointment time. The company will send an email explaining to the applicants that they should leave a 15-minute window before and after the scheduled time.

I asked for Wendy when the female voice answered. When the person on the other end of the phone said that this was “HE”, I was a little confused, thinking that I just didn’t hear correctly. It sounded like a female or a boy that had not been through puberty. I was totally tossed off guard. I was looking at a photo of a Girl!

With a name like Spike, I am in no position to make any judgment call. I also, have a voice like Kathleen Turner or Brenda Vaccaro. When I was a kid, people that called, asking for my father, would constantly call me “Son”. “What’s your name, Son?” Yeah. I let it go for a few minutes. Then I would say, in the huskiest voice,

“Susan”… The result: Dead air! That was 40 years ago and I am still laughing my ass off about it.

I honestly, was not sure if this person was messing with me. She kept insisting that she was a boy. Again, I was confused and keep in mind; this was a Job Interview via phone. She never once said that she was Transgender. Before I looked at her picture, I thought she might have actually been male. I thought maybe, the name was wrong. If nothing else, I have spoken to many males that just have a very high-pitched voice, which may or may not have anything to do with their sexual orientation.

She was really pissed off and offended by my ignorance. She told me how insulting I was and that was not the acceptable way to approach the subject. I’m not sure there is a correct way to approach the subject. We never made it to the actual interview, either. I just thanked her for her time and hung up.

Within ten minutes, she called me back, I expect, to have an argument and to give me crap about what she considered offensive. I didn’t give her the chance. I immediately told her that I couldn’t care less about her sexual orientation. I could not care less if she was green with purple stripes. I didn’t mean to offend her, but if she was going to react like that with me, I couldn’t use her. People online are going to respond the same way or even worse. They are going to see and hear a girl. They are too concerned and confused about their own lives and sexuality to be dealing with HIS.

Again, I am open-minded. One of the most stable and coolest people I have ever met is a hermaphrodite. Someone who should be REALLY messed up! I wonder how the Tea Party sees that one.

I still feel that I could have handled it better than I did. If she had just told me she was Transgender, the topic would have ended and I would have moved on to the actual interview.

I still, seriously, have no idea how you would

bring up that kind of topic and have it be socially acceptable. It’s right up there with congratulating a woman on her pregnancy when she is just very obese. If you are in person, I don’t think it would come up in an interview. If you are foolish enough to put yourself in that kind of a situation, you should be prepared. If you are going to go out on that unconventional limb, don’t do it half-assed! She should have changed her name to Wendell.

Some idiot posted on Tagged a picture of himself in a dress and a blonde wig. He looked stupid! I told him that he needed a lot of help. He should watch a movie or read a magazine. He didn’t appreciate that, either. He should not have put it up for everyone to see, if he didn’t want people to comment. I have seen many Drag Queens that are just gorgeous. My friend, Rebecca Glasscock is one of them. She was on Rue Paul’s Drag Race. She just makes a woman want to run to a plastic surgeon and start over.

Again, my name is Spike. I have been getting crap about it for decades. I also, am the type of person that will say what is on my mind. Obviously! I will always tell it like I see it.

I see no reason to lie or sugar coats anything. After all, that would be just too exhausting.

Today I had a situation. I look back and I don’t think I handled it as well. I just was not as diplomatic as I could have been or should have been. Of course, hindsight is always something that shows up excessively too late. Still, I do believe the result would have been the same.

First, I need to give you some background. I have been in a crappy mood for most of the day. Projects that I am involved have been falling apart. I am excited and then, the sudden crash! I really need that money. I owe everyone!

Then, I have been dealing with the Butt Heads at Craigslist.org. These Jerks keep deleting any post I put up there, but they will let any Scammer who feels like it places an ad. If you are into Porn, that is a great place to find ads. However, if you want to place a REAL Gig, you can forget it. There has to be another place to put ads up that is just like Craigs… The

Backpage pretty much sucks.

On top of all of this, I have been battling a few infections and the drugs aren’t working. The nurse from my doctor’s office wasn’t helpful in any manner.

I have been also dealing with Morons that send me really messed up messages on my Social Sites. That is a daily thing and I know that it is mostly my fault for being on there in the first place. I am there to Network, but thus far, I only seem to find Scammers, Perverts, and Religious

Zealots. None of these people read my profile before contacting me.

You should also know that I am a Recruiter for a Psychic Website. That is the reasons I am so pissed off at Craigs. If I post an ad, they just remove it from the site. You should see the standard Bullshit email they sent me when I complained. Because of this, I don’t have the interviews that I should be getting. That means no money!

Today I had only one interview. It was with someone named Wendy. I was so hopeful. I wanted to hire this person and was trying to convince myself that I should, even if she was an incompetent psychic. Maybe, we could train her. Maybe, the website would be a good place for her to hone her skills. I was doing my best to be open to all possibilities. I can usually tell if I am going to hire someone in the first 30 seconds and the rest of the interview is left for him or her to convince me that I am wrong. Keep in mind; I speak with many crazy people.

The interview was set at the same time I was trying to created Chicken and Dumplings, ala Cracker Barrel for the second time. I screwed up the first time by using corn meal by mistake. Again, it didn’t look like it was going well and the dogs were ecstatic.

I let the chicken simmer on the stove and went to make my call a few minutes earlier than our appointment time. The company will send an email explaining to the applicants that they should leave a 15-minute window before and after the scheduled time.

I asked for Wendy when the female voice answered. When the person on the other end of the phone said that this was “HE”, I was a little confused, thinking that I just didn’t hear correctly. It sounded like a female or a boy that had not been through puberty. I was totally tossed off guard. I was looking at a photo of a Girl!

With a name like Spike, I am in no position to make any judgment call. I also, have a voice like Kathleen Turner or Brenda Vaccaro. When I was a kid, people that called, asking for my father, would constantly call me “Son”. “What’s your name, Son?” Yeah. I let it go for a few minutes. Then I would say, in the huskiest voice,

“Susan”… The result: Dead air! That was 40 years ago and I am still laughing my ass off about it.

I honestly, was not sure if this person was messing with me. She kept insisting that she was a boy. Again, I was confused and keep in mind; this was a Job Interview via phone. She never once said that she was Transgender. Before I looked at her picture, I thought she might have actually been male. I thought maybe, the name was wrong. If nothing else, I have spoken to many males that just have a very high-pitched voice, which may or may not have anything to do with their sexual orientation.

She was really pissed off and offended by my ignorance. She told me how insulting I was and that was not the acceptable way to approach the subject. I’m not sure there is a correct way to approach the subject. We never made it to the actual interview, either. I just thanked her for her time and hung up.

Within ten minutes, she called me back, I expect, to have an argument and to give me crap about what she considered offensive. I didn’t give her the chance. I immediately told her that I couldn’t care less about her sexual orientation. I could not care less if she was green with purple stripes. I didn’t mean to offend her, but if she was going to react like that with me, I couldn’t use her. People online are going to respond the same way or even worse. They are going to see and hear a girl. They are too concerned and confused about their own lives and sexuality to be dealing with HIS.

Again, I am open-minded. One of the most stable and coolest people I have ever met is a hermaphrodite. Someone who should be REALLY messed up! I wonder how the Tea Party sees that one.

I still feel that I could have handled it better than I did. If she had just told me she was Transgender, the topic would have ended and I would have moved on to the actual interview.

I still, seriously, have no idea how you would

bring up that kind of topic and have it be socially acceptable. It’s right up there with congratulating a woman on her pregnancy when she is just very obese. If you are in person, I don’t think it would come up in an interview. If you are foolish enough to put yourself in that kind of a situation, you should be prepared. If you are going to go out on that unconventional limb, don’t do it half-assed! She should have changed her name to Wendell.

Some idiot posted on Tagged a picture of himself in a dress and a blonde wig. He looked stupid! I told him that he needed a lot of help. He should watch a movie or read a magazine. He didn’t appreciate that, either. He should not have put it up for everyone to see, if he didn’t want people to comment. I have seen many Drag Queens that are just gorgeous. My friend, Rebecca Glasscock is one of them. She was on Rue Paul’s Drag Race. She just makes a woman want to run to a plastic surgeon and start over.

Again, my name is Spike. I have been getting crap about it for decades. I also, am the type of person that will say what is on my mind. Obviously! I will always tell it like I see it.

I see no reason to lie or sugar coats anything. After all, that would be just too exhausting.

Last week I turned 50. Honestly, I never thought that I would live this long. I really should have made better plans. I should have done just about everything differently. When people ask, if I had a chance to do it all again; would I change anything; knowing that it would change my life today; the answer will always be, “YES”. I would do it all completely differently. Yeah. Since, that is never going to happen, I guess, I have to deal with the here and now.

I really thought that I would be crying for days and feeling like the Crypt Keeper. I thought I would be very disgusted with my entire existence. I saw myself huddled in a corner, drooling and depressed. Well, I am disgusted with myself, but that is nothing new. I look like crap, but that is because, I have been sick. I also, fell trying to get out of an Airboat. Ok. It’s a long story and that is for another day.

My 50 th was not at all, what I expected. First, a friend who I have not seen in 35 years decided to come and surprise me. That was the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me. This means even more to me, because he came from England. That is not a three-hour drive to Orlando. I am just so taken aback that someone out there cares that much about me to do something so amazing. I have no words that can even begin to describe how grateful I am.

It is just unfortunate that he decided to show up on the coldest day of the year. Seriously! It broke records. I feel so badly that he could not see Florida at its best. He wanted to go to all the Tourist Traps. Even the Alligators knew that it was a bad idea to hang in the Everglades. They all stayed home. Two people that claimed to be from the North Pole and whom were determined to wear shorts, were freezing their butts off! Still, it was so good to see him. It was as if nothing had changed and yet, everything had changed completely.

Turning 50 has brought on a change in me that I never really expected. No. I am not going through Menopause. When everything turns to shit, I will still have that to look forward to. I’m talking about something else. This is something I heard of from other people that have passed this mark, but I just didn’t believe it until now.

My “Give a Damn” is busted! I just don’t really care anymore. All the things that used to be so important to me when I was younger seem pointless now. I no longer feel the need to have people like me. I am not out to please, anyone anymore. Not much impresses me, at this point, either.

I have lost all desire to “FIX” anyone. Clean up your damn mess! It isn’t my job to make you happy. I’m not your mother or your therapist. If you don’t like it, there is the door. Don’t let it hit you in the ass as you leave.

Furthermore, my “Bullshit Detector” is working at 100%. My patience for it has completely evaporated, though. I have lost all tolerance for “Stupidity by Choice”.

Okay. So, what does this all mean? Well, honestly, it probably means nothing to most people. To those who know exactly what I am talking about, it is the most freeing experience one can have. It is right up there with letting your “Freak Flag Fly”.

Not caring about certain things opens up all new doors that we usually keep locked and blocked with a chair. In the movie, Dolores Claiborne, Judy Parfitt said that, “Sometimes, being a Bitch is all a woman has to hold on to.” I think this is what she meant. I can say exactly what I think and screw anyone that has an issue with it. Ok. Well, maybe, that is extreme. However, it is in the spirit of this that I have found my inner freedom.

You are now wondering how this all translates into daily life and reality? Well, for one thing, I was invited to go on an Airboat for the day and my husband bailed on me at the last minute. He always does this stuff. Normally, I would have just stayed home with him, but I did not. I went alone! Then, fell trying to get out of the boat and ended up in the ER. Again, another time. Nevertheless, I went!

I am done sugar coating everything for people. When some idiot writes me and every word is spelled wrong, I will let him now that he isn’t smart enough for me to be bothered… For God’s sake! All computers and phones have Spell Check! This isn’t Stoichiometry.

The list goes on, but I think by now you all have the picture. Therefore, 50 isn’t that bad after all. Of course, I have been telling people that I turned 60, instead. That way they all respond, “Damn! You look GOOD!”

Last week I turned 50. Honestly, I never thought that I would live this long. I really should have made better plans. I should have done just about everything differently. When people ask, if I had a chance to do it all again; would I change anything; knowing that it would change my life today; the answer will always be, “YES”. I would do it all completely differently. Yeah. Since, that is never going to happen, I guess, I have to deal with the here and now.

I really thought that I would be crying for days and feeling like the Crypt Keeper. I thought I would be very disgusted with my entire existence. I saw myself huddled in a corner, drooling and depressed. Well, I am disgusted with myself, but that is nothing new. I look like crap, but that is because, I have been sick. I also, fell trying to get out of an Airboat. Ok. It’s a long story and that is for another day.

My 50 th was not at all, what I expected. First, a friend who I have not seen in 35 years decided to come and surprise me. That was the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me. This means even more to me, because he came from England. That is not a three-hour drive to Orlando. I am just so taken aback that someone out there cares that much about me to do something so amazing. I have no words that can even begin to describe how grateful I am.

It is just unfortunate that he decided to show up on the coldest day of the year. Seriously! It broke records. I feel so badly that he could not see Florida at its best. He wanted to go to all the Tourist Traps. Even the Alligators knew that it was a bad idea to hang in the Everglades. They all stayed home. Two people that claimed to be from the North Pole and whom were determined to wear shorts, were freezing their butts off! Still, it was so good to see him. It was as if nothing had changed and yet, everything had changed completely.

Turning 50 has brought on a change in me that I never really expected. No. I am not going through Menopause. When everything turns to shit, I will still have that to look forward to. I’m talking about something else. This is something I heard of from other people that have passed this mark, but I just didn’t believe it until now.

My “Give a Damn” is busted! I just don’t really care anymore. All the things that used to be so important to me when I was younger seem pointless now. I no longer feel the need to have people like me. I am not out to please, anyone anymore. Not much impresses me, at this point, either.

I have lost all desire to “FIX” anyone. Clean up your damn mess! It isn’t my job to make you happy. I’m not your mother or your therapist. If you don’t like it, there is the door. Don’t let it hit you in the ass as you leave.

Furthermore, my “Bullshit Detector” is working at 100%. My patience for it has completely evaporated, though. I have lost all tolerance for “Stupidity by Choice”.

Okay. So, what does this all mean? Well, honestly, it probably means nothing to most people. To those who know exactly what I am talking about, it is the most freeing experience one can have. It is right up there with letting your “Freak Flag Fly”.

Not caring about certain things opens up all new doors that we usually keep locked and blocked with a chair. In the movie, Dolores Claiborne, Judy Parfitt said that, “Sometimes, being a Bitch is all a woman has to hold on to.” I think this is what she meant. I can say exactly what I think and screw anyone that has an issue with it. Ok. Well, maybe, that is extreme. However, it is in the spirit of this that I have found my inner freedom.

You are now wondering how this all translates into daily life and reality? Well, for one thing, I was invited to go on an Airboat for the day and my husband bailed on me at the last minute. He always does this stuff. Normally, I would have just stayed home with him, but I did not. I went alone! Then, fell trying to get out of the boat and ended up in the ER. Again, another time. Nevertheless, I went!

I am done sugar coating everything for people. When some idiot writes me and every word is spelled wrong, I will let him now that he isn’t smart enough for me to be bothered… For God’s sake! All computers and phones have Spell Check! This isn’t Stoichiometry.

The list goes on, but I think by now you all have the picture. Therefore, 50 isn’t that bad after all. Of course, I have been telling people that I turned 60, instead. That way they all respond, “Damn! You look GOOD!”

Last week I turned 50. Honestly, I never thought that I would live this long. I really should have made better plans. I should have done just about everything differently. When people ask, if I had a chance to do it all again; would I change anything; knowing that it would change my life today; the answer will always be, “YES”. I would do it all completely differently. Yeah. Since, that is never going to happen, I guess, I have to deal with the here and now.

I really thought that I would be crying for days and feeling like the Crypt Keeper. I thought I would be very disgusted with my entire existence. I saw myself huddled in a corner, drooling and depressed. Well, I am disgusted with myself, but that is nothing new. I look like crap, but that is because, I have been sick. I also, fell trying to get out of an Airboat. Ok. It’s a long story and that is for another day.

My 50 th was not at all, what I expected. First, a friend who I have not seen in 35 years decided to come and surprise me. That was the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me. This means even more to me, because he came from England. That is not a three-hour drive to Orlando. I am just so taken aback that someone out there cares that much about me to do something so amazing. I have no words that can even begin to describe how grateful I am.

It is just unfortunate that he decided to show up on the coldest day of the year. Seriously! It broke records. I feel so badly that he could not see Florida at its best. He wanted to go to all the Tourist Traps. Even the Alligators knew that it was a bad idea to hang in the Everglades. They all stayed home. Two people that claimed to be from the North Pole and whom were determined to wear shorts, were freezing their butts off! Still, it was so good to see him. It was as if nothing had changed and yet, everything had changed completely.

Turning 50 has brought on a change in me that I never really expected. No. I am not going through Menopause. When everything turns to shit, I will still have that to look forward to. I’m talking about something else. This is something I heard of from other people that have passed this mark, but I just didn’t believe it until now.

My “Give a Damn” is busted! I just don’t really care anymore. All the things that used to be so important to me when I was younger seem pointless now. I no longer feel the need to have people like me. I am not out to please, anyone anymore. Not much impresses me, at this point, either.

I have lost all desire to “FIX” anyone. Clean up your damn mess! It isn’t my job to make you happy. I’m not your mother or your therapist. If you don’t like it, there is the door. Don’t let it hit you in the ass as you leave.

Furthermore, my “Bullshit Detector” is working at 100%. My patience for it has completely evaporated, though. I have lost all tolerance for “Stupidity by Choice”.

Okay. So, what does this all mean? Well, honestly, it probably means nothing to most people. To those who know exactly what I am talking about, it is the most freeing experience one can have. It is right up there with letting your “Freak Flag Fly”.

Not caring about certain things opens up all new doors that we usually keep locked and blocked with a chair. In the movie, Dolores Claiborne, Judy Parfitt said that, “Sometimes, being a Bitch is all a woman has to hold on to.” I think this is what she meant. I can say exactly what I think and screw anyone that has an issue with it. Ok. Well, maybe, that is extreme. However, it is in the spirit of this that I have found my inner freedom.

You are now wondering how this all translates into daily life and reality? Well, for one thing, I was invited to go on an Airboat for the day and my husband bailed on me at the last minute. He always does this stuff. Normally, I would have just stayed home with him, but I did not. I went alone! Then, fell trying to get out of the boat and ended up in the ER. Again, another time. Nevertheless, I went!

I am done sugar coating everything for people. When some idiot writes me and every word is spelled wrong, I will let him now that he isn’t smart enough for me to be bothered… For God’s sake! All computers and phones have Spell Check! This isn’t Stoichiometry.

The list goes on, but I think by now you all have the picture. Therefore, 50 isn’t that bad after all. Of course, I have been telling people that I turned 60, instead. That way they all respond, “Damn! You look GOOD!”

Last week I turned 50. Honestly, I never thought that I would live this long. I really should have made better plans. I should have done just about everything differently. When people ask, if I had a chance to do it all again; would I change anything; knowing that it would change my life today; the answer will always be, “YES”. I would do it all completely differently. Yeah. Since, that is never going to happen, I guess, I have to deal with the here and now.

I really thought that I would be crying for days and feeling like the Crypt Keeper. I thought I would be very disgusted with my entire existence. I saw myself huddled in a corner, drooling and depressed. Well, I am disgusted with myself, but that is nothing new. I look like crap, but that is because, I have been sick. I also, fell trying to get out of an Airboat. Ok. It’s a long story and that is for another day.

My 50 th was not at all, what I expected. First, a friend who I have not seen in 35 years decided to come and surprise me. That was the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me. This means even more to me, because he came from England. That is not a three-hour drive to Orlando. I am just so taken aback that someone out there cares that much about me to do something so amazing. I have no words that can even begin to describe how grateful I am.

It is just unfortunate that he decided to show up on the coldest day of the year. Seriously! It broke records. I feel so badly that he could not see Florida at its best. He wanted to go to all the Tourist Traps. Even the Alligators knew that it was a bad idea to hang in the Everglades. They all stayed home. Two people that claimed to be from the North Pole and whom were determined to wear shorts, were freezing their butts off! Still, it was so good to see him. It was as if nothing had changed and yet, everything had changed completely.

Turning 50 has brought on a change in me that I never really expected. No. I am not going through Menopause. When everything turns to shit, I will still have that to look forward to. I’m talking about something else. This is something I heard of from other people that have passed this mark, but I just didn’t believe it until now.

My “Give a Damn” is busted! I just don’t really care anymore. All the things that used to be so important to me when I was younger seem pointless now. I no longer feel the need to have people like me. I am not out to please, anyone anymore. Not much impresses me, at this point, either.

I have lost all desire to “FIX” anyone. Clean up your damn mess! It isn’t my job to make you happy. I’m not your mother or your therapist. If you don’t like it, there is the door. Don’t let it hit you in the ass as you leave.

Furthermore, my “Bullshit Detector” is working at 100%. My patience for it has completely evaporated, though. I have lost all tolerance for “Stupidity by Choice”.

Okay. So, what does this all mean? Well, honestly, it probably means nothing to most people. To those who know exactly what I am talking about, it is the most freeing experience one can have. It is right up there with letting your “Freak Flag Fly”.

Not caring about certain things opens up all new doors that we usually keep locked and blocked with a chair. In the movie, Dolores Claiborne, Judy Parfitt said that, “Sometimes, being a Bitch is all a woman has to hold on to.” I think this is what she meant. I can say exactly what I think and screw anyone that has an issue with it. Ok. Well, maybe, that is extreme. However, it is in the spirit of this that I have found my inner freedom.

You are now wondering how this all translates into daily life and reality? Well, for one thing, I was invited to go on an Airboat for the day and my husband bailed on me at the last minute. He always does this stuff. Normally, I would have just stayed home with him, but I did not. I went alone! Then, fell trying to get out of the boat and ended up in the ER. Again, another time. Nevertheless, I went!

I am done sugar coating everything for people. When some idiot writes me and every word is spelled wrong, I will let him now that he isn’t smart enough for me to be bothered… For God’s sake! All computers and phones have Spell Check! This isn’t Stoichiometry.

The list goes on, but I think by now you all have the picture. Therefore, 50 isn’t that bad after all. Of course, I have been telling people that I turned 60, instead. That way they all respond, “Damn! You look GOOD!”

Got to love a bit of Internet nonsense! And the latest thing to kick off comes down to whether a picture shows a dress that is ‘black and blue’ or ‘white and gold’. It seems to be the hot topic of the moment and all across social media people are debating it – but is there really any debate at all! Surely there shouldn’t be any debate about what the colour of something is! So what’s going on?

(Image via Twiiter)

Above you will see the dress in question! What colours do you think it is? ‘Black and Blue’ or ‘White and Gold’?

For me there is no debate at all. When I first saw the picture I said to myself it’s black and blue no doubt about it. How anyone can see white and gold is, quite frankly, beyond me. And yet many were saying that is what they see. Are they crazy? Are they lying? Is there just a lot of ‘funny’ people out there claiming it is coloured differently just for the lulz? Or is it me that is crazy? Is it actually white and gold and my eyes (well, my brain) playing tricks on me.

Wait a second though, surely there is an easy way to check for sure, I thought! So I took the image opened it with the most basic of computer programs – Paint – and decided to do a ‘colour pick’ with it. I mean, sure, it’s possible for the brain to compute a different colour from what it actually is but a computer program won’t be fooled like that.

Using the same image on Paint I created a few circles over the image and then indiscriminantly used the ‘pick colour’ tool to select the colour that was close to each of the circles and then filled the circle with that colour. And to make it even more clear I also created ‘bars’ at the side of the image and replicated the filled colour on each of those. Clearly, because of the ‘lighting’ of an image any ‘colour match’ may differ slightly but it will still be the same ‘base’ colour – the result is below.

You can clearly see that the computer program is reading the colours as being ‘black and blue’ and not ‘white and gold’. So why do so many people see it as the latter? I don’t really know, but what I do know is that the ’science’ behind the explanation that is doing the rounds is utter nonsense. It claims, and I quote, that;

“Scientists have proven that when there is a big event in your life that is having a negative effect on you, your sighting of colors may vary and that is why some people are seeing black and blue.”

Whilst the first part of that may well have some ’scientific’ truth behind it, the latter part is utter tosh!

As an interesting ‘quirk’ to the whole thing. If one was to invert the colours of the image (again using Paint) then this is what you are left with;

You can judge for yourself what colours are involved in the ‘invert’ version!

Over to you now, dear reader, what colours do you think the dress is? And can you explain why opinion is split about it?

Got to love a bit of Internet nonsense! And the latest thing to kick off comes down to whether a picture shows a dress that is ‘black and blue’ or ‘white and gold’. It seems to be the hot topic of the moment and all across social media people are debating it – but is there really any debate at all! Surely there shouldn’t be any debate about what the colour of something is! So what’s going on?

(Image via Twiiter)

Above you will see the dress in question! What colours do you think it is? ‘Black and Blue’ or ‘White and Gold’?

For me there is no debate at all. When I first saw the picture I said to myself it’s black and blue no doubt about it. How anyone can see white and gold is, quite frankly, beyond me. And yet many were saying that is what they see. Are they crazy? Are they lying? Is there just a lot of ‘funny’ people out there claiming it is coloured differently just for the lulz? Or is it me that is crazy? Is it actually white and gold and my eyes (well, my brain) playing tricks on me.

Wait a second though, surely there is an easy way to check for sure, I thought! So I took the image opened it with the most basic of computer programs – Paint – and decided to do a ‘colour pick’ with it. I mean, sure, it’s possible for the brain to compute a different colour from what it actually is but a computer program won’t be fooled like that.

Using the same image on Paint I created a few circles over the image and then indiscriminantly used the ‘pick colour’ tool to select the colour that was close to each of the circles and then filled the circle with that colour. And to make it even more clear I also created ‘bars’ at the side of the image and replicated the filled colour on each of those. Clearly, because of the ‘lighting’ of an image any ‘colour match’ may differ slightly but it will still be the same ‘base’ colour – the result is below.

You can clearly see that the computer program is reading the colours as being ‘black and blue’ and not ‘white and gold’. So why do so many people see it as the latter? I don’t really know, but what I do know is that the ’science’ behind the explanation that is doing the rounds is utter nonsense. It claims, and I quote, that;

“Scientists have proven that when there is a big event in your life that is having a negative effect on you, your sighting of colors may vary and that is why some people are seeing black and blue.”

Whilst the first part of that may well have some ’scientific’ truth behind it, the latter part is utter tosh!

As an interesting ‘quirk’ to the whole thing. If one was to invert the colours of the image (again using Paint) then this is what you are left with;

You can judge for yourself what colours are involved in the ‘invert’ version!

Over to you now, dear reader, what colours do you think the dress is? And can you explain why opinion is split about it?

Got to love a bit of Internet nonsense! And the latest thing to kick off comes down to whether a picture shows a dress that is ‘black and blue’ or ‘white and gold’. It seems to be the hot topic of the moment and all across social media people are debating it – but is there really any debate at all! Surely there shouldn’t be any debate about what the colour of something is! So what’s going on?

(Image via Twiiter)

Above you will see the dress in question! What colours do you think it is? ‘Black and Blue’ or ‘White and Gold’?

For me there is no debate at all. When I first saw the picture I said to myself it’s black and blue no doubt about it. How anyone can see white and gold is, quite frankly, beyond me. And yet many were saying that is what they see. Are they crazy? Are they lying? Is there just a lot of ‘funny’ people out there claiming it is coloured differently just for the lulz? Or is it me that is crazy? Is it actually white and gold and my eyes (well, my brain) playing tricks on me.

Wait a second though, surely there is an easy way to check for sure, I thought! So I took the image opened it with the most basic of computer programs – Paint – and decided to do a ‘colour pick’ with it. I mean, sure, it’s possible for the brain to compute a different colour from what it actually is but a computer program won’t be fooled like that.

Using the same image on Paint I created a few circles over the image and then indiscriminantly used the ‘pick colour’ tool to select the colour that was close to each of the circles and then filled the circle with that colour. And to make it even more clear I also created ‘bars’ at the side of the image and replicated the filled colour on each of those. Clearly, because of the ‘lighting’ of an image any ‘colour match’ may differ slightly but it will still be the same ‘base’ colour – the result is below.

You can clearly see that the computer program is reading the colours as being ‘black and blue’ and not ‘white and gold’. So why do so many people see it as the latter? I don’t really know, but what I do know is that the ’science’ behind the explanation that is doing the rounds is utter nonsense. It claims, and I quote, that;

“Scientists have proven that when there is a big event in your life that is having a negative effect on you, your sighting of colors may vary and that is why some people are seeing black and blue.”

Whilst the first part of that may well have some ’scientific’ truth behind it, the latter part is utter tosh!

As an interesting ‘quirk’ to the whole thing. If one was to invert the colours of the image (again using Paint) then this is what you are left with;

You can judge for yourself what colours are involved in the ‘invert’ version!

Over to you now, dear reader, what colours do you think the dress is? And can you explain why opinion is split about it?

Got to love a bit of Internet nonsense! And the latest thing to kick off comes down to whether a picture shows a dress that is ‘black and blue’ or ‘white and gold’. It seems to be the hot topic of the moment and all across social media people are debating it – but is there really any debate at all! Surely there shouldn’t be any debate about what the colour of something is! So what’s going on?

(Image via Twiiter)

Above you will see the dress in question! What colours do you think it is? ‘Black and Blue’ or ‘White and Gold’?

For me there is no debate at all. When I first saw the picture I said to myself it’s black and blue no doubt about it. How anyone can see white and gold is, quite frankly, beyond me. And yet many were saying that is what they see. Are they crazy? Are they lying? Is there just a lot of ‘funny’ people out there claiming it is coloured differently just for the lulz? Or is it me that is crazy? Is it actually white and gold and my eyes (well, my brain) playing tricks on me.

Wait a second though, surely there is an easy way to check for sure, I thought! So I took the image opened it with the most basic of computer programs – Paint – and decided to do a ‘colour pick’ with it. I mean, sure, it’s possible for the brain to compute a different colour from what it actually is but a computer program won’t be fooled like that.

Using the same image on Paint I created a few circles over the image and then indiscriminantly used the ‘pick colour’ tool to select the colour that was close to each of the circles and then filled the circle with that colour. And to make it even more clear I also created ‘bars’ at the side of the image and replicated the filled colour on each of those. Clearly, because of the ‘lighting’ of an image any ‘colour match’ may differ slightly but it will still be the same ‘base’ colour – the result is below.

You can clearly see that the computer program is reading the colours as being ‘black and blue’ and not ‘white and gold’. So why do so many people see it as the latter? I don’t really know, but what I do know is that the ’science’ behind the explanation that is doing the rounds is utter nonsense. It claims, and I quote, that;

“Scientists have proven that when there is a big event in your life that is having a negative effect on you, your sighting of colors may vary and that is why some people are seeing black and blue.”

Whilst the first part of that may well have some ’scientific’ truth behind it, the latter part is utter tosh!

As an interesting ‘quirk’ to the whole thing. If one was to invert the colours of the image (again using Paint) then this is what you are left with;

You can judge for yourself what colours are involved in the ‘invert’ version!

Over to you now, dear reader, what colours do you think the dress is? And can you explain why opinion is split about it?

Well, first things first – we know President Obama isn’t particularly experienced, but maybe, just maybe, he attempted to drop a little Jimi into his recent Labor Day speech.  In what has been described as a non-scripted moment, President Obama complained to the union audience that Republican Party members were talking about him “like a dog”.

Was Obama channeling his inner-Hendrix at that moment?  Here is the Jimi Hendrix line from the song Stone Free:   “They talk about me like a dog…”

Having recently turned 49 years old, and photographed repeatedly in high-water jeans, the possible attempt to utilize a Hendrix quote as part of a rebuke against his political enemies would be just a wee bit…desperate by a sitting president, but as the polls indicate, these are tough days for Obama, so we are willing to cut him a bit of slack.

Obama would do well to understand though – he is no Jimi Hendrix.  Steve Erkel perhaps…

In most cases, phones are purchased from service providers who offer coverage, plans and troubleshooting help. Interacting with a provider’s customer care agents is inevitable, so do some legwork to see how the industry’s players stack up. Publications like Consumer Reports will rate carriers on various criteria, with customer satisfaction chief among them.

Beyond customer service it’s important to also evaluate the coverage available. Major wireless carriers offer nationwide coverage, but oftentimes it’s possible to get access to the same national networks at a fraction of the cost. Mobile virtual network operators (MVNO) pay wholesale prices for network access and offer consumers more competitive pricing. Be sure to check into an MVNO’s longevity, reputation and underlying networks before going this route.

Although flexible calling plans are growing more prevalent, long-term contracts remain standard practice among major carriers. It’s possible to buy phones without getting a package under contract, but the phone’s cost will be much higher. For instance, the Apple iPhone 5S runs $649 and up without a service contract. When purchased with a wireless plan from AT&T, Sprint or Verizon, the same phone costs as little as $199. However, all of these carriers require a two-year contract, and the fine print may include hidden fees or even penalties for terminating early, switching plans or changing phones.

No-contract phone companies are ramping up their phone offerings to compete with major carriers. These companies typically offer flexible plans that allow customers to pay for what they use, not what they don’t. Since a customer isn’t guaranteed to stick around for two years, higher-end phones may cost more up front. However, the price may be worth having the freedom to make adjustments to a phone or plan without penalty. Consumer Cellular, for instance, lets customers adjust plans at any point if another option saves money.

Smartphone Evolution (Photo credit: Phil Roeder)

After reviewing carriers and contract options, consider the type of phone suitable to a particular lifestyle. Basic feature phones are still available for individuals who simply want the convenience of a cellphone. These phones are capable of calling, texting and emailing, as well as taking photos. Minimal voice and data use should mean lower bills, which could be attractive for those on a fixed-income lifestyle.

Smartphones have soared in popularity thanks to their awe-inspiring capabilities, and tech-savvy youth aren’t the only ones using them. Older generations have found smartphones surprisingly easy to learn and use. Larger touch screens and displays can be easier to manipulate and view, particularly if arthritis is starting to creep in or reading glasses have become a new accessory.

For boomers celebrating a first grandchild or taking a long-anticipated trip, high definition video and photo-taking capabilities of smartphones make it easy to share life’s new moments. Plus, phones with front-facing cameras allow for video chats on the go. Thousands of apps help manage daily life, and with their operating system platforms, smartphones can stream video or download large files. Look for tested platforms like Android, Blackberry, iPhoneOS and Windows Mobile.

Cellphones are pricey and sensitive devices. Consider how you can protect your investment from accidents like spills or drops or replace it in the event of theft. An array of skins, covers and cases can keep phones working and looking like new, while insurance plans can soften the financial blow of buying a replacement should the unexpected happen.

Finally, although few and far between, some service providers still offer trial periods. Take advantage of the opportunity to test a phone to ensure that it meets expectations. If not, it should be possible to trade up – or down – without penalty.

Everyone has an opinion about something. It’s just the way life is. A lot of people have no problem with voicing their opinion as well. Many people offer advice even when it is unsolicited. So, as a musician, how do you know what advice to take and what to disregard?

Let’s say you are playing out as a musician. The venue owner tell you that he thinks your playing too loud. Since he is the one paying you, I would have to say that his opinion probably matters quite a bit. Some venue owners may suggest certain groups for you to play. Usually their favorite bands. It’s a good idea to learn some of the venue owner’s suggested materials to make it more likely that he will allow you to continue playing at his establishment. Now, if it is a style of music that you really don’t do well or have no interest in or you just feel isn’t you, then don’t, but be aware that it may have an effect on the likelihood of you getting more gigs at that venue.

Members of your audience may also request certain songs. If you know them, play them, if not, maybe you should consider adding their suggested songs to your repertoire. If it is a completely different direction than what you want to go into, then don’t learn it.

The thing to remember regarding advice or opinions is that you can’t make drastic changes in your goals or plans based on a few people. One person might come up to you and say you need to add more somgs of a certain genre or group and another might say that you already have too much of that group. So if you change your musical direction every time someone gives you different advice, you would be all over the place and your focus would be totally lost.

What you need to keep a look out for is many people giving you the same advice or opinion. If a lot of people do that, then you may need to address that because it is the prevailing opinion. If a lot of people tell you that you are playing too loud, it may be very likely that it is true. If a lot of people tell you that you need to work on something, well there may be some validity to what they are saying.

Also take into consideration that not all opinions are equal. Some people just don’t know what they are talking about and when you are playing in a bar or night club, there are people drinking. A drunken opinion is not nearly as valid as a sober one.

You may also get career advice from people who don’t even play out themselves. Their advice would probably not be as helpful as advice given from someone who plays out frequently. Unfortunately, many of the people with bad advice offer their advice more frequently than those with the sound advice. However, you should seek out the sound advice and ask those who can offer it if they wouldn’t mind giving you some.

I remember years ago when I was in a band where the other members were not nearly as dedicated to the band situation as they should have been. I asked some guy that was in a band that we were watching play at a bar about a few things. I asked him what he and the members of his band would do if they had someone in it that wasn’t learning the material as he should be. He said that they would get rid of him. I found that to be interesting because he didn’t hessitate for a second when giving his answer.

So at that time, I was letting the guys in the band goof off and not learn the material as we had agreed. That’s when I started to suggest that we axe certain people. I had one frined that said that I was being too hard on people and I probably wouldn’t get anywhere because I was too demanding. The fact is that he was wrong. Once I adopted a no nonsense policy and a policy of having little tolerance for people not living up to their responsibilities, my situation got better. I got into band situations where I was playing more gigs. So the advice given by the guy in a band that was playing out regularly was more sound than the advice given to me by a friend who had never done so in his life. That demonstrates that not all advice is equal and that not all opinions are equal. So before taking any advice, give it some thought and analyze it rationally. If you do so, you will be more likely to follow the better advice and disregard the rest.

Bob Craypoe is a web developer, 3D artist, cartoonist, writer, musician and entrepreneur. His websites and his work can be accessed from his personal website http://craypoe.com/bob and his main website http://craypoe.com

Everyone has an opinion about something. It’s just the way life is. A lot of people have no problem with voicing their opinion as well. Many people offer advice even when it is unsolicited. So, as a musician, how do you know what advice to take and what to disregard?

Let’s say you are playing out as a musician. The venue owner tell you that he thinks your playing too loud. Since he is the one paying you, I would have to say that his opinion probably matters quite a bit. Some venue owners may suggest certain groups for you to play. Usually their favorite bands. It’s a good idea to learn some of the venue owner’s suggested materials to make it more likely that he will allow you to continue playing at his establishment. Now, if it is a style of music that you really don’t do well or have no interest in or you just feel isn’t you, then don’t, but be aware that it may have an effect on the likelihood of you getting more gigs at that venue.

Members of your audience may also request certain songs. If you know them, play them, if not, maybe you should consider adding their suggested songs to your repertoire. If it is a completely different direction than what you want to go into, then don’t learn it.

The thing to remember regarding advice or opinions is that you can’t make drastic changes in your goals or plans based on a few people. One person might come up to you and say you need to add more somgs of a certain genre or group and another might say that you already have too much of that group. So if you change your musical direction every time someone gives you different advice, you would be all over the place and your focus would be totally lost.

What you need to keep a look out for is many people giving you the same advice or opinion. If a lot of people do that, then you may need to address that because it is the prevailing opinion. If a lot of people tell you that you are playing too loud, it may be very likely that it is true. If a lot of people tell you that you need to work on something, well there may be some validity to what they are saying.

Also take into consideration that not all opinions are equal. Some people just don’t know what they are talking about and when you are playing in a bar or night club, there are people drinking. A drunken opinion is not nearly as valid as a sober one.

You may also get career advice from people who don’t even play out themselves. Their advice would probably not be as helpful as advice given from someone who plays out frequently. Unfortunately, many of the people with bad advice offer their advice more frequently than those with the sound advice. However, you should seek out the sound advice and ask those who can offer it if they wouldn’t mind giving you some.

I remember years ago when I was in a band where the other members were not nearly as dedicated to the band situation as they should have been. I asked some guy that was in a band that we were watching play at a bar about a few things. I asked him what he and the members of his band would do if they had someone in it that wasn’t learning the material as he should be. He said that they would get rid of him. I found that to be interesting because he didn’t hessitate for a second when giving his answer.

So at that time, I was letting the guys in the band goof off and not learn the material as we had agreed. That’s when I started to suggest that we axe certain people. I had one frined that said that I was being too hard on people and I probably wouldn’t get anywhere because I was too demanding. The fact is that he was wrong. Once I adopted a no nonsense policy and a policy of having little tolerance for people not living up to their responsibilities, my situation got better. I got into band situations where I was playing more gigs. So the advice given by the guy in a band that was playing out regularly was more sound than the advice given to me by a friend who had never done so in his life. That demonstrates that not all advice is equal and that not all opinions are equal. So before taking any advice, give it some thought and analyze it rationally. If you do so, you will be more likely to follow the better advice and disregard the rest.

Bob Craypoe is a web developer, 3D artist, cartoonist, writer, musician and entrepreneur. His websites and his work can be accessed from his personal website http://craypoe.com/bob and his main website http://craypoe.com

Meeting someone for the first time online is completely different to meeting face-to-face, but there are similarities. When you introduce yourself in real life, your personality shows through your body language and the way you conduct yourself. The same happens online – you are immediately judged, but through only text and pictures. The importance of an effective introduction is paramount.

We know it’s not easy writing about yourself, but this article explains the key points to creating an effective dating profile. Keep to the following basic rules to ensure your search for love online is a success.

Be Yourself

First and foremost… it sounds obvious, but you need to be yourself. It is easy to hide behind the internet, but your internet dating profile should not be misleading. Try to write how you talk to express your personality. Be honest and sincere, and remember – sarcasm is hard to detect online!

Be Interesting

Talk about your interests and hobbies. Elaborate on specific life events or achievements. Even if you think people aren’t going to be interested you should include enough to demonstrate that you are a well-rounded and interesting individual.

Don’t ramble, but be proud of the places you’ve been and things you’ve done – without coming across as arrogant (of course!).

Relax and Punctuate

Put yourself in the shoes of someone reading your profile for the first time. Be sure to use grammar and punctuation correctly. Reading text without fullstops feels rushed. If your reader doesn’t feel at ease reading about you, they certainly won’t feel at ease around you.

Try to Stand Out

Don’t be afraid to be different and think out of the box whilst writing your profile. Imagine your persona in real life – if you immediately stand out, people will naturally be intrigued to find out more about you.

Ask Questions

By asking your audience questions, you stimulate their thought process, making it much easier for them should they wish to contact you. Think of it like an ice-breaker.

Don’t forget – online dating should be fun. Enjoy writing your profile and you can be sure that people will enjoy reading it. Good luck, and happy dating!

Cover of Love Online (Heartsong Presents #581)

About the Author

Mature Matches is the #1 senior dating site for mature singles. Every day we help thousands of members find romance, love, or simply entertainment.