This Is Halloween - Jack Skellington

Halloween

Halloween is an old and multicultural tradition, with history stretching all of the globe. The ancient Celts believed the spirits of the people who had died in the past year would walk among the living. Foods and sweets would be left out to pacify these spirits. Halloween has Pagan origins as well, but the name is derived from the Christian holiday "All Hallows Eve", the evening before "All Saints' Day" November 1st. The holiday was adapted in hopes of stamping out Paganism. Over the years, some of the darker aspects of Halloween have been replaced by more family friendly festivities. But the supernatural ties still hold strong today.

In Ireland, which most would agree is Halloween's birthplace. Celebration includes fireworks, monkey nuts (peanuts), and barnbrack (a fruitcake with charms baked inside). In Mexico, there is "The Day of the Dead" an indigenous holiday dating back thousands of years. The Aztecs originally kept and displayed loved ones skulls making shrines with flowers, candles, pictures and food for the dead. In Romania, at least for the tourists; the major attraction is seeking out Dracula in Transylvania. While in the United States, the holiday often means costume parties, trick or treating, harvest festivals, haunted houses and pranks for all ages. 

Halloween is truly my favorite holiday. Steeped in dark mystification. I love dressing up, even though as a female the outfits always seem to have some element of a call girl. I embrace it all the same. The last night of the autumn harvest, the world changes from sunny warmth to cold winter. The land from fertile to barren. If the Celts were right, soon the supernatural forces will get the opportunity to break into the world of the living. Evil mischief abound! Happy Halloween! 

Flobots

Are you hungry for a political rock and hip hop hybrid? Then Flobots will feed your need. Straight out of Denver and after my heart. Full of such much passion and adrenaline, it's impossible not to be motivated by them. Every member represents peace, hope and change. Below are my favorite videos. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

http://flobots.com/

Rise

 

White Flag Warrior 

Why Occupy WallStreet? 4 Reasons

Occupy Oakland Attacked

Mumford & Sons - The Cave

Yell Fire Protesters Tribute

A Day of Protests

Protests are beginning to unfurl;  not only in the United States but all over the world. Inspired by the Occupy Wall Street movement. Men and women of all ages against economic inequality and corporate greed.

 

 Madrid 

Defend Occupy Wall Street

 http://civic.moveon.org/defend_ows/?rc=c4_defend_ows_letter.fb.v3.g0

At 7am tomorrow Mayor Bloomberg is evicting the Wall Street Protesters. Please sign the petition on the link above to defend the protesters. We have less than 24 hours to try to stop this.

Adele - Someone Like You

Michael Franti & Spearhead

I consider myself a connoisseur of music. I can appreciate every genre. It is in that spirit that this post and others sure to follow are devoted to. Music that has an important message are true treasures. Somehow becoming more than the sum of its parts. Around 2005 I was introduced to Michael Franti & Spearhead. I had heard their music on the radio and knew I liked them but once I saw them perform live, I was hooked. There is a presence about Michael Franti, an aura. Together they are truly magnificent. Performances and lyrics that strike down to the very core of your being. I've been to several of their shows and have been lucky enough to meet them on a couple occasions. They will often interact with their fans after the show & you can tell that together you are apart of something bigger than yourself, something more relevant than just a great concert. Michael Franti is the ambassador for CARE, a leading humanitarian organization that is fighting global poverty. He is the creator of the Power to the Peaceful Festival in San Francisco. He also supports St. Jude's Ranch for children, Soles 4 Souls, Amnesty International, Waterkeeper Alliance and many others. He is truly making the world a better place.

http://michaelfranti.com/

Wall Street

Perhaps we are on a brink of a transformation. I understand that greed and corruption are nothing new but it appears to be running rampant. Whether or not you agree with the protests on Wall Street (and the growing protests around the United States) one thing remains true; the wealth gap has grown out of control and the imbalance is impossible to ignore. Courageous men & women are making tremendous sacrifices in hopes of creating a very much needed change.

"When the power of love overcomes the love of power the world will know peace"

 http://occupywallst.org/ 

Ode to Jacqueline Carey

Jacqueline Carey is by far one of the most talented authors to grace the world of fantasy. Few writers are able to truly captivate me and provide such an immediate addiction. The series that starts with Kushiel's Dart is particularly my favorite. Love, war, betrayal, mysticism, sexuality, religion. No stone is left unturned and Phèdre nò Delaunay is perhaps the best female lead ever written. 

The books are complex and can be difficult to read for some. They are not like The Sookie Stackhouse and Twilight series. It isn't that I didn't enjoy those books as well, but they are truly on different playing fields. This series is composed in Old English. I was so blissfully lost in her writing, I began speaking Old English by accident. There are many twists and turns and will leave you on the edge always wanting more. 

http://www.jacquelinecarey.com/index.htm

Health Care

After working in health care for many years, I've seen a lot. People uninsured (or insured with terrible plans) opting not to see a doctor and attempting to stitch themselves after a nasty laceration. Families unable to purchase expensive labs tests and medicine that can help save their life. It pains me to see such struggles for something that shouldn't be an issue to begin with.

The United States health care ranks lower then France, Italy, Spain, Japan, United Kingdom, Canada & Israel. Who has the best health care? Apparently, Switzerland does. They have access to the latest technology, just as Americans do and with low wait times comparably for appointments and procedures. 99.5% of Swiss citizens have health insurance. They buy insurance for themselves; there are no employer sponsored or government run insurance programs. 

In many ways, the Swiss system is similar to the systems of Massachusetts and PPACA. There are government mandates involved and  it is understandable that both liberals and conservatives would find their system less than perfect. But we have to start somewhere. It is foolish to continue this way in order to maintain our untainted ideology. Health care is a right, not a privilege. 

Steve Jobs

Steve Jobs was a legend in his own time.  A brilliant inventor and business mogul. Co-Founder of both Apple Inc and Pixar Animation Studios. In the late 1970's he helped create the first successful personal computer. While CEO for Apple he was responsible for the release of the iPod, the iPhone and the iPad. He is forever imprinted in our past and future technological endeavors. The world has lost a true visionary today.

"Stay hungry, Stay foolish. "

Geeks Rule

I love RPG's, Comic Con, Science, History and Fantasy. Yes, I am a geek and proud. The Big Band Theory has 16,437,336 Facebook followers, so clearly I am not alone. I want to dedicate my first blog post to the geeks. Especially my fellow female geeks out there. Janina Gavankar is a self proclaimed geek and absolutely my female geek role model. 

http://janinagavankar.com

Yesterday, astronomers and physicists discovered that not only is the universe expanding like a vast inflating balloon, but its expansion is speeding up. The Geeks shall inherit the earth, whatever is left of it.

Live long and prosper. Do or do not there is no try.