Adventures in Bar Exam Land

I feel that I've reached an impasse at this point of my bar studying. If you'll recall, I made the decision to study without enlisting the (ridiculously expensive) aid of Barbri, although I was given a full set of Texas Barbri books with which to study by a Twitter friend.

From this point, I proceeded to study throughout December to give myself something to do and so I wouldn't feel rushed about my studies in the new year....which, if you've ever studied for a bar exam, know that's LAUGHABLE. So ha ha ha to me.

As of now, I've finished retyping 8 out of 20 handouts; the subjects I've already tackled are Agency/Partnership, Bankruptcy, Texas Civ Pro, Commercial Paper, Community Property, Consumer Law, Federal Income Tax, and Oil & Gas. This leaves me with a shitton more to finish, and the slightly panicky feeling no one likes to have but most associate with impending bar examinations.

It's at this juncture that I need to seriously ask myself how much I'm learning by retyping. I think I've learned quite a lot, and I'm going to have to go through everything again and fill in the blanks, which isn't that big of a deal and which will definitely help to jog my memory. It's also helpful to retype because it ensures I've seen it at least once. However, I know I'm a charts person, and I passed my last bar examination largely in part due to my incessant charting. On the other hand, I also had lecturers last time, which assisted me in tackling what I'm now attempting to retype because I was guaranteed to HEAR everything at least once.

Today is the day I lay out the next eight weeks of my life in a calendar to keep myself accountable and so I can minimize my feelings of extreme malaise and discomfiture. So, I guess my ultimate decision is how I want to approach the bar exam from this point forward. Do I want to finish typing ALL of the handouts? (I have 700 pages left.) Do I want to try to read them and see how much I retain? Which subjects do I want to chart?

Regardless, I went ahead and made myself a breakdown of the Texas bar examination, including what all is on the essay, the percentage each portion is worth (in lovely pie chart form), and what to expect on each section. After I finish my calendar (likely tomorrow), I will post that . And I'm thinking of documenting either in daily form or weekly form what I've been doing by myself to get prepared for the barf exam. :)

What do Y'ALL think?

Goodbye 2012

As the sun sets tonight, 2012 will come to an end and a new year will begin.  2012 was a wonderful year.  The world ended a couple of times, although it looks the same to me.   The world began again and now we are ready to look back at this strange year.   Every new year, I like to look back on which posts were my most popular of the year.  The most popular posts I wrote and posted in 2012 were:

1.  Can Ghosts Be Captured?
http://ghoststoriesandhauntedplaces.blogspot.com/2012/04/can-ghosts-be-captures.html

2.  American Horror Story and The Ghosts of the Waverly Hills Sanitarium
http://ghoststoriesandhauntedplaces.blogspot.com/2012/10/american-horror-story-and-waverly-hills.html

3.  The Old Bryce Hospital for the Insane
http://ghoststoriesandhauntedplaces.blogspot.com/2012/03/old-bryce-hospital-for-insane.html


Interestingly, two of my top posts this year were about hospitals.   It seems that haunted hospitals always capture the imagination.  I'm hoping that in 2013, I can spend more time exploring haunted hospitals and asylums.  I would also like to dedicate some time to haunted hotels.  As the sun sets on 2012, my favorite ghostly moments come from the stories others have told me.   I haven't as traveled as far and gone to as many ghostly places as I usually do.  I had a baby and moved to a new house.  I lost myself in life, but there are still a few haunted places that I discovered in 2012.  I loved exploring haunted Washington DC this year.  I also enjoyed finding haunted locations in the shadowy landscape of Michigan.  Still, I did have to push my deadline for Haunted South Alabama back this year and I became a little overwhelmed by my ghosts.  I'm hoping next year will be better for my ghost stories!  

Happy New Year to you all and may 2013 bring you many wonderful stories and happy times!

Copycat Recipe: My Take on the Starbucks Cinnamon Dolce Latte

Inspired by this post over at Farmgirl Gourmet, I decided to create my own cinnamon dolce latte based on the version from Starbucks. I finally got around to making it after pinning it over a month ago, and I'm sorry to say I waited this long. (There isn't a Starbucks in my hometown, just so y'all know.)

However, one thing was lacking in this tutorial: how to steam milk and froth it, particularly when you never used your espresso machine and donated it to Goodwill are lacking the awesome gadgets that make the job easier. The link she provided had been pulled due to milk exploding all over people (which is CRAZY and I've never heard of happening, but would have almost certainly have happened to me, given my luck in the kitchen). So, I researched it, figured it out on my own, and decided to post it here. The recipe is broken into three segments: (1) How to create your syrup; (2) How to froth your milk; and (3) How to put everything together in a delicious harmony of awesomeness.

Ingredients for cinnamon dolce syrup: 
3 cinnamon sticks
1 1/2 cups water
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
An airtight jar

1. Break three cinnamon sticks in half; put in 1 1/2 cups water. 
2. Bring mixture to a boil, then remove from heat and cover. 
3. Allow mixture to steep for 10 minutes. 
4. Remove cinnamon sticks from mixture.
5. Add 1 1/2 cups of packed brown sugar to cinnamon-infused water. 
6. Put mixture over heat, bring to soft boil, then simmer until all sugar is dissolved. 
7. Continue simmering for five more minutes to reduce the mixture (even after reduction, it really is *quite* watery). 
8. Allow to cool and put in an airtight container (I used an old pickle jar). You can store it in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. 

How to create frothed milk:
1/2 cup milk
Whisk, blender, or food processor

1. Pour 1/2 cup milk into microwave-safe cup and heat until milk is steaming, but not bubbling. I find about a minute in my microwave is best. Stir every 15 seconds to make sure it does not overheat and curdle.
2. After heating, whisk rapidly or add to food processor and whip until desired amount of froth is obtained. 

How to create the cinnamon dolce latte:

2 tablespoons cinnamon dolce syrup

1 small cup of coffee** (I use my Keurig and select the smallest cup)

1/2 cup hot frothed milk

Cinnamon sugar mixture (optional)

1. Add 2 tablespoons cinnamon dolce syrup to bottom of mug.
2. Heat and froth milk.
3. Since my Keurig brews coffee quickly, I then brew my coffee into the mug that contains the syrup. If you must make your coffee by other means, you should probably do this first. (Also, this is normally about 3/4 of a cup for me)
4. Stir the syrup and coffee to ensure it is blended well.
5. Add frothed milk to the concoction. 
6. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar, if desired. 

**The great thing about doing this at home is you can use the coffee flavor of your choice. You want the coffee to be strong, but I always favor a medium roast, or Pecan Praline coffee if I can get it. :)

And that's all there is to it! Don't be discouraged at the number of steps required for this drink, because they're shockingly easy to follow and the resulting latte is absolutely delicious! (Plus it saves you a boatload of money you'd otherwise be forking over to Starbucks.)

The Most Haunted Asylums

 Mental Hospitals and Asylums seem to draw ghost stories the way a light on a dark night draws bugs.  Ghost stories cling to them like moss and collect over time until the dead patients wandering the halls  outnumber the living.   There is an irony to this.  These hospitals were built to be places of healing where the broken and lost could find sanctuary and solace, but these plans often go awry and accidents and apathy turn healing to hurt.  Tragedies linger in the shadows of these hospitals and collect like dust over time.  

I have worked at several asylums during my career as a psychologist and many times these places are not creepy.  They are places of healing and the staff fights the darkness with art therapy and recreational therapy and all the things mental health professionals do to make hospitals a place of healing.    However, sometimes the sad condition of the chronically mentally ill can’t be combated by these tools and bad things happen.  Things happen that are so bad, that evil seems to remain in the old hospitals.  It seeps into the foundations of the buildings and creeps up through the walls tainting everything inside.  Bad doctors and staff turn bad things into travesties and these hospitals become places of fear.  According to many, the ghosts cling to the emotions that are kept in the hospitals.   Across the nation, there are many hospitals that are considered to be haunted.   These hospitals have tragic histories and their stories can send chills down the spines of even the bravest souls.  Here are a few of my favorite haunted asylums:

Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum

This is considered by many to be the most haunted hospital in the United States.  This hospital was founded in Weston West Virginia in 1864 and was then called The Weston State Hospital.   The hospital had 250 beds and houses some of the sickest patients in the region.   Although the hospital was built to house only 250 patients, by 1950 overcrowding turned the hospital into something out of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nestand the building housed as many as 2500 sick souls.  Even Charles Manson spent some time at this notorious hospital.   The hospital witnessed all the worst of the early treatments for mental illness and frontal lobotomies and water shock treatment were the mainstays of early treatment here.  However, the worst tragedies occurred when the patients hurt each other.  There were several patient to patient killings here and one nurse vanished only to have her body discovered under the stairs two years later.  Death became common place at the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum.  In 1994, the hospital was considered unusable and it was close.   Those that have visited this hospital say that they hear phantom noises throughout the hospital.  They hear ghostly screams and wails.  Full body apparitions have been seen wandering the hallways and strange noises come from the darkness.

Bryce Hospital for the Insane

Alabama Hospital for the Insane was designed to be a refuge for the mentally ill. Its architecture was designed based on the ideas of Dorothea Dix and Thomas Story Kirkbride. It was meant to be moral architecture that would contribute to the healing process within the hospital The hospital opened in 1861 and for a while it held to the ideals of Dix and Kirkbride. The first superintendent, Peter Bryce, was an idealist and he had studied mental health in Europe. He believed that patients should be treated with respect kindness. He even abandoned the use of restraints. The hospital was later named for Bryce and it went on to be the model for progressive mental health care.

 Time quickly eroded Bryce' legacy, however. By 1967, there were more than 5200 patients residing in a facility that was never meant to hold that many. Observers described Bryce as a concentration camp and a model for human cruelty. In 1970, one patient named Wyatt started a class action law suit against the Alabama's other mental hospital, Searcy State Hospital. This lead to major change in the way the mentally ill were treated in Alabama. The number of beds was cut drastically and humane treatment of the mentally ill became an absolute necessity. The landmark Wyatt v. Strickney Case would change Bryce drastically. Old Bryce was the African American portion of Bryce Hospital and was notorious for being even crueler than its white counterpart. After Wyatt v. Strickey and desegregation, Old Bryce was shut down entirely and other buildings were used. The African American patients were integrated into the white population.

 Old Bryce still sits quietly deserted, however, as a reminder to the old days when patients were held like prisoners with no rights. It is covered in graffiti and has been vandalized many times. It’s even been set on fire. Trespassing is forbidden here, but the curious have reported seeing all manner of horrors coming out of the dark around Old Bryce. Lights flicker on an off in the building that has no electricity. Phones ring in rooms with no phones. Phantom lights drift from room to room. Furniture moves on its own and footsteps echo through the abandoned hallways. The living patients may be gone, but many believe Old Bryce is still filled with the ghosts of those who once suffered in its walls.

 Norwich State Hospital For The Mentally Insane

Norwich Hospital for The Mentally Insane was built in 1904 in Preston, Connecticut and is known for the dark ghosts that live inside of it.  The Norwich Hospital was designed to house the worst of the criminally insane patients in the state and, until 1971, it did just that.  It was home to murders, rapists, and other violent offenders.  The hospital is situated on 900 acres of woodland and is utterly isolated and crumbling.  This façade has added to the horror stories that have built up around the violent people that lived within the hospital and has created a collection of ghost stories so large they could fill a book.  Suicides and murders fill the history of Norwich Hospital and those who have died there never seem to leave.  Witnesses describe hearing screams in the darkness Faces appear out of nowhere and strange mists and lights are seen in the halls.

 Searcy State Hospital

 Searcy State Hospital is located in  the most Southern part of rural Alabama.  Prior to being a state hospital the old hospital has a long and dark history that is very difficult to find, but easy to see upon casual observation. The hospital is encased in long, chipped, white walls that seem as old as anything in the United States. From outside these walls, you can see a battered watchtower that gives testament to the fact that the hospital is in the same location as a 300 year old fort. The fort bears witness to American history and was originally a Spanish fort. It switched hands during the Louisiana Purchase and became a US fort. After the US took possession of the fort it was converted to a military arsenal and became known as the Mount Vernon Arsenal. The Arsenal switched hands again several times and was taken by the Confederates during the civil war only to be passed back over the United States again in 1862. From 1887 to 1894, The Arsenal became a Barracks and was used as a prison for the captured Apache people. The most famous of the Apache people to be held in these barracks was Geronimo. The infamous Aaron Burr was also held at this secluded prison at some point.
 
In 1900 the Barracks were transformed once again and the prison became a mental hospital. Searcy hospital was built as the African American mental hospital in Alabama. Conditions in the hospital were beyond questionable and at one time there were over 2000 patients in the crowded hospital and all were seen by one psychiatrist. All patients were expected to work in the fields.

The hospital was desegregated in 1969, but its history is all around it. The hospital is still used today, and although the residents live in new buildings, many tell stories of ghosts and devils that linger in the white walls and abandoned buildings that surround the new facilities. These stories are usually ignored, because the patients are crazy, but I’m not the only sane person who saw a few ghosts while they were working there.

Searcy served as the inspiration for my new novel, Circe. Its tragic history and haunted atmosphere serve as a backdrop to the chilling tale of a young intern slow decent into madness. If you would like to read more about Searcy, you can find my book at:

 www.amazon.com,    http://www.lachesispublishing.com/products.asp?cat=2

 

 

 

 

 

 

               

Dark and Wonderful Christmas Cards!

Edward Gorey is the master of all things dark and wonderful.   Gorey wrote and illustrated over 100 books and he became king of macabre.  His books were beautiful and sometimes oddly touching.  He is most known for  The Adams Family which has been remade again and again as a TV series and as several movies.   My favorite of his books was The Gashleycrumb Tinies.   For years,  I sent out Edward Gorey Christmas cards and as I mailed my cards yesterday I had to admit I miss my dark Christmas theme.  I did not use my Gorey cards this year because I ran out of time and didn't plan far enough in advance.  I know, big surprise.  But I thought in lieu of my cards,  I would do a post on some of the most marvelous and ghostly Christmas cards ever made.  Gorey did numerous Christmas cards and Christmas illustrations in his career.  These are only a few, but they are all marvelous.

Village in Manila City Bears The Mark Of The Beast

I didn't know there's a Barangay (Village) in Metro Manila that bears the number 666 as its official name. As the news below says, that its the only barangay in the Philippines which has the mark of the beast.

By the way, this isn't an urban legend. I just wanted to share this news I found in internet.

The News

[Taken from a News Website: October 31, 2012, 10:10pm]

Almost a month ago, a 21-year-old man committed suicide by hanging from a balete tree located in a compound where the Barangay 666 Hall is located. Stories recounted by witnesses revealed that prior to the man’s suicide, the man named “Angelito” used to talk every night to someone unseen, who allegedly lives underneath the small fig tree. But in an interview with MB Research, “Diablo” just dismissed such stories as fictional, citing that “Angelito” had earlier been diagnosed with a mental disorder, which probably led to his self-murder. “Diablo” also doesn’t believe in ghost stories, even if his village has long been synonymous with the mark of the devil. “Diablo” is Felix “Mac” P. Macapagal, the incumbent chairman of Barangay 666, Zone 72 in Ermita, Manila. Macapagal has been fondly tagged “Mac Diablo” because he has long been serving as head of Barangay 666 since he was first elected in 1989. He has lived in this residential community since the 1970s, during his growing-up years, and in his recollection, he has never experienced any frightening incidents in his bailiwick. The number 666 is specifically mentioned in the Holy Bible’s Book of Revelation as the mark of the beast. Chapter 13:18 of Revelation quotes: “a certain wisdom is needed here; with a little ingenuity, anyone can calculate the number of the beast, for it is a number that stands for a certain man. The man’s number is six hundred sixty-six.” “It forced all men, small and great, rich and poor, slave and free, to accept a stamped image on their right hand or their forehead. Moreover, it did not allow a man to buy or sell anything unless he was first marked with the name of the beast or with the number that stood for its name,” Revelation 13:16-17 further states. Macapagal said that there is nothing special or extraordinary with their barangay, aside from coincidentally having the beast’s mark. He emphatically clarified that no beast has ever existed in their area. “We are not like the other cities that have names for their barangay. In Manila, number is the basis for every barangay. It’s just a coincidence that our barangay is 666,” said Macapagal. He noted that Ermita has four other barangays aside from 666, which are 667, 668, 669 and 670. Out of around 42,000 barangays in the Philippines, National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB) official Fernando Regalado certified that it is the only village in the country that bears the name 666. Officer Arlene Ramos of the Department of Interior and Local Government-National Barangay Operations Office (DILG-NBOO) affirmed that even if the National Capital Region (NCR) still has cities with numbers as name, it is only Manila that has the unique Barangay 666. “Our barangay is 666, many are scared, but we don’t believe in it because we don’t feel that 666 is unlucky. Actually, it seems lucky because we never get sick and my body is doing good,” said Macapagal. Located at the heart of Manila, the nation’s capital, Barangay 666 covers a large land area, where an estimated 1,400 people live in houses and condominiums. The compound, where their barangay hall stands is a 10-minute walking distance from the Manila City Hall. It also houses a small school for the children. Interestingly, Barangay 666’s jurisdiction includes famous landmarks in Manila like the Rizal Park, Qurino Grandstand, United Nations Avenue, Padre Burgos Street, Manila Ocean Park, and even the United States embassy. “What we’re talking about are the primary duties of the barangay, which is what we are doing. Like the business permit clearance, there has to be a barangay chairman who will give it. So even if it’s a national park, which is under the National Parks Development Committee (NPDC), there is still a barangay that manages it,” said Macapagal. NPDC Marketing and Events Specialist Florizza Buclatin confirmed in a separate interview Macapagal’s statements that as for the coverage of the entire Rizal Park, Barangay 666 starts from Taft Avenue, to the Relief Map of the Philippines, leading to all the parks, gardens and other attractions, to the famed ‘Kilometer Zero’ and execution site of Jose Rizal, up to Quirino Grandstand and Manila Ocean Park. Barangay 666 also covers various government offices in the vicinity, like NPDC, the Department of Tourism (DOT), the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP), the National Library and the National Museum. Macapagal and Buclatin clarified, though, that management of barangay officials only comes in terms of small issues and affairs, like minor feuds among people within the area that need to be settled first at the barangay level. “If there are barangay matters that they can’t handle, it will be brought to us, like disputes of the guards, which should be taken care first by the barangay [officials],” said Macapagal. But ghost stories in the area and offices covered by Barangay 666 remain to take the spotlight in the village. Buclatin said that although she hasn’t experienced anything unusual yet, stories, like toilets suddenly flushing without someone using it, seem to take over most of their scary conversations inside their workplace. Allan Mangahas, janitor of the National Library, in another interview, seconded Buclatin’s claims that many students had told her about eerie tales like seeing ghosts inside the reading room and comfort rooms of the library. Mangahas added that sometimes, he is afraid when left alone at the ground floor, but he clarified that “it still depends on the people’s strong faith, because [even if I’m scared,] I haven’t experienced anything.” However, Macapagal insisted that such stories are only for kids and should not be considered anymore by adults. He added that ghost stories were used back then just to convince the young ones to sleep early at night. Divina Villacarlos, lady guard of the National Museum, also believed that there are no ghosts, since she hasn’t experienced yet such supernatural beings. She said that as a security guard, she has been assigned to different floors of the museums, but she has never seen anything scary. Macapagal revealed there are other things that seem scarier than ghosts or beasts in the barangay. “Those live ones are whom we have to be afraid of, since dead people can no longer come back,” said Macapagal, as he noted the increasing number of snatchers, holduppers, and riding-in-tandem gangs in the metropolis. He also mentioned the problems of increasing street children in his barangay, especially now with the onset of the holiday season. With proper coordination of the police force and social workers, Macapagal said they can continuously cope with the different issues in their community. Macapagal also boasted one ‘special’ landmark in their barangay, aside from the usual markers found at the Rizal Park. “We have the Luneta Hotel, a century-old hotel, which is being renovated. It is perhaps the only building in the Philippines which has a unique structure fixed at the exterior walls of the building,” he said pointing at the winged lizard and monkey-like structures built as part of the hotel’s designs. According to the chairman’s research, a Spanish architect-engineer had built the hotel, which is now being preserved by the government. “We think that there is someone protecting the building. Nobody has ever been hurt every time an accident occurs in the area, specifically when the designs are damaged or suddenly falls. That’s why we think Luneta Hotel is unique,” said Macapagal. Meanwhile, Macapagal no longer aims to change the name of his barangay. “Our barangay is happy, even if it is 666. It will be tedious to have it changed because it will have to undergo Congress. Since it is destined to become our [barangay] number, we have already accepted it [though] we are not devils,” Macapagal said.

Sources:
http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/379526/manila-barangay-bears-the-mark-of-the-beast#.UNNBaJGxNk4

Happy Apocalypse From Lil Cthulhu

Since it will all be ending in a few hours, I thought I would post a video about the great lord Cthulhu. I believe if the end comes tonight, it will be at his hands. He will rise up from his watery slumber and devour all our souls. Mostly I believe this because H.P. Lovecraft is the master of horror and I hope I can someday be the horror writer he is. So happy apocalypse from Lil' Cthulhu.

Truthism by Tolkien

I've made it no secret that I love Lord of the Rings. And The Hobbit. And Gandalf....especially Gandalf.

101 in 1001 (Or: my addiction to lists is showing)

The 101 in 1001 days challenge has been around for quite some time, but (like always) I'm just now getting around to it.

I've decided to start today (12/20/2012), and it will end on September 17, 2015 (09/17/2015). (Jesus that's a long time away.)

As I complete them, I'll cross them out, and hyperlink to any blog entries I may have composed about particular goals I accomplished. And I really REALLY want to finish these goals. 

For convenience and ease of grouping, I put them in specific categories. 

Professional Goals

1)            Pass Louisiana Bar Exam

2)            Take a case to trial

3)            Land a great job

4)            Pass Texas Bar Exam

5)            Win a difficult case

6)            Take and pass the Patent Bar

7)            Become accomplished enough in my career that I feel comfortable speaking to undergrad students in my old department about it

8)            Speak to undergrads about career options with respect to my experiences

9)            Write a legal article and submit it for publishing

Personal Goals 

10)        Buy a house

11)        Pay off my student loans

12)        Start a savings account

13)        Become an expert at something

14)        Build or refinish a piece of furniture

15)        Build a budget and stick to it for one month

16)        Do one thing I have always said I would NEVER do

17)        Reconnect with two old friends

Self-Betterment 

18)        Donate 100 hours of pro bono time

19)        Participate in a 5K

20)        Discover a healthy activity I love doing

21)        Don’t cuss for an entire day

22)        Read ten classic novels

23)        Develop a nighttime skin/winding down routine and stick to it for two weeks

24)        Watch five classic movies

25)        Complete one, real, honest-to-God pullup

26)        Take a spin class

Altruism

27)        Write someone a thank you note for influencing me in a positive way

28)        Send someone a care package

29)        Hand write my grandmother a letter

30)        Digitally store and create at least one photo album for my mom

31)        Knit my little brother a scarf

32)        Buy someone a gift just because I can

33)        Give blood

34)        Plant a tree

Educational Endeavors 

35)        Educate myself about the stock market (at least 2 books)

36)        Reeducate myself about ancient history and modern geography (at least 3 texts)

37)        Revisit learning Latin

38)        Visit a museum

39)        Visit the Smithsonian

40)        Go to an orchestra performance with my little brother

Artistic Endeavors 

41)        Audition for a movie or show

42)        Take a painting class

43)        Participate in another play/musical

44)        Watch a Broadway play

45)        Sew something that I’m not embarrassed of

46)        Visit the opera

47)        Perform a musical number with my little brother

48)        Put an Earl the Squirrel story into writing, and make brother illustrate it

49)        Watch a stand up show/routine

Cooking

50)        Make homemade bread

51)        Make a homemade cheesecake

52)        Discover my signature dish

53)        Take a cooking class

54)        Make Christmas cookies with my little brother

55)        Create edible gnocchi

56)        Make a homegrown pesto

57)        Plan and execute an elaborate dinner, complete with tapered candles and music

Autonomy

58)        Do the dishes every night for an entire week

59)        Drink the requisite eight glasses of water every day for an entire week

60)        Go to bed by 11:00 every day for an entire week

61)        Get up at 6:00 every morning for an entire week in order to work out

62)        Change my own oil at least once

63)        Go through ALL old pageant clothes and donate, sell, or trash 90% of them

Travel Plans 

64)        Travel to NYC

65)        Take Josh to New Orleans

66)        Travel abroad

67)        Go camping

68)        Attend my 10 year class reunion

69)        Visit the Grand Canyon

70)        Visit somewhere with crystal clear waters and snorkel

Electronic Age

71)        Digitally store and sort all of my old photos online

72)        Fix an electronic of some sort

73)        Create photo albums of all my precious moments

74)        Finish photo editing photos for important moments (graduation, vacations, swearing ins)

75)        Store all of my old schoolwork digitally and get rid of all the paper I scanned

76)        Organize all of my files and documents

Just because I can.... 

77)        Get my concealed carry

78)        Roast marshmallows around a campfire

79)        Decorate a gingerbread house

80)        Take a partners dance class

81)        Buy myself a piece of jewelry

82)        Buy a hammock and lay in it

83)        Try eyelash extensions

84)        Plant a garden

85)        Frame and mat my diplomas

86)        Read the entire Lord of the Rings trilogy

87)        Grow, dry, and drink my own tea

88)        Mail a secret to Post Secret

89)        Pay for a fancy meal for me and the bf

90)        Compose a list of 101 things I’ve already accomplished of which I’m proud

91)        Have a day at the spa

Online Presence 

92)        Meet up with at least one of my twitter friends in real life

93)        Write a blog entry once every day for a week

94)        Break 500 followers on Twitter

95)        Redesign my blog

96)        Market my blog in such a way that I become more mainstream and relevant/pick up   more followers

97)        Blog 10 haikus

Grown Up Stuff 

98)        Host Thanksgiving

99)        Throw a dinner/themed party

100)    Discover and add three new vegetables to my diet

101)    Stand up for one person who is being ganged up on, regardless of the setting

5 Money Mistakes to Avoid

Here the top 5 Money Mistakes to Avoid.  Trust me ... I speak from experience.  #IJS

Avoid impulse shopping.  Make shopping a planned activity with a list or a budgeted amount.  Unplanned or impulse shopping may sabotage your spending plan / budget.  If you really want to purchase the item, give yourself 24 to 48 hours to shop for a better deal, figure out if you really want it and can afford it. You’ll be glad you waited.

 

Avoid retail therapy.  When you are emotionally down or distraught, avoid shopping or making any large purchases.  We are less financially objective when our emotions cloud our judgment.  Do something that doesn’t cost anything or very little, like go for a walk, spend time with family or friends, etc. 

 

Avoid overdraft protection.  Overdraft or “Courtesy Pay” will allow you to you overspend and charge you a fee for letting the debit card transaction go through. A fee of $27 up to $35 will be charged for every overdraft, even if the bill runs just $1 or $5 over the amount you have in your account. Some banks charge the fee if you're a penny over. Essentially, you're getting very short-term credit at effective interest rates that reach the high triple digits. Now was that cup of coffee really worth $40? 

  

Avoid savings tampering.  If you have to tap into your savings to make a purchase, you may not be able to afford the purchase.  Establish a savings account that is not easily accessible with a certain amount directly deposited every pay period. Savings accounts are supposed to grow, not be chiseled away. 

Avoid financial promiscuity. Financial Promiscuity is when we use unsecured revolving credit (credit cards) for small purchases when cash should be used.  Avoid using credit to purchase that "value meal" or anything less than $50.  This will ensure that we do not slowly acquire Financial STDs (Substantially Tremendous Debt).

 

Contact Madam Money for more helpful money and credit tips at www.TarraJackson.com.

Confessions that no one should be surprised about....

I'm about to drop a little bit of truth on you.....

I dress like a 90 year old woman.

No, really. On my first date with my boyfriend of three years, he made a quip about me suffocating him with my "Bill Cosby sweater." (And here I was thinking I looked snazzy.) When I was a kid, I used to circle turtlenecks and those shirts made out of the long underwear material in the JC Penny catalog. And then I wore them every day. One Christmas, I distinctly remember begging my mother for weeks for a pair of penny loafers.

(I'm going to let that soak in for a minute.)

In high school, I wasn't much better. I shopped at Goodwill. I chose things that made me laugh, and made others laugh. I didn't give a flying flip about what others thought. (And still don't, honestly, which isn't always necessarily a good thing.) I opted for outfits that were outlandish. Garish. And I still loved turtlenecks.

Nowadays, I resemble a librarian. The unsexy kind. I live in cableknit sweaters. Hugemongeous cardigans. Sweater-set cardigans. I layer them over camis. And over turtlenecks (obviously).

I love fashion. I really do. I like trendy clothes, and cool makeup, and funky styles. I follow fashion bloggers and drool over their outfits. I participated in pageants and have the 29 LBDs and 50+ other cocktail dresses to prove it. I wore false eyelashes. Rocked the five inch pumps. Know how to dress for every occasion. (And I'm honestly not making that up.) I own no less than 13 Antonio Melani Suits. But when it comes to picking up an outfit for my day-to-day non-career wear? I'm cheap. I hate spending money. And I hate cheap clothing. Which is a catch-22. You can't hate them both.

Which means I'll probably die wearing the same cardigan I almost suffocated my boyfriend with on our first date.

But at least I'll die warm.

The Kleptomaniac

Actually, I don't know if I should include this in my blog, because this can be just a gossip or some what a joke. Well urban legends came also from these sources and the public just took it very serious.

There's this intriguing blind item in showbiz (show business) in the Philippines by a tabloid news paper. The said news paper didn't mention the name of the celebrity suspected of being a kleptomaniac.

The Blind Item

[Taken from a Showbiz News Website:]

"There is a fly in the ointment in what is generally perceived to be wedded bliss of a very popular showbiz couple. The husband found out that her [sic] angelic wife, a scion of an old haciendero family, suffers from kleptomania. It was only recently that he was shocked to learn, after being told by an executive of a ritzy Makati department store, that his wife was caught shoplifting. "The guy immediately proceeded to the store, paid double the amount involved (which were for small items really) and asked the management to clamp down on the incident. But the incident was repeated several times. The embarrassed husband hired a security guard to look after the wife. The guard was instructed to watch discreetly but closely if the wife shoplifts and pay for the item without creating a fuss. "The husband has confronted the wife about this malady and the wife had agreed to undergo psychotherapy in St. Luke’s Hospital in Quezon City. The latest word is the wife is now seeing a shrink regularly.”

It turned out that the alarming blind item is talking about the angelic lady Ms. Lucy Torres-Gomez, and his husband Mr. Richard Gomez.

What is a Kleptomaniac?

Before we go on to our story, let's start by explaining what kleptomaniac actually is.

Kleptomania is the inability to refrain from the urge to steal items for reasons other than personal use or financial gain. First described in 1816, kleptomania is presently classified in psychiatry as an impulse control disorder. Alternatively, some of the main characteristics of the disorder, which consist of recurring intrusion feelings, an inability to resist the urge to steal, and a release of pressure following the theft, suggest that kleptomania could be an obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorder, although this is disputed.

Actually, kleptomaniac person doesn't steal large items just like those of real thieves. Instead, they only steal fancy thing, or should I say cute things. The adventurous feeling of getting something from others is the satisfying thing they often wanted to feel.

Investigations and Conclusions

Medias and other simple individual person took the conclusions about the names of the celebrities in the blind item. They took it seriously.

Showbiz TV Shows in every network made investigations and conclusions to defunct the rumor. Some of them claimed that the blind item is true, but some told it isn't.

[Taken from a Showbiz News Website:]

ABS-CBN PICKS UP. The “Lucy Torres-Gomez shoplifting incident” grew even louder when shows and people from the TV network ABS-CBN picked up the rumor. The now-defunct showbiz-oriented ABS-CBN show Ek! Channel began running a story about the rumor in January 2005, complete with reenactment. ABS-CBN newscasters Ces Drillon and Karen Davila also touched on the rumor. Ces did her own investigating and began asking around, while Karen was supposed to be keeping the “surveillance tape” of the whole “shoplifting and arresting” scene that happened in the “ritzy Makati department store” mentioned in the blind item. This establishment was also identified as Rustan’s Department Store. The Buzz was also getting ready to launch its own take on the rumor, as it grew even louder in cyberspace through web forum discussions and emails, complete with the “conversation” between Lucy and the guards who “caught” her “shoplifting.” And in the emails and forums, the rumor began to sound believable since the pinpointed sources of the story were “people from ABS-CBN.” For almost a year, nothing was heard from the subject of the shoplifting rumor. Lucy kept quiet in the hope that the rumor would die a natural death. But it didn’t. So, Lucy finally spoke up.

The GMA Network S-Files claimed that it was not true.

[Taken from a Showbiz News Website:]

AFFIRMING LUCY’S GOOD NAME. Rustan’s Department Store, responding to a query made by the GMA-7’s S-Files, issued this official statement made by its own president Bienvenido Tantoco Jr. “It has come to our attention that there are rumors circulating that Mrs. Lucy Torres-Gomez was caught shoplifting in Rustan’s. We would like the public to know that there is no truth to this and that Mrs. Lucy Torres-Gomez is a customer of good standing and is welcome in any of our establishments at anytime.” Saddened by how it easy it is for anyone to make up a story and mask it as truth, Lucy accepted the fact that, being married to Richard Gomez, something like this was bound to happen. She said, “I guess nothing just really prepares you for it when it really happens already. At the back of my mind it has always been there.” She just has to prepare herself for more of something like this in the future, Lucy said. But she resolved that next time she will not be passive anymore. She will meet the insults squarely. SOURCE: February 2005 issue, YES! magazine

Sources:
http://www.pep.ph/spotlight/fact-or-fiction/16140/lucy-torres-gomez-shoplifting-incident (Karen Pagsolingan - Wednesday, June 04, 2008 @ 04:44PM)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kleptomania

The Phantom of the Orpheum Theater

The Orpheum Theater in Memphis Tennessee's is a gilded theater of unforgettable beauty.  The Orpheum is considered by many to be the most beautiful theater in the South and although I haven't seen every theater in the South,  I know the Orpheum rivals theaters I have seen in bigger cities, like New York.  The Orpheum is unforgettable for me for many reasons.   It is a constant link in the timeline of my husband's and my love story.   We went to see our first concert here,  and although we were not even together,  we met each other in the aisles and said mean things to each other.  This was because we were sixteen and not very good friends at the time, but we would later learn that was the beginning of a long love.  Later, after the turbulence of adolescents had past, he would take me on an amazing date at the  Orpheum to see The Phantom of  the Opera.

The Orpheum is very well known for its ghosts, so even as I watched The Phantom of the Opera,  I knew it was ironic that we were seeing it in a theater known for its phantoms.  The Orpheum theater has had a turbulent past.  It was built in 1890 on the corner of Main and Beale Streets and was called the most beautiful theater outside of New York.  At the time, it housed mainly Vaudeville performances. Vaudeville at the Orpheum was successful for many years.  In 1923, however, the Orpheum burst into flames during a strip-tease by a woman named Blossom Seeley.  The Theater burned to the ground.

In 1928,  the theater was rebuilt.  The days of Vaudeville had past, but a new art came, defining a new era.   The Orpheum became a movie theater.  Time faded the Orpheum's beauty and by 1977 the city of Memphis began to make plans to demolish the once legendary theater.   However,  the city managed to raise $5 million to save the theater and it became one of the premier venues for off-Broadway theater and concerts in the Southeast. 

The Orpheum doesn't hide from her ghosts like many historical locations do.  It places its ghosts stories proudly on its playbills and on its webpage.  All you have to do is google the Orpheum to be flooded with a plethora of stories about the phantom tenants of this old theater.  The most famous ghost of the Orphem is Mary.  I always looked for her when I went there, but I was never successful in finding her.  Mary is  a little girl in a white dress and pigtails sitting in seat C-5, Box 5.  No one knows for sure how Mary came to haunt the Orpheum.  She has been seen by numerous employees and visitors to the Orpheum, but history doesn't give us a clear answer on who she is.  Many believe she was a little girl who was hit by a trolley car outside the theater, but there is no documentation to substantiate this claim.   Mary isn't alone.   Psychics visiting the Orpheum claim there are as many as eight other ghosts wandering this theater, but like Mary, the origins are unknown. 

San Juan, La Union Ghosts

[This past few days, I've been very busy with too many things, including my studies. That's why I can't search any other exciting and interesting urban legends in the Philippines, and post them here. Well, now I'm back. It's Christmas vacation. Perhaps, I will have a lot of time on focusing my favorite pastime.]

This urban legend have been famous for decades. Maybe some of you knew this one.

The town of San Juan, in the province of La Union, west of Luzon, is a fishing before the coming of Americans. It has a number of ghost legends, including a headless nun, smoking faceless man and a mysterious smiling white lady at the old tower. Most tales are said to have originated around this time and handed down to generations. It’s still a quiet town, but pompous cottages and mansions have popped along its shores.

Here's the ghost legends in the said province:

It was said that the nun was killed and beheaded by the Japanese in the old Hispanic convent, and her convent burned down. Till now the convent is still standing. If someone passes the ruins of the covenant on a full moon at midnight, an eerie bell tolls, signalling the approach of the nun from behind. First, you will feel a cool, creepy breeze. Then wavy long hair brushing against the nape. Looking behind, the victim would discover the spooky tale for himself.

Until the present day, the nun is still haunting the old ruins. No one knows why she's still there, but perhaps she wants to avenge her death.

The white lady is said to appear at midnight in the ruins of an old watch tower that dates to pre-Hispanic times, and is particularly likely to be seen by handsome young men.

It was peculiar, "a ghost who only appears on handsome brave youths". I wanted to laugh at it. Well, for those bored individual young man there, if you wanted to know if you're handsome, the only place you can go and find the answer out is in the Bell Tower in La Union. If she will appear, then you're definitely handsome. However, if you'll tell anybody about her appearance on you, no one will likely to believe. I wonder why she laughs????

Another myth is about the smoking faceless man.

Before the war, (perhaps the WWII) youths were used to smoke cigars in an abandoned man-hole at midnight. Once, a stranger came, face overshadowed by a straw hat, asking for light. When they lent a lit cigar, the man looked up to light his, showing a spine-chilling blank where a face should have been. The faceless man allegedly still shows up, though rarely, because he prefers unbranded, native tobacco to imported ones. Who could be that faceless pal???

[Taken from a Website:]

In 1582, San Juan was proclaimed a mission station under the authority of the Augustian Order, as recorded by the Nueva Segovia Bi-centennial souvenir booklet dated April 25, 1587. By 1586 the town had become the center of the parish, and was renamed San Juan by the Augustian Fathers after the Catholic Patron Saint of San Juan Bautista. The town boasted an Augustinian convent and a population of 6,000. Its first priest was Friar Agustin Niño. The center of the parish was subsequently transferred to Bauang, with San Juan sometimes being an out-station (visita) of Bauang and sometimes of Bacnotan. In 1707 the Church of St. John the Baptist was constructed at San Juan. In 1772, the mission station was placed under the authority of the Dominican Order. In 1807, San Juan was established as a parish in its own right. Pindangan Ruins this is the home of the headless stabbed priest whose sole ghost prowls at night, either carrying his severed head or searching for his head. Some report hearing his head calling out for his body to find it. Many say EVP's happen here all the time and the wind is known to whisper strange malediction to those that disrespect the location. Pasatsat is word rooted on the Pangasinense word satsat, meaning "to stab". Pasatsats are ghosts of people who died or were killed in the Second World War. Coffins during the time were so expensive, so the families of the dead wrapped the corpses in reed mats or icamen. The dead were buried in places other than cemeteries because tomb robberies were rampant during that era of extreme poverty. These ghosts usually show up in solitary paths and block passersby. To get rid of such a ghost, one needs to stab (hence pasatsat) the reed mat and unravel it, but doing so will show no presence of a corpse, although the mat will emit a noxious odor, much like that of putrid flesh. In 1898 during the latter days of the Philippine Revolution, the whole of San Juan was razed to the ground by a great fire. Many ghost from this period are said to roam the streets. The town of San Juan, La Union has a considerable amount of ghost encounters, sightings and many many paranormal monsters and legends, including a headless nun and a smiling white lady at the old tower. Another strange ghost is that of Devil Cigar Man or as many call him just the Devilman. In the months just before the war, young men from the town would all go around an abandoned man-hole, there they would smoke cigars and speak of the goings on of the day then one night at midnight something strange occurred. Once, a stranger came appearing strangely with his his long well combed black slicked and straight and braided beard is his most striking feature for his face is always overshadowed by a large brimmed straw hat, he came to them asking for light. When they lent a lit cigar, the man looked up to light his, showing a spine-chilling blank where a face should have been. The faceless Devil man allegedly still shows up, because he prefers unbranded, native tobacco to imported ones. And if you don't give him a light he will drag you straight to hell are strike you deaf and dumb on the spot. Another strange haunted tale is about finding the the Devilman's large brimmed straw hat. If by chance you see a straw hat of or hat of any type of hat or head gear on the side of the road by no means touch it. Because if you dare to do os of God forbid to put it on your head. To do so will bring you straight to hell. The tale of the strange ghost nun that was beheaded by the Japanese, and her convent burned down is a very weird ghost story. If someone passes the ruins of the covenant on a full moon at midnight, an eerie ghost bell tolls this is the signaling of the approach of the nun's ghost. One of the many tales tells that the old historical ruins of a Spanish convent were burned by the Japanese and a pious chaste nun was beheaded as an example for all to see. The old ruins of the covenant still stand. On some nights when an unfortunate person happens to pass by on a full moon at midnight, some spectral bell would toll from the netherworld. It supposedly signals the approach of the ghost nun who will slowly creep up on you from behind. They say she is looking for the man who killed her or his descendents to take her exacting revenge. Many say several daring people have died from fright others driven mad when being touched by her on the left shoulder. The white lady another ghosts not to be confused with the ghost nun or the Balete Drive specter, is said to appear at midnight in the ruins of an old watch tower that dates to pre-Hispanic times, and is particularly likely to be seen by many individuals. In recent times, she is often called the laughing white lady is said to have been showing herself periodically in the old historical ruins. The ghosts of this woman is said to appear often and her disguised appearance is said to be very frightening for she has no eyes. Only gaping sockets which glow with an erie spooky ghost light. Many report they hear her maniacal ghostly laughter and would rather run the see her eyeless ghosts. One of the hitchhiker stories tells of three boys who pick up a girl near a cemetery and take her to a party. this is very similar to the tales of Resurrection Mary in Chicago USA. On the way back, the girl complains of the cold and borrows a jacket. The girl disappears near the cemetery, and the boys find the jacket neatly folded on the headstone of her grave. Or that of a freshly dug up grave where the body has been pulled from the earth and partially eaten. Many believe her to be a real ghoul like creature. A ghoul is a folkloric monster associated with graveyards and consuming human flesh, often classified as undead. In another story, a male hitchhiker asks to be taken to a given address. When they arrive, the hitchhiker has disappeared, but it turns out that he used to live at that address and this is the anniversary of her death. Stories tell that this young disfigured man appears as if he was just in some terrible accident with blood on his clothes.

Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Juan,_La_Union
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghosts_in_Filipino_culture
http://www.philippinesinsider.com/myths-folklore-superstition/ghost-myths-of-san-juan-la-union/
http://www.hauntedamericatours.com/ghosthunting/phillipines.php