One Night With The King

Maybe it's luck. 

Maybe it's charm, grace, or an Egyptian blessing from the boy king himself.

Tonight will find me photographing the King Tut gala and exhibit opening at the Denver Art Museum.

I am nothing short of ecstatic about this opportunity.

The board presenting this gala have decided to call it "Flappers and Pharaohs Bash" and tie in a roaring twenties theme complete with flappers, gangsters and Tommy guns galore to coincide with Harold Carter's 1922 discovery of King Tut's tomb. 

I can't really see the connection between a rough and tumble dangerous party era and one of the most fascinating and mysterious ancient kings in the history of mankind... but it's going to be a lot of fun!

What do you think... Flappers and Pharaohs? Do these images show any resemblance to each other?

Think Al Capone knew how to walk like an Egyptian?

The chance to photograph King Tutankhamen's artifacts and listen to Dr. Zahi Hawass, Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, speak about him, will be one of those special life experiences that I never forget.  The fact that they're letting me photograph it is one of the great highlights of the night for me.  One night with the King. I can hardly wait!

Mike The Headless Chicken

I really wish I was kidding about this one.

Let's go back to September 10th, 1945 in the very small rural town of Fruita, Colorado.  Lloyd Olsen's wife, Clara, sends him out to kill a chicken for dinner.   Lloyd fells the axe on the chicken's neck.  The head comes off and the chicken, oblivious to the loss of his head, keeps right on going about his bird business.  When Lloyd found him alive and well, sans head, the next morning, he decided to let the bird live and fed him with an eye dropper to keep him going.  

They named him Mike and Mike became so famous that for the remaining 18 months of his headless life, he hit celebrity status; he even wound up in both Time and Life Magazine.

 

That celebrity status became legend and now there is an annual Mike the Headless Chicken festival in Fruita, during the third weekend of May.  The festival features a lawn mower race, chicken dance contest, eating contests, chicken games (like pin the head on the chicken and an egg toss), 5k run, a car show and a 'Good Egg' award, among several other interests.   

If you would like to know more about it, he has his own website:

Mike's website.

Alternate titles for this post:
the afterlife of a chicken
it just wouldn't die
and in other news... chicken defies death

axe me again

life after death

stranger than fiction

Let's Do It ~ Let's Fall In Love!

Birds do it, bees do it

Even educated fleas do it

Let's do it, let's fall in love

In Spain, the best upper sets do it

Lithuanians and Letts do it

Let's do it, let's fall in love

 

The Dutch in old Amsterdam do it

Not to mention the Fins

Folks in Siam do it - think of Siamese twins

Some Argentines, without means, do it

People say in Boston even beans do it

Let's do it, let's fall in love

Romantic sponges, they say, do it

Oysters down in oyster bay do it

Let's do it, let's fall in love

Cold Cape Cod clams,
'gainst their wish, do it

Even lazy jellyfish, do it

Let's do it, let's fall in love

The Dragonflies in the reeds do it

Sentimental centipedes do it

Let's do it, let's fall in love

Mosquitos, heaven forbid, do it

So does every katydid do it

Let's do it, let's fall in love

The most refined lady bugs do it,

When a gentleman calls

Moths in your rugs do it

What's the use of moth balls? 

Electric eels I might add do it

Though it shocks em I know

Why ask if shad do it - Waiter bring me "shad roe"

  

In shallow shoals English soles do it

Goldfish in the privacy of bowls do it

Let's do it, let's fall in love

In old Japan, all the Japs do it

Up in Lapland little Laps do it

Let's do it, let's fall in love

The chimpanzees in zoos do it

Some courageous kangaroos do it

Let's do it, let's fall in love

I'm sure giraffes on the sly do it

Even eagles as they fly do it

Let's do it, let's fall in love

The world admits

bears in pits do it

Even Pekingeses at the Ritz do it 

Let's do it, let's fall in love

Let's do it, let's fall in love!

Let's do it... Let's fall in love!

Wordless Wednesday

My Brother's Keeper

Matthew and Marcus Mauceri are twin brothers. 

Matthew Mauceri (age 40) was flying in to Clearwater, Florida on Tuesday morning to attend his court trial, in which he is charged with scheming to defraud. 

Apparently he hasn't figured out yet that scheming to defraud is illegal, because he perpetuated yet another instance of it when he schemed to defraud the court he was supposed to be attending for scheming to defraud. 

I'll expound.

He realized en route that he would not make his trial on time and asked his twin brother to go to court for him in his stead ~ and by 'in his stead' I mean literally pretending to be him.   

Matthew's own attorney (who'd defended both men previously ~ note, repeat offenders) realized that things were 'one juror short of a full jury', and tipped the judge off.  Marcus swore under oath that he was Matthew, then the judge had a fingerprint test done on Marcus and the truth was discovered.

Marcus is now serving 179 days for criminal contempt of court and his brother Matthew (who finally showed up) now has charges of failure to appear and contempt of court to answer for in addition to his trial for scheming to defraud.

Albert Einstein has been quoted as saying that 'the definition of insanity is repeating the same action over and over again, expecting different results'. 

Forest Gump was quoted as saying 'Stupid is as stupid does'.

I'm going with Forest on this one.

Wordless Wednesday

A Nickel's Worth Of Free Advice

From a recent discussion on Ethics... a good reminder.

~Take responsibility for your actions
~Do not make excuses
~Develop a personal discipline
~Balance time, energy and goals
~Know your weaknesses
~Align your priorities with your values
~Admit your mistakes and ask for forgiveness
~Take extra care with your finances
~Put your family ahead of your work
~Place a high value on people; and trust them
~Do periodic self-evaluations

~Live with integrity
~Know what you stand for, and what you won't stand for
~Live with a culture of honesty
~Live with a culture of humility
~Listen to the ideas of others
~Have the courage to tackle tough issues
~Encourage ethical behavior
~Live your values

...what would the world be like if we all did these simple ethical things?

What You See & What You Get

OMG — oh my god
WTF — what the ~F~
STFU — shut the ~F~ up
PWN3D — aka 0wn2d = your computer is hacked, we own it down to the roots, we are already maxing out your credit cards buying stuff.
URAN00B — you are a n00b = newbie = my dog knows more about computers.
LMAOROTF — laughing my ass off, rolling on the floor = this is hilarious. (sometimes seen as ROTFLMAO or ROTFLMFAO)
KTHXBYE:P — ok thanks bye - pfffftthhbbbb.
IF YOU CAN READ THIS, UR EYEZ R THE L337. TTYL. — if you can read this, your eyes are “the leet” = excellent. talk to you later.

Avistrum- Fall from Grace - Bloodthorne's Trial

How the trial ended...

Wordless Wednesday

Variations of The Spartan Boot

From Hogwarts to America: Welcome To Avistrum

It seems that almost everyone knows this young man and his friends...




The story of Harry Potter enthralled readers around the world. Then, the movies came out and the fascination with his world and story knew no bounds!

What a great escape! Wouldn't it be incredible to go to school HERE:

Wouldn't it be amazing to be able to step into the story and be able to be part of it?

Unfortunately, we can't all live close enough to Hogwarts Academy to attend.

Fortunately... there were some witches and wizards who created a sister academy to Hogwarts, right here in America.

Welcome to Avistrum Academy of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Avistrum began humbly (as all things do); it started as a fan table at a convention in Denver.

It has since grown to epic proportions.

What Avistrum really is:

Avistrum is a very dedicated non-profit interactive theatre group that has created a way for people of almost every age to use their imagination and step into the world of Harry Potter to play for a bit. It begins with the Avistrum website. This is a forum where the school exists online and where one can create a student and interact with professors and other students within the school, online, and follow various storylines.

...but then the magic happens!

What Avistrum becomes at showtime!:

Twice a year, the school materializes for real and the whole thing comes to life. There are 4 houses; replicated after Hogwarts in the same colors you knew from those stories. Parador (Gryffindor), Enigmus (Ravenclaw), Lobostro (Hufflepuff) and Colubrae (Slytherin). Each of the 4 houses has a House Ghost and a Head of House. There are several Professors, a nurse, a groundskeeper & keeper of keys, a Quidditch Coach for the 4 house Quidditch teams, a librarian, 4 house prefects, 2 Head Boys, there is a Deputy Headmistress, and of course, the Headmaster of Avistrum Academy.

The spring show at Starfest in April, is a small sampling of what is to come in the fall. There are classes to attend, crafts to make, all the staff is on hand, faces can be painted and photo ops are taken on the Quidditch pitch with real Quidditch equipment. This is also where the Tri-Wizard Tournament is held every year for claim to the coveted cup!

It is a glimpse into the real deal that comes 6 months later...

The school semester is held at MileHiCon (lasting one weekend in October) and Opening Ceremony begins on Friday night with a sorting ceremony, and all the new students are sorted. There are always many returning students who flock to the opening ceremonies as there is always a new part of the actively running storyline that happens in real time in real life for the students to be part of... and it unfolds!

All weekend there are classes, some of which have been: Potions, Care of Magical Creatures, Herbology, Charms, Divination, History of Magic, Muggle Studies, Defense Against the Dark Arts and in the last couple of semesters; Dueling (which is enormously popular). During the weekend and during the classes, the students learn valuable lessons - while simultaneously the Villain(s) are skulking around the school causing trouble and making mayhem of all sorts... but the students are wary!

Moments of (scripted) drama that are played out by the faculty and staff, keep the students participating in the ongoing and unknown story - until (after the final Quidditch match on Sunday) the Villain tries to do their dastardly deed and is foiled and defeated by the students! Everything they've learned all weekend is something that enables them to win the battle!

The current storyline has actually been put into video with quiet a bit of excitement coming this weekend at Starfest when some unprecedented secrets will be uncovered and chaos will ensue!

Headmaster Dowling is defending Professor Kraven Bloodthorne in a trial before the Wizengamot (wizard judges) who are charging him with several crimes that he does not remember committing. Students will be able to watch this trial live on the Wizarding News Network (TV) in between classes this weekend. Their classes will focus on proving Professor Bloodthorne innocent.

In this video, we see Professor Kraven Bloodthorne, who has been locked up in Alcatraz Wizards Prison, being interrogated by Wizarding Senator Oswald Kensington; who is no stranger to the halls of Avistrum Academy. Kensington has caused all kinds of trouble at the school. Headmaster Dowling comes to rescue Professor Bloodthorne just in time... the trial this weekend will definitely be something to watch!

It is an incredibly fun way for children (and their adults) to pretend and use their imaginations. It is an opportunity for new friends to be made, for old friends to play together, for some to escape into a world they would rather be in and for others to expand their skills at acting.

In a few days, Viaggiatore and I will give you a photo sampling of the staff, students, classes and some of the exciting drama that has unfolded over the last few years. It's been quite an adventure, and the truly exciting depths of the Tales of Avistrum are yet to unfold!

Wordless Wednesday

For The Love Of Chocolate

*News Flash* from CNN:

Chocolate is good for your heart!

It is believed that the daily consumption of moderate amounts of chocolate lower the risk of heart disease and stroke.

It is further suggested that eating a little chocolate (dark moreso than milk and not white at all), will lower high blood pressure.

This makes sense to me, because eating chocolate releases endorphins which produce a pleasureable feeling. High blood pressure has no chance of survival when immersed in absolute pleasure. That's the law.

"The good news is that chocolate is not as bad as we used to think, and may even lower the risk of heart disease and stroke," says Buijsse. "The bad news, at least for some of us, is that the amounts that are needed to benefit from these effects appear to be quite low."

That last part is bad news, but the good part is that it's important to eat chocolate to have a strong, healthy heart. I love this news. Most things are good in moderation. So please, endulge a little every day and treat your body to a real treat!

Bon Apetit!

Wordless Wednesday

Therapy ~ Bring It On

We are waist deep in March Madness. I have a new theory. The name "March Madness" refers to the insanity of so many games in so little time, as well as the frustration that consumes a person as their brackets begin to resemble target practice at close proximity.




It is also my belief that the Ides of March came late this year; instead of the annual date of March 15th when a disbelieving Caesar was assassinated (stabbed to death in the senate) by 60 co-conspirators, it came during March when a disbelieving nation watched UNI beat Kansas.

I've decided to use my brackets as floor mats in my car; I'll get more use out of them.

I still have 3 teams in the final four, so we'll see how it goes.