As you know I am a fan of all things steampunk, although that Bieber video was a little disturbing. Once again, Hollyweird takes a crack at steampunk with a music video by David Guetta performing Turn Me On featuring Nicki Minaj. While I enjoyed parts of it, I think the overall video gets a thumbs down. What do you think?

I now declare the Esoteric Steampunk Lodge of the Retro-future duly closed.

Solar Powered Turbine Steampunk Fob Watch

Nice isn’t it?

Games: I’m only playing one game at the moment Gardens of Time on Facebook. The game has a steampunk time-travel theme.

TV: I’m watching Being Human, Finding Bigfoot, Ghost Hunters. I’ve also started watching a steampunky detective show called Murdoch Mysteries (link). I’ve watched about half of season one and I really enjoyed the Sir Arthur Conan Doyle episode. However the “Elementary” quote was not Doyle’s.

Music: I’m listening to Govi – Guitar Odyssey.

Peppy: He is begging for a piece of my toast.

breakfast: Toast and green tea.

Thought for the day:

“I love to be alone.
I never found the companion
that was so companionable
as solitude.”

~ Henry David Thoreau
(1817-1862)

Like most AIDS victims, Rock was ecstatic to leave his body and come Home to fully restored health and vitality. His mother was the first to greet him, once she made it through a wildly enthusiastic herd of large dogs, led by an Irish setter he especially adored. They were promptly joined by Roddy McDowall, Marlon Brando, and a host of other Hollywood friends, including Montgomery Clift, with whom Rock had always felt a unique connection—Rock says he was among the first on the scene of the tragic car accident that nearly killed and, in the long run, devastated Clift’s life, and it moved Rock to tears to see him thriving again.

Sylvia Browne (2012-01-08T00:01:16+00:00). Afterlives of the Rich and Famous (Kindle Locations 1103-1106). HarperCollins US. Kindle Edition.

While Montgomery Clift (October 17, 1920 – July 23, 1966) had passed before Rock Hudson’s death, neither Roddy McDowall (17 September 1928 – 3 October 1998) nor Marlon Brando(April 3, 1924 – July 1, 2004) had passed away. You would think that Sylvia Browne would have taken a few minutes to look up the death dates in Wikipedia.

I wont hammer this silly book, all I will say is that it is not worth your time. If you are offered this book for free — give it a pass.

Inspired, in equal measures, by Hurricane Katrina, Buster Keaton, The Wizard of Oz, and a love for books, “Morris Lessmore” is a story of people who devote their lives to books and books who return the favor.

A couple of books landed in my mailbox this week, much to the chagrin of my over-worked mailman. “Shakespeare’s Lady” by Alexa Schnee (Guideposts) and “Shadow’s Master” by Jon Sprunk (PYR – link).

Both books look very interesting, I think that I’ll try “Shakespeare’s Lady” (that sounds so wrong). “Shadow’s Master” comes out in late March so I’ll hold on to that title for a while.

I also bought a copy of Sylvia Browne’s “Afterlives of the Rich and Famous” because I am a idiot. While I know who she is, I haven’t read or seen any of her work so I thought that I would try this book. What a pile of crap! Oh well, I consider it an expensive lesson in life.

He included a few lines from “Desiderata” and I felt that it would be a nice touch to include the full text. To say that John will be missed would be an understatement, but I will sit beside him at his cool stream some day.

Desiderata
by Max Ehrmann

Go placidly amidst the noise and haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence. As far as possible without surrender be on good terms with all persons. Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even the dull and the ignorant; they too have their story.

Avoid loud and aggressive persons, they are vexations to the spirit. If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain or bitter; for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.

Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans. Keep interested in your own career, however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.

Exercise caution in your business affairs; for the world is full of trickery. But let this not blind you to what virtue there is; many persons strive for high ideals; and everywhere life is full of heroism.

Be yourself. Especially, do not feign affection. Neither be cynical about love; for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment it is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth. Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.

Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself. You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here.

And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should. Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be, and whatever your labors and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul. With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be cheerful.
Strive to be happy.

Sadly, I couldn’t hear the noise reported by Jason. It would have been simple for Jason or an assistant to crawl on the floor out of camera and manipulate the closet door. Having said that, I was impressed with the shattered glass.

While there may have been several ways to duplicate this illusion, I believe that the simplest way would be the “Devil’s Bottle” or “Bologna bottle”. The glass is heated, the interior is subjected to rapid cooling, resulting in a shattered bottle or glass.

Enjoy the demo of the “Devil’s Bottle”.

Wouldn’t it be cool, if when asked what the client wanted, Amy replied that they want us to plug their haunted tours. Well, I can dream can’t I?

While I am sure that the, as Zak called it, damn dam was the scene of many tragedies, I was disappointed in the lack of historical documentation. Was any effort made to discover the names of the alleged men who fell into the cement? It would seem to me that an interview with a local historian could have cleared up a lot. Maybe a few headlines from the newspapers of the era would have been a nice touch.

When Ghost Adventures visited the location, they mentioned the Cherokee War Chief Dragging Canoe several times. However; the Ghost Hunters didn’t call him by name. Was that a lack of research on their part or a dig at GA’s focus on the curse? Grant tossed out the curse idea while on the way to investigate the damn dam.

Our professional team of crack ghost hunters quickly found themselves overwhelmed by the amount of “activity”. I have to admit that it does look and sound like a haunted place. I think that the high point was the flooded grave investigation.

Britt puts a camera in a water-tight box and with the use of a pole probes into a flooded brick structure. A bird flies out of the building scaring everyone. Just imagine if it had been Steve, he would have died of fright!

Of course, Steve and Tango had their moments. At one point, they started slapping their faces after feeling something on them. I was reminded of the Stooges. Amy got all worked up over a fish and Britt investigated by himself (I thought that a TAPS no-no???).

The most interesting sound recorded was what was described as an Indian flute. The wind can do that with a coke bottle, pipes, etc..

All in all, I enjoyed the episode. I have to say that in a head-to-head match Ghost Adventures had the more entertaining investigation.

This has got to be one of the funniest shows on TV.

From this show I have learned that Bigfoots behave very much like drunken frat boys. They will throw rocks at and pee on your tent. They catch ducks by swimming underwater and grabbing their little webbed feet. Bigfoots like candy bars and will walk on a fours to trick us into thinking that they are bears. They can imitate coyotes. The make tree knocks — because who doesn’t like tree knocking. Bigfoots only have black noses but have a variety of hair color. Power-line clearings are Bigfoot superhighways. Skunk apes sleep/hide in underground gator caves and absorb methane.

Oh those wacky Bigfoots!