Thanks for the hits, Richard Armitage

W-a-y back on October 12th, 2009 I made a silly post about RA which generated a lot of hits from all over the world, more hits than when I uploaded the Colbert/Martin video (those have FINALLY tapered off). But still, 3 months later I get daily hits from curious souls about RA's personal life as it's always his name and then the word "girlfriend." I'm going to great lengths here to NOT type in the actual words because that will just generate even more hits. Bing Bing Bing.

If all these fleeting people would clickity-click on the adverts I'd be more than grateful (I'm a poor artist, gimme a break) but alas! they do not. Which only leaves me feeling used. Is it my layout, my frank approach to the subject, overzealous "fans," or just flat out stupidity? Does it even really matter? Just exit my page on the google ad and we'll just ignore your wham-bam-thank-you-mam attitude and call it even. Deal? If that doesn't work at least leave a comment!

Ah, but those over-stimulated beings will not get this message and I will be posting this in vain, but I have .00009% faith in the human race. Now onto the subject at hand...

RA and the commotion he stirs online.

I get it, he's H-O-T. His voice purrs in your head long after he stops talking. He is aesthetically perfect. He's charming. He's positive. He's single. He's modest. I get it.

Is he holding back as an artist? Absolutely! But no one cares to hear my opinion on the matter.

When I go through my keyword activity on this blog I try to imagine the person typing in those words. I guess they are just curious too, about him. He should use that to his benefit IMO. He could be making some serious money instead of wasting time sending bi-yearly letters to forums. I just get really annoyed with other people cashing in on the hard work of someone else. Which is why I'm so torn about even posting about this subject matter. I haven't made more than $2.00 on Google ads so don't look at me on my two posts about RA. This isn't an RA blog, but this is the 3rd time I've posted about him. Sigh.

Are you reading this? You need a personal assistant.

So I'm done on the subject. If you've made it this far, thankyouverymuch. You will make it...only if you run.

My Website & Gross Anatomy

FINALLY finished my website! I'm still adding content and more to the shop but it is published and a huge weight off my shoulders! Take a look! www.ArchaicMementos.com or click on the picture.

Something else to note is my teeth x-ray pendant is on List Galore! Gross Anatomy: 50 Bizarre Body Parts ... I'm honored!

Haiti and One Mango Tree

So sad about the devastion in Haiti right now, I wish I could do more but AT&T has setup an easy way to send $10 for the relief effort. This is from their website:

In response to the horrific earthquake in Haiti, the AT&T Foundation is providing a $50,000 donation to Télécoms Sans Frontières (TSF) the leading international humanitarian organization specializing in emergency telecommunications.

Wireless customers of AT&T can send $10 donations to the Red Cross International Relief Fund by sending a text message from their mobile device. Standard text messaging rates may apply.

A customer simply types the word HAITI and sends it to 90999. A confirmation message will arrive within a few minutes, to which the customer replies “yes” to finalize the donation.

100 percent of all money donated will be passed on to the Red Cross.

I just checked on their twitter page and it looks like this morning there has been $35 million donated. That is AMAZING!!! The pictures floating around the web made me quite sad.

This is also the map of giving and COME ON MISSOURI! Get on it!!!

In other news I found this lovely website called One Mango Tree.

"One Mango Tree uses a fair trade model to provide income generating opportunities for women in impoverished and conflict-ridden areas of the globe. Our first project is now well underway in northern Uganda, a region devastated by more than twenty years of armed conflict. The war has taken the lives of thousands, displaced more than two million, and destroyed the once-vibrant local culture and economy."

It is quite shocking the prices they are charging for the handmade items. Sometimes these organizations IMO take advantage of the situation and charge outrageous prices. And this is why I love this organization so much. I ordered the Savannah Strands Necklace ($16) and the redish coin purse ($9). SO reasonable and affordable!!! I got them both yesterday and was so exited to see them both. It was SO hard picking just one necklace as I love them all, when my funds allow I will order a couple more of the necklaces. I really love them all and it's helping the community and women creating these pieces. I might have to get one of the bags too, just my style.

Please take a minute to look at the lovely purses and jewelry.

They also have a really great BLOG with updates on the artisans.

Here is the lovely necklace with the handmade bag, coin purse and myself wearing the necklace. The tags include the artisan that made your piece. Love it!

Ramblings and Allegro

I gave up on the gift ideas, feel like such a failure and I was on a role! Ah well, now that the holidays are mostly over (welcoming the new year is just days away) I will still post a few gift ideas here and there as I come across them.

I've been working on my website since several of my web-designer friends, promising to make me one, have not delivered on those promises. It's a tedious process but I will hopefully have a full website within a week. Seems quite insane not to have one these days as an artist.

I'd like to just take this time to reflect on 2009 and in summary: it sucked. I'd like to say that all these rotten things have taught me valuable lessons and made me a better person and all that nonsense, but let's be real here. People mostly suck, and I feel a 6-month-life purge coming very soon. It's been a struggle with disappointments, sacrifices and general let-downs. I can say that 2010 will be the first time I actually make some resolutions. In the past I've thought it was stupid to have a day to make resolutions when you can do that any day of the year. BUT...I need more structure these days.

So here's hoping that 2010 exceeds my expectations and yours too! I really thought by 2010 there would be flying cars, meals in a pill, a room you step in and in seconds you're showered and dressed, transporters and very little disease.

I absolutely loved the illustration in the Danish film Allegro with one of my favorite actors, Ulrich Thomsen. I hope I'm not breaking any copyright laws by posting these but I just adore them! The website is really worth a visit too. Click HERE!

Gift Ideas - Day 4

HEIFER International

Heifer's mission is to work with communities to end hunger and poverty and to care for the earth. Heifer does this by providing appropriate livestock, training and related services to small-scale farmers and communities worldwide.

When a family has a cow, every morning there's a glass of rich milk for the children to drink before heading off to school. Classes are paid with the income from the sale of milk, and there's even enough to share with the neighbors.

Heifer

$500

Share of a Heifer $50

Trio of Rabbits

A trio of rabbits from Heifer International is a low-cost, high-yield gift that helps impoverished families increase their protein intake and income.

$60

Share $10

A flock of chicks can help families from Cameroon to the Caribbean add nourishing, life-sustaining eggs to their inadequate diets. The protein in just one egg is a nutritious gift for a hungry child. Protein-packed eggs from even a single chicken can make a life-saving difference.

Gift of Chicks

$20

Many more gift to choose from, please take a moment to check out this wonderful organization and give if you can!

Gift Ideas - Day 3

Bacon Scarf

$35.00

(Via Shopsin's General Store)

Ninja Salt and Pepper Set

$16.95

(Via Patina)

Brilliant idea for recycling those plastic bags!

Clothespin Trash Can

$18.00

(Via mxyplyzyk)

Punky Monkey

$30.00

(Via Elsewares)

Lovely French lip balm makes a perfect stocking stuffer

LaBello Lip Balm

$10.00

(Via Basic French)

Mix Stix Drumstick Kitchen Spoons

$9.99

(Via perpetual kid)

Tons of great '80's t-shirts

$ varies

(Via 80stees.com)

Don't forget your kitty cat at Christmas!

Fling-ama-String

$34.00

(Via Blue Ribbon General Store)

Gift Ideas - Day 2

If you must get someone socks, get some really cool ones like they have at Absolute Socks!

Novelty Socks

$ varies

Help someone start a chicken coop!

The Eglu from Omlet

$775 - 1250

For the camper to take along:

Picnic Condiment Set

$18.00

(via the Curiosity Shoppe)

For the dog lover:

Pooch Sport

$8.50

Crow Bottle Opener

$24.00

(Via Rare Device)

A very awesome tricycle for your wee one.

Triciclino

$149.99

(Via Sparkability)

I'm a sucker for weenie dog items as I have a little girl dachshund,

but these are perfect for any dog lover.

Gianna Dachshund (Soap)

$19.95

(Via Well Dressed Home)

Map Dinghy Drain Stopper

$10.00

(via MoMA Shop)

Animal Nesting Boxes

$28.95

(via Modern Dose)

Gift Ideas - Day 1

Need some help, I'm here for you. Here are some really creative gifts that I'm sure anyone will love.

"Bunny" Tote Bag

Your grocery bag turns into a bunny!

$30

(Via A+R Store)

Any Psycho fans out there? Nothing that sets your mind at ease when you walk into the bathroom, the shower curtain is closed and you hear the music in the scene where Janet Leigh has her fate sealed, than a bloody shower curtain.

Bloody Shower Curtain

$22.00

(Via Charles & Marie)

For that naughty person on your shopping list, black coal. But lucky for them it's eatable! Make sure you check out all the other candy that stores no longer carry and that just might trigger a nice childhood memory.

Candy Coal

$9.95

(Via The Vermont Country Store)

Retro buck buckle, this one is my favorite.

Tattoo Girl Belt Buckle

$19.99

(Via Retro-a-go-go)

A MINI Diana Camera, not just a Diana but a mini. Too cute.

Diana Mini Camera

$60.00

(Via Veer)

Stay tuned for more gift ideas tomorrow!!!

Addendum to the Richard Armitage Post

Just feel the need to clarify a few things from that Richard Armitage post. Firstly, it was all in good fun and I'm happy that people liked it. I know the correct procedure is to go through his agent, but hey - it was worth a try, right? Secondly, the hits I'm getting from the post are really amusing.

See this keyword activity:

"slept with richard armitage"

"richard armitage girlfriend" (about 500+ hits with that one)

"richard armitage single again"

"richard armitage doll"

"richard armitage girlfriend moved out"

"so who was richard armitages girlfriend"

"richard armitage virgin"

"richard armitage star wars where to spot in"

Thirdly, I only wish for the success he seeks.

"If he has a conscience he will suffer for his mistake. That will be punishment-as well as the prison."
- Fyodor Dostoevsky, Crime and Punishment, Ch. 19

Dissecting Death: Secrets of a Medical Examiner

Just finished Dissecting Death: Secrets of a Medical Examiner by Frederick Zugibe, M.D. and wow! After I finished my degree in Criminology earlier this year, I put all my forensic/death/theory books away. I had had enough of all that and needed to give my tender eyes and brain a rest. It's heavy stuff. Now that I am up at 8am every morning to watch the little spawn...the wee one (not my wee one!) goes down for a nap around 11am and I found that reading is quite soothing. Enough time to get a few chapters in but not enough time to start any projects. I had an order from Powell's come in a few months ago but found with all the festivals, little time to sit and read, which I greatly missed! So I finally dove into the stack and first was Dissecting Death.

So many books on the subject get too elementary for me and I find that the stuff I already know is annoying to hear again. Most of these books (which in the last ten years are a ton!) on the subject are, I imagine, written for the likes of people watching CSI and other such crime dramas and not in the field of forensics so most authors feel the need to explain a lot of the reasoning behind their job. While Dr. Zugibe does get a bit into that, it's written in a way that I don't get bored and tune out even though I know this information already. He keeps it simple and to the point.

The ten cases presented in the book are indeed quite fascinating and quite heart breaking and not to sound cliché but most deaths could have been prevented. I suppose that's the main fascination for me, why & how could people do this to others and to themselves. The mind just boggles.