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April 29, 2005

maybe this is perverse

but I really want one of these:

Posted by crystallyn at 11:37 PM | Comments (2)

April 27, 2005

Sweet Romeo Kitty


Sweet Romeo Kitty
Originally uploaded by crystallyn.
Testing out flickr with my blog...

Posted by crystallyn at 07:33 PM | Comments (1)

April 19, 2005

thanks to

a dear friend, I landed a free upgrade to Flickr Pro!

Wooohoooo!

Posted by crystallyn at 07:09 AM

April 16, 2005

so if you are feeling a little crazy

this should make you feel better (plus my blog has been too damn cutesy lately so here's a dose of odd, antique reality for you). It's a record available at the New Orleans Public Library City Archives. It's a detailed record of patients at the New Orleans (La.) City Insane Asylum 1882-1884.

It's a fascinating look at how they used to diagnose insanity. The clinical diagnoses are amazing in themselves: melancholy, stupidity, acute religious mania (I wish they still locked people up for that!),delirium of persecution, chronic mania, epilepsy, softening of the brain...

It's also a testament to the way that racism was still very prominent--not that the person diagnosing these people wasn't kind and compassionate, in fact, I had a distinct feeling that he was--rather it was just the common belief at that time about how black people were, the Irish are, women, etc.

Some of the more amazing accounts:

p. 81
Wm. Sheldon, male, black, 36 years old, single, native of Virginia. Recommended his commitment to the S-I-A. at Jackson, La. on April 16th/83, finding him suffering from Religious Mania.

This man’s actions & reasoning were so lucid, that I was about writing his discharge when he told me that he had something to tell me before going out. What is it I said, he answered “Jesus-Christ cut my nuts out last Monday, and it was not until Tuesday morning that I found it out, when I then missed them.” He was positive his testicles had been removed. When I made him examine himself, he laughed & said with surprise, “Well, I made a mistake, I told a lie, but did not mean it. I take it all back. Sure enough they are there.”

p. 100
Louise Blache, female, black, about 100 years old, widowed, native of Africa, recommended her commitment to the S.-I.-A. at Jackson, La. on June 8th 1883 finding her suffering from Dementia.

This old woman is very old, being in the neighborhood of 100 years. She is in a state of infancy, loss of memory, and shriveled up from old age. She is the type of the African, and is no doubt one of the African negroes brought here by the negro traders of the north at the commencement of this century.

p.116
Charles Welsh, male, white, married, 69? [sic] years, native of Ireland, cab driver. Recommended his commitment to the S.-I.-A. at Jackson, on July 23d/83, finding him suffering from Chronic Alcoholism.

Like all Irishmen, he is very witty. But his conversation is incoherent, vulgar, and obcene [sic]. He has been an inveterate drinker, for years back, but his physique bears his age very well. He does not seem to be over 50 or 55 at the utmost. He knows not where are his house and cab, or at least says they are where they are not. If whiskey is mentioned to him, his face radiates with joy, and he becomes talkative.

p.130
Jefferson Davis, male, white, 22 yrs, married, native of N.O. La. Recommended his commitment to the S-I-A. at Jackson, La. on September 20th 1883, finding him insane suffering from Acute Raving Mania.


This unfortunate young man, was badly beaten a day or two ago, and bears the marks of the beating, in the shape of bruises of the scalp & nose and black eyes. Since then he is said to have become insane. To day, 5 p.m., he is very much excited, is constantly spitting every where, and at every one, begs not to be struck, asks for the priest and holy water, and implores his wife not to abandon him. His pupils are normal, his face, excited & inquisitive. He is so restless that I am unable to count his pulse. (He was beaten on Tuesday morning 18th inst. A few hours after when he returned home he was talking foolish. That evening, between 5 and 7 oclock [sic] he was speechless but would by signs & writing ask what he wanted. That night he was restless & talked foolish, though he slept some. That day & the next, Wednesday, he had hemorrhages from the mouth & nose. Wednesday all day foolish talk & movements; by 7 p.m. he became violent. No sleep that night. Thursday morning at about 3 o’clk. was arrested & in the evening I sent him to the La. Retreat.) These last informations [sic] I have from his mother in law.

You must check out the record...it's absolutely amazing in its entirety. The descriptions are clear enough that even now you can probably guess at some of the real truths behind it: alzheimers, depression, schizophrenia, brain damage.

Joe used to work with the director, Brad Anderson (who also did Next Stop Wonderland), who created the movie Session 9, which coincidentally, our friend Sharyl told us about initially. Joe's wheels started turning and he realized it was the movie that Brad always talked about wanting to make. Unfortunately (or fortunately?), the Danvers State Hospital, on which the movie is based, still has its records mostly unavailable to the public--it only closed in 1992 so they are private. Here is a detailed account of the Danvers State Hospital by Michael Ramseurwith some gorgeously haunting portraits of the castle-like institution. One of the most interesting facts about Danvers that he notes is that in 1898, the biggest foreign population in the hospital were the Irish (those witty Irish!). Ramseur is putting together a book about the Danvers State Hospital which I imagine will be a fully fascinating read.

We live quite close to the famed Mclean Hospital (Sylvia Plath really put it on the map and so did the movie Girl, Interrupted). I keep meaning to pick up the book, Gracefully Insane, but haven't yet.

We're going out with an Irishman tonight (who also worked with Brad Anderson). I can't wait to give him a bad time about being witty as he's drinking his whiskey...

Posted by crystallyn at 09:20 AM

April 15, 2005

the pig olympics!!!

Piglets swim during a sporting event dubbed the 'Pig Olympics' at Heping Park in Shanghai April 15, 2005. The piglets, which come from a miniature species in Thailand, compete in several events like running, hurdles, hoop-jumping, diving and swimming. The four-legged athletes start training a month after birth and will continue competing until they reach one-year-old, organisers said. REUTERS/Claro Cortes IV

Posted by crystallyn at 06:59 AM

April 14, 2005

i had this freakish dream

this morning that I was taking care of puppies. Three of them. Cute and fuzzy ones that looked like this:

I have no clue why. I was in a park and there was this strange portable pole-like contraption that allowed me to leash the little puppies to it while I read a book in the sun. I remember one got loose and ran to a girl down the path (I was on a hillside). She cuddled it and then I started to call for it and it heard me and immediately wriggled free from her grasp and ran for me. I leashed her back up and said a few friendly words to the girl who had followed, then went back to my book.

Very odd, peaceful dream. Nothing was chasing me. No monsters were there. Just sunny and puppies. WTF? I turned into a cheeseball in my sleep apparently.

Posted by crystallyn at 07:00 AM

April 12, 2005

okay so I really love

Magical Trevor

and his new trick...

(warning--they loop...)

Posted by crystallyn at 06:29 PM

April 10, 2005

Joy, gentle friends, joy and fresh days of love accompany your hearts! ~ Shakespeare

I spent yesterday in the company of good people. My entire day was filled with them, from the moment I awoke to the time I went to sleep. There is nothing more wonderful than waking up and going to sleep with your best friend, and that is something I feel grateful for every day.

And so, after Joe ran off to go play a winning nine inning baseball game, I went and hung out first with Paulette, and met her new kitty Leilah, who is a sweet little tortoise-shell calico. Then we went and had a good lunch at Not Your Average Joe's and then went and did a little shopping before I went to my hair appointment at Leon & Co, which Paulette got me going to a year and a half ago.

Now Leon's is consistently rated as one of the best salons in Boston and I can tell you, when I walk out of there I feel like a million--no, a zillion!--dollars. I've not had Leon cut my hair but I've seen his great work. He only does haircuts though so a designer would do your color. And he only has the best stylists working for him. I go to this really beautiful woman from Turkey named Fulya, who is just the sweetest, most talented person to ever come within 5 feet of my head. I would let her do anything she wanted to my hair because I always end up looking incredible when she's done with it. Yesterday I felt so bad for her. She was running nearly 45 minutes late because a woman came in with a picture and she wanted the same cut and color as whatever celebrity it was. So Fulya does what she can and the color is pretty much exact, but the woman (who had never had her hair colored before) flipped out and wanted it done over because it was too blonde and she felt like she was wearing someone else's hair. So Fulya's doing her best to get his woman straightened out while trying to take care of the other clients that come in. And usually I don't mind if she's running late or anything, but it was the one time that I needed to meet someone, of course. She was trying so hard to make everyone happy. She didn't want me to tip her, but I did, because she made me happy--I love going in there because when I leave, I feel good and compliments galore from all sorts of people. Friends, strangers. And sure enough, all day afterward, people told me how great my hair was. I felt so bad for her, she was so sad about the woman not being happy with her hair, but it wasn't her failing--I really believe she could turn mud into gold--it was the woman with unrealistic expectations of wanting to look like a picture of someone she wasn't. And seriously, if you want an amazing cut and color, call Leon & Co. and see if you can get in to Fulya (but do it at least 2-3 weeks in advance!!).

And then I went and met up with Mike and his son Alex. I remember watching Alex when he was young, but now at 15, he's taller than me. I got him playing Everquest a few years ago, ironically, as I stopped playing. I've always felt bad about that. I actually took it off my computer a few months ago, but seeing Alex made me wish I hadn't. He would be fun to play with, plus he would twink up my lowly character I bet!

After, Joe and I headed over to Michelle and Mary's for a great casual potluck. It turned out to be eight of us, which is a perfect number of people. We had the most fantastic time, drinking cheap wine, eating homemade macaroni, taco dip, brie and apples and we brought whoopie pies! And we attempted to play Cranium but we were all a bit too toasted so it degenerated into lots of laughter about merkins and breasts and humming the Commodores "She's a Brick House" which, if you ever try humming and have someone guess what you are humming, is pretty damn funny.

And so, my day ended early this morning, with a few ibuprofin, leftover macaroni and a need to paint my toenails before I go over to Wilson Farms to find some fruit and dinner for tonight.

I just felt the compulsive need to spout off about what a really wonderful day yesterday was for me, surrounded by good, happy people. I've needed more days like that since the accident, and I feel so grateful that I'm still around to enjoy them.

Posted by crystallyn at 09:47 AM | Comments (2)

April 07, 2005

when woody woodpeckers don't peck wood

This morning when I was leaving the gym, I heard this strange drilling sound. At first I thought it might be a jackhammer in the distance or perhaps in the weird gravelpit place next door to the gym but as I walked out to the car, I realized that the sound was in the little woody area on the edge of the parking lot. I stopped and looked to see where it was coming from, suspecting it might be one of the woodpeckers I saw there last year.

After a bit of searching through the trees, I heard it again. And realized it wasn't in the trees. It was on top of the lightpost. The big huge metal lightpost. Drumming on the top. How odd is that? I mean, it's not like he's going to do much to the metal. After looking into it a bit, it seems that it could be territorial or a mating call of some sort. I suppose that makes sense. But how on earth can it hammer away at solid steel without hurting itself? That's what I want to know!

Posted by crystallyn at 07:59 PM | Comments (3)

April 02, 2005

i love this picture

A man takes his goose chicks for a walk Tuesday March 16, 2004, in Taiping, about 1800 kilometers ( about 1100 miles) south of Beijing, China. China declared victory Tuesday in its fight against bird flu, saying it had 'stamped out' all of its known cases. But the government warned against relaxing vigilance, saying coming warm weather could bring new cases.(AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)

Posted by crystallyn at 06:17 PM

April 01, 2005

Hold Back The Rain

Somehow I don't think that Duran Duran will manage to hold back the torrential downpours we're expecting this weekend. According to the National Weather Service:


A Moisture Filled Spring Storm Will Spread Heavy Rain Across The Region Starting Late Friday Night Or Saturday Morning. Current Indications Suggest That Rainfall Of 2 To 3 Inches Is Likely But Isolated Amounts Of Up To 5 Inches Are Possible In Some Orographically Favored Locations.

But tonight...well, that's another story. Going to check out the new Agannis Arena tonight and see the boyz!

CANNOT WAIT!

I was such a Duranie way back in the day. Became hooked in 1980 when I first heard Girls on Film. Of course, I was so young that I had NO clue what the song was all about. I loved loved loved John Taylor.

And weirdly, I just did a search on something related to them, and discovered that Neil Gaiman wrote his very first book on Duran Duran, Duran Duran: The First Four Years Of The Fab Five, which also happens to be buried in a box in my attic. How odd is that? Who would have thunk it? Coraline is one of my most favorite little books.

Posted by crystallyn at 07:05 AM