We spent a little while this afternoon at the annual Gem and Mineral Show. There were many pretty rocks and crystals and beads and such. But was a bit disconcerting to see how much of the merchandise was being marketed for the paranormal/occult crowd. After a while, I started wishing that the little cards in the boxes of stones said something like: "This is just a rock. It is a pretty rock, and if having pretty things makes you happy, you should buy it. But it will neither prevent nor cure illness or injury; it will not affect your "energy"; it will not protect you from harm unless it should happen to get in the way of something that was going to hit you. It won't increase your wisdom (though reading this card may help) and it won't improve your sex life except possibly if you use it as an appropriate gift. It won't bring you money except by your selling it."
ETA: I don't think I'd ever seen the mineral 'orpiment' before. Its pretty golden colour explains something about its popularity in alchemical work, and its composition (As2O3, arsenic (III) sulfide) explains something about the lives of the alchemists.
ETA: I don't think I'd ever seen the mineral 'orpiment' before. Its pretty golden colour explains something about its popularity in alchemical work, and its composition (As2O3, arsenic (III) sulfide) explains something about the lives of the alchemists.
A crooked house?
Nov. 22nd, 2011 01:13 pmIn today's mail: a card advertising a luxury condo tower under construction on Cleary Avenue. The description burbles with grammatical errors, but the really disquieting feature is the name of the builder: "CharlesFort". This seems unlikely to end well even if no wombats appear.
Also: yet another brochure from Rogers addressed to "Neighbor / 18 Norice St". Shouldn't that end up in the mailbox at either 16 Norice or 20 Norice?
Also: yet another brochure from Rogers addressed to "Neighbor / 18 Norice St". Shouldn't that end up in the mailbox at either 16 Norice or 20 Norice?
Just Smurfy
Oct. 23rd, 2011 07:59 pmSmurfette (AKA "Schtroumpfette") was created by Gargamel as part of a scheme against the Smurfs: as the only female Smurf, she would destroy them by seducing them and getting them to fight over her.
I wonder if the "strumpet" pun was intentional? It wouldn't be the only off-colour (blue?) joke from SmurfCorp.
I wonder if the "strumpet" pun was intentional? It wouldn't be the only off-colour (blue?) joke from SmurfCorp.