Jennifer Bray-Weber's Blog, page 53

Happy Memorial Day

MuseTracks wishes you a happy, safe holiday. But let us not forget why we celebrate. Let us not forget those who have served and fallen for the United States of America, from its birth to the present, ensuring our freedoms.

To those who are serving, to those who have served, and to those who have made the ultimate sacrifice, thank you.

Happy Memorial Day!

Friday Fun Facts- Tattoos

I want to get a tattoo. My husband is not so keen on the idea. There’s a lot of cool facts about this popular art. How much do you know?

 

– Tattoos have been present since the Stone Age and appear in almost every culture across the world.

– It was illegal to get a tattoo in New York City between 1967 to 1997. Believe it or not! This was due to hepatitis hysteria in the 1960s. In Massachusetts, it was still banned as recent as 2000. You could even go to jail.

– Anesthesiologists don’t really like “tramp stamps”. If they have to administer an epidural, there’s a small chance that ink fragments might enter the spinal cord. MRI technicians have reported some folks with tattoos containing iron oxide, will burn during an MRI.

This is unfortunate.

– Black henna temporary tattoos are not so great. P-phenylenediamine (PPD), an ingredient in black henna, has been known to cause terrible reactions, horrible scarring and leukemia. Please be careful and make sure your artist does NOT use henna with synthetic materials in it!!!!

– The symbol for Macy’s comes from a tattoo. The owner, R.H. Macy, used to work on whaling boats and got a star tattoo on his forearm. That star went on to become the symbol for his multi billion dollar business.

– People will use their bodies as walking ads. One company offered its employees a 15% raise if they tattooed the logo on their body. It was a popular offer! I even found a photo of a guy who inked McDonald’s arches across his back!

This guy put a whole receipt on his arm?!?!?

–  A lot of ink is made from bone char of animals and sometimes the resin of shellac beetles.

– The Yakuza, an organized crime family in Japan, will often have full body tattoos called irezumi. It is done in a traditional manner by hand with a single needle. It is painful, time consuming and very expensive.

– Prison tats are forbidden, but they happen all the time. Creativity abounds when using makeshift items. Everything from ballpoint pens to paper clips to guitar strings have been confiscated. Those tattoos are often a type of Morse code indicating gang membership, crimes committed and even religious affiliation.

– Many companies offer cosmetic tattoos. Don’t want to apply eye liner or darken your eyebrows with a pencil? Get them tattooed! Just be careful because they do need touch ups every few years and you can’t change your look afterwards. It might be OK to laser off a tat on your leg…quite different trying to laser off items on your eye!

– According to a survey, more women than men have tattoos.

– Plato thought that people who committed sacrilege should be tattooed forcibly.

– Tattoo is one of the most misspelled words in the English language.

– American spend…wait for it….$1.65 BILLION dollars on tattoos every year!

– The most tattooed person has 100% of their body covered.

– Confucius, a Chinese philosopher, was against tattoos. He said that the human body was a gift and should not be altered.

I think I agree in this case.

 

 

Hump Day Kick Start – Unzipped Edition

Hump Day Kick Start – for your muse, a writing picture prompt, or just a visual treat.

Nice & sexy! Slow & easy!

Tell me about today’s prompt. Who are they? Couple celebrating their anniversary? Playboy and his next conquest? Criminal seducing the wealthy, young widow? Hunk attempting to charm the love of his life back? Sexy waiter earning a hefty tip? Dress thief?

You tell me. Love to hear your take, or just “caption this photo”.

Hump Day Kick Start – Cowboy Trellis Edition

Hump Day Kick Start – for your muse, a writing picture prompt, or just a visual treat.

 

In Dallas this week for the RT Convention. What better prompt than a sexy cowboy on a bridge? Yee haw, y’all.

So tell me about him? Who is he? What is he doing? Contemplating his recent breakup/loss of the farm/fight with a brother? Is this where he comes when he wants to clear his head before he leaves out on the rodeo circuit? Is the cute girl below enticing him into a skinny dip? Did his girlfriend just run his favorite tractor off into the river?

Love to hear your take, or just “caption this photo”.

Link Of The Week- Enter A Competition

Do you need to earn some money writing? The novel just taking too long? Try honing your skills, earning some money, getting feedback all in the same place. I’m talking about writing contests. There are hundreds out there and I’ve supplied links to 2 places that give you many!

 

 

 

http://www.pw.org/grants

http://www.newpages.com/classifieds/big-list-of-writing-contests

A Sociopath- You Could Be One

Are you a sociopath? You just might be one. The statistics show that one in every 25 people is a true blue sociopath. If your office has 50 people, you work with two of them. Does that mean you are in mortal danger? Of course not.

Let’s get educated and look at the mind:

– Sociopaths can and do maintain eye contact. If fact, they are so good at it, the term is ‘a predator’s stare’. Other people might think it’s a mark of arrogance or conceit when the person is probably unaware that they’re doing it or how it may unnerve others.

– Sociopaths are psychopaths. The term sociopath was coined because of the absolute negative reaction to the word psychopath. Modern psychology has further differentiated them, but they share many traits. They have an antisocial personality disorder and have a “pervasive pattern of disregard for and violation of the rights of others.” Many show overconfidence, lack of remorse, high manipulation skills and no desire to conform to social norms unless it benefits them.

– Here’s a biggie! Not all sociopaths are criminals! Studies have shown that less than 20% of inmates are sociopaths, but they also conclude that 50% of all truly serious crimes are committed by sociopaths. Hmmm, does that mean they are simply smarter than the average criminal?

– If you met one, you’d probably like them. They are knowledgeable about social behavior and smart enough to use it to their advantage. It is a learned behavior for them, not instinctual, but effective nonetheless.

– They do prey on people’s weaknesses. Many things they do are benign like stealing a diary to read it so they better know how to manipulate that person through their weaknesses. Most times they don’t need to resort to that type of behavior because they have a heightened awareness to people’s flaws. ‘Predator six sense’

– Sexual preferences are often gender neutral. Many consider themselves asexual and it’s not the physical attraction that draws them, it’s more a component of the personality that intrigues them. That being said, sociopaths are capable of love and many have long lasting relationships with children. It is a different kind of love but meaningful to them.

– They are usually very successful in their field. They like being top dog. This plays into their survival of the fittest mentality and their willingness to exploit others for their own gain.

– Their actions and relationships are viewed with a benefits eye. What will they get out of it? How will it further their position, social standing etc.

– Because they can change to fit whatever environment they are in, they tend to have very little “sense of self”. They practice this skill all the time, much as a large predator practices camouflage while stalking their prey. Hmmm, there seems to be a common word running through this post.

– So how do you know if you’re a sociopath? M.E. Thomas, an author and diagnosed sociopath, compiled this list-

You have a lot of friends, admirers and lovers
You are extremely self-confident
You are charming
You use your charm and confidence to manipulate others
You are morally ambivalent
You believe in survival of the fittest
You are great at making decisions on the fly and being spontaneous
You get restless easily
You are a daredevil
You are successful
You are easily distracted
You have a predatory spirit
You are highly intelligent

 

– If you checked off a bunch of these attributes, don’t run to the nearest doctor for a diagnosis. Go on with your life and don’t worry about it. There is NO cure for this disorder and if you’re happy then forget about it.

– While this is a common disorder and most live “normal” lives, just know they will destroy you if it’s to their advantage.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hump Day Kick Start – Bottom’s Up Windowsill Edition

Hump Day Kick Start ��� for your muse, a writing picture prompt, or just a visual treat.

 

What fun!

Who is today’s prompt? Good girl sneaking out? Bad girl sneaking in? Stalker? Celebrity trying to get away from the paparazzi? Maybe she and the sexy, flirtatious stranger are sneaking away from a boring wedding/gala/charity event? Or maybe she is sneaking in the convent after a hot fling with the new bad boy in town. Is she stuck?

Love to hear your take, or just ���caption this photo���.

Link Of The Week- All Things Regency

Do you write historicals? Paranormals from another time? If your books have anything to do with the Regency Era- these sites are for you! Research is the lifeblood for many novels. Get the facts wrong and half of your audience is out the door vowing to never read another one of your books. I thought these sites dealing with period dress of the time were quite good. I hope you enjoy them.

 

http://www.janeausten.co.uk/��

 

http://www.maggiemayfashions.com/regency.html

 

https://www.pinterest.com/vanessakellyaut/regency-era-clothing/��

Friday Fun Facts- I Have A Dead Body In My Garage

In case you think I’m joking or my title was only meant to get you to read this blog post, I really do have a dead body in my garage.

It’s Uncle Cecil.

Cecil Trantham was my husband’s great uncle who passed away last fall. He was one of our favorites in Peter’s family and we miss him greatly. (Although having him in our garage has made him feel closer. :-) ) Uncle Cecil was a lead mechanic for many race cars over the years and his garage was something anyone who’s turned that way would envy. When we had to say goodbye to him, we wanted to honor his passion and his amazing career so a special container was made for his remains out of a muffler.

Uncle Cecil driving a car he made from scratch. His dune racers were so much fun!

When my husband and son went to New Mexico over the Thanksgiving holiday, they were given Uncle Cecil to bring back to Texas to bury next to his sister. Life has a funny way of getting in the way of our best laid plans and Uncle Cecil has spent the last five months with us in our garage. My boys pull him out to have a place of honor whenever they work on the ATVs or trucks. In a weird way, I know this would have tickled Uncle Cecil pink. He always wanted to come visit, but his health wouldn’t allow it.

He was a wonderful man with a wicked sense of humor. To honor him (as we’re finally bringing him to his final place of rest), I present you with unusual facts about burial practices!

– When the upper class in Egypt died, they removed the brains before mummifying their bodies through the nose using a pick.

– Cryonic science is alive and well. Currently, it’s only legal to do on people who are legally dead. There are those that have lobbied to be put on ice before their time!

– While most Western funerals are a somber affair, the Hindus in Bali make it to be a carnival like atmosphere. The body is paraded down the street along with other floats and paper made structures. Once at the burn site, the body is transferred into a large bull and it’s all set on fire. Afterwards, there’s a feast and party to celebrate the life.

– In Tibet, they do it quite differently. the body is brought to a mountain top and placed on a raised structure to be closer to Heaven. It’s left there for the vultures and other birds to eat, some remains are even mixed with flour and water to make it tastier for the winged creatures. This insures all tidbits are devoured and flown high.

– A Swedish firm will now pulverize your body and put it in a cornstarch urn to be completely eco-friendly.

– An American firm will take your remains and turn it into a diamond for jewelry for your loved ones to wear. One body can make up to 50 1-carat diamonds and cost around $14,000 each. In 2007, the company used carbon from strands of Ludwig van Beethoven’s hair to make three diamonds. Two are in private collections and the third was sold on e-bay for charity for $210,000.

– In Madagascar, they dig up the bones of their loved ones and dance with them. They put new clothes on them and dance around the tombs to live music. Whoa.

– Thomas Edison’s dying breath was captured in a bottle. Henry Ford who was a close friend of Edison, convinced his son to fill a bottle with his final breaths. Edison also had a death mask made.

– If you were a beggar in early Scotland, you might have been employed to be a “sin-eater”. A loaf of bread was place on the dying person’s chest along with a mug of ale while prayers were said. This transferred the person’s sins outs of his body and into the food and drink. It was then given to the poor hungry soul who ate all of the dying person’s transgressions. This practice was done for hundreds of years.

– Some people turn into soap after they die. (No, I’m not drinking!) Apparently, the fatty tissue along with a variety of other liquids during decomposing, slowly form into adipocere. (grave wax) It doesn’t matter whether you were embalmed or not! Of course, the heavier you are, the more soap you make. In fact, there is a “Soap Lady” in a museum who is entirely composed of grave wax. Sometimes, these deposits can be seen leaking from caskets and tombs.

 

 

 

Hump Day Kick Start – Pinstripes, Lingerie, and Double-barreled Edition

Hump Day Kick Start ��� for your muse, a writing picture prompt, or just a visual treat.

This pic reminds me of Bonnie and Clyde. Or maybe Lois and Clark. Could work, right?

So tell me about today’s prompt. Who are these two? Prohibition period speakeasy owner and girlfriend? Mob boss and her��“cleaner”? Stock broker and stripper banded together for survival in a post-apocalypse zombie world?

You tell me. Love to hear your take, or just “caption this photo”.