Blog archives: April 2008
Sunday April 27th 2008
Review 327 - Angela of Shorelight
I see you've decided to incorperate one of those mindless, faux emotive sentences into your header image. Argh, I hate it when people do that, I find it quite lame. Yours reads "Imaginiation and memory evade her. Spring bursts away. She can't remember, but curiousity doesn't slip too far away." I 'imaginine' that you didn't realise you spelt imagination wrong here. On a graphic, of all places. I feel so embarrassed on behalf of you! You can't exactly press delete and type over it in this case since it's an image, you're going to have to use the dropper to get the corresponding green colour, paint over the error and then type it in again! What a mission. Whether this is a typo or an actual spelling error, you need to make sure all the words on your graphics are spelt correctly, so that passers by won't LOL @ you. The sentence does nothing for me anyway, I wish I hadn't been exposed to it. Sounds like the twitterings of Jo Ho, lamenting over her one night stand with Pinhead Pete.
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Friday April 25th 2008
Review 326 - Kirsty of Her Mask
There are several things in life that one can always be certain of. Taxes, death, and the inevitability of Freddy Kruegers' return to name a mere few. On the other end of the scale, one thing that remains uncertain is how many reviews I can write in a month! I miss the golden days when they flowed faster than diarr....no, I won't say it, I'm determined to keep this review clean. I can't be having no stinkin' visuals dominating my hot-as-fuck, detailed critique.
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Site updates (apart from the queue, which goes without saying): The PSGR Birthday Book, Review Club, and my QBee quilt.
Saturday April 12th 2008, 11.54am
Wuddup?
On Wednesday I decided to take a walk to the...Karori Cemetery, eager to have a proper look around the joint in the daylight, in particular to check out the southern part which, according to believers, is the most haunted. The walk took a couple of hours - on foot the suburb of Karori is a decent ways from the Wellington CBD. At some points I didn't know where I was going, but with the help of my PSGR Navigational Cones™ I was able to find my way. I came to a crossroads you see, and had no idea which road to take. So my left boob twitched, and I was like, "Cool, Roger that boobie!".
Not.
I arrived there at around 3 o'clock in the afternoon, and not a soul was to be seen. Yep, no souls - just disgustingly deformed, deranged and decidedly demonic dark, umm, demons? Dude, I was surrounded by them and I was hella scared. One was like, "Hai blondie, a/s/l?" Nah, only joking. As far as I was aware there were no ghosts, although one never can be too sure. Obviously since it was daylight I wasn't in the least bit freaked out, until I came across a tiny brick chapel. I went up closer and noticed that the door was slightly ajar, so I wondered if I should go in. I texted James telling him I would, and promptly turned my phone on silent - if my phone went off in there I'd no doubt jump a mile high or something equally pathetic. So I decided to venture in. It was very small, and very dark. I stood there for a while and then decided to make sure the entrance door was open as wide as it could be. Y'know, in case an Unexplained Gust of Wind was to occur. I noticed right in front of me one of those roller things that they put coffins on, and at the press of a button (I guess that's what happens?) the coffin is rolled into the back behind the curtains and dealt with there. Do you know what I'm talking about? Anyway, I figured that I'd walk right up to it and peek behind the curtain, and then, without warning, I was catapulted onto the roller by an unknown force and started rolling, through the curtains, and into a, like, omg, totalli dark abyss! There I met a playful spirit called Willie - a railway worker from the 1800's. But he was a little too playful if you know what I mean, so I totally split from that scene.
Actually, I peeked behind the curtain but couldn't see anything at all, because it was too dark. The atmosphere in the place was obviously eerie (hello? dark chapel in deserted graveyard) so I turned around and left. Even though nothing happened, it was still a relief to be out in the sunshine again.
Now, the Karori cemetery is absolutely massive, and it took me over an hour to even follow the road through it. It becomes very foresty in the southern part, I think this would be the 'Otari-Wilton's Bush', although I'm not sure. I was walking down the road in the southern part and I turned the corner and saw the most random thing ever - an abandoned ice cream van. In a cemetery. Oookkkaaay.
I know I've been going on about cemeteries a lot lately, so I'll change the subject, in order to cater to the readers' needs and soforth. Haha.
I'm wondering how long I'll be in New Zealand for. Jobs here are so scarce (maybe not in Auckland though) and they pay shit. The price of everything is going up, and I'm not just talking about petrol. Over the past year the Labour government has ensured that an increasing amount of people -- average, working class people -- are finding it harder and harder to live. They've put up the price of many essential household items like bread, milk, and butter. Yet they won't raise peoples' wages. Wages stay the same, they stay at a fucking pittance. Corporate office fuckers with their heads stuck up their asses may be able to easily adapt to the cost of things since they're loaded, but the real people of New Zealand are finding it hard to make ends meet. Of course this would easily be fixed by a wage increase, but that's too logical isn't it?
Fucking corporate dogs. James' boss is making him do additional work and not giving him a payrise. I found this out last week and I was so pissed I didn't bother turning up to a job interview because I wasn't in the right frame of mind. He apparently asked the balding, Viagra-taking mongrel if he'd get paid more because of the additional work and he said 'it may be considered in a years' time'. Stingy dog. I'm not angry because I take James' money, I don't do that, I'm angry on behalf of James. He was pissed too but he says he can't do anything about it. He's going on 28 next month and has decided to change into a practical, logical human being. As a freedom-loving, corporate-loathing revolut...I mean, Rhivolutionary this has lead to some friction...but I guess at the end of the day I'll be sensible too when I'm as old as 28, especially if a career was involved. I can't stand it when people exploit others in the work place. He probably picked James for this fucking 'extra work' because he's a good, efficient worker. Regardless of my attitude I do actually hold a great deal of admiration for anyone who, unlike me, has the gutso to stick out a job that they're unhappy in. It shows resilience and when it comes to the workplace this is something I lack. I don't think anyone should have to put up with being unhappy in a job but I realise that most people have no choice. Maybe I need to grow up and put up with crap too, but that would mean abandoning my principles and there's no way I'd do that.
I am so sick of New Zealand, this is no place for a freewheelin' road warrior like myself. Jobs are scarce, wages are pitiful. Australia's prosperous shores are fucking gleaming right now, and I'm interested in returning there for a few months and getting some money together. Trouble is the accommodation...I can't believe the prices! Last time, me and James were living in a room with a tv, free wireless internet, fridge, blah blah blah...and now it seems all you can get for under $250 is a room in a cockroach infested halfway house with a bed and nothing else! When we were, in 2006, living in Surry Hills for $190 a week! In case any Sydneysiders are familiar with this downtrodden area, I lived above the Triple Ace Bar on the corner of Elizabeth and Campbell Street. You could see Centrepoint from our window. Whenever I talk to people from Sydney I tell them where I used to live and seriously, you should see the look on their faces. They say I must've been brave! Oh well, tv and internet in every room....that made it all worthwhile. I've emailed several accommodation places, and the ones that have actually replied to me all quote a hugely different price to what they say on their websites. Like a single room for $200 per week and then suddenly they reply saying $330! The hell? Because some of the lazy bastards won't reply to my emails, I'm going to have to buy a phone card and ring them direct. I can't do it on our phone because my mum's set up every toll bar known to man, just because I phoned a 0900 trivia line ONCE when I was 11. So I can't call 0900 numbers, other towns in New Zealand, or other countries around the world. If I can find somewhere with an agreeable and justified price, I'll be leaving for a few months.
So what have you guys been up to lately? Anyone here watch Home and Away? Oh my god it's so good at the moment - I freakin love Homerz!! Lately I haven't been here during the week so I tune into the Home and Away Omnibus on Sundays. What about Sam, eh? Psycho bitch. Who is your favourite Home and Away guy out of Drew, Ric, Roman, Geoff and Aden? Can't believe Drew and Aden are 23 in real life. I'm an Aden girl in case you were wondering, with Roman coming a close second.
There's nothing on TV tonight, so typical for a Saturday night. Black Hawk Down...sounds boring, followed by Wild Wild West. Meh. Remember last year when I told you my Mum won 52 double passes to the movies? Well I've only used two so far. Last year James and I went to see "1408" which if I remember correctly was good, and a few weeks ago we went to see "Shutter". St Trinian's and Sydney White seem good, although they're not out till next week. (New Zealand can sometimes suck like that.)
Anyone here buy the Girlfriend magazine? I don't normally buy any mags but this months' issue came with a free scarf so I bought it, and I've been rocking the scarf all week. After all, it's pretty much the beginning of winter here in NZ.
As you can tell from the above I'm running out of things to write about, so I'll take that as my cue to leave. Take care and talk soon!
Sunday April 6th 2008, 6.28pm
Return to Karori Cemetery
On the night of the 31st of March 2008 I decided to return to the purportedly haunted Karori Cemetery, in Wellington New Zealand. I had previously visited this place in April of 2007, in which I returned with many photographs containing what could arguably be 'orbs' or 'evidence of spiritual energy'. Or, if you're a sceptic like myself, examples of harmless lens flare ;) As you're no doubt already aware, I like to brand myself as a sceptic with an interest in the unexplained.
So now I'd like to call your attention to an extremely intriguing image I took in the cemetery....of myself, or what seems to look a bit like myself. You can drive through a small part of the cemetery, and we initially decided to do that before turning around, parking up, and exploring other parts on foot. Whilst James was driving, I was literally hanging out of the window taking random pictures of the views around me. Rows upon rows of tombstones, clusters of dark trees...you get the idea. Just your typical cemetery-after-dark scene. So yeah, I was taking pictures of the views around me - so I was justifiably surprised when we parked up and I went through the pics, only to see myself and someone or something else right next to me. Had I inadvertedly engaged in some kind of trick photography? Is it even possible to achieve such a look by just pointing and shooting from a digital camera, without having access to Photoshop etc at the time?
Once at home I uploaded the picture to my computer and was disappointed to see that it was pretty much a black square with nothing else. Then I opened it in Photoshop and adjusted the brightness, and sure enough the faces came into view:
That definitely looks like me on the left, going by the dark blonde fringe. Initially I thought it was James on the left joined to my face, but 1) he was driving a car at the time and 2) he wears glasses. Whatever is depicted in the picture is not wearing glasses. James has been freaked out over the image ever since it was discovered, but I'm not scared - I'm sure there is some rational explanation behind this and that's one of the reasons I'm putting it up at PSGR. I would put it up at the NZ Ghosts forum but the last time I shared a picture I was accused of being a druggie and evil spirit invoker, so I think I'll leave it :P I guess that's what happens when a sceptic who doesn't even believe seems to get all the ghostly action and actual 'believers' and 'psychics' get absolutely nothing apart from outlandish theories and zero images. Man, if humankind was stripped of the jealousy trait then surely the world would be a better place.
Using the image above, I then brought up the contrast, to get this:
The faces look quite solid...and who is the face on 'my' left? What is it? If that is in fact me on the right, I seem to look lost...frightened maybe, worried. Whatever it is on the left looks pretty evil and cunning...no doubt from a believers' point of view it means my life is in danger or something bad is going to happen to me. All I can say is I hope I get a new Macbook before this happens....I need a new computer sooo bad and I'm not letting any badass demonic fucks get in my way. Dammit.
If you'd like to view the original image, click here. (Large file alert.)
Also, if you'd like to view some additional images from my night at the cemetery then click here to view the actual article in the Scribbles section. (You'll need to scroll down to the bottom of the page.)
Sorry I haven't been online lately, was in Wellington last week for three job interviews that I didn't bother turning up to since I came down with the flu. One of them was a phone interview with AMP, and I hung up on them after they asked me to describe a time when I'd gone above and beyond the call of duty in a job. I was too sick to make up bullshit on the spot. Hope I get well soon, can't get a new computer without getting a job first. My nose is so fucking red from all the bloody honking -- Rudolph styles. Rudolphillips if you will....or Rhiannon the Rhivolutionary Red Nosed Rhitard.
That is sooooooooo fetch.