Wednesday, November 6, 2013

New vs. Old- Dark Shadows; my critique.

Okay... Antique Mystique, where's the photo of Depp as "Barnabas"? Please, I don’t want to post one. First, I won't bash or toss the DVD disc around like a hockey puck. I admit it: I bought a copy of this movie. Clearly, I was never a Tim Burton fan to begin with, but didn’t want to judge this movie by its ending I watched on Youtube recently. Secondly, I'm not even near a baby boomer’s age, either. And third, it would sadly mark Jonathan Frid’s final cameo appearance alongside his fellow co-stars from the original TV show. I won't knock Johnny Depp (the actor). I remember him from the late eighties show, 21 Jump Street. But whatever became of Depp telling the late Dan Curtis he'd always been a fan of the TV series and wanted so much collaborate with him on a new movie? All I heard Depp mention was to the effect of, "I wanted to do an old-fashioned vampire film with Tim Burton." In the behind-the-scenes interview is Dan Curtis fondly mentioned (posthumously) during the filming of this Tim Burton movie? I heard no mention of the late director’s name nor that of the original show's cast/ crew. I think the new Dark Shadows movie was a comedy and way too explicit with some awkward 'use your imagination' segments between Dr. Hoffman and Barnabas. That, and the actress who portrayed Julia's character just trashed it. What is she in the new movie exactly: a medical doctor or psychologist? And when did Julia Hoffman become a raging alcoholic and suffer daily hangovers? If I were a parent… (I’m not, but let’s see this from a ‘parental perspective’), then would I let junior watch this new movie? Not exactly. I'd much rather they enrich their literary diet with the slew of old Marilyn Ross paperbacks and Gold Key comics, then let them make the decision if they wanted to watch the 1970 MGM House of Dark Shadows and the original MPI vhs series. Then I must be from some foreign universe where I don't grasp that nothing is too extreme in movies nowadays. Not really. Whatever became of a small trickle of blood from the corner of the mouth or two small punctures on the neck? And what happened to a normal well-groomed vampire who didn't have elongated talon-like fingernails through the entire movie? Well, I am thankful for one thing: Barnabas (Depp) didn’t sparkle like Ed-weird-o did in Twilight. Moving along… The pros of the Tim Burton movie: 1. A handful of the original TV show cast members made their last on-screen cameo appearances together as they waltz through the doors of Collinwood, of which was an elaborate stage set. 2. The interior (and recreation of the early 70's decade) seemed about accurate for the time period. 3. Some of the key characters in this new movie were loosely based on the Gothic TV show’s counterparts. 4. The exterior of Collinwood looked like a carbon copy of the TV show’s depiction. 5. Alice Cooper helped flesh out the movie and made it worth watching as well. 6: The ending was a new twist with a lot of possibilities. I did find the ending poignant and unique. However, I could very well envision this scene belonging to Jonathan Frid and Kathryn Leigh Scott forty-three years ago, but the technological advancements and new computer-generated special effects weren't readily viable when the TV show aired and then the movie House of Dark Shadows was released in 1970. If Dan Curtis had the newer technological elements at his disposal back then, the possibilities would have been visually stunning. However, movie-goers nowadays might consider House of Dark Shadows a laugh-fest much like the original Halloween movie is to groups of college-aged kids who think Saw and its sequels are top notch horror films. I find the movie Saw and its sequels to be overtly grotesque, but that’s just my opinion. The cons I had about the Tim Burton Dark Shadows movie: 1. Barnabas' arrival in America is too fast-paced and the transitions don’t flow quite right. As a young man Barnabas’ all-too-brief love scene with Angelique is missing a lot of key elements. Whether this was Burton’s intention or not is anybody’s guess. Angelique curses Barnabas over a bubbling cauldron with a lock of blonde hair because Josette comes from a wealthy family, I assume? There’s no mention that Angelique came from Martinique or that she was the maidservant to Josette DuPres. The bubbling cauldron reminded me of a Grimm’s fairytale-style. 2. Unlike the new movie’s depiction, the veteran Barnabas didn't leap off Widow's Hill, hit the jagged rocks below and… ta-da! miraculously rise from the waves as a vampire. That’s Tim Burton pulling a rabbit out of a hat trick, I guess. This particular scene in the new movie made Angelique out to be a witch that just graduated with her degree in witchcraft. 3. Barnabas (Depp), had a need to show off his prowess and claw up the banisters and moldings. Too much claw action reminded me of a feral kitten. 4. Barnabas (Depp) did his best acting in terms of a man straight out of the 1790’s. However, his over use of the old English language annoyed me by movie’s end. 5. Barnabas (Depp), constantly made references to Victoria’s fertile birthing hips every chance the line could be reiterated. And why would he need to run to Carolyn asking for the fifteen-year-old’s advice on how to date a woman by 1972’s standards? Despite the humorous line of “Only fifteen and no husband?” the rest was kind of awkward. 6. Barnabas (Depp) sleeping in the linen closet, plus admitting to the modern-day Collins’ that he’s a vampire just simply killed whatever mystique this movie had going for it. I’m sorry, but Depp gets a few points docked, no offense. 7. When/ where does Josette’s ghost/spirit begin to possess Maggie Evans/Victoria Winters in the new movie? All the movie-goers notice by the end is her sudden change from mortal to doe-eyed, pasty white vampire during her fall off Widow’s Hill and Barnabas swoops to her rescue and bites her. Next, Barnabas clutches her to him amid the crashing waves, jagged rocks and kisses her lips. One would think by now the waves would have washed off the trickles of blood and they’d want to cut out of there before the sun dotted the horizon, but nope. 8. Why bother? I won’t mention the cliff hanger. Just buy/ rent the movie. Now for the original series and why it enthralled, terrified and captivated: On the TV show during the 1795 storyline Barnabas shoots Angelique, and before she dies, places a curse on him and whoever loves him, dies. Then a vampire bat crashes through the window and bites him on the neck. Barnabas suffers a terrible bed-ridden illness as a result, then rises again as a vampire. He returns for his beloved Josette, but having already seen a ghastly vision of what she'll become if she tries to be with Barnabas (now a vampire), she flees to Widow's Hill, and just as Barnabas tries to desperately intervene, throws herself off the cliff and dies a horrible painful death. Josette doesn't rise a vampire or become reincarnated as Maggie Evans/Victoria Winters on the show. In fact, this is where the new movie plot was confusing. 3. The new movie veered off into left field here and there. The TV show dared to push the envelope with what could be allowed to be aired on TV. True, on the TV series, Barnabas and Dr. Hoffman *might* have had the potential of an unrequited romance, but never in the Tim Burton vein (pardon the pun). The new movie is geared for a Twilight-infused generation full of tweens and young adults. However, on the other side of the fence, there are the baby boomer die hard DS fans, and lumped in with them are the displaced 80's generation who discovered this 60’s Gothic soap opera in syndication land. Then throw in a scant few early 90's born generation of nineteen and twenty-somethings that found the original show by happenstance on Sci-Fy.(I guess the old “Sci-Fi” network has long since changed), and thus it becomes one big eclectic mix that walk away from the new movie with confusion and misinterpretation of the origins of Maggie Evans and Victoria Winters. The soon-to-be governess didn’t glance at a skiing poster on the train, and decide on a whim, that her new identity would be “Victoria Winters”. The real Victoria Winters (from the TV show): Alexandra Moltke played Victoria Winters. She didn’t suffer from multiple personality disorder as the 2012 Maggie Evans/ Victoria Winters/ Josette DuPres does in the new movie. Victoria Winters (Moltke) was not reincarnated as Josette, although Barnabas did slip into her room at night, prepared to bite her. However, once he discovered Maggie Evans, the Collinsport waitress, he was instantly taken by her. He kidnaps Maggie and holds her captive at first in Josette’s bedroom of the old house, then imprisons her in the basement. Barnabas (Frid) tries to break her will and hypnotize her into believing she is his long-lost love, Josette DuPres, but with ghostly help of Barnabas’ long deceased sister, Maggie’s able to break free and later is confined to Windcliff sanitarium. At best, the new movie’s flashback of Maggie Evans/Victoria’s secret past where she’s committed to a padded cell as a girl in a kid-sized straight jacket is strange. Sure, her parents think their little Maggie… err, I mean Vicky Winters is a nut cluster because she has a sixth sense and can see/ talk to ghosts? This part of the movie confused me. Then again maybe I missed something and wasn't paying attention. So the parents have their child committed to an insane asylum because she’s talking descriptively about seeing a ghost? This segment reminded me of the Sixth Sense where the boy can see dead people. As for the younger generation they won’t know that on the TV show, Windcliff sanatorium is where Dr. Julia Hoffman worked when she wasn’t helping to cure Barnabas of his vampirism. On a related note: the younger generation won’t know that Alice Cooper’s Ballad of Dwight Fry somehow correlates with the 1931 Dracula’s all-time classic insect-eating lunatic, Renfield played by character actor Dwight Frye for that matter. On the original TV Dark Shadows series (1966-71), 1,225 episodes: The introduction of Barnabas Collins was creepy, simply put. He was sadistic in the early part of the show, then became a tragic romantic hero of sorts and the audience fell in love with him, sympathized with his situations and struggles. Barnabas Collins (Frid) was supposed to meet an early demise on the show and be staked off camera. However, the concept of a vampire living in a modern world was something new, exciting and unexplored in the 1960’s. Also, take into consideration there was the Vietnam war, social and economic unrest in modern society at the time. The country was going through a vast dark period. People needed an escape and Dan Curtis offered that every weekday afternoon on TV. When Jonathan Frid would flash his fangs before he bit on camera was also a very new concept that drove the ratings through the roof. Jonathan Frid received large volumes of fan mail as a result as did many in the cast. Barnabas quickly became one of America’s favorite ghouls. However, he was also typecast to play vampire roles, which severely crippled his versatility as an actor. On the TV show when Barnabas is accidentally released from his chained coffin by drifter, Willie Loomis, he’s the first victim and becomes Barnabas’ slave. In the black and white episodes (before the show transcended to color which was a brand new medium at the time), was far more atmospheric, aesthetic and spooky! Try watching the series in the dark sometime preferably when there’s a thunderstorm. In color, the show takes on new appeal, and the differences of Barnabas’ complexion are noticeable when he’s a vampire and when he’s cured. Depp’s Barnabas stood out like a sore thumb and he didn’t try to blend in with modern day society. Barnabas (Frid) didn’t poke his nose into the Collins’ family fishing business much less was hardly ever seen during the day at all. Staying true to the literary vampire folklore made Frid’s Barnabas eerie. What I liked: no claws. None. No pasty-white or over the top painted blood red-lips. I realize for the movie, heavy makeup was in order and so was the emphasis on the blood that didn’t readily rinse clean, either. Willie Loomis was lazy and too mellow in the new movie. On the show, poor Willie Loomis was timid and tormented something fierce by Barnabas (made equally graphic in House of Dark Shadows). The TV show’s Willie Loomis (Karlen) wasn’t out for laughs. In fact, it made one feel pity for the drifter, who was forced into being Barnabas’ slave. Dr. Julia Hoffman (Hall) was constantly trying to help Barnabas and more of his ally as the show progressed and they became central characters. She was not out to become a vampire herself or try to breech the patient/doctor code of ethics in any abhorrent manner like what was depicted in the new movie. Their TV show chemistry clicked, no doubt. The new movie’s characters seemed too Scooby-Doo-ish and veer off in a drive-in double-feature vein. Carolyn is a werewolf in the new movie. Whereas, Carolyn (Barrett) was nothing more than a typical rebellious young lady on the TV show and she didn’t change into a wolf and howl at the moon. Claws, claws, claws—- enough with the shredding already. Thank goodness, Carolyn (Barrett) wasn’t cursed with lycanthropy on the show or in House of Dark Shadows, either. Reverend Trask would have been a good pick for the new movie or how about Professor Stokes? They were hell bent on seeing Barnabas die. But… time is money and the movie can’t be two or three hours long. Maybe it can be made up in the sequel if there’s one for the new Dark Shadows movie. Enough said, for now anyway.

Sunday, October 27, 2013

Porkchop 2004-June 28, 2005

The kitten who beat all odds wormed his little furry self into our hearts at two weeks old during a harsh winter in 2004. His time was all too brief. A year later on June 19, 2005 Porkchop sadly lost his life while trying to cross the street. He'd never come home to a dinner of cut up chicken and dry cat food waiting for him on the back porch.

Tuesday, October 15, 2013

Doll collecting.

I've been collecting dolls since I was ten years old, give or take a few years. Long before the internet, I'd check out the latest edition of Doll World magazine, always skimming the fascinating articles, pictures and collector's stories of what inspired them to collect dolls. Shirley Temple didn't appeal to me, but do recall I read and noticed more pictures and stories of that particular doll than any other. She was a famous child star, and one that was way before my time. That's pretty much all I grasped about her as a kid growing up. Ever since my mom had told me about the dolls she had as a girl, which were quite impressive: Thumbelina, Suzy Smart and Chatty Cathy, I was on a mission to find those particular dolls. As luck would have it, mom and I stopped in a corner junk store late one evening. Rushed as usual mom reminded me, "Don't take forever in a day looking at stuff." Mom had worked all day long and she still needed to make supper, get a load of laundry in the wash, plus make sure we kids were tucked in on time during the school week. One man's junk is another man's treasure... I often heard the adage quite frequently. And there she was sitting on the shelf, a pitiful sight of a Chatty Cathy doll, circa 1950's and hardly any blonde hair left on its head. I pointed out the doll to my mom, who couldn't believe what I just discovered. The price was expensive. $10 for a non-working doll. Mom didn't want to tell me it would have been a waste of money and back in the late 80s, ten dollars was a considerable sum for an old doll. And why should I get a doll and leave out my other siblings? Did I do anything special to deserve this particular doll other than flash my puppy dog eyes? My mom glanced at the old lady behind the counter, who appeared as though she would chew iron and spit nails. And would she even consider doing any less on the doll? I prepared my little mind that the old lady would like snap at me like a grouch and holler, "No!" Instead, I was quite surprised when my mom haggled on the price and we got out of there with my first true "antique" doll for $5. I was overjoyed and have one photo of that very doll. The image is blurry. The doll in the green dress is unknown.
I pretty much gravitated to dolls that were banged up, well played with and so worn out that no collector could possibly want to proudly display them in their great ancestor's hand-me-down Curio cabinet. My young eyes saw potential, not in dollar signs so much, but from a personal restoration and appreciation stand point. With my eldest brother's help, he tried to fix the first Chatty Cathy doll in my collection and I looked on as his personal assistant. However, neither of us could make out the garbled messages the doll was suppose to rattle off. In fact, this remained a mystery to me until I purchased a third Cathy Cathy doll from a thrift store some twenty-five years later that still talks when the string is pulled. The first doll lot I won from an eBay seller was for $8. The dolls weren't antique, per se, just vintage or old by a few years and one in particular I adored. She wasn't very tall, maybe about fifteen inches, with pale white parian-like head, arms and legs, blue dress and long straight blonde hair. Her eyes were dark blue and I recall that it creeped out my better half, so I stored them in the garage. My doll collection grew, waned and I downsized considerably. My primary focus was on the dolls that came before the 1930's whenever possible, although a few of my bed dolls might date around that time frame. I seem to like the older antique dolls, circa 1890's-1900's the best. I don't have any celluloid-made dolls in my collection. The reason for this is because celluloid was comprised of camphor and nitrate, and if subjected to extremely high temperatures for long periods or heat, can combust. Here in the U.S., celluloid dolls were banned in the 1940's due to the volatile nature of the chemicals. Do I have anything against dolls post-1930s? None at all. They just don't appeal to me (collector-wise) too much nowadays. Oil cloth dolls; are they worth the investment? Sure. However, conditions vary from excellent, fair and poor condition due to their age. I have one Harold Lloyd oil cloth doll that was given the nickname, "small fry" and he's been out-beaten by a small and fragile rival: a ten-inch low brow China head doll. She's no bigger than a modern Barbie doll by comparison. I recently came upon another large China doll head for $4. I also snapped up a random 1970's bisque jointed, cloth-bodied doll and utilized that for my first doll repair. The bisque head from the other doll will go up for auction in the near future. And this is how my first large China head doll turned out:
The big low brow China head doll donning a fashionable 1970's brown dress. The other China head doll is unmarked as well. Most of these China head dolls were produced in Germany. Some had marks: "Pat. Applied for... Germany". Other had "Germany 6 ", for example and others, like mine, have no identifiable maker's mark other than the pock-marked appearance of the glaze, rosy apple cheeks, painted on imperfections on the China head, etc. The blonde-haired "pet name" China Head doll, "Helen" was likely produced in 1905, give or take a few years. As far as I know, neither doll has its original cloth body or limbs, which makes them special, in my opinion. The "girls" are crowded. I didn't want these bed dolls to be accidentally knocked off the sofa, bed or any other everyday furniture. Sure, it means more to dust and work to tend to these beauties, but they're worth it. As my late Great-Grandmother told me, "Do you want my bed doll? She's old and very beautiful." Indeed, she is!
And she scared the pants off me when I received her in person. I didn't know what a bed doll was at the time. All I remember seeing were Great Grandmother's Kewpie dolls donning crocheted doll dresses. It took me some time to alculmate to the bed doll, during which time it didn't long for the composition to crack like an eggshell. I didn't bother to restore her nor do I intend to. Some dolls were meant to be left undisturbed by "miracle" do-it-yourself composition repair that was, for a while, a hot commodity. I've since learned that the composition material is highly sensitive to temperature fluctuations. If its too dry or too humid, this reeks havoc on composition dolls. I've since acquired a few more bed dolls from other relatives. The composition material crazing varies from each doll, which is to be expected, given over time where (and how) these dolls might have been stored. And I'm well aware that basements and attics are no-no's for composition dolls. This will do harm to their features. However, sometimes people just have to make do where they live; be it basement dwelling or a glorious attic room. I've been asked, How do you sleep at night with these dolls in the same room? I'm not spooked by the bed doll anymore nor any of the other dolls in my collection. I have heard stories (be true or embellished) of the all-too-familiar, "Haunted doll" being sold on online auction sites. However, the market has been over-saturated with so many haunted dolls that it's lost its luster. So, how much is too many dolls? Dolls can over-run a small space in no time like anything else and I'd recommend no more than can be displayed in a single curio cabinet; two or three if one has enough room for that many cabinets. And I did save the best doll for last. (Drum roll, please)...
What is it? It's a tin head doll, produced anywhere from 1800s-1930, by Buschow & Beck, a German company. These dolls are also known as "Minerva" or tin head dolls. They were more durable that China head dolls and bisque. However, since these doll heads were made from pressed tin, most of their painted features have flaked and chipped over time. One interesting thing about these particular tin head dolls were their body styles. Think of it like designing your own car. The tin head could vary in style with painted on features, glass eyes, or a mohair wig. Other features also included a custom-made body. These dolls were also sold through Sears Roebuck mail order catalogs, too. What makes them fragile: the paint and when it was applied didn't fair well over time. Some of the faces have rust, missing almost all their original paint and this was the first tin head doll I had ever laid eyes on. What's with its oven-mitt sized hands? The all cloth body was likely custom-designed back in the day. And don't ask what child wanted their doll to have large cloth hands. As far as I can tell through a visual inspection, the doll appears to be complete with no added Frankenstein limbs. The head is stamped in front and back. However, due to the chipped paint, it is difficult to tell if this tin head doll was produced by Buschow & Beck. The shoes are definitely fragile and the leather soles are paper consistency. The black stockings are excellent for their age and the gray jumper is in good condition (appears to be machine sewed). It was attached with a tiny brass antique doll safety pin with an etched design. I removed the pin and put it away. It sure gives a new name to "metal head".

Sunday, September 29, 2013

Book Giveaway_ Good Reads

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Betrayed by Wodke Hawkinson

Betrayed

by Wodke Hawkinson

Giveaway ends October 25, 2013.

See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter to win

Saturday, August 10, 2013

The Sonora phonograph; it's a far cry from sounding clear as a bell.

It's a Sonora antique phonograph, currently still in the soon-to-be-repaired process, I hope. What very little information I could find on this particular machine, other than the company's existence and who manufactured them, was a man named John Herzog. The Sonora phonograph company was founded in 1913 and closed in 1930. Sonora was a Swiss-American company that jumped on the phonograph bandwagon when these mechanical phonographs were still in their infancy. Slogans such as "Clear as a bell" was one such trademark on their phonographs and 78 records. On the phonograph lid is stenciled with a water slide decal: "Panama-Pacific International Exposition 1915". However, this is extremely vague information to go on. I did research on the information found on the tag affixed to the phonograph located under the turntable and ran into a dead end since there were literally tons of different Sonora phonograph models in production. The most common to see are the "baby grand" style with bulging sides and intricate wood grille. Those particular phonographs are more desirable in my opinion, but nothing like the one I turned up by happenstance. So, for a trade and $27; this Sonora found a new home in the garage for the present time.

The critical issues:
The double mainsprings. These are imperative to get repaired by a professional, of which, I'm not and don't claim to be, either. Until these are repaired, this phonograph won't spin any 78's.
The reproducer or "sound box", the mica diaphragm will need to be replaced and a new gasket o-ring installed to achieve maximum sound quality.

The important little items: The cabinet screws. I'm not complaining that I potentially got myself into a project that will take months perhaps to complete, but for the life of this little phonograph; what became of those tiny screws and main board bolts? This might take a trip to my nearest hardware store to find replacement screws.

Oh, and the lid will require a hinge, screws and bracket arm to hold the lid in place when its raised. I'll get on that as soon as humanly possible.

So was the trade worth it? The main components are present, so yeah. The rest, I believe, will be easy to put back together.
What are those marks on the turntable felt? They appear to be mud dauber residue. In fact, the machine was covered on the inside with similar residue in the speaker as well. Well, given this little phonograph's extremely vague provenance, and the state of this cabinet, it required a good thorough cleaning with a gentle solution of bleach, mild dish soap and water. The turntable felt wasn't cleaned. The main components of this phonograph are nickle-plated and polished up good considering the age of the phonograph. The "After pictures" will be posted as soon as this project is complete.

Update: Well, it's bad. The teeth are cupped in. The fibre gears are damaged, the mainsprings were jammed and one of them does appear to be broke. Will I decide to keep this particular phonograph? I will have to hear how it plays, and if it plays "clear as a bell" as the advertisement proclaims, then yes, I might consider keeping it even though its a low end model. After all that gets done, then the hard part comes in: how to recreate a wood grill like it once originally had. That's another project saved for another day. Oct. 7, 2013- No two Sonora phonographs are alike I'm finding out and its frustrating. I have found no other low end model like mine (pictured above)anywhere on the Internet. I have seen some that 'appear' to be a close runner up. And what I erroneously thought were two screw holes for a metal plate where the lid support goes might be inaccurate. So what, if anything, do those screw holes represent? Likely nothing more than decoration that serves no actual purpose. After this fiasco with Sonora, no more foreign antiques. Trying to find the correct part for them is like cramming an engine from a 76' Datsun into a 58' Ford Edsel, for example. This is still a work in progress, by the way. Oct. 24, 2013- The Sonora motor and parts had quite a journey! They traveled to the wrong address, and then re-routed to my current location. It's still a work in progress. Nov. 1, 2013- I fought, fussed, and gave it my all. But... The Sonora does not meet (or even exceed) my strict standards of quality. It doesn't even hold up to its slogan, 'Clear as a bell', either. Well, now if it wasn't for the flimsy design to play French Pathe 78's, it might have played a normal thin 78 Victor. Alas, I had to support the tone arm and the reproducer just to hear a whisper-quiet playback... uh-- nope. That just won't do. The reproducer will need to be professionally rebuilt, which can run into a sum of money. The reproducer had no way to support its own weight and down it struck the thin shellac record's surface and wobbled... and then skittered across the very beautiful "Hand in Hand Again" by Albert Campbell. Am I out what I sunk into it? Not entirely, but I won't blame anybody that doesn't want a cobbled together-- err, I mean, a fine Frankenstein sitting in their parlor just for looks. It does play, but it has to be one of the strangest phonographs I had ever tackled. I did give it my best effort, but the rest I will leave for some other time.

Thursday, June 27, 2013

Swag Bucks-- Is it legit or a waste of time?

It's legit, I guess. Swagbucks can only be redeemed for prizes and gift cards. Swagbucks aren't real money, but digital that can be spent in their online store. What do Swagbucks equal out to? One cent. Yep... so don't get all slap happy when you see that swag buck meter increase. It only means you likely spent thirty minutes to one, two, three or four hours of your life answering surveys that have very little to do with your honest opinion. When taking one of their survey's you might encounter this more often than not:

"We're Sorry You presently do not match the criteria for this survey. You may not have qualified for the following reasons:
  • Our sponsors are looking for specific demographic information
  • Our sponsors are researching a specific topic or product
  • The survey quotas may have been filled while you were taking the survey
Please click on the Take Another Survey button below to try for another survey opportunity. We add and remove surveys constantly and our system will match you with another survey and will allow as many tries as you would like." 

Since I tried my hand at numerous surveys to earn 60 Swag bucks, I have received this notification every time I tried to complete one of their surveys.  I doubt the last reason has anything to do with it. It looks like excuses to me. Now, for the prizes. What does one get? A $5 gift card to Amazon or Wal Mart and a few other cards that may/ and or may not be in your geographical location, either. Some of the other gift cards were for shops/places/businesses that I never heard of, not even when searching the web.

If you want to make a penny here or there, then this place might be for you. If you dream of striking it rich with Swag bucks, it would take an awfully long time. I see that there "Scrabble cubes" game is constantly unavailable and to try again later. Need to fetch your password and have it re-sent to your email? They route you to a possible list of excuses as to why you never receive an email notification from them. Still in a pickle? You can contact their Worldwide (blah, blah, blah) site dot com and see if a customer representative will assist you.

Personally, I don't know of anyone (yet) that has had a lot of success on using this site. Oh, and a con about it: Ads are everywhere! Plus if one wants to earn even more swag bucks and get notifications in real time, they can download the Swag toolbar, which personally, looks like an invite for malware/spyware, etc. BUT-- that's just my personal opinion. Also, there is no option to uncheck a download source/ location that may look suspicious, so "Swagger" beware, when downloading their toolbars for IE, Chrome, and Fire Fox always be sure it comes from a trusted source, and if in doubt; don't.

Sick of all the polls that might bore you to tears? So far, I've tried researching several locations, businesses/residences in foreign countries. That's right, the polls/ and or surveys they wanted filled out revolve around cross-referencing (matching) addresses and individual's names/ addresses and whether or not their locale was in an industrial or residential setting from an image still they provide.

Honesty is the best policy, but...

I wouldn't give out my locale, address, name, age, birth date (hint, hint... this is a great way for identity thieves and phishing scams to potentially make off like a bandit with your personal info). Also, they're looking for brutally honest answers to their surveys and if you click very few or "none of the above" to any of the questions, you'll receive a notice that informs you, you are not who they're looking for to take their surveys. This happened to me every time I tried to take their surveys, and eventually, I gave up because I have more productive things to do than remained chained to my computer all day. However, if you like to earn stuff for less than a $1, then this site might be for you and those who don't mind earning a penny. Bottom line: keep your day job in the meantime.

The most difficult aspect I discovered about this site's surveys is that they wanted to know what brand of butter was used for making a Brazilian staple of out of corn, butter and some other ingredient and fried like a pancake. The survey will ask questions on the quality of the video and if the product "looked good". For folks who don't speak another language, this will be a challenge to even figure out what it is they're frying up. And don't think about it. The cut/copy and paste method aren't allowed, either.

Also, the "brand name" of the butter in the video is obscured, so guessing the name correctly, (and typing it in the field), will be next to impossible. All of the surveys I took today were in a foreign language that had no translation, so... I had to hand write every miniscule detail on paper and pull up Google translator in a new browser window just to figure out what they said/ made and used. Again, this site isn't for everybody and the games only work some of the time. My conclusion of Swag bucks: not bad if one likes to make a penny for extensive tedious hours of clacking the keys and clicking the mouse button for 8 pages of surveys just to find out, when one makes it to the end, no swag bucks= no reward, period.

Swag bucks gets the addiction going by enticing the player to add their credit card/debit, Paypal to buy digital swag bucks and tokens for games. Some games start as low as 88 cents. However, in order to enter to win their HUGE casino payouts, they want your full name, address, phone number, etc. so they can send you your check or deposit your winnings straight into your bank account, Paypal or credit card. The odds of striking it big with one of those hefty payouts is probably too good to be true.

Friday, June 14, 2013

The "pre-Home buying" experience. June 14, 2013



This is just my two cents worth of what it takes to make a huge investment when buying a home. I've discovered (early on, that is), that its great to be informed. Look around and don't "settle" for the cheapest house, either. Continue to do your homework and window shop if one likes. It never hurts to review many MSL listings (Multiple Service Listings) on realty sites. Take into consideration the property taxes that will be included in the house payment. And don't forget about the other utilities. Can one afford to heat the entire neighborhood during the winter and cool it in the summer? I exaggerated on that, but seriously, do thoroughly think about the overall costs of maintaining a house.

I've scheduled so many house tours, that it boggles my mind where to begin. In a nutshell: not all of the homes I've seen have been a palace (and it depends on the individual's definition of "palace").

On my first house tour, the home was straight out of the era I liked. However, the cosmetic issues slapped me upside the head with a heavy dose of home-sweet-home reality when I set foot inside. My eyes beheld a few issues right off the bat.
#1. The obvious: noticeable 'egg shell'-like crack in one of the walls. I neared to get a better visual inspection, then inquired why there would be a crack in a wall in the first place. Outside on the porch two spindly-appearing thin metal columns were holding up the weight of the roof over hang and may have contributed to the interior wall's condition as this house aged. It is extremely important to jot this down in a note book and keep it for future reference and that's what I did. Keeping meticulous notes no matter how detailed, will keep one better informed as they continue to make provisions on their first-time house buying effort. 

#2. Take into consideration why a home is priced so low in the first place and I'm not discussing HUD-owned properties in this regard, either. An FHA loan might cover this promising price-range. Yet again, there's another reason why homes are priced low. What zone is the house located in? If it is located in a flood zone (e.g. near a stream, pond, river, dam, etc), realtors should be upfront and explain why these particular homes are high-risk investments. Rivers can crest. Dams can burst, ponds can turn into Kevin Costner's Water World over night. A flash flood could happen and that goes for any natural disaster.

#3. Avoid purchasing "flood zone" homes if at all possible. There's extra home-owners insurance to tack on to the property taxes and utilities. Long before I ever left home I knew this as a good rule of thumb to follow and it never left my mind.

#4. Be aware of the neighborhood. How are the houses kept? Are the lawns mowed and weeds trimmed? Is the neighbor's backyard cluttered with junk cars, empty beer bottles? Is that old analog TV antenna the most eye-catching of all their lawn decorations? Or are the homes well-kept and the neighbors pride themselves on organization. Meticulous neighborhoods can speak volumes of the home's property value, which is why county assessments can vary.

#5. Location. Is it industrial or near a school? If it's near a school, freeway, highway, busy street, expect the property taxes to be high. If the house is in an industrial part of town that's old, then the taxes might be less including the monthly house payments, too.

#6. Get a "feel" for the homes you'll tour. When I mean feel; use your sense of touch, sight, hearing, smell, etc. If it feels like going in the basement produces a sudden inexplicable sense of overwhelming "dread", trust you're gut instinct. It might be first-time home-buying jitters. Then again, it could very well be your gut instinct is trying to tell you something's not right.

#7. Listen. Hone in your hearing for any strange noises.

#8. LOOK. Observe the basement's structure inside and out. Is the interior wall bowing? This is a sign of a weak structure and/ or damage be it human, nature or otherwise. Is there any evidence of pets/rodents/ bug infestations present? Dry rot could be mistaken for such, at first glance. However, if there's a large portion missing from the front porch wood column and near black in appearance, don't blame it on Hansel or Gretel. If this was a real Ginger Bread house, they would have finished it off long ago. Be nervous, especially since its a two-story late 1800's home and all of the bedrooms are upstairs. Observe the shape of the floors in the upstairs. Are they sound, level and feel okay under your feet? Or does your body prepare to go down with the ship at any given moment? If so, this could possibly indicate MAJOR structural problems. The view of the decking from the bedroom window is discerning at best. Why are the roofing shingles flapping around instead of being nailed down? Did the previous foreclosed home owner do this act deliberately or would it be passed off as a cosmetic issue to the next prospective home buyer.

And oh yes, there's a dead man in the basement. The floor board in the dining room looks a little... err, out of proportion with the rest of the floor. In the basement the house jack wasn't installed properly, which is why the dining room floors popped out of alignment.

The basement smells of mildew or mold... again, this might even reveal the presence of "black mold", which can make a person very ill if not eliminated. Standing water, leaky pipes, and almost in nine cases out of ten, the upstairs plumbing WILL leak and cause more structural damage if not fixed properly. I haven't lived in a two-story two-bath house yet that hasn't sprung a leak at least once in its lifetime or it had its share of past landlords that did repairs on the cheap as a temporary fix. Check the fuse box. Are there pennies behind the sockets? If so, this was a very old-fashioned remedy that never really helped fix the problem. How's the electrical wires? Are they the antique porcelain insulator knob and cloth cord type? These were very prevalent, especially in older homes around the turn of the 20th century throughout the 80's, to my first hand experience having lived in such old homes growing up. And DON'T touch those old exposed wires (if the power's on), less you'll receive the shock of your life or far worse. If the home isn't up to code, an inspector will tell you this and so will the realtor and it should be listed on the disclosure form if its known. However, a loan may not go through until this updated electricity issue is addressed by the individual seller or bank that's selling the home "as-is". Then again, the prospective home-buyer may have to pay to have an electrician come in and get the electrical wiring up to code.

#9 Forty-seven thousand is asking a bit much for that marvelous 19th century low hanging Edwardian era gas lamp/electric light fixture in the main room of the house. Are the squatters hiding in the basement part of the "as-is" package deal as well? All joking aside, if it appears that there's been squatters living in a foreclosed or REO (Real Estate Owned) home, be extremely leery. And just as a precaution, don't go in the dark basement and just assume that there's "live critters" down there of all kinds. The ceiling in the first floor bathroom has "strange-looking crumbly" insulation. That was just blown in newspaper or rotting cellulose material used way back in the old days to insulate a home. Depending on exact year the home was built, if its from the 1800's, non-remodeled kitchens might have a fresh air storage for perishables and non-perishable foods. Before refrigerators were commonplace, this is how people kept their food from spoiling. Therefore, if there's two (or more wall vents and fans made of rusty galvanized steel in the kitchen), this was likely used as an early refrigeration solution aside from the wooden ice boxes with drip pans underneath to catch the melting ice run off. Lack of cabinets doesn't mean that the previous homeowner never learned how to cook. Hosier cabinets were like a 'portable' kitchens with enough storage for pots, pans, spices and non-perishable foods.

There's a behemoth cast iron grate floor furnace/ register vent in the main level of the house. It's not a gateway to heck, so no need to worry. I can't fathom what ginormous heating contraption located in the basement must look like after sitting there silent and unfired up. I say "unfired" because it might have been a coal fed boiler, wood or a rotting asbestos-laden health hazard from a sight unseen speculation, of course. Aside from this and the junk strewn throughout this once beautiful three-bedroom house, it gave off farm house feel because it likely had been in its day. What I found extremely fascinating about this particular 1910 home, was that, given the modern junk, old expired jar of peanut butter and yard sale clothing scattered everywhere, the light fixtures were still present and original to their time period. Also, the downstairs window treatments were a story in themselves. It was rare that original scalloped-shaped window shades are ever present in old homes such as this. This was my second house tour of the day. The house itself really didn't call to me in any particular way, except the price was low and the time period it was built suited me. However, it was a home investment for a contractor more than anything.

"It was like stepping onto the Titanic and seeing how it once looked in all its glory," is how I best summed up this particular 1910 home's interior appeal. And sometimes you have to just stop and take a few minutes to "see" beyond the cinder block-water bed headboard set up in the upstairs bedroom to find this old home's Eastlake Bull's eye door moldings and other ancient gems of the past. The small closets with old wallpaper (each had different patterns) was charming as well.

Thus far, I've looked at more houses since then and always keep in my mind; if the price is low, it doesn't mean that the taxes won't eat one alive.









Monday, April 15, 2013

The real design idea for my fake country remained unfinished in a comic book.

It had to begin somewhere back in 1990-91. Therefore, my fake country was still in the storyboard phase in a comic book that my stepsister and I spoofed. 

Fake coins and postage stamp for my country. April 15, 2013

My fake coins
and postage stamp and how they might appear.

Fake map of my made up country. April 15, 2013

My fake map of my made up country and how it would appear.

My fake country's currency and flag. April 15, 2013

This is what my fake money (dollar bills) would look like. Again, this is just a rough draft version. I think my stepsister would be peeved if I smacked her image on a dollar. Also, there's my flag done in a non-mistakable construction worker orange and simple black and white rock n' roll gesture. The rock n' roll gesture was once touted by religious leaders back in the day as representing "666", the number of the Beast, or Satan, rather. Nowadays, it simply stands for "rock n' roll", of which, the late, great, Ronnie James DIO (Rainbow, Black Sabbath, Elf, DIO) made famous. Ronnie Dio claimed something to the effect in an interview years ago that his grandmother used to flash the horns at people to prevent the evil eye. So, there you have it, some interesting rock n' roll history behind the horns gesture.

Create your own country- Paragraph- Description of what my country would be like.

This a rough draft (outline, rather) of my fictional country and what it would be like. It's an oppressive place to live, somewhat. I actually thought of this idea way, way back in 1990 over a spat I had with my parents decision concerning rock/heavy metal music at the time. Please keep in mind, this is was purely going against their ultra-conservative 80's view points, and intended to be humorous. Enjoy! ;)



The U.S.E., ‘The un-democratic state of euphoria’ didn’t start out as the U.S.E. Once upon a time in 1390, two parties of serfs met at their kings boarders. There had been short rations in the Region of Ramen Noodles, and much civil unrest due to a ruling made by the Mean knight that prohibited certain types of heavy metal music. The Kansas Bluegrass Association ruled with an iron fist and this entire panel belonged to the Mean knight and whatever orders he barked at them, they carried out to the fullest extent of the oath they were sworn to uphold. Day and night they fought for a cause they believed in. There was a lot of unnecessary bickering, hand-to-hand combat and lack of communication. And thus it continued for centuries.  

Then in 1991 Haylie bought the entire U.S.E., appointed herself president, changed the name of the capitol to Haylieville, and bestowed upon herself the title of Mayor. Situated in the center of the continental United States, the U.S.E. is a landlocked country, an island of autocracy surrounded by a democratic republic. Her first act as President Mayor prohibited bluegrass music of any kind and all the residents were required to listen to the heavy metal sounds of Danzig, Metallica, Overkill, Anthrax, DIO and all the other bands that were once prohibited by the Mean knight. As her second act as Mayor President, Haylie forced the residents to wear black clothes, prune trees when they disobeyed and when they tried to escape over the fifty foot tall razor topped barbed wire fence that encompassed the entire land. Haylie’s third act as President Mayor was electing her ultra-awesome, misguided stepsister, Emil-Butt to act as her Chief Administrator. However, she also put in a clause in fine print that banned any KISS album from being played on their brand new state-of-the-art national public stereo system because she mistakenly thought the entire band was comprised of dummies who couldn’t play their own instruments. A rare exception was given to KISS’ late drummer, Eric Carr.

Being Chief Administrator wasn’t an easy job to undertake as Emil Butt soon found out. Emil Butt had to develop strong written and verbal skills to effectively help President Mayor Haylie implement all her new laws and sort out the senseless carnage that the Mean knight left behind once his reign of tyranny ended centuries ago. The whole battle of the bands was described as a duel to the death that was penned some centuries ago by Emil-Butt’s ancestor in a comic book depiction, yet her ancestor didn’t finish, leading some to believe that she was either captured by the opposing Bed knight’s army or purposely dropped off the face of the earth and didn’t want to be recognized.

The criminal justice system consists of President Mayor Haylie, who is judge, jury, jailer, and executioner. Interpretation of the law is subject to change based on President Mayor Haylie’s mood on any given day. Lawyers are not allowed in the courtroom. The defendants are appointed a heavy metal musician to represent their interests. The monetary system is unique, in which, all paper money that is printed is stamped with the rock n’ roll horns, a portrait of Haylie, and Haylieville’s new motto: “And Justice For All.” A near invisible magnetic strip is woven into the paper money in order to make counterfeiting impossible. Coins are stamped out of copper, aluminum, and melted down plastic Tupperware containers. No two Haylieville coins are exactly alike. Some contain misprints of the Mean’s knight’s coat of arms that resemble an acoustic guitar and scepter. Concerning trade agreements, President Mayor Haylie only allows business to be done with people who have shoulder-length or longer hair. Merchants are required to have their left ear pierced, and must wear tight-fitting jeans with holes in the knees. President Mayor Haylie is very strict about the dress code. On an unrelated note, President Mayor Haylie recently acquired all Aqua Net hairspray stock and has appointed herself chairman of the board.






Wednesday, April 3, 2013

Saturday, March 30, 2013

TDC447- March 30, 2013- Draw the best present you gave or received.

For the daily create March 30, 2013-

Draw the best present you gave or received, then post it on flickr. Here's mine:

 http://www.flickr.com/photos/antiquemystique/8605418578/


The best present I received is angelic and ethereal love and understanding.


Wednesday, March 27, 2013

TDC443- The Daily Create, March 27, 2013 posted Mar. 28th

http://tdc.ds106.us/writings/kolchak-the-night-stalker-in-search-of-ds106/


My Daily Create for March 27. Actually, I typed this and posted it on the 28th since I had an urgent assignment that was more important to me that doing a daily create. However, this daily create asked to re-write a movie scene, and since I couldn't think of any recent movies, I wanted to pay tribute to one of my favorite classic's that was directed by the late Dan Curtis (Dark Shadows creator). Therefore, I put Darren McGavin the role (and given the time era the made for TV movie debuted in the 70's), I thought would make for an interesting movie re-write of Kolchak The Night Stalker. I am a huge fan of Kolchak The Night Stalker series as well and not to be confused with Kojack. ;)


Kolchak: The Night Stalker/ In Search of ds106 –TDC443 March 27, 2013

Kolchak sits on his bed in a sleazy hotel room. With his portable tape recorder on, he dictates a strange case afflicting universities nationwide;

Kolchak (in the voice of Darren McGavin): “Instead of chasing down leads on a suspected vampire stalking the night on the Vegas Strip, my boss, Vincenzo, has sent me on assignment elsewhere that deals with a mysterious group calling themselves ds 106. Nothing within any cities infrastructures have been vandalized and no crimes have been committed. But just who is this ds 106 and why does “Cogdog” seem to be the ring leader? All ds 106 does is create art. Art out of what, you might ask? They call it digital storytelling and that’s all I know for now. I really should get back on the case of a supposed vampire that’s terrorizing the Vegas Strip, but my boss has ordered me to stay off that case until the nutcase is captured by police. I would just hinder their efforts. Oh, yes, and there’s a mysterious man calling himself Dr. Oblivion and he sounds like he might be in league with this vampire. I have yet to discover the truth…”



Sunday, March 24, 2013

Daily create for Mar. 23, 2013 posted Mar. 24.

Create a world of happiness for a fictional character that had little of it." Writing assignment for the daily create, March 23, 2013

Dawn was born into poverty to extremely hard working bare minimum wage-earning parents that strives to raise her right in a crazy world. In Dawn’s eyes, she wanted to go to a world where such strife didn’t exist; where people lived in harmony and didn’t worry where their next meal would come from. It would be a fairytale kingdom and Dawn and her family would live in a pristine castle hidden away in a forest. Her world would be filled with sunshine and roses. It would be a place where a person could fill their Eco-friendly car on raindrops and Skittles candy and not have to worry if the price of leaded and unleaded fuel went sky high in the slumping dark economy.

In Dawn’s world cuddly teddy bears would be her best friends and she would host tea parties with past and present celebrities of her choosing. Dawn is a gorgeous princess and her Prince Charming would sweep her off her feet and waltz her to Metallica’s “To Live is to Die”, but unlike that of the sweet instrumental intro in the song that cuts into frantic drumming and electric guitar solos, there would be no “Energizer bunny” playing to take away from the richness of the intro. A handsome man would dance her around the ballroom and others would take their cue and everybody in attendance would be dressed in their finest glad rags. Nobody would be excluded from having a fun time in Dawn’s happy world.

Dawn dreams of marrying a nice man someday, and in her world, it’s possible. When she has her coming out ball at twenty-one, many handsome suitors line up, but they have to go through the process of asking her father, the king. Dawn’s father will not care about inheriting land, or bother with luxurious frivolous possessions like a yacht, private beach, golf course, million- trillion dollar estate on a hillside or a private island in the tropics. Her handsome suitor need not be famous in Dawn’s world. He needn’t have pot of gold at the end of rainbow or come from a long defunct dynasty like that of the Roman Empire, for example.

Dawn will not care what her suitor’s occupation is in her world. He could be the shoe cobbler, blacksmith or mild-mannered peasant that tills her father’s land. And the man her father chose to marry his daughter would be chivalrous and manly. All Dawn’s father wants is for his daughter is to be well cared for and loved by a man who knows how to be good to a woman and treat her with dignity. – The End.

Thursday, March 21, 2013

Daily create for Mar. 21, 2013 Draw how waiting for something or someone makes you feel.

1tdc438mar2113 by antiquemystique
1tdc438mar2113, a photo by antiquemystique on Flickr.
Daily create for March 21, 2013. I had to colorize my drawing because the black and white version didn't show up good over on flickr.

Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Visual Writing Prompt-Daily Create, ds106 March 20, 2013

Aliens; are they real?

As for being visited by aliens from other planets? If we are, then the government sure wouldn’t inform the general masses. There’s a lot of interesting speculation about the murals depicted inside DIA that have overt alien overtones and other weird, disturbing imagery as well. In fact, there are rumored to be hidden underground tunnels/systems through the airport that nobody has access to, except for high levels of government. Could we be hiding aliens for mankind's personal pursuit of greater knowledge and meaning of life, per se?  Who knows.

Whatever became of the Voyager’s Golden phonograph record that was shot off into space back in 1977 with 55 different languages? From what I learned about that way back in grade school (and that was eons ago, by the way), that this particular record's intended purpose was to greet alien beings from other planets and invite them to planet earth.

So are aliens real or fake? Well, why would the government keep Roswell and Area 51 top secret for so many years? A downed weather balloon in 1947 was the explanation leading many to believe there was some sort of cover up about the Roswell incident and alien visitation. I think Orson Welles did a fascinating live radio drama when he stirred the imaginations and created mass-hysteria for a lot of Americans in New York and New Jersey on Oct. 30, 1938 when “War of the Words” debuted on the air. However, personally, I can't say for sure if aliens exist or not. 

I think all the Hollywood movies that depicted alien beings like Men in Black, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, E.T., and Walt Disney's "Flight of the Navigator" were awesome depictions of what could be and how aliens and humans interact. However, some of the technology displayed in those movies actually came to be now that we're in the twenty-first century. Take into consideration that Close Encounters of the Third Kind debuted in 1977, when computer technology still took up an entire room to operate and most of those computers had RAM and crunched numbers. E.T. debuted in 1982 and Flight of the Navigator came out in 1986. Even back then the entire "technologically advanced" theme was depicted well in these films, too. Men in Black was good as well, but the aliens depicted in that movie seemed a little too "Star Wars-ish" to be believable. I can't say whether aliens do exist or don't and can only go on what I've seen and read about them over the years. I'm not much of a Sci-fi "alien" buff, that's for sure.

Saturday, March 16, 2013

the daily create 432- superhero step-by-step. March 15, 2013

ds106 daily create 432

Background info:
Just because its spring break doesn't mean I will forgo doing the daily creates or blogging. When I noticed this daily create writing assignment I knew I had to write a tribute to a wonderful man and drummer, who was a 'true' superhero in my eyes anyway. Every KISS fan will have their favorite, but sometimes in the myth, hype and coming from an 80's era that was largely ultra-conservative with religion playing a large part in my young life back then, it was difficult to find a rock band with positive qualities. Sure, KISS had their heyday back in the 70's and they were infamous, but their 80's era was more tame and they weren't a party band anymore.

When I noticed a segment on ds106 to write a step-by-step manual to be a superhero, Eric Carr came to mind. Why? Because given that most of my peers are younger than me, they never heard of Eric Carr. I do have many wonderful memories from my pre-teen years when I first heard of KISS. I didn't listen to them on a compact disc although this relatively new format was fazing out LP's and cassette tapes by 1989. Most of my generation clung to their cassette tapes and LP's for dear life. As far as I knew I was the only girl in my generation that collected and listened to 8 track tapes as well.


What made Eric Carr stand out from the rest? He was genuine. From the many stories I heard about him over the years, fans that did get the chance to meet him in person reiterated the same thing; he was very approachable, down to earth,
hiliarous, kind, generous, thoughtful. I noticed immediately that he was one of those "one-of-a-kind" literal unknowns that strove hard to make his dreams come true. In doing so, he never put fame between him and his fans, which, for a rock star of his caliber, is unheard of. The trend in music during the late 80's was shifting to power ballad songs and many "here today, gone tomorrow" groups were being invented over night and slapped on the covers of Metal Edge magazine.

I sailed through my preteen years and hurdled New Kids On The Block like they had the plague. I followed KISS' journey through the pages of Metal Edge and RIP even though my reading comprehension was terrible by fifth-grade standards. In fact, I was failing in reading in school and wasn't keeping pace with my peers. Although I did put forth a good effort.

Eric Carr's image as well as Gene and Paul's and Bruce's was all over those magazines back then and this was long before the days of the internet, by the way. Hearing about music news used to take forever to hit newstands and if one didn't get MTV on cable, then print was the way to go back then.

I was attending an elementary school that I liked and my fifth grade peers were close to my same age. Some of them listened to heavy metal bands like Metallica and DIO and they never once chided me for listening to KISS. But it didn't last. I moved around quite a bit, lost contact with life long friends, and had to constantly re-adjust to each new move. This meant new schools, being transferred in the middle of the year, and eventually I wound up being the oldest in my class. The age difference didn't fly with some of my sixth grade peers. They were younger than me. I got relentlessly teased for listening to KISS back then and they considered them Satanic. However, I bet none of my elementary peers could crank out a five hundred word, double-spaced explanation as to why they thought KISS was Satanic other than the acroynms that still circulated.

The KISS I first saw in Metal Edge were average and basic. Sure, Eric Carr had huge long hair, and yes girls-- it was his real hair, too. Their grease-paint days were behind them even though there was a lot of discussion if they'd ever put that back on again. And Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons did don the makeup and costumes for the cover issue of RIP in June 1990, but that was about it.

All seemed to be good for a tour in 1989 and they just released their Hot In The Shade album that produced a highly requested radio hit, "Forever" and an MTV video as well. Unknown to fans at the time Eric Carr had one other song he wanted to put on the album aside from "Little Ceaser". "Somebody's Waiting" is hauntingly beautiful, especially since it was released posthumously twenty years later almost. I think it would have been a hit and cemented Eric Carr's
versility as an exceptional singer as well had it been allowed to go on the HITS album.

Eric Carr could probably be defined as a true superhero, of sorts. Not only did he try to save the lives of his fellow bandmates from a fire that broke out in Gullivar's restaurant/discotheque (pre-KISS days), he was also a genuine human being as well. His personality was right for KISS. He was also in the right place at the right time.

 After he was stricken with a rare form of heart cancer in 1991, word spread like wildfire through Metal Edge and other publications. By now I was fourteen, living in a new small one-horse town and everything seemed like a strange adjustment period, of sorts. I knew Eric Carr's illness was serious, but didn't realize at the time just how fast it would take him down. And since I didn't know what cancer was at fourteen, I didn't know how grave the situation was progressing. In retrospect, it was a surreal time back then not just for the music world, either. As a country we were at war with Iraq and coverage of that ran almost non-stop on the evening news.

Eric Carr shared his prognosis with his fans. It stunned me at the time because here's a man who was in good health the year before. I couldn't believe it because he was also a kid at heart, which is another reason why he identified with so many of the younger fans too. And every night I prayed for Eric Carr, a man that I never met and didn't know. I read about his remission in the magazines and he had gone through chemo, but never could imagine what happened when November 25, 1991 rolled around.

The day started out like any average day, but it wouldn't last. Later that evening I was watching MTV news when they reported the death of Eric Carr and my jaw hit the floor! And what about the band themselves, would they carry on or cease?

It didn't come out until a little while after Eric Carr's death that there was a lot of rumors flying around that he was fired on his death bed, forced to sign a resignation letter releasing him from his contract with KISS because there was a 5 % chance that he'd survive his terminal illness.

Eric Carr's death was overshadowed by Freddie Mercury, front man of Queen. They died on the same day.  Eric Carr was underrated as a drummer and the talents he possessed went beyond just being another rock star. He also had sideline projects and wanted to be a cartoonist according to Metal Madness magazine that interviewed him. He was the process of inking a deal with Hanna-Barbera to release his children's cartoon, "The Rock Heads", but he sadly passed away before seeing his dream become true. But, thanks to his family and friends, his "Rockheads" cartoon did appear as a comic book many years later.

Eric Carr also played several different instruments such as bass guitar, piano, harmonica, etc. But his vocals were scarcely heard on any of KISS' albums except for two songs "Little Ceaser" and a re-make of "Beth".  He deserved more recognition than KISS gave him.
Many fans that did get the chance to meet Eric Carr, received the impression that they'd been friends with him going way back a long time. He was extremely good with faces and names, of which, always surprised fans when they'd get the chance to see him again and he'd bring up something they spoke about. One thing that was very unique was that Eric Carr answered his fan mail, personalize messages, called fans on the phone and chatted with them for an hour. That's how much Eric Carr truly cared about his fans.

I saw Eric Singer on the back of a comic book for KISS' new debut album, "Revenge" and thought, "Who's that?" Eric Singer had had been a session drummer for Alice Cooper, Badlands, but it seemed off-kilter when he joined KISS after Eric Carr's death and I dropped the rock group like a hot potato after that.

Let's say that Eric Carr had beaten the odds and his cancer never returned, then I think he would have had a bright future awaiting him, perhaps form his own band, or some other band would have came along and snagged him because he was a multi-talented musician. And nowadays with the advent of the internet, Facebook, Myspace, IM services, Skype and email,  Eric Carr would likely be busy. And if he enjoyed online games, then he might have liked maintaining a virtual farm on FB, stopping by Yoville or having a ball in the Sims game. He'd probably also blog about his projects, and I don't know about podcasts, I'm sure he'd dust off some rare gems from his discotechque days and make those available if he had anything from his early days.

And what would Eric Carr's take be on the recent fad the Harlem Shake? He'd probably create a hiliarous version of it, no doubt.

Many years later journalist Greg Prato penned a book on Eric Carr's life: "The Eric Carr story" and it has to be one of the best books on the market in my personal opinion. It shows that Eric Carr struggled while being in the band that he loved so much. Even though this particular book jumps around a little bit in segments, it gives the reader a broader understanding of what went on behind the scenes, especially in Eric Carr's final days, as told by his long time girlfriend, Carrie Stevens, who knew him best as well as Eric's family and friends. I won't give away the entire book and do urge fans to buy a copy on Lulu and Amazon.

And now for my daily create (Whew!):

To be a True superhero rock star.


1. Be an average oven repairman by day. Continue to bash the drums by night in various bar bands and never give up hope that you’ll hit the big time.
2. You experience personal tragedy early on when a fire breaks out at one of the local area restaurant/ night clubs you’re playing at. You jump into action and try to save as many lives as possible from the raging inferno while totally disregarding your own personal safety in the process. However, before the days of the internet, your valiant actions don’t reach the greater masses until many years down the road.
3. Find out from a friend that a hugely successful rock group is auditioning for a new drummer.
4. When mailing off your resume and audition tape, make sure that you use a bright neon orange envelope to get the attention of the office worker who handles all incoming mail. That way it will get delivered it to the right person in the office.
5. Once contacted for an audition, your positive attitude and warm personality make all the difference. These qualifications, although extremely atypical of any new superhero rock star hopeful, are valuable assets that you’ll never lose.
6. Asking for “their” autograph is perfectly acceptable. Once you leave; the band may decide to try somebody else to fill the platform boots.
7. You play the waiting game and then comes the day you find out that you’ve been chosen out of 50-90 applicants vying for the same position.
8. Now pick a stage name, any name. Slap on the grease paint, pull on those platform boots and get ready to rock.
9. And please, for the love of God, DO NOT go out on stage looking like “Big Bird” on steroids because it won’t look good.
10. You’re a fox and you know it.
11. In the beginning carry dinner napkins on your person in case the pesky paparazzi try to take your photo whenever your in public and ruin your mystique.
12. Remember that “Kids are people too.”
13. You survived your first tour with the veteran superhero rock stars.
14. You’re the right man for the job and it takes a lot of guts to talk back to your new undercover agents.
15. Sparing a few minutes out of your hectic day to do radio interviews, sign autographs and chat with your fans shows you are a real humanitarian.
16. Super powers? Having a heart of gold and warm personality could make any nemesis cower in fear.
17. Real superheroes don’t need capes, shoot laser beams from the palm of their hands or fly faster than a speeding bullet. All you’ll need is pure inner strength.
18. Unmask in 1983 and go public on MTV.
19. Don’t press that internal “panic button” and think that the superhero rock band is finished or that your career has ended.
20. A superhero rock star will set good examples that other people can learn by.
21. Your time on earth is tragically cut short. However, your spirit lives on. You become a legend and inspire millions of your fans to follow their own dreams and goals and make them come true.