Friday, September 26, 2014

Five Horror Movie Gifs!

Spooky Friday!



Thursday, September 25, 2014

Five Awesome Pieces of Fanart

In my travels across the internet I've stumbled upon so weird stuff. So I'ma share. Enjoy!

5. Ralph and Emmet, together again for the first time.

Yarru noticed that two of the stars of Guardians of the Galaxy had incredibly popular voice over credits. Thus, this glorious crossover.

4. "I am Groot." "I'm a mean green mother from outer space"

seekyledraw created Baby Groot meeting Audry Two. Adorable!

3. Most Illogical

reapersun Made Spock a cat with human Kirk, and vice versa. LOVE Spock as a siamese. :D

2. Alas poor Krillin

Not even a Kamehameha can save Krillin from lisasscribbles's Slenderman.

1. Too beautiful for words, I tell ya hwut.
King of the Horror by ninjaink

I have been searching for this all my life and never knew it. I must posses this shirt.  IT WILL BE MINE!

Wednesday, September 24, 2014

The Constrictor

Yesterday was Sunday night. I've been on my new meds for a week. And as has become customary, I had a Sunday night anxiety attack.

It's like a constrictor is wrapped around me, from calves to the top of my head. Not so tight that I can't breathe, but there. And every loud noise, every startling sight, everything that sets of my flight-or-fight response makes it get a little tighter. If I played it cool, it would go much slower, but still there. Squeezing.

I took my pill and the constrictor loosened. My stomach hurt, but that was also due to drinking a cup of coffee that morning: a mistake I will not make any time soon. I was able to enjoy my Sunday night with my family.

On the ride home I felt sick. I don't know if it was the lateness of the hour, the constrictor, or the coffee. I do know that when I came home Bahamute snuggled me until I felt better. I slept well. No stress dreams, no waking at 7 and thinking about work. It was nice.

In twenty minutes I'll take my before work half-dose (I only ever take a half dose) and get through this day. I can't feel the constrictor yet. But I know it's there.

Tuesday, September 23, 2014

Five Scary quotes

I like horror. And with Halloween less than two months away, it's time to get down to business. Enjoy!

5. "Just because you’re paranoid doesn’t mean there isn’t an invisible demon about to eat your face." Jim Butcher, Storm Front (The Dresden Files, Book One)

This series is scary, but it's mostly an urban fantasy/mystery book. So this pithy bon mot is unexpected and unsettling. And, in Harry's case, often very true. In my case, the invisible demon either isn't very hungry, or I'm just careful enough with the bed covers to keep myself alive. Hooray!

4. "A person is smart. People are dumb, panicky dangerous animals and you know it. Fifteen hundred years ago everybody knew the Earth was the center of the universe. Five hundred years ago, everybody knew the Earth was flat, and fifteen minutes ago, you knew that humans were alone on this planet. Imagine what you'll know tomorrow." Agent K, Men in Black.

This quote comes up a lot in my daily life, and that scares the hell out of me. Over and over we see evidence that mob rule is leading us to ruin. And it's never going to get better. Never, never ever. Brr.

3. "Brundle: You have to leave now, and never come back here. Have you ever heard of insect politics? Neither have I. Insects... don't have politics. They're very... brutal. No compassion, no compromise. We can't trust the insect. I'd like to become the first... insect politician. Y'see, I'd like to, but... I'm afraid, uh...
Ronnie: I don't know what you're trying to say.
Brundle: I'm saying... I'm saying I - I'm an insect who dreamt he was a man and loved it. But now the dream is over... and the insect is awake.
Ronnie: No. no, Seth...
Brundle: I'm saying... I'll hurt you if you stay." The Fly, 1986

This is the last point in the movie where Seth Brundle (aka Brundlefly) is still human. After this scene he loses himself to the base animal instincts that drive the fly. Oh, traces of humanity remain: greed, violence, self preservation. But this is the final moment of clarity. The final moment where his soul and mind are still human enough to tell the woman he knows she has to flee.

There is only one moment that tops this, but it is unspoken. If you haven't seen The Fly , PLEASE do. Come over to my place, I'll watch it any time (except when Bahamute's around. He's got a thing about bugs).

2. " He's dead, honey, because Mommy killed him. I even took his knives. So it's okay now. You can sleep." Marge, A Nightmare on Elm Street

This is my all-time favorite horror movie. Freddy Kruger, the dream demon, played by the incomparable Robert Englund (though Jackie Earl Haley did the best he could with the material he had). And this quote gets to the heart of the matter. Parents driven to murder a child killer to protect their children.

And it doesn't work.

By murdering Freddy they have insured their children will die by his blades. Horrible, painful deaths. Their children's last moments are spent in fear and agony, and the thing they do to help, making them sleep, only hastens their deaths. And they don't even know. Double brr.


1. "In my opinion, the existence of life is a highly overrated phenomenon." Dr. Manhattan, Watchmen

This is a quote from a man who was given godlike powers of creation, ability to see into the future, telepathy: any super power you can think of, he has it. And he's been that way for less than 50 years. And he's already become jaded with not just humanity but the very concept of life.

In less than a human lifetime a normal human lost touch with everything. If that's not terrifying, I don't know what is. 

Monday, September 22, 2014

Five Things I'm hiding at work

Five things the boss man doesn't know about. Screw you, suits! I'm a rebel!

5. A piece of hard candy.


Just one. But that's one more than the man wants me to have.

4. Feminine products

Not quite.


They're in my office, just in case. And the boss will never know, unless he happens to look behind one specific box in a drawer! HAHAHA!

3. A book



Hey, sometimes it's slow or I need a little break. For those times, I have a book. It's hidden in my personal bag. Take THAT corporate culture!

2. A water bottle



I'm not supposed to have water sitting overnight in my office. No joke. Fuck that.

1. My disdain for my boss



To be fair, everyone else is hiding that too.

Friday, September 19, 2014

Morning Pinks

(Please note, this was written before the incident logs began, over a week ago.)

Sorry this isn't my usual fun gif roundup. I'll get back to that next week, promise.

Yesterday I went to the doctor for my work-related anxiety issues. I'd originally planned to go Friday, as my last blog stated, but Monday morning came, and so did an anxiety attack. My doctor was able to work me in. I told him about my feelings and physical symptoms. He was very kind, and it eased my mind.

I've been prescribed medication, and I'm talking it in half does, one before work, one the night before a work day (no Friday night doses, no Saturday dose at all, etc).

Even though I stayed home from work yesterday (Monday) I took my two half doses, so I could check the effects/calm down. I took a 2 hour nap with my husband (very unusual for me, I've been a crappy napper since childhood), and felt a little calmer, but that was about it. Today it's much of the same. I'm alert, but not rushing through my work.

I also haven't thrown up, wanted to cry, or otherwise freaked out.

This started almost the day I came to my new location, and it's gotten steadily worse. I can lay the blame squarely on my bosses shoulders (The Wiz). I need another job. I'm looking, but I will not quit this one until I have another position.

This is the only job I've ever has such issues at. I get along with everyone here, and I'm good at my job. I don't want to have to start again, but I can't stay on these pills forever. That idea scares me.

I feel calm. I don't know if that's the lingering effect of the pill (half dose should only equal 4 hours of relief, since a full dose is 8, right?) or just because I'm having an okay day.  I really don't know.

Here's a gif for your trouble. Back to the funny stuff soon. Promise.


Thursday, September 18, 2014

Morning Blues

I've developed a troubling pattern. I wake up at 7:00, an hour before I actually get up for work. I either lay in bed stressing about work and trying to think about anything else, or manager to fall asleep and have stress dreams. It only happens on days I have work, so I know that has to be why.

Today was a weird one. Not a nightmare per say, but not pleasant. I was at work, and it was Oscar night. And somehow, the Kodak theater (where the Oscars take place) was attached to the funeral home. Everyone else was leaving the office, and I was running around trying not to get caught watching the show on a TV from inside the funeral home.

My husband was working there too, and the funeral home turned into our home. I looked out the window and saw a huge procession of police cars go by: it had to be a funeral accompaniment. Mack pointed out how a young officer had been killed in a fireworks explosion, hadn't I known? I said no, and we watched the footage on TV. It was graphic.

To be fair, that bit about the cop is almost identical to something that happened in a book I'm reading. So I know its genesis at least.

While we watched the cars go by, someone started stomping around on the roof. Earth-shaking stomps. I watched the skylight, eventually seeing a friend of the family that often does handiwork and gets on our roof unexpectedly. I told Mack, and he calmed down.

Then the friend was in the house, explaining to me about how death wasn't so bad. With a random southern accent that he doesn't have in real life.

 Then I woke up.

I'm going to make a doctor's appointment for next Friday. He's only a general practitioner, but maybe I can get some anti-anxiety meds or what I actually want, a recommendation to visit another doctor who can actually help me. I'm sick of feeling/being sick every work day.

Wednesday, September 17, 2014

Incident Log 9/17

Time for an exciting horrifying new feature: a daily incident log of the hell that is my job. This is not meant for humor. This is an outlet, and a record for my own personal sanity. This log details incidents with my manager. Nobody else is listed as I LITERALLY HAVE NO FUCKING PROBLEMS WITH ANY OTHER COWORKER.

9/17/14


  • Told I had a ‘know it all’ attitude and wasn’t gelling with other employees. No examples were provided on how I was acting like a know it all. Told I “have to change the way you speak because you sound like a know it all.”
  • Tried to explain a problem with a task B.W. gave me, and got flustered as he was in a hurry. Was verbally reprimanded for repeating myself. Later when I was able to group my thoughts and explain why I was repeated myself and what the issue was I was told I needed to work on communication.
  • Given task to find out who posted a contract. When I said “I might not be able to get an answer by the end of the day, as B.C. and K.O. (coworkers) are out of the office for the rest of the week.” I was reprimanded for not giving a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ response.
  • When I announced I was leaving at 5, as is standard since I transfered to this location (I worked until 4:00 previously) B.W. told me I should have offered to stay and help as we were busy. I said “You just complained to Tim that you had to pay people to stay after five because he didn’t ask us for help earlier, so I assumed you wouldn’t want me to stay.” B.W responded by stating “You should have offered. I’m calling you on this, every time you pull this ‘Shayna Shit.’ It’s going to be unpleasant working with me for the next few weeks because I’m calling you on your ‘Shayna Shit’ every time.”
  • I said I’d offer to stay late when I could, but that wasn’t alway an option. He then told me “This isn’t a 9-5 job. I’ve never had an office manager scurry [my emphasis] out of here at five every day like you do. The others would offer to stay and help. I know you have rides arranged and plays, but you’ve got to prioritize.” I told him it was usually my disabled mother picking me up and I didn’t want her to wait in the car. I also said that I could often stay late, if I was able to plan it in advance.  He again dismissed this reasoning as ‘Shayna Shit.’  I told him I’d offer to stay late days I could, and got out.

This is my fucking day. And only after I started logging events. This barely scrapes the surface.

Five Favorite Grownup Animations


I was going to call these ‘adult animations’, but this isn’t Fritz the Cat. Just programs and movies either intended for adults or lost on kids.
From part of the creative team that brought you Futurama and The Simpsons comes The Critic: a show about Jay Sherman, a fat cranky film critic trying to find love and be a decent dad.
This isn’t anything special on its face. There’s dozens of like-minded sitcom premises. What sets The Critic apart are its characters and voice actors. The guy whose face gets torn off in Silence of the Lambs? He’s Jay’s crazy-fit boss. The stepdad Chucky hangs in Child’s Play 2? He’s a nonsense spouting father figure. The Brain? He’s Jay’s best friend.

These are your stars, folks.
Jay himself is of course voiced by the incomparable Jon Lovitz. This is by far my favorite thing he’s been in, including SNL. He’s perfect as an angry film reviewer, but also as a caring dad, a good boss, an adopted son, and every other emotion he has to play. Fine work.
Sadly, to see The Critic, you’ll have to shell out some dough (or borrow it from my brother in law Grizz). It would be a great addition to Netflix, but we can’t have everything.

Soul Eater is my latest anime obsession. It follows a group of students who go to a school where they learn to fight with/turn into weapons and harvest demon souls. And it’s run by Death. Who is a stich!
It’s got some classic anime ‘adult’ humor (nosebleeds when confronted with busty women, etc), but the themes of friendship and teamwork at very deep. This ain’t no Mighty Ducks or Big Green: if these kids fail, they will die.
The cast of characters is too big to recount, but the seven main kids are great. Three dimensional, and well acted. I’m especially a fan of Patty and Liz, sisters who become twin pistols wielded by Lord Death’s son, Death the Kid.
It’s hard to explain.
The animation is like Beetlejuice meets Spirited Away. It’s colorful and weird. The sun and moon both have faces. They’re…well.
That.
I haven’t read the manga, but I’ve heard nothing but good things. This is another one on Netflix, so it’s easy to find. Enjoy!

I did not want to like this show.
I saw the previews on Fox alongside The Simpsons and American Dad, and I was appalled. The animation was bizarre, the characters formulaic (ooh, a fat kid, a nerd, and a baby, hiya Griffen family!), and it just looked crappy.
I have never been so wrong.
Bob’s Burgers follows Bob Belcher and family as they try to make a go of their struggling family restaurant. The characters are complex and HYSTERICAL. Tina, the awkward teenage daughter, is one of the most realistic portrayals of a girl her age I’ve ever seen. In many ways I was that girl. It was crazy to see it onscreen.
Not in this way, though.

The voice talent is another draw. Bob (the dad) is Archer, his youngest daughter (Louise) is Cheryl Wassername, and who cares about the rest, ARCHER! There’s even a crossover episode of with Archer (sorta).
Give it a chance. You’ll be pleasantly surprised.
BoJack Horseman is the story of the titular man-horse: a washed up 90s sitcom star who has sunk into the depths of Hollywood’s vacuous void. His possible salvation comes in the form of Diane, a ghostwriter working on his autobiography.
What starts as a so-so comedy quickly becomes dark and serious. One episode had me in tears as BoJack comes to a painful realization: he is not a good person, and there may be no hope for him. It’s harsh and brilliant.
Other characters include his houseguest/moocher Todd (human), ex-girlfriend/current agent Princess Carolyn, (a pink cat), and Mr. Peanutbutter (Golden Retriever), another 90s star who is “too dumb to realize how miserable he should be” to quote BoJack.
So BoJack.

It’s one of the best shows I’ve seen in a long time, and has the voice talents of Will Arnett as BoJack, Aaron Paul as Todd, Patton Oswald as EVERYTHING and many other comedy alums. If you have Netflix, check it out: this baby’s exclusive!

Watership down is a book, a movie, and a Saturday morning cartoon. The cartoon is the closest thing to being kid friendly, but it’s still graphic.
The animated movie is a whole other animal. There’s blood, death, fighting, all graphic and very realistic. These rabbits suffer. It is an amazing journey. It’s like ‘Homeward Bound’ without the whiskey-voiced golden retrievers.
The voice talent is lacking in spots (not all actors are cut out for it), but I enjoy John Hurt as Fiver, a psychic rabbit who saves his brother and a few other members of his warren from death. His prophesies lead the rabbits to a new home, but the journey is fraught with danger. A lot of bunnies get killed.
This is slightly less bleak than the movie. Slightly.

This book is a favorite of mine, and the movie adaptation is very faithful. I love the art, especially in the opening segment where the rabbit’s mythology is explained. They have their own language, gods, and folklore. It’s a rich world. If you can stand blood and animal death (usually at the paws of other animals, no inhumane humans or anything), give it a go.

Tuesday, September 16, 2014

It's not so bad

I was going to post some stories about my family. Mostly my Mother, but some about my extended family. Stories that are not normal, or healthy. Stories about a parent making fun of their child, lying to them about their health, mocking them, and a family that goes along.

But the idea of writing these stories down and the information getting back to a member of said family is keeping me from doing so.

My family is mostly internet illiterate, but not totally. I'll post this on my Facebook as usual, but screened from kin. I can't risk it. I won't go home and get slapped around (the few times that was attempted I easily evaded the blows), but I cannot stomach the berating that could follow.

I'll tell stories in person, when the perpetrators aren't around. I'll put them online in places that can't be traced back to me. But I cannot recount them here. Not now.

Don't go thinking I was sexually molested or anything. Nothing like that. Just emotional abuse. Past and present. I was never starved or smacked or drugged or given anything that was a physical blow, like so many people I've known. My wounds are all inside.

Isolated. Berated. Lied to. Lied about. Trying the hardest to be the least favorite. Trained to lie to get little rewards. Trained not to complain because they had it worse than I did.

I do not doubt that (for the most part) my family loves me. I love them. That remains.

But when I tell a story and my husband gives me a look of horror, or my friends laugh until they realize I'm telling the truth, or random commentators on the internet are shocked, I still am flabbergasted. It all seems so normal to me. For me. That's just my life.

Realizing what happened to me was not normal or okay is still hard. I tell and re-tell the stories, to see if people are shocked or if it was a one-time reaction. It's hard to wrap my head around.

Maybe some day I'll write something down here, share it with those who know me. Not today. Today I'll write this vague little note and hide my Facebook status from most of my contact list.

I'll close with a list of signs of emotional abuse. I urge anyone out there who recognizes these items, get help. Get out.

Abusive Expectations - Makes impossible demands, requires constant attention, and constantly criticizes.
Aggressing - Name calling, accusing, blames, threatens or gives orders, and often disguised as a judgmental “I know best” or “helping” attitude.
Constant Chaos - Deliberately starts arguments with you or others. May treat you well in front of others, but changes when you’re alone.
Rejecting - Refusing to acknowledge a person’s value, worth or presence. Communicating that he or she is useless or inferior or devaluing his or her thoughts and feelings.
Denying - Denies personal needs (especially when need is greatest) with the intent of causing hurt or as punishment. Uses silent treatment as punishment. Denies certain events happened or things that were said. Denies your perceptions, memory and sanity by disallowing any viewpoints other than their own which causes self-doubt, confusion, and loss of self-esteem.
Degrading - Any behavior that diminishes the identity, worth or dignity of the person such as: name-calling, mocking, teasing, insulting, ridiculing,
Emotional Blackmail - Uses guilt, compassion, or fear to get what he or she wants.
Terrorizing - Inducing intense fear or terror in a person, by threats or coercion.
Invalidation - Attempts to distort your perception of the world by refusing to acknowledge your personal reality. Says that your emotions and perceptions aren’t real and shouldn’t be trusted.
Isolating - Reducing or restricting freedom and normal contact with others.
Corrupting - Convincing a person to accept and engage in illegal activities.
Exploiting - Using a person for advantage or profit.
Minimizing - A less extreme form of denial that trivializes something you’ve expressed as unimportant or inconsequential.
Unpredictable Responses - Gets angry and upset in a situation that would normally not warrant a response. You walk around on eggshells to avoid any unnecessary drama over innocent comments you make. Drastic mood swings and outbursts.
Gaslighting -A form of psychological abuse involving the manipulation of situations or events that cause a person to be confused or to doubt his perceptions and memories. Gaslighting causes victims to constantly second-guess themselves and wonder if they’re losing their minds.