To see me on the streets, you would not take any notice of me. I am an ordinary man in my appearance and yet hide a fantastic secret. If you met me, it would take a life time to understand my thoughts and perceptions of life, and to realize why my personality is so awkward. Though you may not believe my explanations, they are true and valid in all their definitions.

            I reside in one world and live in a second world. The world I reside in is the world of the tangible. This is the world that is seen every night and day on the news channels; a world where fact and unquestioned reality give no life and have no soul. It is a plain world and exists without magic.   

           The second world, is the world I live in; the world of the intangible, the fantastic and the phantasmagorical. A world where magic is the key energy that binds everything together and often tears it a part. This world has places of unbelievable sites, fantastic creatures and breath taking realms of improbable beauty.

             This second world is my imagination. This is the place where my mind is free to fly and create; a place to exist without fear or worry. Here is where my undaunted thoughts create the surreal images and the unique visions. This is where the unthinkable is realized and the fantasy dreams of a creative mind come true to life in my writing or drawings. I have always known of my second world and I have diligently fed it with more power as each day comes and goes. I have chosen to live in the second world of imagination and to reside in the first world’s solemn reality. Is this wrong?

            My life has been destined to the second world and I freely volunteer my energy to keep it alive, meanwhile I keep my mask of deception on and continue to move day to day in the first. Everyday, I fool those who seek out to destroy my imagination by saying such things as; “...That’s stupid, why would you want to do that...” or “...Why don’t you just grow up?” These people care not to have a happy thought or maybe there imagination is completely dead. People that would deny me the second world and infect it with depressing thoughts of the mundane are on constant attack. These people, who would deny me my true spirit, will never comprehend me, nor do I want them to. They will never understand the joy that comes with keeping your imagination free.

So while I mix and move through the world of the mundane, at night I sit back and let my mind create in the second. This second world of imagination is where I have lead armies into battle, conquered evil creatures and discovered new worlds of beauty. I have enjoyed the hospitality of kings, emperors and inter dimensional beings. I have protected and rescued the innocent from the clutches of ghastly monsters and battled wizards of demonic evil. This is the place where my mind is free to conjure and create anything I wish. I have no limit to the magical places and things that my imagination can create. A beautiful garden has fairies living in it and a mountain hides a secret door that leads to a treasure guarded by a fierce dragon. Oceans reveal lost cities and hide huge sea creatures. The forests are inhabited by fantastic creatures, both good and evil and far off castles hold trapped damsels. The places are as alive as anything through my writing and drawings.

            Though I may not have conquered the real world, who will? My imagination is the largest, most brilliant treasure I have. It has taken me to worlds that others can never discover. I believe as the Mark Twain once said...” when your imagination is dead, when you can say this of yourself, you have truly struck bottom. I believe there is no lower deep a person can attain.”

When thinking of Victorian Horror, my mind always envisions a cemetery. No matter if it is a horrific story of accidental burial or maybe a grave robbing band of thieves, Highgate Cemetery has always stood out in my mind. Graced in literature, this cemetery was founded in 1839 by Parliamentary action. The act authorized the construction of seven private cemeteries to solve the intolerable burial problems in London. The cemetery has many permanent residences, including such famous people as Karl Marx. If you are planning a trip to London, make sure you take a day and wonder through this historic and mysterious cemetery. 

"..theres always room for one more. Any volunteers..."

Bon Voyage for now....

More info:
http://www.highgate-cemetery.org/index.asp
http://www.highgatecemetery.net/
http://www.tchevalier.com/fallingangels/bckgrnd/cemeteries/
http://www.vintageviews.org/vv-tl/pages/Cem_Symbolism.htm

The psychopathological fear of being buried alive is called taphophobia, (from the Greek taphos, meaning "grave".) Literally it translates into "fear of graves." Before modern medicine, this fear was not irrational. During the 18th and 19th century many people had been accidentally buried alive due to improper medical diagnoses.

Being buried alive was such an elaborated fear that those who could afford it, made special arrangements. Certain burial customs, such as bodies being viewed for up to ten days prior to being put in the ground were observed. In fact, these plans included the use of a "safety coffin". These special coffins were designed to ensure accidental burial would be avoided. Special coffins contructed with; glass lids for observation, ropes to pull bells for signaling, and breathing pipes for survival until rescued were often used.  None the less, sometimes these horrific instances did happen.
"I'm not dead. I am alive.......I'm alive....."

Bon Voyage for now....

More info.....
http://danfingerman.com/dtm/archives/cat_patents.html
http://oakgrovecemetery.wordpress.com/victorian-funeral-customs-fears-and-superstitions/
http://www.sloughhistoryonline.org.uk/ixbin/hixclient.exe?a=query&p=slough&f=generic_theme.htm&_IXFIRST_=1&_IXMAXHITS_=1&%3Dtheme_record_id=sl-sl-burial&s=Igu7ixb1oCI
http://www.prairieghosts.com/grave_horror.html
Have your own coffins made to order:
http://www.vintagecoffins.com/index.html
"The Bedside Book of Death" By Roger Wilkins
http://www.amazon.com/Bedside-Book-Death-Robert-Wilkins/dp/0806512776/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1227753239&sr=1-1

The challenge is issued, two gentlemen will settle their dispute by dueling. To turn it down, would  mark a gentlemen as a coward for life. Weapons are chosen and they meet at the agreed location. One or both gentlemen could be severely wounded or killed. No matter, an insult has been spoken and neither gentlemen will yield and honor must be upheld. Doctors are standing by, while seconds watch each other warily.
   Dueling, a one-on-one showdown typically with swords or pistols, was a major part of many societies, shaping the lives (and deaths) of gentlemen. A duel is a very controlled fight. Two men and sometimes women would face each other on equal terms. Duels follow an agreed upon set of terms, begin at a specified time and are held at a specific place.
    Duels didn't happen spontaneously in most cases, because of an insult or slanderous remark, one man would issue a challenge to another, who would often respond by directing further matters to his second. A second was a friend who came along to help prepare your weapons, make sure the other duelist wasn't going to be ambushed. Seconds were also supposed to try to defuse the situation that led to the duel by getting an apology from one party or another. Sometimes, seconds often ended up fighting each other alongside the main duelists. In any event, after one man issued a challenge, the seconds would arrange all the details. The process could in some cases take days. When a duel was declared, any weapon could be used, with either the challenger or his opponent given the choice depending on which set of dueling rules was in use. One of the most common set of dueling rules was the”Code Duello”. This set of rules covered the practice of dueling and points of honor, was drawn up and settled at Clonmel Summer Assizes, 1777, by gentlemen-delegates of Tipperary, Galway, Sligo, Mayo and Roscommon, and prescribed for general adoption throughout Ireland. The Code was generally also followed in England and on the Continent with some slight variations. In America, the principal rules were followed, although occasionally there were some glaring deviations.

 Bon Voyage for now....

More info..

http://www.speakeasy.org/~dr_gary/Naval/Duello/Right%20Frame.htm

http://knowledgenews.net/moxie/todaysknowledge/the-rules-of-duels.shtml

http://www.gwu.edu/~magazine/archive/2005_law_fall/docs/feat_duel.html

http://www.ballindalloch-press.com/society/
A very funny cartoon!!
http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=gentlemen%27s%20duel&search=Search&sa=X&oi=spell&resnum=0&spell=1

You're a Rennaisance Goth! You like to dress in really old clothes, you want to live in a castle, and have a habit of putting the letter 'e' where it doesn't belonge.

 

What gentlemen or lady for that matter, wouldn't want to learn how to do this. To celebrate a great adventure or just impress your guests. There are many theories on the origin of sabrage. One tells about how this technique became popular in France when the army of Napoleon visited many of the aristocrat domains. It was just after the French revolution and the sabre was the weapon of choice of Napoleon's fearsome cavalry. Napoleon's spectacular victories across all Europe gave them plenty of reason to celebrate. During these parties the cavalry would open the Champagne with their sabres. Napoleon probably encouraged this and is known to have said: "Champagne! In victory one deserves it; in defeat one needs it."
Another one tells about Madame Clicquot who had inherited her husbands small Champagne house at the age of 27. She used to entertain Napoleon's officers in her vineyard and as they rode off in the early morning with their complimentary bottle of Champagne, they would open it with their sabre to impress the rich young widow.

Sabrage in six steps

* Start with a very well chilled bottle of Champagne (leave overnight in the fridge, or 45 minutes in a bucket filled with ice and plenty of cold water).

* Remove the entire foil from the bottle, as well as any paper labels that may be on the neck.

* Carefully remove the wire cage from around the cork, pointing the bottle away from you just in case it pops on its own (which shouldn't happen if the bottle is sufficiently chilled).

* Use your fingernail to locate the seam at the side of the bottle.

* Firmly holding the bottom of the bottle, point it upward and away from you at a 45-degree angle to prevent excessive loss once the top comes off.

* Place the saber flat against the bottle, on top of the seam, about 14 cm below the cork. Pressing firmly into the bottle, slide it quickly along the neck and into the joint where the seam meets the top. Remember, you're not cutting through the bottle. The shock and the pressure should be sufficient for it to break on its own -- a delicate but firm touch is all that is required.

More info…

http://www.confreriedusabredor.co.uk/sabrage/tutorial.html

http://www.sabreachampagne.com/products.html

http://www.confreriedusabredor.co.uk/sabrage/history.html

 
Practise, practise, practise and be safe!

Bon Voyage for now…..