Post Holiday Hoopla

Dear Spookies,

Well, another holiday season has come and gone. I hope you've all gotten what you wanted, made the most of what you got, or at the very least were able to lie low until the whole thing blew over. Goodness knows I've done my share of all three.

I should confess to you all, I had written a previous post sometime around Christmas Eve, but decided to delete it for a number of reasons. Mostly because it was extremely preachy (even more preachy than usual), and the post was a bit on the cynical side, and about 12 hours later I realized I had nothing to be cynical about. I am a very lucky person to have a family, friends and a wonderful Beau who all love me and that I have the resources to give them lovely gifts on Christmas.

Certianly there are times that the holidays get under our skins (like when they start playing Christmas music on the radio in the first week of November) and the stress can electrify our nerves to the point of wondering why anyone continues to torture themselves with the holidays at all. That's alright. Everyone has the right to feel Grinchy. Heavens know the only way I get through everything I need to do is by muttering "I hate Christmas" a few million times. It's not a crime. As long as you don't go and tackle the Pope, you'll be fine.

Now there's just New Year's Eve left to celebrate, which I have yet to plan myself. Parties bore me, I'd rather just have some drinks with some friends, play my favorite music and kiss my Beau at midnight, but everyone else seems to want a massive shindig. One of my friends even wants to go out of town, which I will not do. On well, hopefully all of my plans fall together sometimes. I'll have fun wherever I go, and besides, even if I don't do much of anything, there's an Outland event at Skully's on the 2nd that I'm planning on attending as my last hurrah before school starts again. Hopefully I'll see you all there!

I hope you all have a wonderful and SAFE New Year's Eve!
Love,
Miss Manic

An Omnibus Post: Concerning Weight Loss/Gain, Animal Companions, and the Impending Holiday Season

*Not necessarily in that order. ^_~

Welcome, Spookies!
I hope you all enjoyed your Turkey Day/Black Friday festivities. Mine was fine, if not a little odd. My mom and brother (who I live with when I'm at home), were both (and still are) celebrating their holiday in Boston with a family friend. Luckies. That left me to my dad's side of the family, which is EXCEPTIONALLY normal, and take quite a bit of pride in that. They do listen to what I have to say, though, and find me "cute", which is certainly not an issue. The second half of the day was spent with my Beau and his family, who were gracious enough to invite me to their family table AND purchase for me a Tofurkey, which I had never had before. It was delicious, and I highly recommend it, and not just for us Veggies. ^_^

There has also been a new addition to my family- take a look!

May I introduce to you: Miss Ophelia Jane Floppilopicus (Phe-Phe for short)! Isn't she adorable? Yes, that is my face obscured by her wiggly little nosey. She's such a litte princess. I love to spoil her. She's grown twice her size since I got her just after Halloween. But I gush! I have to take her to the vet soon, because she's showing signs of snuffles, which is sort of like a cold, but instead of being annoying, it can kill her. Wish me luck in finding her the medicine she needs!

I have a confession to make, dear readers. I am not a fan of the Christmas season. It is one event where I don't particularly take joy in the pageantry. I do, however, enjoy a few holiday traditions. The first being volunteer work, the second one being pie. Helping the less fortunate by donating your time, talent and money is a great way to give back to your local community. And to reiterate the value I will harp upon until the day I die: it is especially important for members of the alternative communities to be charitable. People will think twice about judging you harshly when you're smiling and donating some warm clothes to the shelter up the street. And I know volunteering is not the most glamorous thing to do, but think about what you really enjoy- do you like animals? Children? Knitting? There are a million different charities out there and they all require different kinds of help.

My love for pie is much simpler. Pumpkin and pecan pies, especially. Whatever to you fruit pie-supremicists out there. I'm also going to go out on a limb and go ahead and lay my vote down for cheesecake being an undercover pie. I love cheesecake, but I'm not the world's biggest fan of cake. Pie will always come first.

Which leads me to my final topic for the evening. Weight, and America's obsession with it. I've always been on the bigger side, and I don't necessarily mind being a larger-framed person. It does make me feel a bit less.... delicate, but curves, they're awesome. It's hard to pull off a corset when you don't have the shape. That being said, though, I could stand to lose a bit of weight. Thirty pounds or so would put me at my ideal weight. I hate being concerned about weight, because it seems like such a superficial concern, but it's become a matter of comfort to me. And I love my skinny clothes!

I just got through listening to a creepy podcast about thinness, while on the topic, which commented in a roundabout way about the western culture's obsession with being thin. It was kind of an old-tyme-radio show setup called "In the Gloaming", and was really well done, though the English accents were a bit difficult to decipher at moments. I'm really looking forward to the podcast's next edition.

And now, I present to thee: WEBSITES OF RELEVANCY! Enjoy, my lovelies.

Tofurkey website (full of links and information about going veg!):
http://tofurkey.com/index.html

My favorite charitable organization at the moment, which connects crafters to people in need:
http://www.projectlinus.org/

The Real Pie Club, another relatively new blog that focuses on just pies:
http://therealpieclub.blogspot.com/

New old-tyme radio style horror-inspired podcast called "In the Gloaming":
http://inthegloaming.podbean.com/


Have a terriffic shopping season, everyone, and don't forget to buy a little something for yourself, dearies!
Love,
Miss Manic

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!

The day we've all waited for is here, spookies! Enjoy the atmosphere about you, and have a wonderful time!

As for me, I simply have to share that my Halloween is ALREADY the best Halloween ever, and I haven't even been to bed yet. I got to go home and see my mommie (whom I haven't seen in a month!), I went to see a fantastic concert with my favorite fellow, my favorite beer was on tap at the bar we went to, and I got a hug from the musician I've had a crush on since I was just a little babybat!

If that just doesn't make your Halloween spirits soar, I don't know what does. Okay, so raiding the sale racks of the party store on November 1 is pretty high up there, but I have to say....this concert....probably the best one I've ever been to in my life.

I highly suggest that members of the dark-and-spooky community go check out Voltaire's current tour with the Hellblinki Sextet. Chances are most of you probably know of Voltaire already, having written quite a few popular songs, including one for the Cartoon Network show The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy. Maybe I was in the dark about Hellblinki, but I had never heard of them before I saw the concert announcement. Don't let their anonymity fool you. They've been around for a while and they certainly know how to entertain a crowd. You do not want to miss this lineup. Catch all the future tour spots here: http://collect.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=bandprofile.listAllShows&friendid=8202636&n=Voltaire


I'm so completely pleased with the way my Halloween has panned out. I hope every single one of you has an equally wonderful (AND SAFE!) holiday.

Love,
Miss Manic

Settling In

Well, Dear Readers (I certainly hope I have at least one by now! ^_^;), I'm beginning to settle into my countryside dwelling with some people who have turned out to be very agreeable and lovely. We are quite a diverse and stubborn set of five, but we are learning quite a lot from one another already, which I hope will continue. I'm thinking of it as an experiment in cultural diversity at the moment. Can the Big City Girl relax in her new surroundings and acquire a taste for well water?

In words we shared over dinner last night, we will definitely have some acclimating to do with each other. The men of the house are all outdoorsmen. They plan on being rangers and wildlife management people when they're done with school here. The ladies of the house are both city people, born and raised. Well, I suppose we have some horse sense, but that's about the extent.

They have a hard time understanding the idea of why somebody would want to be a vegetarian, and I have a hard time understanding why they enjoy sitting in the hot sun dressed in canvas suits waiting to shoot something. I also hate country music (sorry to all you country fans out there, but corporate country just seems to me like it has an undertones of intolerance and exploitation; feel free to debate me on that one) and they can't stand my pissed-off-crazy-person industrial music. Go figure. But as much as I don't understand their ways, they are just as confused about my lifestyle, and I accept that, even if I don't like it.

So, children, the lesson of this particular episode is ACCEPTANCE. You're weird. Remember that. When you are caught in a situation where you are a fish out of water, other people will have a hard time understanding you and your ways. That does NOT, however, mean that you need to change. Fully embrace your oddness. Your self-confidence will radiate beautifully, and if you accept others for their uniqueness, even if they're very different from you, they will give you the respect that you deserve.* And by all means, seek out others like yourself. They may seem non-existant on the surface, but dearies, if you become just social enough (I'm not saying you should go and rush a fraternity by any means, just leave the house every once in a while), you'll find the dark and spooky hiding amongst you.

Love,
Miss Manic

*Disclaimer: Acceptance by others is directly related to your kindness towards them. Play nice. Also, if the above information proves false for you, feel free to tell the other party to kindly fuck off.

Back to School!

It's about that time again, lovelies! Time for Miss Manic to pack up her dreads and dresses and head back to college for what is hopefully my last year of school. And trust me, it's taken her QUITE long enough. Four years is far more than is necessary to complete an Associate of Arts degree....

Miss Manic's ADD and scholastic ineptitude aside, this is not the intended post topic. I am here today to talk about roommates and roommate ettiquite.

I am lucky enough to have found myself living in a beautiful old house just outside the center of town with a friend and some friends of hers. Most of whom are agreeable and quiet. Some of whom are.... of the rowdy country persuasion. Do not get me wrong, readers, I am not averse to country folks who like to party. These people are respectful, kind, maybe even a little shy. For that, I am sure we will get along just fine.

But what if you are not lucky enough to have chosen your roommates? If you have been randomly alotted a roommate, or are moving into a house where you don't know everyone, Miss Manic has a few tips for you to get the most out of your housing situation this school year.

First of all,
Introduce yourself to everyone in your house, not just your next door neighbors. If there's a party going on in the common room, don't hide in your room like a mopey little sadsack! Go enjoy a beer (if you're legal) for heaven's sake, even if you're just gingerly sipping a Natty (or a Coke) and talking small with your new housemates. You and I both know that dark and spookies are frequently misunderstood, but you'll be surprised how quickly you get to know these people over a simple weekly drink. I guarantee you won't regret it.

Secondly,
If you are living in a dorm room with a stranger (or strangers), connect with them via Facebook, MySpace, or over the phone before leaving. Try and find out who will supply your dorm with what (T.V., mini fridge, toaster, et cetera) and get to know a little bit about them. If you're nervous about revealing your dark and spooky ways to your new roomy, don't feel obligated to tell them outright, but don't feel inclined to lie or exaggerate when your interests come up in conversation either. Just be as honest as possible. Chances are that your roommate is just as nervous about you as you are about them.

Thirdly,
If you're moving into an apartment, house, or dorm with friends, there are still respect issues to consider, and new things to learn about them. If your friends are un-spooky, respect their space and try your best not to invade it with your spooky stuff. If they ARE spooky and so are you, only borrow their clothes/makeup/lovely little accessories with their permission. Try not to hog up the bathroom, especially if all you're doing is using the mirror. If you're not getting along that day, don't vindictively blast Skinny Puppy when you know they hate it. Constant communication with the people you live with, especially if you're friends, and especially if you're paying bills together, is absolutely necessary. It'd be a shame if your friendship was damaged during the most fabulous time of your life because of some silly disagreement.

Lastly,
If being a nice little spooky isn't working for you, please do speak up. Nobody respects a doormat. But heaven's sakes, be nice about it, as well. If you and your housemates get into an argument, have a reasonable discussion about it. If one or both parties gets angry, separate and revisit the conversation later. At NO POINT should an argument escalate to violence! Just act civilly and treat your roommate as an equal, even if you feel the upset has been caused by them.

In Closing,
As important as I feel manners are for regular society, I feel they are ten times as important for the spooky communities, as there are already so many stereotypes and assumptions making points against us. Like my dear role model The Lady of the Manners would say, being polite is much more subversive than being mopey and rude. And who doesn't like stirring things up and freaking people out? We can still be spooky- without our roommates being afraid of us.

It's Coming!

For those of you in the Greater Columbus Area who have been shirking their Gothly duties lately....I have news.

The well-loved and tragically homeless Outland Nightclub finds it's permanent residence! Ever since Outland was forced from it's home some time ago, it's been forced to find refuge in some of the city's kinder and goth-friendlier drinking establishments. Church has been held most Saturday nights at Circus (formerly the High Five) and Skully's Music Diner since May of last year, but it's time for our dear sweet Outland to find her own home once again.

The exact location of Outland 3.0 is still undisclosed, though I've been told it will be in the Brewery District. Somewhere. Apperantly other clubs also currently opening in the area (surprise surprise) don't want Outland to be there. According to their MySpace page, legal battle rages on, but the final pieces are coming together, so don't worry. The real Outland that the Columbus freak show knows and loves will be back on her feet soon.

In the mean time, keep showing up for Church on Saturdays and don't forget, there's a special event at the end of this month hosted by Skully's! Check out the CarnEVIL of Lost Souls on August 30th, presented by fetbytes.com and the Suicide Girls!

Links of Happiness:
http://www.myspace.com/outlandnightclub
http://www.outlandnightclub.com
http://www.fetbytes.com
http://www.suicidegirls.com

Feel free to drop me a line if you're gonna be there too!

Greetings!

And welcome to my brand new blog! Please allow me to introduce myself. I am Miss Manic, I'm a 21-year-old gothling living in the midwest United States and I intend, with the aid of this blog, to share my continuing experience with growing up as a dark-and-frilly member of society.

Some quick background on myself, I am not exactly what you'd call a typical goth-type person. My personal style is all over the board from casual-punk to neo-victorian, I don't normally wear all black and occasionally I enjoy loitering in the toy section of the department store or (very occasionally) listening to R&B music. Not gothy enough for you? Oops. You may want to find a different lifestyle blog to follow.

So, as a good little gothling, I have many role models in the alternative community and continue to choose them as my tastes mature. So how about sharing some of my favorite links with you to help get the ball rolling, shall we?

Gothic Charm School-
http://www.gothic-charm-school.com
The Lady of the Manners answers all your gothic lifestyle related questions. Young or old, male or female, she answers your questions plainly and politely with a charming sense of humor.

Dr. Steel-
http://www.doctorsteel.com
A mad scientist one-man-band with a vision for a better tomorrow through his innovative genre-blending music and plans for world domination incorporating scientific theories, robots, and most of all, fun.

Repo! The Genetic Opera
http://www.repo-opera.com
A modern cult classic film from creative mind Terrance Zdunich. It is a punk-opera musical set in 2056, 26 years after a major epidemic of organ failiure. The story centers around Shilo, a girl with a blood disease, and her doting father, who is hiding a dark secret from her.


I hope you enjoyed my first entry. If you have any questions for me or about me, feel free to send me an e-mail or post a comment. I shall write you all again soon!

Love,
Miss Manic