Bats in the Belfry, Cats in the Attic

Disclaimer:   I do not claim to be an expert on low waste (or "zero waste") living —far from it . The purpose of this piece is to explore what it means to belong to the Goth subculture in the context of consumerism and making sustainable choices. There are many ways to live sustainably, but this piece will focus on reducing waste. This piece does not seek to shame or blame anyone but rather to challenge throw-away attitudes that dominate our world—and the modern Goth subculture—by offering another perspective. Respectful discussion in the comment section is welcomed.  W hen I hear the words "zero waste," I often think of people making videos to show off three months of trash fitting inside a little mason jar, their magical Whole Foods shopping trip, or even a tour of their impossibly-tiny capsule wardrobe. Search #zerowaste on Pinterest and you'll come up with pictures of tidy little beige pantries with uniform mason jars filled with chia seeds, nutri...

I remember in 2011, I read on Gothic Charm School that My Summer as a Goth, a coming of age movie, had a kickstarter. I watched the videos and read the posts as a high schooler who had also gotten into Goth during the summer time about a year or so prior. After five years of waiting, the movie released another video on their Vimeo account: My Summer as a Goth - Kickstarter Video - Finishing Funds - July 2016 from My Summer As A Goth on Vimeo . The co-producers say that they will be shooting through August, which is approaching very soon! However, they still need more money to edit and produce as well as promote the movie. I'm not sure how the movie will turn out (though Jillian Venters says that they "get Goth right."). Regardless, I'm looking forward to watching the movie, indulging in nostalgia and seeing if any of the experiences of the young goths in the movie coincide with my own. I'm sure the film will be quite different from another much-loved c...

It's certainly been a while since I've posted anything worth reading on here, hasn't it? Even though it is midterm time at my university, I will do this tag. The assignment for this tag is to answer the 13 questions and tag 5 more bloggers. I'm declining to tag anyone specifically, but if you want to do the tag, feel free! Here we go! Questions: 1. Favorite Halloween song? 2. Witch or Vampire? 3. Favorite thing about Halloween? 4. Halloween party or scary movie marathon? 5. Skeletons or Zombies? 6. Favorite Halloween candy? 7. Favorite Halloween movie? 8. Favorite Halloween costume? 9. Favorite Halloween store? 10. Jack-o-lanterns, yes or no? 11. Bats or Black Cats? 12. Is Halloween your favorite holiday? 13. Pumpkin spice latte or hot chocolate? 1. Favorite Halloween Song? I listen to a variety of music, but around Halloween, I listen to more Goth Rock than normal. Fields of the Nephilim has been playing on my stereo and in my he...

Most of you don't know that I have started doing private English as a second Language tutoring in addition to my other work. I just had my last session with a female student around my age who is from Saudi Arabia. Over the course of time that she's been here,  I had the fortune of spending Ramadan with this student, her sister, and her aunt. We got to break her fast together after sunset during our lessons (they make such wonderful food). I have gotten to know this student and her family, and they are some of the kindest, most welcoming people I have ever met. This is why when we went to a restaurant before one of our last lessons, I was especially upset at and personally offended by the manager who was so obviously discriminatory.  My student was just ending her Ramadan fast, and since I once had mentioned my appreciation of Mexican food during a conversation, she told me that she wanted to go out to eat with me at a Mexican restaurant. I looked up a restaurant close to he...

It has dawned on me that I have been a vegetarian for almost five whole months! I made the decision originally because I was experiencing some major GI issues, for which I had to go on horrible medication, and I thought that cutting meat out of my diet would be the best decision for my health. What really put my heart into it, however, was an experience I had on the long drive home from school. That evening, a chicken truck slowly pulled into the lane beside me during bumper-to-bumper traffic. I saw a myriad of large, half-deplumed chickens stuffed into stacks of unreasonably small metal cages. None of them were moving at first, so part of me wondered if they were stunned or already dead. That was until I saw a few of them blinking and barely moving their heads. Seeing that brought tears to my eyes. I felt a choke in my throat as I wondered why the meat industry had to be so cruel and unnatural. Witnessing this was the impetus to becoming vegetarian, which has had many positive impacts...

Swarms of flies, strange noises, shadowy figures, possessed children climbing up the walls...These all sound like elements from a horror film, but these occurrences characterize a recent paranormal case from Indiana that's been circulating through the media. So far, this case has been well-documented with records from local police and Department of Child Services, psychological evaluations, and priest intervention. After reading one article from USA Today, I find  it compelling that a DCS report details one of the children being "lifted and thrown into the wall with nobody touching him." Despite this many written records from seemingly credible sources, there are still some loose ends. Demon in the photo? There's an app for that. First of all, I'm wondering why there is no video or photo documentation. In a case like this, it should have occurred to someone to document this on camera. In the reports I've read, the homeowner hired clairvoyants and reque...

Over the weekend, I scoured the racks at the thrift store, and I actually found a decent base dress for $6 to start my Marie Antoinette costume. It's much more Antebellum than Rococo at this stage, but it's certainly a start. I will be cutting off and re-sewing new sleeves, adding lace trim and new ribbons, and poofing it up. In addition, I will perhaps make a jacket/over skirt. Such a bright red color was not my preference, since pastels abound in Rococo fashion, but I will make it work by adding more pastel accents. Hopefully, I'll get my start this weekend when I go to the fabric store.  For inspiration, I've been looking at The Costumer's Guide's Marie Antoinette Page , which includes about 65 web pages for each of the dresses from the Sophia Coppola film. Marie Antoinette Exhibit This is quite the grandiose undertaking for me. I'm not as adept at sewing as I'd like to be, but this is a learning process. I just hope that I can do my am...

Bedford/St. Martin's For those of you who are not familiar with Flannery O'Connor or her work, let me take a moment to share a little. Flannery O'Connor was a writer born in Savannah, Georgia in the Twenties. She lived most of her life in a town called Milledgeville, also in Georgia. O'Connor's work is categorized as Southern Gothicism . Her wit is legendary, and her stories are characterized by their rural southern settings, grotesque characters, and the strong influence of her Catholicism (rare in the South at the time) on her work. To those of you who have not read anything from this lady, do (and comment with your opinions)! They are accessible online. Here is a link to "The Life You Save May Be Your Own," which is the first short story I read from her. Monday evening after class, my boyfriend and I attended a brilliant lecture at Emory University-- an opportunity  that I hope comes around again. The lecturer was a man named Dr. Ralph Wood. He a...

Last night, Depeche Mode came to town. After a long week and much time spent looking forward to this, I'm glad to say I was in attendance. Justean and I ventured off to the venue with little incident this time (meaning not getting horribly lost like before). When we arrived, we noticed what a broad spectrum of fans Depeche Mode reached. There were a lot of drunken middle aged people, but besides that, there was a range of alternative types as well as more mainstream looking people. One thing is for sure that most everyone seemed excited to be there. In fact, at one point, I almost got in an altercation with a couple who was so excited, they decided to squeeze right in front of me and cut me off! Let's just say I got them to vacate my vicinity.  It was a great night for a concert. The moon shone brightly, and looming rain clouds dissipated. As for the show itself, Depeche Mode knows how to work a crowd. They sound mostly the same in concert as on their albums. They eve...

For my readers who have followed this blog for any considerable amount of time, you probably aren't surprised that I've changed my hair yet again! I got rid of my orange patch, and I exchanged it for a color close to my natural hue. It's been a while since I've had them, but I decided to go with bangs again.  This cut reminds me of Daisy Buchanan's in the recent Gatsby.  Daisy Buchanan I'm a fan of the Roaring Twenties. It was an age of decadence, but also an age of self-discovery. Besides, some very good authors and artists came out of that era. Speaking of 20's artists and writers, If you have not seen Midnight in Paris, then you certainly should.

I mentioned in [this post] back in February that my best friend's father, who owns a photography business, wanted to shoot alter-ego photos of me. Alter Ego photography involves taking two photos of one person portraying different egos and then photo shopping them together. For my photos, I dawned my Jareth Costume and another more feminine outfit I wore to give a ghost tour. I thought the photos turned out well. I even half-joked that I was going to have portrait-sized photos made to put over my mantel when I get a house of my own. I think it would be amusing to have guests over and see their reactions. The piece would be a conversation starter, that's for sure! You remind me of the babe! I move the stars for no one.

Second Wave Compilation, Talking Heads, and SOM all purchased at a used book store Are CD's obsolete? With all of this digital downloading, most people don't even bother with them. Even vinyls (which are technically obsolete) have a vintage charm which CD's currently lack. I have a friend who jokes, "It's 2013. Who listens to CD's anymore?" while knowing full well that I still buy them. It might seem that I have luddite tendencies--I don't use an e reader either. However, I can make some very good arguments for purchasing CD's. Buying your music on compact disks nowadays is really cheap, especially if you know where to look. I tend to shop for them at Goodwill, thrift stores, and used book stores. I found Ministry's Psalm 69 (in very good condition) at my local Goodwill for only $1. Keep in mind, many people pay that much for a digital copy of one song. When I shop for them at my local used book store, the CD's are guaranteed to be i...

"Ghost Hunting" is not only an activity, but it is also a subculture. A Subculture is defined as:      "a group having social, economic, ethnic, or other traits distinctive          enough to distinguish it from others within the same culture or              society." -Dictonary.com By definition, Ghost Hunting is classified as a subculture. It has it's own basic beliefs, celebrities, shows and movies, books and magazines, and conventions. It even has it's own set of demographics, which is mainly adult white males. This subculture is also part of a larger paranormal community. Not all people into the Paranormal are ghost hunters, but every investigator I know of is into the Paranormal. Investigators and paranormal enthusiasts have a wide range of beliefs, but with the uniting belief that there is something else out there. This could be  cryptozoology, UFO's, Ghosts, elementals, etc. source...

source I've read Dracula multiple times, and it just gets better every time I read it. It's he same with the movies; they never get old. When I heard that The Atlanta Ballet was putting on Michael Pink's Dracula, I was thrilled. The Count was my fictional husband some years ago, and I recently found out that it was the same way with my mom. We both decided to get all dolled up for this event. my mother and I source The show was absolutely mesmerizing. A ghostly blue light was cast upon the set, occasionally interrupted by flashes of lightning. The light effects even produced video the of train to Transylvania and  the oceanic scene of Whitby. The music composition for this show very accurately captured the mood. At many parts, there was an eerie sound of a heartbeat in the background while violins trilled. The set was beautifully built with the look of wrought iron and stone. Even the costumes were perfect. Mina's white gossamer dress was ...

Hello, Everyone! A lot has been happening lately, so I thought I'd share a little bit if any of you are interested. School's been back in session for a little over two weeks now, and It's back with full force. I took on an extra class, and I work later on week days. The good news is I have Fridays off now!  I'm looking forward to a few things. It's looking very likely that I will be doing an exchange program in London for the whole Fall Semester 2013. If it works out, I'll also be able to visit my brother in Thailand for Christmas. I thought I'd visit him this Summer, but that's just not feasible. Also, I'm going to be in a commercial that's filming tomorrow! My hairdresser is shooting it for her salon, and she thought my funky hair needed to be featured. I think it's got a lot more spunk with the orange in it. It really complements the brown. I'll post the commercial once it airs. My best friend's parents, who are photograph...

Making resolutions are cliche, but I'm going to make a few regardless: I'd like to cook more, and I want attempt to make vegan and vegetarian meals. I'm not a veggie, but a few vegan or vegetarian meals a week is very heart healthy. I need to get outside more. Fresh air does wonders for anyone. (This also means spending less time on the computer.) I'm going to start a spiritual journal, obviously for my spiritual benefit (by tracking my growth and what not). For The New Year in The South, or for my family at least, we always eat black eyed peas and greens (collard, mustard, turnip, I love 'em all!).  It's supposed to symbolize luck and wealth, but I participate in the tradition because I very much enjoy Southern/Soul food. Does anyone else have any New Years traditions to share? Yum! I hope everyone had a lovely end of the year, and may the new year bring you fulfillment and happiness.

On Highway 61 in Pennsylvania was a family-friendly mining borough. That was until the mine fire happened. In 1962, the town attempted to clean up a landfill by setting it on fire. That fire grew in the nearby coal mines, still burns to this very day. A lot of money was spent to help put out the fire, but nothing has been successful so far. Due to spontaneously opening sinkholes and dangerous carbon monoxide levels, Centralia was declared unsafe to live in. Today, Centralia is a Ghost town without even a postal code, and it is only home to a few.  Centralia is a stop on many people's vacations. Some have a morbid fascination with this modern day ghost town, and many make the pilgrimage as a way of paying respect to the past. It was also the inspiration for Silent Hill. You can still visit Centralia by going along Route 61 and ignoring the detour signs, but do so at your own risk. You can learn more about Centralia by visiting [this website] . source source ...

Halloween morning, I groggily skulked out of my bed, stepping on the cold tile of my bathroom. It was 6:30 am, and I was not ready to get up. Regardless, I sleepily prepared my hair and makeup, because I was determined to be Jareth the whole day.  To become The Goblin King, I took a trip down to Walmart where I purchased my man piece, which is a star of Labyrinth in it's own right. No bulge equals no Jareth, and I wanted to stay true to the movie. If you can imagine, it's pretty silly and a bit awkward going to store late at night to buy nothing but a fairly large groin gaurd.  The hair is also a big part of the costume. I prepared the hair using an 80's glam rock wig and a ton of got2b Schwarzkopf gel and spray.  Finally, came the make-up. I found a few tutorials on You tube that helped give me direction. I applied primer all over my eyelids and on half my eyebrows.  After that, I took a white cream shadow pencil, and I caked ...