I love stuff like this...

Where did "Piss Poor" come from?

They used to use urine to tan animal skins, so families used to all pee in a pot and then once a day it was taken and sold to the tannery. If you had to do this to survive you were "Piss Poor".  But worse than that were the really poor folk who couldn't even afford to buy a pot. They "didn't have a pot to piss in" and were the lowest of the low.

Here are some facts about the 1500's.

Most people got married in June because they took their yearly bath in May, and they still smelled pretty good by June. However, since they were starting to smell, brides carried a bouquet of flowers to hide the body odor. Hence the custom today of carrying a bouquet when getting married.

Baths consisted of a big tub filled with hot water. The man of the house had the privilege of the nice clean water, then all the other sons and men, then the women and finally the children. Last of all the babies. By then the water was so dirty you could actually lose someone in it. Hence the saying, "Don't throw the baby out with the Bath water!"

Houses had thatched roofs, thick straw piled high, with no wood underneath. It was the only place for animals to get warm, so all the cats and other small animals (mice, bugs) lived in the roof.  When it rained it became slippery and sometimes the animals would slip and fall off the roof. Hence the saying, "It's raining cats and dogs."  There was nothing to stop things from falling into the house.  This posed a real problem in the bedroom where bugs and other droppings could mess up your nice clean bed. Hence, a bed with big posts and a sheet hung over the top afforded some protection. That's how canopy beds came into existence.

The floor was dirt. Only the wealthy had something other than dirt.  Hence the saying, "Dirt poor." The wealthy had slate floors that would get slippery
in the winter when wet, so they spread thresh (straw) on floor to help keep their footing. As the winter wore on, they added more thresh until, when you opened the door, it would all start slipping outside. A piece of wood was placed in the entrance-way. Hence: a thresh hold.

In those old days, they cooked in the kitchen with a big kettle that always hung over the fire.  Every day they lit the fire and added things to the pot. They ate mostly vegetables and did not get much meat. They would eat the stew for dinner, leaving leftovers in the pot to get cold overnight and then start over the next day. Sometimes stew had food in it that had been there for quite a while.

Hence the rhyme: “Peas porridge hot, peas porridge cold, peas porridge in the pot nine days old”.

Sometimes they could obtain pork, which made them feel quite special. When visitors came over, they would hang up their bacon to show off. It was a sign of wealth that a man could, "bring home the bacon." They would cut off a little to share with guests and would all sit around and "chew the fat".

Those with money had plates made of pewter. Food with high acid content caused some of the lead to leach onto the food, causing lead poisoning death. This happened most often with tomatoes,
so for the next 400 years or so, tomatoes were considered poisonous.

Bread was divided according to status. Workers got the burnt bottom of the loaf, the family got the middle, and guests got the top, or the upper crust.

Lead cups were used to drink ale or whisky. The combination would sometimes knock the imbibers out for a couple of days. Someone walking along the road would take them for dead and prepare them for burial. They were laid out on the kitchen table for a couple of days and the family would gather around
and eat and drink and wait and see if they would wake up. Hence the custom; “of holding a wake”.

England is old and small and the local folks started running out of places to bury people. So they would dig up coffins and would take the bones to a bone-house, and reuse the grave. When reopening these coffins, 1 out of 25 coffins were found to have scratch marks on the inside and they realized they had been burying people alive. So they would tie a string on the wrist of the corpse, lead it through the coffin
and up through the ground and tie it to a bell. Someone would have to sit out in the graveyard all night (the graveyard shift.) to listen for the bell; thus, someone could be, “saved by the bell” or was “considered a dead ringer”.

And that's the truth. Now, whoever said History was boring!

 

On the Road - Jack Kerouac

When I was a teenager, the novel On the Road by Jack Kerouac was the bible for any aspiring bohemian, a book that was passed on from one friend to the next almost as if it were a talisman.  On the Road instilled in me a belief that, in order to find oneself, one had to throw caution to the wind and travel long distances with no real goal and very little money. It was this belief that has endowed me with my own priceless memories.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Razor's Edge - W. Somerset Maughan

 

The Razor's Edge is an unusual amalgam — three-quarters witty social commentary about American and European society, one-quarter Eastern philosophy, all bound together with impeccable prose.

The Caliph's House - Tahir Shah

The writer, disenchanted with British city life buys an abandoned residence on the edge of Casablanca's shanty town that, rumour had it, once belonged to the city's Caliph. Childhood memories of holidaying with his folks, led him to Morocco and to 'Dar Khalifa'.  This Dar came with some unwanted guests, its jinn’s (ghosts). So begins Tahir Shah's gloriously vivid, funny, affectionate and compelling account of how he and his family - aided, abetted and so often hindered by a wonderful cast of larger-than-life local characters: guardians, gardeners, builders, artisans, bureaucrats and police (not forgetting the jinn's, the spirits that haunt the house) - returned the Caliph's House to its former glory and learned to make this most exotic and alluring of countries their home. This book gave me a very realistic impression of the country I love, the magical, multi-faceted, contradictory country that is Morocco. It also stopped me wanting to buy a house there!

 

Empress Orchid - Anchee Min

 

My favourite review and I couldn't agree more 'Rich in detail and historical background, the novel drenches readers in the colours, textures and affluence of the Forbidden City ... a stirring, exotic novel that is a treat for the senses and the intellect alike' Los Angeles Times.

 

Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas - Hunter S. Thompson

 

This book made me laugh out loud. OMG what a drug riddled adventure.

Atlas Shrugged - Ayn Rand

I was given a battered copy by an ex-boyfriend and, even before I read it, I knew that it carried within its pages some deep, abiding truth about motivations, freedom and self-determination. I went on to read all her books We The Living, The Fountainhead and Anthem.

Tuesdays with Morrie - Mitch Albom

In Mitch Albom's best-seller book ‘Tuesdays With Morrie’, the author examines what life is all about and its most important values. As Mitch attended university, Morris Schwartz, known as Morrie, taught him at least one sociology course per year. He developed a close relationship with the professor and promised to stay in touch after graduation. Although life took Mitch on a different course, he heard, thanks to a TV interview, that his old professor suffered from an illness. After a 16-year gap, he renewed his acquaintance with Morrie. Together, they charted the professor's final course, his journey to death from ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis). The journey forces the reader to address what is really important in life. Then I read...

 

The Five People You Will Meet In Heaven - Mitch Albom

 

The story starts out with a grumpy old lonely man named Eddie. He works at a carnival which has deeper meaning to him than just spinning rides and cotton candy stands. He had no idea that his 83rd birthday it would be his last, as he saved an innocent girl from a broken carnival ride, but gave his own. Now in heaven he meets five people who remind him of his past. They show how he affected the world in a way that was unconscious to him. Through the adventure he realises his true life's meaning. After reading The Five People You Meet in Heaven it made me wonder if I have impacted other peoples lives?

 

 

 

The Catcher in the Rye - J. D. Salinger

 

J. D.  Salinger's classic The Catcher in the Rye illustrates a teenager's dramatic struggle against death and growing up. Main character Holden Caufield recounts the days following his expulsion from Pencey Prep, a private school. After a fight with his roommate, Stradlater, Holden leaves school two days early to explore New York before returning home, interacting with teachers, prostitutes, nuns, an old girlfriend, and his sister along the way

 

The Boy in The Striped Pyjamas - John Boyne

Set during World War II, a story seen through the innocent eyes of Bruno, the eight-year-old son of the commandant at a concentration camp, whose forbidden friendship with a Jewish boy on the other side of the camp fence has startling and unexpected consequences.

A Million Little Pieces - James Frey

This book has amazing review from everyone. Read on: 'The last remarkable book I read... I couldn't put it down.' (Q Magazine, Dave Matthews) or 'Frey really can write. Brilliantly. And if you don't think so, f*** you' (Evening Standard ) or 'This book is definitely going to be huge ... There is no question that he's a good writer. As soon as you start reading the book, Frey's voice rings out. It's clear and sharp and turbocharged ... We love rehab memoirs. This is a good one. It might even be a great one' (Independent ) 'I agree with all above' (Kim)

1421 - Gavin Menzies

Who discovered America? Fact: the Chinese!

Mists of Avalon - Marlon Zimmerman Bradley

Mists of Avalon was given to me whilst in California from a dear friend. I'd been reading this book just before I went to sleep. With my imagination fully fuelled I dreamt I was flying. Arms stretched wide, I flew around like an Eagle. After a lifetime of listening to my sister and father telling me how great it was, I had my own experience. I was also taught magic with stones and it was so real I could feel the stones in my hand. My commentary on this book is that it's 'magical'.

Tales of the City - Armistead Maupin.

After living in San Francisco in the 80's reading all these books was like going on a trip down memory lane.

Wonderland Avenue - Danny Sugarman

What more can you say about a book that was written by the Doors manager! Sex, drugs and rock and roll baby! LOVED IT!

 

A light-weight case or holdall is a 'must-have'. Gone are the days when folks hauled around heavy trunks around. Most modes of travel have weight restrictions on luggage. But why don't they take into account the travellers weight! I always travel with my case scale for the return leg of the journey. Don't want to be caught-out over-weight at check-in!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Of course, you get so much more in when its summer. No jumpers, boots etc!

It's not so bad on the coach and train as their is a much better baggage allowance. It's positively wonderful if you can catch a ride in a friends car...and they pick you up too.

I like a hand luggage bag or small case with wheels on too! I nearly always travel with my computer and protect it with a case very similar to this cute one below. I have a matching tote and purse for the power supply cable and current adaptor.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I would sooner cut down on the amount of make up I take rather than not take my Mac pro makeup brushes. They're invaluable.

When I go to my house in Spain I don't have to take any toiletries as they are all there. Yay. However, I keep it simple when travelling anywhere else. I swear by E45 wash as Its great for washing, moisturising and shaving. Tooth brush, paste and deororant.

I have travel size heated rollers. Which are amazing as they work just as good as my large set. Shampoo & conditioner. Tweezers, nail clippers and magnifying mirror. Perfume and hand cream.

Mobile phone and adaptor. Camera and all the bits (I don't have an iPhone :( all spare ones gratefully received).

Foreign currency is best purchased at the Post Office I always find. Never buy at the airport. It's way too expensive and a poor rate of exchange. Cash point machine at your destination is not bad either. Cards. Passport. Travel documents. Keys.

A check list is good.

Clothes and shoes/boots. I pack all my clothes as outfit sets in plastic bags. That way I don't wear the wrong top with the wrong bottoms. I also pack delicate clothes on the hanger with the drycleaners plastic cover intact. Then when I get to my destination, they come straight out of the case and into the wardrobe uncreased. Try to wear your heaviest things, especiually shoes/boots! Don't forget coat, gloves scarf and hat for the winter. Sunglasses, sun cream, sun hat and cardigan for the summer. Handbag adn tote.

Book. I like to take a canvas, brushes and paints.

Lastly, a bottle of Pernod and a hip flask. I never go anywhere without them.

If staying with friends always arrive with a gift!

i love rubber! I was recently drawn to do some window shopping - latex style.

Its pure joy to compile all the rubber outfits I wished I owned. Starting with the most recent one I founds from Violaceous Latex.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

D-vote make this below and what fun it would be.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I used to have one of these many many years ago from Robin at House of Harlot. It actually got burnt in a fire. Would love to own it again. This style is great for all those 'fat' moments. A night of sitting down. Hot Summer parties. Pregnancy!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I NEED this Breathless jacket. Maybe without the white piping as it limits a bit. Black.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Who wouldn't want these stockings by Bondinage. They would look great on my best feature :)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There is so much work involved in this Rubber55 hood. Would love it and a matching kilt.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This DeMask belt is very handy for those times you want to keep it minimal.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If I ever had something really whacky made I would go to Simon or Marnie Scarlet at Libidex. They're the King & Queen of Bizarre.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For pure sexy class I would like something made in semi-trans black latex by Atsuko Kudo.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Or this red va va zoom killer dress that Kelly Brook famously wore.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You know what these Lady Lucie Latex leggings would look good with Breathless jacket.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This collar by Amstatik is a bargain for £48. You could add it to anything and it would look like you have a new outfit.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Don't know why I've never spotted this before! This Murray & Vern dress would look great with flat biker boots. Comfort and style.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Oh these Kaoris pants would go with that Breathless jacket too.

 

 

Inspired by a great Blog I found recently I decided to compile a top 10. The difficult bit was to choose a top 10! The Bog is called

generationwhynot-stupidgirl. So I decided to choose the Top 10 Skills - I wish I had.

* Musician. To be able to play an instrument would be awesome. When I was a kid I wanted an electric guitar. For my birthday in June 2011 my friend gave me a ukulele. So there's still hope for me yet. I would love to be able to sing too. I've actually sung on stage for a night I organised called Cor Blimey - a night of old time music hall. Although it's not exactly singing - more like belting a lyric out.

* Confidence in the water. I can swim but I like to be able to feel the bottom. The sea and deep swimming pools scare me. I only learntto swim when I was 23 as I had a fear of water as a kid. I can snorkel but I would like to try scuba diving.

* Roller skating.

* Languages. I've have a house in Spain for eight years and my sister has lived in Barcelona for 25 so you would have think I might have picked up a lot over the years. Erm - NO!

* Touch typing. To be able to type without looking at the keys - LOL!

* Surgery. Hmmm unusual I know! My favourite charity is Facing The World. I just think it would be amazing to change children's lives by operating on their faces.

* Mathematics. I only have to look at numbers and suddenly I'm numerically dyslexic.

* Contortionist. For obvious reasons :)

* Helicopter pilot. When I was a kid I wanted a horse (I can ride), a Harley-Davidson (I can ride a motorbike) but never made my way to the helicopter. Been in a one in NYC, Hawaii and Seattle.

* Poetry. Floral writing isn't my forte. I would love to be able to write music lyrics too.

 

 

 

The next Sebastian Horsely perhaps? The twist is in the SWITCH. Work it out for yourself. This film is simply beautiful.

It's not just a gay thing it's about having choices. Don't conform to conventionality. Take a leap into another gender...if only for a night. The boys and girls and the girls are boys...Gender Benders.

Sigur Rós - Viðrar vel til loftárása from Sigur Rós on Vimeo.