Who’s the Fairest of Them All?…

 

Haunted, and happy, is how I describe the feelings surrounding my November 12. 2008 blog about The Real Snow White.  It is one of the most popular articles I’ve written about a real life young woman named Margarete von Waldeck, who’s life was cut short mysteriously from an apparent poisoning back in 1554.  She was 21.

When Googling her name my blog site, The Wit Continuum, appears twice on the first page, which is pretty cool, but I wonder how many people are really interested in this infamous person of history.  Was she really the inspiration for the Grimms fairy tale Snow White?  The parallels are interesting to say the least. 

It seems there may be serge in historic discovery going on here by factions unknown.  Continuing the search for more info…and seriously thinking about starting my own Margarete Von Waldeck blog club.  But what do you do with a dead girl?

The Wit Continuum Remembers George Harrison

We remember our favorite Beatle today, George Harrison.  Born on February 25, 1943, he would have been 66 today.  Namaste, George where ever you are out there, soaring across the universe. 

Couldn’t resist this pic, my favorite of George and the beautiful Patty Boyd.

Peace to all Beatles fans young and old…

Photo of George Harrison: Carolyn Jones Photo

Don’t You Just ‘Luv’ this Clean Coal?

First and foremost, The Wit Continuum would just like to state clearly that she believes there is no such thing as “clean coal”.  THEY may try to sell you this bullshit, but let’s be clear, there are emmissions no matter what they say they can do with it.  From someone who lived in a coal region for some time, I can testify to this.  (Plus, had a sweet grandfather who died from black lung.  He was a coal miner for 26 years.  It was not a nice way to go.)

So after that rant, I move on to some interesting finds thanks to Weburbanist.com once again I have found two curious places, and one is quite a bit spooky.  Here are some abandoned cities of our world–due to the coal mining industry.  Think of these places if you are a  supporter…

The abandoned town of Centralia, Pennsylvania…

“No list of abandoned cities and deserted town can be complete without some discussion of one of the strangest and most infamous example: Centralia.  This once-thriving town had a mine fire decades ago…but it never went out.   Warning signs that something was still wrong included: smoking highways, heated underwater gas tanks and person-swallowing sink holes.  Over time most of the town’s residents have moved on though a few insist on staying despite the slowly-speading and still-burning fire that creeps below.”

“Another coal-related abandonment is Hashima, one of Japans deserted island.  It was once a thriving coal-mining city with workers crammed into high rises on narrow streets, but a drop in coal production shut it down.  The structures stand, hazardous though they look, and talk of making it a tourist attraction is in the works.  Presently, only boat views are allowed.”

Count this Weburbanist fan out.

Source: Weburbanist.com

Theresa and Jeremy on the Big Screen?

Okay!  So I’ve been busy writing my novel for the past week, but all the while in the back of my mind, to blog or not to blog, I’ve been ruminating about the probability of a film being made about the lives of Theresa Duncan and Jeremy Blake.  We here at the Wit Continuum (along with some fellow misfits of Duncanology) are not so pleased with this idea.  Brought to my attention again last week, I remember hearing about this film a few months ago.  Evidently Bret Easton Ellis is writing a screenplay which will be produced through Ithaka films and Lionsgate films.  I was told when I responded to this article that I found a few months ago that “Its a damn good screenplay” which drove me to respond with wonder if this person got to read it. 

Bret Easton Ellis is the author of a few other books which have gotten screen attention like American Psycho, and to my surprise, Less than Zero, the 1987 movie starring Robert Downey Jr. and some other brat-packers.  I like this film, so maybe….dare I say…we have hope?  Ellis says of his new screenplay about Theresa and Jeremy: “The story is remarkable and explores profound loss and the tragic dimensions of love.” 

A year or so before this Gilding the Lily blogged about yet another film in the works as of September 2007 by some JR Chase.  She gives a nice synopsis and frank opinion of what she thinks about it on Children of the Staircase.  Nothing, thankfully, has come of this Chase person’s script as far as I know. 

I hate to say it, but what may bother me most about seeing this film is who will play Theresa Duncan and Jeremy Blake?  Any thoughts? 

My fear (Ahh, duncanfilmaphobia?) is that films rarely get to the entire truth of a story, for who does know the true story but the people who lived it and who are no longer with us.  We sort of like this mystery; it is the key.   This film  just may zap some  ingrained blogging enthusiasm in this Duncan fan.  

Peace…

Haunted by Blue Dogs

With the Westminister Dog Show starting we’d like to mention one of our favorite dogs of the art world.  It would have to be Tiffany, the muse behind Louisianna artist George Rodrigue’s Blue Dog series.

              “It was one of these myths, the loup-garou, which inspiried Rodrigue’s most famous series, The Blue Dog.  Painted for a book of Cajun ghost stories, this were-wolf-type dog was an already familiar legend for Rodrigue, who heard the story often as a boy.

               With no image for the loup-garou, the artist searched his files for a suitable shape.  He found it in photos of his studio dog Tiffany who had died several years before.”

More of Rodrigue Bio:  George Rodrigue.com

What Tarot Card Are You?

Time for a new tarot card.  This is the one I was delt after taking the test. 

You are The Magician.

Skill, wisdom, adaptation.  Craft, cunning, depending on dignity, eleoquent and charasmatic both verbally and in writing, you are clever, witty, inventive and persuasive.

         The Magician is the male power of creation, creation by willpower and desire.  In that ancient sense, it is the ability to make things so just by speaking them aloud.  Reflecting this is the fact that the Magician is represented by Mercury.  He represents the gift of tongues, a smooth talker, a salesman.  Also clever with the slight of hand and a medicine man – either a real doctor or someone trying to sell you snake oil. 

Link:  What Tarot Card Are You?

Black Dress IV

 

Perfect Black Dress

Poster by artist Kimmy Han

All Posters.com

Tuesday with Theresa: A Quote

 

“My cologne is called Santa Ana after the powerful winds that bring desert heat and faraway smell into the city.

It smells like: Celluloid and sand, coyote fur and car exhaust, contrail cloud and chlorine, bitter orange and stage blood and one bushel of ghostly, shivery night blooming jasmine flowers like blown kisses from the phantoms of the ten thousand screen beauties who still haunt our hills every full moon because they think it’s a stage light.”

 

Quote by Theresa Duncan for LAist Magazine.