V-Review: TV - How I Met Your Mother S03E02

*SPOILER ALERT*

Episode 2 begins with Ted (beside Barney) asking Lily and Marshall about the difference or indifference of being married. Marshall claims that it is not different except for the hand cramps he keeps having (Barney wonders WHY - because being married, you would not have to do 'that' anymore..*lol*).

It turns out that both Lily and Marshall have been writing thank you notes and busy preparing the "Death Folder" - contains statements, documents, info, and letters for either spouse when the other dies.

While Lily is away, Marshall admits that he forgot to write the 'Letter' which leads to...

(Barney dares God to smite Marshall before he could finish the letter)

(Marshall being all mushy while writing the letter)

(Marshall opens up Lily's letter only to find out...)

Meanwhile, at the bar, Robin shares her experience in Argentina with Ted, Barney and Lily, and resolves to be the person she was on vacation. Barney claims she never change and disapproves her relationship with the Argentinean Adonis (this scene is really awesome when they switch to big, complex words so that Robin's boyfriend could not understand).

Ted and Barney set to pose out as out-of-towners to pick up girls after being amazed by Robin's boyfriend on how easy he got girls' attention. So they visit the greatest city on Earth - New York! (Yea...NEW YORK - where they live)


However, their plan gets backfired, somehow.

Marshall and Lily have their FIRST fight as a married couple because of the letter - but they resolve it, somehow.

In the end, Robin breaks up with her boyfriend over certain issues. This episode ends with a scene in the future (Year 2029) - Older Lily and Marshall arguing over the 'Letter', again.

-Images courtesy of CBS.com-

The Legend of Bloody Mary

Some of you might think it is a cocktail where you mix in vodka, juices, Tabasco sauce, etc... and ta da da daaa~

Well, I hope I'm sharing something less scary like its preparation, but.. *takes a deep breath*.. this is the real deal - the contemporary Western folklore -'THE' Bloody Mary.

Bloody Mary is a ghost or witch said to appear in a mirror when you summon her name several times (there are many variations to it : 1, 3, 7, 13, 100). *try buying lottery with this*

The vengeful spirit goes by many names too: Aggie, Agnes, Black Agnes, Bloody Mary, Bloody Bones, Hell Mary, Kathy, Mary Worth, Mary Worthington, Mary Whales, Mary Johnson, Mary Lou, Mary Jane, Sally, Svarte Madame.

Here are some variations/procedures to summon Bloody Mary *try at your own risks*:

• Look into the bathroom mirror with the lights all off, and the bathroom completely black, say "Bloody Mary" thirteen times, a woman will appear and scratch your face up/off.

• Say "Hell Mary" in front the mirror in a dark room for seven times, Satan's image would appear. After three calls, the mirror turns red; after five calls, an indistinct face will materialise.
  
  
• Go into a bathroom, turn off all the lights and begin in a whisper, to chant "Bloody Mary" and gradually louder and louder into a near scream as you continue to chant. While chanting, you should be spinning at a medium pace and taking a glimpse in the mirror at each pass. Near the 13th call, "she" should appear... and....??
  (True Story: a girl tried this and ran out of the bathroom screaming. She was shaking and appeared genuinely terrified, refusing to relate the incident. Those around her at that time noticed that her clenched fingers were covered in blood)
  
  
• Other chants include: "I believe in Mary Worth", "Kathy, come out!", "Bloody Mary! I killed your baby!"
  

• Variations of what the mirror-witch does upon arrival:
  
  1. strike summoner dead;
  2. drive summoner mad;
  3. fiercely scratch summoner's face;
  4. peer malevolently out through the mirror;
  5. drag summoner into the mirror to live with her. *gulp*

Origins:
Bloody Mary Worth is said to be a witch who was executed a hundred years ago for plying with black magic/crafts, or a woman of more modern times who died in a car accident in which her face is hideously mutilated.


Various people also relate "Bloody Mary" as Queen Mary I whose life was marked by a number of miscarriages or false pregnancies. Speculation exists that the miscarriage was self-induced, thus resulting in retelling of tale make "Bloody Mary" - the Queen driven to madness due to the loss of her children.

Other sources claim that the British Queen killed young girls so she could bathe in their blood to preserve her youth.

Tortura

Back in the Dark Ages, during the medieval era, people were tortured and punished for their opinions, race, religion, language, social status and even their gender. These are some of the torturing equipments used:

The Guillotine


This device is made famous with its widespread use during the French Revolution.

It is used to carry out execution by decapitation or beheading.

How to use it??
(on your mischievous little brother or the @!#^*$! - certain someone)

1. Tie your prisoner/victim on the horizontal platform with his/her neck positioned exactly at the hole.
2. Raise the blade with the rope to its peak.
3. REMEMBER: Request for his/her last words. (Standard Procedure)
4. Despite what the victim said, just let the rope go and close your eyes if you are hemophobic (scared of blood).
5. Done~Now you can replace your jack-o-lantern at your yard.

Iron Maiden of Nuremberg


No, you wouldn't want to have any sexual relationship with this maiden!
(1: it's iron for god's sake; 2: it's more than meets the eyes!)

It is a box big enough to fit an adult man, with folding doors where the inner portion is studded with sharp iron spikes. When the doors are shut, the spikes are forced into the body of the victim who is left to bleed to death or blood loss (asphyxiation).

It is about 7 feet (2.1 m) tall and 3 feet (0.9 m) wide.


Ripping Trestle (The Wooden Horse)

This "horse" does not win you medals. It is a pain in the nuts, literally.

It is a V-shaped structure where offenders sit astride.

Weights were tied to victims legs to enhance suffering. The weights are gradually increased until the victim splits in TWO!!



The Catalan Garrotte


This should not be mistaken for a sit-down black and white dinner affair.

The victim is seated on it with his or her neck in between the metal piece. The executioner turns the lever to create a force to break the neck of the victim trapped inside. (Ppraaakkk~)

Last used in 1975, the victim was a student who was executed and later was found innocent.


Judas Cradle

The Judas Cradle (or Judas Chair) is a pyramid-shaped seat with the point inserted into victim's anus or vagina, and then slowly lowered the victim with ropes.

It is used to either stretch the orifice or to slowly impale. This could result in rips and tear, causing pain and even death. The victim was usually naked, adding to the humiliation already endured.

The key design feature is to keep the victim awake throughout the ordeal.



The Torture Pear (Rectal, Oral or Vaginal Pear)


No girls, this is not a sex-toy~

The shape of it arrives to its name.

This instrument has a screw mechanism by which the spoon shaped lobes can be expanded, to increase pain.

The pear was rarely washed, causing infections very frequently. If the victim did not die by an infection, nevertheless, he or she would die by other diseases caused by the rupture of his or her intestines.

Can be inserted into mouth too, often causing the teeth of victims to be destroyed; making blood pour out of the victim's mouth, which often lead to death.



The Head Crusher

(Ideal remedy for headaches?)

The head of the condemner is placed under the upper cap and the chin above the bottom bar. The top screw is then slowly turned to compress the skull tightly.

Firstly, the teeth are destroyed. Then, the eyes are squeezed from the sockets. Lastly, the skull fractures and the contents of the head are forced out (i.e. brains).

Usually, the victim's head is compressed down to 3cm. Approximately, about this length:

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V-Review: TV - How I Met Your Mother S03E01

*SPOILER ALERT*

HIMYM Season 3 begins with the scene from the finale of Season 2 where Barney completes his trademark phrase "...Dary!!" at Lily & Marshall's wedding.

Barney gets excited knowing Ted is single again, but Ted claims he's not ready for another relationship.

Ted grew his "break-up beard"

BUT...

When Robin shows up in the bar with an Argentinean Adonis boyfriend (Enrique Iglesias as guest star), Ted's pride as a man is challenged, thinking that Robin wants to "win" the break-up. In this scene, Ted, Marshall and Barney make fun of Robin's sexy, Argentinean lover's name, also putting him as a social outcast among them. (It's really funny!!)

To regain the so-called victory, Ted decides that he is ready - loses the beard and heads down to the bar, where Ted makes out with a 12 (Rating for Girls) - Mandy Moore as guest star.


Meanwhile, Marshall and Lily are having Robin and her boyfriend over at the apartment. Firstly, Marshall and Lily tries to hate him, but soon, both of them, and I really mean both of them, get attracted to the new guy.

Marshall unleashes his femininity
(this scene got me laughing till I fell off my chair...and it doesn't end here only)

The next morning, Ted wakes up with a tramp stamp on his lower back - shaped of a ...??...gosh~I was always bad in identifying animals...lol...

Knowing what really happened the last night between Marshall and Lily on their "double date", Ted gets pissed off, and heads to Robin's apartment to set things straight. Robin said something about Ted's "good quality" (It's a good, big quality alright~) and later at night, he celebrates with Barney and Marshall, claiming he has won the break-up. The episode ends with a hint of Ted's future wife and Barney freaking out over the slap bet countdown.

-Images courtesy of CBS.com-

V-Laugh: Honesty

Little Johnny lives in the country, and he really really hates his family's outhouse, which sits on the edge of a creek. The outhouse is hot in the summer, cold in the winter and always reeks.

One spring day, there's a heavy rain shower and the creek swells. Little Johnny decides to take the opportunity to get rid of that stink shack, so he grabs a sturdy stick and begins pushing it. Finally, he tips the outhouse into the creek and it floats away. (Bye Bye~)

That night, Little Johnny's dad tells him to prepare for a spanking. "Somebody's gonna get hurt real bad!" the father warns.

"What did I do wrong?" Little Johnny asks.

"Someone pushed the outhouse into the creek today," the father replies. "It was you, wasn't it, son?"

Little Johnny admits to the deed, then adds, "I learned in school today that George Washington chopped down a cherry tree and didn't get in trouble because he told his dad the truth."

"But, son," the father says, "Washington's dad wasn't IN the cherry tree."

V-Review: TV - How I Met Your Mother (Intro)

(From Left: Neil Patrick Harris as Barney Stinson, Alyson Hannigan as Lily Aldrin,
Jason Segel as Marshall Eriksen, Cobie Smulders as Robin Scherbatsky, and
Josh Radnor as Ted Mosby)

-CBS.com-

How I Met Your Mother is the 'awesome-est' CBS Sitcom, created by Craig Thomas and Carter Bays, premiered on September 19, 2005. This show is plotted as the main character, Ted, in the year 2030 (voiced by Bob Saget), gathers his son and daughter to tell them about the events that led to his meeting with their mother, which begin in 2005.

How I Met Your Mother is unique in a way that it explores the concept of stories and storytelling usually with multiple flashbacks occurring each episode. Being in a non-chronological manner, viewers often see something happen first and then find out later the event that had caused it.

The story pilots in 2005 with Ted Mosby (Josh Radner) as a single, 27-year-old architect living with his two best friends from college, Marshall Eriksen (Jason Segel), a law student, and Lily Aldrin (Alyson Hannigan), a kindergarten teacher, who have been dating for almost NINE YEARS when Marshall proposes. Their engagement sparks Ted in the head to find his soul mate and get married, much to the disgust of his friend, Barney Stinson (Neil Patrick Harris), a womanizer with a lucrative, yet unknown corporate job. Ted is introduced to an ambitious young reporter Robin Scherbatsky (Cobie Smulders) through a game Barney invented - "Hi, have you met Ted?" Ted quickly falls for Robin and became part of Ted's group of friends.


Elements to Take Note:

• Marshall is always portrayed to be very in touch with his feminine side.
• The word "awesome" appears in almost every episode.
• Barney's catch phrases: "It's gonna be Legen...wait for it...Dary!", "True Story", "Suit Up", "What Up?" and various uses of "awesome" and "awesomeness".
• Barney also invented various "high fives" - "air five", "freeze frame five", "hypothetical high five", and "phone five" (slapping the phone that imitates high five).
  
• Slap Bet: Wager between Marshall and Barney where the winner would slap the loser. Check out www.slapcountdown.com to know Barney's next get-slapped moment.
• Telepathic Conversation: If the character wants to have a private conversation in the presence of others, they will attempt to communicate with each other telephatically.

Currently, How I Met Your Mother is airing its Season 3. Catch up with Season 1 & 2 to enjoy the upcoming episodes.

V-Laugh: The Koala and the Hooker

A little koala bear wanders into a whorehouse. He climbs the stairs and finds a door open. He goes in to the room to find a naked prostitute asleep on the bed. He quickly climbs onto the bed and begins performing oral sex on the prostitute.

She wakes up - shocked and sees this koala bear going down on her, and she decides that since it feels so good she’ll let him finish. The koala finishes, wipes his chin, climbs off the bed and heads for the door.

The prostitute jumps up and yells at him, “Hey, you have to pay for that!”

The koala shrugs, and continues to head for the door.

The prostitute yells at him again, “Hey, you have to pay for that. I’m a prostitute!”

She gets up, and pulls a dictionary off a shelf and shows the koala the definition.

PROSTITUTE

(n.) a person receiving payment for sexual services.

The koala shrugs, takes the dictionary and turns the pages to the definition of koala bear.

KOALA

(n.) a small bear that eats bushes and leaves.

Elephants AFRAID of Bees??

Whoever thought that such a goliath mammal would be afraid of tiny little bees? Researchers have discovered that these giants FLEE at the buzz of a swarm of bees.

This statement is backed up by observers in Kenya who notice that elephants damaged acacia trees with empty or occupied beehives significantly less than trees without hives. Moreover, in Zimbabwe, elephants forged new trails in order to avoid beehives.

Well, to note why the elephants are afraid, honeybees native to eastern and southern Africa (Apis mellifera scutellata) are notoriously aggressive, especially near their hives. It has been known that swarms are able to kill an African buffalo.

To confirm whether bees could really drive away elephant herds, zoologist Lucy King at the University of Oxford and her colleagues carried out an experiment (as seen on video below).

Firstly, the team had to digitally record the buzz of agitated African bees from a wild hive, found inside a tree trunk along the Ewaso Ng’iro River in Samburu. Their initial attempt was to hold a microphone in front of the hive and drop a stone into the core of the tree trunk.

So, it was that easy?

WRONG!!

The bees were so aggressive that even with their bee suits on, they got swarmed with bees and could not hold the microphone very straight for very long!

In their second attempt, King rigged up a platform in front of the hive where they strapped on the directional microphone and mini-disc recorder so that they could evacuate the area while recording.

“I dropped a stone into the hive to trigger the attack, and then we ran like hell back to my Land Rover and sealed ourselves inside for a good 15 minutes while the bees did our recording for us. It was actually a fun day despite one or two stings getting through our suits!” King said.

So, the Experiment Procedure:

1. Place wireless speakers hidden inside fake plastic tree trunks under trees in Kenya (where the elephant families happily having their midday picnic under the blazing hot sun)
2. Played back four-minute clips of the recorded buzzing of bees.

Results:

Complete SUCCESS!!

16 out of 17 families tested fled within 80 seconds of hearing the bee sound, and half responded within just 10 seconds.

The one family that did not respond to the buzzing was young and perhaps had not experienced bee attacks before.
(OR they ate up the ‘sappy’ plastic tree trunks~)

With these new findings, the researchers hope to use beehives to deter elephant herds from human farmland and enhance local income through sale of honey, as well as contribute to a safer future for both elephants and the people who have to live with them.

Enjoy the video~

Pope John Paul II from beyond the grave??

(Left Image: Bonfire in Poland; Right Image: Pope John Paul II at an audience in 2001)
-DM Pictures-

This fiery figure is being hailed as Pope John Paul II making an appearance from beyond the grave. Believers said that the Pope had his right hand raised in blessing during a ceremony held in Poland to mark the second anniversary of his death.

Service director Jarek Cielecki, a Polish priest and close friend of John Paul II, travelled to Poland after hearing an onlooker had photographed the image.

Father Cielecki said he was convinced the picture showed the former pontiff.

"You can see the image of a person in the flames and I think it is the servant of God, Pope John Paul II," he said.

The image was continuously broadcasted on Italian TV and also posted on religious websites, causing some of them to crash as thousands logged on to view with their own eyes the eerie figure formed by the flames.

The bonfire was lit during a service at Beskid Zywiecki, close to John Paul's birthplace at Katowice, southern Poland, on April 2 - the second anniversary of his death.

Hundreds had attended the ceremony. Gregorz Lukasik, the Polish man who took the photographs, said: "It was only afterwards when I got home and looked at the pictures that I realised I had something.

"I showed them to my brother and sister and they, like me, were convinced the flames had formed the image of Pope John Paul II.

"I was so happy with the picture that I showed it to our local bishop who said that Pope John Paul had made many pilgrimages during his life and he was still making them in death."

-DM News

Well, what do you think??

V-Laugh: Catholic School

A ten year old public school boy was finding fifth grade mathematics to be the challenge of his life. Science? Piece-of-cake. Geography? No big deal. Spelling? Ha! You gotta be kidding me... but Math? Oohh, devastating!!! Not only to him, but his mum and dad too!! It's not that they weren't doing everything and anything to help their son. Private tutors, peer assistance, CD-ROMs, textbooks, even hypnosis! Nothing worked.

Finally, at the insistence of a relative, they decided to enroll their son in a private school. Not just ANY private school, but a Catholic school (with Nuns, weekly mass).

Well, the first day of school finally arrived, and dressed in his salt and pepper cords and white wool dress shirt and blue cardigan sweater, the youngster ventured out into the great unknown. His mother and father were convinced they were doing the right thing.

They were both there waiting for their son when he returned home. When he walked in with a stern, focused and very determined expression on his face, they hoped that they had made the right decision. He walked past right them, and went straight to his room - quietly closed the door.

For nearly two hours, he toiled away in his room - with math books strewn about his desk and the surrounding floor. He only emerged long enough to eat, and after quickly cleaning his plate, he went straight back to his room, closed the door, and worked feverishly at his studies until bedtime. This pattern continued ceaselessly until it was time for the first quarter report card.

After school, the boy walked into the house with his report card - unopened - in his hand. Without a word, he dropped the envelope on the family dinner table, and went straight into his room. His parents were petrified. What lay inside of the envelope? Success? Failure? DOOM??!!

Patiently, cautiously, the mother opened the envelope, and to her amazement, she saw a bright red 'A' under the subject, MATH. Overjoyed, she and her husband rushed into their son's room, thrilled at the remarkable progress of their young son!

"Was it the nuns that did it?" the father asked. The boy only shook his head and said, "No."

"Was it the one-on-one tutoring? The peer mentoring?" asked the mother. Again the boy shrugged, "No."

"The textbooks? The teacher? The curriculum?" asked the father.

"Nope," said his son. "It was all very clear to me from the very first day of school, that these folks in Catholic school meant business!"

"How so?" asked his mom.

"When I walked into the lobby on the first day, the first thing I saw was that guy they'd nailed to the plus sign!"

Why Falling Cats Land on Their Feet??

(Spider-cat, Spider-cat, does whatever a Spider-cat can...)

You may think that falling cats always land on their feet. Contrary to that popular belief, every day cats DO sustain serious injuries from falling out of open windows, off balconies, and from rooftops.

Unlike me (or most human), cats are not acrophobic (fear of heights), and will often leap after a bird or butterfly only to find themselves falling through the air. The trauma sustained from a fall of over two stories (24 to 30 feet) is known as high-rise syndrome.

Usually, if a cat falls a short distance, it can right itself and land on its feet, due to its exceptional coordination and balance, and flexible musculoskeletal system. However, if it falls more than one or two floors, it may sustain injury because its legs and feet cannot absorb the shock.

Textbook Guidelines for Cats to Survive a Fall:

• The cat determines which way is up and rotates the head until it is right side up.

• It brings the front legs up close to the face, ready to protect it from impact.

• It twists the upper part of the spine to bring the front half of its body around in line with the head.

• It bends its hind legs so that all four limbs are ready for touchdown and, as this happens, it twists the rear half of its body to catch up with the front.

However, whether or not a cat lands on its feet depends on several factors, including the distance it falls and the surface on which it falls.

Righting Reflex

Cats have the ability to right themselves in midair thanks to the vestibular apparatus. This is a tiny fluid-filled organ housed deep in their inner ear that is responsible for their remarkable balance. It is composed of tiny chambers and canals lined with millions of sensitive hairs and filled with fluid and minute floating crystals. When cats move, the fluid shifts, giving readings on the body's position – similar to the instrument in an airplane called the "artificial horizon" that tells the pilot the position of the plane's wings in relation to the horizon.

When a cat falls, the vestibular apparatus becomes active, and helps the cat register which way is up. This allows the cat to right himself in midair by adjusting the orientation of the body. The righting reflex appears in a kitten at three to four weeks and is perfected by seven weeks.

Musculoskeletal System

The uniqueness of the cat's skeleton is another reason they can right themselves. A cat does not have a collarbone and the bones in his backbone have more mobility than in many other animals. So cats have free movement of their front legs and they can bend and rotate their bodies like a pretzel.

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And what about dogs — how do they do in falls?

(READ UP…Dog-lovers gonna love this…)

Also...enjoy~ ;)

America's Top 5 Haunted Places

No. 5: The Winchester Mystery House

In 1881, Sarah Winchester, the widow of famous gun maker Oliver Winchester, became convinced that she needed protection from the evil spirits of all the people killed by Winchester rifles.

A psychic advised her to continually add rooms to her San Jose, California, mansion to confuse any ghosts that may try to find her. (Ghost can walk through walls, don't they?? Winchester might have been the confused one.)

She did so for nearly 40 years, adding more than 100 rooms and staircases, until her death in 1922. After Sarah's death, her own ghost was said to haunt the halls of her maze-like mansion. Today the building remains a popular tourist attraction, a bizarre monument to superstition and paranoia.

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No. 4: The Amityville Horror

On Nov 13, 1974, six members of an Amityville, New York, family were killed by one of the family's sons, Ronald Jr. ("Butch") DeFeo.

In his legal defense, DeFeo claimed that demonic forces in the home drove him to kill. The new owner of the home at 112 Ocean Avenue later claimed a variety of ghostly phenomena, and the story was further fictionalized into a best-selling novel and horror film.

However, the supernatural events were never proven, and DeFeo's lawyer later admitted that the story was a hoax. (Yea, wait till one of them haunts you....)

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No.3: Alcatraz

The San Francisco Bay's resident rock, (or The Rock) and perhaps the most famous prison island in the world, Alcatraz has captured the public's imagination in many films and books.

The prison, a cold, dank hellhole, saw many murders, riots, and suicides during its 29 years of service. Along the way it spawned tales of inexplicable sounds, cell doors closing on their own, disembodied screams, and scary apparitions.

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No.2: The Fox Sisters Cabin

Though less well-known than the other haunted places, the Fox Sisters cottage is perhaps the most important haunted house of all, since the phenomena here in many ways set the standard for later hauntings and even launched a religion.

In 1848 Hydesville, western New York, two young sisters named Maggie and Katie Fox began supposedly communicating with the ghost of a murdered peddler. The sisters, in a sort of crude seance, would ask questions of the spirit, who would answer back with mysterious knocks or raps. (Well, atleast in Ghost Whisperer, the spirits SpEak!)

Many people, including their mother, were amazed at what seemed to be genuine contact with the dead. Both sisters eventually admitted that they had actually faked the sounds--there had been no murdered peddler, it had all been a prank. The women even demonstrated how they had done it. But by then the belief had taken on a life of its own as a religion called Spiritualism, which is still practiced today. (All of us got punk'd!)

********************

and......

No.1: THE WHITE HOUSE
(Are you serious??)

The Washington, D.C., home of America's presidents has surely seen untold tragedy through the centuries, from being burned down in 1814 by British troops to several attempted (and accomplished) assassinations.

Among the White House's spooky stories include the appearance of Abraham Lincoln's ghost. Lincoln's widow, Mary Todd, dabbled in the occult and held seances in the White House. Other reputed ghosts include Andrew Jackson, Dolley Madison, and Abigail Adams, though they are rarely seen today. (Wooaahh~ the 'First' Gathering)