Contest time has come and gone

Sexism on the road... a site dedicated to looking at what stereotypes are presented of children on traffic signs...
reminds me of when I started re-reading all my old favorite children books. First of all it always said "a boys book" in front of the title page and after that the only females depicted were mothers, spinster aunts, airhostesses, secretaries or girlfriends. Never a female scientist or a spy in any of those books. The most blatantly obvious exception from this are the Nancy Drew books ... , still all the girls looks are described to perfection, they request assistance when in difficulty and always gaze thankfully into the eyes of their beau(friends) ...

;-)

"The Matrix: Reloaded" has become the biggest "event" movie of the year. As if to demonstrate the excitement, events are currently breaking out in all regions of Japan.
The first version of the event, which began with a recruitment call on Japan's largest BBS website, Nichanneru [channel 2], was staged on June 8 at the north entrance of Shibuya station, where about ten Agent Smith impersonators chased down Neo. This incited fans all over the country to stage similar events in such places as Sapporo, Osaka, Nagoya and Fukuoka. On June 15 when the second round reclaimed Shibuya, an amazing 100+ Agent Smiths joined in among onlookers and passers-by, creating a minor sensation. At Hachiko square in front of the station, Neo, Morpheus and Trinity impersonators re-enacted highlights and fight scenes from the film to the cheers and applause of the crowd.

Naked Teachers here !.

Somehow I don't think my School should consider this as a possible means of raising money, eyebrows perhaps but not money.

Teachers at a school in Buckinghamshire have given pupils ample ammunition for some very personal teasing. Following in the footsteps of the Women's Institute pin-ups, they have stripped off for a charity calendar.
Pupils at William Borlase grammar school in Marlow helped to make and market the calendar, which is being used to raise money for a school in South Africa.They can now see biology teacher John Stebbings in a whole new light.As Mr March, he is pictured behind a cactus.
Also featured is music teacher Melanie Macfarlane (Miss February) who appears to be playing her cello naked - but isn't.
She was very reluctant to take part but says she is pleased she did.
"I was very concerned about how it would be produced, but the young ladies behind this are very nice people who weren't doing to for a laugh and were very professional."

I like this girl ;-)

New TV Star Trek Vulcan Jolene Blalock was so convinced her boyfriend would agree to marry her, she arranged the ceremony for the day after she proposed to him. The romantic actress, who plays Subcommander T'pol in Enterprise, married Michael Rapino at the end of April, while the couple were vacationing in Jamaica. And she admits she never doubted he'd agree to become her husband - even though others weren't quite so convinced her 24 hour engagement would work out. Blalock, who once dated actor Edward Furlong, says, "Little did my husband know we were all planning a surprise wedding. Everyone knew - his family, my family, the hotel, the wedding planner, everyone but him. I proposed to him the evening before on both knees and he said yes. When I let him know that the ceremony was at 6.15 the next evening, he was like 'Oh.' The owner of the bungalow we were staying in kept coming up to me and saying, 'What if he says no?' I was like, 'What do you care, you still get your check.' He said, `Would you like a taxi standing by just in case?'"

;-) More Scottish castles for you here ...

And a note !! those of you who might want to e-mail me, for the duration of this trip it is better to try mailing me at gunnella@yahoo.com rather than the usual vortex one !!!

Hi all ye wonderful people who for some strange reason feel compelled to check out this nefarious blog on a regular basis in the vain hope that it has, as by magic, been updated and that there might actually be something of note here. I appreciate it though ;-) Crazy though you may be :-)
At the moment I'm in Manchester, enjoying seeing all the people I used to work with...over 13 years ago.. Christ how time flies... I was seventeen when I was here last working at a Solicitors office enjoying the big city life although I was, technically, far to young to enjoy it ;-) Nothing much has changed though... well apart from me now being a single mother of two, technically uneducated ;-) and on her way back to University....


Been having an excellent time here in Britain, gallivanting around flashing my very endearing smile at unsuspecting Scottish, Welsh and English people. I spent the first week in Edinburgh being part of a group of Icelandic teachers having a browse around the various primary schools as well as attending university lectures both there and in Glasgow, great fun as you can imagine. To keep in shape I've made sure that every night I lift weights, admittingly most of the time it's only my right arm ;-) The local term here I think is something akin to "lifting a pint" :-P apparently I'm getting pretty adept at it as well, even knowing how to say cheers in welsh ;-) We stayed at this really nice Hotel (expensive as hell) where I (of course) got to know the night guards well ;-) well after poor Sigruns incident I kind of had to.. she had this severe bout of allergy one of the first nights there and literally spent the rest of the trip in hospital :-/ Lucky me I got ride in a Scottish ambulance and to spend one night in the emergency ward waiting room ;-) you can imagine the colourful characters I saw there, even had the whole waiting room checking their pockets at one point because I didn't have any change on me and after having been there for four hours I was literally dying for a coke !! but it was fun, never seen so many bashed up drunk men in kilts before in my life ;-) not kiddin..
The first night there I had my first "lock inn"....i.e. for those of you not familiar with the term it merely means that the pub has for all intents and purposes been closed to the public and those left inside are just "friends of the owner having a party" this is due to the fact that the pubs here close at 11 !!??!!


Then I spent a few days seeing the Scottish Highlands, visiting each and every castle we passed. My favorite by far was of course Eilean Donan !! (Pronounced eelandonan) If the quote "I am Connor MacLeod of the Clan MacLeod" rings any bells you can see why ;-) Had an excellent time there, one of those snapshot memories if you catch my drift, .. sitting in the sunshine up on a wall (o.k. so one wasn't technically suposed to go there but anyway) in good company looking over the castle walls, accross the lake and onto the mountains.... Mesa wantsa ...
Then we went up west alongside Loch ness, sorry no I didn't get to see the Monster :-( I did however ask my friend Callum to go splash around in the Loch in order for me to take pictures of at least "a" monster in the Ness Loch but for some strange reason he thought I was joking ;-) Spent a while running around Urquhart castle, still on the shores of Loch ness. Oh well, the up accross the higlands we went, seeing some Hoolankoos (apparently the correct spelling is Highland cows but I assure you that's how it's pronounced ;-)
Once accross the mountains we arrived at this litle paradise of a place .. called Plockton, doesn't sound like much but picture this, a fjord (or a firth as they call'em there) a castle on the far side and on your side this idyllic british village, white washed houses in a row along the shore, little boats on the water, their relection almost perfect in the still water and the leaves on the palm trees slowly moving in the breese....YES the PALM TREES... !!!! The following day we went accross to the isle of Skye where on the top of a deserted mountain in this island in the north of the middle of nowhere Callum very bravely allowed me to try my hand at driving on the wrong side of the road (I'm pretty sure he's still regretting that ;-) Had a wonderful time in and even more so around, Dunvegan castle. Had a slight fall in with the Scottish thistle....;-P

Then I went for a spell to Wales, again visiting friends and looking for castles ;-) The first one we visited was Conwy castle, where I immediately chose a tower for myself and have very vivid images in my mind as to the interior decor and the library..kitchen?? what kitchen...? does one need one of those as well ?
O.k. I have now spent over ten quid just to use the net here :-/ so I think I might have to leave my Welsh tales until later. Once I'm done here I'm off to Sheffield for a university interview, going to meet up with a professor to discuss the possibility of a joint Ma in Folkloristics and Japanese next year...fantasy world filled with never ending student loans here I come ..!
Then later that evening, i.e. on the 27th.my brother is bringing the kids down from icelandand dad will be arriving up from Rome and we're al going to meet up at Heathrow, rent a cara and then speed off down to Devon, Seaton. There we'll be spending a week at my aunts place, which I am told is right on the beach, in which case the kids are going to have the time of their life !!!

Looking forward to seeing the kids again, have a bit of a withdrawal syndrome there, missing the hugs and cuddles ;-)

Then it's just back to Iceland, to redecorate my town place seeing as we're moving south, had enough of teaching for a while so I'm going back to school.

Anyways, enough blabbering for one letter, hope this sees you all well, stay in touch ;-)

Cheers,
Gunnella.

The real reasons for which people buy mobile phones with cameras in them.....Then WARNING !! "don't try this at home,stunt performed by an experienced and certified Coke addict !!! And finally the one stop for toilet paper fashions !!!

o.k.on the sixth I went to Glasgow to visit schools there, great lecture by Steve Bellinthe afternoon.....Then dinner in a fancy restaurant inappropriately named the kama sutra ... funny food and loadsof drinking... returned back to the hotel... had a couple of drinks there then me and three others headed out again ;-) and that;s where the fun begins.... we went to the local pub on the corner... and there I experienced my first ever Scottish "lock in" ,i.e. the till was put away, drinks were on the house (at least for me they were ;-) and there we stayed partying until the wee hours of the morning.... nice bartender ;-) ... no more said ...Unfortunately a more sinister turn of events had already started evolving at the hotel .... My friend Sigr'un had to go off tohospital due to a severe allergic reaction :-( ... In the morning.... all right ;-P at one a' clockI wentout for a walk...came close to having a heart attack when a large van started honking away..my head was floaty enough as it was... untilI recognized the couple inside as being a coupleI had met at the party the night before ... nice..small town feeling, yet with the sense of freedom.... Decided to call Callum up... And what happened next,stay tuned to find out allin the next episodeof Gunnella blundering babbling wanderings...only here on Langavitleysa..
Next chapter.. my interesting night at the emergency ward of the new royal infirmary

Hi ;-) I'm alive and kicking and currently logged on to a student computer at Strathclyde university in Glasgow....... The great adventure of 2003 has already begun .... Wrote of yesterdays events on the laptop but haven;t been able to transfer it unto here ;-) I'm sorry to dissappoint but for the next month or so my links to funny or weird websites will be fewer than usual if any.... Today I have held an impromptu lecture to a whole school on Iceland, Icelandic customs and geology ;-) Aparts from major knee shakes I did well, as one teacher pointed out, hey... you know english and u like to talk... it's nice though managed to squeese out the compulsory five laughs per lecture without too much exertion so I guess it was a success...... I've just dined in the cafeteria here and am soon to go attend a lecture being given by a mr Steve Bell..... then fancy dinner at a restaurant called the Kama Sutra and back to Edinburgh for the compulsuary beers at our now local pub ;)


Anyone come up with a good caption, please post them on the tag board and the best one gets a PRIZE !!!!!!!

Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some Blunders and absurdities have crept in: forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day. You shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense. - Emerson via Rabbi

For a random quote from Buffy the Vampire Slayer ;-)
Follow the arrow to the Bad place ;-) --> Muahhhaa

Last weekend I watched as Spike went up in flames, sacrificing himself for the good of mankind......"I love you"... evoked the Han Soloan reply "no you don´t, but thanks for saying it" afterwards they looked back upon the hole in the ground that had once been Sunnydale.... No more Anya, no more Spike...ARRRrgggg thankfully word had already reached one that spike would in some miraculous way survive and of course move to Los Angeles, the place to be if you´re a Buffy ex... ;-) proof

Now I just retrieved this of Buffy.nu, it is a description of an Angel script...I have no idea wether it´s reliable information or not, but it certainly keeps to the buffy/Angel plot and ...we can all hope .. ;-) the naked part certainly sounded Jossnesque enough ;-P

Anyways possible major spoilers for Spike fans up ahead !!!

* The first characters we see are Buffy and Spike. It's a flashback to Spike's final moments over the Sunnydale hellmouth. Spike goes all bright and dusty, then :

* The first new scene is set in Wolfram & Hart's "White Room." It's somebody's point of view. Somebody on his or her back. Winifred, Charles and Wesley are all peering down. None of the trio has ever seen this mystery-person before, but Wes seems to have a pretty good idea who it is. Angel arrives and eliminates any ambiguity with a single-word : "Spike." No more POD. Spike naked (oh reeeally ;-) save a familiar-looking amulet, turns groggily toward Angel and mutters, "Oh … bloody hell." He hear a violin and the title credits roll.* Actually, before the big reveal, the first thing we hear in the White Room POV shot is heavy breathing. But when we see Team Angel hovering, none of them seems to be breathing very hard.

* When Angel offers Spike a cup of blood in the law firm's examination room, Spike says he actually feels like a chocolate shake.

* The second Spike learns Buffy survived the big doings in what used to be Sunnydale, he starts off to find his true love. But Angel won't let him leave until he can figure out why Spike is still alive. "Oh reeaaly ?" asks Spike. "And are we sure that's the reason now ?" Angel also wants the amulet back, since it's technically Wolfram & Hart property. A big Spike-Angel fight ensues.

* There is much shattering of law-firm glass. As the Spike-Angel fight grows more intense, Angel goes into vamp-face. Spike tries to do the same, but finds he can't !

* Angel manages to yank the Amulet away from Spike. Spike begins gasping and turning blue. "Angel, the amulet," cries Wesley. "I think he needs it. He's dying." Angel hesitates, but Fred reminds Angel that Spike just finished saving the world.

* Angel returns the amulet and Spike's complexion immediately turns rosier. "His breathing is returning to normal," advises Wes. "'Breathing ?'" asks Fred.

* Angel rips a giant mirror from the wall. He can't see himself in it, but Spike casts a reflection !

* Lilah turns up with Spike's blood test. The DNA matches what the Initiative took out of Hostile 17 four years ago, but the amulet seems to have "cleansed" the vampire right out of Spike. He's all human now !

* Wes remembers the Shanshu prophecy. "When that a souled vampire fulfills his destiny - whatever that may be - he becomes human."

* But if Spike's human, why is so strong, and able to fight Angel so effectively ? Wes remembers speaking to Willow by phone about the "joining spell" that turned all the potentials into slayers. "So when the cleansing began," asks Lilah, "did you - I dunno - touch Buffy ?" Spike answers in the affirmative, flashing back to the fiery hand-holding.

* And then, at the end of this first act, Lilah and Wes come to the same conclusion - and reveal one last amazing thing about this new Spike :

* He's now the world's first male vampire slayer.

images courtesy of bloodyawfulpoet.com

Hey why not send me a phone message ;-) Just click here !! And type 8679830 in the smaller box ;-)

Only four more days until my great Britain adventure !! Oh and I´ve enrolled myself into Japanese at the University next autumn. The kids have left to stay with their father.... (umph grumph lots of ugly thoughts) so the house is horribly quiet and empty... lucky for me I still have a thousand things to keep me occupied, things that have to get done in the next two days .. ;-) Procrastination, my new favorite word ;-P

on a different note this is really funny in a nasty way ;-)

What' s in a name ?

The first name of Gunnella gives you a dynamic and highly strung nature. You have a humanitarian and principled side to your character and will go out of your way to help someone if you feel there is injustice or unfairness. You often become involved in situations without any thought of the consequences. You are basically seeking truth in life and have a very analytical and questioning mind. Being perceptive and intuitive, you often respond to your hunches, which can lead you into bitter experiences. You love change, travel, and new opportunities and dislike monotonous detail. Though you show enthusiasm over a new-found interest, you seldom finish the things you start. If you are repressed or restricted in any way, you become frustrated, moody, and depressed. You often speak directly and can be cutting and sarcastic. You experience many disappointments with people, for you trust others and take them at their word, only to be let down. In time, you could become cynical and extremely critical towards people. Your driving, seeking nature and intensity of feelings could cause you to experience nervous breakdowns, nervous problems, fits, goitre, or a weak and sensitive solar plexus. An impulsiveness could cause you to be accident prone.

I´m curious, yeah so what´s new ;-) anyway I´d be curious to know if you find your name analysis to be fairly accurate or complete bull. I was surpriced to find that my real name as well as my online nick seem to be rather similar.... So, if you feel like finding the hidden meaning of your name then have a browse here ;-) And let me know what happens ;-) Hey I´m a teacher, giving homework is in my blood ;-P

Now for a slight insight into the exciting world of Graphology and sex ;-P

Sexually Frustrated
Some people are not totally satisfied on that physical level right now. If you see a lower loop in the g and y that is incomplete, know that the sex life is also incomplete. Look for the letters y or g shaped like the ones on the right.

Big Sex Drive
This is the trait that everyone loves to talk about! The bigger the loop in someone's lower zone letters, the bigger the sexual imagination. That imagination includes energy, trust, experimentation, and even new positions. Face it, someone that imagines very well will get bored with the same old thing. So, if your lover has a big y-loop, be experimental. Remember, this loop is also exaggeration. Therefore, that person will also tend to embellish and exaggerate everything in all areas of life. They make great story tellers and are definitely the best lovers! For a big sex drive look for a long and wide lower loop in the y or g like the ones on the left. Source

This morning as I got out of bed, I was greeted by one of the most surreal sights ever. Picture this, you are in a rural area more than two hundred kilometres from the nearest city, sheep are grasing in the garden next to yours and horses neighing in the hills to your left. There is a heavy mist covering your garden which is beset by a multitude of bright blue balloons, all standing on end and bearing the logo of Skjár 1 ( a tv station ) ....

how..? What..? Where...? and how again...?

Seeing as I haven´t as of yet bought myself a digital camera the only thing in the situation was to shout inside "kids! come have a look in the garden!" They were of course delighted although stupefied..
Could it be that they had been filming one of their surreal ads somewhere in the neighbourhood and then left the ballons to float away on their own accord.?