I have finally made a public fandom related Discord server.  For the longest time I have only had one for friends and I to mostly goof off.  I have never made a public one before so if it’s crap, be gentle.  But all Sandman fans are welcome.

https://discord.gg/YFmyrWPmUS

I just realized I don't think DC comics put a holiday card up on their social media this year.

The Internet has again made me question human intelligence.

So I was talking about Kathryn Hahn hopefully playing Gothel in the Tangled live-action remake.

And someone agreed with me and said "Kathryn was great as a witch in WandaVision and Mother Gothel reminds me of a witch so she'd be perfect."

They got forty three likes for that comment on a Facebook post.

Forty three likes and not a single comment bothering to tell them that yes, Gothel is a witch.

You have quasi-immortal old crone who seeks out a magical flower. She knows an incantation to use the magick of that flower to retain her youth. She was somehow able to build or find a tower in the middle of the forest (I didn't really keep up with the animated series so I don't know the official canon here). Also she's literally called a witch in the fairy tale she came from. Not to mention she's literally the origin of the trope of evil witch kidnapping a princess and locking her in a tower in the forest.

But she only "reminds" you of a witch??!?

That's like watching Dracula and saying "You know… This count is a bit like a vampire."

End of rant.

When I ask Google if Lemon slices (baked good) are the same as Lemon bars (Baked good) I get told "No," even when I specify next to "Lemon Slices" I put "(The baked good, not the fruit!)"

And yet this is what comes up when I ask Google what "Lemon slices (Baked good)" are.

And yet if I ask it if lemon slices (baked good) are the same as lemon bars (baked good) I get told "No." WTF, Google?!

I just asked Google if Lemon slices (baked good) is the same as lemon bars (also baked good) because I had never heard them called lemon slices before.

Anyway, I got a reply of "No, they are not the same thing." followed by an explanation as to what they are, confirming that they are precisely the same thing! WTF?!?

Side note: I love lemon bars. I just didn't know there was another term for them.

Now that Epiphany is over we should be wary of the Christmas Goblins.

Charles Dickens wrote a story before A Christmas Carol called 'The Goblins who stole a Sexton." This was pretty much an early version of what would become a Christmas Carol and featured some goblins terrorizing a mean spirited gravedigger until he reformed. it even ended with him leaving town to start his new life because he didn't want to be mocked or ridiculed for the sudden change. The goblins were a bit more violent than the spirits that visited Ebeneezer Scrooge.

Christmas Goblins don't just terrorize mean-spirited people in need of redemption and lacking in Christmas spirit. According to a nineteenth century English superstition, if you leave your Christmas decorations up past Candlemas (February 2nd) then The Christmas Goblins will come after you for disrespecting the holiday by keeping the decorations up too long. Sort of the direct opposite of Sam's reaction to Halloween decorations being taken down too early in the movie Trick 'r Treat.

Goblins are by Bernie Wrightson (Berni Wrightson) for his Monsters! Color The Creatures coloring book (1974).

The Pentacle and Pentagram

Disclaimer: For the purpose of this post I am using the modern occult language of Pentacle to mean the up-right five pointed star within the circle and the word Pentagram to mean the ringless or free floating pentacle. An up-right five pointed star without the circle. So to simplify: Pentacle = Five pointed star with circle. Pentagram = Five pointed star without the circle. That is the language as it’ll be used in this post.

Secondary disclaimer: The etymology of these words both just roughly mean a five pointed shape. Neither, in their word origin, indicate a circle. So go figure. Now on with the rant.

Partly thanks to AI answers there has been a bit of a revisionist history about the symbol of the pentagram. The other night I was curious as to what others felt was the spiritual difference in the symbol of the Pentacle vs. The Pentagram.

I am aware that the ring in the symbol has had many meanings over the years from the cycles of life and the universe, to unity and balance, or contained within oneself or the human will represented as the circle. Or control. Or that the circle represents nature itself since all things in nature are cycler.

The five pointed star, itself, represents the elements of water, fire, Earth, air and spirit- the elements of nature and of magick. Now when I googled what the spiritual significance was in the difference between these two similar symbols I was surprised when the AI overview gave me an answer suggesting that the pentacle is magical and sacred and the Pentagram is just geometry. I know this to be a falsehood. And I realize that Googling different wordings can change how the AI answers the question. But this still struck me as wrong.

Another search result gave me Elphias Levi’s interpretation which claimed that the pentagram represented domination over the elements. Ironically I had once stumbled upon a similar interpretation for the pentacle within the circle with the circle representing control or dominion. It’s no wonder the meaning of these symbols has blurred and blended.

In the lore of werewolves as depicted in pop culture (Of the last eighty-five-years or so) the pentacle and pentagram have been used interchangeably to mean a ward against a werewolf, a warning as to who is the werewolf or who is doomed to be the next victim of the werewolf, and a symbol that could prevent the werewolf transformation if worn by a werewolf. In the lore of werewolf fiction the symbols of the Pentacle and Pentagram seem to have identical functions.

But that is pop culture and should be considered with some skepticism, despite it’s origin being derived from Germanic folklore, which also said that the pentacle could ward off demons, and trap the likes of the demon Mephistopheles (Goethe’s Faust Part 1 and the legend of Faust).

The pentagram was the sigil of Pythagoras (Father of music and mathematics) and was also a symbol of his followers. It was considered a keystone to modern geometry. But the symbol is more than geometry. It’s Sacred Geometry with a capital S.

There is an interesting phenomena where if you dig hard enough you’ll find a star, and in particular, the five pointed star, as a symbol of faith and protection in nearly all world religions. I’ll just name a few.

In Christianity in the middle ages it was believed that the ring given to King Solomon by the Archangel Michael depicted a pentagram or pentacle.

In medieval Germany until about the nineteenth century the pentacle was believed to ward off demons and hung over doorways as a symbol of protection.

Many medieval churches have a pentacle in the stain glass windows.

For a while Christians adopted the Pentacle and Pentagram to represent the wounds of Christ.

A version of the pentacle was used by Ancient Druids and The Ancient Greeks.

A crescent moon and five pointed star is the symbol of Islam. In Islam the star is supposed to represent God and his connection to humanity.

The pentagram without the circle is known in Baha’i as the Haykal and is symbolic of a person with his arms out stretched. People who follow Baha’i believe in harmony and acceptance of all people regardless of race, gender, or sexual identity. They also believe in equal access to education and that all religions have some truth to them.

Most Wiccans use a pentacle as their symbol of faith and magick while some use the pentagram. A few, like the Blue Star Wiccans, use a sepetegram (a seven sided star).

Other stars in faith to note include the Star of David of the Jewish Faith. The Star of Bethlehem that turns up in Catholicism and some other Christian denominations. And the five pointed star Pentagram that often tops Christmas trees though many don’t realize that actually is a pentagram.

Many police and sheriff badges have a five pointed star as a symbol of protection. Even Texas’s so-called “Lone Star” is actually a Pentacle. Many old barns and houses in upstate New York and New England feature a five pointed star or circular window with a five pointed star as an old symbol of protection, like hanging a horseshoe (which has its origin in warding off certain entities that are repulsed by or harmed by iron).

Why am I writing all this? Well, the point is simple. The five pointed star without the circle is just as sacred and just as valid as the version with the circle even if the meaning might be slightly different for some.

The pentagram is not just geometry. Nor does it have to mean “Dominion” over the elements (again, I’ve happened upon those who think the circle represents that). Like the pentacle, the pentagram is ancient, sacred, and bundled in meaning by different people.

There’s even the rhyme “Rowan twigs and strings of red, deflect all harm, gossip, and dread.” This is in regard to rowan twigs (twigs from a mountain ash tree) forming a pentagram and secured with red string (or ribbon or thread, yarn, etc).

So yes, the use of the pentagram (without the ring) is just as valid as a spiritual symbol and symbol of protection, and the five elements of nature and magick.

The use of the ring around it to represent unity, or the cosmos, or will, or nature itself, is your choice. The loss of the ring does not diminish the innate symbolic value of the five elements configured as an even pointed, upright, star.

I made this post because I happen to like the pentagram as much as I like the ringed pentacle version. And I don’t want the symbol diminished for anyone because of a misleading AI or some nineteenth century occultist. Is it geometry? Yes. Is it sacred and symbolic of the wonders of nature, spirituality, and magick, also yes.

It's Epiphany! (The night the three Magi saw the star that lead them to Bethlehem.) Did you leave cookies and milk out for Befana?

Befana is the Christmas Witch of Italy. In Italian tradition she was a friend to the three magi and gave them shelter and food on their journey. They asked her to accompany them too visit the Christ baby but she said she was too busy cleaning.

Later she regretted not joining them on their journey and now as immortal witch Befana carries a large sack and rides her broom on Epiphany Eve. She leaves presents for good children, coal for bad children, and fills hanging stockings with toys and candy.

Children leave cookies and milk (or coffee) out for her. The version I was told was that she loves milk. And she's a good friend and ally of Father Christmas (AKA Saint Nicholas AKA Santa Claus).

Dear person who made the "Krampus miser" AI video circulating.

I realize you think you're clever making a Krampus version of the Heat Miser / Snow Miser song from The Year without a Santa Claus.

One small problem... You obviously don't know what a miser is.

A miser is someone who hoards things, particularly wealth.

Heat Miser and Snow Miser have power over (and also hoard) their favorite temperatures and weather conditions. Hence their titles.

Your "Krampus miser" video requires the assumption that your Krampus character is hoarding other Krampuses... It's interesting but I don't think that was your intention.

Tips for Nightmare before Christmas merch collecting.

I post this as someone who was in on the ground floor back in 1993 when Nightmare before Christmas was new. I was eleven-years-old when the movie first came out and was fast obsessed and for most of the 90s the merchandise was few and far between so collecting was a hobby of mine. Here’s a list of tips for Nightmare before Christmas collecting.

There is a LOT of Nightmare before Christmas merchandise to choose from now so why still collect? Because now, more than ever, you want those rare diamonds in the rough collectors items.

1. DO NOT buy ANY AI generated T-shirts, posters, pins, or other GARBAGE! I’ll be as blunt as possible. It’s cheep, unofficial, knock-off garbage. If Sally has black hair and no pupils or Jack’s head has baseball stitching, it’s AI crap. This stuff does not go up in value. And it’s offensive to the film creators. Tim Burton HATES AI depictions of his characters. He says it’s like piecing out his soul. It is considered very disrespectful to buy these bootleg items. Though Temu is great for many things, a lot of the Nightmare before Christmas merchandise on Temu is unofficial, AI generated crap with glaring depiction flaws like extra limbs, Sally having the wrong hair color or no pupils, Jack’s head looking more like a baseball rather than a round skull, or Jack-o-lanterns missing eyes entirely.

2. The best tings to collect are the few Nightmare before Christmas products actually from 1993, including the Hasbro and Applause figures of the characters, are probably the most coveted by collectors, especially if still in the packaging (Hasbro) or still with the tags (Applause). The way you can tell originals from reproductions is the originals were sold as “Tim Burton’s The Nightmare before Christmas.” And the 2003 reproductions also had the “Tim Burton’s The Nightmare before Christmas” titling. Both are collectibles but the 90s versions are worth more than the 2003 versions. In 2006 the title was shifted to Disney’s Tim Burton’s The Nightmare before Christmas” which is not only grammatically obnoxious but also is an obvious tell that the item is from after 2006. Other 1993 Nightmare before Christmas merchandise include the soundtrack CD, the soundtrack audio cassette, the talking Jack Skellington doll, the Sally doll with velcro de-tachable limbs, the original storybook by Tim Burton, the Nightmare before Christmas manga (first version), The Nightmare before Christmas young adult novel or novella, The Nightmare before Christmas popup book, and The Nightmare before Christmas wrist watches. And movie theatre posters. From this point on most of the list will be suggestions on what to collect.

3. Try to stick to pre “Disney’s” if you want to be a collecting snob or want to make things tricky for yourself. In 2006 Disney moved Nightmare before Christmas from their Touchstone division (A division created for releasing things Disney was unsure of) and re-released it as “Disney’s Tim Burton’s The Nightmare before Christmas” and that’s the grammatically annoying name on all The Nightmare before Chrismtas merchandise from 2006 onward. This increases the collectible value of of the merchandise from 1993 and 2003 before the Disney name was added to all Nightmare before Christmas products.

4. Another good item to seek is the 1993 first edition printing of the Nightmare before Christmas story book (Not to be confused with the popup book, manga, or young adult novel which are collectibles all their own). The storybook is written and illustrated by Tim Burton, himself, and is actually his original poem that that the film is based on. The 2018 Barnes and Noble exclusive 25th anniversary re-print that comes with an audio CD / audio book of Sir Christopher Lee reading the book is another good and rare collector’s item.

5. The original Nightmare before Christmas VHS tape from 1994, soundtrack CD and / or audio cassette soundtrack.

6. The Nightmare before Christmas special edition DVD and VHS tapes from 2003. This is the last time Nightmare before Christmas was released on home media with the Touchstone logo at the start of the movie and the unaltered opening credits. The sound quality of the music is also better than more recent releases because later releases messed with the audio distribution and did something so that the musical instrumental blends together now like modern pop music. Danny Elfman’s music is NOT supposed to be heard that way! The re-releases after 2003 also broke the tradition that all films Danny Elfman did the music for and were produced by Tim Burton, featured his music over the logos. Changing it to “Disney’s Tim Burton’s The Nightmare before Christmas” interfered with where the music starts and broke that tradition. They also digitially removed wires from the bats during “This is Halloween” on the re-releases. The special edition DVD came with considerable bonus features like the live-action version of Frankenweenie and the stop motion short, Vincent. The DVD’s case features Jack and Sally on the spiral hill together instead of just Jack (which was the first release).

7. There is a subset of rare collectibles from 2006 for The Nightmare before Christmas 3D re-release. The 3D re-release is the original stop motion movie but processed to be viewed in 3D like Coraline. Merchandise from this era include the Nightmare before Christmas special edition CD soundtrack that came with a bonus CD (recently quietly pulled out of print by Disney. In fact Amazon music doesn’t even have the Panic at the Disco cover of “This is Halloween” from that album anymore). Other 2006 Nightmare before Christmas 3D collectibles include the 3D glasses from the theatrical re-release of that year. And posters promoting the 3D re-release of the movie. Note: The Best Buy version of the Special edition soundtrack had bonus tracks other stores did not get including a few more of Danny Elfman’s demo recordings. This makes the Best Buy version of the two disc Nightmare before Christmas special edition soundtrack from 2006 HIGHLY collectible.

8. Anything of limited numbering like the limited edition mini porcelain Jack Skellington dolls (about the size of eight inch figures) from 2006. These include Jack in his pajamas in a coffin shaped box and another of Jack in his pumpkinhead costume from the opening sequence of the movies.

9. The *FIRST* personal use Jack Skellington and Sally animatronics- life size and talking.

10. The Thirteen foot tall home depot Jack Skellington. Not to be confused with their now classic twelve foot tall skeleton.

11. The soundtrack to the Nightmare before Christmas Ooogie’s revenge video game soundtrack. (Only released to some Asian markets and no digital release.).

12. The official Mp3 of Danny Elfman’s “This Time” the unused song for Nightmare before Christmas. To date this song has only had one official release and it was for a very expensive box set of music Danny Elfman composed for Tim Burton. The music box came with a thumb drive of Mp3s of all the music Danny Elfman had composed for Tim Burton up until that point including two versions of the unreleased song “Erased” from Corpse Bride and “This Time” For Nightmare before Christmas. I believe the release date for this was 2012 and it was not released to streaming or Mp3 download on any website. Just the flash drive that came with the music box.

13. The Mattel’s Monster High Skullector Jack and Sally dolls released just a year ago but very limited edition and expensive.

14. Any Nightmare before Christmas merchandise tied to a holiday other than Halloween or Christmas, such as the Valentine’s Day plushies of Jack and Sally that Walmart was selling a few years ago.

15. All that other Disney’s Tim Burton’s The Nightmare before Christmas official merchandise (again, avoid AI knock-offs like the ones sold on Temu!). This is the stuff flooding the market now but still collectible, just not as financially valuable, or as rare, and still official.

Blood from the mummy's tomb is on Svengoolie right now!

Woke up this person on Facebook picking a fight with me about Land o Lakes hot chocolate. I guess they mistook me as a whining conservative pissed about the brand change. One small problem. ...The post they are replying to is two years old. It's from before the name change to their hot chocolate. I hadn't known there would be a name change. I'm extremely liberal, and I happen to like the name change on the hot chocolates. The post was about the hazelnut hot chocolate now tasting a bit like artificial creamer and again, the post was two years old. And I checked, there was a recipe change before the name change (which I hadn't known was going to happen).