Movie reviews: Noche del terror ciego, La

La Noche del terror ciego (1971) Starring Lone Fleming, Cesar Burner, Maria Elena Arpon, Jose Thelman, Rufino Ingles, Veronica Limera, Simon Arriaga, Francisco Sanz, Andres Isbert, Antonio Orengo, Jose Camoiras, Maria Silva, Britt Nichols, Pedro Sempson.

Directed by Amando De Ossorio.

Runtime: 101 Minutes.

Rating: R (Violence, Nudity)

Virginia meets old school friend Betty with whom she roomed at boarding school while both are vacationing in Lisbon. She introduces Betty to her new beau Roger (Burner) who takes an immediate liking to her. He invites Betty to go on a camping trip with them in the countryside telling her to meet them at the train station in the morning.

Betty shows up but much to consternation of Virginia who isn’t too happy to have her along for a couple of reasons. For one thing she thinks Roger has the hots for Betty. For another she is afraid Betty will either spill the beans about their lesboerotic adventures together in the dorm or perhaps want to continue them.

Feeling incredibly awkward, enfuriated with Roger, a little repulsed by Betty and having been told the train is an express meaning she can’t just get off at a stop in a few minutes, Virginia jumps off the train. Betty and Roger are concerned but not enough to jump and go after her. The engineer also refuses to stop the train because the area nearby gives him a bad feeling.

They all figure Virginia will find a place to camp nearby and find her way back on her own. That is what Virginia thinks too but after hiking a fair distance all she finds is an abandoned citadel. She decides to find a room amidst the ruins there to spend the night. Once she has picked a suitable cell she tosses her sleeping bag down, settles in, turns on her portable radio, smokes a few gitanes and tries to sleep.

Virginia has her mind on other things and as result can be forgiven by the audience for having overlooked the presence of a graveyard of 13th century Templar knights or hearing them rise again as blind zombies to hunt human flesh to feast on. They find Virginia and chow down.

After awhile Betty and Roger clue in to the fact that Virginia is missing.

They and the police track her to the abandoned citadel. Eventually all of them become prey for the awakened knights.

The composition of the shots we are given in this minor horror masterpiece is utterly breathtaking evoking the cinematic eye of Mario Bava and the meticulous attention to detail of Stanley Kubrick. And what incredible shots these

Thinking Of Traveling To Alaska?

Today Norm Goldman, Editor of www.Sketchandtravel.com and www.Bookpleasures.com is pleased to have as a guest, writer and travel book author, Nancy Thalia Reynolds.

Nancy’s principal area of expertise is Alaska, British Colombia, and the Yukon Territory. Nancy is co-author of Going Places Family Getaways In The Pacific Northwest.

Good Day Nancy and thank you for accepting our invitation to be interviewed.

Norm:

Please tell our readers something about yourself, your educational background, and the books you have written and are now in the process of writing.

Nancy:

I’m a 5th generation Pacific Northwesterner. My father had a profound wanderlust and an enthusiasm for discovering new people and places that rubbed off on me. A university professor, he held jobs around the U.S. and Brazil. I lived in California, Brazil, Washington and Oregon before moving to New York at age 17 to attend Sarah Lawrence College. My upbringing allowed me to feel at home in widely different milieus and engendered deep curiosity about other lands, and I’ve had a passion for travel since childhood. Although I did cherish dreams of writing a great novel as a kid, the passion for travel writing came later.

After college, I moved to Canada and worked a few years before attending York University Law School. On graduating, I worked at public interest law firms first in Toronto, then Vancouver where I wrote and edited legal self-help materials before moving to the US to marry. At that time I made a strategic decision to abandon law and become a full-time writer.

My first venture into authoring a book was when I wrote Adopting Your Child was published in 1993.

This opened the doors for me.

I contributed the British Columbia section to the fourth edition of Going Places: Family Getaways in the Pacific Northwest, published in 2000, and went on to write Going Places: Alaska and the Yukon for Families, which comes out in April 2005. Both titles are available from Sasquatch Books.

I just completed a new Alaska travel book, Activity Guide to the Inside Passage: Whether You Have Four Hours or Four Days. Sasquatch will publish it in January 2006.

Norm:

Where is the Yukon Territory and Alaska, and how easy is it to travel from the United States, Canada or Europe to these areas?

Nancy:

Yukon Territory is bordered to the south by British Columbia, to the east by the Northwest Territories, to the north by the Beaufort Sea in the Arctic and to the west by the state of Alaska. Most of Alaska sits to the left of Canada, but the gorgeous Alaska panhandle, a narrow coastal strip with widely separated communities, many on islands, runs several hundred miles south, bordered to the east by BC. At the top of the panhandle, the towns of Skagway and Haines offer road access to the rest of Alaska, the US and Canada.

The easiest way to get here is by air. International air carriers serve Vancouver and Anchorage. National carriers serve these destinations and Whitehorse (the Yukon capital). Alaska Airlines serves major Alaska cities and many smaller communities. Air Canada and its partners serve BC and the Yukon. Throughout the region, huge distances make plane travel essential. Smaller airline, charter and air taxi service is widely available across the north. From Seattle, a non-stop flight to Anchorage takes 3.25 hours. From Vancouver, a non-stop flight to Whitehorse takes 2.5 hours.

Highways run north through BC and Alberta, connecting to the Alaska Highway, which starts officially at Dawson Creek, BC, and runs through the Yukon into central Alaska. It is 817 miles from Seattle to mile zero of the Alaska Highway; and 548 miles from Calgary.

The Alaska Highway itself is 1,390 miles long, ending at Delta Junction, Alaska. Another 98 miles brings you to Fairbanks. The road is paved all the way, and services are rarely more than 100 miles apart–usually closer.

Once in the Yukon, motorists can drive to Dawson City, ground zero of the Klondike Gold Rush, and over the Top of the World highway to Alaska. The Dempster Highway leads north from Dawson to Inuvik, through the Northwest Territories. It’s not paved but in good summer weather can be driven comfortably.

In Alaska one can drive from Anchorage to Denali National Park, home of the continent’s highest mountain, spectacular Mount McKinley, in eight hours on good paved highway. Four more hours brings you to Fairbanks, with road access to the Yukon and points north. Many northern highways offer good driving conditions, breathtaking mountain and ocean views, and very little traffic apart from the occasional moose or bear ambling across the roadway.

Norm:

Would you consider Alaska and the Yukon Territory a good choice for a romantic getaway or wedding and honeymoon destination? Why?

Nancy:

The answer is a resounding yes–for the right couple. This region contains the world’s largest protected wilderness, spanning Alaska, British Columbia, and Yukon Territory and designated a UN World Heritage site.

The scenery is magnificent, access to wildlife unequalled, and despite its ever-increasing popularity as a tourist destination, has many all-but-undiscovered destinations to explore. Native cultures, largely eclipsed down south, are major players in the north, and are glad to share their world with visitors. However, if your idea of a holiday or honeymoon is lying on a tropical beach, you’ll want to look elsewhere.

Let’s look at weddings first.

Getting your wedding party up north can be a challenge, although it could also be a magnificent experience. Alaska has several five-star hotels in the Anchorage area; otherwise most choices can be characterized as comfortable but rustic. A large wedding party and guests–more than 100 people–could be accommodated in Anchorage, Juneau, Fairbanks or Whitehorse. The Captain Cook, in Anchorage, or the nearby Alyeska Resort in Girdwood, would be top choices. Smaller wedding parties can be comfortably accommodated in many places.

For honeymoons and romantic getaways, options are endless. Cities offer the usual urban amenities; but to experience the unique attractions of Alaska and the Yukon, try:

· An out-of-the-way spot like the Boardwalk Lodge on Prince of Wales Island, a great choice for fishing enthusiasts. In recent years, visitors have clamoured for a look at the world’s largest brown bears (AKA grizzlies).

· An August trip to Katmai National Park & Preserve, with a stay at the Brooks Lodge, a short walk from brown bears fishing for salmon, is unforgettable.

· The lovely Windsong Lodge near Seward on the Kenai Peninsula makes a great home base from which to explore Kenai Fjords National Park where you can get up close to beautiful Exit Glacier, hike some of Alaska’s loveliest trails, and kayak among glacier-carved fjords.

· The Yukon, especially Dawson City and Whitehorse, come to life in summer. A trip at the start or end of the season is recommended. Even in August, fall colours are rampant and yet temperatures can rise above 25C/77F. Take a day trip up the Yukon River to Eagle, Alaska.

Norm:

You mentioned to me that you have traveled to the north by just about every means available: plane, cruise ship, sailboat, motoring. Which one did you prefer and why?

Nancy:

I enjoyed all of them. Driving is great because it allows the most access to the region. If you have the luxury of time, the options are infinite! For visiting southeast Alaska, travel by water is my top choice. The variety of options grows every year. At the high end are small luxury cruise lines, or you can book a sailboat, complete with captain and crew, for your party and go exploring. For most visitors, especially those unfamiliar with the region, large cruise-ship travel is often the most comfortable choice. To experience Alaska as Alaskans do, I suggest taking the Alaska ferry up the Inside Passage; it combines the most access at the least cost in time and money. And to simply get north fast and start exploring, nothing beats flying.

Norm:

When is the best time to visit Alaska and the Yukon Territory from the point of view of weather, costs, crowds, and the availability of flights from the USA, Canada and Europe?

Nancy:

The most affordable time to visit is the so-called “shoulder season.” Up north, that’s May and September. Attractions are open and flights are available, but crowds are thinner. Mosquitoes, which can be a trial throughout the north, are scarce in those months, yet days are still long. Thrifty-minded visitors can find cheaper flights and often bargain for lower hotel rates at this time. Cruise fares tend to be lower as well. For a winter trip, avoid Christmas holidays and school midwinter breaks to obtain the best rates.

Norm:

How safe is it to travel to Alaska and the Yukon Territory?

Nancy:

Quite safe. The crime rate is low and human-generated risks are few. However, if you plan to get into the wilderness, you’ll need to be prepared, inform yourself and take sensible precautions. Read up on the terrain and the wildlife. Learn how to handle bear and moose encounters. If you’re visiting in January, you’ll need cold-weather clothing suitable for average low temperatures of -22C/-9F. It’s not unheard of for temperatures to reach -40C/-40F. On the other hand, it comes as a nice surprise to many summer visitors to the Alaska and Yukon interior that summer temperatures can soar to 27C/81F or even higher.

Norm:

Could you give our readers an idea of the costs involved if travel originates from the USA or Canada?

Nancy:

· Given the wide variety of travel options, it’s hard to be precise. If you can be flexible, you can often find a return flight from Seattle to Anchorage for around $250. Although it’s closer, flying to Juneau will cost more, from $50-100 usually–US dollars of course. From Vancouver to Whitehorse, return; expect to pay at least $200, Canadian.

· Drivers will find gasoline prices moderate in Canada and low to moderate in Alaska, thanks to the oil pipeline.

· Restaurant prices run higher everywhere; budget about 20% more than you’d need in urban Canada or the U.S. Motel and hotel costs are similar to those down south; don’t be afraid to bargain during the off or shoulder season.

· Cruise fares are complex and bewildering, but if you’re prepared to do the homework and cost comparison required, you can obtain remarkable deals. It’s possible to snag an inside stateroom for a seven-day cruise between Vancouver and Seward, Alaska, for under $700 per person. This includes stateroom and meals, but no alcohol or shore excursions. Still, it’s a deal that’s hard to beat. For a romantic getaway, consider traveling in the early shoulder season and apply the savings to upgrading to an outside stateroom with a veranda.

Norm:

If you had to choose 6 unequalled venues in Alaska and the Yukon Territory for a romantic getaway, honeymoon or wedding destination, which would you choose and why?

I noticed that you had mentioned to me there is some great hot springs just south of the Yukon border on the Alaska Highway and in central Alaska. Perhaps, you would like to elaborate as how this venue qualifies as a unique romantic destination?

Nancy:

Only 6? That’s not easy; I’ll have to commune with my inner travel agent! OK, here goes.

For more information, my book Going Places: Alaska and the Yukon for Families explores each of these destinations in greater detail. Government Web sites are another good resource.

· Glacier Bay National Park & Preserve, Alaska

It’s accessible (Alaska Airlines offers service to Gustavus, just outside the park) and offers a taste of just about everything the north has to offer. Although Gustavus has excellent B&Bs, for honeymooners I recommend staying at Glacier Bay Lodge, the only accommodation inside the park, which offers rustic comfort (get a room with a view of Bartlett Cove), fine dining, and activities like kayaking, fishing, biking, guided boat tours of Glacier Bay, and free guided hikes with park rangers. Go flightseeing high above the bay to get a look at the enormous icefields that generate the glaciers. If time allows, extend your trip to Juneau (a gorgeous, 3-hour ferry trip south) to visit Mendenhall Glacier, tour superb museums, shop for Tlingit art and take a boat tour to Tracy Arm-Ford’s Terror Wilderness. The lodge is open and tours are offered between late May and early September.

· Haines Junction, YT

Come again? You may never have heard of it, but this tiny town perched at the edge of Canada’s spectacular Kluane National Park has a lot to offer–location, location, location, as they say in real estate. It’s highway-accessible from Skagway (4.5 hours), Haines (3 hours) and Whitehorse (1.5 hours). The national park’s main visitor centre is in town along with a superb small European-style inn–the Raven–with 12 spacious rooms and one of Canada’s top restaurants. Also in town are several decent motels and an excellent bakery and cafe. From here, you can access excellent hiking trails for all levels of fitness, and explore the largest protected wilderness in the world. You will need a vehicle. If you don’t have one with you, rentals are available in Haines, Skagway and Whitehorse. Or book a stay with one of the area’s full-service resorts and let them take you exploring. NOTE TO CANADIANS: For reasons no one seems able to explain, Canadians are not permitted to bring a vehicle into Canada, which they have rented in the US. Luckily, Whitehorse has many rental outlets.

· Homer, Alaska

On the southwest of the Kenai Peninsula, Homer is the better part of a day’s drive from Anchorage. It’s tiny (about 4,000 residents) but with city-sized amenities–such as one of Alaska’s best bookstores, a first-rate museum, and exceptional arts and crafts galleries. Homer Spit, which extends 4.4 miles into scenic Kachemak Bay, is studded with cafes and shops. At the far end, with Homer’s best view, is Land’s End Resort, a great destination for honeymooners. Book a suite or rent a luxurious condo. The restaurant is first rate. Soak in the hot tub at the water’s edge and watch the sea otters float by.

· Denali National Park & Preserve, Alaska

First the bad news: Unless you are lucky enough to win the road lottery that allows you to drive deep into the park in mid September, you will have plenty of crowds to contend with. The good news is that it’s worth it. Not only is this closest you can easily get to Mount McKinley, wildlife viewing and spectacular scenery are among the best in Alaska, and accommodation choices are superb and varied. At the park entrance you can find many choices at all price ranges, some with views to die for. To get away from the crowds and closer to the natural world of Denali, consider a stay deep inside the park at the beautiful, rustic Kantishna Roadhouse or Denali Backcountry Lodge.

· Alyeska Resort, Girdwood, Alaska

This Japanese-owned hotel offers sheer, unabashed luxury. Plus it’s 40 miles from Anchorage and a day trip from Portage Glacier and the Kenai Peninsula. In winter come for skiing, tubing and snowboarding; in summer, for golf, hiking and wildlife. Any time of year, enjoy the first-class amenities that include a superb health club and pool and a tram up to a mountaintop restaurant This is a popular spot for weddings, well equipped to handle even lavish affairs. The high season here is winter; summer stays can be quite moderately priced. For a cheaper romantic getaway,

· Muncho Lake, BC

OK, it’s not in the Yukon, but so close! This gorgeous turquoise lake lies in the northern Rocky Mountains–a little-known but enchanted region where caribou and stone sheep wander the highways, fishing is excellent, and crowds are nonexistent. The Northern Rockies Lodge offers fine accommodation and European dining and arrange fishing and other excursions. Hiking and fishing are great here, but the number-one romantic attraction is nearby Liard Hot Springs Provincial Park, 34 miles up the Alaska Highway. A boardwalk trail leads from the park’s parking lot to two large hot springs pools. TIP: A short walk from the first, most popular pool is the second hotter and deeper pool that’s more secluded and less visited, a great destination on a drizzly day. Stopping at the springs is a tradition for just about everyone who drives the Alaska Highway. If you don’t want to bother with a vehicle, the lodge (it’s owned by bush pilots) will fly you here from the US or Canada.

Norm:

You have also mentioned to me that Asian tourists in recent years have been flocking north in winter on aurora-viewing packages. Could you elaborate as to what these entail and what can someone expect to see?

Nancy:

These are great fun and growing in popularity every year. For some years, Chena Hot Springs Resort, a rustic but delightful spot a few hours drive from Fairbanks, Alaska, has been offering such packages.

The resort has always been a favorite getaway for Alaskans for winter sports like cross-country skiing and snowmobiling. The resort has several indoor hot pools, but the favourite is its hot-springs lake outdoors. Bask in the warm waters, surrounded by snow and subzero temperatures, while you gaze up at the aurora overhead.

Winter packages include rides on a “snow catch” to view the aurora. The “aurorarium,” nicely heated, offers a comfortable vantage point to watch the light show. Yukon and Alaska tour companies now offer aurora-viewing tour packages, usually three or four nights.

Norm:

In recent years cruises to Alaska have become very popular. Could you tell our readers why and do you have any preferences as to which cruise to take?

Nancy:

· The answer is simple. Some of Alaska’s most spectacular attractions are to be found along the Inside Passage. Yet, because they are separated by water and most are inaccessible by road, the only way to reach them is by plane or boat.

· Another reason: cruise travel is a remarkably flexible way to plan a vacation. No matter your age or fitness level–honeymoon couples, large wedding or family-reunion parties, toddlers, college students, and retirees–anyone can enjoy a cruise. There is onboard entertainment (usually casino gambling, art auctions, Vegas-style shows, and gala dining), programs for kids, shore excursions to sample the principal attractions of major ports of call and whales, bald eagles and other wildlife to view, all from the comfort of the ship.

· Cruises permit access to a beautiful but remote and rugged part of the world in sheer luxury. Visiting Alaska, I often encounter visitors who are making their third or fourth trip, but whose first was by cruise ship. Considering the bargains available, it’s also one of the most cost-effective ways to visit the north.

· For those unfamiliar with Alaska, I recommend taking a one-way cruise from Vancouver, BC, that includes a visit to lovely Sitka (round trip cruises rarely stop at Sitka). Finishing at Skagway, Whittier, or Seward, visitors can make their way to Anchorage for a couple of days and even tack on a short 2-3 day train trip to Denali before flying out of Anchorage back to Vancouver or the point of origin. TIP: check out one-way airfares offered by the cruise lines. They are often cheaper than anything you can arrange on your own.

· Amenities among the biggest cruise lines tend to be similar. For a romantic getaway on a major line, I like Royal Caribbean, Radisson or Silver Sea. If you can do without a pool and gambling, try one of the smaller lines like Cruise West or, Lindblad (if your wallet can handle the strain).

NORM:

How far in advance should a couple prepare themselves for their honeymoon, romantic getaway or wedding in Alaska and the Yukon Territory?

Nancy:

· We’re trending out of my area of expertise here, but let’s take a wedding first. If you need lodging for 20 or 30 people, you’ll find a wide range of options, many of which can be booked with no more than 6 month to a year’s notice–the amount of advance planning most weddings require. If, however, your guest list includes 80 or more, you’ll find fewer suitable destinations and those you do find will need to be booked as soon as possible. A popular choice for weddings, such as the Alyeska Resort, can be booked far in advance.

· For a honeymoon, if you want the top suite at the Captain Cook in Anchorage, a remote but popular resort such as the Kantishna Roadhouse in Denali or a first-class suite on a popular cruise ship, the sooner you book the better. Otherwise, six months should be adequate.

· And for a romantic getaway, surprisingly you can often make spur of the moment plans–especially if you’re willing to travel in May or September–and find topnotch options. TIP: if you’re looking for a great place to roost during the summer high season, try towns along the Inside Passage. Because most tourists visit via cruise ship or ferry and don’t spend the night, you can often find excellent accommodation in Ketchikan (try the WestCoast Cape Fox Lodge with a spectacular view of Tongass Narrows), lovely Sitka (the Westmark Sitka is a good bet) or Haines (the historic Hotel Halsingland has several antique-studded suites). But in Juneau, the state capital, if the legislature runs a summer session the top hotels–the Goldbelt and the Baranof–are likely to be booked solid.

NORM:

What resources are available on the Internet pertaining to weddings and honeymoon vacations in?

Nancy:

Again, this is not my area of expertise. The ALYESKARESORT.COM has a wedding and reception planning page on its website. Anchorage has several wedding planners, but I’m not aware of any in Whitehorse. However, a nice thing about the north is the informality and ease of booking and planning a trip. And maybe it’s the long cold winters, but even tiny communities in the Yukon and Alaska usually have up-to-date web sites and are more than happy to help you find what you’re looking for.

NORM:

Is there anything else you would want our readers to know about Alaska and the Yukon Territory?

Nancy:

Just one more tip–for adventurous-minded couples with more taste (and wanderlust) than money, consider touring the Inside Passage via the Alaska ferry.

Ferries run north year round from Bellingham, in Washington State, 20 miles south of the Canadian border, and from Prince Rupert, BC, up to Skagway, stopping at Ketchikan (Bellingham-originating runs only), Sitka, Juneau and Haines. Their website (www.dot.state.ak.us) is handy for trip planning.

Amenities are admittedly Spartan–but private–staterooms for two or four passengers, with bath. Bring your vehicle and pet with you. Food is good and free naturalist programs are offered in summer. It’s easy to craft an itinerary allowing you to get off and stay a night or two in each destination before continuing on. If you want a stateroom and/or you’re bringing a vehicle, you’ll need to book six months in advance. Or you could do as Alaskans (even some honeymooners) do–pitch a tent on deck and enjoy the wild beauty of Alaska at a remarkably low cost.

Thanks Nancy

The history of the Ku Klux Klan

It is not really possible to divorce the history of the Ku Klux Klux from the history of slavery in America and the American civil war.

First, the Americans, for certain reasons decided it was in the interest of their plantations and farms to bring in Africans to their country. These Africans were then sold as slaves and treated with a horrifying inhumanity for hundreds of years.

Eventually, the brave President Lincoln, among other people, decided that slavery was a stark inhumanity and had to stop. President Lincoln then signed the Emancipation Proclamation which granted liberty to the former slaves.

Meanwhile, confederate forces in the South were locked in a bloody civil war with the Union forces of President Lincoln. Since the Union Army was fighting a just war, it was only a matter of time before they achieved the victory they deserved.

The same defeated soldiers who lost the war now decided it made sense for them to form a terrorist organization. This terrorist organization was called the Ku Klux Klan a.k.a. the Klan. It was was formed in Pulaski Tennesse in May 1886 and the founders were General Nathan Forrest, Richard R. Reed and Captain John B. Kennedy. It is instructive to note that the former commander of the confederate Army General Robert E. Lee was invited to head the Ku Klux Klan but he bluntly refused to have any truck with the Klan.

What were the aims of the Ku Klux Klan?

In very simple terms, the Klan had a singular aim; terrorism. It was a racist organization that attempted to establish White supremacist rule in some of the former slave-owning parts of America. The Klan aimed to stop the Blacks from voting and becoming American citizens. The Klan also aimed to intimidate and terrorize the former slaves who were now free men and fellow Americans to boot.

Where did the Ku Klux Klan operate?

The Klan operated mostly in the States of North Carolina, Tennessee and Georgia. In some cases, they went outside these three States in their attempt to unleash terror on Blacks and members of the Radical Republican Party.

What was the Klan’s mode of operation?

The K.K.K. should be recognized for what it was. It was nothing but a band of outlaws that went sneaking around at night to burn houses, loot property and kill innocent people. They had a bizarre habit of hiding their facial features in a white hood with small holes for their eyes and nose. The main targets of the Klan were Blacks and members of the Radical Republican Party. They also attacked immigrants and fellow Americans who did not support their illegal activities.

How was the Ku Klux Klan rooted out?

The Klan practically had a reign of terror in the South of America for about ten years. However, they met their nemesis in a man called Ulysses S. Grant. President Grant was a former General of the Union Army who had defeated the leaders of the Ku Klux Klan during the American civil war. Upon his election as President, he decided to deal with them again.

President Grant simply sent in the army into the strongholds of the Ku Klux Klan and, within a short time, the Klan was rooted out.

This is the history of the Ku Klux Klan.

Testimonies: Adoption of a child with behavior issues

He was nineteen months the day he come to live with us. We were his seventh home. To say he had issues would be an understatement. He spoke only two words. NOOOOOOOO! and Mom. Mom was not used in the traditional sense, but rather to demand something from someone. If he wanted a cracker he would yell “Mom” to whomever was closest and point to the crackers.

The good news is he had only one tantrum a day back then, the bad news was it lasted from sun up to sun down. He woke up six or seven times a night screaming in terror. He woke up at dawn screaming in terror, and he screamed for hours on end. By the end of the first week, we were quite clear on why he’d been in so many homes. We also knew we must do all we could to prevent any further moves.

We identified the problems, picked the one that was causing the most stress on the family, and worked on it constantly until it had been resolved. Unfortunately the screaming would have to wait, there were more pressing issues, we started with the escaping.

This boy could get out of anything, or into anything, out of his crib, over gates, out of doors, you name it. First thing we did was install a super gate outside of his room. Then gates on either side of the hall, we awoke several morning to find him between the gates. After awhile he learned that he shouldn’t go over gates.

We tried to get him to stay in bed, that was our first mistake. It would take us almost two years to learn the reason he wouldn’t sleep in bed. When he asked “don’t you remember the blood?” we gave up the bed issue once and for all. He is three and a half, and still will not sleep in his bed.

One by one we eliminated problems, or rather, we minimized them. Most of them will surface during times of stress. The screaming lasted for about twenty months, nearly every day of those twenty months was spent practicing how to wake up. When he woke up screaming, I’d say “good morning, child”, “he was not allowed outside of the gates until he responded with “good morning, mom”. We practiced during play time, we practiced before nap, we practiced after nap, and finally one day he was doing it.

All of it was worth it. Every sleepless night, every stressed out moment, every ruined vacation. This child has changed our family in ways we don’t even believe. We are a family that thinks too much, we dip our toe into the pool and then discuss the pros and cons of actually swimming. While we’re doing this he’s scaling the high dive and plunging in. This has caused us to stop the deliberating and scale the high dive with him.

The difference between night terrors and nightmares – Part 1

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN NIGHT TERRORS AND NIGHTMARES

Twice it happened. Night Terrors.

The first time, I lay in my own bed. I woke to something crawling down my throat. I woke gagging and wrenching, . . . and I couldn’t stop. I began to throw up, and I am not one to do this. There was no feeling in my stomach of something vile that has to come up, it was waking immediately full of terror and fear, so badly that it made you throw up uncontrollably and there was nothing to do to stop it.

This first time was so bad, that I was taken to the hospital and given an intra-muscular shot of Gravol. There was nothing else that anyone or anything could do to quell this terrifying feeling that had control of my body, that was within me but at the time, that is not what I thought about it, it was just an uncontrollable involuntary throwing up and nothing could stop it.

The second time, it went into the morning. But I wasn’t at home, I was at a place where he and I had been together the year before; where he started to drop his mask in front of the same friends that I was again with. The same symptoms as above, with uncontrollable vomiting, gagging, with nothing able to stop this, and no recall of anything to do with the mind, memory or dream state. There was no trigger, there wasn’t a waking memory that brought it on. There was nothing that could shut it off.

These incidences were eight months apart, during what I will forever state was post traumatic stress disorder as I remembered everything about my supposed “bipolar” ex husband of eighteen years, after his last, but not first, psychotic break.

The fear would overtake me. I would remember nothing as to the cause, but I do know now, seven months after the last one, what it truly was. It was FEAR, TERROR, but I remember nothing, but my body, my physical body was rejecting everything because it was living in fear with all of the memories that were coming out whether I was thinking about them or not.

A nightmare on the other hand, is when you wake, and you may or may not remember all or bits and pieces of what was scaring you while you slept. You technically should remember something of a nightmare, even one piece as a nightmare happens during REM sleep and if it scared you that badly, then something should come from your brain to remind you of what you were dreaming about in the nightmare.

The differences between night TERRORS and NIGHTMARES are uncontrollable physical fear and dread but without memory versus, nightmares being scary but having some degree of memory.

I wish neither on anyone, but I have experienced both however nightmares have nothing on night terrors. Once you have settled out from one, you think that you are crazy and that your physical body is rejecting self. It is an experience, that I pray that I will never have again, as the worst is over, and I will never intentionally be in the presence of the entity that caused it, ever again.

In this physical world, I was not supposed to see what I saw. I was never supposed to have the foot off of my head long enough for me to begin to remember everything. And when I did, the trauma of seeing someone you know, become several others is beyond the realm of most people.

To understand Night Terrors versus Nightmares, . . . one has to live through something that has scared them to the very depths of their being. Nightmares are nothing in comparison to having have seen something so up close and personal that most professionals in the field of psychiatry, never witness during their entire career.

Escape from the Dungeon: Jennifer’s Survival Story….

Escape from the Dungeon
by Major Jennifer M. Stephens

Have you ever been encountered with a trauma in life and not know how your life would be after it was all said and done? This is a story of my trauma and how I survived and how I am taking an extreme tragedy and turning it into something spectacular.

This is a story of psychological terror brought on by the hands of my mother. I am the second oldest of 16 children and the stories I am about to describe relays what it was like to live under the terror and reign of our mother. The abuse started about 35 years ago in 1970 and who knew there would be 16 direct victims and many other people affected by her manipulations when all was said and done. Hind sight is truly 20/20 and I think if things were handled differently with the 1987 felony child abuse charges in Waukesha County, there wouldn’t be this tale to tell today in 2005.

There are two distinct time periods in this story: the 17 years prior to 1987 and the 18 years after 1987. Unfortunately for all us children involved, the story reads nearly the same with only the children involved changing. You will find parallels in both sections that I still can’t believe today and I was part of the situation from the beginning and a catalyst for this coming to light. What you will see is a very large break in the system but above all, the master manipulation that would rival the greatest minds. By manipulating her children, the social workers, the lawyers, the prosecutors, mom got off with nothing in 1987 when she was facing 18 counts of felony and misdemeanor child abuse charges, $180,000 in fines and 30 years in prison. Her ability to walk away from that without a scar only enabled her psychotic manipulating mind and that allowed mom to abuse again without fear for the next 18 years. It is heartbreaking to know and live with the fact that these actions have been addressed in the past and she ended up inflicting the same thing on my brothers and sisters as soon as the Department of Social Services stepped out of the situation in the late 80’s. You often hear that history repeats itself, but I never would have imagined to be the exact same acts of manipulation, terror and intimidating abuse over such a long period of time.

September 14, 1987 – This is a day that I will never forget, it was the day that I looked into my mothers eyes and saw my own mortality. It was the day that I wanted to give up trying and just pass away to the next world. This day, is engrained in so many of the kids minds that each one that witnessed it can tell you a story of psychological warfare, utter pain, mental anguish, and overall defeat. This day was worse than anything I have faced in 14 years in the military. This day was worse than anything I could imagine, it was the day that my mother tried to kill me and was the day that I saw the devil in her eyes. So much of the last 17 years have built up to this moment and this day was merely the straw that broke the camels back.

This day started like any other day in our house, but it ended being a day that changed our lives forever. After school that day I was walking to my babysitting job which was a couple of miles away. One of the sneaky things I did as a teenager was to switch my clothes and hair when I got to school. Mom always made me wear skirts and two pigtails in my hair up until this day (I think she was reliving her high school years through us) and I snuck a pair of pants to school and a brush. When I got there in the morning after being dropped off I would go to the bathroom and switch out of my skirt and comb out my hair. Ted knew what I was doing but he never said much, he knew the deal. Well I took my skirt along with me when I was walking to the house I was to baby-sit at but I was still wearing my pants. Unbeknownst to me, my mother was following me in the car. She came up to me and found that I was wearing a pair of pants and had my hair down and not in pigtails which was one of her number one rules I wasn’t allowed to do. She shoved me in the car and refused to let me continue to the job and she made me take off my pants in the car and she threw them out the window. To this day I do not remember how Mr. Maloney found out I wasn’t going to be working there anymore, I think I was in too much shock to remember that. She started to beat me in the head, a 17 year old girl, in the car and saying things that I just can’t write down on a piece of paper without cringing. All I could do was cry to myself but knew it would be over soon, until she stopped at the hair cutters. She said that since I cared so much about my hair and that I wouldn’t wear the pigtails that she would have it cut off. She had my father take me in and say “cut it short” and then they left me there to get it cut. I cried in the chair the whole time and told the lady that mom was forcing this. She cried too and said she would try not to cut it too much. My dad came back to pick me up and he immediately looked at my hair and said “your mother is going to be mad”. I tensed because I knew what was coming. I got home and no sooner did I walk into the door that the bug eyes my mother is so famous for came out and she went straight for my hair. She was so mad she ran over to me and started pounding on my head and my back. I screamed in pain and disbelief and this went on for a while. Then she got even more crazy, she made dad get the other two girls down from the room to watch what was about to happen to me. Mom dragged me to the bathroom by my hair holding my face up to the mirror and screaming profanities at me. She took me by the neck with her forearm and strung me up on the wall with my feet dangling. She had freakishly strong grips that you couldn’t get out of and she made the girls watch as she terrorized me. I was screaming, the girls were screaming for her to stop but she wouldn’t. She pushed on my neck and put her face up to mine and simply yelled at me “do you want me to kill you, do you want me to kill you now” and the only words that would come out of my mouth was “yes, yes, yes just kill me now and get it over with”. She dropped me and yelled at the girls to watch what would happen to them if they ever disobeyed her and she took the knife and started chopping off my hair to the scalp. Just chopped and chopped in her fit of rage and beating me to my knees. I drained of life in that very moment. When she was done she sent us all to our black prison cells of our rooms and the girls cried for me that night. I slumped down on the bottom bunk, curled to the fetal position and prayed to God that I wouldn’t wake up.

September 15, 1987 – the day I left home and never looked back – After falling asleep in my locked black room in an endless pit of sorrow and despair, the time came to go to cleaning. I was to continue on like nothing had happened. My dad called into my room to get up and get into the car to go to work. I hadn’t seen my hair myself yet because I had no access to mirrors after the assault. I felt my head not sure if what happened was a dream or if it really happened. I cried, I just kept crying. She took the one thing from me that I adored, my long beautiful hair. I looked like a boy and to this day I can’t bear to have short hair because of the memories associated with it. I sat in the car with my head on the window feeling lifeless and I had no ounce of hope. I was done, I was finished, I wanted out of my life. I continued on with cleaning, just working through my silent tears unable to look at my father who allowed this to happen to me. How could he let this happen to his daughter? After cleaning my mother made me wear a wedding type dress to high school with my tattered hair. So there I was, 17 years old, tattered hair in a fancy dress, most assuredly used to distract from my head. She slapped me a few more times when she saw the tears on my face and cut my hair so more, to even it out she said. I just stood there, emotionless, feeling dead to the world. I got dropped off in front of school, tears in my eyes as I was stared at walking through the halls. I walked to my homeroom and then walked right past it. I didn’t know where I was going but I wasn’t going to class like this. I hid in the sixth floor bathroom staring at my hair, I crawled under the sink in the fetal position and just started to cry. People came in and asked me what was wrong, all I could say to them was, “go get Meg – I only want Meg”. Someone listened, someone got her. To this day I don’t know what I told her. I blocked so much of what happened. Someone gave me a bandana to put on my head and she took me to the chapel in the basement. She stayed with me all day – she is my hero, she saved me. She brought in Father Reiney and I told them everything. I was hungry and pulled out my lunch and was eating my spaghetti sandwich that was packed for me, Meg and I shared a laugh on that one. After I told the Father about everything he brought in a Nun and they told me what my options were. I had to find shelter for that night, somewhere where I would be safe, before I even got to say a word Meg said she would take me home with her that night. I was so scared at what was about to unfold before the both of us. We ended up getting on the bus to get to her house in Wauwatosa and she and I were embarking on our first adventure. She laughed at me on the bus because as we left Pius and traveled through the town I remarked, “oh my gosh, the street signs are blue”. I never knew that the street name signs were any color other than green. We never left our little area in New Berlin. That night Meg and her mom welcomed me with open arms but the peace did not last too long. My mother found out that I was at Meg’s house and she camped out in her front yard and started yelling at the top of her lungs. The police were called and I sat upstairs crying and in complete terror that she would take me back home. Meg and her mom did everything they possibly could to console me and they said that they knew someone down the street and that they were going to get me there. Poor Jane, Meg’s sister, was left to endure mom’s psychotic ranting and raving on the front lawn. They just got a small taste of the life I was living everyday. I was snuck out the back door and we ran down the street like we were really in hiding from the enemy. We ended up at that other house where I made a very important phone call. I hadn’t talked to my dad’s family in probably a decade when I called Uncle Butch and Aunt Judi in tears. I told them who I was and that I ran away from home could I stay there for the night. I can’t remember what else I talked about but I ended up at their house where mom would never suspect my whereabouts. From what I was told my mother stayed on Meg’s front yard for most of the night. I can’t remember reintroducing myself to my relatives but looking back, I am so grateful that they opened that door for me. They have been suedo parents to me for the last 18 years and I just am in awe at their selfless acts of kindness that night. As the next day started there would be no school for me. I got up and had breakfast like a normal person. I sat at the table and served myself a meal, something that I had not done in 17 years. Aunt Judi and Uncle Butch listened as I poured out my life story at the breakfast table and they told me some of the things that I never knew about my extended family. Later that day, Father Reiney came to get me. They worked through the night for an option that would save me. This was the only option I had and ironically enough, mom’s escapades from the night before at Meg’s house were enough to get a restraining order. Fr. Reiney told me that they would take me to a home for runaways called Pathfinders in Milwaukee and they would protect me for two weeks. I started to cry. I just started to cry and couldn’t stop. I think I said yes I would go and off we went. Fr. Reiney drove me there where I told them about the story of everything that happened in my home and then they gave me another blow. They said that they could only let me stay at Pathfinders if my parents gave permission. My world sank again, how could I escape? She would never give permission, I would be found out, I would be in the most trouble I have ever been in and I don’t know what would happen. I told this to them, I told them every word that she would say to make me out to be the liar and the evil one. Word for word I described how the conversation would play out, I even shocked myself at the level of detail I provided. They called her on speaker phone, and word nearly for word it played out exactly how I explained. Somehow, someway those administrators convinced her to let me stay. I was still in my dress, she demanded it back. She demanded the clothes on my back, I borrowed some of theirs that were donated and they handed the dress over the next day. I don’t remember where I slept that night, I don’t remember much of anything except that was the first time in 13 years I hadn’t had to get up to go to cleaning.

March 23, 2004 – The day the kids were taken away… again!! – Another day in the history of our family that is difficult to forget. I received a call out of the blue from my sister saying the four kids whom I had never met or known before were taken away from mom. Jeffery had turned them in for abuse. My jaw dropped down to the ground in disbelief but more of relief. I immediately went to Annie’s house and walked in and found the kids sleeping in the living room. I walked in and said “Hi, I am your sister Jennifer, boy I am glad to meet you guys!” Annie gave me a run down of what had happened. Much like myself at the very same age, Jeffery had enough. He knew that I was emancipated and made a legal adult at 17 and went to his guidance counselor to see how he could do the very same thing. From there, the police were involved and they took the four children from school and Annie took emergency custody of them. I spent that entire first day, just sitting with my brothers and sister that I never knew and just talked. I found out who they were and allowed them to meet me and know that I would be there for them. Over the course of the next few days, I became the permanent home for Nick and Jeffery. Charlie was diabetic and I could not care for him so he went to a foster home and Amber stayed with Annie. As you might imagine, these weeks became utter nightmares being brought to life all over again. Nick and Jeffery were thrown into a home with a sister they never met and I suddenly was responsible for four kids as a single parent. My rules were strict and as the emotions played out, Nick shut down on me. He left my custody after a few short weeks and went to live with Ted for a few months before moving to a permanent fost

Poetry: Vampires

Homeless Terror

Only in the darkness I rise

To a ravenous surprise

It’s the thirst

That makes my bones chatter with hurt

As I push myself up from my bed of dirt

The cold ground covered in a slimy paste

Where sewer rats scurry by in haste

Perturbed at the commotion I always make

My hunger persistently groans

Impatient with constant moans

As I creep through my underworld home

Urine stained back alleys

Littered with bodies

Most unlike me in soul

But like me without gold

And riches to call a warm home

Coughs of the plagued echo through the night

As the lamplights of 66th street illuminate bright

My eyes crimson as I appear into the revealing light

Where shadows sway amongst shadows

Contained in infinite battles

Glass windows tell no lies

For I don’t see reflections through my eyes

As I run a cold hand across my scalp

Causing wispy hairs to part

My image poor to some

Society however dumb

Will soon be bled numb

A Whistling wind sweeps by

Kissing frail drops of white that cover the sky

Blinding a concrete jungle high

Where empty lives lie

Sweeping foot prints disappear as I walk

Making it easier for my nightly stalk

Passing random sheep busy with talk

A silhouette of a goddess emerges through the snow

Her green dress hangs low

Under a long Grey coat embroidered with her lively glow

Her slender legs twist in discomfort

As pointy heels awkwardly click on cobblestone

My fangs lustfully grow

As sexual aromas blow

Her movements begin to slow

As I sing seduction at a low

She stops and turns

Hazelnut eyes roll back and submit

As my tamable powers surge

Her beauty is her mistake

As I gluttonously take

Endless blood from her neck

Causing her body to violently shake

Her bubblegum breath stops

As I let her body drop

Against the stone street top

Forming a powder angel

The sight of her dead

Causes a painful flash through my head

As I try and remember what it was like

During a time when it wasn’t constantly night

And lovers could lie

About loving lies

To keep one another together

For all time

Then an overwhelming urge

Causes my darkness to surge

And the craving returns

As snowflakes so light

Cover her lifeless body from sight

Forgetting her strife

I move out of sight

To another that just might

End my hunger for tonight

Reflections: Purpose

Sisyphus share your wisdom

…it’s been a bit dark this week, a bit, your senses warn your mind and you knowingly nod, your moods shrivel into a foul black ball, your heart hardens, and your mind clouds to brace itself as it allows itself to sink, sink into a dark space, and then you knowingly shut down, physically withdraw from all things, even putting up walls, and shrink away, hoping that on the one hand, maybe you will stop yourself, and someone will extend her hand, and on the other, chopping of all ties, just so you won’t drag someone down that slippery slope, after all you just want to hide, in that corner, in that dark corner, in that dark black space, out of reach…

It’s been a bit dark this week, and everything seems to allow, give me an excuse to remain at that place. I sickeningly, sadly, want to slide down that slope, and stay there. And yet, some structure in your life simply suffocates, maybe saving you from that slide. You wake up. and the heavy thick stench of smoke begins to choke you, suffocate you as you drag yourself out of bed, and carry that stench as you attend to the necessary. You some of your energy fighting with our mind to keep out of that space, and the rest of your energy is spent to keep breathing through that smog. Sometimes you wonder if you should just stop breathing. God almost tortures you with moments of fresh air that you are ever so grateful for, until you begin suffocating again. And when you get home to bed, you dread sleeping, because you have to fight the same fight when you wake up….

The cold wraps its arms around you, and gives you an excuse to stop breathing, stop fighting every few minutes. When you do, the guilt tugs your heart until it burns and you try to fight, to breathe again. Such is life as Sisyphus saw it. Such is life to the glum soul….

I am sorry, he regretfully and tearfully cries out as he mouths it to you. I am sorry for bogging you down with the expression of the reality of darkness. I nodded, and looked at you. You begin to feel the pain, the pain one feels when one is incapacitated with the inability to feel. Paralysis. You begin to taste the tasteless bitter nothing that fills your mouth through your nostrils. I closed my eyes. I am sorry, he whispers. You gasp, unable to breathe and your eyes, I saw it, it filled with terror. The reality of such darkness hit you.

Darkness…as Sisyphus saw it.

I am sorry, I wish I can shed a little light, but at this moment, I must go. I wave to you and close the door. I drew my blinds and made sure they were shut tight. I shall not be able to make it to work tomorrow. I shall not. I withdraw into the darkness. And even though I am tired, I shall keep my eyes wide open, I shan’t sleep…I shall stare into the darkness…It’s warm there…it is warm there.

Please wave back to me, please wave, PLEASE WAVE BACK TO ME PLEASE!……good night……

Humor: Animals

“CONSTABLE SOLVES MYSTERIOUS HOME BURGLARIES”

Constable Red Baron while making his nightly patrols in Precinct #3 located an open window and decided to stake out the residence, since it looked like the work of the recent burglaries that had been occurring in the area.

Constable Baron waited until he thought the burglar would return. Sure enough as Constable Baron was in position, a noise was heard and the subject began to crawl through the window. Constable Baron remained quiet until the subject was fully inside the residence and told the subject “REACH FOR THE SKY”, This is Constable Baron and I have a gun pointed at you, drop whatever you have in your hands, NOW!”

At that point Constable Baron heard a loud bang, a bag of burglary tools hit the floor and 2 Yellow Paws went straight up in the air. A scared “MEOW” escaped the cat as Constable Baron shined his flash light on the subject. At that point the subjects Miranda Rights were read and the subject choose not to speak until his attorney was present.

Yes, Constable Baron had caught The CAT BURGLAR. This notorious subject had been the culprit of many homes in the Precinct #3 area. The subject was trained to go straight for the important items, like cash, diamonds, gold and valuable art objects. The cat would slip in and out of the residence without being noticed and take the items to his owner who had spent many hours training his life long pet to take up the life of crime. Today would be his last chance to terrorize anyone any longer.

Constable Baron took the Cat into custody without incident, he called for the Animal Control Officer to transport the felon. The Cat was released to the custody of the Animal Control Officer. No harm was done to this animal during his arrest or his release to the Animal Warden. The Cat Burglar was then transported without incident. The case was forwarded to District Attorney Ril Ruff. The next morning charges were brought against the notorious “Kat McNip”. Would D.A. Ruff after reviewing the case demand a life sentence or lethal injection? District Attorney Ruff remarked, We can’t keep letting these animals run wild on the streets, they are streaking around our homes, terrorizing our people and stealing us blind. We have to put a stop to the violence that this subject has caused. Yes, The Buck Stops Here !

Constable Baron was able to locate the stash of missing items that had been stolen, items recovered were diamonds, all sorts of antique jewels, cash, credit cards, gold, original paintings, all the items located totaled 10 Million, YES! 10 MILLION DOLLARS, which could go into the slush fund for the Constables to by new vehicles. radios, radar units, car-cams, and then some left over. What a haul ! The Kat’s hide out was behind the shed at the neighbors house, Kat’s lead Constable Baron straight to his stash, he uncovered it in his cat box. The CSI Crew dug for hours uncovering items, No More Kitty Litter For Him !

Constable Red Baron was awarded a special commendation and was moved to the rank of Chief Constable . Thanks to Officers like Chief Constable Red Baron our streets are safe and Animals are no longer allowed to run free.

What Will the World be Like When the Sleeper Awakes in 2018?

I am constantly amazed (and sometimes amused) by the “science” of futurology. This is, as the name suggests, the willingness of experts to predict what will happen in the future by applying probabilities and other scientific methods. Basically, it is extrapolation from the current state of affairs and, as such, much beloved of those who engage in the “art” of marketing.

This April sees the publication of a new report by PharmiWeb (2002) Ltd. It sets out to predict which current or future products will be significant contributors to the market to treat sleep disorders over the next ten years — an ambitious timescale for anyone without a reliable crystal ball. This is actually a market in transition. In April last year, ambien lost its patent protection in the United States. Although a generic version sold under the name of zolpidem (tartrate) will be launched, Ambien is almost certain to maintain its brand dominance because the world market is predicted to grow. Indeed, the most recent data on the number of prescriptions for ambien continues a trend of upward demand.

To understand the market, we need to factor in two other factors:

• the public is growing more aware of the treatments for “insomnia” which will drive further market growth for sleeping medications, and

• the pharmaceutical companies are investing in research and development to produce new products for the sleep disorders market.

This second point requires clarification. Never one to skimp, the medical profession has identified some eighty different sleep disorders. Such exuberance is extraordinary to describe a condition in which people cannot get to sleep or sleep for very long. But, of course, that is only insomnia. When we get started on the other disorders, we include narcolepsy (involuntary sleep), sleep apnoea (brief periods when you stop breathing while asleep), bruxism (grinding your teeth while asleep), night terrors, and so on.

On the basis of current medical research, it is estimated that some 200m people around the world may be affected by sleep disorders. If that is the case, pharmaceutical companies working in the sleep field have only just begun to scratch the surface of the total market. As the public become more aware of the range of these disorders and of the existing and pending treatments, demand should continue to grow. For the insomnia market, the focus remains on the existing medications with the fewest side effects, i.e. the benzodiazepines and nonbenzodiazepine hypnotics such as ambien. But even that market is likely to continue growing because:

• more countries are relaxing their advertising rules to allow the direct marketing of prescription medications to the general public;

• more pharmacies are coming online and they are likely to boost the market because no prescription is required; and

• new technologies will allow new products to emerge.

As it stands, ambien is the brand to beat for insomnia. Which new medications will emerge to treat the other sleep disorders is difficult to predict.

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