Cool Stuff We Found With Ravens On It - Apples

1920's Label for Bird Valley Apples

Superstition of the Week - Vampires

VAMPIRE

The older belief (before the invasion of teenage vampire angst) was vampires were living dead that came out only at night, could transform themselves into bats, and would suck blood from the living. A victim of a vampire bite ultimately would become a vampire themselves. They could not survive in sunlight and could be warded away by garlic, crosses or holy water. Also it was initially thought there were only 3 ways to kill a vampire: burn it, decapitate it, or thrust a wooden stake through its heart. Sometimes all 3 just to be safe.

Then a bit of trivia...F.W. Murnau, the German filmmaker, was the first person to depict a vampire on screen, in Nosferatu in 1922. Also, Bram Stoker’s famous Novel Dracula has been filmed 30 times in 50 years.

Cool Stuff We Found With Ravens On It - Table Runner

Raven Table Runner from Gailsong (be sure to also check out those placemats).

Superstition of the Week - Doggies

DOG

An old superstition says that if a dog howls near a door it is a sign of misfortune.

Another superstition says that if a dog howls at the moon, it is a sign that death is coming.

It was also thought that if a dog whines when a baby is being born, the child will most likely lead a hard life.

Some say it is good luck for a strange dog to follow you home.

Cool Stuff We Found Named Raven - A Kitty

Raven from Entry Kitten Diary #9 on The Cats Tripe Blog

Superstion of the Week - Football

The Madden Curse

Some believe if an NFL player graces the covers of Madden NFL video games they are doomed by a curse to injury or subsequent obscurity. Here is the curse’s toll so far...

2000 – Barry Sanders: This running back shocked the Lions by abruptly announcing his retirement and did not play a single down that season. Since Barry Sanders quit before the start of the season he was replaced by Dorsey Levens who was bothered by a bad knee through out the season and was released in 2001 from the Green Bay Packers.

2001 – Eddie George: This Tennessee Titan running back bobbled a pass that was intercepted and returned for a touchdown and the team suffered a loss to the Baltimore Ravens in the Divisional Playoffs. The following season hampered with injuries, his rushing averaged was at an all-time low.

2002 - Daunte Culpepper: The Minnesota Vikings quarterback suffered a knee injury and missed the last five games of the year.

2003 - Marshall Faulk: Plagued by an ankle injury from the prior year, this St. Louis Rams running back's rushing yards dropped to under a 1000 and the Rams missed the playoffs.

2004 – Michael Vick: The Atlanta Falcons quarterback suffered a fractured right fibula in a pre-season game one day after Madden NFL 2004 hit store shelves.

2005 - Ray Lewis: Suffered a torn right hamstring in the 6th game causing this Baltimore Raven running back to miss the rest of the season.

2006 - Donovan McNabb: The Philadelphia Eagles quarterback flouted the curse by saying that the injuries associated with it "might be a trend, but I don't believe in the curse at all." True to form, McNabb suffered a sports hernia in the first game of the season. He played on for another eight games despite the painful injury, but after being re-injured in a game against the Dallas Cowboys, he finally opted for surgery and missed the final seven games of the season as the Eagles finished last in the NFC East.

2007: Shaun Alexander: This Seattle Seahawks running back, with a 5.1 yards per carry  rushing average, spurred his team to their best season ever and first Super Bowl appearance in the prior season. Then three weeks in to the new season, he broke his left foot in a game against the New York Giants and missed his team's next six games.

2008: Vince Young: The Tennessee Titans quarterback hurt the quadriceps in his right leg during the Titans' fifth game of the season and didn't participate in Tennessee's game against the Houston Texans the following week, marking the first time in his career (including middle school, high school, college, and the NFL) that an injury kept him from playing.

Cool Stuff We Found With Ravens On It - Suncatcher

Raven Pewter Suncatcher from Gryphon's Moon

Superstion of the Week - Dice

Dice

It is considered good luck to carry dice in your pocket. If you happen to find a die somewhere, take not of the number of spots on the side facing up:

One Spot – Good news is on the way.

Two Spots – Fun travel is in the future.

Three Spots – A pleasant surprise is coming.

Four Spots – Beware of problems arising in the near future.

Five Spots – Your mate will be untrue.

Six Spots – Great fortune in the form of unexpected money.

Cool Stuff We Found Out About Ravens - The Existance of Sea Ravens

Image from gma.org

SEA RAVENS

Sea Ravens live in the cold waters of the North Atlantic Ocean. They can be found on rocky bottoms with sand or mud, or among seaweeds, occasionally swimming up to the surface waters. Sea ravens vary in color from blood red to reddish purple, chocolate, or to yellowish brown and are covered in small spines. Most are a foot long but some do grow up to two feet. They are voracious feeders and are said to eat bait as well as whatever invertebrates it finds on the bottom, such as mollusks, various crustaceans, sea urchins, and worms.