All Things Dead

[trinityofone]

My parents are coming tomorrow, and I sense I'm close to being pretty really extremely freaked out. I want to see them, but I know it's going to be weird, and then in a week they'll leave, and I'll have to go through the adjustment period all over again. Yes, I know: way to look on the bright side, trinityofone! Sorry. I'm just, well...freaked out? Yes, I think I mentioned that.

Anyway, good things: yesterday I got to see siriaeve, who I would like to inform you is more exciting than doing laundry. (I know. I just did mine.) Actually, she's a blast AND she lent me the first eight seasons of SG-1, which was pretty much the best unofficial Christmas present ever. So I may actually catch up with that half of the canon eventually. You know, if I never do homework or leave my room again.

She also took me to Dublin's Natural History Museum, which is officially the coolest museum I have ever been to, ever ever ever. Better than New York's Museum of Natural History, which I adore; better than the George C. Page Museum at the La Brea Tar Pits, which will always maintain a special place in my heart for still having the same video presentation I remember from, like, 1988. But this place... Let's just say that you really got a sense that this was what the monkeys in Planet of the Apes got their inspiration for their Human Museum from. I think it's sometimes referred to as the Dead Zoo--every kind of creature you could imagine, and some you couldn't, stuffed and mounted, pinned and wriggling on the wall. It was incredibly creepy and so, so awesome.

Words can't really do it justice, but you're not allowed to take pictures, and besides, my camera was broken. So here are some images I gleaned from the web:


Dude, just when you think you can't see any more dead animals, there are more dead animals. Did I mention that this place was awesome?


Birds, they will fly no more. You would feel bad, except it's all so weird and Victorian that you kind of don't.


Aww, this could be painted on a teacup! Except it's, you know, DEAD ANIMALS.


I'm kind of scared of people who go around taking tourist shots with a stuffed animal they call Mr. Monkey, and yet I feel a strange affinity with them, too. What's that about?

siriaeve and I kept giggling about Stephen Maturin was probably gaga over this place, and hey, if Stephen likes it, you know it's gotta be cool. So if you're ever in Dublin, this is now my official recommendation for the No. 1 thing you should go see. St. Stephen's Green? Pish. Dublin Castle? It's mostly rebuilt anyway. Trinity College? Whatevers. GO TO THE DEAD ZOO. Yes.

Speaking of dead things: plainsong_x, I finally finished Exquisite Corpse while I was doing my laundry this afternoon. I have no real coherent thoughts, but I would like to point out that I ate a burrito whilst reading it. *perverse pride*

And because I promised siriaeve that I would post it:

I Touch Myself - Scala

It's a Belgian girls' choir singing The Divinyls' "I Touch Myself." Yes, you read that correctly.

Oh, and whoever guesses what my subject line is from wins...well, my eternal respect? That should be worth something, right? No?

Comments

[dar-jeeling.livejournal.com]

I apologise for sounding like an idiot, but why exactly are you freaked out?

I'm imagining the Dead Zoo at night; dimly lit, oppressive atmosphere, all the dead animals staring at you with their dead cold eyes. Eeep.

Iwillnotdownloadthemp3Iwillnotdownloadthemp3Iwillnotdownloadthemp3

[kageygirl.livejournal.com]

Omg! The Harvard Museum of Natural History apparently copied their design from the DNHM, because it looked just like those pictures. Only smaller.

From their website: Exhibition highlights include pheasants once owned by George Washington, the Triceratops type specimen (first ever described), and the world's only mounted Kronosaurus, a 42-foot-long prehistoric marine reptile.

If you swing through Boston, I can get you in free. *g*

[birdsflying]

Ah yes, the scary Dead Zoo. I loved that place when I lived in Ireland. I find myself fascinated by those creepy stuffed animals!

The monkeys are always the worst. The monkey room in the National Museum in Prague has some pretty creepy looking stuffed monkeys.

The PNM seems to work on a similar princple - bottom floor is full of rocks. Many many boring rocks. And then upstairs is crazy dead animal time. And a huge whale skeleton hanging from the ceiling.

[siria]

We should so have brought a stuffed monkey with us. We could have brought him to see the bog bodies as well! It would have been very educational for him to see the dessicated dead bodies that form such a proud part of my people's history. He could have met John Sheppard as well. (How bad am I that I totally want to icon that?) I've still not managed to find an appropriate Zelenka bird though.

if Stephen likes it, you know it's gotta be cool. So if you're ever in Dublin, this is now my official recommendation for the No. 1 thing you should go see. St. Stephen's Green? Pish.

I think Stephen would want you to go to the Green, though, because this is the last sentence I read in Letter of Marque before putting it down in order to check LJ:

'I believe,' said Maturin, 'that to the mariner paths are stretched across the ocean according to wind and weather: these he follows with as little thought or concern as a Christian might walk down Sackville Street, cross Carlisle Bridge, pass Trinity College and so come to Stephen's Green, that haunt of dryads...'

Dryads! Oh, Stephen.

That song owns my soul now, by the way. Especially since it just made my sister do a doubletake. *giggles*

[jetspeaks.livejournal.com]

My friend Lynn carried a stuffed "animal" that is intended to look like a uvula around America and London before giving up on taking travel shots. The only reason he didn't come to Disneyland with us is because he was too damn heavy...

And hon, what about Jade's Boady-Does NYC photo spread?

[aurora]

Yay for family time. Or you know, not. But you can be their Dublin tour guide. :D

Ooh, SG1! Me and a friend of mine are in the process of rewatching it from the beginning. There's so much I'd forgotten and/or missed the first time around. Also, perving over Daniel. Good times.

She also took me to Dublin's Natural History Museum, which is officially the coolest museum I have ever been to, ever ever ever.
Okay, now I'm jealous. Because I'm perhaps the biggest museum geek ever. It looks eerily pretty. *add to long list of 'museums to visit'*

Hahaha, Scala. Oh man, they play their songs constantly here. Must be national pride. Or something. I like their version of 'She Hates Me' and this cover is pretty okay as well.

xxx

[ilgattopardo.livejournal.com]

Wow... And now I'm wondering why I never went to the Natural History Museum in Dublin as a child? By the way, it looks remarkably like the University and Pitt Rivers Museums in Oxford (the former for natural history, the latter anthropology; they're under the same roof). Be careful not to award the title of Coolest Museum Ever before you have seen the Pitt Rivers... (Shrunken heads!! Yes, human ones...)

If the parents are coming, I should probably let them get clear before popping down to Dublin for a visit; our schedules will overlap. I'll e-mail you my details, really, I promise...

[airinshaw.livejournal.com]

See I was in Dublin only a few weeks ago and had I but known...

...we did train down to Sandycove though and be Fourty Foot geeks. Also, when I saw the Spire for the first time I could help but comment in it's resemblance to a giant phallic object.

But no museum. However, I do plan to visit again so here's hoping next time I can get to see the Building O' Death.

And the song? Creepy as feck! Small girls should never be allowed to sing the words "I touch myself" ever. Ever

[spazatron.livejournal.com]

That museum looks several kinds of awesome. If I were to visit you in Ireland (which I should be doing now, damn it), I'd insist you take me there.

By the way, I've been trying to call you and nothing is working. When it actually seems to connect me, all I get is a busy signal. Very frustrating, especially because I just purchased a new calling card. Bah. Your phone is on, right? Have you been able to receive calls from other people?

[wychwood]

...if you ever come over to the UK, you positively have to visit the Pitt-Rivers Museum in Oxford. It's possibly not quite as Maturin-worthy (although: dodo!) but it has the best totally random exhibits of anywhere I've ever visited.

Four words: Witch in a bottle.

[slashygood.livejournal.com]

I went there at the tender age of five and between my father's creepy commentary and having a case of centipedes fall on me, I never quite recovered. Apparently various institutions and museums around the country have various spare animals that had been donated, so if you ever want to see a collection of stuffed rare armadillos for example, UCC is the place to be. :)

[violin-road.livejournal.com]

Mmm, burritos.

Also, that song is fab, and I am pleased more people are getting to hear it ♥