By the pricking of my thumbs,/ Something wicked this way comes!

Nothing eerier than these three lovely ladies:





And one of Shakespeare’s most famous scenes, "The Song of the Witches" (Macbeth, Act 4, scene i):


[A Cavern. In the middle, a boiling Cauldron.]


[Thunder. Enter the three Witches.]


First Witch
Thrice the brinded Cat hath mew'd.

Second Witch
Thrice and once the Hedge-Pig whined.

Third Witch
Harpier cries: 'Tis time, 'tis time.


First Witch
Round about the Cauldron go;
In the poison'd Entrails throw.
Toad, that under cold stone
Days and Nights has thirty-one
Swelter'd Venom sleeping got,
Boil thou first i' the charmed pot.


All
Double, double, toil and trouble;
Fire burn and Cauldron bubble.


Second Witch
Fillet of a Fenny Snake,
In the Cauldron boil and bake;
Eye of Newt, and Toe of Frogge,
Wool of Bat, and Tongue of Dogge,
Adder's Fork, and Blind-worm's Sting,
Lizard's leg, and Howlet's wing,
For a Charm of powerful trouble
Like a Hell-broth boil and bubble.


All
Double, double, toil and trouble,
Fire burn and Cauldron bubble.


Third Witch
Scale of Dragon, Tooth of Wolf,
Witches' Mummy, Maw and Gulf
Of the ravin'd salt Sea shark,
Root of Hemlock digg'd i' the dark,
Liver of Blaspheming Jew,
Gall of Goat, and Slips of Yew
Silver'd in the Moon's Eclipse,
Nose of Turk, and Tartar's lips,
Finger of Birth-strangled Babe
Ditch-deliver'd by a Drab,
Make the Gruel thick and slab:
Add thereto a Tiger's Chaudron,
For the Ingredients of our Cauldron.


All
Double, double, toil and trouble
Fire burn and Cauldron bubble.


Second Witch
Cool it with a Baboon's blood,
Then the Charm is firm and good.


[Enter Hecate.]


Hecate
O! well done! I commend your pains,
And every one shall share i' the gains.
And now about the Cauldron sing,
Like Elves and Fairies in a Ring,
Enchanting all that you put in.


[Music, and a song, 'Black Spirits,' and company.]

Black spirits and white, red spirits and gray;
Mingle, mingle, mingle, you that mingle may.


[Exit Hecate.]


Second Witch
By the pricking of my Thumbs,
Something wicked this way comes.
Open, Locks,
Whoever knocks.


[Enter Macbeth.]


Macbeth
How now, you secret, black, and midnight Hags?
What is't you do?


All
A deed without a name.


"The Shakespeare Code" (season 3, episode 2 of Doctor Who) provides sufficient "inspiration" for this scene:



Happy Thursday!

Working Wednesdays

Today was my first day of work for my second post-collegiate job. I am technically still in my last week of my first job, but it was decided last night that I was going to start work today. I would have preferred next week, since I am currently in the epic process of cleaning up-and-out my old room.

My room at home is yellow, my favorite color. The three impressionists (two Monets and a Van Gogh) on the wall are being joined by two framed ballet prints; the walls are in the process of being stripped of all non-framed pictures, photography and school paraphanalia. Another bookcase is being added to support my ever-growing library (although a small stack of books are in the giving away pile, which lessens my guilt somehow of owning so many).

The furniture has been re-arranged. The room is absolutely trashed, but in an organized fashion. I removed all the books from the bookcases to move them into the alcove and my boxes from the move are stacked and waiting to be unpacked, which cannot happen till I re-load the bookcases and empty out my closet, which is currently filled with my siblings' clothes. Vivy has suggested creating a reading nook roo, which is such a lovely idea, I am only sorry I didn't think of it first!

Oh, and I need new curtains. I have no clue where my curtains went.


So I have, as you can see, a lot to do. I haven't actually lived full-time at home since I was in high school or even part-time since my sophomore year of college. My living space has thus been serving as a family storage space. But Dad says, No time like the present! So I re-enter the work force, again.


Today was an orientation day. The major dynamics of the exchange business were discussed and explained. There is a lot of potential and the company is pretty cutting edge and innovative. I've always had an idea what exchanges are, but now that I am being versed, I like the way the company approaches and does them. This is a completely new field (for me) and it is so interesting connecting and comparing it to the newspaper industry. Both, for the most part, are still being run the same way they were run 10-20 years ago, before current and major changes in law and technology. Ergo, both need to change their staple business model or risk filing for Chapter 13 in the near future.


I won't fatigue you with the history and evolution of 1031 exchanges, but they've been around since 1921 and should be more basic parts of industry as a tax and money-saving expenditure, but people don't take the time to learn about their long-term effects when buying and selling, especially in terms of equiptment. Exchanges done right will end with paying less in taxes and on interest overall, which could be anywhere from thousands to billions of dollars, depending on the company and its size.


I have three huge binders I am currently reading through. One is Policy and Procedures (my favorite line is "No, the typewriter is not an urban legend and is not extinct. When certain forms have to be used that cannot run through our printers or when you have forms with duplicate/ triplicate copies, this is the machine to use."); one is 30 tabbed sections breaking down 1031 exchanges; the third, a slimmer binder, is current marketing. Plus another stack of papers. People like to scoff at my liberal arts education but look! It's helping me again! I know to digest, understand and analytically think about huge amounts of information. Yeah!


Today is also the feast of St. Michael the Archangel, who, along with the rest of the faithful angels, battled Lucifer and his followers in defense of Heaven. Catholic Encyclopedia says, according to Scripture, St. Michael has four purposes: to fight against Satan; to rescue the souls of the faithful from the power of the enemy, especially at the hour of death; to be the champion of God's people; and to call away from earth and bring men's souls to judgment.

Pope Leo XIII (the 257th pope, from 1878-1903) wrote a prayer for St. Michael's intercession after being given a vision after celebrating the mass. He saw evil spirits from Hell and their efforts to destroy the Church. But, in the midst of their malice, St. Michael the Archangel appeared and cast Satan and his minions back into Hell. The Pope therefore ordered to have the prayer recited after all low masses, which it happened until, unfortunately, it was lost in the wake of Vatican II. It is said most commonly now at the end of the rosary, but I do wish more parishes would say it after mass. St. Mary's, the parish I attended in Old Town two summers ago, did and it was such a powerful reminder about the reality of evil in the world and our purpose of guiding souls to God.

The prayer is Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle, be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him we humbly pray; and do thou, O Prince of the Heavenly host, by the power of God, cast into hell Satan and all evil spirits who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.

All in all: it is so good to be under one roof with my whole family again, and the nightly walks with Heidi are fabuloso. I'm even glad to be around the cats again! It's also most likely a good thing that I am at work today because my sister bought four seasons of Doctor Who (9th and 10th Doctors) off eBay and they arrived yesterday... one guess on what I would have been listening to/ watching while cleaning my room?





Oh, and fun fact of the day: if you ever wondered why the federal government now requires all businesses to report all purchases over $600, it's because of 1031 exchanges (passed in the country's latest and largest health care bill, of all places). Thanks, IRS!