Stymphalian Birds

Stymphalian Birds are a species of monstrous pigeon-like birds. In Greek Mythology, Hercules' sixth labor was to beat the Stymphalian birds. He did it by using brass bells to scare them into the air, and when the birds took off from the swamp that they rested in, Hercules shot many of them down with his bow and arrows. Although some escaped, they never returned to the area that they were terrorizing.

Stymphalian birds attack Camp Half-Blood during a chariot race. Percy and Annabeth used Chiron's music from a portable stereo to confuse the birds so Apollo's cabin could shoot them down. The reason they could enter the camp's borders was because of Thalia's tree dying. Tantalus apparently then cooked and served them for the winning camper's which was Clarisse prize-dinner. 

Stymphalian birds attack the Argo II, but Festus torches them.

Erymanthian Boar

These Greek myths are really quite addictive. Next up, we have the Erymanthian Boar which was an animal sent as a gift from Pan.

As part of his twelve labors, Hercules had to capture the Erymanthian Boar. He subdued the beast by driving it into a snowbank and then tying it in chains.

Percy, Thalia, Zoë, Grover, and Bianca di Angelo first encounter and ride the Erymanthian Boar in book 3 the Titan's Curse. Grover senses it was sent as a gift by Pan, in the town of Cloudcroft, New Mexico. Grover is the first to identify it and its potential utility to the team as a form of transportation after Percy causes it to fall of a cliff into a pile of snow. The Erymanthian Boar takes them near to the Junkyard of the Gods where they lose Bianca di Angelo.

Hydra

Hooked on Percy Jackson and Greek myths, I am going to continue this highly entertaining greek mythology lesson with the Hydra. In Greek myths and legends, the Hydra was a vicious monster with multiple heads with one immortal and invincible to all weapons. When one head was decapitated, two more snake-heads would grow in its place. Hercules eventually defeated the Hydra, by having his nephew, Lolous burn each stump after he had cut it, before the heads reproduced, then tore off the immortal head with his bare hands, and buried it under a giant rock.

When Percy Jackson sent Tyson to look for powdered doughnuts so he could talk to Annabeth in the Sea of Monsters (Book 2), Tyson went out and came upon a Monster Doughnut store. Tyson, being a monster, was somehow able to summon the outlet bringing the Hydra with it. It was large and lizard-like, with long necks and seven heads to match. It had many rows of razor-sharp teeth, its hands were clawed, had a tail, and spat acid. According to Annabeth, another Monster Doughnut shop popped up every time it grew another head. She says that Hermes' children found a way to use the hydra's life-force to make a new chain of stores. Percy, initially tries to defeat it by slicing off its heads, but succeeded only in making more. Percy, Annabeth, and Tyson were saved by Clarisse when the Hydra's heads were lit aflame and burnt off by cannon fire from the CSS Birmingham.

Nemean Lion & Percy Jackson

The Nemean lion was a vicious monster in Greek mythology that lived at Nemea. It was eventually killed by Hercules. It could not be killed with mortal weapons because its golden fur was impervious to attack. Its claws were sharper than mortal swords and could cut through any armor. The lion is usually considered to have been the offspring of Typhon and Echidna.

The first of Hercules' twelve labours, set by King Eurystheus was to slay the Nemean lion. The Nemean lion took women as hostages to its lair in a cave, luring warriors from nearby towns to save the damsel in distress. After entering the cave, the warrior would see the woman (usually feigning injury) and rush to her side. Once he was close, the woman would turn into a lion and kill the warrior, devouring his remains and giving the bones to Hades.

The cave had two entrances, one of which Heracles blocked; he then entered the other. In those dark and close quarters, Heracles stunned the beast with his club and, using his immense strength, strangled it to death.  After slaying the lion, he tried to skin it with a knife from his belt, but failed. He then tried sharpening the knife with a stone and even tried with the stone itself. Finally, Athena, noticing the hero's plight, told Heracles to use one of the lion's own claws to skin the pelt.

Being an avid fan of the Percy Jackson series, the Nemean lion is also featured in the books. The lion was sent by Luke and the General at the National Air and Space Museum to stop the group of questing Hunters, demigods, and one Satyr. It battled with Percy, who recognized the monster from the time he saw one from the train during the quest to find Zeus' Master Bolt. The monster was incredibly hard to defeat because of its bulletproof and sword-proof pelt. Percy came up with and idea and grabbed a few packets of astronaut food from the gift shop and tossed it into the lion's mouth when he roared. When the lion bellowed in disgust, Zoë fired arrows into the Nemean Lion's mouth. The lion dissolved except for its pelt. The pelt was offered to Percy by Zoë because it was his plan that made it possible for them to defeat the monster.

Hercules

Hercules is the Roman name for the Greek demigod Heracles, who was the son of Zeus and the mortal Alcmene. In classical mythology, Hercules is famous for his strength and for his numerous far-ranging adventures. One of my favorite Disney movies is Hercules.

Hercules is known for his many adventures, but the most famous are the Twelve Labours.

1. Slay the Nemean Lion.
2. Slay the nine-headed Lernaean Hydra.
3. Capture the Golden Hind of Artemis.
4. Capture the Erymanthian Boar.
5. Clean the Augean stables in a single day.
6. Slay the Stymphalian Birds.
7. Capture the Cretan Bull.
8. Steal the Mares of Diomedes.
9. Obtain the girdle of Hippolyta, Queen of the Amazons.
10. Obtain the cattle of the monster Geryon.
11. Steal the apples of the Hesperides.
12. Capture and bring back Cerberus.

Shoe Addict

In case, it wasn't evident in yesterday's post, I am a crazy shoe addict. If I see a pair of heels that I love, I just have to have them. Usually, when I go shopping, I try to go blind while passing a shoe store in case of a shoe frenzy. If I love them, I don't care about the price or the brand. But I just have to have them. Besides Christian Louboutin, Jimmy Choo's are my second favorite. Chinese Laundry is another brand that has amazing to die for footwear. Heels are my weakness, but I love wedges, boots, ballet flats, and flatforms. In short, a shoe is a shoe.
People have tempted me with incentives of buying shoes for me in order to make me do things for them, and I usually succumb.

Christian Louboutin

Christian Louboutin is a French footwear designer whose footwear has incorporated shiny, red-lacquered soles that have become his signature. Celebrities interested in his stiletto heels have included Lady Gaga, Joan Collins, Jennifer Lopez, Madonna, Gwyneth Paltrow and Kim Kardashian. Sarah Jessica Parker wore a pair of shoes by Louboutin for her wedding.

Louboutin helped bring stilettos back into fashion in the 1990s and 2000s, designing dozens of styles with heel heights of 4.72 inches and higher. The designer's professed goal has been to make a woman look sexy, beautiful, to make her legs look as long as he can. While he does offer some lower-heeled styles, Louboutin is generally associated with his dressier evening-wear designs incorporating jeweled straps, bows, feathers, patent leather, and other similar decorative touches. He is most popularly known for his red-bottom high heel shoes, commonly referred to as sammy red-bottoms. Despite being known for his celebrity clients, he rarely gives shoes away instead offering discounts instead to his high-profile fans. His single biggest client is Danielle Steel, who is reputed to own over 6,000 pairs and is known to have purchased up 80 pairs at a time when shopping at his stores.

Lastly, I am very proud to say that I am a very happy and satisfied owner of a pair of black Christian Louboutin heels.

Arrow

Arrow is an American action-adventure television series based on the fictional character Green Arrow, a superhero who appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The series follows billionaire playboy Oliver Queen, portrayed by Stephen Amell, who returns home to fight crime and corruption as the vigilante "Arrow" after being stranded on a desert island for five years. Arrow will also feature appearances by other DC Comics characters.

After a shipwreck that claims the life of his father, billionaire playboy Oliver Queen is missing and presumed dead for five years before being discovered alive on a remote island in the Pacific. When he returns home to Starling City, his mother Moira, his younger sister Thea, and best friend Tommy welcome him home but sense Oliver has been changed by his ordeal on the island. While Oliver hides the truth about the man he has become, he tries to reconcile with his former girlfriend, Laurel, for cheating on her with her sister, who also died in the shipwreck. As Oliver reconnects with those closest to him, he secretly masquerades as a hooded vigilante archer by night, attempting to right the wrongs of his family, fight the ills of society, and restore Starling City to its former glory as his late father had entrusted him to do before his death. Oliver's first personal task is to take down corrupt millionaire Adam Hunt, who has scammed millions from various people in Starling City. Laurel's father, police detective Quentin Lance, is determined to arrest the vigilante. Meanwhile, Oliver's mother is revealed to have an agenda against her son, having orchestrated a kidnapping to determine what his father told him after the shipwreck. 

Tudors

Henry VIII (28 June 1491 – 28 January 1547) was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France. Henry was the second monarch of the House of Tudor, succeeding his father, Henry VII.

Besides his six marriages, Henry VIII is known for his role in the separation of the Church of England from the Roman Catholic Church. Henry's struggles with Rome led to the separation of the Church of England from papal authority, the Dissolution of the Monasteries, and establishing himself as the Supreme Head of the Church of England. Yet he remained a believer in core Catholic theological teachings, even after his excommunication from the Catholic Church.

Henry was considered an attractive, educated and accomplished king in his prime and has a reputation as one of the most charismatic rulers to sit on the English throne. Besides ruling with absolute power, he also engaged himself as an author and composer. His desire to provide England with a male heir—which stemmed partly from personal vanity and partly because he believed a daughter would be unable to consolidate the Tudor Dynasty and the fragile peace that existed following the Wars of the Roses—led to the two things for which Henry is remembered: His six marriages, and the English Reformation (making England a mostly Protestant nation). In later life, he became morbidly obese and his health suffered; his public image is frequently depicted as one of a lustful, egotistical, harsh, and insecure king.

What really had me interested in this part of history was the show Tudors. It was an amazing, and mostly historically accurate show, depicting Henry VIII's marriages and reign. I was addicted to that show, and have seen all five seasons of it. And I would love to watch it all over again, no doubt.

Anastasia, Lost Duchess of Russia

Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna of Russia (June 18 1901 – July 17, 1918) was the youngest daughter of Tsar Nicholas II of Russia, the last sovereign of Imperial Russia, and his wife Alexandra Fyodorovna.

Anastasia was a younger sister of Grand Duchess Olga, Grand Duchess Tatiana, and Grand Duchess Maria, and was an elder sister of Alexei Nikolaevich, Tsarevich of Russia. She died in an extrajudicial killing by forces of the Bolshevik secret police, Cheka, with her family on July 17, 1918.

Persistent rumors of her possible escape have circulated since her death, fueled by the fact that the location of her burial was unknown during the decades of Communist rule. The mass grave near Ekaterinburg which held the remains of the Tsar, his wife, and three daughters was revealed in 1991, but the bodies of Alexei Nikolaevich and one of his sisters—either Anastasia or her older sister Maria—were not discovered there.

Her possible survival has been conclusively disproved.

James Bond's Skyfall

Skyfall is the upcoming twenty-third spy film in the Eon Productions James Bond series, produced for MGM, Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Entertainment. It features Daniel Craig's third performance as James Bond.

Skyfall is due to premiere on 23 October 2012, will be released in the United Kingdom on 26 October 2012, and it will be the first James Bond film to be released in IMAX venues. The film's release will coincide with the 50th anniversary of the series, which began with Dr. No in 1962.

When an operation in Istanbul ends in disaster, James Bond is missing and presumed to be dead, and the identities of every active undercover MI6 agent are leaked onto the internet. In the aftermath, questions are raised over M's ability to run the Secret Service, and she becomes the subject of a government review over her handling of the situation. When the service itself is attacked, Bond's sudden reappearance gives M the pretext she needs to seek out Raoul Silva, a dangerous villain claiming a personal connection to both of them – but as he follows a trail from London to the South China Sea, Bond soon finds his loyalty to M challenged over secrets from her past

Food Cravings

You know that sudden feeling you get when you're just watching TV or reading a great book? Those pangs in your stomach as if something is trying to claw its way out. The deep rumbling and sudden shakes which make you lose your concentration and go raid the fridge for something to eat and graze on. This is happening to me RIGHT NOW. It is so distracting and I could not think about anything else at this moment to write about. Images of high definition quality are swimming in front of me of all the foods that I love. Desserts are prancing around my head in tiny concentric circles, and pizza slices are doing belly flops repeatedly in front of me. I'm trying to shove them aside but to no avail.
These random hunger pangs or cravings will not go away until I satisfy them. Raiding the fridge didn't turn up anything good, and my only option is to stuff my face with crisps infinitely.

Everything Is Not What It Seems

We always have impressions about people, whether good or bad. Sometimes, we have them unintentionally and when we question what they are, they are indefinable and indescribable. We think that someone has such a perfect life and everything comes so easy to them, or we sometimes think about some other person that they have to face such hardships and pity them endlessly. But really, everything is not what it seems.
The people of whom we think have it all, may not. We might think their life is gold, but the thing is we don't know what their life is really like. We can only do so if we step into their shoes for a day. Everybody has problems, even rich people. They might have different kind of problems; the kind which never even cross our mind. And the other kind of people, whom we pity are sometimes better off. They struggle and survive by working hard but in the end are very happy. Therefore, one can never tell anything about a person's life or what their problems may or may not be. I know its not easy to stop judging, but we should try and stop assuming things about other people and cutting people some slack.

Vampire Diaries

Who doesn't know about TVD? Or better known as the Vampire Diaries. I am a huge fan myself of this show series based on a book series by L. J. Smith. Usually, goth vampire and werewolf shows seem over rated to me, but this one is beyond amazing. It surely helps that the two vampire brothers are gorgeous and hunky. In less than an hour of a show, we are able to gorge on lots of helpings of luscious eye-candy.
The story revolves around the two vampire brothers and one girl, Elena Gilbert. These three are in a love triangle, with both brothers vying for the girl's love. But sadly, Elena chooses Stefan, the younger brother and breaks Damon's heart. Don't worry, Damon. You'll always have me (take a hint)!
Side story plots contain werewolves, vampire and werewolf romance, and evil villains who are undying vampire ancient lords who happen to be all super hot and dashing, of course.
Every Thursday is much awaited for all the ladies out there who are TVD fans, and some of the guys out there too! The battle between the brothers and who will have Elena at last is worth watching. Although the creators of the show have changed much of the story from the book, the viewers don't complain at all because they have turned it into something a lot better. The book was not that fabulous, trust me. Gotta go have my TVD fix now!

Penguins, my love!

Penguins are the most adorable creatures ever. With their black and white tuxedo style, they don't fail to impress in the fashion department. The way they waddle and hop is just so adorable! Lots of movies have been made about penguins, from which Surf's Up, Madagacar 1, 2 and 3, Happy Feet and Mr. Popper's Penguins are some of my favorites. A cartoon character ChillyWilly was very famous, and it used to air on TV a long time back.
I love everything about penguins, and have two big stuffed penguins which are almost with me all the time when I'm at home. They're not kept on the shelves or laid down somewhere, but with me when I'm using my laptop or watching TV. I have penguin magnets on our refrigerator and I am very proud to say that I have seen these funny little animals at the Dublin Zoo, something of an achievement for us Karachites. They stank and were very noisy, and a little frightening due to their sharp beaks but I could not stop loving them!