text:
Budd Manufacturing Company, North Philadelphia, 2018.
Rotting Out
Kings Park Psychiatric Center. Long Island, New York. July 14th, 2012.
City Meth
City Methodist Church in Gary, Indiana. August 2nd 2008.
Hole in the Wall
Freihofer's Bakery, North Philadelphia. November 28th, 2015.
Peering Up
A rotting stairwell in the now demolished Ortleib's Brewery in Northern Liberties, Philadelphia. July 24th 2011
Budd Ice
Budd Manufacturing Company, North Philadelphia 2018.
Turbine Hall
Delaware Power Station, Philadelphia. 2018
Resist Much
Former disciplinary boarding school, Delaware County Pennsylvania, April 4th 2015
All Smiles
Former apartment building turned squat house in West Philadelphia, July 2nd 2011.
Snow Psych
Rockland Psychiatric Center in New York, December 19th, 2008.
Nurses Quarters
Former State Hospital, Southeast Pennsylvania, April 11th 2015
The dome interior of the former City Hall and Police Station in Chester, Pennsylvania. April 5th, 2009.
Former State Hospital, Southeast Pennsylvania, February 25th 2011
No Reply
Abandoned farm mansion in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, November 14th 2010
Medfield State Hospital, Massachusetts. June 18th, 2011.
Willow Steam Plant in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. January 5th 2011.
Blow Out
Glenwood Power Station in Yonkers, New York. March 26th, 2009.


text:
It is not seldom that writers misjudge their audience. Writers may declare that they write for boys and girls between ten and twelve, while the implied readers of the novels may have to be slightly older and more mature to understand the character, or the character's experiences will only appeal to girls, or the particular settings and events of the novel presuppose a certain knowledge of the British public school system in the nineteenth century, or the intertextual links address reader with substantial reading habits. All this does not necessarily prevent real readers from enjoying a text that postulates a different implied reader.
– Maria Nikolajeva in The Rhetoric of Character In Children's Literature

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Books in the "Jack Reacher" series include "Killing Floor," "The Enemy" and "One Shot." Lee Child is the author of the series, and a full book list is available on the Books section of LeeChild.com, as of June 2015.
"Killing Floor," released in 1997, is the debut novel in the "Jack Reacher" series. In the book, Reacher decides to visit Margrave, Georgia, but is soon arrested for a murder he didn't commit. A local detective and a female police officer attempt to help him prove his innocence. In the process, the three discover illegal activities taking place in Margrave.
"The Enemy" was released in 2004 and is the eighth book in the series. The book is a prequel to "Killing Floor," taking place eight years before the events in that book. While on duty in North Carolina, Reacher receives a call about a dead soldier. However, this soldier is a general who should have been in Europe, and Reacher soon discovers the general's wife is also dead.
"One Shot," released in 2005, is the ninth book in the series. In a small Indiana town, five people are killed by a gunman, and the evidence indicates a former Army sniper is the killer. The suspect requests Reacher, who comes to town to investigate the case. This book was adapted to the 2012 film "Jack Reacher," starring Tom Cruise as Reacher.
As of September 2015, there are 20 "Jack Reacher" books by author Lee Child. In the fifth book, "Echo Burning," Reacher hitchhikes in the Texas summer heat and is picked up by a woman named Carmen, who is being followed by someone. Her husband is a violent man locked up in jail, and Reacher decides to help Carmen fight him and anyone else who wants to harm her.
"Bad Luck and Trouble" is book 11 in the series, and it follows Reacher from Los Angeles to Las Vegas. The action begins as an anonymous person deposits money into Reacher's bank account, triggering his curiosity. Reacher soon realizes the deposit is a signal only his former Army team knows, prompting him to search for his teammates and uncover a murderer.
In book 19, "Personal," Reacher travels to Europe to find a sniper who tried to kill the French president. The sniper is dangerous and elusive, and Reacher must travel over several countries to capture him and find out who hired him and why.


text:
Monday, July 21, 2014
Tomorrow is the day
28 comments:
I've been following quietly for a while now. Just wanted to wish you luck for a smooth delivery and I'm so excited for you to finally meet your little girl.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousJuly 21, 2014 at 11:17 AM
So very excited for you!! Prayers going up!ReplyDelete
Mel@ thereisahigherhope.blogspot.com
Oh my! I'm so excited and near tears for you right now!ReplyDelete
I knew it! I am so excited for you...thinking every good thought i have and I cannot wait to see pictures!ReplyDelete
Oh and make sure to do a final belly pic! I wish I had thought to right before my RCS!ReplyDelete
Liz, I am so excited for you and your husband to meet your perfect little girl. Lots and lots of prayers going your way. I can't wait to see pictures! Take care.ReplyDelete
Reminds me of the song "a thousand years" by Christina Perri! Congratulations!! :)ReplyDelete
So so many prayers for you and Miss Sammy!ReplyDelete
Saying prayers for a safe, uneventful delivery tomorrow! I can't wait to hear the good news!!ReplyDelete
Congratulations to you and your family. I am so excited for you... I've been following your journey for over a year and am over the moon for you. I wish a safe delivery and speedy recovery. Enjoy these first few days with your precious baby girl... they are the best moments and they go way too fast. Plus, your story has inspired me to consider adopting out our embyos.ReplyDelete
Fantastic! wishing you are wonderful birthing day tomorrowReplyDelete
Hi Liz,ReplyDelete
Praying for a miraculous peace over you, Kevin, and Sammy as you transition in your family roles. So exciting!
Love and peace to you during this emotional time! I can't wait to see her first pictures and read about your reflections on motherhood! It'll be amazing! Good luck sleeping tonight ;)ReplyDelete
So excited for you!! What an amazing day you'll have. Praying everything goes well and can't wait to "meet" your new little one!ReplyDelete
So excited! Can't wait to see pictures!ReplyDelete
Liz and Kevin....Enjoy every second of this most beautiful experience. I'm so glad that you are soon to meet the Love of Your Lives.ReplyDelete
I have been following your story forever-- I am so, so, so excited for you both!ReplyDelete
How exciting! I'll be thinking of your family tomorrow, sending prayers that all goes well.ReplyDelete
Thanks for the example you've set by sharing your story here. It's inspired me toward EA, too. (But I'll understand if you need to take a break from blogging for a little while...) :)
What a great day for a birthday ( my triplets turn 5 tomorrow!). Can't wait to hear all about it! Sending my prayers.ReplyDelete
So excited for you!!!ReplyDelete
So excited for you to finally meet Sammy! I'm sure things will go wonderfully, it sounds like you're in amazing hands. I can't wait to "meet" your beautiful baby girl! July birthdays are pretty awesome, mine is the 23rd ;-)ReplyDelete
Congratulations to you and your hubby! Excited that you finally get to meet Sammy!ReplyDelete
Sooooooo excited for you!!ReplyDelete
Wishing a very smooth delivery-will be keeping you in my thoughts! XoxoReplyDelete
How exciting! Wishing you all the best and praying for you all as you become a family of 3! XxReplyDelete
Thinking of you!!! Just wondering if you have that sweet bundle in your arms yet?? :-) wishing you the smoothest possible delivery for you and SReplyDelete
Oh my goodness, I am SO excited! By now I'm sure you have your precious baby girl in your arms... FINALLY! :) I am going to keep checking your blog like crazy because I can't wait to hear about how it went and to see pictures! I don't even know you and I am over-the-moon excited for you & your husband! Your long-awaited daughter is finally here! God is so GOOD! :)ReplyDelete
Thinking about you all day! I hope this moment is even better than you could have imagined! So many hugs!!ReplyDelete


text:
Key's family has their main Christmas celebration on Christmas Eve. So ever since Key and I have been together, I'm so lucky to have been welcomed to their Christmas celebration and then we head off to my mum and dad's place for their family Christmas on Christmas Day. We both end up getting two full Christmas Days each year! We call Christmas at Key's 'Christmas 1' and then we back it up with 'Christmas 2' at mum and dad's. That means two full days of delicious food, being spoilt rotten and lots of Christmas cheer.
The main meal of the day at Christmas 1 is normally around lunchtime. Key's family put on a delicious buffet style spread of food including Key's mum's amazing baked ham. There are always delicious side salads and desserts, including Key's mum's Pavlova. Let me tell you something about Key's mum's pav (I don't think even she knows this) but I have always hated Pavlova and I still won't eat anybody else's, other than hers. I don't know what it is, but I dislike every other Pavlova in the world, unless it's made by Key's mum in which case I absolutely love it. I cannot explain this at all, but let me assure you it's delicious.
Christmas 2 at mum and dad's focuses on a main meal later in the day so we normally have prawns and Dad's delicious ham and eggs on the BBQ for a mid-morning brunch with a buffet style main meal a bit later in the afternoon. Sometimes we have a seafood heavy meal, other years it's more traditional, but either way it's always delicious and mum always makes the most delicious sides and salads.
At both celebrations, everyone comes together to contribute meals, perhaps a turkey, a side, a salad or a dessert. Key and I are very thankful to be a part of both celebrations. Thank you to both of our families for not only feeding us this year at Christmas time, but also putting us up for the time we are visiting. Love you all lots and can't wait to see you all.
I can't wait to share with you some photos from both days, but in the meantime, this week I'll be sharing some recipe ideas for your Christmas day celebrations.
Because the main meal at Christmas 2 is normally later in the day, we often have a brunch mid-morning. In past years, I've made a banana bread similar to this one to contribute.
This banana bread has some coconut elements added for a great flavour. It's easy to make and if prepared the day before, it only seems to improve the day after. Served with coffee or tea, this makes for a delicious Christmas morning breakfast.
This recipe was adapted from a recipe written down for me by a lovely lady that I used to work with. Sorry, I don't know the original source.
So…there are totally some walnuts in this picture, but I decided not to use them in the recipe as I didn't think it needed them. And, I forgot the yogurt in this pic. My bad.
You want ripe and spotty bananas for this. Fun fact: the peel on a banana gets thinner as it releases water and nutrients into the fruit as a natural way to make it easier to peel and eat when it's riper, therefore increasing the chance of the seeds being spread.
I used some unsweetened coconut flakes for this. You could sub desiccated coconut instead, but use less as it's much finer and will spread throughout the cake more easily.
Give those bananas a good mash with a fork. It doesn't have to be super smooth, some small chunks will give the cake a great texture.
I used natural yogurt for this, but Greek yogurt would also be great. I've also made this banana bread before using the same amount of sour cream instead of yogurt and that also produced great results.
It's a really easy batter to mix together. Basically mix your wet, then your dry ingredients.
Because the cake needs quite a long bake, you may want to turn the tin halfway through the cooking time to get a more even bake. I honestly never know if I should put a loaf tin into the oven vertically or horizontally, but either way, I say turn it 180 degrees half way through the cooking time.
Because this is quite a dense and heavy loaf, it needs a nice long rest in the tin before even attempting to turn it out or cut into it. Rest it in the tin on a rack for 30 minutes and then turn it out and cut into it carefully with a serrated bread knife to eat it warm, or let it cool completely.
As is the case with many banana breads, this one is delicious on the same day you've made it, but it gets even better the day after. By all means eat it on the day you make it, but if not, cover it well and then be amazed at how tasty it is over the course of the next few days.
Banana Bread with Coconut
Ingredients – Makes 1 loaf
- 3 ripe bananas
- ¼ cup of vegetable oil or olive oil
- ¼ cup of coconut oil
- ¼ cup of raw or normal honey
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 1/3 cup of natural or Greek yogurt
- 2/3 cup of brown sugar
- 1½ cups of self raising flour
- 2/3 cup of coconut flakes
- Preheat the oven to 180°C and grease and flour a 22cm x 7.5 cm loaf tin.
- In a large mixing bowl, mash the bananas with a fork and then mix in both oils, honey, the eggs and yogurt.
- Once that's well combined, gently mix in the flour, sugar and coconut flakes.
- Pour into the prepared loaf tin and bake in the oven for 45-50 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the cake, comes out clean.
- Let cool in the tin for at least 30 minutes before turning out onto a cake rack to cool further.
- The banana bread can be eaten warm or at room temperature and should be sliced with a serrated bread knife.
- The bread keeps well on the bench for at least 2 days if covered tightly.


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text:
August 7, 2007: Words. Lots of them. None fulfilled. It's too much copy-paste for even ME to understand.
December 25, 2006: I'm actually trying again! Hooray! Anyway, this spells some good news for you. I've got two new galleries now that I've finally got off my ass about putting forth the contest prizes:
-Episodes 1-6 of CyberTeam in Akihabara. The remaining 20 to come.
-All of Burn-up W. X is the next in line.
-The beginnings of a Divergence Eve gallery (NOT a prize, but who gives a flying rat's ass, really?). Man, Prim is hot.
Oh yeah, Merry Christmas or whatever.
(There were a bunch of things I said I'd do here, but they were all lies! Lies, I tell you!)
October 27, 2006- We are going to run this about like your average Q&A section.
So, Yuka Takeuchi Fan, what have you added to this update?
Well, I added in Jungle de Ikou galleries and a Sexfriend gallery...
Anything else?
I note it has been six months?
Gee, how long do we get to wait before your next pittance of an update?
Uh... the false answer you want to hear, or the true answer you DON'T want to hear?
What can I say? Just read the site. Don't you like Mii?
April 15, 2006- April 15, 2006- Here's a reward for your wondrous tax day- I added in the last two quarters of the Rushuna gallery, added the Setsuna gallery, added episode two to Usagi-chan de Cue!'s pictures (I even added comments to this one), got a new forum to use, and I'm actually gonna just shut up now and let you have fun!
April 11, 2006- Good news for me, I have a gallery host again. Browse as you please! But since I had to upload absolutely everything from scratch, there's a chance I missed stuff. Please report any broken pictures or links to me and I'll have 'em fixed soon. I DO have the new gallery pictures ready to upload, but I'll actually have the HTML done tomorrow assuming this weird-ass sickness I currently have goes away.
So happy gallery-mooching, I say.
April 2, 2006- There are times when I wish the past few weeks were just a really, really elaborate April Fools' Day joke I'd planned.
An April Fools' Day joke that involved me erasing everything involved with my picture and forum server, thus killing all non-Yuka galleries, and eliminating the forum.
Sadly, it is no such thing. My second host that I'd kept the galleries on and forum on to reduce bandwidth has caved in on me and I don't know if it's ever coming back.
Yes, this means that the forum is pretty much dead and gone unless a miracle happens with the gallery server. However, this does not mean that everything else is gone, or that all hope is lost. A while back, back when I'd had my first bouts with bandwidth problems, I considered the idea of rotating galleries in and out until the problem was resolved- which it'd done by itself, so I didn't have to actually do it.
I am very sorry for the trouble I'm causing all you guys. However, I will also try taking the gallery downtime to try to add more non-gallery content to this site so that this site isn't a pointless viewing without the anime boobs.
I will be making changes over the next few days to accomodate my new plans. I should have the new galleries (New Usagi-chan and Grenadier (both Rushuna and Setsuna) content) in within a few days, and comments added by the time of my birthday. Sorry my gift to you guys totally sucks.
November 17, 2005- I should probably mention a few things. I have received a LOT of complaints as to how slowly I update. I admit it- I was slow getting this update out; I'm sorry for that.
But hear me out. I've had a lot of problems lately and I REALLY haven't had it in me to do much work. Why, may you ask, would this be the case, given that I do enjoy working on this site? Well... Lots of bad things have been happening to me and the rest of my family, almost one after the other. If it's not my first kiss being invalidated by a date that wasn't, it was TWO of the family cars getting destroyed in freak on-road accidents. If it wasn't my ass getting loaded down with college concerns, it was my mother getting cancer. If it wasn't me getting sick and finding it hard to inhale without having to suck like Lin on a popsicle, it's the fact that now this hellhole of a state I live in just got icestormed.
In short- I have not had the strength or the mindset in me to go anywhere near an update for a long time. As such, some of the stuff I originally promised people, I'm afraid I'll have to rescind- and once again, the Rei mails have been pushed back a little. Also, while I have two new galleries, based on the first halves of both Grenadier's Rushuna and Mouse's Everybody Except Mouse, the comments are both not fully present and horribly scattered in nature.
I have also reviewed another video game, which I can pretty safely say is the worst beat-em-up I've ever played.
I will try to have the missing stuff put in within a week or so, college projects out the ass permitting, and YES, this includes Eiken .gifs.
Just enjoy what you can and call it good for now, okay?
August 9, 2005- Why do I even bother telling you guys that the recurring features mostly got updated (Rei has a little longer to go on her e-mails)? It's almost pointless by now. It's not as if you guys forget they're there.
So I'm overworked and whinier than ever. Here's a few prime bitchings you'll love.
You will notice me telling you outright where to buy Eiken mangas above. Let's just say that it's a bit of a triggered response after ONE WHOLE MONTH of fruitless searching at several bookstores, REPEATEDLY.
Hm... thus endeth the bitching, actually. But that was a prime bitching, admit! Anyway. I added in the comments I said I would about two months ago, sorry, and I also added in another gallery. It's from Grenadier. But it's not who you expect in it, because the person you expect in it is in roughly all 600 minutes of the series and that's gonna take a while to pull off. Just look for the red text in the gallery list below you.
I should mention that my slowness is not without cause, too. My computer has been in and out of the repair shop for the majority of July and I've only had it back in full-working condition for a week or so now. Except for Maple Story... Damn you for not working anymore, crack-esque game!
Oh, I had a few more dreams too.
June 13, 2005- Yes, I still update this thing. I note that people tend to say a lot of unflattering things about how slowly I tend to update, but I maintain that with the bunch of nuisances and trouble I've been going through for about two months now, I'm a little justified in not feeling like doing much. Also, as you might've noticed, the longer I wait between updates, the more stuff there is that seems to go up per update.
Well, today, it's been about two months. So today you get Rei mails, Random Musings, more psychotic dreams (I put these recurring features in so that I could do some just about every update, you know!), and some extra goodies this time.
Lookit the galleries. There's two new ones (unfortunately, my asinine commentary will not be in them until around Saturday, sorry)! Also, I've received a buttload of .gifs of Eiken that you guys might enjoy. Just be careful as some of them, which I will warn you about beforehand, are hell on modems.
Other than that, yes, I managed to blow off the article on my Civilization game ONCE AGAIN, although I imagine that few care because dammit there are boobies to be ogled. If anyone even cares about it, feel free to let me know or else it's likely to continue to stagnate.
Also, it's highly possible that I'll be throwing up the Iketeru Futari gallery again sometime in the future. You might have noticed that it's been gone for a while. The reason was, the episodes I'd found so long ago weren't particularly high-quality, and there's a gallery at the Anime Fanservice Image Gallery that had far higher-quality episodes than mine. Thing is, now I have a few of those episodes as well, and can go get more. So once I've done that, which isn't a high priority given the other stuff I've got, maybe I'll see what I can do about a gallery advance...
April 9, 2005- Today's my birthday!
I'm nineteen now. Not much has changed. However, the site has had some minor updates. I've added in some more Rei e-mails, and there's a picture of Komoe and a nine-year-old me in the 'Woefully Inadequate Artwork' section... ...and for once, I actually think that it ain't half-bad...
Also, for those who are curious, I was able to download the sequel series to Bakunyuu Oyako, known by the game series' original name- 'Milk Junkies'. Even though it's a kick in the crotch for me to know that as much as the main character (Wataru) looks like me, I will never be that lucky, it's actually a very well-made show and it's one that's definitely high on the gallery list. Stay on the watch.
Oh. There's another gift art somewhere in there too.
Also- friend of mine made up a cool little birthday song based on Yuka's theme from VG Custom. You can either download it from
the source page
, or
my very own site helper #2
April 2, 2005- Everyone would have suspected that I would try to run another dirty trick for April Fools' Day. I say COME ON! Everyone EXPECTS something to happen on that day. Besides, I can't top the
Eiken Day 2004 trick I pulled
(note, all the links on that page will lead you back here now). And from the looks of things, nobody was dumb enough to fall for that trick for a second anyway. I knew you guys were smart!
That being said! I have an AWESOME little surprise for you that I don't believe I've mentioned. A friend of mine, one day, asked if I wanted him to draw a comic for me, and if so, of who. This was in late 2002 or early 2003, so I picked Yuka and Elena. So, I gave him a story outline to follow and said that if there was anything he wanted to add or change, shoot for it.
I WAS NOT expecting what I got. The comic- no, MANGA- lasts a full 25 pages, AND it has a cover. I wrote the script for the Yuka and Elena fight (which covers FOURTEEN PAGES OF THE MANGA), and all of the dialogue you'll read, and my friend took care of all the drawing and the rest of the storyline.
It's done and posted after two years. Let's hope you enjoy it. I do warn you though, there ARE a few things that one might not consider 'worksafe' in the manga, so read with caution. NOTHING DIRTY, mind you, but it's a little higher in fanservice content than most of the stuff you'll see here. By the way, this does not mean I will add even a single nipple picture to my galleries, so don't get any funny ideas.
There's also a few more Random Musings. Plus, since my birthday's in a week, some Rei mails should be on their way.
March 11, 2005-
Somebody's ('somebody' being 'SPF 45 Sunblock') been doing their homework on my not galleries. Perhaps Kiyohiko Azuma will approve this card.
...I'd like to spend a little time working on some non-gallery stuff. I think you might like a few things (please don't send me snippy e-mails stating that 'no you wouldn't, gimme tits', they make Yuka Takeuchi Fan cry).
...was a lie I made. The Mitsuka gallery's now done, and the Rei mails are on delay. I might put up some of Harumi from DearS too, but other than that, I'm done with DearS. I would do a Ren gallery if I weren't already looking at a hellish struggle with a main character from a 12-episode anime (remember Rushuna?).
Oh, I added in another dream! Go and check it out.
Oh, go check out my Bad Deviant Art Section. I have my Valentine's Day drawing there.
January 15, 2005- This update, we have a few more Random Musings, and additions to the Mitsuka gallery (everything up to episode 6). I also went and added captions to the Rei and Mitsuka galleries. Also, since I finished going through DearS, I'll be watching Grenadier next. You know what that means. Also, some more gift art is in, including one I stupidly forgot to add for several updates running.
December 31, 2004- It's soon to be a happy new year for everybody (don't you hope!) Now, this time, I haven't updated with any actual material. All I did was add a few more things to the 'can you find this for me please' list. However, I would like to mention that by next week, I should have a lot more up for the Mitsuka gallery, including the captions I haven't put up yet. If I'm fast enough (don't get your hopes up though), I might be able to start on the Grenadier gallery too. Let's just hope 2005 goes well!
December 26, 2004- Bad news first- I haven't gotten around to putting in the new captions and stuff yet. The good news is, the Rei mails just went up.
Other than that, there isn't a lot for me to say; hope the holiday season was as cool to you guys as it was to me (if my digital camera had batteries, I'd show you the copy of Eiken I bought today). Later days, and hopefully I'll get on with more of Mitsuka soon (By the way, I never saw it coming, but the DearS manga just started coming out. Go an' pick it up if you'd like.)
Enjoy your stay!
December 15, 2004- Happy Day-Past-Eiken Day! Before I go further, even though I have full faith that many of you longtime readers KNOW I was faking,
that opening page you saw upon opening the site yesterday was a hoax; it was plain, out-and-out false. I have never considered starting another cesspool for the elitists of anime and refuse to let myself become one. You guys are smarter and better than them. They don't deserve you, and I won't become them.
So anyone who thought that I was serious with that prank, sorry! I didn't mean to deceive you like that, I was just playing around. I'm the same irresponsible moron I've always been!
In the meantime- Rei was able to answer about half of her e-mails (to be posted later tonight) and says she'll answer the rest on Christmas. Her present to you, she says.
Plus, I have entered a few new galleries into this increasingly bloated site. You have one for G-cup Teacher Rei (you would not BELIEVE how many people asked me for this), and I've started one up for the only anime teacher to make Saori Shikijo look conservative- Mitsuka Yoshimine from DearS. You won't want to miss it, and you won't be considered insane if, like me, you find EXTREMELY vague similarities between their appearances. By the way, once again, I have to hold off on my captions for a day or so. I'd do it sooner, but I've got a job and exams I gotta take care of. Sorry everybody!
December 11, 2004- Yes, I know I was supposed to do the actual update today. Sorry. Until then, I've re-arranged and fixed up some stuff that I know wasn't working quite right. In three days, you'll be seeing some Rei stuff, in addition to a little preview of what's to come with a cute little DearS-ie named Mitsuka.
Other than that... I finally destroyed my old 'Fake CG' gallery.
And yes, I finally have the Eiken .gifs up. This should kill about half my e-mail flow.
October 31, 2004- At least I threw up a game review (Lethal Weapon) and a few more Random Musings. I'll update more and more over the next few days, but don't get your hopes too high; I'll be a widdle bit busy these next few weeks.
Oh, but hit the gift arts, too. Akio made another one!
September 12, 2004- Good-ish news.
I managed to finally download G.T.R. 3 (which turned out to be a horrible, horrible mistake) and I can now get to work on a gallery. Stay on the watch.
August 12, 2004- Before I continue...
I would like to mention that 4chan is apparently coming back.
(Hey, about the G-cup Teacher Rei gallery- suck it, 'moot', I like Rei) (hey, where else to hide this?)
(Wannabe) Artist's Rendition A
(Wannabe) Artist's Rendition B
I do not give a flying damn what they say on the front page, you KNOW what it shall become, and I now believe that my miniature ulcer from 'Incident: Rei' has just grown to the point where my stomach is now just one huge ulcer attached to my rectum and esophagus. Enjoy it anyway. I'm going myself, but with the 'Guarded Pessimism' approach.
BUT, that aside, on to business. Well, I got the raw copy of episodes 1 and 2 of Eiken, and as such, I've taken a few pictures from episode 2 now. I'll make more later, trust me, because you people REALLY seem to enjoy Eiken! But, until I do that, because I need to free up 700MB of my near-full hard drive, I decided that the new Slight Fever Syndrome gallery was the top priority (Please don't kill me). I also made yet more of those Random Musings that people seem to enjoy far less. I also had a cute little dream that involved Topless Kagura (Azumanga Daioh). Tomo is still cooler. People are still finding Miss Rei to be useful, too, so she's got more e-mails to answer. (Why do I feel like I'm doing more for Rei's reputation than N.K.L.S. himself?)
Oh, a little news. I'm thinking about doing a little hand-drawn webcomic based on some little 'chibi'-characters I drew up. That is to say, I'll do three, then run out of ideas just like I did with 'Variable Constant' and 'Ultimate Fort Wars', then allow it to fade into the ultimate obscurity. If I do it, its code name for now is 'American Chibi', to ensure that you know that I'm bastardizing yet another Japanese invention. Seiji Matsuyama, please quit crying, your arteries cannot divert so much blood to the eyes. (and please, Kotoyoshi Yumisuke, I have proof that you saw those fanarts of mine, so please put the gun down.)
By the way,
I'm eliminating the 'Attempts at Fanart' section
, EXCEPT for the 'Gift art' and 'Link' sections. Unless you wanna stop me from doing so, of course.
Later updates: 'Nami SOS' gallery, 'Equation of the Immoral' gallery (assuming normal luck in yanking the non-hentai out of hentai), 'G-cup Teacher Rei' gallery
(Frickin' EDIT: NO! DON'T DOWNLOAD EPISODE 3! I MEAN IT! REALLY!)
, 'Gakuen Maria Bakunyuu Teachers' gallery (You read this very, very correctly), 'Lethal Weapon' (NES), 'Mug Smashers' and 'Fantasyland' video game reviews, other random updates to equally random sections.
I changed my mind about the message board. Instead, I have a blog now. Look for the Tomo icon.
July 26, 2004- In addition to the hell that would be called 'college' looming nearer and nearer, I might be getting a job within a couple of days! Don't worry, the updates will still come like normal- slow and not really worth it!
July 8, 2004- Whew! Okay kids, Internet being as it is, let's settle down and review the important information. We start with:
4chan is now dead!
(Wannabe) Artist's Rendition
By now, you know this. You MUST know this, if only because you noticed that during an unannounced update that I used mostly to plug a buddy's Eiken manga site (and here I go again, hm?) that I took out the link, posted four substitutes, and acted totally indifferent about the whole mess. Let me tell you that it's a WEIRD feeling that the site's shutting down barely fazed me, whereas "Incident: Rei" literally caused me to be unable to eat for the whole day (and I'm seriously not kidding about that). I suppose I'd have cared more had I not started becoming slowly aware of the fact that the majority of the posters (and hell, most of the confirmed moderators) were some real idiots and punks. Personally, I don't think 4chan's coming back, so I got over the mourning really quickly and just went on to substitutes (The stick of beef jerky I ate after reading it was very tasty). I've heard people say that 5chan is shit. That's fine, but allow me to use the Voice of Sarcastic Reason here... So, now what are you going to turn to? Hate to say it, but even if you don't like it, it's what everyone's switched to, including me (couldn't be more content though, really). Hey 'moot', if you're reading this (you're probably not and I should probably be very glad you're not given your previous 'issue' with me and 'Incident: Rei'), thanks for the zillions of pictures and torrents and what-have-you I wouldn't have without your site, but despite your minor yet implied thoughts of trying once again, you've obviously had enough of it, so logic dictates that you should, oh, I don't know,
That's all for this briefing.
River City High is now dead!
(Wannabe) Artist's Rendition
The webcomic I've grown to know and like out of sheer accident is calling it quits. Too bad really, the story was going along mostly quite well and now, not only will we never know how things turned up in River City, the story's current jump-off point makes no logical sense for an ending. Ah well. This is why we have RCR EX, to live the adventure on our own. Still, stick around a little longer... There's gonna be an RCR font for you someday.
Holy crap, I actually updated in less than a month!
(Wannabe) Artist's Rendition
You are still probably reeling by this. Well, here you have it. The list...
I found another 'Bakunyuu' anime to tide you over until 'Teachers' finally makes it way into my rapidly-depleting hard drive. It is a hentai anime. It is called 'Bakunyuu Oyako'. It is also known as 'Milk Junkie'. It is obvious why. It is on the Hongfire tracker. It is the easiest anime to censor nipple out of that I've seen yet. It is based on a two-part (as of right now) hentai game series. It is an OVA series that I want to see go to episode two simply because the main character looks a LOT like me in the second game/hopeful movie. It. Is. Galleried.
I went to the JAFAX convention, and it kicked ass, minus the part one day later when kicking too much on my tired leg caused me to pull my leg muscles so hard that they're now inhabiting my chest (I'm not serious although I DID pull my muscle). I had a few shining (and some considerably less good) moments there, which I have seen fit to give a section to.
I gave a slight update to the Random Musings section (also now in archive form), and a few more Rejected Banners.
More Rei e-mails, albeit not many as apparently, there were 15 virus hopefuls in opposition to about four real e-mails.
Rapidly-growing proof that I have no business pushing pencils to make drawings (I think that every time I try to make Eiken fanart, Seiji Matsuyama weeps a little blood)
And of course, my following begging for goodies that I truthfully probably don't deserve. (C'mon, they're still on the front page, I ain't repeating it here.)
June 17, 2004- The Rei e-mails are up.
June 9, 2004 (it was only a week later, I qualify the 17th as more of an expansion pack)- Exactly two months from my last update, I notice. Hm. Well, that's not the issue. This update is a landmark in the history of all Yuka Takeuchi Fan-fandom (a contradiction, I know, who the hell would ever be a fan of ME?). Why, you might ask as you look through the galleries? Simple. I didn't do anything related to my galleries this update. Suspend your disbelief and listen on. What I DO have are a few other things. I've reviewed a couple of video games, I've made a couple more banners, there's finally a thing or two in the RCR section (even though one of the two WAS a review), and there's a little something that spawned from a blackout thanks to the Terror Typhoons that blasted through the Midwest not long ago. That's right, my one and only attempt at blogging I'll ever do (and it's on scanned college-ruled paper). Watch me try to decipher it.
The Rei e-mails don't seem to be done yet. Since there were TEN, by all reports, it seems it may be another few days.
Other than that, I can't think of much else to say. Happy reading! But not before THIS, a...
: There's a small anime convention a fair distance from where I live called 'JAFAX'. I will likely be there come June 26th. If you're there, and you're curious as to who I am in real life, just look for a guy with glasses stumbling around, taking pictures of female cosplayers, wearing a self-made iron-on shirt that will either have the current Y.T.F. logo or 'Eiken' (complete with pictures) (hey, 'Paizuri Otaku' is a toughie to find pictures for!), I know that stating THIS is the dream to end all dreams, but if you're a girl reading this that's going to be there- if you dress up as an Eiken girl, preferably Kirika, Komon or Chiharu, and allow me to hug you around the waist (or really, wherever, so long as I get the hug) in a picture I will have taken, simply mention this offer to me and I will pay you $10. The offer stands.
April 9, 2004- Well, happy birthday me. There is no further need to conceal this- I'm eighteen today. And some of you people out there were nice enough to give me little presents; which trust you me, I appreciate MAJORLY.
Okay, update notices! I have two new galleries for you! Usagi-chan de Cue!!, and one of Mizuki from Gravion. You can thank Akio of the Mansion (remember, he drew up a Yuki gift-art for me?) for the Mizuki gallery, rather than me; he provided all the pictures. Also showing up are new dreams, a few new Random Musings, more links, more Rei e-mails, more self-made fanarts (let it be known I'm still doing humor pieces for this 'cuzza this notice! By the way, since no one gives a flying shit about the pictures, I decided against doing a birthday artwork) AND a few more Eiken pictures. How's THAT for update coverage!
If you haven't noticed this yet, I redesigned the site a bit to make it a little faster to load. I now have the galleries and the video game stuff in their own little pages; don't worry, everything's still there.
Other than that, that's it! Enjoy your visit and continue to kick ass as my readers!
Last thing. I'm considering getting rid of the Fanart section, barring of course the 'gift' and 'link' sections. I'm not that good at it, practically no one cares about the drawings, and I've noticed I've got a huge vicious streak towards the things lately.
Also, that said. Remember 'Thanks Teacher'? The doujinshi I thought I might try? After careful consideration of the fact that
I'm not that good at drawing
, and the fact that I don't know anyone to threaten to force them to draw it for me, and I took on WAY too ambitious a project- I am simply not going to draw it. Call me whatever you want, but I simply don't think I can pull something like that off. And I'll put up the script somewhere later, so you'll have that.
Never mind. New last thing. I'll soon have added in a new section based on one of the better games I've played, River City Ransom. This is due in part to there being a remake of the game coming out near the end of May; don't forget it if you liked the original- I've played the Japanese version and let me tell you, it kicks.
Oh, for those curious as to the birthday gifts I got:
-$165; most of which has been used up.
-A dance pad for my PS2.
-Slight Fever Syndrome (came with a free sense of paranoia).
-Tape containing copied-over episodes of Battle Team Lakers EX (still want anime pictures) and Private Psycho Lesson.
-A birthday fanart (once my modem lives again, I'll put it up).
-Some random pictures.
So yup. Good 18th. Next update, you get River City Ransom stuff, as I'd planned on doing it earlier but I sorta forgot about it. It WILL show up next update.
March 13, 2004- Still waiting on the refund check but I've still just placed an order elsewhere on the VG artbook. I am getting this thing if I have to go to Japan and mug Takahiro Kimura himself to get it. If anyone needs something funny to look at, have more of my badly-drawn pictures posted up in my fanart gallery. Take heart, for I also have pictures from the more talented than I in the gift art section. As you likely expected from that which I have said in a past update, there are now more Eiken images for you, from a variety of sources. Including a link to the first few Eiken mangas (thank you Roger@Pyoko). May wanna pick your eyeballs up off the floor. Assuming you care, there are also several new Random Musings, and a new CG link. And a new Ultimate Fort Wars story.
Oh yeah, if anyone cares, my birthday's on April 9. I swear to you I'll have an Usagi-chan de Cue!! gallery up then. Also, a friend of mine (we'll call him Akio of the Mansion as that's who it was) sent me several good pictures of another Mizuki, this one being from Gravion. You won't wanna miss it.
February 14, 2004- Yes my friends, it's that time again! That wonderful little holiday known as Valentine's Day is upon us once again! As you might not be able to tell, I'm trying my best to hide my seething hatred of this holiday. Am I doing well so far? ...I'll keep going either way. So! How's your day going? Hm? Got a girlfriend? (If you do- I HATE YOU I HATE YOU I HATE YOU!!!) 'Kay... So, ready for my special Valentine's Day update? GREAT! Today I've got for you a gallery based on Natsune from 'Battle Team Lakers EX' and its games (okay, so for right now it's ONLY the games. SOMEDAY I'll find the anime). Those of us without girlfriends can go have a look-see at it! Happy reading, and let's ready ourselves for a birthday update soon! (And possibly an earlier one with more EIKEN images!)
Rei told me that she's got all the e-mails she needs for the next update. Don't let it stop you from sending more in though.
January 31, 2004- My oh MY did I ever get this one out fast! A bit surprising considering I've added a few things this update. First, you'll notice that, even though the link to my personal fan-art gallery was active earlier, it led you to a 'cannot find server' page. Well, here's why. Remember my emergency update? The one where Eiken was re-torrented? Yeah. I'd HTML'ed in the link at the time and forgot about it in my mad rush to post the Eiken links.
What this has to do with anything, you might ask? Put it this way. Click the same icon now. Go on, all the other kids are doing it...
As said, I added more pictures to a few of the galleries, specifically, Yuka, Satsuki, and Eiken.
Bizarrely enough, I actually added more to my 'dream' section. Don't be too excited. Any dream I can remember that has me hugging a girl in it tends to be remembered only as that.
Also, given that I actually got all this done in relatively short order, I also added more Random Musings, more Spanish phrases, and more rejected banner ideas.
Rei's decided to do only has 3 new e-mails this time around, but those who haven't been responded to yet will be.
Also, this may seem like an odd request out of you guys, but do me a favor and check around to see if you have any of the following. Both are DVDs and .avis. Also, the former is apparently several PC games as well. Ready? 'Battle Team Lakers EX' and 'Slight Fever Syndrome'. Any help in the matter of finding me pictures of Natsune from the former (I'm already aware of one 'Roger's site, I need more non-hentai shots) and Miss Mizuki (yellow hair), the red-haired gal (the name escapes me), and Haruka (green hair) from the latter would be highly appreciated. If you check around my little fan-art gallery closely, you might pick up on why this could one day be useful. Also, there's the possibility of another gallery if I can get enough somehow. As always, credit WILL be given where it's due. You do not have to do this, and I don't want to impose on any of you guys; but I'd appreciate the help.
Well, thanks to the tracker a friend talked me into getting earlier, I've come to a conclusion. You readers are some of the most awesome I know. Somehow, in the scant month I've had the tracker going, you've all given me a grand total of over 5000 hits. I'm impressed. Thanks, everybody. I'll keep on doing what I'm doing to make it worth the trip for you guys and more.
January 1, 2004- Happy new year before anything else. Obligatory holiday thing out of the way, here's what to look for. Check out the Ask Rei Anything section and DEFINITELY check out the new Eiken gallery. I'll bother adding my drawing gallery later because I'm reasonably sure no one gives a damn about when it goes up.
And hey, people- you might like this. You have seen my link section before, haven't you all? I knew that was why you all came here. Okay, check under the little line. Your site could go in that section- one where anybody who links to me and says so (and has a decent site I think's good for a look) gets a free link.
And I have good news for those looking for Iketeru Futari episodes... Check the icon descriptions AND the links...
Next update- A few of the galleries are gonna get a little boost.
Later update- Do you like Takashi Sano's work? Do you like bunnygirls? Heh heh heh!
Sometime in November, 2003- As said, Neopaint was fixed. All I need to do is keep turnin' back the clock and all is okay. That said, I actually got busy. Now you'll be seeing a few video game reviews and Ask Rei Anything. And oddly enough, I got the five e-mails needed! Also, since I got an e-mail asking me to update Ultimate Fort Wars- it's updated! Enjoy your new useless Spanish phrases and Random Musings too okay?
...Okay, how to fill space... Okay, got a way. Now, I don't normally use this space for this purpose, so if I AM, it's gotta be for a special purpose. That purpose? I wanna tell you about a game called Disgaea. If you own a Playstation 2 and like anime and strategy RPGs (maybe even if you DON'T like the latter), seriously, buy this, or at least rent it. It's really fun. Read any review on Gamefaqs, or darn near anywhere else- I don't think you'll find a negative review. Personally, seeing as I've logged in 178 hours and I've only had the game maybe two months, I can vouch for why. And it comes from a company that isn't really known for widespread release of its games, so I'd be quick about picking up a copy if you want one. Just a little announcement, don't gotta listen to it. But seriously, if you have the means, give it a try.
August 25, 2003 (by my guess)- You know what? I'm not gonna elaborate on this one. I added a bunch of pictures, whined about my computer and Neopaint problems, and somehow everything's now hunky-dory.
April 21, 2003- As my ongoing effort to avoid finishing what I start rages on, I did nothing on The Ultimate Fort Wars besides throw up the character listings and bios. Instead I decided to start throwing up reviews of video games. Today you get to read about a little ditty called Renegade, a.k.a. the only beat-'em-up I've ever played besides Double Dragon where it's possible to die in one hit. Also, to help you with the real reason you're probably here, I threw up one Yuka picture. There aren't even any Random Musings. Darn I'm lazy. Oh yeah... I have a contest for you all on the Renegade review. Alllllll four of you. Now that I remember this too, there's a new gallery! Satsuki Kaoru from 'Amazing Nurse Nanako'. ...Maybe I'm not so lazy. Enjoy yourselves.
April 9, 2003- Note: this is REALLY long so if you've got other things to do, just flip to the Yuka and Elena galleries, maybe Kaori. There's more there, not much more, but there is more.
Let's start with some facts you may've picked up on with my little drawing above. Yes, today is my birthday. Yes, I am only 17. No, I do not wish to get into how I bought Variable Geo three years ago considering you now know that I was 14 at the time. Yes, if you e-mail me, my first name (Andrew) rather than my middle name (not telling anymore) will be on it because I can't figure out how to change how my name shows up to e-mail recipients. And yes, I fantasize about stuff like in my drawing, even though I know it's not gonna happen unless I ingest all the pills remaining in the medicine cabinet all at once, and even then, the ensuing hallucination might not be what I want (and yes, I know how insanely stupid that would be to do in the first place. It's a dumb joke, that's the point of everything on this site.). Yes, my background drawing skills suck. And yes, unfortunately, that's the best picture I have drawn yet.
Other than that, I just thought I'd like to share some of the things that have happened to me lately. My vacation was fine, and my mood is good because, thanks to the rampant idiocy of the three teenage girls that wound up going with my family and my aunt, I realize that I have no use for a girlfriend until I turn 25 or so, 21 if there really are women who look like Chigusa at that age. I actually traded off going to Disney World for the first time in 15 years for $50 thanks to the begging of all other participants in the trip, no one say anything about my lack of negotiation skills, okay? It has more to do with the fact that most of the other participants were nuts and I know that arguing with nuts is a pointless exercise. Hey, everyone regretted it in the end, and I admit it was fun laughing in their faces about it.
As for the site itself, there isn't much this time. I'm not working on Variable Constant anymore, it seems, so until I get more fodder for it I'm replacing it with the "Ultimate Fort Wars" story next update. Yes, I got the idea from I-Mockery, but also yes, I do plan on trying to be original with it. Also, I decided I'm not going through with the O.M.A.K.E. section. I read through what I had and realized it was boring as shit, plus I'm not taking the time out to get pictures of KOIZUMI, of all people. Instead, in the future, you may well be seeing the definitive guide to all of Keisuke Saji's ass-beatings, complete with severity/deservingness ratings. In the meantime... There's more Yuka and Elena pictures, and one Kaori picture... Don't you want to see them?
March 28, 2003- Well, good news. You get more pictures in ALL of the galleries, in addition to a new gallery and MORE Random Musings! We also have addition of the fixin's for the anti-Akira Koizumi page, O.M.A.K.E. (that means I've began working on it, not that it's finished, for gosh sakes have you learned NOTHING about me?)! I also planned on having a section dedicated to useless yet useful knowledge of tricks I use for personal gain, until I realized I have none. Also... More links! Bear in mind, my nearing vacation to Florida will put updates on even more of a hold than usual. But when that happens, look forward to contributions by a new friend of mine.
February 14, 2003- Valentine's Day update!- Right on time with my least favorite holiday of the year, it's another update! Before we get anywhere, allow me to briefly explain my hatred of this holiday, as I do not wish to dwell on it any more than you want to hear about it.
My snippy remark on the subject- On Halloween, I get all the candy that the kiddies choose not to eat. On Christmas, I get video games and anime. On Valentine's Day, regardless of the holiday's description, I get squat.
Enough said. On to happy subjects. Good news for those guys who can't find Pachinko Sexy Reaction (of which you actually have an option should you have a fast connection which I will discuss upon e-mail), but would settle for a game in a similar vein- I know the location of the 'Gals Panic' series of ROMs. Curious peoples, contact me 'bout that, these girls'll let you be theirs without being forced to pay up 50 bucks for candy on flowers on this very special day. Also joining us are several I.F. pictures, a couple of pictures of P.S.R.'s Yuki, obviously more Random Musings, and a whole new section! That's right, people! Me versus the text parser, it's Half-Parsed Two! Seen below. Next update will bring another new section, of which the icon is THERE, but it doesn't link to anything yet, is the anti-Koizumi page, O.M.A.K.E... Anyone who wants to add fuel to the fire for THAT one... Bah, you know the drill.
I sincerely hope your Valentine's Day is one @#$%!! of a lot better than mine'll be. Let's face it, I love women- they just don't like me. And in all honesty, I notice it's a whole lot easier to just score anime girl pictures than waste my time in a futile attempt to figure out what getting kissed feels like.
January 14, 2003- Before anything else, happy new year everybody. I'd like to take a moment to tell everybody who reads this page 'thanks'. It's nice to know that I've got ONE place in America where people appreciate my work. You guys don't know how much it means to me. Well, today, I've got some more pictures in the P.S.R. section- this time of Miruru (remember her? Pink-hair?). Also, I've got two more Yuka pictures, and more junk in Random Musings. Next update, I should have a few more pictures of both Yukis (the Iketeru Futari Yuki and the P.S.R. Yuki), as well as a little bit more for Variable Constant. Unfortunately, I just learned today that my chances of getting V.G. Custom are shot so I'm gonna have to work with some old Super V.G. sprites for the Section 1-2 comic (you'll see when it's there). But other than that and the fact that I'm looking for a Gals Panic S2 MAME ROM (Not anymore), all is cool. Enjoy your visit!
December 25, 2002: Holiday update, no longer complete with eye-gouging text color effects!- First, I know I updated more like the 22nd, maybe 23rd, I forget, but it's gonna be the 25th before anyone notices, I'm sure. That said, we'll start with a couple of irrelevant tangents. It seems to be an incredibly good thing that I got those Iketeru Futari episodes when I did, 'cause guess what I learned about the site I got all 16 from? It's GONE! I hate to say it, but I have no further idea as to where you could get it. Since I've gotten some e-mails from people who want to see it (and frankly, I do not blame you), I'm gonna look for another possible site to download them from, and when I find it, I'll put it up right next to the icon that explains my search. I also notice quite an interest in Pachinko Sexy Reaction from a good deal of the people who e-mail me. Basically, you can ditto what happened with I.F., 'cause ROMs are pretty much impossible to find nowadays. Still, if I find a site that has it, I'll be letting you all know about it. Wish me luck on both (believe me, if I had better than a 56k connection, I'd give 'em to you through Yahoo! Messenger without any fuss), and remember, if nothin' else, there's always file-sharing... On a less depressing note, I've got two more potential galleries planned for this site, even though I don't have enough material to get either one going yet (it is a true pain to be a fan of anime supporting characters, or more colliqually, nudge-nudge-elbow bop-backhand slap-violent shake). I'll even give them separate lines. How does one of Kagari from 'Adventures of Kotetsu' or Satsuki from 'Amazing Nurse Nanako' sound to you? Do you even know who they ARE? ...Thought not. Damn my luck. Got more in the I.F. gallery and in the Random Musings section. Oh yeah, check that Variable Constant section there. You're in for a surprise. Oh, and last thing. I plan on axing the Anime Character Conversations and Zero Wing sections. Wanna stop me, even though you know no more is going in? E-mail me- odds are they'll stay if I get more than one e-mail. ...Last message. Two more links. View them.
November 25, 2002- I'm starting to wonder whether or not it was such a wise idea to bring up that Variable Constant thingy six months ago, as by all reports, I seem to have no intention of getting it done. All I know is that the little comment I've got near its icon is starting to sound REAL believable. On a more positive note, I now have more in the Random Musings section! I've also put some more stuff in the Yuka and Iketeru Futari galleries, as well as adding and moving a few things in those and the Elena Goldsmith gallery. Let's see... I wonder what would happen if you held your mouse pointer over any of the pictures? Oh, anyone wondering if I was ever gonna update the Spanish Phrases section- just did.
November 2, 2002- Either I'm getting quicker or the amount of stuff I'm putting in my updates is going down. ...You're right. Prob'ly the second. So did anyone like my Iketeru Futari fanservice gallery? I sure hope so because I updated it, along with the Yuka gallery. Also today is the new 'Random Musings' section and the Elena Goldsmith gallery. Possibly next update will bring a Kaori Yanase gallery. Possibly before 2030 is Variable Constant.
Plus, anyone who wasn't able to view this site in the past couple days and actually cared, this may sound stupid, but putting in
will almost always still bring you here, for some reason I don't understand.
October 22, 2002- Despite not SAYING anything new on the Iketeru Futari front, I have, since my last update, downloaded ALL 16 EPISODES, so take a look at the new Iketeru Futari gallery! It may be the only one you'll ever see. ...Okay, maybe just the only one that's all about the fanservice. Also are the additions to the Yuka gallery and one slight change to the 'dreams' section. Since apparently I haven't been eating enough pizza, I'll tell you that the dreams haven't changed.
September 10, 2002- Okey-dokey, most of the regulars (all five of you) probably noticed there was no site over the past week or so. Wasn't my fault. Wasn't really Kiwibonga's, either- it was HIS host that had some issues. But for the four of you who've stuck by, wondering when I'd be back, answer- now! It's probably gonna take me a few days to get all the pictures back up (so all pictures on this site until prob'ly Saturday are on this very page), but other than that, all my articles 'n stuff should be back about now. Until I get enough time to put my massive collection of P.S.R. pictures back up, here's a little eye-candy to tide you over. Hope you like the flavor of cheesecake. (It's
now) Also, I have a basic idea of how I want Variable Constant to start, so expect a comic next update. (In my time: next next next next update) (Hey, guess what! Next update, no comic! Bet YOU'RE surprised!)
August 13, 2002- Boy, did
have fun! The site went down temporarily, and I wound up having to rename nearly every file in the FTP folder, but hey, I guess it coulda been worse. At least you finally get to see something related to Variable Constant, and there's another new section besides that. Ain't tough to spot. I've also began considering adding more to the Civilization section, so expect to see some more next update. ...Oh yes, if you actually give a **** about that 'Third Half' story I began writing, I have more of it, and I revised a few things I forgot to say and/or do in the earlier stages. See if you can spot where the differences are if you want a challenge. 'Course, since I'VE forgotten all of the differences, I can't really tell you if you're right or wrong...
July 11, 2002- Did more than usual. I've got more Yuka pictures, more P.S.R. (you KNOW what that means by now) pictures, a coupla stories, and Rejected Banner Ideas (mostly because I thought of 'em AFTER the two currently on the page).
June 26, 2002- If this isn't the actual time of the site update, it's because I was factoring in my laziness in giving the site a small redesign. You know you like the pretty pictures. Admit it. Enjoy the new Yuka and Pachinko Sexy Reaction pictures, too.
June 13, 2002- Added yet more Pachinko Sexy Reaction pictures, thus proving that I officially have no life and rapidly dwindling chances of ever getting a girlfriend. Also, have y'self a look-see at the minor updates in my 'Life Lessons' section and the 'Insipid Stories' section.
May 17, 2002- Added the 'Last Battle' section.
May 14, 2002- Added another Yuka picture, put in another story, put several more pictures into the Pachinko Sexy Reaction section, added a link to my message board, and that's that for now, unless I got off my butt and started the Last Battle section, which I probably didn't (edit- I didn't).
First update ever- Around Apr. 15, 2002- Welcome to the somewhat new, barely improved site o' mine. Thanks to Kiwibonga.
S'all you need to know.
Things I actually have done include messing with most of the sections a bit and adding a new section. Here's a hint. Flip down all the sections. Which one immediately catches your eye the most?
Why am I requesting this? Get me back to the main page.


text:
Like many boys his age, my middle son is obsessed with Minecraft. He had decided on a Minecraft party theme months in advance of his seventh birthday, which gave me time to learn enough about endermen, ghasts, and creepers to pull off a respectably authentic party!
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This post contains affiliate links. For more information, please click here.
One of the main characteristics of Minecraft is that everything is made of squares. I ended up using a TON of square paper plates to decorate, as well as to serve food. I used 9-inch plates in lime, dark green, and black to make a huge creeper face on the kitchen wall.
I used my Cricut to cut some creeper faces to attach to green plates - I simply used Cricut Craft Room to weld squares and rectangles together until I was pleased with the design, then cut it out of black cardstock. The black endermen were made with strips of gray and purple cardstock for the eyes, black cardstock for the body, and black streamers for the arms and legs.
In the basement, where we played most of the games, I used white paper plates, white streamers, and black and red cardstock to create ghasts, then hung them from the ceiling with fishing line. I used solid green and black plastic tablecloths and cardstock to create the enderman and creeper faces on the doors. I also printed out some creeper faces I found online and hung them with fishing line.
I found these perfect forest path tablecloths to decorate both the dining table and kitchen table, as well as a giant cardboard Steve head for the centerpiece.
For many of the paper decorations I made, I used this wonderful website: FPS-X-Games. Be warned - the printables used a fair amount of printer toner, but the kids loved seeing their favorite Minecraft characters throughout the party!
One of my son's requests was that I create a Nether Portal in between the dining room and kitchen. I used black posterboard for the top, and cut letters out of white cardstock using my Cricut. Then I taped long strips of purple and black streamers to the black top. Amazingly, it held up through the whole party (and the next day!), even with all the kids running through it over and over again!
I downloaded this cute (and free, with newsletter subscription) birthday banner from this blog: Jennifer Maker. I mounted the letters on cardstock for stability, then punched holes for the string.
As the guests arrived, they were invited to color a pixel mask to look like their favorite Minecraft character. The kids LOVED this and spent way more time on it than I thought they would! Some dedicated artists even returned to the art table to perfect their masks throughout the party.
Next we played a Minecraft Bingo game, which I downloaded from this website: Life With Squeaker. Luckily most of the guests were first graders who could read - some items had very similar images, so it was helpful that they could read the names. If your guests are younger or non-readers, you may want to find a simpler Bingo game!
After Bingo we played Pass the TNT, which was basically Hot Potato with felt beanbags I had made to look like Minecraft TNT. Then we used those same beanbags for a Creeper Toss game, trying to throw them through holes I had cut in a green trifold cardboad display board.
Next up was Pin the Tail on the Minecraft Pig. I had used various shades of pink cardstock to create a Minecraft pig on white posterboard, and cut out tails for each guest. I used a printable pig mask instead of a blindfold, which was pretty funny to see!
After the games in the basement we had lunch and opened presents, and then went into the living room to play another Minecraft game. I had hidden plastic eggs around the room, and inside each egg was an ingredient needed to make a cake in Minecraft. I attached Velcro dots to each piece, and taped a master chart on the wall. As the kids found the eggs, they attached their ingredients to the master chart. Once it was filled, it was time for cupcakes!
I made chocolate cupcakes and used Wilton's grass frosting tip. I used these printable cupcake toppers attached to lollipop sticks.
After cupcakes we had time for one last game, and it turned out to be one of the kids' favorites! I divided the basement in half using green painter's tape, and I had blown up about a dozen lime green balloons to look like Minecraft slime balls. I split the kids into two teams, and the goal was to get as many slime balls on the other team's side before I yelled "stop." We played several boisterous rounds of this game - it was a great way to burn off some of the sugar from the cupcakes!
Goody Bags
I used creeper faces cut with my Cricut attached to green bags for the goody bags. I also designed a favor tag with an image of Steve and the phrase "Thanks for creeping over to my party."
I filled the goody bags with some Minecraft-themed goodies, including these adorable pixel plush toys - they were a big hit!
Overall it was a great party and I think the kids had a lot of fun. I'd love to hear about your Minecraft parties in the comments! Thanks for stopping by!


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The Foundation Giving team seeks support for the programs of Conquer Cancer and ASCO. We promote mutually-beneficial relationships with foundations and nonprofits that share our vision of a world free from the fear of cancer.
Conquer Cancer offers foundations and nonprofits great collaborative potential in the areas of research, education, quality and outreach. Opportunities include, but are not limited to:
- The Conquer Cancer Grants & Awards program focuses on supporting cutting-edge science and nurturing the careers of top clinicians. Funding may be directed to a specific cancer, research area, or geographic location. There are also opportunities to endow awards. Many of our foundation and nonprofit supporters maintain their own impressive grants programs while supporting one or more Conquer Cancer grants. They cite Conquer Cancer's thorough vetting process and high quality of research and caliber of investigators as reasons for their continued support.
- CancerLinQ™ is a health technology platform that harnesses vast amounts of "big data" from electronic health records into accessible "smart data." CancerLinQ provides up-to-the-minute feedback, analysis, and guidance to health care providers and their patients, thereby transforming the quality and value of care.
- Conquer Cancer seeks support for ASCO programs, including international initiatives, patient advocate scholarships, Cancer.Net, ASCO Annual Meeting tracks, to name a few. For a full menu, please refer to the Support Opportunities page.
We welcome your inquiry and the opportunity to present a proposal for your consideration.
Conquer Cancer strives to offer comprehensive and meaningful benefits and recognition for foundation and non-profit supporters. Examples (depending on level of support) may include:
- Listing or logo recognition in materials and publications
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Various support opportunities offer different types of benefits and recognition. Please contact us for details.
Our Foundation Giving team wants to hear from you! We welcome your inquiry to discuss collaboration opportunities.
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- April 2018: Sarcoma Foundation of America Partners with ASCO's Conquer Cancer Foundation to Fund a 2018 Young Investigator Award
- March 2018: Texas Society of Clinical Oncology Makes Investment in Young Investigators
- January 2018: ASCO and Conquer Cancer Honor Partnership with Susan G. Komen
- December 2017: Walther Cancer Foundation Endows New ASCO Special Award and Lecture for Palliative and Supportive Care
- November 2017: Twisted Pink Joins Forces With the Conquer Cancer Foundation to Support Metastatic Breast Cancer Research
- September 2017: ANCO Supports Young Investigator Award for a Northern California Researcher
- March 2017: Florida Society of Clinical Oncology Celebrates 40th Anniversary
- June 21, 2016: BCRF Supports the Future of Breast Cancer Research, Nurturing Young Scientists through CCF
- May 26, 2016: Lung Cancer Alliance Supports Two Young Investigator Awards in Lung Cancer
- May 26, 2016: $1 Million Donation from Susan G. Komen® Advances Development of CancerLinQ™
- April 5, 2016: Conquer Cancer Foundation Donor Spotlight: Gateway for Cancer Research
- December 16, 2015: Stavros Niarchos Foundation Grant Brings Quality Improvement Program to Practices Supporting Medically Underserved Communities
- October 15, 2015: Conquer Cancer Foundation Donor Spotlight: Ludwig Cancer Research
- May 31, 2015: Triple Negative Breast Cancer Foundation Works to Change Treatment Landscape of an Aggressive Form of Breast Cancer


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Makar Sankranti Celebrations in India
Makar Saknranti Celebrations in India: Makar Sankranti is a pious Hindu harvest festival that is celebrated in all parts of India and Nepal with cultural variations. The festival is said to be a mark of the beginning of the spring season in a traditional manner. The festival is mainly celebrated on 14th of January every year, with some mere exceptions of it being celebrated on either 13th or 15th January.
The festival is celebrated on the 1st of Magh according to the Hindu Solar Calendar for celebrating the happiness of getting new crops for farmers. The end of the winter solace is also marked by Makar Sankranti. It is believed that it is celebrated when sun moves into the Capricorn zodiac known as Makara in Sanskrit. Hence, the name Makar Sankranti has been derived where 'Makar' stands for Capricorn and 'Sankranti' stands for the movement of sun from one zodiac sign into another.
The holy festival also marks the end of inauspicious phase and beginning of the auspicious phase in Indian culture and is called as the 'holy phase of transition'. Makar Sankranti is celebrated with different rituals and customs in different parts of Nepal and India. The most popular ritual of the celebrations includes the consumption of khichdi with ghee and kite flying.
The weather changes are seen with the Makar Sankranti. The nights start shortening and the days start lengthening. The spring season arrives as the sun moves towards the northern hemisphere and because of this heat and light of sun starts increasing. There is widespread color and aroma in nature seen everywhere.


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112 pages
This special issue addresses new approaches to developing Web sites, hypertext, and other forms of online documentation, and considers how the changing nature of hypertext requires us to adopt new development strategies that follow how readers act and interact in a highly visual-spatial medium. The articles included here testify to the rich range and variety of contemporary work on visual and special questions in technical communication. Contributions to this issue are provocative steps in the ongoing conversation about how to best take advantage of the options and opportunities afforded by digital media.
Volume 14, Number 1, 2005
Contents:ARTICLES: C. Baehr, J. Logie, Guest Editors' Introduction. C. Thralls, M. Zachry, Editors' Introduction. D.K. Farkas, Explicit Structure in Print and On-Screen Documents. A.R. Richards, C. David, Decorative Color as a Rhetorical Enhancement on the World Wide Web. J.L. Gordon, Teaching Hypertext Composition. K. St. Amant, A Prototype Theory Approach to International Website Analysis and Design. REVIEWS: C. Spinuzzi, Interaction Design for Complex Problem Solving: Getting the Work Right, by Barbara Mirel. M.A. Kimball, Observing the User Experience: A Practitioner's Guide to User Research, by Mike Kuniavsky. K.S. Kitalong, Working With Words and Images: New Steps in an Old Dance, edited by Nancy Allen. L.J. Gurak, A. Propen, Eloquent Images: Word and Image in the Age of New Media, edited by Mary E. Hocks and Michelle R. Kendrick.


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Through the Jennifer Easton Community Spirit Awards, we recognize the work of Native American, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian culture bearers who uphold the Collective Spirit®. Through their work and their lifeways, these artists embody the traditional values of First Peoples Fund — generosity and wisdom, respect and integrity, strength and humility.
These culture bearers are sustaining the arts of Indigenous people within their communities, growing arts ecologies, and teaching the next generation of artists and culture bearers of their People.
In 2017, we honor four outstanding culture bearers as they join nearly 100 past recipients of this prestigious award.


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Now that you've made your sourdough starter, have you tried making bread yet?
A lot of people have been making these sourdough crackers every week, and loving them. They taste cheesy (but have no cheese in them), and most of the gluten has been broken down through the proofing time, and they have some lovely olive oil and sea salt crystals sprinkled over them.
I've been making our bread ever since we were married and received a 'Country Loaf' breadmaker for our wedding. However, I'd only make it for when we had visitors or special occasions. It was using the bags of bread mix (which I have since realised contain a whole lot of additives that I didn't necessarily want/need in my bread – non-iodised salt, malt flour, mineral salt (E170, soy flour, emulsifier (E472), vegetable gum (E412), inactive dry yeast, ascorbic acid (Vit C), enzyme, Thiamine…. etc See here.). Now we've been making our own bread for 2 years, and usually it's the basic white bread (Thermomix recipe containing just Bakers Flour, warm water, yeast, salt, oil). Since having the Thermomix we haven't had to have store bought bread and I like knowing exactly what is going into my bread. This has been the biggest saving for us as a family of 6. With a large extended family and birthday parties and lunches/dinners with friends, we have been able to make our own bread rolls (white/wholemeal/seed loaf), bread loaves, scrolls for kids lunches ('cheesymite' scrolls, ham and cheese scrolls, tomato and cheese scrolls, cinnamon scrolls, jam scrolls), danishes!, gluten free bread, fruit loaves, … and also loads of things like scones… for the cost of Bakers Flour (bought in 10kg bags) and a bit of yeast/salt/oil… Now, back to sourdough – sorry!
I have now started experimenting more with sourdough to decrease my gluten intake and increase the nutritious value of the bread I eat. These HEALTH benefits are the reason why I'm starting to change my baking routines.
This sourdough loaf is slightly more time intensive than our usual white loaf (that takes 1 1/2 mins kneading time in the Thermomix, and 30 mins rising time, and 25mins baking time). This sourdough loaf takes 5-10 minutes to 'knead', then it has to be left to rise or 'proof' for at least 8 hours (longer than this is preferable, as the gluten breaks down even more over time). THEN it takes about an hour to bake.
This is how my sourdough 'creations' looked a year ago…
MY FIRST SOURDOUGH 'CREATIONS' – basic recipe – 1 cup sourdough starter, 1 cup water, 2 tsp sea salt, 3 cups flour (spelt, rye, wholemeal, any flour)
The sourdough loaves left to proof for 24 – 48 hours.
Sourdough loaf in the oven.
Fresh out of the oven, kind of like little bricks 🙂 but delicious. Chewy crusts and a tasty, dense, healthy loaf. I would cut (saw!) it into slices and pop into the freezer to use a bit every day.
However, only 2 people out of our family would eat this loaf. So here's the recipe for a different sourdough bread that my whole family (nearly!) eats.
After a bit of experimenting, my sourdough loaves now look like this (see below).
I was amazed that all the kids loved it – even Charlie! Now don't expect a light, fluffy loaf like your usual bread. It is a denser loaf, with a thick, hard crust.
Easy Sourdough Bread
PREPARATION – 10 MINS (then left overnight to 'proof' or rise)
- Put the following ingredients into a large bowl
– 330g sourdough starter
– 15g (or 3 tsp) sea salt
– 420g warm water
– 40g extra virgin olive oil
– 150g rye flour
– 600g Bakers Flour
2.Using a rolling pin, hold it like a 'dagger' in your bowl, and move it vigorously back (towards you) and forth (away from you) to mix and 'knead' the sourdough bread mixture. It is like 'goo' and you cannot knead it on the bench. It will take about 5 minutes. Keep going until you see the 'gluten fibers' coming together and it gets thicker – it really tones the arms!! (Alternatively, you can pop all of the above ingredients in your Thermomix, mix on Speed 6 for 10 seconds, then Knead for 3 minutes).
- Plop it onto a lined baking tray and with floury hands, shape it into a 'log'.
- Cover it with a clean towel, and leave it overnight (or all day) to rise.
1. Preheat oven to very hot – 200 o C
2. Cut slits into the top of your dough with a knife (to allow for more rising in the oven).
3. Put in the oven for about an hour. Test if it's ready by tapping it and it should sound hollow. Wait about 15 mins before slicing.
4. Enjoy with butter and jam or melted cheese!
Print recipe Blog Recipe – Easy Sourdough Bread or Blog Recipe – Easy Sourdough Bread – without header
Now, a few pictures of the sourdough 'kneading' process ….
Enjoy !


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Red Carpet Ready Tips from Charlie Lapson
Greetings my dears! This time of year is quite magical in the land of Hollywood. Award shows, events and parties happening daily … sometimes as many as 6 each day during what's known as Award Season.It's an opportunity for actors and singers to get dressed up and capture the attention of the press, as paparazzi are calling their names while they walk the Red Carpet.
Many look great as they parade around, doing their interviews and posing. And then there are some that look spectacular, standing out from the rest, and are assured of getting into the magazines and newspapers while the world talks about them.
How do I create that super glam image for the stars to get them noticed? What are my secrets?
The Charlie Lapson key to success is preparation.
I begin working with actors two months before an event. We plan out the look they want to go for and consider the options of styles. Trying on dresses by a range of designers takes effort and patience (much the same when you're searching for that perfect holiday outfit, or Mother of the Bride dress) … you have to feel good in it.
Once we decide on that and the fitting is done, we move on to shoes and accessories. Comfort is key, but also we need to be on trend because now there are "shoe-cams" where the interviewer has the camera surround the feet for a close up shot !!
That takes me to the next part, about mani-pedicures. Toenails should have the same care as your fingernails, and the varnish color should match. Usually a neutral, beige, pale pink or French tip is always safe and classy. Certainly there are great colors to choose from as wine, black and greens are trending, but for a special event like this we want the dress and accessories to make the biggest impression.
Moving on to the jewellery. The selection is done by considering the style of the dress, the amount of details in beading, embellishment, pattern, neckline, sleeves, texture, and potential hair style.
I'll then display several choices of earrings, rings and bracelets, and if needed, options of necklaces. We want to be sure that the face is framed beautifully with a dazzling pair of earrings. When a close up
shot is taken of the face, the earrings are the only accessories that can be seen, so they need to be right.
Then a few days before the event, I'll do a rehearsal. We'll have the hairstylist give creative input as to style options. I'll bring along photos of great beauty concepts and then we try a few looks. Sometimes the actress will have short hair, so extensions are prepared. Sometimes the color of the hair needs to be adjusted to fit the overall image we want. Sometimes we opt to go outrageous and change things completely to be certain that people talk.
Once all these parts have been decided we'll then move on to makeup and consult with the artist, and start experimenting with color. Almost all preparation includes adding on eyelashes, usually individually. Then we'll narrow down the main shades, the accent, the eye details and the lips. If all goes well, the hair and makeup can be decided in a few hours.
The night before the event, I encourage the actress to rest and have a light healthful meal, drink lots of water and do a face mask before bed so that the next morning she'll be in great shape.
Then the big day comes and we start early. The hair and make up are worked on… usually about 2 hours, then the dress is put on, final hair treatments done, then the jewelry is tried with the complete outfit modeled. We make the decisions of which pieces will best tell her story and it's at that time we can see how all components work together.
My various options of jewels are on the tray so I can make a quick switch out, decide if there should be 2 rings or 3, if a bracelet is OK on its own or do we stack 3 of them.
Next the lipstick goes on, the clutch is filled with extra makeup for touchups and she's out the door into the limo to head to the red carpet.
Now, I realize that this process is done with the assistance of a team, with various people who specialise in different areas of expertise.
But, the method I've laid out can be the same for you.
Be prepared and follow the steps on your own, or with a girlfriend or a family member to give you feedback
If you can plan your special occasion look a month in advance, it will give you plenty of time to choose all the right components and give yourself options. Always have a backup item at the last minute in case a zipper gets stuck or a heel breaks or the lipstick drops somewhere and disappears.
The most important factor for your own Red Carpet look is how you carry yourself when you walk into the room all dressed up and gorgeous. Your smile will speak volumes for you, and the confidence you exude will make people want to learn your beauty secrets and tips of how you got Red Carpet Ready !
How You Get Red Carpet Ready with Dallas Prince
Celebrities have a much easier task on the Red Carpet than you would imagine because of their endless staff of handlers. We see the beautiful result of many weeks (or months) of preparation that ends with the glamorous fashion, flawless skin, bright eyes and perfect hair. A Red Carpet look must be completely "Head to Toe"……
For most of my life, my career has been spent in front of the camera. As time marches on, my skill set for on-camera preparation has been perfected! Whether it is 6 weeks or 6 days, give me an event date and I will give you my new & improved self.
Red Carpet Checklist
- Mark the date on your calendar and plan your Red Carpet Strategy based on the amount of time you have. Regardless of the length of time to prepare, make a plan! And, the plan must start with you.
- Identify any issues and take care of those first. Celebrities go to the Dermatologist……. I go to my bathroom mirror. Note: You cannot do anything drastic unless your event is at least 2-3 weeks out. Four simple steps can change your skin so quickly. Every morning & night before your event, (1) Cleanse thoroughly, (2) Tighten with a good Mask, (3) Firm with a good Serum (4) Moisturize. The last day before an event, I do my routine for the last time, but I replace the Mask with a strong astringent toner. Drink tons of water!
- The biggest hair mistake is to try a brand new style or cut that may be too severe before an event. Regardless of your current style, get a fresh new trim. Your best hair should always be feminine, shiny and healthy. If you have a stylist that you trust, it is a little known secret that a few highlights around your face can brighten everything giving you a more youthful appearance. Go for it!!
- Never go to any event without a Manicure and/or Pedicure. Based on your fashion decisions, a nude look for the nails is still the best choice. This is best achieved with Pink & White French tips or a nude lightly toned polish.
- Some of you may know that the newest, most innovative look for beautiful eyes are "Lash Extensions". It is a revolutionary way to have long sexy lashes that look genuine because they are connected to your own lashes one at a time. Here is a photo of me getting extensions before a recent event! The cost can be a bit high, but they last a few weeks, so it is worth the effort.
- This is your time to experiment! Go to every retail store with a Makeup Artist and ask them to show you a few tips (especially for your eyes). After over 35 years in front of the camera, I have worked with some of the best in the business and they all see your face different than you do. Once you have a clear vision of the look that you are going for, it is all about making sure that your makeup holds up throughout the event. Carry your lip gloss, Q-tips, blush and a nice light powder in your bag.
- Here is where we all need a little advice. Remember this: "a Red Carpet look must be Head to Toe!" Skin, Hair, Nails, Makeup, Gown, Spanx, Shoes, Jewelry, Evening Bag…….yes, even Breathe Mints. We all have our own idea of our best look in clothing, but it is always good to get a few outside opinions. We all cannot have a stylist, so use your resources. The internet and social media are there for you. Find a fashion mentor and follow them. It can actually be a new adventure on the road to the new beautiful you. Your closet is a primary source for great clothing, but if you are shopping for the event, remember not to buy without a consult from a very "honest" friend!
- The "Finale" of it all is your Jewelry! Don't over think it and don't overdo it. Depending on your choice of Fashion, your jewelry will complete your overall look and you will be remembered for it. I have styled Celebrities with my Jewelry designs for many different events and not all of the pieces were expensive. It is about the look and style of the jewelry that is important, not the costs. Your finished look makes a statement, but your confidence will make everything look even better. Wear it like you own it…..even if you don't!
Getting dressed should be one of life's pleasures, and my job has always been to deliver something special and deserving of your lives. This selection of Winter 17 pieces are designed for those once-in-a-lifetime celebrations. You'll see opulent hand-painted fabrics, decadent lace and feminine silhouettes. Inspired by my years living in Italy, I was influenced by the stunning town of Taormina, on the east coast of Sicily. I hope you feel inspired by this collection, as much as I was, and find joy wearing each unique piece.
– Sacha Drake
The Return of Glamour


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Just Worship/No Distance Too Great/
St Barnabas, Norwich VT
Sermon by Rev Jennie M Anderson
Lord, make us stewards of ourselves, that we may be servants of others. Take my words and speak through them, take our minds and think through them, take our hearts and set them on fire, for Jesus' sake. Amen. Good morning! Welcome!
Just Worship/No Distance Too Great
Monica Baldwin said, "What makes humility so desirable is the marvelous thing it does to us; it creates in us a capacity for the closest possible intimacy with God."
Br. Geoffrey Tristram said about Challenge - Not only does God see us as we truly are, not only does he love and accept us as we are – but he also challenges us to change and be transformed – to become that unique person whom God made us to be.
…all who exalt themselves will be humbled, but all who humble themselves will be exalted. (Luke 18:14b)
What is the most spiritually transformative event of your life? And, what is your prayer about that event? Maybe it was during that oh so difficult and awkward age as a pre-adolescent, right on into adulthood as our bodies change and our perspectives are stretched so far. It could have been as a young adult or even in the middle years as we begin to have children of our own (or not…) or when our parents die. But perhaps the most transformative event in your life is something more like being diagnosed with a lifelong illness or like finding sobriety when it was so difficult to even know what the problem was… So, what in your life do you identify as the most transformational happening.
Perhaps a better question might be what is the condition in your life you want most to change? How do you pray for this transformation to happen? What is it that you do that you don't want to do anymore, like a bad habit? Do you think that making that change in how you do things is easy? If it was, maybe you would have made the change already? What is keeping you from being able to take that transformative step?
Another way to approach what I am talking about is to consider what is it in your life you really want to do but haven't done yet? I don't mean like a bucket list item like a trip you want to take. Or maybe you have always wanted to climb a particular mountain or jump out of an airplane, just once… that's not what I am talking about here either. I am wondering if there is something that is on your mind or on your heart that if you were to face the end of your life tomorrow, you would deeply regret not attending to that thing. Perhaps you haven't made amends to someone you offended or perhaps you haven't told someone how much you really love them.
I bring up these questions in order to find out where in your life, you can be open to God in prayer. The things I am asking you about: changing old, ingrained bad habits; reflecting on your most transformative moment; reaching out past your comfort zone to affect a positive outcome just by telling someone you love them; or even something that you don't know exactly but just sense that it is there to attend… that too can be something to open your heart to God about.
On Friday evening, I shared the story of my most transformative moment in my life, becoming a birthmother as a teenager. Giving my infant son up for adoption was the most transformative event of my life. It was brave, sad, joyous, painful, risky, indelible, and many other adjectives. But most of all, the act was one that I could not do without love as the one and only truth, and I couldn't access that love without constant and deep prayer to a loving and abundant God.
My friend Kate says that in this second of two parables about prayer, Jesus again uses a most unlikely example as a teaching aid: the despised tax-collector. Here, Jesus addresses the heart of prayer: who God is, and who we are before God. For the Pharisee, God seems to live right inside him. His prayer is more of a Shakespearean soliloquy, praising himself and his works and his own goodness. He has it all figured out, and things add up rather nicely for him. Perhaps he comes out looking better than even God does! It helps to have the tax-collector nearby for stark contrast, because the Pharisee far outshines him in his virtuous works. To this religious leader, God is benevolent and has surely noticed how good the Pharisee is. Actually, there isn't much need for God to do anything in the life of this Pharisee except to agree with him.
In sharp contrast, the tax-collector pours out his heart to God and buries himself so deeply into the voicing of his deepest anguish, his most profound awareness of his own weakness, failures, and sins, that he apparently never notices the Pharisee, let alone compares himself with him. He flings himself on the mercies of God and depends on God to do something remarkable in his life. There are so many reversals in the Gospel of Luke that perhaps we shouldn't be surprised that this hated collaborator goes home justified while the observant religious type doesn't. If we, too, come before God in humble openness and fervent trust in God's goodness, we make room for God to work in our lives. That is much closer to righteousness than all the good works we can manage. Honesty in prayer flows from openness: an open heart, an open mind, a life opened to God and to transformation. Such humble and trusting prayer helps us to discover who we are, and who God is: merciful and loving and just. [Kate Huey]
One of the things that keeps us from being open to God's transformative love is when we judge others in a way that deflects our focus and keeps us focused on the spec of other's eyes instead of seeing the log in our own. That quality of judgment of others, sometimes it is simple comparison, keeps us from opening our own heart and seeking forgiveness for our own misdeeds.
If we, too, come before God in humble openness and fervent trust in God's goodness, we make room for God to work in our lives. So, this is important in our individual lives to consider as I demonstrated in my transformative life event. All our life transformations effect our family and closest community members in a way that invites this kind of prayer too. What I wonder though is, if we at St Barnabas were to pray together in the truth of love in this transformational way, what might God set in motion for our whole community? It might be like that question about that something you don't know exactly what it is but you just sense that it is there to attend to and you need to pray to even see it. Then, God willing, get the insight, the aha moment, and wisdom to act on it. When we pray, we want to pray like the tax collector, about those things that bruise our hearts… those things that change the way we do things and make us wonder why we haven't done ministry in this way all along. When we pray, we invite a kind of change that disturbs us. Remember the blessing I liked to offer earlier in the year.
"May God bless you with discomfort at easy answers, half-truths, and superficial relationships so that you may live deep within your heart.
May God bless you with anger at injustice, oppression, and exploitation of people, so that you may wish for justice, freedom and peace.
May God bless you with enough foolishness to believe that you can make a difference in this world, so that you can do what others claim cannot be done.
And May God's blessing, creator, redeemer and sustainer, be with you now and forever."
So where is God? Where is that connection to God that brings us the heart, the courage, the openness and the flexibility to change? God is right in the center of our most vulnerable moments as individuals and as a community in prayer. Let's all reach out for God in prayer and see what God does with us then!
Monica Baldwin said, "What makes humility so desirable is the marvelous thing it does to us; it creates in us a capacity for the closest possible intimacy with God."
-Br. Geoffrey Tristram said about Challenge - Not only does God see us as we truly are, not only does he love and accept us as we are – but he also challenges us to change and be transformed – to become that unique person whom God made us to be.
…all who exalt themselves will be humbled, but all who humble themselves will be exalted. (Luke 18:14b)
Let us pray. O God, the strength of those who humbly confess their sin and place their hope in you, save us from vain displays of righteousness, and give us grace to keep faith with the true humility of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.