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The Inka Kingdom Peru - Bolivia 13 Days
This trip is going to take us to two of the most enigmatic countries in South America. We start with Peru and its always vibrant capital city of Lima. After visiting Lima we head to the imperial city of Cusco followed by the new wonder of the world; Machupicchu. Bolivia is next but not before seeing the beautiful Lake Titicaca and Tiahuanacu en route to La Paz. We then head to our final destination; the always intriguing and mesmerizing Salar de Uyuni.
HIGHLIGHTS: Lima, Cusco, Machupicchu, Puno, Titicaca Lake, La Paz, Salar de Uyuni.
Arrival in Lima; upon your scheduled arrival our Receptionist will be waiting for you at the arrival area. After the greeting and introduction we will then proceed to transfer you to the designated hotel. Once you have been briefed and checked in and depending on the time of your arrival, you can take this time to walk around and get to know the vicinity or just relax and enjoy the rest of the day.
City tour of Lima, the places that we will visit include Huaca Pucllana, which was a ceremonial and administrative Pre-Incan building, the Cathedral of Lima, Francisco Pizarro's Tomb, the catacombs of the San Francisco Monastery and more. Also we will get to see the modern neighborhoods of San Isidro and Miraflores with its beautiful boardwalks along the coast.
Following the city tour, we will get ready to indulge into an exceptional gastronomic experience; Musiculinaria awaits us. Lima is considered the gastronomic capital of South America. Needless to say a visit to Lima without experiencing its cuisine would be unthinkable. This is why we will head to the bohemian district of Barranco and inmerse ourselves in the atmosphere of this part of town, walk through the"bridge of the sighs" and other attractions nearby. After that we will see a "Huarique Limeño". In this restaurant we will have the opportunity of tasting amazing typical dishes and desserts all of this while enjoying a fabulous artistic show that combines the music with the gastronomy during their preparations.
Early in the morning we will transfer you to the airport to fly to the imperial city of Cusco. The duration of the flight is of about an hour. Our representative will be waiting for you in Cusco´s airport to transfer you to your hotel. We recommend you to use this time to rest and get acclimatized to the high altitude. The remainder of the day is free for you to get to know this marvelous city.
Tour a la carte.
Two options are available:
Option A: Sacred Valley tour and transfer to Machupicchu
Option B: One day Inka trail to Machupicchu
They say that part of a life of Journeys around the world includes a mandatory visit to Machupicchu. Early morning after breakfast you will start your incredible experience at one of the new marvels of the world; Machu Picchu. The two Hour guided tour will take you to some of the most important landmarks in Machupicchu like the Main Square, Intihuatana, the temple of the Sun, Temple of the three windows, and the temple of the Condor to mention only a few of them. After the guided tour, you will have plenty of time to explore the citadel all by yourself. We return late in the afternoon via train to Cusco and subsequently we will take you to your hotel.
This day is just dedicated to you…Enjoy the day and relax or plan some activities….it is completely up to you.
We will have early breakfast and then transfer you to the rail station. Our train to Puno will leave short before 8:00 am and will arrive to Puno right after 18:00. This will be an amazing ride since we will enjoy amazing views from the landscapes that this route has to offer all of this while enjoying first class amenities and services. Lunch will be served during the ride. This is a great occasion to take pictures from the panoramic cabin.
Early in the morning we will pick you up at your hotel and take you to the harbor so that you can take the motorboat and embark yourself on a travel to the past.
Our first stop will be the Floating Island of Uros which is a short distance away from the harbor. Here we will step on the floating islands and visit the community of the Uros. They will explain us the process of how they have managed to live in this islands for hundreds of years. They will show us how they make sure that the Islands stay afloat by exchanging the totora reeds.
We then continue our tour to the Island of Taquile which is about an hour and a half away. Once we arrive to Taquile we get to admire their ancient weaving techniques and other textile manufacturing skills. This is one of the few natural islands on the lake. It is worth mentioning that the Island is under UNESCO protection as humankind's intangible heritage. Lunch will be served and enjoyed in this fantastic scenery.
We then return to Puno harbor in the afternoon while enjoying the amazing sunset on our way back. Transfer to hotel upon arrival.
Transfer in the morning to the bus station so that we can start our tour. We drive all the way to the border town of Desaguadero and passing by picturesque towns along the road. We will switch transportation once we cross to Bolivian territory. Once the customs paperwork has been taken care of, we can continue our trip to Tiahuanacu (Ca. 45 mins. ride from the border). We start the guided tour of the arquelogical complex of Tiahuanacu visiting the famous sun gate, the fortress of Akapana, the temple of Kalassasaya and the local museum.
Once the tour is completed we proceed with our drive to La Paz. Transfer to hotel upon arrival.
We will start the day early in the morning and drive to the airport to catch our flight to Uyuni. The time of flight is of about one hour. Once we arrive to Uyuni, we will be picked up and transferred to a SUV (Land Cruiser) and we will start our drive to the Salar de Uyuni. First stop on our ride will be the train cemetery which is a testament to the industrial past of this area. Further down the road we visit the salt museum/Hotel which is completely made of salt bricks. All the installations in the museum are made of salt as well. After lunch we head to Isla del Pescado which is a deserted island in the middle of the salar. The only vegetation comprises of giant Cactus, some of them around 10 meters tall. Finally we will visit the town of San juan where we will stay for the night.
After breakfast we will continue our tour of this amazing place, our destination for the day will be Laguna Colorada. We will be driving through some amazing locations….This is the location where you definitely want to take pictures!!! It is a great location due to the reflection of the ground which is almost mirrorlike. We will be seeing lakes inhabited by flamingos, active volcanoes and a rocky formation known as the "stone tree". We will arrive in the afternoon to Laguna Colorada. This place is known for the vast amounts of Flamingos that inhabit these lakes. We will overnight in the hotel.
We start the tour early in the morning (5.00 am) and we will visit the geysers and enjoy the sunrise. After breakfast we will visit the Laguna Blanca y Laguna Verde (The green color is due to the high magnesium content) at the base of the Licancabur Volcano. After our visit to the lakes we will return to Uyuni. We will visit some sites like the rock valley on the way back.
We will drive to the airport and catch our flight back to la Paz. Upon arrival to La paz we will drive you to the hotel.
We will arrange the pickup from your hotel depending on the time of your flights departure. At this point we want to express our gratitude for taking our services and hope to be available for you another time when you decide to come back to Peru or any other location in this wonderful part of the world. Thank you so much and see you soon!!!
*****Optional activities are available upon request*****
End of our Services
For availability of spaces for this service, please contact us firstname.lastname@example.com and we`ll send you detailed information, prices, terms and conditions.
Please keep in mind that significant price reductions are available for groups. All our tours are fully guaranteed, departure every day. Contact us for more information for the tour that you are choosing, or to begin customizing your own itinerary. recommendations:
"ITEP Eco Travel is a tour operator travel agency in Peru and the city of Cusco, We really know what we do and offer, We are well managed, with several offices in Peru and a long list of travel destinations , offering all travel alternatives in Perú, from family trips, honeymoon trips and luxury travel, including adventure tours and exploring trips to the jungle, for almost any budget"
NOTE: ITEP Eco Travel, specializes in organizing the ideal travel plan to Peru, with hotels and destinations that you choose, because we have all confidential and promotional rates. For guidance on how to organize your custom package. Please write us.
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Pantheon Books (U.S.) Jonathan Cape (U.K.) || Order: Indiebound | Barnes & Noble | Apple iBooks | Amazon
A Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers Pick | A Los Angeles Times Face to Watch | A Junior Library Guild Selection
A Forbes, Entertainment Weekly, Booklist, and Barnes & Noble Best Graphic Novel of 2017 | A Buzzfeed Best Book of 2017 | A Nylon, Electric Literature, and Kirkus Reviews Best Nonfiction Book of 2017 | A The Guardian Best Book of 2018 (U.K.)
"Radtke is, first and foremost, a superhuman of illustration, a grandmaster like Adrian Tomine or Chris Ware. Her photo-based, exquisitely executed drawings appear more realistic and seductive than photographs could ever hope to be. . . . Not a line is out of place in these drawings, as they depict contemporary reality with uncanny precision. . . . Gorgeously eerie. . . . A portrait of a powerful mind grappling with alienation and loneliness.
—New York Times Book Review
"Remarkable. . . . a breathtaking mix of prose and illustration. . . . Radtke is able to create beautiful if odious universes out of the potential of ruin, finding infinitesimal shades of nuance within a soft, greyscale palette. . . . Stunning."
—The Atlantic
"In Imagine Wanting Only This you get something wistful, evocative, melancholic. . . . [The book] is very assured, gorgeously done, and meticulous. . . . Just heart-stoppingly beautiful."
—NPR's "Pop Culture Happy Hour"
"The most beautiful graphic novel you'll read all year, Kristen Radtke's memoir is an absolutely stunning look at what it is to recover from grief, and is so haunting you'll be thinking about it for days after reading it."
"Brilliant. . . . The book is a family drama, youthful romance, obsessive adventure, and karmic inquiry wrapped in a coming-of-age tale. It's [Radtke's] thumbnail history of left-behind people and places, and a wondrous panel-by-panel archive of the interplay between her rapacious intellect and her expansive imagination. . . . In places, the commingled pictorial and written narrative flows like a film, like a dreamscape, like the river of time itself. It's Radtke's quietly erudite, observant language . . . that grounds her intricate and dramatic drawings. But maps, photographs, medical charts, newspaper clippings, and a free-floating Sharpie embedded in the almost 300-page book enhance the storytelling as they surprise and delight."
"Imagine Wanting Only This [is] one of the most haunting graphic memoirs I've ever read. . . . As we turn the pages on her journey, we are ravaged and ravished. There is a proud tradition of graphic memoirists—of those dually equipped to wield word and image—to tell the true and deeply considered story of a life. Alison Bechdel, Roz Chast, Riad Sattouf, David Small, Marjane Satrapi, Art Spiegelman and others have done it searingly well. Add now to that list Radtke, who proves herself an equal among equals with this debut book. . . . Wonderful and heartbreaking. . . . I'm deeply grateful for the towering power of Radtke's vision."
—Chicago Tribune
"With elegant writing and arresting drawings, Kristen Radtke's Imagine Wanting Only This . . . grapple[s] with the limits of how much understanding our past can help us comprehend our present. . . . Radtke balances the personal — insomnia, failed love, her own heart ills, and loss — with larger historical forces and events. Her atmospheric black and white drawings shift between close-ups of telling details — a pile of mail on the floor, a single hanging bulb in a garage — and powerful full-page illustrations. She is a master of silhouette and shadow, of negative space, evoking a sense of potent isolation."
—Boston Globe
"This delicate, multi-layered meditation on memory, loss and the appeal of abandoned spaces is an astonishingly sure-footed first work."
"This startling graphic memoir, borne out of its author's experience at her uncle's funeral in an abandoned mining town, journeys across the country in its search for what people leave behind. The black-and-white illustrations give Imagine Wanting Only This a timeless feel, confronting the past as well as our present state of being."
—Entertainment Weekly
"A stunning, honest meditation on loss. . . . Radtke's book is enchanting."
—Huffington Post
"{Radtke's] memoir is stuffed with fascinating anecdotes and great drawings that show everything from bus-borne squabbles to tight herds of sheep and abandoned cities. It ends in New York, where the 30-year-old illustrator and editor now lives, and this intelligent and passionate work makes you wonder where she'll go next."
—The Guardian, a best book of the year
"A weird and restless book preoccupied with decaying and destroyed landscapes. . . . [Radtke's] writing is never less than lovely, and her black-and-white drawings are masterfully eloquent: at once vivid and faded. Think Shelley's Ozymandias, with light top notes of Alison Bechdel and Adrian Tomine."
—The Observer (U.K.), Graphic Novel of the Month
"In Imagine Wanting Only This, Radtke weaves together an examination of decaying places — including a church in Gary, Indiana, an island in the Philippines and a forest fire in Peshtigo, Wisconsin — with an exploration of the frailty of the human heart."
—PBS NewsHour
"This graphic memoir from New York writer and artist Radtke is one of the most highly anticipated books of the year. Her book combines beautiful illustrations with vibrant prose, telling the story of how the death of her uncle led her to become fascinated with abandoned cities and other ruins."
—Men's Journal
"Radtke isn't an artist who also writes a little or a writer who scrawls but a master of both prose narrative and visual art. Like memory, the narrative loosens the binds of chronology, playing hopscotch through the author's girlhood, college, formative years as an artist, and apocalyptic fantasy of her current home in New York. . . . In a way, what she has done in this impressive book is to revive the dead and recover the lost while illuminating a world in flux, in which change is the only constant. Powerfully illustrated and incisively written—a subtle dazzler of a debut."
—★ Kirkus Reviews, starred review
"In Imagine Only Wanting This, debuter Radtke explores all manner of devastation—the detritus of a youthful relationship, the aftermath of volcanic eruption, the hollowed-out shell of a church in deeply depressed Gary, IN. . . . Beautifully written, this multidirectional memoir ties threads and minutiae from Radtke's personal and family history and history writ large to create a tender, drifting reflection on the calamity life is often built on, the nothing it will become, and the breathtaking beauty of lingering between those forgone conclusions. . . . A fantastic example of the graphic novel's possibilities as a literary medium."
—★ Library Journal, starred review
"Radtke's neat, grayscale drawings are detailed and coloring-book precise, and her thoughtful, meticulous narration makes true visual essays of them. . . . In her cerebral journey of a first book, Radtke, an illustrator, designer, and managing editor of a small press, asks and answers: Why do ruins fascinate, and why is this fascination considered perverse? Why are ruins there at all?"
—★ Booklist, starred review
"In a debut graphic memoir with striking black-and-white images, master illustrator and writer Kristen Radtke tells the evocative story of her family's rare genetic heart disorder, the sudden death of her beloved uncle, her travels around the world, and of love won and abandoned. . . . one needs to revisit each page and carefully study the drawings to appreciate fully the depth of Radtke's creative talents.
—★ Shelf Awareness, starred review
"Striking. . . . Imagine Wanting Only This is approached as a memoir, but really it's a rumination on ruins. Radtke's debut is part autobiography, part sobering reflection on the temporary nature of life and love, cities and civilizations."
—Houston Chronicle
"Kristen Radtke's serious, haunting Imagine Wanting Only This [is] a long, complex examination of abandonment, the fleetingness of life, the impermanence of everything. . . . It is powerful and bleak, but strangely thrilling."
—Minneapolis Star Tribune
"Remarkable. . . . [Radtke's] book has attracted national attention, and for good reasons. She's both a strong writer and an adept, fluid artist. She has a word lover's eye for found text on jars, postcards, documents, websites, hand-lettering them into her art."
—Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
"[A] sophisticated graphic memoir, recalling books such as Alison Bechdel's Fun Home."
"Radtke's gorgeous graphic memoir ponders ruins and the people and places that are left behind."
—Martha Stewart Living
"The transient beauty and piercing sadness of the ruins is gorgeously portrayed through the combination of word and illustration; graphic memoir feels like the necessary medium for this story. . . . Radtke's life—and the way she beautifully elevates her deeply personal experiences into universal lessons—makes for brilliant, compelling, unforgettable art."
"[A] beautifully sophisticated narrative. . . . [Radtke's] work evinces an incredible grasp of the comics form—more so than even the most storied of comics memoirists. . . . In scene after scene, [she] demonstrates incredible storytelling instincts, which reveal themselves in subtle, nuanced ways. . . . Radtke tells her story with uncommon poise and palpable confidence. . . . offer[ing] her readers ambition, composure, and a deeply felt narrative that unfurls with a grace that most writers only ever dream of."
—A.V. Club
"The book chronicles Radtke's journey to ruined cities after the death of her uncle, an unusual pairing that has drawn strong advance reviews. The memoir doesn't just reflect on her own life story but on the notion of becoming an artist and what it means when people and places are left behind."
—Los Angeles Times, "Faces to Watch"
"In her exquisitely soul-, mind-, and heart-shattering debut graphic memoir, Kristen Radtke explore's life's big questions surrounding grief, mortality, and the impermanence of the things--and the people--we love most. . . . That Radtke can treat such timeless and oft-explored topics as death and loss without a touch of cliché is impressive enough, but that she does it with an extraordinary sensitivity and intelligence uniquely her own makes this work a stunning reminder of the power of art to make us feel hopeful as we confront existential terror."
—Nylon magazine
"A miracle and a masterpiece . . . . Radtke is a thrilling cartographer of curiosity, grief, and grace, and Imagine Wanting Only This announces, like a siren in a sleeping city, the arrival of an unforgettable, undeniable talent."
—Electric Literature
"Illustrated in stark and often-gorgeous shades of gray, the book looks the way Radtke feels: at once benumbed and dreamy. The cleanliness of the linework augments the melancholy of the narrative, a technique that calls to mind Adrian Tomine, another significant chronicler of urban solitude."
—The Millions
"[A] smart debut memoir, which grafts [Radtke's] fascination with hollowed-out cities onto her family's history of heart disease. . . . Like Didion, Radtke sets out to situate, with clear-eyed disinterest, her own place within a culture that seems to be falling apart."
—Globe and Mail
"With evocative black-and-white illustrations, Radtke explores the many ways in which ruin can pervade a life, whether it be mold creeping up the walls of a dilapidated Chicago apartment or the degeneration of the body through illness."
—Poets & Writers
"I tell as many people as possible how cool I think Radtke is, so that when she blows up I'll have proof that I was ahead of the curve. . . . Her first book is graphic memoir/travelogue about her life, family history, and a trip around the world in search of ruins."
—The Millions, Most Anticipated Books of 2017
"This hauntingly beautiful graphic novel touches on themes of death, loss, rebuilding, and belonging. The illustrations are so perfect and this has stayed with me ever since I read it."
—Book Riot
"An evocative debut and a glorious mashup of genres, Imagine Wanting Only This contains the meandering stories of everyday places that have fallen to ruins — from deserted cities of the American Midwest to an Icelandic town buried in ash to tiny populated islands in the Philippines and beyond. A personal history that takes the shape of graphic illustrations, Radtke's stories take a reader on a winding journey that also traverses the crumbling canals of human history—and the human heart."
"Kristen Radtke's graphic memoir is a story of loss, but the Brooklyn-based illustrator's approach is adventure: the sudden death of Radtke's uncle spurred her passion for ruins of people and place. Her grief makes good company. In an impressive spread of portfolio work, Radtke's illustrations tend toward raw vector-drawn portraiture, and sparse samples of her written skill mirror the style with clever, candid observations on their subjects. "
—National Post
"[A] haunting graphic memoir, a melancholic meditation on impermanence. . . . Imagine Wanting Only This effectively meshes a distilled, starkly confessional, probing text with an equally eloquent visual element. . . . Radtke's artwork evokes movie stills more than comic strips, panning cinematographically from full-page landscapes to tightly framed close-ups and intense conversations (often on cellphones). . . . [A] restless ambition to find answers 'or at least information' about the transitory nature of existence defines Radtke's profoundly contemplative book."
—Barnes & Noble Review
"In her debut book, Kristen Radtke undulates between public and deeply personal observations. Her story begins when she attends her uncle's funeral near a dilapidated mining town; from there, she sets out to explore abandoned places while contemplating a heart disease many members of her family have suffered from. Loss echoes throughout its illustrated pages, threading disparate corners of the globe together into a touching narrative."
—Huffington Post, Nonfiction Books by Women Everyone Should Read in 2017
"Radtke is certainly not the first to parallel an exploration of photography with that of death. Most famously, Roland Barthes did this in his seminal book Camera Lucida, in which the death of his mother figures heavily into his analysis of photographs as referents. But Radtke interrogates this established reading by contrasting the treatment of printed images and digital ones, extended further to contrast physical and digital detritus. . . . visually and emotionally striking."
"Kristen Radtke's debut book is one of the most striking and interesting comics of the year."
—Comic Book Resources
"Radtke's literary debut deserves to sit alongside other popular contemporary memoirs like H Is for Hawk, The Faraway Nearby, and The Empathy Exams. Her compelling visual transmedia storytelling creates intimacy and narrative through the relationship between text and image, which she uses to depict vast emotions, symbolism, thematic impulses, and flashbacks."
—The Rumpus
"Comes as close to graphic poetry as anything I've ever seen."
—Chicago Reader
"Radtke reckons with ghosts and ruins by allowing them to speak for themselves—by allowing them to be silent. And there's a real sense of peace in that experience."
—Flood Magazine
"There's been ample buzz about Imagine Wanting Only This, the debut graphic memoir by illustrator Kristen Radtke. The death of Radtke's uncle sparks a series of real and metaphorical adventures through ruined cities, which Radtke illustrates in evocative grayscale drawings."
—San Diego Magazine
"The clarity of the book revels in location, and not character. This is a riveting use of memoir. This is as alienating as it is universal, smug as it is generous, a conclusion as much as an opportunity."
—Los Angeles Review of Books
"Writer, illustrator, and editor Radtke's graphic memoir does something difficult within just a few minimally designed, emotional pages: she transforms the over-studied experience of being a talented artist stuck in that yearning gulf between college's purpose and life's demands into something unique and thuddingly real. . . . Delivered with an unusually forthright honesty and deft, Chris Marker–esque ability to parse out meaning and wonder from the smallest details."
—Publishers Weekly
"This graphic novel/memoir takes readers on an incredible journey, both to places ranging from Iceland to the Philippines, but also into the dark recesses of the mind and the heart."
—Nylon magazine, Most Anticipated Books of 2017
"[Imagine Wanting Only This is] everything I want in a comic. It's thoughtful, personal and haunted."
—Shelf Awareness, Booksellers Recommend: Winter & Spring Nonfiction
"Kristen Radtke has caught the attention of the right kinds of people with her debut graphic novel, Imagine Only Wanting This. Places that have been abandoned by memory and the people who once called them home fascinate Radtke, who travels from the Midwest to Iceland to the Philippines to New York City in this cross-genre nonfiction work. It's worlds more than a travelogue, though — it's also a journey through grief, memory, and family. If the fact that it's illustrated turns you off, resist."
—The Week
"After spotting an abandoned mining town following her beloved uncle's funeral, illustrator Kristen Radtke began a lifelong obsession with ruins—the traces of places that civilization has abandoned. In this genre-bending graphic novel, Radtke takes us on a round-the-world tour of deserted cities and ruined places, drawing them in black and white and musing on the people and places left behind, while also pondering larger questions of grief, identity and human suffering."
—Read it Forward
Advance Praise from Writers:
"Kristen Radtke's Imagine Wanting Only This doesn't tell a single story but a chorus of histories, personal and familial and historical, and invents its own marvelous language for their telling—a language forged from interior thought and visual imagination, bringing together words and illustration in continually surprising and moving ways. The voice in these pages is eloquent in so many ways at once, like a shape that exists in three dimensions rather than two, and it's utterly singular: visually alive, attentive to details, self-questioning and tender as it surveys variously haunted terrains of heart and landscape. Radtke's world is so immersive, and so sensitively conjured, that once I entered the sketched chamber of her pages, I didn't want to leave again—or even pause for breath—until I reached the end."
—Leslie Jamison, author of The Empathy Exams
"Riveting and glorious. A book of sorrow filtered through intellect. In Kristen Radtke's hands, nonfiction becomes poetry. A tremendous achievement."
—Tom Hart, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Rosalie Lightning
"Cities, ambitions, romances, and bodies come to ruin before our eyes, as Kristen Radtke invites us, in her beautifully understated way, to be disturbed, fascinated, and yes, even attracted to that ruin. A remarkable bildungsroman!"
—Eula Biss, author of On Immunity
"Kristen Radtke leads us through a bleak and beautifully crafted story of heart and heartbreak—creation, connection, decay, and loss. Imagine Wanting Only This is challenging and inspiring."
—Ellen Forney, New York Times bestselling author of Marbles
Advance Praise from Booksellers:
"I may be a bit demanding, for I want only this: a book that comes alive on the page, that shows instead of tells, that gives me more than what I'm what asking for. My wishes came true in Kristen Radtke's graphic novel, Imagine Wanting Only This. I was continuously struck by Radtke's unending and unapologetic explorations of the ruins that litter our lives and puncture our curious and very personal understandings of home. This book is beautiful, intelligent, and very much alive."
—Claire Tobin, Literati Bookstore
"Imagine Wanting Only This will enchant and amaze its every reader. Radtke stunningly braids her gifts as a verbal and visual artist, her book a perfect marriage of the written and drawn line. Formally, she smashes all the rules to pieces—photographs overlay illustrations, questions are exalted over their answers, and identity's learned from not only the spaces we fill, but "the spaces we cannot cannot imagine." Here's what the New American Essay's capable of. Here, too, is what the ragged borderline of genre looks like. What Radtke does so shockingly well, page after page, panel after panel, is show the reader the enormous significance (invented, or drawn, or not) of nothing-spaces."
—John Francisconi, Bank Square Books
"Kristen Radtke's Imagine Wanting Only This is about loss and ruins and love. It's a poignant and visually stunning exploration of the places and people we leave behind, but that leave indelible traces. It's a book that speaks to our fraught historical moment in a graceful way. It's a rare thing: a masterpiece of form and function."
—Stephen Sparks, Point Reyes Books
"Like a cross between Leslie Jamison and Alison Bechdel, in this graphic memoir Kristen Radtke takes the best of the contemporary essay and brings her story to life with clean and evocative illustrations. Imagine Wanting Only This is a travelogue of displacement, following Radtke to abandoned mining towns, bombed-out ruins, and a lava-covered Icelandic island. What grounds it all, though, is the way Radtke examines what motivates her restlessness: the death of her uncle from a rare genetic mutation, and the breakdown of a relationship. Kristen Radtke is a many-talented literary artist, and this remarkable debut will stay with me."
—Travis Smith, Flyleaf Books
"Kristen Radtke's debut graphic novel is a somber meditation on loss and decay. Utilizing an abstracted, realistic drawing style, Imagine Wanting Only This feels like memories of real people and places. Radtke eschews any caricature or exaggeration in her character design, keeping them grounded, but allows for poetic flourishes in her layouts and text. The result is a beautiful but honest elegy for loved ones lost and the world around us as a whole."
—Chris Andersen, Watermark Books


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In case of a legal breach of contract from seller's end, PROPERTYHANDLING's empanelled legal team will review the contract and will suggest various possible legal options to safeguard your interests. However, you have the option to take recourse to legal remedies for enforcing the contract on your own without assistance from PROPERTYHANDLING.Tags: Sell


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There has been some beautiful instances of synchronicity, manifestation and The Secret in action (or as my gorgeous co-worker Katie calls it "The Common Sense") in my life lately.
A few days ago I felt really teary over watching "Choir of Hard Knocks" ~ a choir gathered together of homeless and disadvantaged people. I felt so emotional over the challenges they faced, and decided that the next time I saw a Salvation Army guy, to give a donation.
Yesterday, I did, giving him an amount I haven't given a charity before.
Moments later, I walked back into work and found a long forgotten cheque that hadn't been banked ~ for a few dollars more than I had just donated.
Rainbow OUT,
Give… and you receive. Funny that!
And then…
I've been dreaming of a beanie.
Not just any beanie ~ but a rainbow striped one, with ear flaps.
It is May and here in the alps we are descending into Persephone's den of Winter. Dream beanie has been on my heart~horizon for months, but I still hadn't sighted it, and my ears were starting to get cold.
On the weekend, my love and I went to wander around the Old Bus Depot Markets to eat churros, sample olives (he) and fudge (me) and feast our eyes on all the arts and crafts there. That day happened to be Wool Crafts day ~ a sure sign, I thought, to find my Dream Beanie. Alas, no luck. The closest I came was to a brown ear flapper. My faith wavered, and I thought for a moment about buying it instead as the Universe OBVIOUSLY hadn't heard my request. I kept thinking "uh HELLO, universe, WHERE'S MY DREAM BEANIE?!?!!"
I wonder how many times I've caved before, to buy the not~my~dream~but~close~beanie in my life. I left the markets, faith intact and beanie~less.
A couple of days later I meet two goddesses for magical corn cakes and passionate smoothies for breakfast. As we walk down the street afterwards, arm in arm, my sweet friend gives me a small parcel wrapped in orange tissue paper and string. I feel like Daryl Hannah in Splash – when Tom Hanks gives her a present, she fawns over the box, and tells him she will love that box forever. I felt the same way about that parcel. I didn't want to open it ~ I just wanted to love it forever, rubbing my hands over the rough paper the colour of autumn leaves, feasting my eyes on the beauty of cream string.
But I open it, and inside is Dream Beanie. She had been waiting for me all along, and was just waiting for the angel to deliver it to me properly.
All I needed was the faith for it to be delivered,
and Me and Dream Rainbow Beanie found each other.
This Universe is too cool, baby.
Rainbow OUT,


text:
Full Item Description
The blade is 27.5" long, with 20.5" being the blade. This weapon is a hybrid of Chinese and Japanese styles. The blade is long, thin, and slightly curved. The guard is a simple oval with an intricate dragon pattern embossed upoin it. The handle is metal. The scabard is of Japanese design, but with Chinese decorations.
The Wei-Jai were carried by Chinese soldiers during the anti-piracy campaign in the mid sixteenth century. Chinese sword blades were inferior to the Japanese blades, so there was a period when the Chinese government purchased Japanese made blades fashioned in the Chinese design.
These weapons have a clearly Japanese blade in make and style (thin, tapered and slighlty curved) mounted in Chinese fittings. The blades were made in Japan and mounted and fitted in China. Most of the blades have a set of unknown characters stamped upon the blades.
Magic/Cursed Properties
Additional Information
It is said several famous masters developed a form of Chinese swordplay based upon these weapons.


text: Photo Gallery Around the Towers Our signature round fountain in front of the building. Our front entrance and fountain, during sunset after a spring rain. The Country Club Plaza, seen from our rooftop. Sunset on the rooftop terrace. A relaxing weekend on the rooftop terrace. Beautiful Plaza views. Our balconies offer stunning views of the Country Club Plaza. The fountain on our garden terrace is a lovely centerpiece to the space. Our garden terrace offers a full grill, relaxing views of Mill Creek Park, and plenty of room for your guests. Fun and fellowship on the Garden Terrace. Modern, neutral decor on every floor. Our halls feature welcoming, modern decor. Large social spaces for parties and gatherings. Building Friendships for the Future Share this:PrintEmailFacebookTwitter


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Katy ISD Education Foundation Inaugural Board Luncheon a Success
The newly formed Katy ISD Education Foundation recently held its inaugural luncheon for prospective Board of Directors in an effort to recruit area community leaders to participate in the organization. More than 30 guests attended the event, with 27 of those committing to the Board of Directors.
"We are overjoyed at the response we received from the luncheon as this inaugural Board is vital to the success of the Foundation," says Marcy Canady, Executive Director of the Katy ISD Education Foundation.
"The Foundation's mission is to fund innovative projects that are aligned with the mission, strategic plan, and educational philosophy of the school district," says Pete Gavrel, President of the Katy ISD Education Foundation Board of Directors. "We exist for the sole purpose of supporting the school district in the mission of realizing unparalleled learning experiences for our Katy kids."
"The Foundation will open new funding opportunities for supporting and enhancing educational programs for students and teachers," says Canady. "Most importantly, the Foundation will provide another way to engage our community through our Board of Directors made up of local leaders, who will help to maintain the high standards of excellence expected in Katy."
To view photos from the inaugural luncheon for prospective Board of Directors, click here.
The Katy ISD Education Foundation has been created to support the educational programs for both the students and staff personnel of the Katy Independent School District. Funds received will be used to facilitate student achievement and skill development, to recognize and encourage staff excellence and to expand community involvement from individuals, businesses and civic organizations. For more information about the Katy ISD Education Foundation, visit www.KatyISD.org/Foundation .
Please mention you found this on www.KatyMagazine.com.


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Let's Chat
If you have any questions let us answer them.
If you would like to book a phone call please follow this link:
Otherwise please fill out the form below to get in touch via email.
Our Office
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Located in Liberty Village,
Suite #200 - 60 Atlantic Avenue Toronto, ON. M6K 1X9
(647) - 572 - 4076


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text:
Have you run away from something in life? It could be a job, home, family, a challenge, you name it. There are probably many of you, including me, that have run away from something in life.
I grew up in a Christian home, and came to know Christ at an early age. I took stands for my faith at public schools, and even got ridiculed for not being willing to do some of the things other children did. I was active in my youth group, and witnessed to other teens that would become Christians and publicly express that belief to other believers in the church I grew up in. I joined the Marine Corps in 1994 and began to run away.
When you hear the term runaway, you normally think of a teen running away from home. But, I was running away from God. I saw the things of this world as pleasing to the eye, and Satan deceived me. I ran and ran as far as I could go. I blended in with the world, and no one would know that I was different. No one would know that I had Christ in my heart. But God never left me. I continued to live a life running, deceiving all in my path. But God kept pursuing me! (It makes me weep with happiness when I think of the marathons I have put God through in chasing me, and how He never gives up on us!)
About three years ago I came home, and stopped running. Throughout this entire time, I never lost the gift of Salvation that Christ so freely gave me, but I felt God tugging at me. I knew that He was saying, "If you don't stop running, I am bringing you home to me….because you are doing Me no good down there." Thank God for His restoration!! I am here to tell you today to stop running if you are in this same situation.
I want to share with you a man in the Bible named Mark. Mark was his Christian name, but John was his Jewish name. Mark was a Christian and was brought up that way by his mother. In fact, his mother's house was a secret meeting place for Christians. When Mark was young, he went on a mission trip with Paul and Barnabas. Barnabas was Mark's cousin. Mark, known by John then, deserted the trip (Acts 13:13 "From Paphos, Paul and his companions sailed to Perga in Pamphylia, where John left them to return to Jerusalem"). We know the word "left" meant deserted because later Paul and Barnabas argued about taking John again on a trip. This argument even separated Paul and Barnabas (Acts 15:38).
In 1 Peter 5:13, Mark is referred by Peter as his son. Peter didn't mean physical son, but he meant that he took him under his wing and discipled him. Mark was probably humiliated by being a coward and deserting Paul and Barnabas, so what better person to disciple him than Peter? Peter, the man that denied Christ 3 times, but later was restored by Jesus himself. Mark was also restored, and became close friends with Paul. Paul requests him to come to his side when he is dying (2 Timothy 4:11- Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, because he is helpful to me in my ministry.)
After Mark's restoration he became the author of the gospel Mark. Mark was a "runaway" and he stopped running. God uses people that were once cowards, and afraid, or runaways. God pursues even them. So, if you have become a runaway….stop running today, turn around and see God, He is there. I challenge you to make 1 Corinthians 16:13 your verse today.
1 Corinthians 16:13 "Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong."
Have a great day, Bert W.


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text:
I was sorry to hear that Washoe has died. You should be too. If you don't know who Washoe was, you need to follow Infidel753's link to find out why you should care.
Now for some other links from October:
* Splotchy has some more great Two-Buck Schmuck reviews, this time of The Invasion, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, and The Bourne Ultimatum.
* J.D. posts the creepiest movie poster I've ever seen, as well as character posters for The Golden Compass.
* Piper has some interesting thoughts on The Kite Runner.
* Times Online points to 10 historical accuracies in 300, as well as Plutarch's Sayings of Spartan Women.
* Something Awful presents the 22 Most Awful Moments in Science Fiction, while Times Online has the 40 Most Memorable Aliens.
* Ken Levine suggests more movies for the Farrelly Brothers can ruin, has a negative reaction to the saturation of Bee Movie ads and tie-ins, and ruminates on the reason for the WGA strike.
* Comics2Film has the animated trailer for a Turok movie I had no idea they were making.
* The Bleeding Tree has some thoughts on what's stalling the Barbarella remake and on movie nudity and modesty.
* The Orlando Sentinel lists movie endings that might have been, while Cracked counters with the 10 Most Asinine Movie Twist Endings.
* Cracked also has 9 Awesome Directors Who Temporarily Lost Their Mind, but I'm not sure some of their choices did so temporarily...
* Semaj has a three-part review of G.I. Joe: The Movie that brought back some memories (part one, part two, part three).
Now for some links somewhat less movie-related.
* MWB has had some weird fears, but he also has an excellent picture of Dorothy Stratten to illustrate his conception of robot butt.
* Chris has dos and don'ts and something I absolutely agree with about fortune cookies. A compliment is not a fortune!
* Becca has some new sketches and not just one, but two posts of new Aria Giovanni pictures.
* Splotchy presents what are, sadly, the final Green Monkey mixes, Speed It Up, Geography Pop Quiz, ABC, and Battle of the Sexes.
* TheMom ruminates on the Phil Spector mistrial.
* Cap'n Dyke put up an ad that made me smile and a religious statue I must have!
* Bubs has a clown problem. He also talks about the Chicago Marathon here and here. Boy, am I glad I didn't do that!
* Distributorcap has some beautiful pictures of Bryce Canyon.
* Ken Levine reviews Viva Laughlin and is embarrassed for Ellen DeGeneres.
* Holy shit, am I excited!
* Tom the Dog sums up the fall TV season.
* Dr. Zaius uncovers God's hatred of Velma Dinkley.
* Pop Matters has the oddest list I've ever seen about shows that should be on DVD. Seriously, I'm still not sure if it's a joke or not.
* Cracked: the 10 Most Terrifyingly Inspirational 80s Songs and the 8 Worst Places to Steal a Movie Idea.
* Wow, Kim Kardashian is a fucking moron, like most girls in their twenties these days. However, she's pretty fucking hot, so if you're interested, the Boobie Blog has Kim's Playboy layout.
* MC has a great Bit of Fry and Laurie.
* Marius points out only a few of the reasons I despise Perez Hilton.
* That's what she said: Exquisitely Bored in Nacogdoches has an Office compilation.
* Sleestak remembers Steve Ditko's birthday.
* Jesus, Layercake, that's one bizarre thingamajigger!
* Dr. Zaius had a swell party.
Political stuff... I've been trying to stay away, but here's some good stuff.
* Jess Wundrun on Ma Bell and terror (sort of).
* Bill Richardson on a 21st century military.
* Devilham has a bridge to sell you.
* Distributorcap is, thankfully, not one of those people always fobbing off about what a great lady Laura Bush supposedly is. For example.
* The Rude Pundit on torture, the Bush legacy, Blackwater, Congress, Bush at war, and Hilary.
* Atheist Revolution has a nice Richard Dawkins quote.
* Infidel753 has some astute words regarding religious persecution and life after death.
* Here Comes Johnny Yen Again with an interesting comparison regarding Cheney and some interesting thoughts on Leopold and Loeb.
* Zaius Nation has a great Valerie Plame clip.
* Dr. Evil makes an observation about reporting the truth.
* Semaj has a friend stationed in Iraq. Read about it here and here.
* I had sex with Larry Craig. Not me, the guy in the Wonkette story in the link.
And finally, there's Dr. Monkey Von Monkerstein, truly a category unto himself. Read what he has to say about Mrs. Larry Craig, Dennis Kucinich's insanely hot wife, a lack of democracy, the people of Iran, right-wing crazies, Male Pattern Baldness Disembodied Head Guy, Jenna Bush (who is on a book tour and not doing whatever the hell she claims she's doing now), the worst jobs for the 21st century, that evil ratfuck Malkin, Republican fear tactics, SCHIP and Limbaugh, thirteen things he'd never say, that douchebag Rick Santorum, one very groovy room, a scary story, the language of the oppressor, and never forgetting, and tell my why, why, WHY you're not going to Get Monkey/Love 2008! Hell, the guy even graciously put up some excellent, hilarious National Lampoon scans, so what more do you need?
Saturday, November 03, 2007
Don't Link the Water, Don't Link the Air
I was sorry to hear that Washoe has died. You should be too. If you don't know who Washoe was, you need to follow Infidel753's link to find out why you should care.
Posted by SamuraiFrog at 1:08 PM 8 comments
Labels: Occasional Links
Friday, November 02, 2007
TV Report: Dropping Shows
Man, after a while, it seems like you've seen everything, doesn't it? Not a whole lot really excites me or fills me with joy these days. So I've stopped watching a number of shows I was giving a chance to.
On Mondays, I still watch Chuck, but it's already in a rut. Oddly, on a show about a man who looks at some pictures and magically knows every government secret, I find the most unrealistic thing about it is the way Chuck keeps pining over what's her name. Dude, it's her job, alright, you're not a couple. She doesn't notice you because you're what she does for work, not her boyfriend. Seriously, would you just move fucking on a bit, because there's not a whole lot of dramatic tension coming out of it; just a lot of whining and me getting annoyed. It's a fun show, but not so fun that I can do without it, you know?
Otherwise, I stopped watching Heroes (I'll catch it on DVD where it might be less slow) and Journeyman. I also realized that I had forgotten to TiVo every episode of The Big Bang Theory after the second one, but I wasn't really disappointed by that realization, so that's gone, too. I still love Weeds, but was I the only one who thought the end of Californication was total bullshit? I recognize when a writer is trying to eat his cake and have it too, and that's what happened here; two endings negates both of them, and I thought it was the only egregiously false moment in the whole series.
Tuesday, still on Beauty and the Geek, although some weeks it seems like the girls are getting kicked off in descending order of hotness, which is tiring. I'm getting pretty sick of this season's more obvious pretty bias; they won't take the girls out of their comfort zone as far as looks go. It's desirable for the guys to dress up and get made over, but heaven forfend the girls have to get all dowdy and see what it's like to be judged negatively by your looks. I think they did that in the first season (who can remember season to season, honestly?), but they don't bring that up anymore. Some "experiment."
Also, I'm enjoying Reaper. That show makes me smile and laugh my ass off. This week's Halloween episode turned it from a show I was a little uncertain about to one of my favorite shows on TV. And to think, I thought Ray Wise as Satan sounded boring! The guy's brilliant.
Wednesday... well, I like Gordon Ramsay, so I'll still watch Kitchen Nightmares, although I find the American version to be much more histrionic, sensationalistic, and--let's admit it--scripted than its more gentle, genuine, classier British counterpart. What was with that guy ranting about how he could never stand up to his dad while he was boxing? Come on, that's a scripted moment, and I think the show is poorer for that kind of thing. Americans are already much more highly strung than the British, we don't need to make it up as we go, do we?
I didn't go in to detail a few weeks ago and I won't now, but seriously, Pushing Daisies? Ick. That'll give you a goddamn toothache, it's so sugary. And it's oh-so-precious fairy tale narration? I wouldn't accept this in the Tim Burton style of movie it so self-consciously rips off, why would I tune in for it week after week?
Thursday is the one night I look forward to, because The Office and Ugly Betty are my favorite shows on television. (I realize that Ugly Betty also goes for the sort of fairy tale/soap opera/over-the-top tone, but it's just better at it and less obviously has a desperate need to be liked.) NBC has its problems, though. I was intrigued by the idea of keeping Earl in prison on My Name Is Earl, but heavily disappointed in last night's episode. Granted, last season's "Our Cops Is On" was one of the funniest episodes of the season, but doing a second one is a stretch. Especially when it's an hour long and, in the final moments of the show (a literal explosion of the kind of sentimental, patriotic, emotional pornography the show slides into in its weaker moments) even abandoned the central conceit of capturing everything on a TV camera. I hope this third season isn't backsliding into the kind of gimmickry and obvious jokes and over-reliance on big emotional moments that ruined the entire first two-thirds of the previous season for me.
30 Rock is as great as ever. I'm not sure what they're doing differently from last season, but it seems a little more confident this time around. The Office, somehow, against all odds, continues to be a pretty great show (and I say that even though this week's episode was on the weak side). I'm disappointed to see it reduced to an hour just so NBC can bring back a show as loathsome and terrible as Scrubs, when The Office is one of the few comedies on TV that can actually sustain an hour. I wish NBC would just finally keep their promise and dump Scrubs and, instead of replacing it with something lame, just expand The Office to an hour.
Ugly Betty is starting to show some cracks, unfortunately. What is this Gio shit? I don't know, I'm just one of those people who is of the mind that people who love each other should be together instead of forcing themselves to be unhappy. So I'm not a fan of this storyline where Henry and Betty keep forcing themselves to be apart instead of just biting the bullet and taking a chance. I was encouraged by this week's final moments. Seriously, if Henry loves Betty so much, why doesn't he just decide he's not going to marry Charly (pregnant or not) and be with Betty instead. He can still be a father to the baby even if he doesn't marry Charly. How is it better for a baby to have two parents who resent one another and the negative feelings that fill up a house in those situations? And if they have to go to that old saw of giving her a rival love interest, can't it at least be a better actor than Freddy Rodriguez? Gio is an unlikable piece of shit. Why do American movies and TV shows so often insist on telling women that the best person for them is someone who treats them with no respect and pushes and bullies them into being a certain way that's good enough for them to love? I hate it when series get tangled up in this kind of bullshit, frankly, and I hope it doesn't ruin Ugly Betty for me.
Fridays. Well, Fridays and Saturdays, whatever. Real Time with Bill Maher is on, at least. And Disney Channel. I was really going to watch Torchwood after giving up on it online after the second episode; this time I made it all the way up to the third before giving up. It just kind of sucks. I'm waiting for the episode that is about Captain Jack Harkness; I'll watch that and just hang the rest.
Sundays are alright, if bland. The Simpsons isn't funny very often, Family Guy repeats itself and every other movie and TV show in existence. How much must it suck being a Family Guy animator, sometimes asked to just draw something with thudding exactness that originally appeared somewhere else? I love Curb Your Enthusiasm, and Robot Chicken, and Shaun the Sheep brightens up my whole week.
So, there's that.
Posted by SamuraiFrog at 3:24 PM 11 comments
Labels: TV Report
In Response to Seeing Alyssa Milano in Recent Guest Roles
Alyssa, you're certainly a beautiful enough woman. I was a huge fan of yours back when you were on Who's the Boss? In fact, I think you were my first major teenage crush. But you're 35 years old. Granted, I know that parts for a woman your age are slim, and I hate that about Hollywood, but I'm getting kind of embarrassed watching you still trying to play women in their early-to-mid twenties. All of the facial work you've had done is bad enough, but sister, please, get it together and embrace your age already. There's nothing wrong with not being 22 anymore.
Posted by SamuraiFrog at 3:11 PM 6 comments
Labels: TV Report
Thursday, November 01, 2007
Aw, the Hell with It -- Quiz Day
|You Should Be an Artist
You are incredibly creative, spontaneous, and unique.
No one can guess what you're going to do next, but it's usually something amazing.
You can't deal with routine, rules, or structure. You're easily bored.
As long as you are able to innovate and break the rules, you are extremely successful.
You do best when you:
- Can work by yourself
- Can express your personality in your work
You would also be a good journalist or actor.
|You Are a Werewolf
You're unpredictable, moody, and downright freaky.
You seem sweet and harmless, until you snap. Then you're a total monster.
Very few people can predict if you're going to be Dr. Jekyll or Mr. Hyde.
But for you, all your transformations seem perfectly natural.
Your greatest power: Your ability to tap into nature
Your greatest weakness: Lack of self control
You play well with: Vampires
|What Your Halloween Habits Say About You
A bit of an introvert, you like the special occasions just as much as everyone else. You just have your own unique way of celebrating Halloween.
No one quite understands you, but everyone also sort of worships you. And that's exactly how you like it.
Your inner child is creative, patient, and whimsical.
Your fears are irrational and varied. It's hard to predict what you may be afraid of on any given day.
You're logical, rational, and not easily effected. Not a lot scares you... especially when it comes to the paranormal.
You are a traditionalist with most aspects of your life. You like your Halloween costume to be basic, well made, and conventional enough to wear another year.
|Your Karaoke Theme Song is "I'm Too Sexy"
You're a total goof ball and a bit of a nut job. You don't take yourself seriously at all.
And while you may not be the greatest singer, you're the first to volunteer for karaoke.
You have a wild and unpredictable sense of humor that always gets people cracking up.
Irreverent and rebellious, your humor knows no bounds or limits. You enjoy shocking people.
You might also sing: "Like a Virgin," "Ice Ice Baby," and "Hey Ya!"
Stay away from people who sing: "Sweet Home Alabama"
|You Should Play the Guitar
You're very independent - both in spirit and in the way you learn.
You can teach yourself almost anything, even if it makes your fingers bleed.
You're not really the type to sit patiently through a music lesson - or do things by the book.
It's more your style to master the fundamentals and see where they take you.
Highly creative and a bit eclectic, you need a wide range of music to play.
You could emerge as a sensitive songwriter... or a manic rock star.
Your dominant personality characteristic: being rebellious
Your secondary personality characteristic: tenacity
|You Scored an A
You got 10/10 questions correct.
It's pretty obvious that you don't make basic grammatical errors.
If anything, you're annoyed when people make simple mistakes on their blogs.
As far as people with bad grammar go, you know they're only human.
And it's humanity and its current condition that truly disturb you sometimes.
|You Are 44% Good
You are a fairly good person. You strive to live a moral life whenever possible.
You are usually kind, generous, and loyal. However, you do have a dark side that even you may not see.
When it comes down to ethical decisions, you tend to take the path of least resistance.
So you may end up lying, cheating, or engaging in other bad behavior... because it's just easier to do so.
You are also probably: Conflicted and confused about the current course of your life
Right now you are on track to being: A slightly crooked politician
To be a better person: Break one bad habit - whether it's telling white lies or spending too much money.
|There's a Chance You Could Be Violent
Overall, you're a pretty chill person - and you have a good handle on your emotions.
Sometimes your anger gets the best of you, and end up regretting how you act.
Try to curb your temper more often. It only has to get out of control once to do some damage.
|You Are a Blue Crayon
Your world is colored in calm, understated, deep colors.
You are a loyal person, and the truest friend anyone could hope to find.
On the inside, you tend to be emotional and even a bit moody.
However, you know that people depend on you. So you put on a strong front.
Your color wheel opposite is orange. Orange people may be opinionated, but you feel they lack the depth to truly understand what they're saying.
|You Are a Ferris Wheel
Deep down, you are a fun, whimsical, and easygoing person.
You often enjoy life for what it is, and the littlest changes in course can be quite thrilling.
In relationships, people tend to feel what you feel. It can be liberating at first...
But after a while, the people closest to you end up feeling a little trapped.
Your life has perfectly normal cycles of ups and downs.
However, you can't help but sometimes feel that you're missing out on the most exciting aspects of life.
You only are happy when you're experiencing the highest of highs.
Your low points just make you feel depressed, restless, and bored.
At your best, you feel on top of the world with a great sense of perspective.
You believe that anything is possible, and that you are happily looking down on everyone else.
At your worst, you feel like your life is going in circles. You often feel like you're not going anywhere.
This is sometimes psychologically disorienting. And sometimes it brings on a sense of hopelessness.
Posted by SamuraiFrog at 3:29 PM 2 comments
Labels: Quizzes
I Also Scored Alexander Nevsky
If I were a Dead Russian Composer, I would be Sergei Prokofyev.
I was born in the late 19th century and was a child prodigy, composing at a very young age. I kept this talent up, earning myself quite a name and fully exploiting the bragging rights. I was disliked by Stalin, however, and I died the same day he did. My most famous work is "Peter and the Wolf."
Who would you be? Dead Russian Composer Personality Test
Posted by SamuraiFrog at 3:24 PM 4 comments
Labels: Quizzes
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Happy Halloween!
Well, I didn't post for Halloween every day in October like I did last year. What with work and stress and blah blah blah, you know. Anyway, Happy Halloween!
Posted by SamuraiFrog at 10:29 AM 0 comments
Labels: Halloween
More Pumpkins!
This is the pumpkin that professional carver came up with at the Brookfield Zoo on the day we were there. I set it up and forgot to point out that the last thing we did was check out what he came up with. I think it's a Chinese dragon.
And this is the pumpkin that Becca carved. I don't have the patience to do that thing where the skin gets stripped and stuff, I don't know why. But I think hers looks neat.
Here it is all lit up.
And here are some awesomely creative pumpkins that were sent to me in an email.
And, of course, the classic:
Posted by SamuraiFrog at 7:57 AM 0 comments
Labels: Halloween
My Long, Lame, Cliche-Ridden Halloween Mix
The track listing for a little mix I made for this Halloween. We listened to it while carving pumpkins.
Disc One
1. Danny Elfman & Cast: This is Halloween (from The Nightmare Before Christmas)
2. The Blasters: Dark Night
3. Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow: Hall of the Mountain King
4. Blue Oyster Cult: (Don't Fear) The Reaper
5. John Carpenter: Theme from Halloween
6. Alice Cooper: Welcome to My Nightmare
7. Danny Elfman: Beetlejuice Main Title
8. Ray Parker Jr.: Ghostbusters
9. Tenacious D: Tribute
10. The Marketts: Out of Limits
11. Iron Maiden: Number of the Beast
12. Richard O'Brien & Patricia Quinn: The Time Warp
13. Crispin Glover: Ben
14. Camille Saint-Saens: Danse Macabre (perf: The National Orchestra of France; Lorin Maazel)
15. Joy Division: Dead Souls
16. The Charlie Daniels Band: The Devil Went Down to Georgia
17. Ramones: Pet Semetary
18. Harry Belafonte: Zombie Jamboree (Back to Back)
19. John Williams: The Dance of the Witches (from The Witches of Eastwick)
Disc Two
1. Oingo Boingo: Forbidden Zone
2. Siouxsie & the Banshees: Halloween
3. Meco: Werewolf (Loose in London)
4. The Undead: Somebody Super Like You (from Phantom of the Paradise)
5. Beef: Life At Last (from Phantom of the Paradise)
6. Jack Marshall: Theme from The Munsters
7. Danny Elfman: Sleepy Hollow Main Titles
8. Mike Oldfield: Tubular Bells
9. Rob Zombie: Living Dead Girl
10. Christopher Young: Theme from Hellraiser
11. The Who: Hall of the Mountain King
12. Spinal Tap: Stonehenge
13. Madness: Swan Lake
14. Philip Glass: The End of Dracula
15. Tenacious D: Beezleboss (The Final Showdown)
16. Modest Mussorgsky: St. John's Night on the Bare Mountain (perf. London Symphony Orchestra; Georg Solti)
17. Bobby "Boris" Pickett: The Monster Mash
18. Michael Jackson: Thriller
19. Barry Bostwick, Susan Sarandon & Charles Gray: Super Heroes
"And crawling on the planet's face,
Some insects called the human race,
Are lost in time and lost in space
And meaning..."
Happy Halloween!
Posted by SamuraiFrog at 7:41 AM 0 comments
An Indelicate Halloween Question
An odd question: what is it about Scary Godmother that makes me horny? Not the comic book version, but specifically the animated version from two of my Halloween viewing staples, Scary Godmother's Halloween Spooktakular and Scary Godmother: The Revenge of Jimmy. She just really, really makes me horny.
Posted by SamuraiFrog at 7:39 AM 4 comments
Labels: On the Subject of Me
Robert Goulet 1933-2007
I know a lot of people appreciated him ironically, but I'm not into the removed distance of irony. I genuinely liked him. He had a fantastic voice and was very self-depricating, and I'm sorry he's gone.
Posted by SamuraiFrog at 7:36 AM 2 comments
Labels: Tributes
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
The Health Report: Week 46
Ow ow ow ow ow ow ow fucking ow. I twisted my ankle on the way into work this morning, just about three and a half hours ago. Twisted it good, too. It was one of those rare occasions where I just kind of lost my footing and, instead of stepping down on my foot, I stepped down on my ankle. There was a snapping sound, and it's hurt like a motherfucker since. The swelling was awful, but that's been going down today. It's still tender, and it still hurts, but I can hobble around okay. I can put weight on it. It's not broken, and I don't think it's really sprained. And, thankfully, it's my left foot, so I can still drive myself home.
You'd think I'd have the hang of this walking thing after three decades, but apparently not...
I have a bag full of ice in my sock. It's melting into my shoe now, but it actually feels really, really good. And I've been told that I don't have to come back into work tomorrow, so there's some sympathy for me here at the office. We're parting amicably, just a day early. Which means I don't have to work on Halloween! However, since I cracked my ankle, I'll probably just spend it on the couch reading. I've finally, after checking it out of the library three times, started reading Arthur & George by Julian Barnes, probably my favorite contemporary author.
So that's really the story of my week; sprained ankle, but at least I get to stay home on Halloween. And actually, Turner Classic Movies is showing horror movies... Well, I'll do that, then. Things are looking up.
Mostly because I'm looking at things from the couch, but it's still up, dammit!
Posted by SamuraiFrog at 12:22 PM 2 comments
Labels: Health Report
Monday, October 29, 2007
Jack O' Lantern
I carved my pumpkin last night. I feel it's appropriately evil looking and nicely skewed. I freestyle it instead of drawing anything on, because I think a slightly off-balance pumpkin looks creepier.
Posted by SamuraiFrog at 5:00 PM 9 comments
Labels: Halloween, On the Subject of Me
Sunday, October 28, 2007
Bela and Boris: Two Film Icons
Béla Ferenc Dezsõ Blaskó was born in Lugos, Hungary, on 20 October 1882, the youngest of four children born to a banker father. He began acting on the stage in 1901, a career which was interrupted by the Great War. He volunteered to fight in World War I, where he was commissioned an infantry lieutenant and was wounded three times. In December 1920 he came to America and became an actor, taking the name Bela Lugosi, after his hometown (now Lugoj, Romania). In his homeland he had played Shakespearean roles, but his accent prevented that in America. In 1927, his stage performance of Dracula became legendary; in 1931, the same year he became an American citizen, Tod Browning directed Lugosi in the film version of Dracula and made him a Hollywood star. Unfortunately, Bela had let Universal have him for a mere $500 a week, letting other studios know he could be had cheaply. And for his part, Bela was only too willing to accept anything that was offered to him, no matter the quality.
Well, not everything. Certainly--famously--not the role of Frankenstein's monster.
Dracula had been a huge success for Universal, and they were eager to build on that success with more horror films. Ironically, Lugosi--who had been so popular in the stage version of Dracula--was not Tod Browning's first choice for the role. He wanted to go with his regular collaborator, Lon Chaney, who unfortunately died before filming. Bela Lugosi--with his thick Hungarian accent and his imposing, 6'1" presence, played the role so memorably that it is still hard to imagine anyone else--even Chaney--doing it. It's said that his Dracula caused such a sensation that for a time he received more fan mail from women that Clark Gable. I don't know if that's true, but that's what they say.
Universal intended next an adaptation of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. The obvious choice to play Frankenstein's monster was Bela, hot off the success of Dracula. Robert Florey has been assigned to direct the picture. Bela was unhappy with the idea of playing a non-speaking role; so was Florey. They both thought it was foolish to put Lugosi--a handsome star with a memorable voice--in a role that, in Bela's opinion, "any half-wit extra" could play. Bela designed his own makeup for a screen test, but Universal executives were unhappy with it; they rescinded the offer both to Bela and to Robert Florey. Instead, the went with James Whale as director. According to legend, Whale spotted Boris Karloff in the studio commissary and knew that he had his monster.
Karloff was born William Henry Pratt on 23 November 1887 in London. Interestingly, Billy the Uncanny (a nickname of his) stood a full two inches shorter than Bela Lugosi. Boris was educated at London University (he was on the cricket team with fellow future actor C. Aubrey Smith) and either he or his father intended for him to be a diplomat; instead, he went to Canada in 1909 and joined a touring company where he adopted his famous stage name. He worked in low-budget theater before taking work in Hollywood during the 1920s, taking roles in B movies. Bela Lugosi would later claim the credit for Karloff's career, saying he didn't like the Frankenstein script and was told by studio head Carl Laemmle to find his own replacement, plucking Karloff out of obscurity.
However, there is also a story that Lugosi simply perpetuated the myth that he had turned down the role. In this version, Florey wanted Bela to play Dr. Frankenstein, but Laemmle wanted him to portray the monster instead, a role Bela was unhappy with. The Florey-direced screen tests convinced Laemmle that neither the director nor the actor were right for the film and fired them both. Whatever the truth, Universal went with Karloff as the monster and put Bela with Robert Florey for Murders in the Rue Morgue. Bela said later that he would've been happier to play Dr. Frankenstein, but that his thick accent made it hard for him to play a romantic lead. Bela was not yet fluent in English; even on Broadway as Dracula, Bela had learned most of his lines phonetically, and did the same for the film. It would be two more years before he spoke English fluently, but he would never learn well enough how to nuance his dialogue. After Bela died, Boris said of him: "He was really a shy, sensitive, talented man who had a fine career on the classical stage in Europe, but he made a fatal mistake: he never took the trouble to learn our language. He had real problems with his speech and difficulty interpreting lines."
Frankenstein, like Dracula before it, was a smash success. James Whale and Universal kept an air of mystery around the monster by not crediting Boris Karloff in the movie, instead putting a question mark where the actor's name should be. But Hollywood knew who he was, and he quickly became an in-demand character actor for other sinister roles. 44 years old, with 80 films to his name, he was suddenly a breakout star. But he didn't let the success go to his head, saying later in life: "You could heave a brick out of the window and hit ten actors who could play my parts. I just happened to be on the right corner at the right time." A contrast to the fiery, romantic Bela (who in 1929 was divorced from his wife of three days in a suit which named Clara Bow as the other woman), Boris was a quiet and bookish man, friendly and unassuming. Everyone who knew him considered him a true gentleman. He was quite fond of children, and children seemed to like him. There was concern that Marilyn Harris, who played the little girl Karloff would, as the monster, throw into the lake in Frankenstein, would be frightened by Karloff in full make-up. But she was delighted with it and, ready to drive to the location, ran up to him, took his hand and said "May I drive with you?" He responded as a gentleman: "Would you, darling?"
Contrary to popular belief, Bela Lugosi and Boris Karloff got along amiably. They first met in 1932 on the set of Night World, which Karloff was appearing in. They were very cordial and gamely posed for photos. Universal announced that Boris would re-team with James Whale for The Invisible Man, and that Lugosi and Karloff would finally share the screen together (with horror great Lionel Atwill) in The Suicide Club. But Claude Raines played the would-be Emperor Invisible I and Universal never made The Suicide Club. The two didn't appear together until 1934 in The Black Cat, directed by Edgar G. Ulmer. It was Universal's top grossing film of the year, despite the fact that critics found it incomprehensible. At first, Bela was suspicious that Boris would try scene-stealing tricks; but Boris didn't "go in for such nonsense," he said, and they became very friendly. They appeared in another Universal picture together called Gift of Gab.
Bela and Boris were both deluged with offers. Bela Lugosi went on to star in The Return of Chandu, The Mysterious Mr. Wong, and Mark of the Vampire, Tod Browning's remake of his own London After Midnight. Boris Karloff starred in The Mask of Fu Manchu and The Black Room, then returned to the role of the Monster in The Bride of Frankenstein, the even-better sequel to the film which made him famous. In that film, Ernest Thesiger starred as Dr. Pretorius--a role that had originally been intended for Bela. Instead, the two would appear together again in The Raven. Bela was billed second and paid only half as much as Karloff, but he dominates the film.
Universal continued to put the two together in horror films and rake in tons of cash from their success. They were teamed in 1936 for Bluebeard, a film which was sadly not made until 1944 (with John Carradine in the lead). Bela went to Britain to star in Hammer's first production, The Mystery of the Mary Celeste, before returning to America to star in The Invisible Ray alongside Boris for Universal, a sort-of-sequel to The Invisible Man directed by Lambert Hillyer, who had directed the sort-of-sequel to Dracula, Dracula's Daughter. Again, a planned film for the two was scrapped: The Electric Monster, which later became The Mad Monster in 1940 (starring instead Lon Chaney Jr and Lionel Atwill).
As the popularity of horror films began to wane in the late thirties, Boris began to take non-horror roles. Bela, who had appeared in less makeup in his iconic horror role, found it harder to get away from his image as Dracula. He would later say: "Every producer in Hollywood had set me down as a type. I was both amused and disappointed." He also pined: "I'd like to quit the supernatural roles and play just an interesting, down-to-earth person." Instead, responding to a surge in popularity of Dracula and Frankenstein in Europe (both films had been re-released there), Universal cast both men in 1939's Son of Frankenstein.
The film was given a generous budget and elaborate sets; Rowland V. Lee, who also directed Universal's stylish Tower of London (which Karloff appeared in), cast that film's star Basil Rathbone (who was also making a splash in 1939 as Sherlock Holmes) in the title role. Peter Lorre had refused the part. Karloff played the monster again, and Bela appeared in one of his best roles as Ygor. Lugosi was underpaid; his salary was cut in half and his scenes were scheduled to be shot in just one week. Worse yet, Universal knew Lugosi was in a dire financial straits at the time and desperately needed money. Rowland V. Lee was incensed and reportedly vowed to keep Bela on the picture "from the first day of shooting right up to the last." The role of Ygor suddenly became a pivotal one; Lugosi's role is much bigger even than Karloff's or Rathbone's, and Lugosi had much freedom to develop the character. At last, Bela Lugosi was the star of a presitigous (and highly successful) horror production. His son, Bela Jr, had been born in 1938. He was on top of the world. And he would never be in this position again.
Universal would cast Boris and Bela together in just one more movie: Black Friday. The film did poorly at the box office; Bela and Boris did not appear in a scene together. The two of them left Universal Studios soon after. They appeared in another film together that year, an RKO mystery called You'll Find Out. Horror was on its way out, and most horror films in the 1940s were farces.
Universal's 1941 film The Wolf Man, starring Lon Chaney Jr in the title role, featured a reluctant appearance by Bela as a gypsy, though he had actually hoped for the role of the Wolf Man himself. In 1942, Bela played Ygor again in The Ghost of Frankenstein, this time opposite Chaney as the monster; a year later, he finally played the monster (opposite Chaney again) in Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man. Universal was ambitious enough for one more Frankenstein film, and announced that they would bring together all of their monsters for The Chamber of Horrors. When the film finally appeared in 1944, it was called House of Frankenstein. The role of Kharis the Mummy (which Karloff had played) was written out for budget reasons; Karloff played a mad scientist who attempting to gather all of the monsters he can. Glenn Strange played Frankenstein's monster; Lon Chaney Jr revived the role of the Wolf Man. All that was missing was Bela; Universal had been unhappy enough with his performance in Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man to cut all of his dialogue from that film and pass him over for the role of Dracula in this movie. John Carradine played the Count instead.
Afterwards, Karloff hit Broadway in Arsenic and Old Lace, which Lugosi hoped would mean more opportunities for himself to star in Universal's horror films. Instead, Universal turned their attention to Lon Chaney Jr and not to Bela. The two would appear together in one more film for producer Val Lewton: 1945's excellent The Body Snatcher, featuring Karloff in one of his best roles, and Bela in a fairly small role. The role Lugosi played was written for him specifically to put him in the film. Bela would go on to reprise the role of Dracula (along with Chaney as the Wolf Man and Strange as the Frankenstein monster) in 1948's Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein; Karloff turned down the film because he didn't want to do a spoof. But the next year he ended up appearing in Abbott and Costello Meet the Killer, Boris Karloff.
Bela, addicted to drugs and with something of a reputation for being an egomaniac--although he once quipped, after working on Island of Lost Souls in 1932, "I thought I had a terrible ego until I met Charles Laughton"--couldn't get anymore work until he met Edward D. Wood Jr in the 1950s. He died on 16 August 1956, apparently so in debt that, oddly, Frank Sinatra quietly paid for his funeral. Famously, he was buried in his cape.
Boris Karloff never stopped working, appearing in film and on TV and radio. He died at the age of 81 on 2 February 1969 from emphysema. His obituary in the New York Times featured a picture of Frankenstein's monster; unfortunately, the monster in question was Glenn Strange and not Karloff.
Looking back on their work now, it's easy to see why both are still horror icons today. And it's a shame that they appeared together on film only a few times. But thank goodness every Halloween their work is still around to warm the soul.
Posted by SamuraiFrog at 10:26 AM 8 comments
Labels: Films


text: A pre-dawn raid on an Indian air base in the northwestern state of Punjab has ended after a 15-hour gun battle that left all five attackers and at least seven soldiers dead, according to police and security forces. Saturday's attack, 50km from the border with Pakistan, came just a week after Narendra Modi, India's prime minister, made an unannounced Pakistan visit to meet his counterpart in a bid to revive bilateral talks that had previously been derailed by armed attacks. Rajnath Singh, home minister, confirmed that all five attackers were killed in Pathankot. Head to Head - Is Modi's India flirting with fascism? The defence ministry said there had been intelligence reports about a possible attack on military installations in Pathankot, and that the air force had been prepared to thwart any attackers. "Due to the effective preparation and coordinated efforts by all the security agencies a group of terrorists were detected by the aerial surveillance platforms as soon as they entered the air force station at Pathankot," the ministry said in a statement. Intermittent gunfire had continued into the day and helicopters flew as an operations continued to comb the base. Suresh Arora, Punjab's police chief, said the attackers had earlier hijacked a police officer's car and driven it to the heavily guarded base. Rochelle D'Silva, Indian Air Force spokesperson, said the men entered the living quarters of the base, but were not able to penetrate the area that houses fighter helicopters and other equipment. The airbase was cordoned off and a heavy contingent of police deployed to the area, with elite paramilitary force of the National Security Guard (NSG) and the Guard Commando Force called in. A senior Indian police officer said that a red alert was issued across Punjab in the wake of the incident. No responsibility claim There was no immediate claim of responsibility but India's junior home minister hinted at involvement of armed groups based in Pakistan. "We have credible information that this attack was sponsored by some elements across the border," Kiren Rijiju, the minister, said in New Delhi. Pakistan strongly condemns #Pathankot airbase attack in India: Foreign Office pic.twitter.com/Fi8R1xnMJg — Radio Pakistan (@RadioPakistan) January 2, 2016 Rajnath Singh, India's home minister, said the country wanted peace with Pakistan but that any "terrorist attack" would get "a befitting response". Pakistan condemned the attack and said it wanted to build on the goodwill created by the recent high-level contacts. "Pakistan remains committed to partner with India as well as other countries in the region to completely eradicate the menace of terrorism," Qazi Khalilullah, foreign ministry spokesman, said in a series of tweets. Inside Story - Could Modi's visit to Pakistan signal a policy shift? Ayesha Siddiqa, an independent social scientist in Pakistan, says it is too early to point fingers as nothing has been proven as yet. "It's a bit tricky and Pakistan's involvement has not been proven yet," Siddiqa, the author of Military Inc, told Al Jazeera from Islamabad. "The environment has completely changed after Mumbai [the 2011 attacks]. There are military outfits operating from Pakistan and they keep themselves very vocal on social media, so there's a temptation to interpret the attacks in a certain way." Uday Bhaskar, head of the New Delhi-based Society for Policy Studies, said there was a fair amount of speculation and conjecture about the identity of the attackers. "As an analyst I would say the probability that perpetrators are linked to one of the better known terror groups that have targeted India over the last decade is fairly high," Bhaskar told Al Jazeera. "I think the motive seems to disrupt the current traction as far as India-Pakistan bilateral relations are concerned. "We have had similar pattern in the past where those groups and constituencies that are against any improvement in bilateral relations play the terror card. I see it as part of this pattern. How Pakistan would respond would be an indicator about the next course of events in bilateral ties." SOURCE: Al Jazeera and agencies India War & Conflict Asia Pakistan


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1 Second Everyday App by Cesar Kuriyama
I think we posted the video made by Cesar Kuriyama "1 Second Everyday" when he started to record a second of each day of his life. They say if you have a doze of persistence and an idea anything can be done. That what happened with Cesar Kuriyama after he published the video. So the next full year he was busy between speaking at TED Conferences and finding a proper developing team for his application. Now he is looking for the audience support at Kickstarter and ready to deliver the app in December.
1 Second Everyday Original Video: http://vimeo.com/37792362
Application: http://vimeo.com/53827400
Read more about the project on Kickstarter


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CEO Dreamland Registration is now LIVE!
CEO Dreamland takes place at the Wyndham Orlando Resort on April 14-16 in Orlando, Florida. For more information on the venue please visit the hotel information page here.
The registration fee, also called the venue fee, is a one-time cost that every player must pay when entering any number of tournaments or coming to play games casually in the bring-your-own-console area. Entering one tournament, or six, still only costs you the venue fee one time. The venue fee goes toward paying for the event hall, production, badges, equipment and other costs, while the tournament fees themselves go 100% directly into the prize pool for each game. You must be at least 13 years of age to compete in any official tournaments.
All badges include access to the entire venue for the weekend. Spectators receive the same access but may not enter any official tournaments.
Please keep in mind that official tournaments may start as early as Friday April 14th at Noon EST. Doubles are planned to kick off Dreamland weekend on Friday at Noon, If Singles tournaments exceed over 512 entrants in a game, Singles pools may start as early as Friday Afternoon at Noon otherwise they will begin on Saturday April 15th at 10 am with Finals on Sunday April 16th.
A Final Schedule will be posted after Registration closes April 2nd. Visit ceogaming.org/dreamland for tentative schedule and info.
$30 Early Bird Registration until January 2nd
$40 Registration from January 2nd until March 19th
$50 Last minute Registration from March 19th until April 2nd.
On April 2nd Player registration will be closed so that we can make bracket assignments and final schedule accordingly.
Spectators will be able to still purchase weekend badges for $25 until April 12th. On Site badges for the weekend will be $30.
Single Day Wristbands will be on sale at the registration office for $15 per day.
CEO Dreamland will NOT have any on site late registration for competitors. You MUST register online before by 11:59pm edt April 2nd to compete in any official Tournaments.
You can Pre-order the official Dreamland T-Shirt and Tanktop while registering for the event as well as a Customized badge with your name on it! Purchasing the contributor badge will also let you skip the normal registration line so you can pick your badge up on arrival even faster. You'll be able to pick these up when you arrive at the event.
All registered Players and pre-paid Spectators can pick up their badges anytime over the weekend Starting Thursday(4/13) from 5-9 PM, Or Starting Friday(4/14) at 8 AM at the registration office. You may pick up your badge at anytime as long as it's an hour before your tournament day and start time once pool schedules are announced.
If you have any questions about CEO Dreamland please contact us at email@example.com.
You Can register directly on www.Smash.gg/ceodreamland or below. You can sign up now and re log into your Smash.gg account to add more games later on. If you need to swap out games or badges to another player if you can not attend please contact firstname.lastname@example.com before the deadline of April 2nd.


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Upcycle Daddys or Grandpas shirt into a toddler dress
Up-cycled chic! Have a special man in your little girls life? Turn his shirt into a beautiful ensemble for his princess. What a great way to honor Dad. I designed the dress with the button placket off set. The dress has adorable short puff sleeves capped in (new) jersey knit fabric. The dress features my signature asymmetrical collar and an empire waistband in jersey knit. The buttons are all fully functional. (Note: The final design of your dress may vary depending on the size of the shirt and size of the dress you want. We will communicate throughout the process to discuss any design changes.)
I created a super cute little purse from shirt remnants and added straps and a little flower using the jersey or ribbon for handles and an eco-felt flower depending on available colors.
Price: 110.00
Shop: etsy.com


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It's hot near the core...
Well, as you may have noticed, I haven't been taking many new pictures lately. I lent my camera out to my roommate, Wes, who's taking a digital photography class here at Penland. So I thought I'd take this time to introduce you to the nine people I live with, the core fellowship students.
From left to right:
Leah Frost - Leah makes whimsical kinetic sculptures. She has the cutest dog in the world, Boo. Boo will eat out of your mouth and wears sweaters sometimes.
Jessica Heikes - Jessica is from Kansas. She just got a haircut. She's also very funny and has lived in Alaska. That's impressive. She makes conceptual mixed media sculptures.
Jason Bige Burnett aka Cakeboy aka Cupcake - Fu... Jason does everything. Screenprinting, clay, sewing. We are planning to take over the world someday with our team screenprinting/letterpress posters.
Wes Stitt - has my camera. Wes is a video artist and sculptor. He has excellent taste in music and the same tonal range as Ian Curtis. His interests also include Dracula, the J. Peterman catalogue, and American history.
Beth Schaible - Beth makes books and letterpress and is going to the survive the apocalypse when all the rest of us are wondering when to plant our tomatoes.
Tina Boy - is German. You can make her laugh by saying things in German. She gets really red when she laughs. She makes excellent furniture out of wood and metal and also gives excellent hugs.
Mark Warren - Mark is the resident anemographer and dinosaur expert here. He enjoys vitamin B-12, cut-offs, and laser pointers. He says he can beat me in Nintendo RBI
Baseball but I don't believe him.
That's Me
Joshua Kuensting (not pictured) - was not at the party. He makes beautiful ceramics and built is own bed. He has a lot of Vietnam movies. We share a bathroom. He is probably also going to survive the apocalypse.


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-HeartSorry it's just not a tanks job to fix stupid...I'll start tanking pugs again when I have access to a special ed tree and my flying mount is a short yellow bus to get puggers to the instance and back.
PS. I never tank a PUG regardless of its destination. The only exception being recently when Asci asked if I'd tank Heroic Daily for him and after agreeing and joining discovered it was a PUG (a member of which promptly logged out after the final boss kill after looting all purple/blues to supposedly DE them for the group! *lol*)