text:
Mr. President, I rise in my capacity as co-chairman of the Helsinki Commission to again draw attention to the tragic consequences of Turkey's invasion and ongoing occupation of the Republic of Cyprus begun 37 years ago today. I applaud the leadership demonstrated by President Christofias in an attempt to bring about a comprehensive settlement and reunification of his country based on a bi-zonal, bi-communal federation with political equality, as defined in the relevant U.N. Security Council resolutions, with a single sovereignty, single citizenship and single international personality. Attempts to resolve the Cyprus issue are exacerbated by Turkish intransigence; the continued deployment of tens of thousands of Turkish troops in occupied northern Cyprus; and the introduction of an estimated 160,000 settlers from mainland Turkey. Indeed, the reality is that settlers outnumber indigenous Turkish Cypriots altering the demographic composition of that community by a margin of about two to one.
Previously, I have addressed a number of specific human rights concerns stemming from the ongoing occupation, including freedom of movement, property rights, and freedom of religion. Under my chairmanship, the Helsinki Commission convened a public briefing, "Cyprus' Religious Cultural Heritage in Peril" to document the desecration and destruction of sacred sites in occupied Northern Cyprus.
Today, I want to focus on the situation in the city of Famagusta, the once thriving commercial center and tourist destination on the east coast of Cyprus , featuring the country's deepest water port. This cosmopolitan city, home to nearly 50,000 Cypriots, was a center for trade and finance as well as culture, known for its many museums and vibrant nightlife. The second wave of the Turkish invasion, launched in August 1974, targeted Famagusta and the surrounding region. Seaside hotels that attracted tourists from throughout the world and other important high rise buildings were targeted for bombardment as residents were forced to flee. Today, barbwire rings the city of Famagusta, a veritable ghost town except for Turkish troops patrolling the perimeter of this once bustling urban center. What looters left behind is slowly being reclaimed by nature and decades of exposure to the elements.
The only thing I can compare this scene to comes from my walk along the deserted streets in the city of Prypiat, a Ukrainian city of similar size to Famagusta, located in the Chornobyl exclusion zone a short distance from the site of the world's worst nuclear accident. While health concerns keep the residents of the former away, armed Turkish troops prevent lawful residents of Famagusta from returning.
Notwithstanding numerous U.N. resolutions on Cyprus, including provisions specifically addressing the city of Famagusta, Turkey continues to illegally occupy a third of Cypriot territory, preventing Greek Cypriots from returning to their homes and businesses in the occupied area, including Famagusta. In keeping with these UN resolutions and principles enshrined in the Helsinki Final Act, it is time for Turkey to end its illegal occupation of the sovereign Republic of Cyprus. Agreement allowing the lawful residents to return and rebuild the city of Famagusta would be an important step in the right direction.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Friday, August 20, 2010
Book Review and Giveaway: Matched by Ally Condie
MATCHED is without a doubt a well constructed novel, hitting all the expected beats of a YA dystopian novel. And while there may be few surprises for avid readers of the genre, there are some genuine discussion-worthy developments.
The society is set up to look to its citizens like a utopia. Strict regulations nearly guarantee you'll live the prescribed number of years until your "final banquet". Everyone is given the exact number of calories needed to maintain a perfect, healthy weight. The culture has been pared down to the hundred "best" of everything (poems, songs, stories, paintings, etc) so that everyone can appreciate them to their fullest instead of being overwhelmed with too much. It's a society that rewards perfect order, but that also banishes any sort of individuality or aberration.
Cassia has always been a dutiful citizen, but she also likes to be a little different. She's proud that she was the only one who chose the green dress for her match banquet. She thrills to the fact that her grandfather entrusts her with a forbidden poem (Dylan Thomas' "Do not go gentle into that good night") before his own "good night". And when she learns she could never marry Ky because he's not in the match pool, that makes her more determined to find moments to spend alone with him. But could it be that even Cassia's small rebellions are orchestrated by her society? Is there a more sinister purpose behind their interest in Cassia?
I loved the world building here (which is why I just spent two paragraphs of my review on it). It's logical, well-thought out, chilling and thought provoking. However, the rigid society setup does have its' downside in that I never got to fully connect to Cassia emotionally, and I was never convinced she had genuine feelings for either Xander or Ky. I felt very much like I was being TOLD how to feel, instead of actually feeling it (which, you might argue, based on the ending, is exactly what Condie was going for…but I digress).
I enjoyed this installment, but really hope that the emotional impact quotient is raised in book two.
My rating? My head gives this 4 Zombie Chickens, but my heart gives it only 3. And in that battle, when it comes to reading, my heart always wins.
Still, I can highly recommend it as kind of a must-read. I know that doesn't make much sense, but there you go! And because I want you to read it, and because it doesn't come out until November 30, 2010, I am giving away my extra ARC to one lucky reader anywhere in the world. Just leave a comment telling me what poem you'd make sure got into the Hundred Poems if you were a creator of this society (or if you can't think of a poem, you can also suggest a painting or a song). This contest will remain open until August 31st at 11:59 CST and is open internationally.
Find out more about the book on the author's website.
See index of all dystopian reviews on Presenting Lenore.
90 comments:
- Badass Bookie said...
I really can't think of a poem but a song I think would be one of the 'hundred "best"' would be Smile by Uncle Kracker. Honestly the song is so cleverly written and just so sweet, the use of similes is just amazing !!! :P I love the song to death!
firstname.lastname@example.com - August 20, 2010 at 10:19 AM
- Liyana said...
I'd recommend Trouble is a Friend by Lenka. Sorta like a warning. :)
- August 20, 2010 at 10:22 AM
- Jordyn said...
If it counts as a poem, I'd go with the 23rd Psalm.
And if it doesn't I'd choose "If I Die Young" by The Band Perry. It's so beautiful and amazing and perfectly written. - August 20, 2010 at 10:22 AM
- sRy_ said...
- This comment has been removed by the author.
- August 20, 2010 at 10:32 AM
- Abhishek Duggal said...
Shakespeare's "Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?"
forsurveysonly at gmail dot com - August 20, 2010 at 10:36 AM
- Obsidian Ink said...
I would have to say, because I like to say,
Edgar Allan Poes 'Alone'
Its one of my favorites :) - August 20, 2010 at 10:45 AM
- JKB said...
I have to agree with IF. Rudyard Kipling rocks
- August 20, 2010 at 10:50 AM
- Laurel said...
Without a doubt, it would be W.B. Yeats "He Wishes For the Cloths of Heaven".
- August 20, 2010 at 10:58 AM
Who doesn't love "Jabberwocky"? At least, what kid doesn't love "Jabberwocky"? Other favorites from when I was a kid are "The Cremation of Sam McGee" by Robert W. Service and Edgar Allen Poe's "The Raven". I must have been a very strange child, or had elementary school teachers with a very strange sense of humor...
cories119[at]yahoo.com - August 20, 2010 at 11:09 AM
- Ladytink_534 said...
W.B. Yeat's Stolen Child or Fire and Ice by Robert Frost. I really want to read this one :)
Ladytink_534(at)yahoo(dot)com - August 20, 2010 at 11:44 AM
I think the poem 'And They Obey' by Carl Sandburg would be what I would put if I were the creator of such a society. However, just to add, if I were to pick a poem somewhat voicing out Cassia it would be 'BOX' by Aisha Sherazi.
Regards : firstname.lastname@example.com - August 20, 2010 at 11:48 AM
- Misha said...
The Road not taken by Robert frost.
I think its message is beautiful. Its about daring take a path less traveled, to be different from what everyone else does.
firstname.lastname@example.com - August 20, 2010 at 12:13 PM
- Unknown said...
"The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost has been my favorite poem for years, so I would definitely have to go with it.
- August 20, 2010 at 12:14 PM
- Rebecca said...
I would say How do I love thee by Elizabeth Barrett Browning. It's just really memorable.
firstname.lastname@example.com - August 20, 2010 at 1:05 PM
- Sandy Nawrot said...
Phenomenal Woman by Maya Angelou! Stiff character or not, I think my daughter and I would both love to read this one!
rnawrot at cfl dot rr dot com - August 20, 2010 at 1:09 PM
- Kulsuma said...
Poem: 'I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud'
Song: 'With or Without You'
k_anon[at]hotmail[dot]co[dot]uk - August 20, 2010 at 1:14 PM
- Snazel said...
Hmmmmm, I don't read much in terms of poetry, but one poem that has stuck with me is e e cummings, i carry your heart with me. That is, aside from The Road Not Taken which probably wouldn't make it onto the list in a society where everything is chosen for you. :D
- August 20, 2010 at 1:55 PM
- bermudaonion said...
The perfect order would be nice, the lack of individuality, not so much. No need to enter me.
- August 20, 2010 at 2:26 PM
- The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly Book Reviews said...
I would go with "The Road Less Traveled" by Robert Frost. It is such a good philosophy to live by.
gbubookreviews(at)gmail(dot)com - August 20, 2010 at 2:36 PM
- Orchid said...
I would hope that The Dance by Garth Brooks (my all-time favorite song) would be included in the 100 best songs. Thanks for the awesome review and contes, Matched sounds like a great read. ^_^
hauntingorchid (at) aol (dot) com - August 20, 2010 at 2:46 PM
- Zibilee said...
I can't imagine a world where there are only 100 books! That would be so depressing!
If I had to pick one of the 100 songs, it would definitely be Rusted Wheel by The Silversun Pickups, but since I am sure no one else has ever heard of them, or the song, I am not sure if it would make it! - August 20, 2010 at 2:59 PM
- Mrs. DeRaps said...
I love the poem "i carry your heart with me" by e e cummings. Here's a link: http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/i-carry-your-heart-with-me-2/
Great contest!
mrsderaps @ hotmail . com - August 20, 2010 at 3:07 PM
- Julie@My5monkeys said...
i would soundtrack from Last of the Mochicans to be included in it. Its so beautiful and so many emotions through out the movie.
aprilmom00 at gmail dot com - August 20, 2010 at 3:16 PM
- Amanda said...
So it's a really long poem but I'd have to say "Paradise Lost." It's just so beautiful and a nice record of older English.
opinionsofawolf (at) gmail (dot) com - August 20, 2010 at 3:18 PM
- Amanda said...
I enjoyed this more than you, I think, but it might just be because of the personal connection with it & my own book. No need to enter me in the contest. :)
- August 20, 2010 at 3:24 PM
- Unknown said...
Song for a Fifth Child by Ruth Hulburt Hamilton. It's not a complicated or impressive poem structurally (I think it was first published in Good Housekeeping), but it always makes me cry. Talk about heart over head. :)
I'd also have to third (or fourth? fifth?) If by Kipling. I love that poem.
karen.d.akins (at) gmail (dot) com - August 20, 2010 at 3:28 PM
- Hawkeyegirl said...
"Hope is a thing with feathers" by Emily Dickinson.
hawkeyegirl at gmail dot com - August 20, 2010 at 3:33 PM
- Alysa Stewart said...
A favorite of mine recently: The Orange by Wendy Cope.
- August 20, 2010 at 3:40 PM
- Sarah said...
Shel Silverstein poems! Particularly Where the Sidewalk Ends. His poems are funny and true and perfect for the kids in the society!
- August 20, 2010 at 3:47 PM
- ChalcedonyEyes said...
While not a poem *exactly*, I feel that the children's book Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown is poetic enough to qualify here and it is more meaningful and memorable to me than any other poem I've encountered in my life.
- August 20, 2010 at 4:07 PM
- Intern Anonymous said...
You won't find a new country, won't find another shore.
This city will always pursue you. You will walk
the same streets, grow old in the same neighborhoods,
will turn gray in these same houses.
You will always end up in this city. Don't hope for things elsewhere:
there is no ship for you, there is no road.
As you've wasted your life here, in this small corner,
you've destroyed it everywhere else in the world.
by Constantine Cavafy
It seems so depressing, but at the same time, it reminds me (a chronic nomad) that no matter where I go I will always be myself and my home will come with me. - August 20, 2010 at 4:25 PM
- S. Krishna said...
No need to enter me, but I'm glad I read this review. I definitely want to read this one.
- August 20, 2010 at 4:56 PM
- Honey said...
I think the poem I would choose is Where The Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein. That man is a genius! Thanks for the giveaway :D
ekta.p7 [at] gmail [dot] com - August 20, 2010 at 5:11 PM
- Alex Bennett from Electrifying Reviews said...
This one rocked my socks off!
- August 20, 2010 at 5:31 PM
- ikkinlala said...
I like too many poems and songs to choose, but for artwork I'd definitely hope something of Escher's was included - maybe Drawing Hands.
- August 20, 2010 at 5:36 PM
- Shallee said...
Ooh, sounds like an interesting read. I'd have Alfred Lord Tennyson's In Memoriam, canto 54 in the top hundred poems.
- August 20, 2010 at 5:41 PM
- Shelley said...
Like the idea of a forbidden poem.
Otherwise, I don't get it. - August 20, 2010 at 6:33 PM
Must-include-song: Peter Gabriel's Blood of Eden
- August 20, 2010 at 6:35 PM
- Pokadots1121 said...
A poem I would pick is The Raven by Edgar Allen Poe. It's kind of dark, but the words fit together like a puzzle. It's one of my favorite poems.
Thanks for the giveaway!
firstname.lastname@example.com - August 20, 2010 at 6:47 PM
- SarahEm said...
- This comment has been removed by the author.
- August 20, 2010 at 7:09 PM
- Darlene said...
No need to enter me Lenore. I just wanted to say that this novel sounds really good. It's interesting to think about a society controlled down to the smallest thing but very scary. It seems like it might be a good series to follow just to see what's in store for Cassia.
- August 20, 2010 at 7:45 PM
Great review! I whole-heartedly agree that the world-building in MATCHED is really well-done. I think Condie reveals information at a perfect pace -- and the world she created is subtly chilling.
"i carry your heart with me" by e.e. cummings is definitely on my list of 100 poems. :) - August 20, 2010 at 7:49 PM
- Staci said...
I am a bit intrigued by this one for some reason!!
- August 20, 2010 at 8:16 PM
- Anna said...
The Chariot by Emily Dickinson
It sounds like the author takes a lot of time offering details about the world the characters live in. I love that in dystopian novels.
diaryofaneccentric at hotmail dot com - August 20, 2010 at 8:40 PM
- Melissa @ Mel's Books and Info said...
I already read and loved Matched especially the world building. In many ways it reminded me of The Giver by Lowry. I will say you hit the nail on the head about not knowing if she has real feelings for either Ky or Xander and the emotional disconnect can sometimes put off readers. Thank you for the review!
- August 20, 2010 at 8:47 PM
- Nikki - Notes of Life said...
I heard of this one recently. It sounds like a good read and one I'd be interested in.
- August 20, 2010 at 8:56 PM
- Unknown said...
I'm not much of a poem person, but the song I would pick is 'Folding Chair' by Regina Spektor. It's brilliant.
Thanks so much! - August 20, 2010 at 9:12 PM
- Okie said...
Thanks for a great review. I'm really intrigued by this book and would love to be included in the contest (though I'm sure I'll pick the book up eventually anyway).
As for a poem...I think there would be some cool irony by having something melancholy by Poe...maybe Annabel Lee. - August 20, 2010 at 9:16 PM
- Emily said...
I'm pretty excited for this series. Thanks for reviewing it.
I love the lyrics from Stolen by Dashboard Confessional. - August 20, 2010 at 9:37 PM
- PeechieKeen said...
I'd say the song Life is Wonderful by Jason Mraz. =)
email@example.com - August 20, 2010 at 10:10 PM
- Liviania said...
"Ode to a Nightingale" by John Keats. That or "This Be the Verse" by Philip Larkin.
- August 20, 2010 at 10:43 PM
- Deborah said...
not really a poem but I'm going to go with "Imagine" by John Lennon
- August 20, 2010 at 10:46 PM
- Tia said...
For some reason Frost's "Fire and Ice" has always stuck with me, though perhaps, if I had to choose, I'd pick something from Shakespeare.
- August 20, 2010 at 11:25 PM
- Beth S. said...
Oh man, I love poetry so much that choosing one is a difficult task.
I don't think the poems I like, however, would be approved of in the society of this book.
Since the school year is getting ready to start, and I'm a teacher, I'd have to choose "What Teachers Make" by Taylor Mali - August 20, 2010 at 11:44 PM
- Elizabeth Briggs said...
I can't wait to read this! I'd vote for Edgar Allan Poe's The Raven. Thanks!
ebriggs23 at gmail.com - August 21, 2010 at 12:28 AM
- Jenna said...
Well my poem was already mentioned ("i carry your heart with me" by e.e. cummings), so I'll suggest the song "The Gambler" by the band fun. It's simply beautiful, and I am in love with it.
Thanks for the contest. This is one I've really been looking forward to checking out.
jennapomme[at]yahoo[dot]com - August 21, 2010 at 12:39 AM
- serene_angels said...
Prize-Giving by Gwen Harwood because I have always loved the final line "peered into a trophy which suspended his image upside down: a sage fool trapped by music in a copper net of hair.'
- August 21, 2010 at 1:02 AM
The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost. But I doubt the society would allow it since it is about taking the road less traveled or "doing your own thing."
- August 21, 2010 at 2:17 AM
- The Insouciant Sophisticate said...
Fire and Ice by Robert Frost is my very favorite poem (it was unfortunately butchered by Kristen Stewart in Eclipse) so I would certainly include it in the very best!
bookworm1858 AT hotmail DOT com - August 21, 2010 at 4:52 AM
- Okapi said...
Just like your blog name, I would insist for the haunting poem 'Lenore', written by Edgar Allen Poe, to be included in the top 100.
email@example.com - August 21, 2010 at 6:31 AM
- Okapi said...
Just like your blog name, I would insist for the haunting poem 'Lenore', written by Edgar Allen Poe, to be included in the top 100.
email@example.com - August 21, 2010 at 6:31 AM
- Okapi said...
Just like your blog name, I would insist for the haunting poem 'Lenore', written by Edgar Allen Poe, to be included in the top 100.
email@example.com - August 21, 2010 at 6:33 AM
- Michelle said...
Wonderful review as always Lenore!
I'd chose "Dream Variations" by Langston Hughes. Love his stuff and this one in particular because it is so joyful.
mmillet at gmail dot com - August 21, 2010 at 7:32 AM
- Unknown said...
I would choose "Fire and Ice" by Robert Frost.
swordsforfighting at yahoo dot com - August 21, 2010 at 9:09 AM
- Jenn said...
I dont really know many poems but the one poem I actually really like is Fire and Ice.
firstname.lastname@example.com - August 21, 2010 at 6:13 PM
- linz said...
I would choose any poem by Shel Silverstein, most likely The Little Boy and the Old Man or Where the Sidewalk Ends. He inspires imagination and creativity, and those kids of the future could really use some individuality, which seeps from Shel's work.
- August 21, 2010 at 6:52 PM
- AHS said...
Edgar Allan Poe's "Alone" would be my choice for the poem. Definitely.
Thanks for the giveaway!
ahsturgis[at]mindspring[dot]com - August 21, 2010 at 6:54 PM
- Lisa B. said...
I'm not big on poems, but I'd suggest Vincent van Gogh's Starry Night for the hundred paintings/works of art. It's filled with so much wonder. Every time I look at it I see something different.
- August 21, 2010 at 7:24 PM
"The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost is one of my all time favorites!
- August 21, 2010 at 8:17 PM
- Kemendraugh said...
Definitely the Charge of the Light Brigade. "Half a league, half a league, half a league onward..."
kemendraugh at gmail dot com - August 22, 2010 at 2:33 AM
- Theresa said...
I'd have to choose "The New Collossus" by Emma Lazarus. Always loved that poem.
email@example.com - August 22, 2010 at 9:13 AM
I love T. S. Eliot's 'The Hollow Men', so I'd definitely have to choose that one. But then I remembered 'Enter Without So Much As Knocking' by Bruce Dawe and just couldn't choose - so I guess I'd end up smuggling one of them so that it didn't get destroyed!
sugarcubequeen (at) gmail (dot) com
Thanks for the awesome contest Lenore!! - August 22, 2010 at 2:59 PM
- Llehn said...
Robert Frosts's Stopping By Woods On A Snowy Evening.
lesly7ch(at)yahoo(dot)com - August 22, 2010 at 6:02 PM
- Grace said...
The poem "Hope is the thing with feathers" by Emily Dickinson would be in my top 100 poems. If I were also to choose a song, it would be "Brick by Boring Brick" by Paramore.
pandaluff(at)gmail(dot)com - August 22, 2010 at 9:49 PM
- christina said...
Alone by Poe for sure!
- August 23, 2010 at 12:15 AM
- Lola said...
Wow, this sounds really interesting! I'll definitely have to check it out, thanks! :)
- August 23, 2010 at 6:05 AM
- Unknown said...
I would recommend "After Great Pain, A Formal Feeling Comes" by Emily Dickinson. It is my all-time favorite poem and deals with how a person feels/acts after a great tragedy.
kmgraha2 (at) mail (dot) usf (dot) edu - August 24, 2010 at 12:59 AM
- Ashley said...
I'd say Jabberwocky because I have some very fond memories tied to that poem, and who doesn't love/need a little bit of nonsense now and then?!
basicallyamazingbooks [at] gmail [dot] com - August 24, 2010 at 3:41 AM
- pepsivanilla said...
I'm gonna say "Bear In There" by Shel Silverstein. It's not profound, but it's fun :)
pepsivanilla14(at)hotmail(dot)com - August 24, 2010 at 4:29 AM
- Daisy said...
There are too many poems that I like to pick a favorate.. BUT the poem that most reminds me of this book is:
My Love's A Match
by Alfred P. Graves
My Love's a match in beauty
For every flower that blows,
Her little ear's a lilly,
Her velvet cheek a rose;
Her locks are gilly gowans
Hang golden to her knee.
If I were King of Ireland,
My Queen she'd surely be.
Her eyes are fond forget-me-nots,
And no such snow is seen
Upon the heaving hawthorn bush
As crests her bodice green.
The thrushes when she's talking
Sit listening on the tree.
If I were King of Ireland,
My Queen she'd surely be.
Thanks for the contest! firstname.lastname@example.com - August 24, 2010 at 11:38 PM
- jillcy said...
For poems I would include E.E. Cummings "I Carry Your
Heart" because it is a classic and eternally relevant. - August 25, 2010 at 5:48 AM
- -Melissa @Reading By Moonlight said...
I would have to pick Fire and Ice by Robert Frost
- August 25, 2010 at 7:57 AM
- ~The Book Pixie said...
I would have to say Fireflies in the Garden or Canis Major by Robert Frost! Definitely. :D I love his poetry!
thebookpixie[at]yahoo[dot]com - August 27, 2010 at 3:56 AM
- Has said...
I think for me it has to be WH Auden's Stop all the clocks. It was featured in Four Weddings and a Funeral but I read it at school and its very haunting and memorable.
Hasnasaadani32 (at) aol (dot) com - August 28, 2010 at 10:46 PM
- Meredith said...
I would enter something by Shel Silverstein. I loved his books as a kid, and his poems are cute and sweet.
meredithfl at gmail dot com - August 29, 2010 at 1:13 AM
- Sam @ Parenthetical said...
anyone lived in a pretty how town by e. e. cummings. It's been my favorite poem forever, and sounds like it might actually fit very well with this book, to boot!
- August 30, 2010 at 12:50 AM
- Unknown said...
Anything from Howl by Allen Ginsberg that is one of my all time fave books, a must read for any book lover.
firstname.lastname@example.com - August 30, 2010 at 4:32 AM
- Sharli said...
Sounds like an amazing book! ^^
The poem I'd choose is Fire and Ice by Robert Frost.
entrelibros_blog at hotmail.com - August 30, 2010 at 8:01 AM
- donnas said...
Lady of Shallot would be my pick
bacchus76 at myself dot com - August 31, 2010 at 5:33 AM
- Krispy said...
I'd get the Odyssey in there if that counts. It's an epic poem, right? There are so many themes and layers to the story. I love it. Not sure it would mesh with the Society of MATCHED though.
Thanks for the contest!
nudging.along[at]gmail.com - September 1, 2010 at 3:48 AM


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text:
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
The Spider Wreck Chronicles
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
For what it's worth, this one isn't TOO bad. Other than the fact that the legs are sprouting out of its face like whiskers, of course. And all that black frosting. And the disturbingly ambivalent mouth expression. And the fact that it's a CCC. Yep, not bad at all.
In fact, from what I've seen that is actually the most popular style of spider cake out there. Here are some more colorful models:
This one at least has its face in the right place (always a good thing), but I'm not sure what's going on in the mouth area. Plus, that Haunted gingerbread kit in the background is pure Wrecky gravy.
I would be remiss if I didn't include the steamrolled model:
Plus, yellow? Really? This looks more like a colorful dust mite, or maybe an alien brain with tubing attached, but a spider? No way.
Or how about this guy - or should I say 'girl'?
Sure, she looks more like a muppet with dreadlocks and a bald-spot than a spider, but she's so gosh-darn cute!
Speaking of dreadlocks...
Cha mon, dese be some hoppy Rasta spiders! They be jammin'. And really, have you ever seen pipe cleaners look so delicious?
Alyss H., Rebecca S., Valerie S., Katie M., and Tina F., tune in tomorrow for the terrifying conclusion to...
[dum dum da dummm] The Spider Wreck Chronicles.
126 comments | Post a Comment
- PerkinsClan said...
And silly me always thought spiders had 6 legs! They must still be attached to the steam roller somewhere.
- October 29, 2008 at 9:28 AM
- David Gale said...
You forgot to note that the makers of the yellow "spider" and the pipe-cleaner-leg "spiders" apparently can't count. Or else they forgot how many legs spiders have.
(The one in front of the haunted gingerbread houses may also have this problem, but it's hard to tell because of the glare on the box...) - October 29, 2008 at 9:30 AM
- The Kitchen Gadget Goddess said...
I don't think the yellow one is a spider - it's only got six legs! Maybe it is a happy dust mite!
- October 29, 2008 at 9:30 AM
- Chris said...
That muppet spider is dawlin'! :) I think (gasp!) that I would consider buying it! :)
And you are RIGHT! I have never seen such delicious pipe cleaners! I have some just like that. I think I'll have to go taste them. Or, maybe not. ;) - October 29, 2008 at 9:30 AM
Actually I would not want to eat any of them..very suspicious looking lot of cakes/cupcakes. Yuk..
But as always you make me laugh! I look forward to more Chronicles.
BTW..you have me lurking in the bakery at the stores looking for wrecks. It does become an obsession. - October 29, 2008 at 9:31 AM
- sharalyns said...
Argh! I have seen the first one in all the stores here, but in dark purple... That yellow one only has 6 legs! It's not an arachnid...
I have a pumpkin wreck I need to send to you--gotta get my hubby to get it off my phone first though... - October 29, 2008 at 9:33 AM
I STILL can't see any of the pictures! One day they just stopped working. (sob)
What's going on?? - October 29, 2008 at 9:33 AM
- turandot82 said...
The first one...blegh. All that black icing can't be good for one's
The second spider looks like it's made out of a blue and pink afgan throw blanket. And the yellow one is just too much.
The Muppet spider is cute. I'd buy it just to have it sit on my desk and it would put me in a good mood every time I'd look at it. - October 29, 2008 at 9:35 AM
The Rasta spiders are kinda fun!
- October 29, 2008 at 9:36 AM
- alanna rose said...
And I thought all spider had eight legs...
- October 29, 2008 at 9:38 AM
Not to be a huge nerd but I noticed that some of the spiderwrecks don't even have the right number of legs... insects have 6, spiders have 8!
- October 29, 2008 at 9:38 AM
OMG - once again you have made my morning! These spider-wrecks are enough to send an arachnophobic running and screaming from the room. My personal faves are the muppet with dreadlocks and the rasta spiders, they look kind of like a ding-dong with eyes.
- October 29, 2008 at 9:38 AM
- HorribleLicensePlates said...
I think the first little guy is kind of cute.
The rest of the cakes are nightmare-worthy. - October 29, 2008 at 9:40 AM
- Megan said...
Hahahaha They be jammin'. You crack me up!
- October 29, 2008 at 9:40 AM
- Angie McCullagh said...
I like the muppet spider. Kind of reminds me of Abby Cadabby.
Angie (from over at www.HalfAssedKitchen.com) - October 29, 2008 at 9:49 AM
- Tracy O said...
Oh, dear Lord - I'm not sure what color I would make a spider cake if I were to make one, but these are OFF the list! What about chocolate - Why can't we just make them chocolate? And that yellow one (and the Rastas, I think) only have 6 legs - I guess that would explain the looks on their faces - I guess amputation makes you cross-eyed!
Thanks for the laughs - I really needed that today!!!
Tracy O - October 29, 2008 at 9:50 AM
- Pink Sith said...
Adding to my list of things that should never be eaten = Black Frosting, Black Licorice, Cakes with spiders or spider themes (real and/or decorated.) ::throws up::
- October 29, 2008 at 9:53 AM
The muppet one is so cute! But the others are....scary! Especially the 1st one - oh my gosh!!!
- October 29, 2008 at 9:54 AM
- Unknown said...
huh, i kinda like that first one...though it does remind me of the cookie monster cake.
- October 29, 2008 at 9:56 AM
- Alison said...
Bwahaha! I love the yellow smooshed one. That's what happens when Mr. Spider scares me in the bathtub.
I have to disagree with you slightly on the first one--that confused expression is perfect for a CCC. "Am I cake? A herd of nifty one-serving treats?? Or a giant glop of frosting????"
I do honestly feel sorry for it. - October 29, 2008 at 9:59 AM
As atrocious as the Halloween cakes/cupcake monstronsities are ... I can't wait for Thanksgiving.
You can only ruin a spider, ghost, whatev, so far and in so many ways.
Turkeys are going to be fun. - October 29, 2008 at 10:03 AM
I love the title for this post!
The fourth cake looks like a winter cap with legs and a face.
Melissa - October 29, 2008 at 10:05 AM
- The Honorable Mayor of Bethville said...
My first thought was wondering what color someone would poop after eating that much black frosting.
My mind. It is in the gutter again. - October 29, 2008 at 10:05 AM
Wow, I thought it was common knowledge that spiders, like all Arachnids, have eight legs. Six legs is the tell-tale sign of an insect, and ten a typical crustacean. Cake designers take note: spiders have eight legs! I'm actually pretty sure that reiterates what many Kindergarteners and first graders are learning right around now.
- October 29, 2008 at 10:07 AM
- c3 said...
Ack! Bugs! Hollowe'en bugs! Run!
Sorry. Some of these wrecks are just wrong! All together now: How many legs does a spider have? EIGHT! Maybe they're Hallowe'en daddy longlegs? Boo!
(Aren't we all scared now!) - October 29, 2008 at 10:10 AM
- RubyT said...
Doesn't the yellow one only have 6 legs? One of the rasta spiders looks like it only has 7, but I can't quite tell.
--Ruby - October 29, 2008 at 10:12 AM
Those are hysterical!! Love it!
- October 29, 2008 at 10:14 AM
Apparently these "decorators" aren't aware that spiders have 8 legs, either.
- October 29, 2008 at 10:16 AM
Is it bad that I really like the Muppet one? I mean, if I were expecting a spider, I'd be disappointed, but those insane colors and the cute face! It's so bad, it's good.
- October 29, 2008 at 10:16 AM
- Olivia said...
And what's with the six-legged spiders? (the yellow and the two black)
- October 29, 2008 at 10:17 AM
okay, the pink, yellow and green spider is downright adorable! The yellow dust mite....ughhh.
- October 29, 2008 at 10:19 AM
- Nicole said...
Did we notice that some of these poor creatures only have six legs? Hrm.
NP - October 29, 2008 at 10:19 AM
Ow My eyes!!!!!
Some of those should come with epilepsy warnings. - October 29, 2008 at 10:20 AM
- Snowberry and Lime said...
Hilarious cakes, as usual! You gotta give the sesame street spider some credit for at least having 8 legs though.... apparently that is not a given with its yellow variety. :D
Veronika - October 29, 2008 at 10:22 AM
- WakeGrace said...
BAHAHAHAH the rasta ones are my fav! and the muppet one just may give me nightmares.
- October 29, 2008 at 10:22 AM
- Jenn T. said...
8 legs. EIGHT. Spiders have EIGHT legs. You'd think they could at least get the anatomy right. The yellow one & the Rasta spiders (I think) only have 6. Man, what kind of cake decorators are these people?
- October 29, 2008 at 10:24 AM
Goodness. What pops instantly into my mind (besides WTF?) is "how difficult is it to remember that spiders have eight legs?" They're pretty famous for having eight legs. I mean, ask a grade-schooler about spiders, and they'll tell you that they live in webs and have eight legs. So why do so many cutesy-wootsy-crap-spiders have only six legs?
(I do not expect an answer. I'm sure the answer is along the lines of "why do some people use double-quote marks to indicate emphasis?") - October 29, 2008 at 10:27 AM
- Unknown said...
OK, this is my very first comment on your blog! I was recently referred to your blog by a friend. I don't do cakes. I just have funny friends and we all have pretty great senses of humor (if i do say so myself). SO, I recommended your blog on my blog...blah blah blah...and now we're all enjoying you via googlereader.
Moving on...
About the yellow spider cake...I'm wondering if the prosthetic shop is working on the other 2 legs and if they will soon be forthcoming or if yellow spidey will always only have 6 legs instead of 8, after the accident.
Looking forward to being a faithful reader for years to come...
www.MusingsWithSam.wordpress.com - October 29, 2008 at 10:28 AM
You didn't even mention that the yellow one only has 6 legs! It apparently lost two in the steamrolling incident.
- October 29, 2008 at 10:28 AM
Maybe the yellow dust bunny is making that face because not only is it a wrecktastic spider, but it has lost its seventh and eighth legs. Poor dear.
- October 29, 2008 at 10:29 AM
Rasta Spiders are just the best! They have an innate sense of rythm, they are relaxed and chilled out. And they only eat flies if the flies want to be eaten.
I also love the transgender rasta spider too -- Queer Rastas don't get nearly enough exposure on the web, so you get bonus points for that! - October 29, 2008 at 10:30 AM
Non-food on a cake should be an immediate wreck qualifier.
Happy Halloween!ERtripomgomgomgomg - October 29, 2008 at 10:31 AM
- Poetry Sue said...
My eyes can't handle the assault... I would almost say these are the worst cakes I have ever seen.... but there are so many wrecks to choose from...
- October 29, 2008 at 10:34 AM
The multicoloured Muppet spider-thingy is just too bright. Yuck.
The poor flattened yellow dust mite is very sad..
~Amy B. - October 29, 2008 at 10:35 AM
I hope I never see a pinata-colored spider in real life.
- October 29, 2008 at 10:37 AM
- Kameron said...
That first one is either an Albertson's staple the nation over, or it's from my local store, because I passed by it last week and wished I had my camera! But really, I think that one's the tamest of the bunch here. At least it's BLACK!
- October 29, 2008 at 10:37 AM
- Brianna said...
Ha ha ha! I love the "muppet" one! I stared at it for a minute, then read your comments and thought "that's exactly what it looks like!"
And....yummmmm pipe cleaners, they're my favorite :) - October 29, 2008 at 10:52 AM
Dude, did they all get those spider CCCs out of the same craft magazine or something?
- October 29, 2008 at 11:00 AM
- debbiearnn said...
Those pipe cleaner ones do NOT look like spiders...they look like children...for real. that's cute.
- October 29, 2008 at 11:12 AM
- Mella said...
And the yellow spider is missing two legs. Maybe she (yes the cake looks female to me) got attacked by some vicious cake wrecker
- October 29, 2008 at 11:24 AM
- Hi Kooky said...
Love the first cake. Judging from the spider's expression, he looks like someone just stepped on him.
- October 29, 2008 at 11:28 AM
I like the muppet spider too. *smiles*
- October 29, 2008 at 11:31 AM
Mmm....pipe cleaner. *nom nom nom*
I love those Rasta spiders. Won't be showing this entry to my hubby because he's insanely arachnophobic but these are definitely pretty wreck-tastic.
Personally I think the six legged ones are happy Halloween fleas! - October 29, 2008 at 11:31 AM
- Miranda said...
I like the spider wrecks except for the yellow one, and except for sticking pipe cleaners in food. But the others, you know, more fodder for my Halloween party! I just need the "grass" decorating tip and I'm ready to go!
(yes, I know, how did I get by decorating all these years with no "grass" tip?) meh, I dunno!
--gothchiq - October 29, 2008 at 11:33 AM
- Unknown said...
Yeah--for some reason I'm drawn to the muppet spider--I just want to take him home.
I must agree, it is a tragedy that someone plucked off those spiders legs.
And a note on face-placement. Yes, it is more accurate to have the face on the front (side), not the top (where it looks like a flattened octopus). But, when going for more accuracy, these cake decorators go and ice the sides of the cupcakes--and I'm betting they leave the paper on. Gah-ross! - October 29, 2008 at 11:34 AM
- Miranda said...
Hey, Julio?
The best way IMHO do do black icing is to first use plenty of dark chocolate cocoa powder. You don't need all that much black coloring then. - October 29, 2008 at 11:34 AM
- The Creeper said...
I'm kinda digging the Jamaican spiders, mon!
You think the person who decorated the muppet spider got an order for "Animal's head on a platter"? Cuz that's what it is lookin' like. - October 29, 2008 at 11:42 AM
Never mind the legs...why do all these spiders have crossed googly eyes?
- October 29, 2008 at 11:48 AM
Oh my goodness, do you know what all that black icing will do to everyone's teeth and lips?
- October 29, 2008 at 11:49 AM
- Amanda said...
Cracks me up that most of those don't have the right number of legs!
- October 29, 2008 at 11:52 AM
- Kelley with Amy's Angels said...
I have to stop reading this blog at work because it causes uncontrolled laughter.
Which causes my co-workers to look at me and say "What's so funny" and then I have to fess up I'm reading a blog rather than contacting my students.
LOVE your blog! - October 29, 2008 at 11:54 AM
- Giusi. said...
you are so hilarious. hahahaha
- October 29, 2008 at 12:03 PM
- April said...
The muppet spider is adorable! I'd so buy it.
- October 29, 2008 at 12:16 PM
I think the technicolour one looks like the muppet puff balls that sang notes when bonked with a mallet by the conductor.
- October 29, 2008 at 12:20 PM
- LaurenH said...
Not to mention on the first one, who would want to ingest frosting that color!? Forget black poo, I'm willing to bet that stuff had dyed your intestinal wall and stomach lining black as well!
And while looking nothing like spiders, those brown butterballs at the end ARE adorable! - October 29, 2008 at 12:30 PM
- MaryO said...
I am laughing soooooooo hard I think I might need a change of underwear! The spider wrecks just got funnier and funnier as did the commentary... Oh mon.. most hoppy Rasta spiders. Geez. And for what it's worth.. the muppet multicolored arachnid was AB-SO-LUTE-LY wreckdorable!
Hilarious! - October 29, 2008 at 12:34 PM
the 1st one reminded me of a cross between cookie monster and coolio, maybe
- October 29, 2008 at 12:58 PM
LOL! I can't wait to see what you post tomorrow.
I have to say that while everyone is commenting on the fact that spiders have 8 legs - not 6 like the yellow dust mite, no one has mentioned that spiders also have 8 eyes. I do think that 8 eyes on a cake would definitely amp up the creepy factor, but maybe the placement of the 2 googly ones that they do have isn't so off after all.... - October 29, 2008 at 12:58 PM
- Dena said...
I saw these...erm...cakes when I was grocery shopping a few nights ago but didn't have my cell phone with me! Glad to see others did!
- October 29, 2008 at 1:01 PM
- Unknown said...
I hate spiders and dust mites. So these wreck were extra wrecktastic for me.
I'll have to say the CCC with the ridiculous amount of black frosting is my favorite wreck of them all. It's probably the ambivalent mouth expression that did it. ;) - October 29, 2008 at 1:31 PM
- rachelle said...
I haven't read your comments, but spider legs actually do come out of their head, not their abdomen :)
- October 29, 2008 at 1:33 PM
The awesome disco-spider looks more like a creation from Viva Pinata than a Halloween cake. ^_^
Emily - October 29, 2008 at 1:54 PM
- Ronnica said...
I distinctly remember learning that spiders have 8 legs in preschool. Seriously, people.
- October 29, 2008 at 1:56 PM
- Karen said...
The first one looks like Cookie Monster dipped in black ink!!
- October 29, 2008 at 2:01 PM
- Marissa said...
I actually reall LIKE the muppet with dreadlocks one!!! granted, its no spider but it is cute.
the one with pipe cleaners scared me. i can see 2 of my 4 kids eating them...or trying to. ewww. - October 29, 2008 at 2:11 PM
The good thing about the rasta spiders is you can use the pipe cleaner legs to scrub the stains off of your teeth and gums after consuming all of that black icing!
Monique D. - October 29, 2008 at 2:36 PM
- MaryO said...
Man, there is a whole lotta talk about bug anatomy. Your fan base must be really brainy! Eight legs (I gotta agree - I learned spiders had 8 legs. I know I'm of the Boomer generation, but I don't think spiders have changed that much), 6 legs, yellow, black, multicolored. For what it's worth here in So Cal we have some very lovely black spiders with yellow markings; but they don't look like ANY of the Spider Wreck cakes represented. I kinda feel sorry for the little yellow dust mite/spider. S/he looked like s/he may have been squashed by a truck. Poor thing.
- October 29, 2008 at 2:54 PM
Try right-clicking on the picture spot and choosing 'show picture.' - October 29, 2008 at 2:54 PM
- Sinead said...
Not only did I get to laugh my head off at some of those cakes, but then my daughter added even more humor--"That first one looks like a spider that got squished long long ago!" lol
- October 29, 2008 at 2:55 PM
- Beckie said...
Black frosting = purple hiney. Learned that one after my mother-in-law made my 2yo a Mickey Mouse B-day cake.
- October 29, 2008 at 3:03 PM
- Shoshanah Marohn said...
I like miss muppet cake of the colorful spider! It's delicious looking! I bet kids would love it, too.
- October 29, 2008 at 3:09 PM
Walmart is FULL of cake wrecks and cupcake cake wrecks. From square pumpkins to ccc similar to the one you just posted!
- October 29, 2008 at 3:15 PM
- The Ferber Family said...
i think i'm mostly disturbed by the number of people that think spiders have 6 legs... it's EIGHT people, EIGHT.
- October 29, 2008 at 3:37 PM
- Lancastermom said...
Those are the funniest spiders I have ever seen. I personally like the rasta spiders although they do look delicious! Thanks for the laughs everyday!
- October 29, 2008 at 3:43 PM
- Christie said...
The best part of the yellow one, is that it only has 6 legs - spiders have 8 legs.
- October 29, 2008 at 3:49 PM
All of the spider cakes we saw at our local store had 6 legs, all 4 of my children were quick to point this out! I was afraid they were gonna get us caught taking the picture!! The yellow one really caught my eye...you should have seen the orange, white, and black swirl one, with a bright pink mouth!
- October 29, 2008 at 4:09 PM
- Berit said...
I actually think that the pipe cleaner spiders look adorably cute!
- October 29, 2008 at 4:33 PM
- Unknown said...
The yellow spider and the Rastafarian spiders only have six legs :(
- October 29, 2008 at 4:54 PM
- Jennifer said...
I actually like the muppet looking spider.
after a recent experience with a soccer ball cake with black icing- to put it nicely, the black metabolized a weird green color.
Also, for you first time moms- the same happens with grape pedialyte, so don't freak out if your sick kid suddenly has neon green poop. - October 29, 2008 at 4:59 PM
Well you know,although it varies most spiders have more than two eyes. Triffles, triffles.
- October 29, 2008 at 5:01 PM
The yellow one minus the legs looks kinda like a squished Lisa Simpson.
- October 29, 2008 at 5:04 PM
- Cagey (Kelli Oliver George) said...
As an actual invertebrate enthusiast myself (and owner of one, pink-toed tarantula) all of these anatomically incorrect so-called "spiders" are actually TICKS.
- October 29, 2008 at 5:19 PM
- Unknown said...
Wow, my kids would love those cakes, so they will never see them! Hey kids, here's some extremely dyed icing to get you bouncing off the walls, then we'll all go trick or treating! Crazy, although they are kinda cool, and I love the comments you make about them!
- October 29, 2008 at 5:37 PM
OMG that black frosting is so nasty and bitter when you put that much coloring in it.
- October 29, 2008 at 5:52 PM
Speaking of trifles...."trifle" only has one f.
- October 29, 2008 at 6:09 PM
- Kahla said...
I thought spiders had 8 legs... at least that's what I teach my first graders. Maybe they were just so tasty someone had a couple as a snack and that's why they're missing?!?!?
- October 29, 2008 at 8:02 PM
- Mad Izatie said...
i like the colourful spider. the red, green and yellow one. :D not bad at all.
- October 29, 2008 at 8:48 PM
- kisekileia said...
I'm amazed that nobody else has said that the yellow one looks like a cross between a spider and SpongeBob SquarePants.
- October 29, 2008 at 9:02 PM
- Cathy Leavitt said...
The first one looks like Cookie Monster dressed up for Halloween...I mean look at those eyes-they're definitely Cookie Monster eyes, and the fir-if it were blue, it would look just like Cookie Monster with 8 legs. Even the mouth looks like a skinny Cookie Monster mouth.
- October 29, 2008 at 9:53 PM
- Kelly said...
Bad spider, but great muppet! I like that one. I thought it looked like a Fraggle. Remember Fraggle Rock?! Ahh...cakes that bring up great childhood memories!
- October 29, 2008 at 10:06 PM
- Chezza said...
I wish I could get a good picture at our local store. We have some scary looking wrecks.
- October 29, 2008 at 10:08 PM
- Caroline said...
It's giving me a headache...
- October 29, 2008 at 11:27 PM
- J.M. said...
i thought of your blog when i saw the top cake today at the store.
- October 29, 2008 at 11:31 PM
- Hyena Overlord said...
I happen to know that black icing turns your tongue deep blue. I bought Dad a cake that was supposed to be decorated to look like a speed limit sign for his 70th b'day.
They put too much black icing around the edge. Turned all the elderly aunties tongues blue. Strangly, it matched their hair.
So it wasn't a total bust based on entertainment value. And it was butter cream, yummy.
The last two cakes are too cute. - October 29, 2008 at 11:54 PM
- Miranda said...
I've always thought black (and red) frosting had a really nasty taste from the coloring. Does anyone else notice that? I have had people tell me I'm crazy, but I swear that I can tell the difference in taste between black and, say, yellow, icing without seeing them.
So that all-black spider. ... yikes! That's one of the few cakes I could easily pass up. - October 30, 2008 at 12:21 AM
- Andrea said...
This blog of yours wouldn't be nearly as hysterical if it weren't for your fantastic writing and stories behind the pictures!
Love it, keep it up! - October 30, 2008 at 1:55 AM
- echidna girl said...
very cute but I can't imagine wanting to actually eat anything those colors
- October 30, 2008 at 6:55 AM
- Ms Unreliable said...
The yellow one reminds me of a termite, no idea why.
The colourful one looks like Animal (the Muppet) going through a rebellious phase. - October 30, 2008 at 7:35 AM
- scrappinfox said...
OMGoodness! This is my first visit to this blog, and I about fell off my chair! This is just too much fun. I happen to like spiders, so it was appropriate to jump in on the SpiderWreck Chronicles. The cakes with 6-legged spiders were especially disturbing; why add insult to injury? Thanks for a wonderfully hilarious blog. I'll definitely be back!
- October 30, 2008 at 7:45 AM
Um, TICKS are also arachnids and also have 8 legs, just like spiders and mites. Self-proclaimed experts should check their facts.
Alex - October 30, 2008 at 1:01 PM
- Queenie Jeannie said...
Thank you!!
That's all I can type while laughing this hard.... - October 30, 2008 at 2:18 PM
I've tried using Firefox instead and just clicking on the picture, but it's telling me that the picture links themselves are of a pornographic nature and won't let me lookie at them. (Perhaps I shouldn't be looking at it at work, sigh...)
Hmmph. This sucks! - October 30, 2008 at 2:57 PM
- Cathy Leavitt said...
Yes, I agree with the nasty taste of black frosting. I have found a wonderful welcome replacement for black food coloring (which, by the way, I never use anymore). I make my black frosting using Hershey's Special Dark Chocolate Cocoa. Turns out black every time, and tastes GREAT! No more bitter black frosting. Try it.
- October 30, 2008 at 6:30 PM
The pink one is totally Grateful Dead, man.
- October 30, 2008 at 7:06 PM
- diddlesgirl said...
ok, the two year says . . . in order of appearance: cookie monster, elmo, big bird, hermie, and octopus . . .
perfect sense to me! - October 30, 2008 at 8:43 PM
- diddlesgirl said...
the snuffalupicus cake looks like chewbacca or maybe the nasty guy from pirates of caribean. or maybe a dark colored wraith.
- October 30, 2008 at 8:54 PM
- Colleen said...
um don't people know that spiders have 8 legs. i mean get real, at least give them 8 legs. so funny. the blog sure does make me look at the cakes in the grocery stores now.
- October 31, 2008 at 1:15 PM
- okapistripes said...
OMG! I have a pair of earrings that look a LOT like the she-dreadlock spider!
And the last ones are adorable! - October 31, 2008 at 3:27 PM
Oh my gosh. A friend and I just laughed so hard, soda came out of our noses regarding the "rasta spiders..."
Thanks for the good laugh!
Happy Halloween! - October 31, 2008 at 5:13 PM
- JennyF said...
I think I'm going into a sugar coma just seeing all the frosting on these. Ugh!!!
- October 31, 2008 at 11:35 PM
- Molly said...
I'm just imagining the multiple panicked E.R. visits when one parent brought the black spider cupcake-cake to the class party and then the rest of the unsuspecting parents were frightened and surprised by the mysterious green poo that inevitably follows the eating of too much black frosting...
- November 1, 2008 at 1:11 AM
- Freezair said...
@Miranda: Don't worry; you are not alone! Some people are, in fact, more sensitive to bitter flavors than others. Like me, for instance. I always hated store-bought cakes--no matter how nice they looked--because I tasted all the frosting colors, and it was naaaasty. So I agree--blech on that frosting!
- November 1, 2008 at 10:02 PM
I'm with those who see Cookie Monster in the first cake. But to me, it's Cookie Monster assimilated by the Borg.
-- extrajoker - November 1, 2008 at 10:38 PM
I love how that one cake looks like the head of Animal from the Muppets. Lol. I wonder what these bakers are thinking when they put so many colors of icing on one thing of cake.
- January 23, 2009 at 1:55 AM
That first spider's "mouth"...?
Words. - April 2, 2009 at 9:53 PM
- Cupcakes Lady said...
The colourful spider, the red, green and yellow one, is good...even though I don't like spiders. Not sure i cud eat it...but to look at it is cool ;) x
- October 13, 2010 at 6:59 AM
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Categories > Animals > Reptiles & Amphibians
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It's WEEKENDS on ALL THINGS CONSIDERED from NPR News. I'm Jacki Lyden.
MITT ROMNEY: Eight percent unemployment for over, how many, 43 months right here in Las Vegas and in Nevada. You've seen housing prices bumping along the bottom, record numbers of foreclosures. These are tough times. We have a president who says he can't fix Washington. I can. I will lead. I'll get the job done.
LYDEN: Mitt Romney yesterday on the campaign trail in Sin City. James Fallows of The Atlantic joins us, as he does most Saturdays. Nice to talk to you, Jim.
JAMES FALLOWS: Hello, Jacki.
LYDEN: About a week and a half until the first presidential debate and it's already been a long, hard-fought battle. What are you hoping to hear?
FALLOWS: I am hoping, more than expecting, to see something a little different from the normal debate matchup. Most of the time, these debates seem to matter most with the viewing public not as intellectual contests or policy point scoring, but rather simply as comparisons of human beings. In this case, since so few people seem to be undecided anymore, since the differences in the parties seem so stark, what I actually am hoping is that the candidates might fill in some of the missing details about what they would actually do if they become president.
If President Obama succeeds, if Governor Romney becomes president, what they would do exactly about Iran, where exactly they would cut the budget, how exactly they would address some of the questions of long-term job stagnation. So at least the questioners can ask them about those issues. Whether or not they'll answer, we'll see.
LYDEN: Right. And, of course, that will be moderated by Jim Lehrer. Yesterday, Jim, you wrote on your blog about Ann Romney, giving us a glimpse into how difficult this process has been. And it happened during an Iowa radio interview. Let's hear that.
ANN ROMNEY: Stop it. This is hard. You want to try it? Get in the ring. This is hard.
LYDEN: You called this moment the truest glimpse we've seen of any of the national-level candidates or their spouses this year.
FALLOWS: What I meant was that anybody who has been in or around politics, as I was long ago when working for then candidate Jimmy Carter, recognizes something the general public may overlook, which is just how terribly hard it is to be a politician, especially a national-level politician. You're always tired. You're always asking people for money. You always have to be on, and you have to live with a certainty that even if you succeed, very large numbers of people just hate you and think you're unworthy.
And so what came through in Mrs. Romney's little exhalation there, I think, is something anybody involved in politics can recognize instantly. Unfortunately, there's a kind of unwritten law of politics that she broke at that same time, which is that you're not allowed to show the strain. The role of a politician, especially a presidential candidate or those around him, is to ask for the honor and the dignity and the glory of leading and representing our nation.
They need to present it as a privilege rather than a burden. So showing the strain that all national-level candidates and their entourages feel is something you usually try to avoid.
LYDEN: And the (unintelligible) of the week, I guess you could say it, came out yesterday afternoon. Mitt Romney released his 2011 tax return. Any revelations worth noting?
FALLOWS: Apparently, not so far. Governor Romney was true to his promise to release this year's return, also true to his promise to minimize deductions so that he paid his specified rate - effective rate of 14 percent. I think the main revelation to those of us whose income comes mainly from taxable wages is how different the income tax laws are for those - lots of capital income versus those of us who get our income on W-2s.
LYDEN: James Fallows is national correspondent with The Atlantic. And you can read his blog at jamesfallows.theatlantic.com. Jim, thanks so much.
FALLOWS: Thank you, Jacki. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.


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Pricing information here
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
A Great Day at The Beach House and a Surfboard Makeover
Pricing information here
47 comments :
Congratulations! Now, tell me how you did it...making money from your blog! LOL! I could use a little and like you I would blog anyway but I probably don't have enough followers to be of any significance. I love the surfboard and you are SO creative! I would LOVE to be there at 5:00 for a Mojito too...I've never had one but it sounds like just the thing for me today!
BTW....I can't thank you enough for the Salad System! I never even like salads that much..well, the ones I make anyway. But you were SO RIGHT! It is delicious...no matter how I configure it I eat a whole plate every night! I can't get over it and it's healthy! I haven't checked the scale yet and I got so caught up with it I forgot the salmon. I went and got "wild-caught" frozen salmon as that is all we have here. I didn't think I would like it because I baked it one time and it was greasy and yucky but this time I threw it on the grill and Ta Dah! I like salmon now too! I just got the ingredients for the sauce to make for it so I'll try that! You are such a winner and I am going to post about it and put a link to your blog. I can't thank you enough!
Who says you can't teach an old dog new tricks?I would love to be there for Mojito's!! Lol I love the surf board, what a great idea. My uncle used to write out the menu each night on a little chalk board and it was so fun but this would be way better. Congratulations on making money on your blog, win win!! Doing something you love and scoring a few extra $$$. You just have to share your secrets:) I found your blog on the blog hop and am now following you. If you have time, please hop over and check out my blog (sorry, I have no mojitos, hehehe)
My Turn (for us)
Thanks, I enjoyed the visit.- AnonymousFebruary 22, 2012 at 1:44 PM
The surfboard looks fantastic. What a great idea!! I looked through your blogs. You are very creative. Keep going you will do really well. Lisa Kardash
ReplyDelete I have been looking for surfboard reasonably priced for yrs and have yet to find one. I don't even care what condition it's in. I love your idea. I do have a little "boogie" board that I could paint. Thanks....I just love ur blog and oh Congrats now that your on ur way to becoming rich like Bill Gates, don't forget us "little people. lol
ReplyDeleteLove this surfboard! I live more in the country wishing I lived near the ocean :) I am your newest Linky Follower. Found you through a blog hop...would love to have you follow back! Would love to have you link up some of your projects to my "Homemade By You" link party that is going on now and every wednesday!
ReplyDeleteHey there - congratulations. This is a fabulous and very unique idea. I am going to make one for my next beach party. Oops, I live in NY...oh well...I have to wait til July or so. I have time!
Great job. Congrats to on getting your first $$. Hopefully that will happen for me some time in the future.
I will follow you - hopefully you can do the same.
LindaWhat a great idea - I don't live on the ocean, but on a lake - maybe I could do this with a boogie board???? I'll have to think about that one for a while. I found you on a blog hop and would love for you to come over and check me out, if you have the time! (www.cdm-arewethereyet.blogspot.com) Maybe someday I'll be able to earn some of those $$$$$ from my blog!
Thanks -
Carol- AnonymousFebruary 28, 2012 at 10:36 AM
This is one of the most original ideas I have seen lately. It is great for a beach cottage or in a teen room or college dorm. Great idea!
Benita I've just discovered your blog this very day and I'm so excited I did. I subscribed to your RSS so I suspect we'll be seeing much more of each other.
You mentioned you just earned your first dollars from blogging and I'm wondering how long you've been blogging, if I'm not being too snoopy.
Lesli @ BeautifullyCoastal.comI love the chalkboard surf board -- so creative and looks very cool! You've got me wondering what interesting object I might have that I can make into a chalkboard.
I'm really enjoying reading your blog. You crack me up!
Congratulation on earning money from your blog. You really deserve it. :-)


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Power and Piety: Spanish Colonial Art From the Patricia Phelps De Cisneros Collection
Power and Piety: Spanish Colonial Art From the Patricia Phelps De Cisneros Collection
Power and Piety presents 56 objects, ranging from paintings to silver candlesticks to bishop's chairs, made in the Spanish and Portuguese colonies of the Americas from the late 17th to the early 19th centuries.
Designed for use in churches, convents and monasteries, and private homes, these objects were made by American craftsmen but based on the iconographies, styles and techniques of the European Renaissance. They attest to the tremendous interchange of cultures that occurred in the colonies, where craftsmen mixed native techniques and symbols with designs introduced by the church and also absorbed influences from across the world.
In the words of the collector, "Colonial society could be considered the first global society, with influences flowing in a reciprocal manner between Europe and South America, communicating the cultural news from Africa and Asia, as well as transporting artisans from one port to another who brought with them skills and traditions from home...the result could be seen in, for example, a chair that combined Renaissance-inspired gargoyles carved in the manner of Mexican Tlaxcala masks...."
The exhibition also highlights the ways in which people practiced their religion at home and in public, with tiny paintings of patron saints contrasted with painted altarpieces and ecclesiastical furniture.
The exhibition is drawn from the Colección Patricia Phelps de Cisneros and is co-organized by the Museum of Biblical Art, New York, and Art Services International, Alexandria, Virginia.
This exhibition will be on view October 14, 2017-January 7, 2018.
Sponsored by: Xenotronics Company • Thomas K. and Jennifer Figge • US Bank
Image courtesy of the Coleccíón Patricia Phelps de Cisneros Juan Pedro López, Venezuelan, 1724-1787, Our Lady of Guidance, circa 1762, oil on panel
Companion Event
Thursday, November 9
5:30 pm Reception
7 pm Scholar Talk: Dr. Monica Dominguez Torres


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The men and women who serve on the front lines as firefighters, rescuing citizens in harm's way, should be saluted daily for their bravery. In one of the most dangerous and selfless occupations in the world, firefighters risk their lives for the safety of others at a moment's notice. Even though history has not been kind to the memory of African American firemen, their contribution to firefighting is a significant one. Still, even with the most dedicated research, it is difficult to ascertain who were the first African-Americans who took up the role of firefighters.
MUST READ: The Best Obama Endorsement … EVER!
Several sources, including the richly detailed website from historian Mike Legeros, all point to the summer of 1817 as being the earliest record that Black firemen existed in New Orleans, La. Although Black men stamping out blazes could have happened before then, there is no real evidence available in capturing this historic truth. According to Legeros, 1821 and 1833 also show evidence of freed men joining firemen ranks in New Orleans, but like before, the records were poorly kept and the facts disjointed.
Watch a tribute to Black firefighters here:
In Philadelphia, a band of African-American men who had fireman aspirations joined as the African Fire Association in 1818. After a group of White firemen protested the move along with citizen discord, the group scrapped their plans of opening a Black firehouse in Savannah, Ga. In 1824, freed and hired slaves worked alongside the fire department but were largely relegated to assistant duties. White men, reluctant to share in the glory, kept potential Black firemen at bay.
In Charleston, Sc., 10 firehouses manned by Black men were reportedly present but they worked without pay. In fact, how it worked was that the company who outed a fire first got paid and only other White-owned engines could assist before leaving the scraps behind for the Black firehouses.
Patrick H. Raymond (pictured) of Cambridge, Mass., is universally regarded as the first African American fire chief. Born in 1831, the Civil War veteran joined the department sometime in the 1850s. He became the chief engineer of the Cambridge Fire Department in January 1871, holding his post for eight years. He passed away in the summer of 1894.
Another historic first was volunteer firewoman Molly Williams of the Oceanus Volunteer Fire Company. In 1818, she would be the first female firefighter after working for the New York firehouse.
Much later, after the strides of the Civil Rights Movement, Robert O. Lowery served as the first Black fire commissioner of a major city. Lowery helmed his New York post from 1966 to 1973. During Lowery's tenure, the International Association of Black Firefighters was established in 1970.
Black women have also made valuable contributions to firefighting. Toni McIntosh of Pittsburgh, Pa., became the first Black woman to become a career (full-time) firefighter in 1976. According to the Department of Homeland Security's website, Cecelia Owens-Cox was the first woman to be assigned to a New York City truck company in 1984 as well. Chief Rosemary Cloud became the first African American woman chief for a career fire department in East Point, Ga., in 2002.
Even though the early records of Black firemen and women have been scattered over time, it is still noteworthy to mention that many of these achievements have not gone unspoken. Perhaps a dedicated educator or a team of researchers will continue to bore through the countless documents, images, and personal accounts to uncover more truth about the rich history of African American firefighters.


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- Ileitis, Crohn
- Inflammation of the ileum (the farthest segment of the small intestine) due to Crohn disease. Crohn disease is a chronic inflammatory disorder, primarily involving the small and large intestine, but which can affect other parts of the digestive system as well. It is named for the doctor who first described the disease in 1932. The disease is usually diagnosed in persons in their teens or twenties, but can occur at any point in life. Crohn disease can be a chronic, recurrent condition or can cause minimal symptoms with or even without medical treatment. In mild forms, Crohn disease causes small scattered shallow crater-like areas (erosions) called aphthous ulcers in the inner surface of the bowel. In more serious cases, deeper and larger ulcers can develop, causing scarring and stiffness and possibly narrowing of the bowel, sometimes leading to obstruction. Deep ulcers can puncture holes in the bowel wall, leading to infection in the abdominal cavity (peritonitis) and in adjacent organs. Crohn disease has many forms: Involvement of the large intestine (colon) only is called Crohn colitis or granulomatous colitis, while involvement of the small intestine alone is called Crohn enteritis. The most common part of the small intestine to be affected by Crohn disease is the last portion, called the ileum. Active disease in this area is termed Crohn ileitis. When both the small intestine and the large intestine are involved, the condition is called Crohn enterocolitis (or ileocolitis). Other descriptive terms may be used as well. Abdominal pain, diarrhea, vomiting, fever, and weight loss can be symptoms. Crohn disease can be associated with reddish tender skin nodules, and inflammation of the joints, spine, eyes, and liver. Diagnosis is commonly made by x-ray or colonoscopy. Treatment includes medications that are anti-inflammatories, immune suppressors, or antibiotics. Surgery can be necessary in severe cases. Crohn disease is an area of active research around the world and new treatment approaches are being investigated which have promise to improve the lives of affected patients.
Medical dictionary. 2011.


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Many Bradford homeowners think that because they have spent so much on purchasing a replacement boiler, 'nothing will go wrong with it because it's brand new.' However, even the most expensive boiler can go faulty at a moment's notice. If this occurs and you don't have boiler cover in place, repairs or replacement of the unit can set you back thousands of pounds, depending on which unit you have installed.
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Hair Dos and Don'ts for Your 30sYou're not old, but your daring 20s are behind you. Here's how to wear your hair during this style-transition time |
Image via Bertrand Rindoff Petroff/Getty Images
SEE NEXT PAGE: Don't: Get too braid-y
Older comments
I personally find that the red colour makes Christina Hendricks face look very pale. Her face is only saved by her blush.
by Zeaundra Friday, May 3, 2013 at 03:15PM Report as inappropriate
I liked it. Completely random but Drew Barrymore reminded me of the Mona Lisa in the one pic
by lpn4lyfe13 Tuesday, March 5, 2013 at 08:41PM Report as inappropriate
As a full-time stay at home mom I find this article lacking focus. Moms' can have long hair, and often may choose to do so. Why all the negative attention on moms? I feel like I can still do sexy even though I'm not "supposed to" for some reason?
by chenoa_f_mace Tuesday, January 8, 2013 at 05:41PM Report as inappropriate
I will never get a 'Mom" cut! I cut my hair short one time when I was 17 and never again will I do it again! My hair has always been long and even if I am 60 it will stay that way! It all depends on how you style it.
by brenda_lea Tuesday, January 8, 2013 at 08:55AM Report as inappropriate
Im pretty sure when i et in my 30s these will change. It will probably be the total opposite.
by nicky22 Thursday, December 27, 2012 at 02:59PM Report as inappropriate
No "mom" cut for me yet!
by EricaC123 Thursday, December 27, 2012 at 01:47PM Report as inappropriate
Why do you have to cut your hair shorter as you get older? I really think that's outdated! Your hair should be a reflection of you and how you feel, not a number.
by unfamiliargirl Tuesday, December 11, 2012 at 03:08PM Report as inappropriate
Ok, big problem Christina Hendricks hair is NOT a natural shade of red at all. I am a hairdresser, for 19yrs, never have I seen a natural redhead that shade. NEVER. Also what if in your 30s you look young and want a wild hair color?? Please YOURSELF, you only have one life.
by angie_xoxoxo Saturday, October 13, 2012 at 07:55PM Report as inappropriate


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Hindi Malayalam Dictionary Pdf
Hindi Malayalam Dictionary - travel dictionary to translate Hindi to Malayalam displaying a list of words in Malayalam. The dictionary also translates from phonetic Malayalam to Hindi. Copying a word from the translated list for a reverse translation can be used to find synonyms and to understand the broader use of the Malayalam word in the Hindi language. Although the Hindi Malayalam dictionary does not provide definitions or examples, the use of the translation software in this way provides you with a mechanism to better understand Malayalam words in the Hindi context without the need for definitions. 20K references. Flashcards Tutor learning game to help build vocabulary. Flip between languages and choose to play against essential words or the Advanced 20K reference pairs.
Help us in creating the largest Hindi-Malayalam dictionary online. Simply log in and add new translation. Glosbe is a collaborative project and every one can add (and remove) translations. It makes our dictionary Hindi Malayalam real, as it is created by native speakers people, that uses language for. Malayalam dictionary is a helpful malayalam dictionary that contains english words with corresponding malayalam explanations.Fast and easy to use.
• the game is so much funny and entertained. It does not require much of mental or physical effort, but still challenge enough to excite players • Here's a Smalltalk method with a comment, followed by a bit of rewriting using reasonable coding standards. Kingdom rush frontiers flash pc download.
Classic Hangman game. The word to guess is represented by a row of dashes, giving the number of letters.
If the suggested letter occurs in the word, it is displayed in the correct position. If the suggested letter does not occur in the word, one element of the hanged man it drawn. The game is over when the word is complete, or the hanged man is fully drawn.
Ideal for business people, travelers or students. Paid dictionaries with no Ads: FAQ Q. How quick are the dictionary searches A. This app takes up a small amount of space on your device and is very quick Q.
Are there definitions in the dictionary A. No, but if you touch on any of the found words synonyms are displayed helping to show its use in a broader context Q. How do I play the flashcard learning game A. Select the language for the head word and select the matching word from the list below and select Submit. I am a more advanced learner can I play a harder set of words A. Yes, tick the Advanced box to play against the full dictionary or untick to play against the 1500 words needed for high school Q. Can I type an answer for the head word intead of having multiple choices, for the flashcard game A.
Yes, this is for more advanced learners. Untick the Multiple Choice box, type your answer and select Submit. How do I play the Word Match game A.
Select New, then touch the head word in the left column and it's matching word in the right column. Its colour will change. Repeat this for all words and then select Submit to check the answers Q.
Can I use the Word Match game as a revision aid or word of the day A. Yes, select Revise to see the left and right words in matching order Q.
Can I see synonyms in the word games A. Yes, touch any word in the game, after you have submitted your answer, to see synonyms and the broader meanings for each word. Can I see a list of words that have been used in the games A. Yes, select Review History from the main menu Q. Can I see synonyms in the History A. Yes, touch any word in the history list to display synonyms Q.
Can I clear the game history A. Yes, use a long touch on the list of word to be prompted to clear the history.