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September 10, 1812: French soldiers pillage the town of Novospasskoye, home of Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka (8).
February 14, 1818: Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka (13) begins studies at the Blagorodny Boarding School, part of the Chief Pedagogical Institute, St. Petersburg.
July 10, 1820: Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka (16) plays a piano concerto at the graduation ceremonies of the Boarding School of the Nobility, St. Petersburg.
July 11, 1821: Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka (17) receives a Bible because of his success in his examinations. It is inscribed, "From the St. Petersburg University Boarding School to Mikhail Glinka, for good conduct and achievement in scripture, Russian language and literature, statistics, mathematics, and Latin."
July 15, 1822: Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka (18) graduates from St. Petersburg University Boarding School. At the ceremony he plays the Piano Concerto in a minor by Johann Nepomuk Hummel (43).
May 22, 1823: Following his desire to travel, Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka (18) makes for the Caucasus, reaching Kharkov today.
May 19, 1824: Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka (19) begins his duties as an under-secretary in the office of the Council of Communications, St. Petersburg. "I had to be in the office only five to six hours per day, I was not assigned work at home, and I had no real duties or responsibilities. Consequently, all the rest of my time I could devote to my favorite activities, especially music."
September 2, 1827: Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka (23) and three others organize a serenade on the Little Chernaya River, St. Petersburg. Situated on a launch in the river, Glinka directs a chorus and accompanies them on piano. Military musicians play from the launch and in the breaks, fireworks go off from another launch. Crowds of people line the banks for the performance from nine till midnight.
June 13, 1828: Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka (24) leaves his civil service post in the office of the Council of Communications. He will travel to Italy for three years in an attempt to restore his health.
December 25, 1828: Publication of the Lyrical Album for 1829 edited by Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka (24) and Nikolai Ivanovich Pavlishchev, is advertised in the Journal de St. Pétersbourg. It is a collection of music, some of it by Glinka.
May 7, 1830: Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka (25), accompanied by Nikolai Kuzmich Ivanov (20), tenor in the Imperial Chapel, sets off from St. Petersburg to Italy by way of Germany. Glinka wants to travel anyway but when a doctor (a friend of his father) states that only three years in a warmer climate will cure him, his father allows him to go.
December 26, 1830: Gaetano Donizetti's (33) tragedia lirica Anna Bolena to words of Romani after Pindemonte and Pepoli is performed for the first time, in Teatro Carcano, Milan. Of the unusually warm reception Donizetti writes, "success, triumph, delirium." A traveling Russian, Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka (26), will remember "The performance was like magic for me."
March 6, 1831: La sonnambula, a melodramma by Vincenzo Bellini (29) to words of Romani after Scribe and Aumer, is performed for the first time, in Teatro Carcano, Milan, to great success. A sojourning Russian named Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka (26) is in the audience. "Shterich and I...embraced one another and shed a flood of tears from emotion and joy."
October 9, 1831: Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka (27) and Nikolai Kuzmich Ivanov depart Milan for Turin on their tour of Italy.
November 1, 1831: Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka (26) and his friend Nikolai Kuzmich Ivanov arrive in Naples.
March 7, 1833: Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka (28) arrives in Venice during his sojourn in Italy. He is very impressed.
March 16, 1833: Beatrice di Tenda, a tragedia lirica by Vincenzo Bellini (31) to words of Romani after Tedaldi-Fores, is performed for the first time, in Teatro La Fenice, Venice. It is not successful and Bellini is faulted. Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka (28) remembers "Despite all Pasta's efforts in the part of Beatrice, the work was not a success."
October 20, 1833: Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka (29) and Fyodor Gedeonov depart Prague for Berlin where they will arrive in a few days.
November 8, 1833: Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka (29) begins his studies with the theorist Siegfried Dehn in Berlin. "There is no doubt that I am more indebted to Dehn than to any other of my masters."
March 16, 1834: While Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka (29) is in Berlin with his sister, they receive word that their father has died. They immediately return to Russia. It is Glinka's first return to his homeland in almost four years.
September 7, 1834: During his first week back in St. Petersburg, Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka (30) meets Maria Ivanovna Petrovna, his future wife, for the first time.
March 17, 1835: Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka (30) proposes marriage to Maria Petrovna Ivanovna in St. Petersburg. She accepts.
May 8, 1835: Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka (30) marries Maria Petrovna Ivanova, his sister's brother-in-law's wife's sister, in St. Mikhail's Church in the Engineering Castle, St. Petersburg. She is the daughter of an army officer. They will separate after four years and divorce.
April 20, 1836: Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka (31) petitions Alyeksandr Mikhailovich Gedeonov, Imperial Theatre director, to accept A Life for the Tsar for production.
April 20, 1836: An aria and chorus for Bakhturin's play The Moldavian Girl and the Gypsy Girl by Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka (31) are performed for the first time, in St. Petersburg.
December 9, 1836: A Life for the Tsar, an opera by Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka (32) to words of Rosen, Sollogub, Kukolnik, and Zhukovsky, is performed for the first time, in the Bolshoy Theatre, St. Petersburg before Tsar Nikolay and other members of the royal family. "The opera was a complete success and I was in a state of intoxication." Glinka is called to the Imperial box to meet the Tsar. The night will be viewed as the birth of Russia as an art music power.
December 25, 1836: At a dinner to honor Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka (32), Alyeksandr Pushkin improvises a stanza on the honoree. Glinka later sets it, and others performed this evening, to music.
January 13, 1837: Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka (32) is appointed Kapellmeister of the Court Chapel Choir by Tsar Nikolay I in St. Petersburg.
October 30, 1837: Scene at the Monastery by Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka (33) to words of Kukolnik is performed for the first time, in St. Petersburg.
December 29, 1837: Fire breaks out in the Winter Palace, St. Petersburg. Tsar Nikolay is called back from the theatre to oversee firefighting operations but all that can be done is salvage as much as possible. Most of the interior decoration of the building is destroyed. The conflagration is witnessed by Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka (33) from his monastery.
April 4, 1838: Some excerpts from the unperformed opera Ruslan y Lyudmila by Mikahail Ivanovich Glinka (33) are performed for the first time, in St. Petersburg.
April 16, 1838: Tsar Nikolay I orders his Kapellmeister, Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka (33), to go to Ukraine and recruit singers.
May 10, 1838: Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka (33) sets out from St. Petersburg to Ukraine to recruit singers for the Imperial Choir.
June 28, 1838: Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka (34) reports to St. Petersburg about his very successful trip to Ukraine to recruit choristers. 25 boys have been found already.
September 13, 1838: Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka (34), his travelling companions, and a troop of boys for the Imperial Choir, return to St. Petersburg.
July 16, 1839: Waltz in G for orchestra by Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka (35) is performed for the first time, at the Winter Palace, St. Petersburg.
November 17, 1839: After receiving many reports of his wife's infidelity, Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka (35) overhears his mother-in-law arranging for a meeting of his wife with her lover. "For me this was sufficient."
November 18, 1839: Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka (35), having moved to a friend's house in St. Petersburg, writes to his wife informing her that because of her infidelity, he can no longer live with her. He is not blameless on that score either.
December 19, 1839: Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka (35) petitions Tsar Nikolay I to be released from his position as Imperial Kapellmeister "because of ill health...and domestic disorders..."
December 30, 1839: Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka (35), depressed over the break with his wife, is granted release from the position of Imperial Kapellmeister, St. Petersburg. He has stayed on long enough to retire with the rank of collegiate assessor.
October 2, 1840: Farewell to St. Petersburg, a cycle for voice and piano by Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka (36) to words of Kukolnik, is reviewed in Northern Bee. The songs were first performed last summer.
January 25, 1841: Tarantella for reciter, chorus, and orchestra by Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka (36) to words of Myatlov is performed for the first time, in the Alyeksandrinsky Theatre, St. Petersburg.
March 27, 1841: The wife of Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka (36), from whom he has separated but not divorced, marries Nikolay Nikolayevich Vasilchikov, nephew of the Chairman of the Council of Ministers.
May 27, 1841: Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka (36) submits a formal petition for divorce. His wife has already remarried.
October 9, 1841: A Father Opolsky files a complaint with the Metropolitan and Chief Procurator in St. Petersburg. He says that Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka (37) has been telling everyone that he married Glinka's estranged wife to Nikolay Nikolayevich Vasilchikov. He says he told Glinka that because he suffers from "obscured judgment."
October 12, 1841: Incidental music to Kukolnik's play Prince Kholmsky by Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka (37) is performed for the first time, in St. Petersburg. The play is too long and not well received.
December 6, 1841: Because she has refused for five months to come to court to be questioned in divorce proceedings, Maria Petrovna, estranged wife of Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka (37), is questioned at home. She denies that she has married Nikolay Nikolayevich Vasilchikov.
March 7, 1842: Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka (37) appears before the consistory in St. Petersburg in the matter of his own divorce. He denies his wife's charge that he threw her out. In fact, he left the apartment and gave 3,000 rubles per year for her maintenance. He produces 13 letters from his wife to her lover, Nikolay Nikolayevich Vasilchikov and reads sections of them into the record. He flatly refuses to live with her again.
March 16, 1842: Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka (37) petitions the Director of Imperial Theatres in St. Petersburg to produce Ruslan and Lyudmilla. He forwards the music and promises the libretto soon. The director, Alyksandr Mikhailovich Gedeonov, immediately accepts and orders its production.
March 28, 1842: Maria Petrovna Glinka denies under oath that she ever married Nikolay Nikolayevich Vasilchikov and that she ever received letters from him. She says that her husband, Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka (37), bribed "the serf girl" to lie for him. She does not want a divorce.
April 20, 1842: Franz Liszt (30) gives his first performance in St. Petersburg before 3,000 people, the largest audience ever seen in Russia for such an event. The critic Stasov will later write, "After the concert, Serov and I were like madmen. We scarcely exchanged a word, but hurried home, each to write down his impressions, dreams and raptures. We both vowed to keep this anniversary sacred forever, and never, while life lasted, to forget a single instant of it." Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka (37) is also present and says that Liszt "played some things exceptionally well…but other things he played unbearably, with totally inappropriate expression…with often tasteless, worthless, vacuous ornamentation of his own." It is the first time Glinka meets Vladimir Stasov.
September 12, 1842: The "serf girl" in the divorce case of Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka (38) testifies that she took letters from Nikolay Nikolayevich Vasilchikov to Maria Petrovna Glinka from Mrs. Glinka's dresser. See 28 March 1842.
September 14, 1842: The Imperial Censor approves Ruslan and Lyudmilla by Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka (38) for public performance.
December 9, 1842: Ruslan and Lyudmilla, an opera by Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka (38) to words of the composer, Kukolnik, Shirkov, Markevich, and Gedeonov after Pushkin is performed for the first time, in the Bolshoy Theatre, St. Petersburg. The production is flawed from the start with bad sets, some inadequate singers and an undramatic libretto. The audience reception includes both loud applause and hissing.
May 15, 1843: The ecclesiastical consistory in St. Petersburg dismisses the divorce suit of Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka (38).
July 12, 1843: Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka (39) writes to the Synod asking them to reconsider the dismissal of his divorce suit. "In the eyes of society I am the object of unwarranted disgrace, which I must bear, knowing the full measure of my innocence."
July 24, 1844: Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka (40) arrives in Paris from Brussels. He is favorably impressed.
November 16, 1844: Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka (40) writes from Paris that his trip abroad is for three reasons, "to improve my health...to satisfy my curiosity...and...to acquire a certain fame and to establish relations with the well-known names of Europe."
April 10, 1845: Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka (40) performs in a concert at the Salle Herz, Paris featuring some of his music. It is moderately successful.
September 11, 1845: After spending the summer in Valladolid, Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka (41) departs for Madrid.
September 13, 1845: Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka (41) arrives in Madrid from Valladolid and takes up residence in the center of town.
October 16, 1845: Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka (41) visits Aranjuez, the "Tsarskoye Selo of the Spanish kings..." He is not impressed. He will then go on to Toledo, which pleases him much more.
May 14, 1846: In reconsidering the case of Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka (41) the Synod reverses the earlier decision of the ecclesiastical consistory and grants his request for a divorce. "Glinka, as the innocent party...is permitted to enter into another marriage, and Maria Petrovna is to remain forever unmarried." See 15 May 1843.
December 21, 1846: Ruslan and Lyudmilla by Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka (42) is given its first Moscow performance.
June 19, 1847: Having returned to France from Spain, Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka (43) departs Toulouse for Paris.
August 9, 1847: Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka (43) returns home to Novospasskoye from a two-year trip to France and Spain.
March 27, 1850: Three orchestral works by Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka (45) are performed for the first time, in the Hall of the Nobility, St. Petersburg: Capriccio brillante (on the Jota aragonesa), Kamarinskaya and Recuerdos de Castilla. They are all a result of his recent journey to Spain. The audience is so delighted they require the repetition of Kamarinskaya.
September 3, 1850: In St. Petersburg to be enrolled in the School of Jurisprudence, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (10) is taken by his mother to see a performance of A Life for the Tsar by Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka (46). It will have a lasting effect on his life and work.
November 8, 1851: Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka (47) signs and registers his will. He leaves all of his worldly possessions to his sister, Lyudmila Ivanovna Shestakova.
June 30, 1852: Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka (48) arrives in Strasbourg having traveled up the Rhine from Cologne.
July 26, 1852: In Avignon, Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka (48) receives homeopathic treatment for his "nervous condition."
July 28, 1852: Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka (48) arrives in Toulouse. While here, Glinka's "daily suffering" causes him to abandon his intention to make a second trip to Spain.
August 10, 1852: After two weeks of "daily suffering" in Toulouse, Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka (48) abandons his intention to make a second trip to Spain and boards a coach for Paris.
August 14, 1852: Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka (48) arrives back in Paris after a four-day trip from Toulouse.
August 31, 1852: Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka (48) writes to his sister that his increasing distaste for traveling is causing him to remain in Paris. His hypochondria is causing him to think that everyone traveling with him is going to infect him with dread disease.
December 21, 1852: Marco Spada, an opéra comique by Daniel Auber (70) to words of Scribe and Delavigne, is performed for the first time, at the Théâtre Favart, Paris. Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka (48) is in the audience and, except for the beginning of the overture, finds the music "very unsatisfactory." Giacomo Meyerbeer (61) is also there.
April 16, 1853: Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka (48) writes to his sister that he intends to stay in Paris, at least until 1854.
April 4, 1854: A week after declaration of war, Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka (49) leaves Paris for Russia.
May 28, 1854: Seven weeks after leaving Paris, Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka (49) reaches Tsarskoye Selo where he plans to spend the summer.
April 7, 1856: The newly orchestrated Molitva for voice, chorus, and orchestra by Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka (51) to words of Lermontov is performed for the first time, in Malyi Theatre, Moscow.
May 8, 1856: A day before his departure from St. Petersburg, Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka (51) gives a young composer a photograph of himself with the inscription, "To Mily Alyekseyevich Balakirev (19), in remembrance, from a true admirer of his talent. Mikhail Glinka."
May 9, 1856: Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka (51) leaves St. Petersburg on his last trip abroad. As he reaches the city gates he gets out of his carriage to say goodbye to his sister. He spits on the ground and says, "May I never see this vile country again."
May 28, 1856: Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka (51) arrives in Berlin, three weeks after leaving St. Petersburg.
May 31, 1856: Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka (51) writes to his sister that he plans to stay in Berlin indefinitely.
February 4, 1857: Author and philosopher Vladimir Fyodorovich Odoyevsky visits Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka (52) in his sick room in Berlin. Glinka gets out of bed and plays a new composition, claiming he is not really sick.
February 14, 1857: A doctor attending Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka (52) in Berlin reports that, although his life is in danger, the composer will not die soon due to his "unusually strong bodily frame."
March 7, 1857: A memorial service for Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka (†0) fills the Konyushnaya Church, St. Petersburg.
March 20, 1857: In the Hall of the Nobility, the St. Petersburg Philharmonic Society gives a concert in honor of Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka (†0) consisting entirely of his music.
May 26, 1857: The earthly remains of Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka (†0) are disinterred in Berlin for transport to St. Petersburg.
June 3, 1857: The earthly remains of Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka (†0) arrive in Kronstadt aboard the steamship Vladimir from Stettin (Szczecin).
June 5, 1857: After a memorial service at the Alyeksandr Nevsky Monastery, St. Petersburg, attended by a large crowd, the earthly remains of Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka (†0) are laid to rest in a private ceremony at the Tikhvinsky Cemetery of the monastery.
September 13, 1866: The Moscow Conservatory officially opens with celebrations. At the end of the dinner, faculty member Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (26) plays a piano reduction of the overture to Ruslan and Lyudmilla of Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka (†9).
June 2, 1885: A monument to Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka (†28) is unveiled in his native city of Smolensk.
November 9, 1893: The mortal remains of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky are carried in procession from the apartment of his brother Modest to the Mariinsky Theatre where a requiem is sung. At noon they reach the Kazan Cathedral. This is the main requiem of the day, on the order of Tsar Alyeksandr III, the first time that a civilian has been given this honor. At 14:00 they proceed down Nevsky Prospect to the cemetery of the Alexander Nevsky monastery, St. Petersburg. After another requiem and several orations and poems, the body is laid to rest not far from those of Modest Musorgsky (†12), Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka (†36), and Alyeksandr Borodin (†6).


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Huge Cruising Catamaran Day Charter in the Puerto Vallarta Area
Profligate is huge, as you can tell from the photos. Custom built in California, she's 63 feet by 30 feet. When she's the mothership of the Baja Ha-Ha, she has 12 crew. We only do 3.5-hour afternoon/sunset cruises, as we think the afternoon tropical sun is overwhelming. Besides, sunsets are the most romantic times on a boat. We do not do 'cattlemaran' charters, and only take very small groups. Profligate could accommodate 10 times as many passengers as we normally take, but that's just not our style. We cater to sophisticated clients, and thus don't feature tequila shots or blast rap music. Folks looking for charters such as that should go with our good friends on Alley Cat.
- Captain is included.
- A captain is provided by the listing owner to host and operate the trip.
- Capacity
- 6 guests
- Sailing
- Cruising Catamaran
Features & Details
- Length
- 63ft
- Year
- 1997
- Life jackets/required safety gear
- Galley Stove & Oven
- Cabin
- Wheel steering
- Bimini
- Outboard Engine
- Autopilot
- CD Player
- Chart Plotter
- Dinghy
- Dodger
- Twin Engine
- Fuel type: Diesel
- Generator
- Inverter
- Berth
Approximate Location
You'll get directions for the exact departure location when you make a booking inquiry.
Cancellation Policy
50% refund up to 5 days prior.
Additional Terms & Information
3.5 hour sunset cruises out of La Cruz, from La Cruz to Punta Mita and back. Whales in season. Also available as overnight surf lodge anchored off The Point, Mexican Malibu, Rose Water, La Lancha, or Burros.

subset: commoncrawl


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Aaron testimonilas
AAron Dilon-Four Winds Growers, Watsonville, CA
Aaron Dillon – Four Winds Growers
Four Wind Growers is a four-generation old family-owned citrus nursery based in Watsonville, California, with additional growing grounds in winters, CA. In 1946, a curious soon-to-be nurseryman named Floyd Dillon decided to develop a California version of the dwarf apple and pear, and chose citrus. Floyd learned that researchers at UCLA and UC Riverside were already experimenting with new varieties and different rootstock-scion combinations to improve disease resistance, production, control tree size or modify other characteristics. Dr. Bill Bitters and other citrus researchers worked with Floyd to create dwarf trees that had attractive foliage and tasty fruit. After several years of experimentation, Floyd founded Four Winds Growers.
Today, dwarf citrus is a common sight in nurseries throughout the West and is grown successfully in containers throughout the world. The adaptability of dwarf citrus to container growing has made them increasingly popular outside of traditional citrus growing areas. They are most easily moved indoors for winter protection and outdoors in the warm seasons. In addition, dwarf citrus has become important to gardeners whose gardening space is limited to patios, balconies and small porches.
We have a four-generation experience from our nursery indicating that the only way to run a citrus nursery business properly is to use clean stock material and for this reason we source our material from the Citrus Clonal Protection Program (CCPP) at the University of California. Clean nursery stock is the foundation for any kind of clean plant systems. We propagate the trees and make so many each year that if we were using infected materials we would spread infections very quickly. Starting with clean plant material is therefore vital for any downstream agricultural operation to be successful.
At Four Wind Growers, we also have a long history of testing the trees, starting in the old days when Tristeza was spreading and causing great losses, and more recently with the HLB threat in California. This is very important as we keep monitoring our plant material and make sure that what we use is clean. Support from NCPN allows us to test trees that are inside the screen house using new testing methods, and giving us an opportunity to identify and eliminate potential problems as early on as possible in the citrus production chain.
Thanks to the CCPP and NCPN, an even more robust common plan was developed in recent years for California, giving us high levels of confidence in our material because of where it is sourced. A proactive approach from NCPN and the nurseries gave us opportunity to act before HLB becomes a problem in California.
As we look to the future, it is ever more attractive to be able to obtain plant material from the CCPP as the CCPP is currently collaborating with Florida to import rootstocks that appear to be HLB tolerant. The importance of these programs in providing clean plant material is paramount as nurseries will be able to receive new varieties to combat HLB and have confidence that they are clean.
In a broader sense, having access to new varieties and varieties of special interest from a trusted source such as the CCPP is part of the strategy to prevent the spread of diseases, as the CCPP assists in importing and cleaning these varieties making it possible to bring them to market. The availability of clean budwood of new varieties has allowed us to maintain competitiveness for four generations, and we currently employ over 50 people.
We appreciate that it is important for the general public and hobbyists to have access to varieties that would otherwise be available only from sources that are not trusted. The first discovery of HLB in California was indeed from a backyard tree made using plant material that had not been pathogen-tested. In a further effort to saturate the market with clean plant stock, we started selling to retailers so that we can provide the general public with clean citrus stock.
Support from NCPN helps us in being a thriving business, currently growing over 250,000 quality dwarf citrus trees for containers and home gardens each year. We also provide over 60 varieties of fine citrus trees, including a selection of rare and unusual citrus that may not yet be available in retail nurseries.


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Very few wrestlers have been able to get over on skill alone. Nearly all the top guys have always succeeded in part because of their characters, not just their in-ring abilities. We might like to think that the cream will always rise to the top. That the best wrestlers will eventually succeed no matter the circumstances. Because it mimics a sport, pro wrestling might make us think the same way. If you're one of the best hockey players, you will play in the NHL. If you're one of the world's top point guards, you will play in the NBA. Talent always gets discovered and funneled to the right channels. But just like some players' careers might get hampered by playing on poor teams, so too can wrestler's careers be hampered by bad gimmicks.
It's a scary thought. Would Hulk Hogan ever have become wrestling's most recognizable character if he kept the moniker "Terry 'the Hulk' Boulder"? Would Chris Jericho ever rise to become the self-proclaimed G.O.A.T. if he had continued wrestling as simply "Lion Heart" (or worse still, "Cowboy Chris Jericho")? It's disquieting because one can only think of how many great wrestlers we lost to terrible gimmicks. What if Mantaur could have been the next Ric Flair? What if the only thing holding Ron Reis back was the awful "Yeti" gimmick? OK, these might be unlikely. And maybe the true greats will always find a way past terrible gimmicks. But what if some of these great wrestlers' initial gimmicks had stuck? What would have happened then?
15 The Ultimate Warrior as the Dingo Warrior
When the Ultimate Warrior was signed by the WWE in June of 1987, he initially competed at house shows under the name he had been using in World Class Championship Wrestling: The Dingo Warrior. Vince McMahon (or somebody at WWE) didn't want him to be one of several wrestling warriors, along with the Road Warriors and 'The Modern Day Warrior' Kerry von Erich, so he was rechristened "The Ultimate Warrior". Would The Ultimate Warrior have risen to become WWE champion as "The Dingo Warrior". It would have been more difficult, but probably.
Him not actually being Australian shouldn't have hurt him any more than 'Rowdy' Roddy Piper not actually being Scottish. And nothing about Warrior ever made any sense anyway, so why not? Interestingly, before he was The Dingo Warrior, he wrestled as "Blade Runner Rock" in the Blade Runners, seemingly yet another Road Warriors rip off. His teammate? Blade Runner Flash, played by Steve Borden, who would go on to be the man called Sting.
14 Triple H as Hunter Hearst Helmsley
Long before he was a 14-time world champion, an executive vice president in WWE, and Stephanie McMahon's husband, Paul Levesque was Hunter Hearst Helmsley. Levesque debuted in WWE as 'The Connecticut Blueblood' Hunter Hearst Helmsley; a similar gimmick to his WCW character of Jean-Paul Levesque, except without the atrocious French-Canadian accent. When Hunter aligned with the newly turned heel Shawn Michaels in 1997, Shawn began referring to Hunter by the off-screen nickname he had for his friend: "Triple H". The two would of course go on to form D-Generation X along with Chyna and the rest is history.
But would Triple H have been as successful if he kept the Connecticut Blueblood gimmick? Not a chance. That gimmick belonged to the cartoonish mid-1990s and there's no way it would have survived in the attitude era. It should also be noted that Hunter's significant growth in size (entirely natural, I assume) played a large role in his push.
13 Kevin Nash As Master Blaster Steel, Oz, Vinnie Vegas
When Kevin Nash got his start with WCW in 1990, he had to endure several years of horrible gimmicks. He began as the orange-mohawked Master Blaster Steel, first teaming with Master Blaster Blade (Al Green) and then as a singles wrestler. He was then the silver-haired Oz; a character based on The Wizard of Oz. He then portrayed wise-cracking mobster Vinnie Vegas and joined Diamond Dallas Page's stable, The Diamond Mine, along with other early gimmicks of The Diamond Studd (Scott Hall) and Scotty Flamingo (Raven). By mid 1993, Nash had had enough and left for the WWE, where Vince McMahon always knows how to book big men. Nash would go on to become WWE Champion as Diesel, before enjoying further success under his own name (and acerbic personality) back in WCW in the late 1990s. Could Nash have succeeded as Master Blaster Steel, Oz, or Vinnie Vegas if given enough time? No way. One could hardly think up three worse gimmicks for Nash if they tried.
12 Emma as the Dancing Emma
In early 2013, Emma developed a character in NXT that become a fan favorite. Emma would do an awkward dance which you'd have to see to understand. Emma's happy go lucky character was received well by younger fans, especially young girls, who loved to imitate her dance. The encouraging NXT crowds got behind her as well. However, when the WWE debuted her on the main roster in early 2014, they did just about the worst job they could do. They gave no explanation of Emma's dance nor her character and just showed her dancing in the crowd, looking as though she may have a mental disorder.
They then threw her together with Santino Marella as a comedic pairing. It bombed horribly and Emma was sent back to NXT. Emma would go on to develop a good heel team with Dana Brooke. Unfortunately, Emma would get injured as soon as they got called up to the main roster in 2016. Now Emma has been advertised to debut under new gimmick "Emmalina" for months, which looks doomed to fail. If WWE had just introduced the dancing character properly, Emma could have got over with her original gimmick.
11 Santino Marella as Boris Alexiev
Speaking of Santino Marella, the Italian goofball character was not his original gimmick. In the WWE's then developmental territory, Ohio Valley Wrestling, Santino wrestled as Boris Alexiev, a Russian Mixed Martial Arts fighter. While Marella (real name Anthony Carelli) is actually a Canadian of Italian, not Russian, descent, the Alexiev character was more like his real self inasmuch that Carelli is an experienced judoka and amateur wrestler. He dominated many of his opponents with stiff strikes and throws, before he was called up for 'the Milan Miracle'.
Could Carelli have succeeded as Alexiev as well as he did as Santino? You could argue that, as a serious character, Alexiev had a higher ceiling. But with the main roster being chock full of big bodies, the comparatively smaller Carelli probably could not have lasted as long under a serious shoot fighter gimmick. The Santino character was probably better long term and it allowed him to showcase his excellent comedic instincts.
10 The Godfather as Papa Shango/Kama Mustafa
Charles Wright's fun loving pimp character --The Godfather-- was a hugely popular opening match gimmick with the (male dominated) Attitude Era audience. But could Wright have enjoyed as much success under his previous gimmicks? Kama 'the Supreme Fighting Machine', was an MMA character. While Wright did relatively well in the profoundly calamitous "Brawl for All" tournament, nobody would confuse him for Jon Jones. After that failed, he was repackaged as "Kama Mustafa" and thrown into the Nation of Domination with the rest of the black wrestlers Vince didn't know what to do with. So clearly, Kama was not a winning gimmick.
But Papa Shango? Shango is a divisive figure. Adult fans watching in 1992 hated the cartoonish voodoo character. But ask anybody who was a kid at the time and they'll likely tell you they were terrified of Papa Shango. Maybe if he hadn't missed his cue to interfere in the main event of WrestleMania VIII; maybe if the Ultimate Warrior hadn't been fired before they could wrestle; maybe if they had not given Shango the ability to make wrestlers vomit from afar, the gimmick could have worked.
9 Edge as Val Venis
It's hard to imagine how much wrestling history would have been altered had Edge (Adam Copeland) debuted under the gimmick that was initially intended for him: Val Venis. As Val Venis, fellow Canadian Sean Morley, became quite popular during the Attitude Era in a similar vein as The Godfather. But clearly the gimmick did not have legs, and by 2000, it had pretty much run its course, save a for a drastic change-up as part of the Right to Censor. It's hard to imagine Copeland, as Val Venis, winning the first Money in the Bank at WrestleMania 21, main-eventing WrestleMania 24, or being inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. Even though Copeland was a better wrestler and a more dynamic performer than Morley, there's no way he could have done anything more with the Venis character. Now, if Edge debuted under his indie name of "Sexton Hardcastle"? Instant main event.
8 Kane as Isaac Yankem/"Diesel"
Glen Jacobs is yet another demonstration that, if you're big enough, Vince McMahon will be very patient in trying to find the right gimmick for you. Ultimately, that gimmick was Kane; the masked, burned (but not really?), baby brother of the Undertaker. While the Kane gimmick on paper seems ludicrous, he eventually got to Undertaker status where the WWE could pretty much throw anything at him and the crowd would more or less accept it. (Except that Kane seemed to get the stuff that was too crazy even for the Undertaker).
As Jerry Lawler's dentist Isaac Yankem (get it?), Jacobs was portraying a typical mid-1990s Vince character, when all the wrestlers seemed to have outside jobs. Obviously, that was going nowhere. Jacobs then portrayed "Diesel" after Kevin Nash left. This was a pathetic attempt to recreate the success of the Diesel character without Nash. If you wonder if Jacobs could have been as successful as the Fake Diesel as he was with Kane, simply look the not-so-illustrious career enjoyed by Rick Bognar, the fake Razor Ramon. Kane had to be Kane to succeed.
7 The Undertaker as Mean Mark Callous
As mentioned above, The Undertaker character gets a free pass. In a business that is often most successful when portraying a realistic sports-like atmosphere, The Undertaker is a gigantic exception. Because of his legendary career and professionalism, The Undertaker is unreservedly revered, even if we know he's not really controlling the lights in the stadium. Back in the early and mid-1990s, however, 'Taker was portraying an even more cartoonish zombie-like character. But he played it well and it worked in that era. He displayed far more charisma as The Undertaker than he did as "Mean Mark Callous" in WCW, or "Texas Red" in WCCW. The "Mean Mark" gimmick was essentially just a big guy who liked to hurt people. And to see how long those gimmicks tend to last, just look up the career trajectory of Mike Knox, Adam Bomb, or Kurgan. It's hard to imagine Mark Calaway not being a successful pro wrestler, but if he never became The Undertaker, he probably wouldn't have.
6 Lita as Essa Rios's Luchadora Sidekick
Had Lita never teamed up with The Hardy Boyz to form Team Xtreme, she would be nothing more than a footnote in wrestling history. She debuted in the WWE in 2000 as Essa Rios's valet. Unlike many valets, Lita could actually wrestle and mimic Rios's luchador style. Despite not actually being Latina, Lita did well in this gimmick, but the WWE didn't care at all about Rios nor the entire Light-Heavyweight division. Furthermore, Lita displayed no personality in this gimmick. It wasn't until she aligned herself with Jeff and (her real life boyfriend) Matt Hardy that she got to showcase her personality and a wider range of her abilities. She appealed to both men and women with her alternative, skater girl/punk rock fashion and she helped to make the Hardys a legendary tag team. Things she would never have done as Essa Rios's valet.
5 Rikishi as Fatu or The Sultan
Solofa Fatu rivals Ed Leslie (Brutus Beefcake) for the most gimmicks ever, except Rikishi eventually got over. He worked for years along with his cousin Samu as the Samoan Swat Team in various promotions, including WCW. The team were a stereotypical "savage" Samoan team. They carried over their gimmick to the WWE in 1992 as "The Headshrinkers". The gimmick worked fine for its time, but the one-dimensional and pretty much racist gimmick couldn't have lasted much longer (though, oddly, it did work for Umaga in the 2000s). Rikishi also portrayed The Sultan; a bizarre, masked, Middle Eastern character whose tongue had been ripped out. That was pure garbage.
The interesting one is "Make a Difference Fatu", the short-lived gimmick he had between these two. Fatu spoke of his real life hardships growing up in poor neighborhoods and the crime he saw and wanting to help his community. The WWE seemingly didn't even give this gimmick a chance, but the more realistic, uplifting character could have gone somewhere. Instead, Fatu would achieve his greatest success as Rikishi: an overweight man who liked to dance and shove his ass into people's faces. Who knew?
4 JBL as Justin Hawk Bradshaw
John "Bradshaw" Layfield is one of only a few wrestlers to achieve success with two different gimmicks. His most success came as a more villainous version of his real self: a Texas-born New York stock trader. But before he became WWE Champion as JBL, he was Bradshaw, the hard-drinking, hard-fighting, muscle for hire along with Faarooq in the Acolyte Protection Agency. Before that he and Faarooq portrayed the bizarre Acolytes as part of The Undertaker's Ministry of Darkness (an odd role for them).
But before any of that, he was Justin 'Hawk' Bradshaw, a cowboy managed by Uncle Zebekiah (Dutch Mantel). That was it; a tough cowboy. Unsurprisingly, that didn't work, so he grew a handlebar moustache, died his hair jet black, and teamed with Barry Windham as "The New Blackjacks". There's a rule in wrestling that a "new" version of a tag team is doomed to fail. Safe to say, had he never found his way to the APA, JBL would not have accomplished much.
3 Mankind as Mason The Mutilator
Mick Foley had already been reasonably successful in WCW, ECW, and in Japan as "Cactus Jack". But when he came to the WWE, Vince wanted to give him a new name: "Mason The Mutilator". This name is often pointed to as one of the worst Vince ideas of all time. And it is terrible, but let's be honest, is "Mankind" that much better a name? Names like "Mankind" and "Triple H" are testaments to the theory that great performers will get past bad names. Granted, it's hard to imagine Jim Ross yelling, "By gawd, Mason The Mutilator is broken in half!". While Foley probably never would have won the WWE title as "Mason The Mutilator", if he could have found a way to evolve into Dude Love and then Cactus Jack (as he did from Mankind), he still could have succeeded. But if he were forced to perform only under the Mutilator moniker forever, perhaps not.
2 Stone Cold as The Ringmaster or Chilly McFreeze
Right after somebody mentions "Mason The Mutilator" as a terrible name suggestion, somebody will inevitably top it with "Chilly McFreeze". Believe it or not, that was an idea for Steve Austin. "Chilly McFreeze". Chilly McFreeze is not winning any titles, full stop. I don't care who's portraying him. When the "Chilly McFreeze" name had been floated to Austin, he had already been wrestling as "The Ringmaster", another winning gimmick. While The Ringmaster was not great, it didn't damage Austin's reputation beyond repair. Austin wanted to portray a cold-hearted character and mentioned this to Vince and/or creative. They sent him a list of possible names that missed the point entirely. They just came up with "cold" puns.
Thankfully, Austin's then wife told him to drink his tea before it became "stone cold" and a star was born. If Austin had actually been forced to wrestle as "Chilly McFreeze", the WWE might not even exist today. There's just no way "Chilly McFreeze" headlines a WrestleMania and turns around the WWE's business.
1 The Rock as Rocky Maivia
Rocky Maivia becoming "The Rock" is one of the more subtle rebrandings on this list, but it's possibly the most significant. Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson is the highest grossing actor in Hollywood. He has transcended pro wrestling. He is arguably the biggest star the WWE ever created. And none of that would have happened if they didn't let him turn heel. As crowds were enthralled by the bad-ass, antihero
Chilly McFreeze 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin, Dwayne Johnson was being made to portray a boring, white meat babyface. The crowd couldn't care less about his father or grandfather, they just saw an average wrestler with no charisma. Rocky was assaulted with "Rocky sucks" chants and even fans with "Die Rocky Die" signs.
The WWE finally allowed Rock to turn heel and join the Nation in August 1997. It saved his career. If Rock were forced to remain the bland babyface Rocky Maivia, he would never have been successful and probably wouldn't be a movie star. He'd just be some guy. It's crazy to think about. It also brings to mind a certain current half-Samoan WWE wrestler who is floundering as a babyface...


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How Eddie Lacy Evolved from Fantasy Dud to Stud
How Eddie Lacy Evolved from Fantasy Dud to Stud
Hopefully fantasy owners played their first-round draft pick, Green Bay Packers' running back, Eddie Lacy, who dominated like the stud everyone knew he was.
Eddie Lacy runs for 105 yards and 2 TDs as the Packers beat the Vikings 42-10 on Thursday Night Football! pic.twitter.com/WBQdp6wyEl
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) October 3, 2014
Lacy started off the 2014 fantasy football season as a complete dud. Here's his stats of how he has evolved over the first few weeks:
Week 1, 34 rush yards, 7.5 fantasy points – Forgivable as it's Week 1 jitters and all.
Week 2, 43 rush yards, 8.1 fantasy points – Hmm.. Didn't I draft an RB1 as my first draft pick, shaking my head..
Week 3, 9 rush yards and a fumble, 3.6 fantasy points – Sorry honey.. that shoe I just threw at the TV was meant to hit Lacy. Now I just lost to Smack Talking Uncle Rudy.
Week 4, 48 rush yards, and FINALLY a rushing touchdown – Man I shouldn't have decided to sit Lacy and play Shane Vereen this week.
Week 5, 105 rush yards, and 2 rush touchdowns – 28.2 fantasy points – Yes!! Finally Lacy returns to stud status. Or, darn, I shouldn't have traded Lacy for you fill in the blank___________.
Hopefully, fantasy owners stuck it out with Lacy, and he'll continue to grace his owners with the RB1 numbers everyone loves. Of course one thing to keep in mind was the Packers were in a pretty sweet spot early on, therefore they could afford some slower ground plays utilizing Lacy. Still though, Lacy finally looked sharp and like he wasn't carrying a big duffle bag full of rocks on his back anymore.
So much determination tho. #RollTide @Lil_Eazy_Ana_42 https://t.co/AMl0Uol3Fy
— Obnoxious Bama Fan (@FanObnoxious) October 3, 2014


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Hello everybody
Well we are getting nearer to Christmas and I hope all your plans are coming together. I've a few things to wrap and the tree is up and looking festive, but today is Tuesday and that can only mean one thing…. it's DIGI CHOOSDAY day and this week's challenge is 'Christmas Table/Decor'.
I've been wanting to do a large project for some time now and this project is it!!
I started with a large 12 x 12 canvas which I covered with green/white spotty paper from the FESTIVE HOLLYBOBS WORK & PLAY 5 COLLECTION which I have Mod Podged to the canvas and then printed out four copies of the Festive Hollybobs Santa in A4 size and cut him out and decoupaged him. I've then added Fluffy Stuff and glitter to his suit for dimension and Glossy Accents to his boots. I've printed out the polka dot letters three times from Magical Winter CD available HERE and decoupaged them as well. I then layered them onto the canvas and then on the polka dots I have used Liquid Pearls in White Opal. The canvas has been finished off with TIM HOLTZ DISTRESS STAIN in Tea Dye on the edges to give it a rustic/old look. The layers of holly have been printed again from the Festive Hollybobs download and then finished off with STICKLES GLITTER GLUE in Xmas Red.
The Festive Hollybobs collection is so immense that you will never ever run out of inspiration for all your crafty makes and the inspiration from my other team mates shows that there are no limits to what can be made!!
Here is my crafty make.
These are the ingredients I have used:
- 12 x 12 Canvas
- Sheets of white card to print all the elements out onto
- Santa and the background paper and the holly from HERE (also available as a CD version HERE)
- Pinflair Glue for the decoupage elements
- Mod Podge
- Glossy Accents for Santa's boots
- Fluffy Stuff from Woodware
- Tim Holtz Disress Stains in Tea Dye
- Stickles Glitter Glue in Xmas Red
- Liquid Pearls in White Opal
- Cosmic Shimmer Cosmic Twinkles Glitter Glue
The Digi Choosday blog comes out each Tuesday and you have a fortnight in which to get your entries into the challenge which has a different theme each week and me and the other wonderfully creative team mates get to showcase crafty makes using Nikky's wonderful digi images available from Polka Doodles
Hope you will join me and my other teamies each Tuesday to see what we're up to.
Pop back soon to see what else I've been creating.
I would like to enter the following challenges:
Completely Christmas - Anything Goes Challenge with added holly
Scribble & Scrap Challenge #33 - Anything Goes
Altered Ecletics - Anything Goes
Bearly Mine Challenge - Christmas Decoration
Take care
Completely Christmas - Anything Goes Challenge with added holly
Scribble & Scrap Challenge #33 - Anything Goes
Altered Ecletics - Anything Goes
Bearly Mine Challenge - Christmas Decoration
Take care