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MICHAEL ANTHONY Talks About CHICKENFOOT III, Reminisces About The VAN HALEN Daze - "The Only Regret I Have Is That The Band Did Not Go Out Like It Should Have"
October 2, 2011, 8 years ago
VAN HALEN's only legitimate bass-man Michael Anthony recently sat down with BraveWords.com to talk about the band's oddly-titled but anxiously-awaited new sophomore effort called CHICKENFOOT III, which features his musical allies, former Van Halen singer SAMMY HAGAR, guitarist JOE SATRIANI and RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS drummer Chad Smith. Anthony hypes up the forthcoming Road Test tour, the fact that he doesn't consider the band a super-group and the beginning of the end of the original Van Halen.
BraveWords.com: We're here to talk about the fantastic new Chickenfoot III album.
Michael Anthony: "I like that 'the fantastic new Chickenfoot album' - that's what is it."
BraveWords.com: You'll be heading out on the road soon with Kenny Aronoff (JOHN MELLENCAMP, MELISSA ETHERIDGE, JOHN FOGERTY) as your drummer...
Anthony: "I'm in the San Francisco area right now and Kenny has been rehearsing with us."
BraveWords.com: You've also recently announced a mini six-date tour. Can we expect more dates soon?
Anthony: "Oh yeah. We call this a Road Test Tour. It's during the first week and a half of November. It's basically a promotional tour to let everybody know that we'll be coming out. We're going to do a lot of press - TV and stuff like that. We'll do a couple of shows on the east coast, west coast and in the mid-west. We'll do the same thing in early January in Europe. It's basically a pre-tour tour. We'll probably launch the full on tour by the spring or summer."
BraveWords.com: Package tour or clubs?
Anthony: "Well, I would hope that we're not in the club phase anymore."
BraveWords.com: The new album seems less experimental and more in line with the sound of the Van Halen F.U.C.K. album. It's more melodic rock...
Anthony: "The first album was (and I'm not sure the word would be experimental)... We were all new with each other in the studio, so there was a lot of jamming going on. It was 'jam-oriented'. It was looser. After being in the studio and touring as much as we have, everybody is comfortable now and musically knows where everyone is at. I think it's a natural evolvement of the band. This album is a lot more in-depth and I don't want to say darker... I use the term 'meatier'. It's not as loose sounding as some of the stuff on the first record. We really have an identity now."
BraveWords.com: The last time Michael Anthony was part of an album named III - it didn't end so well.
Anthony: (laughs)
BraveWords.com: So, when the band said to you - we're calling this album III. Did you say 'hey, wait a minute'?
Anthony: "I had not even thought about that until just now when you mentioned it. Boy, you just ruined my whole... I'm just kidding. That's really interesting. I had not even thought about that. Originally, Chad had suggested calling it Chickenfoot IV and everybody was like 'hey hey'... because it's only to let people know that a new album is coming out anyway. The way Chickenfoot works and they way that we all are is that we like to have fun. Our fans know that after seeing some of the videos and stuff from our first album. We knew the logical thing would be to call it Chickenfoot II, but we're not going to do that - it's too predictable. So, let's call it Chickenfoot III and now I got a whole new spin on the whole thing because of you."
BraveWords.com: Well, you get second chance...
Anthony: "No, no, no (laughs). The other III album was NOT my favorite album (laughs). Where this IS my favorite album."
BraveWords.com: Let's talk about your relationship with Sammy Hagar. He left Van Halen in '95 or so...
Anthony: "Well, he really didn't leave. He was 'departed' from the band."
BraveWords.com: Still you managed to maintain a friendship with him which is not always obvious under those circumstances especially in the rock business world. How is it working with Sammy?
Anthony: "Actually when Sammy was out of Van Halen, I didn't have any kind of contact with him for a few years because it wasn't the politically correct thing to do. Eddie and Al - they were my band. When Sammy and I finally got back in touch with each other we actually became better friends this time around then we were when he was in Van Halen. I don't know why that is. When he joined Van Halen it was kind of like 'well, here's your new lead singer'. Our relationship started up like that, but when we reconnected we didn't even talk about music... it was more just being friends with 'how have you been? What have you been doing? How's the family?' - stuff like that. We became better friends because of it."
BraveWords.com: It shows and musically there's a magic as well.
Anthony: "We do have a pretty good chemistry together on stage. If I guest with Sammy's band or whatever we're almost like the Martin & Lewis of rock. He's like Dean Martin and I'm Jerry Lewis. We always had a chemistry vocally, too. We really wanted to bring that out when we got together and formed this band, Chickenfoot. With the new album, we really wanted to bring out the background vocals a lot more and that sound. It has become the 'signature' sound between him and myself."
BraveWords.com: ...And that's what I meant before about the album being more melodic. The background vocals really come to the forefront on this album. It makes it a more whole album and everything just works well together.
Anthony: "Yeah and I think the way the songs evolved and were being written really lent themselves to some great background vocals. Sammy and I would listen to the music in the studio after we'd be done tracking and we look at each other and say, 'Oh, my God - we could throw a great background there... a great 'ouuu' or 'ahhh'' or whatever. We knew that there would be a lot of room for some really good stuff creatively (vocally)."
BraveWords.com: Were you more conscious about making a more radio friendly album or it this just how you write and this is what came out?
Anthony: "Yeah, I think it's just how it came out. We don't want to create any kind of pressure or put any pressure on ourselves. We got together (this band) to do this as four friends - just wanting to have a good time with nothing to prove. We've made money. We've had fame. We've had all of that, so we just wanted to purely do this to have fun with it. We didn't know how far we'd go. When we first got into the studio - it was 'let's jam and have a good time' and when everybody goes back to what they do... but everything was just happening and it sounded so great that it turned into an album and then a tour. Now, it's a new album and tour (that we're going to do), but we don't want to put any kind of pressure. We want this to be a fun thing to do and not have to worry about it turning into some kind of business. No - 'we have to better ourselves on this one' or whatever. The writing is what it is and luckily it turned out... I knew it was going to be great because the ideas when the were being developed... Anyhow, here it is and if the people like it - they like it and if they don't - they don't, but we're all really pleased with it and that's the main thing for us."
BraveWords.com: I think you've hit a home run especially with a song like 'Come Closer'. Probably, the best ballad to come out of the Hagar/Anthony duo...
Anthony: "Kind of new for Chickenfoot - kind of a different direction. That was actually a song that Sammy came up with the lyrics. He presented them to Joe and he came up with a very cool melodic piano thing. I remember Joe playing it (on the piano for Chad and myself) when we got together in the studio. We're like 'wow - let's jam. Let's play around with it and see'. Joe was like 'I'm not really sure I know it well enough on the keyboards', so he just strapped on his guitar and it took a little bit of a different direction. It got a little bit away from the keyboard thing and it turned into something very different for us. When we listened to the demo (Chad & I) we were like 'hmmm, we're going to have to come up with something to fit with what Joe is playing'. We came up with a cool little groove behind what he was doing and it turned out to be really really good song."
BraveWords.com: Joe had a long-standing solo career. His playing was very technical and, of course, playing guitar in a band can be very different. How is he adjusting to the band mentality and how it is for you playing with him? You played with a guitar God in Eddie and now you've got guitar God II with Joe.
Anthony: "Yeah, I haven't done too bad (laughs). I think Joe was ecstatic about being in this kind of a situation. I know that originally he had a band called THE SQUARES and he played with DEEP PURPLE for awhile. He just kind of fell into the solo type of deal. I think he's really been looking for something like this and he doesn't have to be the melodic focal point of every second of every song. He's got three other guys working with him here. He does great rhythmic stuff too and I think he was able to show a whole different side of what he can do (in this band)."
BraveWords.com: If I may - you are no longer in Van Halen. How is that for you on a personal level? Do you have regrets?
Anthony: "The only regret I have is that the band did not go out like it should have. In 2004, when we did the reunion tour - that's something we should have toured three times around the world with and unfortunately because of the state Eddie was in - we had to pull the plug after about 80 shows. It just couldn't continue and I didn't want to short-change the fans at all (myself personally). I wasn't even supposed to do that tour. Without getting into it - I took a lot of cutbacks and the only reason I did that was because if it was the last time the band was going to tour then I wanted to play for the fans. I wanted to do it for the fans. It was just sad to see how the whole thing went out."
BraveWords.com: I was backstage at one of the 2004 shows and you could just feel the tension. It was very discernible. It was you and Sammy in one corner and the other guys in the other corner. I remember thinking, 'this is not going to work'.
Anthony: "Well, there were a lot of those 'what's going to happen today moments'. You'd wake up every morning and it's like 'oh, my gosh. Is this going to be a good day or a bad day?' That's not the way to do anything."
BraveWords.com: Let's get off of Van Halen.
Anthony: "Thank you (laughs). I just choose to remember the good times because it was a great time. It was a big part of my life and my career."
BraveWords.com: In terms of Chickenfoot - what are the future plans? It started off as a super-group and by nature they aren't entities that are meant to last.
Anthony: "But we're not a super-group. The people that don't know the band think we're a super-group, but I've known Chad for years - him, Sammy and I have performed many times (before the band). I think that's what makes the band work. I think I know what you're getting at, but what makes this band work is that it's four FRIENDS that got together. People would think that we pulled Chad Smith out of the Chili Peppers and let's get Satriani - he's a guitar shredder - but we did it out of friendship. The way Sammy put this thing together is that he was touring with his band in 2008 and did a show in Las Vegas. He called me and said 'hey, I want to do something different for the encore. I should bring out a couple of friends to blow the fans' minds'. So, he called up Chad (and myself) - we were like 'yeah, we'll come out and jam with you.' He then had the idea to call Joe. I guess he figured with Chad and me there - he wanted to have a proper guitar player playing. Joe and I had jammed before as well. Sammy and I had a project we were trying to get off the ground before the (2004) Van Halen reunion called PLANET US with Neal Schon and Dean Castronovo (JOURNEY). We actually did a Rockline show and Joe played with us (on a couple of songs) because we performed during that show. Joe was actually going to be the other guitar player in that band, but it didn't happen."
BraveWords.com: You actually recorded demos for that project. What happened to them?
Anthony: "Yes, we did and we actually finished up a couple of those demos. Two of those songs, Sammy put out on one of his recent albums. The album was called Cosmic Universal Fashion. The two songs are Peeping Through A Hole (ed.: actual title on the album is Peephole) and... It wasn't like any kind of prefab deal or whatever. The way we got together is that we did the show (Vegas 2008), jammed on 'Rock N' Roll' by ZEPPELIN...
BraveWords.com: About the future. Are there plans for more albums?
Anthony: "We have no intent (after the way the new album tuned out) of ending anytime soon. We said we would do this unless scheduling didn't permit us to do it... We're looking forward to getting this thing out on the road and whatever is going to happen is going to happen, but we nobody did this to go out in a blaze of glory. I, very much look forward, to doing another Chickenfoot record."
BraveWords.com: Last words?
Anthony: "We're very proud of the new album and we can't wait to get out and play it for everyone."
For more visit: Chickenfoot.us.


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Nat Comisar
Being self employed and in very good health I found my self at 58 with an $820 monthly payment and a $7,200 deductible for something I used once or twice a year. It made more sense to go without insurance and save the $17,000 I would have to spend annually to find any benefit from the marketplace. However, that left me feeling uncomfortable and without a safety net. Reading this allowed me to sort out options, find something that better suits my family and our approach to healthy living and not break the bank every month. Thank you!

subset: commoncrawl


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It has been a strange couple of days.
I don't know how much I'm allowed to say, or even if I'm allowed to talk about this. So I'll just leave it at the following; on Thursday my safety was completely threatened and I, along with all of the other people around me, were put at risk at work. This is something that you know happens, you hear about happening, but you never think that it is going to happen to you. Until it does.
But, everything is going to be fine they said.
Then, just a few days later, the news of Kobe Bryant's death breaks the internet. Someone who we all have viewed as indestructible is all of the sudden ripped from the earth and gone. Getting into that helicopter that day they probably thought that everything was going to be fine. Until it wasn't.
This one hit me hard, like a brick wall. I didn't even know Kobe Bryant. I probably couldn't even tell you any of his stats. But it was never about basketball for me. It was never about basketball for a lot of us.
It has always been about who he was as a person, a father, a husband, an idol, a visionary. It is about that video of him and his daughter that went viral just a few weeks ago. They were sitting at a basketball game and Kobe was explaining to her how to improve. It's about every video I've ever seen of his daughters running to his embrace after a game. Every picture I've ever seen of his family. It was about every time I'm in the kitchen at work and one of my male coworkers shoots something into the trash bin from across the room and yells "Kobe!" It is about how, in those last moments, we all know that Kobe did everything in his power to make Gigi feel comfortable and okay.
I'm not one for giving advice, since I'm as guilty as the rest of us complaining about having to wake up and go to work everyday. Waking up every day is a blessing. Having the opportunity to go into work everyday is a blessing. Getting to work safely is also a blessing.
Maybe things are going to be fine. But we should never just assume that it is going to be fine. We shouldn't assume we are going to get another week on earth or even another hour. For being as tough as it is, life is pretty damn fragile and we should live out every moment as if we don't know what could happen next.
The Girl Who Cried Wasp
I've never been stung by a bee, knock on wood. And for that reason I have what I would call a very rational fear of them, [what others might call "irrational] because I don't know if I am allergic. I'm not allergic to anything, except for cats and silicone, so I have 100% convinced myself that I am allergic to bees. Call me dramatic now if you want, but you haven't even read the rest of the story yet.
One day, a few months back, I walked into my bedroom and spotted something out of the ordinary just sitting on my hardwoods. I have really bad eyes, at the distance I was looking at it it could have been a piece of lint or it could have been a rock for all i know. I approached with caution, only to discover that it was in fact a wasp. I called to my roommates who came running from their room with wads of toilet paper, they scooped that sucker up, flushed him down the toilet and no one ever spoke of it again.
A few months later, around 2 am, I was laying in bed watching Netflix when I saw something out of the corner of my left eye. It crawled out of the blinds on my windows, flew over my head, and disappeared behind a frame on my wall. Another wasp. I flung my blankets off of me and sprung from my bed sprinting to my roommates room crying wasp again! We cautiously headed back to the scene where we searched for 20 minutes hitting things, moving things, making noise, trying to scare the guy out of his hiding place. But nothing.
At this point, I'm starting to panic. I'm panicking because what if I sleep in my room tonight and the wasp comes out of hiding and stings me? Nobody believed I had a wasp in my room so they wouldn't hear me gasping for air and I would die. Or what if I just took too much Melatonin and I hallucinated seeing the wasp? I decided to sleep on the couch that night, but I didn't get much sleep. As I laid my head down and covered myself with a blanket, I heard a buzzing in my right ear. It couldn't be what I thought it was, could it? The wasps were in my room, I was safe down here. Or so I thought.
The next day I woke up and my roommates were going to Niagara Falls, leaving me in, what I had convinced myself to be, a wasp infested house. Before they left we made sure to check all of the windows in my room. I've had wasps before, back before we got our windows redone I had a wasp nest in my window. We checked them all, but found nothing.
I avoided the house and my room as much as I could that day, I was still in shock from the unwanted friend who flew over my head the night before, and was very unprepared to see another one. Despite my fears, I ran into my unwanted friend once again. Only this time, he was on my hardwoods, in the same exact spot that I found the other wasp a few months back.
Now I was freaked out, but I had to get this wasp out of my room while he was already down, before I could start playing Nancy Drew. I worked up the courage to scoop him up for probably a solid 7 minutes and used a whole roll of toilet paper to do it, but I did it. I faced my fears and killed the wasp, I'm single.
Things were starting to make sense to me now. I had found 2 wasps in my room. I had also noticed a silhouette of what looked like some sort of bug in between my blinds and my windows. It had been there for a few weeks, the cleaning ladies apparently missed it on multiple occasions. I pulled back my blinds cautiously only to reveal the body of, you guessed it, a dead wasp.
I checked both of my windows again to ensure that there were no wasp nests in either one of them. There was nothing. Either there was a hole somewhere and that's how they were getting into my room, or the nest was in the walls. I shared both theories with my roommates, they still didn't believe me, but they got up on the later outside anyway only to discover a swarm of hundreds of wasps near the area where our house meets the extension of our house which just so happened to be connected to my room and the family room.
We had discovered the root of the problem, but the wasp saga did not end there. The exterminator came out at least 3 times and sprayed multiple times and multiple rooms. I swear, every day for the month of September and even into October we found a new wasp or 2 just flying around. I tried to convince my roommates to just burn the place down and start over completely.
The wasps were really angry at this point too, they fought really hard to live this long after we tried to kill them multiple times, now they were out for revenge. One day I came home and entered my bedroom after a few days of quiet, I thought the war was over, but I heard the loudest buzzing I had heard and I knew one had returned. I called for help and I stayed in my room with my eyes on the prize. But before help could arrive I lost sight of him and I didn't hear him anymore. Maybe he had overexerted himself and died, maybe we were safe, so I called off the guards.
But then I looked up, only to see the largest wasp I had ever seen crawling on my wall like he owned the place. I shouted again and help came running, pushing me out of the room and into the hallway to safety. This wasp put up a fight, he was flying all over and buzzing and wasn't giving up. After a long, hard battle, we stomped the shit out of him and flushed him down the toilet with the rest of that exterminators career.
After the battle, we completely tore apart my room. The exterminator had come out and sprayed 3 times but we were still finding wasps, there had to be something else. Sure enough, we filled in 3 additional holes that day and I haven't seen a wasp in my room since.
Since the wasp incident, I haven't really slept well. I have very vivid dreams of wasps flying at my head, I'm probably just making it up in my mind. But every now and then I will hear some buzzing and think they're back or I'll see something out of the corner of my eye and my whole body will freeze, taking me back to that first night when the wasp crawled out of my blinds and flew above my head.
Nothing like some early twenties trauma, amiright? At least I'll go down in history as the girl who cried wasp... and was right about it.
When I first met Elysse..... where do I even begin? she was this bubbly red head, much like she is now, living at the end of the hallway on floor 11 of Calhoun.
She was loud and friendly and everything my freshman year self wanted no part of, but desperately needed. I had a hard time making girl friends in college, until the day Elysse walked into my life. I prayed and prayed she wouldn't talk to me, but she did. She invited me into her small 4 x 4 box dorm where she lived by herself and she offered for me to sit on her bed and she sat on her desk chair.
We talked about everything. everything that a college freshman could possibly know or think they know about life. Our past boyfriends, we realized we shared a common crush, his name was Alex and he was running for Calhoun Hall President and we both offered to work on his campaign because we thought he was so cute (he is still in our lives today, shout out to Alex who is currently working out in Guatemala to begin a trade school), we talked about our passions, our hobbies, our families, and the most important part of the conversation to me was when we talked about our values and morals.
I called my mom later that night and I told her I finally met someone in college that has the same values and morals as I do and I said, "I think we are going to be good friends". Little did I know, in that moment, I would get to do something that some can only dream of. I would stand by her 6 years later on her wedding day. But from that moment on we were inseparable.
Elysse became a sister to me. But we all know with siblings, relationships aren't always easy. Our friendship wasn't always perfect but one of my favorite parts of this whole story, though not an easy part, is she became a sister to my very own sister, sophomore year of college when Nick walked into our lives.
I can't count the amount of times the three of us all sat around that small Usquare apartment and hashed out Elysse and Nick's relationship. We would watch her cry and see her heartbroken and we would tell her the old cliche "let him go, he isn't worth it. If he comes back, it's meant to be".
She knew something we didn't, because she never did let him go and I believe it was always meant to be.
When I realized how serious this was, I figured it was time to get to know Nick for myself and so that's exactly what I did. What I came to find is that Nick is genuinely good. Not the kind of genuinely good you come by often. When he heard me crying and heartbroken, and Elysse fell asleep, he took her phone and talked to me through the night.
He loves so hard and so well, not just Elysse but also those who love Elysse, and he does it almost effortlessly. Since Elysse can't be with me, because I'm not her type, there is no one else I'd pick for her other than Nick.
So far in the story, Elysse has cried, I've cried, but oh how the tables turned on the day of their wedding when Nick saw Elysse for the first time, a little birdie told me that he cried too.
Elysse and Nick, I cry writing this the same way I've been crying since the day nick told me he was going to propose. I am not one who runs out of words often, but you two and your love leave me speechless. I'll never forget when Elysse told Nick that he is going to be her boyfriend because "it's gonna be forever, or it's gonna go down in flames". If you couldn't tell by now, it's gonna be forever.
She really locked him in, when 10 minutes before the ceremony she requested that the preacher change "till death do us part" to "forever and ever".
Congratulations, best wishes, here's to Elysse and Nick's forever and EVER!
I've been thinking a lot about shoes.
Someone once told me,
"It doesn't matter what shoes you wear,
Nobody is looking at your feet."
But shoes make or break an outfit.
Shoes make you feel confident.
Not once,
Until recently,
While putting on my shoes,
Did I think:
"but what if I need to run?
How fast will these shoes carry me?"
It's Not Always Sunny in Banff
There is a place in Canada that looks otherworldly, I'm sure you've seen it on Instagram. An influencer is perfectly posed in a canoe, on water as flat and clear as glass, with mountains in the background and cool blue skies. She probably doesn't have a hair out of place, her outfit doesn't have an ounce of dirt on it, and her hat is completely secured on her head.
We've all seen this photo and we have all wanted to go. And so, I did. [To be fair, I've been wanting to go since before I saw it on Instagram, but that's neither here nor there.]
We did our research, we booked our hotel, secured our flights and our shuttle and off we went.
1. July is peak season in Banff. It is supposed to be their "summer" and it is the time of year when most tourists are in the park. Keep this in mind when booking your trip, that with peak season comes peak prices. It was almost impossible to find a direct flight so we had a 12 hour travel day in an odd order, but we got there eventually and it didn't break the bank. Also keep in mind that you can't fly in to Alberta. You have to fly into Calgary and then take a 2 hour shuttle trip into Banff National Park to where you are staying. You will have to book your shuttle in advance of your arrival date because you need to have a reservation. I would recommend using the Brewster Express.
2. You don't need to stay in the fanciest hotel. In fact, you probably wouldn't even want to if you really knew how far away they were from everything. The Fairmount Banff Springs is about a 15 minute, uphill walk from downtown Banff, or you can wait to take the shuttle up there. The Fairmount Chateau at lake Louise is over an hour shuttle ride outside of downtown Banff. Of course, you'd be staying on lake Louise so what more do you need. The Banff Ptarmigan Inn is the perfect spot to stay. It's reasonably priced, in the heart of Downtown Banff, located right next to Good Earth Coffee house and right across from a shuttle hub stop (more about the shuttle later). The Banff Ptarmigan Inn gives you that at home feel when you've come back cold and tired from a long day of hiking. That's all you really need when you're thousands of miles from home.
Again, I will say that peak season comes with peak prices and not a lot of hospitality options. Before we found the Banff Ptarmigan Inn the most reasonably priced option was an RV parked in the RV area of the park that someone was renting out as an AirBnB. Consider that your warning to book quickly and early.
3. The girls you see on Instagram all done up look great, but they must have a lot of confidence because literally nobody else looks like that. I mean there is a little bit of everything but most people are in hiking apparel and its not exactly what you would call "mountain chic". It's fine and great to want to look your best, but just as you dress for the season, not the weather, I'd recommend you dress for the location and not your Instagram feed.
4. There are 17 hours of daylight in Banff. The sun rises at about 5 AM and sets around 9:40PM. Be prepared to eat at odd hours of the day and drink a lot of coffee or tea.
5. Pack a rain coat. And probably a winter coat. But you also might want to pack shorts, tank tops, and short sleeve shirts.
6. Take a lot of photos, but also make sure to appreciate the beauty of the world through your own eyes and not solely through your phone screen.
7. Be prepared for bears, moose, and mountain lions. Going to the mountains is like going into the ocean. You are a guest in their home, and the wildlife is always home. Respect that and respect them.
8. That being said, don't hike alone. Actually, most of the trails are recommended that you are with a group of 4 or more. And other trails its mandatory that you are with a group of 4 or more, or you will be fined. The trails near downtown Banff are easy and welcoming for all hiking levels, but the further you get into the National Park, continue with caution. Someone once told me, when I was at the peak in the Smokey Mountains, that "this is the safest you will ever be." And I believed that, and still do, because at the top, a lot of things can't get to you. But it's good to keep in mind that the mountain lions can see you, you just cant see them.
9. Public Transportation is a must. Banff utilizes a transport system called Roam. When we first chose this location for our adventure we assumed that everything would be in walking distance, but we were wrong. We had to utilize the Roam shuttle almost every day. It is free and easy to use especially because when booking at the Banff Ptarmigan Inn they provide you with your own bus pass for the entirety of your stay.
10. As with all trips, do your research so you know what you are getting yourself into but also go in with an open mind. Not all trips go as according to plan.
I have been counting down the days until July 19th since it was announced that The Lion King live action film would be released that day. Out of all the Disney movies that I know and love, The Lion King has always been my all time favorite and will always hold that special place in my heart.
Growing up I never had a pet but I always had an unconditional love for animals. So much so that I had imaginary pet friends, I had so many stuffed animals on my bed that you could hardly see me, and I spent most of my time crawling around the floor putting holes in my jeans pretending to be a dog, or of course, a lion. My parents took me to the doctor because they thought something was wrong with me, but the doctor said I just have a really active imagination.
Kids and imaginations go hand in hand. When you're young you're carefree, worry free, you're pure and it feels like nothing can touch you. And nothing really can because your parents, older siblings, family friends, etc. , whoever those important people were in your life, they will protect you from it…or try their best to.
At a very young age I learned that you can't always be protected from some things, heartbreak. My mom was out of town on business one weekend and my dad was left to take care of, and entertain, two little girls, my sister and I. He and my uncle thought it would be a great idea to go to an Indians game, of course. Now that you know a little bit about me as a child, you know that I loved stuffed animals. I took one with me everywhere I go. One particular stuffed animal, Simba.
Simba and I were inseparable, I took him everywhere. He was my favorite stuffed animal and good friend, I loved him more than I loved crawling around on the ground pretending to be just like him. I held him tight all the time, and every time I gave him a little squeeze, he would make a little squeaky growling noise. That weekend my mom was away was no different. If I was going to the Indians game, Simba was going too. My dad asked me "Do you really want to bring him in?" but I couldn't say no and leave him in the car. He had to come with and so he did.
This even occurred years back when the stadium still had that kids section with food courts, a play area, and picnic tables. I don't really know if that still exists because now when I go to games I spend most of my time at the bar. But that's neither here nor there. So, we went to the kids area to grab food and enjoy the game.
When you go to the Indians games the food lines are always long and seating is limited, so we wanted to reserve a spot while we waited in line for food. My dad said something along the lines of "Why don't you leave Simba at the table so he can save our spot for us?" and we headed to the line to get food.
When you're young, your imagination is active, everything is exciting and overwhelming, the smallest things seem like the biggest and you have the best time wherever you go. We had the best day at the Indians game that day. Until we got back to the car, my dad was buckling me in the seat, and I realized that Simba did not make it back to the car with us. I couldn't remember the last time I saw him, but it was the minute that I left him on the picnic table.
My dad tried to go back to the stadium and track down Simba while I sat back in the car broken hearted, feeling completely defeated. I think we all knew that I would never seem him again. To this day, this story still breaks my parent's hearts. And it breaks mine. It's even still difficult to type, though I've written it many times before for every college entrance essay ever.
The search for Simba never ended. I wished for years, every Christmas, that he would be under my tree. But he never was.
It wasn't until we went to Disney World for the first time, when I was 12, that we got close to finding him. My parent's went in to every store that sold plush and told them the story. The Cast Members would take us to the back and we would search through pages and pages of plush Simba's, but to no avail. We found a few, but they just weren't the same.
I went back to Disney World when I was 20 and was working as a Park Operations Intern in the Disney College Program. I wasn't there looking for Simba this time, I was looking for something more than that. I had hit a rough patch in my life, once again experiencing a lot of heart break, I was constantly surrounded by toxic people and I was failing classes, treating my body like crap, and struggling to pull myself out of this rut.
Disney saved me, in a way. I made friends that I still consider my best friends to this day. I learned what it means to work hard, to fail, and to succeed. I learned what it means to love. To love yourself, to love others, to love your life.
One night, close to the end of my program, I was hanging out in Magic Kingdom with my best friend. We were in some of the shops in FantasyLand when I came across the cutest Simba. He was so soft and just looking at him made me smile. It was near park close and we decided we weren't going to buy anything so we headed back towards the front entrance of the park. Somewhere along Main Street I stopped dead in my tracks and looked at my friend and said "we have to go back, I can't leave without Simba".
We ran, as fast as we could, with bookbags on and everything, back to that store because this time, I was not getting into a car without Simba.
Heartbreak sucks, it never gets easier. But I learned a lot from Simba. Things change in the blink of an eye. People are here one day and gone the next. We have to cherish every moment we have, treat others with love all the time, live every moment to the fullest, because you never know when it could be your last moment here or your last time seeing someone. No one can ever replace the person you love and miss or the memories you made and love, but you can find someone and something that you love just as much.
So on July 19th, try not to need me because I will be sitting in a movie theatre, (not really because I will actually be exploring the Canadian Rockies) watching my favorite movie and my favorite character that taught me so much about life and love.
The other day at work I said something along the lines of "I can't figure this out, I'm so stupid" and my friend looked at me and said "Don't talk about my friend like that".
I started thinking about how often I hear people in my life say negative things about themselves.
"I'm so fat"
"I hate my body"
"I drink too much and I hate myself in the morning"
"I have a shitty personality"
"I'm losing my hair"
"I hate that I'm dependent"
"I hate the sound of my voice"
"I hate that I care so much about what other people think of me"
"I hate that I take things so personally"
I could keep going but I won't, I'll just leave you with this; I don't know who needs to hear this right now, but if other people can love us for the same things that we hate about ourselves, I think that we can try to learn to love ourselves too.
Taking The Time
I haven't written anything in awhile and it's not really because I haven't done anything that's worth writing about, it's because I don't feel like I have the time to take the time that it takes to write. I think this is because of the way society conditions us to think; Society tells me that I have to go to work every day and then I have to come home and work out, get things done around the house, run errands, etc. So I go to work, I drive home in rush hour traffic, I come home and I exercise and by the time that is all finished I am ready to take a shower and get in bed.
I read all the time that you need to take an hour for yourself each day and i think about this often. What do I do for myself each day? I forced myself to exercise because I've been told to think that that is what I need to do. But if I don't necessarily enjoy exercise, then is that really taking time for myself? I don't really think so.
Little bits and pieces of my blog have been popping up here and there; at a graduation party one of my quotes from I Don't Mean to Brag But I Be Like...Doing It Anyway was displayed as a centerpiece on the table, and that's a nice reminder that this blog, my very own little escape, still exists and maybe I should make time to write more often.
A few days ago my super talented friend took time out of her life to paint me and asked if she could post it on her design Instagram. She said that she usually posts the photo with a quote said by that person and asked for my favorite. Because I haven't written in so long, the only quote I could think of was the one from the graduation party, so that is the one I provided her with. It reads "When you're happy with what you're doing and where you're going, it doesn't matter how many bad days or how many rough moments you have, because the good always outweighs the bad".
She said it took her awhile to finish the paintings of me because she hasn't been home a lot. But the point of it all is that she still started them and finished them because she made time to do it. She said she didn't mind that it took her awhile because she had fun doing it and she loves to draw and create. Despite being busy with whatever life would throw at her, she still took the time to do the thing that she enjoys doing.
She inspired me to take at least some time out of my life to write. Because even though it is so easy to fall into the routine that is almost robotic of going to work, coming home, working out, doing things around the house, running errands, etc., I still need to do something for me, something that makes me happy. Even if I can't have a full hour out of every day, I'm still taking the time.
You can check out the drawings below and check out more from @designsbycaitb by clicking the link!
I'm really happy, it's not because of a man and it's not because I won the lottery, and I just want to brag about it a little.
In the past month I've saved so much money on Starbucks because I don't feel the need to "treat myself" every other day of the week just for surviving one day. I used to literally bribe myself with coffee.
In the past month I've spent so little time scrolling through social media. In fact, I hardly have time to touch my phone throughout the day. Sometimes I'll hop on Instagram just to see what my favorite celebrity is up to or to see if there's a new giveaway I want to enter or I'll get on Twitter just for a quick laugh. But over this past month I haven't sat and scrolled through social media longing to have someone else's life because I have been so caught up and so busy with my own life.
In late February, about a month ago, I started a new job and the next chapter of my career. It has been a major adjustment. The hours are different and the job is demanding. Every day is a challenge, every day I struggle and I make mistakes, and every day I get stronger personally and professionally. I don't find myself bitching and moaning constantly, I don't find myself complaining. I literally find myself laughing and smiling and thinking to myself "I love my team and I love this place".
Never in my life have I thought I would be that person who says "I love my team" and I certainly never thought I would be that person that wants to purchase for myself a company sweatshirt, and yet, here I am. I think it's because for the first time in a while I'm genuinely happy and proud of where I'm at.
This is not to say that I wasn't happy before the job change. But I do think before I was just going through the motions of life. Waking up, going to work, coming home from work, going to sleep and doing it again the next day. I was spending a lot of time with my head down either just getting the day's tasks done or looking at my phone and not enough time enjoying my life and being present in the moment, even if in that moment I am in an office working.
In the past month I've had a lot of good days and a few bad, and a lot of rough moments and a few great ones. But what I've realized is when you're happy with what you're doing and where you're going, it doesn't matter how many bad days or how many rough moments you have because the good always outweighs the bad.
SO- I'm sorry if I don't snapchat you back, if I don't like your Instagram post, if I take 3-5 business days to text you back. I'm just really busy focusing on my clients, my career, and probably making snarky comments and laughing with my coworkers. And most importantly I'm just really busy being happy.
I have literally been trapped in my house for 2 days because of this snow storm that I was convinced would not come. I have done a lot of moving from my bed to my couch and from my couch to my bed. I've scrolled through social media, cooked, cleaned, and did laundry out of boredom. I decorated my room and rearranged my closet more than once. I finished a series on Netflix and I've watched a few too many romantic movies to the point where my personality is now a little bit Rachel Chu (Crazy Rich Asians) and Tami Oldham (Adrift).
If you've seen either movie you'd know that these characters are opposites, and in the most extreme ways. Rachel is from New York City and is dating the Prince Harry of Singapore while Tami Odham's wanderlust leaves here trapped on a sail boat and forced to survive for 41 straight days. While these two leading ladies are living out opposite situations, they have a few things in common and these similarities are just a few of the most unrealistic ways women are portrayed in movies.
1. Women are confident 100% of the time.
Love stories always seem to portray women as confident and having it together all of the time. They move so gracefully, they never stumble over what to say, and they always know what they want to eat, where they want to go and how to dance.
When in reality, women [and being in love] are not always that graceful. We stumble over our words and say they wrong things, or write the wrong things. And sometimes we don't know what we want to eat!! And sometimes we don't know how to dance. Sometimes we need a little help from our friends or vodka in order to get us out on that dance floor.
2. Women know exactly who they are.
Sometimes we just don't, okay? Sometimes we are still figuring our shit out. And I'd love to see a movie about this. A realistic movie, not a comedy. Most story lines involving figuring your shit out turn into comedies, when in reality it isn't always funny.
3. Women don't have neck rolls when they're laying down.
Out of all three points I have and will mention, the way women are shown laying down or sleeping, is by far the most unrealistic. I've never seen a person lay their head down on a pillow in real life and not have their cheeks get all squishy or their neck get all rolly. Come on Hollywood, do better. We are all laying down and looking like egg-heads or potatoes. Show it on the big screen.
aaannnd that's really all I have to say about that. Try not to think about this too hard because it's really meant in a lighthearted way.


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Hip-hop's political 'Swords' / Journalist Adisa Banjoko explains how the community can create political change in his new polemical book
Adisa "The Bishop of Hip-Hop" Banjoko, one of the Bay Area's pioneering hip-hop journalists, has been writing about the culture for insider magazines like the Source, XXL, Rap Pages, 4080 and Bomb for almost 20 years. He wrote a history of hip-hop's four elements -- graffiti, break dancing, DJing and rapping -- for the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts' touring "Hip- Hop Nation" three years ago, and was even briefly at the helm of a "Chicken Soup for the Hip-Hop Soul" book project. This year, freed from the constraints of magazine assignments, he completed his new, self-published book, "Lyrical Swords: Hip Hop and Politics in the Mix."
Not that Banjoko, 34, has been a follower for his whole career. His father, the first person to buy him a turntable and teach him how to scratch records like a DJ, also exposed him to the Malcolm X speeches quoted in Public Enemy's records. He always nurtured a love for hip-hop as a catalyst for political and artistic change. As a teen, he made friends with fellow San Bruno residents Mixmaster Mike of the Beastie Boys and mix-tape maestro DJ Vlad, and attempted to B-boy (break dance).
He got his start as a hip-hop journalist at 17, when a teacher persuaded him to write for the Oceana High School paper, the Foghorn. After listening to "My Uzi Weighs a Ton," a song by the then-unknown rapper Eazy E, Banjoko called a number listed on the B-side. "I left him a message that said, literally, 'Hi. I work for a big-time newspaper and I want to interview you,' " Banjoko recalls with some embarrassment. "And he called me back! He gave me his home number."
And so it began. Banjoko became one of the first writers to chronicle Bay Area hip-hop culture, writing about such local heavyweights as Paris, Too Short and Digital Underground at the same time the genre's popularity grew on the East Coast. When he started out, he said, he never aspired to be the type of fluff-producing celebrity journalist whom hip-hop culture has endorsed over the past 25 years, but to be the type of person who "writes down what most people think and don't say."
He still does. Even as he juggles life as a stay-at-home dad with his public relations work for the Riekes Center for Human Enhancement in Menlo Park, a nonprofit mentoring organization, he remains an iconoclast. Recently, months before hip-hop pioneer KRS-One was maligned in the press for saying that black people cheered after Sept. 11, Banjoko challenged him to a public debate. KRS-One had previously come to the Bay Area and advocated hip-hop as a cultural and political force transcending ethnicity, elaborating on his famous line: "Rap is something you do; hip-hop is something you live."
"After listening to him talk about 'being hip-hop,' for a few years," Banjoko said, "I realized it was baseless." (KRS-One declined the invitation to debate; he did not respond to interview requests for this profile.)
Banjoko believes KRS-One turned down a public debate because he has too much to lose. "It's not a beef; it's a philosophical challenge," he maintains.
A study in contrasts
Banjoko calls himself "Urkel in a kufi" one moment, then quotes from Plato and the Quran the next. He gave himself the moniker Bishop of Hip-Hop, however, in honor of his favorite chess piece, not because he thinks he's some sort of high priest.
He has the gracefully lanky build of a basketball player but the round- framed glasses of a geek. His goofy grin and easy wit are disarming, especially when he launches into bragging about his martial arts skills; then the smile disappears and the married father of two begins to explain his devotion to Islam. He combines a disdain for hip-hop's current materialism with the nostalgia of an ex-rapper. In his new collection, he describes his introduction to the culture as a B-boy: "I chose that 'cuz you didn't have to have money to be a B-boy. You just needed heart, discipline and the courage to go out there and show the world what you got."
The book offers concrete suggestions on how hip-hop fans can forge a political movement from the culture, instead of just telling young people to go out and vote. Banjoko also tackles misogyny and interviews respected musicians like Q-Tip and Rakaa from Dilated Peoples. It's a far cry from the hip-hop "journalism" on BET and MTV.
"Most hip-hop journalists are groupies with pens," he said recently over lunch at a Thai restaurant in the Haight. "I don't need to be backstage popping corks; I just need 10 minutes so I can ask these 10 questions. I don't think hip-hop journalists take themselves or hip-hop that seriously."
There are times when Banjoko seems to take himself too seriously, and there are some missteps in the book -- nothing an editor couldn't have fixed. But the book also includes enlightening essays that combine Eastern wisdom with Western analysis; a good mixture of scholarship and street wisdom.
"I know there are things in the book and things about me that are still not very refined," Banjoko offers as explanation. "But I'm trying to be dangerously human. I acknowledge that this is all I got. There are a lot of people trying to run hip-hop, and it's too vast and too nebulous to be run by anybody or any one personality, so I offer suggestions. Because I allow myself to be flawed in front of other people, they don't feel so bad, freaking out about hiding their own flaws."
Banjoko is not ashamed to write or talk about his imperfections. In high school he was a slacker, rebellious and lazy. He liked to binge-drink on weekends, dropped out of school and became "a couch-surfer" for a while.
All who wander aren't lost, though. After meeting former Black Panther Kiilu Nyasha and starting to work on the Commentator, a Panther newspaper, Banjoko earned his GED. Rappers Ice Cube and X-Clan were announcing the end of rap's political era, Sistah Souljah was on "Donahue" and Rodney King was beaten in Los Angeles. Banjoko said his soul was aflame. He converted to Islam just before his 21st birthday.
He changed his given name, Jason Parker, to the West African Adisa Banjoko -- names that mean "one who makes his meaning clear" and "stay with me and go no more," respectively. Around the same time, he met James Bernard, one of the founders of the Source magazine, at a Chuck D talk at San Francisco State University, and his hip-hop journalism career took off.
Local rap historian Davey D met Banjoko when the budding journalist was also rapping. "(Banjoko) brings his own flavor to the game," D said. "His perspective is fresh. ... You don't see a whole lot of people who have a voice these days."
One reason, D said, is that big names in the entertainment industry do not respond well to criticism. Actually, they don't respond to it at all, meaning that reporters who aspire to be objective in hip-hop journalism may find themselves unable to talk to what D calls "marquee players" (think P. Diddy).
What keeps Banjoko honest, he says, is that he is just one of the actors in "God's divine play. I don't care about kicking it with any of these fools (for any reason) other than getting information from them and understanding them and trying to communicate what their music and their message means to the community and hip-hop."
Writing his own way
There was a time when Banjoko floundered around, doing a bunch of jobs - - first, he was a paralegal, then a grocery clerk. He fell into public relations for a dot-com and when he got laid off in 2000, he started his own PR company. When he met Kyle Canfield, the son of "Chicken Soup for the Soul" co-creator Jack Canfield, Banjoko was already embittered by his forays into corporate America. When the book project fell apart around 2001 after creative differences between Kyle and Banjoko, he felt that he could really trust only himself with his work and his vision from then on.
This is what he told Karen Johnson at Marcus Books when Banjoko and two friends, Omar Ditona and fine artist Ed "Scape" Martinez, arrived in San Francisco with a box full of "Lyrical Swords" to sell. Like many other potential buyers on that breezy Thursday afternoon, she eyed the slim, gray book while he told her about how the book came about after the demise of the "Chicken Soup" collection.
Johnson listened thoughtfully, then took a stack of "Lyrical Swords" and said, "I'm a black woman. We don't like chicken soup; we like gumbo."
Between his trip to the Fillmore and a brief Thai food lunch in the Haight, Banjoko sold several books as he walked through the Haight wearing a black shirt designed by Martinez with the words "They wanna kill hip-hop" emblazoned on the back. He sold a book to an old-school DJ and put some books on consignment at Future Primitive Sound before the group headed back downtown.
All day, he'd been prompting Ditona to put Yusuf Islam (formerly Cat Stevens) in the CD player, fluctuating between thoughtful pronouncements about faith and giddy discussions about selling his book around the Bay Area.
In the midst of heavy afternoon traffic, the guys started talking about a recent trip to Bed Bath & Beyond. Suddenly, Ditona said, "They have these things that make s'mores," and the car filled with hearty laughter.
"Oh, man," Martinez said, shaking his head in mock shame.
"If you're so lazy you need a machine to make s'mores, I don't know if I can kick it with you," Banjoko began.
Then the group started in with more jokes about jujitsu, more nostalgia about funnel cakes in the summer and, of course, the good old days of hip-hop. As they headed south on Highway 101 toward home, Banjoko went through his scrapbook of the old days in San Bruno. Earlier in the day, Martinez had asked him how he felt about this new milestone in his career -- a book of his work that isn't sponsored by any big-name magazine or included in any anthology (even though Banjoko and DJ Vlad are still planning to publish the work that would have been included in the "Hip-Hop Soul" book).
"It's humbling," Banjoko said, in earnest. Then, with a chipper smile, he noted that the box he'd brought to the city was empty. "Amazingly, everything I saw Too Short do at Eastmont Mall really works."
For more information about the book and upcoming Bay Area readings, go to www.lyricalswords.com.


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Oh I've been so excited for this post!
Have you guys heard of Stitchfix yet? I was reading one of my favorite blogs a while back and she totally got me hooked.
How does it work? Every month, Stitchfix sends you a fun box of clothes and/or accessories that are geared towards your style and body type. Do any of you ever watch 'What Not to Wear'? This is kind of like that… minus Clinton and Kelly (boo), and minus the trashing of your own poor closet. Aaaand you don't get $5,000 to spend. SO basically not like the show at all. Anyways, you request an invitation and then fill out an extensive style questionnaire where you give information describing your body size, type, and your own personal style preferences. You also rate different outfits and describe what you would like to start incorporating more of into your wardrobe. After all that, you choose what kind of price range you are comfortable with for each type of item they send you. Totally awesome!
Also, You can try all the clothes on in the comfort of your own home, and with other pieces of clothing you already have! And, you can model the outfits in front of a mirror that is honest with you, or your husband and three dogs. Whatever you want.
Best part? You keep what you love and send back what you don't. They conveniently include a prepaid postage bag that you just toss whatever you don't want to keep into and then send back at no charge! You only get charged for what you keep. It costs $20 to have your first Fix sent to you, but that money can be applied towards any items you decide to keep in the box. So, say you fall in love with a top that's labeled as $58 in the box- it's only $38 if you want to keep it. Awesome, huh? And if you decide to keep the whole box, they give you 25% off your whole order.
Stitchfix is pretty new, so it takes a while to 'get accepted' with a personal stylist- but here's a personal invite to get started if you're interested!
I am hardly a shopaholic- I was intrigued by this because 1. I am not a fan of going to the mall. 2. I tend to buy the same type of things all the time and never branch out. 3. I don't live very close to any fun places to shop. All of these things are probably very good for my wallet, but sometimes I do wish shopping was more convenient and exciting!
And this way, you get an exciting box in the mail full of clothes that someone else picked out for you based on what YOU want- and no pressure to not hurt the saleslady's feelings. Perf. And I LOVE love love surprises.
So without further ado, here's what was in my box!!
My first reaction was a little disappointment. I was hoping for a lot more color and pattern diversity, since that's what I always think I'm lacking… and this all seemed pretty bland and basic. But I forged on and tried them on anyway!
(Excuse the nerdy picture fashion show. But it's kind crazy to see how things look so different when they are folded up or on a rack vs. on you!)
Another side note. I realize it's crazy to try a personal styling service when you are 7 months pregnant and your body is nothing like it normally is. I'm already being patient in waiting to find out the sex of our baby, so there's no patience left when it comes to trying other things. That being said, everything actually fit great!! The black skinny pants were a little hard to get on, but they were super stretchy and fit like a glove- Joey convinced me these would be worth keeping, and that'd I'd get back to my regular size after pregnancy so I'd be more comfortable in them later. He's sweet.
Hey there, baby Judah!
The sweater was comfortable too, but I already had a black and white striped maternity sweater in my closet so I said no to this one.
This was easy for me to decline. I do not do the whole 'short in front, long in back' thing. At least to this degree- I kind of felt like I was wearing a droopy blanket. I tried adding some of my own accessories to improve the look…
And I like it a little better, but still not convinced. Onward we go!
This was a tunic sheath dress that they included because in my style survey, I mentioned wanting to wear dresses more often- and this dress was not what I expected, but I was surprised at how much I liked it once I put it on! It was incredibly comfortable, and very versatile- however, I'm not a big fan of cowl necks, and the back of this dress was cowled.
Eh. Maybe if I add a belt?
Better! I liked it more and more as I wore it, and that's the whole point of this Stitchfix thing- try on something you normally wouldn't! Broadening my style horizons…
And last but not least, the bib necklace- also grew to like this more as I wore it! I tried it on with one of my own shirts and thought if I had added a blazer and some cute heels, this would have been a great outfit! Minus the bed hair.
So I liked it, but I think I can find something similar to it for much cheaper elsewhere.
So out of my first fix, I ended up just keeping the black skinny pants and sent everything else back. I loved that with each piece they sent you, they included a tag with advice on how to wear the piece and what other clothes would look good with it!
Everything else I didn't end up keeping, I just stuffed back into the bag and will drop it in the mail later today. SO that was my first fix! It was so fun to get a package in the mail full of different clothes and be surprised with new styles- I'm obsessed! And beats the travel time to the mall and crowded stores too. I won't be doing this EVERY month, you have the option of scheduling one whenever you want- whether it be monthly or here and there.
Give it a try and tell me how it goes for you!!


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For your consideration a vintage 1948 sign. The sign is made of metal. It measures 18" in width by 53 1/2" in height.
An excellent addition to any advertising collection or if you just want to own a really neat old sign. The item "Large Vintage 1948 Coca Cola Soda Pop Bottle Gas Station 54 Metal Sign" is in sale since Thursday, March 09, 2017. This item is in the category "Collectibles\Advertising\Merchandise & Memorabilia\Signs\Original\1930-69". The seller is "oldjunque74" and is located in Bloomington, Illinois. This item can be shipped worldwide.


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Smooth black leather pumps with an open back and ankle strap are a classic, tailored addition to any summer business dress or casual attire. The upper is crafted from soft glove leather, with a seamless appearance and no extra embellishment. The shoes are a slide style, with a black leather strap on the outside of the foot meeting a wrap-around ankle strap and fastened with a delicate silver buckle.
The insole is smooth leather, soft against the foot. The blocked heel is designed to provide comfortable wear for hours, perfectly supporting the foot. Non-slip material on the soles allows a confident stride.
Shipping & Returns
We deliver to 95 countries all over the world with our shipping partner DHL.
For detailed information about the shipping please click here.
You have 15 days from the date you received your order to return it.
Click here to see our returns and refund policy.


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Massage is the ancient discipline of individual tension release through vigorous localized physical stimulation. It has been traditionally accomplished by one human kneading another, though depending upon individual preferences, variations will occur as warranted. Present applications include physical therapy, sports massage and chiropractic. Given the personal nature of the interaction between massager and massagee, there is little homogeny in the field at large; everyone does it a little differently.
With the massage chair, a level of standardization can be achieved should that hold appeal. As there are limited mechanical functions these devices perform which are necessarily repeatable, one can ideally establish a massage regimen to suit their needs. The market offers options, and as this is a luxury item, those options come at a price. Massage chairs like the Human Touch Zero-G 4.0 blend in to the furnishings and offer a limited range of features. For a higher tech chair in looks and operation, the Infinity Iyashi can set you up and back at the same time.
Touted as the world's best massage chair, the Inada Sogno DreamWave is something to experience. Available in black leather, this very comfy-looking high-tech wonder leans toward the upper regions of price, with many proprietary goodies to warrant it. Among them are the proprietary Inada DreamWave Technology, incorporating the proprietary Arm Shiatsu, Shoulder Massage, Hip and Thigh massage and beloved proprietary Stretch function. Something called the Optical Shiatsu Point Sensor scans your back and matches your particulars with one of 106 stored profiles to provide a custom massage. The DreamWave offers 8 pre-programmed revolutionary massage sequences including "Morning" and "Nighttime." These can be reprogrammed to allow the user to customize their preferred massage settings. After a session with the second-mortgage recliner, one is presumably so relaxed that they can even offer a proprietary Youth Session, for the kids.
The massage chairs provide relaxation to those whose stress include traumatic medical needs. The Inada Sogno has long been my favorite model.
I love this chair! This is the worlds best massage chair! No it is not a deep tissue personal massage . If you can afford it and I you like massages... Get it!
It changed my life for the better. I swear this is not a sales pitch. I just want other people who experience muscle aches and cramps to know there's an alternative.
I've had the chair for two years and still love it! I absolutely love the massage I get on my legs and feet! I highly recommend this chair to anyone who loves massages.
You really do get to immerse yourself in super deep relaxation. The way the air cells compress your arms, legs and feet is a great addition to the shiatsu massage.
Amazing chair! The chair was very well made and very easily to assemble. I will definitely recommend it to my family and friends.


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Years ago street food meant dodgy hotdog stalls serving drunken revellers, their hygiene even worse than their food. Or maybe greasy breakfast vans in lay-bys and giant trailers at festivals, spewing out the stench of stale onions.
How things have changed. We now have the gourmet street vendor, with unusual dishes of exceptional quality, often based on a single culinary idea.
Street food has grown so much, it's moving indoors. Thomasina Myers turned a passion for Mexican street food into her chain of Wahaca restaurants. Meanwhile, starry chefs are tearing up table linen and offering gourmet takes on the humble takeaway.
Newcastle is ahead of the curve. The Boiler Shop Steamer, held in Stephenson's old Sussex Street building on the first weekend of every month (including next weekend), offers a variety of treats, from Mexican to Indian, Taiwanese steamed buns to dirty burgers and pulled pork dribblers.
But food vendors and customers can't survive on one monthly outing. Street food needs a permanent home. Step forward the Grainger Market.
Grade I listed, in the 1830s it was the largest indoor market in Europe. Today you can find butchers, greengrocers and fishmongers, and a great deli called Mmm. You can buy a chef's hat or a blond wig, weigh yourself for 30p, or browse vintage computer games – it's a glorious cornucopia. Last week it lost its Greggs, which is no loss at all, for as well as a good range of inexpensive cafés serving traditional breakfasts and lunches, pies and cakes, it's home to The French Oven bakery.
Best of all, the Grainger Market allows you to go around the world in a single lunchtime. Mrs Diner and I took the tour.
We started at Lindsay's To Go, a seafood bar offering griddled kippers in a bun, grilled Portuguese sardines, tuna, noodles with crab, and Lindisfarne oysters. A chef called Paolo prepares everything on three tiny portable electric stoves.
Queen scallops were poached in homemade tomato and garlic sauce, with added ground ginger and soy sauce, then poured steaming into a scallop shell with a few twigs of crisp samphire. The sauce was dark and rich, the scallops were fresh, and it cost just £5.95. Paolo lent us his own spoon to scoop up the sauce.
Tiger prawn and chorizo noodles were spicy, though it was hard to find the prawns.
There's nowhere to sit, for this is food-to-go, but there are round tables for perching.
We moved on to China. Maggie Snowball and her husband Simon own Quay Ingredient on the quayside, my 2014 Café of the Year. Maggie is from the spicy South West of China, and craved the dumplings of her homeland so much that she decided to give Newcastle its very own Chinese dumpling stand.
She's partnered with Hong Li, a former chemical engineer from Xi-An in the cooler North West. South-North translates as Nan Bei – that's what they call this tiny gem, selling freshly-made parcels of pork and cabbage, spicy beef and carrot, mushroom and egg and white fish. The dough has low-gluten flour that gives the dumplings a special lightness and there are pots of home-made garlic and chilli oils, spring onion and coriander for sprinkling.
You can buy four dumplings for £3.50, but I guarantee you'll order more. We tried the bao, superbly fluffy, filled with belly pork sweetened with barbecue sauce. Best of all was Maggie's wonton soup, a light stock culled from a giant pot of chicken carcasses hidden away under the counter, and tiny wontons that dissolved on the tongue.
We moved to Turkey, via a slice of vaguely authentic Italian pizza from a place called Slice.
The slice, by the way, was of that ultra-thin crispy variety you get in Rome, with very little topping, so it won't drip on their Gucci loafers. It cost £1.70 a slice or an extra 20p for the tiniest spoonful of sausage or vegetable. It's fine, but unspectacular.
As for Turkey, this was represented by Fez Food, which had a selection of börek – savoury pastries – for just £1. One was cheesy spinach and sausage, the other spinachy cheese. Both were delicious.
We ordered baklava, dripping with light honey, and sat on stools at a tiled bench watching the world go by, drinking Turkish tea from ornate glass cups with silver lids, listening to a group of Turkish men behind us arguing about something or other. Apparently it's owned by the people who run Red Flame in Gallowgate. I made a note to visit soon.
It took just 30 seconds to walk from Istanbul to Paris, enticed by the scent of fresh crêpes. Frédéric, who came to Newcastle eight years ago, is a proper Gallic galette-maker.
His buckwheat batter, which he turns into spot-on ham, gruyère and egg galettes, has been fermenting for over 12 hours before Fred, bantering to his audience of customers, sweeps it neatly round the griddle, carefully folding each corner into the centre without disturbing the soft yolk he's placed in the middle. Perfect.
Afterwards I was about to head off to Pumphreys and Pet Lamb Patisserie for coffee and cupcakes when Mrs Diner calculated our calorific intake on this gluttonous round-the-world trip and called a halt. I could have gone on travelling, and I'll certainly be back for more.
Secret Diner's verdict (out of 5 stars)
Food: Fez Food/La Petite Creperie/ Nan Bei/Lindsay's To Go - all at least 3
Grainger Market
Grainger Street
Mon-Sat 9am – 5.30pm
(Mon/Wed until 5pm)
Your Secret Diner reviews cover a broad spectrum of restaurants with a clear focus on quality.
Notably you have reviewed eight out of the 'Guardian's top 10 budget restaurants' in Newcastle, at which customers can eat for well for under £10. Couple that with coverage of the region's best fine dining, you offer a comprehensive guide with something for everyone. The North East has so much to offer and thankfully that's now being recognised, in large part due to The Journal.
Whether it's a fancy 5-course meal or a humble pizza, eating out should be an occasion. Impartial reviews written by knowledgeable diners such as yourself help others make good choices on where to spend their cash. Mediocre dining experiences are not just a waste of people's time and money, they're wasted opportunities to enjoy something better. Life's too short, so keep it up!
Kind regards, Atul More, General Manager, Haveli
Dear Secret Diner,
I love your reviews, what you review and where. Even if a place is expensive – so what? It might be that you are going for your own 'treat of the year' – your reviews help people make an educated choice on where to spend their hard-earned cash.
Your column, and the property surveying one by Peter Fall that also used to be on Saturdays, have always been the 'go to' articles for me, so well done you!
Yours, Phil Dixon
Dear Secret Diner,
Keep the "up market" reviews - dozens are doing others. I'm going to the House of Tides for the second time this March. It's only for special occasions!
Yours, Danny Groves, Wylam (@dpgroves6)
Dear Secret Diner,
How wrong Anonymous is. There are some brilliant mid-week deals around, especially at Bistro 62 in Bedlington (reviewed in March 2014), which is great value for money.
Yours, Emma Denham (@emmadenham)
Dear Secret Diner,
I agree with reader Sandie Reed (last week), that I made a mistake in not "coming out in the open" with my name, when commenting in the February 14th issue about high menu prices in your column. Therefore, I stand by what I stated and my name is now revealed!
Yours, Kay Cashmore (via www.secretdiner.org)
SD: Thanks for all your comments on this subject. So far I've covered 130 eateries, ranging from cafés and pizzerias to Michelin-starred fine-dining restaurants, which are inevitably at the more expensive end of the market. I hope I'm uncovering good food for everyone in the North East, and you can read all my reviews on www.secretdiner.org
Do you agree with the Secret Diner's verdict? Do you have a favourite restaurant you'd like him to visit?
Unless otherwise stated, the Secret Diner pays for his own meals and accepts neither bribes nor freebies, so his advice is always impartial. Restaurants have a right of reply.
You can email him direct at firstname.lastname@example.com, or send a tweet to @SecretDiner1.


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World Mental Health Awareness Day
St Helen's celebrated World Mental Health Awareness Day on the 10th of October with children supporting the international theme #HelloYellow. The children dressed in yellow and participated in a range of mental health awareness activities e.g. mindful relaxation, physical exercise, saying personal prayers and joke telling sessions. 2Y's assembly also linked well with the theme of promoting a happy heart and a healthy mind.


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"one long whine" about my worsening insomnia, and how my body seemed determined to keep me up all night by piling one distracting annoyance on top of another - itchy legs, stomach pains, restless legs etc. Yesterday, I woke up around 10.30am, having gone to sleep at around 2.45am. The previous day, I'd woken up just after 10am, having gone to sleep at around 2.30am. After rummaging through my memory banks, I realised that I'd been to sleep before 3am every single night since... well, Christmas Day. Now, with CFS, symptoms come and go: as one recedes, another reappears - either as a single spy or in a battalion. But as I haven't managed to fall asleep by 3am for two weeks in a row for at least two-and-a-half years, and as no new symptoms (or old favourites) have appeared to replace this one, I began to wonder what had changed since Christmas Day...and a lightbulb went on in my head.
the same model on the Serious Reader website is £150 (mine is the one without the bulbous gubbins at the bottom), and it's available from Amazon at between £180 to £250 - and, as an unexpected bonus, we got a mini-version of the lamp as part of the Telegraph deal (which my wife is now happily using).
It took me two nights to get the hang of it - at first, I missed the warm, wide glow cast by my old lamp, the bulb seemed too small, and I couldn't figure out where to aim the highly adjustable stem and head so I didn't have to alter it every time I changed position. By the third night it was as if I'd been using it all my life: I didn't have to touch the light once, I could read without the least strain... and I'd grown to appreciate its beneficent, soothing, daylight-like beam. And whatever time I go to bed, and no matter how naughty I've been beforehand (staring at back-lit screens till all hours, eating around midnight. showering at 1am etc.), I'm asleep by 3am - and I'm not waking up an hour later as I invariably used to do whenever I got to sleep "early".
I'm well aware of the danger of mistaking correlation for causation - and, yes, this could all be sheer coincidence. But I suspect my 27" Serious Reader bedside reading light is either wholly or partly responsible for the fact that I'm getting to sleep earlier and waking up with at least seven hours under my belt. (An enormous and heartfelt thank you to Mrs. G, who bought and returned three other lamps after getting them home, trying them out, and finding them wanting.) The next target is to get to sleep by 2am on a regular basis - but, for the time being, I'm more than satisfied with 3am.
It's a lot of money for a bedside light - but I'd get violent if anyone tried to take it off me!


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Friday, 25 March to Sunday, 27 March 2016.
With nine luxury five-star suites and in celebration of Easter, Lakeside Lodge & Spa is offering guests an exclusive Easter special during the month of March. When guests purchase two nights, they will receive the third night complimentary together with a special gift.
In addition to this, upon booking the honeymoon suite for three nights' guests will also receive a complimentary picnic basket they can choose to use for breakfast or lunch or guests can take an early morning pontoon cruise or sunset cruise on the Lady Giselle, plus a bottle of Benguela Cove wine.
If guests book out the superior suite for three nights, they will also receive a complimentary 30-minute massage together with free airport transfer or alternatively if guests book the luxury suite they will receive a complimentary chocolate and wine paring experience for two people.
During the month of March, the chocolate and wine pairing will incorporate a special pairing with egg-shaped chocolates to keep the festivities rolled out through the month.
Overlooking the picturesque Swartvlei Lagoon, Lakeside Lodge & Spa is perfect for a weekend or week night getaway with Sedgefield you too can experience the conveniently situated shallow-water jetty, equipped with complimentary kayaks and canoes
For more information, please email email@example.com, . Also visit their Facebook page, follow them on Twitter and Instagram


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I think I mentioned during the Home Tour that we have only lived in this house for a little over a year.
Although this house was 7 years old when we purchased it, it was as they say, turn key ready. I think my husband was excited that he didn't have to do a thing and we could park our stuff inside and get out on the lake to fish. Silly husband, it's as if he never met me.
In all honesty, we haven't really done anything major around the house. But what I have done is replace several of the light fixtures. Putting my spin on decorating makes this house a home for me.
I don't have any before pictures. Remember "we" were excited to get outside and go fishing. 🙂
Let me describe what the before looked like . Again, it wasn't bad, it just wasn't me.
Here is the new dining room table chandelier. Metal Orb from World Market.
There was a five piece chandelier over the table that matched the pendant lights that hang over the island. In fact, I think the original light is still in the garage waiting to be posted on Craigslist. Note to self: get that listed.
Here is the light in the bathroom over the double vanity. Home Depot purchase.
It use to be a 5 round bulb on a metal piece. Nothing wrong with that, just not me.
Now for my favorite change.
Turned into this…
Yep. I took what is affectionately referred to as a nipple light and replaced it with a 6 lamp chandelier. And here's the best part…
This is in my walk in closet!
How many times has someone seen the inside of your closet? If you are like me, close to zero. But everytime I turn on the light, I smile. I love touches of whimsy in decorating and this is the icing on the cake for me.
Plus this was a labor of love. My husband has become pretty handy at changing out light fixtures for me, but he never enjoys it. Here is the picture of him right after he replaced the light.
That is a face saying, "A chandelier in the closet? If this doesn't prove to you how much I love you, nothing does." heehee. He is so cute.
I hope you get a chance to stop in tomorrow. I need your help with something.
Have a great weekend!


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The Walrus Talks: Canada 150 Launch
Work / The Walrus / 2016 / Digital + Social
To celebrate Canada's 150th birthday, The Walrus Magazine hosted talks in 13 locations across the country. Feature speakers included notable Canadians such as Margaret Atwood, Mustafa Ahmed and Clara Hughes.
To spread the word, we hit the streets with a talking walrus to chat with Canadians and drop some knowledge at the same time.


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Greetings! God is good!
Periodically I do a hymn study and send these studies out to friends on an email list. These studies are also published on another blog that I write. So, if you would like to catch up on the study of the first 2 verses of this hymn, you can find here .
May the Lord encourage you as you read this study.
"God Leads Us Along," verse 3
The study this week will take a look at verse 3 of George Young's comforting and encouraging song, "God Leads Us Along." The words seem to fit in so well with the things that have been happening with some of our friends and the lives and ministries of some of our church's missionaries right now. Here are the words:
Though sorrows befall us and evils oppose,
God leads His dear children along;
Through grace we can conquer, defeat all our foes,
God leads His dear children along.
"Though sorrows befall us and evils oppose, God leads His dear children along." Mr. Young knew what it was like to experience sorrow. So much work over so many years. How long it took him to be able to build a house to provide a place for his wife and family to live! Yet, evil men who opposed God's work destroyed this house. In one night it was all gone. But Mr. Young took comfort in knowing that, even in this, the Lord was leading.
The Psalmist also experienced heavy sorrows and opposition of evil men. But He trusted in the Lord. Psalm 18:4-6 says, "The sorrows of death compassed me, and the floods of ungodly men made me afraid. The sorrows of hell compassed me about: the snares of death prevented me. In my distress I called upon the LORD, and cried unto my God: he heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry came before him, even into his ears."
Notice how similar these words were to those penned many years later by Mr. Young. Both the Psalmist and Mr. Young and his family were opposed by ungodly men. These ungodly men came upon them and made them afraid, as if pouring upon them a flood of sorrows. Both experienced the sorrows of hell. Can you imagine the thoughts of hell that a raging fire could bring to the mind. What about these ungodly men? They were doing Satan's work. If they did not get saved, their destiny would be hell. And their work brought the terrors of hell (fire) upon others.
But both the Psalmist and Mr. Young had Someone they could go to in their troubles. And this Someone would hear their cries and bring them help. They experienced the fears of hell, but these fears were not eternal or hopeless. Both could say with peace in their hearts, "The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower. I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies." (Psalm 18:2,3) Because they had this promise, and because they trusted God, they could lift up their hearts to Him in praise, "I will love thee, O LORD, my strength." (verse 1)
Psalm 116:1-9 also contains words along this same line, "I love the LORD, because he hath heard my voice and my supplications. Because he hath inclined his ear unto me, therefore will I call upon him as long as I live. The sorrows of death compassed me, and the pains of hell gat hold upon me: I found trouble and sorrow. Then called I upon the name of the LORD; O LORD, I beseech thee, deliver my soul. Gracious is the LORD, and righteous; yea, our God is merciful. The LORD preserveth the simple: I was brought low, and he helped me. Return unto thy rest, O my soul; for the LORD hath dealt bountifully with thee. For thou hast delivered my soul from death, mine eyes from tears, and my feet from falling. I will walk before the LORD in the land of the living."
Mr. Young experienced trouble and sorrow. Fire and ungodly men came upon him. Yet, the Lord was gracious unto him and delivered him. This great trouble came while he was out of town. Suppose it had come while he was sleeping in his bed. The loss of his house brought him low, but the Lord helped him. Ungodly men troubled him, but the Lord gave him rest. Fire could have devoured him in the night, but God delivered his soul from death and helped him to be able to walk before the Lord in the land of the living. Yes, though sorrows did befall him and evils oppose, God was still leading him along. Therefore did he love God the more.
Mr. Young knew that God was his strength, that God was greater than all that opposed him. He wrote, "Through grace we can conquer, defeat all our foes, God leads His dear children along." He knew that through Christ "in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us." He was persuaded that "neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." (See Romans 8:37-39)
His weapons were not carnal weapons that caused bodily injury to others. No, he fought his battles through grace. "Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus." (II Timothy 2:1) Let us pray that we do not get entangled with the affairs of this life but lean only on Jesus. Let us not return evil for evil but rather good that evil men might come to know Him Who can make them good. "For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled." (II Corinthians 10:3-6)
Thank You, God, for this song and for its encouragement, and for the example of those faithful men and women who have gone before us.