Category Archives: Blogging

Three Years Later…

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I remember it like it was yesterday. It was the evening of the 28th of December and I was still in the Chicago office. I texted my mom to see if she wanted me to be at my grandparents’ apartment.

Mom suggested that I go home (my own apartment at the time) since it was snow hard out and the roads were slick. So I did what I was told.

My phone was on silent and I went to sleep, but something woke me up and just before midnight I noticed I missed a few calls from mom and her text message

He’s gone.

A relief actually. After a slow decline over the course of two years he finally found rest.

Only a few days prior my mom and I were half joking about when my grandfather would pass away. She said:

I begged him to avoid the 24, 25, 27, 31, and 1st.

In case you were wondering my parents’ anniversary is the 27th of December.

So he passed the evening of the 28th… a little after 11:00 pm. Granted his death certificate says 1:00 am on the 29th of December, but that was when the funeral home picked up his body and the death certificate was official.

My uncle and I drove to my grandparents’ apartment the moment we were awake and able (meaning around midnight), and we stayed until my grandfather’s body was taken away.

Why wasn’t I there when he passed? As it turns out, my grandfather wrote a letter years prior with the people he wanted to be there when he passed: his wife (my grandmother) and my mom. And hindsight being as it is… I understand why, doesn’t mean I have to like it…

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Fleeting: WDI’s Colby Awards (Pre-Thoughts)

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While cleaning the apartment and prepping for tonight’s Colby Awards (an annual awards ceremony at Wheaton Drama aka WDI that honors parties that work backstage) I started thinking about my time with WDI in general.

Ever since I had the privilege to be cast in WDI’s Dirty Rotten Scoundrels back in May of 2012… I haven’t been able to leave the group since.

A self-proclaimed “floater” wherein I join a theatre group, partake in a couple of shows then disappear to the next group, Wheaton Drama was the first that provided an opportunity that I never had in the past: to work in stage management backstage.

After Dirty Rotten Scoundrels it was agreed that for the next musical (in this case The Sound of Music later that year) I would help as ASM and learn the ropes as it were. The original intent being that I learn as much as possible and I could rotate with the other SMs for the musicals so I could still audition for shows around the Chicagoland area and suburbs. I wanted to have the flexibility of not only being onstage but backstage as well as my work schedule dictates.

Before Dirty Rotten Scoundrels I was lucky enough to be in productions and to have had opportunities to interact with various parties to build confidence and joy in being onstage… and although I loved it (for it was a kind of escape from everything else) I knew a balance between the two parts of me was completed me.

However, as the story goes, an ex-bf was cast in The Sound of Music that forced me to beg out of the production for my own sanity and I had to wait until the next production came along before I could be ASM (in this case WDI’s Into the Woods.
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Fleeting: Eating Words

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So who remembers this post from over three years ago? You know the one… the one where I was “closing the door” and “leaving” community theatre because I felt dead inside and there simply wasn’t any joy in it for me? Where theatre was more of a parasite rather than something that I can truly enjoy and want to be a part of?

You remember that post…

And here I am eating my words in ways I did not expect.
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Fleeting: Pre-JoCoCruise from Chicago to San Diego

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Typically I have very little issues traveling, a hiccup once in a while, but today started off on not necessarily the “wrong foot” as much as just… off.

Let’s start with the work portion of the day:

Work was semi-normal, woke up early to triple check my luggage and headed to the local office (why would I drive to the Chicago office on a day like this?) relatively early… I was behind and being prepared for the trip, but had caught up beautifully. The only major item was that I was suppose to have a monthly forecast financial meeting with the cost engineer at work… except that didn’t happen.

That should have been my first hint that things weren’t going to be smooth.
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Fleeting: Foodie Blogs

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Over the past year I have been trying out recipes and stretching my cooking and baking wings. Some of these recipes have been posted and any variations have also been posted. However, some of my inspiration have come from other food / recipe blogs that I keep up with over the years.

SWEETS, SWEETS and MORE SWEETS

CONFESSIONS OF A COOKBOOK QUEEN

I’m a prime example that even the most imperfect people can create fabulous things in the kitchen.

I have no formal training, other than some cake decorating classes I took a few years back at Michaels craft store. I do some cake and cookie decorating from my home, and I feature those projects from time to time. Mainly though, I just want to present good recipes in a very approachable way.

THE COLLEGIATE BAKER

I’ve been baking and writing this blog for about a year-and-a-half, but I still consider myself an amateur baker and definitely an amateur photographer. I do a lot of experimenting and baking for fun. I’ve learned a lot since I started, though, and I’ve definitely seen an improvement in my baking and blog posts. Hopefully I’ll continue down this path and I hope you enjoy reading about it!

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Fleeting: Do Disney Villains Kill?

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Don’t ask me where this question came from, I suppose it was one of those lingering thoughts that stemmed from a photo:
Comic-Con Disney Villains

Which then inspired a Facebook conversation where someone mentioned that the the hunter in front was the most evil because he was the one that killed Bambi’s mother…

Then a few years later a separate conversation between friends as to which villains have actually killed… which then inspired this post.

So that begs the question…

Which of Disney Villains Kill?
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Recipe: Butterscotch Schnapps Ice Cream

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Earlier in the summer, I decided to clear out my alcohol stores… since I was already running low on the Butterscotch Schnapps, I figured it was time to clear that out. Which I did, and the below recipe was just a quick idea I put together and it turns out that people enjoyed it…

So here you go!

Butterscotch Schnapps Ice Cream
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Fleeting: Preferred Reads

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BOOK SERIES
The Pink Carnation Series by Lauren Willig
I don’t remember how I stumbled upon this series, perhaps it was my research with the history of early-19th century England that led me to this world… a kind of extension of the world established by the play “The Scarlet Pimpernel”. Historical romance (of the non-bodice ripping type) at the core, this series aligns fairly closely to historical events that indeed did happen although adjusted here and there for dramatic effect.

The summary of the first book of the series is as such:

Nothing ever goes right for Eloise. The day she wears her new suede boots, it rains. When the subway stops short, she’s the one thrown into some stranger’s lap. And she’s had her share of misfortune in the way of love. So, after deciding that romantic heroes must be a thing of the past, Eloise is ready for a fresh start.

Setting off for England, Eloise is determined to finish her dissertation on two spies, the Scarlet Pimpernel and the Purple Gentian. But what she discovers is something historians have missed: the secret history of the Pink Carnation-the most elusive spy of all time. As she works to unmask this obscure spy, Eloise has more and more questions. Like, how did the Pink Carnation save England from Napoleon? What became of the Scarlet Pimpernel and the Purple Gentian? And will Eloise Kelly escape her bad luck and find a living, breathing hero of her own?

When reading this series there was a distinct sensation that this particular series (of twelve books total) could be separated into three groups:

  • Group 1: Books One thru Four – Wherein the characters and the environment is established creating a foundation for the remainder of the series while providing strong storylines for the characters.
  • Group 2: Books Five thru Nine – The action moves away from England / Ireland and shifts towards other locales, predominantly in France and India.
  • Group 3: Books Ten thru Twelve – Storylines move back to England and loose ends are tied up.

What really drives this series to me is that despite the natural romantic notion of the stories there is still so much more going on beyond the romance that I can’t help but be drawn in. Plus the author makes a point of adding reference notes so that one could read up on the historical texts that she uses when writing her stories, providing insight on why she moved historical events around for dramatic effect or how certain historical events worked in the storyline as a whole.

The Black Dagger Brotherhood by J R Ward
When I needed a new book series to sink my teeth into, trust a friend of mine to come forward with a couple of series to try out. Best described as a paranormal romance series, this deals with a hidden vampire society set to the backdrop of Caldwell, New York. The first six books of the series focus on The Brothers, a group of six male vampires whose purpose is to protect their vampire society from their enemies and humans.

From the glossary of the Black Dagger Brotherhood website:

Highly-trained vampire warriors who protect their species against the Lessening Society. As a result of selective breeding within the race, Brothers possess immense physical and mental strength as well as rapid healing capabilities. They are not siblings for the most part and are inducted into the Brotherhood upon nomination by the Brothers. Aggressive, self-reliant and secretive by nature, they exist apart from civilians, having little contact with members of the other classes except when they need to feed. They are the subject of legend and the object of reverence within the vampire world.

For more information about the Black Dagger Brotherhood visit the fansite: Beyond the Mhis or read up on the BDB Cheat Sheet via Book Thingo. Both of the fansites are extremely comprehensive and would provide more than enough information in understanding not only the characters in the series but the background and mythology that the series revolves around. Keep in mind that spoilers will be found.

The Parasol Protectorate by Gail Carriger
Another paranormal romance series it’s set in the 1880s with a steampunk twist. This finite five book series revolve around a strong female heroine in the form of Alexia Tarabotti whose best friend is flaming vampire Lord Akeldama who (somehow) knows everything about everyone and every rumor in London. She is also friends with a very Scottish and gruff Lord Conall Maccon, a werewolf… and yes there is an uneasy peace between the vampire society and the werewolf society in London who has found a way to integrate the paranormal into the “normal”.

What I really love about reading Gail Carriger’s blog is that she goes into more detail about the characters she has created and the world that her characters were immersed in.

My personal opinions and thoughts of the books:
– Book 1: Soulless
– Book 2: Changeless
– Book 3: Blameless
– Book 4: Heartless
– Book 5: Timeless

The Final Dance aka The Dancers Series by Christie Golden
A currently incomplete fantasy book series that I actually love and enjoy. It is a pity that Luna did not wish to continue this very well written series. It has been a while since I have read the series, only the first two books of the series are in print while the third book of the series is available in e-book format. The final two books in the series have not been released because Luna Publishing chose to discontinue the series.

The Dancers Series revolve around five persons, each one the personification of the five elements: fire, stone, sea, wind and soul. The story goes that The Dancers are given five chances to save the five varying universes from a growing evil. If they fail to save at least three of the five universes then the evil will take over all five universes, else if they were successful in saving at least three of the five universes then the evil will only take over those they fail to save and would leave the others. When the series began they have lost two universes and successfully saved two universes now with the final universe hanging on the balance. After the determination of the finality of each universe The Dancers are reincarnated into the new universe and process begins again…

Fables, Jack of Fables, The Literals and Fairest created by Bill Willingham (via Vertigo)
For anyone that really enjoys fairytales and nursery rhymes and are open minded to the seeing them in a new light would really pick up this series. Taking many of the beloved fairytale characters and re-imaging them while staying true to their roots (roots as in the original Grimm stories and those from Hans Christian Anderson, etc… none of the Disnified versions).

The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins
Being a huge fan of Battle Royale created in Japan, I was skeptical of this series until I came to the conclusion that there is enough basic concepts and ideas that really two totally unrelated series could have similar premises. In some ways a classic rags-to-riches and rebels against the government mentality I did find myself drawn to the series in some capacity.

Written in the voice of 16 years old Katniss Everdeen, the series is set in a post-apocalyptic world where the countries of North America was combined to be known as Panem all run by a singular government called: The Capitol. In remembrance of The Capitol’s defeat over the rebellious districts in the last great war, The Capitol holds The Hunger Games, an annual event in which each of the twelve districts were forced to select via a lottery one boy and one girl ages 12 to 18 to compete in a televised battle to the death until one person is alive.

The Lord of the Rings trilogy by J R R Tolkien
Yes, I know that this is dry read. Yes, I know that this tends to come off more as a reference reading as opposed to a story, but I love it. I have this attraction to series that have such well thought out and deep mythologies where you know there are millions upon millions of stories that are just begging to be written. Tolkien is very much like that, where you know that there are millions of stories just waiting to be revealed. Unfortunately much of those writings are in half works and references and notes as compiled by his son. In fact my favorite book of the collection is from the beginning: The Silmarillion.

Because this is an older series there is naturally a lot of information out there including:
– The Encyclopedia of Arda
– The Lord of the Rings Wikia
– The One Ring fansite

Harry Potter series by J K Rowling
The fantasy series that took over the world and got a new generation of kids to read again. The series revolved around a young boy who finds out that he is a wizard and he (as well as the reader) are drawn to the invisible world of magic. There really isn’t much more to say about that, because the world is so vast J K Rowling partnered with Sony to create Pottermore to give lovers of the series a new way to appreciate the series and learn more about the mythology and background. When you are getting sorted by the Sorting Hat if you’re not sorted into Gryffindor you learn more about the history of whichever house you happen to find yourself in. Unfortunately I didn’t get such luck as I was sorted into Gryffindor which I found rather odd all things considered, but what can you do?

Jane Austen related fiction
With all the fantasy and science fiction series that I seem to follow this author and her stories could actually be an outlier of sorts. However, I remember when I read Sense & Sensibility for the first time and fell in love, somehow the heroes were too good to be true and they still are. With fansites with constant discussions and articles about anything and everything to deal with the life of Jane Austen and her works called Pemberley (yes, based off of the family home of Mr Darcy from Pride & Prejudice) and quite aptly Jane Austen’s World.

Over the years there have been many books that attempt to build off of the original works or re-imagine them into the modern age, many of these writers of the former are known as the Crown Hill Writers. There are others still that rewrote the books into the point-of-view of the heroes of the series, one of the most popular being the Heroes of Jane Austen’s Diaries by Amanda Grange

One book series that I rather enjoy is the Mr and Mrs Darcy Mystery Series by Carrie Bebris. This should come as no surprise since I enjoy a fantasy series… so a mystery series wouldn’t be that far off the mark.

Of course, like any other well known author, there is a website dedicated to anything and everything dealing with Jane Austen known as the AustenBlog: There’s No Crying in Janeball. But if you are a Janeite you best head on over to the Jane Austen Society of North America and peruse around and consider joining up the group to understand more of the life and stories of Jane Austen.

Fleeting: What are you willing to lose…?

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Last month, after meeting with friends for some afternoon tea, we decided to head to an old haunt of ours in Greektown to enjoy some good food, atmosphere and a little bit of nostalgia. During the course of our dinner conversation one of the party started talking about how proud and impressed that veterans whom have lost limbs during the war are able to overcome what they have lost and become stronger in the end.

Naturally this would evolve into a conversation of what each of us would be willing to lose, and subsequently what is the one thing that would terrify us should it be taken away from us. Be it a limb, a sense, etc.

When it comes to the natural five senses this was what would be the most detrimental

  • For the artist: losing sight
  • For the vocalist: losing hearing
  • For the foodie: losing taste

And then there was me…

I know, technically I would fit in any of the above categories, but I also know myself enough to know that I am most likely capable of adapting should I lose any of the above one day. I mean if I lose my sense of sight, I would still be able to imagine what the world around me would be like through the spoke word. If I lose the sense the hearing, I can still feel rhythms and beats as long as the music is loud enough… also one could still carry conversations even if one were deaf. Losing the sense of taste although difficult isn’t impossible… and so on.

And then it hit me like a ton of bricks…

It wasn’t a physical limb, or a sense that would be the most detrimental to me… it would be if I could no longer imagine, or think, or process… essentially brain cancer / tumor / etc would be the most terrifying for me.

So now I posit the question to you… what can you not live without?

Fleeting: Bertrice Small’s “The Kadin”

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One weekend recently I randomly went to a favorite second hand store and found myself perusing the historical romance section… Particularly Bertrice Small.

Bertrice Small (whom recently passed away before completing her 57th novel) was the first historical romance (bodice ripping to be perfectly blunt) author that I was introduced to… and has been one of my personal favorites, her novels well worn out on my bookshelf. Not knowing that she had passed rather recently I came across an older novel of her’s “The Kadin”.
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Fleeting: Harry Potter “What Ifs” Part Two

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So in the past two posts I mentioned some fanfiction that I found myself reading in their entirety and the “What If” scenarios that caught my attention despite my love of fanfictions that stick with canon. However, since the “What If” scenario that posits what would happen should Cassius Warrington of Slytherin were to be the Hogwarts champion as opposed to Cedric Diggory is so darn appealing how to adjust the rest of the series so that the Hufflepuffs would come into their own…?

The key here is that Hufflepuffs by nature don’t strive for glory like the other three houses, they aren’t necessarily the underdogs either, instead they tend to stick to the background working diligently and consistently to earn their wares. They tend to be the background players who provide the security, knowledge, forethought, etc for any problem and situation while others present said information to the masses.

BETWEEN BOOK 4 (Goblet of Fire) and BOOK 5 (Order of the Phoenix)
Keeping the above in mind it would not have been far from the realm of possibility if towards the end of the events of Book 4 (keeping in track with the “What If” from the previous post that Cassius Warrington was the Hogwarts Champion) Harry Potter glances around the school and sees small groups of Slytherins interacting with students from other houses, or a lone Slytherin being comforted by other houses.

This is the time where the Slytherin students are divided internally, be it within themselves or within the house itself. There are Slytherins that are still steadfast in the ways of the regime as promised by The Dark Lord and there are others whose belief was shaken to the core and they are questioning the world and beliefs that were instilled in them from birth.
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Fleeting: Harry Potter “What Ifs”

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Yup… another Harry Potter related post…

So… in the last post I mentioned that I can’t really get into some fanfiction if it changes canon that was already set by the original author. However, there are some “What If” scenarios that have been making the rounds that caught my attention and I decided… well why not add them altogether and see what would have changed?

Let’s start with a fairly recent “what if” that has been gaining momentum recently….

tumblr_no5aqhOIDA1rkv63oo1_1280What if Cassius Warrington (Slytherin) was Hogwarts Champion instead of Cedric Diggory (Hufflepuff)
It all started with a tumblr post by crazybutperfectlysane
So I was rereading Harry Potter, when I came across this and thought- what if instead of Cedric Diggory, Cassius Warrington had been chosen to compete in the Triwizard Tournament?

Imagine…

  • … Dumbledore calling out the name of the Hogwarts champion and it isn’t a Gryffindor, or a Ravenclaw, or even a Hufflepuff, but it’s a Slytherin. A student from a House most people hate.
  • … Cassius Warrington getting up, and three out of four Houses are booing at him and shouting things like “NO!” or, “We can’t have a Slytherin champion!” or demanding a retry. But he’s a Slytherin- he’s been dealing with this shit since he got sorted, so he keeps his head high and joins the other champions.
  • … Harry trying to catch Warrington alone because he doesn’t really want to associate with Slytherins (plus Malfoy seems to be around the guy ALL THE TIME now that he’s the Hogwarts champion), but at the same time he’s also fair enough not to want him to walk into the first task unprepared.
  • … Warrington walking over to Harry a few months later, and Ron and Hermione both jump into a protective stance, wands out, but instead of attacking Harry he just tells him to stick the egg underwater. (Because Slytherins don’t forget those who helped them out).
  • … Warrington and Harry helping each other out in the labyrinth.
  • … Harry being devastated when Peter kills Warrington- because Voldemort doesn’t care what house they’re form, a spare is a spare.
  • … the uproar that causes among the Slytherins, because some of their parents really are Death Eaters and they know what really happened.
  • … Slytherins fighting in the Battle of Hogwarts and shouting “This is for Cassius!”

Now it would be a wonderful thought… except the majority of the above changes Book 4 and then fast forwards to Book 7… so someone took it a step further… that someone would be aplatonicjacuzzi
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Fleeting: Harry Potter Fanfiction

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Recently I found myself going down a Harry Potter rabbit hole… don’t ask me why, it just happened.

The problem with fanfiction and me is that I prefer fanfiction that sticks with what is canon (aka nothing from the original material has changed) and yet it expands from the already established world from the original author.

As thus I have found that I cannot seem to enjoy most Harry Potter related fanfiction because so much that is out there changes the canon plot points that I find are crucial to the over all story and when those changes occur I become quite twitchy. Ah well. There is nothing wrong with the majority of fanfiction out there, that is why it is called “fanfiction”… the above is just a personal preference.

So when I came across the following stories, I found myself drawn to them because they introduce plot elements that makes sense when placed in-line with the original material, and yet diverges so that the author could really find their own footing and create a seamless story of their own.

“Songs of Regret” by RavieSnake
“The Teddy Lupin Series” by FernWithy
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Fleeting: “Friend”-ly Stuff

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The following are various sites of my many circles of friends from all walks of life…

Some are on hiatus, others are ongoing. All are fun to read in some capacity or another.

THESPIAN

PAM TURLOW

JONATHAN COOK

Greetings! I created this site so that people can know what I’m up to with my playwrighting and music endeavors. And hopefully, this site will motivate me to keep moving forward with these crafts. I’m a member of the Dramatists Guild of America and I’m the vocalist/guitarist for the band Nine Day Descent. Check the home page for updates on upcoming events!

MUSICIAN

CHRIS OPPERMAN

The music of award-winning composer Chris Opperman sounds like your best dream being poured into a glass. Since debuting on his own Purple Cow Records label in 1998 at the age of 19, Opperman has been carving his own niche in today’s pop-saturated music world. As an exciting, relevant composer of a rare hybrid of rock, jazz and classical that is his alone, he has already made a name for himself as a solo artist and by working with some of today’s most renowned musicians.

PHOTOGRAPHY

MICHAEL YEN PHOTOGRAPHY

In these busy times, photographs invite us to sit, reflect, and remember the emotions and experiences of a moment in time. As a child, I used to snap pictures with my point and shoot camera when I went on family vacations and I love being able to flip through the photo albums and relive the events surrounding those photos. As I get older and experience all of life’s journeys, I know that I will want to look back and remember those moments. I have a passion for photography because it provides a means for me to preserve these unrepeatable moments.

I also enjoy giving back to the community and I love that I can volunteer my time doing something I love while also educating and capturing moments for a multitude of important causes and truly amazing organizations. I hope to make a difference in people’s lives through the actions that I take and the photos that I make.

These are my photos.

This is the world through my lens…

APJ PHOTOGRAPHY

My name is Alfredo Peralta, Jr. I have been shooting pictures [for] 26 years. While I have much experience with event photography, I have been branching out to express myself creatively. I am constantly trying to capture and express the interesting moments I see everywhere. This is my vision.

FRIENDS WEBSITES

JONATHAN COOK

Greetings! I created this site so that people can know what I’m up to with my playwrighting and music endeavors. And hopefully, this site will motivate me to keep moving forward with these crafts. I’m a member of the Dramatists Guild of America and I’m the vocalist/guitarist for the band Nine Day Descent. Check the home page for updates on upcoming events!

CHRIS OPPERMAN

The music of award-winning composer Chris Opperman sounds like your best dream being poured into a glass. Since debuting on his own Purple Cow Records label in 1998 at the age of 19, Opperman has been carving his own niche in today’s pop-saturated music world. As an exciting, relevant composer of a rare hybrid of rock, jazz and classical that is his alone, he has already made a name for himself as a solo artist and by working with some of today’s most renowned musicians.

FRIENDS BLOGS

THE FANTASY BROKERS

The dirty truth about fantasy sports is that no information is relevant without context. Dozens of other ‘experts’ will create rankings, projections, Top-10s, and other very fun and flashy distractions, all while hiding one simple fact: none of what they are writing means anything to you unless they know your particular situation.

That is where we come in. Our singular goal is to provide you, our readers, the best possible fantasy advice for your particular team. At the end of the day, we want to become your one stop source for specific questions regarding your fantasy roster.

Andrae Miller: Currently living in Chicago, born and raised in Baltimore, he’s a diehard Chicago and Baltimore sports fan. He graduated from the University of Maryland with a BA in History and received a Master of Arts in Sports Administration from Northwestern University. Andrae’s favorite sports leagues are the NFL, NBA, and MLB, though he recently started to dabble in the NHL.

When his children arrive, he will name them Ray Lewis, Ed Reed, and Ray Rice. Pet names will be Ripken and Ditka. And once a mid-life crisis kicks in, he will name his Corvette convertible Jordan. Andrae participates in NFL fantasy leagues every season and loves breaking down games and offering sports opinions.

COTTON CANDYRIFFIC

A Variety of Vintage Amusement Park Musings. A companion blog for my book, “The Cotton Candy Road Trip”

… AND …

PAM TURLOW — VOICE-OVER ARTIST BLOG

Pam Turlow: Pam is a voice-over artist, writer, vintage amusement park frequenter, Mid-century modern enthusiast, tarot reader and co-active coach, loving wife to adorable husband, and owner of a dainty beaglette (but not necessarily in that order)

GONZO’S THEORIES

This is a sort of notepad to document rants, raves, good ideas, and terrible ideas, opinions, musings, inspirations, and ongoing projects.

Edgar: I make art, including bad art. I teach art at a local high school. I am also teaching an after school program with elementary school students. I teach them various art making skills and techniques as well as a little bit here and there about the world, in hopes of them absorbing something which will make them better human beings down the line. I volunteer with the Vet Art Project in Chicago, coordinating programing and leading workshops. This is my little slice of the internet where I will post musings, thoughts, ideas, and art projects I am working on.

MY DOG IS A FUN SIZED

So I had been following many blogs with my Google reader and decided I should start up my own blog. I follow mostly dog blogs, corgis in particular, and will be sort of starting as just a place to repost articles of interest, new items for my etsy site UnlimitedGlassWorks.etsy.com, and will eventually be about whatever corgi I eventually acquire after my husband and I have jobs again. Right now I just don’t know where I will be living or even what state. So we’ll just have to wait and see and cross our fingers.

Lumie: I am an avid animal lover who adores dogs above all else. I finally own a corgi! Her name is Saber.

THREE STRIKES DATING

It’s all Superbad’s fault. You know, the teen hookup comedy. The type of movie that my ex-girlfriend loved to hate. I blame you, Superbad.

Rewind to the Fall of 2007. Yeah I know, that’s a long time ago. I’m lazy and didn’t decide to start this blog until just now. So, my ever dedicated readers, there’s going to be a lot of catching up to do before we get into anything current.

Don’t worry, as of this writing, I’m still a clueless single fool.

Back to 2007.

My then girlfriend and I were going to go watch the movie Superbad and she was being a good sport about it, as juvenile humor was not her cup of tea. But before we could walk out the door, we got into an argument about something and I decided, fuck it, it’s over. A five year book in the making. Done.

Now, after five years of dating, you’re either already engaged/married or something’s not right and you’re never going to marry the person you’re with. With me, I knew in the back of my head that I was not going to be marrying this girl so with our relationship in a somewhat rocky state for the past few months, it was time to call it quits.

I ended up watching the movie on DVD. It’s funny, but it’ll always bring me bad memories of the day I ended the only meaningful relationship I’ve ever had.

It took me about half a year until I recovered enough to even think about dating. But when I did, boy did I find out that I had a lot to learn.

Author: I’m just like every other single guy in many ways, putting myself out there, trying to figure it all out. I’m fit, well educated, am (hopefully) funny, and have been told that I’m a good looking guy (hope that one’s true as well). As a bonus, I also actively volunteer because I believe in making things better for everyone. On the other hand, I’m also shy, introverted, and I can’t drink worth a damn. I’m a guy that has had one long relationship and nothing more; I’m not good at dating.

Not good at dating doesn’t quite fit. In fact, based on my experiences, I think I absolutely suck at dating. Sure, sometimes I end it, sometimes the girl ends it, but any way you put it, I can never get past three dates.

These are my stories from the dating world.

TOWER OF MEL

Random Thoughts from a Random Mind

Author: Welcome, Welcome, Welcome to the 74th Hunger Games. Wait. Nope, that’s not me. The Force will be with you, always. Well, I hope so, but again, not my movie. Ok, before this gets out of hand, welcome to my space. I am the Tower of Mel. Why am I the Tower of Mel? Well, I am a 6′ tall woman who also loves to wear heels, leading some of my friends to call me the “Tower of…” and the name just stuck. Mel is short for my first name.

I am a Celiac, so I rock the GF lifestyle, I am an actress, just starting as a burlesque dancer, movie buff, musical geek, and self-described nerd…so long as it does not relate to science or math. A pop-culture nerd.

From Michigan, lived in Orlando for 8, and and am currently residing in Chicago. Waiting to see what doors life opens up for me to jump through.

Enjoy and don’t be shy about sharing your thoughts! Perhaps they will guide mine in a new direction.

CRASHUTAH: JOHNTHOUGHTS

The musings of a Las Vegas boot strapped internet entrepreneur

John Lynn: I’m a huge fan of blogging. Blogging puts food on my family’s table. I’m always amazed by the power of blogging. So, I figured it was time for me to put together a more professional personal blog where I can talk about my experiences. This is especially true since about 4 months ago I quit my day job to be a full time web entrepreneur and blogger.

This website will be an interesting mix of my thoughts running my new internet startup company Giving Sports and Giving Square and my 2 categories of blogs.

JILL OF ALL GENRES

this blog will be about things I find interesting, the status of my writing and what it’s like to be in New Orleans. When I sell my book, I’ll break the news here. When it’s about to be published, I’ll harass everyone here to buy it. When I’m coming to your town, the schedule will be here. And when I’m engrossed in something cool like say, oh, Post Secret, I’ll let you know with a little link like so: http://postsecret.blogspot.com/

I will not overshare about personal issues. For that, you’ll have to call me and/or buy me a drink. But I think I’m about ready to be *my kind* of blogger. Let’s see, shall we?

-Jill of All Trades, Master of One aka Emilie

Emilie Staat: I’m a writer who grew up in Georgia and Louisiana and I now live in New Orleans, which is an island and perhaps even a planet of its own. Certainly its own country.

[…] I write. I work in the movie biz. I teach. I take pictures. I am obsessed with graffiti, tattoos, great books, movies, tv (especially SYTYCD), pop culture, current events, the success of my friends and the bounty of my city.

I also blog at PureSYTYCD and at NOLAFemmes.

Fleeting: Disney Inspired Stuff

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Lover of Disney the following are various pages that bring a new perspective to the Disney world:

JIRKA DESIGN: This artist decided to take the various Disney characters and set them to “reality”, thus calling them the “real life” versions of Disney characters.
– Jirka’s Blog
– Facebook Page

“TWISTED PRINCESSES” series: This artist took the Disney Heroines and turned them dark… twisted. A lot of the later ones, the artist has included stories to explain how they have turned “dark and twisted”.
– DeviantArt Page
– The Art of Jeffrey Thomas

THE HUNGER GAMES the Disney Version: The artist created a breakdown of the Disney Heroes/Heroines if they were in the Hunger Games, ingenious really. I enjoyed it.
– DeviantArt page of the work
– Artist Gallery of male Disney villains if they were female

POCKET PRINCESSES: Drawn by Amy Mebberson , she takes all of the Disney heroines and have them interact as if they were all staying under the same roof.

DAVID KAWENA’S DISNEY HEROES: Various Disney Heroes… in the buff.
– Other Disney works on his DeviantArt Page
– Facebook Page
– Facebook Album of the Heroes Collection

DISNEY BOUND

DisneyBound is meant to be inspiration for you to pull together your own outfits which work for your body and wallet whether from your closet or local mall.

– Via Polyvore

LOVE, ASHLEY DESIGNS: This was an artist whose work I was introduced to and I absolutely love.

KAREN HALLION: Another artist whose art I was introduced to and absolutely love.
– Facebook Page

DISNEY STAINED GLASS: These are Disney characters set to stained glass.
– Mandie Manzano’s Personal Webpage
– Original Disney Stained Glass article from The Mary Sue
– Mandie Manzano’s Facebook Page

DISNEY
– Harrods’ Designer Disney Dresses
– Disney Bridal
– Reinterpreting Disney Princess Costumes via a Historical Lens
– Pokemon Princesses
– Disney Princesses re-imaged in Steampunk
– Disney Princesses Reimaged as Superheroes
– Disney Heroines in Lingerie