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Macabre & Mysterious Media: Movies for the long holiday weekend.Posted: November 25, 2014 Filed under: *Macabre Media, Movies & Films, Music & Art | Tags: Bill Paxton, Gone Girl, Interstellar, Live Die Repeat, Macabre & Mysterious Music, Nightcrawler, Only Lovers Left Alive, Redbox, Renae Rude, Snowpiercer, The Paranormalist, The Purge: Anarchy, The Theory of Everything, Tilda Swinton 3 Comments
YOUR MUSICAL / HISTORICAL INTERLUDE: Parish Apartment Unlocked After 70 Years
For a little more on the story, read the Wikipedia entry: Marthe de Florian
This movie clocks in at more than two hours and forty-five minutes, but you won't feel it. (As long as you don't drink too much soda.)
Rated: PG13
Stars: Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain
Playing at most theaters (in general release)
If you've seen it, and your head is still spinning, here's Neil deGrasse Tyson explaining the science behind the ending of Interstellar:
I don't remember if I mentioned this movie here at the blog. I suppose it will heading out of the theaters soon, so if you haven't seen it, I highly recommend it. It's a great date movie if "normal" romances and rom/coms leave you cold.
Rated: R
Stars: Ben Affleck, Rosamund Pike, Neil Patrick Harris
Playing in theaters now – might be on the way out.
LIVE, DIE, REPEAT aka EDGE OF TOMORROW (2014)
Ogre and I saw this at the theater, when it was just called Edge of Tomorrow. It's a fun, action-packed movie. If you haven't seen it, it would be a good choice for group viewing during the upcoming long holiday weekend.
Rated: PG13
Stars: Tom Cruise, Emily Blunt, Bill Paxton
Available this week at Redbox
I LOVED this film, but not everyone will. One word captures its essence nicely: languorous. Other words that describe it include sensual, jaded, passionate, pretentious … let's just say it might be irritating for anyone looking for a fast, fun movie. Be aware it's not horror, despite most of the characters being vampires. In fact, I guess it's a romance. Well, what do you know? A romance I actually liked, (besides Silver Linings Playbook … but I REALLY digress.)
Rated: R
Stars: Tom Hiddleston, Tilda Swinton
Available this week at Redbox (also on Netflix DVD)
This is either brilliant or the cheesiest dystopian you've ever seen, depending on who you talk to. For me, it's another one of those films I kind of hated while watching, but am now glad I've seen. (Some of the images and story elements have real sticking power.) It's a risk, but hey, it's streaming on Netflix, so see how the trailer strikes you.
Rated: R
Stars: Chris Evans, Jamie Bell, Tilda Swinton
Available on Netflix streaming
And here's the stuff I can get ahold of this weekend — that I haven't seen — that looks good:
Stars: Eddie Redmayne, Felicity Jones, Tom Prior
FINALLY playing at most theaters (in general release)
Rated: R
Stars: Jake Gyllenhaal, Rene Russo, Bill Paxton
Playing at most theaters (in general release)
PS: Nice to see Tilda Swinton and Bill Paxton getting so much work :)
I didn't see the first movie, and I don't have any interest. I thought the intriguing concept of a society that allows such a purge was totally wasted in a home invasion movie. I haven't see Anarchy yet, but I plan to. A review I read, by one of YOU, made me think, "This is the movie I wanted to see the first place." (Who wrote that review? I'll happily link to it.)
Rated: R
Directed and written by: James DeMonaco
Available from Redbox (and Netflix DVD)
I just watched an episode of MonsterMen about found footage films. I'm picky about these, but I am intrigued by The Taking of Deborah Logan.
…And now that I've watched the trailer, I am deeply creeped out. This one is the one most likely to seriously scare me.
Rated: R
Available streaming on Netflix
BTW, did you know that you can use Redbox in much the same way you used to use a brick and mortar video store? If you create an account online, you can view the current contents of all nearby kiosks, reserve titles, then go pick up your movie(s) at you convenience. Start here:
Here's how M&M Media listings work:
If an item is posted in the "NOW" section, I have seen (or in some way experienced) it, and am actively recommending it. NOW items are immediately available to you if you have access to the same basic services I do.
If an item is posted in the "& LATER" section, it may mean that it has not yet been released, but it may also mean I have become aware that something of potential interest is currently available, but have not yet sat down with it.
Horror in the night.Posted: November 12, 2014 Filed under: My Paranormal Life | Tags: centipede, exfoliation, house centipede, night of abject terror, Renae Rude, The Paranormalist 18 Comments
I dragged my husband to hell last night.
Lately, I've been running on too little sleep, so last night I decided to take a hot bath and turn in early (for me.)
At about about 1:30 am, I finished ripping off my skin with my new, incredibly effective, exfoliation cloth. It's a chore, but it makes you all silky-smooth. It also restores a kind of tactile sensitivity that you didn't even know you'd lost. You "feel" more — a warm breeze which would have been pleasant before the flaying, is even more noticeable and more pleasant afterwards. (The reason this matters will become clear in a bit.)
After applying restorative unguents and potions all over, I crept into our bedroom where Ogre had been asleep for an hour or two. The TV was turned on and a PBS show was filling the room with a dim light and a soporific drone. The cat — who is normally curled up wherever Ogre's hands are (because he knows The Man pets soft things, even in his sleep) — was NOT on Ogre, but, instead, on my nightstand. Every line of his body told me that he thought he was hunting something.
He does that.
I gleefully put myself next to Ogre's hands (because I, too, know The Man pets soft things, even in his sleep) and told the cat he was a fool. He ignored me and continued to stare into the corner.
I was turning on my sleep tracker when a peripheral motion, a couple of feet to my left, caught my eye. I looked directly at the wall just in time to see something big and insectile scurry behind the drawn blinds.
Now, I don't really fear spiders, but I don't believe they belong in my home, and certainly not in my bedroom. I turned on the bedside lamp and carefully opened the blinds so I could see just how creepy this particular trespasser was. (Ogre is used to me moving around all night, so this didn't disturb him.) I couldn't find a spider. I kept looking, because I knew I hadn't imagined the movement. After a long examination of the windowsill, I finally found the crawler, but it was no spider. It was a huge, hideous, billion-legged centipede (about two inches long) and it was trying desperately to blend into the woodwork.
We were both frozen for a minute, then it moved. No, that's not right; It undulated. As each of its legs rose and fell, I could FEEL a corresponding footfall somewhere on my skin.
I threw on a robe and ran to get the little vacuum, which is my preferred bug-catching tool. By the time I got back to the room, the cat was on the floor under the window, peering into the heating register.
Well, damn.
I plugged in the vacuum which immediately roared to life. I quickly unplugged it and soothed Ogre, who was becoming just barely aware something abnormal was going on. I told him that I had to vacuum up a big bug, but that he could go back to sleep. He did.
I changed from my robe into a heavy flannel nightgown while keeping an eye on the cat and the area around him. I made sure the vacuum's switch was off, plugged it back in, and took it into the bed with me. From there I could watch the cat, as he watched the register. We waited.
Nothing happened. I turned off the bedside lamp and kept vigil by the light of the TV. Sure enough, The Thing eventually came out of the register and headed toward the bed. The cat did not notice as it skittered past his haunch.
I turned on the light, switched on the vacuum, and dived for it. It escaped …into the shadows under the bed. Ogre rolled over.
I got up, went into the living room, tucked my legs up under myself in the desk chair, and googled centipedes. I found this:
I read the article entitled, 'The House Centipede: Get Rid of Them or Let Them Be?" I learned that centipedes are GOOD bugs. That they hardly every bite people, and that they eat other bugs (including spiders.) That they are scared of people. And that an individual centipede can live for TEN-FUCKING-YEARS.
Then I read the comment thread. (My son has warned me repeatedly to never read the comment thread, but do I listen?) I learned that centipedes do bite people (and that the bite isn't much worse than a bee sting.) That they often skitter right toward, and over, people. And that they seem particularly fond of getting right into the bedding, then …wriggling. (With all their billion legs.)
Every few minutes I "felt" something crawl onto my exquisitely sensitized skin.
After an hour of that, I pulled on a pair of sweatpants under my nightgown and put on some socks. I went back into the bedroom, exhausted and determined to get some sleep.
As I sat in the spot closest to center of the bed, in a posture that would make a second grade teacher proud, with my head spinning 360 degrees every minute or so — you know, like you do when you're tucking in for the night — I saw The Thing again. It was on the wall, up near the ceiling, above Ogre's nightstand.
I took a few deep breaths. I slid out of bed and grabbed the vacuum. I crept around the foot of the bed to Ogre's side. I got into a good position and stretched the hose out so that its opening was hovering just over the creature. I switched on the vacuum and and saw part of The Thing's body lift away from the wall … then The Thing came to life again. With some magnificent, twisting motion, it managed to escape the hose. Instead of being sucked up, it dropped behind Ogre's dresser and out of sight.
I lost my freaking mind.
Perhaps that doesn't convey what happened clearly enough: I shouted bad words at the top of my lungs, then burst into tears, then fled the room. (Remember, I was very, very tired even before this saga began.)
Ogre woke up.
After some explaining on my part and some consoling on Ogre's part, Ogre asked me to sit with him while he waited for it appear again so that he could kill it. Of course, The Thing refused to come out where we could see it. (It was probably under the bed … or somewhere in the covers. Or behind the picture that hangs over the bed …)
Finally, I decided I would have to sleep on the sofa. I told Ogre I'd be fine and that it was important that he get some sleep, and yada ya. I know he would have been fine just going back to sleep in there, but he opted to join me in the living room instead. I am a lucky woman.
Well, I'm a lucky woman who will not be able to sleep soundly any time in the next ten years.
(Yes, I am aware that The Thing could be anywhere in the apartment now. So very, very aware.)
Macabre Media: Behold the Darkness, Fit to Write, Pandemic, The Theory of Everything & The Imitation GamePosted: November 10, 2014 Filed under: *Macabre Media, Movies & Films, Music & Art | Tags: Behold the Darkness, Board Game, dark music, Fit to Write, Macabre & Mysterious Music, movies, Pandemic, Renae Rude, The Imitation Game, The Paranormalist, The Theory of Everything, writers 9 Comments
Today, in Minnesota, we are having our first winter snowstorm of the season, and it's a doozy. Some parts of the metro are expected to get more than a foot of snow. Before the snow, there was sleet, so the roads are awful. Also, the temperatures are dropping fast and the wind is picking up. It honestly doesn't look too bad right here where I live, but I'm dreading going to fetch my boy from work.
The shift to winter-time (the end of daylight savings time) has been kicking my butt. I lose all energy with the sunset, which does not work for me. I need my late-night hours to be productive. My son and I came up with the idea to close the blinds and turn on all the lights in the apartment at about 4-4:30. This trickery seems to be helping, at least a little.
I'm trying other strategies to get past my general malaise, too, so I've been preoccupied with health & wellness this last week. That, too, seems to be working. The good news is I got some fiction writing done today and I'm still feeling pretty good, even though it's deeply dark and treacherous out there. I'm hopeful for the coming week.
YOUR MUSICAL INTERLUDE: Behold the Darkness by Medwyn Goodall
I know this is on the soundtrack of some game I've played, but I can't put my finger on it.
If you, like me, need this song for your writing playlist it can be downloaded in MP3 at Amazon, for 99 cents HERE.
I've mentioned the fitness and weight loss community called Spark People before. (Back in February, I wrote the post 'Resolutions Review: How Spark People helped me lose 10 pounds in 11 weeks without dieting.')
There isn't much overlap between that world and this one, but I thought I'd share the project I've been working on over there. I intend to grow it slowly, and mostly by invitation. (If you're part of my regular blog crew, you write well enough for me to want you in the group, if you have an interest.) It's sucked up a lot of time to get it set up, but it's well organized now so it should be easy to run and use. It should help keep me aware of my physical needs this winter.
PANDEMIC — A cooperative board game
My son used some of his tip money to buy a new game and I am completely addicted. My family has been playing several times a week. I don't have a competitive bone in my body, so the cooperative nature of this game means I'm actually having FUN. We've managed to win a few times. Here's the description from the game designer's site:
Four diseases have broken out in the world and it is up to a team of specialists in various fields to find cures for these diseases before mankind is wiped out.
Players must work together, playing to their characters' strengths and planning their strategy of eradication before the diseases overwhelm the world with ever-increasing outbreaks. But the diseases are outbreaking fast and time is running out: the team must try to stem the tide of infection in diseased areas while also towards cures. A truly cooperative game where you all win or you all lose.
Source: This is from the same company that gave us Carcassonne.
Cost: approximately $25 – $40, depending on where you get it. (We got ours at Barnes & Nobel, but you can also order it from Amazon.)
Players: 2 – 4, working together against the game
Special Features: This is a good-looking game, with quality game pieces. It has fantastic replay-ability, because each player randomly selects a new specialist role for each game. Expansions are available.
We are STILL waiting on Horns. I'm afraid we may have missed it. It played two weekends ago, in one local art house. We intended to go this weekend, but it was already gone. This week, it's way up in Duluth. We saw St. Vincent instead. (Which was really good, if just a tiny bit sappy. The skill of the actors in it, though, saved it.) This weekend we'll probably go to Before I Go to Sleep, before that disappears.
At St. Vincent, we did see two trailers for movies we're excited about. Granted, their subject matter stretches the boundaries of the "paranormal" theme here at the blog, but if Stephen Hawking and Allen Turing aren't "alongside, near, beyond, altered, contrary to" normal, I don't know who is.
I'm pretty sure these films will be around for a while, once they finally open. (Oscar bait, anyone?)
Starring: Eddie Redmayne, Felicity Jones, Tom Prior
Release date: playing now in select theaters.
(Local folks: it's at the Edina Theater this week.)
Starring: Benedict Cumberbatch, Keira Knightley
Release date: November 28th (in select theaters)
Here's how this works:
If an item is posted in the NOW section, I have seen (or in some way experienced) it, and am actively recommending it. NOW items are immediately available to you if you have access to the same basic services I do.
If an item is posted in the & LATER section, it may mean that it has not yet been released, but it may also mean I have become aware that something of potential interest is currently available, but have not yet sat down with it.
Macabre Media: Strange Things, House of Cards, Under the Skin, Redbox, Salem, Twin PeaksPosted: November 3, 2014 Filed under: *Macabre Media, Movies & Films, Music & Art | Tags: House of Cards, Macabre & Mysterious Music, Redbox, Renae Rude, Salem, Strange Things, The Paranormalist, The Sparrow Quartet, Twin Peaks, Under the Skin 15 Comments
NOW: I mentioned, last week, that there are two movies in the theaters right now that I want to see. We haven't made it to either yet. I don't see anything great on the horizon, so I concentrated on Netflix and Redbox this week.
& ALWAYS: I've been working my way toward a better understanding of what I'm doing with the Macabre Media posts. A while back I started dividing my finds into "now" and "& later." Thanks to Netflix and Redbox and Youtube, determining what belongs in which category can be confusing. Here's the new rule:
If an item is posted in the NOW section, I have seen (or in some way experienced) it, and am actively recommending it. NOW items are immediately available to you if you have access to the same basic services I do.
If an item is posted in the & LATER section, it may mean that it has not yet been released, but it may also mean I have become aware that something of potential interest is currently available, but have not yet sat down with it.
YOUR MUSICAL INTERLUDE: Strange Things by The Sparrow Quartet
HOUSE OF CARDS (Netflix original series.)
Here's a show that is totally off-topic for this blog, but I am completely addicted. Kevin Spacey and Robin Wright are riveting.
If you haven't seen it yet, you have time to watch the first two seasons on Netflix streaming before the new season starts. That is, of course, if you want to do it a reasonable pace. Ogre and I came to it late, and watched the whole thing in about two weeks, but that's crazy, right?
The third season is expected in February 2015.
UNDER THE SKIN (available in Redbox right now, also via Netflix DVD)
I can't say I'm really recommending this film, but I want to mention it while it's still easily obtainable. If it's something you want to see, now is the time — when you don't have to invest much money or time into it.
I pretty much hated Under the Skin (except for some beautiful visuals) while I was watching, but now I'm rather glad I've seen it.
It is extremely slow-paced and art-y. I guess I'm just old school — I like accessible movies that happen to be artistic and layered. The central question of the movie is pretty cool, and there are a couple of great moments. If you've seen it, let me know what YOU thought.
BTW, did you know that you can use Redbox in much the same way you used to use a brick and mortar video store? If you create an account online, you can view the current contents of all nearby kiosks, reserve titles, then go pick up your movie(s) at you convenience. Start here:
This week, I noticed that the first season of WGN's Salem is currently available on Netflix streaming. I never caught an episode but was intrigued. If you're in the same place, now's your chance to see if the show is for you.
I have confirmed that the series has been renewed for the 2015 season, and is expected to begin in April.
The two-season cult series, Twin Peaks, is available on Netflix streaming. I have no idea why I didn't watch it back in the day, but I've added it to my list because time has made me curious AND because I just found out from Rolling Stone that Showtime is bringing it back in 2016 as a 9-part miniseries.
I'm going to have to pony up the cash to re-subscribe to Showtime, aren't I? I already miss: Penny Dreadful, Shameless (don't judge me), Ray Donovan, and Homeland.
The Soap Factory's Haunted Basement: Unhinged (2014) – Review with spoilers.Posted: October 29, 2014 Filed under: *Macabre Media, -Adventures, Courting Creepy Posts, Halloween, Music & Art, Wicked Fun - try this 7 Comments
I'm not giving you much notice on this, but I do want to pop up a review of The Soap Factory's Haunted Basement: Unhinged because there's still time to go this week. (The basement will be open from today through November 2nd.)
QUICK FACTS: The tickets cost $25 – $27, depending on whether it's a week night or a weekend night. You should wear comfortable and tough clothes and shoes that you can move in. You should be as unencumbered as possible. There is a coat check. The bar serves craft beer and wine and accepts only cash. You will have to wear a light-weight, plastic mask which the venue provides — for this reason, you should wear contacts rather than glasses.
This was like no haunted attraction I'd ever attended. It is one of a new genre of haunts which are often billed as "extreme". This is the kind of place where you have to sign a waiver and prove you're 18+ before you will be admitted. Here in Minnesota, even people who don't like horror, or go to Halloween attractions, have heard of it. Most of them will tell you it's the scariest haunted house in the state.
As I've browsed the websites of such attractions, I've seen hints that each has its own definition of "extreme". It's hard to tell, though, exactly what you're getting into. I feared that the Soap Factory's Haunted Basement would lean toward the gross-out. Happily it did not … at least not for me.
That doesn't mean, however, that it wasn't intense. When I was talking to a friend about my adventure, he suggested that it sounded like a visit to an S&M club. Though there was no obvious or overt sexual content, I could not deny that there was something about it that did feel distinctly submissive and, perhaps, masochistic. Maybe it would be best for me to just describe the experience I had so you can understand what I mean.
From this point forward I will be revealing many details about what happened to me. If you want to go in with about as much information as I had, stop here and go read the venue's webpage.
We tried to go to The Soap Factory's Haunted Basement last year, but when we got to the venue on a lovely mid-October date-night in 2013, it was sold out. (They've since changed the way they do things, so I don't think that will be a problem this year.)
This year, Ogre surprised me with tickets for a scheduled presentation. I found out we were going when I woke up one morning in early October to find that he'd left a browser window open on our desktop PC. From the moment I saw that digital receipt, to the night of our experience, I veered from being excited to being scared to death and back again.
On Friday, October 24th, we left more than an hour before our 8 o'clock show time. We knew that parking was limited (street parking) and we didn't want to be rushing. We made good time, though, and finding a spot wasn't too bad. We had to walk three blocks or so to get to the Soap Factory.
[NOTE: this is the site of the former National Purity Soap Company—a historic, 48,000-square-foot warehouse built in 1884. It is now an art gallery.]
When we stepped into the industrial-looking building, we were greeted by a bouncer-type who told us to sign a waiver and present our IDs. He stamped our hands and pointed us toward the ticket table. A young woman there scanned the QR codes on the the tickets we'd printed out at home. Two more women were handing out plastic masks and repeating general instructions and directions.
We were told where the bathrooms were, that we MUST wear the mask for the entire time we were in the basement but could choose not to wear them in the lounge area, and that we'd receive further instructions in a little bit. When Ogre and I stepped up to the table, we caught most of the spiel, but waited for another round of repetition so that we'd hear the first few second's worth of info.
That pause must have made us stand out a bit, because one of the women took my mask back from me and scrawled some sort of symbol on its forehead with a blue marker.
I asked, "what's that for? Why do I get a mark?"
She smirked at me and said, "Because you're special."
Then we were waved into the lounge area.
There was a makeshift, cash-only bar, where patrons could buy craft beer or wine. Twenty or so small bistro-style table and chair sets were scattered around the dimly lit and echo-y space. A shabby sofa and a half-dozen worn-looking, upholstered chairs faced four large video monitors which were arranged in a grid. These monitors each showed a night-vision view into the haunted basement. We must have arrived before the first show, because for a long time there was nothing happening on the monitors. (After the 7:20 group went in, however, we were able to watch folks going through.)
One monitor showed a wide corridor lined with closed doors. Another showed a straight-backed, wooden chair which appeared to be sitting in the middle an otherwise empty room; I got the impression that this room was pitch black. Two more monitors showed simple hallways.
At 7:20 the group before us was summoned to gather around a woman who then explained how the experience was to work. In essence, she said,
- You must wear your mask for the entire time you are in the basement.
- You are not allowed to speak while wearing the mask.
- The actors will touch you … in fact they will HANDLE you.
- You are not allowed to touch the actors.
- Groups of three or more will be punished.
- Don't try to stay with your friends. The actors will work to separate you from your friends.
- If you get too scared to continue, the safe-word is "uncle."
- To use the safe-word, remove your mask hold it over your head, and repeat "uncle" over and over. Someone will guide you out of the basement.
- There is no path. There is no destination. You will know your experience is over when you hear the birthday song.
Then the group was lined up single-file at the head of a stairway that went down into the basement. Actors (in slightly menacing street-clothes) directed 1-4 people at a time to descend.
For the next 20-30 minutes, Ogre and I sipped at the beer we were sharing and watched the monitors. The hallway views seemed pretty standard. Ogre mentioned that it must be terribly dark, because people were moving through with hands outstretched. Occasionally a costumed actor would pursue or pester a victim as they moved along the hall. Every once in a while, we could hear a loud crash or bang or strain of music from below us. The victims visible on the monitors would all jump in response. Periodically we would also hear screams drifting up the stairway.
The monitor that showed the view of the chair was the most riveting for me. The resolution of these screens was not good, so it was hard to make out the details of the costume worn by the Keeper of the Chair, but he/she/it was reminiscent of a madwoman or a Shakespearean witch or a ghoul. It had long, stringy hair and moved in a hunching, clutching way. This Keeper would appear in the frame, tugging or pushing a victim toward the chair. The victim would be placed in the seat and left alone for an indeterminate period of time. Sometimes the Keeper would come back and move around the victim while petting and/or nuzzling him or her. It appeared to be chanting or whispering as well. Sometimes the victim would be simply abandoned. It was fascinating to see how long a patron would stay in that chair before deciding to get up and move along.
The view of the corridor of doors caught Ogre's attention. He was surprised that everyone who entered the space treated it like a dead-end and turned around to backtrack out. No one checked to see if the doors would open. Sometimes this space was occupied by an enormous man in a dirty-looking clown suit and smeared makeup. He appeared to be fond of yelling at the patrons who came into his area, but often it seemed the guests were calm so he must have spent some of the time elsewhere.
A young man approached our table and asked if I'd fill out a survey. I said sure. He was friendly and sweet. When he saw that this was our first trip to the basement, he became invested in making sure we'd get the most out of it. He said that my blue mark (you didn't forget my blue mark did you?) was a very good thing. He also advised us to get away from the other guests and look for side areas to explore. He suggested we take our time to really LOOK at the installations and reminded us that the basement was put together by artists. Then he was gone and we went back to talking and watching the monitors.
I noticed that over time more and more "orbs" (swirling dust motes) were visible on all the cameras.
I had time to regret my decision to leave the cell phones in the car. (I had been worried about them getting lost or broken.) I realized I very badly wanted to take photos of the lounge area and of us in our masks.
When the 7:20 group returned, they looked flustered and exhilarated. As far as we could tell no one in the group called uncle. Most of them milled about for a little while then disappeared into the evening. The folks Ogre and I were going to be with had been arriving steadily. Before we knew it, we were being called over to form a ring around the speaker who was to tell us the rules.
We put our masks on, got into line and waited to be sent in. Ogre was leading, but we weren't holding hands or anything.
Earlier in the evening, on the drive to the basement, I had finally decided that I needed to let go of the idea that we had to stay together. I had realized it would be just one more thing to stress out about — especially for Ogre, who tends to want to protect me. It turns out I'd made a wise decision.
As we filed past a hooded figure, a baton came down between us. I watched Ogre continue down the stairs before I was directed through a side archway. Entirely alone, I followed a well-lit hallway that led to an exterior door. With nowhere else to go, I went outside. There was another figure that guided me and a handful of others (some of whom, but not all, had marks on their masks) around the building to another entrance. We were allowed to enter the building in ones and twos. A slim, blonde woman was sent in with me. I didn't really notice her until I realized she was clinging to he hem of my shirt.
Here's where things are going to get more free-form. The experience was so disorienting that I can't describe exactly what happened, in what order, while I was in the basement. I know that the young woman stayed with me for a while, and even followed me to a dead-end. At some point later, she was just gone.
In fact, what I have is mostly impressions, and I think that's the way I'll present the next section–with descriptions of those events that left the strongest impressions on me.
The beginning.
My least favorite part of the experience was the first few minutes. I believe everyone is released into the same general, maze-like, extremely dark area. There's not much to see. A few actors wander here but there's little real characterization. This is the part where you become disoriented and lost. The worst of the jump scares happen here. (And some of those are caused by other masked victims like yourself as you stumble around, trying to find a way to somewhere.)
Coming out of the black.
Upon emerging from the part that felt like a maze to me. I was met by a tall character.
It's hard for me to describe what any of the actors looked like. For one thing, the illumination is intentionally bad everywhere. There's a lot of flickering and strobing lights and sudden black-outs. Also, It seems that one of my survival strategies is to avoid looking directly at an antagonist. Thankfully, in exchange for losing the ability to take in the details of any given character, my sensitivity to peripheral motion was increased. Another instinct was to move slowly, quietly and gently. Because of these two accidental strategies, I was rarely surprised by the sudden appearance of an actor. (Or maybe I was just lucky.) In any case, it was far more likely for me to come upon an actor who was otherwise engaged than to be startled by a jump scare.
The tall character came forward to meet me and curled a hand around the back of my neck. He ushered me to a wall. He was not rough, but insistent. He pressed against the back of my head until the nose of my mask was in contact with the boards. He released me and stepped back. No one else was around, so I could tell he hadn't moved far away. I stood obediently for a minute, until I sensed he'd slipped away. Then I stealthed to the side and deeper into the basement.
The altar.
I found myself moving down the center of a hallway. It was rather narrow, but the lighting was a little better than other areas so I had my hands tucked against the center of my chest, in prayer position. (This wasn't intentional, I just didn't need them to feel my way forward and I didn't want them dangling.) The light was fading and a pool of darkness was ahead. I slowed and looked hard into the shadows. There was a small, skinny creature half-crouched in the darkest corner. When I saw it, I stepped backwards, thinking I could go another way. The creature kind of hissed the word "pray" at me and scurried forward. She caught me by the hands and molded them back into prayer position. Then she led me through a few turns, all the while muttering, "Time to pray. Must pray. We all have to pray." She pushed me into a room lit by flickering electric candles. Someone — maybe her, maybe someone else — guided me to kneel.
I wish I could better convey what was on the altar but all I have is the the memory of artful clutter that included chalices and photo frames. I looked up to see what was on the wall behind the altar and thought I saw old shoes, maybe hubcaps, and a large golden angel. The display may have been ten feet tall. Someone from behind me clasped the top of my head, bent my neck and told me to pray. Near my knee I saw a black and white photograph. I reached to pick it up, but it was glued flat to the floor. I was going to bend lower to see what the subject of the shot was, but someone took my elbow and tugged me to feet, gave my a light shove, and said, "You're done praying. Get out."
The chaos.
Though I'm attached to the dreamier events I experienced in the basement, there was a lot of other stuff going on too.
PARLOR: One of the first full scale rooms I came to was a disordered, dusty-looking, blood stained parlor. It was clear to me that there were many different ways the scene could be used, and many different places for actors to hide. When I entered it, though, there was nothing going on and no one there. Much later, I ended up in a place where I could look into the parlor as our time was coming to an end. By then, the basement was full of loud music and shrieks. Many characters were in the parlor, gyrating and posing in a frantic strobe. Each seemed to be herding a victim (or several) through the room and toward the eventual exit.
DANCER: When I turned a corner from a hall into a large open space, someone immediately grabbed me from behind and rushed me toward, and pressed me against, a chain link fence. I automatically curled my fingers around some of the links. A spotlight lit the space on the other side of the fencing. A whirling spiral pattern was projected onto the floor. A thin character in tights spun into the spotlight and danced. Behind me, the actor who had grabbed me was pressed into my back. He was gibbering into my ear, but I have no idea what he was saying. The dancer lunged toward me then stopped short. At this point I was making very good eye contact with him. He looked into my eyes for a long moment. I felt something graze one of my fingers. the dancer deliberately dropped his gaze. So did I. He was tracing a knife blade along my skin. I didn't jump, but I did withdraw my hands. The guy behind me had released some pressure. I slipped sideways along the fence and he didn't follow. The dancer bent at the waist and appeared to retch. A dribble of clear liquid spattered into the space where my feet had been. The scent of vomit bloomed. (Apparently the Soap Factory employs "scent artists.")
SHEETS: One large area was simple, and beautiful and wonderfully suspenseful. From what must have been a grid of high-strung clotheslines, many pale sheets hung. I moved through the space thinking of the days we used to hang the bedding out to dry on breezy days when I was a child. Mostly, the sheets were clean and neat-looking, but as you wandered from one sheet-box to the next, some were tattered or stained. I encountered one character who just loomed at me until I faded back and away. I also encountered several other guests, all of whom stopped to look at me the same way I was looking at them. Once we both decided the other was no threat, we just passed each other and moved on.
BATHROOM: One installation was a grimy, blood-spattered bathroom. Ogre later told me he saw it too, but there was no one there at the time. When I came across it, though, there was a large, woman-shaped figure in a red dress, in the corner, curled up into the smallest ball she could possibly make of herself. She was softly and piteously sobbing. It was the only time I was tempted to break the rule about touching the actors. She seemed so sad that I actually started to move toward her to soothe her, before I remembered I was in a haunted basement. It occurred to me later that she could easily have been waiting for my sympathy to draw me closer so that she could achieve an incredibly effective jump scare. I still feel sort of bad about not comforting her though.
DUCT TAPE: Though I was not taken by the character who wielded the duct tape, I did see him in action as I slunk through his area. He seemed a bit rougher than most of the actors. He'd grab a victim and bind him or her at the wrists or around the torso, with the arms pinned down. I sort of wanted to follow a victim once he or she was released, to see if they would free themselves or just tolerate the handicap. I got either lost or distracted so I never learned what happened to any of them.
Maybe the blue mark made a difference?
After it was over Ogre and I compared experiences. He pointed out that the installations were dynamic. (Remember how the bathroom was empty for him?) He also noticed that he was touched less often and more aggressively than I was. In particular he was taken by the hair and head-butted in the chest. (In neither case was the experience rough enough to be painful, but it was clearly different from the way I was handled.)
I mention this because I suspect that each visitor had a unique experience in the haunted basement. I also believe this review will only be truly useful for the remaining days of the 2014 season. This year's theme was clearly insanity. I know in years past the themes have been entirely different.
The corridor of doors.
I never came across the straight-backed, wooden chair which I'd seen on the monitors in the lounge but I did stumble into the corridor of doors.
When I first entered the space, I didn't recognize it. For one thing, it was not a corridor. It opened out on one side to an installation of a mad person's bedroom. One that might be in the basement of an old factory or a run-down suburban tract home. Cheap framed prints of normal subjects hung on the walls, but someone had painted over the original images. There were books, and pages torn out of books, everywhere. They looked as though a breeze would set them in motion, but they were in fact each firmly attached to whatever they rested on. The bed was one of those wrought iron twin-size jobs, and it looked like someone had just thrown back the covers to rise. The scene was incredible detailed and I marveled that none of the people I'd seen on the monitors had stopped to really look at it. When I was there, there was no sign of the enormous clown. (And, yes, of course I tried all the doors.)
The girl with the swing.
This was my favorite experience of all. It was almost tender. A female character joined me in a murky, narrow space and took my hand. It felt as though I were the one who was leading, but that's probably because I was heading in the direction she wanted to go. We were moving from darkness toward a softly glowing area. When we turned the corner, I saw a plank swing. I followed its ropes up with my eyes. I could not see the actual ceiling; the ropes simply disappeared into the shadows.
The girl put me on the swing. She wrapped her hands over mine and started to push me gently. With her face half-buried in the side of my neck, under my ear, she murmured at me incessantly. I caught no particular words but her voice was melodic. I tried to pay attention to the setting around my, which was actually quite visible, but nothing could really register over that breath on my neck and her nonsense litany. I have no idea how long I was on that swing. Other guests came through the space and stared at us as they sidled by. I realized I had become part of the installation.
Ogre tells me he saw the swing girl, and that she had a victim at the time. He thinks it's possible it was me.
Go here. Buy tickets.
Macabre Media: Gone Girl, The Calling, Before I Go To SleepPosted: October 27, 2014 Filed under: *Macabre Media, Movies & Films | Tags: Before I Close My Eyes, Before I Go To Sleep, creepy movies, Daniel Radcliff, Gone Girl, Horns, Macabre Media, movies, Nicole Kidman, Renae Rude, Susan Sarandon, The Calling, The Paranormalist 3 Comments
Today at Macabre Media, it's all about the women .
Ogre and I recently saw Gone Girl in the theater. I was really caught up in Rosamund Pike's performance and she is definitely the star of this film. Gone Girl is a great date movie, if you want to have some in-depth conversation with your partner after seeing it.
We missed The Calling (which I included as an "& LATER" selection in a past blog) when it was playing on the big screen, but we rented it via Redbox. (I don't think it had much of a run.) This is not a typical serial killer movie. I'm not even sure I'd call it a thriller. It was, however, a serviceable canvas on which Susan Sarandon could paint a complex and realistic character.
Neither movie is precisely horror, so for those of you who want something a little more seasonally appropriate this week, have a look at my Netflix streaming suggestions.
At the theaters:
In Redbox:
On Netflix:
I rounded up my recommendations for Halloween-appropriate movies which are now available through Netflix streaming in the post:
Almost Halloween: reminders and shortcuts for this week.
If we go to the movies on Saturday or Sunday (once Halloween is done) we'll probably see either Horns (which I mentioned last week) or this one:
A woman wakes up every day, remembering nothing as a result of a traumatic accident in her past. One day, new terrifying truths emerge that force her to question everyone around her.
Starring Nicole Kidman & Colin Firth
Opening on October 31st, 2014
As usual, I'll send a heads-up out on FB & Twitter & G+ when we get a little closer to the release date.
One week to Halloween!Posted: October 24, 2014 Filed under: Halloween 1 Comment
Only ONE week until Halloween!
I just got back from the Soap Factory's Haunted Basement: Unhinged.
It was awesome.
It's late, and I've still got some date-time left, so I'll just toss up the countdown post for now, but I'll be back later this weekend to review this haunted attraction which is billed as the scariest in Minnesota.
Our October weather, so far, has been lovely, and it looks good for the upcoming week. For some reason I'm running a little late with things like decorating around here, but I think the seasonal zeitgeist has finally caught up with me. I've got lots to do. Luckily, I needed to update the one-week-to-Halloween post today, and that's helped me get my plans together.
Now's the time to think about what we still have the desire, time and energy to do. I've gone through all the posts in my Halloween countdown, to cherry-pick the links that might be most useful to you, now that we're down to the wire. (Even if you haven't done much in the way of setting things up.)
Read: Almost Halloween ~ reminders and shortcuts for this week.
PS: Thank you for the kind and thoughtful comments on last night's post, a bad night at the paranormal hotel. I was a little concerned that the aftertaste of all that would spoil my fun at a haunted attraction. Tonight, though, I got the chance to be brave and I took advantage of it. One reason I love horror so much is that it allows us to practice things like courage, quick-thinking, flexibility, and resilience.
Thanks to my Ogre (who quietly encouraged me to go even if I was nervous) and to my beloved genre, tonight I am better than fine.
PPS: Come play with us at:
2014: The Paranormalist's 1st Annual Halloween Photo Scavenger Hunt


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Latest HCC News
Fashion Department is Featured on Great Day Houston
Apr 30, 2014 By Debra McGaughey
HCC Central's Fashion Department's students and professor Vi Hua were featured guests last week to talk creative trash with host Deborah Duncan.
HCC Southwest Students Win Dell Laptops
Apr 29, 2014 By Blondel Walters
Four students from HCC Southwest campuses are now proud owners of new Dell Inspiron 15 laptop computers, each equipped with a 15.6-inch HD WLED display, 4 GB of memory and an Intel Celeron processor.
Salzburg Global Seminar trip winner announced
Apr 29, 2014 By Blondel Walters
HCC Southwest International Student Services in conjunction with the Study Abroad Program selected Saira Zaman to attend the Salzburg Global Seminar in Salzburg, Austria this summer.
HCC Northeast Energy Institute students land top jobs from top employers
Apr 29, 2014 By NE Public Relations
The Houston Community College Northeast Energy Institute recently hosted top energy companies Marathon Oil and BASF for a student career information session held at the Northeast Campus.
HCC takes part in March of Dimes Walk
Apr 28, 2014
Houston Community College staff and faculty participated in the annual March of Dimes Walk in Houston.

subset: commoncrawl


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Modifying Yoga PosturesSeries Website »
Episode Guide »
There are several yoga postures that utilize props, a chair, a firm pillow, a book and hand towel.
Vermont transplant and Guster frontman Ryan Miller seeks out far-fetched friends across the state! Available exclusively online.
A second HD broadcast service offering alternative programming and more content from local and regional producers.


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Diocesan Day in Shadeland11. August 2011 - 10:38
The 2011 St. Sava Camp season came to a close on Sunday, August 7, 2011 with the traditional Shadeland Picnic in conjunction with Diocesan Day.
Celebration of Saint Angelina on Fruska Gora15. August 2011 - 15:34
In an uninterrupted continuity our Holy Church for five thousand years prayerfully remembers Saint Angelina of Serbia. Also this year, in front of her holy relics under the arches of the monastery Krusedol numerous people gathered with their priests and monks to receive her blessing.
Eight anniversary of suffering of Serbian boys in Gorazdevac15. August 2011 - 14:17
The memoral service in the church of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos and visiting the graves on August 13, 2011 in Gorazdevac the eight anniversary since the attack of Albanian extremists in which, on the bank of the Bistrica river, two Serbian boys were killed.
Patron Saint's Day of Bijeljina15. August 2011 - 14:02
His Grace Bishop Vasilije of Zvornik-Tuzla served on the feast day of St. Pantaleon the Great martyr the Hierarchal Divine Liturgy in the church of St. George the Great Martyr in Bijeljina.
Metropolitan Amfilohije serves in Bare Radovica15. August 2011 - 11:24
On the occasion of the church slava of St. Pantaleon and St. Climent of Ohrid, His Eminence Amfilohije Archbishop of Cetinje and Metropolitan of Montenegro served on August 9 2011 with priests and faithful people in Bare Radovica in Lower Moraca in this church the Hierarchal Divine Liturgy.


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Part Time Jobs in Williford, Arkansas ( AR )
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Local Halloween Haunted Houses!
by Kris Valentine
posted Oct 20 2009 10:16AM
If you're like me you love the Fall season & Halloween! There's something about the crisp fall air and the thrill of being scared half to death that makes it so fun. Our very own Michele Michael's has written an article for The Examiner, which includes all the best local haunts. See the list by clicking the picture below!
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Originally written on NESN.com | Last updated 11/12/14
It didn't take long for the Flyin' Hawaiian to get himself some new headwear. Shane Victorino, who reportedly inked a three-year deal with the Red Sox on Tuesday, immediately took to Twitter to express his excitement. On Wednesday, the veteran outfielder tweeted a photo of himself donning a new Sox lid. Victorino also retweeted a number of his Twitter followers, including pitcher Jon Lester, who welcomed the outfielder to his new ballclub. Victorino even included the hashtag #MAHALO — which, of course, means "thank you" in Hawaiian. Check out Victorino's new Red Sox gear in the Twitter photos below. Blessed day to all…proud again to call myself @redsox! Kingston feels the same…..#ALOHA twitter.com/ShaneVictorino… — Shane Victorino (@ShaneVictorino) December 5, 2012 Hey @shanevictorino – new hat? @redsox #RedSoxNation twitter.com/SVictorinoFdtn… — Shane Victorino Fdtn (@SVictorinoFdtn) December 5, 2012
PLAYERS: Shane Victorino, Jon Lester
TEAMS: Boston Red Sox
TEAMS: Boston Red Sox
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Originally published Tuesday, April 10, 2012 at 1:15 PM
Study: Tax deadline day can be deadly on US roads
The two certainties in life - death and taxes - may be more intertwined than Ben Franklin ever imagined: A study found that deadly auto accidents increase on Tax Day.
AP Medical Writer
The two certainties in life - death and taxes - may be more intertwined than Ben Franklin ever imagined: A study found that deadly auto accidents increase on Tax Day.
Drivers recklessly racing to the post office to meet the deadline might be one reason. Or it could be that stressing over taxes distracts motorists and contributes to human error, researchers said.
They looked at 30 years of data and found 6,783 traffic-related deaths on Tax Day, or 226 per day. That compares with 213 per day on one day a week before the deadline day and another day a week after.
Drivers were slightly less likely than passengers and pedestrians to be killed.
The traffic death rate on Tax Day - which usually falls on April 15 - was 6 percent higher than on other April days. That doesn't sound like a lot, but lead author Dr. Donald Redelmeier said it means an average of about 13 extra deaths per day and amounts to about $40 million in annual losses to society.
That estimate includes loss of life, injury and property damage costs, said Redelmeier, a physician and researcher at the University of Toronto.
The researchers analyzed data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The results appear in Wednesday's Journal of the American Medical Association.
Russ Rader, a spokesman for the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, said having more motorists on the road and drivers taking routes that are not in their everyday routines might make Tax Day riskier. Other research has said those factors, and sometimes alcohol use, may contribute to increases in traffic deaths on other days, including Super Bowl Sunday, July 4 and Election Day.
Rader says studies have shown that drivers are safest on routes they know the best - for example, commuting to work or taking the kids to school. Risk increases when routes vary - like driving to the post office to mail tax returns.
The nonprofit group is funded by car insurance companies and studies ways to reduce car crashes.
Dr. Mark Nunnally, an associate professor at the University of Chicago who studies patient safety, said while it might make sense to conclude that drivers are more distracted on Tax Day, that is just speculation. Reasons for the increases seen in the study are unknown, he said.
Redelmeier, a Canadian, said he studied the United States because the American tax code is so complicated, and probably more stressful for taxpayers, than in other countries.
The study examined data from 1980 to 2009. Electronic tax filing started in 1986 and become increasingly popular during the study period. But it appeared to have no effect on Tax Day deaths, which also increased, Redelmeier said.
Last year, about three-fourths of the 145 million individual returns were filed electronically. Eventually, everyone will likely file online.
Redelmeier said filing electronically can be stressful, too, and it might even encourage people to wait until the last minute to do their returns. For those reasons, he said it's unlikely universal e-filing will result in fewer Tax Day deaths.
A spokeswoman for the Internal Revenue Service declined to comment on the study.
This year, the IRS has postponed the deadline by two days, to April 17. That's because April 15 is a Sunday and the next day is Emancipation Day - a public holiday observed in Washington, D.C.
Canada's tax deadline day is April 30. Redelmeier said his own tax returns "are not quite ready," and added with a laugh, "It's caused some friction in the house."
The Canadian Institutes of Health Research helped pay for the study.
JAMA: http://www.jama.ama-assn.org
Insurance Institute for Highway Safety: http://www.iihs.org
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Strong Growth Drives Expansion of Calypsoâs Operations
WOODBURY, MN, Oct. 27, 2008 â Increased adoption of technology in schools has led to unprecedented growth for Calypso Control Systems, a provider of solutions for seamlessly incorporating multimedia devices and content into collaborative, interactive classrooms. Having outgrown its previous location due to increased demand, Calypso has moved its headquarters and operations from Hudson, WI, to Woodbury, MN. more
Related Topics: AV Control Systems, Company Announcements, Education, News |


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Chocolate Bars by the box
Does anyone know where to buy a box of chocolate bars? We're having a shower for my sister on the weekend and I want to buy her a box of Coffee Crisps (she can't get them in the states). Hey, who says it has to all be about the baby?
Any help appreciated. My sister will hate you for it.
Sometimes Shoppers/Pharma Plus have 2 chcocolate bars for $1, especially during Back to School season!
Otherwise, go to a local convenience store and ask for a bulk discount for an entire box. They get this stuff from Costco too and they'll probably make a 20% margin off you, but it's still cheaper than getting a membership and staking out a suburbian costco.
As someone who has packed a suitcase full of ketchup chips, hickory sticks, coffee crisps, Twizzlers, etc., my standby when I am in TO is to run into the nearest Wal-mart. I think packs of 4 deliciously Canadian chocolate bars are around $3.
I think Costco or Sams Club will give you a trial membership (one day to let you try it out).
No Frills has been selling Nestle brand chocolate bars for 47 cents each. On Saturday I was at No Frills in Etobicoke(on Dundas St. W close to 427) and they were still selling Coffee Crisp, Smarties and Kit Kat for that price.


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Recipes-Salads, Appetizers and Snacks
Recipes-Salads, Appetizers and Snacks
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Arugula Salad w/ Mango, Macadamia & Avocado :: 1 large mango, cubed • 1 avocado, diced • 3/4 cup macadamia nuts, roasted/salted • 5 cups fresh arugula • optional add-in's: sweet onions, diced apple. Dressing :: 1/4 cup lemon juice • 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar • 1/4 cup olive oil • 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard • 1 tsp agave syrup • pepper • dash garlic powder
Arugula, Mango, Avocado & Macadamia Salad
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Cheese Truffles - You may have figured out by now that I love cheese. This combines jack and sharp cheddar with celery, shallots, parsley and cayenne into a wonderful appetizer. Click on the link for step by step instructions with pictures.
Appetizers Horderves, Recipe Food, Wonder Appetizers, Cheese Truffles, Chees Truffles, Step Gourmet, Step By Step, Cheese Lets Mixed, Hors D Oeuvres
Buttermilk Blue Cheese Wedge. Best blue cheese dressing you've ever had, hands down.
Cheese I, Cheese Wedges, Blue Cheese, Chees Wedges, Lettuce Wedges, Chees Recipe, Chees Dresses, Cheese Dresses, Buttermilk Blue
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Mouth Water, Brown Sugar, Post Today, En Croute, Step Gourmet, Brie En, Mondays Post, Cups Chops, Chops Walnut
Strawberry Pretzel Salad In Jars via @Jamie {My Baking Addiction}
Baking Addict, Strawberry Pretzel Salad, Strawberries Pretzels Salad, Pretzels Jello, Individual Servings, Jello Cheesecake, Pretzels Desserts, Sweets Tooth, Cream Cheeses
Strawberry Pretzel Salad | My Baking Addiction
Homemade fruit roll-ups using frozen berries. Awesome website with lots of recipes to substitute for all that processed stuff.
Tasty Recipe, Homemade Fruit, Fruit Rolls Up, Dry Fruit, Fruit Rollups, Boxes, Fruit Snacks, Frozen Berries, Kids Food
The ultimate wedge
Iceberg Wedges Salad, Dressing Recipes, Lettuce Cups, Blue Chees Dresses, Eggs, Salad Recipes, Wedge Salad, Dresses Recipe, Blue Cheese Dresses
50 Best Snacks Under 50 Calories
Snacks Under 50 Calories, Fit, Healthysnacks, 50 Snacks, Healthy Snacks, Recipe Under 50 Calories, Healthy Food Under 50 Calories, Food Drinks, Cravings This
Balsamic Chicken, Spinach and Tomato Pasta Salad.
Tomatoes Paste, Pasta Salad, Belle Peppers, Salad Dresses, Summer Salad, Chicken Pasta, Balsamic Chicken, Summer Night, Tortellini Salad
warm bean dip: cream cheese, sour cream, refried beans, taco seasoning, Cheddar, Monterey jack
Tacos Seasons, Sour Cream, Refried Beans, Beans Dips, Food Blog, Bean Dip, Texas Trash, Mr. Beans, Cream Cheeses
Cream Cheese Guacamole dip- I'm a huge fan of Cream Cheese and avocados, so mixing them together? YUM!!!! I made 1/4 of this recipe since it's just me and Tyler. I did 1 3/4 avocado, 4 oz cream cheese, 3/4 tsp garlic salt, 1 tsp lemon, and 1/2 cup salsa. This has a really smooth texture. Rating: 8/10.
Guacamole Dips, Tortillas Chips, Food, Pinwheels Appetizers, Christmas Treats, Christmas Dinner, Pink Peonies, Chees Guacamole, Cream Cheeses
Strawberry Mango Salsa >> This sounds delicious!
Basil Leaves, Strawberries Mango Salsa, Recipe, Mcconkie Menu, Red Onions, Food, Sea Salts, Yummy, Mango Salad
Individual fruit salad. Cute. Pretty. Simple.
Ideas, Fruit Salads, Rainbows Fruit, Parties, Food, Fruit Cups, Bridal Shower, Fruit Desserts, Baby Shower
Hostess with the Mostess® - Rainbow Art Baby Shower
Apples + cinnamon + oven @ 275 degrees for 2 hours = healthy homemade apple chips. Good thing to do with those apples that have lost their crunch
Apples Cinnamon, Halloween Costumes Ideas, Healthy Snacks, Baking Apples Chips, Cinnamon Apples, Apples Slices, Baked Apples, Homemade Apples, Baked Apple Chips
Guac Hummus. Yes, PLEASE!
Chipsanddip Www Insidebrucrew, Dips Recipe, Football Chips, Games Day Food, Chips Dips, Guacamole Hummus, Snacks, Hummus Recipe, Brucrew Life
"FRIED" Pickles..
Healthy Alternative, Pickles Recipe, Dutch Ovens, Baking Pickles, Fries Dill Pickles, Paula Deen, Fried Pickles, Fries Pickles, Hot Sauces
blackened corn and tomato salad. yum.
Kelseynixon, End Of Summer, Recipe, Corn Salad, Loooove Corn, Summer Barbeque, Summer Corn, Perfect
Basic hummus recipe from The Barefoot Contessa
Appetizers Barefoot Contessa, Healthy Sauces, Best Hummus Recipe, Hummas Dip, Homemade Hummus, Easy Hummus, Hummas Recipe, Hot Sauces, Tahini Recipe
Roquefort Pear Salad
Green Salad, Fun Recipe, Roquefort Pears, Pears Salad, Blue Chees, Amazing Sweets, Sweets Vinaigrette, Salad Recipe, Favorite Recipe
BBQ Chicken Salad with Creamy BBQ Cilantro Lime Dressing
Bbq Cilantro, Limes Dresses, Cilantro Limes, Black Beans, Bbq Sauces, Chicken Salads, Bbq Chicken, Creamy Bbq, Chicken Breast
Baked Oven Fries - Apparently the best recipe for crispiness.
Deepfryer, Serious Perfect, Side Dishes, Ovens Baking Fries, Ovens Fries, French Fries, Baking Ovens, Perfect Techniques, Deep Fryer
Baked Oven Fries | Annie's Eats
Keri Russell.
Haircuts, Mid Length, Wavy Bobs, Shorts Hair, Messy Bob, Hair Cut, Keri Russell Hair, Kerry Russell, Hair Style
PF Changs lettuce wraps


text:
First of all, so much happened in Episode 4. It's going to be hard for me to cover everything. Let me start of by talking about Cody. Cody is my ex boyfriend. In my eyes he is an incredible guy. I love Cody. He is a man who taught me so much and is passionate about everything he does. He is important to me, and he holds special place in my heart.
Let me talk about the brunch scene. Yes, I'm an alcoholic. I have been sober for over six years. For me, not drinking is the foundation of everything I have worked for in life. If I drink, I will lose it all, and more importantly, I don't know if I will make it back alive.
Family brunch! Yes, I have a big family and I'm the oldest member of my family. I love my family dearly. They stuck by me when I was considered a lost cause. At the brunch you saw my little brothers, Jonathan and William. They are so adorable! Gina is my dad's wife, but I don't look at her as my stepmother. This not because I don't like her, but because in my mind I have one mom, and Gina is only two years older than me. It's weird for me. Everyone in my family is happy, and that is what matters most.


text:
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Cynthia Zanone
Stories by Cynthia Zanone
EventsArtPower! presents Jeffrey Zeigler
Nov 17, 2014, 9:45 a.m.
If you've wondered just what is new music/contemporary classical, an excellent opportunity to satisfy that curiosity will be Thursday's Jeffrey Zeigler concert. Presented solo cello with films by video and projection designer S. Katy Tucker as part of the performance, Zeigler defies genre definition and is anything but conventional. The former Kronos Quartet cellist's debut solo offering, "Something of Life," to be released this week, features new works by modern composers Philip Glass, Paola Prestini, John Zorn, Felipe Perez Santiago, Glenn Kotche and Gity Razaz.
EventsCultural traditions endure in Sherman Heights
Oct 29, 2014, 12:45 p.m.
Día de los Muertos is a pre-Columbian tradition that emphasizes the celebration of life while honoring departed loved ones. Since 1994, The Sherman Heights Community Center, at 2258 Island Ave., San Diego, has welcomed community residents and artists to celebrate Día de los Muertos through traditional gatherings, including these this week: Muertos Festival: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday. This festival allows visitors to experience the true spirit of Día de los Muertos with a blessing of the altars, live music and dance performances, art and food vendors, and more. ...
EventsIt's a Halloween Eve Indie Party
Oct 29, 2014, 1 a.m.
Live music fans ages 21 and older are in for a Halloween Eve treat with Orange Is Best With Black. The concert party, organized by San Diego IndieFest founders Danielle LoPresti and Alicia Champion, features country-tinged pop-rock balladeer Steve Grand as headliner. Grand, who became an overnight internet celebrity with the release of his music video for "All American Boy," will be backed by a number of local musicians. Singer/songwriter LoPresti and her rocking band The Masses, indie band Sleep Machine, and local up and comers Peach round out the ...
Events51 ways to get goose bumps this Halloween
Oct 23, 2014, 12:15 p.m.
Last year's challenge was to compile a list of 50 Halloween-related events for all ages. This year, we've gone one better. Here's 51! Festivals and parades 1 HauntFest on Main: 5 to 10 p.m. Friday. The third annual family-friendly event features live bands and performing arts, costume contests, a kids zone with expanded carnival rides, craft stations and trick or treating. Free admission. East Main Street and Rea Avenue, downtown El Cajon. hauntfest.org 2 The Boulevard Boo! Parade and Carnival: 10 a.m. Saturday. As San Diego's only Halloween parade, this ...
EventsLewis Black is back
Oct 2, 2014, 10:30 a.m.
The winner of the Grammy for Best Comedy Album in 2007 and 2011, Lewis Black started with a master's in fine arts from the Yale School of Drama in 1977. Now, the erstwhile playwright brings his smartly sarcastic stand-up act to audiences on a nearly nonstop tour. Perturbed by politicos, popular culture and asininity, the comic veteran is a vicious satirist. A master of timing and delivery, his social and cultural criticisms are mostly impassioned, frequently profane and always relevant.
EventsAmerica's original surfer girl in Coronado
Sep 10, 2014, 4:30 p.m.
Before Sandra Dee and Sally Field was Kathy Kohner — real-life inspiration for the fictional surfing neophyte "Gidget." A special Coronado screening of "Accidental Icon: The Real Gidget Story," will feature Kathy Kohner Zuckerman in attendance with filmmaker Brian Gillogly. Ticket price includes a Q&A session after the documentary, as well as a panel discussion including surf legend Mickey Munoz, Bill "Moondoggie" Jensen and actress Caryn Richman of the 1986-1988 sitcom "The New Gidget." Tickets for a related event, Gidget's Ultimate Beach Bash — a VIP after-party — are available ...
EventsSD Bayfair roars into bay starting Friday
Sep 9, 2014, 10 a.m.
Roostertails fly and thunder roars this weekend while more than 85,000 hydroplane enthusiasts celebrate the 50th anniversary of San Diego Bayfair. In addition to three days of competitive racing on the bay, the family-friendly event features live music all weekend, a car show, a beer garden, a Vendor Village with a kids' zone and more. Extreme sports enthusiasts will also enjoy the Freestyle Moto X exhibition, included with Bayfair tickets. General parking is available on Crown Point and Fiesta Island with free shuttle buses available to and from all of ...
EventsArtWalk returns to Liberty Station
Aug 13, 2014, 2:15 p.m.
These days one can find a fine arts festival on almost any weekend. The largest and longest-running of these is the annual ArtWalk each April in Little Italy. But this weekend's ArtWalk NTC @Liberty Station — sister festival to the spring ArtWalk — is quickly becoming a highlight. This year's event has nearly 200 regional and national artists, plus more than a dozen Baja artists, hands-on arts activities for children and adults, live music, street food vendors, plus the new beer and wine pavilion. "For the art collector, the cost ...
EventsThe beat goes on at Tiki Oasis 14
Aug 13, 2014, 1:15 a.m.
This uniquely San Diego weekender melds the tiki culture of post-World War II America with a different motif each year. This year's "Beat-Tiki" theme salutes the era when hipsters seemed effortlessly cool. More than 20 bands and numerous DJs will keep the scene swinging, while more than 30 symposiums cover tiki and beatnik history, art and poetry, beauty and fashion, mixology and a whole lot more. Admission to the art show, the vintage car show and the 100-vendor marketplace is free, and a la carte tickets to attend daytime symposiums ...
EventsHeiva San Diego celebrates island life and heritage
Aug 6, 2014, 4:45 p.m.
Celebrating the diversity and richness of Polynesian culture in Tahiti and her isles, the Heiva San Diego festival takes special care to emphasize the heritage and meaning of important traditions of the islands. One such tradition is the Ori Tahiti solo and group dance competition, with men and women competing in age categories from 4 years to 50 years and over. The centerpiece of the festival is the Royal Tahitian Gala Dinner featuring Polynesian and French gourmet cuisine, with a portion of proceeds benefiting Rady Children's Hospital. And not to ...
EventsAll hands on deck for songs of the sea
Jul 31, 2014, 11:45 a.m.
Originally maritime work songs, sea chanteys evolved to include folk narratives and ballads with maritime themes. For the 22nd annual Sea Chantey Fest, the Maritime Museum of San Diego and San Diego Folk Heritage have gathered several national and local groups to perform aboard the museum's historic windjammer ship, the Star of India. You can expect to hear classic chantey repertoire and swashbuckling pirate songs and see demonstrations of traditional shipboard skills. The all-ages event is included with paid general admission to the Maritime Museum. Schedule of performers: 11:00 a.m. ...
EventsPucker up for the 18th annual Lemon Festival
Jul 31, 2014, 11:30 a.m.
Chula Vista's signature event is a free, family-oriented street festival in celebration of all things lemony. Festivalgoers can enjoy lemon-themed contests, a kids zone and two stages with an eclectic mix of live music throughout the day, including country rockers Kanan Road, bluesmen Chickenbone Slim and the Biscuits, and beach party band Mango Bay. With 200 vendors sharing the six-block festival zone with the area's numerous merchants and eateries, how can you not squeeze this event into your weekend?
EventsThe Voice Tour in San Diego
Jul 23, 2014, 11:30 a.m.
Fans of the Emmy Award-winning "The Voice" can catch their favorites live this Sunday night at San Diego's Civic Theatre. The fast-paced ensemble show is designed to give each performer an opportunity to shine with solo performances, duets and group numbers. Season Six champion Josh Kaufman will be joined by runners-up Jake Worthington and Christina Grimmie, Jake Barker and fan favorite Kristen Merlin. In all, nine artists have joined the tour including Season Five standouts Will Champlin, Jacquie Lee and Tessanne Chin — who are expected to sing original songs ...
EventsJimmy James more than an impersonator
Jul 3, 2014, 4:45 p.m.
Performance artist Jimmy James perfected the essence of Marilyn Monroe in the '80s and released the stylish dance club tune "Fashionista" in 2006. Tonight he brings his show "Split Personality" to San Diego. Delivering vocal tributes more nuanced than mere caricatures, James has a remarkable ability to capture the unique sounds and tones of iconic singers like Billie Holiday, Barbra Streisand, David Bowie, Tina Turner, Neil Diamond and many, many more. Plus, the venue's scrumptious cabaret menu and more than 100 specialty martinis make that $15 food/drink minimum oh, so ...


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Find records of Jurrel Williams
Find birth, death, marriage, military, and other records of Jurrel D Williams at Ancestry.com.Search for records
Biography & Family History Add details
Jurrel D Williams (1946 - 2007) was born on September 2, 1946. Jurrel was born into the Williams family.
There are no known spouses or children on file for Jurrel. Jurrel died on October 31, 2007 at 61 years old.
Jurrel D Williams's last known residence is at Sulphur, Murray County, Oklahoma.
The data on this page comes from the official record for Jurrel D Williams in the SSDI (United States Social Security Master Death Index). According to information provided to the SSDI, this death record has been verified by a family member of the deceased. This data can be considered very accurate. What is the SSDI?
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Possible Relatives
- John Floyd Williams
- ·
- Sidney Johnson Williams
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- Tina L. Williams
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- Vern Williams
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- Christian Williams
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- Arthur Williams
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- Julia Williams
- ·
- Terrinesha Williams
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- Richard Williams
- ·
- Brendan Williams
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- Arlene Williams
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- Valencia Williams
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- Honorah (Williams) Byrnes
- ·
- Barbara Williams
- ·
- Larry Lonnie Williams Jr.
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- Gloria Williams
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- Teyonna Letitia Williams
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- Lori Williams
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- Lula Williams
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- Elizabeth Gail Williams
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"Family vacation to Las Vegas. Took all the kids and a few significant others to celebrate everyone now being 21. We left on the youngest's actual 21st birthday and surprised her with all matching T..." view full details
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"Tommy's 10th birthday party baseball game was a huge hit!! He was joined by 13 friends who made up his "Baseball dream teams" along with his awesome Dad (all-time pitcher and coach) and his 8 year-..." view full details
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Around this time last year I asked for readers to fill a survey. One hundred and thirty people participated and really helped me understand what readers are looking for.
I used to be obsessed with getting a lot of readers, but I've been thinking lately that connecting with my existing readers is a lot more important. This stems partly from the nagging feeling that people who come here aren't getting everything they want out of the experience. Still, they're coming back, which means that they probably feel like I have the ability to deliver it.
So this year's survey is to help me understand better what BTYB means to people. I've kept it as short as possible in the hopes that many people (that means you!) will take the time to fill it out. Feel free to write one sentence or pages,I will give every submission my full attention and consideration, and I often make changes based on a single person's opinion.
You can go to the survey here, or you can fill it in below. All questions are optional. I hope you'll fill them out, but if you don't have an answer or much time, leave some blank.
Above all, thanks for reading. I consider it a privilege to write for you.
P.S. To the anonymous guy who left me a message today,great suggestion! I will write a post about it soon.
same here. I had to copy my answers over to IE to post it because the submit button didn't fit in the rectangle for the form.
If anyone is having trouble submitting, click somewhere on the form and tab down to the submit button. It didn't fit in the window for me.
Last week I had an interesting talk with Ramit and Matt in New York. At one point the conversation turned to Matt's site, and Ramit started asking him a few questions about it. Actually, it was more like an interrogation.
"Who is your average reader?"
"Someone who's looking for travel information."
I used to dislike to work. I saw how most people lived their lives, slogging through work that they hated, and I was determined not to fall into that trap. I made the mistake of generalizing, lumping all work together in the same bucket.
Since then, things have changed. In terms of monumental personal life changes, becoming a hard worker is the most recent one I've undergone. About a year ago, for reasons I touched on in this post, I decided that it was imperative for me to become a hard worker. I didn't do it because I had suddenly fallen in love with work, but rather because I had began to feel as though I was behind. And believe me, it wasn't love at first sight.
To fall in love with hard work, you must understand why it's necessary. When I was young I was told that sugar was bad, but I never understood exactly why it was bad, so I kept eating it. Only when I learned how it chemically affected my body did I finally give it up. The same is true of work-- if you don't know why you have to work hard and love it, you'll probably never actually do it.
Work is your gift to the world. That sounds corny, but it's true. And believe me, you owe the world a gift or two. Think of all of the various things that millions of people around the world have done for you to enjoy the life you have. They made up languages, invented stuff, procreated at the exact right times to create your ancestry, and managed to not kill each other in the process. We're lucky to be here, and the high standard of living we all enjoy now is only because of those who came before us. Some, like Einstein, had huge impact, but even people you don't notice, like the janitors, are making your life better.


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November 22, 2014
The horns of a dilemma
This young male white-tailed deer wandered through the yard yesterday.
His tiny antlers looked more like tiny devil horns on a halloween costume.
Odocoileus virginianus
Labels: antlers, deer, horns, nature, Odocoileus virginianus, ric mcarthur, rick mcarthur, rondeau provincial park, rondeau ric, white-tailed deer, yard
November 20, 2014
American pipit.
This is a new yard bird for us.
We have seen them in the general area but not at home.
We only see them during migration.
Anthus rubescens .
The American Pipit is a small, slender, drab bird of open country. Although it appears similar to sparrows, it can be distinguished by its thin bill and its habit of bobbing its tail.
Labels: american pipit, Anthus rubescens, bird, migration, nature, pipit, ric mcarthur, rick mcarthur, rondeau provincial park, rondeau ric, snow, winter, yard
November 19, 2014
Could you ask for directions?
Noooo. You knew where we were going. Now everything looks the same and we are going to be late for the hatchling party.
Apalone spinifera spinifera
The Spiny Softshell is also known as the "pancake turtle" because of its rather flat, round, leathery upper shell, or carapace. The long neck and elongated, tubular snout allow this turtle to breathe while almost fully submerged and virtually unseen. Softshells ambush prey by lying concealed in bottom mud.
source -Royal Ontario Museum
Labels: (Apalone spinifera spinifera), hatchlings, nature, ric mcarthur, rick mcarhur, rondeau provincial park, rondeau ric, soft-shelled, softshell, softshelled turtle, turtle
November 18, 2014
Flash Freeze
Yesterday this was open water, it froze overnight.
The far shore is about 6km, 3
+ miles, away.
The clouds represent more snow coming in.
At least we are better off than Buffalo N.Y. at the other end of Lake Erie.
They have received over 4 feet , well over a meter,of snow in two days and are expecting another two feet.
Temperatures are far below freezing and it is only November.
Bah! Humbug!
Remember to fill those bird feeders.
Labels: flash frozen, freeze, ice, ric mcarthur, rick mcarthur, rondeau bay, rondeau provincial park, rondeau ric, water
November 17, 2014
A winter pond.
Winter arrived today with a vengeance.
The birds seem to be in shock and so am I.
I know it isn't very Canadian but I really LOATH winter.
Labels: nature, pond, ric mcarthur, rick mcarthur, rondeau provincial park, rondeau ric, snow, winter, yard, yuk
November 16, 2014
Two toned paint job.
Pretty cool, eh?
Ardea herodias
Despite their impressive size, Great Blue Herons weigh only 5 to 6 pounds thanks in part to their hollow bones—a feature all birds share.
The oldest Great Blue Heron, based on banding recovery, was 24 years old.
source - Cornell Lab of Ornithology.
Labels: Ardea herodias, bird, great blue, great blue heron, heron, marsh, nature, ric mcarthur, rick mcarthur, rondeau provincial park, rondeau ric
November 13, 2014
Little Bustard
He was doing a mating display, jumping up and spreading his wings.
Our guide was impressive, he knew exactly where to go to get virtually every bird we wanted to see.
Tetrax tetrax
Breeds in open terrain vegetation tall enough to give it cover.
Labels: bustard, little bustard, ric mcarthur, rick mcarthur, rondeau ric, Spain, Tetrax tetrax