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After a few tough decisions we asked you to make in the past weeks, we now have an arguably easier challenge. This week you can vote for your favourite CGI element or scene from season two. Think carefully, cast your vote in the poll after the break, and then comment away with fellow readers.
139 Comments
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Wildfire for me. Flawless.
Had to be between Wildfire and Dragonfire for me, but I went with Wildfire in the end.
Wildfire for sure. Third?
I really had to go with Wildfire on this one. All of them were great… but.. yeah… this was the easiest poll for me yet.
Oh mY God !!!! It has to be the wildfire explosion ..
Wildfire, but the White Walkers are a very close second.
Wildfire, by far
2a/2b were the White Walker and throne room
I went with the Shadow Baby – the fingers curling around Melissandre's legs are creepy and nightmarish.
Hey! I was finally able to click the vote button!
Easy pick: wildfire
I really loved the snow-in-the-throneroom scene, but I had to go with wildfire too.
Damn. Too hard to decide.
Shadow baby for me as well.
Birth of the shadow baby! Those hands arounds Carice's ankles, wow!
Lots of good choices but I went with wildfire. Shadow baby was a close 2nd.
Wildfire, easily.
Shadowbaby is a close second.
there should be exactly one nomination in this category
Went with dragons, but actually what I have in mind is not the House of the Undying scene, but all the ones with Drogon on Dany's shoulder and when he's learning to char his meat as Dany and Doreah are watching. It was too cute, as well as so naturally integrated with the rest of the scene that I don't feel so much that he's CGI.
That wildfire explosion was pretty perfect.
Got to throw some love to the white walkers and snowy throne room too for the understated effect of the season. Three fabulous choices. But I have to go with my first instinct, and wildfire. It totally lived up to the terrifying tales of its power from the book, if done slightly differently but no less intensely than I'd anticipated.
Very few moments made me so absolutely terrified than seeing the white walkers march towards the Fist of The First Men. Granted, not ALL of then are CGI (the one that stares Sam down is a puppet, I think), but a good deal of them were, and the crew's ability to portray that whole "oh crap" moment is truly fascinating!
shadow baby without question
Went with the redo of Bush's head. Flawless.
Best scene with CGI or best CGI in a scene? Not great CGI, but I really loved the scene where Robb confronted Jaime in episode 1. The wildfire was pretty perfect but not really one of my favorite aspects of that episode (which is not saying much, because it was all so great).
I had to go with the shadow baby. They outdid ten-fold what I had in my head while I was reading that scene, and that is so very hard to do – compete with the imagination. Plus it was the first big "holy shit WTF?!" moment of the season and I still cackle when I remember the online reaction while it was playing out on screen.
Voted wildfire for pure impact. Shadow baby was probably the most technically impressive and the throne room was a wonderful example of effectively subtle effects, but how do ou not vote for the explosion?
Serg: Granted, not ALL of then are CGI (the one that stares Sam down is a puppet, I think)
Not a puppet, an actor (Ross Mullen) in prosthetics .
Shadowbaby was the most excitingly gross and "innovative" in a way, as it could have gone all kinds of ways.
But Wildfire HAD to be like this, and it delivered exactly what everybody was expecting while still surprising fans with a blast.
I went with Shadow baby, because I want it to win the silver.
The Shadow Vagina is the most futuristic shit I have ever seen on television
Shadow baby for the win. I hope the people voting for dragon fire are referring to the scene where the meat is charred because the dragon fire scene in the house of the undying just looked cheesy.
Shadowbaby for me. The look of that creature could've been a huge miss if it had been handled wrong. It was horror-like and the hands clutching around Mel's ankles was perfect.
While the wildfire was awesome, it was just that: fire. Nothing Hollywood hasn't ever done before. Big explosions are every CGI artist's breakfast on a slow day… This one just happened to be green. But shadow creatures made in that quality and with such complexity; that wins my vote.
I may be the only one who thinks this, but for me the snowed in throne room. It was amazing. That scene blew me away. Also, it's kind of odd that both the throne room and the dragons were in the same sequence. And I've gotta say, why aren't the direwolves in here?
I went with the wildfire explosion.
I would have went with the white walker scene but from what I learned from threads on this site that was mostly just awesome costume design with a little CGI.
The wildfire explosion made everyone in my living room just say "Wow!"…
Went with the shadow baby on this one. The wildfire was great, and was a close second.
I guess I like the simple things. While the wildfire explosion was mind blowing, I got shivers seeing the snowed in throne room. So even though the wildfire was probably a more exceptional technological feat and had that "OH MY GOD" moment, the throne room was just…beautiful. It was incredibly sad and peaceful, and it helped that Emilia Clarke was there. Being so used to seeing her against a desert and sun backdrop, it was weird to see her surrounded by snow. Winter has truly come.
I loved the wildfire explosion, but the birth scene was by far one of the big high points of the season for me… as many already said, the hands wrapped around Mel's ankles..!
Shadow baby's fo sho gunna win that silver!!! Booyaah
Although some scenes were fantastic, I loved the snow in the throne room, or was that hinting at Snow in the throne room?
Oh n what was that dany reached for at the throne? A whitish sword handle?
The final "white walker" scene was definitely a great finale, and frightening even, at least the beginning of it, but I was slightly annoyed by one minor aspect:
Whenever there's a quick glimpse over a large mass, in one angle and just for a few moments, it's so clearly fake and doesn't really convince — there was a similar thing when the camera quickly swung over the walls of Qarth and we saw a massive Oasis port city, etc., and then quickly nothing else again of the sort. While these glimpses are definitely quite artistic and very welcome among fans, myself included! — so I'd of course rather have them than not have them at all — but personally, I appreciate the scenes where the CGI has some direct function and actually convinces.
For the "white walker" finale, for instance, I had the feeling throughout that if the camera suddenly swung sideways we'd see that none of these guys are zombies (as we only saw a few at the very beginning) — maybe better would have been one more shot of a CGI or non-CGI zombie half-way in the scene, or something else of the sort, to remind the viewer that this is suppose to be an undead army and not a crowd of extras who were just brought over for this one scene on a bus from Reykjavik.
Wildfire and CGI ships, etc: Very convincing, we saw enough real things (men in boats — Stannis at the helm, wood burning, different angles, etc.) to make the scenes seamless, very real and touchable, and to give the viewer the feeling that if the camera suddenly swung in a different direction, as mentioned earlier, we'd see pretty similar stuff — so it's real, it convinces.
None of the other scenes had quite the same effect (the magi even forgot his favorite doubling and reappearance trick when confronted with the little dragons! — I agree with whoever said that this scene was a bit cheezy :-/ ), but, admittedly, and despite my critique, I actually liked them all.
Throne room. Looked completely natural to me – and I am well familiar with what real snow looks like!
No direwolves? Weren't they CGI'd in after being shot elsewhere so they'd look bigger in relation to the humans? A woman's mind keeps going back to the scene where Bran was warging visibly for the first time. At first, we saw the godswood scenery from a lower viewpoint, then the pond in the godswood, approached the pond and looking closer saw the reflection of …Summer! Was that cgi or a real wolf? Whatever it was, that stayed with me, had to watch it over a few times it was so cool.
The shadow assassin was certainly bad-ass, creepy, scary, and yet realistic looking. That surpassed my expectations. Wildfire, well as an action movie fan I've seen lots of explosions. That there was such a quality setup and execution was certainly unusual for a TV show, but it still was pretty much well-used technology with a few tweaks. So a woman thinks the shadow assassin may get her vote, but will think on it more before deciding.
if I understand it correctly what you´re asking that was a subjective camera, don´t know how you say it in English. A type of camera that replaces the eyes of a character. So, you see what that person / animal (in this case) sees. It´s not cgi. But I have to see it again to be sure.
I went with shadow baby but the throne room was great too. Wildfire, I don´t care.
What? The Wildfire was a CGI? I thought they blew up a ship full of Mountain Dew…
I actually jumped out of my chair and started shouting in glee and horror during the Wildfire explosion. I think most here will agree. It was epic!
I think all the fire scenes were good, but CGI fire always looks like CGI fire to me honestly. Just soemthing a bit "off"….
After seeing the White Walker figures on display, I think the scene in the finale actually took away from how cool the White Walkers look so I cannot vote for that scene.
The House of Undying throne rroom scene was great, but it did leave me wantinghonestly. The VFX were awesome, but the HotU itself was such a let down I am biased against the scene. I can admit it.
I loved the Shadowborn scene!
To me that birth was intense and BETTER than how I magined it and that is always a nice surprise.
So definitely the shadowbaby birth!
I went with Wildfire CGI because everyone was expecting something extraordinary and the CGI production pulled it off and then some! No matter how jaded the audience was regarding filmed action sequences (and we are a very jaded bunch), GoT Wildfire CGI for TV pulled us up out of our seats for a WOW moment (one of the best Tweets described it as Weaponized Mountain Dew and I still get a laugh over that).
Compare this to the HotU CGI sequence, which is unfair because the expectations were so over the moon that HotU was never going to meet the audiences expectations and didn't. All the time, money and planning poured into the Wildfire CGI paid off, but the same did not apply to HotU due to audience expectations.
My runner-up is a tie between assassin baby (yes, very creepy) and the much underrated HotU sequence especially the Throne Room. I know everyone concentrated on the Snow on the Throne but I was struck by the massive destruction of the vaulted ceiling (something horrific happened here). In defense of the HotU sequence, already much debated, it was the first time in either the book or TV series I got a sense of Dany as a Targaryen: one part brilliance and one part madness.
Voted for the white walkers, that hole scene was so creepy and left me speechless. the white walkers could have been easly made wrong. That is the reason George never descriped them in detail. From the dead horse till the walking zombies it was great.
I liked the other scenes, too, of course, this poll was was the hardest for me. The wildfire was grest, but nothing excactly new. The Dragons were grest before they spied fire, they had real expressions on their faces, so cute.
The shadowbaby was not bad, but it was to much cgi, for me, it did not look real enough, don't now how to desribe it.
The throne room looked great, loved the scene, but I think the cgi was most likely the easiest, moving creatures are harder I think.
Wildfire! Definitely wildfire!
Some people though that the snow was actually ashes.
I went with the throne room. My Jaw was on the floor with the beauty and cinematography of it. Looked better than anything I've seen on any screen.
Yeah Wildfire me. my jaw dropped when it happened. Amazing
I went with the wildfire. For me it literally felt like I was there to witness it. (Watched the Blackwater episode in a dark room, and the light of the explosion made it all green) It was an amazing feel.
wildfire along with the hound's expression after it… then shadow baby and then the snow covered throne room
if I understand it correctly what you´re asking that was a subjective camera, don´t know how you say it in English. A type of camera that replaces the eyes of a character. So, you see what that person / animal (in this case) sees. It´s not cgi. But I have to see it again to be sure.
I went with shadow baby but the throne room was great too. Wildfire, I don´t care.
So that scene might have been an actual camera on a real wolf/dog, like National Geographic's "Crittercam" that they stick on whales, penguins, large birds, etc. to see what they do? That's cool too, but I guess not CGI. A woman thanks you for your reply and will probably go with the shadow assassin too since it was the most surprising to me. Loved all of it though, tough choice!
I don't know for sure how they did it, and it's been forever since i've seen the scene so I don't know if the wolf we saw was CGI or a real wolf, but here's how i'm fairly sure they did the scene. They ran a camera through the godswood using either one of the robot camera arms, or just a regular camera man, and ended with it looking down into the pool. They then match-moved the camera in a 3d program, and put either a CG wolf into the shot with the pool part and messed with it to make it look like a reflection, or took an actual wolf on greenscreen, and again, made it look like a reflection. I doubt they'd have gone through the trouble of trying to put (and then hide) a camera on a real animal for that shot. I could be wrong, though, but if I was the VFX supervisor, that's how I would have done it.
Hehe… that should be in some other category like "most awkward messup in the show"…
Wildfire, followed by dragon fire.
I went with the Throne Room scene as it looked the most real.
Loved the wildfire, but it wasn't how it should have been IMO, & the rest was all too computerised for me.
Red Priestess: Shadowbaby for me. The look of that creature could've been a huge miss if it had been handled wrong. It was horror-like and the hands clutching around Mel's ankles was perfect.
While the wildfire was awesome, it was just that: fire. Nothing Hollywood hasn't ever done before. Big explosions are every CGI artist's breakfast on a slow day… This one just happened to be green. But shadow creatures made in that quality and with such complexity; that wins my vote.
QFT. This is exactly what I wanted to say too. I've been wondering how are they going to pull of the shadow birthing scene since S1, and it was constantly on my mind in S2. It was exquisite when it could have been cheesy as hell. The wildfire explosion was amazing (as were the sound effects), but at the end of the day, it's nothing we haven't seen before.
Ofc it is, or have you ever seen a dragon, a whitewalker or a shadowbaby in real life? if yes, tell hbo, so they can save some money with cgi!
White walker-army. It looked real enough, and that in itself, on TV, is pretty impressive!
It gets some additional points for great design, and not doing the WWs purely with CGI, and just the fact that they went all out with a scene where I and most others didn't expect more than blue eyes glowing in a snow storm – if we even got the scene, that is…
If I could cast one more vote (and add a category) I'd vote for the dragons in general. The firebreathing scene was suitably epic, but the ones where Dany tried to feed them – both where she fails, and where she suceeds, was impressively lifelike – movie quality stuff!
Grey Wind walking around and entering the cage where Jaime sits, chained. Massive epic scene.
Surprisingly to myself, I've chosen shadow baby, because it's something new plus it's great combination of CGI with very intimate scene and greatly played emotions.
Wildfire, whitewalkers, shadow they all were amaizing, but ruined throneroom was a piece of art. What a warning to all sides of war. What an atmosphere of decaying and final peace..
I ride a dragon to work, I have a big garden full of rabbits & orphans, these are his favourite foods. His name is Terry.
Zombies daily ruin my trips to Asda, but I have a spear & good put downs that keep them at bay. And a dragon, so although he doesn't really care for decaying flesh, he helps me out when I need milk or ice-cream.
Is it my fault that HBO can't find the real deal?
I also have a Unicorn, which I offered to them for the up-coming scenes of Skagos, but they said they would rather strap a horn to a horses head. Oh well….
I look at films from the 70's & 80's with basic computerised images & they look better than some of the more recent stuff that's on TV/Films now. That's all I meant.
I had to go with my dragons ,but snowed Throne room was a lil masterpiece ..:)
went with a shadowbaby (with dragons/throne room close 2nd) mostly because I was so pleasantly surprised how well it was done.
explosion was cool and but that's it, it's just an explosion ;p
Wildfire no doubt, why even vote? :D
I voted for the White Walkers, but since that was mostly costuming I should have voted for the throne room.
The wildfire explosion was cool, but it was just an explosion. Great TV, but not that memorable as CGI.
I am not convinced that was snow it looked like ash to me.
Anyway I went with the wildfire explosion but the walkers were just as cool.
the shadow baby wasnt CGI, it was a real person in a costume
White walkers for me if it didnt look the part then it would've been a fairly disappointing ending to what was a great 2nd series.
We have a split decision in our house – boyfriend – Wildfire; me – Shadowbaby. I got to pick last time, so this time it's "Wildfire".
Speaking of Shadowbaby, when many fans on this site mentioned James Purefoy for the role of Mance Rayder, I looked him up and found the coolest movie which reminds me a little of GoT. The movie is called "Solomon Kane" and stars James Purefoy (as Solomon), Max van Sydow (as Solomon's father), the late Pete Postlethwaite, Rachel Wood, Ian Whyte (as the Devil's Reaper aka GoT Season 1's White Walker and Season 2's Gregor Clegane), Mackenzie Crook (as Father Michael aka GoT's Orell), and Rory McCann (as McNess aka GoT's Sandor Clegane). The movie opens with a battle scene which looks a miniature version of Blackwater (North African style, but without wildfire). A little later, at 6:24, the Papa of all Shadowbabies, called the Devil's Reaper, comes alive; at 32:59, the making of a Zombie; and at 1:25:06 final scene in what looks like the throne room. Good movie and James is awesome – what a perfect Mance Rayder he would be.
Tereeza777….have u seen ironclad? purefoy's pretty badass in that too.
The poll says "The birth of the shadow assassin" not "Killing of Renly by shadow assassin".
Seems a lot of people vote wildfire because of the scene itself, not because of the CGI. A bit of a pity if you ask me!
Sorry – I forgot to put the link to the movie – type in "Solomon Kane 2009 DVD – YouTube" and click on the one with 6 Chinese characters in front of the words "Solomon Kane". That one has the entire movie.
Wildfire, for sure. That was insane. Just exceeded my expectations – especially that slow motion shot where Davos gets blown away and the ship rips apart. Should be part of the Geneva convention that wildfire must only be used at night, though.
watch this if u liked solomon kane and james purefoy!!
Philip – thank you! – will watch it later
I went with the Shadow Baby – the fingers curling around Melissandre's legs are creepy and nightmarish.
Nightmarish? I think it would be a dream for most mothers if the baby helped to get out instead of the mother doing all the painful pushing-work!
Throne Room was nicely done, too, but the cold blue eyed guys really crowned it all.
I went with the wildfire scene. That whole episode was just flawless, and that scene had me going "Wow, just wow!" even after the episode was over.
Wildfire scene for sure. Seriously, that was an EPIC moment
If you have a good Subwoofer, the Wildfire Explosion got to be the Choice!
Most Hollywood movies would die to have such spectacle!
lol as I was going down the list I was like, yeah I'll vote for that one, no this one, then that one…. then I saw wildfire, yeah, wildfire. :)
My favorite scene of the entire SERIES is: "Mattos – GET DOWN!!" >>> Davos goes flying as the ship disintegrates, followed by the wide angle shot of the explosion. Possibly the most intense scene I've ever seen on television. So, obviously, I voted for wildfire explosion :) And yes, with a nice subwoofer and surround sound system, it's all the better!
I'd also like to add that (IMO, of course) the most *flawless* CGI was probably the shot of the dragon on the balcony ledge burning/eating the meat, but I stand by wildfire explosion as my favorite.
Best CGI of season two.
Best CGI of the series.
Best CGI ever on TV.
The wildfire scene was just amazing in an otherwise brilliant hour of television that was Episode 9 "Blackwater"…at the hands of Neil Marshall, whom I hope we'll get to see at some point return to the shores of "Game Of Thrones"!
But, hard as it was, I decided to go with the White Walkers and their army marching on the Fist Of The First Men. It was just soo otherworldly, especially in the context of a series of novels and TV show, which are grounded in reality and where the characters themselves dismiss magic, the fantastic and the supernatural as old wives tales. The Others are used to frighten children, or as part on an insult, like "The Others take him!" (repeated quite often in the books), but never in a sense they might be real, just like us talking about the boogeyman or any other number of supernatural beings…well imagine if they all turned out to exist, and for us to actually have to confront them…I think that what made that scene even more palpable was Sam's face when he realizes that all those nightmarish things he read about in maester Amon's books are real and do exist and that now they are descending upon the world of men. Then it was the face of the White Walker on the horse, the utter lack of anything human about it, the lack of any pitty, feelings, just the look of utter contempt and pure unadulterated hatred and evil…to capture that it just mindboggling.
Then of course the implications of that whole scene, knowing now and seeing how being petty, greedy, self-centered and just plain ignorant, won't help anyone weather the storm that's coming…and to finally understand the full meaning behind the Stark words: Winter Is Coming".
The shadow assassin – a deliciously horrific climax to that creepy sequence with Davos and Melissandre. It was particularly effective for me as a non-reader. "By the pricking of my thumbs…."
The wildfire explosion is up there with the Adama maneuver from BSG as the best CGI ever on TV.
Very happy with the CGI overall this season. I think they nailed it. Would like to see more Direwolves next season, however.
Al Swearengen:
I am not convinced that was snow it looked like ash to me.
Anyway I went with the wildfire explosion but the walkers were just as cool.
I agree ,I was also thinking if that was snow or ashes …but it looked much more like ashes…anyways it was really spectacular .
Btw. I'm suprised that so may voted for Wildfire ,it was just an explosion ,it looked pretty spectacular ,but it would be my last choice .
However that's just my opinion .
OT: in today's comics section
I thought the wildfire explosion was, far and away the best CGI this season and would be super surprised if it didn't win. I know I'm in the minority in this, but I thought the white walkers looked uber cheesey( velveeta-ey?) and I really wish they would have left more to the imagination. Kinda like the Jaws theory of what your mind sees being way scarier than putting the monster in your face. I actually giggled when the showed the close up of the one white walker and I really don't think that was the desired outcome of that scene. It was a let down from the rest of the season finale, which I otherwise really enjoyed. I know the dragon fire could have looked better as well, but that has already been discussed at length while the white walkers were widely approved of.
If you have a good Subwoofer, the Wildfire Explosion got to be the Choice!
but that's the thing, it's supposed to be best CGI not 'omg that was so cool i just shat my pants'. i mean wtf, a subwoofer?
don't get me wrong, it was an awesome scene but it was just your standard holywood fire explosion with green filter added really. nothing really exciting CGI-wise.
Shadobaby, white walkers, and dragonfyre all looked cheesy and fake, IMO
It was between wildfire and the throne room, and I went with the latter for the haunting emotional impact.
I thought that the throne room was destroyed by dragonfire and the stuff falling was ash.
Wildfire followed by White Walkers, wildfire will win by landslide.
When I watched the birth of shadowbaby my jaw almoust broke through the floor like an anvil… My vote for the shadow assassin…
jkb: but that's the thing, it's supposed to be best CGI not 'omg that was so cool i just shat my pants'. i mean wtf, a subwoofer?
don't get me wrong, it was an awesome scene but it was just your standard holywoodfire explosion with green filter added really. nothing really exciting CGI-wise.
My thoughts exactly. Blackwater was an amazing episode but I feel some of the wildfire arguements here aren't related to CGI as much as the emotional impact of an episode/story.
jkb: but that's the thing, it's supposed to be best CGI not 'omg that was so cool i just shat my pants'. i mean wtf, a subwoofer?
don't get me wrong, it was an awesome scene but it was just your standard holywoodfire explosion with green filter added really. nothing really exciting CGI-wise.
My thoughts exactly. Blackwater was an amazing episode but I feel some of the wildfire arguements here aren't related to CGI as much as the emotional impact of an episode or story.
Went with dragons, but actually what I have in mind is not the House of the Undying scene, but all the ones with Drogon on Dany's shoulder and when he's learning to char his meat as Dany and Doreah are watching. It was too cute, as well as so naturally integrated with the rest of the scene that I don't feel so much that he's CGI.
That's my favourite too!
White walkers because that image still excites me when I picture it in my mind. The wildfire was very good, too.
For all the wildfire supporters:
It was an EPIC, EPIC moment, but as far as CGI is concerned, it was just a multi-greened blob on the screen. I would imagine it was much easier to look realistic than the movements of the dragon or the shadow baby. Or the completely immersive atmosphere of the throne room.
Don't mix up, 'CRAZY AWESOME MOMENT THAT ALSO INVOLVES CGI', with, 'best CGI of season 2'.
Shadow Baby was terrifying. Also reminded me of Hexus from Fern Gully lol!!
I would have voted for that one too…………,,
Went with the redo of Bush's head.Flawless.
What about Drogon charring meat in 2×05? That was done so realistically, it was amazing. Wildfire sets the standard for TV but pales in comparison to the best movies, the throne room sequence was hauntingly beautiful (which I voted for) but still not groundbreaking, Drogon's sequence in 2×05 was the best CGI dragon ever.
My first reaction was the wildfire explosion because it was stunning, but coming at it as a VFX artist, I have to go for the birth of the shadowy baby. There were at least six different particle simulations in that and fluids are so difficult to get right especially on a tv budget. Really, truly impressive. If not for the shadow baby I would have gone with the dragons because they're pretty damn flawless. The textures, the models, the animation, the integration, the only reason I didn't vote for them was because I didn't like the dragon fire as much and we'd already seen them in season 1. And the white walkers were mostly special effects make up so…
Shadow baby. The rest were great as well, but this shadow baby scene was so unexpected. I thought they'd portray it differently, not actually shoot the scene seemingly between her legs with the smoky shadow pouring out of her.
Grey Wind scene was pretty good too.
I went for the dragonfire (though shadow birth was excellent too). Not for the fire itself, which was ok but nothing special, but as a way of marking the brilliance of the dragons throughout the series. The way they move is wonderfully natural and if dragons are to lizards as bats are to mice, they look absolutely perfect.
The DarkStar:
For all the wildfire supporters:
It was an EPIC, EPIC moment, but as far as CGI is concerned, it was just a multi-greened blob on the screen. I would imagine it was much easier to look realistic than the movements of the dragon or the shadow baby. Or the completely immersive atmosphere of the throne room.
Don't mix up, 'CRAZY AWESOME MOMENT THAT ALSO INVOLVES CGI', with, 'best CGI of season 2′.
That's one way to look at it, and certainly valid. That said, the point of effects is not to be technically demanding, it's to assist in the telling of the story and help convey the proper emotions, etc.
Everything in that wildfire scene was perfect, including the effect, making the impact so tremendous. If you're voting on technical difficulty, sure, if you're voting on the impact that effect on the viewer, I can see where wildfire would outrank demon shadow baby.
Wildfire easily……literally watched the scene about 10 times due to excessive coolness. Sub Woofer had the house shaking. White Walkers would be next on the list.
Jonathan Loesche:
What about Drogon charring meat in 2×05? That was done so realistically, it was amazing. Wildfire sets the standard for TV but pales in comparison to the best movies, the throne room sequence was hauntingly beautiful (which I voted for) but still not groundbreaking, Drogon's sequence in 2×05 was the best CGI dragon ever.
The dragon scene in 2 x 10 was the cheesiest CGI all season, whereas the one in 2×5 was not at all cheesy, done tastefully, and actually adorable!
Went with the throne room, because that was the one that touched not only my eyes, but my heart as well.
This is a race for second because I can't see anything but wildfire winning.
Throne room for me. Its haunting and amazingly creepy to see danny in the place she desires above all, and have stand in ruins, like an old , useless barn.
I still voted for wildfire though. Why? Cause the impact of that particular cgi was better than falling ash/snow
I dont know. Wish i couldve choosen both .
This is easy? I chose wildfire, but I wanted an "all of the above" option.
I voted Wildfire for #1. The Wildfire scene was the most ambitious use of cgi, its blending of real fire with cgi fire was very effective. It takes a good artisit to make something terrible look beautiful, and that was accomplished. I would vote for the shadow assasin for #2, it surpassed my own interpretation of the scene from the novel and was artfully grotesque.
I agree with your post. Drogon and bros. vs. Warlock was not well done. I loved the White Walker on the horse but that was actually an actor with only his eyes and the mist done CGI and the zombies were really disappointing to me. Shadow baby, Throne room and Wildfire were pure awesomeness though.
so tough for me, wildfire was just epic but I just had to go with shadow baby, just thought that was creepy as hell and amazing! someone said it right in an earlier post, it was "nightmarish"
I went with The Others. I could almost hear Samwell wet himself. But he took another step.
Did anyone see the San Diego fireworks fail? They accidently set them all off at once. Kind of reminds me of the Wildfire explosion, only not green.
Warning: very loud, check your volume b4 you click link.
my initial thought was the Rob and Grey Wind scene where Rob is talking to a captured Jamie … but then I choose the White Walkers scene
jkb: explosion was cool and but that's it, it's just an explosion ;p
I singled this quote out but it it representative of a few others (sorry, jkb). I voted for Wildfire because, you're right, it's just an explosion and they may not be technically difficult and we have all seen them a million times and the audience responds with a collective yawn, but, for whatever reason, this one made me go "Whoa." And in this jaded life, "Whoa" is damn good.
What with the look of Harrenhall in episode 7 or Renly's Camp in episode 3 or Red Keep in episodes 8 and 9 or Robb's Camp in episode 1 and 7? They look marvelous…
Wildfire #1 by far.
2nd best was the Shadow Baby
Nope, it's an actor wearing a looooot of makeup (see his interview at ComicCon London) :-)
Wildfire! But I'm not sure the white walkers should count since I at least consider them a triumph of non-CGI special effects. At least partially.
The wildfire was great, but for CGI, I think it has to be Greywind while Robb is talking to Jamine Lannister. The direwolves and their connections to the Starks is the one thing I miss about the series vs the books. While Robb is holding in his anger, you see Greywind becoming more and more intense, and when he snaps at Jamie Lannisters face-that was a great moment.
I went with the white walkers, that creeped me out. This choice was harder than it was made out to be though, everything looked amazing.
Don't know if this has been posted, but in this interview GRRM states that they are still casting the role of Mance and hints at other casting bits.
eetrebor: Don't know if this has been posted, but in this interview GRRM states that they are still casting the role of Mance and hints at other casting bits.
Interesting interview, thanks. Surprised Mance is yet to be cast, but I guess if they are unconcerned by Kit's ankle break then the filming in Iceland must be a little way off.
I'm not sure why he would be so coy about Strong Belwas, but I'm guessing he's in. Who knows, maybe he's taking the part himself :-)
Thank you! I totally agree, def the wildfire for first tho!
It's not a "Shadow Assassin" it's "Shadow Baby"!!! :D


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|Look Ma, No Bolts
|5.7 r
|2 pitches. P1: Climb the initial ramp of Fote Hog, then move straight up the steep face (5.6R) for about 30 feet. Climb out the left side of a small overhang, then face climb up and slightly right, over a steep bulge with plates up to a nice belay ledge at a small pine tree.
P2: Easier (5.3) climbing leads up and left to the top. Belay from a large tree.
Submit a new photo of this climb.

subset: commoncrawl


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Welcome to Girly Girl Galas Themed Birthday Parties
San Diego, Temecula and Murrieta's #1 Choice for 100% hosted themed children's birthday parties, baby showers, bridal showers. From Children's Parties, Girl's Parties, Girl's Spa Parties, Theme Birthday Parties, Princess Parties, and NOW Baby Showers and Bridal Showers Girly Girl Galas has all of your party hosting needs covered from set up to clean up. Girl Galas is excited to offer our clients several ways to plan the perfect Girly Party. Affordable hosted themed birthday parties in San Diego, Temecula, and Murrieta. Our goal is to allow busy moms, maids of honor, and party planning friends to sit back, relax and enjoy the special day just as much as everyone attending.
We've added exciting new hosted party themes to our already popular girls spa party, princess party and rock star parties for the mom's who love our hosted themed party hosting! Girly Girl Galas is proud to offer our top rated children's party hosting to Temecula and Murrieta. Our most popular themed parties are pre packaged to better serve our busy families. However, if you do not see the themed party your child has their heart set on don't hesitate to contact a Girly Girl children's party planner to customize and plan the perfect themed birthday party.
Are you a mom who has everything under control but just need to add a little something extra? Birthday party Drop In's are just the birthday party option you're looking for. Choose a party drop in option and a Girly Girl
hostess will stop by and bring a chosen fun activity to entertain your guests. Some drop in options include build a bear stuffy activity with manicures or manicure/pedicure. Take a look at our DROP IN tab for more choices.
Do you just need to spice up your party space? Check our our JUST DÉCOR where a Girly Girl hostess will come before your party starts to transform your space in to the perfect party space!!! After your party ends we will return to remove our décor and even help you clean up your space at no additional charge.
Need tables or chairs, punch fountain or linens? You name it, we have it. Take a look at our EXTRAS.
Babies and Weddings OH MY!!! Girly Girl Galas now hosts everything GIRLY!!! We will take care of everything from décor and bakery goodies to games and clean up. You choose how much or little we do! Take a look at our BABIES &BRIDAL tab!
Sit back, relax and let us transform your space in to a Party Extravaganza! Girly Girl Galas is truly San Diego, Temecula, and Murrieta's one stop themed birthday party, hosted bridal shower, and custom baby shower planning shop. Don't hesitate to contact us today to plan the perfect Girly Girl Party!!!
Proudly Serving San Diego County & Surrounding Communities: Alpine, Bonita, Camp Pendleton, Cardiff, Cardiff-By-The-Sea, Carlsbad, Chula Vista, Coronado, Del Mar, El Cajon, Encinitas, Escondido, Fallbrook, Fairbanks Ranch, Hillcrest, Imperial Beach, La Jolla, La Mesa, Lakeside, Lemon Grove, Leucadia, Mission Bay, National City, Oceanside, Pacific Beach, Pala, Point Loma, Poway, Rancho Bernardo, Rancho Santa Fe, Rancho San Diego, San Clement, San Diego, San Marcos, Santee, Solana Beach, Spring Valley, Valley Center, Vista, 4S Ranch, Murietta, and Temecula.


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WILLIAMSBURG, Va. -
The William and Mary women's basketball team will host its annual Breast Cancer
Awareness game "Hoops for a Cure" on Friday, Feb. 15, against Northeastern at
8:00 P.M. Additionally, the contest
against the Huskies will be televised on Comcast Sports Network Mid-Atlantic
and the Comcast Sports Network New England.
Admission to the game will be free of charge for fans wearing pink. Promotional t-shirts will go on sale prior to Feb. 15 and can be purchased at upcoming men's basketball home games or by calling the W&M Women's Basketball Office at 757-221-3140. T-shirts will be sold for the price of $10 for students and $15 for adults.
A portion of the t-shirt proceeds will benefit the Kay Yow Cancer Fund, which is a breast cancer awareness & research foundation founded by the late Kay Yow, former Head Coach at North Carolina State.


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Over 300 delegates have gathered at the International Press Centre of the European Commission in Brussels to hear about Drupal's potential to change the way the public sector communicates with its constituencies.
But the change appears to go both ways and members of the Drupal community have expressed dismay at the agenda of one of the conference rooms which has 'Closed Sessions'. The first of these, taking place now, involves European Commission staff outlining their needs to a small invited audience of representatives from certain Drupal shops.
This isn't in itself a big thing, but it feels a little out of place in a community that is used to anyone being able to step up and get involved, and where transparency and openness are valued highly.
Mixel Kiemen, from Vrje University in Brussels, who has been studying the Drupal open source community as part of his research, said: "I can understand that they'd perhaps have some private meetings, but I find it sad that it's effectively a private conference track at an open conference and excludes many of the delegates."
Anyone want to share notes from the meeting? We'll update this post with anything we can find out.


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As a kid in the 1970s, I watched Space: 1999 fairly religiously. And perhaps not entirely unpredictably, I didn't remember a thing about it other than the uniforms and the Eagle spaceships, the giant toy of which a friend owned and would pit in battle against my Micronauts Hornetroid. As to the actual content of any one episode, however, I drew a persistent blank despite the hours I'd logged watching it during one of its many syndicated Saturday afternoon broadcasts. I had a vague sense of it being sort of heavy, and maybe a little profound, or what passed for profound before the eyes of an eight year old. Despite being a member of the so-branded Star Wars generation, I had as a child and still have as a grown man a deep appreciation for science fiction at its most ponderous, heavy-handed, self-important, earnest, and weird. So when I had a chance, through the magic of an affordable DVD release of the series, to go back and revisit the series — or more accurately, visit it again for the first time, such as the case may be — I was quite excited.
Space: 1999 began life as a different series, the delayed second season of creator Gerry Anderson's occasionally popular UFO. Anderson, who began his career in film and television production as an editor, was and is best known for a series of science fiction and adventure shows starring puppets and marionettes. These "supermarionation" shows became his calling card but were never his passion. Rather, he fell into it in much the same way an employee at any job suddenly inherits for life some new project: he was the guy who was around. He'd been hoping for a chance to move out of editing and into production and directing. He got that chance in 1957, when he was hired to direct a children's puppet show called The Adventures of Twizzle, about the adventures of a group of lost toys.
He parlayed the experience into forming his own production company, along with colleagues Arthur Provis, Reg Hill, John Reed, and a woman named Sylvia Thamm, who would later become Sylvia Anderson, Gerry's wife and the guiding visionary behind the distinctive look and fashion that highlights many of their shows. Their first production, and Anderson's second in the driver's seat, was 1960's Torchy the Battery Boy. Torchy was Anderson's first foray into science fiction, with a main character who traveled through space in a rocket and hung out with yet more sentient abandoned and lost toys. That same year, Anderson and his production company made Four Feather Falls, a Western with a rootin' tootin' sheriff who wrangled the unruly residents of a small Kansas town with the help of his talking horse and dog. The show was a major success, and before Anderson knew it, he was the puppet show guy.
It wasn't bad, really. Anderson's AP Films signed a deal with Lew Grade, president of Incorporated Television Company (ITC), whose specialty was producing British television shows with eye on distributing them internationally. Marginal success at home didn't mean much as long as they reaped larger profits abroad. In partnership with ITC, Anderson began to work on a steady stream of science fiction supermarionette shows throughout the sixties, including Supercar, Fireball XL5, Stingray, Joe 90, and his two best known series: Thunderbirds and Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons. It was during the production of Captain Scarlet that AP Films changed its name to Century 21 Productions.
In each case, with the promise of overseas money thanks to ITC's many deals, Anderson shot the episodes on film, as if for the movies or an American television show. This was in sharp contrast to the more common practice at the BBC of shooting on video, as was done with the science fiction juggernaut Doctor Who. Additionally, since the shows were made with an eye toward the American market more than the domestic British market, they were structured more in line with American television standards: twenty-five or fifty minute total run times and self-contained, non-serialized episodes. Again, this was in contrast to the example set by Doctor Who, where a single story could run through multiple episodes or an entire season. The end result of this style was a very high-end looking production, something ITC would implement with almost all of their series. Episodes of The Avengers or The Prisoner or the many Gerry Anderson shows looked more like movies than they did cheap British television shows.
As much as the marionette "actors,' Anderson became known for his obsession with miniature and models special effects, designing elaborate (and often utterly impractical) vehicles, bases, and weapons systems. Although quaint when looked at with modern eyes, and not as ambitious as similar effects work being done by Eiji Tsuburaya in Japan, Anderson's attention to detail was obvious in both the quality and quantity of miniatures and futuristic sets that were designed for the APF/Century 21 properties. Combined with the shot-on-film approach and international distribution, the plentiful effects work soon meant that ITC was making some of the highest end, highest profile, most sophisticated entertainment in Britain, competing less with the British television market and more with British film.
"What do we really know about UFOs?"
Although successful, Anderson was getting restless and feeling trapped in the ghetto of made-for-kids marionette shows. There had often been a hint of slightly darker and more mature content in his shows — Captain Scarlet begins with the titular hero accidentally annihilating an alien city — but Anderson wanted to break free entirely from the world of puppets and Penelope. He finally got his chance in 1969. It came not in the form of a television show, but as a feature film. Doppleganger — released as Journey to the Far Side of the Sun in the United States — is a dark, live-action science fiction drama about astronauts who discover a duplicate but slightly off-kilter second Earth orbiting the opposite side of the sun. It is a contemplative, slow-moving, and somewhat pessimistic film that ends in the failure and death of the main character. It also proved to Lew Grade that Gerry Anderson could handle serious, adult science fiction and live action. With Doppleganger under his belt, Anderson was given the green light on his first live action science fiction series: UFO.
You can't really blame viewers who sat down to watch the first episode of UFO for expecting it to be pretty much the same as everything else Gerry Anderson had done, only with live actors instead of puppets. Those misconceptions about the show were quickly dispelled. UFO has the sort of high concept that sounds like typical Anderson: a secret organization called SHADO (Supreme Headquarters Alien Defense Organization) is fighting a clandestine war with mysterious invaders from outer space, trying to protect the earth both from destruction and from any knowledge at all that these aliens exist and that we are at war with them. Heading up SHADO, and disguised as motion picture mogul, is platinum blonde Ed Straker (American actor Ed Bishop), and decorating this futuristic world in which humanity now lives is Sylvia Anderson, unfettered by the need to cater to marionette limitations and free to indulge the most candy-colored extremes of pop-art futurism and swingin' London style.
But beneath the shiny purple hair, silver space mini-skirts, and secret bases equipped with Scotch machines was a very different sort of tone than people expected from Anderson. Straker is a very flawed human being, often threatening and aloof, willing to kill even his own employees and acquaintances if they threaten the secrecy of SHADO. The organization itself is morally dubious, with the effort to keep humanity in the dark about this threat from outer space seemingly at odds with the concept of a free and open society. Although ostensibly about SHADO fighting the UFOs, most of the episodes are about personal conflict and psychological damage. In an early episode, the competency of moonbase commander Lt. Gay Ellis (Gabrielle Drake) is called into question when a computer determines that her affection for moonbase pilot Mark Bradley (Harry Baird) might be clouding her command judgment, and Straker puts them both through a gruelling range of tests. SHADO acquires one of its star members (Michael Billington's Col. Paul Foster) when he accidentally discovers the organization and is given the choice to basically join up or be executed.
But the two most harrowing episodes both revolve around Straker. In "A Question of Priorities," Straker's discovers that his estranged ex-wife has remarried, and that her and Straker's young son has been critically injured in an accident. Straker commits a slight abuse of power when he dispatches a SHADO airship to quickly retrieve life-saving medicine from the United States, but when a possible UFO is detected on Earth, he has to make a decision: divert the SHADO plane to investigate, thus dooming his son to death, or save his son's life and betray his obligation to SHADO, possibly putting the entire planet at risk — but only possibly. In the second emotionally gutting episode, "Confetti Check A-OK," we see the origin of SHADO and Straker's role in it juxtaposed with the disintegration of his marriage.
The theme of one's commitment to SHADO destroying one's personal life is a common thread in the series, from the mangled relationship between Mark and Gay to Straker's ruined family life to Paul's crumbling romantic relationship. To say nothing of Straker's inability to go more than a coupe episodes without shoving a gun in Paul Foster's face. It's thematic ground that would be mined later in a variety of spy films, and it's an especially bitter pill even when wrapped in the candy color of UFO's set and costume design. But it's hardly the only strain of more "adult" content than people were prepared for from a Gerry Anderson show. Adultery, recreational drug use, and torture all play roles in episodes. Broadcasting in 1970s, amidst the escalation of the war in Vietnam, the collapse of the Summer of Love into a maelstrom of unrest and violence, and global social upheaval and distrust of authority, there is a very strong paranoid streak running through UFO. About the aliens, about one another, about SHADO itself.
Unfortunately, the show was plagued by behind-the-scenes chaos. Seventeen episodes into production, everything fell apart when MGM-British Studios went out of business, forcing Century 21 to scramble for a new home. It was five months before production could resume. When the show returned, it was with a slightly more oddball, almost psychedelic undertone (there's even a ouija board episode). The show was also hampered by cast changes. Actor Harry Baird, whose character had been a major part of the first few episodes, left over contract disputes after filming his fourth episode. Other actors would disappear with noticeable abruptness, especially after the unplanned five-month break when the show lost Gabrielle Drake and, even more noticeably, George Sewell who had played Straker's second in command, Col. Alec Freeman. The confused production resulted in episodes being aired out of order and an overall sense of disjointed schizophrenia in the show. The darker, more adult nature confused and surprised viewers, and the outrageous excesses of the production sometimes overwhelmed the more mature content.
For some, Anderson's efforts to infuse the series with adult themes are in obvious conflict with his inability to come up with a more adultly logical set-up. There is much about UFO that should have been thought through with a little more care. Chief among these would be the entire set up on the Moon, Earth's first line of defense against these organ-stealing space invaders. Moon base has three ships, and each one is armed with but a single weapon: one missile. Which means the aliens can defeat our first line of defense simply by send ing four guys. And yet the show never seem to thing this is anything but a perfectly acceptable military strategy. They also only have one jet to protect all of the earth, and for some reason it's connected to a submarine, a submarine being possibly the least sensical vehicle you could spend money on as an organization dedicated to fighting spaceships. Overall, UFO is an awkward mix of ambitious and largely successful mature, emotional plots and less successful, childish decoration. It's fine with me, but I love UFO. I can understand with no real problem how the show would just seem to unbalanced, neither fish nor fowl, to others.
After the initial run of twenty-six episodes, the series was canceled. At least for while. Two years later, the show was syndicated for broadcast in the United States and became enough of a hit that ITC called Anderson back and commissioned a second season, only with a few changes to better suit the American audiences. First, the moonbase-based episodes had been much more popular in the States than the ones set on Earth, so the new season should be set on the moon. No problem, Anderson said, and he soon presented a concept in which SHADO has greatly expanded its moonbase presence, building a vast complex and using it as their new headquarters. ITC liked the idea, but no sooner had they said, "We like that idea" than the US airing hit the weird final third of the first series. Ratings dropped, and ITC canceled the second series. Not one to let hard work on a promising idea go to waste, Anderson took the basic concept and designs for UFO 2, tweaked them a little, and presented ITC with a pitch for a new live-action science fiction series, one about the crew of a moonbase that is thrust into deep space when the destruction of the earth sends the moon hurtling off into the cosmos. Anderson called the new series…Menace in Space.


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Star Trek: First Contact (1996)
Captain Picard and his crew pursue the Borg back in time to stop them from preventing Earth from initiating first contact with alien life.
Director: Jonathan Frakes. Cast: Patrick Stewart, Jonathan Frakes, Brent Spiner, LeVar Burton, Michael Dorn, Gates McFadde, Mirina Sirtis, Whoopi Goldberg, Alfre Woodard, James Cromwell, Neal McDonough, Alice Krige, Dwight Schultz. TV-14. 8:00 PM EST. IFC.
This is my second favorite of the Star Trek films (after ST VI The Undiscovered Country) and it's the best fully realized story of the Next Generation crew. The Borg (and Q) was always the best thing about ST:TNG so it stands to reason they would be in the best of the later films. Also on IFC tomorrow is prior CPOD Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (12:45 PM). In addition check out Star Trek The Motion Picture (10:00 AM), Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (3:15 PM), and Star Trek: Generations (5:30 PM).


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Q & A with Stock Photographer Scott Stulberg/
We got the chance to talk with Scott Stulberg about his journeys in the professional world of stock photography. Find out how he has adapted to industry change, who has inspired him and more as you read below. We think you'll enjoy what he has to say!
A lot of your work features fascinating people in far-off places. What have you learned from connecting with these people?
Traveling to some pretty exotic places since I was about 13 years old has definitely given me a different perspective on life. I remember spending the summer in Spain when I was about 15 and I have never experienced the camaraderie that you can have with people your own age and a completely different lifestyle that you are used to from your home city. You sort of grow up fast and realize that the whole world beyond your little comfort zone is really so much bigger than you could have ever imagined.
But then venturing off to distant places like Burma and India, or even Africa, and that is when it really hits home that we really have it pretty sweet back in America. Spend a little time seeing how people live in some of these far-off lands, it really makes you realize so much about yourself. But I also love more than anything making friends and eventually photographing so many incredible faces in these unusual places…. and for me it has been the most eye-opening but satisfying feeling to relate to people from so far away. I feel so at home with so many different cultures and I love sharing my images with them even if it means coming back on another long journey to get them they images as I love the expressions on their face when they see images of themselves.
I would have to say my favorite part of traveling around the world and shooting stock and travel photography are the people I meet and the friends that I will have forever. It happens just about everywhere though…. and I think it's the most rewarding part of what I do.
So many people go to Africa to capture the most amazing images of the beautiful animals that seem to be everywhere and anywhere. But for me… much of the time I prefer searching out those amazing tribes and I love working with them in different ways because I know ultimately, the images that I capture of those unique faces and their culture are the ones that really captivate me much more afterwards. I've always been attracted to people and their cultures in distant lands and it gives me a different perspective that almost humbles me.
Feeling like a brother to some of these people sort of puts me in their footsteps, if only for a few days, but it changes me forever. You are never really the same.
What do you hope to have accomplished through your photography before you die?
That is a tough one. I think I've actually accomplished much of what I had wanted many years ago and it makes me feel that I'm in a good place.
I always wanted to move away from the craziness and hustle and bustle of Los Angeles, where I was born and raised….and I watched the city never stop growing. Living in Sedona puts a whole different perspective on so many things… and it's all good. But I also teach a lot of photography workshops here in the United States and also around the world and that is something that I had wanted to do forever. I just planned a new workshop to Burma, a few days ago, as I have not taken a group there in a couple of years and I was amazed as it sold out in three hours….. so I had to planned another one because so many people were unhappy that they were not able to go. Things like that make you feel good about yourself and your photography as you feel that others respect you and want to learn from you, and that means so much to me. Actually teaching at schools like UCLA and even here in Sedona at the Sedona Arts Center is about as satisfying of a feeling as you can ever have as a photographer. People seem to trust you and want to learn so much from you and for me, there is so much more than just being a photographer. Being an instructor and helping others really understand photography and understand their gear is quintessential and is what really makes me tick.
As for what else I hope to do before I'm not on this planet anymore…. I really am not sure. I think the one thing for sure is that I would like to visit as many countries as I can that I haven't been to and continue my exploration of this planet. If I could have, I would have been an astronaut.
Meeting and hanging out with Buzz Aldrin has always been one of the highlights of my life and it doesn't get any better than exploring this world and that is what he and his two compatriots did so long ago. Not sure I can go into space, but sometimes I'm on 13 different planes just on one trip. Gets pretty crazy but nothing more than I'd rather do! And I do want to throw in that Gura gear packs have made a huge difference for me…. and it feels so good to know someone has finally figured out what many of us really need. The best designed gear in the world. Thanx you guys!! You did it right!!
Who or what have you looked to for inspiration? How has that been reflected in your work?
I guess I would really have to say my father. As far as I can remember, he was larger-than-life but the most giving person in the world. Although not a photographer; my mom was the photographer, he was in the movie business and ran many movie studios including 20 Century Fox, where he made Star Wars, Young Frankenstein and a ton of other movies….. and growing up in the movie business is something that he tried to steer me away from. It worked too! And although I was always on the sets…. meeting and hanging out with everyone from Steve McQueen to Muhammad Ali… going to the Academy Awards.... even having a screening room in our guesthouse and screening the latest new releases every Friday night, I learned that I absolutely never wanted to be in the movie business. Growing up in Los Angeles, it seemed like everyone thought they were the coolest because they said they worked in the movie business. For me it was just a big turnoff.
I think my father knew when I was only 10 that I probably shouldn't and wouldn't follow in his footsteps and he bought me my first camera, a plastic Anscomatic. That was a day that changed my life and I really never looked back. And three years later, when I turned 13, he had a fantastic darkroom built for me downstairs in our house. Talk about really falling in love with photography, having your own darkroom when you're that young, and spending night after night, immersed in chemicals; well, all I can say is my father really was my hero and I would always look to his approval when I was shooting or even developing my images. But my mom was pretty slick too and a nifty photographer. She was the one who really knew how to push me here or steer me there. She had the eye. Between the two of them….. was a pretty amazing childhood. I was pretty lucky!!
But I was also so incredibly lucky to have as our good family friend while growing up, even until today, one of the top fashion photographers in the world. His name is Melvin Sokolsky and he had been asked to join Harper's Bazaar when he was about 20 years old and was put on staff with Richard Avedon. He was a prodigy and having him as a friend but also as a mentor has been one of the greatest gifts of my life. Working with him on shoots but even more importantly, sitting with him in his home and listening to him detail his thought process on so many amazing images that he created for Harpers or Vogue or so many other magazines, well for me… it was really similar to sitting with someone like Michelangelo.
Learning the importance of creativity and imagination over counting pixels was priceless. Watching his vision come to life right in front of me while standing next to him, while he is shooting; priceless.…..
Even especially being his Photoshop guru but watching him use Photoshop in ways that still astound me….. again..was priceless. He would think of something and somehow work Photoshop to get him to his vision….. sometimes calling me at one in the morning to figure out why it wasn't working the way he wanted and how I can help him fix it. But in his words, he had to figure out how to end up with what was in his mind's eye.
So for inspiration, although I've had so many great photographers that I've been able to meet, work with, assist and even travel with all over the world, being with Melvin and still being around him when I go back to Los Angeles has always been one of the best parts of my life. But so many other things inspire me in so many different ways from looking at Pinterest online to television commercials and everything in between. And believe it or not, one of the things that inspires me the most is to watch what my students come up with when we do different shoots all over the place.
I'm astounded at how different one is from the other and how their vision is so different. I think, quite often, that I learn as much from my students sometimes, as they do from me, and I bet they have no idea! This even goes for my fiancé Holly. So many places that we go, especially overseas, she is shooting right next to me and I have no idea how she ends up with something completely different than me and it just blows me away. I'm so fortunate at times to travel with her… and to teach and lead workshops as I get to see these other people's interpretations of what we are witnessing.
As photographers…. we all feel that we are taking "The Shot". That we have it figured it out and that our eye and then our capture is the real interpretation. Such a great gift to witness what others do at the same time. It humbles you and really makes you grow up an in turn, ends up making you a better photographer!
As a stock photographer, how have you adapted with the changes in technology and availability of images?
Now we're talking about a touchy subject. You shouldn't have gotten me started. I have taught classes in stock photography for such a long time and have so many friends that have been stock photographers forever. All I can say is, it ain't what it used to be. I guess technology has changed much of it to be easier in many ways and also so much faster, actually light-years faster. But at the same time, technology… especially the digital world has made it so that everyone has a camera near them all the time. There is no buying film, being careful on how many frames you shoot, developing your stuff and then of course when we had Photoshop….. scanning it all into the computer.
Fast-forward…. and forget about people knowing what it was like to work in the dark room…. but how about them not even knowing what film was altogether.
I've adapted seamlessly as I'm very technical but at the same time, everyone thinks they are now a stock photographer and it has pretty much ruined traditional stock photography especially with all of the royalty-free and micro stock stuff going on all over. Things ain't what they used to be.
I love being a stock photographer and work on it so hard almost every day and it's really helped me have a great life and I think the technological advances are amazing and it has made my life so much better dealing with agencies and art buyers. So, there has definitely been a lot of good to come out of the tech side just as technology improves so many things in the average person's life…. but at the same time, It has made it so much easier for everyone to go out and shoot and try to become a stock photographer. But the bottom line is, you still have to have a lot of talent. The good agencies know exactly what they're looking for and submitting your images to them nowadays seems light years better than it used to be!!! I love Cyber Space!!
Tell us a little bit about your book, Passage to Burma. Why Burma? Do you have any more books you're working on?
I guess I have loved traveling to Burma pretty much more than any other country that I've ever been to and that's why I have gone so many times and why I do workshops there.
It is about as photogenic as anywhere I've ever been but it's really the people and the culture that never let me stay away too long. And the landscapes…. the mind-boggling gorgeous sensory overload that you get from sunrise to sundown…. in so many directions is just mind blowing. But if I had to pick one thing that brings me back more than anything else… my favorite part of Burma, it has to be the monks. Those amazing little faces, under those beautiful saffron robes…. with their whole life dedicated to achieving nirvana.
It's almost more than any of us can really comprehend. You are right there, with them all the time, and you have no idea what you are witnessing. None of us do. To me you really have to go back multiple times to really truly appreciate what is going on. That's why I spent so much time with the monks… and their monasteries and why I have so many images of their culture in my book.
But I also love so much of the special things that makes this country so unique. They are 90% Buddhist and about as sweet of a culture as anywhere I've ever been. Hop on over to somewhere like Vietnam and talk about culture shock. If you don't mind hearing car horns 24 hours a day… and people ready to run you over with their moped in a second…. then that is the place for you. Or try India for real culture shock….but make sure you bring some antibiotics!!
The respect, and courtesy and just good-natured way of life of the Burmese is amazing and I tried to document a lot of this in my book. Trying to capture what I feel when I am in and about Burma is actually pretty easy because it's right there in your face. One day I might be teaching English to little kids in a Burmese school with my fiancé and the next minute I might be high on a temple shooting hot air balloons drifting across a sea of temples, during a spectacular sunrise.
I have photographed in so many countries for as long as I can remember…. but nothing really captures my imagination or my heart like Burma does. I think that's why I love doing photography workshops there, with small groups. I want them to experience what I do and I love trying to expand their awareness on how to not only capture but also appreciate what they are witnessing. To be in your favorite country…. and help others really understand how to create a compelling image…. well..it doesn't get much better than that.
I'm actually going to be working on the second edition of the book so I can't wait to shoot more stuff on my next trip. I have so many ideas well before I even leave for overseas as you can't just wait and hope that something appears before your eyes. I learned long ago from my good friend Art Wolfe that if you can design it in your mind, you can make it happen, very much like art direction in the movie business. Sometimes like déjà vu. Keep those eyes peeled and something amazing will present itself and as long as your camera is with you…you are set!!
But there's nothing like venturing out of your comfort zone…. and the ultimate is traveling overseas…
Being somewhere far, far away….. and then coming home with some of the most powerful images of your life….well, for me, is sort of like the holy Grail. Hard to capture some of these images in your own backyard. Traveling out of your comfort zone….sometimes thousands of miles away…..can be cathartic. You only live once. Unless you are James Bond of course.
Anything else you'd like to add?
I just think that everyone should never stop learning. I never do. I'm always reading, everything I can. anything that can help me with my photography or my vision. I'm always on Google…always checking out Pinterest and 500px. there are so many amazing photographers….. so many incredible ideas out there. I learn so much and see so much just by keeping my eyes open and in this day and age with the Internet being everywhere, and all the knowledge about camera gear and shooting methods and settings….. well…. life has changed for the better for so many of us. There are classes all over the place. I teach online at an amazing school called PPSOP, the picture perfect school of photography and it is so cool to have students in countries all over the world.
The internet has made the world so much more accessible!!
Just never stop learning. Keep on taking classes…. and keep on pushing yourself. I think it's the same in any business…. but for many, photography is not a business, it's a passion. So just keep that passion strong and alive…. and never settle. And the more you shoot, the more you will grow. You will look at things that you photographed years ago and probably wonder what you were thinking. How did you think that was an amazing shot? It happens to all of us. That's what it's all about!! That is when you realize…. you're finally understanding what photography is all about! You are able to critique yourself…. and you will only get better and better… probably by shooting less and less…being more careful…. because you are really understanding your craft… finally.
You can find all of Scott's work on his website and learn more about his book, Passage to Burma, here.


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Fanfare and Hark! The Herald Angels SingItem #: HL.04002454
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As performed by Mannheim Steamroller. Arranged by Chip Davis, Robert Longfield.
Mannheim Steamroller Concert Band. Mannheim Streamroller Cncrt Bd. Voicing/Format: Score & Parts. Band Level: 4. 9x12 inches. Published by Mannheim Steamroller. (HL.04002454)
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Adapted from the Mannheim Steamroller CD A Fresh Aire Christmas, this is actually two publications in one! First is a glorious fanfare in the High Renaissance tradition of antiphonal brass choirs echoing one another. Next is a contemporary Mannheim treatment of the familiar carol, complete with a rock groove combining rhythmic and harmonic surprises. Performed individually or as a set, this is a terrific and unique addition to the holiday repertoire for concert bands.
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EarthFix: Exploring the Powder River Basin Coal-Train Proposals
As American coal companies look to the Northwest as the fastest route to get their product from Wyoming's Powder River Basin to Asian markets, five ports in Washington and Oregon are considering coal-export terminals—and folks in both states are considering the potential impacts. The largest of the five proposed coal-export sites, the Gateway Pacific Terminal, could be built north of Bellingham, which would mean up to 18 more trains passing through Seattle and other communities along the coast. And that, says a recent report from the Seattle Department of Transportation, could add 50 percent more time to drivers' waits at Seattle's railroad crossings, and could affect emergency-vehicle trips to and from the waterfront. As the project undergoes its environmental review, KUOW environment reporter Ashley Ahearn moderates a panel discussion designed to answer questions about coal exports, explore what happens next—and explain what all the fuss is about.
Presented as part of the Town Hall Civics series with EarthFix, KUOW, and KCTS 9. Series supported by The Boeing Company, the RealNetworks Foundation, and the True/Brown Foundation.
Tickets are $5 online or over the phone at 888-377-4510. Tickets may be purchased at the door beginning at 6:30 pm. Town Hall members receive priority seating.
The entrance to the Great Hall is on Eighth Avenue.


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thanks so much, Juanita for answering my question!! Now I need to go and see one and try it!
Jane LaFazio.com
I'm a little late on this thread- I use a Janome 6600. I do everything from making kid clothes and sewing on patches to quilt constructiona and free motion quilting. It has enough fancy stitches to keep me happy. I don't do computerized embroderiy (? need spell check!) so I didn't need any thing more expencive.
What do you think is holding you up from bonding with your Quest? I was thinking of testing out the Quest Plus in the near future. I have had a Pfaff 1475 since 1992. It's great for just about everything I do - piecing and lots of free-motion quilting. I quilt quilts of all sizes on it and it's great. I was just looking for something that might have a bit of a larger harp opening. I tried a Viking from the Sapphire line a couple of weeks ago. I couldn't find any reason to replace my Pfaff with that machine though. Maybe I don't really NEED a new machine at all, ; )
I have an old Viking 650S. I rarely take the single needle plate off, as the 1/4 foot is on there 99% of time. I don't do free motion quiling; any machine quilting I bother to do by machine is with the walking foot. Baby and "couch cuddle" sized quilts go to a long arm quilter.
Marti in Houston, Texas
Since I use the longarm for quilting, I do mostly piecing and thread work with the Quest and I don't have a lot of time to do that. I wanted some additional feet but was told they're not available for the Quest. Now that the Plus has come out, all of a sudden there are 9 bonus feet!! If I can get some of them without having to purchase all 9, I'll be happy. I do like the larger opening and the extended table. I still have a lot to learn about it. Give the Plus a try. It may suit your needs.
When I decided quilting was fun I got a Bernina 1260. It is great. The opportunity to have a 1630 with its wider satin stitch and the option of designing some stitches and embroideries intrigued me so I added it and have not as yet explored all its potential. But they are heavy and so I found an old Minimatic for classes. All the feet are interchangeable. I luv to free motion quilt but I covet more area and I've decided my next splurge will be the HQ 16. I'm not sure where on earth I'll put it but I want that sit down model. At one time I was embarressed to admit to TWO sewing machines. Gosh, I've learned I'm only in the also ran category. I'm glad to be in such good company. I usally have two up and running. I could probably benefit if all three were always available.
I have to agree that the Berninas are a very heavy machine to be hauling around. I absolutely love my Bernina and would definfintely buy another. I still take mine to classes but am contemplating getting something lighter and smaller in the future.
Hi Aproachable Art, I guess it is ages since you posted this message about a Fab-U-Motion, I haope you have had a chance to play with it by now. I have had mine for about a year now which I use with my Pffaf machine for my thread painting. I love the way it is such a simple design but soooooo effective. I posted a reply to the another QA forum last week and now I've seen your message here, thought I would just spread the word about how usefull it Is. (sorry if I appear to be repeating myself) It certainly helps with that ache I get between my shoulder blades if I get too carried away with time and just not having to grip the fabric for moving it smoothly under the needle creates less stress on MIND and body!! I imagine it would be really good for free-motion quilting because there would be more bulk to have to handle. Happy sewing. Barb.
I use a Juki TL98Q for free motion quilting. I LOVE it! A few weeks ago our house alarm system went crazy blasting fire, fire, fire. I ran around the house to see if it was a false alarm, threw Toby, our aussie, on the patio for safety, and then decided the first thing to save is the Juki!
It does only a straight stitch, which makes the stitch super straight, and it flys- 1500 stitches per minute. It comes loaded, with a huge bed, and all feet for $850. I can't believe I actually was able to quilt on anything else.
I also have a 12 year old Pfaff 7570 that I bought from a friend. I use the Pfaff for anything that needs to be done that the Juki can't do- namely a zigzag stitch or other decorative stitches. It also has a great couching foot. I know the Pfaff is jealous of my adoration for the Juki, so last week I pieced a queen size batik top on it, to keep it purring too.
I LOVE my Bernina 1130 and 1260. For me, they are the best Bernina has ever manufactured. I bought a new one, but still go back to my "Oldies but Goodies".
Hi, I have a Janome New Home 8000 that I bought new many years ago. I love the machine. I don't use the embroidery as much as I used to because I am usually doing free motion stitching of my own designs. But it is nice when you want it. I buy old machines at yard sales, refurbish them, and give them to beginning quilters. When they say yeah but, I tell them and show them how much you can do on one of those machines also. I used to have a 1951 Singer that I used for piecing, Wow! what a stitch it had.
I have several machines that I use for different things...
My basic machine that sits on the bench most of the time is my 10 YO Husqvarna Lily 550. This is the one I use for most garment and quilt construction.
I also have a Bernina 1005 that I keep handy as a back-up machine and use when Lily is in for servicing. 'Nina is also my machine of choice for sewing eyelets in corsets and costumes, since I got the eyelet kit last Christmas. It was given to me to help me teach kids to sew, and is a perfect machine for this, as it's so easy to set up and control.
I usually take a smaller sewing machine away with me when I go on holiday, and I have a nice collection to choose from:
Elna Lotus ZZ, Elna Lotus TSP, Elna Lotus TSP Stella Air Electronic (do you see a pattern here?), two Frister & Rossman Cub 4's, a Singer Featherweight 221, and a Singer 100 'Featherweight' modern plastic thing that is almost a toy. The kids also love these little machines: less intimidating for smaller people than a fully fledged monster!
For teaching and as back-ups, I also have a Husqvarna Optima 190, a big solid New Home with lots of stitches, a Viscout 2000, and a Singer 367. When the lights go out or I need to sew somewhere there is no electrickery, I have a Singer 66 with lotus decals, a Singer 28 in a metal case, and a Jones Family CS with the Pricess Alexandria decals. This is just about the smoothest machine I own. So sweet to use... I also have a Singer 15-88 treadle, just for fun... Not tried free-motion quilting on this one yet, but the experts in People Powered sewing over at Treadle On are enthusiastic about its capabilities, so I shall certainly have a go.
Just for sentimental reasons I have the first sewing machine I used in anger: my mum's old Singer 99. Known as the FrankenSinger because it was rebuilt out of several machines after an accident involving a ship, a crane, and a long drop...
And I have my restoration project, the Adria Saxonia treadle dating from about 1897.
For tidying things up, stretch construction, and other stuff I have a pair of sergers: a Bernina 1150MDA, which is the main work machine, and the lighter Brother 1034D, my back-up and free-arm serger. I took the Brother to Germany last week, to make a wedding dress. It travels well...
Then there are two Bernina 707's, an 807 in need of an extension table, and a Toyota in need of an accessories box and some missing accessories that are here for TLC before being re-homed... But it's a bit like selling my children... Hard to let them go!
OK, I'm nuts! ;)
I was glad to see I was not the only sewing machine collector! I sew on my Bernina 1260 regularly, with my 1130 as a back-up. I love the Juki TL98. I also have a Bernina 830 (the old one, not the new one that costs a million dollars), an 160, 180 and an overlock. I have 2 babylocks, the quilters edition and designer as well as a babylock serger. I have 10 featherweights, 3 - 301's, and an old treadle. I have an Elna Lotus and the new Elna Mini Opal. I think that's all, but that's peanuts compared to what my girlfriend has. I'm not bragging. It's sick.
We're still just amateurs... I know folk on Treadle On who have a couple of hundred treadles, all in full working order!
See my reply to "Free-motion Frustration". I use a Janome 6500. It is 5 years old and the only thing that has gone wrong with it (other than the 2 feet I wore out) was the automatic thread-cutter stopped working after 4 years. I took it in to my dealer, he put in a new one and it's been fine since. I belong to a Quilting Club that has a retreat over Martin Luther King's Birthday week-end. Over the last few years I have noticed that, at first, there were a lot of Berninas. Now, it's Janome, Janome, Janome. I think my bragging about it, and the fact that many of the people in my Quilt Club have taken a class from me has influenced what people are buying. It is a workhorse and it does everything I want it to do without me ever having to do anything to the bobbin tension. I teach a class called "Thread Fun" where we do couching, bobbin drawing, satin stiching, perfect circles, twin needles, two or three threads in one needle, Libby Lehman's Ribbon Illusion, and how to use any kind of thread including metallic, and much more. It is a 6 hour class and the machines that have the most trouble are the ones that do not have a drop-in bobbin. I only re-set my top tension to do all that I teach. My machine is so easy to use and has no "hidden" buttons or anything that has to be looked up in a huge manual that I think it is why so many people are buying it. I have had people in my class with 40 year old machines that they have taken good care of (that means getting it professionally cleaned once a year, always) who do absolutely wonderful work without having any fancy stitches. I hate to say this, but the people in my classes that have the most trouble are the ones with the new Berninas! One of the quilt shop owners told me she has the same trouble in the classes she teaches. My theory is that having that bobbin underneath somehow screws up the bobbin tension. I have begun to tell my students with new Berninas just to buy a separate bobbin case for doing anything other than regular sewing and quilting. My helpers and I are constantly having to adjust the screw on the bobbin case on the new Berninas. Older machines of all types with bobbins underneath do not seem to have this problem. I have used the new Viking machines ( I used to sell them), but they are so much more expensive than my machine and I cannot get the tension low enough on them to use metallic thread with much success. When you use metallics, you need the top tension down below 2 and you must use polyester thread in the bobbin (I use Bottom Line) and a metallic needle (I use Sullivan's Metafil) or a topstitch needle. I have an older Brother machine that I bought in Libby Lehman's class in 2002 for $400.00 (when my Elna wasn't working). I used it for years until I decided I wanted a more substantial machine but I still use that as a back-up machine and take it to classes I take because it is so much lighter than my Janome and I hate taking the Janome out of its built-in desk that my husband made for me. I also have a 1952 Singer Upholstery machine that goes through 6 layers of leather like butter. It only sews straight stitches, but when I have a lot of layers to go through I go to that machine and I have absolutely no trouble. That's all I need. If my Janome ever breaks down, I will buy another one just like it. I do a lot of free-motion embroidery on all kinds of fabric and see no need to buy an embroidery machine or something that does even stitching for me. I can do that myself!
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Merkel- Charles "Herby" Simmons, 90, is dancing to his heart's content, having passed away October 24, 2012 in Temple after a long battle with Alzheimer'. Graveside services will be 3:00 p.m. Saturday, October 27th at Rose Hill Cemetery in Merkel with Reverend David Cason officiating, directed by Starbuck Funeral Home.
Roy Earl "Sandy" Sandefur, 90, of Borger died Tuesday, October 23, 2012. Services will be at 10:00 a.m. Saturday, October 27, 2012 at the First Church of the Nazarene, with Terry Porter, Pastor officiating. Burial will follow at Highland Park Cemetery in Borger. Arrangements are under the direction of Minton Chatwell Funeral Directors.


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Division of Federal Employees' Compensation (DFEC)
Laws and Related Materials
- Federal Employees' Compensation Act (FECA)
- Regulations Under the FECA (Effective 8/29/2011) (PDF)
- DFEC Procedure Manual
- A.M.A. Guides to Impairment, 6th Edition
- Interim Final Rule for the FECA Death Gratuity (5 U.S.C. 8102a)
- Amendment to FECA, 5 U.S.C. § 8102a – Death Gratuity
- Decisions of the Employees' Compensation Appeals Board
- War Hazards Compensation Act (WHCA)
- Regulations Under the WHCA


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In recent
years, the Swedish massage has become the missionary
position of the spa treatment world. Been there, done
that. Then, for a while, spicing things up meant adding
a Vichy shower, followed by a Watsu pool. But these
days, with hotel spas proliferating like bee-stung
lips on certain Hollywood starlets, a hotel spa must
do more than embellish the classics to stand out.
On our list, you will find post-facial cosmetic surgery
care, Zen and the art of archery and Arabian Nights
treatment tents. If only it was healthy to have a
ciggie after your treatment, the experience would
be complete.
AVANIA: Hyatt Regency Scottsdale
Resort & Spa at Gainey Ranch
to light up your life at Hyatt
Regency's Spa Avania. Working in harmony with
your body's inner clock, rituals incorporate music,
essential oils, antioxidant teas and natural light. Holistic sensory experiences are
in sync with the time of day that you visit: morning
treatments awaken, midday pampering balances and afternoon
therapies renew. Customized elements include a body
scrub made with locally harvested white sage. Soothing
embellishments, such as a lotus pond, strike a stunning
note in this desert setting.
SPATERRE MIAMI: The Grove Isle
Hotel & Spa
SpaTerre Miami is inspired by the aesthetics and philosophies
of Indonesia,
it is still Floridian at heart: airbrush tans, Key Lime Margarita Pedicures
and pre- and post-facial cosmetic surgery care are
on the menu. You will find the expected basics—Watsu
pool, yoga platform and Vichy shower—as well
as exotica such as the Javanese Lulur Royal Spa Treatment,
complete with rose petal soak. Thatched roofs, candlelit
treatment spaces and therapists in sarongs ensure
the romantic appeal at this private
island resort.
THE SPA AT RED ROCK: Red Rock
Casino Resort Spa
This Sin
City spa is proof that tried-and-true classics
can benefit from fresh new twists. A hot stone massage
here is served On The Rocks and a body polish and
wrap morph into the No Regrets Hangover Treatment,
the latter presumably to cure you after shenanigans
at onsite Cherry nightclub. Along with microdermabrasion
and Couperose Ampoule (an anti-redness serum for "velvety
soft" skin), you can try an Adventure Treatment.
Unconventional, these outings include horseback rides
and canyon hikes. Essentially, they aren't treatments—particularly
the Adventure Bus Trip—but we laud the spa for
working them into the repertoire.
AMALA DAY SPA: Gaia Retreat
& Spa
by Olivia Newton-John, this Down
Under eco-friendly retreat near Byron Bay takes
the Aussie songbird's anthem one step further: it
wants you to get spiritual, as well as physical. Choose
a Ritual Asian Adventure, incorporating jasmine, sandalwood,
ginger and lime essential oils. Or go for Dreamtime
Travel, with its soothing use of macadamia and Tasmanian
lavender. To fully appreciate the setting, wander
up to Samira Lookout at the highest point on the property,
for views from the ocean to the Nightcap Ranges.
Coral Bay
ANAGENISIS SPA: Thalassa Boutique
Hotel & Spa
year we bypassed some impressive properties in Turkey and Greece to take you down a less trodden path. Cyprus is much
quieter than its overcrowded neighbors, and with the
arrival of Anagenisis Spa, it now has its own holistic
retreat. Along with incorporating local menu items,
such as organic olive oil, sea salt, fresh herbs and
yogurt, it uses Sodashi, an all natural skin care
line, whose philosophy mirrors the spa's: ingredients,
as well as actual treatments, should be in harmony
with nature.
Puerto Plata
THE BAGUA SPA: Casa Colonial
Beach & Spa Resort
healing quality of amber is the standout feature at
the Feng Shui-influenced The Bagua Spa. Petrified
tree sap, this gemstone is an antioxidant and found
in abundance on the Dominican Republic. Hence the
fittingly named Amber Coast, where this resort resides.
Along with the Salt and Gem Exfoliation, using crushed
amber resin and ocean salts, we recommend the turndown
couples massage in the privacy of your room, and treatments
in an oceanfront gazebo set over a tropical pond.
TALISE: Madinat Jumeirah,
The Arabian Resort
We must confess, we long resisted Dubai's mega-everything attitude the way we once opposed Las Vegas's too big, too tacky resorts. But times are changing, and there's no surer sign of this than a spa that personally caters to individual needs in this larger-than-life place. The therapists at Talise blend international techniques with therapies from ancient cultures to create their signature treatments, such as the Talise Herbal Stone Poultice: dark green aventurine spheres and lavender are applied to the skin to awaken the body's healing abilities. Guests can enjoy exquisite pampering in one of the spa's 26 unique rooms or stroll through private courtyards and gardens.
SEQUOIA: The Grove
north of London,
the debonair Sequoia provides a pleasant complement
to the country estate it inhabits. The Grove is particularly
proud of its therapists' backgrounds, which range
from the Royal Ballet to the movie "Van Helsing"—as
a result of the latter, archery is now offered. Day
packages get you access to the hotel's grounds, which
include 300 acres of park and woodland for cycling,
and a two-course lunch in the Spa Garden Room. The
Spa and Golf Combo pairs 18 holes on the resort's
own course with a muscle relaxing massage.
Luang Prabang
THE SPA AT BELMOND LA RESIDENCE PHOU VAO: Belmond La
Résidence Phou Vao
Prabang is arguably one of the most enticing towns
in Southeast Asia. Simply being there is calming.
Add to that a treatment at The Spa at Belmond La Résidence
Phou Vao, and relaxation is assured. Custom rituals
include the Mohom Indigo Healing Art, using the native
indigo plant, and the Piu Nuan Lao Secret of Sensual
Skin, featuring an herbal compress of local sticky
rice, black sesame seeds and heated honey.
PEZULA SPA & GYM: Pezula
Resort Hotel & Spa
just for Pezula Spa & Gym, a Maruwa product line
contains ingredients from Western Cape fynbos—shrub
vegetation—which have been used medicinally
by the indigenous San and Khoikhoi people for centuries.
Added draws at this savvy spa, located along South
Africa's scenic Garden Route, are soothing sand
tones, unobstructed open spaces, yummy three- and
five-day packages, and the signature post-treatment
treat: a heated water bed that massages you into a
state of bliss.
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GAME NOTES: vs. Nicholls State
Oct. 16, 2013
SFA VS THE COLONELS: The Lumberjacks are 22-7 (.759) all-time against Nicholls State. Having dominated the all-time series, SFA will hope to repeat a 44-10 against the Colonels in their second consecutive meeting on homecoming. The 'Jacks have won five-straight, seven of eight, and 12 of the last 14 against the Colonels. The last loss to Nicholls came in a 17-16 setback in Nacogdoches during the 2007 season, when a missed extra point cost the 'Jacks against the nationally ranked Colonels.
COVERAGE: Saturday's contest will be televised on the Southland Conference Television Network on the local affiliate KCEB.
SFA IN HOMECOMING GAMES: The Lumberjacks are 37-35-1 (.514) all-time in Homecoming-games. SFA has won three of its last four, including a 44-10 victory over Nicholls last season. The 'Jacks are 3-2 (.600) all-time against the Colonels in homecoming games. Saturday's contest will be the second homecoming meeting for SFA between these two teams since the 1999 season.
NUMBER TWO IN THE NATION: The Stephen F. Austin football team possess one of the most prolific FCS offenses in the country. SFA currently ranks second the nation in total offense and passing offense.
BRUNO RECEIVES FCS NATIONAL WEEKLY HONOR: Stephen F. Austin sophomore punter Nick Bruno was named an FCS College Football Performance Awards Honorable Mention Performer of the Week. Bruno, a native of Rowlett, Texas (Rowlett HS), punted five times for a total of 247 yards (49.4 yards per punt) in SFA's loss at Southeastern Louisiana. Bruno finished the game with a 58-yard long, which was downed at the opposing 17-yard line. Two punts resulted in fair catches, while the others were downed with no return yards.
ATTAWAY CLIMBING THE CHARTS: SFA senior quarterback Brady Attaway continues to move up in the conference record book. He now has 1,406 passing attempts and ranks second on the SLC career list behind 2010 Walter Payton Award winner and former Lumberjack Jeremy Moses. Moses finished his career with 1,893 passes. Attaway also ranks third on the league's all-time completion list, recently moving past former Texas State quarterback Bradley George against Montana State and then adding 59 combined completions against Prairie View A&M and Southeastern Louisiana to give him 831 for his career. He trails former Central Arkansas quarterback Nathan Brown (856) by 25. The Whitehouse, Texas, native, also ranks fourth on the SLC's list of career passing yards (9,221) and passing touchdowns (70).
THE COACH: J.C. Harper became the 18th head coach of the SFA Lumberjack football team in December 2006. A two-time SLC Coach of the Year, Harper has guided SFA to two conference titles and NCAA playoff appearances. SFA is 36-39 (.480) in his six seasons in Nacogdoches.


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Toast to Earth Day everyday! These elegant goblets are made with reclaimed Westport Rivers Wine bottles. The company's trademark technique allows them to create two separate drinking glasses from one bottle without wasting any glass. These goblets are formed with the top halves of wine bottles, and the matching tumblers are created with the bottom halves. Holds 8.5 ounces.
Care: Dishwasher Safe.
Handcrafted in the USA.
This glassware is for use with cold liquids only. Do not microwave or use with hot liquids.
Dimensions: 6.75"H x 3.25"W.