The Millionaire Next Door

Blue Car and Sky, Metairie LA 1995 from HomefrontAll reproduction rights reserved Wm. Greiner No, I am not talking about the book , The Millionaire Next Door ,by Thomas J. Stanley and William D. Danko , which taught us how to live belowour means and not try to keep up with the Jones. I am speaking about a New Orleans man, John Marque , who died in March at the age of 79, leaving $20 million to the Great New Orleans Foundation. $20 million is a remarkable sum but the surprise was that it was made by just the kind of guy Stanley and Danko speak about in their book. John Marque ate breakfast at the local diner and drank at his neighborhood bar. He drove a used Saturn sedan. Marque also still lived in the same house that he had for over three decades and wore thrift store clothing. You get the picture of his modesty?I am always fascinated by these stories about wealthy people who choose to live quietly and modestly, but this one gave me a small sense of pride, since this story was about a New OrleanianSource

Sticks and Stones: Won't break my Mood!

Looking in the mirror and seeing a stylish plus sized woman makes me feel good about myself. I believe clothes are not just a cover but a reflection of taste and of course mood. It is the perception of oneself that is the key ingredient to making it. I love the way I look and feel most days! Especially today. And stick and stones may break my bones -------- but not today.Thursday was shopping day and I drove to the local organic food co-op. I made my way through the store, talked to the regulars and loaded up my cart. I really like to go food shopping at the co-op. Its a challenge to find low fats, no sugar added foods. (However I would much rather be shopping for new clothes - specially a 2x shirt or blouse!) So I took my cart full of fresh veggies and fruits and cage free eggs to the register and paid the check-out clerk.Upon leaving the store, I headed straight to my car. Usually I make a stop by the thrift store because I can find a garment that fits, but not today. As I pushed my cart, enjoying a surprisingly warm day, the wheel of the cart stumbled on a rock. Some of my food fell to the ground, and I realized the little rock had caused this. I moved the rock and to my surprise the 7 grain bread had fallen out and I had run over it with the cart. Instead of heading back to the co-op to replace it, I decide to just throw it away and continue on. It was such a nice day! Nothing was going to get in my way ....... not even a rock in a soft place.Stitch In Time GF2276IKXL The Stitch In Time for women looks for plus size clothing features our memorable stitching technique.Source

AN ATTRACTIVE OLD FRIEND

Two months ago, I met accidentally with my old friend, Jenny. She was my classmate in high school. We had not been in touch for almost ten bloody years. Wow... It was amazing how much she could change in those years. She is definitely more prosperous but hmmm... seems larger. Well, I have to admit that my body is not slim either. Since having two kids, I became plus size too!However, when I saw her, I couldn’t believe my eyes. Jenny was one of the favorite, most attractive girls in our high school. Her slim body always made me jealous through the high school years. What surprised me was how gorgeous she still was particularly with regard to her clothes. She was wearing a light blue dress that suited her so well, that she looked as adorable as she had 10 years previously, even though her body had changed dramatically.I could not help my self - I was jealous of her appearance. I always have difficulties in finding great fitting clothes in my size that look stylish and adorable. I noticed that my body was actually not so different from hers, but she still looked so much more attractive because of her fabulous outfit. When we talked, I couldn’t stop asking her where she managed to find such gorgeous clothes in her size.Fortunately for me, she generously told me how to choose the perfect clothes for our body size. She taught me how to dress so I could still look attractive even though I do not have a slim and ideal body. However, the best advice Jenny was able to share with me was that no matter what kind of clothes I chose, I have to feel comfortable with what is under the clothing, me. Well, I aspire to be as attractive as Jenny and try to imitate her positive body image, even though I am not nearly as slim as a model.Source

FLDS women start online clothing store

Filed under: Money & work, In the news, Shopping & recallsSchool shopping is just around the corner. If you're looking to dress your daughters in long prairie dresses and long underwear, then I have just the site for you.When the 400-plus children of the Yearning for Zion ranch were removed by child protective services earlier this year, the sect's clothing was a major topic of conversation in the media. The enterprising women of the FLDS are building on that attention and have started their own website, where parents can buy princess dresses, overalls, and long underwear for the whole family. The website started as a way for child protective services to clothe the children in their custody, but is now being turned into a business to help mothers pay bills related to their legal battles. Many have been advised not to return to the ranch, and are having to pay for rent and utilities. Continue reading FLDS women start online clothing store Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsSource

Blessed Birthday PJ

Blessed Birthday Pastor John!!!Pastor John Beh turns um 44 this year! (I think)Age is catching up on him but he is not getting any older as the days pass!Last night I looked through my tens of thousands of pictures in my 14 DVDs and took a few pictures of Pastor John out so I could post them on my blog today. This man came into my life on the 1st of April 2005 and since then he has always been one of my friend and pastor. Gosh I will try not to be very emotional here haha. But I just want to tell you guys that I am really blessed to have this man in my life and I love him a lot!Pastor John is one guy who is RICH! He is rich in knowledge and wisdom. You go to him with a problem he will feed you until your stomach bloats. No quick solution comes out from him. He makes you think!His style of preaching is very different. You will only get what he says if you pay enough attention and go back and pray about it. There were youths who complained that his preaching is boring. What?! Man! Go look for a CLOWN if you want someone funny. Pastor John is no clown.His favorite sentences are:1. As young as you are…2. I say this without apologies…3. Ha ha…His favorite rhyme is: “Good, better, best. Never let it rest, until your good becomes better and your better becomes best.”One of my favorite quote from Pastor John is: “I rather live seven more years and finish God’s work for me than to live until 70 years old but have not completed my task.” (sentence modified a little. Can’t remember the exact words but I caught the meaning.)And he loves to dive! I got the diving fever from him. He just came back from a dive trip yesterday. I am so going to go with him for another dive next time.Okay, enough about him. You got to know him personally to know what a wonderful man he is. This was a picture of him during our mission trip to Sarawak in year 2005. This hairstyle was the result of trusting me with his hair haha. You know what is the funniest part??? He actually did not see his hair at all after I spiked it for him. And he went out to meet a other pastors in a shopping mall! Man! They must be looking at him and think that he has gone crazy! Imagine that! He walked into a shopping mall with that “awesome” hairstyle and he did not even know! And he sat down and chatted with the pastors who dressed so decently and had decent hairstyle. Haha! I laughed my head off! Pastor John, Pastor John =)Yea, that was how he looked. And he actually thought that he looked cool since Zlwin was the one who did his hair F.O.C. =) hehe.Man and wife. Sweet. Look at his muscles. No wonder Aunty Jessica feels secure when he’s around.Younger faces back then.This picture was taken about two years ago. Adrian on the right.Taken last year. He loves to wear his sunglasses.Haha. This is scandal. No la. =) This picture was taken recently in February in Phuket. The lady beside him is actually a prostitute soliciting for “business”. I don’t blame her for choosing him among the many other guy that were around him haha. But she chose the wrong guy. This is a PASTOR wei!On arrival at the guest house in Phuket.Um. Aunty Jessica is going to kill me if she sees this picture again hehe.Fooling around =)Oh wow… I’m speechless.No we weren’t naked la. Just half naked. This was after our dive training and we were having our exams.A sequence shot of Pastor John braving the small little stream… without getting wet…He loves good food. He doesn’t fancy rice. But I do. I bet he can do well amidst the rise in price of rice. This picture was taken last year or two years ago (I forgot) at Grace PJ’s LIFE Rally.LIFE was an acronym for Leadership, Integration, Faithfulness and Evangelism that Pastor John came up with.This picture is a mixture of blurness and cheekiness.Taken few weeks ago when I stayed over his house. He cooks really healthy stuff. In the morning he made me this yucky drink which tasted nice actually. You know what were the ingredients? Yogurt, carrot, egg, milk, some veggies and a few other weird stuff and he blends them all in the blender and drinks. Looks yucky but um taste nice actually. Father and daughters.Talking about wolves in sheep’s clothing haha. He is not one! The only guy that can lift Pastor John up in the air is non other than our one and only Klang Tower – Mr. Koh Poh Leong!Pastor, I will get there one day. You just wait and see. When you are old and gray you cannot compare with my muscles already haha. =)Haha. I love this guy!Blessed Birthday Pastor John.Source

Whut it do, QT-Q?

Hey what's up! This is Haejung! I'm eighteen and I just graduated from high school. I have many friends who I love more than life. I took AP classes though they slaughtered my GPA, but I don't know what I would do with some of the conversations in AP Lit.? (Have you met William Carlos Williams? He lives in my back yard with his cousin Hulga- Joy -Mary-Grace-June-Star. ) I'm an artist. No, not a starving artist. I'm well fed. Maybe a better term would be a procrastinating artist. I dream up hue projects that have me working months past the due date. Heh. Maybe I dreamed a bit too big. I love painting, pen & ink, chalk pastel, photography, and even good ol' Crayola crayons. I dance when you turn your away. My confidence level keeps me from performing often. Maybe one day you'll see me shine. When I was five, I wanted to do Ballet, but I never could. Towards the end of tenth grade, a rekindled friendship brought me into Hip Hop-- more specifically korean Hip Hop. I couldn't be happier. I sing when you don't listen. I've been singing along with the radio and humming to myself for as long as I can remember. Though most of the time I was pushed towards lip syncing in stead. Then again, I probably broke glass as a child. I currently sing and dance for my friends' and my group-- Sweet Charisma. I scribble on almost anything. "Words.. words.. words--" my favorite line from Hamlet. I'm the lead songwriter for Sweet Charisma and I was on my highschools Literary Magazine staff for three years. I write poetry, prose, lyrics, and the occasional play or short story.I'm Asian, in case you haven't picked up on that yet. To be exact, I'm half Vietnamese on my father's side. On the other side is a mixture of French, Irish, and Cherokee. I speak in tongues. As you can see, my native language is English, but in high school i was learning French. Unfortunately, my teacher did not push us as hard as we needed to be pushed to learn. It seems like we've been learning the same things over and over since first year, and I'm in my third year of French! Outside of school, I'm trying to learn Japanese. I've been able to converse with some exchange students my friend was hosting, but they knew a little English. They don't have very good language books, or even classes where I live. Fortunately, I'll be going to a college with a fairly good Japanese program. I'm also trying to learn Korean, but I seem to be overloading myself. I plan to learn every language I can, before I die. Once, a group came from South Africa to perform at my school. One of them had a click in his name! How awesome is that! My dream used to be to be a fashion designer, but after watching project runway, I've learned something. You can only get so far fighting the trends. But, there's a better way to reach the people I want to cloth-- a way that combines a life long hobby and an artist's dream. I can do computer animation/game design and design the characters and their clothing for companies like Square-Enix or Disney. What people don't realize is how the clothing takes its influence from games/cartoons.? Nor do they realize just how many people are into gaming. Have you ever been to an Anime Convention or even seen photos from Anime Expo in California. Oh, it's kind of a big deal. My dreams are big, but my heart will guide me like a puppet. I'm the Renaissance man of the next generation (with a sex change that is.) Nothing's gonna stop me from catching up to my dreams.If I strive for long enough, I can do anything.Source

A PERFECT FIT: PHILADELPHIA'S HOTTEST NEWS REPORTERS COMMON BOND OVER CLOTHING

The Career Wardrobe is a nonprofit organization that serves thousands of women in transition by providing free professional clothing and educational opportunities in the Philadelphia region. Their services empower women by inspiring the confidence necessary to achieve self-sufficiency. Since 1995, The Career Wardrobe has assisted over 40,000 women. Once a year they bring a community of like minded people together in order to raise funds for this worthwhile cause. And with each passing year the event grows out of its space. This particular year it was held at the World Cafe. It really was a great venue. The ground floor was where the auction occurred, and the stage was for the fashionista newswomen of the Philadelphia airwaves. But I heard the event was sold out and the were busting at the seems for a new place in 2009. What's left the I thought, since I see so many venues, hmm maybe the Comcast Center. Here's a few of the auction items. Cleverly enough they all had to do with fashion; whether it was bags, purses, shoes or facials. (I was too late to see what I could bid on, more on that later) Sheri K. Cole, Executive Director greets the crowdI was excited to cover this event, because my friend Abby Siegel was one of the co-founders back in 1995. I remember when she got involved in this project, but I never really understood the scope of it, as I just caught up in my life and didn't think about others much or the depth of their despair and how to help humanity. Thankfully that all changed, and I guess that's why I have such enthusiam to cover so many worthwhile events you find here at Philly Chit Chat, oh enough about me. Here's one hot Tamale: 6ABC Model: Tamala Edwards conveying how important it is to one's self to have the confidence in their appearance when job huntingNBC10 Model: Monique Braxton; CBS3 Model: Mary Stoker Smith look on and wait their turn. I am a bit of a news person fan and was so excited to see all these women at this event. Some of them came right after work or right before they were to go on the air.PR Guru Paige Wolfe says a few words about her favorite charity, as a cool Dawn Stensland (aka Mrs. Larry Mendte) looking hot in a nice black pantsuit that would make Hillary proud. Each of the ladies that accompanied the Philabrity newswomen went through the organization and received clothing to go on their job searches. Many of them are working in exciting fields today, and all of them grateful to the Career Wardrobe Janet Zappala age already girl. You look fabulous!! Oh my favorite, sorry girls I do have a favorite - Sue Serio. I used to watch her every day before I started this blog. She is so full of life, I just love watching her, she's spontaneous, knowledgeable, easy going, and bubbly. Gotta love her. Lori Wilson in the house CN8 Models: Mary Caraccioli (an excellent speaker and a poignant message on how we as a society have a duty to help our fellow [wo]man; it takes a village) I found myself on the wrong side of the stage when taking these photos, but I know the paying guests did not want to see my big self blocking their view just so I could snap a few shots of the girls I love watching on the tube. WNJC Model: Melissa Daley The Class of 2008 "Career Wardrobe" Models. Thanks girls, you're stories are inspirational. I think everyone reading this, I know there's at least 600 of you, should go to your closet right now and pull out that decent, wearable outfit, that you or the women in your life haven't worn and probably won't wear again, and send it to the Career Wardrobe, see link at the bottom because I am not done telling you how great this event was... Next I took myself up to the VIP section, thinking maybe just maybe I could ask one of the newswomen if there was a lot of behind the scenes drama in the dressing rooms before the show, or does it occur afterwards, as they are in a competitive market. But they were no shows, as I heard they were literally taking the clothes off their backs to donate to the Career Wardrobe for a deserving job applicant in the near future. Instead I happily settled for the drama of the live auction. Which again was very creative as the bags that came up for auction were signed by some of our times popular figures of late. First up was President Bill Clinton; I don't know if it was a reflection of the political period, but the bidding for Bill started out hot and heavy and ended prematurely at $500. Someone got a bargain. Then came Kim Cattrall or as I like to call her, Samatha Jones. Her bag was slick, shiny and yes sexy. Bidding was ferocious and some lucky person will be carting her bag around after an appreciable bid of $1000 Not to be outdone, someone in the organization had the foresight to take the Sarah Jessica Parker bag out of the silent auction and place it in the LIVE AUCTION, especially during this time of our lives when the SATC movie broke records when it opened last month. Carrie Bradshaw is my modern equivalent of what Audrey Hepburn is to fashion; certainly the boldest of the SATC girls and it comes through in this pretty in pink clutch purse adorned with a pearl clasp.Perfect for anyone's inner Carrie Bradshaw Perfect for the blond who was very generous in her bid of $2,000, all of which go to the Career Wardrobe to help the thousands of women who go through their doors each year.Charity begins at home for Hillary Clinton, and as we learned this past election season when Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign released their tax forms from 2000-2007, which showed the Clintons earned more than $100 million in that time period and donated $10 million of that to their own charity. Well for the Career Wardrobe the apple doesn't fall far from the tree as both Hillary Clinton and Chelsea Clinton signed one of the donated Viv Pickle bags to be auctioned off. Maybe the event planner had an inkling that this would be the high ticket item of the evening, and it was ststrategicallylaced last as the best was last and the bidding was cocontinuous until the final bidder was victorious somewhere in the vicinity near $5,000. Thank you to the generous donor with that support. But wait there's a sleeper auction. The mayor has put himself up for auction. That's right some lucky winner bid's included a meeting with the Mayor, a photo op, and the Mayor would give you a tour of City Hall. I believe the bidding for that item was in the neighborhood of $800 (Oh the drama I had as I misplaced my notebook with all the figures and notes when I was helping a few young ladies into their car after the program and I put the notebook down on the sidewalk outside the World Cafe and just never picked it up again) Although this auction is over, I did notice another auction here where you at home the reading public can get in on a meet and greet with the mayor on your own, and its for charity (In support of ARC of Philadelphia http://www.arcpddc.org/index.html). https://auction01.charitybuzz.com/secure/viewItemDetail.do?auction_item_id=76249&lotsindex=0&show=10&order=default Shelly Siegel and my friend of 14 years, co-founder Abby Siegel-Greenberg (Sadly I was a little late to the event and missed Abby & Nate's adorable Isabelle, who had to go home for bedtime at 8PM [I was at the Chima event with Lorraine Bracco, see Philly is alive and active with lots of exciting events going on]) Before I knew it the night was over, and it was time to say good-bye until next year. I know I convey the heartfelt thanks to everyone who came out this year:) http://www.careerwardrobe.org/I am at the Tony's this weekend, I hope to have an update of my exciting weekend on Tuesday depending what time I get in Monday night or on that red eye from NYC Tuesday morning.Source

Tidbits from Virginia City...

1) There's a store in Virgina City. (Duh! The place is riddled with stores!) It sells belts, and hats, and very expensive leather coats. (No, it isn't Leather Works. Everything there is $20 or less...). They had the most gorgeous opera capes. I came so close to buying one. Who cares if they were nearly $200! They were floor length velvet with lace, and they had a deep hood! I wanted one so bad. In fact, even in flats, it would fit me. But, I couldn't justify buying one. Especially since I owned a velvet caplet, and a cotton opera cape. Oh well!I couldn't justify it. After all, I've only worn my caplet once, at the World-Con I bought it at. My opera cape, I got cheap (It was originally a Christmas gift, but kept it for myself), and I wear it for formal events... That, and it's part of my 'Potion Mistress' costume :-)And, they had a duster! I so want a duster! I came so close to stealing my father's denim duster. Only reason why I haven't spirited it away is because it's about two inches too short for me... But, there are these wonderful things called a seamstress... [weg] I may have to steal it some time...2) The Tri-tip at the Virginia City BBQ and Jerky company (name is from memory. Is only BBQ restaurant on main street.) is some of the best I've eaten... ever!3) Chollar Mine Tour - Do not take if you're are afraid of enclosed spaces, the dark, or the possibilty of hundreds of pound of dirt and timber falling in on you. And, it's possible that you'll be attacked by spiders, too...Basically, the tour is an hour or so, and they throw a lot of statistics at you. Still, if you can be a good ways into a tunnel that is slowly collapsing (In places, robi_travels and I were literally bent in half to get through the tunnel! A wet tunnel, even! There is no moisture above ground in VA City, but in the mines, it's wet!), and can miss the cobwebs on the walls, and don't mind the minute or so of total darkness... It was a pretty cool tour.But, in the future, I'll send 'newbies' on the Ponderosa Mine Tour... At least then, I can sit in a bar and drink while they wonder at the lightisa miner in the 1800's would have... (The tour is in the back of one of the saloons on the main street)4) I adore Baby Disney and Baby Looney Tunes. Why do I tell you this? Because, a wood worker's shop on the main street had a piece that was all of the major Looney Tune characters as babies. And, it wasn't outrageously expensive! Yay! (Yes, I bought it...)Yay! Especially since I can only find Baby Disney or Baby Looney Tunes as baby wear... [pout] Don't the marketing departments know what they're missing! They're just so cute! [squeal!]5) I finally bought myself a piece of 'Bucket of Blood' clothing. I don't know why, but that Saloon has a soft place in my heart... The piece I bought is a zip-up oatmeal coloured cardigan with "Bucket of Blood Saloon Virginia City, Nevada" and a pair of roses in pink on the lapel. I think it is awesome!And, yes, the icon on this post is from a picture I took of the Bucket of Blood sign...6) I so believe that the Gold Hill Hotel is haunted. I've stayed in two different rooms, neither of which are known to be really haunted, and I'm almost 100% positive that they were both haunted. My most recent experience, in the Grey House [Which is an awesome 'room'... Two bedrooms, two bath, a living room (with a comfortable futon, if needed), full dining room, a wonderful kitchen, and it has a washer and dryer set-up!], happened in the bathroom ithildyn and I shared in her bedroom. I personally had the toilet cover raised (Ith and I have an unconscious habit of lowering the toilet seat. We had a cat who loved to play in the water of the toilet, so we got into the habit of closing off the toilet seat, in case he drowned...)... So, when I went into the bathroom, and found the toilet seat raised, I explained why I always lowered the seat. Don't know if it helped (That bathroom was off of Ith's bedroom... I had the futon in the living room)...7) Trucks start traveling through Gold Hill at about 7 or 8 am... I was woken up at that time each morning. Since I was in the living room, I had no 'cushion' from the sound... see next point as to why...8) FYI: There are 800+ miles of mine tunnels under Virginia City and Gold Hill... (Yes, I am serious about this number... got it from "The Way It Was" Museum. A must for first time visitors to VA City...)Because of this, there is always minor settling of the tunnels... This causes all houses and structures to not be 'perfect'. You will find lots of gaps between doors and door frames...9) Lake Tahoe is as beautiful as ever. Even though I littered into the lake... I was taking pictures, and made the mistake of putting my 'fruity rum drink' down beside me... A sway of the boat, and the cup, with half my lovely alcoholic drink, slid off the boat, and into the lake [pout]. But, even with that, it was an awesome experience! (And, it says something when the bartender rings up everyone's tab at the end of the trip... "You owe me a dollar, you owe me six dollars, you owe me a dollar, and you three owe me forty-nine bucks..." Can you guess which was me, Ith, and Robi? I think you can [beam])10) There is an awesome potter in Gold Hill. Argenta Earth & Fire Co.. The store was literally next door to our room in the hotel. Awesome pottery at amazing prices! I felt like I was in a potter's shop in Carmel-By-The-Sea, but I could actually afford to touch the items. (The item I bought? I was pretty sure would cost me $100+ in Carmel... I got it for less... Muchos pretty!)11) Fourth Ward School - Very cool... And, you can buy an antique school desk! I would've, but didn't have room in the car this time. I will next time though, damn it! I want one of those desks! And, it's an awesome building..12) The Virgina City Catholic Church - Awesome gothic ceilings, wonderful building, nice wine cellar!I have more, but I can't remember!Oh yes! Pictures! Taken by moi and ithildyn...Source

7777777

Tagged by bloodpaperdoll!K everything's in random orderSEVEN PEOPLE YOU WANT TO DO THIS SURVEYTake it if you want itSEVEN THINGS THAT SCARE YOU1. Being lost, broke, with a dead phone, no transport, no where to go.2. Sleeping in the dark3. DRAGONFLIES4. Having to clean up my apartment and wash my own clothes in 15 days time5. The thought of being lonely...6. Toilet flush hahahahaha sometimes the sound's quite scary7. What's swimming beneath meSEVEN THINGS YOU LIKE THE MOST1. My little pony2. Being loved (!!!!!)3. HugGgggzZzz4. Kuma5. SHOPPING6. Zebra tail / rainbow hair7. Happy conversations :DSEVEN IMPORTANT THINGS IN YOUR ROOM1. Bed + kuma + my little ponies2. Computer3. All my clothes + bags + accessories stuff stuff stuff....4. Boxes of memories5. All my God related books6. Aircon7. ?SEVEN RANDOM FACTS ABOUT YOU1. I want a zebra tail2. I need to shop3. But I'm broke4. I'm annoyed that I have to take my passport photo with my bangs... !@#$%^&5. I have an extremely painful ulcer on the side of my tongue :(6. I cant wait to walk to school7. I became less lazy :DSEVEN THINGS YOU PLAN TO DO BEFORE YOU DIE1. GET MARRIED!!!! :D So exciting. ARENT YOU EXCITED?!2. Own a dog3. Watch snow fall from the sky4. Own a thousand pieces of clothing5. Go on a real real real hot air balloon!!!!!!!!!6. Successfully raise my kids HAHA7. Step out of my comfort zone, bring people to christ.... GRR DO IT LYANNE.SEVEN THINGS YOU CAN DO1. Flower tongue thing!!2. Touch my nose with my tongue (Yay same, Mer!)3. DDR4. Play the beginning of qing tian on the guitar hahaha5. Crack my ankles non-stop6. Blow mucus into a tissue. Cos I'm having flu now hahaha.7. Make someone else sick. (As in, passing my germs) I cant think of anything else hahaha.SEVEN THINGS YOU CAN’T DO1. Put my fist into my mouth2. Order stuff from F21 myself cos I dont have a credit card3. Flip my eyelids4. Reach for clothes hung high up in a shop (Eg. Zara TRF section in vivo -.-)5. Chemistry and chinese6. Hide my emotions7. MagicSEVEN THINGS THAT ATTRACT YOU TO THE OPPOSITE SEX1. Face2. Hair3. Dressing4. WHATEVER LA HAHAHA5. I dont wanna answer this6. 7. SEVEN THINGS YOU SAY THE MOST1. Oh am geez2. What the?3. Haha okay4. I dee know5. Whatever6. Huh really?7. I love youSource

Saturday, and we're still working.

So it seems that, in this office, no one has a concept of weekends. Don't these people want to go home? As much as I deplore idleness, I do not object to giving my employees the weekend off. Really, I don't mind them coming to work on weekends, honestly I don't, but they won't even try to look enthusiastic. The boys and I toyed with designs for scarves and dresses (for the evening wear section.) Riccardo even designed a tuxedo which looked promising from the front. But then he showed us the back, the pants were missing the backside area and the back of the coat had Riccardo's contact details on it as well as the phrase "call me." We also designed a dress for our newest (and first!) model; Bianca! It's similar in style to the ones she wore during the Renaissance although everything is less "puffy", as Riccardo stated, and it's made of light airy materials and satin instead of heavy materials. Also, the dress is sleeve-less and the bodice is decorated with Pearls. Riccardo also designed a dress for Bianca but it's made out of a material that's virtually see through and is therefore not suitable for day or evening wear but putting it in nightwear is a possibility, I suppose... He also designed more underwear (if you can even call it that) despite being constantly reminded that this is a >clothing line and not a seedy lingerie store by both myself and Albinus. In other news, my stalker has returned, she looked ready to pounce all night and left quite a puddle of drool on her desk. And I swear this is true; she frothed at the mouth! I'm lucky, I have supernatural speed. Albinus doesn't he was "attacked" again on his way to the men's room. Riccardo thinks we should put him in a chastity belt to protect his virtue. I am seriously considering pressing charges against these stalkers.Bye for now.~Marius.Source

Rennie Adoption!

god_of_bastards sent this to me. Unfortunately I can not credit the original writer but I had to share! After all, they say nothing is funnier or stranger than the truth! :)Congratulations on your decision to adopt a Rennie! Many of these fascinating creatures are in need of good homes where they will be loved and cared for. While keeping a Rennie can be expensive, time-consuming, and sometimes confusing, the results can be well worth all the effort. A well turned out Rennie who is happy and healthy is amazing to watch in action. The guidelines below will help you care for your new charge, but they are only guidelines. Every Rennie is quite unique and you should get to know your Rennie's personal quirks, preferences and skills. INTRODUCTIONThe most important step in caring for your Rennie is selecting the right one. Rennies come in many varieties. You will find them of both sexes, and in every imaginable size, color, age, health and plumage. But, far more important than their physical differences are the differences in their personalities. Every Rennie has a very unique set of skills, preferences and attitudes, and you need to take these into consideration as you make your choice. If you have a nervous condition, a Daredevil Rennie is not for you. Likewise, do not adopt a Fighter Rennie unless you have a large yard in which he or she can chase around other Rennies with a sword. If you have small children in the house, you might prefer to adopt a Rennie other than the Arms Collector, and if you like your nights silent, keep in mind that Stitching Rennies are known to stay up quite late, whirring away at their machines, punctuated by occasional loud bouts of cursing. FOOD & DRINKOnce you have selected a Rennie and brought him or her home, your first concern may be, "What do I feed this strange creature?" Luckily, most Rennies are not picky about what they eat, and indeed, will consume with relish most anything you offer them. Do not be afraid to offer your Rennie exotic or strange foods. They have a highly devolved sense of adventure and will likely at least try whatever it is. Keep in mind, that through some strange quirk, your Rennie will enjoy almost any food more if it is presented on a stick. Your Rennie requires large quantities of water. Your Rennie will want large quantities of liquor. There is a very fine balance between the two that you must find to keep your Rennie (and in cases of more belligerent Rennies, yourself) happy and healthy. Rennies are very affectionate creatures, and will often cuddle and love on you for treats. Favorite treats tend towards chocolate or nice liquor, though your Rennie may have different favorites. Recently, several varieties of Rennie have developed a taste for sushi, so you may wish to try that as well. SLEEPWhile your Rennie may seem to have inexhaustible supplies of energy, they need a good night's sleep like any other creature. When they are having fun, but are exhausted, usually at the end of a faire day, they may behave much like a 4-year-old, insisting on staying up and playing, "just a few more minutes." It is advised that you be firm with your Rennie and insist that they come home and go to bed. It is also advised that this will almost never work, and when it does, Rennie goodbyes have been know to take upwards to two hours at a large gathering. Sit down near the door and have another drink. GROOMINGRennies take great joy in grooming both themselves and others and can take hours to prepare in the morning. Rennie females, in particular will often need the help of others in preparing for the day. While they may seem inconsequential or frivolous to you, each pin, knot, and accessory is very important to your Rennie. When your Rennie is being slow in the morning, exhortations of "Hurry up!" will not speed matters along. "What can I hold/tie/pin/will not will work much more efficiently. That being said, by the end of that self-same day, your Rennie may be unrecognizably dirty, disheveled and grungy, though likely quite happy. While Rennies appreciate and enjoy a shower or bath every day, like sleep, this is not always something they feel is required. If your Rennie shows no inclination to bathe after a long day, helping them undress and drawing a bath or starting the shower for them may encourage them to get clean. Please note that your Rennie will take great joy in all their clothing and accessories, and will constantly want to be adding to the horde. Every once in a while, please go through all your Rennies "garb" with them and help them to let go of pieces they no longer wear. Promising to donate the pieces to another Rennie will help ease the pain of separation, as will offering to replace it with something the Rennie likes better. New garb can work as a treat even better than chocolate or liquor. Under no circumstances get rid of anything from a Rennies garb without their knowledge and permission unless you want your sweet happy Rennie to instantly transform into Furious Rabid Fighter Rennie and attempt to take of your head. COMMUNICATING WITH YOUR RENNIERennies are extremely intelligent, and will likely understand everything you say, possibly in several languages. It is far more likely that you will not understand your Rennie when they are speaking in BFA, Gaelic, Romany or some other obscure or not so obscure language. Also, they can get quite animated when speaking about their favorite hobbies or most history. The correct response to almost anything from, "I can't do French seams in the gussets in that camica because the twill is too thick to turn twice," to "Henry VIII and Cardinal Richelieu weren't even alive at the same time, and France and England were at war in 1620! They can't put the Musketeers in England!!!!" is a nodding of the head and saying, "Yes, yes, of course. There are two terms your Rennie may use frequently that you will need to be familiar with right off. The first is a loud exclamation of "HUZZAH!" This is a Rennie sound of joy and excitement, something you wish to hear often. The second is "privy." Your Rennie is asking where the bathroom is, and you'd best show them quickly unless you want to be cleaning up Rennie messes. Eliminating in garb can be a difficult and time consuming process. All other terms can usually be picked up with familiarity.YOUR RENNIE AND PLAYRennies have a highly developed sense of play and will often play any opportunity they get. The idea of what is play varies greatly from one Rennie to the next, though they will almost always be happier to play in groups. Some may enjoy contact juggling, some fencing, some equestrian pursuits, and some computer games. However nearly all Rennies, whether or not they are skilled, thoroughly enjoy the arts of Music and Flirting. Given a good tune and the opportunity to sing, stomp or clap along, most Rennies will be quite happy. Likewise, what may seem to the untrained observer as heavy duty sexual harassment is usually two Rennies who have missed each other's company greeting one another. Unless your Rennie looks truly upset, it is better to leave him or her alone in these situations. See more under the Breeding section. Your Rennie also loves toys. Amongst Rennies, favored toys may be sharp, shiny, pointy, sparkly, made of wood, leather, metal, pottery or fur. Get to know your Rennie to discover his or her particular preferences.ILLNESS, INJURY, AND KEEPING YOUR RENNIE HEALTHYFor some reason not yet determined by modern science, Rennies seem to have a slightly greater concentration of diseases, which range from irritating to debilitating, than those not of the breed. Common ailments can include hypoglycemia, fibromyalgia, MS, diabetes, osteoporosis and a range of bum knees, trick elbows and the like. These will likely only slow your Rennie down, not stop them completely. Your Rennie and others around him or her are usually well advised on the maladies in the group and will band together to take care of one of their number that is ill or injured, so that they can all return to the fun as soon as possible. An injured Rennie is for some reason fairly happy. They do like to show off gruesome scars and talk about their gory wounds. Should your Rennie become injured, your best course of action is to simply dress the wound, give them a drink of water and then your Rennie will go back to whatever it was doing. Except in the cases of extreme injury, they tend to be a hardy breed. To keep your Rennie as healthy as possible, make sure that he or she drinks plenty of water, gets lots of rest and exercise and limit their consumption of fried food on a stick. Keep the supplies for dealing with heat stroke, sunburn, dehydration and hypothermia on hand, as these are the most frequent complaints. Make your Rennie wear sunscreen. He or she will protest this. Make them do it anyway. Make them reapply frequently and when they get burned anyway, make them put on Aloe gel. They will protest this as well. Insist. While Rennies are extremely intelligent, sometimes they're not very smart.BREEDING YOUR RENNIENearly all Rennies love children, whether or not they have one of their own. They like to play with children, talk to children and show children things that interest them as adults. The adult Rennies overdeveloped sense of play makes them perfect companions for children, barring a tendency amongst the entire breed to curse. A Rennie child very nearly is raised by a village and may have dozens of Aunties and Uncles not related to them by blood scattered all over the continent. Despite decades of observation by many interested parties, no one has yet determined a successful program for breeding Rennies. Their sense of high drama, passionate natures, and overly affectionate friendships have clouded the issue so deeply that it is still a mystery how they manage to breed at all. So, should you wish to breed your Rennie, it is suggested that you adopt an already mated pair. Even that is no guarantee of success. You Rennie may have its own ideas about breeding. The best course of action to take should this happen is to stand back and observe your Rennie closely. In the event of a heartbreak step in and feed your Rennie his or her favorite treats. While this will probably not heal your Rennie, it will make them more pleasant to be around until they find another potential mate.CONCLUSIONWhile the above may make adopting a Rennie seem daunting, it is an enterprise with great rewards. They are attractive, affectionate creatures, who will brighten your life for many years to come. Thank you for your interest.Source

Don't move. Don't even breathe...

There is a wireless hotspot I couldn't quite lock onto last night but now I have. So I mustn't flinch in case I lose it. Sat in my room by the beach trying to hide from the sun which is really rather hot. Strange that.I haven't taken many pictures yet because it is really a bit too hot to traipse round with a big camera on the off chance. I will use my little camera to get some scene-setters and then plan some ideas with the big one, perhaps at cooler times of day. Only problem with that is I woke at about 2 a.m. and thought I would open the shutters to let some cool night breeze in, only for it to be almost as hot as the daytime. Strange business.Oh and thanks to the Dutch lady who moved out of the room above me last night. I assume she was Dutch because as she moved each item of clothing one by one from one side of the room to the other I heard her clogs on the floor. No normal shoe could have made that noise !Anyhoo...going to avoid the hottest sun for an hour or two and that probably means finishing off my first book.Laters, if I sit in exactly the same place...Source

All that Glitters....

My July Harper's Bazaar (which by the way I love more and more every month) arrived in the mail today and there on the cover was Gwyenth Paltrow in a black sequin micro-mini dress (that turns out is actually a T-shirt) by Proenza Schouler. It reminded me that sequins, beads, paillettes and all that glitters...is always fashionably.Vintage 80's OLEG CASSINI Bead & Paillete Blouse or Micro Mini Dress w/Batwing Sleeves at Rice and Beans VintageDonna Karan Collection Sequin Tank at NordstromVintage 80's Saks Fifth Avenue Black & Gold Sequin, Bead, & Silk Twin Set, Tank & Jacket at Rice and Beans VintageWomen's Sequin Vest at Old NavyCHANEL Plum Tweed Jacket w/Sequins, 3/4 Sleeves, & CC Silk Lining at Rice and Beans VintageLondon Dress at Tory BurchNew MANOLO BLAHNIK Caldo Zebra Print Sequin Open Toe Mary Janes at Rice and Beans VintageST. JOHN BLACK SANTANA KNIT PAILLETTES EVENING DRESS 8 on eBayVintage early 80's Pierre Cardin Gold & Black Metallic Sweater at Rice and Beans VintageSource

Michael Jackson working on a clothing line with a top designer

Filed under: Celebrity StyleMichael Jackson and Christian Audigier seem to be an unlikely pair. But, the unthinkable has happened and the two are getting together to do a collaboration on a clothing line.Continue reading Michael Jackson working on a clothing line with a top designerPermalink | Email this | CommentsSource

Day 3 of the Detox Plan & Weigh In

Had yet another good day on the Detox plan today. I thought it was going to be hard at lunch time as I had arranged a shopping trip and us to eat out. The nearest to natural food I could get was a Jacket potato & salad with Tuna Mayo. I know I was not allowed the mayo but it was already mixed up, and the thought of a plain potato made me feel sick!Breakfast - Detox Tea, Porridge, Rice Milk, Apple & CinamonLunch - Jacket Potato with salad & Tuna Mayo. GrapesDinner - Veg Stir FrySnack - Nuts & SeedsIt was also my weekly weigh in tonight and I lost just 1/2 pound. I was a bit disappointed with the low loss but again it is a loss. I just need to fight it out with the gym machines more often!Sunday marks the halfway mark for the clothing challenge with hubby and I am not so sure if there has been a difference or not. I have been tempted to try on the trousers again before the halfway date but I have held back. If there is a glimmer of surprise I want it to be on Sunday morning! I'll also have my weekly pictures to do at the same time.Source

Trying To Stay Neutral

Juxtaposed with the season's neon bright hues is the hottest new trend Neutral Accessories. While I love the happy bright colors, I'm also intrigued by the subtle modern neutral tones. Here are my picks to help inspire you to stay neutral. Vintage late 60's GIVENCHY Lizard Leather Neutral Creme Handbag w/Logo at Rice and Beans VintageC2 Elements Sandal at Urban Outfitters 90's STEPHANE KELIAN for 9 West Neutral Light Grey Suede Bootie Heels at Rice and Beans VintageCanvas Pocket Tote at Urban OutfittersVintage 80's SALVATORE FERRAGAMO Oxford Slingback Flats at Rice and Beans VintageIsaac Mizrahi for Target® Drew Open-Shank Ballet Flats - Cream Vintage CHANEL Two Tone Leather Flats w/Cap Toes at Rice and Beans VintageCole-haan Village Lux Tote at Neiman MarcusVintage 60's Raffia & Sparkle Beads Top Handle Frame Handbag at Rice and Beans VintageSource

First Night At The Office.

Well, I started "work" tonight. I got there early (courtesy of the cloud gift) only to discover the majority of my new "workforce" gathered around the coffee machine and brandishing plastic forks (no doubt stolen from the cantine) at each other. Everyone one else decided that they were too sick to come to work tonight or were sprawled across various pieces of office furniture, asleep. Some of them weren't even on desks or chairs. I think there was only one mortal who actually looked like she was working but when I went to introduce myself to her I soon realised that what was being displayed on the computer was neither work nor...clean... Her attention, however, was quickly directed at me soon enough and instead of looking at those websites for the rest of the night she watched me. I made sure not to bend down or do anything else that may have provoked any form of action from her. After the choas around the coffee machine had stopped and everyone had caffine in their system, the atmosphere in the office changed. People actually got to work (with the exception of my newfound stalker) and I was introduced to my assistant, Emma, and the rest of my team. Emma is a very "snooty" woman, for want of a better term, and seems to enjoy making things difficult and bossing others around. Even me, her boss. Physically she is not at all ugly, with Strawberry Blonde hair and Green eyes but her personality soon puts an end to any form of attraction a person might feel for her. The other members of my team were quite a shock. Riccardo and Albinus. If you've ever read Armand's tale, you'd know that two of my apprentices had these names. Not only were the names a shock, so was their physical appearance; Riccardo had Black curly hair with equally Black eyes and this Albinus had Blonde hair and Green eyes. Just like my apprentices. Both wear their hair down to their shoulders, Riccardo is 18 and Albinus is 17 (why are they working here at this age? I would have to put this down to their skill.) Reincarnation, perhaps? Anyway, I was impressed and greatly pleased with my office, which is located opposite that of Emma and the boys. After we had been through all the introductions and had some basic designs for the new clothing line down, Emma, in a rare moment of generosity, offered to get everyone something to eat. Riccardo made sure to place large orders for himself and Albinus, not because he was particularly hungry but because we were all thoroughly sick of the sight of Emma and her snooty remarks. When she asked me what I wanted to eat (what a stupid thing to do! everyone in the office has been briefed on these issues!) I gave her the obvious reply "I can't digest food." She scurried off murmuring the words "skinny prick" under her breath. If she wasn't so stupid, I would have thought that she'd asked me what I wanted to eat out of spite. She's just not that smart. Emma didn't come back until well after lunch, and only came back to complain that my eating habits had "put her off" having lunch. The boys hastily moved their furniture and materials into my office during that lunchtime. Riccardo also went out to make a purchase. He left the diet pills he'd bought on Emma's desk and we hastily barricaded the door to our office. It was during the time we decided to "lay low" that I was paged and we had to leave the Emma-free zone in order to brief everyone on the launch of ~Red Velvet. Luckily Emma didn't show up again, unfortunately my stalker did. Apparantley she is also one of my assistants so, as you can imagine, I'm pleased that her office is nowhere near mine. Riccardo and Albinus seemed uneasy. They should be. My stalker has friends. Friends who like them, very much. But at least they didn't have to sit through a meeting with a crazed woman running her hand up and down their thigh! Inspiration didn't have much time to strike me much today but I did get a few designs on paper; one of them is a dress for Pandora...(sigh) there's a bit of a spill on one because I wasn't concentrating much as I was too busy laughing at Emma's expense with Riccardo and Albinus. Source

The Beginning and the launch of "Red Velvet"

Hello everyone,I've decided to do something artistic once more! As you know, I LOVE Red and I'm never seen without Red Velvet somewhere on my person. Well, these past few months have been very exciting and I daresay I was extremely suprised when approached by a group of mortals who were interested in launching a clothing line with me. As you would expect, I laughed at them and tried to turn them away. They were very persistant and pratically hounded me for weeks but my sometimes pupil (Lestat) finally convinced me to accept their offer. I will not go into much detail about his methods but I can tell you that it was Lestat who was responsible for the mortals approaching me in the first place. Of course, everyone knows that the Brat Prince is up to no good but this time I've decided to indulge him. As you can probably guess from the title of this journal, "Red Velvet" is the name of my new clothing line and I think I'm going to enjoy doing something artistic again even if it is hard for most of you to imagine me as a fashion designer. I understand that most of you will be thinking "WHY is Marius De Romanus on Livejournal?!" I have only one word with which to answer your question; Lestat.Bye for now-Marius.Source

Team Event Kit List

Here’s a quick kit list and a few things to be prepared for, that we pass on to all the racers for the Cotswold Mountain Bike Team. This list is by no means perfect, but it does cover all the basics. Its very easy on these events to take far too much but to still forget the essentails. What you definitely need Mountain bike Lights good enough to ride off road for 2 hours (rear light is not essential) Helmet Cycle clothing (shorts, ss jersey, ls jersey, socks, shoes, gloves) 1-2 spare inner tubes (these can be bought at the event) 1 pump Water bottle or camelbak (way to attach bottle to bike if needed) Warm clothes to hang around in Waterproofs to hang around in Towel and wash kit Head torch for use in and around camp and as a spare (recommended - the cyberlite) Food for 24hrs (there is food available at the events, but what food I don’t know) Tent Sleeping bag Sleeping mat Camping chair (well worth getting one if you haven’t got one already) Pans, kfs etc. Stove + fuel Sudocreme or Vaseline to help with the chaffing What might be useful but not essential Camera Mud guards, front is more important than the back Riding glasses Spare cycle clothing (shorts, ss jersey, ls jersey, socks shoes, gloves) 1 set is enough but if you have 4 sets I would bring them Mud tyres (if we all bring these then it might not rain, sod's law and all that) Race tyres (low rolling resistance, the conti speed kings are good value ) Bottled water (water is available at most events but if you bring bottled less chance of stomach upsets and some events water is not available on site) Spare set of break pads Any bike tools specific to your bike Chain lube + wd40 / gt85 Large communal tent Cleaning bucket and brushes BBQ / raised fire What you will definitely need to be prepared for Energy to ride at least four 10km laps in a 24hour period (the first and last are the easiest, it’s the ones in the middle that hurt). Enthusiasm to ride / push bike in all conditions day or night, it will rain at some point. To prepare for the unexpected, everything and anything seems to happen at these events. Sleeping is a luxury, expect no more that 2-4 hours sleep during the night of the race, you might get the odd hour here and there if you are lucky. Enthusiasm is infectious; if we all keep positive then we will all make it through the event. What’s worth doing to your bike before the race Clean and lube chain Clean / lube gear + brake cables (if you have brake cables) Check brake pads to see you have some braking surface left on them. Make sure handle bar grips are attached securely (a bit of hair spay works well or a couple of zip ties) Check you have all gears working especially the granny ring, don’t worry about the big ring unless you have legs like Lance Armstrong (we can help if you struggle with this, getting the gears working that is not getting legs like Lance) Source

Gods of Manhattan

Originally published at Once Upon A Bookshelf. You can comment here or there.Author: Scott MebusOriginally Published: 2008www.godsofmanhattan.comThirteen year old Rory was happily believing that the world was a completely normal place until the magician Hex played a trick on him that opened his eyes to Mannahatta. Now, he sees strange things everywhere he looks - cockroaches riding on rats, people made of paper mache, as well as people and animals that no one else can see. Rory soon learns that he is a Light - a person who can see the truth, and can make others see the truth of what is really there. Hex is excited about the fact that Rory is a Light - most Lights don’t live more than a few years, so Rory is the oldest one to be found in a Very Long Time. But is Hex just trying to manipulate Rory and take advantage of what he is in order to get what he wants?Mannahatta, the world that Rory can now see, is a world parallel to the real Manhattan. It’s comprised of gods and other spirits - the gods being people in our own world who, after their death, return to Mannahatta because of something they were remembered for in our world. The gods in Mannahatta don’t die, they just fade away when people in our world stop remembering them. Except recently, someone has been murdering these gods.Will Rory’s ability to see the truth help figure out who is murdering these gods? And does he really want to help Hex in his plot?Starting this, I was not completely sure whether I would enjoy it or not… but it turns out that I completely loved it. I think this may be one of my favourite young adults/childrens books that I have read in a while. It was imaginative, and it was quite different. Had all of the things I consider necessary in a really good book: magic, girls kicking butt, and boys prancing about in early 19th century clothing. (But make no mistake, this isn’t a book about girls kicking butt, it’s about boys kicking butt, but there were a couple of awesome female characters.)The characters were all great. Rory was a little concerning at first - he seemed to sound more like a adult than a young teen, but considering his father left his family when he was super young, and he had to take care of his younger sister since their mother works ALL THE TIME… he had to grow up quickly, so the fact that he sounded quite a bit older than he’s supposed to be seemed a bit more understandable.The supporting characters were fabulous - especially some of the people who inhabit Mannahatta. I most particularly loved the Rattle Watch. They are definitely people I would like to have on my side in trouble. As for other characters in Mannahatta, well, I was a little upset about the fact that my favourite character ended up being the assassin. He was so much fun, and he reminded me of Draco from Cassie Claire’s Draco Trilogy.Definitely looking forward to more books about Mannahatta. There’s so many questions I have unanswered about this - especially since Rory saw his father in Mannahatta. I’m dying to know what happened to him.Source

How many more?

"Police are hunting two men who left a Auckland liquor store owner in a critical condition in hospital after he was shot during a robbery. Police said the armed men entered the store in Manukau last night and shot the owner before taking money and alcohol and then fleeing. One of the offenders is described as Maori and dressed in predominantly black clothing..."Police have narrowed the search down to one of 47,893 suspects.But you can't have any possible reason for owning one of those nasty Tasers or a can of Mace now- much less an actual firearm. That might mean you are thinking of defending yourself and we can't have that.What if other people started thinking that they could fend for themselves! Outrageous!Better a hundred citizens killed than one alleged robber!Source

A SUITABLE CHURCH

I've been reading C.S. Lewis and his thoughts about "a suitable church."  Very interesting.  Lewis says, "Surely you know that if a man can't be cured of churchgoing, the next best thing is to send him all over the neighborhood looking for the church that suits him until he becomes a taster or connoisseur of churches."  Man, does that perfectly describe our "church going culture".  If I become such a taster then I do not have to waste time in thinking about what I reject, but rather can spend all my time working up disharmony between those who say "mass" and those who say "holy communion."  I can get all worked up about clothing and music styles and candles and computers and other unessentials.  The search for a suitable church makes me a critic instead of being, what I believe God desires, a servant and a pupil.  There is not a worship service or sermon or book out there that will completely pass the scrutiny of the taster.  It's easy to think that the Church is here for education, building, missions, holding services, etc.  And, of course, all of these things must please me.  NO!!  The Church exists for nothing else but to draw men into Christ, to make them "little Christs" - that's what the word "Christian" means.  If they are not doing that, all the cathedrals, clergy, missions, sermons, even the Bible itself, are simply a waste of time.Source

Warning: Don’t wear loose clothing when traveling via airplane

For the first time in years of airline travel since Sept. 11, I was frisked by a TSA Officer during check in. The reason? I had loose-fitted clothing on. Never mind that I had nothing on my persons – everything was emptied into their little trays to be inspected – nope, didn’t matter. The TSA Officer was quite polite and professional, and didn’t pat down any areas that I wouldn’t particularly like a TSA Officer patting down. But, it was all just a little weird. The wife of the couple behind me, who was Asian, was also asked to step aside for a frisk. She wasn’t wearing loose clothing but did have an infant and a toddler with her. The husband was not frisked. Female officers patted down the Asian woman. In the age of airport security, it might be time to rethink all of this. I mean, when I have nothing on my persons and step through the security machine and nothing goes off, why should a XXL shirt require me to be frisked? Source

Weigh In Day Here Again

A Few people have commented on how brave I am for posting those very revealing pictures of my side, back and front shots. I don't think I'm brave - just mad! No really I aim to use these pictures on a weekly basis to see results. I am disgusted at how fat I let myself get, although a few years ago I was up two more dress sizes than I am now. So over the years I have reduced my size slowly. Hopefully it won't take that long to reduce another two or more sizes!It is my Weight Watchers weigh in today and I am feeling a little apprehensive about getting on the scales. I have no idea how the weekend has affected my weight loss attempt this week. I have pushed myself at the gym four times since last weigh in and tried to keep active during the day. My food choices have been mostly good apart from the ice cream yesterday. So we shall see later what the scales will say.The weather is lovely today so I shall be going for a walk with my little one today and getting plenty of fresh air. I will stop by the park and we can have a run about with her football. Every bit of exercise helps huh!I'll be back later tonight after my weigh in to report my results at the dreaded scales!I'm finally back from my meeting and am happy. I did have a loss of 1lb! I was a bit gutted cos i wanted to lose more but hey every little helps. I guess I paid for the wine and chinese at the weekend.Just read hubby's blog and he now tells me the half way mark for this clothing challenge is next weekend and pictures are going to be taken! Argh gotta work extra hard I want to see a definate change from the last photo. Source

Real Bad DOMS!

Can't beleive I put those hideous pictures on my blog - I hate them soooo much. I am so determined to shift this weight and get a more streamlined body. I suppose I had to take the plunge and get those pictures up to give me something to look back at.Last night I went to the gym and really pushed myself to my limits. I ached like hell all night and this morning! I felt good doing the workout though. I am sure I can do this more and acheive more results than just not trying my best every time. Not sure how often I should be going and dong the whole programme. I get mixed info. One person says do all cardio & weights one night then the next do just cardio. Another person tells me to have all my workout done every other day. I can manage to go gym every night but not sure what the best is to do - HELP!!My food choices have got much better and I am back on track with my WW plan. I am making a huge effort to plan ahead and make time to cook from scratch - no more processed crap!!Just measured myself as I was gunna do that yesterday and forgot here it goes!Right arm - 16" a 3/4" loss since 30th MarchLeft arm - 15"Waist - 42" a 1/2" loss since 30th MarchBust - 47 1/2"Hips - 53" a 3" loss since 30th MarchRight Thigh - 26" a 4" loss since 30th MarchLeft Thigh - 26"It looks promising already with a few inches lost around different parts of my body!I didn't measure bust or left side on 30th March so nothing to compare to with them. But going forward I will do the lot again on 1st August when the clothing challenge ends. Pamper Session here I come!Going to the gym again tonight and see how I get on. I aim to do all my workout but if the weight gets too painful I will just do more on cardio.Just come back from gym its now 21:49. Had a good workout. Pushed myself to do my whole programme again and boy do I feel like I've done something! I came home and my legs and arms infact whole body has the slight shakes. I shredded hard!! Yeah come on Lisa !!!Source

SEX AND THE CITY STYLE AT KIMBERLY BOUTIQUE'S 3RD ANNIVERSARY PARTY

Lately it seems every fashion article references Sex and the City style these days, and Philly Chit Chat is right there with them. One of the best shops in Philadelphia to pick up a little style, Sex and the City style would be at Kimberly Boutique at 123 S 16th St near Sansom. Kimberly Boutique - Where Style Begins is their slogan!http://www.kimberlyboutique.com/ Earlier this month Kimberly Boutique celebrated their 3rd anniversary. Kimberly Anderson and Jimmy Contreras are the heart of Kimberly Boutique, and working together comes naturally for this pair of friends who each have their own unique flare. Together they create inviting warm retail therapy, fashion forward clothing and a "Cheers" type of environment with a shopping experience that will keep you coming back for more.On May 17, Tibi designer Amy Smilovic made a special appearance at Kimberly Boutique in honor of the shop’s third anniversary party a fundraiser that was held for Children's Crisis Treatment Center of Philadelphia. (L-R) C. Robert Beishline, CCTC, Amy Smilovic and Jimmy Contreras Jonathan Seidel stopped by to help in the celebrationBrian and Stephy Freedman, Shaneika Dabney and Mac Francis were thereSisters, er I mean daughter, mother Susan and Jillian Noyes, who picked up more than a few things as they are big Tibi and Kimberly Boutique fans.Jimmy and Nina Tinari, who I think looks amazing in this yellow skirt. I hope she had a chance to wow a few people before I featured it here. I didn't want to spoil the WOW factor for her.The party was a huge success, sales were brisks and a fun time was had by all Lauren Jacobsen and Diane Johnson look Sex and the City ready. I bet they saw the movie this past weekend. I confess I did not make it, but I will by weeks end. Happy 3rd Anniversary Kimberly Boutique, I look forward to many more stylish celebrations. Kimberly Anderson, Jimmy Contreras and designer Amy Smilovic On my facebook this morning I found this message fromJimmy: You must see Sex and the City Movie...it's so FABULOUS!!! Source

wildlife, nikab, dahab, wrap-up

Yesterday, for the first time ever in Egypt, I saw a bat. Which is encouraging, because I was very seriously considering releasing a dozen or so feral bats into Cairo. There is a slight bug problem. I don’t know where I would’ve gotten the bats, though. A friend of mine named Sarah purchased a nikab a few weeks ago. The nikab (nih KAHB) is the full face veil that covers everything but the eyes. There’s a little string between the eyes to help hold it up. Nikabi women also wear long black cloaks, gloves, and stockings. So Sarah goes to the market with her good friend Waleed, who is Egyptian. Waleed says to the shopkeeper, “This is my new American wife who has just converted to Islam, and she would like to wear the nikab.” The shopkeepers showered her with praise, “Oh God bless her! Welcome to Islam, sister!” Then they went on to say, “But sister, you know the nikab is not required. You could wear the hegab and be perfectly modest.” But Sarah (via Waleed) insisted. After choosing the desired nikab, Sarah almost blew her cover. She reached into her backpack (which Waleed was wearing), took out her wallet, and handed the shopkeeper the money. The vendors were speechless. A pious, traditional man is going to let his wife handle his money? But Waleed was smooth. He said, “Listen, she has only just converted, and there are many cultural differences that are hard for her to understand. She is an American after all. We must be patient with her. I don’t want to embarrass her, so I will speak with her when we get home.” To which the vendors responded, “Oh of course! Cultural differences! Oh, yes, she really is trying very hard. You are right to be patient with her. Hamdulillah!” It was a close call. Now she wears her nikab out occasionally and records her treatment. Everywhere she goes people treat her with deference and kindness. She once went to a crowded souq, and men would clear a path for her, saying “Make room for the lady.” Sarah doesn’t speak great Arabic, but she’s never been called out, because nikabis almost never speak in public. She has even had Waleed “introduce” her to people she already knows, so she can see how they treat her as a nikabi. They act the way you might act around a nun or a priest, guarding their language, sitting up a little straighter, adjusting their clothing to make sure they’re being modest enough. Once she was trying to hail a cab, and a car with a man, a nikabi, and a little girl (about two, but fully hegabbed) pulled over and told her to get in. The man explained that he was an off-duty cab driver going out with his family, but his wife insisted that he pull over for her nikabi sister. Then he explained that he didn’t usually dress his daughter that way. “I even let her wear a bikini at the beach!” he said. But the family was going out, and she wanted to look like her mother. He realized it looked silly (sort of like a two-year-old in lipstick and pumps), but she was so insistent on looking like Mom, and they didn’t go out very often, so the parents obliged and let her wear the hegab. When Sarah goes home to Las Vegas, she’s going to wear the nikab and record people’s reactions there. She’s gonna send me her conclusions. Last weekend we went to Dahab, a beach town on the eastern edge of the Sinai peninsula. Ariela took some great pictures, which I will soon steal. As a consequence of Dahab, there is a lot of skin on my body that is the wrong color. I have always been pink, but this is all wrong. There will be no pictures of that. My dad says I need to do a wrap-up what-did-I-learn post once I’m home. I’ll do some sort of concluding entry, but I don’t know that I can really sum up a semester. It’d be kind of gross to try to smush it all into one entry. I’ll figure something out. -CSource

transformation*

Taken from seikita :1. YOUR ROCK STAR NAME (first pet, current car): Shana None2.YOUR GANGSTA NAME (fave ice cream flavor, favorite type of shoe): Chocolate Pretty Heels3. YOUR NATIVE AMERICAN NAME (favorite color, favorite animal): Green Cat4. YOUR SOAP OPERA NAME (middle name, city where you were born): Naniloa Riga - kind of the second name which my pals from CA have given to me5. YOUR STAR WARS NAME (the first 3 letters of your last name, first 2 of your first name): Naz Al - am I the evil guy? *)6. SUPERHERO NAME (2nd favorite color, favorite drink): Purple Aloe Juice7. NASCAR NAME (the first names of your grandfathers): Eugene-Pyotr8. STRIPPER NAME (the name of your favorite perfume/cologne/scent, favorite candy): Cherutti Black Chocolate10. TV WEATHER ANCHOR NAME (your 5th grade teacher’s last name, a major city that starts with the same letter): Tamara Tallinn - do not remember the last name11. SPY NAME: (your favorite season/holiday, flower): Spring Tulip12. CARTOON NAME: (favorite fruit, article of clothing you’re wearing right now): Melon Surfing Shorts13. HIPPIE NAME: (What you ate for breakfast, your favorite tree): Cake BirchSource

Chapter Deuce II

...And I'm still here.Title: Dreams and Fears, Chapter TwoRating: TSummary: Slowly, Ichigo realizes that his life is slipping away from his control. Things are about to get very bizarre for him and Rukia, and very soon.Series: BleachGenre: Is sarcasm a genre? If not, I'd say there's a touch of humor, a dose of mystery and drama, some cyberpunk, and a lots of awesome. Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach."Still needs a lot more work!" The same problems kept on occurring in Kurosaki's project. He wasn't sure if he even believed he could perfect his Data. On the other hand, he had full confidence that he was pissed off.Disgruntled, Kurosaki opened his eyes and removed the syringe from the side of his neck. The tip of the needle that had been poking into his brainstem glistened red in the gloom. At the end of the syringe, a cable ran out, connecting the syringe to a custom, self-built and shabby-looking computer sitting on Kurosaki's desk. Strewn about the desk were numerous books, all in severe disrepair, and numerous bottles, all empty. Not just the desk was a mess, though; the whole room was. Throughout the cheap apartment room he rented out, more empty bottles cluttered whatever space it could on the floor, wherever there wasn't any dirty clothes, or old, empty boxes that used to contain food. Actually, more often than not the junk came in layers, with the top of a bottle poking out from beneath a sleeve. For certain, there was no sign of the floor. Oh. Not that the floor could be visible since Kurosaki kept all lights off to save money on his electricity bill; the only light came through shuttered blinds--always closed-- and the dim glow of his monitor. A table stood out because it significantly raised elevation of the trash in a small area in the center of the room. An empty fridge and a small, dirty kitchen occupied one corner of Kurosaki's den, but the clutter was even worse there. Dangerous to step there ever since he threw some bottles in that corner and had been too lazy to sweep away the broken glass. Somewhere, Kurosaki wasn't sure where any longer, a bed was buried beneath his excess. Kurosaki was unconcerned about the lack of a bed, though; the damn thing was forgotten because he never used it, after all. He typically slept at his desk if he ever did rest. Usually from exhaustion.Exhaustion due to that. The needle in his neck. That was Kurosaki's work. He created Data that could be injected into the body and processed by the brain. Everybody wanted it, too. Everybody could think of a happier life than the one they currently lived, and Kurosaki could give it to them. Not without testing it out on himself...but his customers weren't the only ones who desired happier days. Looks like the setting is perfect. It really feels like you've gone through hell in here. And is something else going on here? Must confirm my suspicions.Kurosaki rubbed at his eyes. He must still have been tired from his dip into his subconscious through Data. Schizophrenia had never been a side effect associated with his product. A lot of suspect illnesses had occurred to frequent abusers of his Data, but never schizophrenia. So Kurosaki must still have been tired. Yeah, that's it. Like, tired could almost be called one of his personality traits, he slept so seldom these.Why did he sleep so infrequently? Strange dreams pestered him. Vivid dreams. Dreams so vivid that he had to wonder if his waking moments weren't what was really a\the dream. Confusing, really. Point was, Kurosaki wasn't going to put up with those kinds of ridiculous dreams so he didn‘t sleep.He preferred the dreams offered by Data. The kind he controlled.The little comment in his head already forgotten, Kurosaki stumbled out of his desk and into the mess. His stomach gurgled. The task of finding food awaited him. A task of varying difficulty depending on his standard for freshness of the day. The menu for the day was as follows: A mostly empty-box of Chinese food that only remained uneaten because a particularly foul sock had slipped inside; Ichigo was not sure when or how that sock got in there. It was relatively fresh, except it probably tasted like a foul sock now. On the other hand, the slice of pizza he could eat had not been touched by any contaminants...but that pizza hadn't been touched by anything for at least a week. Not so fresh. Lastly, there was some teriyaki chicken to munch on. Made yesterday, too, so it was fresh. Not only that, it had yet to be affected by the filth of his room and was only dirtying other stuff. Should be the best of both worlds, the chicken. However, the teriyaki chicken wasn't take-out like the other two and had been made by Kurosaki himself, which meant it could be the most toxic of all. Wow, I'm amazed by how filthy this is. Makes it real easy to be happy with your own life. Really reminds you how good you have it. Yeah, just what our city needs.Before Kurosaki could make his selection, though, the phone rang. Maybe that was a good thing since none of those selections could have been safe. Yet the phone was a bit tricky to locate. It could be anywhere. Under a shoe. Behind a bottle. Even in his pocket. With his current lack of cohesion, he could simply be imagining the phone ringing. Not dreaming, though, since he avoided sleep.But he wasn't. Wasn't imagining things. The phone was in his pocket, he found the damn thing eventually before the person on the other end could get impatient and hang up. "...Yo," Kurosaki answered cautiously. He got calls from the strangest people and needed to be careful. Not that carrying a phone was especially careful on his part.Luckily, it wasn't a lunatic who phoned him. "Hey, Ichigo, come over. I'm running really low and need some more of you-know-what." Furthermore, it was a person Kurosaki knew personally. "Don't worry, I've got money, idiot."...Huh? You-know-what? I should know what that is! What's going on here?"You don't need to pay me," muttered Kurosaki, though he knew she would try to pay him, anyways. "And I'll be over soon. Later.""All right, thanks. Seeya!"Click. Click.The conversation was over quickly. A need to be brief was always in order. Not due to cops or anything, as police hadn't patrolled town for what seemed like forever. No one really understood the hushed nature of these calls, actually. It was probably only a tradition, and was carried out as nobody knew any other way to go about things.Well, it seemed Kurosaki's breakfast--or lunch, or supper, he wasn't sure what time of the day it was--was not to be. He had work to do. Why not do it, though? He could buy a half-decent meal if he had a little change in his wallet. Oh, that's right. He told the person he didn't need to be paid. Well, damn. Still, Kurosaki helped his friends out, right? And she'd pay him, anyways, don’t forget.All right. Time to do a favor for a friend.After shutting off his precious computer and preserving its far more precious Data, Kurosaki tiptoed across the floor of his tiny room, wary of the chaos he'd created over time, to a little closet. He opened it up without thinking and was bombarded by falling magazines of the adult variety. Three of them stuck on to him. Yuck. Shaking his head at himself, he brushed the sticky pages off his body. Behind all kinds of shit he'd stuffed in there, through a mess of trash, Kurosaki found his coat and pulled it out of the closet. Slipped it on. Yeah, he was cool now. Not. It was impossible to appear cool in the jacket. For one thing, it was too big, and that meant something since Kurosaki was by no means a small guy. Also, the coat appeared almost lumpy. Only because it was lumpy--all the pockets were full--but it still made the coat and whoever wore it look less appealing without fail. Lastly, and most disgustingly, a solid layer of grimy, stained veneer coated the whole jacket. Fact of the matter was, the point of the jacket was to not look cool. To keep people away and draw negative attention, if any...though it couldn't really draw negative attention since practically everyone wore a coat just like this one.Anyways, Kurosaki definitely did not want attention in this thing. The pockets were stocked full of Data and if anyone found out about that, Kurosaki would be mugged to death. Literally. Everybody wanted the contents of those pockets and would kill for them. No kidding. He'd seen it happen to another dealer before. Could have happened to himself before if he hadn‘t been lucky in the past.Coat on, he forced his closet shut once more--after great effort and multiple attempts--and made another trek across the minefield to the door out of the apartment. After getting to the threshold of his crappy home, a search began for a pair of shoes. A desperate search that yielded no results. Of course, the search was doomed because, as Kurosaki realized, he was already wearing his shoes. He'd never taken them off. Again. He should remember these things, really. Should sleep some more, was what he needed to do. But no.Now he was ready. Shoes, coat, and data. He hadn't shaved but that was no matter. Kurosaki could do that tomorrow. Or the day after. Whenever he found the razor would be fine.He made sure his keys were safe in the coat, unlocked all three heavy bolts on his door, and ventured out of the relative safety of his room. He only did this kind of thing for his best friends. For one, in particular.Man, I'm a genius. This is so...realistic. The people will love it.While there was nearly no light in his pigsty, the hallway outside was even darker. If that was possible. When was the last time the tenant changed the lights? Oh yeah. The old man running the building died a few months ago and no one had bothered to step up in his place. That was why Kurosaki was stepping over, or on (since they couldn't be avoided), so many people on the floor of the corridor. His complex had been overrun by the homeless...err, the formerly homeless. After the news that this building had no authority leaked out, the less fortunate had leaked in. Only a few at first, but now it was a serious problem for Kurosaki. Every time he left his place, or wanted to get back in, he risked letting a couple of over-grown mice slipping inside his home and taking it for good. All the "real" residents in the apartment took this risk, too, but, as far as Kurosaki knew, no one else had a priceless stash of Data lying around like he did. Yeah, he probably should have moved out of the building a long time ago.The only reason he stayed was because you get free rent when you don't have a landlord. Hey, those homeless saps weren't the only ones short on money, you know. Nobody had money. He wasn't scared to leave, that was for certain. Also, he needed to help his friends.Perfect. Perfect...Absolutely perfect. This desolation is what they want to see.Kurosaki ignored the strange comment. Just like he purposely ignored how still one body he stepped on was. He had a long night ahead of him. Nothing would distract him. He didn't think he should have been able to help these poor people.Of course, Kurosaki did not stop moving once he reached the elevator. It would have been pointless to. The useless contraption had been garnished with a big "Out of Order" sign since before he moved into the apartment all those years ago, when the landlord's heart was still ticking away. He couldn't see the sign in the darkness, but the spray paint that had crossed out the word "Order" and replaced it with "Sex" hadn't been around when Kurosaki first started renting a room here. Heh, the sign always made him chuckle in a half-hearted way. It was too true in Kurosaki's case of late.The staircase was plagued with human impositions like every other inch of this apartment was, but not as many people lived here since the stairs were considered to be the worst place to live in the building. Like, who wanted to sleep on a perpendicular surfaced? Bad enough when you've got no real home. Add a terminal sore back to the equation and hell might as well pass you over because the real world wasn't any better. To Kurosaki, though, none of this mattered much. Not at all, nosiree. However, the lack of good sleep for these poor vagrants meant he had to deal with them moaning and groaning in addition to taking his personal space. His every footstep woke at least two people up, and these saps loved nothing more than to beg you for spare change and tell you how horrible their lives were when they were awake. Kurosaki didn't know why they bothered to tell him, of all people, these things. His life sucked, too, and not a single person in this apartment could spare a cent. He did his share of moaning as well from lack of good sleep.But the descent to the apartment's landing went by with little to no incident. Other than the three-year old who woke up in a fit of screams when he accidentally stepped on her foot, Kurosaki avoided feeling sympathy for any of them. Or so he convinced himself. He didn’t accidentally drop any needles full of Data for these unfortunate souls. Nope.Finally, he was stepping into the lobby and some light returned. The lobby, fairly large, was jam-packed with the destitute and reeked of poverty; this part of the apartment had always been prized for the lighting, which had always been better than anywhere else in the building. A slip of paper blew in from the doorway lacking any doors, where the luminescence from powerful street lights snuck inside from.Yeah, it was night all right. Always seemed like it was here. Kurosaki couldn't remember the last time he'd seen the sun.Anyways, the light made it much easier to step around bodies. And that's what Kurosaki did. At the entrance of his crummy apartment complex, he weaved around the uncaring masses, to that big doorway with no doors. His destination was outside the apartment. Very outside the apartment, unfortunately.Unfortunately, because as much a nuisances as the vagabonds making a home out of his home were, they weren't nearly so bad as the people hanging outside the building.Just as he reached the threshold separating the apartment from the twilit city of Yoru, a distraction presented itself in the form of a squeak. "K-Kurosaki!"He turned around. Through the darkness, a girl stepped into his view. The tattered clothing she wore was shaking noticeably, along with the rest of her. What will you think of this, Inoue? You get to be the inspiration for a character design. Think of it as my way of giving you a bonus.Kurosaki twisted back to face outside. "What is it, Inoue?" he asked, his voice distant. Keeping himself detached from people was a must in Kurosaki's life; proximity was akin to death for him."...Are you going out again, Kurosaki?" She sounded troubled, as could be expected. Likely, her expression would have matched her worried tone, had Kurosaki been able to see her face. "Yeah."While the number of times he left his place was seldom more than a few times a month, it was considered a lot by Yoru standards. Nobody really wanted to leave the safety of their homes when they could be sleeping. Assuming they had a place to call home."Why? Is it because you..." Inoue trailed off, as if not sure what to ask Kurosaki.It's because this would be dull if he stayed inside all day. Because I want him out there. Because I am responsible for this, not him!Kurosaki offered no explanation for his motives. "Later," was all he said, but who knew if there ever would be a later.Honestly, it was amazing Kurosaki was still alive after all this time. The Devil's Luck, he must have had, to pull through numerous walks across town without being murdered for a stray glance. Or nerves of steel, as one trek through Yoru at night was often enough to keep even the bravest of men hiding under their beds for a month.A frantic attempt was made to hold him back. "Wait, Kurosaki...!" Yet, he was already slipping away. Excellent. Never met a person who could stand these guide characters, but they need to be here. Now, for the real fun, for the proof...Once out of the mostly-safe confines of the apartment, anarchy awaited Kurosaki.Gunshots welcomed him to the streets of Yoru. Really. A stray bullet whistled by him immediately after he left the apartment. It hadn't been aimed at him, and it was purely chance that he happened to be near the line of fire, but what a way to start the night. Yet, Kurosaki walked down the crumbling sidewalk. With confidence. Or arrogance. Perhaps he was just stupid, but you could not deny the fact that the guy was used to this sort of thing; it wasn't the first time he'd nearly died.While guns were fired continuously in Yoru, their din a thunderous song of fire and chaos that never ended, it wasn't actually all that dangerous to walk around town, contrary to common sense. You see, only the crazy people left the relative safety of the buildings and joined one of the many gangs on the street. They were all drunk, all the time. Where they obtained guns was beyond Kurosaki--he had suspicions that some lucky bastards made a fortune supplying these lunatics with heat--but the wild ruffians couldn't aim worth a damn. You were in more danger of being hit by a stray projectile that was not intended specifically for your head. Though, really, none of these gang members seriously aimed to kill people.Those that chose to live on the streets wanted to get shot, more than anything else.It was hopelessness that drove these insane people to the streets. Or they were unable to get their hands on any Data. Either way, they had been crushed by the oppressive weight of Yoru and were very suicidal. Driven mad from this world without opportunity or hope, they went berserk. Picked up guns because they secretly wished to become targets for other maniacs and die. Leave this hellhole once and for all. Yeah, it would make more sense to turn the lethal weapons upon themselves. Say goodbye on their own and save people who needed to go somewhere, like Kurosaki, a lot of trouble instead of going ballistic and lashing out at random against the city. However, you have to realize that these people weren't right in their minds. Besides, very suicidal or not, they still feared death almost as much as the city.This carnage was what Kurosaki went through.The streets of Yoru were terrifying because they made real your fears about failing. The sight of its buildings crumbling chipped away at your own soul. After your will to go on left you, this hell was what awaited you.Oh, the possibilities with this setting are unlimited. I wonder how many lives I should allow each user...The occasional grenade was tossed indiscriminately, and Kurosaki hated it when one landed nearby. Not because it risked his life--nor because it meant others could die!--but because throwing himself to the ground to save himself could mean the loss of his all-important Data. Fires burned from where stray grenades had hit cars or people, providing light where street lamps had long since been knocked over or burnt out. And so many still bodies. Most were dead or lifeless, if not running down the middle of the road like a madman. Young, old, every gender alike. Didn't anybody ever take them away? A few of the especially daring made a living rummaging through the deceased remains of those who were unlucky enough to get caught in the crossfire.Still, someone should do something about the blood. It would have been nice if it rained more often here, so the dark, brownish-red stains that graffittied the walls and sidewalks would get washed off more frequently than never.Doing his best to ignore most of his ludicrous surroundings, Kurosaki made his way through the residential district, where he lived, on his way to the outskirts of Yoru. To the edge of the mad city. His destination. He avoided walking too quickly, so as not to attract attention, would pause occasionally when it seemed a heavy round of gunfire would go off right in front of him. The stars above the ruined buildings hid beneath a smoky haze across the atmosphere, as if ashamed by the chaos below.Then, after being so successful in not making any grave mistakes, Kurosaki fucked up real bad and bumped into a person.Then, he snapped at that person. Which was the biggest mistake. "Hey, watch where you're going!" he yelled at the large, dark shape that had the audacity to step in his way. That was the dumb move. Speaking up. He always had problems with that.Awesome! Die, impostor! My heart's pounding! Wait, isn't that...?The shape turned around, possibly intent on murder. A big pair of knuckles cracked menacingly. And white eyes suddenly widened. "...Ichigo?""Huh? Chad?"Recognition passed between the two. Abruptly, both burst out laughing like idiots, in the middle of insanity personified....What a letdown. I should have programmed it so he would have perished in this scenario."Hey, what are you doing out here, man?" Kurosaki laughed, in too good a mood to be disturbed by the voice.Light-hearted seconds before, Chad's gaze darkened. "Doing a guide job."An explosion went off in the far distance."Guide job? Where's the customer, then?""Dead. Went ahead of me and was gunned down.""Oh.""Don't worry, though. The guy was a loner that no one cared about. Still...""You wished you could have done your job. Right?""...Yeah."Being a guide was a dangerous job. More dangerous than most, rather. A guide's role was to help regular folk get through the city unharmed. You had to be half-mad to become one, but the pay was far better than most. Only the few successful people in Yoru could afford guides--or needed to go anywhere and needed them--so you'd get a lot of cash if you got your client safe to their destination. If. Most often, either the client or the guide, or both, didn't survive. If only the guide lived, he or she risked a bounty being placed on their heads by the client's relatively wealthy and surviving family members. Bad enough that you don't get paid for a failed mission, you could go mad after failing to protect too many customers because you’d be forced to deal with too many bounty hunters. A lot of guides did go mad if they weren‘t crazy already to accept the job.."Well, I need to go, Chad. Seeya.""Wait, where you going?...Making a..." Chad hushed into a whisper. "...delivery?"All Kurosaki did was nod. Gunfire pounded.Chad understood. "Want a guide, Ichigo?" he offered his assistance. "Free of charge for a friend.""Thanks, but no thanks. I'm already drawing too much attention by talking to a guide. I should have left before now.""All right...Mind if I ask who you're going to?""Later, Chad."And Kurosaki's detour ended. He felt Chad's eyes on his back until he turned a corner. He pulled his jacket closer to himself, huddling his gangly shoulders. Why did he do these things, again? At times, it felt like he had no control over himself.Hmm, that's dangerous thinking. Don't want the customers' systems crashing mid-game.The hissing roar of a missile being fired caused Kurosaki to glance upwards. Across the city, a plume of fire lit up in an already-damaged skyscraper, and Kurosaki felt fortunate he was nowhere near the building as debris descended towards some unlucky people sleeping below the skyscraper.While his head was up, Kurosaki stared at the brightest light in the sky. The moon was full this night. A pretty good night so far, Kurosaki figured.But he soon changed his mind.Walking across Yoru with your head up is incredibly stupid. And Kurosaki was walking across Yoru with his head up. And this was incredibly stupid because Kurosaki stepped into a crack in the sidewalk and immediately tripped.Yoru went silent, or so it seemed. The guns stopped in this one moment when Kurosaki needed them blazing.The fall didn't hurt. However, a precious needle rolled out of his coat and the sound of weighted glass spinning across the concrete was louder than any explosions earlier tonight to Kurosaki's ear.Oh shit.Oh yes.Kurosaki forgot any pain in his body. All his troubles of making ends meet vanished. He didn't care about what he'd do for supper. He was in serious trouble and he scrambled to his feet at a full sprint.He was running for his life now.From a group of hundreds of people that were suddenly awake and after his blood. The needle that fell out was greedily snatched up and a crowd fought to the death over it. Machine guns roared. None were fired at Kurosaki because no one wanted to break the Data. Machine guns were fired at any and everyone else in his vicinity. It was chaos.The dead city came alive in order to get the happy memories they could take from Kurosaki.He could run and they would follow him anywhere, pulverize him and strip him of all his Data that they desperately wanted. And they would fight each other for this Data, but Kurosaki could not care less about that because he would be dead if that happened.Run, run! Hahahahaha!He hated this damn voice, so much like his own, laughing at him but Kurosaki did run for all his worth, regardless. This wasn't the first time he'd been in such a position. Screams pursued him. He wasn't sure how he hadn't already been grabbed, but he somehow kept ahead of his followers. That's all that mattered and it gave him some hope.But he needed more than hope, he knew from experience. Right now, the doctor called for a big dose of luck. And didn't Kurosaki have the Devil's Luck?Yeah, he did.Twisting and turning down streets to keep ahead of an every-growing mob, Kurosaki was convinced his luck had finally ran dry this night when a door in a building abruptly opened and an arm pulled him inside a dark room. The door slammed shut. The mob ran past the door.And Kurosaki was given another reprise.Lucky bastard...but that sure was exciting. I'll have to find a way to put more weapons on the street for anyone to pick up...Increase the width of the sidewalks or something..."You're a moron, you know that? Eh, Kurosaki?"Kurosaki's saviour taunted him from the darkness. It didn't remain dark, however, and a glint from glasses greeted him after a light flickered on."Shut up, Ishida." Kurosaki was in no mood to be reminded this. He couldn't believe he'd made such an amateur mistake."...And you owe me for this, you know that," added Ishida.Kurosaki grimaced. "Yeah, I do," he spat out in disgust. Both at himself and Ishida."You know what I want, too.""Yes. The same thing those crazed people do. Well, you'll get it, don't worry."Ishida smiled. The smug punk was enjoying this rare change of fortune. More often than not, it was Kurosaki who pulled his fellow hacker out of the fire. Ishida would milk this for all it was worth and Kurosaki would not hear the end of this for quite some time.Ah, annoying that he had to get saved, but nobody wants a game over screen too quickly.After partaking some of the data, Kurosaki waited in Ishida's lab for a few minutes before setting out again. He'd whipped the mob into a frenzy with a foolish slip of his foot, but their fervour couldn't last long. Sure enough, not a soul was in sight when he'd left the abode of his rival supplier minutes later.The moon was bright. The air smelled of sulphur and ashes.He hated this city. The temptation to open his coat right then and inject some Data directly into his brainstem was strong. To take total control in another world. If he didn't have a mission he needed to complete, he'd be a drooling vegetable right now at his home and loving it.No can do, though. Kurosaki was well out of the residential district, out of downtown and near his destination by this point. Real close. The things he did for a friend.Her house was in the suburbs, hardly even a part of Yoru. A much safer place to live. Kurosaki should move out here, too, but he didn't have the money. It made no sense how he could be creating such a desired product and have no money to show for it. He blamed the voice for this, but quickly changed that thought. He refused to give power to the voice.Ah, he seems to be here. Wherever "here" is.Yes, Kurosaki was there. His objective was this normal-looking house. The house was one among many that all look strikingly similar. All were a touch decrepit but were in far better shape than the any of the buildings in the heart of the chaotic Yoru.For a few seconds, Kurosaki paused to catch his breath. Then he knocked on the door.She was expecting him, so the door was quickly opened."Took you long enough, Ichigo."Kurosaki glared at this woman while thinking of the troubles he went through....Will he fight her? I hope so.But he could not stay very angry. She kept him going the whole time, after all. He put himself through all that shit for her."Come on, Rukia," Kurosaki took her by the shoulder and welcomed himself inside. "I really need some Data after what I just went through." Really needed to prove to himself that he wasn't being manipulated."No kidding," Rukia agreed, unaware of any ulterior motives. "Seems like Data is the only way I can see the sun these days."I've been wondering...just what is this "Data" that everyone finds so important? I don't recall ever programming anything like that into this world...Just so long as it isn't...In Rukia's living room, where her computer was, Kurosaki set things up for maximum simulation. Her computer was bought from a store ages ago and was nowhere near as good as his, but any computer could amplify the effects of Data considerably. And Rukia's simple piece of machinery could do this much.The wait felt unbearable now that the payoff was so close. But Kurosaki and Rukia managed to contain themselves. After opening a special program he installed on Rukia's computer, pulling some wires out from his custom needles and plugging them into the proper ports, Kurosaki was ready.What is he doing...? Don't let it be...Kurosaki ignored the bizarre mumbling. All he could think of was blue skies and fast cars. At last, he had two needles in hand. Then just one needle, after he passed one to Rukia."Ready?" They both asked at the same time, each with sharp tips pointed towards the bases of their necks. Of course they were ready.What is this?!"You want to know what it's like to live in a peaceful city, as a rich person where nothing goes wrong in your life, Rukia?"...No way."Sure. It's got to beat this dump."As one, they slid the needles in, entering the fantasy reality provided by the data created by Kurosaki. It was a pleasant daze of pleasant days.So...that voice from before...it really is...?Outside of Rukia's house, the moon was sinking. The sun was rising. It was currently a time that could neither be called night nor day. It was the dawn of a new day.Ichigo ripped himself away from the computer screen, panting. He knew it. Suddenly, nothing in his office appeared to be concrete. It was all as transparent as the glass in his windows.Yeah, he understood what Data was. And now nothing else made sense, as he feared. His world was collapsing into a nightmare.Ahh, nothing like pretending I work at a fancy office all day.Unbelievable. This was so wrong. Ichigo wanted to smash his computer in. But he didn't dare. How could this be possible? How could a virtual avatar of himself that he created be his creator? This was backwards. Mind boggling. He wondered if he was experiencing some strange dream. He better not be. He avoided sleep for a reason.What time was it? Ichigo looked at his clock. About eight o'clock. Night was approaching. He'd been on his computer for some time, absorbed in his work. He couldn't think of much else now.Things were not so cool in Hirusugi, all of a sudden. Ichigo could not deny this fact for the first time, try as he might.Hey, something is wrong with this Data...is he thinking what I am...? Hearing me?What a punk this other Ichigo Kurosaki was. Masquerading as himself. Tch. Ichigo was too cool to stand for this. He won Game Developer of the Year five years in a row (a record). Obviously, he created a game so ingenious that even he could not comprehend it. But he would undo this. For certain.A knock on his door distracted him."Yeah?" He called out. It could only be Kuchiki. Ichigo and Kuchiki were the only two workers on this floor who stayed past seven.Naturally, though, the woman let herself inside before he spoke."Hey, you all right, Kurosaki?" she asked. This conversation sounded very familiar. "You've been in your office since I left this morning. Didn't even come out for lunch.""...I've been real busy.""You missed Keigo's latest screw up. He set back development two weeks. He's very lucky he wasn't fired.""So he often is.""You look tired. Did you get enough sleep last night?""Of course."Kuchiki clearly did not believe him but she let it slide."...How is your game coming along? You must have made some great progress.""About my game...I'm thinking of scrapping the whole project.""Scrapping it?! Why? You've never done that before.""...The game is not very fun.""Really? You were raving about how it would be the greatest game you ever made before. About how it would perfectly simulate a post-apocalyptic environment, and would allow the people of Hirusugi to enjoy gang wars with their neighbours...or something...I know it would sell a lot of copies."...Post-apocalyptic simulation? Don't tell me..."I changed my mind. It was a stupid idea. Now I'd rather make a game about cute rabbits."Stunned silence."What happened, Ichigo?" Kuchiki suddenly switched to his first name, even though she knew better than to do that. And she knew she shouldn’t be moving this close to him."It's about what you said earlier. About Hirusugi being too perfect. I agree with you completely, Rukia." Whoops, he wasn't supposed to use her first name, either.Her gaze hardened on him. "What happened, Ichigo?" she repeated her question firmly.The Data isn't working...! This isn't how I designed Hirusugi...!His office was dark. Outside Soul Society Entertainment, it was no longer day. It was dusk and soon it would be night. The sun had nearly been eclipsed by the horizon.Ichigo could not bring himself to explain what happened. He chose instead to kiss Rukia; she didn't complain about the choice. She had words later.He was sick of his life. Sick of his job. Sick of pretending to be living as though life was a game. And, most of all, sick of the dumb front he and Rukia put up every day at the office.So he shut off his computer. After deleting The Dead Zone. The game never was released to the public.Night finally fell over Hirusugi. Ichigo Kurosaki never heard a voice in his head again.Except in his dreams.Kurosaki yanked the needle out of his neck.At last, his head was blessedly quiet, except for his own angry thoughts.But the man was baffled. What he saw in his dream world was not pleasant at all. His Data was a complete failure. Just like his whole life and everyone else's in Yoru.How could his dream self have an independent conscious? What sort of side effect was this? Kurosaki forced himself to calm down. He had been imagining things. Again. He only thought his other self gained a life of its own accord.No, he’d suspected this for a long time. It was just he had no way of denying the truth now.He’d been denying it because the notion of another Ichigo Kurosaki having control over his destiny really pissed him off. He threw the needle--still in his hand--to the floor in disgust. Then he scrambled through the pockets of his dumb coat, flinging out countless needles. Destroying all of them. Destroying all the "priceless" Data he'd toiled so long to make. When he realized Rukia was still connected to the false world of his Data, he pulled her needle out, too, and smashed it against the floor.All the Data was gone."What are you doing, Ichigo?! Are you crazy?!""No. I've had it with Yoru, Rukia. I'm leaving this rotten city." Oh, he was. He didn't even notice he'd decided this until he said it."...Huh? Why?" His companion was stunned.The real question was why hadn't he already, though. Something had snapped in Ichigo Kurosaki. Snapped free and was out of control.He finally felt like he was in control of his destiny."Doesn't matter why," he told Rukia. "All I want to know is if you'll leave with me."The sun was on the rise. Daytime was finally upon Yoru. Ichigo Kurosaki never heard a voice in his head again."Dummy. Of course, I will."Except in his dreams.The room was no longer so dark. Either a light had been turned on or the sun had risen. Neither were very plausible but there had to be an explanation for the sudden light.At his computer, where he’d fallen asleep, the man woke up in a fit.Most likely, he wouldn’t be sleeping again for a long time. It was these dreams. He hated them. He kept on seeing visions of himself, more than one. All reminded him of himself but were nothing like him. It was surreal.They were disturbing, those dreams. Gave him reason to fear, even if the reasoning made sense to none save himself. But he wouldn’t be consumed by these dreams. That was why the man avoided sleep; it was his way of refusing to give in. How long could the sleepless nights last? Not long enough, so far as the man was concerned; he was determined to conquer the need to rest.On his computer in the not so dark room, he wrote about what he did in the dreams. About the various incarnations of himself he was privy to in the stuff of dreams. The man noted recurring elements that gave him cause for concern. For example, every version of himself created another version of himself. The same people surrounded him in each different world, with that one woman being the most important to imin all of them.He wrote this down, noting the similarities. The dreams were all his mind could think of, even when he wasn’t dreaming. The worst dreams were the ones where another variation of the man saw into his life or even created his existence.That was why sleep was so frightening, by the way. He saw these key recurring elements in his own life, not only in the dreams. The people in the dreams were the people in his life. That one most important woman in the dreams was the most important woman in his life. He wrote about--and possibly created?--other versions of himself on his computer. No different from the men who were him but not him did in the dreams. He and his dream selves were too similar for the dreams to only be dreams.Come to think of it, which started first? The dreams or the writing? The two were interlinked. Inseparable. In fact, something told the man they started at the same time, impossible though that should be. Would the dreams stop if he no longer wrote? Would the writing stop if no longer dreamed? The man was uncertain.This doubt permeated through his whole life now, came to represent it. Was the truth that all the avatars of himself, spread across countless worlds, were real? That they needed to create one another to sustain one another? Somehow, the man did not think any of them were real--including himself--and it was this growing conviction that gnawed at his soul.This growing belief that none of avatars were real tormented the man known as Ichigo Kurosaki, and not just the Ichigo Kurosaki in the not so dark room. Yeah, all of the Ichigo Kurosakis must have this nagging thought somewhere at the back of their heads. The only exception, of course, should be the real Ichigo Kurosaki that was not a fake. The original, wherever he was dreaming, could not be sharing these doubts. And if the Ichigo Kurosaki in the not so dark room had these doubts, how could he be the original? Exactly. Or so the man in the not so dark feared.However, the man refused to accept this reality, this fear. Ironic, this stubborn denial, considering that he also refused to dream just as desperately.