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Dark Desires After Dusk ~ Kresley Cole

theboardbitch — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 04:25:34 +0000

this is the sixth book in the Immortals series.

Cadeon the kingmaker has found his mate, unfortunately, demons are forbidden from taking mates from mortals, as they can't survive the bonding with demons. Suddenly, Cadeon is told that he has to take the Vessel to Groot the Metalurgist, and exchange her for a sword that will kill the usurper who has his brother's throne. Problem is, the Vessel is his mate. Can Cade really resist claiming his mate, and then turn her over to Groot, in order to restore his brother's crown?

Holly is a mathmatics student, working on her PhD. and teaching math to jocks at Tulane. Suddenly she is drugged and captured, when she comes to, she is chained naked to an alter with several demons about to assult her. In her rage at the situation, she shrieks and calls down lightning, which kills the demons surrounding her, and begins her transition into an immortal Valkarie. But does she have to stay this way?

The Next Thing on My List -- by Jill Smolinski

Nicole — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 02:02:01 +0000

Our August book club pick was The Next Thing on My List by Jill Smolinski. I, as usual, didn't vote for it, but after reading it, I'm glad it was this month's pick. It was an endearing read I finished in one day!

This is the story of June, a 34-year-writer who is just coasting through life and not really living until......she's in a car accident that kills the passenger, Marissa, a girl she just met at a Weight Watchers meeting. As she goes through the woman's purse getting it ready to give back to her parents, June finds a list entitled, "20 Things to Do by my 25th Birthday." Because she feels guilty, June decides to finish the woman's list and gives herself until the girl's 25th birthday to complete it, only a few months away.

At the beginning of the book, I found myself thinking this was a silly idea, reminiscent of The Bucket List. However, as the story progressed, it became apparent there was a stroy here, not just a list of things to do. I enjoyed how June's character developed as she scrambled to finish the list. It was interesting how June worked so hard to remain loyal to Marissa as she attempted to fulfill Marissa's dreams. June learned a lot about herself and others as she completed the tasks.

The story line with the "little sister" was a little contrived, though. In addition, some of the relationships that June develops as a result of this list seem a little unbelievable. She starts the book as basically a loner with one friend to having significant relationships with several different people. I do understand that the author was trying to show June's development as a person through the use of these developing relationships, but sometimes I think she included too many for such a short period of time.

There were a few plot twists in the book. Some I saw coming from a mile away. The author wasn't too subtle in foreshadowing them. However, for others, I was pleasantly surprised. Although, I noticed the foreshadowing after the fact.

Overall, I tought this was an entertaining story of a young woman finding herself in an interesting manner. It was fun.

Holiday Adventures - Axis (Not of the evil variety)

sheralyn — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 01:43:10 +0000

For some months now, in fact, if I am going to be completely honest about it - for about 2 years, John has been dangling the carrot of a Mixed Dining-In Night in from of me. "What is this mixed dining thing?" you may ask? Basically, if is a formal dining night - something akin to a ball that John and I are invited to attend in the Sergeants Mess of whatever base he is stationed to at the time. Often John will excite me by flashing the mess event guide that he has brought home at me, showing all the lovely and splendiferous mess functions that are up and coming throughout the year. Unfortunately (or fortunately for John, seeing as how I love to get drunk and say inappropriate things) John is ALWAYS on exercise or on course when these functions come up. So I have never yet had the opportunity to wear the rather saucy cocktail dress that I bought at Raven.

And so, to make up for this, and also as he is lovely and gorgeous and luckily mine - John took me to the rather fabulous and very expensive Axis restaurant in the Museum of Canberra for dinner. We decided to make this evening special and perfect, and so I wore my black lace cocktail dress, and John wore his suit. (I would have LOVED it if he could have worn his Service Dress Uniform, but unfortunately the Army didn't see it that way. They don't like you to wear it around willy nilly. I can sort of understand that. And John did get to wear it for our wedding, so I wasn't too disappointed.)

It had taken me 6 months of serious shopping to find the right kind of shoes to go with this dress. The dress has a slightly vintage look to it. It is strapless, and has a lovely creamy, champagne pink satin covered in black lace. I think it is rather stunning, so when I did find the right shoes, I bought them straight away, regardless of the $180 price tag.

Axis is right on the side of the museum that overlooks Lake Burley Griffin. We had booked for 7.30pm, and when we arrived we had to ring an intercom in order to gain access to the museum at night. We were seated immediately, and placed right on the water side at an intimate table for two. Straight away I arranged with the waitress to pour some lovely Australian Sparkling wine for me, and John had a beer. The evening was off to a magical start.

For starters, John had King Prawns in a light garlic butter. I had the quail. I'm not sure what the quail was cooked in, but it was divine, with a lovely, light horse radish mescal salad. (I think that is what it was?) I finished my champagne, and was immediately offered another. Of course I agreed!

For our main course, John requested duck. He had never had duck before, and was surprised by its tenderness and gamey taste. I had the fish of the day, salmon in another divine sauce. We had vegetable and fat cut chips accompanied by a zingy aioli dip on the side. All of this was perfect. With my main course I had a glass of Chardonnay. You just can't go past a Clare Valley Chardy - let me assure you!

At this stage, we were quite stuffed full. Although the dessert menu was tempting, and I did rather feel like a glass of Cognac, we just could not physically fit in another morsel. We paid the bill and thanked the staff for a perfect evening. We moved on to a bar in the city called Muddle. They specialise in smashed (mortar and pestle) cocktails. I stuck with my favourite - a champagne cocktail. I was disappointed, as there was a bit too much bitters, and not enough liqueur. We left after only 2 drinks, but it was after midnight.

As a bit of a sad bit to our perfect night, when I surveyed the bill John pulled from his wallet on Sunday morning, I noticed that we had actually been charged for a full bottle of champagne, as well as my first glass of the evening. At over $50 for the bottle, I felt a bit cheated and pissed off. But as my darling hubby says, we didn't care at the time and it should not spoil our perfect evening. And so I am trying to forget about it, and remember the night for what it was - a romantic and decadent aberration from normal life.

Open Your Eyes

ahoymichelle — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 00:21:30 +0000

Blogged at: 5:20PM

I'm not sure who wrote this blog, and where it's from, but it sure does open a lot of people's eyes. I hope your eyes gets "opened" as well.

WARNING: What you're about to read is based on hundreds of interviews,
surveys, books, and statistics I've assembled over the last few years. This
blog will piss a lot of you off. Why? Because a lot of you think you know
what love is. Well folks, I'm here to challenge that assumption. So get
your hate mail ready! And make sure you read everything! Enjoy!

FUN FACT: Most women (even the most beautiful)
are not satisfied with the way they look. Many guys
(even the drop dead ugly ones) think they're God's
gift to women.

TO THE LADIES:
PLEASE stop posting pictures that look nothing like you. Take off the big
sunglasses. Stop trying to be emo. Stop changing your hair and smiling
crooked just to hide your imperfections. If you want to post a picture that
looks NOTHING like yourself, then at least post one picture that DOES
look like you. (Preferably a picture of yourself RIGHT AFTER YOU
WAKE UP IN THE MORNING!)

I know you'll probably get less comments, but hey! At least you'll know
who your real friends are. =)

Seriously though, I know that underneath it all, you just want to be loved and
liked (and envied), but don't sacrifice who you REALLY are just for attention.

* * *

DRESS RESPECTABLY:
If you decide to wear clothes showing off half your tits, and skirts showing
99 percent of your thighs, then for goodness sake, do NOT get mad when
guys approach you for the purpose of JUST sex.

When us guys see you dressing skimpy, we do NOT think to ourselves:
"Hey. Check out that lovely young lady. She's exactly the kind of woman
I want to marry and take home to my mother."

NO. When guys see you dressed like that,
we all ask each other the magic question:
"Would you hit that?"

MY ADVICE: "If it's not on the menu, DON'T ADVERTISE IT."

If you'd like to be treated with respect, then dress respectfully.
It's not rocket science.

* * *

TO THE FELLAS:
You're not gangsta. I hate to break it to you, but REAL gangstas don't
have myspace. Stop puckering your lips for the camera to look sexy.
Stop dogging the camera like you're all hard.
That's not what REAL MEN do.

REAL MEN GIVE RESPECT TO EARN RESPECT.
REAL MEN treat women as God's creations. NOT as sex objects.
REAL MEN stick up for those who can't stick up for themselves.
REAL MEN don't get into fights just 'cus someone dogged them.
REAL MEN don't get into fights 'cus of stupid rumors.
REAL MEN fight to protect their wives and children.
REAL MEN fight injustice.
REAL MEN fight racism!

* * *

So to all the MEN and WOMEN reading this:
Please, be yourselves.
Be the REAL you. Stop trying to build up this "illusion" of what you wish
people saw you as. If you constantly pretend to be something you're not,
you'll never meet REAL friends. You'll never marry a person who loves
you for the REAL you.

* * *

FUN FACT: The smartest people in the world are MEN!
The stupidest people in the world are ALSO men!
Women tend to be more balanced when it comes
to intelligence and skills.

WHY?
Because the human brain is divided into two hemispheres (the left
hemisphere and the right hemisphere), AND while women use both
hemispheres, men tend to use ONE side more than the other.

This would explain why
WOMEN ARE BETTER AT MULTI-TASKING.
I cannot count the number of times I've seen a woman talking on her
cell phone, doing her makeup, and changing a CD...
ALL WHILE DRIVING HER CAR!

MEN, ON THE OTHER HAND, THINK IN A BOX.
If you're telling him to do something while he's watching football
(or playing Halo), he won't remember what the hell you told him.
This MIGHT seem like a bad thing, BUT being able to think
about ONE thing at a time makes him a DEEPER thinker.
Ever wonder why most philosophers are MEN?

* * *

Women are usually more organized.
This helps men when they're procrastinating too much.
(Ladies, you can call yourselves procrastinators all you want,
BUT you can never out-procrastinate a guy. TRUST ME.)

MEN are usually more calm when something BAD happens.
This is good for women because they tend to panic more easily.

MEN can sometimes be very insensitive.
WOMEN are usually more compassionate and caring.
Don't believe me?

Let a random man hold a baby,
and the baby will probably start crying.
Let a random woman hold a baby,
and the baby will probably start laughing and smiling.

Most women want a man to win/earn their heart.
Men like to compete and WIN.

MEN are stronger physically.
WOMEN are stronger verbally.

So, to all the men reading this:
USE your strength to protect women and raise children.
Don't use your strength to abuse and take advantage of them.

As for the women?
USE your words to build up and encourage men and children.
Don't use your words to gossip and nag about everything.

God has created BOTH men and women with unique traits. As we live with
one another, we must learn how to find BALANCE in our strengths and
weaknesses. We must learn how to work together and LOVE one another.

ADVICE FOR MEN:
Women LOVE affection. So learn to show your appreciation with gifts
and well-planned dates! BE CREATIVE. Roses, candy, and stuffed
animals WILL get old after a while. When a woman complains to you,
it doesn't necessarily mean she wants you to give her advice.
Sometimes she just wants you to SHUT UP and LISTEN!

ADVICE FOR WOMEN:
Men WANT respect. Sometimes all a guy really wants to hear is:
"I believe in you" or "I know you can do it."
Learn to show your appreciation for the little things he does.
Sometimes he REALLY does try to be considerate, but you
just don't notice.

ADVICE FOR BOTH:
Respect the little differences. And be sure to RESPECT THE SPACE!
Sometimes we all need some time to just BREATHE. Men, let your woman
go to Forever 21 with her girlfriends. Let her watch Oprah without constantly
repeating how "gay" the show is. AND ABOVE ALL ELSE:
PLEASE... don't talk back when she's on her P-E-R-I-O-D.

Because if you do... May God have mercy on your soul.

AND ladies? Let your man play some Halo 2! Let him watch the Lakers!
Let him fart in his hand and cover it over his homie's face! (Because ladies,
i know some of you do the SAME exact thing when guys aren't around. ;P)

* * *

Temptation 1: ROMANTIC COMEDIES
Don't get me wrong! I LOVE movies like "A Walk to Remember,"
"The Notebook," "Love Actually," "The Little Mermaid," and
"Serendipity," BUT if you think great LOVE STORIES can be
found this easily... you're sadly mistaken.

Temptation 2: LOVE SONGS

Believe it or not, movies and music can really influence you.

FOR EXAMPLE:
A good horror movie will keep you up all night.
Listening to Lil' Jon will make you want to sock someone's face.

Likewise, romantic comedies can make you THINK you're in love when
you're really not. They can make you BELIEVE "everyone's falling in love
EXCEPT you." As for love songs, they will either keep you depressed (if
you just broke up with someone), or tempt you into hooking up with
some random guy/girl who's nowhere NEAR ready for a relationship.

Temptation 3: PORNOGRAPHY
Hey fellas. I know most of you think "there's nothin' wrong with a little
Jenna Jameson after a hard days work", but... I disagree.

When you're done watching porn and you've finished
"laying the smackdown" on yourself, you are left with
more than just sticky hands and wadded up kleenex.

You are left with images BURNED into your mind.
You can go to internet explorer and hit "CLEAR HISTORY"...
You can locate your Limewire folders and delete all your videos...
You can even throw out all your Playboy mags and hardcore xxx tapes...
Regardless, the images will still haunt you.

When you're having a simple conversation with a close female friend,

It becomes harder to stay faithful to your girlfriend/wife.
It becomes harder to concentrate when you're around women.
You begin to think you're "in love" when you're actually just horny.

This MIGHT seem like a joke for you, but if you're seriously struggling
with porn, and find yourself watching it everyday, check out this website:

This site is not only helpful, but really funny!
You see... Whether you admit it or NOT. the more porn you watch,
the CRAZIER your addiction becomes. It starts off with regular porn,
but then you get tired of it. Suddenly, you find yourself watching
bestiality, lolitas, hentai, and shemales! Before you know it, you
get to the point where you're watching girls peeing and crapping
all over each other! SO PLEASE...

FIGHT IT. THIS KIND OF STUFF
CAN REALLY MESS YOU UP.
IT DESTROYS MARRIAGES
ALL THE TIME.

* * *

Women are great liars. As good as they are at lying to
others, they are even better at lying to themselves.

STUPID LIES GIRLS SAY:

"I can't help it! I'm in love!"

"I can change him!"

"But he needs me!"

DESPERATE HOUSE LIES:

"If you really love me, you won't leave me!"

"If you breakup with me, I'll kill myself!"

"If you leave me, I'll hurt you!"

"I'm pregnant!"

* * *

Some of us take our HEART BREAKS to another level by immediately
hooking up with another person after we just broke up. This is our
desperate attempt to get our ex jealous OR to forget the pain.

This explains why SOME people get addicted to clubbing,
partying, drinking, and getting high. They're NOT trying
to "just have fun"...

THEY ARE DESPERATELY AVOIDING REALITY.
THEY ARE RUNNING FROM THE PAIN OF THEIR PAST.

LADIES and GENTLEMEN, this is not love.
This is infatuation. Love does NOT make you do STUPID things.
Love is a commitment to do what's BEST for another person.
(Even if that means breaking up with them)

ANSWER THIS QUESTION HONESTLY:
Have you ever thought you were "IN LOVE,"
but later realized you were lying to yourself?
If you have... could it be that maybe...
JUST MAYBE, you might be wrong right now?

* * *

WHAT IS LOVE?
"Whoever is without Love does not know God,
for GOD IS LOVE!" --1 John 4:8

If God is Love... Then why is he hardly
the center of most of our relationships?

If God is Love...
Then why not ask HIM for advice
when it comes to understanding what TRUE Love is?
Going to anyone else is like going to a Honda
Dealership for a Volkswagen part.

MYTH: All men are jerks!

TRUTH: Anyone who believes this statement is an idiot.
There are plenty of great guys all around. These are the
guys who comfort you when jerks break your heart.
Theyre the ones who dont always tell you what you
want to hear, but what you need to hear.

* * *

WORD OF THE DAY:
incentive. Something, such as the fear of punishment or
the expectation of reward, that induces action or motivates effort.

* * *

FUN FACT: BOYS follow incentives.

If you date a boy while hes still a boy, guess what?
Hell stay a boy. This is because you REWARD HIM
before he has a chance to grow up.

BUT if you make a boy WAIT and become a MAN before
he can date you, this will eliminate the odds of you dating a jerk!
Believe it or NOT, guys who are made to WAIT are far more likely
to be faithful to you, than the average guy!

* * *

If any of you "NICE GUYS" are reading this blog, and you can RELATE to
I'm saying, then here's some words of encouragement for you:

"Nice guys DON'T finish last.
They LAST to the finish."

If a girl passes you up because she wants to date a GUY
that her girlfriends think is cuter, then it's HER LOSS.

DON'T rush into random relationships in hopes of eventually finding
the right person! BE PATIENT. Let God write your love story.

See. I don't know about you, but I'd rather have a LOVE STORY filled
with twists and turns, than a bunch of failed relationships full of
MISTAKES, LIES, and DECEIT!

So...
SLOW DOWN people.
Let Go and Let God!

* * *

MY ADVICE: "Don't date someone unless you consider marrying them."

"WHAT?!? BeeJay!!!
Have you lost your mind??"

Let's sit and think about it. When you date someone, YOU might think it's
"just for fun," but there's no way of predicting FEELINGS that might
eventually grow. What if you FALL for someone, and they don't fall
for you? Who gets hurt?

What if you date someone for fun, sex, and scamming,
and they end up falling for you? Now they're the one who gets hurt?

In other words,
make sure you choose carefully who you date because FEELINGS
are involved. If you play with feelings, you can REALLY hurt someone.
In fact, some of you are STILL hurt because of a few people you've dated.
So take dating seriously. PLEASE.

MY ADVICE: Don't "play" hard to get. BE hard to get!

Having a great "LOVE LIFE"
means MORE than finding the right person.
You also have to BE the right person!

* * *

Sex is good. Real good. Even God said it was good!
BUT there is one condition: GET MARRIED FIRST.

BEFORE you label me old fashioned or boring, here are a few
statistics I've learned from psychology and science journals!

Teens and young adults
who have premarital sex
are FAR more likely to:

Get divorced
Become suicidal
Go into depression
Be unfaithful during marriage
Have severe marital problems

Teens and young adults who
get pregnant before marriage
are FAR more likely to:

Not finish college
Have an abortion
Go into poverty

These statistics are NOT meant to discourage you.
These statistics are here to HELP YOU understand that
ALTHOUGH GOD CAN HEAL ALL WOUNDS,
HE WON'T HEAL ALL SCARS.

God allows SCARS to remain NOT because he hates you,
BUT to remind you that foolish actions DO have consequences.

* * *

SEX IS LIKE DUCT TAPE.

The first time you stick duct tape on someone, it REALLY sticks.
The next time you do it, it's not as sticky. The more you do it, the
less sticky it becomes. In other words, the more sex you have with
different partners, the HARDER it is to commit. Eventually, you won't
even be able to feel any LOVE or PASSION towards your partner(s).
It will become an empty, emotionless act.

What is the REASON for sex?
Some of you will say "pleasure."

But is that it? How about eating? EATING feels pleasurable?
Is that the REASON we eat? NO. We eat because it helps sustain
life and health. Likewise, we must understand that sex is not just
for pleasure. Sex also CREATES LIFE. This is why sex is
considered so sacred. This is why sex is NOT to be abused.

FUN FACT: Of all our bodily functions
(digesting, sleeping, breathing, etc),
CREATING A CHILD is the only bodily
function that requires TWO people.

CHRISTINA AGUILERA QUOTE:
"Shouldn't we test drive the 'vehicle' before we drive it off the lot?"
(Christina comparing premarital sex to test driving a car)

Okay. Let's pretend you find a great "sex partner."
You decide to marry them, BUT one day, they get
into a terrible accident and they can no longer
have sex. Would you divorce them?

JEFF FOXWORTHY QUOTE:
"Getting married to have sex is like buying a 747 to get free peanuts!"

Marriage is about more than just sex. It is a commitment to be there
for your spouse through sickness and in health, for better or for worse,
till death do you part. It is the coming of two souls to become one.

* * *

OLD MESSAGE FROM A FRIEND

Hey BeeJay! I'd like to share these verses
recited at my Wedding ceremony:

"My husband and I knew we were ready for the
commitment of marriage when we were BOTH
able to insert each of our names
in place of the word 'LOVE'.

Love is patient and kind.

Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude.

Love does not demand its own way.

Love is not irritable, and it keeps no record of when it has been wronged.

Love is never glad about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out.

Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful,

And endures through every circumstance. Love will last forever..."

--1 CORINTHIANS 13:4-8

Kyou no Go no Ni

saibotlieh — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 20:55:29 +0000

I got the first urge to rewatch Kyou no Go no Ni OVA (Today, in class 5-2) at the time Minami-ke: Okawari started to get average to boring. I missed the first season and knew that both series were written by the same author, Koharu Sakuraba. Lack of time prevented me to do so and somehow I forgot about it again until a few days ago when I read about a planned full-fledged series of Kyou no Go no Ni on Random Curiosity. Well, this time I managed to watch the four episodes in short order and it wasn't disappointing for sure.
The story develops around five girls and three boys of the class 5-2 where develop might be the wrong word, because each OVA consists of 5 independent mini-episodes and there is no real progression at all, just different slice of life situations. Practical all of these situations become ecchi at some point, which is my only real complain about the series, but at least each panty shot and such has some meaning to the story and doesn't happen because of too short skirts or "favourable" camera angles. In spite of the ecchi content everything as a nice aura of normality and childlike innocence and the interaction between the cast and especially the two major characters, Ryouta and Chika, is really sweet (and of course funny) to watch. The humour is different to the one in Minami-ke, but I'm sure that if one likes one of both the other series is at least worth a try.
Now I only hope that the upcoming series (if that information turns out correct) can accommodate the OVA and doesn't turn out to be to the OVA like Okawari was to the first Minami-ke season.

In search of A.M.Burrage

George Simmers — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 18:42:02 +0000

Ever since re-reading War is War by Ex-Private X, I've been wondering about its author, the magazine writer A.M.Burrage, and over the past week or two have done a bit of research. The results can be found in my pages list to the left, or by clicking here.

The page is a work in progress, and I hope to update it from time to time. If you've any suggestions, do contact me.

Three

T Y — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 16:21:41 +0000

Three...collages. Three clues about me.

I know, I know, too much visual overload, right? Remember when I discovered Polyvore, the web based collage maker, and immediately transformed into a collaging maniac? There was a lull in collaging for a few months, but now I'm back in the swing of things; you are a witness to my collage Renaissance.

On to the show and tell:

1. The Witch of Blackbird Pond...again. WOBP will always be a reoccurring theme in all my artistic endeavours. This is dedicated to all you WOBP fans out there who, like me, are scavenging the internet for more Kit/Nat images but come up short.

2. The Light in the Piazza. This is one of my favorite Broadway musicals and this one in particular holds special meaning for me. I saw it (on TV; although I love theater, I so rarely have the green to get tickets) the night before my college graduation. On that big day, I had the oh-so-pleasant itinerary of 1) taking a final 2) graduate 3) rush back to apartment and move out because my lease expired on graduation day. The Light in the Piazza comforted me through the nail-biting transition.

3. Black and White. I prefer black and white photography/movies to color. I would take all my pictures in black and white if I could. In terms of people portraits, black and white immortalizes the subject; there is, I think, an elegance associated with the lack of color. Try taking your summer vacation pictures in B&W, I bet even your trip to Disneyland would look like a class act.

Short story: The involuntary return to abyss

Thejas VR — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 14:32:33 +0000

The admiration for her just kept growing in him. What he was most impressed in her was her simplicity and her readiness to smile for anything. Smiles are contagious and she had an example to portray. She was charming and she had a beautiful hair. Not many of his friends looked at a girl's hair to decide if she was the right girl for them. But he was different and he was mocked frequently for it. But nothing could deter him. This girl was just perfect. And he found himself falling.

Falling for a girl was nothing new to him. It had happened too many times in the past. And he knew how torturous it was. Sometimes he wondered if it was his weakness- the ease with which he could fall for a girl. Every time he fell for a girl, he used to harbour his feelings for months. And then the feeling just used to fade away. His favourite movie line was from Love Actually- "Whats more worse than the total agony of being in love?" The reason for it to be his favourite line was the truth behind it. And he had experienced the truth just too many times.

Every step they took, he found her increasingly tempting. He found himself staring at her a few times. There were a few times she had noted his prying eyes. And every time their eyes met, he felt his heart experiencing zero-gravity. When she spoke, he admired her voice. When she laughed, he admired her eyes. He even admired her fingers and her toes. And thats when he realized that he was falling into the abyss again, the abyss where both pleasure and pain contribute equally to ones feelings.

And so he decided to get out of it. In one instant decision, he decided that he didnt want to go through it all over again. He had had enough. He knew it would be tough but he had to act. There was no way he could get rid of the girl but he knew how to get rid of his feelings. All he had to do was concentrate on something else. He tried looking at the advertisement hoardings, he tried to study the faces of people around him and he even tried eating a sickness-inducing chocolate ice-cream. But more than anything else, he had to avoid looking at her- which he did. And when she left him, he was thankful that the ordeal was finally over.

Memories can be naughty sometimes and he knew it. He had enough of her in his memory for it to come back to him and taunt him. The only way he could avert it was by keeping himself busy for a few days. He discovered how serious he was at getting rid of her and he felt happy for himself. It was no more a weakness. He went to a book store, tried his best at not choosing the romantic ones and finally bought an inspiring entrepreneurial story. There was no way Larry Page and Sergey Brin could permit a girl's memories into his mind.

Later that night, he went to bed thinking of having his own enterprise someday. But in his dreams, she was back. She smiled, she laughed and she let her flowing hair tickle him. She was mesmeric. And thats when he woke up. His heart was beating fast and he knew he was happy. But he still cursed himself for he knew that his nightmarish months were just about to begin.

Unadulterated Freedom: Bay of Married Pigs

openattwelvemidnight — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 07:47:28 +0000

Jenna was a lawyer, an associate working for Dangilan and de la Cruz law firm. Graduated cum laude at the University of the Philippines, and had been married quite recently to a man she’d been dating for three months.

Markus was a high-end stock-broker, pitching in for a firm south of Manila. Dating a woman had never really been a thing for Markus—sleeping with women on the other hand, was his favorite hobby.

The couple was a tag-in by a friend who was determined to see his friend married before he reaches the age of the thirty something.

Albeit, this friend was a mutual friend of the couple—both of them hadn’t known each other until this friend set them up for dinner—of course at an expensive fusion restaurant uptown.

Markus, who had slept with Jenna that same night, fell in love with the way she caroused him. As was mentioned, Markus didn’t have it in for commitments; he was the preverbal “all for nothing” guy. He broke up with Jenna a week and half after their first encounter in bed, and had cited that her seduction tactics have become stale.

But there relationship didn’t end there. Another week later, Markus stumbled upon Jenna at the mall.

Jenna, dressed in an expensive Marc Jacobs weekend outfit, sporting baby phat Mary Jane’s and bathed in Kenneth Cole eau de toilette—looked dashing, and was an eyesore to women who only but dreamed, to be like her—beautiful, sexy, modern, alluring yet mysterious.

However, Jenna’s monthly salary couldn’t support her pash for fash. Her father, a noveau riche business man residing in Milan with his new wife, sends in a closet-full of designer clothes every month.

“Jenna”

Markus said, with a faint smile etched on his lips

“You, my God you’ve become fatter”

“Liar. I haven’t seen you in a month, how’ve you been”

“Well”

Jenna amplified the obvious, she was doing well. Without him nor with any other man.

“Well? Well without me?”

“And what makes you think I can live without you? Maybe your penis I can’t live without, but you” Jenna sarcastically grins “and your ego is something I know, I surely can live without”

Markus taunts her, by pointing at his crotch

“You see pee, you certainly are the bestest friend I’ve ever had”

Jenna smiled seductively.

“How about I rub and scrub your tiny best friend”

“WH—what? My best friend isn’t tiny, my best friend’s huge!”

“Well tell your best friend, that I’d like to have coffee with him come next Tuesday—buzz me”

And so the power play of the femme fetale and the delirious alpha male began.

Jenna was intent on proving to Markus that his penis wasn’t the center of the universe, and to her, that her vagina must stop giving in to men like him.

But sadly Jenna lost the battle of the bed-wars, eventually falling in love with him two months and two weeks into their relationship; Jenna was dragging the affair into “serious mode”

Whilst Markus only saw Jenna as an indigent FUBU who needed more than a one time’s Coyote Ugly to fully satisfy her sexual needs.

Strangely, Markus who had inherited his dead grand-mother’s wedding ring, decided to propose to Jenna. In a state of confusion and trepidation, Markus honestly didn’t know if what he did then was the right thing to do.

Despite of this, Markus did believe in his heart that they would work as a wedded couple. And so the two got married at city hall, with both party’s immediate relatives present; the two said their vows in front of a superior court judge.

A year and a half later, their marriage turned from sweet and cuddly to bane and angry—the two were sick of each other obviously and were both eager to have their marriage annulled.

One night, on a rainy July weekend, the two met with some friends.

Markus fought the rush hour traffic, while Jenna busied herself finding alternate routes to take on her GPS.

An hour and a half later, and a century’s worth of insults and let-downs, the two finally found the club.

Upon entering the club, the two were shocked to see naked women being hoisted on ropes up and down twirling around, so on and so forth, repeating the process over and over again.

Their friends were seated at the corner table, above them was a woman dancing; naked, with her breasts bouncing concurrent to the rhythm of the strobe lights.

“Girls!”

Having not seen her friends in months, Jenna was more than delighted to party with them.

In the table was the friend, who set Jenna and Markus up. With him were two of Jenna’s closest friends.

“It has been what?”
“Six months!”

The girls giggled in uncontrolled laughter.

Markus and the friend shared a hand shake and a brief hug. Markus’ only non-organ best friend, if you get my drift.

“OMG Jen, that dress…is so not for this club”

“Thank Heatherette”

The girls laughed some more.

“And her father’s yearly income.”

The three girls looked at each other, and then together they looked at Jenna whose face contorted into a grimace.

“Drinks anyone?”

Markus was fond of being a financier

“Two pinacoladas” Kelly, the other girl, said

“A beer for me” said the friend

“Marriage on the rocks for me dah’ling”

Markus, irate, left the table and headed for the bar.

“What is happening to the two of you?! A year ago you were fun to be with, and now being with the two of you is becoming a stress I have to deal with! I mean, what’s up?!”

“I should be the one asking questions here Kelly, what is this place?”

“Ah honey”, said the friend “this is a sex bar”

“Now I know why it’s located deep within Manila’s vestibule of second-grade clubs; we should’ve just gone to embassy.”

“Nope, no embassy for us tonight, tonight we stay here and party till dawn.”

“Whatever, at three, I’m leaving”

“Sweetie, there is something going on, six months ago the two of you started bickering, and now it’s come to this. “

“Come to what?”

“All this fighting”, Leila who’d been quiet, interjected.

“Do you love him?” said the friend

“Of course I do! I’m his wife for god’s sake”

“But what?” said Leila

“But…I guess marrying him…was a mistake”

“You have the entire night to wallow sweetie” affirmed Kelly

Meanwhile, at the bar, Markus who was waiting for the drinks, noticed a woman clad in nothing but a sexy baby-tee, super short shorts, and pumps that had five inch heels.

“Hello”

“May I help you? Need a cigarette?”

“Oh no, I have mine”

An awkward silence followed

“Is she your wife?”

“Who?”

“That woman in that shiny-sparkly dress”
“yeah, she’s my wife why?”

“Haven’t fucked her in a long time, yes?”
“Four months, and even that was a disaster”

The woman, obviously in her mid-twenties, called for the bartender

“Give this man a glass of marriage on the rocks please”

“Such a drink exists?”

“Of course it does, this is a swingles bar honey. People in troubled marriages come here to have fun if you know what I mean.”

“Yeah…well…my drinks are here. It was nice meeting you”

But before Markus could turn around, the mysterious lady grabbed his bulge almost immediately.

“You’re starting to have an erection”

“No I’m not. Please, get your hands of my…of my…penis”

“Its quite small actually have you—“

“Now please”

“Very well, very well, let’s continue this at the little girl’s room in five, okay?”

Markus rushed away from the bar, and the woman, and almost at a running pace, went back to the table.

“We all saw it babe”

Jenna who had seen the whole crotch grabbing incident, resigned to the fact that the two of them were really not meant to be together.

“Saw what?”

“Don’t insult my intelligence Markus”

“Jenna…”

“Give us our drinks and go”

“But I—“

“Go Markus, fuck her, you have my permission.”

Markus left as was expected.

The bar stool the girl had been sitting on was empty. He thought that she have might left already. But left for where?

Markus slowly creeped into the woman’s bathroom, only to find lady mystery naked, with red-rimmed wayfarers covering her eyes

“So Markus is your name?”

“Yes”

“My name’s baby and no one puts baby in the corner Markus—remove your clothes”

ROMANCE WITH HERSELF

neilina — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 06:57:49 +0000

Eyes sparkled

seeing moonlight

Love she imagined

a feeling

of holding hands

spongy

quaggy touch.

Love she felt

butterflies fluttered

on her palm

- a little romance with herself!

Body electrified

watching sea tide

Love she imagined

a feeling

of pulsating moment

twittering

thrilling hug.

Love she felt

sitting on seashore

assaying each tide coming near

- a little romance with herself!

Ear splintered

reciting some smitten poem

Love she imagined

in radiant, angelic

poetic words.

Love she felt in

" "

- blankness, vacuousness

tranquility of sub rosa

where imagination fly blindly

- a perfect romance with herself!

2 New Books: Recommended Reading for the Month

Lorna Tedder — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 04:15:01 +0000

The Sweetest Poison:
Hypnosis, Coven Dynamics, and Energetic Connections between Lovers

It's said that in the Old Times, covens killed those who left them. Is it so different now?

This novella from Lauren Hartford's The Priestess Diaries is the missing link to readers' question: What happened to Jesse between the Law of Rebound novel, Celebrating the Tower Card , and the Law of Attraction novel, Fire Burning in Water ? Hartford uses fiction to explain how hypnosis can be used against the subject, why some spiritual teachers don't want to let go, and how two people can form an energetic connection so that they feel each other's emotions.

Read the entire novella online (free) at http://www.spilledcandybookstore.com/The_Priestess_Diaries.html

Control Your Submissive Boy:
150 Ways for the New Domme to Master Her Man

This book is written within the context of a loving female-led marriage or long-term relationship between a man and a woman because we do not believe there is enough credible instruction and idea-generators available for the new domme or for the wife who has been introduced to Dominance by her submissive husband. It can also be used in the context of short-term and uncommitted relationships.

The purpose of this book is to serve as a launching point for new ideas to spice up your sex life and/or love life, and hopefully to take you in interesting new directions that make your life more…fulfilled.

Available in print later this summer

Available as a pdf ebook at http://www.spilledcandybookstore.com/Control_Your_Submissive_Boy.html

Available as a prc ebook for your wireless device at http://www.mobipocket.com/en/eBooks/eBookDetails.asp?BookID=91930

or for your Kindle (currently at half price) at http://www.amazon.com/Control-Your-Submissive-Boy-Master/dp/B001CNGQS4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=digital-text&qid=1216439602&sr=1-1

New Day

aporia — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 03:55:50 +0000

The new blog is: http://stolich.wordpress.com

It's been written for a while.

Girl.. you CANNOT FIX that man!

Amber — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 02:04:04 +0000

I see it all of the time. Friends of mine meet this guy, and they tell me all about him. "He's so handsome, charming, fun, romantic, sweet, possessive (isn't that cute) jealous (he lets me know Im his), funny, smart, great in the sack.. yada yada yada...."

Now, hey thats so great that he's so handsome, charming fun and all of the rest, but what about the huge great big gaping red flags that are waving right before your eyes? The ones that are telling you RUN. Run far, run fast as you can? Why is it that you are ignoring them? Do you honestly think that somehow he's going to change? Why would he change? Because suddenly he loves YOU? How many other women just like you have said such a stupid thing?

Women do it to themselves all of the time. They know the man they are with has flaws but they always seek to change the man they are with. Women can't be happy unless they are unhappy about something! It's so bizarre.

People change only when they are ready to change and when it comes from within. Not when they are nagged or pushed into it. The change isn't real then. Everyone lives a lie. Maybe even the person still exhibits the behaviors, behind your back. If he has been diagnosed with a personality disorder, a mental illness or a behavioral problem it is permanent. It is not going to go away just because you suddenly come into the picture. Get it? There is no magic pill, no amount of therapy that will make it all go away. It can be helped some, even controlled, but it will always be there in the background. You have to be ready to accept that when you go into it.

Being satisfied with your partner means accepting them for who they are warts and all. Part of that is getting to really know them, and not jumping into a relationship and then being stuck with this person who has gone from Prince Charming to Freddie Kruger overnight. The signs were there if you opened your eyes to look weren't they? Didn't your friends and your family warn you? Didn't you have doubts?

A friend of mine told me that you should "date" someone for 2 years at least. Because then and only then can you truly know the nature of a person. No one can hold up a mask for that long without letting it slip once in a while. I have to agree with that thinking.

So, look at the signs. Are his parents dysfunctional? Is he dysfunctional around his family or other people? Who are his friends? Does he drink, abuse drugs, or do anything that makes you feel uncomfortable? Does he lie, or make you wonder about the truth about the statements he makes? Do your friends and family like him? Does he treat you well? Do you have the freedom to spend time with people outside of your time with him? Does he encourage you to be the best version of yourself? Is he critical of you, your family, your friends, or your lifestyle? Does he make you feel "less than"? Does he make you second guess your own mind and decision making processes? Do they talk about their ex-relationships and make the people out to be the villains every time and themselves the victim?

If any of these things are true, all I have to say is Run Girlfriend, Run!!! Don't look back, don't feel sorry for him, and for God's sake don't ever ever think that you can fix him or that he can be fixed by pills or help of any kind. Just run as fast and as far as you can.

Day Twelve: l'espérance a mal à la gorge

newyorkartdiary — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 01:00:52 +0000

...mais on a tout de même parlé plus d'une heure et demie au téléphone. Moi depuis Central Park, observant un enfant qui avec une belle énergie joue avec sa poussette et regardant sa maman, présente, attentive, à la bonne distance, pendant que l'espérance et moi on se chamaille sur les qualités et la voix d'un Pavarotti, s'accordant sur la belle direction d'un William Christie.

Moi roulant d'une main ma Bike sur la 72nd street (là où John Lennon s'est fait assassiner) pour ne pas interrompre notre belle conversation sur l'amitié, sur la parentalité, sur l'engagement...

moi... moi... mais Lui... ("Lui... lui, ce n'est pas pareil, je l'aime, je l'aimeuh")

Je le sais, je suis amoureuse. Oui "amoureuse", car je n'ai jamais su le dire qu'au féminin. La faute à Carmen ("qu'a-t-elle dit, qu'a-t-elle dit?... je suis amoureeeeuuuuseeuh"), la faute à Barbara, ("tellement amoureeeuuuseuh") la faute à personne car être amoureuse est la plus belle chose au monde, n'est-elle pas ?

Why So Serious?

diana — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 04:46:34 +0000

I think the title sums it up. I watched The Dark Knight this morning with four friends (friends as in my boyfriend didn't show up. sometimes i feel like i'm being avoided *depressed*). Ledger's acting skills were superb, Maggie Gyllenhaal added a unique beauty that Katy Holmes lacks (Holmes is cute though), and Christian Bale's hotness never ceases to amaze me. Aaron Eckhart's role as Two Face really surprised me with its overall significance to the plot of the film. I loved how the director & / or producer re-invented the characters. So onto the fantastically amateur "review"; the movie, although great, does not deserve to be #01 on imdb's top 250 movies. Yes, us movie-goers love the action, we love the hotness, but really that movie seriously dragged near the end. With well over 120 minutes of friction and explosions, I felt that Christopher Nolan could've ended the film at five different scenes / events before Dark Knight actually concluded. Also, does anyone find it weird how the film is totally capitalizing on Ledger's death? Don't want to be rude or anything, I'm just stating what I'm noticing. All in all, the movie was great. Despite my crude complaints, I still enjoyed it as a whole, and props to the cast (especially Ledger. Rumor has it he's in the running for an a posthumous Oscar nom. Although I doubt he'll win. Again, just an opinion) for making a definite blockbuster hit.

So after we watched the movie, I stuffed my face at Great Khan's. I love their chow mein, but really, how the hell am i supposed to finish it all? After some begging, Kelvin finally decided to help me out. My friend Jacklyn invited me to her birthday party next Sunday. We really aren't all that close since I only had one class with her... and that was like 4 or 5 years ago? Anyhoo we're going to a water park or something. I dunno. I can't swim, I don't know her too well, and I hate the heat. Maybe I should have declined afterall... Regardless, I bought her a present. I don't know what she likes and so opted for the boring, impersonal route -- a freakin' gift card at Victoria Secret. I have only stepped foot in there once before, and that was with Jacklyn when she was buying something. So I figured, "hey why not? If she doesn't like the $20 I just spent on her, oh wells." Really, $20 is a lot of money. I could've spent $15 and used the cash left over to buy the Klimt posters I wanted *tear* Again, oh well. My friends and I came to the mall around 9AM and we left around 6PM. After Dark Knight, which ended around 12:30PM, we just kinda lazed around; wandering around the confines of the mall, chatting and shit.

So to blow off some steam (please don't mind this): Kevin, I feel for you, but every other word out of your mouth is about your parents' divorce. Yes, I know it's been a difficult time and your dad's a fucking asshole, but sometimes you need to let go of that steam and relax. Try to forget your troubles in the home and focus on making memories with your friends who you might not see in the coming senior year. Farouk, my "dearest" boyfriend, you need to get your act together. We've been dating for almost three years now and you haven't put the moves on me once. Not even a tongue kiss. All we do is peck and hug, and sure I love the purity of it all but you need to understand that I'm a teenager just like you and I have my dirty thoughts as well. Gee.

taiwanese vs japanese versions

cherryrui — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 01:37:13 +0000

I noticed that the Taiwanese dramas of the comedy/romance genre I like best are either based on Japanese mangas or usually adaptations of the original Japanese dramas (which are also based on a Japanese manga) shown ten or so years ago. Are there differences, aside from the language, of the two versions? Which one is better?

Generally, one noticeable difference is the length. The Japanese versions will usually have about ten or so episodes while the Taiwanese ones will have around 15-20 episodes. The t-drama versions would usually have several subplots and will try to stick as much as possible to the original storyline; the j-versions' plot are usually centered on the main plot and would slightly have a "modified" storyline compared to the j-manga on which it was based. Second difference is that the t-dramas would usually have an OST with a main title song and several pop songs which lyrics are related to the song. These songs would usually be played in scenes where the actors are in a contemplating or reflective mode, scenes where the actors would usually be looking out the window or lying awake in bed while scenes are flashbacked. Thus a viewer would have to listen carefully to the lyrics of the songs to get an enhanced understanding of the scene. The j-dramas OST are usually composed of one main title song and a so-called "insert"song . The rest are background music and thus have no lyrics. I noticed j-dramas have less or even zero reflection scenes of the t-drama mode but there are also flashbacks. A third difference is the ending--for t-dramas, the endings are happy, boy and girl live happily ever after type of endings; in the j-dramas, one doesn't directly see a straightforward ending where the girl and boy live happily ever after, although this is implied. This leaves the viewer to expect a "drama special-SP" of two episodes to follow. In the SPs, the "happily ever after" ending usually happens.

Now, let's see the four cases of the comedy/romance genre taiwanese and japanese dramas that I have watched and give my personal (subjective?) rating.

Hana KImi--I like the J-version better because I found the lead actress, Ella, in the t-version not appealing. Further, the j-version starred Oguri Shun (aka Hanazawa Rui of Hana yori dango fame), one of my favorite actors, which explains the bias.

The t-drama "It Started with a Kiss"(ISWAK) vs j-drama "Itazura na Kisu". I like the t-drama version better. It was funnier, acting was good although sometimes exaggerated, the actors had better chemisty esp Ariel Lin and Joe Chen, OST was excellent, the longer length allowed for development of the story, the ending really made me feel good. The j-version, although made ten years earlier was also okay because acting was likewise good. (BTW, the lead actor is far more handsome than Joe Chen. ) Plot was short and really focused on the two lead charaters; absolutely no subplot. The lead actress' acting was not as " naturally cute" as Ariel Lin; she was really "trying hard" so her acting was exaggerated to the point of irritating. The title song cute for its time.

"Sweet Relationship" (t-drama) vs. "Oishi Kankei" (j-drama). Again, ST is a remake of OK which was shown in Japan ten years ago. I like the t-drama version better because the lead actress, Patricia Hsu, was so convincing whenever she describes the food she eats. Although I like Nakayama Miho (the lead actress in the -j version), it was Patricia that pulled it off better. The J-version is more realistic though, but the t-version funnier. Again, the length of the t-drama allowed for more development of the storyline, although the subplots were sometimes boring and tended to draw the focus away from the main plot. I was a bit disappointed in the acting of Vic Zhou, one of my favorite t-actors. His acting didn't exude "authority" that his role asked for, in contrast to the Japanese actor who played the same role in the j-version. (BTW, this actor looks better than Vic). Vic looked emaciated here and his facial expression was almost the same throughout (although he really looked great when he smiled). Although both Vic and Patty looked good together, their chemistry was lacking (maybe due to Vic's "tired" acting). But the ending of ST is better, as the j-version ended with the chef going to Paris with his girlfriend and leaving Nakayama Miho in Tokyo, with the promise that he will come back to Toko after two years to taste Miho's cooking. (I have a feeling there is an "SP" to provide the closure to the story, but have searched the internet endlessly for one but in vain). Again, the t-version OST is good and I like Vic Zhu's sweet relationship main song and Alan Kuo's "Don't say goodbye".

Meteor Garden (t-drama) vs. Hana Yori Dango (j-version). Definitely, HYD lords it over MG. Why? I will save the comments for another day.

Another Side of Me

thekeenanator — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 21:37:52 +0000

So I have many sides. I have been called a horse of many colors. Sort of like the one in the Wizard of Oz. I grew up wanting to be one of the guys, i love sports, I'm an artist, I love theatre, and well...I'm a girl.

Now most girls have a need to be loved or told that they are loved. Today, however, the term "love" the idea of romance seems to be gone. So in a day where most girls drop all their standards for the first guy that notices them, I choose to hang on to the fantastic Mr. Darcy Idea of a man. I guess you can call me a romantic.

By now you are probably trying figure out why I let you in on another part of myself. It has to do with my cousin, who I tend to worry about a lot.

This week we were at the beach as a family. I love my family, but my cousin Kate and I just butt heads a lot. She's about 5 months younger than me and totally boy crazy. She has always been boy crazy. So much infact, that she continues to hang around guys that continually break her heart over and over again. She just lets them walk all over her. Katie tells me "This guy really pissed me off. I'm not talking to him until he shapes up." Then when we are down the beach, she decides to go over his house just to say hi. Ok, there's nothing wrong about going to say hi. But if you are going to not talk to a guy to prove a point, you shouldn't just waltz on over to say hi. It's frustrates me because I want her to be happy and I want her to find a nice guy, but she always seems to find the jerks. Then I get dragged along to meet them or wait while she has long long conversations with them. Like I said, frustrating.

I guess it's different. I mean I'm here waiting for a guy to come along, ask me on a few dates before even considering asking to be his girlfriend, a guy who likes to dance, smile, and doesn't mind that I'm a juggler and artist(the acting kind). I like walking and enjoying simple things and music. I love music! Singing and dancing. Maybe my idea of the perfect guy, won't happen. Well that's not true. He exists somewhere, but I don't know where.

I know that we all have different ideas of the perfect guy/girl. The one you are supposed to be with forever. With the divorce rate being as high as it is today and so many people being unhappy in their marriages and so on, it's hard to believe in the original idea of love. But I believe in it. I really really hope my cousin finds it. I mean we are 21 and I know that is young, but I have only had one real boyfriend and that ended badly. I have a best friend and while I would love to marry him, I know we are set to be on different paths and those paths may never cross. If I have learned one thing from him, is that there is someone out there who is like him who is going to love me for who I am and what I love and what I do.

So with that said...Here is the hopeless romantic in me. I love this side of me. Though at times it makes me depressed and unhappy, I know that my Perfect Man is somewhere out there.

And for those of you who are looking for a good movie about the Perfect Man try these:

The Wedding Date

and

The Perfect Man (yes the one with Hil Duff)