Today I chose the hauntingly beautiful location of Arctic Greenhouse at Alternate Reality for my photographs, which feature the new gown ‘Envy’ from Sascha’s Designs, and also the newly released set ‘Azucena’ from Alienbear Gupte

As usual, Sascha’s dress comes with a variety of lengths and trims per colour. The jewellery set comprises Crown in 2 pieces, necklace in 2 pieces, bracelets and 2 styles of earrings

Base Camp seemed a good place to start exploring

A glance over my shoulder directs me towards the Greenhouse, where you can purchase exquisite sculpted flowers

Jewellery close up

2nd style of earrings

I think this is my favourite colour

Maybe this one?

Credits

All dresses from ‘Envy’ range by Sascha’s Designs

Jewellery: All jewellery part of ‘Azucena’ in soft antique gold by Alienbear

Skin: ‘Life’ by Pulse

Hair: Fay by Mirone

Shoes: gold pumps from Detour

Poses: from Glitterati

Location: Arctic Greenhouse at Alternate Reality

Photographer: Tamara Lowenhart – Models: Tamara Lowenhart and Colin Tunwarm – flickr stream

Head to toe Tammy:

• Haare / Hair: Detour Rawr!
• Piercing Gesicht / Face: UB Urban Outfitter Starfuck piercing
• Piercing Bauchnabel / Belly button: Xcite! Tribal belly piercing
• Outfit: aDiva Delightra
• Skin: Curio Winter2
• Stiefel / Boots: YS&YS BigSur Boots

Head to toe Col:

• Haare / Hair: MADDesigns James
• Skin: Belleza Mathieu
• Outfit: Gothicatz Thunderclap
• Schuhe / Shoes: SOREAL Superstars

< continue style review >

Please visit Designers SLurl  for all the store locations

BODY

SKIN: Damiani - Sean Shaved Eyeliner Tan2

HAIR: Detour - Writer II – Black – Flexi Hair

EYES: CheerNo – GLOX.eye Line [Photo.X] *Chumbo 02

OUTFIT

JACKET: SHIKI-Down Jacket w/fur collar BLACK

T-SHIRT: Cheerno – STYLETees – BADROMANCE [Black]

PANTS: WMD -”Ronin” Simon Blue jeans low rise

BOOTS: CheerNo – Snow BootS [Black]

Photography/Model/Styling by Nicholai Shepherd

“We’re Not Working with Anybody, Ever, Anymore!”

November 22nd, 2009

When we get this close to the end of The Amazing Race, the show’s interest in its characters begins to shift. At certain points, the show allows the racers to appear as comrades, laughing together and competing against the race itself more against each other. However, by the time you get to the final four teams, the show wants every chance to pit the teams against one another in a fight to get to the end, trying to breed the sort of competitive fire that you want to see at this stage in the game.

And while most of the google hits from last week’s post seemed to indicate that the biggest piece of news from the leg was crotch censorship, the real story was the way the producers turned Dan and Flight Time’s altercation into a sign that, from this point forward, things are personal. In reality, the clip was only really edited this way (Big Easy clarified, as they did at the start of this leg, that they had no personal vendetta), but what it does signal is that all bets are officially off.

And this week, as the teams head to the Czech Republic, we realize that this season these teams are perfectly built in order to enter into this competitive stage. There is no team in this race that is what one would call a “feel good” team, and the result is that we’re effectively watching to see how well these teams are able to embrace this competitive spirit. And while this might not fit into a narrative of personal achievement or self-realization, it does fit into what makes these final legs of the race suspenseful: all of these teams are both ultimately capable of being competitive (athletic and strong-minded), but they also tend to create an enormous amount of drama in the process.

As someone who likes this competitive side of the race, I’m pleased by this, but I can see how someone looking for more of a fan favourite finish to the race may be disappointed.

Some of my favourite moments on the race are those where a team becomes divided on an issue as integral to the race as competition. You start to see how people choose to ignore certain realities (like, say, teams not losing sleep over taking someone’s taxi in a race for a million dollars) in an effort to rationalize this crazy process: at this point, they’re suffering from killer fatigue, someone like Brian actually expects that Sam and Dan should apologize to him for stealing a taxi. Perhaps months later, as they share a lunch over all their adventures around the world, they can get together and clear the air, but in the context of the race this behaviour would make no sense.

But it’s the sort of behaviour that emerges when you have teams interacting with one another as the race gets more competitive. Meghan and Cheyne get into a fairly heated argument over whether or not they treated the Globetrotters poorly after the detour, and you can sense that the two are thinking about this race very differently. Meghan is thinking in the short term, feeling that they agreed to work with the Globetrotters and they should continue honouring that agreement. However, Cheyne is thinking in the big picture, believing that the Globetrotters could have just as easily taken the taxi, and that any advantage is a key to staying in the lead and staying in the race. Perhaps not surprisingly, Cheyne is in the right here: heck, if Meghan was able to see what we saw, she would know that the Globetrotters have intended to simply follow Meghan and Cheyne anyways before they agreed to work together, so this isn’t exactly some sort of long-term alliance that both teams are really devoted to. So much of the sense of an “alliance” on the race is convenience, whether in the form of a calculator or in the form of someone who has directions from a local, so to expect those sorts of relationships to remain sacred is inherently false.

Brian and Ericka’s beef with Sam and Dan is even more intriguing when you consider that, when Brian and Ericka are eventually spared by a non-elimination leg (get to that in a minute), Brian argues that he is out to prove that you can win this race honestly. This is noble, certainly, and makes for a nice sort of “good vs. evil” narrative for the show’s producers, but it’s also something that ignores the balance of the material (the million dollar cash prize) and the immaterial (personal satisfaction) that exists in the race. There is no one way to win the race, and in some instances dishonesty has triumphed over honesty, just as blind luck has triumphed over skill. While the taxi theft is something the producers like to be able to build up to create tension between the teams, it’s less about the tension between individuals and more the tension between competitive and non-competitive within each individual racer, within each team, and in the teams’ relationships with one another.

So I love moments like Cheyne losing his temper (and dropping an f-bomb) with Meghan over her conscience getting the best of her, or Ericka proving the voice of reason by pointing out that Sam and Dan aren’t likely detouring to the nearest confessional to wipe away their sin. As the teams begin to grow more and more competitive (with the finish line growing closer in each leg), they begin to either buy into the sense that this is a race or resist turning into “one of those racers” and losing some sense of their humanity in the process.

And one of the things that has been so interesting about the Globetrotters is that they don’t seem to care about any of this. Yes, this is a team that wants to win, but I don’t think that Flight Time was purposefully slowing down Meghan and Cheyne at the Detour. Sure, I may be naive for believing him to be telling the truth, but to this point in the race they’ve shown no sense of being coy with their strategy: while Meghan and Cheyne briefly plot to mislead other teams about what the “Vintage Praga” might be, Flight Time and Big Easy are more blatant when they try to “game the game.” You notice that they never debate about whether or not they should be competitive because they’ve always agreed: this is a game, and they want to win, whether it means freaking out a terrified southern belle in water wings or getting into a physical confrontation of sorts on a boggy boardwalk.

I guess it’s no surprise that players on a team that never loses are willing to be competitive to keep from losing, but I think it’s the kind of attitude that the other racers seem more reticent to employ. Sam (who initially insisted “No, we can’t” when Dan suggested they bribe Brian and Ericka’s cabbie), Brian and Meghan all tend to resist these attempts at being cutthroat or competitive, which creates tension in a way that doesn’t seem to exist between Flight Time and Big Easy. And while it’s true that competition between the teams can create plenty of tension this late in the race, like Big Easy nearly throwing a guitar at Meghan for yelling “Cheyne!” in the opera house, it is the tension between racers that will eventually bring you down. And while Meghan and Cheyne argued in the cab, and Ericka’s attitude has proven difficult in the past despite Brian’s supportive stance, and Dan and Sam had a hay bale-style meltdown on the rapids, the Globetrotters have stuck together through both stupidity (the briefcase in Dubai) and sloth (Big Easy in this Detour) in a way that could take them a long way.

As for the leg beyond this particular theme, though, it was actually pretty much killed by the non-elimination. I distinctly remember them saying that all but two legs were non-elimination earlier in the season, but I likely misheard; accordingly, Brian and Ericka earn their third life (they would have been eliminated in Holland too, if not for Tiffany/Maria’s struggles) and live to fight another die, which sort of flies in the face of the spirit of competition. In the case of the Hay Bales, where Gary and Matt were saved just two weeks ago, I thought it worked because of how much that Roadblock inspired a sense of personal achievement that could be celebrated by being saved. Here, though, Brian and Ericka made a critical mistake inspired by an effort to be more competitive (taking the train/subway as opposed to a cab to the first clue in Prague), and it put them behind for the rest of the leg – there’s nothing unfair about this, so there’s something dissatisfying about them remaining for another week.

Personally, I like these kinds of episodes because they’re a sort of psychological experiment, but I can see how they might not be quite as engaging for some viewers. There’s no one left that you can really root for unconditionally, and that’s an integral narrative for some viewers. What will be interesting is seeing what happens next week when we really do get down to the Final Three, and we see whether Meghan and Cheyne’s domination to this point can extend into a finale regardless of their competitors. This won’t be the most emotional of conclusions, but I think that there’s a chance for a real race to be had here, and personally that’s all I hope for in the end.

Cultural Observations

• I also hope for teams that are capable of creating some enjoyable comedy, which Flight Time (and his graceful dance moves and operatic serenade) and Sam (who knew the Opera in question, and who was hilariously humming it in the taxi as they drove to the pit stop) are able to offer. Brian and Ericka are also capable of this, don’t get me wrong, but they were a bit tied up with the competitive side of things this week.
• In case it’s confusing to have this as Episode 10, when it’s likely labeled as Episode 9 in some circles, the two-hour finale threw things off, so this is technically the 10th leg.
• Always fun to see how the times work out when the teams leave the pit stop: while last week’s editing indicated that Brian and Ericka were fairly far behind the front teams, they were actually right on top of the Globetrotters (and were likely just out of the camera shot when they went wide on the showdown between the Globetrotters and the brothers).
• The Don Giovanni challenge felt like it was trying to create a memorable character in the laughing opera singer who insulted the contestants when they brought him guitars and instruments which clearly do not qualify as “tiny,” but I don’t think it really worked. The show is best when its hilarious facilitators are inadvertently hilarious.
• And, maybe it’s just me personally, but I’d much rather have a final leg with no team I hate than one where there are teams that I both love and hate: whoever wins this race, I don’t think they’ll be an undeserving or dissatisfying winner, which is better than if that remains a possibility even with one team I enjoy still in the running.
• Thank you, Amazing Race, for no more crotch censorship.

A simple wrap in time brings you into another season, a chic new flavor.

Skin: [IC] Ari – light – freckles – copper – ruby
Eyes: [IC-eyes] Ina Centaur 2008 – Silver
Hair: [Detour] Prairie – Brown
Shoes: Detour KickFlip Sneakers – Brown
Top: *elymode* Wrapped Denim Shirt – brown
Bottom: *TorridWear*- Rugged Jeans

Pose: Sunflower Poses

inai fashion photojournal
InaInfinity.com

Now I have to wonder who doesn’t want to be a Rockstar in this day and age? I would think that even the most hardcore bookworm has fantasies of standing in front of an adoring crowd as millions scream his/her name with piercing shrieks of wanting and unrequited love. I know that I’ve had these feelings and dreams a time or two myself- even going so far as to manifest itself physically when I’m standing on top of my bed holding a hairbrush as my loose curls whip across my face while I attempt to give myself whiplash and lip singing to the latest jams. [Frowns at the reader] Hey I’m sure you’ve done something similar as well so stop that snickering over there! But unfortunately unlike the real rockstars I was left stranded on the street without a ride after my buddies forgot me and headed back home. How they didn’t know I wasn’t in the car is anyone’s guess but there it is folks. You can be sure that even though I was without a car and only had 1L to my name I was rocking that roadside curb as I tried to  hitch a ride back south.

As a model I get a bit of that fame and glory even if sometimes I don’t even realize it or can’t fully appreciate it with all the work I have to do constantly that overrides that feeling of joy and exalt at times. It’s been getting a bit chilly lately as the winter season crawls upon us and turns our blood to ice but I wasn’t feeling a thing with my new faux fur coat from Aoharu. It is definitely bound to keep you warm and stylish in even those most frigid of temperatures. Unfortunately for me I had decided to go with a stylish and daring short over the eye sweep cut from MADesigns and my neck was feeling a bit of the wind’s bite. I was never one for the whole flashy and ostentatious look so I decided to go with the Glam Goddess Rocker rather than the all out wild child rocker. It’s a look anyone can pull off- staying casual yet stylish and up-t0-date in this nice cool piece. Who says you have to be all flash and glitter to rock it out?

Skin: Soul Skins – Tiffany 03 Female Skin

Eyes: Adam-n-Eve – Almond Eyes

Hair: MADesigns – Jude Expresso

Jacket: AOHARU – BT Fur Coat – Black

Pants: Detour – Vice Jeans 03

Shirt: Detour – Belly Tank top/Print 16/Splat

Shoes: Armidi Gisaci – Oxford Leather Ankle Boots

Jewelry: Armidi – Niama Necklace – Silver

There’s now less than a month left in the semester and I’m only on Exit 50a. Tonight I drove down to Exit 27 for an interview for another class and attempted to figure out how many more exits I would probably get to by the end of the semester. Here’s what I came up with:

1. Exit 50a, Glassboro

2. Exit 48, Elk Township

3. Exit 45, Clayton

4. Exit 43, Franklinville

5. Exit 39b, Elmer

6. Exit 39a, Malaga

After that, you’re heading into the Vineland/Bridgeton/Millville area. I may attempt to sum them up for the class in one post. I assume I’ll keep this blog up and running after the class ends, so I could go more in detail with those exits at that point in time. In the meantime, I’ll try to do the best I can to at least get to Malaga!

1. Throw lit cigarettes out your window. I don’t care if you’re done with it; save it until you can properly dispose of it. I see sparks coming toward my car and automatically think, “Oh no! Their car is on fire! I have to get into the other lane!” This happened to me TWICE tonight. Not once… TWICE! It was dark and rainy out, and I saw these red sparks and almost had a heart attack. Just don’t do it, please.

2. This next thing has been happening to me a WHOLE lot recently. Tonight, I was coming from Glassboro (our next town to visit!), and merging onto the highway. I put my blinker on and got behind the line of slow cars and looked in my rearview mirror to get into the right lane (I drive between 75 and 80 mph). And then I saw it. The ignorant car. The one in the right lane going a ridiculously high speed and NOT slowing down when seeing the line of cars in both lanes. Instead? They got as close to my car as humanly imaginable without rear ending it, and, despite my blinker, zoomed into the right lane, narrowly avoiding the car located there. Just don’t do it, please.

3. This next point I would think would be fairly obvious: do not, I repeat, DO NOT drive 40 mph on a road that has a 65 mph speed limit. We all know (or should know) that “speed limit” REALLY means, “The slowest speed acceptable to drive. At least drive five over it unless cops are around.” If you’re driving 40 mph on Route 55, unless it is hailing, snowing, or a hurricane, you will be causing a traffic hazard. Just don’t do it, please.

I-40 Landslide in Haywood Co, NC

I-40 at the North Carolina border of Tennessee is closed, but we have detour maps and information so you can plan your Thanksgiving travel.

In the early morning hours of October 25th, an impressive rock slide occurred on I-40, near mile marker 2, close to the Tennessee line. State DOT officials have determined the slide is about 150 feet high and between 200 to 300 feet wide.

This has necessitated of I-40 between Exit 20 in NC and Exit 451 in Tennessee.  The suggested detour would be to take I-26 from Asheville to I-81 at Johnson City, TN, then I-81 to I-40, near Knoxville, TN. (more details to follow)

Estimates are that the clean up will take about four months.   The last big slide, which occurred in 1997, took six months to effect repairs and clean up.  We will update as the project moves forward.

For your convenience, we have included a map and detour information, so that you can effectively make travel plans.  Although the detour is certainly an inconvenience and adds some time to travel plans, the route is scenic and may actually prove to add some travel interest as you make your way to your Thanksgiving destination.

Detour 1: Express Route via Scenic Interstate Byway

The NC Department of Transportation advises I-40 travelers from the west to take I-81 north to Johnson City, then I-26 East to Asheville. The I-26 route adds roughly 50 minutes to the travel time, and is one of the nation’s only interstate Scenic Byways. I-26 takes motorists through the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains offering scenic observation points, a welcome center and stunning views of the highest peaks in the East.

Detour 2: Dixie Highway

Travelers coming from the west on I-40 may also take exit 432-B for US-25 South/US-70 East toward Newport. After Newport, TN, 25/70 becomes the Dixie Highway. Follow signs to stay on 25/70. Shortly after entering North Carolina,you will pass through the town of Hot Springs. Continue until you reach I-26. Take I-26 East to get to Asheville. This route adds roughly 30 minutes to the travel time and is a beautiful scenic mountain highway. Passenger vehicles only are permitted on this road–it is not a commercial travel route (i.e. motorcoach, RVs or dual-axle vehicles). Please consider possible weather and traffic congestion issues on this winding two-lane road.

Travelers heading west from Asheville to Cherokee, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Cataloochee Ski Area and points west should take Exit 27 off I-40 (Great Smoky Mountains Expy/US-19/US-23/US-74).

Asheville Visitor Information: ExploreAsheville.com | 888.247.9811

North Carolina Department of Transportation: NCDOT.org | 511 Travel Info Line | 877.DOT.4YOU

Photo and another article:

http://www.mountainx.com/news/2009/110409buzz2

I just signed up on NaNoWriMo this morning of November 1, 2009. I have heard about this National Novel Writing Month before. I have never taken an interest in this thing where you have to write a novel within one month. Just thinking about what I think is a very daunting task turns me off. Like who has the time to do that?

Well, I know that there are many people who participate in this, but probably not a very busy working mom like me. But then again, I have always wanted to write a book. Well, probably not always, but about six years ago, I started fantasizing about writing a book, a memoir. And so I thought, if I take on this challenge now, I could finally realize that fantasy. I know, it sounds like an ambitious dream. But I did say fantasize, didn’t I?

I haven’t even been thinking about this NaNoWriMo. I received an email with a link, or did I come across something on a website? I can’t remember now. Just this morning of November 1, 2009. And today is the first day to start writing. So this is probably a sign from up there, or anywhere, I don’t know where exactly. At first, I thought that I’d just take on this challenge upon myself. I’ll write my memoir in a month. I won’t sign up, because NaNoWriMo wants fiction. And I’m not really into writing fiction.

But I thought I’d just check out the website. So I clicked on the About page. It says there that you have to write a novel of 50,000 words by midnight of November 30, 2009. The quality doesn’t matter. You can revise later. What matters now is the quantity. Okay, so I thought, maybe I can pull this off. I’d turn my story into a novel. I can write about myself in the third person. Or in the first person. I’ve read novels that are written in the first person. I’d just make a few things up, and also change my family members and friends and people I interact with into fictional characters, maybe combine two people in one character and I can make them do things the way I wanted them to. Ha ha. That would be fun. Then I’d actually be writing a novel, right?

Now that I’ve written about it here, maybe it will motivate me to stick with it. I’m already excited. I was telling my 11-year old son about it this morning. I asked him if he thinks I can do it, he said, “I don’t think so, mommy.” And I was like, “I’ll prove to you that I can.” And when I kept going on about it at lunch, he said, “You talk too much mommy.” I said, “So you see, if I just put into writing what I talk about, I think I could do it. After all, that’s only 1,667 words a day.” I think that’s how I should approach it. And maybe in a month’s time, I’d actually have written a draft of a novel. Or a draft of my memoir, which wouldn’t qualify as a novel, but that’s fine. That’s what I want to do in the first place, anyway. Or maybe this will just be one more thing that I started and didn’t finish. We’ll see.

Forgive me father for I have sinned. I haven’t blogged properly in over a few days because of something called laziness. It’s crept over inside of me and I don’t know how to get rid of it. Luckily, Shane has been there to pick up the slack and post some awesome things. I love when she posts and therefore I think I’m going to be lazy more. There’s a new skin maker (known to me) in town and her name is Pearl Vollmar. These new Claudia skins are really photorealistic and they come with two shades of lipstick, one natural and one either pink or red, depending on the color of the eyeshadow. They also come with a complimentary pair of eyelashes as well as three different eyebrow shapes. There are so many options that comes with the skins that I didn’t want to overwhelm you so I’m showing just a few of what I like.

The downfall of photorealistic skins to me is that they’re kind of eerie real and it’s like I’m looking at a real live human trapped in a virtual game. Which doesn’t necessarily mean a bad thing. If photo realism skins are your thing then you should definitely check out her store and make a decision for yourself with demos.

Taxi to Fior Di Perle

Other things:
Maitreya – Apple
Top: Luck Inc – Temptress
Skirt: LeLutka-PAINE mini(Chocolate) (group gift)

Hair: Detour – Bob III
Lingerie: Canimal – Lust

[angelllina for  SL  à  PORTER]

Calmness…………quiet………..peace…………floating. Very rare in SL but that was the major feeling of my last week.

Hello!

This post I show you a “gridwide premiere” lol….I am wearing a LIGHT skin!! In other words , I am a Light-Skin-Virgin YAY! Since my first day in SL I always picked just dark skins or tanned ones, but LELUTKA’s group gift made me very curious that I didn’t buy just the umber tone but also the light. And I have to say….I still recognize me in this skin…it’s still me….and I loooove this doll in light! Hooooo 

My outfits are based on  the make ups I chose…adding new releases from LELUTKA, the DESIGNERS UNITED II event, LAMB’s uber popular new hair and  GFIELD’s animal prints.

(Little side note…I repost my toe shoes –this time in their original colour- as I have a “pas de deux-date” with Chance and hope he fancy my angelic (!) appearance! hahaha <3)

Hope you all like!

Skin – LeLutka, Eclat Light 7

Hair – [OH] , Oh My Julia, off black  NEW

Shirt – COCO, Long Sleeves Sweater black

Cape – (Milk Motion), my crow cape with bow (DU II)

Skirt – *SHAI*, part from Kimora Evening Gown (50L Friday)

Leggins – Sugarcube, Send me your sun leggins

Belt – LeLutka, part from Feather Dress

Shoes – Detour, London Flats

Bag – Last Ride, Crown Bag

Head Dress – !!WILD O!!, Flower Garden black

Skin – LeLutka, Eclat Light 1 dark brows

Hair – Mirone, Ceria V2 NEW (retextured)

Dress – (Madsy), Anna Minidress black

Blazer – (Madsy), Blazer black

Tights – 5th&Oxford, part from Lit. Miss blush

Shoes – *GF* GField, Figure Pumps zebra brown  NEW

Scarf – *GF* GField, Muffler zebra brown  NEW

Necklace + Earrings – Gems & Kisses, Satin Gold Set

Bag – SEY, Studs Crown Bag (luckychair)

Skin – LeLutka, Eclat Light 1 light brows

Hair – !Lamb, Say powder, (part from black pack)  NEW

Shirt – Sugarcube, part from Meduse outfit (DU I)

Pants – Paper Couture, part from Caration Jacket

Skirts – Gumi’s Bad Box, Frilled Baby Doll sheer (it’s copy so I am wearing 2)

Shoes – B@r, Toe Shoes

All Flower Attachments – LIKKA*HOUSE, part from The Name Of The Rose outfit (2nd anniversary gift)

Garter Ribbon – B@r, part from Bridal Harness outfit

Skin – LeLutka, Eclat Light 2

Turban – CeCubic Effect, Bohemian Glow black

Jacket – Lelutka, Sage Coat  NEW

Sweater – PIG, Chenille Turtle Neck

Boots – Bax, Prestige Boots black

Leggins – Glow Studio, It Was U leggins black  NEW

Earrings – Glow Studio, Glow Earrings Sequins

Skin – LeLutka, Eclat Light 4 light brows

Jacket – LeLutka, Gemmas One Woman Army Coat in gun shot  NEW

Pants – Sn@tch, part of Slick Latex and Sarees outfit (old group gift)

Shoes – R2, Akamai black

Gloves – B@r , part from Decadence outfit

I Pod – Bukka, I Pod touch

Headphones – Savvy Avvy, az Slony pro DJ headphones

It’s easy to say you support racing for a cure, or promoting breast cancer awareness generally.  What about everyday advocating for breast health? 

Recently I was having Sunday lunch with a friend and her fourteen-year-old daughter at a wings place, and of course the football games were on TV.  A few of the teams were wearing hot pink jerseys, and we talked about how wonderful it was that those big brawny macho football players were wearing pink to support breast cancer awareness.  Then, things got interesting.

As my friend and I were discussing our family histories, and the importance of self-exams, even for young women, the 14-yr-old daughter turned to me and said, “I always feel uncomfortable doing that, like, it feels wierd, and I don’t know what I’m feeling for, and stuff.”  After I sent a quick panicked look to her mom, a “Is it okay if I talk with your teenager about this?” look, we discussed it a bit.  It was a bit uncomfortable for me, but of course mother and daughter get along about as well as most mothers and teen daughters, so I felt priveledged that she was comfortable enough with me to ask, and it’s an important topic.  It may have been awkward to talk about it with someone else’s daughter in a wings restaurant, surrounded by football games on TV, but I was glad to have the opportunity to educate, and advocate. 

If we want to increase awareness, and early detection, and find a cure, we need to not only buy pink stuff, and send in our Yoplait labels, and blog a bit. We need to be everyday advocates, and not be afraid to discuss it.  This is important.  This matters.

Credits:
Hair and crown: Tiny Bird – Max I – Ginger
Skin: Adam n Eve Amanda – Glossy – Freckles (Bewbs)
Glasses: Artilleri Gladys glasses – Leo (subscribe-o-matic join gift)
Tattoo: Artilleri Spotty Mix Tatto0
Shirt: Linc Petite Dress – Crocodile
Bracelet (left): part of Dark Mouse Colorful Bangles & Beaded Hoops Set
Bracelet (right): Ticky Tacky Daily Bangles
Jeans: Naive Grunge Jeans Blue
Boots: Detour Mistress Boots – Multi (color-change)
Poses from Reel Expressions

Disclaimer: The Linc dress was received as a bloggers’ promotional item.  I am acquainted to varying degrees with some of the creators and designers.  I do my best to consider and treat all items fairly and equally.

The List is the Michigan State Historic Preservation Office’s weekly news round-up of historic preservation (and related) news from throughout the state. A more robust version, that covers arts and culture, archaeology, economic development, architecture, and general “green” news, is available through the SHPO’s listserv.

You can subscribe to the listserv by visiting our web site, or by sending us an email.

As always we welcome your comments and contributions.

Column: Plans brewing to give ‘tired’ Milham Park an overdue facelift – Kalamazoo

State to host Preservation Workshop in GH on Nov. 17 – Grand Haven

The Covered Bridge is now open! – Saint Joseph Co. 

Ford Homes Historic District celebrates 90 years – Dearborn 

Thieves strip idled, historic General Motors plant of more than $100,000 worth of copper, other scrap – Flint

Owosso Council to consider historic study committee

Landmark lighthouse deal for DeTour

Mount Pleasant sushi restaurant moving into historic building

Kent County may add land bank authority to combat empty structures, lots

Mich. seeks $290M for neighborhood revitalization

AIA Huron Valley Announces 2009 Honor Awards Recipients

Mies building at IIT will come down for Metra station – Chicago

“We’re Not Meant For the Swamp”

November 15th, 2009

When you’re down to five teams, all bets are off on The Amazing Race.

This is a sentiment that goes for the teams themselves, certainly, but also for the race producers. This is a stage in the competition where there are no more non-elimination legs, and where a single mistake will cost you the race, so the teams certainly need to be willing to play this game to the fullest. However, for the producers, this is when the creation of race-ending narratives becomes their true goal: now, the teams that go home are largely perfunctory, while the teams that stay are integral for building tension in the finale to come in only a few weeks.

This is why this week’s leg becomes more about what the producers want, and don’t want, us to see than what’s actually happen: the results of the leg are never particularly in doubt, as the producers are worried about viewers spotting something far more…indiscrete than the end of the episode.

In terms of the leg itself, it’s really quite simple: after bunching together and effectively giving Gary and Matt a shot at surviving their Speed Bump, the leg separates into those teams who are capable of completing the tasks and those that aren’t. Gary and Matt are the one team who fall into the latter category, derailed less by a five minute sauna and more by Matt’s inability to identify a candelabra (pronounced, it appears, candle-ah-brah) and discover an all-important final word on his scroll during the roadblock. Combined with the Speed Bump, it was enough to quite easily send them home: none of the other teams saw them once the Roadblock was complete, and as a result that part of the episode’s narrative wasn’t in doubt.

What was clear, however, is that the editors didn’t have to work hard to create a sense of a rivalry between brothers Sam and Dan and the Globetrotters. The preview from last week spoiled that there would be some sort of physical altercation, but you’d swear that the rest of the leg was planned out leading to such an altercation. Usually the editors work in canned inteview footage about the two teams, spurned on by producer questions, to create a sense of suspense, but this legitimately built throughout the episode as if it was scripted. The two teams are literally neck and neck leaving the Roadblock, and then through a disagreement over whether a cab was meant for Sam and Dan end up in the SAME taxi heading to the detour. This creates the scenario where the teams are giving interviews about the other team with that other team sitting directly in front of/behind them, which is just fantastic for the growing tension the episode desires to achieve.

It all leads, of course, to the scenario after the Detour (which I’ll get to in a minute) as Sam and Dan are going the right direction while Flight Time and Big Easy made a mistake and went the wrong way, forced to double back despite finishing the detour first. As such, on a narrow path surrounded by the mud-filled bog, it isn’t easy (nigh impossible) for the Globetrotters to pass, and yet they run directly up to the brothers anyways creating a lot of physical tension. The result, as far as instant replay shows, is Flight Time losing his footing and, in the process of falling, taking Dan down with him. When they reach the top of the platform, however, Big Easy “looks like he wants to punch someone” (astute observation from Phil), as he’s attempting to claim that somehow the physicality was the fault of an elbow thrown by Dan. Now, they don’t have the joy of instant replay or multiple camera angles, but the Globetrotters’ attitude about the whole situation is legitimately bizarre: both teams were running at similar paces, and the nature of the path meant that passing wasn’t easy, so why should Sam and Dan yield, or be punished when your attempt to pass fails? Sam and Dan are ultimately right: unless they plan on beating them up, the trash talk at the mat was just empty threats designed to intimidate people, which to me is the sort of race behaviour that is the antithesis of the Globetrotters’ otherwise enjoyable attitude.

There’s no question that having the Globetrotters on the race creates an image issue, so you have to wonder if there’s been any of this sort of activity in the past (beyond the Mika/Canaan incident) that we haven’t seen. I’m not suggesting that they’re being entirely sheltered, but take for example the claim last week (from Sam and Dan, in fact) that the Globetrotters have an unfair advantage because they are using their fame/recognition to get help throughout the race. Before that comment, we hadn’t really seen any evidence of this, despite the fact that in previous seasons we were shown very quickly that Rob and Amber used that to their advantage. The difference is that the show wanted Rob to be a villain, whereas it wanted the Globetrotters to be fan favourites, and thus we have the dilemma. Here, we finally get to see them playing the card, as Big Easy (who always seems to be the instigator of this boisterousness, such as at the airport in this episode or with Mika) calls out to the crowd that surely somebody wants to get the Harlem Globetrotters a taxi. Personally, I don’t care: the show cast them, they can do whatever they want. But what’s intriguing is that we didn’t see it until the producers wanted us to, implying that perhaps the race narrative from this point on is more cutthroat than it has been before. I don’t think either team is a clear cut hero/villain scenario, both teams having their issues (see: next week’s preview), but this sort of rivalry can fuel the race, and the producers had a gold mine of material here.

However, the producers’ biggest impact on this leg was all about the male anatomy, as both Sam and Dan were subject to some post-production blurring during the roadblock. Now, just to be clear, I understand where they’re coming from, considering that just a few seasons ago on Survivor a contestant had an undetected wardrobe malfunction in the middle of a challenge. As such, I think the word “penis” terrifies CBS censors, especially with reality shows that are largely watched by families. However, there are three levels of censoring. One is when there is actually something exposed, like when a woman’s top falls down on Survivor. Two is when nothing is left to the imagination, like (although we obviously can’t confirm) happened with Dan in his tight-fitting underwear during the detour in this week’s episode. However, the third level is something that makes absolutely no sense, in that Sam’s crotch was blurred even when he was wearing shorts over top of his underwear.

Now, I’ve already spent a paragraph longer than I ever expected to talking about penises, but seriously? The chances of something being seen through two layers of clothing is preposterous, which means that effectively (I can’t believe I’m analyzing it this carefully, but to be fair this theory was first pointed out by Andy Dehnart) the show was censoring an erection (which makes sense considering they took the time to add in Sam’s comment about the “hottie Estonian guys” – makes me wonder if the interview would have then discussed his erection were this less of a family program). As such, they’re largely censoring in order to stop a thought process whereby a particular phenomenon draws attention to Sam’s crotch, and then viewers are forced to think about what they’ve seen in order to determine its cause; nothing is actually being seen so much as it is implied, thus creating the awkward thoughts which follow. However, and forgive me if I’m wrong here, but if it hadn’t been censored I’m fairly certain that people wouldn’t have been paying half as much attention to his crotch. The blurring, by nature of being different than everything else on screen, actually drew attention to his crotch, which raises logical questions about why it was censored, which in turn brings the crotch narrative to the forefront of the episode.

Now, if you’re Sam, this is probably a huge compliment, as the need to censor his crotch indicates that there was, in fact, something to see. However, it’s guaranteed that the percentage of the audience who would have seen it would be much smaller than those who noticed the censoring, and since the logic of there really being anything offensive to see is highly improbable the damage couldn’t have been too great. If the concern is small children asking “what’s that,” this is entirely ineffective, since I’m pretty sure they’re asking about it anyways. I’m not suggesting that crotchorship, as I’m calling it, is ridiculous: it makes total sense for a family show airing in an early timeslot to limit the level of sexualized content in each episode. What I would argue, however, is that the three paragraphs of analysis I just offered would not have existed had there been none at all, and that I simply may have made a note that the decision to instruct teams to complete the task in their underwear perhaps gave the producers more than they bargained for in leaving little to the imagination. Which of these, I ask, is more harmful to the show’s reputation?

No, you probably didn’t need three paragraphs on crotchorship theory, but I think it demonstrates an important point: what happens after the cameras stop rolling on this show is often times as interesting as what’s actually going on during the race.

Cultural Observations

• As Dan Fienberg points out on Twitter, and so as to rescue my heterosexuality from the grasps of three paragraphs on crotch blur, it really is unfortunate that the women were less willing to take to their underwear in the challenge.
• I enjoyed Phil building up Sweden as the home of dynamite, the Nobel prize, and Abba – is that in order of importance?
• I also enjoy Matt putting on the black headband, since it signals that they mean business – Gary and Matt were a charming team that just seemed too tired to be able to pass more physically capable teams (either mentally or physically) at this late stage in the race. I did enjoy that they got one last legitimately hilarious moment, with Gary prattling on about his love of saunas while Matt awkwardly sits there avoiding staring at the hot chick next to him, before leaving.
• Maybe it’s just me, but the Brotherhood of the Black Edge is officially the least secret secret society ever if they allowed The Amazing Race to come into its secret lair with cameras.
• My question about the roadblock: was the (red) crayon put there as a red herring? Or was it so that the teams could write the clue once they saw it? Flight Time and Matt might have seemed silly, but a rub is not an illogical first impulse (in other words, Flight Time should have figured out he was wrong sooner, but he was not wrong to guess as such).

BareRose never ceases to amaze. The oversize cuff details and bodice trim make the new release “Black Tears” gown quite spectacular.

< complete style credits after the jump >

BODY

Skin: LeLutka ~ Eclat in Sunkissed Makeup 5 [Dark Brows & Hairbase]

Hair: TRUTH ~ Tanya in Chocolate

Eyes: MADesigns EYES ~ INTENSE – devious

OUTFIT

Gown: BareRose ~ Black Tears

Hose: blowpop ~ Lace Top Stockings in Black 20 denier

Shoes: Detour ~ Glamour Metallic Pumps in Silver

Bracelets: Sigma ~ Hoop Bracelets in White

Earrings: LaGyo ~ Chained Earrings in Silver

Ring: Naith Smit Design ~ Blood Diamonds Ring

Style/Model/Photography: Thalia Jie

I have to say this. I love the way moddishh GossipGirl create her clothes. She has released a few key pieces for the winter in colors that remind me of bubble gum for some reason. It’s good thing, plus they come on different layers which is good. I put a few outfits together to show how you can wear the different styles, but ultimately I’m showcasing her new items that are for sale at her store. I even included the different skins I’m wearing. A first for me.

Skin: Bebae – Fabia (Group Gift)
Hair: [Detour] Bliss – Black
Leggings: *Kookie* Cherry Leggings (Green)
Flats: Miel Ant Flat – Muesli
Dress: Modd.G – Winnie Dress (Brown)

Hair: Fri.Day – Quinn (Delighted Blond)
Skin: [LeLutka]-EclatFair-makeup3(LIGHT BROWS)
Shoes: SLink Felicia – Capped Stiletto Red
Socks: Zaara – Nishar Leggings (Dirty Black)
Dress: Modd.G The Urban Babydoll (Red)

Skin: Blowpop – N2 Elizabeth -tone C- 9.1 Persia 1
Hair: Shop Seu – Pompadour Hair (Caramel Brown)
Shoes: J’s Western Boot (Blue Grey)
Modd.G: Laine Skirt (Blue)
Modd.G: Orchid Ruffle Plaid Top (Pink)

Skin: Curio – Petal Frex [Light] Breeze-Pure 4
Pants: Elephant Outfitters – Journey Tweed Slacks (Navy)
Hair: Hair Oh – Oh my SnowMan (Black)
Boots: KAO – Suede Fringe Boots (Pink)
Sweater: Modd.G – Wezz Sweater Top (Lt.Pink)

Skin: Dutch Touch – Special No1 Caramel (Old group gift)
Hair: Boon – DKX456 hair (black)
Heels: Periquita – Wrap Me Up Dollys (Crazy Barbie Pink)
Necklace – *UB* – Pearl Necklace (Black)
Outfit: Modd.G – Maggie As She Goes (Light Purple)

Visit Modd.G in world now!

Everyone drives different speeds on Route 55. My biggest pet peeve? Pennsylvania drivers in the left lane going 60 mph! During the summer when I spent half an hour per day on this road, at least 90% of the time, I would get stuck behind one of these lovely drivers! I think this should be the golden rule on Route 55: If you’re going to drive 74 mph or under, stay in the right lane. If you’re in the left lane going 80 and you see a car moving up quickly behind you, switch to the right lane!

Pants & Shirt: {DL} Fashionista :: Pink. (Get it here)

Shoes: Digit Darkes-Messina Heel – Zebra Black. (Get them here *sale item*)

Skin: :: DUTCH TOUCH ::JoLie:: Cream – KissME. (Get it here)

Hair: >TRUTH< Lucinda – in the shade of barley. (Get it here)

Ribbon: [Detour] Kawaii Polka Ribbon – In the shade of fuschia. (Get it here)

Eyes: PIDIDDLE – Motion Sickness Eyes – in the shade of alive. (Get them here)

Eyelashes: [Detour] – Edge Lashes. (Get them here)

Bracelet Left: REIKI Bracelet Black Diamond. (Get it here)

Bracelet Right: [MANDALA] Lotus chain Bracelet/Black. (Get it here)

Bag: :SEY DrumCase-13in. Fantastic and has 8 texture changes. (Get it here)

Manicure: Laqroki ~ Manicure 11. (Get it here)

Pose:*TorridWear* – Fresh 02 (Get it here)

Really excited about blogging for runway+kidz, thank you so much for having me. Jennaa XoXo

Last week Sasy dragged me out of my house and over to the Designer United II event.  The theme they had worked on was “the Crow”.  Many offerings of feathered themed or feathered clothes and accessories, and most in black.  I bought quite a lot of it, and regret not buying all of it.  I really enjoyed all the feathered theme clothes.  Design wise so much can be done inworld with an event like this when you get people together to have some fun.  Design challenges should be done more often, and I beg designers to really keep their heads up, and be quick to sign up and participate for ALL of them regardless of whats going on.  I am sure you have noticed feathers all over the feed as bloggers showcased their shopping finds there.

Beetlebones & Sexy In Pink

I paired my top from Beetlebones called Shake Your Tail Feathers in Gunmetal, with a tutu skirt from the new releases at Sexy in Pink.  The tank has a feathered attachment for your shoulder which takes it from casual to chic, and I have played with that attachment enough now it goes with so many other clothing items.  If you have it, try it! Sexy in Pink did a new release this past week, with skirts, stockings, tops, and belts.  Shown here is the tutu skirt in pink, with their Punk Silver Stud Belt, and Wide Net fishnet stockings.   It’s a fun flirty skirt,  a wardrobe builder, and available in several colors.  I had to wear my Animosity boots from SiniStyle with, I don’t wear them enough considering how long I lusted after them.  These are a great boot, and could seriously hold their own in a mosh pit, as they are sexy and versatile.  I am so happy to have these awesome gloves from LeLutka, designed by Marni Grut, who was recently added to the design team there this fall.  Sporty and chic, they are sexy gloves, with great texture work.  I chose my perky Natasha hair from ETD in black, with my Mia Pinup Skin from Idiosyncrasy, to complete a fun stylish look.  The make up works perfect with this style of hair.

Hair: ETD – Natasha – Black
Lashes: Detour – Drama Lashes
Skin: Idiosyncrasy – Mia Pinup 5-pale
Shirt: Beetlebones – Shake Yer Tail Feathers – Gunmetal
Belt: Sexy In Pink – Punk Silver Stud Belt
Gloves: LeLutka – Jills Fighting Talk Gloves – Charcoal
Skirt: Sexy In Pink – Tutu Skirt – Pink
Stockings: Sexy In Pink – Fishnets – Wide Net – Black
Boots: SiniStyle – Animosity  Boot
Poses: Maitreya & Olive Juice

“This is The Worst Thing I’ve Ever Done in My Life”

November 8th, 2009

At the heart of every solid episode of The Amazing Race is a narrative of fall and redemption. It is morbidly entertaining to see a team fall apart in the face of pressure, watching as an individual turns into a blubbering mess right in front of us, and when they eventually triumph over adversity (or, at the very least, come to terms with their predicament) it’s even more engaging. There’s something about the Race that brings this out in people, which is why this week’s trip to Sweden is particularly intelligently designed: it is all about creating a scenario where teams will fall apart, and as such given an opportunity to redeem themselves.

It’s also a chance, through the use of the new Amazing Race “Switchback,” for the show to right one of the wrongs in its past by revisiting a particularly infamous challenge. By returning to the scene of the most gruelling roadblock in the show’s history, the show gets to demonstrate how it should have done things last time, in the process creating a good combination of pathos and tension that justify the way in which the task makes the rest of the leg largely irrelevant.

The infamous Hay Bale Unrolling roadblock was physically gruelling, no doubt, but its greatest challenge is emotional. The teams in the front of the pack got onto an earlier flight, raced through the detour without getting lost, and yet was in some ways disadvantaged by having the lowest odds for finding a flag on their first rolls. For the three front-running teams, they needed to overcome both the physical challenge of the task and the emotional challenge of seeing the team who arrived third leave first. On that field, every emotion that had been stored over the past number of legs came bursting to the surface, as Meghan’s frustration over Cheyne’s poor listening skills and Dan’s yelling at Sam turned into a test of their team dynamic in the midst of a challenge where you don’t want to be testing your team dynamic.

Usually these types of challenges that devalue your speed in running the race and which rely entirely on luck or producer contrivance are something I frown upon, but I think this was a worthwhile exercise. There is a legitimate tension when just about anyone could find a flag at any moment, and more importantly the task was so draining that when they did find the flags they were guaranteed a moment of redemption. Meghan, although she tripped in her effort to pull off the ruse, played with Cheyne’s nerves by pretending to quit (which would have fit her general attitude to the task) before displaying the flag, and by the time Sam completed the task to finish fourth Dan had gone from obnoxious douchebag to bawling apologist. Cheyne’s indecision about the Roadblock could have been a sad narrative, with Meghan suffering and furthering their divide as a team, but instead their success brought them closer together. And Dan was emotionally out of control both during (with the yelling) and after (with the crying) to the point where this was a transformative emotional moment for the brothers’ relationship. Instead of the hay bales convincing them that they’re absolute failures in life, it brought both teams closer together, which is what a task like this should do if it’s going to take the skill out of the race.

In doing this “Switchback,” you could tell the producers knew how to improve upon the task. By making the pit stop at the task itself, you avoid an awkward car ride, and the gratification of completing the task and staying alive is instant and thus more emotionally powerful. And, as I had kind of predicted going into the task, the switch over to non-elimination during the task is an important change because it means that no one gets a narrative of failure from the task. Gary and Matt had a rough leg, ending up on the later flight and then doomed by an elevator ride at the Train Station which put them in last place heading into the hay bale challenge. Ultimately, being two stand up guys who appear to care about each other, the team went into the challenge with their heads held high, and Gary neither gave up nor lost Matt’s support in the process. They could have been eliminated with a positive narrative, but the non-elimination guarantees them a reprieve in a way that warms the cockles of the heart. Considering how much they highlighted Lena and Kristy’s departure in the dark field last time, they wanted to be able to rewrite that piece of Amazing Race history, which was done in a successful if contrived fashion.

As for the rest of the leg, it was interesting to see the Globetrotters really emerge as front-runners without necessarily having a great leg – they’re front-runners by nature of their physical prowess and not because they’re overly great at any particular task. Sam and Dan smoked them at the Detour by thinking more quickly about the task, and the Roadblock was just luck. These two are not going to be immune to mistakes down the road, which means that they will need help to win the race outright (and there won’t be tasks like this along the way). Meanwhile, Brian and Ericka rebounded well from last week’s disaster and were downright upbeat during the leg. Ericka could be grating if she decided to be, you can tell part of her wants to, but she willingly gets her nails dirty and she keeps her emotion focused on the positive (as everyone but Dan did well, really) to get them through the roadblock. Without the plane trouble, they’d have gotten through this leg smoothly, so they’re still a threat moving forward.

Overall, a reminder of Amazing Races past reminds us again that these five teams are all pretty likeable even when they lose some of their likeability in the midst of the hay field.

Cultural Observations

• The editing was a bit too obvious at some points (Flight Time talking about how he’d like to get a 1st Place finish for his birthday), but I loved that they never corrected Sam’s presumption that Flight Time and Big Easy were their biggest competition because they were the other all male team – Gary and Matt say hello.
• I’ve probably made mention of this before, but my brother and I are similar in age and demeanour to Sam and Dan, and I don’t care what he says – if I had been the one rolling the bales of hay, he would have been the one yelling on the sidelines.
• Perhaps the show didn’t bother explaining it any further because we didn’t get to see anyone do it, but I found the Viking Alphabet Detour option to be way too abstract to really consider. Of course, I might have just heard “Dynamite” and blanked out on the rest of it as a result.
• I thought teams pronouncing Nobel as “noble” was silly enough, but then I saw the preview for next week – yeesh. I guess this IS the group who didn’t know who Jackie Kennedy was.

Wir sind so baff, Stolz und Sprachlos….das wir schon soviel Zuspruch von Euch Lesern bekommen haben, OBWOHL der Blog nicht einmal 24 std offen ist

Nun hat mich, das Foto und Fashion Fieber schneller gepackt, wie geahnt….und Ich zwang datt Evil Vivi zu einem sofortigen Foto-Fashion-Blog Pic^^

Und taaadaaa \ ° / wir haben fertig

Links seht ihr Vivian und rechts seht Ihr mich (BKaT)!

Alles weitere lest hier hier !

Vivian:

Sweater: [Cynful] Cozy Sweater – dark red
Pants: [Cnyful] Buttees – Seam -Dark red- Black Thong
Boots : Klaxie Style sexy Boots  XStreet
Necklace: *Sissi* Loose Pearls short
Braclets: .:* LOULOU&CO*:.-Braclet ::ENIGMA::
Hair: >TRUTH< Makenzie-night
Piercing: (StarPiercing) Steffi
Lashes: Detour- Klee Dot Lashes
Mouthattachment: [CALYPSO GIANO] Lollipop

BKaT:

Skin: -Belleza- Jesse Deep tan 7 HB (cleavage)
Haare: >TRUTH Hair< Ingrid >dark browns<
Hose: >>>Poison<<< Tres60 jeans
Jacke: =IZUMIYA=Jacket Set/Black
Ohrringe: (creamshop) Glam earring (black) (AD)
Tattoo: ::::  Don’t trust me :::: Tattoo
Wimpern:
1) [ glow ] Innocent lashes – Gentle
2) [ glow ] Studio – Lashes – Lightning
Schuhe: *COCO*_RidingBoots_Black
Location/Deko:
Schaltplatten: Hunt of the 80’s @ CONCRETE FLOWERS -HITS OF THE 80S VINYL

Grafittiwand: [LA] Lostangel – Urban Glam 3- Graffiti