A KCRW affair is always a classy one. This year’s Halloween Masquerade did not disappoint. From the gorgeous setting at the legendary Park Plaza to the central casting styled beautiful people in costumes fit for a movie shoot, there was everything needed for a visual and aural bacchanal.

The grand staircase of the Park Plaza was jammed with incredible ensembles ranging from clever to kitschy. There were the topical and predictable, like a Galifianakis in blu blockers with baby from The Hangover, to costumes so intricate they had moving parts which lit up.

There were hats and gloves, masks, tails and plumes, which scraped floors and door frames. The amount of glitter, feathers and fur left in clumps on the floor of the women’s bathroom made the place look like a kennel in Vegas.

Each level in the historic Neo-Gothic hall had a full bar, spooky projected visuals and grand gothic décor. Out in the back, the premier foodie trucks, Sprinkles Cupcakes, Koji Korean barbeque, Border Grill and Kool Haus served up treats to hungry ghouls.

Gothenberg’s electropoppers Little Dragon dressed in all black like Dieter dancers with brightly colored Aztec paper masks, played their synthy tunes for an enthusiastic crowd in the Bronze room. As Yukimi writhed and waved her oblong tambourine and atoned ala Siouxie over the poppy goth beat, the well dressed crowd didn’t waver for a moment.  She rewarded the audience by dancing harder and singing to the back of the house with Evita arms outstretched. There was a massive response for these Swedes. Angelinos want more Little Dragon and they want it immediately.

Little Dragon by Jeremiah Garcia

Upstairs, the crowd for Sea Wolf was just as great, even though Little Dragon’s set overlapped theirs – the only unfortunate problem during the evening – Alex Church and company took the stage decked out a la Day Of The Dead in black skeleton jumpsuits and white skull faces. True, I was a bit disappointed he wasn’t dressed as Teen Wolf (luckily KCRW DJ Eric Lawrence WAS dressed as the MJ Fox character) but that’s where my disappointment ended. Alex sang the new songs with a confidence I haven’t yet seen from him, which will serve him well once the New Moon hoopla snowballs into insanity.

The band launched into old favorites like ‘Songs For The Dead’ and ‘Black Dirt’, asking Big Bird, Super Mario Bros, Jack and Meg White, and several slutty showgirls in the front row to join the band on the stage steps. As they played their hit ‘You’re A Wolf’, the scary visuals being projected above dissolved into the twins from The Shining which almost pulled focus from the newly charismatic Alex Church. Almost.

Sea Wolf by Jeremiah Garcia

Downstairs, DJ Shadow took the decks with 45s, of course, spinning funk and old school favorites. In my eyes, Shadow was the ‘get’ of the night and the clear headliner. He is one of the premiere DJs of his time.

DJ Shadow by Jeramiah Garcia

Unfortunately, his crowd was a bit thin, due to the set times overlapping and the fact that he was up against the Jonestown-like fervor of Edward Sharpe and an electronic rave that Jason Bentley was commandeering on the top floor. I’ve never seen men in full Amadeus regalia and powdered wigs dance in a room that was hot enough for a Bikrams yoga class. It was like Bentley had them in a Trance trance and none of them could pull their overly made up bodies away.

Bentley's crowd by Jeremiah Garcia

Many people filed in the ballroom to watch the final band of the evening, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, perform. Alex Ebert and his polyphonic spree type cult of musicians crowded onto the stage and launched into pleasant singalong sounds. It’s funny to think of Ebert this way. I remember him with the bi-level razored hair and skinny Ima Robot jeans when his songs ‘Scream’ and ‘Dirty Life’ made me do a lil’ indie dance. That was before he made a pilgrimage to Pioneertown and started dressing in all white, all the time. Now, everyone is entitled to a sea change both musically and looks wise. I just wish I liked the new music as much as everyone else around me did. Even the guy dressed as a Golden Shower, danced like a Manson family member on a Joshua Tree LSD binge.

Edward Sharpe and Spree by Gary Leonard

I went back downstairs for more DJ Shadow and for some Garth Trinidad who brought the obvious missing element: Michael Jackson’s Thriller. Decked out as Moses, he used his great, ahem, staff, to part the wheat from the chaff and really make the zombies dance. On the floor. In the round.

Garth/Moses and his big staff

Thriller night, indeed. Something for everyone and each one of the senses provoked, the masked masses danced straight into the early hours of All Saints Day.

Alice Cooper In Wonderland

• Yesterday was jBlog’s 100th post on its 1st birthday!
• Sunday evening I had to interview random people regarding an event I was required to cover for Writing for Media (WR-201). I was so nervous! I ended up attending the premier of Not Evil Just Wrong, a documentary on Global Warming. I’m glad that the people I interviewed had mixed opinions – it will help when I write up my assignment. But I have that still to do, plus my beat journal. Urgh…
• Math 245 midterm tomorrow… That class is still quite strange. My professor was hired the week prior to school starting, so his methods of teaching haven’t had years of OSU student conditioning, if you know what I mean. He doesn’t even know what actually goes on in recitations – he thinks we have our “study groups”, when in fact we don’t. He makes his midterm so that we will take the exam during our 50-minute class, but he assures us that we won’t be able to finish all the problems. But we should feel comforted because he grades on a curve. See… this could be a good thing when it comes to grades, but it could also be bad because there is no actual fixed form of grading – essentially it becomes based on how he believes you did, not whether the machine graded your answer right or wrong. So, what I’m thinking is that if you go through all the problems and show some work on each one of them, and then go back through and complete the easiest ones and whatever the rest you can complete, then you have a much greater chance of scoring higher because he gives credit for showing your steps and procedures for more problems than anyone else, technically. But what if the majority of the class does perform the “trick” I just mentioned and I don’t? Will I get marked down because I didn’t use the same method for testing as others? In my mind, it doesn’t seem to come out all that fair, unless he actually does use a bias to essentially offset this issue. We shall see…
• Going home this weekend – was supposed to be last weekend, but then I realized that I had two midterms this school week and two papers due Friday, so it’d be best if I hit home this Friday such that my work load will be much less, and stress be much lighter. I will be heading home the first time since I moved down here to Corvallis. It will be nice to play Boggle at Starbucks in the aura of this autumn weather. I need to also go to Haggen to see if they still have my final paycheck (yeah… from 4 weeks ago) and also to say hello to some people I miss. I will also be going shopping for new clothes!… It’s a procedure I usually whine and cry about, but I’m actually eager. This dieting is going well, except all the clothes I have here at the apartment are fairly large and baggy now. I have to put my hands in my pockets in order to keep my jeans up, and unzip my sweatshirt because it curls all up without a stomach there to keep it straight (confusing to explain, I know). All the belts I have are too big as well. So… I suppose this is a good thing. I can’t wait to see what pant size I can fit into! The only thing I’m a bit iffy about going home is my loss of traction on this diet, and the fact that even though I will be enjoying home, I’ll also be missing great times here in Corvallis. Though, Halloween weekend will be a new experience.

Specifies Plaza Plaza, which is located in historical center of Sancti Spíritus city, the hotel will be identified by their colony characteristics, and is completely rejuvenated after working for several months. He was one of several opportunities for people who want to explore the city and find a beautiful tradition, and customs and lives of populations in areas near the center of the country.

The building, where the hotel is now owned by Cubanacan Group since 1996, was built in 1843, as a large family house and the appearance of 1,914 years of confectionery shop and a cafe, a setting and to visit the main owner of the land “from the center of the island. In 1996, the Working Group Cubanacan back to building a tourist, after the reorganization of capital, the goal is to restore the property of style , including the wood and architectural elements of the colonial period.

Plaza Hotel is a small and welcoming acclimatized installation with 25 rooms with radio, telephone, cable TV, private bathroom with shower and bathtub with hot and cold water, mini bar and balcony or terrace. Rooms, which have improved the total and they are equipped with both. The hotel reopened at the same date, XXIX International Meeting of Tourism is known in Cuba, May 4 to 8 can. Re-construction work, which includes restaurants also, a special day in Creole and international cuisine.

Plaza Hotel is on the outside, the high levels of reliability and are easy and attractive decoration in full compliance with the architecture of cities. Maintain their original elements of the garden and a wide range of support for a special attraction to this place, at that time carried a cover painted murals Julio Neira, a local artist .

There is also a cafe, reception / lobby, reading room, snack bar … and privileged by its own staff and comfortable rooms.

Starting from the famous Plaza Hotel, The Streets of freedom, it is possible to walk to the history of the village and visited the building, including the Museum of Colonial Art (SATA House door), the main island (national monument) , the Rio Yayabo Bridges, Main Theater (1839) and Ruben Martinez Ville library.

Additionally, the historic heart of the city, visitors have the opportunity to the architectural characteristics of the value of more than a thousand well-preserved (by the appearance of different styles of long and constructive: memories of the Spanish baroque and regional neoclassicist), many of them set up between the XVII and XIX century.

From the Plaza Hotel, visitors have a chance to see the approach to history, traditions, culture and customs of the city, the fourth between the first seven villages founded in the XVI century Spain, the island and Visitors can stroll through the quiet and tranquility of old times with the narrow streets of the city, some of them paved with cobblestones, as Llano Street, a simple house in colonial style, which is rejected a pass from the moment the wide within patios, where light and color vitrales (colored glass) and the race and the special touch of a good time of the former colonial apartment, among them, Quinta Santa Elena.

Sancti Spíritus local investigators to ensure return on riverbanks and the river is located Yayabo in 1522, when the testimony, that the development is completed in a limited Main 1680, after 60 years of occupation. The old village of the city became the title of 1867 of Real Order.

Sanction Spirituous almost obligatory to visit the place when we travel from east to Havana Cuba. There is a singer, “from the cradle to the city and one in Cuba, where the more you can enjoy nature and history of the island. Plaza Hotel is a place to stay, we recommend that if you take a break and see a moment around the town, before continuing the journey.

Konaklayan : Cihan Ergür – Digital Trend Uzmanı

Tarih : 30 mayıs – 3 haziran

Otel konum itibariyle Alexander Platz‘a yakın bir mesafede ki otel’in en büyük artılarından biri de bu. Özellikle benim gibi hem iş ile tatil’i aynı araya sıkıştırmaya çalışanlar için oldukça stratejik bir noktada yer alıyor. 4 yıldızlı bir otel olarak 4 yıldızı’da hak edecek durumda. Lobide’ki görevliler oldukça ilgili ve güleryüzlüydü. Odalar ise klimalı ve uydu tv’li. Ancak türk kanalları listede yer almıyordu. Seminerlerden dolayı sabah kahvaltılarına katılamadım ancak otelde sohbet ettiğim diğer konuklar kahvaltılardan son derece memnunlardı.

Benim açımdan otel’in en büyük eksiği ücretsiz bir internet bağlantısı olmamasıydı. 24 saatlik standart bağlantı ücreti 13 euro ( mailleriniz için limitli download 32 mbit  ), business bağlantı ( limitsiz download ve 100mbit ) ücreti 20 euro’ydu. Özellikle YTL’ye çevirdiğiniz de içinizi acıtan bir bedel olsa da yüksek hızlı bağlantının keyfini yaşamak için ödeyebileceğiniz ve pişman olmayacağınız bir miktar.

Eğer Berlin’e gidecekseniz ve benim gibi taksi’ye değil de normal bir Berlin’li gibi  metro’ya, trene binip bu güzel ve düz tarihi şehri görmek istiyorsanız Berlin Park Plaza Otel’i tavsiye ederim ancak yine’de oda fiyatları konusunda biraz tuzlu olduklarını da göz ardı etmeyin.

Greetings Everyone

We had a wonderful weekend! We had the pleasure of creating a “tasties masterpiece” for Betty and Paul, a keyboard for a 80th birthday celebration and more!

Enjoy!

Betty Daniel Wedding – June 22, ‘08 – for more picts visit Linda Long Photography!

Tallahassee Women’s Club

80th Birthday Celebration

The Park Plaza

Ann Poyer Anniversary Cake

Last week the senior class had three events that led up to yesterday’s graduation. 

The first night was at a club in providence called the complex.  The club consists of 4 rooms, that all play different types of music.  Although I wasn’t there to witness it, the final few songs were a melody of boy band hits from the 90s, a perfect ending to a perfect evening.  I just have one tip for you, if you don’t know how to dance…no big deal, not everyone is JT….but don’t step on your partner’s feet!

The second day was at the casino, Twin River.  I saw a comic who made fun of everyone, saying we’ll all be unemployed in a week.  We also saw a hypnotist, but I that’s not real, so there’s no reason to dwell on it.  The night’s finale was a concert by the grammy awarding winning artist: Coolio.  Other than gangstas paradise, the concert was so horrible that it was humorous.  One song was called “I like girls”…it was a little repetitive and went a little something like this: “I like girls, I like girls, oooo weeee I like girls.”  And at the end of the concert he plugged his cooking show, Cookin’ with Coolio…aka the gansta gourmet.  He also has a new cd coming out called “Steal Hear.”  But the best was when he announced his age, 44!  Oh and he came back to campus and partied with some students….seems reasonable huh?

The last night was a formal up in Boston at the Park Plaza.  The dj was horrible and totally killed the mood with songs like the electric slide and the chicken dance.  But we got dressed up and looked cute one last time.

The saddest part was knowing that once it was over, it was time to graduate; and that’s what happened yesterday.  It wasn’t depressing to get my diploma, it was just sad to think that I will never see most of those people ever again, most of which is fine, but there’s those others.  The other people that you’re not quite good enough friends with to go see, but good enough that you want to.  It amazing to think how many wonderful people I was able to meet over the four years at college.  I would hate for that to go to waste.

death ain’t nothing but a heartbeat away,
i’m living life, do or die, what can I say
i’m 23 now, but will I live to see 24
the way things are going I don’t know

so, most of the kids at jack’s preschool were out sick this week with a cold and lo and behold…jack woke up with a low-grade fever, cough, and runny nose this morning. yes, this is the circular life we lead – one weekend with cold one without — I’m hoping that this means he will NOT have a cold next weekend – his birthday party.

no bread and puppets today and perhaps no chuck e. cheese’s in burlington tomorrow. however, I will be having coffee/tea with another adult tomorrow!

yesterday was great! started the morning with an 8am Mass Inc session at the Park Plaza – workforce development – Suzanne Bump was very impressive. great to see stephanie and gretchen. on our way out, gretchen and I peeked into the ballroom dancing event - what inspiration to be competing at 8am – sequins, mirrorballs, and all. went from the park plaza straight to the state house – passing the nu flag at the president’s house on the way (wonderful to see that!). it was my first time inside the state house (!) and the event i was attending was in the great hall of flags – extremely inspirational.  it was an event for one family scholars and it was great to meet some of the scholars!

 friday night movie night was hunchback of notre dame and it was very scary- ah the catholic church and the gypsies. now to fit in eragon…jack is on the verge of learning to read – has truly started recognizing words – oh…i guess that is reading…

Gone are the days when a tourist had to languish in his hotel room after sunset in Jaipur.Now they have many options to enliven their evenings besides just having dinner and going to bed.

How would you like to spend your Evening?

Would you like to shop some more?

Head to Guarav Towers,Malviya Nagar and you will find branded shops full of Shoes,Clothes,Music,Movies on DVD, Books,Coffee Bar,Bargains for Rs.99/-,Bakers, Restaurants including the Mac.If you want some more choice step across to The India Bulls Store & Spencers or to yet another mall stones throw away.

If you do not belive in the mall culture and like to practice the art of bargaining then Bapu Bazar,Nehru Bazar,Hawa Mahal Bazar and other Bazars in the walled city are for you.Window shop at a leisurely pace amongst the bustle of the people,hawkers,rickshaws,autos,urchins,cows and the ever present honking traffic. And a mute witness to it all are these Red lime washed walls of monuments of times no more and you .

In the mood for a long drive-head for The Chokhi Dhani-Ethnic Village Restaurant on the Tonk Road.The menu and service is traditional rajasthani.There are potter,folk dancers,snake charmer,madaari and a future reading parrot.Camel and elephant rides.Lac bangles for sale.

If you do not feel up to the long drive but want a good north Indian meal under the belt head for “Shree Thal”(0141-5130070) restaurant behind the New Vidhan Sabha,near jyoti nagar police station.If in mood for top of the line multi cuisine vegetarian fare head for the “Four Seasons” on Subhash Marg,C-Scheme(0141-2374601).

How about some Chaat?  ”1589″ on Ashok Marg,C-Scheme(0141-3121589) .

Are you thinking Non-Vegetarian?No visit to Jaipur is complete without a meal at the Niros (0141-2374493)on the M.I.Road. Another choice - Copper Chimney (0141-2372275),opp. G.P.O. Spice Court (0141-2220202)on Jacob Road.

Or just feeling like a Pizza-Pepsi only? There is Pizza Hut(0141-2388627),Ganpati Plaza,M.I.Road and Dominoes(0141-2378526),near Raj Mandir Cinema Hall.

Looking for a Gujarati meal-there is “Anapurna” behind Raj Mandir-near gujarati samaj complex.

A south indian meal is readily available at “Sapphire”(0141-5112594) and “Dasaprakash” (0141-2371313) on the M.I.Road.

And we must not forget the little lady and the young master with you. MacDonald’s has three out lets in jaipur-Near Raj Mandir,Gaurav Tower & Crystal Palm on bais godam circle.(1600-11-00-99)

But the night is still young.What night ends without pubbing.

Geoffrey’s the pub (0141-2360202)at the Park Plaza and Bar Code at The K.K.Square on Prithviraj Road,Steam (0141-2211919) at The Rambagh Palace and Back to Basics at Country Inn & Suites (0141-5103300) on khasa kothi circle.

Or just looking for a cup of that perfect coffee before you turn in for the night -Barista in Mall 21,opp.Raj mandir.Mr.Beans(0141-2223650) & The Rock (0141-2360622)on the Sardar patel Marg,C-Scheme.

If you think no holiday is complete without a hindi movie-we have just the place for you-The Raj Mandir Cinema Hall(0141-2379372).In this day and age of multiplexes-a single screen theatre-built like no other and worth a visit.

For the culturally inclined-Birla Auditorium &Planetarium  (01412385224) on Statue Circle, Jawahar Kala Kendra (0141-2705879),opp.Commerce College or Ravindra Manch (0141-2619061) in the Ram Niwas Garden.These places come alive during the yearly fixtures of  Jaipur Festival & Rajasthan Day celebrations conducted by the RTDC and The Jaipur Virasat Foundation.A not to be missed yearly event is the increasingly high profile  Jaipur Literature Festival with writers galore.

Rajasthan Development Corporation Ltd. has started a Pink-City-By-The-Night Tour.(6.30 to 10.30 Pm.) Offering lit up monuments of Jaipur with Vegetarian Dinner at The Durg Cafe,Nahargarh.(Rs.250/-Per Pax Drinks Optional Extra) Contact: R.T.D.C. Tours & Travels,Government Hostel,Opp.G.P.O, Jaipur (P) 01412375466

So we’re finally here in Boston! Last night there was an opening reception at the Christian Science Monitor. The mapparium were amazing, of course. Geography heaven. I made a poor decision — wearing heels for the walk to the Monitor. Heels plus Boston equals unbearable pain, for sure.

The Park Plaza is great — there are two bathrooms in my room, and a couch. Very fancy. Even though the bathtub didn’t drain, it was seriously the best shower I have ever had.

Kristin Lenz gave us a better idea of what we’ll be doing this week, so here’s the schedule:

Today- We’re working all day on our projects at the Boston Globe! The 10 finalists are divided into two groups of five. Each group is making a presentation based on our applications, which were hand-drawn storyboards about the draft. We have to combine the ideas in whatever format we want. My group had a big discussion tonight and I think everything is going well, thus far… ☺. Anyhow we will be working as late as we want Monday night, which should be pretty late considering the personality types of everyone here. I mean that in the best way possible of course, lol … being one of the people here. It’s a holiday for the Globe so the building will be pretty empty, most people have the day off.

Tuesday- The deadline for our projects is 6 p.m., eek! We have until then to work at the Globe, again, but there will be more people around to talk to us about what we’re doing. Then, we have the night free.

Wednesday- Morning is TBA. Starting at 2 p.m., though, we have our big interviews with representatives from the paper. It will be one intern to the five representatives, which is a rather frightening number in my opinion. The interviews should only last 20 minutes or so. We have Wednesday night free, too. And all the Missouri designers are coming, woohoo!

Thursday- Student session and Quick courses! And the opening night party that evening.

Friday- Regular session- Interns present their projects at lunch, when the top five are announced. Voting to rank the top five starts now.

Saturday- More conference sessions. Voting is open until 6 p.m., when the ballots will be counted in time for the final ceremony at night!

This is seriously shaping up to be the most exciting week ever.