I’m sure as a parent of either a human or an animal, we all have a preconceived notion of what to expect in the future with the arrival of a child or pet. Well thankfully I was wrong. Apple brought  a joy and happiness into our lives I could not have imagined before adopting her. Within the 6 years we were given with her, I have such fond memories with the great ones vastly outnumbering the sad ones. One of my favorite memories is us playing Ping Pong. Apple loved to chase after balls of any size, from tennis balls to beach balls and tear them up. At our house in Glendora, CA we had a ping pong table set up in a back room that Vic and I would often play on. We got pretty good together after a while. Not wanting to be left out, Apple would come stand next to one of us and set her huge head on the table. Apple was a big girl. She weighed a solid 165lbs in her prime and stood tall enough to rest her head on a table without  much of a problem. Well, Apple would track the tiny orange ping pong ball back and forth from one side to the other until the ball came too close to her. Imagine this, an orange ping pong ball bouncing back and forth on the green ping pong table, Apple’s black mask and muzzle resting on one corner with her brown eyes intently focusing on the balls motion. The orange ball bounces right in front of her, a flash of pink and the orange ball disappears into the black. We laughed so hard the first time that happened. It was like the old game Hungry Hungry Hippo, where the hippos are all grabbing at the marbles making them disappear from the game board. The ball just disappeared! I loved it when she was on Vic’s side of the table because I could slowly have the ball head her way and watch it get sucked into the black. It always looked like a magic trick; now it’s here and now it’s gone! Voila! Sometimes she would puncture the ball, but it was not very often. Most of the time though we would say “Drop it” and she would just spit it out. Puh. That was just as hilarious. A flash of pink and out comes the orange ball again. Some magic trick! We would have to wipe off the slobber, but it was always worth it. The really funny part is when we’d play ping pong with our friend. The looks on their faces was always surprise with Apple’s Disappearing Ball Trick.

When we lived in California, we would often go and hike up Glendora Mountain Road. It was a fireroad that we used as a hiking trail. I went up there all the time as a kid and many of my memories involve these hikes. We loved going up there a few days after a good rain to catch the stream that would come down the mountain. Apple love romping through the water. She would run full speed into the stream and find a pond deep enough to come up to her chest. We would show her a pebble and toss it near her. She would follow it and stick her head under the water! After a few times inhaling water, she learned to blow bubbles out of her nose. We laughed and laughed. She was such a funny dog. Apple was a great hiker, she would walk up ahead of us and never get out of site. She would always look back as if to say “Hurry up, Mommy & Daddy! There’s so much fun just around the corner”. I learned a lot from her, she took life with a grain of salt, always happy to just be here. Vic & I don’t have any kids right now, but she also taught me many of the good things about having kids, and some bad. For instance, I loved to watch her explore the world around her and discover new things, like a stick in a stream. I had to learn the balance of reacting from worry and letting her make mistakes; it was tough watching her brave the deep end of a pond, I had to convince my fear of the possible dangers that I was there and could react in time to save her. It was more important for her to explore and discover than ward off the danger. This may sound callous and irresponsible, but I believe that every parent has to make that choice at one time or another raising a child. I know my parents did, growing up I was constantly poking around to find the boundaries of my world. I’m very thankful to have had parents that let me explore because I am now all grown up and still get drawn to find out what’s just around the corner out of site.

• Such A Busy Day…..Rushed Off My Feet At Work and Cinema With Princess @ The Trafford Centre Tonight…And No Doubt A Little Xmas Shopping.
• Long Weekend though  Off Friday and Monday…Shopping In Manchester Tomorrow and Meeting Gorgeous Niece and New Fella For Lunch.
• Feel Very Liberated Today…New Phone Contract…New Number…Its All Very Quiet Now….Must lol

♥Party Patty♥

Pensioner gang allegedly kidnap and torture their financial adviser

A gang of pensioners allegedly kidnapped and tortured their financial advisor after losing £2million savings in the credit crunch.James Amburn was ambushed outside his house, hit over the head with a Zimmer frame and bundled into a car, it is claimed.The OAPs then bound the 56-year-old with masking tape and threw him in a cellar for four days until he agreed to get their cash from a bank.American-born Mr Amburn  said the ambush took a while “as they ran out of breath”.He added: “The fear of death was indescribable. They bound me with masking tape until I looked like a mummy.”Mr Amburn was driven 300 miles from his home in Speyer, Germany, to one of the pensioner’s homes in Lake Chiemsee, Bavaria.His ordeal ended when he faxed a Swiss bank to get the cash. He secretly scrawled a message to call police.The five OAPs, aged 60 to 79, have been charged with kidnap.

A distant US relative of Dr Hawley Crippen, executed in London in 1910 for murdering his wife, has failed in a bid to secure a posthumous pardon for him.

The Criminal Cases Review Commission refused to send the case back to the Court of Appeal, saying the applicant was not a “properly interested person”.James Patrick Crippen, 73, of Ohio, a second cousin three times removed, said he was “disappointed” by the decision.He argues remains found at Crippen’s home were not those of his wife, Cora.He said DNA tests had proved this, casting serious doubt over his ancestor’s conviction.

James Crippen has been fighting for years for an appeal, a royal pardon and the release of his relative’s remains, which are buried in the grounds of Pentonville Prison, London.Mr Crippen, who lives in Dayton, told the BBC News website: “It’s an embarrassment to the British courts to have to admit, after 100 years, that the gentleman was innocent.”They didn’t want to review the case – it’s so old they felt they shouldn’t change it. They just leave our name in disrespect.”The former marketing manager said he would be consulting his UK lawyers about the “other avenues”.

Failed test

The Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) decided James Crippen was not a “properly interested person” in the case and there was no real possibility the Court of Appeal would hear it.The commission said in cases where the person whose conviction is to be appealed against was dead, the request must come from someone “approved” by the Court of Appeal.

That person should be the widow or widower, “personal representative”, or a relative who has a “substantial financial or other interest” in the appeal.”Without an individual who has a real possibility of being approved by the Court of Appeal, there could be no court hearing and so no purpose would be served by the commission carrying out a review of the case,” said a CCRC spokesman.The commission, which had received the request in May, said it considered the application “impartially and in detail” but concluded last month that James Crippen did not meet the test.It is understood the CCRC did not examine the grounds for the appeal.The appeal was launched after scientists at Michigan State University claimed to have obtained DNA evidence in 2007.

The researchers said they had tracked down three of Mrs Crippen’s grandnieces and compared their DNA with samples from the body which had been kept on a microscope slide since the Old Bailey trial.

Trans-Atlantic dash

The Crippen case is one of the most notorious in British criminal history.After hiding his wife’s remains under a cellar, the US-born doctor tried to escape to Canada on the SS Montrose with his lover Ethel Le Neve, who was disguised as a boy.But he was caught after the ship’s captain recognised him from newspaper reports and alerted Scotland Yard.The Montrose was the first ship to carry Marconi’s new telegram system and Crippen famously became the first criminal in history to be arrested thanks to such technology.He was arrested at sea and brought back to Britain after Inspector Walter Dew made a trans-Atlantic dash in a faster vessel.Crippen was found guilty and hanged at Pentonville Prison in November 1910.Le Neve, who was tried separately for complicity in the killing, was acquitted.

Spooks star Miranda Raison spied spending time with Ralf Little after marriage split

Former Spooks actress Miranda Raison has fuelled rumours she is dating actor Ralf Little after she was photographed leaving his home.The blonde, 29, was seen arriving at the Royle Family star’s west London home late one night over the weekend, before leaving together the following morning.Their pairing comes just weeks after Raison announced she had split from husband Raza Jaffrey after just two years of marriage.

Miranda Raison is all smiles as she leaves Ralf Little’s west London home over the weekend

Raison and Little, 29, met earlier this year while filming ITV drama Married, Single, Other.In the series, Miranda played a model named Abbey who captured the heart of Ralf’s serial womaniser character Clint.Friends of the couple said they have ‘fallen for each other in a big way’.Last month, it was revealed that Raison and Jaffrey, 34, had ended their two year marriage after living ’separate lives’.The couple started dating in 2005 after falling for each other on the set of Spooks.However, when Jaffrey – who played undercover operative Zafar Younis, left the show the same year they married, the couple began spending increasingly more time apart.

According to friends, the couple’s marriage started to suffer soon after the wedding.The source told the Daily Mail: ‘When they spent all day and night together on the set of Spooks their relationship was fine but after Raza left the show it all started to go terribly wrong.‘Their careers have both taken off and they have been focused on that. It’s hard to juggle a personal life and work in the industry when you.

Little, who played hapless Anthony in the Royle Family, previously dated TV presenter Lisa Rodgers and his Summer Holiday co-star Sarah Churm.Before meeting Raison, Raza dated his Bombay Dreams co-star Preeya Kalidas, who plays Amira in EastEnders.Raison recently left Spooks after four years of playing Junior Case Officer Jo Portman, who was shot by Ros Myers (Hermione Norris) while restraining a terrorist during a hostage situation.

Todays WTF !!

Mythical white stag found in the forests of Gloucestershire

White stags have long been associated with mythology and legend, an elusive yet magnificent beast.King Arthur was left frustrated by his attempts to capture one, as were the Kings and Queens of Narnia, who chased the creature through the woods and found themselves tumbling out of a wardrobe.But photographer Ken Grindle has managed to get a little bit closer, taking this picture of the animal in the Forest of Dean in Gloucestershire.

The White Stag was snapped by amateur photographer Ken Grindle near Lydney, GloucestershireThe majestic wild animal – long associated with mystery and good luck – was filmed by the wildlife enthusiast.Ken, 66, has been filming and photographing wildlife in the area for the past six years – but had never seen a white stag.’I was very surprised to see it,’ he said.

‘I was camped in a shelter and was really fortunate. It just strolled right in front of me and calmly wandered around.

‘He is a beautiful creature and it’s really nice to be able to show people who perhaps can’t make it into woodland what beautiful animals roam out there.’I was lucky to be able to get some footage of it as well as the battery on my camera was running out.I wasn’t sure I’d actually got it until I got home.

This white stag was decapitated in 2007. Its existence was kept secret in a bid to deter poachers

‘I take the pictures to share with everyone as a lot of people can’t get out into the woods to see this.’The Forest of Dean is thought to be home to an array of unusual and wild creatures including wild boar, big cats and white stags.Retired builder Ken added: ‘There’s a lot of talk about big cats in the Forest and that really would be something to see.I managed to stand my ground when some wild boar came out into the path in front of me but it might be a bit different if I saw a big cat.’Last year a white stag was spotted in the Scottish Highlands and was photographed by a member of a nature charity while she was on an expedition on the west coast.Fran Lockhart, of the John Muir Trust, a charity which protects wild land, said she was “thrilled” to spot the majestic beast, which is closely identified with the unicorn.In October 2007, a wild white stag was shot by poachers on the border between Devon and Cornwall, where horrified locals had known it by the name Snowy.

Jimmy Choo co-founder Tamara Mellon wins £6million in shares row with mother

Jimmy Choo co-founder Tamara Mellon has won £6million in a long-running legal battle with her 70-year-old mother.Miss Mellon had sued her mother Ann Yeardye for the return of shares mistakenly paid into a family trust fund.The lawsuit in the Royal Court of Justice in Jersey, was abandoned last week after Mrs Yeardye conceded the case.

Jimmy Choo co-founder Tamara Mellon says he has always had issues with her mother Ann Yeardye, pictured here in 2006

Miss Mellon, 42, who has made £100million from her shoe empire, recently said her relationship with her mother, a former Chanel model, has always been strained.But spokesmen for Mrs Yeardye say the ‘apparent ill-will’ came from Miss Mellon’s side.

The family rift began in 2004 after the sale of Jimmy Choo to an investment group.Miss Mellon, who set up the company in 1996, remained in control but an accounting error meant some shares were paid into a trust controlled by Mrs Yeardye.She allegedly refused to repay them before launching a counter-complaint.Earlier this year, Miss Mellon told American Elle magazine that her mother was jealous of her looks and success: ‘We never got along. She wanted to be me, I think, which seems terribly sad.’An agreement was settled on Thursday, sources said, with both sides paying their costs.Lawyers for Mrs Yeardye said it was agreed ‘amicably’.

He will make an address to MPs and peers from the spot where Sir Thomas was sentenced in 1535 for his opposing the adultery of King Henry VIII.Details of the four-day state visit are being discussed in Rome between a delegation of Whitehall officials and their Vatican counterparts.A Vatican delegation has also visited London in an attempt to finalise the plans.It is understood, however, that the visit will begin on September 16 and that it will end after the Pope has personally presided over the beatification of Cardinal John Henry Newman, possibly in Wembley stadium, on Sunday September 19.The address in Westminster Hall will be one of two public speeches that the Pope will deliver during the trip. The other will be to academics at Oxford University.Former Tory Minister Ann Widdecombe, a convert to Catholicism who will be standing down at the next General Election, said it was “marvellous” that the Pope will be able to address parliamentarian from such an historic venue.

She said: “He should remind Parliamentarians of their duty to guarantee freedom and democracy and that includes Christians.”Westminster Hall was built in the 11th century and is the oldest part of the Palace of Westminster.It is sacred to many Catholics because it was where many martyrs and saints were tried for High Treason during the Protestant Reformation.Most notably it was the scene of the trial of Thomas More, the former Lord Chancellor canonised as a saint by Pope Pius XI in 1935 and made patron saint of politicians by Pope John Paul II.More was beheaded after he refused to take an oath attached to the Act of Supremacy that made the King the supreme head of the Church in England.A plaque marking the spot where the trial took place was kissed by Mother Teresa of Calcutta during one of her visits to Britain.

During the Elizabethan era, St Edmund Campion, the Jesuit missionary, was also tried in the hall and in the reign on James I it was the setting for the trial of Guy Fawkes, who had tried to blow up the building in the Gunpowder Plot of 1605.In the same century dozens of innocent Catholic priests falsely accused by Titus Oates of plotting to kill King Charles II and put his Catholic brother James on the throne were tried and sentenced to death there. Samuel Pepys, the diarist and naval administrator, was implicated in the plot, was also tried but was acquitted.An official announcement of the papal visit is not expected until well into the New Year.

Irony

‘Freedom of speech’ victory as Christian hoteliers are CLEARED of insulting Muslim woman as judge slams her evidence

Christian hoteliers accused of insulting a Muslim guest for wearing the hijab and berating her for her beliefs were dramatically cleared this afternoon.Benjamin and Sharon Vogelenzang denied using threatening, abusive or insulting words which were religiously aggravated against white British Muslim convert Ericka Tazi, 60.District Judge Richard Clancy, who heard the case in the absence of a jury, told the couple that religion and politics was the ‘tinderbox which set the whole thing alight and it would appear because of strongly entrenched positions that is what has happened here’.

Explaining his reasons for dismissing the case, he said Mrs Tazi’s claim that she was verbally attacked by the couple for up to an hour had not been borne out by other prosecution witnesses, who suggested that any discussions lasted around seven minutes.Judge Clancy also highlighted Mrs Tazi’s use of language. When describing how she was provoked by the couple about her hijab she used words to the effect of: ‘Would you prefer it if I got my tits out?’He said: ‘I mention this because when I read that together with what she said about ‘them taking the piss’ it doesn’t quite form the same religious view that was put to me on the stand’.Judge Clancy said: ‘I’m not satisfied on the facts that this case has been made out.’His decision was greeted by prolonged applause from the couple’s supporters in the public gallery.Outside, Sharon Vogelenzang told reporters: ‘We’ve been found innocent of any crime. It has been a very difficult nine months and we are looking forward to rebuilding our business and getting on with our lives.’We would like to thank all those who have supported us, our family, our friends, our church and Christians all around the world, and non-Christians.

‘And as Christmas approaches we wish everybody peace and goodwill.’

Mrs Tazi told the court yesterday that she was left traumatised after being insulted by the couple while a guest at The Bounty House Hotel in Aintree, Liverpool, on March 20.She said they laughed at her when she came down wearing a hijab on her final day at the hotel and shouted at her, saying her Islamic dress was a form of bondage and that she had provoked an argument by wearing it.Mrs Tazi, who converted to Islam when she married a Muslim 18 months ago, was staying at the hotel while she attended a pain management clinic at Aintree Hospital for her fibromyalgia.She claimed Mr Vogelenzang called the prophet Mohammed a murderer and a warlord and likened him to Saddam Hussein and Hitler.But the couple denied her version of events and claimed Mrs Tazi told them Jesus was a minor prophet and that the Bible was untrue.

Earlier, the court heard how the Vogelenzangs’ B&B had suffered as a result of the case.Benjamin Vogelenzang, 53, accused Mrs Tanzi of trying to ruin his business during heated scenes in court. The hotelier raised his voice and thumped the witness box before he was told to behave by Judge Clancy.His 54-year-old wife, Sharon, told the court that takings were down by 80 per cent since they were prosecuted for a public order offence.Benjamin Vogelenzang told prosecutor Anya Horwood in cross examination: ‘At the time I was persuaded she (Ericka) was quite a nice person.’Raising his voice, and thumping the witness box for emphasis, he continued: ‘I was mistaken, you know why? She wasn’t a nice person, she wasn’t a loving person, she ratted to the police and is trying to make us lose our business.’His outburst prompted Judge Clancy to tell him: ‘Behave yourself please.’When Mr Vogelenzang returned to the dock to sit alongside his wife he bowed his head and cried.The court heard that the couple, who have five adopted children and have fostered a Muslim boy, returned to the hotel after a holiday in Scotland three days before the alleged incident on March 20They learned from the hotel manager that guests had engaged in robust debates about religion over the dinner table, with Mrs Tazi and a self confessed ‘happy clappy Christian’ taking the lead.

Mr Vogelenzang told his defence counsel, Hugh Tomlinson QC, that, on the morning of March 20, he spotted Mrs Tazi wearing the hijab, the traditional Islamic dress, and told her: ‘You look tiny’ before walking off.He said that, when he next saw her, she was talking to his wife and told the court he overheard the following conversation: ‘Her wording was, in essence, ‘I’ve tried all the religions, I’ve tried Jesus, it didn’t work for me but the Bible is untrue anyway and Jesus is a minor prophet’.'She called Our Lord a minor prophet. My reaction was ‘You haven’t prayed alone and asked God to prove himself to you’.

‘Because she was a small person I sat next to her and just gently said that to her.’He admitted that his wife may have referred to the hijab as a form of bondage and said Mrs Tazi replied: ‘My husband doesn’t even want me to wear it, but I wear it as I love Allah.’He told the court: ‘Great, that’s fine. At least she wears it because of the love she has.’Mr Vogelenzang said Mrs Tazi then went off into the dining room and he belatedly went after her to make light of the situation.

He told the court he reeled off a list of historical figures, including Caesar, Nero, Hitler, Mao and Saddam Hussein.Mr Vogelenzang said: ‘She took the examples of history and she started provoking me by saying ‘Oh, will you tell me then that I’m a murderer, that I’m a Nazi? You’re telling me I’m a terrorist?”I never meant it this way.He denied shouting at her or referring to the prophet Mohammed as a warlord.Mr Vogelenzang told Ms Horwood that Mrs Tazi was not in tears but left the hotel ‘as cool as a cucumber’ and that he had the ability ‘not to take offence’.Mrs Vogelenzang told the court that Mrs Tazi seemed determined to get a response from her about her hijab.

She said the guest approached her and said: ‘You didn’t know I was a Muslim, did you?”The hotelier replied that she had known, the court heard.Mrs Vogelenzang said Mrs Tazi then came up to her and said she ‘was still the nice, kind Ericka you know’She said she was ’stopped in her tracks’ when she heard Mrs Tazi say to her husband that, ‘Jesus was a minor prophet and the Bible was not true’.She told her: ‘I’m afraid we’d have to disagree with you there. We believe Jesus died on the cross for our sins.’Mrs Vogelenzang said Mrs Tazi told her: ‘It’s my choice to put this outfit on’ and said she replied: ‘I can’t understand why you would want to put yourself into bondage.’She explained that she used the phrase ‘bondage’ because she understood that Muslim women lacked the freedom to make many choices in their lives.Mrs Vogelenzang also told Mr Tomlinson, her defence counsel, that she went into the dining room after hearing raised voices and, when Mrs Tazi spotted her, ’she charged towards me with her hand thrust up at my face and said ‘Get away from me, get out of my face”.Yesterday, Christians gathered outside Liverpool magistrates’ court to support the couple.Mrs Tazi, who suffers from the chronic pain condition fibromyalgia, spent a month at the hotel earlier this year while attending a course of therapy at a nearby hospital.

The former Roman Catholic from Warrington, who converted to Islam last year, gave evidence after swearing an oath to Allah and kissing the Koran.She wore a hijab and ankle-length gown in court similar to the outfit she was wearing on the day of the alleged confrontation.She told the court she had worn Western clothes until the final day of her course.

Heres The Irony

Taxi driver sacked after he was captured on hidden CCTV telling a pensioner: ‘You die tonight’

A taxi driver has been sacked after a hidden in-car camera caught him swearing at three terrified pensioners and telling one: ‘You die tonight.’Elyas Haidari, 24, hurled abuse at the women, who were all partially sighted, and told them to ’shut up’ as he took them to a day care centre.When the pensioners tried to get out of his car, Mr Haidari, who had held a licence for seven months, refused to help them.

Mr Haidari is the first cabbie to be caught by the new ‘taxicam’ system employed by Southampton City Council.He was hauled before the council’s licensing committee after the women complained about his ‘truly shocking’ behaviour.Council officers downloaded the footage from the camera within hours and were stunned when they heard Mr Haidari telling one passenger ‘you die tonight.’He was also heard yelling, ’shut up’ during the journeys and ‘get out’ at the women when they reached their destination.Councillors voted in August to make it compulsory for cameras to be fitted in all new Hackney carriages.Mr Haidari’s car was among the 150 cabs which already had a camera fitted.Licensing committee chairman Councillor Brian Parnell said that without the camera in Mr Haidari’s car, his behaviour could have gone unnoticed.He said: ‘While incidents such as this in the city are fortunately rare, it undoubtedly shows the merit of having cameras fitted to all licensed vehicles in the city.’It is a ringing endorsement of the council’s recent decision to make the fitting of cameras mandatory.’

Council licensing officers downloaded the recording from the camera within hours of the incident being reported to them.The council praised the cooperation and response by Radio Taxis following the complaint about their driver, who was promptly dismissed.Company chairman Clive Johnson, who has launched a legal challenge against the decision to make cameras compulsory, said: ‘We were very upset and concerned about what happened.’But we didn’t need the camera evidence. We acted on the information from the statements from the three ladies.’We supplied all the information to the police. We didn’t need a camera to tell us something had gone disastrously wrong.’We are not against cameras, we’re against being forced to have them.’The £625 cameras, which the council sells at subsidy for £250 excluding VAT and fitting, take still pictures and record continuous audio once they are triggered by a door opening.Drivers are also able to trigger a burst of pictures if they push a panic button.A police spokesman said an officer spoke to Mr Haidari’s three passengers although no official statements were taken and they did not wish to make an official complaint.

TIGER TIGER

Porn star Joslyn James is tenth woman linked to disgraced golfer

• Backlash begins as sponsor Gatorade drops Tiger Focus drink named after Woods
• Experts claim he is now ‘beyond PR redemption’
• Swedish TV personality claims she was asked to have affair with golfer
• Furious wife Elin Nordegren ‘flung mobile phone at Woods breaking his tooth’
• My mother’s collapsed: Dramatic 911 call from Woods’ mansion leaked online

A pornography actress was today the tenth woman to be linked to scandal-hit golfer Tiger Woods.Joslyn James, who has starred in a number of extremely explicit adult films, allegedly slept with the sportsman on a number of occasions.According to sports website Deadspin.com, she had boasted of their relationship to a friend.James, whose real name is Veronica Siwik-Daniels,  is said to have considered herself Woods’ ‘full-time mistress.’Shortly after the golfer’s personal life imploded, she posted a status update on her Facebook page, saying: ‘I find it comical when certain individuals have no life of their own and want to be ME… so terribly bad.’James, 39, joins a string of women to have reportedly had affairs with the golfer, including another porn star Holly Sampson, 36.

………..

Porn star Joslyn James (right) is the latest woman to be linked to Tiger Woods

In further revelations, one of Sweden’s top celebrities claims she was approached by man acting on behalf of Woods about having an affair with the golfer.Carolina Gynning – infamous in her homeland for having sex on Big Brother – said the incident happened ’six or seven years ago’ when she was living in London.

Now a famous TV presenter in Stockholm, she blogged that she was at a party where she met Woods’ ‘agent’ at a party.She described him as a ‘really strange man who I assumed was gay,’ adding ‘he wanted to tell me something special.’After accepting a lunch invitation, she said the man asked her ’strange questions’.He wondered if I knew who Tiger Woods was, and obviously I did,’ she wrote. ‘He said he was friends with Tiger and that Tiger loved girls like me.”He said that Tiger was looking for a girlfriend and that he wanted to introduce me to him.’I never got back to the guy, obviously, even if Tiger is rich, he’s also ugly as sin and absolutely not my type. Was that guy a pimp for Tiger?’Gynning also expressed support for Woods’ wife, fellow Elin Nordegren, urging her to take the couple’s two children and ‘move home to Sweden.’The fresh batch of revelations emerged as a backlash against Woods, 33, gathered pace.One  of America’s top PR experts said his image would be tarnished forever after a string of lurid allegations.

Howard Rubenstein said: ‘He is beyond PR redemption. He is in public relations hell right now. There is not a PR man on Earth who can restore.’He’s haemorrhaging; even a transfusion won’t help. He can never re-establish that perfect image of a happily married family man. Never.’He advised Woods to separate from his wife as quickly as possible. ‘Who knows how many more women are going to emerge?,’ he added. ‘This could continue for a long time.’Adverts featuring the tarnished golfer have been pulled from broadcasts and cable channels in the States.According to media research group Nielson, the last prime-time commercial starring Woods – a 30-second avert for Gillette – played on November 29.There were no adverts featuring the billionaire during weekend sports programmes.Woods is also losing his own brand of Gatorade sport drink named Tiger Focus, which was launched in March 2008.

The company, one of the golf superstar’s biggest sponsors, along with Nike and American Express, claimed that the decision was nothing to do with the current scandal.’We decided several months ago to discontinue Gatorade Tiger Focus along with some other products to make room for our planned series of innovative products in 2010,’ the company said in a statement.Meanwhile, Woods ranking as a celebrity product endorser plunged from 6th to 24th on the influential Davie Brown Index.The scale tracks 2,800 celebrities with the golfer  now placed between Julia Roberts and former US Secretary of State Colin Powell.

Woods’ life began to unravel on November 27 after a bizarre car accident in the early hours of the morning.The golfer, who had carefully cultivated an image as a clean-living family man, crashed into a tree and a fire hydrant outside his house in Windermere, Florida.

Emergency services found him unconscious in the road after being dragged out of his £35,000 Cadillac Escalade by his wife Elin Nordegren.But the affair was initially shrouded in mystery until details of a string of women who had alleged affairs with Woods began to emerge.It was claimed today that Nordegren had made a furious phone call to Rachel Uchitel – one of the women subsequently linked to Woods – around 90 minutes before the crash.According to Star magazine, the golfer’s wife yelled ‘I know everything.’Nordegren then reportedly hurled the phone at her husband, knocking out a tooth, before grabbig a golf club and chasing him around the house.’She did thousands of dollars of damage,’ a source told the magazine. ‘Tiger ran out to his Escalade barefoot to get away from her.’

Support: Mrs Holmberg (left) had flown to the US to support her daughter Elin Nordegren (right, with husband Tiger Woods) after he was accused of having a string of affairs

It was revealed yesterday that Florida authorities feared Woods had overdosed on prescription drugs.The TMZ website claims the hospital admission chart listed ‘OD’ and showed that he was having trouble breathing.He was admitted under the alias ‘William Smith’ and was with his wife.

A police report released on Monday said Woods had been drinking before the crash and had taken powerful painkillers Vicodin and Ambien sleeping pills.Apart from releasing a statement a week ago apologising for his ‘transgressions, Woods has made no comment and remained out of sight since the accident.He is said to have offered his wife millions to keep her from walking out on him and taking their children Sam, two, and ten-month-old Charlie.

But she recently bought a £1.3million island hideway in Sweden, fuelling speculation that the former children’s nanny and bikini model is preparing to start a new life in her homeland.Nordegren, who married Woods in 2004, is still living at the family’s £1.7million mansion, despite earlier reports she had moved out.Tiger Woods’s wife Elin believed him when he said he was not playing around with other women, it was reported in the US last night.

Sources told People magazine she ‘believed his lies’ when he told her he was not seeing anyone while he was away from home taking part in golf tournaments.The respected magazine said it was common knowledge on the golf circuit that Woods was cheating on his wife.But sources told People:’It is sort of sad that all of the golfers knew about Tiger’s cheating throughout his marriage while poor Elin believed his lies when he told her he was not seeing any other women when on the road for days at a time.’The source added: ‘Now that it has hit her over the head, she is going to make the best decision for her and the kids.’She was at the centre of a further drama after her mother Barbro Holmberg collapsed in the early hours of Tuesday morning.

Emergency: Tiger Woods’ mother-in-law Barbro Holmberg is wheeled into hospital on a stretcher after collapsing at the golfer’s home

Mansion: Mrs Holmberg returned to Woods’ mansion in Windermere, Florida, after being treated in hospital

A dramatic 911 call made after the 57-year-old Swedish politician became ill was leaked online overnight.It is believed she became sick after confronting Woods over claims that he had cheated on her daughter Nordegren with a string of mistresses.In a recording made at 2.35am, a sobbing woman – understood to be Nordegren – told the emergency operator that her mother had collapsed.’Hurry up,’ the caller said. ‘She collapsed in the bathroom. What do I do?’

The dispatcher then makes attempts to calm the woman down and asks her to check on her mother’s condition.A few seconds later the caller said Mrs Holmberg was breathing normally, talking and did not appear to be hurt from her fall.’She said she collapsed,’ the woman said. ‘She fainted. She was down for a while.’I heard her fall and ran up there and tried to get her up. I don’t think she’s injured.She then apologises for the call, adding: ‘I’m sorry. I got so scared.’A child can be heard crying in the backgroundMrs Holmberg was taken to Health Central Hospital, in Florida, where she was carried inside on a stretcher. Nordegren was seen driving behind the ambulance.After spending 11 hours at the centre, Mrs Holmberg was released yesterday evening and returned to Woods’ mansion in Windermere, near Orlando.Earlier reports suggested she had been suffering from acute food poisoning but it is understood she had an anxiety attack after the argument.

The women: 1. Jaimee Grubbs, 2. Holly Sampson, 3. Jamie Jungers, 4. Mindy Lawton, 5. Cori Rist, 6. Kalika Moquin, 7. Rachel Uchitel, 8. Unidentified cocktail waitress, 9. Joslyn James and 10. Unnamed British TV presenter

Woods stands accused of having affairs with at least ten women, a mixture of waitresses, club hosts, television presenters and porn stars.The eight women named so far are Rachel Uchitel, Kalika Moquin, Jamie Grubbs, Jamie Jungers, Mindy Lawton, Cori Rist, Holly Sampson and Joslyn James.An unnamed cocktail waitress says she had a two-year affair with the billionare golfer and claims he told her his marriage was a sham and ‘just for publicity’.

Michael O’Quinn, who is representing the 26-year-old, said that she met Woods in 2004 while working as a cocktail waitress for VIPs at the Roxy Nightclub near his home in Orlando.He was already engaged at the time.’Her relationship was not a one-night stand,’ Mr O’Quinn told the New York Post. ‘It was long-term, and it was witnessed by many people in this community. She has detailed knowledge of his life, his habits.’The waitress is said to have had qualms about the affair after Woods married Swedish au pair Miss Nordegren in 2004, according to the TMZ website.There are also reports that a British TV star was involved with Woods, taking the tally to ten.A new photograph of the golfer flirting with a scantily-clad cocktail waitress at a Las Vegas club emerged last night.The image, taken on October 4, shows the scandal-hit golfer talking intimately to a blonde dressed in a strappy black leotard and white collar with black bow-tie.

They were at Tao, the Vegas club where Rachel Uchitel and Kalika Moquin – two of the women already linked to Woods – used to work.

911 CALL FROM WOODS’ MANSION IN FULL

Caller (C): Oh my god (crying)

Operator (O): Fire and rescue

C: Oh my god. My mum just collapsed

O: Ok. Calm down. It’s ok. What’s the address? (Break in tape) And is she breathing? They’re coming. It’s ok. Calm down for a minute

C: She collapsed in the bathroom. What can I do?

O: Is she breathing?

C: Hold on. I just ran to the phone. Hold on… hold on (Pause. A child can be heard crying in the background) She’s fine.

O: She’s fine?

C: I’m sorry

O:Try and calm down for me. You said she collapsed?

C: Yes

O: How old is your mum?

C: 57

O: You said she’s breathing. Is she conscious?

C: Yes

O: Can she tell you what happened?

C: It’s a hardline so I’m running back and forth.

O: Is there any way you can pick up another phone and take it closer to her?

C: Yes. (Pause) She’s fine

O: You’re saying she’s fine

C: Yes

O: She can talk

C: Yes

O: Can she tell you what happened?

C: She says she collapsed. She just fainted. She went down for a while.

O: How do you know?

C: Because I heard her fall and I went up there and I tried to get her up

O: Is she injured from her fall?

C: I don’t think she is

O: Is she bleeding from anywhere?

C: No

O: And has she not been feeling well or anything?

C: I don’t know. I don’t know

O: Is her breathing completely normal?

C: I’m sorry

O: That’s ok. Do you still want the paramedics to come out?

C: I don’t think so. I think we’re fine

O: Has she got any history of heart problems?

C: No. She says no. I’m sorry. I got so scared

O: That’s fine. We’d rather come and check her over and get her vitals and check if everything’s ok

C: It’s not urgent now

O: Is it ok if the come out and check her?

C: Yes

O: We’ll come out and check her. Keep an eye on her. If anything gets any worse call us right back. They’ll be there in a few minutes

Susan Boyle goes to Paris and meets her biggest fans… a superfluity of nuns

They don’t look like your average YouTube users. So it is a mark of how far Susan Boyle has come, that even nuns at a French church are thrilled to meet the Scottish star.The singer became a worldwide sensation after a clip of her first audition for Britain’s Got Talent was viewed millions of times on the net.

Sound Of Music: Singer Susan Boyle was met by a crowd of excited nuns when she visited a church in Paris today

That was back in April. Now with a chart topping debut album to her name, Susan is a bona fide pop star, whose fame isn’t confined to the web generation.The 48-year-old was surrounded by nuns when she visited a church in Paris today, in between appearances on two TV shows.

Susan has made no secret of her religious views.

………………….

Working hard: Susan filmed appearances for two French TV shows today

Her album I Dreamed A Dream, currently at the number one spot, contains two hymns.And in a documentary about her meteoric rise to fame, she tells Piers Morgan: ‘On a personal level, church is very important to me; it’s the central point of my faith, and I recognise that God gives you gifts that you have to use to the best of your ability.’Filming a pre-recorded appearance on popular French chat show Vivement Dimanche, Susan demonstrated her quirky behaviour as she winked at the cameras.

I Dreamed a Dream: The Susan Boyle Story, will be screened on ITV on Sunday night after the X Factor final.

Cheeky: Susan gives viewers of a French TV show a cheeky wink

International superstar: Susan is greeted by Vivement Dimanche host Michel Drucker

Sarah Harding is the ‘naughtiest’ schoolgirl in class at St Trinian’s 2 premiere with revealing slits in her premiere dress

After landing a leading role in the new St Trinian’s movie, Sarah Harding is making the progression from pop star to actress.Arriving on the pink carpet at the premiere of St Trinian’s 2: The Legend Of Fritton’s Gold last night, the Girls Aloud singer looked every inch the Hollywood star as she shimmered in a revealing floor-length black dress.With her blonde hair swept back, long black lashes and red lips, Sarah showed off her figure in the panelled dress, which hugged her curves in all the right places.Joining Sarah at the Leicester Square premiere were her glamorous co-stars Gemma Arterton and Tamsin Egerton and her Girls Aloud bandmates Nicola Roberts and Kimberley Walsh.

……….

My big night: Sarah Harding looked stunning as she shimmied up the pink carpet in a revealing black gown with train at the London premiere of St Trinian’s 2: The Legend Of Fritton’s Gold

Bringing sexy back: Sarah shows off her figure in the revealing dress’s cut-out back

Keen not to outdo their bandmate on her big night, Nicola, 24, looked girlie in a cream asymmetrical prom dress, while Kimberley, 28, went for traditional glamour in a black bandeau dress.Following a small cameo in the first St Trinian’s movie two years ago, Sarah, 28, returned to the sequel for a much bigger role, playing naughty schoolgirl Roxy.As well as acting in the film, Sarah has also recorded three songs for the soundtrack.Sarah teamed up with Xenomania – the production team behind a majority of Girls Aloud’s biggest hits – to record three tracks: Too Bad, Make It Easy and a cover of David Bowie’s Boys Keep Swinging.

Yin and yang: Sarah was supported by her Girls Aloud bandmates Nicola Roberts (left), in a cream prom dress, and Kimberley Walsh in a black bandeau dress

…………..

Lady in black: Bond girl Gemma Arterton kept it simple in a slinky black Alexander Wang dress

Speaking on the red carpet, Sarah admitted she was terrified about watching herself on the big screen.She said: ‘I’m nervous about everyone out there and the critics seeing it, more than anything. It’s a really, really great amount of pressure.

‘I think because people, in this day and age, in Britain don’t expect you to cross over into acting… there’s a bit of a stigma to that. What people don’t realise is that I did actually train for acting when I was younger as well, so it’s kind of relighting a little fire there. I’ve got a ball of emotions in my stomach right now.’Describing her character, she said: ‘She is probably a more laid back version of myself. She’s too cool for school and she’s not a team player to start with.

……….

Blonde ambition: Tamsin Egerton (left) looked stunning in a flowing cream silk gown, while Talulah Riley wore an asymmetrical black column dress

Celebrating: (L-R) Gemma and Sarah joined co-stars Rupert Everett, Talulah and Tamsin

‘But then she gets involved with some of the things that are going on and starts getting more excitable and losing her cool slightly towards the end and starts to get really close to the girls.’St Trinian’s 2 sees the naughty schoolgirls from the infamous boarding school go on a hunt for Fritton’s gold.Returning from the first film is Gemma (Kelly Jones), Tamsin (Chelsea Parker), Rupert Everett (headmistress Camilla Fritton/Carnaby Fritton) and Talulah Riley (Annabelle Fritton).Joining the cast for the sequel is outgoing Doctor Who David Tennant, who plays the evil female-hating Pomfrey, who tries to reach the treasure before the girls.

……….

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Glamour: The film’s stars Jodie Whittaker (L), Zawe Ashton (C) in a Moschino Cheap & Chic halterneck and Celia Imrie all wore black dresses

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Musical guests: Paloma Faith (L) and The Noisettes frontwoman Shingai Shoniwa (C) both went for vertical hairstyles and colourful outfits, while Amy Winehouse’s god-daughter Dionne Bromfield wore black

Black was the dominant colour on the pink carpet, with most of the film’s female stars opting for the shade.Bond girl Gemma, 23, wore a £650 black Alexander Wang satin jersey dress with platform sandals and carried a sparkly clutch.Statuesque blonde Tamsin, 21, wore a low-cut cream gown, while co-star Talulah Riley, 24, showed off her curves in an asymmetrical black gown.

The film’s other stars Montserrat Lombard, Zawe Ashton, Jodie Whittaker and Celia Imrie also got dressed up for the occasion.

…….

………….

Ashes To Ashes actress Montserrat Lombard (L) looked chic in cream, EastEnders teen Madaleine Dunn (C) wore a black mini while ex-Strictly contestant Ricky Groves looked dapper in his suit

Injecting some much needed colour on the red carpet was flamboyant singer/songwriter Paloma Faith, who looked futuristic in her orange jumpsuit and bolero and a red beehive.Also going for a vertical hairstyle was The Noisettes frontwoman Shingai Shoniwa, who wore a fuchsia mini-dress with plunging neckline.Others in attendance were Amy Winehouse’s protegee and god-daughter Dionne Bromfield, EastEnders teenage star Madaleine Dunn and ex-Strictly Come Dancing contestant Ricky Groves.St Trinian’s 2: The Legend Of Fritton’s Gold is due for release in the UK on December 18.

Here comes trouble: Sarah (L), Talulah (C) and Zawe in a scene from St Trinian’s 2: The Legend Of Fritton’s Gold

Icy weekend ahead slashes odds on a white Christmas

It may be cold comfort to those shivering through it, but icy weather this weekend will double the chances of a white Christmas, say experts.Forecasters believe the torrential rain has now ended after nearly two months, and a cold blast is about to send temperatures plunging below freezing, with fog, ice, sleet and even snow. In some parts of the country, the weather system moving in from Scandinavia means it is now odds on  for the first white Christmas since 2004, says one forecaster.

The Met Office expects overnight frosts this weekend, especially in northern areas, with temperatures dropping to -3c or -4c.

This will be followed by a brief spell of slightly milder weather, but the run-up to Christmas is then expected to be even colder.The Met Office won’t be drawn yet on the odds of a white Christmas but independent analyst Positive Weather Solutions has now doubled its estimated chance of snow falling on December 25. The company said Scotland and the North-East of England have a 59 per cent probability; the East Coast 55 per cent, with the rest of the North, mid-Wales and the Midlands at 32 per cent.The South has a predicted 18 per cent chance and the South-West 10 per cent. William Hill has slashed odds for a white Christmas to 6-1 for London and Newcastle, 7-1 for Manchester and just 3-1 for Aberdeen.

Senior forecaster Jonathan Powell said: ‘For the first time since 2004, there is a definite chance of snow this Christmas. The chances of parts of the UK seeing a white Christmas now look favourable.’A cold pool of Arctic air is pushing down across the nation and will introduce sustained chilly and frosty weather.’With the introduction of several weak rain-associated weather fronts, any rain will readily turn to snow – so there is a greater possibility of waking up to snow on Christmas Day.’The most likely area is down the eastern side of the country and over Scotland. But there is the possibility scattered snow showers will push further inland, perhaps reaching the Midlands and even London.’New Met Office figures reveal rainfall from October 16 to December 6 was 319.8mm (12.59in) which is 64 per cent above average for this period. It was also the wettest November on record with further records for 24-hour and 48-hour rainfalls.However, last month was the seventh-warmest November in central England, according to records dating back to 1659. Autumn was 1.2c warmer than normal.

GENIUS !!!

Frank Lampard’s ex Elen Rivas unveils the UK’s most ‘innovative lingerie ever’

Ex-WAG turned underwear model Elen Rivas has unveiled a new bra which is tipped to revolutionise women’s underwear.Frank Lampard’s ex unveiled Diamond Boutique’s Limitless Bra, which will be on sale in Tesco and has been described as the most innovative lingerie ever.The bra comes in several parts, including two cups and a selection of straps, giving the wearer the power to create their own ‘DIY style’ bra.

Elen Rivas reveals a unique way Diamond Boutique’s Limitless Bra can be worn – this style is perfect for underneath a one shoulder dress

Each cup features 24 hook positions and the back strap another 28, which is said to offer limitless ways of wearing it.Miss Rivas last month signed up as the body of Diamond Boutique, a range of lingerie by entrepreneur and star of The Apprentice Michelle Mone which is being sold through the supermarket giant.The bra took over 12 months to make, will be available in black and nude in sizes 32-38 A-D, and will cost just £16.

Ms Mone said the bra was a ‘must have’ garment for every lingerie drawer.’These days fashion is so experimental, it’s often a hassle finding the right bra for the right outfit, any girl will tell you,’ she said.

Miss Rivas – who until recently was known as Ms Rives, revealed last month she took the modelling work in order to support herself since the couple’s split nine month’s ago. She has previously complained about how she has had to rein in her lavish lifestyle by cutting down on the amount of champagne she drinks and that she has to shop at cut-price high street store Primark because she is worried about saving money.

One shoulder wonder: The bra, which retails for £16, features 52 hook positions

Miss Rivas is now living with her daughters, Luna, four, and two-year-old Isla, in a six-bedroom house that Lampard has bought for £2.85million overlooking Chelsea Harbour.They ended their seven-year relationship in February this year after he was linked to other women. As part of their split, he also agreed to pay maintenance for their two children.

Endless possibilities: The bra can also be adapted for use under strapless or halterneck-style clothing

But she has claimed she is struggling to adjust to life as a single mother but says that her impoverished upbringing has helped her cope.

Lovers and Friends

          Love is something people see everyday.  With the places I go, I see young love, further known as “puppy love,” almost everywhere.  Most young love starts off as friendships, and then grows into something more special, but with some couples, you wouldn’t be able to tell whether they’re couples, or best friends.

          I decided to photograph “Lovers and Friends” to display how the best couples are made up of the best friends.  What inspired me to take these images was the way I noticed I act around my boyfriend.  We started off as friends in high school, for over three years, never knowing that we would end up being “high-school sweethearts.”  Now that we’re a year and a half deep into our relationship, and almost 4 years deep as being best friends, we still have that playful friendship that we had when we first met.

          Best friends play around, laugh, argue, and tell each other everything, and that’s the kind of affection displayed in these images I took, by this young couple.  Pay attention to the body language, the comfort, and the happiness this couple expresses in the images.

Let’s see how the iPhone wordpress app is.

Somehow, Twitter seems more appropriate on the iPhone.

ENGLISH

One more digital drawing. I recently became a fan of this punk rock chic style, thing, I don’t know. The idea was to make her looking herself on the mirror, but I REALLY didn’t wanted to loose more time on this -_-

xoxo!

PORTUGUÊS

Mais um desenho feito digitalmente. Virei muito fã deste estilo punk rock chic ou sei lá o que. A idéia era fazer ela se olhando no espelho, mas realmente não estou com paciência pra perder mais tempo nesse desenho -_-

beijos!

HALLELUJA! It’s the end, my friend!

Pencils and color by Cris Peter and Inks by Rafael Albuquerque

Pencils and color by Cris Peter and Inks by Rafael Albuquerque

ENGLISH

Hi guys,

Finished this morning the second issue of Hunter’s Fortune. So I’ve decided to work on some drawings I had here before starting the next book. I’ve put this image as background on twitter. This drawing gave me several ideas, and soon this blog will have a new look based on this pixel painting thing.

xoxo!

Art by Cris Peter

PORTUGUÊS

Terminei essa manhã a segunda edição do Hunter’s Fortune, então resolvi me dedicar um pouco aos desenhos que eu tinha guardados aqui. Usei esse como background do meu Twitter. Esse desenho me deu várias ideias pra reformular o design do blog. Não vai ser nada muito luxuoso, mas vai ficar mais legalzinho e vai seguir essa idéia de pixels.

beijos!

So I really didn’t sleep too well… or actually, it wasn’t that bad, but… I was supposed to sleep in today.  I woke up around 6am and I absolutely could not get back to sleep.  It wasn’t like I wasn’t tired, either.  I was very, very sleepy… but my body/mind refused to shut down.  I got up, got on Facebook for a bit, DID THE DISHES (yeah, really weird), and I watched Ong Bak II, which I discovered was available via VOD through Amazon.

Anyway, so here I am.

I’ve been playing around with some websites that are supposed to help get more readers for my blog (or any blog)… one of them is BlogSurfer.us.  The site says that their search will automatically pick up my blog if I mention “blogsurfer.us” in my post… so here it is for the third time: “blogsurfer.us”.  Let’s see if it works.

The funny thing about all this is that it’s not like I’m getting regular readers for my blog… they just generate views or something.  I remember back in March there was like one day when my blog got almost 6,000 views.  What the heck?  Six THOUSAND?  It actually really threw off my stats graph because it was such a huge difference from the other days, which were under 100 normally.

Aaaanyway… who cares?  Haha…

But hey, whether you have something to say or not, do me a favor and leave a comment to let me know you’ve read this blog post.  I’d really appreciate it a lot!  Oh, and if I don’t know you please let me know how you found my blog, too.  I find that kind of stuff really interesting!  Thanks!

ENGLISH

Hello! Just one page to go! Hope you guys enjoy it. After this is done I’m preparing some new stuff. Lets just hope it doesn’t take this long to post it here! -_-’

xoxo!

Pencils and colors by Cris Peter and inks by rafael Albuquerque

PORTUGUÊS

Olá! Só falta mais uma pra acabar! Espero que estejam gostando. Depois que essa acabar vou fazer uma novinha. Só espero que não demore tanto quanto esta pra ficar pronta -_-’

beijos!

Pencils and colors by Cris Peter and inks by Rafael Albuquerque

Which one is witch?
The ones who lay and lie
in a day to die
The ones who speed a spit
or slip a sleep
or simply just a sheep who took a ship
The ones who made me mad
and peek a peak
and see through sea
Which one is witch?
The I that have no eye
and a phase that has a vase
or the ones that has a pie without a pay
and make her bed neat without doing a thing after a nite
Which one is witch?

ENGLISH

Hi guys,
Saw that Wolverine movie the other day and… man! What a terrible movie! The story line is ridiculous, its like ‘Wolverine and friends’ (my brother came up with that one), and at the end I really, REALLY didn’t understand why Wolverine and Sabretooth continued hating each other. The hole motive of Wolverine wanting to kill him was a scam. Why do they end the movie saying that nothing had changed between them? It did totally change!!! (SPOILER) And that adamantium bullet thing… OMG … the worse idea EVER! It’s so easy to write a script when you can make the guy loose his memory at the end.
And, in my opinion, it wasn’t just the cliché after cliché that bothered me. All the characters, including Wolverine, are shown on the film in such a shallow way that you can’t conect with any of them.

Oh well, Hugh Jackman sure is hot in this one. And he likes to show his muscles all the time… NICE! But really bad movie. Didn’t like it at all. It wasn’t even funny.

Anyway… … This mini Wolverine was fun to do. Soon I’ll post page number 5 of Lara & Gig and I’ll have news soon. Also, visual changes could happen in this blog in a few weeks.

xoxo!

PORTUGUÊS

Vi o filme do Wolverine esses dias e achei simplesmente muito ruim. A história é fraca, tem tanto personagem que podia ser ‘Wolverine e seus amigos’ (meu irmão que inventou essa) e eu realmente não entendi porque o Wolverine e o Dentes de Sabre continuaram se odiando no final. O motivo todo do Wolverine querer matar ele era uma farsa! Porque eles terminam o filme dizendo que nada mudou entre eles. É óbvio que mudou! (SPOILER) E aquele lance de bala de adamantium… nossa… que idéia idiota. É muito fácil escrever um roteiro quando tu pode fazer o personagem principal perder a memória no final.
E, na minha opinião, a pior parte não é o clichê atrás do clichê. Os personagens são tratados de maneira tão rasa que não conseguimos nos familiarizar com nenhum deles.

Mas enfim, o Hugh Jackman tá gostosão e tal, e faz questão de mostrar bem os músculos durante o filme… DILIÇA! Mas o filme é muito ruim. Nem engraçado é.

De qualquer maneira … … Esse mini ‘Wolvera’ foi legal de fazer. Nos próximos dias vou postar a 5a página da Lara & Gig e terei novidades. Também, esperem por uma mudança de visual no blog nas próximas semanas.

ENGLISH

Hello!
Here is one more page of Lara and Gig. Just two more pages to go. And sorry for the internal joke: This guy on the page is a friend of ours from Rati File (the fanzine this story was published). It was kind of a rule to draw him in every story as a guy who gets confused by a criminal of some kind.

xoxo!

Pencils and colors by Cris Peter and inks by Rafael Albuquerque

PORTUGUÊS

Olá!
Aqui está mais uma página da Lara e Gig. Só faltam mais duas pra acabar. E me desculpem pela piada interna: Esse cara na página é um amigo nosso do Rati File (fanzine no qual essa história foi publicada). Era uma espécie de tradição fazer ele aparecer em todas as histórias como o cara que é confundido com um ladrão ou coisa assim.

beijos!

Pencils and colors by Cris Peter and inks by Rafael Albuquerque

ENGLISH

Hey guys. I’m re-organizing some ideas here and today has been pretty productive. I’m posting a layout of a panel of a story I’m doing here. That’s Rafa and me at Santa Maria bus station. I’m gonna tell a bizarre situation that happened that day. More explanations later

xoxo!

PORTUGUÊS

Oi pessoal. Estou re-organizando algumas idéias aqui e o dia está sendo bem produtivo. Estou postando um esboço de um quadro de uma história que estou preparando. Somos o Rafa e eu na rodoviária de Santa Maria. Vou narrar uma situação bizarra que aconteceu lá. Mais detalhes depois da história pronta

beijos!

Art by Cris Peter

Right now, this blog is being set up to be a resource for those of you excited about performing a skit.

This is intended to be a tutorial on the different aspects of putting together a campfire skit.  Having worked at various summer camps for about ten years, I have seen almost every single skit ever invented.  In the following posts, I hope to list the things that make a great skit and an outline of the many skits I have seen and helped with.  This will be in conjunction with a set of tutorials I am putting up on Youtube.com.

For the first one, check out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dt2X6u3IPM8

Here’s an explanation of what I mean:

A skit has three parts: 1. The Situation, 2. The Set-up, and 3. The Gag, or Punch Line.

All three are essential, because they set up the rhythm of the skit, and lead to the joke, or pay-off at the end.  Here’s a further breakdown:

1. The Situation: This is where the situation is set up.  What is going on that the audience needs to know in order to follow the joke?  Usually, this is where we meet the person who the joke is on.  You will understand this better with more examples.  For now, we’ll use the one in the video.

For this, the situation is that someone chewing a piece of gum sets it down and walks away.  Now, we are preparing for the gross out section of this skit.

2. The Set-Up: This is setting up for the joke of the skit.  By itself, the set-up should be entertaining and humorous.  It also has a lot of freedom, because this is a filler section that can be added to or taken from as necessary.  If you have ten kids who want to do the skit, you can pair them up in this section, or have them perform seperately.  This tends to be the part where everyone can participate, and everyone gets a moment of being the star on stage.

For the example skit, the set-up is where people interact with the gum in gross ways.   The remarkable performers in the video, professional camp counselors from Girl Scout’s Camp Scherman, chose to have the 1. the gum thrown on the ground, 2. the gum peed on by a dog, 3. the gum stepped on.  If you choose to do a skit like this, you don’t have to do the same things.  Your kids are creative and can come up with anything on their own.  The video is only meant to get you started.   Also note that while this is a gross-out skit, be careful of how gross you are making it, and what sort of audience you have.  If it is a bunch of grandmothers, you probably don’t want the dog to pee on the gum.  If it is a bunch of ten year old boys, that’s going to get a big laugh.

3. The gag or punchline:

This is the part where the audience should give their big reaction and go, “Eew!” or laugh really hard.  If you’ve done the set-up well, the audience will be anticipating this, and will be on the edge of their seats, logs, or sit-upons, waiting for the pay-off.

For this skit, the gag is the first person comes back and says, “My gum!” and picks it up and chews it.  Another variation is adding, “It tastes so good!”

So, there’s a basic outline of the parts of the skit.  Come back later for types of skits, examples of skits, and how to keep the kids from fighting while you’re coming up with the skit.

ENGLISH

Not much to say. This one is much older than the other one.

xoxo!

PORTUGÊS

Nada pra dizer. Esse aí é ainda mais velho que o anterior.

beijos!

Art by young Cris Peter

ENGLISH

Well… Me and hubby moved on March to our own place. Since then I didn’t had the time (WANT) to organize the bunch of stuff we had. Everything was in a closet, but we have a bunch of stuff that we never gonna use, and a bunch of papers that had to be thrown away. Since Monday I’ve turned into Monica Geller and I’ve been puting this place in order, so untill I finish that, I wont do anything to post here

But, as I was oppening all the boxes and stuff, I found some very old stuff I did when I used to draw more (and without Photoshop). You can see the awfull signature and the date on the right corner. This character is from Final Fantasy don’t-know-the-number-I-don’t-even-know-her-name

This week I’ll be posting the other drawings I did a long time ago.

xoxo!

PORTUGUÊS

Enfim… Eu e o maridão nos mudamos em Março, e desde então nós tinhamos muitas coisas atrolhadas dentro de roupeiros que eu não tive tempo (NÃO ESTAVA AFIM) de arrumar direitinho. Essa semana decidi virar a Mônica Geller e fazer uma limpa naquele bando de coisa que tínhamos, e vou tirar o resto da semana pra organizar tudo e me livrar de um monte de tralha. Isso significa que não irei fazer nada pra postar aqui.

Porém, enquanto eu estava esvaziando os armários, achei uma pasta com vários desenhos meus da época em que eu desenhava muito (e sem o Photoshop). Observem a assinatura ridícula e a data do desenho no canto direito. Essa personagem é do Final Fantasy não faço-ideia-do-número-nem-do-nome-dela.

Vou postar mais coisas velhas durante a semana.

beijos!

Art by young Cris Peter

ENGLISH

There you go.

Well, tomorrow I’ll try to post something, since I wont be able to post friday. But I can’t promisse anything

About this page, I’m sorry for the Ranma reference. When I did this story I was a real manga fan… now, not so much . For those who doesn’t know what I’m talking about I’ll explain: This guy in yellow is a character from a manga named Ranma. He is known in the series as a guy that always gets lost -_-

xoxo!

PORTUGUÊS

Aqui está mais uma.

Vou tentar postar mais alguma coisa amanhã, pois sexta não vou poder. Mas vai ser difícil… Por falar em sexta, eu vou estar acompanhando o meu digníssimo esposo em uma palestra que vai acontecer em Santa Maria (interior do RS), no RDesign. Caso alguém tenha interesse. O tema da palestra vai ser Design nos Quadrinhos, vai ser bem legal.

A respeito da página. Sinto muito pela referência ao Ranma. Eu era super fã de anime na época que eu desenhei essa história. Para aqueles que não fazem ideia do que eu estou falando, eu explico: O cara de amarelo é um personagem de um mangá chamado Ranma, que é conhecido na série por estar sempre se perdendo -_-

Beijos!

Pencils and colors by Cris Peter and inks by Rafael Albuquerque

ENGLISH

Just did a new avatar for myself. I liked it, so I’ll dedicate this post to it

I’m also working on a new header for the blog. I’m not a fan of this one.

Page 3 of Lara&Gig will be posted next week

xoxo!

PORTUGUÊS

Acabei de fazer um avatar novo pra mim. Gostei muito. Até achei que ficou meio parecido comigo mesmo

Tô querendo também fazer um desenho novo pro cabeçalho do site. Não sou muito fã deste que está aí.

A próxima página da Lara&Gig vai ficar pra semana que vem

beijos!

Art by Cris Peter

ENGLISH

Hi. Did this sketch after coloring Superman/Batman 51 and 52

Finish all the letters of Lara & Gig, still have to color everything, but tomorrow I want to post one more page.

xoxo!

PORTUGUÊS

(Acentos de volta!)

Fiz esse esboço depois de colorir a revista Superman/Batman 51 e 52 .

Já coloquei balões em todas as páginas da Lara & Gig. Ainda tenho que colorir o resto das páginas, mas amanhã pretendo postar mais uma.

Beijos

Art by Cris Peter

ENGLISH

Hi! Got the time to finish this illustration that I started months ago. Hope you enjoy it. I really want to post one more page of Lara & Gig this week. Lets see if I’ll be able to

xoxo!

PORTUGUES

(Ainda sem acentos, por enquanto… eu espero)

Oi pessoas! Tive um tempinho pra terminar essa ilustracao que eu comecei meses atras. Espero que voces gostem. Eu tambem quero postar mais uma pagina da Lara & Gig essa semana. Vamos ver se isso sera possivel

Beijos!

Art by Cris Peter

ENGLISH

Here is one more, 4 to go

I’ll try not to take too long to post the rest of the story, but I’ll do some breaks between pages.

xoxo!

PORTUGUÊS

Mais uma, agora só faltam 4. Eu vou tentar não demorar muito pra postar as outras páginas, mas eu vou fazer umas pausas entre elas nos próximos posts, ok?

Beijos!

Pencils and colors by Cris Peter and inks by Rafael Albuquerque

ENGLISH

THANK GOD I did it already! …. Bad news for me is that there are 5 more pages to go -_-

Please guys, I beg you, if there is any english error please let me know and don’t be a jerk about it. I wasn’t born speaking english and I don’t have to know everything, if you teach me I’ll learn it and that’s it, no need to make fun. I’m saying this because yesterday I saw on another blog a guy being a total asshole with a brazilian guy that didn’t write the correct english and that pissed me off! How many languages does this guy speak? One? Who is the dumb one now?

Sorry, hehehe, this kind of thing really gets on my nerves.

Have a good weekend everyone!

xoxo!

PORTUGUÊS

EU FIZ! EU FIZ! Consegui manter minha palavra … Infelizmente pra mim, ainda faltam mais 5 páginas pra serem colorizadas e balonizadas -_-

Bom fim-de-semana pra todos

Beijos!