Still Sick

So I'm still not feeling great.. I'm at about 85% so I'm feeling better and better as the days go by but still not 100%. There is so much to do I just wish I could motivate myself to do some of it.. that and not feel sick for sitting up for too long. I did manage to clean up the house a bit. Jenni is coming over tomorrow to record our next podcast and I want the house to look halfway decent. I haven't felt so hot the past week or so.. hope it passes soon... I'm tried of being sick.

Wardrobe Must-Haves?

Hello beautiful people!

Claire called me today and declared that it was high time for a thrift shopping excursion! The main goal in this upcoming adventure is to find awesome wardrobe staples that can easily be found for cheap.

What is a wardrobe must-have in your book? Share your thoughts!

-Berit

p.s. a thrift store review post coming up for the seattle thrifters! :)

Personal Website

You may or may not know but I have a personal website. I've had it for over 10 years. It was on yahoo geocities until that went under and I had to move it. I purchased my own url Geekyfanboy.com and have slowly started rebuilding my site. I have most of the links working but there are still a few like "our house", "vacations", and The Guild that need to be worked on. I say it's a work in progress as it continues to change. It kind of like an out of sight out of mind type of thing. I look forward to finishing it and then only having to update it once in a while. If you want to get to know me a little better then check it out. http://geekyfanboy.com

I hate being sick

Well I'm still a bit sick.. feeling about 80% but I did manage to get outside for a half hour and take down some more weeds. I feel like we turn out back and new weeds sprout up moments after we cut them down. We are looking into getter a more heavy duty brush mower type thing. They cost a few thousands but it's going to be like this every year it will be well worth the money.

Knights of the Guild Ep 16 pt2

Show Notes:

Here it is Episode 16 part 2 of Knights of the Guild. We hope you enjoy it.

Today’s show features:

• * First up we have a Classic Vorkism.
• * We are recording this weeks podcast live on the set of Season Four of The Guild
• * We discuss Behind the Scenes of Season 3 Episode 4 - Get it Back!!
• * We have another great crew interview with Marketing Guru Brian

• * We have another installment of Guild Something with Sean Becker
• * We announce a new contest as well as winners of a previous contest.
• * We thank our donors.
• * Then Business Time and Goodbye

Thank you again for all your support, we do this podcast because we are fans and more importantly for the fans.

Kenny & Jenni

Other Important Links

• Knights of the Guild Feeds/Downloads http://knightsoftheguild.com
• Knights of the Guild Daily Blog http://knightsoftheguildpodcast.blogspot.com/

Glee

Yeah I'm still sick and today I watched the last five episodes of Glee. This isn't a must see show for me and what I mean by that is I will let a few (of in this case 5) episodes build up before watching them. This batch of five had some really great episodes including guest star Olivia Newton John, who I love and it was so great to see her back on TV and re-doing her "Physical" video. Another cool episode was one directed by Joss Weadon and guest starred Neil Patrick Harris which was a lot of fun but my favorite parts of the show is the relationship of Kurt (the gay character) and his father. I think it's a very positive look at a gay youth and his family dealing with it. The music is great but what I love most about this show are the characters.

The world's most Craziest tattooed woman flaunts her body art

What began as a bid to cover up a nasty skin condition has resulted into a Guiness World Record for an American who has been named the most tattooed woman in the world.

Julia Gnuse - nicknamed the 'illustrated lady' - has 95 per cent of her body covered in ink, ranging from jungle scenes and cartoons to her favourite actors.

Miss Gnuse, from California, started getting tattoos on her legs after developing a skin condition called porphyria, which causes the skin to blister when exposed to sunlight.




She then turned her attention to her stomach, arms and back and before long was addicted to body art.

In an interview, Miss Gnuse said although the ink did not stop her skin from blistering, it covered up the scars and allowed her to be exposed to the sun.

'I did this for the reason of covering scarring from the blisters. They get as deep as three degree burn,' she said.

'I had a friend who is a plastic surgeon, who suggested tattooing my skin the same color to the scarring that I had, seeing if we can match my just pale-looking skin that I had.'

'That didn't work. We tried it. It was very difficult to match that. So I had the idea of a colorful tattoo, then I got hooked. I got addicted.'

Miss Gnuse said there was medication available for her condition, but said taking it could have placed her at risk of blindness.

Miss Gnuse, who unveiled her tattoos at a BookExpo in New York yesterday, said every one of her designs had been created by the same tattoo artist.

WATCH

My little sister told me,

"I hate when you blog and you tell people what to do."

But you know what?

Thats cool, I'm a big sister, I'm bossy, whatever.

stick that in your pipe and smoke it.

Watch THIS

and then go HERE

My little sister also told me,

"Why do you feature your FRIENDS but never ME on your blog?"

kissies galore!

<3

Claire

V

Been sick the past few days and one good thing about that it makes me rest and when I rest I watch TV so I was able to catch up on some of my DVR'd shows. Today I watched the final 2 episodes of V. Now if you've read my blog you know I'm a huge fan of the original and had high hopes for the remake. It started off strong but lost it's way for a few episode but I have to say the final five or so episodes have been AWESOME and that goes for the finale as well. The story is ramping up and so many things are happening. I'm so glad this series was picked up for a second season as they left some great cliffhangers. My favorite character on V is of course Anna (Morena Baccarin from Firefly) She plays such a cold hearted bitch, some of the stuff she does, especially to her own daughter just makes you cringe. I won't put in any spoilers in this blog but man this series had become one of my favorite. Can't wait for the DVD and of course Season Two.

Alterations Are A Girl's Best Friend

I cannot stress how useful alterations can be. Whether it be a pair of jeans that are just a little too long or an old dress that can be updated via a quick slash of a hem, having your clothes professionally altered can make a neglected piece in your wardrobe your most loved one.

Some of you magical ladies out there are rockstars with a sewing machine, but let's be honest... some of us (including myself) can hardly sew a straight seam!

Prices are often extremely reasonable and worth the money. I found a pair of Seven for All Mankind jeans at Value Village in perfect condition but never wore them because they were too long. After I had them hemmed for $15 using the original hemline, they are one of my favorite pairs!

Here's a cool pair of trousers (LOL, trousers!) that again were too long and thus thrown to the back of my closet. I had them hemmed into a skinny fit ankle pant a la Audrey Hepburn and LOVE them!


I also just had an old prom dress that belonged to my cousin hacked apart for prom (round 2, lolz) this weekend, pictures to come! Get out there and get a-hemming!

-Berit

Darth Vader: Fashionista

Say what?

Yeah, thats right!

Anakin aka the interstellar Sex God

has taken a turn for the better!

How you ask?

In the form of the Vader Project:

Beginning in 2007, the Vader Project is an internationally renowned exhibition

featuring 4 installments of 100 iconic Vader helmets

re-imagined by notable artists such as

Dalek, Paul Frank, Tokidoki, Suckadelic, Mister Cartoon, and Ecko.

And this summer will be the last installment

!!!!!!!

I'm thinking this is a TOTEMO entertaining and innovative way of celebrating art culture.

Here are some of my favorites!

black velvet and an exposed brain? AWE-GASM

terrifying.

actually, fun fact:

My AP English 12 teacher Andre Berkbigler (HUGE sav.)

pointed out that the Vader helmet shape combines two elements of design that made it especially menacing to the American public at the time the movie was released-

the back mimics the samurai helmet of Japan

and the top looks just like a Nazi combat helmet.

The fusion of these two represented a subconscious fear our society had of these two cultures.

yeah

...

anyways, here's another one:

can you say haute couture?

i can't help but think of weed when i look at this one...

AREN'T THEY WONDERFUL??!!

To see more pictures go here

If you like the pictures enough, order the catalog here

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I love the world-

and that includes

ALL OF YOU!!!!

<3

Claire

p.s.

driving fast

makeup wipes

flower pots

espresso machines

Joseph Gordon-Levitt

chicken yakisoba

homemade cookie dough

Birthday Money!!!

Insomnia

I don't get insomnia very often but man when I get it, I get it bad. It's currently 2:18am I'm exhausted as I had gotten up super early 6am for The Guild shoot yesterday. I don't know what it is my body is very restless as I lay in bed tossing and turning finally getting up around 1am and start pacing the bedroom hoping to get tired. That's didn't work so I'm now on the computer catching up on my blog. On top of the insomnia I think I'm getting sick :(

Cupcakes: Fashionable Food

Okay, so in all honesty I created that title just so I could have an excuse to blog about cupcakes. I PROMISE I'll keep it to a minimum... ;)

For those of you that love to bake, here's my new favorite cupcakes to date:

Banana Walnut Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Buttercream Frosting!

The recipe for the cupcakes can be found here and the frosting here! I changed the recipe by not making the "nut topping" for the torte- instead I just added about a cup of chopped walnuts and it was perfect!

The cupcakes are light enough and taste just enough like banana bread to allow for tons of delicious, light-as-a-cloud frosting. YESSSSSSSSS. Heaven.

-Berit xoxo

P.S. Claire just had a demo with MAC today everybody, KEEP YOUR FINGERS CROSSED!! If anyone is perfect for such a job, it's her!

Fun in the Sun!

Best Sun Safety Products,

in honor of my favorite ginger:

Gingie Pegasus

This goes out to you my wonderful!

MD Skincare:

Powerful Sun Protection SPF 20 Lipbalm: protects against UVA and UVB rays,

and removes excess iron from your lips

cruelty and paraben free.

La Roche-Posay Anthelios XL:

Contains Mexoryl and, even though it is a little pricey,

offers possibly the best protection in the world.

Bull Frog Superblock:

My father grew up in Hawaii, and this is still his go-to sunscreen.

But don't just trust my daddy, trust me!

This stuff is amazing, you can surf all day and never get a little pink.

Dr. Hauschka Skincare Sunscreen:

I love Dr. Hauschka,

her organic sunscreen is amazing for your skin and offers great sun protection

*****UPDATE****

this product has been discontinued

California Baby Sunblock No Fragrance:

This is the best product for sensitive skin, and was rated as best sunscreen by the Environmental Working Groups Cosmetic Safety Reviews.

Little known to most people, Coppertone and Banana Boat are among the worst sunscreens in terms of both protection and harshness on skin.

*Tip: mix a tablespoon of sunscreen with a cup of water, mix well in a spray bottle and spritz all over your hair. It protects your hair from sun damage and also gives a great beachy texture!

I send you forth into the sunshine!

<3

Claire

Guild Shoot Season 4 - Day Fourteen

Today we were on location once again. Actually there were two locations but I did not go to the second location. But man oh man the stuff they shoot today was some of the funniest stuff I had seen all season. I did manage to get a few more interviews, so that was good. But today is the "last" day of shooting at least for a few weeks... then we will all get back together once again for our "final" shoot day.

Guild Shoot Season 4 - Day Thirteen

Today was a fun day on the set of the Guild season four. I didn't get many interviews done as I wanted but I did get some key ones done so it felt like a productive day for me. It was a very long day on set and we also wrapped out of the location, which means we removed everything and this always takes longer then a "regular" day. We also got our "cast & crew" t-shirts... of course I would love to show them to you but I can't as the image on the front plays a part in season four... so for now they have to stay under wrap.

Only a few more days left for this season and though I will be sad that it will be over I'll be happy as well as I have a ton of audio that I have to sift through and organize for the KOTG "Special Season Four" podcasts.

GREAT IDEA

A while ago I was cleaning out my dorm room,

and I realized how many magazines I had just piling up.

And I started thinking about what a waste of paper magazines are,

and how most people don't recycle them.

:(

And THEN I found out about The Power Player Magazine.

Check it out!

Its absolutely exceptional, with articles about designers, artists, products, etc.

that contribute to an even MORE wonderful fashion industry.

AND THAT IS ONLY IN THE STYLE SECTION!

There is also entertainment, news, health, food, and sports sections,

all with the same goal in mind!

The official statement of the magazine is:

Our visionary, innovative E-magazine focuses on powerful individuals who continue to make a positive and significant impact in the world today.

So, my lovely readers,

clickity click on the link and browse the site,

its positively revolutionary

<3

Claire

p.s. COMING UP: a list of the best sunscreen products for this summer!

p.p.s.

i mentioned pertrilude before

(who has a great miniseries about being a drag queen),

but i love joshsource too!

look here!

p.p.p.s.

Haute or Not: Results

The Haute or Not post was absolutely intended as a fun way to spark conversation about the fashion industry and design plagiarism. I hope that no one took it as a personal opinion of Claire or myself regarding the conduct of Forever 21!

And so, the results...

1) Haute: Alexander McQueen's Silk Jersey Harem Trouser

2) Not: Forever 21 Wild Harem Pants

3) Haute: Dolce & Gabbana Leopard-Print Bustier Dress

4) Haute: Mara Hoffman Romper (post on her in the near future!)

5) Not: Forever 21 Multi-Color Crochet Vest

Claire has been working on some humanitarian/fair trade/awesome posts that might relate to this topic, so keep your eyes peeled!

Off to enjoy the sunshine!

-Berit xox

P.S. The birthday girl at her birthday breakfast (made by Brooke and I)! It felt weird making a post without any photos...

Lost

Just finished watching the series finale of Lost.. and my first thoughts are that it was good.

I first saw the pilot episode at comic con months before it premiered and I LOVED it. I watched every single episode and though there were some ups and downs, overall I loved every minute of it. I knew whatever ending they did they wouldn't be able to answer all the questions they had posed over the six seasons. Toward the end of Season 6 they answered a few long standing questions but then asked many more new ones.

"The End" (title of the final episode) was very emotional and moving, every time someone would have a flashback to the island and remember events and loved ones made me cry. It was great to see old cast members make a return and overall I was satisfied on how it ultimately ended. But wow, they left way too many unanswered questions and the final scene is still a bit confusing. But I'm sure as the days go by and I read/listen to other people's interpretation I'll have a better understanding of what actually happened.

You made ask how could I like the finale when I didn't understand some of it... well that's LOST!

HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY CLAIRE!

ATTENTION EVERYONE:

On this day, nineteen years ago, my best friend was born!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CLAIRE!!!

Via Ace of Cakes

Thank you for gracing us with your pretty face, kind heart, wonderful laugh, unconditional love, and mad makeup skillz! We raise our glasses to you, girlfran :)

(Soon she'll open her present from me and hopefully like it and post a review of it!)

-Berit

p.s. 'Twill post the results of our haute or not game in the next 24 hours!

Yard Work

It's great having 2 1/2 acres of land but man when you have to weed that land it's a nightmare. Both Harry and I have been working on the weeds for the past month.. we go out a few hours a day. Well Harry does it more as he is home more then me. But it's tough work and it seems by the time to finish one section and move on to the next the section you just did has new weeds growing in it. The issue with us is we can' t use any kind of weed control because of the water table (which is our drinking water). So we have to hand pull thousands and thousands of weeds. Today we went to Home Depot and pick up some tools to help us in this battle. We put a good fight but I feel like we are losing. May have to resort to some outside help (a gardener). But for now will put on a good fight.

Editing KOTG Podcast

Today since I wasn't on set of The Guild I was able to work on the latest Knights of the Guild podcast #16 part 2. I want to post it in less then a week so I figured it would be a good idea to actually start editing it. I had done the bulk of editing a few weeks ago but still had to assemble the pieces and then add sfx. I manage to get it all done fairly quick and now I'm just converting the files and then it will be ready for upload.

Guild Shoot Season 4 - Day Twelve

Today I was asked not to come to set as they are shooting in very confined spaces and using a skeleton crew. This is the second time that I was not allowed on set and I have to say that I'm bummed as I always enjoy being on set and as the official podcaster it's fun to watch all the scenes so I can talk about them on the podcast... but with that said I understand production and the craziness that happens with a bunch of people on set and unfortunately I'm probably one of the more expendable crew members. So no Guild for me today but this does free up a day to do stuff around the house.

Guild Shoot Season 4 - Day Eleven

Back on the Guild set for Day 11 of a 15 day shoot. I have to say this was one of the funnest days so far. The scene they were shooting is one of the funniest and coolest scenes of the season. I got a bunch of cast and crew interviews done, it was a very productive day.

#22 HELL ON EARTH: MY SCUMMY LIFE IN THE SUBURBS

I've made a really big mistake. HUGE.



I recently decided, against all better judgement, to move out of the city circle. After years of sloshing about Surry Hills and adjacent city suburbs, the opportunity arose to move into that Holy Grail of Sydney rental real estate: The hundred dollar a week room.



As a gentleman who aspires to many things of greatness, all of which include several years of slaving away with little to no pay (styling, writing, medicine....) the idea of shaving at least a hundred bucks from my living expenses weekly was an attractive one. "Great!" i thought. "I can work less, and concentrate on those things that I'm passionate about, far from the stress of paying absorbitant rent!".



The cruel reality of inner-outer suburban living is somewhat different to the money-soaked nirvana I imagined. With not a slither of a honeymoon period remaining, and a profound feeling of dread and doom each time I walk into "my house" allow me to describe the living situation I've found myself in:



THE SUBURB: ST PETERS, SYDNEYS "INNER" WEST:



In a really mean coincidence, my new suburb shares its name with the New Zealand boarding school I went to. Unfortunatley for me, there are no slightly curious Dairy Farmer offspring to perve at on the way to the showers after saturday rugby practise. From what I can gather, the only people that live here are Pakistani immigrants and homophobic drunk-driving tradesman. And not the hot kind.



Just to make things that little bit more disgusting, 2mins walk from the house is this:







That's right. A fucking 24hour McDonalds and KFC. You can actually smell the kentucky fried from my front door, and lord knows my skin is going to pay for all those booze-eats at 4am.



THE HOUSE:



Seven bedrooms. Eight flatmates. One bathroom. No Lounge. A bong on the kitchen table. Every single edible thing in the house is labelled in texter with someones name, even the fucking TEABAGS...



The gracious entrance:





the "buzzy" kitchen:




THE FLATMATES:



1. The Leaseholder from the central coast:



He has the most annoying voice I've ever heard in my life. At first I thought he was like seriously at least 30, but apparently he's only 24. His Lebanese mother cooks him three weeks worth of food which he keeps frozen so he never has to ever make a fresh meal. It's foul. Oh, and sometimes he waddles around the house naked.



2. The hairy guy:



I still don't know his name and I've lived here a month. He smokes loads of "bush" whatever the hell that means, and says "man" a lot.



3. The HSC student:



She's just turned 18, is doing her last year in high school and IS PREGNANT. No Jokes.



4. The boy from Wollongong:



I do not know a damn thing about him, other than he kinda looks like he has down-syndrome and he studies something and is sharing his room with a guy that used to have his own room in the house, has been kicked out for not paying rent but cannot move till he gets his bond back, which the leaseholder is withholding.



5. The long-locked doofer:



He has legally changed his name to "Meow". He's really into bondage, and he had a foursome with the leaseholder and two skanks. He used to have a pet snake.



6.&7. The doofer couple:



By far the most likeable of the bunch. He has really orange-bleached hair and is an acid dealer. She has dreadlocks. They are both on the dole, and from what I can see take trips daily, and i'm not even exaggerating. They're dead nice but.



All the flatemates have been nothing but sweet to me. It's just well, without trying to be a total snobby cunt.....THESE PEOPLE ARE ON A DIFFERENT LEVEL if you know what I mean.



Everytime my rent payment of a simple Hunge goes out, i'm loving it sick. But I can't live like this. I want out. Gimme a one or two well-groomed, tastefully dressed, employed flatmates to share a falling apart, overpriced freezing fucking Surry Hills Terrace with. I want my life back.



XXXPSYCHXXX

Visting Family

Today Harry and I went down to visit my family (Dad, Brother, Sister-in-law and Nephew). It's been a few weeks and I like to see these guys as much as we can. When we got there my mom was there visiting as well so it was great to spend some time with her as well. We visited with everyone for a hour or so and then took dad out to lunch at our favorite Chinese restaurant Hong Kong's. After that we had planned to take Dad to a movie but he had plans to play poker later that day so instead we headed back to their house and visited with family for a few more hours before heading home.

It's always great seeing my family and now that I'm an Uncle I love seeing Kenobi as much as I can as he is growing up so fast. He'll be 1 years old next month, I can't believe how times flies.

Star Wars Love

Today marks the 30 anniversary of Star Wars The Empire Strikes Back. This is my favorite of the first trilogy and one of my all time favorite movies. I was 9 about to turn 10 when I first saw this. My first viewing of this movie is one of the most vivid childhood memories that I have. I remember who I was with, where I was when I saw it and how it made me feel.

The original Star Wars shaped my childhood, it made me the lover of Science Fiction and Fantasy. I wouldn't be the GEEK I am today if it wasn't for Star Wars. So when I heard there was a sequel being made I was over the moon. Luckily my Dad was an avid fan (we saw Star Wars 14 times in the drive in theater) so we were there on opening day to see Empire. It's hard to put into words what I felt while watching this movie... it was pure ecstasy. I was transported to this wonderful world of good and evil, creatures and space battles and I loved every minute of it.

Nothing will every compare the same feeling as seeing Star Wars, Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, this was before computers, internet and mass media. Movie openings were EVENTS, Going into these movies you knew nothing (at least I didn't as I was still very young). These movies were the forefather of summer blockbusters and nothing will every take their places.

Happy Anniversary Star Wars The Empire Strikes Back.. thank you for allowing me to take a journey to a galaxy far, far away

Ironman II

It's been months since we've been to the movies so I was excited to finally be going. There are several movies on my list that I want to see before they leave the theater (Clash of the Titans, Kick Ass, How to Train your Dragon and Ironman II) So today we saw Ironman II. I was a huge fan on the first Ironman so my hopes were high for the sequel and it didn't disappoint. The story was good and the special effects were EXCELLENT!!! I love these kinds of movie as they require very little thought. You just sit back and enjoy the ride.

Here's a synopsis of Ironman 2:

With the world now aware of his dual life as the armored superhero Iron Man, billionaire inventor Tony Stark faces pressure from the government, the press, and the public to share his technology with the military. Unwilling to let go of his invention, Stark, along with Pepper Potts, and James "Rhodey" Rhodes at his side, must forge new alliances - and confront powerful enemies.

Be sure to stick around after the credits for something special.

Vehicle Maintenance, Lunch and a Movie

Today we got up early because Harry had to take his truck into the Dodge dealer for it's 12,000 mile check up. He likes to take it to the dealer he bought it from which is in Canoga Park. We left the house around 9:45am as we both had to get gas before heading down. Harry drove his truck and I drove my jeep. We dropped off his truck at 11am and they said it would be a few hours before it was ready.

I needed to get one of my tires fixed as I had a flat tire last week and was using my spare which didn't look so hot either. I went to Just Tires in Reseda as I have used them in the past. I was told that my flat tire was not repairable as the puncture was on the side. So in the end I bought two new tires. They replaced my front two with the new tires. Took my front tires and put them on the back and took the one good back tire and I'm not using it as my spare... all in all what I thought would be a $30 fix turned into a $250 fix. Things never go as planned.

After that we decided to go to lunch. We headed toward Wienersnitizal but I then suggested Wood Ranch at the Northridge Mall as it's a place that we both love and have only been to a few times. We got there, parked and went in and noticed that the entire waiting staff were in the lobby area. We were informed that the resturant was closed due to something. They gave us some coupons and said they didn't know when they would be open again. We then decided to go to Claim Jumpers as it was near by and again it's a place that we both like but very rarely go to. I got a chicken lunch when Harry got a steak lunch. Harry really loved his lunch and my was very good but you know how it is when you're in the mood for something but don't get it. Well I was really in the mood for Wood Ranch chicken, baked beans and their incredible rolls so lunch was a big disappointing to me.

After the lunch we headed over the Lens crafters as I have been wanting to get new eye glasses as I get occasional headaches and I think it's because my prescription has changed. Anyways we get in there and find out that the next appointment is 2 1/2 hours away, so instead we head to the movie theater in the mall area. There wasn't really anything that both Harry and I wanted to see playing at the time. We headed to a larger movie theater in Winnetka and found a showing of Ironman II playing in less then 20 minutes of us arriving. So we saw Ironman II (which I'll review in my next blog). After the movie we headed back to the Dodge dealer and picked up Harry's truck, which we found out there are several recall issues he will need to deal with so we have to take it back in a few weeks.

All in all thought we spent a few hundred dollars today it was nice to just hang out and have lunch and a movie with the Hubby.. we both agreed that we are going to try and do this at least once a month.

Forever 21: Haute or Not?

I know that Forever 21 gets tons of flack for blatantly ripping off designs from even the biggest houses of fashion. I know that I still like to shop there. I also know that sometimes when I'm browsing the website catalogue, I think to myself, "DAMN, that is tacky/extremely lacking in taste."

But I wonder... if you DID see one of those atrocious things walk down a runway with a designer label slapped across it, would you suddenly see it as a work of art, a daring poke at society, or merely craziness that you "can respect"?

Let's play a game: five images that are NOT judged as tacky or fashionable or anything by me personally, but are undeniably out-there in their designs... can you tell what's haute and what's not? ;)

Post your answers in the comments! And no cheating!!

1.

2.
3.

4.
5.

-Berit

Guild Shoot Season 4 - Day Ten

Around 3:30 I got a call from Brian who informed me that they were almost done shooting and if I wanted to interview Sean (Director) I would need to get down there soon. So I took a quick shower, packed up my equipment headed to set. Got there around 4:30, they were still filming so I hung out with Kim and Greg for a bit until they were done. I then helped to wrap the location and finally got to sit down with Sean and talk about the past four days of shooting. We now have two days off and start our final days of Season Four shoot of The Guild.

Strange Festivals and Crazy Celebrations

Almost as good as "The Festival of the Freshwater Squid" (see here)

As one travels the globe and observes the variety of fairs, festivals, and frivolities, it becomes clear that: 1) the concepts of "weird, strange, bizarre" are really in the eyes of the beholder - and 2) that all humans, no matter where we live, are more than just a bit bonkers.


Making a big deal out of "throwing things"

Although human behavior doesn't vary much, the methods of public celebrations certainly do.

For some baffling reason, for instance, people like to throw things. And depending on the country, what they throw is likely to be different. In Binche, a small town in Belgium, the projectile of choice is a fruit. On Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday before Ash Wednesday Binche the town is visited by masked figures called Gilles who – later on in the festivities – carry large baskets of oranges through the town. Many of these oranges are calmly, orderly, handed to residents as well as tourists. Others, though, are rather vigorously … well, thrown at wary residents and unfortunate tourists.
Another "Battle of the Oranges", in Ivrea, Italy:
Meanwhile, if you happen to be in Buñol, Spain, on the last Wednesday in August, you also might want to duck as the fruit thrown there – while not as hard or potentially damaging as an orange – can still sting a bit. What's fun about La Tomatina at Buñol isn't just the hurled tomatoes but that the town, which normally has a population around 10,000, swells to closer to 60,000 as folks from all over come to throw -- and get thrown at.




Other Splendid Festivities

Fortunately, not all festivals in the world include hurled objects. Some just have unique themes. Japan's Hōnen Matsuri is a fertility festival, uniquely celebrated in the city of Komaki. By unique we mean prodigious, tumescent, large, and … okay, enough with the jokes, especially since the object of the fertility being celebrated is that certain part of the male anatomy. A similar festival is also held in Kawasaki, called Kanamara Matsuri. See images here - warning, nsfw.

While nothing is thrown, and nothing terribly phallic is evident, there's a festival that absolutely has to be mentioned: an event featuring tremendous beauty that ends with ashes and smoke.

Around the middle of March, the city of Valencia, Spain, has a festival called Falles – a celebration of Saint Joseph. But long before the Falles, Valencia, the third largest city in Spain, begins to prepare: neighborhoods and a wide variety of organizations form groups called Casal Fallers who raise money for their own contributions to the festivities.

It's these contributions that make the event so incredible. Each group – working from a common theme selected for that year – creates a ninot, or puppet. Fashioned from paper, wax, Styrofoam, and a few other materials, ninots are whimsical, outrageous, profane, comical, political, and every one is incredibly beautiful.
The artisans of Valencia have had a very long time to perfect their craft, and it shows in each and every ninot (see a whole bunch here). Each figure and tableau is a hallucinatory mixture of a Renaissance masterpiece and a three-dimensional cartoon. Each one, too, is frequently a wildly executed satirical jab at everything from politics to tradition, from pop culture to the Falles celebrants themselves. Nothing is sacred, nothing is spared.


If you happen to be in Taihape, New Zealand, things will be flying through the air but none of them – at least as far as we know – have been thrown at anyone. Nevertheless, a festival where people try to throw a gumboot as far as possible could pose some risks to passersby and participants alike.
A landscape nearby is seemingly made to be explored in these gumboots (provided you can catch some free ones):
"Oni wa soto! Fuku wa uchi!" are words you might want to keep an ear open for if you're in Japan during Setsubun, and happen to see a member of your household holding a handful of roasted soybeans. Mamemaki is the term for it, and "Oni wa soto! Fuku wa uchi!" ("Demons out! Luck in!") is what is traditionally said before the beans are thrown out the front door – or at another member of the family (maybe even at the house cat):

If you happen to be in India during Holi, the festival of color, you also might want to avoid wearing your best suit of clothes. As part of the celebration, a brightly dyed powder called abir is merrily thrown everywhere – and especially at each other.


Then come the fires, and then the ashes. Yes, you guessed correctly: each and every minot, every figure and tableau is lit – exploding into the night sky in a roaring conclusion called La Cremà. In the morning there is nothing but ashes, and the memory of the wonders of the falles.

Boryeong Mud Festival, South Korea:


One of the weirdest festivals of all time - El Colacho in Spain. On this occasion grown men are jumping over the new born babies. Yes, very carefully (mothers do not seem to protest). They do it to get rid of any unknown evil spirits that might hide in these babies:
Cheese Rolling, Cooper's Hill, Gloucestershire, England:
Chocolate Festival in Kiev, Ukraine (with a huge chocolate fountain on the left):
Prayer for rain during Varuna Yajna ritual, at Sankara Mattham, India:
Lorraine Mondial Air Balloons Festival in Chambley, France:
Gothic and Steampunk Festival in Leipzig, Germany (Wave-Gotik-Treffen, WGT):


A neat little dance at the Kasedori Festival (a fire-prevention festival) at Kaminoyama, Japan: