You were strictly East Coast, worked in finance, and are now headed west to the laid-back, sunny skies of Southern California. The job called, you answered. Your business attire, collared shirt and slacks, have been replaced by business casual attire--flip-flops, jeans and a clean (sans cigarette burn) t-shirt. You used to wear, and try to hold onto, the roots of your former wardrobe, but with weather forecasts a predictable 74 degrees and sunny, you have to get used to your new look.
You remind yourself that any day in California is always going to be better than 90% of your Boston days, so, you laugh when co-workers break out their “winter” coats as October and November approach. You know better. Working for an Internet company provides plenty of surf time, and with a wave across the mouse pad, you found the perfect clothing store, Originalpenguin.com.
Originalpenguin.com features loads of men’s and women’s clothes, from hoodies and sweaters, to suits, swimwear, sunglasses, ties, watches and anything else you might need for the eastside or westside. Search for items by categories such as New Arrivals, Classics, Collections, Get A Clue and Killer Instincts. You can also shop by size and choose from a big selection of apparel listings.
At Originalpenguin.com, discover shoes, kids stuff, gifts and sale items such as the $29 Not Innocent and $19 Sweet Surrender. The $49 Sand Dollar Dress is ideal for Martha’s Vineyard summers and Santa Monica winters. In need of a holiday gift? How about a fancy Original Penguin Gift Certificate? They are available in amounts ranging from $50.00 to $350.00 and can be sent via e-mail to anyone with a valid e-mail address.
Once you’ve completed the checkout process, both you and the recipient will receive a special e-card containing the Gift Certificate Code, which can be used to make purchases on OriginalPenguin.com, at any time!
With the holidays fast-approaching, I am at a loss at what to buy my boyfriend for Christmas. A self-declared electronics buff, he smiles coyly when asked what he would like for Christmas. “Well, I did just get a new Sony TV and was planning on buying accessories for it,” he explains. He already owns a home theater system with wireless speakers, Sling box, and Tivo so that could only mean one thing: video games.
There are now more choices than ever when it comes to video games, video game consoles, and video game accessories. Having read the news, I am aware that we are in the middle of a gaming revolution, and I am excited. The last generation of consoles topped out with the Xbox, PlayStation 2, and Nintendo GameCube, and I cannot wait to see what the next generation will bring. Already underway with last year’s release of the criminally under-produced Xbox 360, the next generation is moments away from welcoming the Nintendo Wii and the PlayStation 3.
The next question is, where to purchase all of this great stuff. Gameasylum.com is your video game Valhalla. With one of the world’s largest selections of video game accessories for over 45 video game systems, GameAsylum.com is the world's leading source for video game hardware. They also carry almost every imaginable part that you would ever need for any type of game system you may have even if it's 25 years old. Check out cool Xbox 360 games such as Tiger Woods PGA ’07, boasting a 16-year history and priced around $40. The virtual player design is so detailed that we can practically play ourselves as wee tee-off against Tiger! Find controllers, cables, power supplies, cheat devices, hacks and more. Discover game repair tools, video game t-shirts, game speakers, and every type of game console on the planet.
They are the leading distributor of Dance Dance Revolution games, and their extensive inventory includes items such as Dance Dance Revolution DisneyMix Plug and Play TV dance pad and PS2 Pop’n Music Controller2 for PlayStation 2. They even feature cool links to retro video game TV commercials, video game demo scenes and a history of video games with links dating back to 1958!
With Christmas right around the corner, I need to think fast and smart about what to buy. It looks like I could definitely use a Brain Age! No matter what, gamers are definitely going to come out on top this year with the development of cutting-edge technology in virtual form. And with all of the new games available, there is sure to be something for everyone.
Have you ever bought an incredible gift for your best friend, then realized you have nothing to wrap it in? You threw out the morning paper, and your local freebie publication is covered in glue—no help there. What to do? Why not stock up on amazing wrapping paper at Papermojo.com.
Their prices are awesome, and selection is unlike anything you’ll find elsewhere. By ordering form Papermojo.com you can stock up for the entire year and have all your birthday and holiday gifts covered. Let your imagination run wild with their collection of decorative specialty papers at prices you'll appreciate.
You'll find an inspiring rainbow of hues in warm, spicy jeweltones, sun-washed pastels and earthtones for handmade cards, invitations, book arts, and all paper crafts. Indulge yourself with handmade papers made of earth-friendly, tree-free fibers such as mulberry, kozo, lokta and recycled cotton rag gathered from around the world.
Papermojo.com’s decorative papers are imported from India, Nepal, Thailand, Japan, France and Italy as well as made in the US by local artists. New papers are added every month! They feature a Special Savings offer with both clearance items and monthly offers. Their glossary of terms will help in putting together exactly what you are looking for.
Order a Gift Certificate and let friends and family choose something special for themselves. They’ll send your Gift Certificate via US First Class Mail or email at no extra charge. Now that’s something to wrap your head around.
“Wine is constant proof that God loves us and likes to see us happy.”
-- Benjamin Franklin
Holidays are looming. Time to think about wine. To give, receive, share, store, sip, sip and sip. Mmmm.
If you need evidence that the world is a bountiful place, take stock of the endless amounts of good wine available in the most convenient places-- the corner store, restaurants, local wineries, and especially the Internet. Wine web stores are everywhere, sprouting up like vines planted in coffee sludge.
Wine culture has come along way since 1970’s “white wine and cheese parties,” where people muttered, “fantastic” while sipping Gallo Sauvignon Blanc and tasting Cheddar or Munster cheese. Doctors now discuss the number of glasses one should consume on a daily basis to keep the heart healthy and other benefits of the fruit of the vine. I don’t mind, it just means more wine shopping. Let’s go!
I have a preference for low-yield, family run vineyards because their wines provide better quality control and usually feature traditional vinification techniques (oak barrels rather than stainless steel, hand-picking and pruning, etc.) So, in an effort to help you discover non-mass produced, quality wine, I offer to you an intriguing wine store that sells wine and wine baskets with select wines and gourmet foods (and none of that Yellow Tail stuff…yuck), Atasteofcalifornia.com. Their wine clubs are what I enjoy most. Wine clubs are fun; sign up, pay a monthly fee, and have two or more wines, selected by your wine club connoisseur, delivered to your door.
At Atasteofcalifornia.com, you have a choice of three wine clubs ranging in price from $19.98 to $39.98 per month. The California Wine Club, at $19.98 per month, gets you two California-based wines from family run vineyards in California only. The World Classics Wine Club sends you two wines from around the world that feature the heavy hitter grape varietals such as Australian Shiraz, Tempranillo from Spain, Italian Nebbiolo, or Riesling from Germany, to name a few. Join The Connoisseurs Club ($39.98), a step up with “rarely available masterpieces” for special occasions.
Allow Mr. John D. Davis, and his award-winning Wine Panel at Atasteofcalifornia.com to help you find quality wine at affordable prices. Their website provides a monthly newsletter, gift ideas, recipes for wine and food pairing, and even links to other wine and gift stores. The wine world is so vast and full of detail, I don't mind letting a wine connoisseur make informed decisions for me. I mean, how does a novice with interest differentiate between, wines from, California, Argentina, South Africa or Greece? A one-month trial is certainly worth the discovery of a new hobby or obsession! Atasteofcalifornia.com wine clubs do not require a membership fee, and they ship for free on the first order.
In today’s fast-paced, gadget-obsessed world it can be hard to keep up—especially if you’re techno-phobic like me. I’ve got my iPod, BlackBerry and PSP— not because I like or need these things, but because I don’t want my 10-year-old niece to leave me in the dust. “You mean you don’t even have a Myspace page?” she said to me the other day, half in disbelief and half in disgust. “Why do I need a Myspace page?” I asked. She didn’t dignify my question with a response—just an eye roll.
With all the digital, high-speed, wireless, lighter, faster, smaller knick-knack-paddy-whack technology that streams out by the second, there’s bound to be a backlash, right? Maybe it’s just wishful thinking on my part, but I believe a revolution (albeit a very small revolution) is on the horizon. While old-school board games such as Monopoly have been revitalized for contemporary culture (Here and Now, MLB, Snowboarding, US Marine Corps, Surfing, etc.) perhaps we should revisit past pursuits that never really went away, but have resurfaced thanks to a few famous names.
I discovered (to my relief since I have been a closet knitter for some time now) that knitting has been reborn as one of the hottest trends among celebrities, hipsters and other “cool” non-grandma types. Woo hoo! I am not so out of touch after all. Forget club-hopping and red carpet premiers, superstars including Cameron Diaz, Julia Roberts, Madonna, Winona Ryder and Kate Moss, whip up their own hand-knitted sweaters, beanies, scarves, gloves and blankets. It’s all part of the anti-technology revolution. Knitters of the world unite! Okay, that was a little dorky, but no joke, knitting is cool, really. In fact, it’s even infiltrated MTV. The rock group Steriogram recently received airplay for their award-winning video Walkie Talkie Man done ENTIRELY in knit.
Steriogram
Walkie Talkie Man
Besides MTV, all the top fashion houses feature knitwear in their fall collections, even showcasing knitted handbags and knitted boots. If you’re like me and can’t afford to shell out $1,900 for a knitted Alexander McQueen handbag, why not try knitting your own? It’s cool, remember?
Joann.com is a fantastic place to pick up knitting supplies, with weekly yarn specials, knitting books and knitting kits to get you started. They also feature an awesome Holiday Gift Guide, sewing machines, crafting tables, Project Ideas, a Free Shipping Club and more products to help you spin your yarn. With over 50,000 items in stock, Joann.com is a leading national specialty retailer of crafting, decorating, and sewing products-a "Create-It-Yourself" Superstore. They sell fashion and decorator fabrics, related notions, patterns, crafts, seasonal products and other merchandise. Joann.com sell the components to which their customers add their own talent and time to make fun and exciting projects. They are the only fabric and craft retailer that offers creative people everything they need-the products, the assistance, and the inspiration-to fulfill their creative dreams.
Once you’ve got your gear, stop by your local knitting café (yes they’re out there) like the Knit Café in West Hollywood, CA to perfect your craft with other enthusiasts. Hey, maybe I’ll bring my niece to one the next time inspiration strikes. After all, if it’s cool enough for MTV…. Then again, if it turns out she’s not ready for the revolution, she always has her PSP.
“Double, double, toil and trouble!” Alex, Jana, and I chanted the opening lines to Shakespeare’s Macbeth while enjoying cocktails and discussing what to wear to the all-company costume contest. As the discussion moved to memories of All Hallow’s Eves past, Jana reflected, “When I was a little girl, every Halloween was an excuse to wear glitter, a tutu, and twirl around with a wand! Whether I was a fairy princess or Glinda the Good Witch, Halloween was all about the sparkles.” We laughed and agreed.
Alex reminisced, “In college, it was all about looking sexy at frat parties. Nurse, French maid, Playboy Bunny, Cheerleader, Devil, Angel. As long as it was short and low-cut, it was a great costume. It was the only time I could wear something outrageous and nobody could say anything about it! I once spent a hot minute in the closet with the Incredible Hulk and exited with green paint covering my sexy white nurse’s costume for the rest of the night!” More laughter. We determined that Halloween allowed us to satisfy our inner urges.
“Now that we’re professional women, what kind of costumes should we wear?” Jana asked. “It’s hardly appropriate to show up at the office in those costumes. Plus, I hate perpetuating the stereotype that Halloween for women is all about showing some skin.” Alex, chimed in, “you know, Halloween is really about expression. Find the right store and you’ll have no problem expressing yourself. I found a great costume store called Spirithalloween.com. They offer customers the newest and most complete selection of scary, fun and silly adult and children’s costumes, accessories, masks, wigs, makeup, party goods and decorations.
Their site is so easy to find what you need. I’m going to be Velma. My boyfriend is going to be Shaggy! I’ve got these fabulous nerd glasses and we’re going to bring our dog, Amelia, out with us. She’s brown just like Scooby Doo! They have a Top 5 in men’s, women’s boy’s and girl’s costumes. Their selection is monstrously massive featuring Pirate costumes, Theatrical costumes, Plus Size Costumes, baby costumes, and more. I love their Find a Haunted House Nationwide thing where they help you locate a haunted house in your city! Even their coolest costumes are on sale, such as the Batman costume, Wicked Witch and Yu Gi Oh costume. You can search from low to high prices and take advantage of their Guaranteed Halloween Delivery. Also, you can save dough at Spirithalloween.com as they offer free shipping on all orders over $50.
Jana exclaimed, “I know! They do have the best costumes. I think I want to wear a strait jacket to work this Halloween. No free arms, no computer work. That will satisfy my inner urge to not work. Or I could be a sumo wrestler. I don’t think I could reach the keyboard if I wore that, either! We ordered another bottle and celebrated our costume discovery. Alex is going to be Velma, Jana, the Sumo Wrestler, and I told them, “I’m going to be a flapper for Halloween this year. No, wait! What do you two think about Cleopatra? I think it could be really fun! Maybe I’ll find my Marc Antony! Yes, I’m definitely going to be the Queen of the Nile!” We pulled out Alex’s Blackberry, and ordered our costumes from Spirithalloween.com right on the spot.
Like every kid in the Midwest, I lived for snow days. 5 or 6 times a year, snow blanketed our neighborhood, falling so hard and fast, that our school bus could no longer climb the steep, windy hills into my neighborhood. This meant one thing...no school! Me, my brother and our friends spent those glorious days sledding, ice skating and bunching up pillows of white bliss to be used for snowball fights. Eventually, chill set in, forcing us indoors where we flipped on the tube, checked out the Brady Bunch and fought over who got first game in Space Invaders. That game rocked.
I can just imagine the fights kids must have now with the Xbox, PlayStation, GameCube and other game consoles. Remember the smell of Silly Putty, and Play-Doh? We loved that stuff. Especially my brother, who occasionally ate some for fun! Snow days also meant that Christmas was close, and my life’s work was to score the newest Crissy doll. Even our fat little dachshund joined the fun, as we would dress her in dog clothing. Not sure if she enjoyed it. We did. She waddled through the house, sniffing around the oven, probably hoping for a black angus, when she really smelled freshly baked Shrinky Dinks.
Today, I miss having a dog and all the old toys and fun. My current habitat does not allow pets. However, when thinking of pets and toys, my mind did wonder as to where I could find the coolest new toys roaming planet earth. While checking out the National Geographic Channel, I saw the coolest combo of pet and toy…the Roboraptor. My jaw dropped when I discovered what this electronic toy could do. It has “artificial intelligence”, with realistic motions, 3 distinct moods (hunter/aggressive, cautious/nervous, playful/friendly), and traits, which are actually a few steps ahead of some of the guys I’ve met lately! How cool would it be to have a pet like that to greet you at the door?
This remote controlled pet moves his head and neck with realistic biomechanical action and also has a whipping tail that sweeps back and forth. This would be an awesome gift for anyone. You can find it at several stores including, Sharperimage.com and KlearGear.com.
I don’t think kids understand how amazing toys are today compared to what we had in the 1970s. I mean, we thought Sea Monkeys and a Rubik’s Cube were the most freakishly amazing things we’d ever seen.
Now we have the T.M.X. Tickle Me Elmo with incessant giggling and life-like movements that are honestly, impossible to resist. And don’t be surprised if your kid’s 2006 Christmas list includes things you’ve never heard of, or don’t understand, or can’t afford. This year, I might ask Santa to bring me a Roboraptor and some Silly Putty. Keep it simple. Old-school.
With Fall fashion in full swing, now is the perfect time to try out the latest styles of jeans -- and we have the perfect fit for you! Whether dressing down for a casual day at the office, or dressing glam for a night on the town, this season’s style is all about the skinny jean.
Inspired by 1950s trendsetters Audrey Hepburn and Marilyn Monroe, skinny jeans are now available from the hottest brands, in a range of prices. And, there is a fit for everyone. Levi’s Drainpipe Skinny Jeans, the modern woman’s choice, is a classic five-pocket stovepipe shape with a fuller coverage in the back – no plumbers necessary to fix these pipes! They come in three washes: blackbird, char, ultramarine, and are a perfect fashion addition to any wardrobe.
The slim-slacked look coincides with the development of Rock ‘n’ Roll in the 1950s, and our current revival never lost a step. Elvis wore a pair of black slim slacks when he first appeared in 1957, albeit from the waist up, on the Ed Sullivan Show.
Jeanhotspot.com, an online boutique featuring the latest trends in ladies ware, sells many of the styles mentioned here. Updated daily, Jeanhotspot.com's 100% authentic products come with their original dust bags and or tags/labels of authenticity. Most orders are shipped out within 24-72 business hours of receipt of your order. In addition to the designs we've mentioned, they also carry jeans by True Religion, Paper Denim and Cloth, and Juicy Couture among many others.
Skinny jeans returned in the 1980s during the original punk rock explosion. Now, they’re back in style and edgier than ever. For those looking to invoke the spirit of rock, try Diesel’s Matic Jean, which features a distressed look with a low rise, one-button closure and metallic stitching at the seams.
For women who have trouble finding a longer inseam, Rock and Republic offers the sleek and slim look in both jeans and slacks.
How to wear them: Jeans that fall right at the ankle flatter taller figures, whereas a longer leg creates the illusion of length. A skinny fit slouched at the ankle flatters fuller figures by visually balancing the hips. For those who are still a little cautious, a straight leg is a perfect way to stay with the trend while maintaining classic style. And for those convinced that a flare is still the most flattering, a boot cut will still suggest the same lean silhouette.
Don’t forget that skinny jeans are the perfect way to show off some fabulous footwear – pair them with sweet ballet flats for a day. We like J. Crew’s women’s Marbella wool ballet flats. Wanna set the night on fire? Try a sexy stiletto heel. Another great look is to tuck your new skinny jeans into a great pair of boots! Any way you wear it, you’re sure to turn heads.
Being the avuncular man that I am, I agreed to take a day off from Warcraft, and help my nephew settle into his college dorm room. I was surprised to find his room already decked out with a bed, desk, sheets, bathroom supplies, and a microwave. I thought to myself, why does he need me? He already seems to have it all! One more look around and I found, a cell phone, a dvd player, stereo, iPod, and all sorts of storage bins and shelves. I started to think he was pulling my leg and the joke was on me. That was until he mentioned that we needed to upgrade his Thermaltake Soprano PC system.
Ah-ha. That’s why he called me…the man who can. Like Home Improvement’s Tim Taylor, I asked him, “Are you saying we as in "we" or we as in "weeeeeeee?” So, like any trusty IT guy, I told him Newegg.com is the place, for all the do-it-yourselfers, hard core gamers, students, small to medium-sized businesses types and that’s where we’re gonna shop. Newegg.com is known for their expertise on delivering the freshest technologies available and are in tune to what's hot and what's not. Their reputation, experience and industry have made it possible for them to negotiate the lowest possible prices on the Net.
I pulled out my laptop and typed in Newegg.com. No need for us to go elsewhere. Once we logged on, he was shocked to find Newegg.com’s selection of hardware, pcs and notebooks, digital cameras, games, and DVDs. My nephew said we should order a pizza but I told him that Newegg.com is so fast, easy and stocked with everything we’d need, there wouldn’t be time for food. I had to remind him, “Does everybody know what time it is? Oh yeah, what do we need boys? More power!” This is no Developer Tool Time upgrade.
We decided to purchase the sweet, Gigabyte GA-965P-DS3 motherboard, Intel Pentium D 940 3.20 GHz processor, Corsair XMS2 RAM Memory, and XFX GeForce 7900 GT graphics card. I told him that if this system doesn’t do it, then he might want to think about getting a Mac. But being the PC freaks that we are, we decided go with our instincts. I told him that all of this for under $1000 using his Hard Drive, and Optical Drive from the old system, and into the new system, he’ll have the hottest rig in the building. For some reason, our experience reminded me of Home Improvement again. The one where Randy says, “Let me get this straight. Mark gets fewer rules because he's a dork, and I get more rules because Brad's a dork.” I’m pretty sure that I’m Randy.
Good thing Newegg.com has the latest technology, parts and products, along with product information, pictures, how-to’s, clearance items, open box items, combo deals, Special Items with gifts, Digital Services, and customer product reviews for a dork like him. Now, when he has issues, I can stay at home with my Xbox and he can just refer to Newegg.com with any questions or needs. He already noticed that Newegg.com is a Bizrate.com Gold Honoree. I knew that my work was done here. As I walked to the door, I told my nephew, "remember, if it doesn't say Binford, someone else made it.” We laughed so hard that I decided to stay, eat pizza with my little buddy, and troll through Newegg.com’s vast selection of computers and electronics.
The 80’s had the power lunch and power tie. The nineties were swamped in the power play, power yoga, and PowerPoint. Now, the 21st Century welcomes-- right on cue as the perfect antidote--the Power Nap! After years of sleep research touting the benefits of napping, in collusion with studies showing that Americans are sleep-deprived, the nap culture is slowly taking over – under our desks, in empty conference rooms, and even in stores, where you can actually pay for a 20-minute nap!
Nike may tell the world to “Just Do It”, but, internally their slogan might as well be, “Just Snooze It”. The company offers its staff “relaxation rooms” for quick Zs. The Kansas City architectural firm Gould Evans Goodman Associates employs "spent tents," stocked with pillows, blankets and alarm clocks. Iowa-based health care provider, Res Care Inc. has a sign on their nap room door proudly stating, "Napping in Progress." One such website embracing the new nap market phenomena is gadget superstore, Brookstone.com who offers a wide array of nap-related merchandise.
Slumber is serious business these days: Do you opt for the Quick NAP Pillow or the Cuddle NAP Pillow? Do you prefer Nap Slippers, Nap Booties, or simple Nap Socks? Don’t forget your pillow case-- Quick Nap Cover or a Power Nap Cover? Napoleon, who famously copped Zs on the battlefield, wasn’t lucky enough to be born in the 21st century, where he could have purchased the NAP Dream blanket, specially designed for napping anywhere, even beneath a cannon! Lucky Napoleon had sentries to monitor his sleeping breaks. We need machines to do that and Brookstone.com has just the thing: the SmartSet Radio Alarm Clock, with 20 radio station-presets, tuning lock, and a nap timer.
Nap related items are a revenue stream for Brookstone.com, as they are to Arshad Chowdhury, the director of Metronaps, a nap “store” located in the Empire State Building, where for $14.00 you can steal 25 minutes from your workday to climb into one of 15 sleeping “pods” and fall into the arms of Morpheus. Chowdhury started his business after working on Wall Street, where he witnessed workers falling asleep at their desks, or covertly sleeping on toilet seats.
Napping may soon become the norm at many companies, after all, they’ve adopted casual Fridays, flexi-time, and tele-commuting. Someday, it may be perfectly acceptable to set up nap camp under your desk, cradling Brookstone.com’s Nap® Cuddle Bear. Who knows? But one thing is for sure: No one will ever lose money underestimating the fatigue of Americans. Okay, it’s sleepy time! Good afternoon!
Orange. Black. Candy Corn. Pumpkins. Vampire Fangs. Halloween conjures up a cauldron of terrifyingly tantalizing tastes, sinister sights, and spooky smells. A wicked witches brew of bubbling fun! But, how often do we question our reason for celebrating the most macabre of American rituals and its true meaning?
Why not find out, or clear your cobwebbed memory, considering that its your creepy cash that helps fuel this 3 billion dollar a year business. Researching Halloween may be one of the most meaningful and inexpensive ways to celebrate this occasion of the occult. And it’s simple: Click on Alibris.com, and discover what’s soon to be your favorite online bookstore.
Perfect for the intellectually curious, fiscally clever, and hopelessly haunted, Alibris.com is a website that tracks down almost any book, on any subject, at the lowest possible cost. Looking for spine-tingling scary stories? They’ve got ‘em. They are an agent between those who love books (as well as music and movies), and thousands of independent sellers around the world. Alibris.com carries over 60 million used, new, and out-of-print spook-tacular books, many of which are a scream at less than $3.00. Don’t make the grave mistake of missing out on their wide selection of Halloween related books. Here are a few of our favorites.
The Halloween Encyclopedia
The Halloween Encyclopedia by Lisa Morton is a veritable Halloween A to Z. Entries include information on witches, skeletons, the Day of the Dead, the jack-o’-lantern, and trick-or-treating, the most popular and misunderstood American Halloween ritual. Also included, Halloween history and mythology, fortune-telling lore, harvest legends, and 20th century additions to the holiday’s rituals.
The Pagan Mysteries of Halloween
Curious about the Pagan origins of Halloween? Celtic scholar Jean Markale’s The Pagan Mysteries of Halloween explores "the shadowy zones" of All Hallows' Eve. Though the name comes from the Christians' All Saints' Eve, Halloween can be traced back thousands of years to Samhain--the beginning of the "dark half" of the Celtic yearly calendar. As a feasting and celebratory festival, Samhain lasted about three days, blurring the borders between the living and dead with the help of the fairy people!
Halloween: From Pagan Ritual to Party Night
For a historical and sociological view on the subject, we have Nicholas Roger’s Halloween, From Pagan Ritual to Party Night. Here, the author takes a lively, entertaining look at the cultural origins and development of Halloween. Drawing from a fascinating array of sources, including classical history and Hollywood films, Rogers traces Halloween as it emerged from the Celtic festival of Samhain (summer's end), all the way to Halloween’s evolution into an unofficial but large-scale holiday by the early 20th century. He examines the 1970s and '80s phenomena of Halloween sadism (razor blades in apples) and inner-city violence (arson in Detroit), as well as the immense influence of the horror film genre as terror-fest. Rogers shows how Halloween remains, at its core, a night of inversion, when social norms are turned upside down, and a temporary freedom of expression reigns supreme.
These boo-tiful books can be purchased through Alibris.com’s network of sellers for as little as $2.95. Choose a book, click on their Quick Buy feature, and select the lowest price for your product in Very Good or Better condition. They also offer free shipping on select items. Halloween. It’s not just candy and costumes. Go ahead and find out why!
As a youth, when October hit, my friend and I would skip home from school singing, "almost Halloween, almost Halloween, almost Halloween." It was our ode to the greatest day of the year. We discussed our costumes, the 'hoods we planned to troll, what kind of shaving cream to buy, and the candy we hoped to receive. Each passing day equalled one step closer to the ultimate kid night...free candy and a legitimate excuse to trick and receive treats.
However, one Halloween, many years later, the seemingly endless night of costumes, candy, parties and ghouls took a dark turn. I might have Scream-Studios.com and their spookily, spectacular collection of Halloween items to blame. Scream-Studios.com is a Halloween store featuring the creepiest masks from your favorite characters and horror movies. They also carry makeup and special effect appliances used by the pros.
Their sinister collection includes the Jigsaw Puppet Saw Mask for $35, V for Vendetta Grand heritage Costume, Leatherface Deluxe Mask with Hair, and Napoleon Dynamite Full Mask. Many of their masks and costumes are categorized by movie including, Shrek, Harry Potter, Hellboy, The Munsters, Psycho and Freddy Kreuger. Check out their collection of Universal Studios Monsters. Don't bring apples to your next Halloween party. Discover Scream-Studios.com's gift cauldron with themes such as Vincent Price, Cult Classics, Donnie Darko, Devil's Rejects and more. This Halloween, deck your Halloween party with their sale items including the Bloody Cut-Off Leg, Crawling Arm, Box o' Bones and Severed Hand. Most of these items are under $15! Their easy to use, sticky, yet sweet, web of accessories is frighteningly fantastic.
Find Kids Cute Color Makeup and Kits for under $2, Reel FX makeup, Reel FX Prepainted Latex Prosthetics, Barbie Makeup, Candy Bags, and 2nd Skin Foam Latex Appliances. These guys have it all, with great prices, and the scary masks that make Halloween so much fun. For $2 you can buy Face Adhesive and take it off with Remover for $3!
So, here's the rest of the story. I was the last to leave a friend's Halloween party. With the number of sexy nurses, school girls and gangsters, how could I leave? The doorbell no longer chimed, trick or treaters safely counted their candy, and outside, the streets were dark. The playful sounds of trick or treaters, haunted houses and proud parents were replaced with an ominous and eerie silence. I opened the front door and looked apprehensively at the daunting walk I had to get to my car.
While walking and removing my cape, I noticed someone standing 2 blocks away, right next to my car. I couldn't make out the person's face as they wore a dark sweatshirt with a hood that was up. I continued to walk towards my car, and the figure stood, facing me, as I approached. The dimly lit, tree lined street provided nothing but thoughts of Friday the 13th, Halloween and any other slasher film I could think of. The figure never moved except for occasionally lifting it's head to look at me. I still couldn't see it's face, although I knew it was waiting for me. Running back to my friend's house, and pounding furiously on the door was a thought. Now one block away, I was scared. Nerves raced, fear grew.
At a half a block away, I stopped, and like two western gunslingers, we stared each other down. I was terrified, the figure was still unknown and nobody was around. Without eye contact, I mustered up my candy corn sized courage and moved towards my car. The figure never twitched, standing stoically by the driver's door with it’s hands in it’s pockets. I reached the car, pulled out my keys, slipped past the spook, opened the door and locked it from inside. I slowly turned my head, and winced at the mystery under the hood.
The terrifying spirit turned, faced me, and while looking down, through the window, revealed the scariest, creepiest mask I had ever seen. I wanted to scream, but instead, roared my engine, slipped past the morbid figure and sped away, making sure the doors were locked. Why did this “thing” stand by my car, not say a word, and not make a move of any kind? The reason why I thought maybe Scream-Studios.com is to blame, is because I can’t imagine any other place where this person could find such a scary mask. Almost Halloween, almost Halloween, almost Halloween.
This Hallows'Eve, fear not the most recognized name in Entertainment. The Walt Disney Company's online store -- disneyshopping.com -- features an enormous assortment of halloween costumes and accessories.
Inspired from their more current theatrical hits like Toy Story, Pirates of the Caribbean, Aladdin, and Beauty & the Beast as well as treasures from their vaults, like Snow White and Cinderella, Disney costumes are more than just a walk down like Main Street.
Disney Halloween costumes and accessories are an opportunity to peer through the looking glass and into the fantasy land that makes Disney and it's lovable characters so appealing.
And there's even more to love about disneyshopping.com. You can often take advantage of sales and clearance promotions as well as offers for free shipping (on orders over $75) and dollar-off (up to $15 on orders over $60)!
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