Monday, December 30, 2013

Top 10 Anime of 2013

I thought 2013 was a pretty weak year for anime. Of course there were certainly a decent amount of things that I liked and enjoyed. It was difficult compiling the top ten list this year. For the first time I have movies and specials on here simply because I didn't have enough TV series that I loved this year. Number ten was, again, a fight between a couple of series.



2012 CARRY OVERS

Sunday, December 22, 2013

Write you own Future!

I recently re-read a book from 1980 titled Future Diary, by Mark Victor Hansen (co- author of Chicken Soup for the Soul and many other books).There are many great points in this book about goal setting and some tips and techniques to develop effective goal setting.



One part of the book that I particularly liked was early in the book.Mr. Hansen wrote about how we all daydream and think about the great deeds we will do, how famous we will be, how many homeruns we will hit, and all those wonderful things that seem so possible and uncomplicated when we are children.The point he makes is that the one "magic" tool we didn't know how to use was the principle of writing it down.As he points out, we grow up and leave our childhood dreams and goals behind in most cases, and often we leave behind our enthusiasm for living like we lived as children with a "no mountain too high" attitude.

Saturday, December 21, 2013

THIS JUST IN! LATEST SPIN!

&-- THE KOOL-AID TABLE



AS HIS INAPPROPRIATE BEHAVIOR AT THE MEMORIAL SERVICE FOR NELSON MANDELA CONTINUES TO RESULT IN CRITICISM, CELEBRITY IN CHIEF BARRY O CONTINUES TO ATTEMPT TO OFFER NEW EXCUSES.

His new line of defense

&-- THE KOOL-AID TABLE



AS HIS INAPPROPRIATE BEHAVIOR AT THE MEMORIAL SERVICE FOR NELSON MANDELA CONTINUES TO RESULT IN CRITICISM, CELEBRITY IN CHIEF BARRY O CONTINUES TO ATTEMPT TO OFFER NEW EXCUSES.

Thursday, December 19, 2013

Top 10 Favorite Anime Series

Ohayo everyone!



So I've been working on this one for a while. Was supposed to be done earlier this week but what with not having Internet on thanksgiving, and recording auditions for star wars, it got backburnered.

Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Black Butler Review (English)

Remember a couple weeks back, in my Night Raid 1931 review, when I mentioned I hadn't seen Black Butler yet? Guess who finally watched decided to watch it?



Black Butler is an Action/Fantasy/Comedy series based on the ongoing manga by Yana Toboso and Square Enix, with Yen Press as the North American licensor. The 24 episode series, Black Butler, comes from A-1 Pictures and director Toshiya Shinohara for the Fall of 2008. It is currently licensed by FUNimation Entertainment (US), Manga Entertainment (UK), and Madman Entertainment (AUS). An additional 12 episodes and 6 OVAs of the series under the name Black Butler II were released over the course of a year beginning in the Summer of 2010. A-1 Pictures and director Hirofumi Ogura are masterminds behind this series. Black Butler II is licensed by the previously mentioned companies. The OVA episodes will not be covered in this review.

Cell Phones that Save the World? That sounds familiar .

Two anime, multiple phones



If you take a snap shot, Future Diary and Eden of the East has a lot in common.

2011: The Year of the 'Dokes

Patrick George Jones (@) is just another guy on the planet Earth living in the Milky Way. He puts the "Pat" in "Psychopath" every time he spits hot truths into the microphone on his podcast called "Oh Great! Another Podcast" ( if you're feeling dangerous). He also runs a website called , so clearly he is qualified to write reviews.This photo describes 2011 as well as ALL OF ANIME.



As questionable as this phrase may sound, 2011 shook up the anime industry.

Tuesday, November 26, 2013

Anime Marathon

YO HARROWWW!



You may have noticed a complete overhaul of my crappy blog effort with all posts deleted and a revamped theme and all. Finally, a new start. Yes, one that is after the BIG 'O'. (START MOVING START MOVING~ YES~ whaaa)

King of Thorn Review

A bunch of people awaken from a cryogenic sleep and struggle to survive.



Survival stories in anime and manga generally don't enthuse me much because they're all pretty similar to each other. But King of Thorn seems slightly more character driven than others. A bunch of them had clear goals and development which is always nice to see.

Anime Mondays #38

Hello, hello, hello, friends, how was your week?Mine was pretty fantastic, as I discovered the wonderful world of paid vacation time and how to rock carrying a book on your head while talking to a rockstar.I'd explain that, but it's probably better left unsaid.Instead, I'll talk about ninjas and psychotic killers!Awesome.



All images are from , and there are spoilers up to the episodes listed!

ANIME: Brief Opinions and Reviews 03

WataMote - Watashi ga Motenai no wa dou Kangaetemo Omaera ga Warui!



ENGLISH TITLE: No Matter How I Look at It, It's You Guys' Fault I'm Not Popular!

Why Do I Torture Tai So Much?

SPOILERS ALERT!



RAMBLING ALERT!

Thursday, October 31, 2013

The Future Diary / Mirai Nikki (2011-2013) Anime Review

***StartOfLog***Here a review that I didn't thought i do Future Diary or Mirai Nikki.

I found out about this series by total accident by seeing this image on facebook.

So I thought to myself:"so she is like Lucy from Elfen Lied wow she must be brutal" and also thought they kinda look similar as well so i looked the anime up and found the Wikipedia page and I was intrigued about the concept (witch i 'll explain in a moment) then i found the English dub of it done by Funimation so i gave it a watch and now I'm here making this review.

Anime I've Gotten Into/Currently Watching: Fall 2013

Hello again. First off: Happy Halloween. I tried to find a General Zod costume in my size (specifically, the version with his battle armor from Man of Steel); but there weren't any. I ultimately just bought an Iron Patriot mask and a Captain America shirt to be a low-budget Iron Patriot. Second, I know my recap of The Heart of the Cards is behind, but I have taken the screencaps and I am in the process of writing the recap. Third: because of the workload I have in school, I will have to postpone the Halloween marathon. I will probably be recapping the Soul Eater episode "The Ultimate Paper Test" to deal with midterms coming up. It has a sort of Halloween theme to it; and it will probably be up in early November; kind of like how The Simpsons Treehouse of Horror sometimes airs then because of being preempted by the baseball playoffs. (note: This year's special was OK. Not quite as good as last year's, but standout bits where the opening guest-directed by Guillermo Del Toro, and the parody of the classic horror film Freaks).



For now, I will give my thoughts on some of the anime that I've started this fall. Both ones from the fall 2013 season and that I started this fall.
Issue #22

October 31, 2013

North Republic Industries

Tuesday, October 29, 2013

Anime recomendations part 1

For all the people! i did romance, horror, and comedy. i will do the rest of the genres in part 2



ROMANCE:

Sunday, October 27, 2013

Promote Yourself:Anime Minneapolis announces Leah Clark

MINNEAPOLIS, MN - OCTOBER 21, 2013 - THE MINNEAPOLIS ANIME CONVENTION ANIMINNEAPOLIS ANNOUNCED TODAY THAT VOICE ACTRESS LEAH CLARK WILL BE ATTENDING THE CONVENTION IN 2014.

Leah Clark is a Random Force Of Nature working as a voice actress and script adapter for FUNimation Entertainment and voice artist for DuArt Films. She has also worked as a director for FUNimation as well as a stage actress in the Dallas-Ft Worth TX area. Some of her most memorable voice roles include Nodoka in Negima; Suzuka in Suzuka; Rin in Toriko; Fuyuki in Sgt Frog; Blair in Soul Eater; Minatsuki in Deadman Wonderland; Saki in Eden of the East; Nora in Spice and Wolf; Minami in Baka and Test; Jiji in Princess Jellyfish; Noah in Full Metal Alchemist--Conqueror of Shamballa; Coby and Miss Doublefinger in One Piece; Paris in Shin Chan; Eri in School Rumble; Maron in Dragonball GT; Carlita in Pokemon the Movie: Black/White--Victini and Reshiram; and Maru in XXXHolic.

Other notable works include: Aria in Aria, the Scarlet Ammo; Homura/Kagari in Sekirei; Akane in Rumbling Hearts; Ruby in Rosario + Vampire; Tenhou in Oh! Edo Rocket; Akagawa/Red Ranger in Level E; Hikari in Evangelion: 2.0 You Can (not) Advance; Miyabi in Freezing; Kagura in Ga Rei Zero; Miya Miya in Bamboo Blade; Doyle in Pokemon; and Mayu Otsuka in Darker Than Black. This year, Leah can be heard as Murmur in Future Diary; Yu in Guilty Crown; Giselle in Last Exile-Fam, the Silver Wing; as well as roles in Steins Gate, Wolf Children and Is This a Zombie?

Saturday, October 26, 2013

In the Making

Don't mind my comment on my last blog post. I totally got confused about which week I'm writing what post and announced the wrong post for this week. But hey, my professor did the same thing in class so no judgments! This week, I get to talk about a topic of interest related to this course. My choice then, is to explain some of the process work for my album cover assignment and the reason why I did so. This post may be long but it will have pictures so bear with me.



I decided to do a CD cover for an Anime soundtrack because 1) I love Anime and 2) I love the music. I also wanted to digitally paint something because the last time I actually finished a digital painting, was over 5 years ago. It was terrible, and is thankfully lost in the void that is my old, dead laptop. I wanted to make something I know I'd enjoy doing, as well as brush up my skills at the same time. I will thank my brother for letting me use his tablet until I get my new one soon enough. Really, it saved my life.

What is This? A CD Cover!

So it's finally done. Yep! I was going to upload it a few days ago when I finished, but there was some blog confusion. Anyways, in addition to this CD cover, I must submit an "Artist's Statement". It's a main explanation of my piece. It's a little text-heavy, so bear with me.



For this assignment, I decided to make an album cover for an Anime soundtrack. I did this for a few reasons. One reason is obviously because it's something I have interest in, something I love, and why not integrate a personal interest into a project? Another reason I decided to do this is because I've done enough manipulation in my grade 12 Photography class, I want to paint in Photoshop instead. I haven't done a lot of digital painting but I really enjoy doing so. I decided to do this project not only for class, as it is necessary, but to improve on my own skills. You can't get any better without practice. I actually did a blog post about some of my process work but I'll save describing that for my critique.

My Review of Blood C

Disclaimer: This reivew contains some spoilers, and since they tie in directly with my most imnportant points about the show, I won't be hiding them. Read with discretion.



Blood C (2011)

Friday, October 25, 2013

Capricious blogging germane to my avocations

I have constantly heard that the best way to remember new words is to actually use them, no matter what language you are speaking in. Therefore, in this post I will attempt to appropriately incorporate as many of our AP English vocabulary words into my post as possible. If you do not understand or remember some of the words I use, appropriate definitions may be found on the interwebs.



First of all, let me introduce the story that I will be talking about today: Mirai Nikki (Future Diary.)

Thursday, October 17, 2013

Deadman Wonderland Review

A teenage boy is incarcerated in a notorious and deadly prison.



Deadman Wonderland is somewhat reminiscent of the hyperviolent OVAs that were constantly churned out in the 80s. The "horror" is in the atrocious acts of violence and physical damage inflicted onto the characters. At first it seemed scary, but as it continued it became less scary and more ridiculous and overkill-y.

Tuesday, October 8, 2013

The Future Diary

The Future Diary is licensed by Madman Entertainment, Funimation and Kaze UK.



One thing that horror fiction needs is a good motif. A common one over the years is humanities use of technology.

Wednesday, October 2, 2013

Mirai Nikki

MIRAI NIKKIFUTURE DIARY

Eh... so I did drop this earlier this year, but I picked it up again just because my old school friends that I met since it's holidays told me that it gets better later on.


Monday, September 30, 2013

Seasonal Anime Reviews: Summer 2013

Just let this be a reminder to anyone who had to waste their time on Oreimo. I'm not gonna feel sorry for you. I'm just glad I bailed on this otakubait trash when I did. Seriously, fuck you, Oreimo!



SEASONAL THOUGHTS: Much to my surprise, this Summer turned out to be better than expected. The shows I expected to be good were good, and there were a couple underdogs here and there. Still had its downsides though in that there weren't anything interesting in the shows that I didn't watch. I would say it's about as good as Spring.

Saturday, September 28, 2013

Faylan

Bio :



FAYLAN ( Feiran?, born May 8) is a female Japanese singer from Saitama, Japan. She is affiliated with management agency S, run by veteran singer Hiromi Sat . Many of her songs appeared in video games and anime.

Mirai Nikki

Hello folks boys and ghouls for todays review and since we are closing in on always awesome month of October I decided to do something awesome for the occasion. We going to look at a series that has everything, action, romance, horror, comedy, blood and gore, and a creepy stalker girl with a deadly obession. This is MIRAI NIKKI OR FUTURE DIARY as it has become to be known as in the English translation. I'm serious this series is the shit just check out the opening below!



NOTE: I do not own anything of the videos or images.

Tuesday, September 24, 2013

New Anime!

Recently I've started & finished a lot of anime's. Here's a few.



Mirai Nikki (Future Diary):

Monday, September 23, 2013

The Mirai Nikki Challenge

For the past week, I have been watching the Mirai Nikki anime, and I have read the manga. I thought, since I was watching the one I could at least read the other. The only other series I have done this with is Bleach and Fairy Tail, so it is a sign that I like it.



The story is a pretty brilliant one if I say so myself. The god called Deus, is reaching the end of his life. To decide a successor, he creates the games of the future diary. Twelve people are given a future diary (a modification of what they were originally keeping) and, have to kill each other until one is left. Yukki and a cute but psychotic girl named Yuno are future diary holders and, try to defeat the other ten together. The series is about their relationships and, their battles with the other ten.

Monday, September 16, 2013

Anime Mondays #32

Hello ladies and gents, I come to you this week sick as hell.The weather changed here so freaking quickly that my head feels like a bunch of horses are trampling through it every single second.Today's post might be slightly less witty, but at least it exists.



All images are from , and there are spoilers up to the episodes listed below!

Tuesday, September 10, 2013

Anime One ranks which anime cross-overs do people want to see the most

Anime and manga may not be something new but whenever these things happen, people will be excited about it. With and duking it out, Anime One has recently conducted a survey on which anime cross-overs do people want to see the most. With a total of 1,035 votes, here are the results:



33, 32, 31- Space Captain Harlock X One Piece- 0 votes

Monday, September 9, 2013

Anime Mondays #31

I believe this was a week of fucked up shows.Now, you guys know how much I love my fucked up anime.I mean, hello, three of my favorite shows of all time belong to the genre I like to refer to merely as "psychological fucked up shows."(For those of you wondering, these shows are REVOLUTIONARY GIRL UTENA, MADOKA MAGICA, and MAWARU PENGUINDRUM.)But, I think I took the cake this week for the shows I chose to watch, and I didn't even re-watch any of my favorites.And I have now learned that sometimes "fucked up" is not as great as I'd like it to be.



All images are from , and there are spoilers below up to the episodes listed!

Friday, September 6, 2013

Favourite Animes()

Hello my lovelies~!



So it was requested bythat i make a post about my favourite animes! Obviously, i can't choose a top 5 or whatever, so i'm just going to name a few. Watching anime is one of my favourite things to do, so naturally you can imagine it was bloody hard to pick the best ones!

Friday, August 23, 2013

Mirai Nikki

The most recent anime I've watched is Mirai Nikki, which means "future diary" in English. I can't remember where I first heard of it, but I think it was one of those suggestions down the bottom of the page when I watched Death Note. Anyway, I got the anime off my friend and I found a chance to watch it. It was...pretty amazing. I thought I wouldn't like the art style or the story... but strangely the art was tolerable and I didn't mind the story.

The plot in general is about this boy who writes a diary with his phone, and one day his phone writes his diary for him, in advance, telling him what happens into the future. He can then base his actions on known outcomes to then change that future into something that benefits him. Then it turns out that he's not the only one with a future diary, and there are 12 diary users in total. I think the selling point of the whole plot was that they diary users had to kill each other, and the last man standing gets to become the God of Time and Space.


For the love of Anime

These past few weeks, I've been indulging myself with different genres of anime. I can tell you that my old self has gotten me again. This was me way back when I was still in elementary)">



So let me get to the point. I will be posting my top 5 anime that I've been watching recently. I'm not a spoiler, so don't budge. I'll be just stating my own opinion on each series. Now here it goes.

Dat Rainbow (It'sh Sho Intenshe!!)

This is from Bakemonogatari, right?And did y'all spot the Double Rainbow reference?If not, I'm disappointed.And you probably didn't spot the Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei references a few posts back either, or the Oreimo ones, or the Kuroshitsuji ones.If that's the case, I'll be horribly disappointed in worldwide youth culture.Ya gotta be able to handle hard-core references!!It's practically a requirement!



Updates;

Mirai Nikki

Mirai Nikki (lit. Future Diary) is the pinnacle of twisted Anime by far and was one of the most notable Anime titles to air in 2011. This spiral of madness has a runtime of 26 episodes and is rated "R" for reasons that I will get to later on. I did a mistake of recommending this to a good friend of mine, , without watching it since I thought it had an interesting premise from all the reviews and screenshots that I came across in my daily surfings of the internet. I have never regretted recommending anything before this. Ever.



WHY YOU SHOULD AVOID MIRAI NIKKI

Maid-sama's Anime

Anime I have watched;



* Wolf's Rain

Anime Mondays #29

Let's not talk about the time we didn't have, let's just talk about the time we have, shall we?Life has been pretty crazy.Two weeks ago, I was having one of the greatest concert experiences I have ever had, and last weekend I was at Comicon where I discovered the joys of wearing a Pikachu costume.Lots of Ash, even a Team Rocket, but Pokemon?There weren't a whole lot, if any.It was stupid fun, but I only went for Saturday and Sunday, and I feel like I could have used the other two days to get the full experience.Anyway, we're here to talk about anime, and it's not a lot, but I tried.Also, this post has a surprise inside, so you know what to do!



All images are from , and there are spoilers listed up to the episodes below!

Future Diary First Impressions

I am taking a break my Endless 8 marathon to bring you my first impressions of Future Diary. Even though many have praised the series, it is that time again. Time to prove that I have an opinion of my own. I must warn you: my reaction is not as good as my peers, and I have often been looked at askew for going against the grain. Still, I feel I need to speak my piece, no matter what others may think.



First 5 and a half minutes, and I'm totally lost. The opening scene has this Yuki kid OD-ing on cyanide, and this Yuno girl looking him over. The theme song feels like some sort of maniacal Hans Zimmer piece, and there is an alarming amount of black, white, and red.

Saturday, July 13, 2013

Random Thought (July 07, 2013 at 12:19AM)

Random Thought 399



What a day! So we did some programing workshop today and after that me and my comrades watched Despicable Me 2. Thank God that we were still able to watch it despite some struggles in making it to our desired screening time. The planned time was at around 4:45pm but we didn't make it so we decided to just go with the 6:05pm but we were not allowed to get in anymore since the we missed again the start of the movie by a minute or so. So our last resort was the 8:20pm screening time. I'm just glad that it was really worth the wait. At least we were able to kill time by doing some stuffs while waiting, like for instance watching some Future Diary episodes.

Friday, July 12, 2013

- Watching new anime

It's been ages updating this blog, due to the final exams I wrote about last time and also due to a lot of catching up with friends and relatives. My younger brother finished and passed his highschool finals last week so we had to throw a party also, holidays are coming up pretty soon and I've been making plans with friends and family.



As for today's conent. I haven't been adding too much new material to my Kanji Decks but I have been watching a ton of anime and reading some manga. I normally use animefreak.tv but since Im quite the graphics-admirer I started downloading HQ versions. As for Manga, the sites I use for raw downloads areor . Unfortunately, getting to the download link is quite a hassle but the database is vast and overall good quality scans. Worth checking out. Last week I added some anime to my collection:

Railgun S of science in second place

07/09 rescue ME 2 story - New Arrivals updated information 07/09 BROTHERS CONFLICT naruto shippuden 248 - Brothers conflict! 07/09 super-speed deformation Jaipur Rosetta sitting -'s not able to have 40 story 07/09 I you guys bad any way you slice it! Scissors and 07/09 dogs use so 1 - Talk - (27 episodes) 07/08 ninja 1 story - school bag is seen as a 07/08 Recorder 1 story - The World goddess Hen Only Knows 07/09 God Episode 2 [Watamote] 07/08 resident Senjin naruto shippuden 248 9 story Mushibugyo - - Hattori-kun (India version)! there'll - - 07/08 Yu-Gi-Oh ZEXALII 14 story 07/08 Makai Prince-devils and realist-1 naruto shippuden 248 story 38 story (111 episodes) 07/08 Blood 1 story (13 episodes) 07/07 Rapture - FAMILY - Episode 1 07 / eight dog Ibun east - - Rad - 07/07 Hakkenden 1 story the second phase - the second phase over sudden one story (14 episodes) Te 07/07 Excalibur moonlight schoolyard - 07 - High School D D NEW This is the mask of 07/07 glass one story but Z - 11 story 07/07 Space Battleship Ymato naruto shippuden 248 2199 - 14 story 07/07 HUNTER HUNTER naruto shippuden 248 Hunter Hunter - 87 story 07 / 07 ONE PIECE (one piece) - 603 story
07/09 Free Anime link fixed-additions! [Free! Official 07/09 Ghost in the machine naruto shippuden 248 galaxy Corps Majestic naruto shippuden 248 Prince 13 Episode 13 official 07/09 beads Beads Market de la 's official 07/09 Makai Prince-devils and realist-1 story 1 story BAR3 07/09 absolute defense Revu~iatan -] official Railgun S Aru Kagaku official 07/08 official 07/08 Fantasista Doll Episode 1 official story 07/08 absolute defense naruto shippuden 248 Revu~iatan mini bonfire Theatre 07/08 Senhime Zessho

I with you!, Ozma, here

Story series of Ishin Nishio original, 6 works, animated decision in 2013! The not be popular the world goddess Hen 07/09 I Only Knows 07/09 God Episode 2 07/09 Burakon BROTHERS CONFLICT you guys is bad any way you slice it! 's Not able to have 07/09 I use the second story so shears with 07/09 dogs you guys bad any way you slice it! Episode 2 07 07/08 virtuous do 07/09 Ninja Hattori-kun India edition Episode 9 school bag Mi Episode 1 and 07/09 Recorder The World goddess Hen Episode 1 Only Knows 07/09 God first story goes / Episode 14 07/08 Yu-Gi-Oh ZEXALII 38th story life Episode 13 07/08 Mushibugyo 08 Dji solid Gurashi duck (111 episodes) 07/08 Makai Prince devils and realist 07/08 Makai Prince devils and realist Episode kung fu panda 2 dublado 1 07 / 08 Hakkenden - eight dogs Ibun east - The mask of Episode 13 07/08 glass over sudden Te 07/08 Phase 2 Episode 14 07/08 Brad Ladd 07/08 Brad Rudd first story but Z Episode 11 07 / 07/07 HUNTER HUNTER Hunter Hunter 87 story 07/07 ONE PIECE 07/08 High School DxD EW 07/08 High School DxD NEW Episode 1 07/08 ecstatic family first story 08 ecstasy family - One Piece - # 603 It is the site name story that [news] Youtube animation kung fu panda 2 dublado video list but NARUTO-Naruto in the video-sharing site Veoh, Megavideo, Dailymotion, SayMove,

such as wat other Youtube of (YouTube) - An introduction to Shippuden # 268 story. kung fu panda 2 dublado [NARUTO - Naruto - Display the category of] mankind is Horizon II god of poverty and faded-border [Display all articles]! -I can not be so ambition H TARI TARI Women's Rak heart Connect Sword Art Online kung fu panda 2 dublado DOG DAYS ' Oda trust Nana. 1-person, there are sister in this! -Total Eclipse-Campione! Season2 Arcana Familia-La storia della Arcana Famiglia- Hakuouki Reimeiroku-Chitose Getchu Lagrange chocolate Linnaeus Senkyo love rendezvous snow summer Yuruyuri! ! Koi Ultra reason Hyakunin song. Stray devil aesthetics kung fu panda 2 dublado of the brave listheaven high schoolshrimp public heaven (Este Thika), shrimp

Thursday, July 11, 2013

Mirai Nikki

You can take your wibbly wobbly timey wimey's, fuck'em with a 13 inch dildo, and send them off to Microsoft for privilege checking; this is Mirai Nikki.



Yukiteru Amano is a loner in school in life, his only companions being his imaginary friends Deushowever, Deus turns out not to be a figment of Yuki's imagination, but an actual god of time and space. Now Yuki is dragged into a game between eleven others to fight over becoming the next god, given special devices know as Future Diaries, items that allow the user to see specific parts of the future. Yuki is not alone though, as Gasai Yuno, another member of the game stands by his side, ready to fight and die for the unlikely loner. Will Yuki survive this crazy game, or will a terrible turn of events change the course of his future?

Wednesday, July 10, 2013

FAIRY TAIL 336 REVIEW: ONE PUNCH ATLAS, SO MANY PLOT HOLES…

This was one of those fairy tail chapters that is somewhat hard to rate because technically, Hiro, just like last week, managed to create content that avoided the sort of pitfalls most shonen manga are known to fall into by applying some logic to his execution of events, yet the level of predictability and over all 'fairy tail-ishness' of the entire chapter left a lot to be desired, in the end producing a weekly chapter that was nothing more than meh.



In other words, not bad, yet not actually good enough to be excited.

Anime // My top 7 Favorite

ANIME:(Japanese: , [a.ni.me] are Japanese animated productions featuring hand-drawn or computer animation. Anime includes animated television series, short films and full-length feature films. The word is the abbreviated pronunciation of "animation" in Japanese.

It was really hard to pick just 5, since there are SO MANY good anime's soo... i ended up picking 7 =) This list is based on personal preferences and likes so you're free to have your own opinions and i'd love to know what your favorites are in the comments!

[7] WOLF\'S RAIN // 26 EPISODES, 2003

Summer 2013 Anime Season Previews/Thoughts

* for larger image.



Hey guys this is Ash. The blog isn't fully revived, but the new season is starting next week (or has already started for some shows) and I'd like to at least do one of these. My life right now is a bit hectic and who knows when it will get better, so wish me good luck!

Railgun S of science in second place

07/09 rescue ME 2 story - New Arrivals updated information 07/09 BROTHERS CONFLICT naruto shippuden 248 - Brothers conflict! 07/09 super-speed deformation Jaipur Rosetta sitting -'s not able to have 40 story 07/09 I you guys bad any way you slice it! Scissors and 07/09 dogs use so 1 - Talk - (27 episodes) 07/08 ninja 1 story - school bag is seen as a 07/08 Recorder 1 story - The World goddess Hen Only Knows 07/09 God Episode 2 [Watamote] 07/08 resident Senjin naruto shippuden 248 9 story Mushibugyo - - Hattori-kun (India version)! there'll - - 07/08 Yu-Gi-Oh ZEXALII 14 story 07/08 Makai Prince-devils and realist-1 naruto shippuden 248 story 38 story (111 episodes) 07/08 Blood 1 story (13 episodes) 07/07 Rapture - FAMILY - Episode 1 07 / eight dog Ibun east - - Rad - 07/07 Hakkenden 1 story the second phase - the second phase over sudden one story (14 episodes) Te 07/07 Excalibur moonlight schoolyard - 07 - High School D D NEW This is the mask of 07/07 glass one story but Z - 11 story 07/07 Space Battleship Yamato naruto shippuden 248 2199 - 14 story 07/07 HUNTER HUNTER naruto shippuden 248 Hunter Hunter - 87 story 07 / 07 ONE PIECE (one piece) - 603 story

07/09 Free Anime link fixed-additions! [Free! Official 07/09 Ghost in the machine naruto shippuden 248 galaxy Corps Majestic naruto shippuden 248 Prince 13 Episode 13 official 07/09 beads Beads Market de la 's official 07/09 Makai Prince-devils and realist-1 story 1 story BAR3 07/09 absolute defense Revu~iatan -] official Railgun S Aru Kagaku official 07/08 official 07/08 Fantasista Doll Episode 1 official story 07/08 absolute defense naruto shippuden 248 Revu~iatan mini bonfire Theatre 07/08 Senhime Zessho


I with you!, Ozma, here

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Friday, July 5, 2013

Suzy Slesin





By Sian Ballen & Lesley HaugePhotographs by Jeff Hirsch
We managed but it is a little odd interviewing another journalist who specializes in design and Suzy Slesin really knows this world having written numerous books as well as working as a writer and editor at pretty much every shelter magazine you’ve ever heard of, including House & Garden, HomeStyle, O at Home and the Real Estate and Home sections of The New York Times. Not many of those left standing, alas. She hasn’t exactly chosen an easier, alternative path by founding Pointed Leaf Press, where she publishes monographs on personalities in art and design such as Dorothy Draper, Vladimir Kagan and Helena Rubenstein, who was her stepfather’s mother. Despite the challenges of publishing in the era of the screen, the books keep coming and the design world keeps turning.
A collector no more, she describes her own downtown home as “kind of a mish-mash”—a much better word than the irritating catch-all “eclectic”—which of course we never use in this column. We loved her apartment because everywhere there was something to interest the eye. The only “serious stuff” says Suzy, is some of the art, collected by her husband and art dealer, Michael Steinberg. As for the things to which she is drawn: “I happen not to like established, valuable things. I love everyday things—the things that have a purpose. One of my favorite collections was yellow ware kitchen bowls—that’s what I like.”Having read what you wrote in the Times about clearing out a lot of stuff and moving into a smaller apartment, I realized that I have a bit of a fantasy about doing the same—what’s the reality like?
Do you want the short story or the long? Um … the medium version.
We had this fabulous large apartment that we moved into in 1993 on Park and 84th Street and it was a complete wreck and we were very lucky to get it because nobody else wanted it—there were five maids’ rooms and the ceiling was on the floor in the living room. Anyway, we made a low offer and we got it. Six months later we moved in. I thought, my daughter’s going to get married here. I’m going to die here. Never thought about moving. Just loved it, okay? Then a series of things … our kids were getting ready to leave home … I had lunch with my friend Trish Hall (she was the editor of the Living section) at the Times. She would move into apartments, fix them up, sell them and move on. I said, “Trish, that’s so not me. I can’t stand change. I like to stay where I am.”
Anyway, she asked me if I would like to write about these new condo buildings that are going up, but she said you have to have a reason for it. And I said, “Well I’m not moving.” And she said, “Well, you could move … you have an apartment to sell.”




In the den area, Vitsoe library shelves are filled with 1960s Chinese propaganda ceramics made during the Cultural Revolution.



 Suzy and her husband Michael had the sofa and chairs in the den covered in a favorite faux-bois fabric from Hinson.  The coffee table is by Eero Saarinen. The white cloth wall sculpture hanging above the sofa is by Shinique Smith.



A close up of the Hinson faux woodgrain fabric on the furniture in the den area.



Peeking into the den area from the terrace. A small vintage Eames stool stands near the open door.



Bright tulips and a ceramic set of dishes by Eva Ziesel are arranged on a glass-topped table from the Lehmann Maupin gallery by the Korean artist Do Ho Suh.



A second seating area centered around the living room fireplace includes a chaise lounge from CB2, a 1950's chair by Pierre Jeanneret, and a table by Do Ho Suh. A large gold head by the Indian artist Ravinder Reddy, which dates from 2002, stands atop the Turkish marble fireplace mantel.









The metal link stool is from CB2 and the black-and-white striped rug is from IKEA. The staircase landing is encircled with glass blocks.



A 1980's cast bronze side chair by Bonetti Garouste, by the window stands next to a 1950's chair by Pierre Jeanneret. The French metal chair in the foreground is by Tolix.




So you moved because you wanted copy?!
Well, Michael [Suzy’s husband] always wanted to move downtown and I did a book on lofts in 1986 and I was always sorry that I didn’t move then. And one day I went to [write about] a building in the West 50s—a very interesting old building—and the broker insisted that I see his other project. I came down to what was the model apartment for this building. [Michael] saw the terrace … the terrace did it. Were you still under the illusion that you could get rid of most of your stuff?
No. I had no idea … I didn’t even think about it. We were undecided … but Michael was very excited about it. To tell you the truth, we sold our apartment uptown September 4th and we closed on this apartment September 10th. It was really stressful. And we had the yard sale.




The contemporary WrongWoods credenza by Richard Woods and Sebastian Wrong for Established & Sons, stretches across a wall of the dining area. The oil painting hanging above the console is by German-born American painter Ernest Fiene.





The fiberglass table and chairs by Italian designer Pier Luigi Spadolini date from 1971 and came from Neo-Studio in Sag Harbor, New York, as did the vintage hanging fixture.



Magenta orchids perk up the kitchen counter. The painting on plywood is by George Hofmann from the Show Room 170 gallery in New York.



Two wooden heads by American sculptor Elie Nadelman, as well as a third that is anonymous have been arranged upon the WrongWoods credenza.



A 1950's light fixture hangs above the dining table.  The ceramic tajine dish is from Morocco.




I read about that. I felt a little pain in my heart at the thoughts of your friends picking over all your treasures. Did they squabble?
Oh my God, it was terrible and I regret a lot of things. Off the record, I can tell you some stories! [But] we had tons and tons of stuff. It was hilarious. Your best friends come over and say, “Five dollars—for this?” Can you explain the joy your possessions give you?
You know it’s not so much in owning stuff … I did a lot of books in the eighties, these collecting books with my friend Daniel [Rozensztroch – the art director of the French concept store, Merci.] And really my most relaxing thing is … was … going around flea markets with him. It’s nothing to do about value. We don’t have expensive things. This collection is the funniest [gesturing to the shelves of Chinese revolutionary ceramics] … I bought the first two and they were in our apartment for years and years. Then we bought a few more and then, when we moved down here, Michael went around Chinatown and he found lots of them. Friends bought us some too … and it sort of grew.




In warmer months, the outdoor terrace serves as a second kitchen.



Snow-covered views of the wraparound terrace with a view of downtown. One World Trade has since been crowned.





The wire sofa, now repainted over its original orange, is by Fernando and Humberto Campana for Edra.



The cement half-face planters came from Marders Garden Center in Bridgehampton, New York.



From the terrace, there are views of Chinatown, Little Italy, and Lower Manhattan.







Have you stopped collecting things?
Really, we have no room. And you know, eBay killed flea markets … and the Pier shows also. Do you still go to Brimfield?
I don’t anymore. A lot of the furniture in our old apartment came from Brimfield. We had so much fun … I did a story for the Times on buying wire things with my friend, Daniel … you know … sloshing through the mud. You’ve been part of the heyday of shelter magazines—but they’re closing or closed …
It’s very sad. I miss it. I loved my life as a magazine editor. It’s a different time.




The statue of Chairman Mao was used in a Kips Bay Showhouse room by Vicente Wolf a few years ago. 



A ledge of the staircase landing is lined with ceramic pieces as well as a lamp from the Memphis collection by Ettore Sottsass, Jr.  



A pair of self-portraits by Cindy Sherman hangs above a collection of ironstone and French pottery. The drawing on the left is by artist Jane Hammond.



Two portraits of men by Y.Z. Kami and a small painting on metal by Barry McGee hang above a metal chair by Robert Wilson. At the bottom to the right of the column is a painting by Brad Kahlhamer.



Part of Suzy and her husband Michael's art collection that has been hung salon style in the stairwell. It includes, but is not limited to, works by Red Grooms, Lisa Yuskavage, Tracey Emin, Su-en Wong, and Sean Mellyn.




Were you—are you—very bossy?
I can be bossy. I’m very controlling … the main thing is I really love working with other people. I don’t like working on my own at all … at all. Why did you decide to become a publisher, particularly in the current era of publishing?
It’s a difficult business. I started it because my last editor-in-chief job—my only editor-in-chief job—was at HomeStyle and then that closed. It was the first time I had been out of work in thirty years and I was didn’t know what I was going to do. I started collecting materials for a book on Helena Rubenstein—you know she was my stepfather’s mother, don’t you? Yes, I do know that. Did the book work out?
We took it the Frankfurt Book Fair to look for a publisher and we didn’t find anybody but a few months later, Thames & Hudson offered something but I didn’t feel right about it. My husband said, “Why don’t you publish it yourself?” So I decided to do it myself and once you do one book, you’re a publisher.




Pine storage boxes designed by architect Hassan Abouseda are filled with colorful pottery that include pieces by Desimone and Robert Picault.
A piece of modern Scandinavian glass and a madonna by Katharina Fritsch sit on the pine shelving.



A trio of vases by Hella Jongerius are part of a collection the Dutch designer created for Ikea.



Antique French and English trompe l'oeil dishes are displayed near a glass vase from Knoll.



A photograph by German artist Candida Hofer has been hung on the wall above a contemporary metal chest. The bowls are Moroccan.



Pieces of contemporary Greek pottery and a vintage Italian figure are grouped on the shelf.



Vintage Spanish liqueur bottles alternate with reproductions of papier maché figures by Russian constructivist Kazimir Malevitch.



"You Can't Lay Down Your Memory" is the title of a chest of many drawers by Dutch artist Tejo Remy for Droog and is the focus of the downstairs hallway.



The long painting above "You Can't Lay Down Your Memory" is by Frank Moore.




What are your memories of Helena Rubenstein?
You know I’m an ex-art historian and I really love the story behind the place. When I did the Helena Rubenstein book it was really as an art historian, digging through and asking: What were her collections? What did it mean to collect African art? She was one of the first major collectors of African art. [And] why did I have this memory of her apartment forty years ago? Because it was so strange and unconventional. She really didn’t care what people thought. She just accumulated things, good and bad. I like that. What do you see in terms of trends?
Now? I’m glad I’m not working at magazine now. It’s very hard to determine trends—there are no great movements now. Over the years decorators have lost a lot of their power in terms of telling people what they want. People have empowered themselves—for good and for bad.




The drawing by the door in the bedroom is by American artist Steve Gianakos.
In the master bathroom, a painting by Rachel Howard hangs above the towel heater. The towels are from Missoni.



An extensive collection of art books fills the Vitsoe library shelving that lines the hallway to the bedroom.





Painted brick walls and a pine ceiling add to the charm of the bedroom.  The watercolor above the bed is by Ouattara Watts. The lamps are from Artemide and the pair of vintage milk-glass topped side tables were designed by Florence Knoll.





A papier maché bull's head from Spain has been stored temporarily under one of the Florence Knoll tables in the bedroom.
The remote control rests on a tray with a Man Ray image.



A mirror with a Tramp Art frame is on the wall of the bedroom. Red bed linens and polka-dotted black-and- white pillows from Ikea echo the room's color scheme.





A side view of a wicker chair by Prague architect and designer Borek Sipek.



A "Feltri" chair by architect Gaetano Pesce for Cassina has been placed near the TV in the bedroom.




So let’s talk about living down here as opposed to living on Park Avenue—how do you like it?
I do. I only knew the Upper East Side—I never lived anywhere else. I never thought that I would live in such a strange neighborhood. I love the light here. I love the view. I love walking around—not on Canal Street. It’s too crowded and it’s dirty. My husband is very, very happy. On weekends he walks down to discover all these streets below here that are old New York streets that people never walk in. He loves all that.
Have you ever lived in another city?
Well, I went to grad school in London and I’ve been to Paris a lot. But I’ve never really lived in another place except New York. I never considered it. No. [Laughs]




A wall of books at Pointed Leaf Press.



Big Old Houses: Seriously Brown






Big Old Houses: Seriously Brown
by John Foreman
Here are the brothers (l. to r.) Charles (1868-1957), and Henry (1870-1954) Greene, partners in the famous California architectural firm of Greene and Greene. These guys were — and still are — golden boys of the American Arts and Crafts movement, a philosophy, really, that informed cutting edge American aesthetics between about 1890 and 1930. Arts and Crafts (or Craftsman) houses are like Indian food; either you like them or you don't. Even if you don't, their remarkable level of craftsmanship, at least in prime examples, is indisputable.
The Greenes did dozens of houses in, among other places, the Arroyo Terrace district of Pasadena. This still gorgeous quarter lies between the Arroyo Seco Park on one side and Pasadena society's once favorite thoroughfare, Orange Grove Avenue, on the other. The gate below was the original entrance to a one-block enclave in the neighborhood called Westmoreland Place. It runs parallel to, and about 20 feet from, Orange Grove Avenue (now Boulevard) in the midst of a positive thicket of Arts and Crafts houses. On this street in 1907 David Gamble (1848-1923) and his wife Mary (died 1929) of Cincinnati, Ohio, bought property for a winter house. The Greenes were busy with a project on a next door lot, and the physical proximity of Greenes and Gambles, according to some sources, is what led to construction of Pasadena's iconic Gamble House.










The American Arts and Crafts movement came with substantial philosophical baggage. Its original English proponents decried, with justification, the soullessnes of the Industrial Revolution, the degradation of human labor, the flaccid elaboration of Victorian arts and, well, you get the picture. Our English cousin, William Morris, went so far as to proclaim machinery to be "altogether an evil." Craftsman houses, in theory anyway, spurned elitism and ennobled the modest homes of working people. In reality, pure Craftsman construction was so expensive that its best examples were usually commissioned by rich people. A case in point is David and Mary Gamble's Greene and Greene house at 4 Westmoreland Place, completed, including architect-designed furnishings, in 1910.


















Not for nothing is this house called "America's Arts and Crafts Masterpiece." The Greenes ticked off pretty much every Craftsman box on the list — natural materials, an earthy palette, a vaguely Japanesey mood, exposed structural elements, extreme attention to detail and a purposeful "handmade" look. Total cost for house, garage, landscaping, and furniture: 79,000 pre-World War One dollars.












Let's return to the front door where my host, Ted Bosley, is waiting.










Thank you Photoshop for lightening this place up. Beautiful as the woodwork in the main hall is, you practically need a miner's helmet to see your way around. A dark and moody palette is integral to the Arts and Crafts aesthetic, not specific to this house.












On its own terms, of course, it's quite gorgeous in here. The stained glass panels in the front door, depending on the source one consults, depict either a gnarled California live oak from the Arroyo Seco, or a Japanese black pine. Not in dispute is the amount of daylight that penetrates indoors; this is what it really looks like in here. Left of the main entrance in the image below, hidden in typical shadow, is the door to a small study.








The floor plan of the Gamble House is neither innovative nor original, but its woodwork — in cedar, oak, fir, ash, maple and teak — is bravura. All the furniture in the study, and indeed in every room of the house, is either Greene and Greene or Gustav Stickley. The door to the left of the study desk leads back out to the main hall, where we'll take a right and head for the living room.








The fireplace inglenook in the living room, a cliche in most Victorian architecture, has been raised here to the level of art.
















This corner of the living room, with its various woods, natural colors and articulated structural elements, is a short summary of Craftsman design. The frieze under the cornice strikes a Japanese note, California redwood carved in patterns suggested by the grain.










In 1907, Charles Green said, "I have not found the man or woman who would choose to live in the architectural junk of ages gone." A risky statement, I'd say, and not one calculated to enchant the author of "Big Old Houses." Returning to the concept of irony, save for the furniture quality woodwork, there is nothing ground breaking about the design of this dining room. Which is not to say it isn't appealing.












The Arts and Crafts serving pantry, however, is my cuppa java.








Nor will regular readers of "Big Old Houses" be surprised to learn my favorite room in the house is the kitchen, gussied up in attractive Craftsman style.
















Adjacent to the kitchen is a back stair to the servants' quarters. We've still got one main floor room to see before going to the second foor.








The guest room — there is only one — is located across the main hall from the study. Its mushroom and moss color scheme is about as lively as it gets in this place. Light fixtures and incised designs on the metal bed frames speak to an almost obsessive attention to detail. Save for the Craftsman mirror surround, the bathroom could be in any old house from the period.
















Upstairs are 4 family bedrooms, 2 with bath en suite, a family bath in the hall, and a servants corridor that leads to a pair of maids' rooms sharing a maids' bath.










The master bedroom is directly above the drawing room — sorry, living room. It has less woodwork but is informed by same aesthetic.




















The Gambles' Pasadena household consisted of Mr. and Mrs. Gamble, Mary Gamble's unmarried sister Julia Huggins, and two of the Gambles' 3 sons. In the image below, Aunt Julia's door is open on the right; the short corridor beside it leads to the servants' quarters; and the door on the left goes to the hall bath, a two-room affair with tub and sink behind one door and commode behind another out of sight on the left.








Julia Huggins' room has barely changed since 1910.


















The linen room is directly across from her bedroom, making me wonder if she co-directed household duties.








The hall bath appears to have been shared by Ms. Huggins and one of her nephews.










Two Scholars in Residence from USC's architectural school occupy maids' rooms on this corridor. The stair on the right goes down to the kitchen.








This room housed a Gamble son in considerable Craftsman style, but with shaving sink only.














And this one housed the other son, with private bath and large porch.
















The third floor was intended as a billiard room but, beautiful as it is, the Gambles used it for attic storage. In an era before air-conditioning, opening the windows up here sucked hot air from the floors below and created a cooling breeze.














I think we've seen it. Time to head down.










David Gamble died in 1923 at the age of 75. His wife survived him for another six years, after which her sister Julia lived on in the house until her own death in 1943. One of the Gamble sons, Cecil, and his wife Louise, moved here in 1946 and stayed for 20 years. Towards the end, we are told, they were all set to sell, until they overheard a buyer's plans to paint the whole place white. Instead, in 1966, they donated house and furnishings to the City of Pasadena and the University of Southern California's School of Architecture. The Gamble House became a National Historic Landmark in 1977 and is today visited by 30,000 people a year from all over the world.








So where, you may be asking yourself, did the money come from? David Gamble was one of the ten sons and daughters of an Irish immigrant named James Gamble (1803-1891), founder in 1837, with his wife's brother-in-law William Procter, of Procter and Gamble. Still headquartered in Cincinatti, P & G has been an innovative cash cow for 176 years, raking in over $83 billion in sales in 2012 alone.
Let me close with an entertaining, if slightly disheartening, footnote. For most of its history, as many readers may recall, P & G's logo was a rather elegant man-in-the-moon gazing upon a star-filled sky. That is, until the 1980s, when some wingnut started a rumor that the firm's venerable logo was actually a satanic symbol. Believe it or not — and, sadly, it is all too believable — the rumor gained traction, ultimately causing P & G to ditch the logo in 1985. Much of this ridiculousness was generated by certain individual Amway distributors, whom P & G managed at last to successfully sue in 2011.



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Big Old Houses: A House You Don't Forget






Big Old Houses: A House You Don't Forget
by John Foreman
None of my great-great-grandfathers was a Victorian world beater. Not even one earned the several millions — when a million was more like forty or fifty — that would anchor his DNA heirs in a world of entitlement, good clubs and valuable real estate. My mother's family was admittedly distinguished in the antebellum South, if for all the wrong reasons. However, her branch was broke. And my dashing explorer father was a first generation immigrant with no background at all.
I was never drawn into the gravitational orbit of a "good" family, never returned year after year to some grand summer house run by a patrician old lady to whom I happened to be related. Black Point, a lake house on the (unexpectedly, to this eastern provincial) luxurious shores of Wisconsin's Geneva Lake, is an example of what I missed.










This beloved maintenance monster, designed originally with 13 bedrooms and one bath, was completed in 1888 on 28 lakefront acres by a German immigrant turned Chicago beer baron named Conrad Seipp (1825-1890). The architect was another Chicago German named Adolph Cudell (1850-1910). A number of Cudell's ponderous Victorian city mansions, including a quarter of a million dollar stone pile for Mr. Seipp, once ornamented now unrecognizable neighborhoods in Chicago.
After the great fire of 1871, the fashionable village of Lake Geneva on the shores of Geneva Lake (there's an explanation for the word shuffle, which we shall simply omit) became a magnet for Chicago — and, to a certain extent, Milwaukee — money. And so it remains today.










The images below show the back of the house, today and before 1945. A large kitchen, laundry and service wing, demolished after the war, was replaced with a simplified kitchen that is today a gift shop. The double windows on the back of the house overlook the main stair.










Nowadays you can drive to Black Point, but in the 19th and early 20th centuries the family arrived by boat, and not just any boat. The year after Die Lorelei, as the house was originally called, was completed, Mrs. Seipp commissioned construction of an elegant lake steamer whose name she anglicized to Loreley. The boat picked up family and guests — thirty or forty at a time — from a private dock in Williams Bay, on the other side of the lake near the train, and deposited them at the foot of a sloping lawn that leads to this staircase.










Here's a face I'd call "determined." Conrad Seipp emigrated to Chicago to escape revolutionary upheavals in Europe. The small Chicago brewery he bought at the age of 24 evolved, 20 years later, into the Conrad Seipp Brewing Company, fifth largest brewer in America. Along the way Seipp had 2 wives, 7 children, built a mansion in Chicago and another in Wisconsin. By 1890, his brewery was producing 100,000 barrels of beer a year. That summer, he spent his one and only season at his new Wisconsin lake house. He contracted a fatal case of pneumonia in the fall and died at the age of 65.








So actually Die Lorelei was the summer home of his widow, Catharina. Every year she gathered her multiplying family — or as much of it as she could — to her great barn of a lake house for a family vacation. Once inside, the first thing you saw was a great etched "CS" on the inner foyer doors. It has never occurred to me to blazon my initials on the walls or doors of my house. However, I've just lived in big houses; I've never actually built one.










I like the color of these walls — slightly dowdy but so authentic. Masury makes a color like it called "Sea Foam," which I use for touch-ups at Millbrook — when I actually do touch-ups. Despite the exotic stick style exterior, Black Point's first floor doesn't differ much from your basic 18th century center hall colonial. There are front and back parlors on the right, a dining room and billiard room on the left, and a pantry and kitchen in the back. Let's look first at the front parlor, furnished like the rest of the house with original pieces. This heat-less structure has always been closed in the winter. It's only mid-April now and the curtains haven't yet been rehung.














When America finally waded into the First World War, Mrs. Seipp and her family decided "Die Lorelei" was an impolitic name for an American house. They changed it to "Black Point" which, to me anyway, seemed at first a kind of left turn. Its genesis is an obscure Potawatomi word referring to the property's numerous black oaks. Ergo, "Black Point." The wide doorway with the portieres in the image below connects the front and back parlors.












Opposite the back parlor, on the other side of the hall, is the dining room.


















My boyhood friend Bob and his wife Nana stand by the door connecting the dining room in the back of the house to the billiard room in the front. First, however, we're detouring to a screened porch outside the door next to the fireplace. The big bell on the wall behind our hostess, Mary Kaye, came from Mrs. Seipp's boat.
















The billiard room is cold! And I haven't a clue where they got that wild and crazy picture.
















Black Point's serving pantry is located at the end of the hall under the stairs. It's connected to the dining room on the left side of the hall, and the kitchen wing at the back of the house. Dinner chimes are mounted on the wall outside the pantry door.














The pantry connects to a landing at the foot of the servants' stair. The latter is practically outdoors, tacked onto the back wall of the main house, and rising to a mezzanine landing on the main stair.








Those dazzlingly white floor length dresses favored by Victorian women, not to mention the multiple layers worn even in warm weather by their menfolk, generated laundry on an Olympian scale — especially in a house with 40 family members and guests. Black Point's original kitchen, servants' and laundry facilities was housed in an attached two-story structure of some size. As decades passed, not just the clothing but the expectations of guests and availability of servants all changed. At the end of the Second World War, the largely unused service wing was torn down and replaced with a sort of "I Love Lucy" kitchen, now a gift shop.












Time to go upstairs. Worth noting en route is the curious interior treatment of the double height window lighting the stairs.








When the house was built, as noted earlier, there was exactly one bathroom. Here it is, located half way between the first and second floors, next to the door to the servants' stair.












At the top of the stairs, a long second floor corridor is lined with closets full of nifty junk and interspersed with doors to bedrooms — and more bedrooms, and still more bedrooms.










Catharina Seipp, the dowager of Black Point, is seen below surrounded by a handful of her many family members. These people bore names like Schmidt, Madlener, Bartholomay, Reese and Petersen and they all needed beds. Luckily Black Point had plenty.
















Electricity was installed in 1917, and more bathrooms were eventually shoe-horned into the existing plan.








Many rooms in the house look as though someone just walked out and might return any minute.








The third floor is much like the second — bedrooms and bedrooms, baths and baths — albeit a tad less desirable.




















I think we've seen it; time to go.








Nana's checking email first.








Brewery money gave Conrad Seipps' descendants a leg up in the world, but eventually it ran low and finally ran out. Almost immediately after the founder's death, his brewing operations were folded into a larger firm controlled by British interests. The family were transformed into investors who would eventually suffer from the onset of Prohibition. In 1933, as the ludicrous Volstead Act was about to be repealed, the Seipps beer operations went under, the brewery was razed, and a hospital rose on the site.








In 2005, Conrad Seipp's great-grandson William Petersen, gave Black Point, together with all the furniture and 8 acres of lakefront property, to the state of Wisconsin. It's been open to the public (summer only; there's no heat) since 2007. There is a certain sadness about a big old house, enjoyed by generations of family members, leaving private hands and becoming a museum. However, that sadness is offset by the undeniable pleasure that strangers get from seeing it close up. What's that rock in the image below? It's the cornerstone of the demolished brewery, hauled up to Lake Geneva and set into the lawn at Black Point. If you're out this way, be sure to visit; the link is .








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Maria Brito





By Sian Ballen & Lesley HaugePhotographs by Jeff Hirsch
Maria Brito made the transition from Harvard-trained corporate lawyer to becoming a "luxury lifestyle consultant" after realizing that she just couldn't take one more billable hour at the white shoe law firm where she worked. We did quiz her somewhat on her choice of title and she explained that she sees herself as a kind of hybrid interior designer and art advisor. She has some big name clients like Gwyneth Paltrow and Sean Combs but despite the "luxury lifestyle" bit, she also takes on clients with more modest budgets. Her new book, Out There: Design, Art, Travel, Shopping (Pointed Leaf Press) is a bright, visual essay on how to pick and put together an affordable art collection and place works into rooms full of life. Her own home is a cheerful mix of vibrant color with few high end pieces—although her sang-froid was tested (she passed) when Jeff almost knocked a picture off the wall (he saved it).

Click cover to order Out There: Design, Art, Travel, Shopping.

I was wondering after that piece in the Times whether you regretted a little bit that “luxury lifestyle consultant” label … given the current tough times.
You know what, I don’t know if I’m bothered by it or not. It sounds like a little of what I do, but I mean, the article came out so nicely anyway. Having just that [piece] in the greater scheme of things—she [Bee-Shuyang Chang, the Style section journalist] was very sweet … she was very generous. The Style section is the hardest section to get into. You think she could have been more snarky?
Well, you know how people are. I have years ahead of me where maybe that same label will be forgotten … I don’t know. I have to say I’m not into the GOOP [Gwyneth Paltrow’s online newsletter] to which you have contributed – people are very snarky about that all the time and often with good reason … you can be in dodgy territory with these things. You don’t want to come off as too Marie Antoinette—ish … like Gwyneth P. does.
[Hoots with laughter] You have to know her. She’s amazing. She’s a very, very sweet and grounded down-to-earth woman with a great heart, very generous. She’s a huge supporter of women. [Sian] How do you know her?
Her [business] partner, Tracey and I have been friends and I am a member of their gym … and you know, inevitably you end up in the same circles sometimes. It’s not like I go and hang out with her every day. If you notice, most of the things she posts are about women and women’s businesses. She’s trying to really make a difference in people’s lives and to be honest—she can. Because she has a lot of reach, a lot of power.




A group of small artworks hang in the front entryway. They include, clockwise from top, a silkscreen by Os Gemeos, a print by the Assume Vivid Astro Focus, a print-collage by Mickalene Thomas, a black-and-white photograph by Pamela Hanson, a metal print by Corinne Dalle-Ore and a collage by Joe Grillo.
A wooden wall sculpture by Mexican artist Remy Amezcua was installed by the artist himself using Velcro.



Family photos in silver frames from Peru and Mexico fill the top of a console in the foyer.



Peeking into the guest bath with walls covered in a Fornasetti wallpaper. The photograph on the right wall is by the Brazilian-French collective, Assume Vivid Astro Focus.



Wallpaper by Piero Fornasetti from Lee Jofa covers a wall of the guest bath.
Two wood panels by French artist Nicolas Pichon fit perfectly in the front hallway.



A photograph by Vic Muniz from the Rebus series hangs next to a print by Tracey Emin.




[Lesley] Well, that’s not what I get … but we’re not here to talk about her. [Sian] She’s a Spence girl. That’s how she was raised.[Lesley] Well, let’s get back to Maria. I noticed in your book and in your home, you actually do quite a few modest spaces and you like flea market finds as much as expensive art.
I feel that sometimes you work better with somebody with a low budget than somebody who is very entitled and they have a budget of five million bucks … you know the whole micro-managing thing. It’s better they do it themselves—you know what I’m saying? If you’re a little ambivalent about the “luxury lifestyle consultant” label, what do you call yourself when potential clients approach you?
I think I’m kind of like this hybrid between a designer and art advisor—but I don’t like the term ‘art advisor’ because it’s very stuffy. It sounds like I’m a financial advisor. The nature of what I do is helping people live with art in a way that is compelling, that is exciting, that reflects people’s personalities.




In the master bedroom a vintage suzani from an Istanbul flea market and colorful accent pillows by Scottish designer Morag Mcpherson perk up the tailored white and slate blue bedcover and pillows.



In the master bedroom the retro patterned wallpaper "Dandelion Clocks" from Sanderson was inspired by 1970s designs.



Maria searched high and low for the perfect piece of art to hang above her beige suede headboard. She selected this sexy screen print, 'Can't We Just Sit Down and Talk It Over?' by the Brooklyn-based artist Mickalene Thomas.



A vintage1970's etched and glazed aqua-colored lamp fits with Maria's choice to use turquoise and yellows as the overall color palette for the master bedroom. "The colors feel optimistic without being overwhelming," says Maria. In the corner a throw from Missoni Home and pillows purchased from trips around the world are layered on top of an armchair from Maria's upholsterer.







Maria's home office is filled with books to 'kick start my creativity.' The vintage chair has been re-upholstered with a bolero-inspired Middle Eastern suzani fabric.



Postcards and invitations to art gallery openings fill a shelf in Maria's home office. That's Maria with Sean Combs at Art Basel in the photo, left.




I like what you said about helping people not be “afraid’ of collecting or appreciating art. Do you find that lots of people feel a bit intimidated by the whole scene?
Well, in the past five years the whole market has changed tremendously. It is so open now—there is this whole other channel now of buying on the Internet and people can look at Artspace—it’s absolutely extraordinary. The prices are enticing and they have done a really good job of curating a very, very nice collection. The way Artspace works is that they partner with the galleries and give them an extra layer, an extra reach so like a guy in India whose on the Internet in the middle of the night can say, “I want this, can you ship it to me?” [Sian] You know I talked to my brother [Roger Ballen] about this—he is a photographer who shows with Gagosian. It’s very tricky because he wants to maintain the higher prices but there’s this whole huge market of younger people who like his work. It’s all about editions but it’s very tricky.
But if the artist is already established and they know that they’re partnering with a serious website— it can work out. And you never know who is watching [if you’re not already established].




An acrylic-mounted self-portrait by Argentinean artist Flavia Da Rin hangs in a hallway off the foyer.



Contemporary pendant lights from ET2 hang over the open kitchen island. Two merry bunny cookie jars by Japanese artist Momoyo Turimitsu brighten the kitchen countertop.



A chandelier by Patrick Townsend hangs above a dining table and chairs by Timothy Oulton The still life painting, a gift from Maria's father, was bought from the Syrian artist, Antonio Haydar Mardelli.



Looking across the dining area. A springstone sculpture that Maria purchased while visiting the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa watches over the main seating area. The vintage cabinet is from a thrift store on the Upper East Side.




Are you happy talking about money?
It’s not like I’m running down the street screaming prices but I think that it is very important to have awareness of the market. Lately I am turning down more people because I really, honestly can’t work on everything. If I have five things I want to do them right and be able to put my heart into it … and yes, of course if somebody comes and they’re fabulous and friendly and divine and they have a million bucks and somebody else is the same and they have twenty thousand bucks, then I’ll most likely go with the million bucks. Yes, I guess so. Who is up and coming now that you like? Who is catching your eye?
There’s a woman called Andrea Mary Marshall who I love. She’s a young New Yorker. She does a lot of self-portraits, like a young Cindy Sherman kind of thing. But the interesting thing is that she does all this stuff where sometimes she’s naked or sometimes she has a dildo in her hand and when you meet her, she’s very, very shy. Then you know that she’s truly an artist who is performing to attain those pictures.




French artist Corinne Dalle-Ore, like Maria, draws inspiration from Frida Kahlo's life and career. The mixed-media canvas on the far wall depicts a back-and-white photograph of the iconic artist with a bright tangerine background, flowers, and raw phrases in Spanish.



A pair of "Mademoiselle" chairs by Phillipe Starck covered in a Missoni fabric stand below Corinne Dalle-Ore's mixed media canvas of Frida Kahlo.



Splendid roses in bright colors are arranged atop the kitchen counter top.



The still life painting, a gift from Maria's father, was bought from the Syrian artist, Antonio Haydar Mardelli.




And who do you think is overrated?
Damien Hirst is overrated but I like him very much because he did something that nobody else was doing. It was all about the titles … and it was like, “So you think you’re doing pretty things with art and I’m going to put this cow with flies in a box.” He defines a crucial moment in contemporary art history. But it’s overpriced to pay a million bucks for a dot painting. You have to think about these people like him and Jeff Koons started a trend of businesses where they have a studio and hundred people working for them. They are businesses; they are businessmen. And they did something very smart and they are loaded. There was a time when artists were not making money no matter what and now they do. And so what is your attitude towards money?
You know … in a city like this you really have to have money. You want to go to all the restaurants and you want to do all things because otherwise I can move to Oklahoma where everyone looks at me like I’m a freak because of my accent and I could drive a tractor … and I plant seeds and that’s it. You know, money helps you accomplish dreams.




This six-by-eight foot painting of horses by upstate New York artist Joseph Piccillo was too large to make it into Maria's elevator or stairways so she had it taken off it's frame and reassembled inside her apartment.



A painting by Brazilian twin brothers, Os Gemeos, "When The Cuckoo Learns How To Fly" hangs behind two Art Deco chairs covered in a Senegalese orange fabric with ochre stripes. The pillows are made of Burmese saris.



Part of Maria's vast collection of contemporary art books is arranged atop the living room coffee table.
A sculpture from AVAF was made from one of the original voting booths from the 2000 Presidential election in Dade County, Florida. The booth is covered with a special paper that changes color and shape when the accompanying masks are worn.



More views of the dining area and open kitchen. A chandelier by Patrick Townsend hangs above the dining table and chairs by Timothy Oulson.











So you went to Harvard Law School.
Yes. Isn’t that crazy? I want to hear more about your background.
So I was born and raised in Venezuela. Back then in the seventies it was a very, very wealthy place. My parents were not wealthy but we had a comfortable middle class life. We traveled a lot. We came to New York a lot. My parents were always into the arts in a hobby kind of way because they’re both scientists. They do toxicology and biology to do with drugs.
When you grow up in a country like I did, you’re very conditioned to just, like, follow certain patterns. And creativity is not very rewarded. I should have pursued a creative career early on but my parents were not very excited about that. They projected on to me … “oh you should be a lawyer …” like their frustrations or whatever. They thought being in the corporate kind of world was going to be a lot more secure and safe. I think I would have gone into design or fashion or something.




In the study a white leather sofa is filled with pillows made out of fabric by Scandinavian designer Josef Frank. Hanging above the sofa is a large C-print by German artist Rafael Neff.



Looking into a corner of the study a custom chair is covered in Union Jack patterned fabric. The ottoman, made out of rainbow colored jersey fabric by Scottish designer Donna Wilson, was purchased at The Future Perfect. The Lucite lamp is from Restoration Hardware and the navy and white rug is by Madeline Weinrib.



A collection of Andy Warhol skateboards shares the windowsill with more books and objects.




Are you an only child?
Yes I am. And how long did you practice law?
Almost ten years. It was … horrendous.
[Lesley] I’ve never met a happy lawyer.[Sian] My father was a very happy lawyer. But I agree, it’s unusual.
It was not my calling. What makes you unhappy is that you end up just doing drudgery in the office, on the phone with bankers … drafting documents … all very dry. You don’t own your life. They make you feel very guilty because what they say is that they’re paying you so well that you should be available 24/7. I was making like $120,000 when I was 24 – more than my dad made after a lifetime’s career. It was absolutely insane and I was just miserable. I knew that there had to be something else. The soul-searching was very deep.




Family photos taken by Sue Barr are arranged together on a wall off the master bedroom.



In the boys bedroom the Blue Rope Meltdown chair by British designer Tom Price from Industry Gallery is made out of melted polypropylene rope. Hanging behind the chair is a photograph by Italian artist Luigi Visconti.
A bunk bed that Maria says "keeps my kids entertained for hours" was built by Maine-based company, CedarWorks.



Two side-by-side storage units from Oeuf keep toys, books and projects organized.



Pooh Bear, Mr. M&M and a group of pillows that recall American artist Robert Indiana's Numbers series line each of the boys' beds.







How did you transition to what you do now?
Well my off-duty thing had always been to go to galleries and museums and to establish connections with people in the arts. I started buying some small pieces because it was a lot more fun than just putting it in the bank or buying shoes that a year later you donate to the Salvation Army, right? I always pride myself on having, like, the cutest home … even if it’s all from a thrift shop. In my mind, launching a business was very, very hard. Well, how did you do it?
I just did it. I just … you know … I don’t think there was a specific thing that happened. I launched the business with only the pictures of this apartment. I created a website. I met with people. I asked for advice. People made fun of me … but I was like, whatever. Clients started to come maybe six months into it. You need some press … little by little it grew. One day I got this call from a friend in Los Angeles and she said, “You know Sean Diddy Combs is looking to buy art. Do you want to work with him?” Ah … that was a big deal.
That was a big deal. I think I know how to say things in a way that is serious and at the same time I’m conveying some substance. And one thing is that I said to myself, if I’m going to get into this business without having the [arts] background, I really, really needed to know everything. I was going to every gallery several times over; I was reading Art and Auction; I was reading Artforum.








Gosh, you must be the only person on the planet who can read Artforum.
Oh, I think it’s bullshit but somehow it gave me an idea of what people are looking for.
Are you a bit weary of people saying that you look like Sophia Vergara?
[Laughs] I don’t watch the show but it’s a very exaggerated image of a Latin girl with the thickest accent and the boobs and the whole thing … but it’s a comedy show. It has to be exaggerated. I was thrilled to see her in Vogue last month.
What do you miss about Venezuela?
The weather. That’s it. I don’t miss it.

Big Old Houses: We'd Call It Old Money






Big Old Houses: We'd Call It Old Money
by John Foreman
In America today, "Old Money" is a lot older than it used to be. Back in 1900, being three generations out and still loaded was an anomaly. Putting culture and education aside — oft and happily done in our world — America's pre-industrial elite wasn't all that rich. American fortunes, which could properly be described as such, didn't really gain traction until after the Civil War. At the beginning of the 20th century, William Sloane (1873-1922), whose grandfather in 1843 founded the cash cow rug and furniture emporium called W. & J. Sloane, was about as legitimately "Old Money" as it got.
In 1906 Sloane became president of the family firm. In that same year, possibly by way of celebration, he and his wife Frances, both 33 years of age, bought 130 acres in the rural Westchester town of Bedford for the purpose of building a country place. The entrance to the estate was (and still is) low profile. A welcome (to me, anyway) formality asserts itself as one approaches the house.










The name of this place is Merestead, "farmland" in Scots, a sort of "petit hameau" homage to the probably cold and rocky Scottish village from which the future furniture magnates fled. The plans for the house were drawn by the famous firm of Delano and Aldrich, described by contemporary architect Peter Pennoyer as moving "beyond the grandeur of the Beaux Arts" to a "particularly modern and American architecture informed by history" — specifically, English Georgian history. Before going inside this noble old mansion, I detoured to the kitchen courtyard, then continued around the perimeter.












Let's see, at $3.48 a gallon, which is what I paid at the end of the last heating season, that would be $17,400 to fill this tank.








Merestead's view is to the west, with open porches on its north and south ends. Here's the north porch, accessed from the dining room and doubtless used in good weather for al fresco meals.












The western elevation gazes between stately trees to distant views of wooded Westchester. In 1916 Delano and Aldrich also drew plans for the Sloanes' city house, now the Italian Cultural Institute, a serene Georgian Revival opus located at 686 Park Avenue (68th-69th) in the middle of the so-called Park Avenue Block. By the 'Twenties, they had supplanted McKim Mead and White as the choice of much of New York's upper crust. Almost every day in my own East 60s neighborhood, I am gladdened by their Knickerbocker, Colony and Christian Science church.










The last family member to live in the house was the Sloanes' daughter Margaret, married in 1937 to Dr. Robert Lee Patterson. The Patterson family moved here after the widowed Mrs. Sloane died in 1962. Between 1963 and 1972 Dr. Patterson was surgeon-in-chief at New York's Hospital for Special Surgeries. He passed away in 1994, his wife in 2002. Since then, Merestead has been maintained, in a manner of speaking, by Westchester County, which took title subject to the Pattersons' life residency in 1982.
The view below is of the south porch, seen from the foot of an enclosed garden, rather the worse for wear after a decade of public stewardship. Without the (admittedly unsightly) chain link fence on its outer perimeter, the evergreen hedge would long ago have been destroyed by deer. French doors on the porch open into the drawing room and retain the shutters that once ornamented all the windows. A delicious tea house adjoining a fountain pool anchors the garden's south end.


















The place is in much better shape inside than out. It's also a literal time capsule.










A long hall, with grand staircase on the north and library on the south, runs the length of the house. Beyond a columned screen facing the entrance foyer is a sort of lobby separating the drawing room on the left (south) and the dining room on the right (north). Let's look first at the drawing room, filled with chairs for an upcoming piano recital. In 2009, Merestead became a part of Copland House Inc., a non-profit educational, performance and Yaddo-style artists' retreat named after the celebrated composer and Westchester resident Aaron Copland. The french doors behind the piano open onto the south porch.
















The beautiful mahogany door in the image below connects the drawing room to the southern end of the main hall. Copland's Artistic and Executive Director, Michael Boriskin, is doing extra duty today as my host. Behind him is the entry foyer, flanked by portieres. On the wall to the left of it is a storage closet and flower room; to the right, a powder room. Michael is looking across the hall at the columned screen to the lobby we just visited.














Let's turn around now and, with our backs to the stairs, continue into the library. I have an English friend who once described her London house as the definition of "shabby chic." She then leaned forward and added, "However, there is a line between shabby and sordid." I have flirted with that line throughout my life, which my readers should keep in mind when I describe the library at Merestead as purest perfection. The old rug, the battered sofa, the pleated lampshades, the mismatched jardiniere lamps, the baronial partners' desk and how about those valances? To die.














Let's return to the hall, continue to the columned lobby, and have a look at the dining room on its north side.












About forty years ago, when my former wife and I moved to Tuxedo Park, big old houses and pretty much everything in them were considered worthless. Thrift shops brimmed with weighty sofas for $20 and bespoke curtain panels for a dollar apiece. We had a blast furnishing our 46-room house with stuff that looked perfectly good from a distance and/or under dim wattage at night. After Mrs. Patterson's death in 2002, her family removed some things, notably the dining table and chairs. However, the majority of the stuff is still here, including mansion length curtain panels and abundant "plop furniture," which is what we used to call furniture good enough to "plop" down without reupholstering.












Even more fun is the pantry, which doesn't look like it's changed — except for the "modern" telephone — since 1906. Why is the phone in the pantry? Because that's where the butler answered it, after which he would announce the caller's name to whomever, and whomever would return to a chair in the hall and take the call. If you reconnected the line, this phone would still work. Let's hope it and the pantry in which it has sat for the better part of a century continue to survive.
















Past the safe, out the door, across a narrow service hall, and I arrived in the kitchen, which is very much the same breed of cat as my own in Millbrook. The big antique hood over the dinky new stove (this one's black; mine is almond), the prep table in the middle of the room (a zinc top here; mine is stainless), wooden counter tops, brass bin pulls, glass cabinet doors (well, someone made off with my glass doors), are all vintage "big old house." A Sixties "upgrade" has replaced Merestead's original kitchen sink.














Besides the kitchen, this wing also contains a servant hall and laundry.










A narrow corridor overlooking the kitchen courtyard connects the laundry at the far end of the wing to a back stair outside the kitchen. We, however, are returning to the main stair.












Six bedrooms and five inter-connecting baths run in an approximate circle around a broad corridor that runs down the middle of the second floor. Two of these bedrooms, larger than the others and located respectively at the north and south ends of the building, look to me like masters.
When William Sloane died in 1922 at the age of 49, he left an estate in excess of $6 million, charitable bequests (to the Red Cross, the YMCA, Presbyterian Hospital, etc.) of some $600,000, and a widow who would spend the next 40 years without him. Sloane was a selfless guy whose tireless war work is what probably led to the early grave. I'm not sure why I think the first room at the top of the stairs (through the door on the left in the image below) belonged to Mrs. Sloane, but I do.










The stylistically restrained bedrooms and absolutely fabulous (to me, anyway) bathrooms all interconnect, forming a sort of architectural conga line — bedroom, bathroom, bedroom, bathroom, bedroom bathroom — until ...