Bride of the Water God Volume 1

Bride of the Water God, a manwha, is a fascinating read. We first meet Soah as she is to be sacrificed to the Water God, as a bride, by the villagers. They hope it will bring rain to their land & crops. Soah, thinking she will parish, is wisked away by Habaek (the Water God) to his palace, in the land of Suguk. I will not spoil the story for you, but the lush illustrations and eccentric characters will draw you in, and make you wonder, "What happened to the other brides of the Water God?" I'm intrigued by many of the characters, especially Seowangmo, Habaek's mother. She is the Goddess of Punishment and Torture, enchanting as she may look, there is something wonderfully sinister about her. The romantic feel of the illustrations with the first few pages filled with beautiful color, sucks you into the story from the start. I enjoyed this first volume in Mi-Kyung Yun's origional manwha. The next volume will be out soon, check the catalog for availability.

16 Days

It has been sixteen days since the death of Kurt Vonnegut. Sadness filled me when I heard the news, another great author has passed on. Mr. Vonnegut wrote many wonderful things during his life, but this is one I like a whole lot...
All time is all time. It does not change. It does not lend itself to warnings or explanations. It simply is. Take it moment by moment, and you will find that we are all, as I've said before, bugs in amber.
Kurt Vonnegut, Slaughterhouse V

He fashioned himself a humanitarian, and through the voices of his characters, he gave to us some of the most memorable writing we will ever know.
"So It Goes"

We bring to this day, the Winter Solstice, thoughts of peace. On this distinct day of rest, even the illustrious Sun stands momentarily still in the sky.
The Winter Solstice gives us time to rest, and it gives us a time to celebrate . In fact, there are more ceremonies and "rituals associated with the winter solstice than any other time of year."
Because ancient cultures were not aware of the changes in the Earth's position, they were fearful the sunlight would never return. To ensure its definite return, these cultures performed many ceremonies and celebrations.
In present day, many of these ceremonies & celebrations are still observed. With the fear for the loss of sunlight no longer a focal point, we can better steer our energy toward deeper meanings. Sometimes the meanings get lost in all the hustle and bustle of this modern age. So let me suggest a primitive retort: Take a walk outside on a chilled winters' night, take a deep breath and gaze upon the stars, and feel the peace. The day may be the darkest of the year, but it can certainly bring us an illuminated sense of peace.

Afraid to Come Out of the Water!

What's the Bikini have that those two piece swimsuits don't? Naval What?
The bikini made its debut appearance at a Paris Fashion show on July 25th in 1946. In the 1940s as Kelly Killoren Bensimon illuminates in The Bikini Book, attractive women were known as "bombshells," and anything fiercer was "atomic." So, when two Frenchmen designed skimpy alternatives to the two-piece in the summer of 1946, both suits got nuclear nicknames. The first designer, Jacques Heim, created a tiny suit called the atome. The second, Louis Reard, introduced his design on July 5, four days after the United States had begun atomic testing in the Bikini Atoll. In a rather gutsy marketing ploy, Reard named his creation le bikini, implying it was as momentous an invention as the new bomb.
The two-piece swimsuit which consisted of a structured halter top and modest bottom that covered the bellybutton, hips, and derriÃre arrived with much less criticism than the bikini. By the early '40s, film stars including Ava Gardner, Rita Hayworth, and Lana Turner were all wearing the two-piece, and it was seen frequently on American beaches.
It wasn't until the 60's we actually saw the bikini gracing the pages of magazines, like Sports Illustrated. Fspicyicey 007 films to hot Miami style, we have watched the bikini metamorphose through the decades.

No matter how hard I try though, whenever I hear the word Bikini, I instantly think of the 1960 Brian Hyland song Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini. It never fails.

Galileo's Birthday

The great Italian physicist & astronomer Galileo Galilei was born today in 1564. He contributed ideas beyond anyone's wildest imagination, and gave us answers to the mysterious world this planet exists in.

"The sun, with all those planets revolving around it and dependent on it, can still ripen a bunch of grapes as if it had nothing else in the universe to do."


So simple. It makes one want to relax.

Bonza Bottler Day
A celebration for a day when the number of the day is the same as the number of the month. Really an excuse to throw a party once a month. So go ahead, have a party, or maybe just walk outside take a deep breath in and ...


12/12 is also the birthday of William Lloyd Garrison (1805). For those not familiar, he was an antislavery leader, poet and journalist. The man said something wonderfully thought provoking,
"Are right and wrong convertible terms, dependant upon popular opinion? " Does anyone else see this as something becoming more and more prevalent in our media crazed lives? When we as individuals decide for ourselves that popular opinion is not always what is right, or what is deemed as wrong for that matter. Especially when you fight against societies injustices, like Garrison, you learn not to listen too closely to popular opinion.

Celebrate Best Friends Day

There is always that one person you know who is always there for you, whether it be just to hangout and watch a movie, or get to the nitty gritty of some real emotional turmoil. Well, today is the day to celebrate that very special bond you share with someone else. It could be that friend you've known since you were four, or maybe it 's your mom or dad who you enjoy hanging out with... who ever it is do something special with them today!! So often we take for granted those people in our lives who put up with every mood we can dish out, and sometimes it is crucial we stop and take notice...