My Blog

WE tv - The Secret Lives of Women

MistressPrime — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 09:14:11 GMT

On Tuesday Sept 16 @ 10PM (both Eastern and Pacific time) I will be making my national television debut. Back in March, over Easter weekend, I spent two full days filming an episode of the Women's Entertainment Television Network's original series, The Secret Lives of Women - Occult. My story will be featured with three other women who have totally different backgrounds. I am the Witch for the episode. The other three women include a psychic who helps the police, a vampire, and a Satanist. I've never met the other women, and the production company was very well aware that I felt the combining of all four of us was more sensationalistic than logical. However, I have seen every episode this season and feel they have been very respectful of each woman's story. I have no idea how much they kept since after all that they had to condense it down to 12 minutes because the show is only an hour long and in that time four stories are being told... plus commercials! So if you have a moment, please check it out. http://www.we.tv Did you know that it was exactly one year ago today (Sept 12) that I was on the front page of the OC Register for being a witch? To (Thanks Gwen!) And because of that article I was interviewed by CBS news the same day the paper came out. Life tends to be unpredictable and interesting. Don't fight it, just go with the flow.

The Sci-Fi Fans/Pirate Meetups and my Obsessed Fan

MistressPrime — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 23:54:51 GMT

Sci-Fi Fans and Pirates Meetup Last night was both my OC Pirates Meetup as well as the OC Sci-Fi Fans Meetup. WOW! What a damn good meetup it was, er THEY were. Perhaps you’re wondering why I have TWO rather different Meetups gathered at the same place and time. Well, a long, long time ago... a few years back, I was the organizer for the Star Trek and Star Wars Meetups. Unfortunately, the few members that were in there weren’t particularly active. Sometimes I’d get 3 members who’d say they’d be there and then never show up. So it would be a waste of an evening for me. On a different night of the month I had the Pirates Meetup, with a very similar problem. To be honest I didn’t see the point in wasting two nights a month waiting for folks who never showed up. Eventually I dumped Star Wars all together because between the two groups there were way more members in Star Trek and they were also more active. I decided to change the Star Trek group to be inclusive of ALL sci-fi and changed the name. Then I set both groups to meet on the same date and time. It didn’t take off right away, but I really wanted these groups to flourish! I knew I couldn’t be the only person out there who was into this stuff. So I held on to hope that things would turn around eventually. Last night was solid evidence I’ll not be waiting alone ever again. 26 people showed up last night and the place was ablaze in engaging conversations on both topics. It was awesome good fun!! An Obsessed MistressPrime Fan I often find it really odd, but there are a few MistressPrime fans out there. These are not people who I call my friends and are just being supportive. Nay. These are strangers who have found me online or met me once somewhere and for some reason decided to FOCUS on MistressPrime. Not even Yvonne the person, no, MistressPrime the "perceived personality". *shudder* I knew this man was a bit focused on me, online, but I didn’t know quite how bad it was until last night. This person was finally able to make it to his first Meetup because the location was someplace within the bus lines or some such reason. He does not apparently have a vehicle of his own. He arrived and was so incredibly happy to meet me. I was trying desperately not to seem remotely as uncomfortable as I was. He was downright itching to sit next to me when he arrived, but as luck would have it the seat next to me was being "saved" by a fellow member for Lauren (and possibly Jason), who didn’t show, but that’s beside the point. It helped keep him two seats away from me. He kept getting antsy and asking to move closer. Eventually he just moved one seat closer to me. He bragged to the others at the table that he’d been waiting 6 months to meet MistressPrime. It had actually been longer, but I didn’t dare mention that. The fact that he was SO EXCITED to meet me in a way that didn’t feel "normal" was just unsettling to me. I believe partly because he referred to me as MistressPrime and not my actual name once introduced. When people do this I feel they are not looking at me as a real person. The even creepier part was this guy knew that it bothered me when people did this and why, but he still did it himself. My fortune grew as Shaz showed up and took the seat between him and me. I didn’t want to tell folks what was going on because I didn’t want to ruin anyone else’s enjoyable time and I didn’t feel my life was endangered. If he was a threat to me or someone else things would have been very, very different last night. I also assumed that "the excitement" of meeting me would just wear off and he’d be a bit more "normal" and then would just enjoy the Meetup like everyone else. After the introductions and announcements people took off in different directions with conversations and such. The fan wandered off to another table and met some of the other members. I was pleased and hoped the creep vibe was done. I took the opportunity to hang out with Pirate Meetup member Paul aka Stynky. The two of us hung out and got to know one another a bit better. In the middle of our conversation my fan returned and attempted to squeeze into the booth next to Paul. It actually took a bit but he got in. Unfortunately Paul wanted to get out. So he had to squeeze himself back OUT of the booth. I then suggested he just sit in a chair at the end of the table. (What the frell was I thinking?!? ) That meant he now blocked my access OUT! I was actually looking at how difficult it would have been to climb over the table and the next booth or over the little wall at the other end of the booth as a means of escape. There’s a firm reason I sit at the end of the table at Meetups, guys, and the one time I don’t look what the frack happens! At first I was sitting almost like normal, but then the fan saw my Odin pendant and focus was on it and that area of my body… I was wearing a very cleavage baring top. I adjusted my shirt a bit to show less cleavage and didn’t let him touch the necklace. I know he wanted to though. *shudder* He then began asking me about my religion and how that works with Odin. He also wanted my personal contact info so he could talk to me about some items from his Call of Cthulhu game that he thought had some "bad vibes" and feared that he was igniting some kind of paranormal activity by reading some spells and incantations in the game. Uh… key word… GAME! It’s a game. A fun role playing, throw the dice, game. He wanted me to give him some spells and such he could use that weren’t real. I greatly dislike gamer bs drama. The excuse was reasonably transparent. (No dude, you may not have me at your beck and call because you want me.) Did I mention this guy is married? Yeeeah. And she’s the ex of another friend of mine. Speaking of which... if you’re first meeting me or anyone else, you are not too likely to engraciate yourself to me if you talk smack about someone you used to be friends with but know that I’m friends with. Big no no. It didn’t take Paul too long to figure out something was amiss. (Was it because my body language was suddenly all guarded and recoiled back from the new guy?) Again the Gods smiled upon me and my new hero stayed with me. Perhaps I was being too subtle… (it happens), but I kept changing my attention to Paul. I kept referring to Paul and basically trying to let the fan know I had zero interest in him beyond Meetup. I wasn’t so much interested in making the guy feel bad, but I wanted to let him know there was a boundary that I wasn’t going to let him cross and all the while remain the pleasant Meetup hostess. It’s a real fine line for me to walk sometimes. Fan man needed to utilize the restroom so Paul told me to get out of the booth and wander closer to my friends so I couldn’t be cornered. I did, and then went to use the restroom as well. I returned to see everyone milling about getting ready to split. At this point the fan tried to ask if I could give him a ride home, well actually that’s what he wanted, but instead he asked if I was going in the direction of Cypress. I said no and desperately hoped he didn’t press me for more info. I’m terrible about lying to people, but I also know this guy didn’t need to know any more personal info about me. So I deflected further attention on me and suggested he ask the rest of the group if they were heading in his direction. Nope, no one else was heading that way. We all wandered out to the parking lot and Paul suggested that I get in his car so we can drive off around the block till fan guy was gone and I could get into my car without him knowing which car was mine. So that’s just what I did. Fan guy looked a bit bummed no one was able to drive him, but I remembered that the fact we were on one of the 24 hour bus lines was one of fan guys big bragging points about how he got there. I knew he wasn’t stranded so I didn’t feel bad. Paul and I took off and parked down the road and then got into a cool discussion about anime and j-rock/k-rock music. If I didn’t have to be up for work I could have hung out the rest of the night with Paul. I’ve had other obsessed fans before, but usually once they meet me they become normal again and it all works out. This one might mellow out in time, I hope. x-posted on MySpace...

Gerard Butler and K2G

MistressPrime — Fri, 12 Oct 2007 19:52:41 GMT

It's stuck in my head! Thank the gods for the internet! All I did was turn on the TV and there was this cartoon I've never watched before, Teen Titans. I have a friend or two who seem to be fans. Anyway, there's this chase scene and this song was playing in the background. It's ska, but it's in Japanese! I have this big affection for music in different languages. I like it and I want to know who, what and where I can find it. The World Wide Web to the rescue! It took me a whopping 10 minutes, if that, to find out that it was Puffy Amiyumi and the song is called "K2G". I wasn't able to find an "official" video for the song, but I found a pretty neat Gerard Butler dedication video of his visit to Japan with the song. They disabled the embeded player so to watch it you'll have to click on the link. Puffy Amiyumi - "K2G" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0mmzYCoBmhY

Busy Week in September

MistressPrime — Sat, 29 Sep 2007 02:23:34 GMT

This story was on the front page of the Orange County Register on Wednesday Sept 12. CBS saw the article and called me that day to come out and conduct an interview that afternoon. On Sunday Sept 9th I was honored at the Pagan Pride Los Angeles festival with their Pagan Community Service Award. Below are two links. One is to the newspaper's article, the other is a file of the news report that aired on both the 5pm and 11pm news on CBS (channel 2) and also on KCAL (channel 9) at 8pm and 10pm. Orange County Register http://www.ocregister.com/life/witch-tombstones-wicca-1843163-witchcraft-orange CBS News (Los Angeles) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xYC9Nt-P2_0 From my other blog: The newspaper seemed to have a few facts twisted around. I did not personally fight for this cause. I supported it, but I didn't personally fight it. Selene Fox and Paula Johnson had a lot to do with it. I fear this article downplays the part Circle Sanctuary and LLL did. I definitely do not wish to take any of that away from them. Some of my words or wording is twisted a bit. That bothers me. I was a little shocked to read that I was "born to a homeless woman". While in essence it is true, I've never seen it worded that way. I never thought about it like that before. Besides, it's not like she's still homeless or something. I just felt it was strange to read. Frankly, I felt it was rather irrelevant to the whole of the story. Some friends thought it was to give the readers another way to connect with me as a person. *shrug* Oh and I'm sure a few folks with the Meetup crowd are gonna laugh at the "The 37-year-old Huntington Beach native organizes three Meetup.com social networking groups for Orange County witches, pagans and ghost enthusiasts." part since my friends LOVE to make me count out all seven of my groups during introductions. It's become a running joke! Of course she didn't mention the Bluegrass Meetup I run. I guess witches with banjos just aren' t that interesting. I like that she mentioned the Merry Meet 2008 Festival, but I'm disappointed that she didn't name it. The description isn't entirely accurate either, but what can I do about it now? MerryMeet08.org During the photo shoot for the Register I didn't know if I should smile or just look serious since the article was tied to the pentacle headstone project. I was concerned about the photographer's focus on my skull collection. Yes, I have a lot of them. I was afraid folks might lump it with the terrible stereotypes and just the mere showing of them would set us back on the "acceptance front". *sigh* I kept explaining that the skulls were more about me than Wicca on whole. The photographer wanted me standing behind my larger skulls, as the first image shows. Then she wanted me holding up a string of large bone skull beads I had. She wanted me to act like I was inspecting them or something, hence the second shot. Frankly I don't think those two shots are all that interesting but they do look like something you'd find in the newspaper. I don't think either shot was really good. I suppose they look "sensational" enough though. :(

I'll be on the 5pm CBS news tonight

MistressPrime — Thu, 13 Sep 2007 00:15:44 GMT

Yep, the media has access to everything. KCAL news was in Dana Point shooting a story and wanted to interview me as well. They saw me on the front page of the OC Register today and decided they needed to talk with me.They called and essentially gave me an hour to shower, dress, look good, and shape up my living room for this tv interview. They spent time shooting a photo of Jan Deanna O'Rourke's headstone, took some shoots of my PPLA Community Service Award that I received on Sunday, even the OC AIDS Walk certificate for my Pagan and Witches Meetup team. They did a close up on my CoG logo pin, the Interfaith pin I bought from Don Frew, and my pentacle necklace. They asked me about my ancestor altar, took lots of footage. I was given the opportunity to discuss the photos of my mother, her mother, my father's mother and some pets. Of course they asked about all the crystal skulls. I was also quick to explain the skulls were my interest and not about Wicca. So, I'll be on the 5pm news. I'm told it would be the 5pm on channel 2 (CBS Los Angeles) BUT, they share news media with (KCAL) channel 9 so there's really no telling. Tonight is my OC pagan meetup so I've set my DVR to record things, just in case. One of the most important questions I thought Michelle Gile (reporter) asked me was "Why did it take till now for us to hear about this?" I looked at her and said, I didn't know. I told her we've trying to get the media's attention. So wish me luck. I hope this news report looks and sounds good for our community and brings greater awareness. *breathing much better now*

Witches, Pentacles and Newspapers, Oh My!

MistressPrime — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 11:46:55 GMT

O.C. witch fights for pentacle-inscribed tombstones http://www.ocregister.com/life/witch-tombstones-wicca-1843163-witchcraft-orange <photo> MAGIC WOMAN: Yvonne Conway's wiccan group lobbied the federal government to recognize the pentacle as an official religious symbol. ROSE PALMISANO, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER By GWENDOLYN DRISCOLL THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER ORANGE - Yvonne Conway sees dead people, so tombstones were a no-brainer. Conway is the national spokesperson for the Berkley-based witchcraft organization Covenant of the Goddess. She may also be Orange County’s most prominent witch. The 37-year-old Huntington Beach native organizes three Meetup.com social networking groups for Orange County witches, pagans and ghost enthusiasts. She belongs to a coven of eight, believes in magic and says that ghosts routinely flutter through her Orange County home. In 2008, she will help co-host a four day national conference on witchcraft near Yucaipa. As a fully “out-of-the-broom-closet” witch, Coway says her job is to put a public face on Wicca, the pagan faith she estimates up to 1,000 Orange County residents practice. Tombstones seemed the perfect way to do just that. This past spring, a coalition of Wiccan organizations including Covenant of the Goddess, won the right to have the symbol of their faith – a pentacle – inscribed on government-issued tombstones and grave markers. The decision by the Veteran’s Department to include the pentacle as one of 39 official faith emblems came after nearly a decade of repeated requests and three lawsuits by Wiccan groups. This summer, the Veterans Department issued the first pentacle tomb marker for Arlington National Cemetary. For Conway, pentacle-bedecked graves are an overdue recognition of a long maligned religion. “We’re showing we’re not the monsters people have been led to believe we are,” Conway says. The battle for identity is one that Conway knows well. Born to a homeless woman at St. Joseph’s hospital in Orange, Conway says she was given up for adoption to a family from Huntington Beach. Her new family were Catholics and Conway says she was attracted from an early age to the mystery and ritual of her adopted parent’s faith. “I wanted to be a nun,” Conway recalls. “That was the closest thing I could think of to women who could dedicate themselves to God and their community.” She was troubled however by the idea of original sin – the Christian notion that humans are born sinful – and she had a less spiritual attraction to “cheesy horror movies – Elvira and so forth.” That attraction led her to a bookstore in the Westminster mall and a $5 book about witchcraft. It was a child’s fascination with magic as viewed through a television screen. But Conway soon found out “witchcraft is not like ‘Bewitched’ – although that would be awesome,” she says. “My house would be so much cleaner.” Instead, Conway discovered what she describes as a nature religion in which both masculine and feminine divinities are worshipped, love is emphasized over sin, magic is possible and ‘spells’ take the form of “just real focused prayers,” Conway says. “You’re sending your will out in hope of a specific outcome.” Conway always believed in the supernatural – she says she used to see objects moving in her house growing up – “but at 12 years old you don’t necessarily have the vocabulary or the comprehension to understand it.” She did note that her strongly felt wishes tended to come true. Conway recounts the time she wished for a friend to appear among the throng of people during a trip to Disneyland. A half an hour later, he did. “That was interesting,” she says. Later in life she says her faith made her sensitive to ghosts, who would walk through her yard or turn on lights in her house. “It got to the point when my blender would turn on when it was unplugged,” Conway says. “Magic – I believe in it.” Her beliefs led her to tarot cards, astrology, crystals, as well as to wiccan organizations like Covenant of the Goddess, one of several prominent Wicca and pagan groups that advocated repeatedly for federal recognition of the pentacle emblem with the Department of Veteran Affairs. Conway says that each application by Covenant of the Goddess for recognition of the pentacle foundered upon new and shifting rules issued by department staff. “They were giving us the runaround,” Conway says. “I’m not going to go off on conspiracy theories but it does seem a little strange.” In the meantime, arguably more obscure religious emblems – such as the circular “EK” of Eckankar, a faith founded in 1965 that espouses, among other things, “soul travel” – were approved. “It was religious prejudice that prevented putting it on the list,” says Selena Fox, the senior minister of Circle Sanctuary, a Wicca church that settled a successful lawsuit against the Veterans Department this past April. “None of the other symbols took a decade and three lawsuits to get this done.” Circle Sanctuary’s lawsuit – a continuation of a previous effort by Covenant of the Goddess and other groups – was not the only driver of what Fox calls “the pentacle quest.” “Our soldiers were coming home and they weren’t able to have the pentacle put up as a religious symbol on their tombstone,” Conway says. “They served their time for their country – they should be allowed to have that freedom of religion they fought for.” One such soldier was Army Reserve Sgt. Patrick Stewart, a wiccan from Nevada who died in a helicopter crash in Afghanistan in 2005. In late 2006, officials in the state of Nevada lost patience with the federal government’s unwillingness to issue a pentacle tombstone to one of their fallen citizens. In December, the state of Nevada issued their own. There are no pentacle tombstones yet in Orange County, although one can be seen in Riverside National Cemetery. But Conway says the fight for recognition of their identity has united wiccans – often reluctant to take a public stand about their controversial faith – around a cause. “It’s tough for (wiccans) to find a way to work together,” Conway says. “But this was about prejudice and being treated like second class citizens or less because of our religious beliefs. There was absolutely no controversy.” ### I'm not really sure how I feel about this article. Do I sound like a nutter? Will this help or hurt our cause? They seemed to have a few facts twisted around. CoG didn't officially jump into the fight until 2005, as I recall. Circle Sanctuary and the Lady Liberty League were fighting long before we joined in. I did not personally fight for this cause. I supported it, but I didn't personally fight it. Selene Fox and Paula Johnson had a lot to do with it. Kathryn Fuller had more to do with it than I did. I fear this article downplays the part Circle Sanctuary and LLL did. I definitely do not wish to take any of that away from them. Some of my words or wording is twisted a bit. That bothers me. I really didn't want this article to sound dumb either. I know that people who don't like us for being Wiccan will dislike it either way. That's just how it is. I'm not saying that Gwen had an issue with Wiccans, I mean readers who are anti-Wiccan. I was a little shocked to read that I was born to a homeless woman. While it is true, I've never seen it worded that way. I dunno, I never thought about it like that before. Besides, it's not like she's still homeless or something. I dunno, it was strange to read. Frankly, I felt it was irrelevant. Oh and I'm sure a few folks with the Meetup crowd are gonna laugh at the "The 37-year-old Huntington Beach native organizes three Meetup.com social networking groups for Orange County witches, pagans and ghost enthusiasts." part since my friends LOVE to make me count out all seven of my groups during introductions. It's become a running joke! *breathe* I tend to hope for the best, and I hope this article is a good thing for the cause and for me too. I have to remember I deserve good things too. I tend to put my needs and happiness on hold for other things, or people. *breathe* I like that she mentions Merry Meet 2008 Festival, but I'm not happy that she didn't name it. She just calls it a four day national conference on Witchcraft. WHA?!? It's a four day festival in Cherry Valley that prominently includes witchcraft but is not limited to witchcraft. Sheesh! If you're reading this and are interested go to MerryMeet08.org This is supposed to be a good thing, this article, right? I should perhaps be happy, right? Never mind that I can see every freckle in those photos, and what's up with my hair in that first photo?!? Ugh! It's all limp. It was so hot in the house, I was dripping with sweat. I didn't know if I should smile or just look serious since the article was tied to the pentacle headstone project. I did smile in a number of the photos, but they chose not to print them. There was one photo she took of me where I was sitting in front of my ancestor altar, (where the skulls all sit) and I was showing a bit too much cleavage... it wasn't bad, just saucy and not really appropriate for the article. I was concerned about the photographer's focus on my skull collection. Yes, I have a lot of them. I was afraid folks might lump it with the terrible stereotypes and just the mere showing of them would set us back on the "acceptance front". *sigh* I kept explaining that the skulls were more about me than Wicca on whole. I don't think that came across very well. The photographer wanted me standing behind my larger skulls, as the first image shows. Then she wanted me holding up a string of large bone skull beads I had. She wanted me to act like I was inspecting them or something, hence the second shot. Frankly I don't think those two shots are all that interesting but they do look like something you'd find in the newspaper. I don't think either shot was really good. I suppose they look "sensational" though. :( *breathe* Holy crap my face is on the front page of the freakin' newspaper!!! *breathe* *exhale* *breathe again!*

I'll be on page A1 of the OC Register Newspaper

MistressPrime — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 00:50:44 GMT

I haven't read it yet, it comes out tomorrow. I interviewed with a staff writer a couple weeks ago. She wanted to do a story about the Pentacle Headstone Project that was lead by Selene Fox of Circle Sanctuary and Lady Liberty League. They spoke with Selene to get more information about the project. Covenant of the Goddess joined the cause in 2005. So to bring a local face to the national story they interviewed me since I'm the NPIO and live in OC. Yesterday the Register sent a photographer to my house to take photos for the story. I'm told they turned out well. During the interview Gwen, the writer, told me this would be on the front page, but I reasoned away that it would be the front page of a section, like the lifestyle section or something. Nope, page A1, THE front page! *holy moley!* See, I have this weird sentimental connection to the Register. They were my first employers. I was 12. I had a paper route, a fairly big one for a kid (over 50), I was also the station manager. I was in charge of making sure that the trucks dropped off enough papers for both my route and another kid's route. It was 7 days a week. Afternoons on the weekdays (after school) and really freakin' early on the weekends. I had to be up at 3am on Sundays to check the papers and it took a few hours to put together and fold them all. I'd be done around 8am on Sundays. After over a year of that I began selling subscriptions for the Register door to door and by phone. The OC Register was the only paper we subscribed to. I was born and raised in OC, I still live in OC. I love OC, even though it's getting more and more crowded and ridiculously expensive to live here. And NO, those of us who actually live in Orange County, CA do not call it THE OC, it's just OC. I'm actually a smidge nervous about the article, but only a tiny bit. Mike's excited about it. He's anxious to go out and buy a couple copies when they hit the stands. He's so cute. The article should also be on the website tomorrow if not sooner. Anyway, that's one of the things that's going on. There's more but that'll be another post.

Call of Cthulhu RPG Aug. 31st

MistressPrime — Tue, 21 Aug 2007 07:38:55 GMT

The game is called "Call of Cthulhu" and it is a horror fiction role-playing game based on H.P. Lovecraft's story of the same name and the associated Cthulhu Mythos. The game, often abbreviated as CoC, is published by Chaosium. Arnold will be running this game. He changed the Character Sheet and (if ya'll care) he's merging Stormbringer Melee combat rules into CoC. He also added a bunch of skills tailored to his style of play. I assume he'll explain more about that at the game. The players take the roles of ordinary people, drawn into the realm of the mysterious: detectives, criminals, scholars, artists, war veterans, etc. Often, happenings begin innocently enough, until more and more of the workings behind the scenes are revealed. As the characters learn more of the true horrors of the world and the irrelevance of humanity, their sanity inevitably withers away (the game actually includes a mechanism for determining how damaged a character's sanity is at any given point). To access the tools they need to defeat the horrors – mystic knowledge and magic – the characters must be willing to give up some of their sanity. Call of Cthulhu has a reputation as a game in which it is quite common for a player character to die in gruesome circumstances or end up in a mental institution. For as long as they stay healthy (or at least functional), characters may be developed. Call of Cthulhu does not use levels, but is completely skill-based, with player characters getting better with their skills by succeeding at them. The game will be held at my home Friday August 31st starting at 7pm. We will set up a schedule for the game on our first game day. Please let me know by email if you are interested in joining us in this game.

OC AIDS Walk Awards

MistressPrime — Fri, 13 Jul 2007 07:58:10 GMT

OC AIDS Walk Awards Wednesday night, prior to Pagan Meetup, William (my Pagan and Witches Meetup Assistant Organizer) and I attended the OC AIDS Walk Award Dinner. They held it at Dave and Busters at The Block in Orange, so I scheduled the Pagan Meetup at a different restaurant but at the same mall. As I walked up to the welcoming table I introduced myself so they could check me in. Turns out we took 13th place in the Small Business/Social Organizations/Univerity Walk Teams! That was awesome! They gave us a lovely certificate. In a funny coincidence, Brigid's Heart, the charity outreach group in Orange County Local Council of CoG also took 13th place but in the Faith Based teams category. William and I had to laugh, the only two witch teams took 13th place in each of our team categories. Though my team's name is obvious that we're witches, Brigid's Heart is not. By the way, according to the website, our team had 13 members (and of course I'm finding the time to write on Friday the 13th!) Our team brought in $2, 435.50. Our team did an awesome job!!! I'm looking forward to participating in next year's walk.

4th of July Fun

MistressPrime — Fri, 06 Jul 2007 09:51:28 GMT

Usually on the 4th of July, or near it, I host my annual chili cook-off and beer tasting party. This year, because the holiday fell on midweek with no additional days off I pushed the date for this event back by two weeks and on a Saturday. This year I looked forward to a real low key day. I invited Gibs0nGirl and her family over for dinner and to watch fireworks. They came over a little early so we could have lunch then go swimming. Swimming was delightful! The water was so warm. After swimming Mike and Devi (GG's hubby) played a board game (SHOCKER!!), the kids played on the computer and GG kept me company as I made dinner. As we sat down for dinner we heard the neighborhood come to life as more and more of my neighbors began lighting off their fireworks. Remembering how she got stuck at home last year Mike called his sister, T, to come over and join us. The boys were getting restless so all of them went outside to watch the sky light up. GG and I sat inside chatting away. After they had their fireworks fill they returned for apple pie and vanilla ice cream. It was so "All American", and really delicious. For some reason, though I've had plenty of apple pie in the last 16 years, the smell of this one instantly reminded me of my mother. It was almost overwhelming, actually. All I could think about was my mom's home-made apple pies with the apples from our apple tree in our backyard. Every year that tree would produce a ridiculous amount of apples, perfect for baking, so many in fact that we would have to give paper grocery bags FULL to our neighbors or they would just rot and go to waste. It was a tradition. Mom made wonderful pies. With pie and ice cream the group of us settled in to watch some episodes of Battlestar Galactica. Ahhhh geekdom! It was a wonderful and relaxing day with good friends.

More Truth Will Set You Free

MistressPrime — Thu, 28 Jun 2007 03:08:25 GMT

Borrowed from Derek O'Neill's website moretruthwillsetyoufree.com Being Honest With Yourself Living in truth requires continuous, deep honesty with self. This means acknowledging and being fully conscious of what you are experiencing in every moment. Truth demands you accept of ALL of who you are, even when "bad" judgments about aspects of you arise. For example, if you feel depressed or angry, then living in truth requires you to be conscious of that state of being and not ignore, deny or hide from it. You do not need to approve of the things you are feeling, or even believe that what you are feeling is in alignment with your image of self--what is necessary is to recognize, acknowledge and witness the depression or the anger as part of your experience in the present moment. Once you can accomplish this, truth becomes a pathway to your deepest state of being, and a way to experience yourself in the present moment, without judgment. A common factor in many cultures is the tendency to cultivate the traits believed to be "Godly" and eliminate those traits perceived as "un-Godly". Which of the following do you prefer to identify with? Generous or selfish Kind or hurtful Strong or weak Competent or ignorant Certainly the "positive" traits are valuable and high-vibrational aspirations, but the truth is that everything manifest, whether positive or negative, is God. Everything human is God. Everything expressed in the Universe is also contained within our human selves. This means that the Godly, divine nature within you contains all these aspects--generosity, selfishness, kindness, hurtfulness, strength, weakness, competence, and ignorance. If you seek to identify with only positive aspects and separate yourself from negative aspects, you are, in truth, separating yourself from God. Ultimately, it is separation from God that causes separation from our divine nature: Love. Becoming an Objective Observer By becoming still enough to observe the truth that this moment is revealing to you about your inner nature, you can begin to perceive all of what you are. Your mantra becomes "I am…I am generous, I am selfish, I am kind, I am hurtful, I am strong, I am weak, I am competent, I am ignorant. I am all of these. There is nothing I am not." When you look objectively at your past experiences, know that it may not be so difficult to recall your experiences with the clarity that can reveal the truth of all of the positive or negative qualities within you. Once you identify these qualities, remain constantly aware of them and acknowledge that they are a part of each and every person. This level of awareness illustrates how very similar we all are. The Truth About Freedom Operating from within this space of truth you can begin to be genuinely free, because when you reach this point, you have nothing to hide, nothing from which to run, and nothing to deny. For many of us, however, freedom rarely exists in daily life. Most people are driven by unconscious motives and desires: physiological needs, emotional needs, and even limiting beliefs of how people "should" or "should not" behave. These unconscious motives can form habits that keep you trapped in a rigid definition of self. Ultimately, these habits and rigid views of self can serve as a signal to point out the areas where you are not free. They shine a light on the potential aspects of you that have not been integrated. When you can honestly and objectively examine your motives, this leads to an understanding of the reasons and motivations that cause your reactions, and this can help you quickly identify the areas where you might be stuck. When you are quiet enough to observe your motives for habitually acting in certain ways, you begin to identify the implicit judgments that keep you stuck in that way of being. What aspect of God are you cutting off from yourself? Once the root judgment is discovered, you can integrate this aspect back into yourself. Freedom becomes possible when you are able to challenge your habits, let go of compulsions, and release attachments. From this new space, you are open to be your true self. Mirrored Reactions A useful tool in identifying estranged aspects of yourself is through the mirror of your relationships with others. This mirroring tool is also reflected in entities, such as: government bodies, religious groups, nations, life situations, and energies. Your issues will confront you daily through the mirror of the others in your life and your reactions to the things they do. To use this mirror as a tool, first become aware of the qualities in other people that create a reaction within you. (A reaction is a heightened emotional response to something another person says or does. It is when your "buttons get pushed"). If your interaction with a selfish person causes the hair on the back of your neck to stand up, then more than likely, you need to acknowledge your own selfishness within. You would not strongly react to this person's selfishness if you had identified, integrated and accepted your own selfish aspects. Healing ceases when you believe that the "problem" is out there, and not merely reflecting something within you. The person confronting you with a lesson may not be mirroring the exact aspect that you need to integrate. However, know that you will only react strongly when there is something of value that this person is presenting to you. Learn to look beyond the superficial label and identify the deeper message. For example, if you find someone annoying, likely there is more involved than just acknowledging that sometimes you can be annoying, too. Observe the exact qualities you found to be annoying--let's say this person talks too much or is insensitive to your time constraints. These aspects may initially seem difficult to integrate, especially if you take pride in your ability to communicate, or are generally sensitive to other people's time. Take a deeper look inside… do you always use your own time well? And what about the constant chatter in your head? Find the deeper message. You wouldn't react unless you "own" the situation on some level. Eventually, as you use the mirror, things that used to push your buttons can be reduced to only tiny disturbances. The Universal Teacher In this way, the truth is that everyone you encounter is a teacher and everything you experience in these encounters can be a gift. The Universe presents you with the very aspects that you deny in yourself. Be still, and know that you will find freedom as the Universe presents you with all the information you need to move forward and heal. Love, love, love, Derek O'Neill There is only one religion, the religion of Love. There is only one caste, the caste of Humanity. There is only one race, the Human Race. ~ Sathya Sai Baba I attended a "More Truth Will Set You Free" workshop with Derek O'Neill that was hosted by my friend and healing teacher, Brook Still, in the fall of 2005. At the time I felt some psychic weight lifted off my being. I can't say it was overwhelmingly profound for me, as it seemed to be for many others who were there, but I knew something positive had happened to me through this workshop. From the tail end of 2005 until now there's been noticable change within my personal life as well as my personal beliefs. I've noticed over the last year and a half how much my perspective has changed. I believe Derek's workshop had some influence. My view on relationships in general has shifted. I was already aware of the strong black and white issues that I would and would not consider acceptable. I seem to be more aware of the more subtle grey areas now. I've also been better able to understand where people are actually coming from when they behave in ways I find perplexing, hurtful or just odd. But mostly I've been able to clear out relationships and connections with people that are no longer healthy for me. "I release that which no longer works for me" Recently I've been attending additional MTWSYF workshops by Brook. They've been very profound in ways I'm just not able to explain at this point. Though the workshops have been going on for several weeks now, I've only been able to attend the last two workshops and this Sunday is the last in the series. I'm really looking forward to attending.

Goth Clubs and such

MistressPrime — Wed, 27 Jun 2007 07:52:10 GMT

Maleadiction Society A week ago Sunday Michael and I went to spend the day hanging out with Devi and Gibs0nGirl. It was a fun day with the family, playing board games and chilling out. She and I started to work out plans for this year's Tea Party and some other events we want to work on together. As the boys continued to play board games Gibs0nGirl and I went up to LA to go to Maleadiction Society. I'd never been before. It was their 2 year anniversary and the theme was a Steampunk Ball. Gibs0nGirl dressed in an all black victorian era skirt with a cute black satin top with little cap sleeves, a black vinyl corset, a black wispy round had with a bat motif on top. I believe she wore black gloves, a velvet and satin ruffly wrap and a little black satin bag. She looked great! I wore my gothy black ballgown with white vinyl straps around the waist and shoulders along with two straps/hooks holding up the front of the dress enough to show the black tulle underneath. Frankly, for a last minute decision to go up to this event I thought I pulled it together fairly well. We arrived and planned to look around the club for familiar faces. We found one as soon as we walked in the door... Damian in his trademark tophat. We stopped to say hello then went out onto the patio to look at the artwork and see who was around. I recognized a couple folks but it was Sunday and we were in LA so I didn't expect to see too many friends from Orange County there. We hung out, people watched and enjoyed the display. It was fun. We stayed till closing. We got onto the 110 and headed south. The freeway was wide open, hardly a soul was out. We were talking, have a good chat and then suddenly we got hit! We were doing around 65 in the #2 lane (the one next to the fast lane). Someone struck us from behind on the drivers side. We started to spin inwards towards the center divider. I thought we were going to flip and hit the divider! The car who struck us scrapped all down the drivers side. Gibs0nGirl kept our wheels on the road and compensated to keep us from hitting the divider. Next thing I knew we were crossing the other three lanes going to the right... thank the gods there were no other cars in the way! I was PISSED! The bastard who hit us was speeding away! Worse yet, he wasn't keeping it in a lane he was all over the highway. Gibs0nGirl was trying to persue this dumbass but we had genuine concerns about the condition of the vehicle so she didn't want to speed. I called highway patrol to report the accident. I gave a description of the vehicle that hit us but I wasn't able to get the license plate. They sent out a helicopter to locate the car. The woman on the phone asked where we wanted to meet a patrolman to report the incident so Gibs0nGirl took the next exit that came up... Slauson. If you're unfamiliar with the area, let me give some explanation... it's 3am on a Monday morning. Slauson off the 110 freeway and were just down the road from the Watts Towers. It's not a pretty neighborhood. To top it off, as we're exiting the freeway we decided to pull into this small parking lot right off the freeway, inside this small lot was a single newer SUV totally smashed up. Joy. We pulled in and then found two cars, driver side window to window and two guys talking to each other from their own vehicles. They weren't wearing security uniforms so it kinda looked like a possible drug deal going down. Happy happy. We got out of the car to see how bad the damage was. I was really concerned about the rear wheel's integrity. At our cursory investigation of the vehicle things didn't seem so bad. However, I was fairly concerned about our location and attire... if we were mugged (or worse) we weren't exactly in clothing that would allow for maximum movement if self defense was necessary. So we jumped back into the car and headed back home. GG called her hubby to let him know what happened. I knew Michael was asleep and didn't think I needed to wake him since I'd do that once I got in the house anyway. Goth Meetup and Infirmary Wednesday of last week was the Goth Meetup. Gibs0nGirl wanted to go and asked me to go with her. In general I'm not very fond of beach bonfires and this month they were having a bonfire, but GG can be really persuasive so I went. In the end I'm really glad I did. I had a good time and it was good to see everyone. I met Dach's new flame and understood what he meant when he described her to me. And of course Damian was there too, but not dressed in his trademark tophat... instead he was wearing a strawhat... very amishilike of him. After the beach closed Dach, Tanith, BlackRose, Alanahawk, Dr. Raven, GG and I went to Norms in HB. We had something to eat and good conversation. I noticed, and he might not like my writing this, but I don't care, that he was SMILING a LOT! (Shhhhh... don't tell him, he might stop!) It was good to see him happy. We left from there and were heading back to my place when GG asked about Infirmary. Truth be told, it's one of only TWO goth clubs left in OC and it's close my place yet I'd never been before. So we went. It was dead and not in a good way. There really wasn't a lot of good people watching. There were two girls who realy didn't look like they belonged. One was wearing a red tank top, blue jean shorts, black leggings and running shoes. The entire outfit was less than flattering on her physique. She was hogging up the one dance platform centered in the back center of the dance floor. Its an Industrial club but I had NO IDEA what she was dancing to. She was doing leaps across the back floor and wiggling her hips back and forth, but not really in time. She was displaying herself like she was hot stuff, but all the guys she would display for walked away from her. Okay, that was kinda funny. Release the Bats Last Friday was the monthly Deathrock club Long Beach, Release the Bats. This time I brought my guy, it was his first time at a goth club. GG had other plans that night so she didn't go, but it seemed like everyone else was there! Mordan, Damian (of course), Dach, Tanith, Ipso Facto, Harp of Hyperion, Lady of Sorrows, Alanahawk, Dr. Raven, BlackRose, Richie, Kitsune, Syrillous and her family, Lady Asunja, Hildof, Fern, NerdGirl, Zoe Darkshade, and even William was there! Damian and I ran into one another and I pointed out I'd seen him three times that week. He started joking that he was stalking me. I thought it was funny... and funnier if you knew Damian. Kommunity FK played. I enjoyed the show, but the heat from the crowd was getting to be too much for me so we went outside. The club was packed and out front was just as crowded. We all hung out until the club closed. It was good to see everyone again.

OC Pagan Meetup Wed June 13

MistressPrime — Wed, 13 Jun 2007 22:33:28 GMT

The Orange County Pagan Meetup Group We are a casual social networking group that has been meeting regularly since 2002. This dinner group is open for people of any pagan path to discuss Paganism, build community, and make new friends. The Orange County Pagan June Meetup Wednesday, June 13, 2007 at 7:00PM Event fee: $1.00 See the full event details, including location, at http://pagan.meetup.com/10. Check out what members are saying about The Orange County Pagan Meetup Group: "The Orange County Pagan Meetup Group is great. We always have lots to talk about. Meetup.com is one of the best things to happen to the Orange County Pagan community. Not only do we get to see old friends but also we are always meeting new ones. It is also great for people new to the Pagan community to meet and talk with a diverse group of people. " - William "Delightful group of folk. Warm, generous, and welcoming to all. I am grateful to have the good fortune of being a part of this group." - Seth Black "Awesome group!" - Lady Wraith "Love it!" - Marci C "Great group of people." — Angelica "I had a lot of fun with this group." — the GhostWolf "I like it!" — godhi "Glad to see new faces!" — Rodney Stansfield "I enjoyed the group and look forward in seeing them again in the future." — Meadow "They were very warm and welcoming to a new comer. Thank you everyone for allowing me to be apart of last nights gathering. I look forward to more in the future." — MystikalRose "A lot of people attended - very large group. I enjoyed the company very much." — Amber Z "I love getting together with these people and I look forward to also crafting and drumming, etc. with everyone soon." — beltainefaerie "Looking forwaed to getting to know folks better : )" — Carla If you live in Orange County or are in the area on the 2nd Wednesday of the month you'll join us for dinner! If Wednesdays don't work for you, consider joining the OC Witches Meetup. Every 4th Tuesday of the month. http://witches.meetup.com/25 Smiles, -=Yvonne:) Pagan and Witches Meetups Organizer Orange County, CA

Girls Weekend of Harry Potter Fandom!

MistressPrime — Mon, 11 Jun 2007 07:38:32 GMT

So Saturday I did not attend the WomenSpirit Summer Solstice Fair and man the CoG booth. Instead I ran away to the exotic and mysterious lands of a far away place called ... Lancaster! Tien Di Kat, The Other Michelle, Jennifer and I packed ourselves into my car to attend "Sonorus"! It was a Harry Potter presentation with author John Grainger and Steve Vander Ark who is the creator, owner, operator of the Harry Potter Lexicon (hp-lexicon.org). We met up with Tonks and had planned to meet Cindy back at the hotel after the event. They set the venue up much like the dinning hall at Hogwarts with four rows of tables in house colors, two large tables on a riser at the front with a podium. They had a fantastic collection of items for a raffle and vendors Barnes and Noble, Whimsic Alley and Whirlwind Wands. The event hosted a traditional British-styled dinner. We enjoyed iced tea, prime rib, bubble and squeak, carrots and beans, green salad, roasted potatoes and Yorkshire pudding for dinner. For dessert we had treacle, spotted dick and coffee. After dinner we heard John Grainger give his presentation. Frankly, I wasn't impressed. I found he rambled a great deal and didn't really site his sources. He kept refering to things but not explaining himself. It was a tough presentation to sit through. I was prepared to be annoyed at his presentation since I had been told he would be telling us where to find Christianity in Harry Potter, but actually that wasn't what bothered me in the least. I was more annoyed and bored by his ADD. He jumped around from point to point without actually making a real "point"! *sigh* Then Steve Vander Ark began his presentation and let me tell you... like night and day! Steve was AWESOME!!!! I LOVED his presentation. He was charming, informative, engaging, entertaining and completely worth the $50 I paid to be there. We did a little more shopping and spoke at length with the vendors after the event. I bought a few buttons for myself and Mike, a new sticker for my car, a key chain, a Gryffindor patch and a few dark mark temp tattoos. After the event the girls and I went to find a grocery store. We had a suite waiting at the hotel for us to go back to and party in. It was decided we would make Butter Beer. We purchased butterscotch schnaps and creme soda. We also bought a collection of chips, crackers, cheeses, and chocolate. So here we are wandering about the liquor aisle in Gryffindor garb. Yes, we're geeks and went to the event in Hogwarts school uniforms. Tonks didn't go with us since she paid extra to attend the "Intimate Chat with John and Steve". She said that John was much better at this event than the one the rest of us attended. We got back to the hotel and called Cindy who was with family but planned to hang out with us. Once the intimate chat was done Tonks arrived at the hotel to join us as well. So we began the drinks, and spent the rest of the evening laughing. It was 3am when Tien Di Kat and I went back to our room to sleep off all that butter beer. Early the next morning I awoke, just hours after going to sleep to the familiar rumblings of a Harley motorcycle. Actually it was SEVERAL Harleys. There was a two story shop right behind our hotel and apparently there was a ride that started around 6am at the shop. I didn't really mind. The next morning we got ready, packed up and found out that Cindy's car was broken into. Someone smashed her passenger window and might have stolen her backpack. They didn't seem to have taken anything else even though she had all kinds of items strewn around her car. The Sheriff came out to check her car but did nothing more than write a report. She told them about a "creep guy" she'd seen when she arrived and the sheriff told her, "Miss, this is Lancaster, there's lots of creepy looking guys". Because of this incident our entire schedule was thrown off. We were hours behind our plan to head to Cairo Carnivale so we ended up having a late lunch at a Chili's and headed home. Despite missing Cairo Carnivale for another year (grrrrr!) and despite Cindy's car being broken into as well, we had an enjoyable girls weekend! I have stuff from Sonorus for our next NOC Harry Potter Meetup attending members too!

Call for Additional Veteran Markers with Pentacles

MistressPrime — Sat, 12 May 2007 13:23:08 GMT

The following Press Release is from the Circle Times: URGENT CALL for Additional Veteran Markers with Pentacles Tell others: Post to e-lists, blogs, and elsewhere. If you know of a deceased Wiccan/Pagan veteran in need of a VA-issued headstone, marker, or plaque with the Pentacle symbol, and would like assistance with expedited production of it, please contact Rev. Selena Fox of Circle Sanctuary by Wednesday, MAY 16, 2007 for more details. email: liberty@circlesanctuary.org phone: (608) 924-2216 (leave message) Under the terms of the settlement agreement of the federal lawsuit, Circle Sanctuary vs. Nicholson, negotiated by Americans United for Separation of Church and State with attorneys representing the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), those in need of a VA-issued memorial grave marker with Pentacle to honor a deceased Wiccan/Pagan veteran can get expedited treatment for marker production, if the completed marker application (VA form 40-1330) is submitted to the VA by the next of kin within 30 days of the settlement signing, which was on April 20. After May 20, applications for veteran grave markers with Pentacles can still be submitted to the VA, but the production of those markers will revert to the customary timeframe, which usually takes one to two months. Rev. Selena Fox, high priestess of Circle Sanctuary, is offering assistance to families of deceased Wiccan/Pagan veterans in need of VA-issued grave markers with the Pentacle. She is working directly with VA staff on requests. Selena presently knows of twelve requests, five of which have already been fulfilled! As of May 1, two markers with Pentacles are at Circle Sanctuary in Wisconsin and two are at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia. As of May 2, one is at a cemetery in Tennessee. Other applications and markers are in process. A copy of the VA's marker application, Form 40-1330, is on-line at the VA website, along with other information: http://www.cem.va.gov/cem/hm_hm.asp The Pentacle is emblem #37 on the VA's list of emblems of belief that can be included on federal government-issued markers, headstones, & plaques: http://www.cem.va.gov/cem/hm/hmemb.asp A PDF of the settlement agreement (Circle Sanctuary vs. Nicholson) and other information is at the Americans United for Separation of Church and State website: http://www.au.org/site/PageServer?pagename=legal_pentacle For more information about the Veteran Pentacle Quest Success including media news links, celebrations, photos, and photos of some veteran markers with Pentacles: http://www.circlesanctuary.org/liberty/veteranpentacle press release issued by Lady Liberty League Circle Sanctuary, PO Box 9, Barneveld, WI 53507 USA email: liberty@circlesanctuary.org phone: (608) 924-2216 fax: (608) 924-5961 web: http://www.circlesanctuary.org Circle Times: Friday, May 11, 2007

Chocolate Made of Vegetable Oil?

MistressPrime — Mon, 16 Apr 2007 01:17:41 GMT

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi- chocolate14apr14,0,4722074.story?track=mostemailedlink The courage of their confections Two candy makers are asking chocolate lovers to protest plans to allow cheaper ingredients. Vegetable oil, anyone? By Jerry Hirsch Times Staff Writer April 14, 2007 Calling all chocoholics. Put down the truffles and power up the PC. It's time to weigh in on a fundamental question: What is chocolate? Two of California's oldest confectioners, See's Candies Inc. and Guittard Chocolate Co., are battling an attempt to loosen government rules that dictate what ingredients go into the sweet stuff. Legally, the candy that melts hearts and comforts the brokenhearted is made with cocoa butter and, in the case of milk chocolate, whole milk. But the Grocery Manufacturers of America, a trade group, wants to let confectioners substitute cheaper ingredients — vegetable oils and milk protein concentrates. Gary Guittard, president of his eponymous, family-owned business, sees this as a battle for the soul of the popular confection. "Anybody who has a passion for chocolate doesn't want to see it adulterated," said Guittard, whose great-grandfather Etienne Guittard founded the company in San Francisco in 1868. But the trade group, which has the support of the Chocolate Manufacturers of America, says it's just thinking outside the old chocolate box. The petition is part of a broad effort to give its members more flexibility in choosing the ingredients that go into many food products. A spokeswoman said the proposed rules would not prevent companies such as See's and Guittard from adhering to the current standards for chocolate. Nevertheless, Guittard and See's Chief Executive Brad Kinstler want America's chocoholics to complain loudly to the Food and Drug Administration before April 25, the day the agency will stop taking public comments on the issue. It's a big constituency. About a quarter of Americans eat chocolate at least once every two weeks, according to market research firm NPD Group Inc. All told, the U.S. consumes 3.6 billion pounds of chocolate annually — that's 12 pounds per person. The chocolatiers have urged lovers of the candy to visit Guittard's DontMessWithOurChocolate.com website, where they can electronically submit complaints to the FDA. The idea of substituting vegetable oil for cocoa butter, a natural component of the cocoa bean that is the traditional source of chocolate, irks Andrea Langston of Long Beach. "I would feel like I was being duped," said Langston, who has taken a liking to dark organic chocolate. "It's $3.50 a bar, but it is so worth it. You just eat one square at a time," said the 36-year-old employee of a computer products company. Langston and other self- respecting lovers of what the Mayans called the food of the gods should be worried about producers' substituting oils for cocoa butter, said Kristy Choo, artisan chocolatier at Jin Patisserie in Venice. "It won't be as intense as a real chocolate. It will have a waxy taste," said Choo, whose mango-basil, lavender and ginger-cinnamon chocolate squares sell in a six-piece box for $15. Price is at the heart of the argument over whether manufacturers should be allowed to change the ingredients of chocolate, said Kinstler of See's, which has 205 stores and is based in South San Francisco. "You can make chocolate a lot cheaper with vegetable oil," he said. A pound of chocolate contains more than 4 ounces of cocoa butter, at a cost of about $2.30, said Guittard Chocolate, based in Burlingame, Calif. The same amount of vegetable oil was 70 cents. Hershey Co., which supports the Grocery Manufacturers' petition, said the standards were created decades ago and should be modernized. By adopting the proposal, the FDA would be providing "flexibility to make changes based on consumer taste preferences, ingredient costs and availability and shelf life," said Kirk Saville, spokesman for the Hershey, Pa.-based company. Saville said it could be years before the FDA issued a decision. Hershey is supporting the move to loosen chocolate rules at a time when sales of premium and gourmet versions of the food are exploding. Late last year, Hershey launched its upscale Cacao Reserve brand. Two years ago, it purchased artisan chocolatier Scharffen Berger Chocolate Maker Inc., a Berkeley confectioner known for its dark chocolates and cocoa. It also recently acquired Ashland, Ore.-based Dagoba Organic Chocolate. The proposed rule change is part of a strategy by Hershey and other large producers to segment the industry, lowering the quality and expense of everyday candy bars while marketing high-quality, high- priced premium chocolate, said Marcia Mogelonsky, an analyst with market research firm Mintel International. "If you take the cocoa butter out of an inexpensive candy bar, most people probably won't notice," Mogelonsky said. Sales of premium chocolate topped $2 billion last year, a 129% increase in five years, Mintel said. Sales are expected to continue at a torrid pace, reaching $3.5 billion by 2011. Gourmet offerings include chocolate infused with wine, honey, chai and other exotic flavors. Some bars are made with cacao from a single region, almost like a wine appellation, and others have high cacao contents ranging up to 72%. Medical studies that have found that flavonols and antioxidants in chocolate might play a role in reducing strokes and heart failure — as long as the fat doesn't kill you — have only added to the growth in premium chocolate bars, Mogelonsky said. Gary Guittard believes that in proposing to change the rules, the food industry is overthinking what he believes should be one of the simple joys of life. "Why add ingredients to something that is just fine the way it is?" he asked.

OCLC CoG Meeting March 11

MistressPrime — Thu, 08 Mar 2007 00:28:40 GMT

The Orange County Local Council of the Covenant of the Goddess General Meeting will take place on Sunday March 11, 2007 at 12:30pm. OCLC CoG is dedicated to educating, supporting and ministering to the Orange County Witch/Wiccan Community. We foster positive awareness of Our Religion and of the Goddess and God. We provide resources to and for Pagan Clergy as well as for the community. OCLC's general meeting is for purpose of discussion of local council and national affairs. If you are interested in becoming a member of CoG, or would like to learn more about the organization, we welcome you to attend the meeting. This is a great way to meet OCLC members. Following the business meeting, we will have a time for socializing and networking. We look forward to seeing you there! -=Yvonne:) OCLC First Officer OCLC co-PIO National Public Information Officer National CoG Info: http://www.cog.org Orange County Local Council Info: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/OCLC_Cog_public/ Orange County Local Council email contact: orangeco@cog.org Event Location: 12802 Valley View St # 1 in Garden Grove Event TIME Details: 12:30 PM to 2:30 PM Directions: We will be in the Bridge Creek Business Park. We will be in the first office on the right just over the little stone bridge. The Valley View exit on the westbound 22 freeway is closed. If coming on the 22 West, exit Goldenwest. Turn left off exit. Follow Garden Grove Blvd to the end, Valley View St. Turn right on Valley View St. Business park will be on the immediate right just past the freeway. Website: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/OCLC_Cog_public/ Website II: http://www.cog.org Mailing Address: P.O. Box 23175, Santa Ana, CA 92711

OC Pagan Meetup March 14

MistressPrime — Thu, 08 Mar 2007 00:27:24 GMT

The Orange County Pagan Meetup Group We are a casual social networking group that has been meeting regularly since 2002. We are the largest Pagan Meetup world-wide. This dinner group is open for people of any pagan path to discuss Paganism, build community, and make new friends The Orange County Pagan March Meetup Wednesday, March 14, 2007 at 7:00PM Event fee: $1.00 See the full event details, including location, at http://pagan.meetup.com/10/calendar/5482962/. Check out what members are saying about The Orange County Pagan Meetup Group: "The Orange County Pagan Meetup Group is great. We always have lots to talk about. Meetup.com is one of the best things to happen to the Orange County Pagan community. Not only do we get to see old friends but also we are always meeting new ones. It is also great for people new to the Pagan community to meet and talk with a diverse group of people. " - William "Delightful group of folk. Warm, generous, and welcoming to all. I am grateful to have the good fortune of being a part of this group." - Seth Black "Awesome group!" - Lady Wraith "Love it!" - Marci C "Great group of people." — Angelica "I had a lot of fun with this group." — the GhostWolf "I like it!" — godhi "Glad to see new faces!" — Rodney Stansfield "I enjoyed the group and look forward in seeing them again in the future." — Meadow "They were very warm and welcoming to a new comer. Thank you everyone for allowing me to be apart of last nights gathering. I look forward to more in the future." — MystikalRose "A lot of people attended - very large group. I enjoyed the company very much." — Amber Z "I love getting together with these people and I look forward to also crafting and drumming, etc. with everyone soon." — beltainefaerie "Looking forwaed to getting to know folks better : )" — Carla

March 2007 Martial Arts Events Calendar

MistressPrime — Fri, 02 Mar 2007 05:44:49 GMT

I compiled this list for a martial arts group I run. I thought I would share it here as well. March 1-7 (7 days) Choi Kwang Do International Worldwide 20th Anniversary Celebration As the home of the martial art for the 21st Century, Atlanta will host more than 1,500 Choi Kwang Do enthusiasts and instructors from around the world as they celebrate the 20th anniversary of the creation of the discipline and plan for the organizations’ future direction. A series of events, meetings and demonstrations will take place March 1 - 7 at the Atlanta Galleria and the Choi Kwang Do International headquarters in Kennesaw. These events will be lead by Atlanta resident, Choi Kwang Do founder and world-renowned martial art expert, Grandmaster Kwang Jo Choi. The media is invited to attend the events during the week to learn about the Choi Kwang Do martial art and fitness program that has captured worldwide attention, including the Korean community. Media Photo opportunities include: International Black Belt Testing Thursday, March 1 10am – 1pm CKD Headquarters Demo Team Festival Friday, March 2 6:00pm Pitner Elementary Acworth Seminar & Demonstrations Sat., March 3 9:00am - Cobb Galleria Center 5:00pm Exhibit Hall Instructor Training Mon., March 5 10 – 12am CKD Headquarters Designed and practiced daily by hundreds of thousands of enthusiasts around the globe, Choi Kwang Do is an applicable and obtainable wellness program for students of any age or stage in life. Choi Kwang Do combines the best of traditional martial arts with modern scientific knowledge to create a discipline for enthusiasts of today. The discipline focuses on each individual student achieving optimum physical and mental health and wellness through training at a moderate level of intensity and high level of positive feedback. Choi Kwang Do was created by Grandmaster Kwang Jo Choi in 1987 after years of development and research to create a martial art that his injured body could perform with skill and power. The discipline is studied by hundreds of thousands of students worldwide in 35 countries around the globe. The Choi Kwang Do International organization is based in Kennesaw, Georgia. For additional information on Choi Kwang Do visit www.choikwangdo.com. Contact Info: Beth Hawks 404.814.1015 1768 Century Blvd. Suite A Atlanta, GA, 30345 bethhawks@corecommpr.com March 2-4(3 days) Wing Chun Camp This is a weekend camp at the beautiful Oregon Coast. Master David Leung will be sharing his forty years of Martial Arts experience with us. The topics covered include Siu Lim Tao and applications, Chun Kiu and applications and application,Biu Chee and applications, Sticky hands and Wing Chun theories. Cost is $325. Contact Info: PK Loi 541-579 5672 P.O. Box 30084 Eugene, OR, 97403 USA pkloi@yahoo.com www.leungsmartialarts.com March 2 Free Demonstration of Chinese Skills Pompano Beach, FL Join with Sifu Adam Wallace to understand health, healing and philosophy the Chinese way and witness demonstrations of rare cultural skills such as traditional Wild Goose Qigong and Chen family style Taijiquan. David’s Dance Center, 694 E. McNab Road (2 blocks West of Federal Highway). 7 to 8.30 pm. Contact Info: Robert McSee 954 579-3727 P.O. Box 772348 Coral Springs, FL, FL 33077 robert_mcsee@hotmail.com www.dayanqigong.com March 2 Arnold Sports Festival - Martial Arts The Greater Columbus Convention Center 400 North High Street Columbus, Ohio 43215 8:00 am to 8:00 pm Details: As of 2007, the Arnold Sports Festival is the largest Sports Festival in the nation. The three-day event held in Columbus, Ohio will host 17,000 athletes, 38 sports and events – 14 of which are Olympic sports. Several Olympic disciplines are in our area of the Festival. Youth and adult athletes will participate from more than 10 nations in competitions and demonstrations in fitness & figure contests, youth weightlifting, fencing, table tennis, figure skating, speed skating, hockey skills, bodybuilding, strongman, a martial arts festival, boxing, wrestling, fitness fashion show, archery, pump & run, and more. Type: Tournament All Styles Contact Info: Tokey Hill info@arnoldmartialarts.com 614-796-1115 614-635-1371 Fax http://www.arnoldmartialarts.com March 3 "Where Warriors Dare" Tournament Of Champions Open Van Buren Twp. Rec Department 46425 Tyler Rd. Van Buren, Michigan 48111 Details: Open Martial arts tournament. Located Minutes from Detroit Metro Airport in Michigan. Every participant recieves a reward. Competition includes Grand Champion Divisions, Open Forms,Olympic Sparring,Point Sparring. Weapons Forms and Braking. For more information contact me and request a Tournament flyer which we will be happy to send to your email. Type: Tournament All Styles Contact Info: John Colwell johncolwell2@yahoo.com 248-227-8083 March 3 Isa Hapkido Seminar Neil Clark Recreation Center 3404 6th Street Drive Hickory, NC 28601 10:00 am to 4:00 pm Details: Four-Hour Hapkido Clinic with Senior Master George Petrotta Saturday, March 3, 2007 TIME: 10:00 AM to 12:00 NOON (1st Session) LUNCH SERVED FROM 12 to 1:00 (Pizza) 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM (2nd Session) CLOSING CEREMONY 3:00 to 3:30 Location: Neil Clark Recreation Center 3404 6th Street Dr. NW, Hickory, NC 28601 Dr. George Petrotta, 8th Dan. Master Petrotta is the Director of the International Sungjado Association 43+ years experience in Korean Martial Arts. 8th Dan World Kido Federation / GM In Sun Seo (Hapkido) 8th Dan UTB, Inc. / GM E. A. Humesky (Taekwondo) 8th Dan International Sungjado Association (Sungja-Do) REGISTRATION FEE: $20 at the door (Covers seminar and lunch) All Instructors, who bring five (5) or more students, are admitted FREE, with free lunch. Information and registration: American Defensive Arts, Mr. Steven Riggs Hickory, NC 28601 Telephone: (828) 322-6904 E-mail: stevencriggs@yahoo.com ISA Martial Arts, Master George Petrotta 1366 Saint Andrews Blvd., Florence, SC 29505 Telephone: (843) 669-1444 E-mail: isahdq@sc.rr.com Please RSVP! Type: Seminar Hapkido Contact Info: Dr. George Petrotta isahdq@sc.rr.com 843-669-1444 March 3 Cane Masters/American Cane system Noon to 6PM Seminar, exercise system, blocks, techniques, beginner through advanced. Canes sold at seminar Contact Info: Peter Donello 303-523-2348 9900 Montgomery NE Alburquerque, NM info@canemasters.com www.blackmantkd.com March 3-4 (2 days) Qigong Seminar with Adam Wallace in Florida Balancing Gong is a set of Qigong exercises from the Kunlun Dayan Qigong System, designed to maintain and heal the back, spine, neck, shoulders, waist and hips. Promotes, vitality, relaxation, and flexibility, and increase circulation and balance. Suitable for all ages and levels of fitness. Contact Info: Robert Mc See 954 579-3727 P.O. Box 772348 Coral Springs, FL, FL 33077 USA robert_mcsee@hotmail.com www.dayanqigong.com March 9-11 (3 days) 2007 Combat Sports Training Camp 12 Hours of Mixed Martial Arts Instruction David A Ross, San Da Kickboxing Carmine Zocchi, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Tim O’Connor, Strength and Conditioning Ian Morgan, San Da Kickboxing This camp is for anyone that is looking to challenge themselves. You don’t have to be a fighter to benefit from this camp. Men and women, from any style or system, even those with NO TRAINING, are welcome to attend. This is a unique opportunity to learn new techniques, new training methods and new fighting strategies. Camp Schedule: Friday, March 9th; Session 1. 7PM-10PM Saturday, March 10th; Session 2. 9AM-NOON Saturday, March 10th; Session 3. 2PM-5PM Sunday, March 11th; Session 4. 10AM-1PM Cost: Discounts to those who have taken the seminars before! Those who attended previous camps: $80 First timers: $120 To register visit www.SanDa-MMA.com where you can download a registration form and/or pay on line with "PAY PAL". Or call (212) 239-8619 with your credit card. Contact Info: NY San Da 212 239 8619 313 W 37th Street (8th floor) New York, NY, 10018 lkfmdc@att.net www.sanda-mma.com March 17 27th Annual Stone Dragon Chinese Kuo Su Tournament Registration Open at 9:00am Weapons Divisions start at 10:30am All Events $45.00 Spectator $5.00 GRAND CHAMPION IN ALL CHILDREN'S DIVISIONS Children Grand-Champion's will be determined on an accumulated point system only. Proof of Age may be required in Children's Divisions. Contact Info: Master Robert Hicks (856) 451-8866 Bridgeton High School Bridgeton, NJ, www.geocities.com/umara2000/tournaments/stone-dragon/stonedr agon2007.pdf March 17 Battle Of Detroit World Martial Arts Open University Of Michigan Dearborn Field House 4019 Evergreen Rd. Dearborn, MI 48128 Details: March 17th! Over 1,000 awards and cash prizes. See Stars,championship and Hall of fame! Open to all Styles and Systems! On Line registration and information available. Type: Tournament All Styles Contact Info: Ibraham Ahmed ibrahamahmed2@yahoo.com 313-815-8767 989-672-2483 Fax http://www.starsforcharityexpo.com March 17 Wsbba Speed Brick Breaking Championship University Of Michigan Dearborn Field House 4019 Evergreen Dearborn, MI 48128 Details: World Speed Brick Breaking Championship held in conjunction with the Battle of Detroit. Dont miss your oportunity to set a record and compete in this event that is taking the Martial Arts industry by storm! Type: Tournament All Styles Contact Info: Kevin Taylor kevin6132002@yahoo.com 586-222-4361 989-672-2483 Fax http://wsbba.com/contact.htm March 17 The Meltdown!! Where the Competition Gets Hot!! AMAPA & SKIL sanctioned tournament. Open to all styles & Martial Artists. Contact Info: Jason & Lillie Cortez 209-823-2662 311 W. Yosemite Ave. Manteca, CA, 95336 cortezdojo@aol.com www.AMAPAAllStars.com March 17 The Second Annual UIKF All Kung Fu House of Warriors Tournament The Second UIKF All Kung Fu House of Warriors Tournament will be a one-day tournament dedicated to the advancement of Kung Fu held on March 17, 2007. Bringing together over 50 local Kung Fu schools and training centers, this tournament allows participants to compete in 16 different event categories. Register online at www.uikftournament.com When: March 17, 2007 Where: Farmingdale State University Cost: Register before Dec. 31, 2006-$55 includes 2 events, $5 for each additional event. Register after January 1, 2007-$60 includes 2 events, $5 for each additional event. Register after March 1, 2007-$65 includes 2 events, $5 for each additional event. Non-competitors: $10 Registration prior to Dec. 31, 2006 recieves a free UIKF Gift! Contact Info: Christine Cifelli 631 957-7035 275 West Hoffman Ave Lindenhurst, NY, 11757 christinec@starfishjunction.com www.uikftournament.com March 17-23 (7 days) WuDang Kung Fu Instructor Certification Course ONE WEEK INTENSIVE Master Bing, the only English speaking instructor on WuDang Mountain has joined us here in the U.S.A. to expand the ancient traditional teaching. He intends to teach a small group of dedicated instructors that are serious about learning authentic WuDang Kung Fu Forms and Traditional Tai Chi forms from the Zhang San Feng lineage. Master Bing will teach the following forms: Xuan Zheng Guan, Mystical Truth, Taming Tiger Form, WuDang Tai Chi 28 movement form, Weapon form, horse whip, optional Contact Info: Kristine 970-482-3201 1409 E. Olive Court, Unit D Fort Collins, CO, 80524 wudang_lotus@yahoo.com www.wudangtao.com March 24 15th Annual UC Berkeley Chinese Martial Arts Tournament Held at UC Berkeley, under the direction of Sifu Bryant Fong. Contact Info: Cal Wushu - UC Martial Arts Program (510) 642-3268 2301 Bancroft Way Room 145 Berkeley, CA, 94720 info@calwushu.com www.ocf.berkeley.edu/~calwushu/home.php March 24 2007 Peach State Classic This is the 1st event of The Unified Martial Arts League(U.M.A.L.) tournament season. We invite all martial artists to come out and test your skill at an event that promotes the true values of Martial Arts: Interity, Discipline , and Honor. In a family oriented environment free of politics. U.M.A.L. & SKI "BBB" Rated Contact Info: Cliff Yawn (912)826-5008 250 Chimney Road Rincon, GA, 31326 clif.yawn@comcast.net March 24-25 (2 days) 7th Golden Dragon Martial Arts Classic Please attend the 7th Golden Dragon Classic & Masters Workshops. Held in Kansas City sponsered by Pepsi, Tigerclaw.com, and Liberty Fruit CO. 200 + divisions of all styles of Chinese, Okinawan, Japanese, and Korean Styles welcome, Southern Long, Short, Wing Chun, all Tai Chi styles, long, short, Double/Flex weapons, 2person forms/weapons $45 for 2 events and $10 extra events, spectators fees $5 adults, $3 kids6-12, 5 and under FREE. Hotel and registration forms at www.kungfukc.com click golden dragon icon for more info email goldendragoninfo@yahoo.com or call Midwest Chinese Martial Arts Center Sifu Scott Winokur 816-444-4777 in Kansas City, MO 64114 USA Event held at Shawnee Mission South Highschool 5800 W 107th St 66207 Contact Info: Sifu Scott Winokur-Midwest Chinese Martial Arts 816-444-4777 8201 Wornall Rd. Headquarters Kansas City, MO, 64114 goldendragoninfo@yahoo.com www.kungfukc.com March 30-31(2 days) Master Ren's Kwan Dao seminar Philly,PA Where: Phoenix Chen Taijiquan Gongfu Center 401 W. Elm st. Norristown, PA 19401 Cost: $200 for workshop if paid by Feb.25.. $250 after When: March 30 Fri. nite 7:00 - 9:00 pm. March 31 Sat. 9:00 am. - 4:00 pm If you want to pre-order a Kwan Dao please let me know A.S A.P. I will need a check for $85 by Feb. 7.. Send any payments to- Michael Rosario-Graycar 401 W. Elm St. Norristown ,PA 19401 Contact Info: Phoenix Chen Taijiquan Gongfu Center 610.304.9088 401 W. Elm St. Norristown, PA, 19401 chentaijiquan@hotmail.com www.taijiboxing.com March 31 Pure Force V 18501 S. Harlem Ave. Tinley Park, IL 60477 Details: Professional and Amateur Mixed Martial Arts and Muay Thai. Type: Expo/Tradeshow Mixed Martial Arts Contact Info: James Hill jhill@hcxinternational.com (815) 730-3800 http://www.pureforcemma.com March 31 Chi Ling Pai Gung Fu Spring Camp Red Top Mountain State Park Area 7 50 Lodge Rd Se Cartersville, GA 30121 9:30 am to 5:00 pm Details: March 30, 31 and April 1st , 2007 The 5th annual training camp is being held in Atlanta, Georgia along Lake Altoona and Red Top Mountain. The seminars will be scheduled Saturday 9am until 4:30 pm and Sunday 9am until 3pm. Seminars will be taught by master teachers and we are truly blessed to have such rare and wonderful Masters from around the country willing to share what they have developed with you. Sailboat and lake boats will be available for attendees during breaks and there is the worlds largest aquarium located 15 minutes from the event. All are invited to attend. One Day $125 $85 Pre-registration Two Days $195 $150 Pre-registration Pre-register by February 10th, 2007 Deep Discounts for groups and school packages. Hotel Accommodations can be found by calling (404) 518-7332 Airport Information: The closest airport is Atlanta Hartsfield International Airport. email c-marc@earthlink.net Chi Ling Pai Gung Fu – Powerful fighting concepts that will improve your fighting and self defense the day of you learn them. Guaranteed. Real iron Palm that you can trust - Relaxed, Simple and Incredibly Effective Internal Chinese Martial arts - Study and train with some of the very best teachers of the internal arts. Learn with people who have a deep understanding of movement, mass and the human body. Develop power you can use, coming from the ground and focused through your back, to plant strikes inside your opponent. Friday Night we will have a Bar B Que with authentic roast pork and stir fry made from spices and herbs sent from Master Mike Young in Honolulu Chinatown specially for this event. Saturday and Sunday we will conduct the teaching seminar on a peninsula jutting into lake Allatuna, at the foot of Red Top Mountain. Water on three sides and a path leading to the site. We will start training at 9:30am, break for lunch at 1pm till 2pm then train until 5pm. Sunday we will train from 9:30 till 3pm. We will have access to a 22 boat for trips on the lake after training. All are invited. We have held hotel rooms at the mountain lodge. Rooms are $75 a night. They are double occupancy and the lodge is very nice, clean and modern. Please contact us at 404-518-7332 for lodging info. This year we are honored by these instructors attending Hanshi Bruce Juchnik. Inheritor of Kosho Shorie Kempo from James Mitose and a great Chi Lin Kempo Master. Master Mike Snyder. A world class instructor who studied for years with Master Decker. Mike is one of the great students of Master Decker. He is highly respected for his no nonsense approach to training. He studied Internal Martial Arts with legendary Grandmaster Zaing Lu Ping. He now trains with Zhang Yun, another legendary expert of the chinese internal martial arts. Master Ron Wilerson. Another world class teacher and master of Chi Lin Chuan Fa. Ron has taught for decades in the mid atlantic region and has great knowledge and love of the martial arts. You will benefit from his open and knowledgeable training style. Guru Bernie Langan - Internal Gung Fu Master and deeply devoted teacher of the chinese , Indonesian and Philippine martial arts from California. Bernie has studied and trained with some of the best Grandmasters and instructors in the world. He is highly respected and he trains students throughout the United States. Another world class instructor who will greatly increase your abilities and knowledge. Master Paul Zeigler. A great teacher in Chi Ling Pai Gung Fu ®. Decades of training and creating come of Chi Ling Pais top instructors, Paul is a treasure of knowledge and experience. Sensei Jason Barron - Decades of experience as an instructor and student of Aikido with some of the very best teachers in the country. For years he was a fixture in the North East teaching with some of the best Aikido instructors around. Later, he was a top student of Doctor Tom Walker in Florida and now he teaches Aikido and Iado at the Sand Drift Aikido school in Orlando Florida. Sensei Jim Moraties - Kosho Shorie Kempo instructor from Florida. He also taught and studied Kempo in New England for many years. A very aggressive and talented martial artist. He is one of Hanshi Bruce Juchniks most loyal and trusted students. Sifu Jason Bartley - Chi Ling Pai Gung Fu instructor from Miami. Jason has taught and training for a decade in Florida. He is a full time film and television actor and stunt man. He has worked with Jamie Fox, training with him for his role in the film, Miami Vice, as well as Ving Rhames, in his national television programs. He can be seen in Reno 911 the movie, in theaters soon. He has also been on CSI Miami, The New Detectives and in national television commercials. Jason is a 4 time SEC Champion Linebacker for the Florida Gators. Master Scott Felsen. Inheritor of Chi Ling Pai Gung Fu®, Scott is dedicated to the preservation of the art and of raising the standards of martial arts ability and talent through the new students of Chi Ling Pai®. Scott has been teaching for almost 30 years. He is an instructor in meditation and the internal martial arts; Nei Gung and Chi Gung. Type: Seminar All Styles Contact Info: Derek Smart c-marc@earthlink.net 404-517-7332 http://www.chi-lin.net March 31 The Carolina Triple Threat Mr. Will Smith, Director of Vanguard Promotions out of Durham, North Carolina has scheduled his next exciting IKF Kickboxing event! The Carolina Triple Threat will be held March 31st (2007) at the Durham Marriott Civic Center, 201 Foster St., Durham, NC, 27701. The event will comprise of three rule styles of exciting action! American Kickboxing ( mainly known as Full Contact Rules, All kicks are above the waist) and International Rules (Fighters can kick to the legs of their opponent) will be the main event that evening as they battle in full contact action! Earlier that same day will be a semi contact tournament featuring the best of IKF Point Kickboxing bouts. The IKF Point Kickboxing tournament will feature men, women and children battling for beautiful trophies and awards! Unlike the night-time full contact event, where the fighters are going for the knockout, the day-time PKB tournament will be semi contact and knockouts will not be allowed but the action will be non stop! In addition to all the fighting action, there will be a special IKF Point Kickboxing Seminar giving by two time world champion Johnny Davis who will also be the IKF Representative for both the day and night time event. Mr. Smith would like anyone who wishes to participate to contact him by email at vanguardpro@nc.rr.com or call (919) 632-7242. The Mailing Address is Vanguard Promotions, P.O. Box 51817, Durham, NC, 27717 Contact Info: WILL SMITH 919-632-7242 P.O. BOX 51817 DURHAM, NC, 27707 VANGUARDPRO@NC.RR.COM FREEWEBS.COM/VANGUARDPRO March 31 Young's 2007 Spring Karate Tournament Brief Description: Weapons, Forms, Breaking, & Sparring Children, Jr, Adult, Senior, Handicapable (Forms), and Executive Divisions Prices: Competitors: $30.00 Spectators: $5.00 Online Reg. Closes: March 29, 2007 11:59 PM Pacific Time Schedule of Events: 9:00am - Registration 10:30am - Black Belt Meeting 11:00am -1st Event (Weapons) Awards: Four Grand Champions with $100 cash prizes All children receive runner up medals Huge trophy for Most Supportive School Huge trophy for school with most 1st, 2nd, 3rd places. Contact Info: Bellefonte Middle School 100 North School Street Bellefonte, PA, 16823 youngtkdctf@yahoo.com www.youngtkd.com/events.html March 31 Cane Masters/American Cane System 5 hours of training with a cane, starting with the exercise, blocks, swings, twirls, strikes, techniques Contact Info: Elliot Gilchrist 952-285-8400 EXT 201 Edins, MN

Free Lecture and Booksigning with Christopher Penczak

MistressPrime — Mon, 12 Feb 2007 12:37:47 GMT

Free Lecture and Booksigning with Christopher Penczak The Mystic Foundation Monday, Feb 12, 7 PM Join author Christopher Penczak in a lecture on his latest release, The Mystic Foundation. The Mystic Foundation provides spiritual paradigms and magical theory for any spiritual seeker, regardless of tradition. Though exploration of the magical side of life, the text encourages the seeker to walk a mystic path, through a survey of many different traditions and practices. Particularly important to those on a magickal path of spirit are the Law of the Magus, also known as the Witch's Pyramid - To Know, To Will, To Dare and To Keep Silent. Christopher will discuss the role of the four principles in his own life and teachings, as well as the need to build bridges connecting traditions of mystics and mages for the evolution of the world. Christopher is also the author of The Inner Temple of Witchcraft, The Witch's Shield, Gay Witchcraft, Instant Magick and Magick of Reiki. When: Monday, February 12, 2007 at 7:00 PM Where: The Gift Goddess 31761 Camino Capistrano #4 San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675 (949) 496-3195

Flogging Molly's Gear Stolen!

MistressPrime — Sun, 04 Feb 2007 19:32:06 GMT

Flogging Molly's Gear Stolen!! Current mood: angry From FM: Nathen Maxwell's gear was stolen!We need your help! Our own Nathen Maxwell was on a road trip when his car was broken into in Kingman, Arizona and some of his most prized musical equipment was stolen. We're hoping that you, our fans, can help us out by posting the information on your MySpace pages and just keeping an eye out to see if any of this gear turns up. Here is what was taken: * National Resophonic bass guitar - This is a one of a kind left handed bass that is not in production anymore. The photo of Nathen on this post shows the bass. * National bass case that also contained a Highlander IP1X Inline pre-amp and a Korg Toneworks PX3B personal effects processor. * KoAloha Koa wood Concert Ukulele * Ampeg Combo amp As you can imagine, Nathen is very saddened by this loss, especially of the National bass guitar. If you have any information or see any of this gear around, please send a message to FloggingMolly@villamartists.com

My Birthday 2007

MistressPrime — Thu, 18 Jan 2007 02:33:42 GMT

My Birthday 2007 mood: grateful My birthday I was up late the night before. Tein di Kat came over for dinner. We ended up renting movies and staying up late. Michael and I didn't get to bed until 5am. We had to set the alarm to ensure getting up in time to get ready and go to my party. He asked if 11:45am was ok. I said it didn't matter since the phone calls would start at 9am. To sleep we fell. 8:32am… the phone rang. It was my uncle Alex. I knew why he called before I grabbed it. My grandfather died. He was the last of my grandparents. He died 2 months to the day after my grandmother passed on. Just as I was hanging up the phone with my uncle, my cousin Jill called to relay the exact same information. She was making sure we stayed in the loop. I couldn't sleep. I went downstairs, checked on the cats and walked around downstairs for no reason whatsoever. Eventually I went back upstairs and climbed back into bed. Michael was still sleeping. He didn't even realize my uncle called or that I spoke with Jill. 10:00am… the phone rang. It was Shari, my best bud from high school. She wasn't calling to wish me a happy birthday. In fact, she never mentioned anything relating to my birthday in her message. She was excited about connecting with an old friend from high school. I wasn't very awake at the time so I didn't answer. I got her voicemail hours later. 11:45am… Michael's phone rang. No one was calling, it was just the alarm. We got ready and left for the gathering. This year I opted for a small tea party. I wanted to keep it limited to a few friends and family. It was a fantastic time and I received some awesome gifts! Because it was afternoon tea, there wasn't a whole lot of food. We had finger sandwiches a scone, soup, and dessert, but it wasn't a lot of food. A number of us were still hungry but we did our usual; we hung out in front of the venue, despite the cold, and socialized. At some point Shayde mentioned middle eastern food. Well, given the crowd, a number of attentions refocus on the idea of dinner and I heard William say, "Caspian". *DING!* Caspian is a Persian restaurant. Seemed fitting since the logo looks a lot like a capricorn. So a smaller collection of the party ventured on to the restaurant. We enjoyed delicious food, music and belly dancing. After listening to what seemed to be the-never-ending-song-of-hideous-vocals for 40 minutes we opted to depart. Some went home, it was quite late by this time, but the rest of us ended up at (yes, ended up at) Denny's for coffee and cocoa. We got home around midnight. Despite the unpleasant beginning, overall, my birthday was very delightful! I'll have to travel to San Jose for my grandfather's funeral this week. It starts on Wednesday, but that's my father's 75th birthday so we're heading up early on Thursday and returning on Friday. I'll be home in plenty of time for the drum circle too. It's inevitable, but my ancestor altar is expanding a wee bit too quickly. :(

Stiletto Burlesque & Variety Show

MistressPrime — Wed, 17 Jan 2007 08:11:13 GMT

Stiletto Burlesque & Variety Revue An Evening Filled With Titillating Talent And Delicious Delight Saturday, January 20, 2006 Main Event 8pm - 10pm featuring: Performances by * Margaret Cho * Princess Farhana * Leela * Venus DeMille * Jewel of Denial * Blue Damsel with Sooz Vendors And More! **JUST ADDED** Kelly (OMG Shoes!) and Sparkle Diamond! Main Event admission: $15 To reserve your tickets CSUSB on the web or call 909-537-5884. Plus Daytime Workshops featuring: Jewel of Denial and Leela! Featuring the comedic stylings of our favorite MC ~ Laura!!! A percentage of proceeds will go the the CSU San Bernardino Dance Scholarship Fund!! *Season tickets do not apply to this fundraiser. **This show will contain nudity, strong language, and adult situations. It is intended for audiences 18 and over. Where: CSU San Bernardino Performing Arts Bld/Ronald E Barnes Theater 5500 University Parkway San Bernardino , CA 92407 Campus Map http://www.csusb.edu/campus/ Driving Directions http://www.csusb.edu/campus/maps.htm *Participants will need to purchase a parking permit to park on campus. Permits are $4 ($1 bills only for the machine) and are good all day, even if you leave campus and return. For More Info, Please Contact: Rachel Lazarus Soto at: bloodamsel@yahoo.com, (909) 863-9020 or Politti Ashcraft at:TribalStuff@earthlink.net Website http://www.spiralhappens.com

Orange County, CA Samhain Rituals

MistressPrime — Fri, 13 Oct 2006 09:23:27 GMT

*** *** *** The Orange County Local Council of the Covenant of the Goddess Presents: "Heigh Ho for Halloween" - A Public Samhain Ritual Saturday October 21, 2006 3:30pm Please join us in remembering, revering and inviting our Ancestors and departed loved ones to join our celebration, as we prepare for the New Year! Stay to share in a feast with our community after the ritual. There will be a Raffle! If you have any items you would like to donate to the raffle it would be appreciated. Just bring them along with you to the ritual. $5.00 donation is requested. Please bring: * food or drinks to share (no alcoholic beverages please) * a flashlight for after sundown * a chair or blanket to sit on If help with handicap access is required, please contact us in advance. Children under 18 are allowed to attend this ritual WITH their parent present. Absolutely no live steel. Please leave your athames and swords at home. If you are interested in joining the Covenant of the Goddess, this is a great way to get to know us! For more information about the Orange County Local Council and this ritual: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/OCLC_Cog_public/ Orange County Local Council email contact: orangeco@... National CoG Info: http://www.cog.org *** *** *** Craft Connection's Samhain Ritual Wednesday November 1, 2006 7:30pm We will be celebrating the turning of the wheel, connecting with our dearly departed and ancestors. If you haven't been to a ritual at Craft Connection this is the one you really want to attend! Please bring: * Pot luck dish to share at feast * Chalice (or drink from Lady Deberah's) * A picture (or item) of a loved one who's passed on * $8 (cost for the evening) Please RSVP so we know how many will be attending. Craft Connection is a public Wiccan circle that meets on the first Wednesday of every month. The rituals are created and facilitated by Lady Deberah and Keith. This circle is open to those who are interested in and respectful of the Craft. For more information about Craft Connection's monthly rituals, please contact The Gift Goddess 31761 Camino Capistrano San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675 Phone:(949) 496-3195 *** *** *** Blessed Samhain! Smiles, -=Yvonne:) Pagan and Witches Meetups Organizer Orange County, CA http://pagan.meetup.com/10 http://witches.meetup.com/25 First Officer - Orange County Local Council of the Covenant of the Goddess co-National Public Information Officer (West) of the Covenant of the Goddess pio@...

The Orange County Pagan Meetup Group

MistressPrime — Wed, 07 Jun 2006 23:23:42 GMT

The Orange County Pagan Meetup Group We are a casual social networking group that has been meeting regularly since 2002. We are the largest Pagan Meetup world-wide. This dinner group is open for people of any pagan path to discuss Paganism, build community, and make new friends. The Orange County Pagan June Meetup Wednesday, June 14, 2006 at 7:00PM **Please remember to bring cash to pay for your $1 Meetup fee. Event fee: $1.00 See the full event details, including location, at http://pagan.meetup.com/10/events/4931864/. Check out what members are saying about The Orange County Pagan Meetup Group: "The Orange County Pagan Meetup Group is great. We always have lots to talk about. Meetup.com is one of the best things to happen to the Orange County Pagan community. Not only do we get to see old friends but also we are always meeting new ones. It is also great for people new to the Pagan community to meet and talk with a diverse group of people. " - William "Only slightly knew most of the folks who attended before this event - they seem like a good bunch. The few who I did know previous to this event ARE a good bunch." - James Collins "I love this group!" - Myra "Awesome group!" - Lady Wraith "Many of the same delightful people I meet at OCWitches MeetUp. Enjoyed seing new faces and meeting old friends from other contexts." - Grace "Great group of people" — Eileen "They were very warm and welcoming to a new comer. Thank you everyone for allowing me to be apart of last nights gathering. I look forward to more in the future." — MorgansChild "Lively, intelligent and informative and notably, most everyone is also active in other meetup groups. Definitely never a dull moment! " — Terri