the · feral · dance · of · infinity

Perhaps the last time you enjoyed champagne with food was with a slice of wedding cake. Or maybe you have yet to try the lush, creamy flavor of Gelato, Italy's favorite frozen treat. Sample and savor both as you learn about how champagne is grown, made, and enjoyed all over the world in this 1.5 hour class.

 In addition to covering the basics of fine wine and champagne tasting, you will also learn what to look for when selecting a champagne and pairing this versatile libation with food. Match flavors with an array of Gelato while we discuss what makes this dessert so exciting. Our wine expert will answer your wine questions and provide recipes, suggestions, and ideas on how you can enjoy fine champagne anytime!

Join Era of Elegance for the first in a series of workshops pairing uniquely elegant wines with exciting cuisine from around the block...and around the world! We welcome everyone, from the wine novice to the experienced connoisseur. Our classes are designed so that you can sign up for just one or follow the entire series.

Individual classes are $55 per person or $45 for Era of Elegance Wine Club Members. Special Group Rates are also available. Call 773-574-5410 to reserve your seat today!

All classes are hosted at Let Them Eat Chocolate, 5306 N. Damen, Chicago, in the Andersonville neighborhood.

Visit www.eraofelegance.org or email us at info@eraofelegance.org for additional information.

Era of Elegance and Tesa Cigar Company of Chicago present the latest indulgence in sight, smell, and taste. 

Join us on Friday, May 29^th from 7-9PM as we explore the world of Port, paired with the rich flavors and aromas of Tesa’s own finely blended Nicaraguan cigars.

Hosted at Tesa Cigar Company, 464 N. Halsted Avenue in Chicago, this special one-night event will highlight a selection of Port, aged between 10-30 years. Featured wines will include excellently rated Ruby and Tawny Ports from Vargellas and Panascal vineyards, two of the world’s top Port producers. Furthermore, guests will enjoy premium cigars from Tesa’s own collection of superbly crafted Nicaraguan blends.   Hor d’euvres will also be served. Tickets are $30. Advanced purchase is required. Please contact Paula Sankarsingh at Era of Elegance at 773-574-5410 or paula@eraofelegance.org for tickets and information.

Police in Papua New Guinea’s Gulf Province have detained four people alleged to have killed a woman and eaten parts of her body.

The Post Courier reports that police in Kerema believe the four people are among a group of six who took part in the cannibalism and belong to a cult movement.  Gulf provincial police commander Senior Inspector Reuben Giusu said that the suspects admitted they committed the crime, believed to have happened last month.Senior Insp Giusu said relatives of the victim demanded that the suspects pay 4000 US dollars cash and two pigs as compensation but the suspects only gave 2500 US dollars along with the pigs.  Police are reportedly planning a major operation in the area to investigate similar cases.

News Content © Radio New Zealand International
PO Box 123, Wellington, New Zealand

After last years awful turnout, I was pretty confident that this May I would simply wind up dead, decapitated by a logging truck, lawn mower, or other heavy machinery. I now realize that the month of May isn’t done making my life absolute crap. And this year it opted to get a super-early start. The end result is that I feel like I am trapped in a shitty episode of the Twilight Zone, where everything I do is doomed to be an abysmal and torturous fail.

In order to prepare for whatever else might occur, I settled down last night to a total lack of sleep and several hours of listening to the power cleaner on the sidewalk below. I began to imagine what possible excitements the next two weeks could have in store. Given the universe’s level of recent creativity, nothing straightforward will do. I though at first I would format this with subheaders, car, personal injury, random act of g***, but I find I am a bit short on time.

Choose, if you will, any combination of the following mind-numbing scenarios:

Elevator breaks down and I spend 4 hours trapped, with no cellphone service and a mime
Get fired/laid off from my more lucrative job
Cats get sick, requires quadruple bypass surgery and a lung transplant that I cannot afford
Car accident with a Mack Truck. Sadly, I survive.
Break my ankles and wrists after walking into a bicyclist with downsyndrome
Blinded by a piece of glass blown into my eye during a microburst that no one else noticed
Get arrested for something shameful and boring, like robbing a bank with a banana gun
Neighbor’s bass suddenly becomes loud enough to knock down a wall and destroys my laptop
Food poisoning, martian death flu, swine flu, and allergies, all at the same time
Wake up hungover in Vegas and married to Drew Peterson
Find out my mother has stolen my identity, set up thirteen more cable accounts and all of them are three months past due
Nose falls off, Michael Jackson style

Funny thing, one of the supervisors at the gym where I work two days a week mentioned that he coincidentally hates his birthday as well. May 21st. He gave me some tips to keep my birthday from becoming a total disaster.

Don’t answer the phone.
Don’t leave the house.
Remain on the couch or in bed.

Knowing my luck, the roof would cave in. Right now, I would like a pedicure and a bullet to the head, please.

Current Mood:

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My first demon is my fear of fire.  It's a little demon.  I used to jump when someone tried to light my cigarette and stand a mile away from a campfire because my mother kept pointing out how afraid I should be.  Then I learned how to put out candles with my fingers.  I suffered a minor set back when I set a lock of my hair on fire once.  It was only a bit, but I still hate that smell more than anything! 

My second demon is a fear of pain.  I have multiple piercings and fake it pretty well.  I don't have the usual anxious reaction signs, and some might say this is also another "healthy fear", but as pain is a part of many human processes, I think it's get to reformulate how I think of it and explore the possibility that there may be things don't do for fear of getting "hurt" - even if the chances are remote.

Lastly, and this is my big one, is my fear of success.  Now, I am not one for outright self-sabotage, but sometimes the idea that something might work and that I would put upon myself other social responsibilities by succeeding and how I would have to create even higher standards for myself is a pretty big and serious hurdle.  This is the first demon I plan on working with.

As for the craft part, I have just bought a little wood shadow box with a tiny shelf inside that can be taken out.   This box will be sanded, repainted, and fully revamped into a diorama.  To create the demon, I plan on writing two lists - one, the vague list of areas where I feel I could be successful in my life (or want to be successful at least) and, second, a list of the things I do to prevent myself from succeeding (procrastination, excuses, hard work) , as well as the things I perceive as working against me outside myself (negative things I have heard said, money issues, past relationships).  I will map out a way to physically represent each of these things while building an environment of them for my demon, in it's own little hell in a box.  You know, so it does not get to share space with me!

Yes, it sounds a bit silly, but I am loving the idea.  I can't help but think I need to find a photo of the middle school teacher who told me i could not write because I could not spell and something to symbolize the woman who told me I danced inappropriately for my age when I was 16.