Butterfly at The Velvet Lounge

written by Neguine, based on poetry by Rumi

Bring it to PAPA: Pinball to the Max

My very first trip to the annual Professional and Amateur Pinball Association (PAPA) event in Pittsburgh was a phenomenal time.

It was far better than anything I had envisioned:
the venue was larger, there were more games than i imagined (450 is just a number... seeing them all... wow), everything was well organized, the facilities were top notch, clean and modern, and the games were in great condition.

Sweet artwork by Mike Budai and Brian Holderman:





The place is just huge and comfortably spacious



The machines were in great shape. With several techs roaming (wearing the black shirt), any issues were fixed swiftly...

There were 3 overhead HD TVs where you could follow the action.
Watching some of the Masters do their thing was pretty darn impressive.



I left some High Scores behind and hope they will hold

Battling the silver ball for 12-15 hours a day was a grueling and blissful experience, i was aching but no way i was stopping!

I already can't wait till PAPA 14 next year.

Pre-Chewed

Ash and Lightning over Eyjafjallajökull

My Sister's First Sculpture

Well she has been drawing for years.
But for a first sculpture it's just stunning.
yay sis!

A Dream Gig

Just last summer I got to witness Ayurveda live for the first time.
While getting my CDs autographed I told the lead singer Tom how I'd love to get them to DC and have my band Iritis open for them...

With perseverance and lotsa hard work, it's happening!
And I enlisted local prog-metal phenoms Iris Divine to join us on the bill too.

A true dream gig. YES!

Iritis Rocks the Red

Pj Harvey and Björk

Icons Synergy
wow

Orianthi

A gorgeous young woman who can shred like the best of them,
has played with legends already and is backed by PRS guitars.

With her power girl pop leanings and insane guitar chops,
she's about to reach a whole new audience and hopefully
get them into pure guitar like Santana did.

Watch out!
From the Land Down Under, this is Orianthi.

A Local Pinball Oasis

Moving to my new neighborhood has been a spectacular pinball blessing. Not only is there's a classic dive bar not too far away with some 10 machines, but I also got to meet a fairly close neighbor with an incredible personal collection of pins.
He has 9 more machines not even pictured here!


He's generously had me over a few times and has been phenomenally helpful in introducing me to the surprisingly thriving national pinball scene. Under his expert friendly guidance I'm also learning lots about how to BUY a machine.
that's right baby.....

Stiletto