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An Open Letter to Leonard Nimoy

An Open Letter to Leonard Nimoy

The following story was performed live for Flying Monkey Arts Theatre on August 26, 2017. The theme for the evening was “Umbraphiles”.

Dear Mr. Nimoy,

I wish that I had written you when you were alive, but I finally felt it time to clarify an event that happened on Labor Day weekend, 2009 in Atlanta.

I know how it must have looked, but I swear that I’m not a rabid fan. You see, I didn’t even appreciate your work until I was an adult. In fact, I resented you for a long time. It had nothing to do with you per say, but more your most famous character, Mr. Spock.

Mr. Nimoy, I grew up a Star Wars fan. I’d like to say that I was a Han Solo type, good with a blaster, could hold my liquor and was charming with the princesses, but in reality, I was a flop-haired, whiny farm boy. I grew up in the country, watered coon hounds from reused pickle barrels and shoveled cow manure for spending money. Yes, I was a real Luke Skywalker and not the cool grizzled, close mouthed one we’ve seen in The Force Awakens. No shots lined up at the cantina for me, only Aunt Beru’s blue milk.

Of course, at the time I was unaware of the stigma of young Luke. I was in love with the romance, the idea of knights, aliens, fast ships and light sabers. What’s that? Why am I rambling to you about Star Wars? I’m getting to it.

Unlike today, Star Wars could not be found everywhere, but guess what could be found… Star Trek. There were reruns of your show that I watched, but it was the equivalent of getting cube steak when what you really crave is a bacon wrapped filet mignon. I did however like the new show, it was… good. And this Jean Luc guy was like an Atticus Finch in space, but with agency. Pre “Go Set a Watchmen” Atticus of course. Luckily you passed before that revelation.

In my youth, Star Trek and Star Wars were very different religions. Think classic ideological beefs like Southern Baptists vs. Catholics, Leah Remini vs Tom Cruise or Westboro Baptist Church vs… everyone. There is no reason that a mutual love cannot exist between these fandoms, but the older zealous population, my uncle included, tried to brainwash the young by indoctrination.

My point is this, in my heart I was Rebel Alliance. So, when I was in the hallways of my 9th grade school, surviving socially on a thread, I was mortified when one of the high school juniors called out, “Hey, Spock! You dropped your keys” due to the fact that my house keys slipped through an open hole in my jeans pocket and the fact that when I was 14, had a bowl cut which made it easy for others to identify me as your illegitimate son.

This was enough to make any teenager with aspirations of climbing the social ladder cringe and at the same time resent you, my doppelgänger dad.

But Mr. Nimoy, our journey together is not over. Years later, my appreciation for Star Wars and all things George Lucas began to wane. I started devouring more media than what my younger self would have prescribed. Doctor Who, Firefly, Next Gen, BSG, Douglas Adams, Vonnegut, Philip K. Dick and yes, even your show, the original Star Trek.

Wouldn’t you know it, I fell in love. I was unashamed. And then, you were back in the public eye in a way that I’m sure you hadn’t been in many years. Your cameo in J.J. Abrams Star Trek reboot was charming and grounded the entire Kelvin timeline. To boot, thanks to a Terry Gross interview, I learned that you were an artist. A real artist, not a Jim Carey with a swinging harness and a paint brush, but a very talented photographer. Your photos of full-bodied nude women poised as objects of desire, lust and beauty was eye opening, empowering, subversive and thoughtful.

Anyway Mr. Nimoy, to the point at hand. It was 2009. My friend Jason and I had press passes for a small, now defunct, paper in Atlanta and had been assigned to photograph Dragon Con, the largest fan-run science fiction convention in the nation. We now had access to officially photograph as many B-celebrities as we could stand or if we’re being honest, recognize.

The day of the con, I found out that you and actors of your cult standing were highly sought out and heavily guarded. My friends said it couldn’t be done with our small credentials, but by the end of the afternoon I had convinced your handler to let us snap a photograph of you. I was elated. You see, in my heart I was a collector and getting a photograph of you with my camera was akin to scoring rare collectible Topps card, you know, the kind that came wrapped in wax paper with the brittle bubble gum paddle.

Hours later, as I bent over my camera bag, making sure that everything was in order, your handler gave the signal that it was time and waved me over, but my back was turned. The wave was meant for me. I was the one who spoke to your handler. I was the one who waited patiently near the kiosk while the other photographers and small-time journalist shot photos of the parade and the likes of lesser celebrities. I looked up and saw the rush of other photographers who had been standing with me seize their chance. I couldn’t believe this. I hurried over to the huddled mass of cameras and nudged my way through the other photographers just as your right arm left William Shatner’s shoulder, right as your smile faded from your face. Your face. I’ll never forget it. From warm and collegial to hard and severe in less than it takes to go from full impulse power to warp factor 7. You looked up, made eye contact with me and I can only assume at this moment that you thought that I was an ordinary fan who had not earned the right to photograph you and that I was riding the tailcoats of these professionals who had.

You then turned to your business manager and said WHO’S THIS, but all that I heard in my head was WHO THE FUCK IS THIS GUY?

In that moment, as my hopes fell, an almost involuntary decision was made. My arms raised and my camera went CLICK.

I slumped away feeling genuinely down on myself that I had upset you and that your impression of me was that of a crazed fan. And what was worse, I knew my photo was inferior to that of my peers. It took at least a day and a return trip home for me get out of my own head and realize that although I would never forget the interaction, that you would never remember it. And that’s the crux. It’s a fantasy. In the end, maybe all fantasies about meeting celebrities is about becoming personal friends with them. I can see how this is intoxicating and to others dangerous and I’m glad that meeting you broke me of that.

As mentioned earlier, I’m a collector and what I didn’t realize was that you gave me a rare gift that day. After Dragon Con, my friend, the other photographers and I shared our photos of you with your arm around William Shatner. There you were, Leonard Nimoy, smiling over and over

Everyone Loves a  Ventriloquist

Everyone Loves a Ventriloquist

The following story was performed live for Stories Under the Stars at Burritt on the Mountain on July 27, 2017. The theme for the evening was “When Disaster Strikes”. All stories were presented by Out Loud HSV

Photo by Mike Matthews.

Imagine, a poorly disguised King Saul seeks anonymous consult with the Witches of Endor about an upcoming battle. The last necromancer and magician had mysteriously “disappeared” from the kingdom when their powers fell short. You see, soothsaying does not work on demand. Recognizing Saul through his make-up, one of the witches improvises by grabbing the closest inanimate object (which happened to be the wine flask) and begins making it speak. The battle weary and superstitious Saul believes it to be the work of sorcery and evil spirits, but we all know it to be the wiggling of the bottle and the throwing of one’s voice. This was the birth of VENTRILOQUISM.

Vengeful for being put on the spot, she then goes on to tell Saul (through the talking wine flask) that his armies will fall and that he and his sons will be cast into the abode of the dead… and guess what, she was right. Next battle, Saul’s armies are defeated and as a direct result he commits suicide. King Saul – 0, Witches of Endor – 1. This story only quickens the gut feeling that I had many Christmas’s ago. Ventriloquism will betray you.

It was November 1985. I was sitting on the floor of my grandparent’s living room as I snacked on a small plate of Ritz crackers and sipped ginger ale. While my parents talked politics and books with Granny and Pop, I perused the middle section of the holy tome that was known as the Sears Catalog Wish Book.

I scanned each page carefully even though I had no idea what I was looking for. I thought that I was growing too old for the menagerie of stuffed animals that I called close friends. I had yet to bridge my adolescence with wish list items that may have been more age appropriate for a child in the deep south such as a camouflage tent, duck boots or even a .22 rifle. At most I was a budding 7 year old artist in a 9 year old’s body.

Somewhere between Cabbage Patch Dolls and Gobots, something caught my eye. The callout was huge. “Can you say ‘It’s Howdy Doody time’ without moving your lips?”

This may have been the thing that I was looking for.

I kept reading…

“Everyone Loves a Ventriloquist! Pick your favorite character and become the life of the party. Instruction booklet included.”

Later I would question my desire for this awkward toy. Through the muffled bedroom door, I could hear my father’s many interesting questions for my Mom about my Christmas list. I could also hear her verbal melee in defense of me expressing myself creatively. Aware of their different parenting styles, my 9 year old self would have known to direct these questions to the more responsible party, SEARS.

ME: Dear SEARS, why are you selling Charlie McCarthy dolls to the children of the 80s?

SEARS: Market research shows us that kids genuinely love the same Vaudeville characters as their grandparents.

Christmas morning, 6 AM. I run down the stairs, wake my parents and make quick work of the wrapping paper that’s keeping me from my gifts. I finally made it to the long, rectangular box that held my new, more mature pal. I opened the box more slowly than the others to savor this important moment. With the front flap pulled down, I saw it. It was a vinyl headed, dead-eyed doll, laid neatly in its own cardboard coffin. In an instant, I felt that I had betrayed my worn and familiar stuffed friends who sat waiting loyally for me on my bedspread. I gingerly closed the flap and placed the heavy box back on the floor behind me. Although a smile was placed on my face, my true feelings were still handsomely gift wrapped in paper and sealed with scotch tape.

After thanking them, my parents went back to bed and I went to my room to play with my new gifts. As I sat on my bedroom rug, I fanned out each present from left to right in order of appreciation. The dummy had not even made it to the sprawl. Curiosity finally bested me and I unboxed the toy. If the blank stare from the painted eyes hadn’t clued me in to why I felt so queasy, then the blonde hair should have. All of the family that was coming over later that day for our traditional lasagna lunch had dark hair or at one time in the past had dark hair. This Devil Doll with a head of yellow was some sort of Rolf type from the Sound of Music. He may have been in love with Liesl, but he was fated to RAT OUT the entire Von Trapp family. One good thing about stuffed animals is that their fur color had never been a point of derision.

I had always carefully named each of my stuffed animals. Kinderly, Cubbie, and Big Eyed Dog had all quickly become part of an adoptive network. We may have not been related, but by God we were family. I dared not name this new character, for I knew he would not be staying.

Although, this oversized, hinged-mouth abomination made me feel physically ill, I knew that my family would soon be here and they would want a performance. I had to practice. I pulled the figure to me, slid my arm inside the cadaver and then began speaking through clenched teeth.

Family arrived. Lasagna was eaten. Manischewitz put way. I reluctantly brought out the dummy for my visiting relatives, tried on a voice and then realized, in front of a live audience that this gift mirrored my uneasiness of outgrowing my childhood things.

After lunch, I snuck the dummy into an opaque garbage bag with the ripped wrapping paper, ribbons and other boxes. Even though my dad didn’t see me do this, I’m sure that if he had, he would have been politely silent.

I spent at least one more year playing with my stuffed animals before they made their short journey into our attic.

Perhaps most children who are given ventriloquists dummies are destined to sneak them into the garbage when their parents aren’t looking. Maybe Sears was obligated to sell these antiquated toys due to an ancient contract between their corporate shareholders and the Witches of Endor.

But nevertheless, when you are home next holiday, after your presents have been opened, your wine drunk and your lasagna eaten; if it is an option, make your way into your attic, find your old stuffed animals, look at them directly in their cute button eyes and thank them for standing beside you on your path to growing up.

The Last Cattle Auction

The Last Cattle Auction

“Each year since 2003, during the last two weeks of September, SlowExposures transforms rural Pike County, Georgia, into a showcase of contemporary photography that interprets the American rural South.” –

This year, 66 images out of about 1,000 were chosen to be in SlowExposures. It was my first time entering any photography show. To my surprise one of my five entries was chosen. It was a piece that I called The Last Cattle Auction.

After I moved back to my home town with my wife and new baby, we quickly started getting out in the community. We had to. Even though a slower pace was one of the reasons that we moved here after having lived in Atlanta, we weren’t quite ready for the shift.

The place that we were drawn to most was the small independent book store in Zebulon, A Novel Experience. We wanted our lil’ one to get out, see people and to hear language in many different places, so we were pleased to learn that this newly found book store offered readings every Saturday morning for anyone who was willing to come by and sit. Unfortunately, shortly after we started going, our regular storyteller had to relinquish her Saturdays and we were left with only books.

Two Degrees from Kevin Bacon

I actually used to post that I was two degrees from Kevin Bacon on my résumé. During my senior year of college, I was a featured extra in a movie. The movie was Road Trip. I thought stating this on paper would be a good ice breaker for interviews. It was.

It wasn’t a good movie, but it was a great experience. With my professors’ collective permission I missed a few classes, and I learned the value of “hurrying to wait.”


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Wednesday, 21 April 2010

Nokia 5800 firmware v50 changelog

Nokia Firmware v50 is here

Changelog (gathered from the web and from my own experience).

General changes:
- Increased intensity of touch screen vibration (a bit too much to my liking)
- All menus now have kinetic scrolling, also the main menu
- You can now set your default web browser to be Opera Mobile if you have it installed
- Enhanced performance while scrolling through lists (smoother)
- Windows 7 Device Stage support

Browser changes:
- Version v7.2 (still crashes sometimes though)
- Send URL option (over bluetooth, mail, message ...)
- Option to enable history list
- Separate access point for webfeeds
- Kinetic scrolling all over the browser
- Browser goes fullscreen automatically and shows title bar only when loading

Application changes:
- Ovi Sync 2.0 is now integrated
- Flashlite is upgraded to 3.1.7
- Quick Office v4.2 is apparently distributed with the update, but does not show up on my phone - perhaps the memory was full (I got a system error when booting after the update)

Music player changes:
- Music player 'hides' by default instead of exiting
- Album art visible when scrolling through songs
- Using the scrollbar to scroll songs list shows the initial letter of the song, making searching easier
- Smoother scrolling

Camera changes:
- Camera app opens instantly, shortening the time between pushing the button to open and to take a picture

- Better performance in week view (when scrolling)
- Still very buggy. Reproduceable bug: tap the left/right arrows a bit in week view and the app will crash.

Some things I found on dailymobile but I don't know what they're talking about because I don't see any changes:
- Ovi Store upgraded to v1.5.6
- Ovi Contacts upgraded to v1.50.8
- Lifecasting (with Maps 3.0T SR3.0)
- Gimlet Touch 2.2 (the e-mail app)
- Enable Side lock Key functionality during Swipe UI (doesn't seem to behave differently than in v40)
- Cherry v2.1 (settings assistant, didn't try this one out)
- Rihanna service launcher (if you don't get this, get it from the OVI store)
- Workaround for Niagara (SMD) display module for DFS52.50 based products

Cherian said...

Grt post...I also didn't get QuickOffice in my update:-(. Accessing podcasts has become a wee more difficult with the new update

sabin said...

How can we now set our default web browser to be Opera Mobile if we have it installed??

sander said...

Dear sabin

In your settings, go to phone settings > application settings > default apps.

Under "Browsing internet" you can switch to another browser.

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Entertainment » Celebrities

Pitt’s Mom’s Politics Too Much for Angelina

by Jason St. Amand
National News Editor
Tuesday Dec 4, 2012

Don't get on Angelina Jolie's bad side. Why? Ask Brad Pitt's mother.

According to Star Magazine, the movie star is refusing to spend the holidays with her mother-in-law, Jane Pitt, after she made headlines earlier this year for her anti-gay comments. Furthermore, Jolie won't allow her kids to see their grandmother this Christmas either.

"As usual, Angie has no desire to spend her holidays in the Midwest, something Brad's mom, Jane, finds rude and insulting. But Angie couldn't care less," a source close to Brangelina told the magazine. The sourced added that Jolie's and Jane Pitt's political views are the source of the drama.

In July, Pitt's mother was thrown into the media spotlight after she wrote a letter to the Missouri newspaper the Springfield News-Leader and slammed marriage equality and President Barack Obama. The letter was a response to another opinion piece about Christians' right to refuse to vote for Mitt Romney because he is a Mormon.

Jane Pitt wrote, "any Christian should spend much time in prayer before refusing to vote for a family man with high morals, business experience, who is against abortion, and shares Christian conviction concerning homosexuality just because he is a Mormon." She also adds, "any Christian who does not vote or writes in a name is casting a vote for Romney's opponent, Barack Hussein Obama - a man who sat in Jeremiah Wright's church for years, did not hold a public ceremony to mark the National Day of Prayer, and is a liberal who supports the killing of unborn babies and same-sex marriage."

Her outburst must have embarrassed Brad, as he's been a longtime supporter of LGBT rights and has even donated $100,000 to fight Proposition 8 in 2008.

Star's source also said that Jolie and Jane Pitt "have such different opinions on everything. Brad's parents are extremely right-wing and religious. Angie has to bite her tongue to keep the peace." The friend went on to say that Jane Pitt has blamed Jolie for not seeing her grandchildren as often as she'd like.

"Visits to the Pitt home have been awkward for Angelina," the source said. "She says that not wanting to spend the holidays there isn't personal, but anyone would see it as a snub."

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post Marketing – Exploring post Writing For More Traffic And Sales

post Marketing – Exploring post Writing For More Traffic And Sales Posted on July 22, 2017Leave a comment

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News & Events

The Value of the Governor’s Workforce Training Grants

-by Michael DeCataldo, CPA/PFS, CFP®, MST, Managing Partner

Workers Training GrantAs the business climate continually changes, companies often need to train their employees to allow their business to meet new challenges. Developing your employees’ skills can position your business to take advantage of opportunities and remain competitive and successful in the year ahead.

If you are considering training your talent in 2018, please remember that the Governor’s Workforce Board (GWB) has funding available to help you with this expense (up to $50,000 per year per company). The Incumbent Worker Training Grants, offered through the GWB, are a valuable way to offset 50% of your cost to train your talent. Details of this grant program are shown below and more information can be found on the GWB website.

If you need assistance navigating the grant proposal process, please let us know. Our Director of Human Resources, Fran Clerx, can be available to provide you with assistance getting started in the grant writing process and help you take advantage of this generous funding opportunity. Fran has successfully applied for a number of grants and has an intimate knowledge of the grant proposal process.


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Out of nearly half a million people to choose from in two counties to receive a special award from the state, California State Assemblyman Katcho Achadjian selected Allan Hancock College employee Terri Lee Coleman. The assemblyman awarded Coleman the 2016 Community Impact Award for the 35th Assembly District. The recognition acknowledged her exceptional volunteerism and countless contributions to the college and numerous non-profit organizations.

“I am humbled and honored to receive the award. I have the utmost respect and admiration for Assemblyman Katcho Achadjian,” said Coleman, who as an advancement specialist, pursues external grants, resources and partnerships to benefit students at Allan Hancock College.

Achadjian, who is closing out his third and final term as a state assemblyman, honored Coleman for her decades-long dedication to community involvement.

“There are few people that I have met who have the energy and community spirit that Terri Lee Coleman exhibits daily,” said Achadjian, who represents nearly half of Santa Barbara County and all of San Luis Obispo County. “Terri Lee can be found at most all of the community events benefiting families and children. She serves on the Boys & Girls Club and Santa Maria Police Council boards. She sat on the YMCA Board for 20 years and many others. She is always willing to make a difference in someone’s life.”

Coleman, an alumna of Allan Hancock College, started volunteering in the community more than 25 years ago. Since then, she has dedicated her time and energy to nearly one dozen civic and non-profit organizations that include Boys & Girls Club of Santa Maria Valley, California Women for Agriculture, Leadership Santa Maria Valley, Santa Maria Police Council, Santa Maria Valley YMCA and the Rotary Club of Santa Maria.

Coleman said a passion for helping others compels her to stay actively involved in the community.

“It is rewarding to know my efforts are making a significant impact. As an Allan Hancock College employee, I pledged to ‘change the odds’ for our students, and the commitment is universal for everything I do,” added Coleman, who has been recognized over the years by the Guadalupe City Council, Rotary Foundation of Rotary International, City of Santa Maria, Boys & Girls Club, Santa Maria Police Department, as well as the Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce.

For the last five years, Coleman focused on fulfilling the financial and resource needs of the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) programs at Hancock. Starting in October, Coleman will join the college advancement team that aims to increase the understanding and support for the college through alumni relations, public and governmental relations and fundraising. In addition to pursuing grants on behalf of the Allan Hancock College Foundation, she will assess and identify the community’s agricultural needs. Coleman also will help recruit new members to the President’s Circle, a key group of community members whose donations provide additional support to Hancock students and programs.

“I have seen firsthand how the efforts of a few individuals can transform lives. I take every opportunity to be involved and encourage others to do the same. The Santa Maria Valley is a generous and giving community. I am blessed to be a part of making a difference in my hometown,” said Coleman.


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Sunday, August 14, 2011

Movie Review: The Help

If you've read The Help, you must go see this movie! Here's the website's synopsis:

Based on one of the most talked about books in years and a #1 New York Times best-selling phenomenon, “The Help” stars Emma Stone (“Easy A”) as Skeeter, Academy Award®–nominated Viola Davis (“Doubt”) as Aibileen and Octavia Spencer as Minny—three very different, extraordinary women in Mississippi during the 1960s, who build an unlikely friendship around a secret writing project that breaks societal rules and puts them all at risk. From their improbable alliance a remarkable sisterhood emerges, instilling all of them with the courage to transcend the lines that define them, and the realization that sometimes those lines are made to be crossed —even if it means bringing everyone in town face-to-face with the changing times. Deeply moving, filled with poignancy, humor and hope, “The Help” is a timeless and universal story about the ability to create change.

If I were you, I would read the book first. But I love to compare books to movies, usually to my disappointment. Everyone knows the only truly good book-to-movie couple, To Kill a Mockingbird. All other book-to-movie couples have to attempt to be that good. My usual problem with going from books to movies is the casting. It's a big annoyance for me. The latest series to do this is Twilight. Amongst other problems, their casting annoyed the crap out of me. I wouldn't have casted half of those people in their films. But no one asked me of course.

But I think they casted The Help excellently. I was kind of apprehensive of Emma Stone being Skeeter, but only minutes into the movie, Emma was Skeeter.

They of course left out a few parts of the book, but nothing too obvious. And it's hard to fit a whole book into a 2 hour movie. All in all, I loved it. Definitely a movie I will be buying.

Jessica said...

Oh, I can't wait to watch it... even if I have to go by myself!

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Monday, October 24, 2016

Delhi High Court issues historic decision for access to knowledge and education

In September, the Delhi High Court handed down a groundbreaking judgement dismissing Cambridge University Press, Oxford University Press, and other academic publishers’ copyright infringement suit against the Rameshwari Photocopy Service and the University of Delhi.  Read my full post about it here on the Cambridge University Press blog.


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Monday, 2 February 2015

Weekend Recap: Vacation Countdown!

Ahh Monday morning… a day I normally dread but am actually a teeny bit excited about.  Knowing you're going on vacation in 4 sleeps can do that J  Four sleeps until we spend three sleeps in Las Vegas followed by five sleeps in Palm Springs!  But first to get through this Monday thing…

It was a quiet weekend at our house, much like the crickets heard all over this blog space last week. I had two major things happening last week:

1)      My first event as the Director of a breakfast speakers series - 200+ people showed up to listen to the speakers I had lined up and I have gotten great feedback so I think I can call it a success.

1)      I had to put together and distribute my company’s price book and distribute it worldwide… the shitty part was getting all the info from the sales managers (holy Hannah was it like herding cats!), putting together a whole new format and then converting the entire price book from Canadian to US.  I learned that I need to learn the Excel shortcuts.  Oh and I learned how to change a product description from all caps to normal case.  I foresee this coming in handy a lot going forward.
Anyhoo by the time I got home at 8pm Friday evening all I wanted was a tasty beverage, dinner and then bed. I had big plans for Saturday, such as mimosas, doing laundry, grocery shopping, getting some stuff done around the house. I was really looking forward to a great weekend after the craziness of the week leading up to it.
And then I woke up Saturday and felt like I was getting a cold.  Are you kidding me??
I dragged myself out of bed though and we ran some errands in the morning, came back home to eat lunch and then took Milo to one of the local dog parks.  As soon as we pulled in and parked I realized I should have brought my DSLR to play with and then kicked myself again when we saw that there was a huge hawk near the entrance. The zoom on my iPhone just does not do it justice!
And then it was naptime.

Saturday night saw me bingeing on Netflix (hello @Netflix, #StreamTeam candidate here!), taking cough medicine and drinking green tea with honey.

And Sunday was pretty much the same... except for that whole Super Bowl thing. Even I know that was a stupid last play Seattle!  Oh well, maybe they can pull it off next year?

How was your weekend??

Linking up with:
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Sunday, June 28, 2009

Hello Kitty

I had a few cake jobs this weekend one of which was a Hello Kitty cake for a little girl's birthday party. "She wanted it to be pink inside but not strawberry." Here was the finished product. :)

Friday, June 26, 2009

Traveler's Notch

Oh and I got some new art today too!!!

Traveler's Notch by MukkekaWoman

Anniversary Switch-a-roo

Ben and I were at IKEA today and we fell in love with a bed they had there. Only it is going to cost us around $1200 for the whole package and since this is actually what we said we were going to get as our wedding gifts for each other last November we made a brilliant decision today to scrap our NYC vow-renewal and to BUY OURSELVES OUR DREAM BED!! We still want to renew our vows every year and we want to renew them in every state so this year since we are switching to the new bed idea we are going to renew our vows in Rhode Island lol. We are also going to stick with our plans to send the children to Mom's for the weekend so that we can have our own private time. Which will most likely now be spent in our new KING size bed from heaven. :) I keep trying to find a picture that does the setup we picked justice but I just can't. Next time I go to IKEA I'll have to take a picture.

YAY for no more sleeping on a mattress on the floor! FANTASTIC ANNIVERSARY IDEA & GIFT!

Thursday, June 25, 2009

...I am in complete shock.

Sadly this week Ed McMahon, Farah Fawcett and Michael Jackson died. Farah passed away from cancer and Michael died from cardiac arrest today. I am at a loss for words.

Rest In Peace great entertainers of the world. We will never forget you.

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

67 days

Only 67 days left until Savannah's due date. My feet are sore and swollen on a daily basis now but happily I am still stretch mark free, just like I was for Aidan. So thankful for my good genes and elastic stomach. The new house still looks like we just moved in even though we have been here a month. Mainly due to my lack of mobility and because Ben's time out of work is so sensitive I try not to ask him to do anything other than take the garbage out or to carry the occasional load of laundry up or down the two flights of stairs for me. The highly intrusive waves of fatigue from the first trimester have re-emerged at literally the worst possible time. It is raining out, and has been for the past 23 days so my SAD is in full swing on top of having my hardest college class to date I am just as mentally drained as I am physically drained.

On a side note Graduation date has been set for me, May 8th is when I walk the stage to get my BA in Psychology. My classes are actually over the beginning of March so I have two months of job hunting open while I wait for the diploma. I am excited to see Iowa for the first time, not so excited that we may have to leave the kids behind for a smoother trip. There is a good chance we'll be driving though so who knows maybe they will tag along anyway. I'd love to look at them from the stage when I get my diploma, knowing my husband and children are my driving force behind my education it will be a nice moment for me.

Back to the real reason for this post, 67 days till baby! I really need to get cracking on setting up the mini nursery in our room that we are going to make for her. I have allotted the space and know where things are going to go it is just a matter of getting them. I already ordered the wall wording "Believe in Fairies" for over her crib. Really I can't do much until I have the fabric in for the bedding and the crib. Maybe I can start on that next week. She is so active now. Moving my entire belly when she moves and "hiding" in various spots in my stomach, which has actually led to a pretty neat new game Ben and I play with my belly called "where's the baby?" where we feel around and try to find her.

67 days.

I can not wait to meet her.

Sunday, June 21, 2009

Where do I live again?

It has been raining for about 20 days now. So in hopes of my favorite season of Summer arriving today I checked the ten day forecast at

Ten day weather forecast;

Jun 21 Rain 64°/57°
Jun 22 Showers 63°/57°
Jun 23 Showers 64°/58°
Jun 24 Isolated T-Storms
Jun 25 Isolated T-Storms 80°/63°
Jun 26 Isolated T-Storms 83°/63°
Jun 27 Few Showers 83°/62°

If I wanted to live in a place where it rained a majority of the time I would move to Seattle. Even in Florida when it rains almost daily in the afternoon for a half hour or so it is SUNNY when it does so.

Seriously WTF I would like my Summer please. Maybe I'll write a strongly worded letter to Mother Nature...

Thursday, June 18, 2009

The Cake Biz

I have two cake jobs set up for next weekend and I can not wait to make them!! Here are the templates of what I am doing for the two events...

Monday, June 15, 2009

Rambles and Thoughts that are swimming in my brain...

I have so much to do before the baby gets here and not enough money to do it. What else is new right? Ben and I are finally in the groove of our budget and tackling all the elements head on. I just wish my shower was closer so that I could "nest" the gifts and set up for Savannah and such. I find it really disheartening that my grandfather (Mauck) passed away yesterday and didn't get to see his great granddaughter. Especially since this is the only grandparent I currently talk to. He had lung cancer and said to my mother "I don't want to die, why can't they fix me?" right before he passed away.

I am in a statistics class, as I blogged about earlier and I really need to get cracking on the studying. I am ashamed to say I am skating by this class because of my lack of motivation to do said work. I find it tedious and boring. I like psychology because of all the theory involved. Statistics, even for social sciences, is still just a fancy name for math. I loathe math.

Scrabble has become a weeknight event in our home. I enjoy this quiet time with my husband very much and am so lucky to have someone that is truly a companion in my life.

I had to rip apart the bell bottom pants I was knitting for Sav because on Saturday I knit the wrong side and had to undo it and when I did that and then purled (pearled?) as I was supposed to I dropped THREE stitches and didn't notice until SEVEN rows later. Unable to be as awesome as my friend Meg and just fix the damn stitch I ripped it apart in hormonal anger and started all over again last night.

My belly is really starting to get in the way now. I can hardly bend over and going up the stairs is a pain in the ass. And riding in the car is almost torture, they really should make a bra for your belly when your pregnant so it is fully supported. lol. Bumps and such in the road really make for an uncomfortable ride. I can not believe she is going to be here in approximately ten and a half weeks!

On a trip to Lowes yesterday I finally decided on a paint color for the living room (which has become Mommy's room), it's called Chilled Wine and is this kind of merlot/wine/purpleish red color. Once I finish putting this damn living room in order I will be painting, hopefully tomorrow, and will take pictures to post once I'm done.

My mother and step dad offered me, Ben, Aidan and Savannah the time share in Florida next June for a week and we are SO EXCITED!!!! This means I will definitely be able to take Aidan to see Mickey Mouse next year! (not to mention shop for GIRLY things at Disney for our baby girl.)

I got to see my gorgeous niece today and she is such a riot. Grunting and laughing and baby talking to us, I just can not believe how big she has gotten since February. She holds her head up and you can see in her beautiful eyes that she is thinking about what she wants and she just can't quite get her body to do it yet.

Ben and I were chatting in the car today and realized that if I work and he works the way he is for one year and we just direct deposit my paycheck into a savings account that at the end of the year we could be in a house, a nice house, with land. Oh and I am really considering going to VT for a night or two with the hubby. Just have to find a time that is right for us. It will be hard now that we will have two kids. Gosh I can't believe it...I'm going to have kidS. Plural. As in more than one. I am so fucking lucky and blessed. It may not look perfect to anyone on the outside but I really do have the best life ever. I never thought I would be this happy. I didn't even think it was possible. See, Cinderella is not the only one who gets the happily ever after fairytale. ;)

Friday, June 12, 2009

Sav's face

I can't sleep. All I can think about is the ultrasound we had today. We saw the most amazing thing...our daughters face.

Can you see her nose and lips?

How about her face resting on her arm and squishing her face?

Technology is so awesome.

Thursday, June 11, 2009

Happy Birthday baby

Pictures from birthday photos for Ben. I am 28 weeks pregnant with Savannah. Happy Birthday baby. I love you.

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Tucker James

Born 6-8-09
8lbs 3oz

I cried my eyes out. He is so precious I am so happy for Megan and Andrew. Can not wait for him to meet Savannah. I have had the little princess Rebekkah over here the past few days and today we made mini-cupcakes for her preschool class to celebrate Tucker's arrival.

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Latest Knitting Project

I am determined to keep knitting my goal for my 101 list for Savannah Rose. This is the next project that I am starting tomorrow morning.

Monday, June 8, 2009

Professor Feedback from Social Psychology Final paper

I live for shit like this to pop up in my email box.

"I am pleased that you enjoyed the class and even more pleased that you learned much. You have presented a comprehensive review of the topic of attraction. You have summarized the material well. You have a good mastery of the subject matter. You exhibit a good understanding of the information. Your paper illustrates a good interpretation of the facts. Your paper is in perfect APA format. You have addressed the topic fully. You have supported your assertions with appropriate resources. Your writing is clear, concise and grammatically sound. No errors were noted. Great job!"

Now if only this damn statistics class would allow me to live up to my potential. Grrrr

Sunday, June 7, 2009

Statistics is the current evil in my life

I took my first quiz for statistics tonight. I was going to wait for Ben to get home so he could sit with me while I took it in case I needed his help and then in a burst of self righteousness I decided that the whole point of a quiz is to test your knowledge of the subject so far. If Ben were to help me then technically I am not doing myself any service. I have never been a good math student. I get easily stressed out and overwhelmed and have the worst test anxiety ever. Ben has told me to reverse my thinking and so I did, I studied the chapter, reading it twice and practiced the problems throughout the chapter. I felt fully prepared to venture into my timed online quiz tonight without Ben's help. So I did....and this student, who in the last 4 classes has had a final average above 97 got a 75 on her statistics quiz.

I give up.

I am going to contact my old professor at BCC and see if he is available for tutoring this week before I fall farther behind.

@#$%!!! There goes the GPA!! I KNEW IT!!!

Thursday, June 4, 2009

So my "Statistics for the Behavioral and Social Sciences" class started tonight. I already hate it. I have no interest in this, I hate math and I always have. I am determined to keep my GPA however so I have committed myself to extra studying and rereading of the matter how painful this shit is.

I give you exhibit A;

I'm going to go throw up now.

Monday, June 1, 2009

Final paper I wrote for Social Psych.

The Psychology of Attraction, Love Relationships and Intimacy

By the ideas of modern psychology there are four main things that cause attraction between two people. These four things are more strongly associated with friendship and early stages of more intimate relationships (Morgan & Shaver, 1999). These four staples are proximity, physical attractiveness, similarity and familiarity. In the paper that follows this author will dive into the foundations of attraction, what love is, the evolving ideas involving intimacy and the lasting effects relationships can imprint on our psychological map.

Physical attractiveness is one of the first things that come to mind when a person is asked about the laws of attraction. Studies have led to the idea that that physical attractiveness draws people to one another. Although most psychologists agree that physical appearance affects the level of attraction between two people, they are in disagreement with deciding why this is such (Morgan & Shaver, 1999). Some suggest that people are attracted to a "better-looking" person because being associated with "handsome" or “beautiful” people enhance social standing and self-esteem. Others suggest that men are attracted to women for biological reasons. Meaning, men seek women who are physically attractive because those physical qualities seem to be associated with youth and fertility (Feldman, 2005). Alexander Todorov and his colleagues performed a study at Princeton University in 2005 in which students were shown photographs of the two major candidates in 95 US Senate races and 600 US House of Representative races that had taken place since 2000. Based on looks alone they were able to properly pick the winners of the elections based solely on looks. The cuter, more baby-faced candidates were the winners in 72% of the senate races and 67% of the House races (Myers, 2008).

Proximity, the geological nearness and functional distance, between two people can also be a very effective factor on whether the relationship will have attraction or repugnance (Myers, 2008). The Pew survey proves that people are 38% more likely to marry someone who lives in the same neighborhood attends the same school, church, social functions and gym or works in the same building or area (Myers, 2008). The closer two people live to each other the more likely it is for them to like one another. Research has shown that the best single predictor of whether two people are friends is how far apart they live (Morgan & Shaver, 1999). This idea leads into one of the other staples of attraction, familiarity.

One of the major reasons proximity creates liking and attraction is that it increases familiarity. Generally speaking, the more a person interacts with another person, the more attraction builds between them (Morgan & Shaver, 1999). Familiarity is one of the pillars that allow a person to trust another person more openly. Several studies have shown that facial attractiveness is positively correlated with familiarity, the more a person visually acknowledges another person the more likely they are to become attracted to each other (Peskin & Newell).

The fourth piece of the attraction puzzle is similarity; how alike two people are can better predict how they will get along. This idea does not say mean that doctor will marry a doctor. Instead, it makes states that those interested in medicine are attracted to those interested in medicine. Statistics show that people who become a couple or enter into a relationship do so according to similarities in race, age, religion, education, physical characteristics, and other general characteristics (Newcomb, 1963). Additonal findings suggest that similarity and attraction are multidimensional building blocks (Lydon, Jamieson & Zanna, 1988), in which people are attracted to others who are similar to them in demographics, physical appearance, attitudes, interpersonal style, social and cultural background, personality, interests and activities preferences, and communication and social skills. A study conducted by Theodore Newcomb (1963) on college dorm roommates suggested that individuals with shared background, majors, attitudes, values, and political views became friends.

Moving forward from attraction into the topic of love this writer found numerous theories on what love is, how it forms and how to keep it sustained. The following paragraphs will briefly describe what happens in that transition from attraction to relationship while dissecting the theories of compassionate and passionate love. According to psychologist Elaine Hatfield and her colleagues these best represent the two basic types of love (Morgan & Shaver, 1999).

Compassionate love is characterized by mutual respect, attachment, affection, and trust. Compassionate love usually develops out of feelings of mutual understanding and shared respect for each other. This writer feels that this type of love in particular is what married couples strive for and try not to let go of. Another psychologist states, “Companionate love, not compassionate love, is the affection a person feels for those with whom their lives are deeply intertwined (Meyers, 2008).

Passionate love is characterized by intense emotions, sexual attraction, anxiety, and affection. When these intense emotions are reciprocated, people feel elated and fulfilled. Unreciprocated love leads to feelings of despondence and despair. Hatfield suggests that passionate love is transitory, usually lasting between 6 and 30 months (Morgan & Shaver, 1999). According to Hatfield, passionate love arises when cultural expectations encourage falling in love when the person “meets your preconceived ideas of an ideal lover, and when you experience heightened physiological arousal in the presence of the other person” (Morgan & Shaver, 1999). Ideally passionate love then leads to compassionate love, which is far more enduring, rewarding and substantial. While most people desire relationships that combine the security and stability of compassionate with the intensity of passionate love, Hatfield states that this is rare as one usually gives in to the other over time.

Another factor in relationships is intimacy. This author believes Harriet Goldhor Lerner, Ph.D. sums it up best. She states that "for starters, intimacy means that we can be who we are in a relationship, and allow the other person to do the same. An intimate relationship is one in which neither party silences, sacrifices, or betrays the self and each party expresses strength and vulnerability, weakness and competence in a balanced way." There are as many different ways to describe what intimacy is as there are stars in the sky. It means something different to each individual person. To some it is purely sexual; to others is it a giving and sharing of their spirit or soul with another human being. No matter how one views intimacy many psychologists say a relationship will not survive without it. That with intimacy there is a level of commitment and trust onto another person that the bond between them becomes more permanent.

Genuine intimacy in human relationships requires dialogue, transparency, vulnerability and reciprocity (Morgan & Shaver, 1999). In human relationships, the meaning and level of intimacy varies within and between relationships. Therefore, one can not measure their level and gage of intimacy along side another persons idea of intimacy. It is all a matter of psychological perception. To sustain intimacy for any length of time requires well developed emotional and interpersonal awareness (Morgan & Shaver, 1999). Intimacy requires an ability to be both separate and together participants in an intimate relationship. This is called self-differentiation (Meyers, 2008). It results in a connection in which there is an emotional range involving both robust conflict, and intense loyalty. Lacking the ability to differentiate one self from the other is a form of symbiosis (symbiosis relationships are associations in which one organism lives on another), a state that is different from intimacy, even if feelings of closeness are similar (Morgan & Shaver, 1999).

After discussing the four ideas of attraction in modern psychology this writer was presented with a strong appreciation for what is associated with friendship, attraction and early stages of the more intimate relationship. Proximity, physical attractiveness, similarity and familiarity all prepare a person for a solid foundation in a relationship and could prove to add to the foreshadowing of love one might find down the relationship road. In the better understanding of what love is and its subcategories one can clearly see which direction they are likely to conclude in. Intertwining new concepts and evolving ideas involving intimacy into these dealing with love may ultimately have a lasting effect on one’s psychological map.

Feldman, Robert S. (2005). Understanding Psychology (7th Ed). New York: McGraw-

Hill Companies Inc.

Lydon, J. E., Jamieson, D. W., & Zanna, M. P. (1988). Interpersonal similarity and the

social and intellectual dimensions of first impressions. Social Cognition, (pp 269-

Morgan, H. J., & Shaver, P. R. (1999). Attachment processes and commitment to

romantic relationships. In J. M. Adams & W. H. Jones (Eds.), Handbook of interpersonal commitment and relationship stability (pp. 109-124). New York: Plenum.

Myers, David. (2008). Social Psychology (9th Ed). New York: McGraw-Hill Companies

Newcomb, T. M. (1963). Stabilities underlying changes in interpersonal attraction.

Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology (pp. 376-386.)

Peskin M, & Newell F N, 2004, "Familiarity breeds attraction: Effects of exposure on the

attractiveness of typical and distinctive faces" Perception.

It only took me 27 weeks to return to my original idea for Savannah's room. I am so excited and mad at myself for leaving this idea in the first place. YAY for FINALLY making a decision I can stick to! Savannah's baby room will be a version of Pixie Hollow in Neverland. (Meg is going to laugh cause I told her that's what I wanted to do before I was even 9 weeks pregnant lol).

Just an idea to run off of...

Just another day in paradise...

The kids screaming, phone ringing
Dog barking at the mailman bringing
That stack of bills - overdue
Good morning baby, how are you?
Got a half hour, quick shower
Take a drink of milk but the milk's gone sour
My funny face makes you laugh
Twist the top on and I put it back
There goes the washing machine
Baby, don't kick it.
I promise I'll fix it
Long about a million other things

Well, it's ok. It's so nice
It's just another day in paradise
Well, there's no place that
I'd rather be
Well, it's two hearts
And one dream
I wouldn't trade it for anything
And I ask the Lord every night
For just another day in paradise

Friday, you're late
Guess we'll never make our dinner date
At the restaurant you start to cry
Baby, we'll just improvise
Well, plan B looks like
Dominoes' pizza in the candle light
Then we'll tippy toe to our room
Make a little love that's overdue
But somebody had a bad dream
Mama and daddy
Can me and my teddy
Come in to sleep in between?

Yeah it's ok. It's so nice.
It's just another day in paradise.
Well, there's no place that
I'd rather be
Well, it's two hearts
And one dream
I wouldn't trade it for anything
And I ask the Lord every night
For just another day in paradise

Well, it's ok. It's so nice.
It's just another day in paradise.
Well, there's no place that
I'd rather be
Two hearts
And one dream
I wouldn't trade it for anything
And I ask the Lord every night
For just another day in paradise

For just another day in paradise
Well, it's the kids screaming. The phone ringing
Just another day
Well, it's Friday. You're late
Oh yeah, it's just another day in paradise

By Paul Vasser


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Society for Accessible Travel & Hospitality Logo

Apr 29, 2011

Highlights from the Los Angeles Abilities Expo, e.g., Michell's "Favorite Things"

If any of you haven't gone to an Abilities Expo lately, it truly is a great place to get information on assistance organizations and new products that can make life easier for those with disabilities.  I hadn't been to one in a couple years, and enjoyed meeting some new vendors with great new innovative products and services in Los Angeles last weekend!  Borrowing from the Oprah Winfrey Show, I thought I would tell you about my "Favorite Things" at the Abilities Expo.  Now of course, I can't give my audience free samples of each thing I saw, but you never know, maybe some day TravelinWheels will be popular enough to get at least a couple little giveaways!

Anyway, on to the products!

Getting around...

Some of you may have seen me post about the FreeWheel.  Pat Dougherty, an inventor, who just so happens to be in a wheelchair, came up with the idea to create a single wheel that attaches to the footplate and slightly lifts the casters of a manual wheelchair up just enough so that they don't get caught in grass, snow, gravel, etc.  We have one and love it!  It's small enough to attach to the back of the wheelchair when not in use.  Well, Pat, came up with another handy invention this year!  It's a luggage rack that sits on top of the Freewheel.  It can accommodate a small suitcase or a couple boxes, freeing up your hands to push your chair.  It's lightweight and easy to transport, too.  You can get more information at

If you are looking for a compact power scooter, the Luggie Scooter may be just what you are looking for.  It's lightweight, and folds in seconds to fit in your trunk or back seat!  I was amazed at how small it was, but it still had some power to it.  You can see a demo of it on

Imagine being able to push your manual chair, go faster, and not burn out your shoulders?  I had the opportunity to try out the Wijit.  The Wijit's wheel attaches to your axel with levers that allow you to go forward, backward and in circles without ever touching your wheels.  I got to try it out, and after a couple minutes, was sailing down the Expo hall.  Imagine the damage you could do using the Wijit AND the Freewheel!  Scary!  If you'd like to see a demo of the Wijit, go to

If you are a caregiver who needs a lightweight folding wheelchair for travel, check out Troy Technologies' Travel Wheelchairs.  They are very compact, but sturdy.   I loved all the cool seating options they had to manage any level of ability with style.   They even had an L.A. Lakers chair that got a lot of attention from the crowd.  You can see them at

This next product was by far, the most innovative!  A new seating system has been created for the Segway!  It's ingenious.  Casey Johanson, co-creator of the Ally, and a double-amputee, was zipping all over downtown Los Angeles when I met up with him.  It was incredible to see him handle curbs, uneven streets, and sidewalks effortlessly.  Even if you don't need one, you need to check this thing out!  Go to

Need a Lift?

Ability Access has a portable lift that works with vehicles, homes, and RV's!  The sling-lift mounts are versatile, and allow you to move the lift to where you need it.  You can see demos at

Potty Breaks...

Mobility Solutions' President, Rick Goldstein, wanted to build folding, compact shower/commode chairs that were easy to travel with and discreet.  He was tired of having hotel porters lug around his chair for the world to see and has come up with one that folds into a small case.  They are well-built and come in a variety of colors, too!  Take a look at

Ladies, are you looking for a discreet way to do your business when there is no bathroom available?  Medical Technologies of Georgia, Inc. has created the MTG Cath-Lean, an extremely discreet closed cath system with a collection bag AND another opague bag to put the collection bag in because not everyone needs to know your business!  You can see them at

Safety First!

I never knew this company existed, and if I had, I would have never signed up for AAA!  ADA Nationwide Roadside Assistance Program provides roadside assistance for your wheelchair, lift, ramp, and vehicle, including emergency towing, flat tire changes, fuel, battery jumps/replacement, unlocks, and Para-transit lift rides.   Honestly, I never thought about what could happen if my daughter's car ever broke down.  Not many tow trucks are accessible, and she would be left on the side of the road!  Take a look at the program at

Calling all Adventurers!

Angela Madsen, who is a Guiness World Book Record Holder and the first paraplegic to cross the Atlantic and Indian Oceans by oar rowing, was at the Expo.  She is an amazing woman, and runs the California Adaptive Rowing Program.  If you are interested in taking up rowing, see her at

Life Rolls On, a subsidiary of the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation, is dedicated to improving the quality of life for young people affected by spinal cord injury and utilizes action sports as a platform to inspire infinite possibilities despite paralysis.  They sponsor several events and are looking for volunteers, as well as members!  You can find them at

Looking For Some New Threads?

3E Love is always coming up with new designs featuring their heart/wheelchair to wow their customers!  They had a busy booth filled with colorful shirts, buttons and jewelry with the mission to embrace, educate, and empower.  You can purchase from their online store at

Get Involved!

Ralph's "RIDERS" are a team of extraordinary mobility challenged individuals that provide peer guidance to individuals with similar disabilities. Each RIDER has a spinal cord injury or mobility impairment and has adjusted to life extremely well despite enormous obstacles. They are there to provide advice, resources, or lend an ear.  You can find out more about them at

There were so many other great products and services, too many to mention!!!  If you ever get a chance to go to the Abilities Expo in your area, take advantage of it.  They are free to the public, and also have several workshops on everything from accessibility in technology to travel.   You might just learn a little something and have some fun in the process!

Until next time,  safe travels!


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Service (Seva)

As the name ‘Sri Sathya Sai Seva Organizations’ implies, Seva or Selfless Service is one of the main objectives of the organization. In general terms, service implies service to the poor and needy. Some of these services include feeding the poor, distributing clothes and other basic accessories, free health camps etc. Other services also includes visiting senior homes, hospitals etc. All these service activities are already being undertaken by thousands of NGOs across the globe. Then the question remains “What is the difference between these NGOs and the Sathya Sai Organizations? The answer is very simple. At the Sathya Sai Organizations, we do SELFLESS service also known as Seva (a Sanskrit word).

Sathya Sai Baba draws an important distinction between conventional social service and selfless service. Any service becomes selfless service, a spiritual activity, when it is performed with the right attitude. This applies to selfless service performed on an individual basis, with another organization, or with a Sai centre. Baba says “The core of this spiritual discipline of selfless service is to see everyone as yourself and yourself in everyone.” He says that when we serve, we are not serving others, we are serving the God in us, the same God who is equally present in others. It is this attitude that changes our service into selfless service, making it a spiritual activity. God will not ask when and where you did service; he will ask what your motives and intentions were. “The real value of this service,” says Sathya Sai Baba, “is that it reforms us and reshapes us as we serve.”

Swami has given lots of importance to selfless service. His free schools, super specialty hospitals and water projects prove this fact. In His discourses, he stresses the importance of selfless service and encourages the members of the Organization to take up service activities in their respective centres. He says “The members of our Organization must be ready and eager to help students, the sick, and the poor. Feel that this is work that pleases Me. Spend your days and years in activities that help those in dire need, and thus make this human existence of yours worthwhile and fruitful.”

With the inspiration and guidance of Bhagawan Baba, the Sai Centres around the world take up service projects in their respective areas.

  • Seva removes the ego..

  • Seva helps us to experience the unity of mankind and to control and purify the mind. This unity and purity will lead to divinity.

  • By doing seva, we are placing a ceiling on our desires.

  • Seva brings love and peace into our lives.

  • Seva teaches us the lesson that the same God is present in all and we become aware of this fact by performing selfless service.

  • Baba says “Service to Man is Service to God” and hence by serving mankind, we can win the Grace of God.

Service at Calgary Centre

The Calgary Sai Centre provides devotees with volunteer opportunities both within and outside the centre. These service activities can be a one-time activity or a repeated activity.

Weekly Service Activities:

  • Setting up the Altar for Bhajans
  • Cleaning the Centre after Bhajans
Upcoming Service Activities
Every weekNon-perishable food collectionFood Bank, Calgary
24-Jun-2017Blood donation serviceCanadian Blood Bank
25-Jun-2017Narayan Seva (Sandwich preparation)Drop-In Center, Calgary
01-Jul-2017Brunch PreparationRonald McDonald House
30-Jul-2017Narayan Seva (Sandwich preparation)Drop-In Center, Calgary
05-Aug-2017Brunch PreparationRonald McDonald House
27-Aug-2017Narayan Seva (Sandwich preparation)Drop-In Center, Calgary
02-Sep-2017Brunch PreparationRonald McDonald House
24-Sep-2017Narayan Seva (Sandwich preparation)Drop-In Center, Calgary
07-Oct-2017Brunch PreparationRonald McDonald House
29-Oct-2017Narayan Seva (Sandwich preparation)Drop-In Center, Calgary
04-Nov-2017Brunch PreparationRonald McDonald House
26-Nov-2017Narayan Seva (Sandwich preparation)Drop-In Center, Calgary
02-Dec-2017Brunch PreparationRonald McDonald House
31-Dec-2017Narayan Seva (Sandwich preparation)Drop-In Center, Calgary

For upcoming service activities, please check announcements section.

  • Address: 2225 24 Ave NE Calgary
    Alberta, T2E 8M2
  • Email:
  • Website:
  • Contact: 403-619-8885

News Letters

  • Drop In Centre 10-Sep-2016
  • Sai Centre Picnic 2016
  • SSE Graduation 2016
  • SSE Value Fair & Aaradhana day 2016
  • Walk for Values 2015
  • Ronald McDonald House
  • 90th Birthday Celebrations 2015
  • Mothers day 2015
  • SSE Guru's Training Workshop


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Comfortable Sofa Sleepers

The kind of mattress you decide to install in your bedroom is frequently overlooked and individuals usually have the tendency to purchase cheap ones to meet a seemingly practical intent. On the contrary, choosing a mattress must be an essential decision that needs to be taken just after a thorough research concerning the choices available as it’s crucial that you sleep in luxury and comfort environs. Should you sleep peacefully, then it raises your happiness level to a large extent and being well rested ensures that there is a sense of positivity in your life.

  1. The Comfort Top Queen Airbed Kits was manufactured by a well-known company called Intex. It is an airbed mattress kit that is resistant to water and doesn’t absorb the water content if you spill anything on it. This keeps it clean and beautiful. It hastens after air is pumped to it for at least one minute and seventy five seconds. In the event you wish to travel with it, all you want to do would be to deflate it and take it in a little bag. It is a long lasting product and even after having used it for a long period of time, there will be no reduction in its dimensions. It is very comfortable to sleep on this mattress and you are sure to have many undisturbed nights for those who to decide to purchase this item.
  2. The Cuddle Ewe Essentials Queen Size Place was manufactured by the Business of the Identical name. It is made up of woollen fabrics and measures twenty inches in breadth and twenty six inches in length. This product has the ability to immediately soothe overworked muscles and leaves you feeling refreshed and rejuvenated after a long night’s sleep. This is a must-have item for all those suffering from frequent pains and aches.

Leave a reply "Comfortable Sofa Sleepers"


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2016 Magazine

May 31, 2010

Sex & the City Fashion Show!

The fashion show took place on Saturday at 6:30 in Galaxy Cinemas
It was a great success. We showcased some of our favourite pieces from Plush Boutique, Flavour and some stunning jewelery from yours truly. Everyone involved did such a great job, we could not have been happier.

Check out some of these photos from the night...

The ladies looking amazing from S.O.S, Plush Boutique and Flavour

*dress by OBEY

*denim jacket, ONLY

*BB Dakota

*another from BB Dakota

*A little taste of what our friends from Glow Maternity have to offer
The ladies just look stunning don't they?*

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12. Bye status (you have a bye if you reached the final 8 of last years BYC national finals).

Bye holders have to separately enter this years national finals directly via BFA at cost of £26, regardless whether
you fence in the qualifier.   You are welcome to also enter the qualifier (fee payable) and this will not displace
another qualifier (ie you not be included in the count of qualifiers in the Region event).

13. Signature of parent / guardian to be added to printed copy and posted to organiser.
"I consent to participation and commit to paying a further fee if this fencer qualifies"
         (if parent/guardian will not be staying with the fencer then please assign a responsible adult).

7. Phone 1 (on the day / emergency / parent mobile):*

8. Phone 2 (optional; landline etc):

9. BFA Membership Number:*                                                        Expires:*

10. Year of Birth (select)*
Entry Form for South East Region BYC Foil qualifier.
Preferably type entry.  If you are writing on a paper print then please write clearly.   Abbreviation BYC = British fencing Youth Championships

* = minimum required fields

1. First Name*

2. Surname*

Entry Form Issue D 4th Feb 2014
Link to details for this event (Please do
read and also bring with you on the day)

Link to Events Calendar
Don't forget to press "Submit" after printing this page
3. Male/Female (select)*
4. Club? *

   if "Other" please state club...

5. Email: (please cut/paste from known working address to avoid errors):*
         If you do not have an email or chose not to enter one then please type  "none".  Email policy available on request.
6. Postal address (optional if you give an email and emergency phone number.  We cannot guarentee data security).
    1st Line of Address:
U12 event - Born 2003 or 2004 only
U14 event - Born 2001 or 2002 only
U16 event - Born 1999 or 2000 only
U18 event - Born 1997 or 1998 only
11. Seeding Information.  Please state your previous best results.   List most significant results first.   If this is your first competition then please state for how long you have been fencing.  State any cadet / junior / national ranking.
Format: Year, Event & Weapon, Position/Rank*
14. Payment: Cheque for £20 (was £16 for early entries but now £20), payable “Sussex County Fencing Union”.  No e-payment.

Before pressing "submit" please print this page (May need page setup, fit to A4) ...
... then sign & post with cheque to:     Tom Rusbridge, 17 Kingfisher Drive, Littlehampton, West Sussex, BN17 7GX

After printing out a paper copy to post then please press "SUBMIT" below.
   This information will not be automatically collected unless you press submit.
   If in doubt try again (so long as the name is the same we will cope with duplicates!).
   If you have any message / notes / comments for the organiser then enter them here:

No Bye   Yes, I have a Bye and also intend to fence   Yes I have a Bye but don't intend to fence


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LIGO and Virgo make first detection of gravitational waves produced by colliding neutron stars
MIT NEWS OFFICE, LIGO and Virgo make first detection of gravitational waves produced by colliding neutron stars, Oct 16, 2017

For the first time, scientists have directly detected gravitational waves — ripples in space-time — in addition to light from the spectacular collision of two neutron stars. This marks the first time that a cosmic event has been viewed in both gravitational waves and light.

The discovery was made using the U.S.-based Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO); the Europe-based Virgo detector; and some 70 ground- and space-based observatories.

Neutron stars are the smallest, densest stars known to exist and are formed when massive stars explode in supernovas. As these neutron stars spiraled together, they emitted gravitational waves that were detectable for about 100 seconds; when they collided, a flash of light in the form of gamma rays was emitted and seen on Earth about two seconds after the gravitational waves. In the days and weeks following the smashup, other forms of light, or electromagnetic radiation — including X-ray, ultraviolet, optical, infrared, and radio waves — were detected.

Video: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center/CI Lab

The observations have given astronomers an unprecedented opportunity to probe a collision of two neutron stars. For example, observations made by the U.S. Gemini Observatory, the European Very Large Telescope, and the Hubble Space Telescope reveal signatures of recently synthesized material, including gold and platinum, solving a decades-long mystery of where about half of all elements heavier than iron are produced.

The LIGO-Virgo results are published today in the journal Physical Review Letters; additional papers from the LIGO and Virgo collaborations and the astronomical community have been either submitted or accepted for publication in various journals.

“It is tremendously exciting to experience a rare event that transforms our understanding of the workings of the universe,” says France A. Córdova, director of the National Science Foundation (NSF), which funds LIGO. “This discovery realizes a long-standing goal many of us have had, that is, to simultaneously observe rare cosmic events using both traditional as well as gravitational-wave observatories. Only through NSF’s four-decade investment in gravitational-wave observatories, coupled with telescopes that observe from radio to gamma-ray wavelengths, are we able to expand our opportunities to detect new cosmic phenomena and piece together a fresh narrative of the physics of stars in their death throes.”

Video: Georgia Tech

A stellar sign

The gravitational signal, named GW170817, was first detected on Aug. 17 at 8:41 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time; the detection was made by the two identical LIGO detectors, located in Hanford, Washington, and Livingston, Louisiana. The information provided by the third detector, Virgo, situated near Pisa, Italy, enabled an improvement in localizing the cosmic event. At the time, LIGO was nearing the end of its second observing run since being upgraded in a program called Advanced LIGO, while Virgo had begun its first run after recently completing an upgrade known as Advanced Virgo.

The NSF-funded LIGO observatories were conceived, constructed, and operated by Caltech and MIT. Virgo is funded by the Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (INFN) in Italy and the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) in France, and operated by the European Gravitational Observatory. Some 1,500 scientists in the LIGO Scientific Collaboration and the Virgo Collaboration work together to operate the detectors and to process and understand the gravitational-wave data they capture.

Each observatory consists of two long tunnels arranged in an L shape, at the joint of which a laser beam is split in two. Light is sent down the length of each tunnel, then reflected back in the direction it came from by a suspended mirror. In the absence of gravitational waves, the laser light in each tunnel should return to the location where the beams were split, at precisely the same time. If a gravitational wave passes through the observatory, it will alter each laser beam’s arrival time, creating an almost imperceptible change in the observatory’s output signal.

On Aug. 17, LIGO’s real-time data analysis software caught a strong signal of gravitational waves from space in one of the two LIGO detectors. At nearly the same time, the Gamma-ray Burst Monitor on NASA’s Fermi space telescope had detected a burst of gamma rays. LIGO-Virgo analysis software put the two signals together and saw it was highly unlikely to be a chance coincidence, and another automated LIGO analysis indicated that there was a coincident gravitational wave signal in the other LIGO detector. Rapid gravitational-wave detection by the LIGO-Virgo team, coupled with Fermi’s gamma-ray detection, enabled the launch of follow-up by telescopes around the world.

The LIGO data indicated that two astrophysical objects located at the relatively close distance of about 130 million light years from Earth had been spiraling in toward each other. It appeared that the objects were not as massive as binary black holes — objects that LIGO and Virgo have previously detected. Instead, the inspiraling objects were estimated to be in a range from around 1.1 to 1.6 times the mass of the sun, in the mass range of neutron stars. A neutron star is about 20 kilometers, or 12 miles, in diameter and is so dense that a teaspoon of neutron star material has a mass of about a billion tons.

While binary black holes produce “chirps” lasting a fraction of a second in the LIGO detector’s sensitive band, the Aug. 17 chirp lasted approximately 100 seconds and was seen through the entire frequency range of LIGO — about the same range as common musical instruments. Scientists could identify the chirp source as objects that were much less massive than the black holes seen to date.

“It immediately appeared to us the source was likely to be neutron stars, the other coveted source we were hoping to see — and promising the world we would see,” says David Shoemaker, spokesperson for the LIGO Scientific Collaboration and senior research scientist in MIT’s Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research. “From informing detailed models of the inner workings of neutron stars and the emissions they produce, to more fundamental physics such as general relativity, this event is just so rich. It is a gift that will keep on giving.”

“Our background analysis showed an event of this strength happens less than once in 80,000 years by random coincidence, so we recognized this right away as a very confident detection and a remarkably nearby source,” adds Laura Cadonati, professor of physics at Georgia Tech and deputy spokesperson for the LIGO Scientific Collaboration. “This detection has genuinely opened the doors to a new way of doing astrophysics. I expect it will be remembered as one of the most studied astrophysical events in history.”

Theorists have predicted that when neutron stars collide, they should give off gravitational waves and gamma rays, along with powerful jets that emit light across the electromagnetic spectrum. The gamma-ray burst detected by Fermi, and soon thereafter confirmed by the European Space Agency’s gamma-ray observatory INTEGRAL, is what’s called a short gamma-ray burst; the new observations confirm that at least some short gamma-ray bursts are generated by the merging of neutron stars — something that was only theorized before.

“For decades we’ve suspected short gamma-ray bursts were powered by neutron star mergers,” says Fermi Project Scientist Julie McEnery of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. “Now, with the incredible data from LIGO and Virgo for this event, we have the answer. The gravitational waves tell us that the merging objects had masses consistent with neutron stars, and the flash of gamma rays tells us that the objects are unlikely to be black holes, since a collision of black holes is not expected to give off light."

But while one mystery appears to be solved, new mysteries have emerged. The observed short gamma-ray burst was one of the closest to Earth seen so far, yet it was surprisingly weak for its distance. Scientists are beginning to propose models for why this might be, McEnery says, adding that new insights are likely to arise for years to come.

A patch in the sky

Though the LIGO detectors first picked up the gravitational wave in the United States, Virgo, in Italy, played a key role in the story. Due to its orientation with respect to the source at the time of detection, Virgo recovered a small signal; combined with the signal sizes and timing in the LIGO detectors, this allowed scientists to precisely triangulate the position in the sky. After performing a thorough vetting to make sure the signals were not an artifact of instrumentation, scientists concluded that a gravitational wave came from a relatively small patch in the southern sky.

“This event has the most precise sky localization of all detected gravitational waves so far,” says Jo van den Brand of Nikhef (the Dutch National Institute for Subatomic Physics) and VU University Amsterdam, who is the spokesperson for the Virgo collaboration. “This record precision enabled astronomers to perform follow-up observations that led to a plethora of breathtaking results.”

“This result is a great example of the effectiveness of teamwork, of the importance of coordinating, and of the value of scientific collaboration,” adds EGO Director Federico Ferrini. “We are delighted to have played our relevant part in this extraordinary scientific challenge: Without Virgo, it would have been very difficult to locate the source of the gravitational waves.”

Fermi was able to provide a localization that was later confirmed and greatly refined with the coordinates provided by the combined LIGO-Virgo detection. With these coordinates, a handful of observatories around the world were able, hours later, to start searching the region of the sky where the signal was thought to originate. A new point of light, resembling a new star, was first found by optical telescopes. Ultimately, about 70 observatories on the ground and in space observed the event at their representative wavelengths.

“This detection opens the window of a long-awaited ‘multimessenger’ astronomy,” says Caltech’s David H. Reitze, executive director of the LIGO Laboratory. “It’s the first time that we’ve observed a cataclysmic astrophysical event in both gravitational waves and electromagnetic waves — our cosmic messengers. Gravitational-wave astronomy offers new opportunities to understand the properties of neutron stars in ways that just can’t be achieved with electromagnetic astronomy alone.”

A fireball and an afterglow

Each electromagnetic observatory will be releasing its own detailed observations of the astrophysical event. In the meantime, a general picture is emerging among all observatories involved that further confirms that the initial gravitational-wave signal indeed came from a pair of inspiraling neutron stars.

Approximately 130 million years ago, the two neutron stars were in their final moments of orbiting each other, separated only by about 300 kilometers, or 200 miles, and gathering speed while closing the distance between them. As the stars spiraled faster and closer together, they stretched and distorted the surrounding space-time, giving off energy in the form of powerful gravitational waves, before smashing into each other.

At the moment of collision, the bulk of the two neutron stars merged into one ultradense object, emitting a “fireball” of gamma rays. The initial gamma-ray measurements, combined with the gravitational-wave detection, also provide confirmation for Einstein’s general theory of relativity, which predicts that gravitational waves should travel at the speed of light.

Theorists have predicted that what follows the initial fireball is a “kilonova” — a phenomenon by which the material that is left over from the neutron star collision, which glows with light, is blown out of the immediate region and far out into space. The new light-based observations show that heavy elements, such as lead and gold, are created in these collisions and subsequently distributed throughout the universe.

In the weeks and months ahead, telescopes around the world will continue to observe the afterglow of the neutron star merger and gather further evidence about various stages of the merger, its interaction with its surroundings, and the processes that produce the heaviest elements in the universe.

“When we were first planning LIGO back in the late 1980s, we knew that we would ultimately need an international network of gravitational-wave observatories, including Europe, to help localize the gravitational-wave sources so that light-based telescopes can follow up and study the glow of events like this neutron star merger,” says Caltech’s Fred Raab, LIGO associate director for observatory operations. “Today we can say that our gravitational-wave network is working together brilliantly with the light-based observatories to usher in a new era in astronomy, and will improve with the planned addition of observatories in Japan and India.”

LIGO is funded by the NSF, and operated by Caltech and MIT, which conceived of LIGO and led the Initial and Advanced LIGO projects. Financial support for the Advanced LIGO project was led by the NSF with Germany (Max Planck Society), the U.K. (Science and Technology Facilities Council) and Australia (Australian Research Council) making significant commitments and contributions to the project.

More than 1,200 scientists and some 100 institutions from around the world participate in the effort through the LIGO Scientific Collaboration, which includes the GEO Collaboration and the Australian collaboration OzGrav. Additional partners are listed at

The Virgo collaboration consists of more than 280 physicists and engineers belonging to 20 different European research groups: six from Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) in France; eight from the Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (INFN) in Italy; two in the Netherlands with Nikhef; the MTA Wigner RCP in Hungary; the POLGRAW group in Poland; the University of Valencia in Spain; and the European Gravitational Observatory, EGO, the laboratory hosting the Virgo detector near Pisa in Italy, funded by CNRS, INFN, and Nikhef.


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University expertise is being used to position Scottish cold-pressed rapeseed oil as a significant contender in the healthy food market.

For the first time, a group of Scottish rapeseed oil producers and growers such as LOUISE ELDER (pictured) of Black & Gold, Stevenson Mains Farm, East Lothian, are working with university food experts to promote the unique health benefits of locally grown rapeseed oils.

The Scottish Rapeseed Oil Group (SRO) is stepping up its campaign to raise awareness and encourage more consumers to buy into this oil category. Food scientists from Queen Margaret University (QMU) are helping the group more clearly communicate the nutritional benefits of Scottish cold-pressed rapeseed oil.

QMU’s latest research suggests that Scottish cold-pressed rapeseed oil has an exceptional fatty acid profile compared with its rivals and is a valuable source of antioxidants which remain active following domestic cooking. Research also shows that rapeseed oil contains six per cent of saturated fat, less than half that found in most olive oils and  a more favourable ratio of omega 3:6 fatty acids than other vegetable oils. With a higher burning point than most other oils, cold-pressed rapeseed oil retains its health benefits when used for roasting or frying.

DR JANE MCKENZIE, Academic Lead for Food & Drink Knowledge Exchange at QMU, discussed the findings: “Scottish cold-pressed rapeseed oil can contribute a valuable source of antioxidants to our diets. Antioxidants play a valuable role in maintaining good health. They can help protect cells from damage and are important in the fight against disease.”

According to retail analysts Kantar Worldpanel, sales of cold-pressed rapeseed oil in Scotland were £0.7 million last year, growing 18 per cent year on year. Kantar also says that 4.3 per cent of Scottish shoppers bought cold-pressed rapeseed oil over the last 12 months and 33,000 shoppers bought the product for the first time.

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