text:
Cheryl Laymon
Executive Director,
Samuel Dixon Family Health Center

Interview by Leon Worden
Signal Multimedia Editor

Sunday, January 16, 2005
(Television interview conducted December 8, 2004)

Cheryl Laymon     "Newsmaker of the Week" is presented by the SCV Press Club and Comcast, and hosted by Signal Multimedia Editor Leon Worden. The program premieres every Wednesday at 9:30 p.m. on SCVTV Channel 20, repeating Sundays at 8:30 a.m.
    This week's newsmaker is Cheryl Laymon, executive director of the Samuel Dixon Family Health Center in Val Verde and Canyon Country. The interview was conducted Dec. 8. Questions are paraphrased and some answers may be abbreviated for length.

Signal: Samuel Dixon Family Health Center — one center, two locations?

Laymon: It's "Center, Inc.," but we have two locations, so we say, Samuel Dixon Family Health Center — the Val Verde clinic or the Canyon Country clinic, to distinguish. We had a big discussion about that, as a matter of fact, when we opened up the Canyon Country clinic...

Signal: How long have you been in Val Verde?

Laymon: The Val Verde (clinic) started under Rev. (Samuel) Dixon over 20 years ago. The clinic as we know it today was incorporated in 1990, and it has been in that location since that time. In the year 2000, we opened the Canyon Country clinic.

Signal: Val Verde in its current form in 1990, Canyon Country in 2000; will it take 10 years to see another one?

Laymon: That's a real interesting question. As a not-for-profit, we are governed by a board of directors and we have a strategic plan, and we've identified a need for services in Newhall.
    Because of the people we tend to serve, which are primarily people without insurance and with limited economic means, we feel that it's in the community's best interest for us to make services physically accessible, geographically accessible, financially accessible, language-accessible to those people. So, we think, we've got the west end of Santa Clarita covered by Val Verde; we've got the east end covered by Canyon Country; we want to have the southern tier covered at some point in time by a clinic in Newhall, so we (can serve) the community with access on all ends.
    That's the idea. Hopefully this next year, we'll start to see some progress. We have Adele Macpherson as our board president this year, and she has appointed Ed Bolden, who is our vice president, to chair a strategic planning committee to come up with a plan for the clinic in Newhall — what services it will (provide), what kind of design it's going to have, what kind of site are we going to need...

Signal: Do you have some property in mind in Newhall?

Laymon: All of Newhall. No. And that will be the trick. What we want to do is be able to establish something that will be permanent. I don't know whether that's going to mean building or buying or some combination of the above, but no. As far as we've gone at this point, there's a big need in Newhall. We want to be able to reach it. We want to make it easier for people to get services. Therefore, Newhall, but where in Newhall? We don't really know at this point.

Signal: Why would somebody go to Sam Dixon instead of some other doctor?

Laymon: That's a very good question. For people who have insurance — as we all know, today, many people have managed-care insurance. Therefore, their doctor is assigned to them.
    Let's say their policy is through Blue Shield. They'll get their list of doctors, and then they'll take one, and then they really have to go to that doctor for their insurance to cover their care. People who primarily come to Samuel Dixon Family Health Center don't have insurance.
    Other than that, it's exactly the same. You come in — if you're going to have a physical, you need your tetanus shot, you need your cholesterol checked, you have a bad sore that won't heal, you've not been feeling well for a couple of days and you think you'd better get over it and you don't have insurance and you want to make sure it's affordable, come to Samuel Dixon Family Health Center. That's as simple as it is.
    There's a little bit of paperwork that you have to do, because of the fact that we have various funding sources, and our objective is to see — when we look at your family size and your income and what you're needs are, we're saying, what program can we find that's going to make it easier for you to have health care? How can we make it as affordable as possible for you? Therefore we need your incoming information. ... After that, you just go see the doctor, tell him what your concerns are, your needs are, and it's the same as going to any other doctor.

Signal: How do they compare to other providers in terms of quality?

Laymon: Quality-wise they're absolutely the same. All of our providers are licensed — certified by the state of California — and have all the credentials required. We have a medical director who is absolutely wonderful. He's a doctor and he works primarily in Canyon Country, Dr. Brian Downs. Our main provider is Michael Gales, who is a physician's assistant, who's our main provider in Val Verde. In fact, he was in there in the early days when the clinic first started. (He) was one of the first organizers there, and worked with the community to get the clinic started, originally, and (he) is back again.
    So, would you find these fellows somewhere else? Absolutely. There's no difference, There's absolutely no difference in that. ... We try to make the services affordable for somebody. Somebody who's making more money is going to pay more; somebody who's making less money is going to pay less. That's the basic idea.

Signal: You've got a sliding scale.

Laymon: Sliding-fee scale, that's exactly what it's called. That's right.

Signal: Are your doctors and nurses all in-house?

Laymon: Actually, we have an interesting thing. It's important for us, for the concept of continuity of service, to have our own providers. That way, you come in this week, you see Dr. Downs; you'll see him next week. He knows you, he knows your chart, and he knows what's going on with you — as opposed to seeing Dr. "A" this week and Dr. "B" next week and Dr. "C" the third week after that.
    We feel it's important to do that. However, we have been able to benefit from some community resources. Right now, we have a great arrangement with Kaiser Permanente, in that their local office here in Santa Clarita lends us physicians, if you will, one afternoon a week on Thursdays, to come out and provide care for our patients.
    This way, we have access to some other areas of specialty that we don't have on staff, and it also gives us the opportunity, for our more difficult patients, for our doctors to go to them for different opinions. Other than that, it's just our providers.

Signal: Are you geared more toward long-term care than emergency services?

Laymon: Well, I would make a distinction between emergency services and primary care, versus long-term care. Primary care is usually defined as anything that doesn't require a specialist or in-patient care.
    So again, it's just like going to your family doctor, but if you get to the point where you have some sort of an odd heart, or you have some sort of severe thyroid problem where you really need to go to a specialist, that would be where we would try to find a referral for you. Other than that, coming in, your illness, your colds, even the treatment and management of chronic illness, which might be a long-term concept — we have a lot of diabetic patients, we have a lot of cholesterol patients, we have a lot of people with hypertension.
    Hypertension is a real tricky area because nobody knows that they've got it. Because you can't feel it; you can't feel the fact that your blood pressure is, like, sky-high. Sometimes you can feel the medications; that's sometimes worse. And that's why they call hypertension the "silent killer," and that's why it's so important to be on top of your blood pressure numbers and to keep them under control.
    But I would make a distinction in terms of what we do between emergency care and primary care. Emergency care is, you can't breathe, you're unconscious — don't call and make an appointment, please. Call 911 and go straight to Henry Mayo (Newhall Memorial Hospital), and just go straight to the emergency room.

Signal: You're not like First Care. People don't just walk in and expect treatment right away.

Laymon: We're not an urgent-care facility. We're not set up to do that. That requires you to have certain kinds of equipment on board at the location, and certain kinds of specialties available. So we're not, at this point, set up to do that.

Signal: So if somebody wanted to come in for a flu shot or a physical or something like that —

Laymon: Please, yes. And one of the things that's real important in primary care is to keep track of your basic health status. It is important to keep track. Have a physical every couple of years, watch your weight, look at your lifestyle, watch your blood pressure numbers, monitor your cholesterol and pay attention to your family history.
    When you go into the doctor and he asks you all those dumb questions — what did your mother have? and, what did your grandmother have? — it's for a reason. A lot of those things do follow through in the family, so you do kind of need to be aware of that.

Signal: A lot of what you do is preventive medicine?

Laymon: Absolutely. That's the best thing.

Signal: Do you receive federal funding geared toward keeping people from ending up in the hospital?

Laymon: We have access to every single state and federal program that we can get our hands on, from the standpoint that we know that there are uninsured people and people with limited incomes.
    As we know, people — when we don't have a lot of money, we prioritize. You know, you have to have roof over your head, you have to have some food in the refrigerator, and you have to have gas in your car to go to work. And then you kind of cross your fingers., You don't go out and buy health insurance if your employer doesn't give it to you. You kind of cross your fingers and hope for the best. That's really where we come into play, a lot of times.

Signal: You mentioned referrals. Do you work with the patient to find a specialist who will provide service at a low cost?

Laymon: I will say that that's difficult, because a lot of times, to be honest, (with) many of our referrals, we do end up making that referral down to Olive View for specialty care. They're a big county hospital; that's what they're set up to do, and that's where it's also affordable — which, again, is a deterrent for many people. So yes, we'll work with the patient to make sure that referral will follow through, see that he or she gets to where they're supposed to be going, and then monitor the results afterward.

Signal: About your sliding-fee scale for the uninsured — what about people with lousy insurance?

Laymon: A really growing phenomenon is what we call the underinsured. Now, the way we state our mission is: Our mission is to serve the residents of Santa Clarita, especially those that are underserved. We define "underserved" to mean uninsured and underinsured. Because, you're right: That's a really big group of people.
    We know, for instance, in terms of the uninsured, that the 10 highest-growing, fastest-growing jobs in Los Angeles County do not have benefits. We also know that in Santa Clarita, we do have that same percentage as we do in the rest of the county — that is 25 percent. So we know that there are people out there who are not going to routinely be going to the doctor, that are going to be prioritizing other needs ahead of health care, because they do not have health insurance through their employer. Therefore, it becomes really important to have that affordable health care available for them. That's what we really exist to do.
    And then, the second group, which is as big, is people who only have limited health insurance that maybe covers them in terms of a major catastrophe — you get in a car accident or (have) a stroke or something like that — but what about a broken arm, a broken leg, an ear infection? Just things like that. They don't have health insurance that covers them for that. We would like to see them. We are here to help them.

Signal: Will you also serve people who have a fine job and plenty of health insurance?

Laymon: Absolutely. Just think of us as your friendly, neighborhood doctor here in Santa Clarita, because that's really what we're here to do.
    Again, if people have insurance, they will tend to go to a doctor under a particular plan, but we also see people who I would not call "economically disadvantaged" who don't have insurance.
    Small business owners — what you're thinking about, you've got (just) so much money starting your business, and we see a lot of growth in small businesses in this area. That is one of the first things people put off until later — purchasing health insurance for themselves — because they're thinking about their marketing, and they're thinking about their product, and they're thinking about their office and their paper supplies and stuff like that. And they'll say, "Never mind. I'll put off my health insurance until next year when I'm making a profit in my business."

Signal: How many people do you serve, and how big is your staff?

Laymon: Well, first of all, in terms of the number of people we provide services to: Last year, we provided close to 10,000 patient visits in Santa Clarita, and almost all are Santa Clarita residents. Our mission, again, is to serve Santa Clarita; we're not going to turn somebody away if they happen to come from Granada Hills or something like that; but again, the majority of our patients are from Santa Clarita.
    How big our staff is? We have a very small staff. I have to count on my fingers — I think we have 11 full-time equivalents. The one main provider, Michael out in Val Verde (and) three medical assistants; we just hired a new bookkeeper, who's just terrific — Michele Weber; we have a new administrative assistant, part-time, (who) is also terrific. We have Arlene who does our billing. And then we have our Canyon Country, staff which is Sylvia Sanchez, who's our lead medical assistant; Dr. Brian Downs, who works at both clinics but primarily in Canyon Country; and then Laura Valle and Claudia Vasquez. And that's the staff. So it's about an 11-person staff between the two clinics.
    It's really funny because nobody can take a day off during a time when they're assigned to be at the clinic because it's, like, "Oh my gosh, How are we going to do this?" Nobody can get sick. It's a policy we have. And nobody takes time off because we're so thin.

Signal: How do you accommodate people with, say, a low-paying job, who can't leave work during the day to go to the doctor?

Laymon: We know that people in those economic situations — they're going to put off going to the doctor anyway because they fear the cost, but then they're going to lose money if they're not at work. So what we do is, we're open every other Saturday in Val Verde, and then alternate Saturdays in Canyon (Country). So we're open every Saturday, one way or the other. We're open Friday mornings at 7:30 at both clinics, and Wednesday nights until 7 at both clinics; alternate Mondays because of the alternate Saturdays. That's how we try to get some flexibility for those people who are working.

Signal: Who is your average patient? Where, within the SCV, do they live, and what's their economic condition?

Laymon: Our average patient is somebody who is working, and they're at a minimum wage-type job. They probably have a rented apartment with maybe another family living in there. And they can live anywhere.
    This is a very interesting thing that we found out in Santa Clarita. The original design of the Santa Clarita Valley is really nice because we don't have a Watts, we don't have an East L.A., we don't have an impoverished area, really, in Santa Clarita. We have some areas where there are little pockets, and we can even tell they're certain census tracks, but it's funny because almost all the people we serve are what we call the "working poor." They're in that group where they're working, but they're just sort of barely making it. They're from all over the place. Very few patients that we serve aren't working. It's interesting. They're really struggling.

Signal: You mentioned, on staff, a number of Hispanic names. Are you full-service bilingual English-Spanish?

Laymon: Exactly. That has turned out to be really important for us — to have people who speak Spanish be comfortable coming to the doctor. Our staff is very fluent back and forth.

Signal: How did Cheryl Laymon get into this?

Laymon: I've been at not-for-profits my whole working career. I started out — I have a master's (degree) in social work and a master's in business administration. I started about 300 years ago in Wisconsin, working for community services, and ended up going to work of the United Way. (I) worked for the United Way in Milwaukee and Burlington.
    My husband's family is from here; (we) were always headed here. We got to Chicago and instead of turning right, we turned left. And anyway, we eventually we ended up out here, and I worked at a number of different charities. We've lived in Santa Clarita for about 18 years, and it was just sort of a fortuitous thing. I was contacted by one of the board members about eight years ago when the former executive was leaving. They wanted someone to fill in on an interim basis until they decided what they really wanted to do. And I said, that's great. It would be fun. I'd enjoy doing it. And I'm still there.

Signal: Tell us about the origins of the clinic.

Laymon: It goes back to Rev. Dixon, who was a minister at a church in Val Verde. Of course, back then, and even today ... as you well know, many people still don't know where Val Verde is. They think it is — I don't know where they think it is. And truth to tell, you really can't just jump in the car and by accident land in Val Verde. You've got to kind of know where you're going.
    Anyway, it was a little bit even more isolated, or a little more separated, even when Rev. Dixon was there. He decided that he wanted health care for the community, for his parishioners. He sensed this geographical isolation and separateness. ... He was interested in doing that, and he met with some people, and eventually a relationship was formed between Henry Mayo (Newhall Memorial) Hospital here, and Santa Monica Hospital. ... They provided the physicians, the residents; Henry Mayo provided the supplies — and actually, that's when Michael Gales became involved, because he was the coordinator for it.
    Through the years, Rev. Dixon offered this sort of health care actually in a room to the side of his church. And then, as things got more formalized through the years — and I believe he was involved with this the whole way, as they actually started the first clinic at a different (location) than where it is now, on Marvin Avenue.
    My understanding is that as they were getting ready to do all of this, that's when Rev. Dixon was in a car accident, and then the community that was working decided to name the clinic in his memory, and we kind of just went on from there.

Signal: Just like the community of Val Verde, your clinic is sort of a hidden secret. Do you want to drum up more business, or are your hands full with what you've got?

Laymon: We've got plenty to do, but we also know that there are people who need our services and don't know that we're there. So, it is a matter of trying to create that awareness, and as you and I were talking earlier, it's a common fact of life, I guess, that you don't think about where you're going to go the doctor until you actually have that need. If you're working and you're not making a lot of money, you put it off until you can't change your mind anymore. It's that kind of a thing. So we do try to create awareness.
    We work a lot with the other not-for-profits here in Santa Clarita. We try to get things in the newspaper ... as often as we can. (We) just try to keep that word out there. It's a never-ending effort. You've just got to keep doing, keep doing, keep doing, because they won't really think about it until they really need it, and then sometimes that's a problem.
    I'll give you a story of an example. There was a fellow who came in a couple of years ago — this is a story that I remember, that one of the providers told me about — and he had this terrible cut on his leg. It had been bandaged up, but it had gotten infected and the bandage was sticking to it, and it was just awful. So they said to him, "Why didn't you come in?" Because it was hurting him to take the old, rotten bandage off. And he said that he didn't want to leave work. And so he waited until he had no choice.

Signal: Many people who don't see a doctor regularly figure they'll simply go to the hospital emergency room if they get sick or injured. That's not always such a good idea, is it?

Laymon: No. It's not good from the standpoint of the emergency room staff. If they're tied up in situations that really aren't life-threatening, where you don't really need that highly trained, skilled emergency-room nurse and the emergency-room doctor — that could have been handled (by) your primary care doctor. And of course it's not good from the patient's standpoint, because (if) you go into the emergency room and it's not life-threatening, they're going to triage you and you're going to wait behind the life-threatening people. So you could be in a lot of pain, but they know you're going to eventually be OK. They're going to get to you, so you're going to wait.

Signal: Not to mention cost.

Laymon: It really isn't good to do that. It's not a good use of a person's time. It's not a good use of hospital resources.

Signal: For people at the high end of your sliding-fee scale — people for whom cost doesn't matter — how do your costs compare to other providers'?

Laymon: Our costs are still a little bit cheaper because we can do some consolidated purchasing through a cooperative we're a part of. And because we're not-for-profit.

Signal: Do you receive much funding from federal and state sources?

Laymon: I do want to say that we are very grateful to the Santa Clarita community for the support that we get. We have our little "Rubber Ducky Regatta" (fund-raiser), which has been chaired by Bob Hudson at the hospital and Roger Schnurr from Union Bank, which is just a funny and fun event. That has been a great fund-raiser for us. And now, on Jan. 22, we'll be the beneficiary for the Elks Lodge roast, and where Bob Hudson — poor Bob Hudson — I'm sure that's going to be a hilarious night.
    Quality of care, I will match us against absolutely anybody. Prices, we are going to be reasonable — and more reasonable, probably, than just a regular private clinic that doesn't have access to some of the funds that we have.

Signal: Do you have the flu vaccine?

Laymon: We have a limited supply. I should thank (The Signal) for helping last year, when we had a supply and then we ran out right away. We had those special sessions planned. We were going to hurry up and get the flu shots out to the people. We had one of them and we ran out of flu vaccine.
    Well, this year was a whole different ball game because of the crisis overseas and everything with getting the supply. We have a very limited supply right now. It is strictly for the really high-priority people — people with chronic illness, people over 65, and children. So, if you have access to your insurance provider, call him or her and see if they've got it. If not, call us and just see if you qualify as one of the high-priority groups. Unfortunately, that's all we've got at this point.

Signal: There have been reports that there might be an ample supply in the next few months. What have you heard?

Laymon: I just heard that myself, too. I have not received any official communication that we are going to be able to get any, at this point. ... I do not know for sure...

Signal: Where do people call you?

Laymon: Val Verde is 257-4008. Canyon Country is 424-1220.
    The Val Verde clinic is located at 30257 San Martinez Road; the Canyon Country clinic is located at 27225 Camp Plenty Road.

    See this interview in its entirety today at 8:30 a.m., and watch for another "Newsmaker of the Week" on Wednesday at 9:30 p.m. on SCVTV Channel 20, available to Comcast and Time Warner Cable subscribers throughout the Santa Clarita Valley.

©2005 SCVTV.
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Executive Decision

Decided to make an executive decision to not go rollerblading tonight.  It sounds like fun but the bugs will be out in full force at dusk and I don’t need that.  I can’t put on bug spray because I have to go to work – so guess it will have to wait for morning.  Bummer.

Think I’ll hit Subway up on my way into town – it is either that or Chinese food.  Subway is cheaper though so probably will go with that – besides, it sounds better to me.  I hope the bread is soft – last time it was crunchy hard.

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payday loans

A payay loan (also called a paycheck advance or payday advance) is a small, short-term loan that is intended to cover a borrower's expenses until his or her next payday. Typical loans are between $100 and $500 and are due in two weeks, with interest rates of up to 400% APR. On a two-week loan, fees average $15 for each $100 lent. The loans are also sometimes referred to as cash advances, though that term can also refer to cash provided against a prearranged line of credit such as a credit card.


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Illusion Confusion

Illusion Confusion

Streaming Video - 2013
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Brain Games reveals how optical illusions are a great way of showing the powerful mechanisms at work that allow your brain to perceive three dimensions, see around clutter and even see the future.
Publisher: [Place of publication not identified] : National Geographic Television & Film, [2013]
Copyright Date: ♭2013
Branch Call Number: EVIDEO ACCESSVID
Characteristics: 1 online resource (1 video file (25 min. sec.)) : sound, color

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Dun na Carraige in Salthill, Galway

  • £
  • $
From per week
sleeps 4
2 rooms
2 bathrooms

Key features

  • Luxury property
  • 3 min walk to the beach
  • Next door to Galway Golf Club
  • Wind surfing in Rusheen bay
  • Salthill promenade
  • Very close to Galway city

Dun na Carraige description

Dun na Carraige is a luxury apartment situated in the prestigious Dun na Carraige complex on the Salthill promenade and within walking distance of all amenities. Only a 3 minute walk to the beach and next door to Galway Golf Club

The apartment has 2 double bedrooms, one en-suite and one main bathroom.
It is on the ground floor and has a small garden/patio area with garden furniture for out door relaxing/dining.

Other amenities include Horse riding and wind surfing in Rusheen Bay (10 min walk), walking the famous Salthill promenade and soaking in the lively Salthill atmosphere. Then you have Galway city and what it has to offer in the summer month's, to name but a few, The Galway Race's, The Galway arts Festival, the lively streets and pubs such as Neactain's and the Dail Bar, if your one for Oysters, Galway is the place for you with The Galway Oyster festival and the list goes on and on.

Salthill has been a tourist destination since the early twentieth century. During the 1950s it was a hot spot for dance and show-bands, the most noticeable location being the Seapoint dance hall now a leisure centre.

The 1970s saw the introduction of a number of casinos and more leisure centres. Leisureland, having a fair ground, swimming pool and concert hall, became a huge attraction and brought in top bands such as U2, AC/DC and ZZ Top during the 1980s, as well as artists such as Morrissey in recent years. There was an annual airshow (up until 2007) where up to 100,000 people viewed the air display along with a public water safety and army demonstration.

In recent years, Salthill was a centre point for the 2009 Volvo Ocean Race, as well as the more recent Round-Ireland Powerboat race in 2010. During these events, stands were set up along the Prom selling a variety of goods. Throughout all the developments, Salthill's main attraction every year has been its promenade and numerous sandy beaches. Sathill having a clear blue sea along with a diving area located at Blackrock beach is popular with locals and tourists alike. Blackrock, having steps down to the sea, is used all year round regardless of the water temperature.
Local attractionsSalthill Beach, Ladies Beach, Palmer's Rock & Beach, Blackrock
Blackrock Diving & Viewing Tower
Leisureland - Popular local leisure center featuring a 25m swimming pool, a new gym, a Pitch and Putt course and, in the summer months, a fun fair park.
Palmer's Rock scuba diving, boat and jet ski slip way.
Salthill, Claude's and Caesar Palace Casinos
Atlantic Aquarium (Galway Atlantaquaria) - National Aquarium of Ireland featuring many exhibits including Valentine, the world's only White Skate in captivity, born on February 14, 2004.
Salthill Park and Bandstand
Seapoint Leisure Center
Salthill Hotel Galway and Ocean Fitness Leisure center

Beach Rentals

Beside Salthill beach.

Golf Holiday Accommodation

On the doorstep of the 18 hole championship Galway Golf Club.

  • Bars nearby
  • Beach very close
  • Central heating included
  • Close to sea
  • DVD
  • Dishwasher
  • Downstairs WC
  • Downstairs bathroom
  • Downstairs bedroom
  • Drying machine
  • Easy walking access
  • Enclosed garden / patio
  • Family friendly
  • Golf
  • Golf nearby
  • Good for couples
  • Ground floor bedroom
  • Horse riding
  • Linen included
  • Microwave
  • Nature walks
  • Open all year
  • Oven
  • Parking
  • Relaxation
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Sunday, January 25, 2009

Sonya's Selvage Wall Panels

Sonya of Ballarat, Australia made these three padded wall panels with selvages. You really should read her story on her blog: She came to love the look of selvages a long time ago when her Grandmother left the selvage on some cupboard curtains. She told Sonya that the fabric was too expensive to throw any of it away.

Does Ballarat, Australia sound familiar? Yes, that's where Jodie of Vintage Ric Rac fame lives. She's the creator of that amazing selvage dress that I keep a photo of on the sidebar. About 16 quilt bloggers in the Ballarat area got together for a picnic recently. Of course, it's nice and warm there right now. They had such a blast. You can read about it on all the blogs! Jodie links to all of them, so if you have lots of time, visit:

1 comment:

Sonya said...

Thanks Karen for your lovely words. As fashions change and come around again, hopefully fabric will always have selvedge, to help us remember the colours and patterns that once fitted beautifully into our lives. My moto is that selvedge isn't the end of the fabric, it's just the beginning.
Cheers, and keep up the good work, celebrating craft and sewing 'on the edge'.


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Classic Fermi Questions

This site works out the solutions to the questions, &amp;amp;amp;quot;How many Piano tuners are there in NY City?&amp;amp;amp;quot; and &amp;amp;amp;quot;how many jelly beans fit into a 1 liter bottle?&amp;amp;amp;quot;

This description of a site outside SERC has not been vetted by SERC staff and may be incomplete or incorrect. If you have information we can use to flesh out or correct this record let us know.

Subject: Mathematics
Resource Type: Activities:Classroom Activity, Problem Set
Special Interest: Quantitative
Grade Level: High School (9-12), College Lower (13-14)
Quantitative Skills: Estimation, Problem Solving


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The “Other” Chakras: Body and Transpersonal Chakras

Now that we have made our way through the “main” seven chakras, let us remind ourselves that those are not the only chakras we have in our body or energy system.  Those seven chakras are just the ones you hear talked about the most, and that is for good reason.  These seven chakras have a great affect on our body and subtle energy systems.  But, now, let us take some time to talk about some of the other chakras located throughout your body.

Other Chakras on the Body

One of the most well known chakras outside the core seven are the ones located on the palms of your hands.  These are the chakras that you use to feel, send and receive energy.  Energy healers will use these chakras to send energy to help align and heal the subtle energy bodies.  Hand chakras get exposed to a lot of everyday “wear and tear” and once you know about these chakras, you might find yourself paying closer attention to what you do with your hands throughout the day.  You may also notice when you feel a need to wash your hands even though they may not necessarily be dirty – maybe it is really your energy centers that need to be cleaned!

We have also briefly already mentioned the “higher” heart charka which is located just above the heart chakra and vibrates to that pink color.  There are also a variety of chakras similar to this around the body that are close to another chakra and have a similar resonance but a slightly higher and different frequency.  I do not have much experience with these chakras and have not found them particularly significant in my work, but one day they may be.

Then there are the chakras located at the bottom of your feet.  These chakras get easily closed off with our modern society because we like to wear shoes – particularly shoes with rubber soles which make it hard for us to feel the energy in the earth and bring that vibrational frequency into our body.  You may hear people talk about “earthing” or “grounding” where you step on the earth – grass not concrete – without your shoes on to re-connect with the planet and ground your energy.  It is these feet chakras that you are using to push your energy out and pull energy up.  A fun little experiment I have undertaken is to go on a walk without shoes on and see how charged up you can get your feet chakras.  Don’t do this too often though or you will find your feet and legs aching because we have de-conditioned our feet by wearing shoes so they are not as strong as they were in centuries past when footwear wasn’t such a big trend.

Transpersonal Chakras

I have a great fascination with what some new-age types call transpersonal chakras.  These are the chakras located above and below the seven main chakras.  If you study different systems you will find different names and locations for each of these chakras.  Some individuals claim their are five additional chakras while others say there are fourteen.  Instead of giving you a full review, which you can do for yourself by just googling this information, I will tell you what I have found to be true in my work with these chakras.

First, I have noticed that these chakras only open up when your seven main chakras are all opened and aligned.  Specifically, the root and crown chakra need to be open for the chakras above and beneath your body to open as well.  It feels like once the crown chakra is open then the chakra above this has the power to open and evolve as well, same with the root chakra.

In terms of numbers, you will find some individuals who say that there are seven upper and seven lower chakras that correspond with the seven main chakras of the energy system.  I have not found this to be the case.  What I can feel is that there are four chakras located above the crown chakra and ascending higher.  Below the root chakra I have seen five chakras, one more than above the crown chakra.  For simplicity sake I call the ones below the root chakra “sub”-chakras and the ones above the crown chakra “supra”-chakras.  So there are five sub-chakras and four-supra chakras.  And to reiterate, this is just my findings.  I have had a difficult time finding sources that correspond with what I “see” and “feel”.

With these sub and supra-chakras, I have found some connection between the two.  When watching them open over time (and it does take time for these guys to open) it appears that first one will open and then the corresponding lower or upper chakra will open.  For example, let us say that we are looking at the chakra system of an individual whose seven main chakras are aligned, opened and balanced.  Then, let us say we look above their seven main chakras and see their first two “supra” chakras are also open while the remaining two supra-chakras are closed.  To correspond with this the individual’s first sub-chakra will be open and their second sub-chakra will be in a transitional state – working its way from closed to open.  Their remaining three sub-chakras will be closed.

So in this way an individual can work to open up their supra and sub-chakras one level at a time slowly advancing up and ascending down.

If you look for information on these chakras you will see that some individuals call the one above your crown chakra your Soul Star Chakra and the one below your root chakra your Earth Star Chakra.  The lower chakras that I term sub-chakras are also called sub-personal chakras by some individuals.

So what do these chakras actually do?  From my experience these chakras are about experiencing a greater sense of connection to the divinity while also manifesting into existence your material desires.  Those supra-chakras, those are your connection to “the other side”, to the dimensions beyond this one, to the energy levels and vibrational frequencies that are difficult for our human bodies to perceived.  Those sub-chakras, those are your access to manifesting your spiritual ideals into the earthly environment.  Of taking your divine ideas and inspired thoughts and creating a physical manifestation from them.

And, let us be honest, I have not found many individuals who have these chakras open and aligned.  Only by peeking in (I know, totally not always considered ethical) on the chakras of some well-known psychics and mediums have I seen individuals whose supra and sub-chakras were opened or opening.  It feels like this is the realm of the healer, the psychic and the priest whose work opening up to the divine is at the forefront of their consciousness.

How about you, have you had any experience with chakras outside the seven main chakra system?  What is your view of transpersonal chakras?

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Tuesday, July 14, 2015

Christmas in July: Ornamental Splendor

We're kicking off Christmas in July here at Sew in Love with Fabric! This week we'll be showcasing our new holiday collections, and next week we'll be hosting a blog hop of holiday-themed tutorials.

Next up is Allison Hayward's Ornamental Splendor:

These prints are full of elegance: red, black, cream and dark green florals, ornaments, reindeers, and coordinates.

And a panel of blocks of gorgeous silhouettes:

Here's the Christmas Cabin quilt pattern designed by Heidi Pridemore:

Here's the Splendid Joy quilt and table runner pattern designed by Tailormade by Design:

Click here to see the entire collection
Click here to find the free quilt patterns

Love It? Share It! Facebook Twitter Google Pinterest Email

  1. I have been trying to download "Christmas Cabin" but all I get is the picture

    1. Anonymous, we don't have a way to contact you, but if you leave your contact info here, or email us, we can email you the pdf. Thanks!

    2. thank you


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Is it a scam?

The popular thing on Facebook right now is an innocent idea to change your profile picture to your favorite cartoon to support NSPCC. This has been said to be false and that it is a scam to help pedophiles pick out children on Facebook by seeing who uses a recent cartoon profile picture. Here is the group of 90 000 people who support this campaign:!/pages/Change-your-profile-picture-to-a-cartoon-character-campaign/165469550157097?v=wall

Support maybe a strong word to use now as they are asking for the creator to come out and identify himself so that they can prove that he or she is or is not a pedophile.

“This Page Is Not A Pedophile Page Its Just Lots Of People Abused This Page That Made Issues World Wide”

This is what the creator posted in his defense. I am not here to say he or she is or is not a pedophile due to the fact that I simply do not know who it is. I will say this though, the NSPCC charity has more than likely received a huge boost in funds simply due to the fact that this campaign, whoever it was made by, raised a ton of awareness. It’s on the news, facebook and everyone’s mind. The fact that this group could have potentially been made by a pedophile could tarnish the whole campaign but, regardless it did achieve its goal.

That is to say as long as no children were a victim to this campaign and it did just increase funds along with awareness for the cause across social medias.

They received free mass advertising across the most accessed medium: social media. As an organization they should be thrilled, due to the fact that any organization would. Most would spend millions for this type of exposure. Look at Burger kings, delete 10 friends and get a free whopper. They too tried to use this medium but did not have the same success that this campaign is having.


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When I began this exercise in class, I had a coughing fit and had to step as an integral step was being explained. By the time I returned, I was completely lost.confused

After attempting to rush in order to catch up, I began making several mistakes and altering the html code beyond recognition. This resulted in me being even more confused than I was initially after returning to class. Eventually, I just gave up as the class period was ending. I recognized that the confusion was merely a result of getting lost in the steps and that in order to move forward, I would have to go back and rework the code from the beginning.

As I sat at home and redid the exercise, it became obvious that my hunch about beginning again was a correct one. Completing the exercise took approximately 30 minutes. I effectively went from this sad piece of html-ing…

A screenshot of the original html code.

To this beautiful piece of art, albeit, I still can’t figure out why the Black Goose logo will not show itself. (Will add picture when I figure out why the cropped image won’t save.)

After doing the coding on my own, I recognize that it is not as hard as it initially seemed. I also recognize that being able to concentrate on the actual code is of utmost importance. As a person who tends to be easily distracted, I found being, almost forced, to pay attention to the code itself to be oddly meditative.

I plan to continue coding.

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Nite all…zzzzzzzzzz

“Off to bed?”

“Too pooped” she said.

“No knew insight?”

“None tonight.”

“Words of Wisdom?”

“Come to the Kingdom!”

“Know what channel NCIS is on?”

“Your brain is fn gone!”

3 thoughts on “Nite all…zzzzzzzzzz

  1. Sheeeeeet!!!! I left a comment here last night! Where is it??
    Now this is freaky!

    Anyway, I said sth like “just go to sleep already!!!!!! Lol!! Your brain is already at another level.”

Comments are closed.


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Shelagh Interviewed by Charles Donovan for The Huffington Post

Back in 2005 journalist Charles Donovan wrote a fascinating piece on Shelagh for the Independent newspaper. It was that article that inadvertently ended up bringing Shelagh back to us. The piece raised interest in Shelagh at a time when her music was being re-issued, and the story was picked up by the Scottish press. Now nine years after writing that article, Charles Donovan got to interview Shelagh about her return, and the new music she has been working on. The interview can be read on the Huffington Post.
1005087_1378156979070400_1758712564_n ret

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Talented tootsies, gals, lassies and other such sweet things…tracks from Beach House, Marina, Agnes Obel, Paloma Faith, Amy MacDonald and Angus & Julia Stone

with 2 comments

Looking for an apt title to headline a piece about a collection of female singer-songwriters, I happened upon the following synonyms for the word ‘female’: babe, bimbo, dame, dish, doll, floozy, moll and skirt. I just didn’t feel quite right describing such talented and respectable artists as Paloma Faith and Julia Stone as ‘skirts’, so I opted for the slightly less Dickensian and more Gaelic ‘lassie’ and ‘tootsie’…a reference which in no way implies any similarities to the work or wardrobe of Dustin Hoffman. Just so that we’re clear.

Beach House is a dream pop duo consisting of Victoria Legrand and Alex Scally. Legrand hails from France and Scally from Baltimore, US. The duo’s fourth studio album, ‘Bloom’ was released in May 2012 to critical acclaim, following 2010’s ‘Teen Dream’ which has been described as one of the best albums of its year. I have highlighted new album track ‘Lazuli’ below.

Marina And The Diamonds released the follow-up to debut album ‘The Family Jewels’ a couple of weeks ago; ‘Electra Heart.’ ‘Power & Control’ is the second track to be released from the record, which is performing brilliantly in the UK Album Chart. To be fair, there isn’t one weak track to be heard on the album, so it deserved to do well. This is probably my favourite record of the year so far.

I am loving the new high-gloss, high-drama TV series Revenge on E4. I’m not usually a fan of such things (90210, One Tree Hill, The O.C.) as they pretty much bleed in to each other plot-wise. You could accidentally sit on the remote as you reach for your Chipsticks, switch over half-way through and not realise you had actually scooted over the short coastal distance from Beverly Hills to Newport Beach and the cast had all aged about 20 years. Revenge however has the edge…maybe that’s because it’s set on the East Coast? It has a great cast, an addictive plot sequence and very importantly for me, an exciting musical soundtrack.

Agnes Obel‘s track, ‘Avenue’, featured on the pilot episode of Revenge and had a big impact. The track is taken from the Danish singer-songwriter’s debut album ‘Philharmonics’ which was released in September, 2010. Album track ‘Riverside’ has also featured on the hit series; Obel is obviously a personal favourite of the music supervisor.

Paloma Faith released her second album ‘Fall To Grace’ last week; an album which was preceded by the single ‘Picking Up the Pieces.’ The track is Faith’s highest charting single to date. I also really like ‘Just Be’ which Faith performed on Later…with Jools Holland recently. It is surprising and slightly irksome to her followers that Faith hasn’t yet enjoyed the same level of notoriety as some of her peers, particularly Stateside, but I think that this is all set to change with this album.

Amy MacDonald released her third studio album today (June 11th, 2012), ‘Life In A Beautiful Light.’ The album has already garnered several positive comments from the music press and Perez Hilton no less. The album follows in much the same vein as ‘This Is The Life’ and ‘A Curious Thing’, but possesses perhaps a more rose-tinted lyrical glow. MacDonald is no less fiesty in her subject matter, but everything certainly seems to be blooming in her world. Good for her.

Angus and Julia Stone for those who are not in the know, are a brother-sister folk duo from Sydney, Australia. They formed the band in 2005 and have since gone on to release two studio albums, the most recent of which was ‘Down The Way’ in 2010. I re-discovered ‘Hold On’ whilst watching Revenge last week. Angus and Julia are both working on solo projects at the moment, so I don’t think that we can expect any new music anytime soon. / / / / /

shelleyhanveywriter 🙂

Written by shelleyhanveywriter

June 11, 2012 at 4:29 pm

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  1. I am absolutely in love With Electra Heart and Fall to Grace at the moment, they’re just such great records and Marina and Paloma are brilliant songwriters. Also I had no idea Amy MacDonald had a new album out, thanks for the heads up. I’m also loving Angus and Julia Stone, I came to them through their cover of You’re the One That I Want which is on the Sky advert at the moment (at least I think it’s Sky). Adverts are such a great way of finding brilliant music!

    Summer Grant

    June 13, 2012 at 7:56 pm

  2. I just miss Beth Jeans Houghton And The Hooves Of Destiny, but i love everyone less Paloma that i will go listen soon, and Really Agnes is my favorite Singer, she is a genius, angus and julia stone is my favorite band, and im loving the solo works, ‘by the horns’ is a perfect album by julia, and ‘broken brights’ is genius… very good article 😀

    Jardel Rodrigues F.

    July 4, 2012 at 1:28 pm

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David Rothrock

Early next month, World’s Stage presents a program of short works by Samuel Beckett. The World’s Stage has been asked to work with students at Pius XI High School on a Theatre of the Absurd project which will include shorts by Beckett. Works on th.. more

Nov 19, 2015 12:00 PM Theater

Adam Rapp’s drama Red Light Winter returns to the stage of the Alchemist Theatre this montha return to a production which had its run tragically cut short due to a random act of violence against a member of its cast. Staged this time in winter, .. more

Jan 27, 2011 4:42 PM Theater

Things rarely happen as expected. And sometimes the run of a show is cut short. Youngblood Theatre’s production of Red Light Winter at the Alchemist Theatre was cut a bit short by an act of violence that shook-up things for the veteran fledgling.. more

Jan 3, 2011 10:59 PM Theater

Until his double-disc eighth album, Killer , went platinum two years ago, Kansas City hardcore rapper Tech N9ne struggled for recognition outside of underground circles. N9ne’s commercial success has only further catalyzed the more

Sep 17, 2010 12:00 AM Today in Milwaukee 1 Comments

It's been over a week since I've returned from outdoor theatre ins Spring Green, Wisconsin. The allergic congestion and subsequent inner ear infection have cleared from my head long enough to start speculating on the new Youngblood show . . .Ve.. more

Jul 1, 2010 11:26 AM Theater

Renée Fleming is one of the most glamorous and renowned opera stars in the world. Now at t Capriccio ,Classical Music/Dance more

Apr 28, 2009 12:00 AM Classical Music

Already on track to be 2009’s most notorious train wreck, Chris Cornell’s latest album, Scream, pairs the one-time Soundgarden wailer with Top 40 hitmaker (and rockist lightning rod) Timbaland. It quickly earned the expected derision from b... more

Apr 17, 2009 12:00 AM Today in Milwaukee

I’m going to see a play from the late 18th century, so I’m a bit surprised to see the stage. The atmosphere in UWM’s studio theatre feels very distinctly 1980’s. The floor is painted in a black and white checkerboard. Clothes bearing bright, prima.. more

Apr 3, 2009 4:00 AM Theater

For his 2008 documentary Revue, which screens for free tonight as part of the UWM Union Th Revue ,Today in Milwaukee more

Feb 17, 2009 12:00 AM Today in Milwaukee 1 Comments

Between all the scattered jazz festivals around the region and the Thursday evening Jazz Army of Darkness ,Today in Milwaukee more

Aug 2, 2008 12:00 AM Today in Milwaukee 1 Comments


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Scallop Shower Flowers!

Try saying that three times! I’m still trying to catch up from my daughter’s wedding in October and am way behind in posting some of the pics of projects I made.  I love the way the centerpieces turned out that I made for Lindsey’s shower.

Wedding Shower Centerpiece and Favor

It was a whole lot of scallop punching, but totally worth the end result!  These cute flowers are so easy to make.  Punch out eight scallops using Stampin’ Up!’s 1-3/4″ Scallop Circle Punch (four from cardstock and four from our lighter weight Designer Series Paper). Stack them every other (cardstock, DSP, cardstock, etc.). They don’t have to be lined up perfectly, you actually get a  better effect if they are scattered every which way in the stack. Punch a hole in the center of your stack with your paper piercer and insert a brad to hold it together.  Then beginning with your top scallop just start scrunching them up towards the center, until you have done the last one on the bottom, then fluff it out. Cool huh!  I did a catrillion of these while watching my favorite reality shows on tv.  I made four centerpieces for the shower using a variety of Stampin’ Up! colors based mainly around Elegant Eggplant and Old Olive throwing in some lighter purples and vanilla. The pots were made of paper mache and purchased at my local craft store. I painted them with green acrylic paint and brushed on some gold highlights with my gold ink pad, allowed them to dry overnight and then brushed on a coat of clear modge podge to seal in the paint and dress up the pots up a bit. I then inserted a styrofoam ball into each pot and adhered the flowers to the styrofoam using sticky strip and a glue gun on a light temp. If your glue is too hot it will melt the styrofoam. In the top corner of the arrangement you will find a cute little bird that was stamped again using the Punched Potpourri stamp set and then punched out with Stampin’ Up!’s exclusive 2-Step Bird Punch. I punched two of them out and glued them back to back on a piece of wire and inserted it into the arrangement. I then added ribbon and a small bunch of glass grapes to keep up with Lindsey’s vineyard wedding theme.  We were able to use these arrangements again at the wedding on 2 tables in the entry way of the mansion reception room, one in the ladies room to dress it up a bit on the counter, and one on the gift table.

Just a little share….

Wedding Shower Napkins - So Vintage!

 I found these beautiful napkins for the shower also at my local craft store. They are from the Paula Deen Collection. You would think that Paula herself had coordinated with Stampin’ Up! to make these beauties! They match our Vintage Vogue stamp set which I used to make Lindsey’s shower invites and wedding invitations. See the little birds on the napkin? That’s what inspired me to add one to the centerpieces.

The prizes for the shower were made with cute little heart jars that I found at a local craft store and filled with purple M&M’s. I then stamped a heart and flower from the Punched Potpourri Level 1 Hostess stamp set and punched them out using Stampin’ Up!’s coordinating Heart and Boho Blossom punches. I adhered them with sticky strip to keep them intact. The ribbon I used is a retired Stampin’ Up! organdy ribbon I kept on hand because I love them so much. Unfortunately it is no longer available for purchase. Hint, Hint to Stampin’ Up! to please bring back the organdy ribbon!  I will be posting the wedding invitation as soon as I can get a good pic of it, so be sure to check back in later!

Published in: on November 19, 2010 at 10:44 am  Comments (2)
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2 CommentsLeave a comment

  1. I just found your blog. Would love to win a gift pack. Can’t wait to see more of your ideas. You are so creative.

  2. Howdy! I just wish to offer you a huge thumbs up for the great
    information you’ve got right here on this post. I am coming back to your web site for more soon.

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One Of Us 4x6 Double Picture Frame

choose another story

Someday, the light will shine like a sun through my skin & they will say, What have you done with your life? & though there are many moments I think I will remember, in the end, I will be proud to say, I was one of us.

• Classic work from

more cool stuff you can get with this story...


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HIPPIE GLAM ring large Grey Moonstone

( incl. VAT, excl. shipping costs )
delivery time approx.: 6-8 weeks
Size chart

18K white Gold
grey Moonstone 18.0ct
Gestome size 22x18mm

Beautiful lustrous grey moonstone set in white gold. The moonstone is characterized by its white sheen over the surface, when moving the gemstone. A large cabochon gemstone is always a classic and the HIPPIE GLAM ring features in most comfortable design even a large cab.


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Gerry Watson, You Crazy Fuck: Final Thoughts On HSBC

I Cannot Believe Tears Were Not Shed

Once everyone got over Patty Reed’s use of ‘faggot’,  the WGC HSBC in Shanghai turned out to be a pretty decent tournament.  In a field full of big names that are not Phil or Tiger, Bubba Watson battled 54 hole leader Graeme McDowell, reigning U.S. Open Champ Martin Kaymer, top ten machine Rickie Fowler, and short knocking-long putter wielding Tim Clark to capture his first WGC title. How he did it is what made viewers drop their jaws (if they stayed up all night to watch).

Watson made his way to the back nine with the lead. With two par 5s and a driveable par 4 still on his plate, the tournament looked to be Bubba’s to lose. He tried to do just that. Watson made a bogey at the 13th thanks to hitting his tee ball in the drink. Then he bogied the 276 yard par four 16th hole when he laid up and made a mess of things with his wedges. He took two shots to get out of the bunker at 17 and made double. Trailing a group at 10 under, Bubba knew he needed to do something at 18 to give himself a chance. His colossal drive was a great start, but another poor iron shot from 220 left him in the bunker left of the green. His third shot follows:

Holy shit! That’s an early nomination for Shot of the Year. Doing that after playing his previous two holes like a jerkoff is amazing, and a bit lucky. A birdie was mandatory to join the leaders a shot in front of him. Still, odds were that one of those players would have made birdie on the closing par 5 to get to 11 under. Bubba’s eagle guaranteed his spot in a playoff. Then Timmy Clark joined him by wedging his 3rd shot close and making a clutch putt.

Clark and Watson played together all day, then they dropped Rickie Fowler off and and went back to the 18th tee to start sudden death. Oddly, both hit nearly identical shots as they had in regulation to get near the green. Clark missed his birdie putt from further away this time. Watson’s bunker shot wasn’t in the same world as the one he holed for eagle. He left himself about 25 feet for a four.

Unbelievable. Gerry told the Golf Channel that the putt was on a similar line as his bunker shot 40 minutes early. The fact that he and caddie Ted Scott learned something from the previous bunker shot means that Ted earned his 7% this week (although he does every week looping for this nut job). Watson is now 4-1 for his career in playoffs. That’s really fucking impressive for someone who is as jittery as he is. His only loss is off course the 2010 PGA at Whistling Straights in which he dumped his approach shot in the drink at the 18th hole and handed the Wanamaker trophy to Martin Kaymer.

The Field

The diminutive Tim Clark was out driven by Bubba Watson by 75 yards on the first playoff hole. He had no business being in the playoff, but his accuracy and stellar wedge play say otherwise. Clark of course is a 1 time winner on tour that has 13 runner up finishes, including today’s. He didn’t lose today, Watson beat him, but Clark must feel snake bitten knowing how close he was again. Hey, at least he was rocking a sweet ‘stache for Movember.

When he took his cap off he looked like a James Bond villain.  Clark also knows that he’s got less than 14 months to keep making money at this kind of clip. His long wand will be banned on January 1, 2016, and he claims he can’t use a conventional putter thanks to a defect in how his wrists bend. I’m sure he’ll come up with some modified way to yield the flat stick, but that doesn’t guarantee future millions in earnings.

As for everybody else, they all had their chances. Asian Tour player Hiroshi Iwata contended through the final hole of the HSBC. The Golf Channel did a nice job telling us how a win in this event could change his life. It would have sent him to the Masters, given him tour status, and qualified him for future WGC events. That’s like a winning lottery ticket right there for the taking. Sadly for Iwata, his game didn’t hold up under the pressure of the final holes. His 3 birdies in the first 5 holes of the closing nine got him into contention, but his game looked like he knew what was at stake over the last 4 holes.

Kaymer, Fowler, and GMac were the other names in play in Shanghai. Each of them made critical mistakes to end their bids to win over the final holes. Rickie erred by finding the drink on 18 on his 2nd shot. Kaymer rinsed his 3rd at the 18th. And GMac couldn’t hit it close enough to give himself any legit chances at birdies. He only made one birdie for the entire final round.

What The Fuck?

Once Bubba had the trophy and the pictures were all taken, the 18th green cleared and shit got weird. Ten to twelve Asian chicks took the stage to perform some kind of cultural dance. The image below is from the pre-tournament press event that was put on by the sponsor, but it looked a bit like this.

I’m sure this is very common in other cultures, but I sat and watched the Golf Channel close its broadcast with this image on the screen as the camera panned away. It made me think, what if after the green jacket was presented Augusta National brought out the Laker Girls to shake their tits and asses, or something along those lines. I don’t even know what the chicks in Shanghai were doing on that green, but it looked odd to me. There were balls on strings and intricate footwork, what did it all mean? I’m clueless.

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New Book: Queer Sexualities in Early Film

51NMx0RliGL._SX321_BO1,204,203,200_Queer Sexualities in Early Film: Cinema and Male-Male Intimacy.

I am proud to announce that the above title has now been published (in the UK) by I. B. Tauris, and is the culmination of six years of work on the homosexual and homosocial in films of America and Europe from 1912 through to 1934.

From the back cover:

Since the publication of Vito Russo’s seminal study The Celluloid Closet in 1981, much has been written about the representation of queer characters on screen. Until now, however, relatively little attention has been paid to how queer sexualities were portrayed in films from the silent and early sound period. By looking in detail at a succession of recently-found films and revisiting others, Shane Brown examines images of male-male intimacy, buddy relationships and romantic friendships in European and American films made prior to 1934, including Different from the Others and All Quiet on the Western Front. He places these films within their socio-political and scientific context and sheds new light on how they were intended to be viewed and how they were actually perceived. In doing so, Brown offers his readers a unique insight into a little known area of early cinema, queer studies and social history.

Shane Brown offers a critical and much needed addition to the fields of film history and queer studies. He brings to light a range of films and reads them through their historical moment. In the process he gives definition and depth of understanding to the way that homosexuality and the homosocial have been perceived historically both in the European and American cinemas of the early twentieth century. –Michael Hammond, Associate Professor of Film History, University of Southampton”

Shane Brown s Queer Sexualities in Early Film: Cinema and Male-Male Intimacy is a fine addition to an expanding canon of volumes which explore the covert history of queer cinema. Brown is effectively a detective opening up commentary on the roots of non-traditional masculinity in film well beyond queer cinema. –Lindsay Coleman, film and television academic at the University of Melbourne and Editor of Sex and Storytelling in Modern Cinema (I.B.Tauris, 2015).”

Films discussed in the book include Different from the Others, Vingarne, Sex in Chains, Michael, Wings (1927), the Collegian series of short films, Algie the Miner, Les Resultats des Feminisme, Brown of Harvard, All Quiet on the Western Front, The Mask of Fu Manchu, The Monster, The Most Dangerous Game, White Zombie, A Florida Enchantment, Parisian Love, Tom Brown of Culver, Tom Brown’s Schooldays (1916), Behind the Front, Shoulder Arms, Westfront 1918, and more.

The Wonders of Pablo Records

Most people with any knowledge or love of jazz will agree that the late 1920s through to the early 1940s was the first golden age of jazz, and that the 1950s was jazz‘s second coming, with the genre branching out into disparate and yet linked sub-genres such as be-bop, cool, west coast jazz and the resurgence of the big band. But what is generally forgotten or, perhaps, under-estimated, was what I would suggest was jazz‘s third golden age: the 1970s.

The 1960s was a tough time for many jazz artists and many jazz fans. Older statesmen of the genre seemed to lose direction, with big bands such as Basie and Ellington often making albums of current pop songs or short, simple arrangements of standards. Ella Fitzgerald ended up without a permanent contract, resulting in some unlikely albums for Capitol and Reprise. Meanwhile, acid jazz came to the fore, but was hardly the most accessible form of jazz. Yes, there were some fine albums recorded during the decade but as the 1960s progressed, jazz got lost in a milieu of a lack of ambition and direction and an overdose of pretension.

But then, in the early 1970s, Norman Granz came to the rescue. Granz had been behind the idea of taking jazz to the concert hall in the 1940s with his Jazz at the Philharmonic concerts, and he was champion of the jam session. He liked to sit a group of musicians in a studio or on a stage and light the touchpaper to see what happened. In 1972, he recorded a concert in Santa Monica, which he released as “Jazz at the Santa Monica Civic.” The concert was billed as a Basie/Ella Fitzgerald show, but Granz had some surprises up his sleeve, and presented the audience not just with the main stars of the evening, but also a revival of the JATP format, bringing out guest stars such as Stan Getz, Harry Edison, Roy Eldridge and Oscar Peterson for a number of jams. The show lasted nearly three hours (all of which is now available on CD) and signalled the birth of Pablo records – the finale is below:

Pablo records, for me, is the 3rd golden age of jazz. Pablo was not concerned with nurturing new talent, but bringing the old guard back to doing what they did best. Granz pulled together a great roster of talent, including Basie, Ellington, Fitzgerald, Joe Pass, Sarah Vaughan, Oscar Peterson, Dizzy Gillespie, Zoot Sims and more. All were viewed in the early 1970s as well past their prime, but the recordings they made for Pablo show something different altogether, and the label went on to win multiple Grammy awards.

Pablo is well-known for two things. Firstly, a succession of some of the most awful album covers ever created:

And, secondly, reiterating the old saying that you should never judge a book by its cover. The big band albums aside, the key element of Pablo recordings was the notion of improvisation and spontaneity. Granz would get a group of musicians together and let them just jam on a batch of songs, often recording a whole album in just a couple of hours. The results are some of the greatest and most under-rated jazz albums ever recorded.

Granz was always keen at Pablo on mixing things up, trying combinations of musicians that would never normally come together. Ella Fitzgerald’s voice was sounding rather ragged and harsh in 1973, but Granz put her in that most exposed of environments: the guitar/vocal duo. The result, the first of four albums with Joe Pass, is regarded as one of her finest hours. Count Basie and Oscar Peterson were pianists with wildly differing styles. Basie was the most economic of all players, using as few notes as possible to make his solos, whereas Peterson was a virtuoso of the keyboard, often using more notes in five minutes than Basie would in an hour. But, again, Granz pulled them together for a series of albums that are remarkable in their musicianship and entertainment. Many of the albums for the label were live efforts, with Ella Fitzgerald (as an example), being recorded in a live setting in 1972, 1974, 1975, 1977, 1979 and 1983. In 1977 Granz virtually took over the Montreux festival and released a staggering fourteen albums from the event (and I may have missed some). He also used the label as a way of releasing tapes that he had recorded up to three decades earlier, allowing for new material by long-gone greats such as Art Tatum, Lester Young and John Coltrane.

Perhaps because of their look, the Pablo albums are almost unknown today outside of the jazz world. Ella’s Verve catalogue is still well-known, and yet much of it sounds square compared to the records she made in her twilight years for Pablo. Pablo’s product wasn’t progressive, forward-thinking jazz, and some afficianados might even call it conservative, but for me jazz has never been about intellect and challenging music, but having a great time. Pablo’s output was brilliantly accessible music, and wonderfully played by the great masters who managed to end their careers on a high thanks to Granz’s willingness to let them get on with their craft and do what they did best. Most of the albums have been released on CD through the Fantasy label.

So, here’s a toast to the wonders of the Pablo label, and jazz‘s 3rd, little-known, golden age.


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Some Rough Days

The Boy has been having some rough days at school this week.  Lots of talk about people being absent from school, and students who have “left” school and may never come back.  None of it is true, but he has emotional reactions to these “events” and we are left to try to figure out what is at the heart of it. Add that to lots of perseveration on his favorite topics, and anyone can see he’s anxious about something.

His teacher emailed me the other day commenting that he seems to let one small correction bother him, and then add real infractions to ensure he gets “punished” or sent home, or some judgement that seems worthy in his mind.  I let her know that this is a common occurrence at home, as well.  Yesterday, I could tell she was frustrated because her email started with “Another bad morning today…” at 10:07am. Rather than respond, I let it ride. She’s young, and doesn’t seem to have the patience the job requires all the time.  Maybe she just needed to vent. I wanted to remind her of Rule Number 1: Behavior = Communication, but I didn’t.  People don’t like it when you tell them how to do their jobs.

And sometimes he’s just crabby… Kiddos on the spectrum are allowed to have emotions, too.

I’m not sure what’s going on with The Boy, but he seemed much happier yesterday afternoon than he has been in about a week.  I hope that whatever has triggered this latest round of rough days has resolved itself, but only time will tell.  The Boy and I did talk yesterday evening, and I got the sense that we had turned a corner.

Sometimes we figure it out, and sometimes we let it ride and walk on eggshells for a bit. As our very favorite teacher always used to say, “Tomorrow’s another day.”

IEPs and Trust

It’s IEP season again, and we have our appointment set.  We’ve also had a curious email from The Boy’s program teacher.  She was excited to tell me that they were going to offer science and social studies in a special ed classroom next year, as well as math and language arts, which The Boy already has.  He would be with students who are “academically equivalent” to him, but in classes taught by resource teachers. He would still have access to her social skills class and his elective classes.

IEP documentationConsidering the goal of special education is to place students in the least restrictive environment, and considering he would lose virtually all access to his neurotypical peers, I politely pointed out that I did not think this would be an appropriate placement for The Boy.  His program teacher cautioned me not to make any decisions just yet, because she felt this would be a good placement for him “due to his academics”.  Curious, because The Boy has gotten all A’s and B’s this year. I told her I wouldn’t rule it out, but at this time, I didn’t think it would work for him.

I added a post-script, and asked if she thought the pilot program in which The Boy participates in the Middle School would extend to the high school, to which she replied that she didn’t think so.

Fast-forward to a few days ago, when I heard from a friend whose son is in the program, as well.  She said she heard they may not continue the program at all, as in not even for next year’s 8th graders… And the tumbler clicks into place.

Even though I trust this person with my child each day, I cannot take her suggestions to heart because I fear she has been directed to encourage me to accept this put-all-the-kids-in-resource-room plan so that they can both comply with IEPs and discontinue the program. Once we change the IEP to say he needs to be in resource, they no longer have to fund a paraprofessional to be with him in his general ed classes. It’s not what’s best for the kids, but what’s best for the school district.

Silly school district! They continue to underestimate me, because I know the law, and I know my son’s rights.  They are going to have to have data to back up that he is “academically lacking” in his general ed classes to show that he needs so much more support as to be placed in a self-contained classroom, and removed from the general ed curriculum.  And they don’t have it.

Let the games begin.

Summer Plans Now That There May Be No Camp

The Boy’s summer camp that he has attended for the past couple of summers has lost its home, and I am fairly certain he won’t qualify for ESY this year, magically, even though he has qualified since the age of 5.  This leaves us with a bit of a problem.  An unstructured summer for a kiddo on the spectrum spells disaster.  I would consider enrolling him in a program primarily for neurotypical kids, if I thought for one hot minute that anyone on their staff would have a clue about autism.  But since the paid professionals in the area still seem to be clueless, that is a lot to expect, and a lot of money to spend on an experience which could quite likely do more harm than good.

Time OutGrammy and Poppy have already spoken up, suggesting a beach day with The Boy each week, to get him out of the house.  Excellent.  The Boy takes to water like there’s no tomorrow, and thankfully doesn’t try to swim to Africa like he did when he was younger.  He can stay absorbed for hours just wading in up to his chest and jumping around, and I think that would provide a lot of sensory input and exercise in his routine.

Ever the planner, I am already thinking of post-high school experiences and what those may be like, so why not use this huge chunk of time in the year, which already has built in traditions and transitions, toward a better purpose.  The Boy has an undying love for PowerPoint and it’s Google counterpart, so I’m developing an idea to pay a bit of allowance for “projects” that I plan to give him for those programs.  I’ll give him a set of parameters at the beginning of the week, and allow him to develop something for me over the course of the week, building on the idea that you get paid for doing work, and that the work may include doing what someone else wants you to do.

Another thought I had and just haven’t had time to act upon yet is to reach out to some friends in the veterinary medicine business, and some friends who have multiple household pets and offer The Boy’s services as a walker, or a visitor.  If we can get him to learn some skills in an area in which he has great interest, he may be able to find something meaningful to do with his life and be able to give back to others.

I’d like him to read a novel this summer, even if it means we read every word of it together, but with enough supports and incentives, I think even this is attainable.

And somehow, we have to get him some time to socialize, which is the hardest part in our county, where it seems like it takes two hours to get from one end to the other some days.

Yet again, I find myself doing things that the professionals handled for us up North.  DIY special education programming around here, I reckon…

Sometimes, I look back on my time being a single mom rather fondly.  Doing it on my own was something I needed at the time.  In many ways it was very liberating, and I bonded with The Boy in a way I never could have as a married parent.  And then I remember how lonely it was, as well, when I thought it would always be just the two of us.  When there was no one looking out for me besides myself, money was tight, and I had to fill every adult role. Being ill was completely out of the question because there was no one to take care of either of us.

And then I remember even further back when I was married the first time, and one of my friends tells a story about a time soon after The Boy was born when I was so ill that I called her to take me to the hospital.  She tells the story because I have absolutely no memory of it (funny how the brain works). Yes, I was married at the time, and when my friend tells the story, she says that when she arrived to pick me up, she watched the ex step over me, lying prone on the floor, on his way out to his grown-man basketball league.  I guess I was dehydrated, for which I have gone to the emergency room a couple of times in my life, and apparently he had no inclination to take me to the hospital himself, regardless of the fact that I was very visibly ill, and we had an infant at home.

Some single moms get very vocal and agitated when married moms say they feel like single moms.  I’ve been in both positions and try not to judge.  Life as a single mom can be very, very difficult, and life as a married mom can be very, very difficult, as well.  Both positions can also be incredibly rewarding and satisfying.  And unless you are living someone’s life 24 hours a day, you really have no idea of another person’s challenges.

I find the same type of vocalizing and agitation in the autism community on various topics, and judgement all around. Words like “aspie” and “high functioning” can cause full-throated arguments, as can person-first language, vaccines, Autism Speaks, and even the varying parts of the spectrum and who has it “harder”.

I don’t often swear in my writing, but I call bullshit.

EarthEveryone, EVERYONE on this planet has their own struggles, some more visible than others.  Everyone also has their own opinions.  And there is very little in this world that is truly black and white, right and wrong.  Our diversity and duality make us human, and dare I say, interesting.  We don’t have to agree to like each other, learn from each other, or coexist.  We don’t have to compete for whose life is the hardest – there is no trophy.  But I have learned that experience is the best teacher, and if we can be civil to each other long enough to listen to one anothers’ experiences, there is a lot to learn about our kiddos, ourselves, and these interesting people with whom we share this space on Earth.

No Program Extension. Now What?

I found out the week before break that most likely, The Boy’s pilot program for “high functioning” autistic middle schoolers will not be extended into the high school, as we were previously encouraged to believe.

So now what?

He is currently bussed across the district for his program, and has a community of friends in and out of the program. If they do not extend it into the high school, he will have to go to high school here in his own community, where he knows absolutely no one, and if the high school over here is anything like the middle school was… Let’s just say that’s not going to happen.

what nowThe Man and I have been looking to buy property and build a house out towards The Boy’s school anyway, but so far have not been in the right place at the right time to make that happen.  Moving out that way would make his current school his home school, and the high school I’d like him to go to his home school, as well, but we’ll just have to wait and see.  And unfortunately, we only have another year to make all of this happen.

And then I begin to think, “Could I make homeschooling work with a full-time work schedule? Maybe with the help of Grammy?…” I think I’d be killing myself to make it happen, and The boy would miss out big-time on socialization with NT peers, but I’m not ruling it out.

Part of me is saying, “Well, maybe there are decent schools in Florida, where we want to move eventually, and maybe we should fast-forward the timeline…”

Being forced to make major life decisions like this because a school district can’t do the right thing and commit to the needs of its students really bites.

Autism Awareness, Acceptance, and Advocacy

Well, it’s April kids.  It’s Autism Something day and month, depending on who you ask.  It’s such a controversy in our community, and it doesn’t even need to be.

Yes, we still need awareness, as is evidenced in our daily interactions with people who just don’t get it yet.  How?  I don’t know.  Maybe they live under rocks.  Maybe they are in denial.  Maybe they are just mean jackholes.  I don’t care.  But I will continue to attempt to enlighten them about my son and his buddies.

celebrate neurodiversityYes, we definitely need acceptance.  Yesterday, you read about someone who screwed up our Friday morning (and added a dose of anxiety that will last for the rest of the school year).  She definitely needs to find some acceptance real fast.  From kids who bully our kids, to teachers who still don’t know how an IEP works, to potential employers.  The world needs to hurry up and get with the program because we are definitely not in the acceptance stage in this society yet.

And yes, we need to advocate for our kiddos, and let them advocate for themselves.  Yes, adults on the spectrum need a national platform, and need to be included on the boards of their own nonprofits.  They need opportunities to show the world of what they are capable, and the skills to communicate their needs.

So whether you light it up blue, or walk in red, just be yourself in gold, or decorate with puzzle pieces, please realize we can’t do this alone, and we can achieve so much more as a cohesive unit.  Let’s agree to disagree on a few things, and consolidate our goals so that we can get to a point where everyone is aware, everyone accepts, and there is no longer a need to advocate.

All It Takes is One Dumb Bus Driver

The BusThis past Friday, The Boy was left behind by his bus.

Our outside light was on, and our front window blinds (all three of them) were open. The driver rolled up to our house early, honked once, waited less than 10 seconds, and then turned around in the cul de sac and left.

Recently, when our regular bus driver began to arrive earlier and earlier, we worked out an arrangement with her. She now waits for him, and does not expect him to exit the house until around 6:30am, which has been his expectation and his routine for the entire school year.

When the bus left on Friday, I ran out to the porch, waving my arms, to no avail. The Boy began to get upset, wondering how he was going to get to school. We were in a panic. I called the transportation office who informed me there was a substitute bus driver, and assured me that they would instruct her to come back to pick The Boy up. In the meantime, he had returned to bed, unwilling to go to school if he was going to be late.

At this point, The Man offered to take The Boy to school himself (along with a bribe of a donut) so that he could arrive on time. I gave The Boy the choice of waiting for his bus to return, or going with The Man, and he chose to go with The Man.

When the bus arrived, I went out to speak with the driver. She interrupted me before I could get my first sentence out, was extremely defensive and rude, making faces at me, and interrupting me many, many times. She even challenged the truth of what I was saying, and pulled another child up from his seat to “bear witness” that The Boy was not visible when she was there. I told her the arrangement we had with our regular bus driver, but she seemed much more concerned about whether or not I was accusing her of being late, which I obviously wasn’t.  I was shaking by the time I was finished and stalked back into the house.

Incidents like these can not only have immediate and damaging effects (like a meltdown, or refusal to go to school), but they can also have lasting effects on children like The Boy. It will be a long, long time before he can trust that his bus will not leave him behind. Drivers need to have patience with all students, but especially with those with special needs. Would this driver have waited ten seconds after honking and driven off if The Boy was in a wheelchair? Probably not, but she appeared to not have any regard for The Boy’s specific needs.

Everyone employed by the school district that comes into contact with our kiddos should have training about what autism is, the core deficits children with autism have, and how each employee can help students with special needs find success throughout their school day. Anything less is not acceptable.

This is a large excerpt from the letter I am sending to the Director of Transportation, courtesy copied to the Director of Special Education and the Superintendent.  I ain’t playin’ and it’s not over if you’re going to be rude to me.


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Get Busy

I have had people ask me if I feel pregnant. Nope, not at all. Other than some period like cramping on and off the past 9 days all I have felt are cold symptoms. Yesterday I fought with myself about buying a HPT { home pregnancy test } I believe HCG can be detected in a HPT {home pregnancy test} around 7 days post transfer. I just want to know, you know? But I decided not to…here is why.

Back in ’09 right after we had our first IUI {Intrauterine insemination} I bought a bag load of HPT’s from the dollar store.

Who buys HPT’s from the dollar store?

This girl. When you are taking a test 10 times or so a month for month after month, that shit adds up. The dollar store is the way to go, and yes they are accurate.

I packed a bunch of tests and Shane and I headed out on a trip, I tested everyday. Negative, negative negative. Once we got back from our trip and I was getting ready for work it dawned on me my period hadn’t come. My cycles were very regular, so on the way to work I grabbed one more HPT. What do you know, it was  positive. I was stunned, to say the least.  My nurse told me to come  in later that day for a blood test. The test resulted in a low BETA HCG levels. They tried to encourage me telling me it doesn’t always matter the number but they do want to see it double every 24 hours. I went back in the next morning and sadly it didn’t double, not even close.  The inevitable was going to happen and there was nothing I could do but wait it out.

That is why I talked myself out of taking a test yesterday. Sure it could tell me that I am pregnant but that really doesn’t mean much. All it does is gets your hopes up a few days before you find out the whole story.

Needless to say the days seem to be crawling by, I just want to know my fate.

On the positive side, I cut out caffeine cold turkey and haven’t had a problem at all. Last time I had horrible headaches and I wasn’t sure if it was the lack of caffeine or the cocktail of meds, now I am pretty sure it was the meds. Thankfully.

I have 48 more hours until my blood test and there is rain in the forecast. Need to get busy being busy.

5 thoughts on “Get Busy

  1. Good for you for talking yourself down from the “ledge” I too promised my hubby I wouldn’t test early. Currently I’m 7dp3dt- my beta”s are mon & wed as my Re office calls after second beta so we know for sure. Eeeeek. Praying for you!

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