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Our customers tell you their experiences with our products, and how that product has helped or made a difference in their lives or new things that has allowed them to do. Share your story with us! I read your comments to stay motivated when I start getting burnt out, frustrated, etc. -Mark Felling
Mary Gulick, Kansas City, Missouri
"Oh my gosh, Mark, I think I love you! If you are ever in Kansas City, let me cook you dinner .... you have been such a help to me as this is new to us. My son (Ron) will be going to Craig in two weeks for his six month re-eval... [he will use the Comfort Carrier] for that transfer to the airplane. Thank you for the Web links to the toys ... this is such help coming from someone who knows what my son is going through." [New comment six months later] "My son loves his sip and puff play station to play with his son....you have no idea how happy it makes him when he can play games like that with his (5 year old) son!"
Matthew Koob - Technolo
Philip Watters - Spartanburg, South Carolina, USA
"I have to tell you though, I remember lying in a hospital bed 3 years ago thinking that i'd never be able to play games ever again with my PS2. Now I can thanks to you."
Gregory Dancel - Canada
Gregory is really enjoying the PS3. He can handle most of the controllers functions but has more limited use of his left hand with CP, and so operates the L1 & L2 buttons with simple head switches instead.
Michelle Hinn, Chairperson International Game Developers Association's Accessibility SIG, Doctoral Candidate, National Science Foundation Fellow
"I just started working with Mark on a game industry project for gamers with disabilities and was quick to provide so many alternative solutions that I didn't know about. I will recommend him to my colleagues in the video gaming industry without a doubt. In just a short phone call we had the project mapped out, which went way beyond my expectations and is far and above any customer service I've received from any other company!"
Mary Gulick - Kansas City, Missouri, USA
"My son loves his sip and puff play station to play with his son....you have no idea how happy it makes him when he can play games like that with his son!"
July 16, 09: Quadriplegic Comedian Chuck Bittner from New England was caught mentioning his desire for GimpGear Accessible Video Game Controls in his Comedy Routine! Enjoy!
gy Coordinator, United Cerebral Palsy of Central Minnesota
"Mark was the guest speaker at UCP's annual meeting last fall. He showed us several of the assistive technology products he'd been developing, and later advised the purchase of several devices to add to UCP's demo and loan library. Those items have been used extensively by the community, and therefore I conclude that the recommendations he gave me were very intuitive. Mark always takes the time to follow up either by phoning after a transaction is complete to be sure setup was as easy as promised or, on occasion, stops into the office to help with setup and inform me of new technology that will soon be available. His good advice and excellent follow-through exceed the normal scope of customer service."
Steve Freier, Belmont, California
Center for Independence of the Disabled - Assistive Technology Coordinator
"BTW - I took a look at your website. You are quite a fine inventor! You have a lot of innovative solutions. I encourage everyone reading this to take a look!" - Post on Alliance for Technology Access e-mail list for AT Professionals
Renée, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
"Thank you for bringing your equipment and presenting on the DNR stage at the State Fair! You're an excellent public speaker!"
Jeffrey Brown, Pennsylvania
"I do use it a lot [Vocalize]! Thanks again for all your wonderful support and help! You're a Giant among Gimp's!" Jeff also uses our VoiceIR, & Computer Head Mouse Controller, & Wireless Microphone
"I've attached a picture of Creed - the mighty hunter - using his favorite new Joystick. He really does love it and it is easier for him to use than anything else we've tried - and we've tried LOTS of stuff!!
Creed just had his birthday this weekend so I just gave him the new Joystick Mouse. He really loves it. He is able to do it much better than the -----[another manufacturers] one. He said "I love the big buttons" and he seems to be able to be more accurate with it. I got him a hunting game that we were able to do enough programming of the controls that he could do most things on his own (the ultimate goal).
Thanks for your help and your great products. Oh yes - I LOVE the CD that came with the Mouse. I have been looking at several of the accessibility programs and I've even sent some links to the computer guru at Creed's school!"
Susan McClure, MS, OTR/L via Alliance for Technology Access (ATA)
Mark, I always appreciate your replies, the excellence in your work, and checked out the various equipment you mention. In the late 60s, early 70s, I was an occupational therapist on the neurosurgical service of a large teaching hospital. I can remember one summer when there were a large number of patients (about one fourth of the service) that were new quadriplegics with tracheotomies that prevented them from speaking. I so wished there had been the availability of something [other than using an alphabet board that we had to painstakingly go through each letter to enable our patients to spell out one to two words to communicate basic needs. And of course those possibilities did come years later and are now affordable even within small OT departments. Granted there is a learning curve with many devices but to be able to do some early training would have given these patients a positive hope for their future and a way out of the horrendous boredom they felt when they could do nothing but lie in bed (we didn't even have bedside TVs then). When smoking was allowed in hospitals, we could at least offer a smoking robot so they could enjoy their addiction without us holding the cigarette .
Steve Freier, San Mateo, California
Assistive Technology Coordinator, Center for Independence of the Disabled
"I just wanted to let you know that we have successfully installed and programed a VoiceIR unit for my client George Dill who is a quad. Even though there is a lot of room noise produced by his bed and other mediucal equipment, it works well enough that he can control his HDTV, TIVO and sound system using his voice. His voice is very weak, so this is a miracle of sorts."
Georzetta Ratcliffe, Winchester, Virgina
President of the Board of Directors of Access Independence, an Independent Living Center (testimonial from herself as individual)
VoiceIR with Infrared Phone by Michael McLean, Santa Rosa, California
Ruth Ann Rahal, Greeley, Colorado
"Now that I've gotten some things working with the Voice IR it's already given me so much freedom and I'm very happy to be able to control things on my own even if it's just the TV and stereo [adding control over bed, deadbolt, & door opener]. Thank you for making these available."
Lori Russell, Golden BC, Canada
[Lori is a High School Special Education Adaptive Technology Professional]
"Just wanted to let you know that I set up M.G.'s VoiceIR QuickStart Package today, and it works like a charm!!! Very very easy to program, easy to change commands, great for him (being blind) because he can tell if it's recognized his command. What I was also happy about was that his voice recognition was the same no matter what position he is in in bed. We got all the TV commands programmed, and they work beautifully for him. He's thrilled with the independence this affords him. Next week we will do the stereo and satellite radio, as well as his assistance call chime system. Thanks again. It's a wonderful system for someone who is blind and paralyzed -- he can finally have a bit of independence, which is hard to come by in his situation!"
Mr. Robin D. Walls, Brunswick, Maine
"The VoiceIR Infrared Voice Controller has been a great addition to making me more independent. Before the VoiceIR, I had to keep calling on my wife to change the TV channel or volume, which became rather annoying after a short period of time. I also have the Vocalize! Cell Phone Complete Voice Control System, and at times the TV would be to loud to answer my phone, now I can turn it down before answering the phone. The Vocalize bed mic makes things even better to control the phone.
I am now able to watch TV when I'm alone; my wife works full time so I am alone a lot. I have started out slow with the VoiceIR to get use to it, and can't wait for hot weather to use it on my air conditioner. I'm planning to put my stereo in my bedroom along with a DVD player. The tube that's close to my mouth is for me to get water and to hold the bed microphone that goes to my wheelchair cell phone system."
Cele Donahue (Mom), Hyattsville, Maryland
"The VoiceIR device has given my son, Tommy, back some of the much needed control over his life that he had lost. In addition, this has uplifted his spirits and moral and improved his interactions with the nursing staff at his long-term facility home. He is able to do things without their help. This, of course, increases his independence thus decreasing his complete dependence on them.
We were able to utilize a multi-step macro which enables him to turn on & off several devices with just one command (TV, cable, DVD, and surround sound). We, also, use one for Volume control so one command can increase the volume in intervals of three not one. My son's quality of life continues to increase daily. Thanks, again for all of your help as well."
Vocalize! Wheelchair Cell Phone Voice Control System Cell Phone System
Kenley Steeg, Houston, Texas
"My Mother recently passed away, but was able to significantly increase her quality of life through the use of your product. Since the phone worked so well for us, I plan to donate the phone to TIRR (Texas Institute for Rehabilitation and Research), as this product seems to have more functionality than any they knew of." [his mother utilized the Vocalize Portable with Advanced Voice Control and the VoiceIR]
Noel Zugay, Chagrin Falls, Ohio
"I have had my Vocalize Telephone for about three months. I changed the command "telephone" to "COOKIE". I am driving everyone crazy, referring to COOKIE as if she is my best friend. I can talk to friends, conduct daily business, and feel safer when alone. COOKIE has changed my life. Thank you. Thank you."
Joe Sendon, Randolph, New Jersey
"I really like the Vocalize system. It's really amazing! I thought there would be some problem that wasn't advertised but there isn't! It works great! In fact, I'm shocked at how easy and reliable it actually is!
A friend of mine installed it for me in an afternoon. The installation was a matter of connecting a few wires to the wheelchair batteries and positioning the Vocalize components. Mark was even available to answer questions during and after installation!
I'm a quad that drives and had an old analog phone installed in my van over fifteen years ago. I rarely talk on the phone but need it for safety reasons, like if I break down on the road, need to call my nurse or family members for whatever reason, etc.
With all this new technology, I thought it would be easy to find a truly hands-free cell phone, but it's not. Vocalize is the only system I found to fit all my needs. Plus, with it working right off my wheelchair, I can make a call from anywhere, which is an added bonus I didn't have with my previous van phone. Now, if I get stuck in the backyard, I can call someone for help without lifting a finger, which I can't do anyway! I'm amazed how this works and adds to my safety.
I'm very happy with the Vocalize system and recommend it to anyone who wants a truly hands-free cell phone."
J., Washington
"The [Vocalize] system has been working pretty good overall. Because I live alone, answering calls at night, or just for emergencies is vital to my independence. The system seems to work quite well on picking up on my voice. I can have the TV going, as long as the volume is low, it still seems to work ok. The recognition of my voice is pretty darn good overall. At night I park my chair about 12 feet away from me and off to the front right. I am not using [the bed kit]. The microphone is about 10 to 12 feet from me [on my wheelchair] when i lay in bed and it still works pretty darn good. I'm using the [Lapel] mic that has a base that lets it swivel and I have it mounted right in front of my joystick, pointed towards my face, probably about 18 inches away from my mouth. I use the same mic during the day [and at night] so i don't have to change anything. It's pretty cool!"
1 Year Later... "Thanks for your help the other day trouble shooting the reinstallation of my Vocalize cell phone system. I also wanted to thank you for the Comfort Carrier, it works really good. You have some great inventions that are really helping a lot of people and making big differences in their lives. I imagine my next purchase will be the new IR system [VoiceIR]. Thumbs up on all your great inventions!!"
Mike Blaylock
I want to thank you for the information about the phone program. I now have one. It's the same phone that I purchased two of so I'm familiar with it. I really appreciate what you did... Again I thank you and I will definitely let people at the MS Achievement Center know about you when I get back there.
(Editorial Comment: Sometimes our solutions may not be the best fit for everyone, but were not afraid to tell you or where to find the most appropriate products to fit your needs!)
Paul J Natsch - Posted on ATMac.org Jul 26th, 2008 at 1:41 am
"I would love replace my cell phone with the new iPhone 3G but the absence of voice recognition is big. I could actually use the iPhone perfectly fine when in my chair with my hand splint on [using the TenOne Pogo Stylus]. But I would need pure voice-activated dialing to make calls from my bed at night (for emergencies). There is a new program waiting for approval for the iPhone App Store called "Voice Dial" that will add a level of speech recognition to the iPhone. But as with other cell phones you still have to press a button on your phone to bring up the voice prompt which kind of defeats the purpose, at least for me.
A few months ago I purchased this device called "Vocalize" which, in combination with the Windows Mobile, Bluetooth enabled, smartphone (I got the Motorola Q9h) [supports any Bluetooth phone] allows you to use the voice commands of your phone without having to press a button. You simply say your magic keyword (like "telephone", for example) to activate the voice prompt. The device actually hooks up to your wheelchair batteries and mounts underneath your seat. Then you establish a Bluetooth connection between Vocalize and your cell phone [by pairing it like any Bluetooth device] and you're ready to go. It was somewhat difficult to install on my wheelchair but it was worth it. I don't actually use it during the day I'm up in my chair but when I'm in bed at night it's my lifeline. Even recognizes my voice from the other side of the room where I plug my wheelchair in to charge.
So if the iPhone got voice-recognition and it was compatible with Vocalise I would buy one right now. Actually, if the iPhone got voice-recognition that I could activate [without pushing a button] without the need for Vocalize I'd buy one immediately as well, even though that would render Vocalize useless. I don't know if it's ever going to happen so I'll probably buy an iPod Touch instead in the next few months now that I know I could actually use one. Geez, sorry for the long post. I could have made this post an article in itself!"
Jani Nayar - India - Society for Accessible Travel & Hospitality (SATH)
"I can vouch for the effectiveness of Comfort Carrier. We used it at Taj Mahal to carry Scott Rains. More over we used it in our demonstrations in our seminars in India to make TWO from the audience to carry me without too much effort!! That is saying a lot." - Jani
Amanda Neal, Independent Living Center - Homer, Alaska
"We got Comfort Carriers for all of our Independent Living Centers on the Kenai Peninsula here in Alaska. I went on a rafting trip last weekend with a friend who uses a wheel chair. The Comfort Carrier was a lifesaver and worked great! I took pictures although I realize I don't have any really good ones of the Comfort Carrier in use. You can see that he has it on in every picture though. We used the Comfort Carrier to get Doug on/off the small airplane (an Otter). Then we used the Comfort Carrier to get him in and out of the raft and awesome Kili-Kart chair. I am going to go advocate for this at Grant Air, one of our smaller airlines that currently carries people on and off the airplane with no aids. If you how some Comfort Carrier brochures that would be helpful. Thanks!"
Prasad Phanasgaonka, Mumbai, India
"My Dad [touch wood] has recovered soon..but he's in 70's so am avoiding his help.
I tried Comfort Carrier & its nice.. My attendant & driver who are considerably weak could transfer me in car using it. I had been to farmhouse in floods & vehicle was stuck ..I missed packing Comfort Carrier in bag! :-( I will try clicking some photos next time. btw this video is of Accessible travel seminar in Mumbai..views I gave. ;-) "
Prasad offers wheelchair accessible Van rental and driver services, some of the only available in India!
Mary Schlechty - Washington, USA
Emergency Preparedness - Invaluable when the time comes!
"I was thinking of you this week, In Washington state we had a lot of flooding. Unfortunately I tried to drive through it and stalled out my van and had to be rescued by the fire dept. My son, [Chris] was in the van with me. It damaged his [power]chair. We took a cabulance to a hotel and stayed a few days. Luckily I had Chris's [Comfort Carrier] portable sling with me [to get him out of the vehicle]. (I keep clothes and a small charger in my car in case of bad weather) my daughter was able to come over [to the hotel] and help me transfer him into bed and get him up [with the Comfort Carrier]. I don't know how we would of done it without the [Comfort Carrier] sling. The water has receeded and we are back home now."
Elanie Link (for son John), Illinois, USA
Comfort Carrier made going to Portugal for Stem Cell Surgery Possible!
"We returned home from Portugal yesterday. The surgery went very well. Now John will have extended physical therapy and any gains he may have from the stem cell graft may show up over the next months and years. The Comfort Carry worked very well moving John between wheelchair and airplane seat. My husband and I did the transfers with a helper from the airline quickly moving the Roho seat cushion from one seat to another. My husband lifted John's torso using the middle set of hand loops. I lifted his legs... I cannot imagine how we would have accomplished the moves without the carrier. It was especially necessary on the way home when my son had a big incision on the back of his neck and we had to be extra careful. Anyway, I was extremely thankful that I had come across a link to your site and your product before the trip. Thanks for your great invention in the Comfort Carrier. We practiced with it at home a couple of times before we took off, and it definitely made all our lives easier during the transfers. My husband has had back surgery and I'm a 56-year-old woman with a pacemaker, but we could handle the job. In every airport they looked at us with disbelief when we said we would be moving John by ourselves."
Walt Balenovich, Toronto Canada
That transfer sling is quite ingenious...I have scurried across and over many a small aircraft wing in Kenya and Australia and it can be a bit dangerous, and I am a cross between a para and a quad! Nice to see that we have an Edison like you on our side, making life easier!
William L. Bussear - Isla Aguada, Campeche, Mexico (Yucatan Peninsula)
"I purchased a Comfort Carrier from Mark and it has almost eliminated in the extreme hassle of getting on and getting off aircraft! I still have to be carried and I still have to be put on that damn "crucifixion chair" but it has eliminated the "manhandling" and the "accidental dropping" totally! EVERYONE who uses a wheelchair needs to buy this product before you fly again! I am suggesting that all of my clients who fly to Freedom Shores buy one before they leave! It is also wonderful for getting in and out of kayaks here at Freedom Shores. It makes transitioning from the wheelchair to the kayak a simple process. Mark, congratulations on a great product!"
"I am very happy that I met Mark Felling! He is a wonderful example of someone who is waging a furious and courageous fight against quadriplegia! His enthusiasm is contagious and the products he offers the handicap community is impressive and extremely utilitarian! I personally purchased one of his Comfort Carriers and it is an exemplary product. It makes getting on and getting off a passenger aircraft much safer and much easier on everyone involved! I hope to meet him and personally share ideas with him in March of 2008!"
Matt Keil - Iraq Veteran - Parker Colorado, USA
Matt, a quadriplegic from a sniperin Iraq, and his wife Tracy shared these comments as they were preparing to fly to Florida with the Comfort Carrier after recently returning from a flight to Craig Hospital in Denver. They also mentioned showing the Comfort Carrier there with very positive responses! "I am not sure you are using [the Comfort Carrier] to its full potential, and trust me we use it to it's full potential! I bring it everywhere - we even used it to furniture shop so that Matt could try out all the couches in the store. We moved him around the entire furniture store in that thing....we love it! We also took him in/out of the pool with it on vacation. It worked great..." Matt's CaringBridge webpage.
Stephen Trott - Surrey, United Kingdom
"I have just returned from a trip to Florida, which gave me the chance to use the Comfort Carrier to its fullest. I found that with just a little practice it is in place and ready for use in just a couple of minutes. I put it on at the gate just before being called. In the UK the ground crews tend to be shorter and not as strong as in the US, however 3 guys managed to lift me relatively easily from wheelchair to the aisle chair. [The Comfort Carrier's] main advantage in the aisle chair is it helped maintain a good and safe position, they were then able to easily lift me from the aisle chair to [airplane] seat, and then importantly position me easily for the flight. In the US, 2 ground crew found it very easy to do the reverse. On the return flight the ground crew manager remarked that 'It was the easiest transfer he had done'. The Comfort Carrier made the flight the easiest and most comfortable that I have done."
Judy Roberts, Orlando Florida
"I am forwarding you a photograph taken of my son-in-law on our trip to the beach. The Comfort Carrier worked out beautifully."
Wayne C. Wurtz, PTA, BS, President, Comprehensive Injury Prevention Solutions, Inc.
"I consult for injury prevention with a human services company. The Comfort Carrier has caught on recently through my recommendation with this company. The first one I purchased has been deployed and has been used is a residential setting. It has helped balance the 2-person head and toe transfer. It allows for improved lifting mechanics when transferring from the floor, which is typically the hardest place to transfer someone from."
Jonathan Ko ready to board an aircraft
Kristin Forster - Hastings, Minnesota, USA
"Thank you so much for creating the Comfort Carrier. We ordered it for my dad just for emergencies like falling out of the wheelchair or equipment failure. By the time we received it in the mail, my dad had all kinds of ideas of where he wanted to go! We have taken him into the house he grew up in, and have a hot-air balloon ride reserved for this fall. My dad is 6 feet tall and over 200 pounds, but my mom and I can easily carry him wherever he wants to go. Maybe we'll even start to think about a winter vacation someplace warm. J It's very easy to use. Nice and sturdy!! Thank you! Thank you!! Thank you!!!"
Judy Moening, Executive Director, United Cerebral Palsy of Central MN
"Mark Felling, an engineer and inventor with quadriplegia, attended our United Cerebral Palsy Adaptive Bike and Recreation Fair in 2006 and demonstrated his Comfort Carrier Transfer Sling. Everyone was impressed with Mark's professionalism and his desire to solve a significant barrier for people with disabilities and their caregivers -- transferring from one location to another. The Comfort Carrier is easy to use and easy to store, so you can always have it handy. Through his personal trials, Mark has developed a safe solution that we think will be of benefit to many individuals with disabilities as well as care facilities and public businesses. After such disasters as hurricane Katrina, we think the Comfort Carrier should be available in all facilities that house or employ individuals with disabilities or in the homes of people who need to be transferred from wheelchairs."
Cindy & Jenna Johnson - Woodbury, Minnesota, USA
"We would highly recommend the Comfort Carrier! It is a wonderful design that enables our daughter Jenna to get places she couldn't go before. We use it to get her up the steps to the second floor of our home, but most importantly to Jenna, we use it to get her in and out or our speedboat and into the tube to ride behind it. The Comfort Carrier even made airplane transfers a breeze. Before we had the Comfort Carrier her dad had to do all the lifting....now we can help him too! And, she feels more comfortable and safer....what could be better than that."
Wearing Comfort Carrier, ready to go upstairs
Going up/down a narrow stairwell
From wheelchair down to the beach
Into the tube for some wild fun on the water!
The Johnson family recently took a trip using the Comfort Carrier for getting on/off the aircraft, into a family member's second-story very inaccessible duplex, from wheelchair to water to go swimming in the ocean at an inaccessible beach, and later at a hotel.
The family also loves water sports behind their powerboat, and Jenna appreciates it makes hanging out with mom and dad upstairs much easier on everyone!
Jeremy & Sophie Cox, United Kingdom
"Comfort carrier was received on Friday 14th July. It works really well and enables us to go to New York and not need to hire a patient lift. Well done!!!! Thanks for the prompt service. From one very happy family!"
JU and wife CU, Connecticut USA
"I purchased the Comfort Carrier in case of an emergency. I have fallen out of the wheelchair a few times. Usually I call the police dept. to pick me up and put be back in the chair. It is somewhat uncomfortable for me and embarrassing. I weigh quit a bit and it is awkward for more than one person to pick me up. The Comfort Carrier allows more than one person to help and I feel more secure and also less embarrassed. I had a stroke one year ago. I am 59. I am unable to walk with paralysis on my right side. [With the Comfort Carrier] My wife has hopes of us traveling and also taking me fishing. We anticipate situations where a wheelchair might not work. The Comfort Carrier would help in those predicaments."
Zaiton Osman, Singapore
"Received the Comfort Carrier today. Thank you for delivering it promptly. The carrier is for my mother who cannot walk due to severe arthritis. Thank you." [Yes we ship to most countries around the world!]
Our customers tell you their experiences with our products, and how that product has helped or made a difference in their lives or new things that has allowed them to do. Share your story with us!
Elanie Link (for son John), Illinois, USA
Sent: Tuesday, April 22, 2008 11:20 PM
Mark - We returned home from Portugal yesterday. The surgery went very well. Now John will have extended physical therapy and any gains he may have from the stem cell graft may show up over the next months and years. The Comfort Carry worked very well moving John between wheelchair and airplane seat. My husband and I did the transfers with a helper from the airline quickly moving the Roho seat cushion from one seat to another. My husband lifted John's torso using the middle set of hand loops. I lifted his legs. The main difficulty was that my husband is 6'5" and he doesn't really fit into the space on the plane -- lifting John into place in the seat from husband's position behind the seat. I'm not describing that very well, but it was all fairly awkward. [yes, airplane aisles have tight quarters to maneuver in. It will help to have an available person from the airline positioned on the middle seat next to where you are transferring to, assist the person such as your husband lifting over the airplane seat backrest] However, I cannot imagine how we would have accomplished the moves without the carrier. It was especially necessary on the way home when my son had a big incision on the back of his neck and we had to be extra careful. John still had a long, uncomfortable ride home and had to use his pain medication several times. Anyway, I was extremely thankful that I had come across a link to your site and your product before the trip. It was not even in the question to get any photographs of the move, so I can't forward any pictures to you right now.
A team of ten doctors performed the surgery on April 11. John's lesion was occupied by a fluid-filled cyst with a length of 2.5 cm, so it was a simpler procedure to empty the lesion than in those patients with fibrous scar tissue. The doctors cleared the lesion and measured how much material it would take to fill the space. Then they removed that amount of tissue from the olfactory center, only taking tissue from one side so John retains his sense of smell. The tissue is supposed to regenerate over the next few months so his olfactory center will be restored. Dr. Lima sorted the tissue microscopically, removing any fibers, blood cells, and other parts that were not to be included in the graft. Then they packed the remaining cells into the space in John's spinal cord and sealed everything up. The whole surgery took a little less than five hours. We saw John in the intensive care section and he was awake and talking. Two visiting doctors had asked permission to observe the surgery, and we talked with one of them. He was from Croatia, but had studied at Oxford and was now at Cambridge. He said that the British surgeons were not even close to ready to perform surgery this complicated and requiring the level of skill he had observed. We asked Dr. Lima if he anticipated working in the United States any time in the future. He replied that it took all ten doctors on his team and that we didn't have anyone trained to do this sort of surgery.
Incidentally, we paid the doctors in advance of the travel ... $35,000 Euros which is $56,000. To our surprise, there were no further charges. Portugal has public health, so their people do not pay for hospital stays and so on. John's hospital stay cost us nothing, his medicines and supplies during the stay cost us nothing, and there was absolutely no further charge beyond what we paid the doctors. Dr. Lima had arranged transportation to and from the airport, so when we arrived at the airport on April 8 there was an ambulance with two attendants to take all of us and our luggage straight to the hospital. Since we had arrived on the morning of the 8th and the surgery was on the 11th Dr. Lima let us keep John with us at the hotel until the evening of the 10th. He had tests every day at the hospital ... some preliminary tests and then blood tests to see how his clotting time was since John takes Coumadin to avoid blood clots. Each day John was transported by ambulance or by a medical transport with a lift - always with two attendants who took John right up to the 6th floor of the hospital and to his room. I could not believe it. Our hotel was just a 10-minute walk from the hospital so it wasn't a long trip, but the weather was windy and often rainy and the sidewalks were rough so it would have been a nasty commute by manual wheelchair.
Two days after the surgery John was warm. He has not been able to regulate his temperature since his accident and he has been cold for the last three years. Dr. Lima said that every patient has had the same experience of feeling warm. He said that some patients have arrived bundled up "like they were coming from the North Pole" and that a couple of days after the surgery they felt warm again. If that is the only thing John gets from this procedure, it is a positive outcome. I really hope this effect lasts. I know that he is sitting in his room at home today with the temperature at 75 degrees. It's 75 because it's very warm outside in Illinois. He needed 78 or 79 all winter in order to keep from shivering. At 75 he would definitely have been shivering.
That's it so far. Thanks for your great invention in the Comfort Carrier. We practiced with it at home a couple of times before we took off, and it definitely made all our lives easier during the transfers. One fellow in the Newark airport was helping us with the wheelchair and remarked, "Didn't you guys come through here a week or so ago?" He just remembered us using the carrier to lift John ourselves. In every airport they looked at us with disbelief when we said we would be moving John by ourselves. The airline sent four or five people to help us at each stop, but we really did everything ourselves. John doesn't weigh much at all, but he is 6'4". My husband has had back surgery and I'm a 56-year-old woman with a pacemaker, but we could handle the job.
With sincere thanks,
Elaine Link
C. A. Thor, Security and Facility Supervisor, Cable One, Inc., Phoenix, AZ
"Mr. Felling... If a man is measured not by what he acquires but by what he gives, then your contribution to helping disabled folks live and work safer and the lives that may be saved thanks to your product are important weights in the balance of your life, my friend. I hope I can say something like that in my life someday.
Chris Kram, Minnesota - Power Wheelchair Hockey Enthusiast
The PowerCheq does seem to be doing an effective job at keeping my chair charged for a longer period. I really notice a difference when I spend all day at work then go to hockey practice and am able to still have enough "gas" in the tank to do whatever I want afterwards. It has proven most bneficial when I have played in 2 games in a 4hr period as well as participating in practice.
Camera Mount for Wheelchair Photography - Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Rolling F-Stop Photography Blog
I have been learning and enjoying photography for four years. As my skills have grown, so too has my investment in bigger and better camera equipment. Most serious photographers have a tripod, but tripods aren't easy to use or haul around when you are sitting in a wheelchair. Recently, however I tested the Mount'n Mover mounting system as the base for a wheelchair-mounted tripod and found it greatly improved my photography.
The Mount'n Mover [distributed by BroadenedHorizons] is a very clever new system designed by Bluesky Designs. It is designed for all types of applications and in my case, I added a Jobu gimbal head and now have a pretty slick mobile tripod for my cameras. The arm mounts to any wheelchair using a universal adapter plate. With two 360 degree rotating arms, I can swing the camera into just about any angle I need. Combined with the gimbal head, panning sports action very fluid and steady. As well, wildlife photography, which require patients, is much easier. My new 'quadpod' offers advantages that even an able-bodied shooter would envy.
The Mount'n Mover is designed to support 15 lbs. I tested the arm with a Nikon D300, a Nikon 70-200mm lens, a 1.7x converter and the gimbal head. I calculate the combination weighs a total of 6 lbs, and the fully extended arm easily holds the load. One feature of the arm that makes it very functional is the ability to easily lock the two arms into various angles and hold. With the click of the lever, you can release the setting and adjust arm.
With the Mount'n Mover, I have turned my wheelchair into a rolling tripod. I can now focus my efforts on taking photos, and not be so concerned with holding the camera steady.
Mary Bower, Norfolk, CT
I have the headset up and running. Actually, I'm enjoying it very much. I feel it is doing a better job than the wired in headset. I was a little apprehensive about using voice recognition with Bluetooth in Windows Vista, but it seems to work very well. I want to thank you for all the time and trouble you have taken with me. I certainly have run into a lot of snags, and you got me out of them just fine. I am using the headset in my ear, because that seems to be the easiest for me to use. I still run into problems, but so far I have been able to work them out. Thank you for all the time and trouble you have spent working with me. I am very grateful.
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thank you...Mark I hope larger industries, corporations become aware of the fine and ideal products/services you provide which can be a major boon to their ADA compliance and help to employees that have...
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Already published in YOPOTO
Jim & Paula Hutzler, West Virginia
[Jim is a third level engineer with General Dynamics writing to the Sprint team lead for 3M]
"E***, Here is the single best source of equipment and expertise in the industry. Mark Felling and his company has provided the technology and the inspiration that has enabled my wife, Paula, to regain her independence. Paula suffered a c5/c6 injury in 2005 that resulted in quadriplegia. She came home to me after 3 months of rehab, completely dependent on others. Paula has had the very best medical care and rehabilitation including months of estim and physical therapy, but it has been Mark Felling's technology and his dogged determination that has enable Paula regain her independence. Paula can make calls and receive calls any time and any place she wants to. She can use her computer normally. She has rejoined the world at large thanks to Mark.
I have searched everywhere. I've spent $150,000 out of pocket for Paula's care and her equipment. My medical insurance has paid nearly $750,000 for medical care and rehabilitation at one of the best facilities in the world, the Kessler Institute. To the best of my ability, I have provided her the absolute best. But it is Mark Felling who has provided the technological expertise to bring my lovely wife back to me. His stuff just works.
Walter - operates Handy-Travel-Guide website
"I came across this website about a year ago and it is fantastic. They seem to sell all those little things (and some big ones) to make your life easier and more fun. It's the equipment you knew was out there but weren't sure where to find it. Just as an example they carry mounts for all sorts of everyday items; cell phones, cameras, and cups. For Christmas my wife bought me the mouth joystick controller for the Xbox 360 and the adapter so I can use it for the PlayStation 3, and later the mount to hold it. I knew it was out there, but before going to the site I had no idea where to get it.
When I bought the mount I had a ton of questions. I wanted to make sure I got the right one and it would be long enough (I have it attached to TV tray rather than my wheelchair). I exchanged about five or six e-mails with the owner asking all sorts of dumb questions and he answered every single one extremely courteously and in a fashion that was knowledgeable without coming across as condescending. I haven't purchased anything else from them yet but I'm definitely saving my money to get more stuff."


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BUTLER TWP — Township police are investigating after a woman reported that she and her two children were followed around the Butler Commons Walmart last weekend by two suspicious men.
Police say the woman told officers that she was in the store with her children at about 7 p.m. Saturday, when she noticed that two men — one white and the other black — following them around the store.
The woman told police that the men never spoke to her or the children while in the store. But when she left and got into her vehicle with the children, the white man approached and tried to open the vehicle's passenger side door.
The woman told police that the door was locked, and she "sped off" after the man tried to open the door.
Police said they want to speak with the men — the white man is described as wearing a gray, zip-up hoodie; the black man was reportedly wearing a black jacket, black hat and had a teardrop tattoo — about the incident.
Police said they haven't received any other reports about similar behavior at the store, and said "incorrect postings on social media" have spread incorrect information about the incident.

subset: commoncrawl


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The Brain is Wider than SkyDo we love our machines so much that we risk becoming more like them? What will we lose if we do?
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Constructed similarly as the Tour-quality M1, the TaylorMade M2 Driver delivers outstanding distance without sacrificing the forgiveness your game needs. Featuring an incredibly light and thin multi-material crown, a larger sweet spot, and better sound, this club makes an affordable alternative to others in the M family.
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The works of man are many and wondrous, but if I had to pick one that most completely embodies the concept of the sublime, it probably would be the autumnal view from the terrace of Venice's Gritti Palace, across the Grand Canal, to the great church of Santa Maria della Salute — though I'm not sure I ever could satisfactorily explain precisely why.
In the long years of its decline and decay, Venice always has managed to evoke both the rhapsodic and the mysterious.
Thus Evelyn Waugh has his Charles Ryder in " Brideshead Revisited," glimpsing it for the first time, muse: "This was my introduction to the baroque."
Sent there on assignment, the American writer Alexander Woollcott is supposed to have cabled his editors: "Venice interesting. Story prospects uncertain. Streets inexplicably filled with water."
In "Venice: Pure City," Peter Ackroyd — the marvelously erudite and staggeringly industrious English writer — is the latest of his countrymen to appraise the experience of what remains of La Serenissima. John Ruskin doubtless would be the most famous of his predecessors, since his three-volume "Stones of Venice" changed not only the course of 19th century criticism, but also that of art and architecture in the English-speaking world.
Ackroyd's interpretation is at once less prescriptive and more grounded in Venice as it actually is — and has been. Readers familiar with his previous "biographies" of London and the River Thames will recognize the method here, which is to compile an encyclopedic amount of general and arcane factual information and then to arrange it less chronologically than thematically — much as one might encounter it in the course of a long walk over fascinating terrain in the company of a knowledgeable but never pedantic companion. It's an experience rendered all the more agreeable by independent turn of Ackroyd's critical imagination and lapidary quality of his prose. If this volume — the 32nd Ackroyd has produced — sometimes lacks the physical specificity that gave his earlier books a special illumination, " Venice: Pure City" more than makes up for it in range and realism where the temptation to romanticize is almost achingly palpable.
The subtitle draws on Ackroyd's insight into Venice's origins as Europe's first willed city, a place brought into being by the marsh dwellers who bartered salt for the wherewithal to pound an urban space into the lagoons and islets of an Adriatic marshland. Like Los Angeles, in other words, Venice is one of those great cities that does not exist because it sits at the confluence of great rivers, is situated alongside a great natural harbor or sits astride important trade routes; Venice was willed into being and wrested the advantages of all those things from its industry.
Ackroyd is particularly good — and particularly enlightening — on Venetian origins. The city really began to take shape as exiles from the barbarian invasions coincident with the fall of Rome settled on the lagoon's islands and set themselves up as traders and go-betweens for goods brought in from the sea. It was a commercial city from the start and its people instinctual merchants — with all that entailed. The sea would remain so important in the city's psyche that its ruler, the Doge, would symbolically marry the ocean each year on the feast of the Ascension.
The distinctiveness of Venice's identity would determine much of its subsequent history and Ackroyd shrewdly draws attention to the fact that Venice actually traded for a patron saint — Mark — rather than retaining the one assigned it by tradition, the far less illustrious St. Theodore. Venetian merchants lent a sympathetic ear to Egyptian Copts anxious about the fate of the relics of their founding father, Mark the Evangelist, after their country fell into Muslim hands. The canny Venetians offered to carry the saint to safety and eluded "Saracen" customs officials by putting his corpse under pork and cabbage. Back in Venice, the relics were given into the care of the Doge rather than the local bishop as custom dictated. This produced two things that would benefit the Serene Republic for centuries to come — a spiritual seal approval for temporal power and a counterbalance to Rome's claims of primacy in all things, since while the Vatican had the Apostle Peter, Venice had the Evangelist Mark. Checkmate.
"Venice: Pure City" brims with this sort of insight and anecdote, particularly with regard to the city's long and fruitful interchange with Byzantium, a relationship that would cast a unique and decisive influence over both aesthetics and culture. Given the book's reach, it seems like quibble to harp on small errors, but Igor Stravinsky died in New York and the Eastern Emperor Alexius Comnenus (Alexio Komenos) surely was gone by the Fourth Crusade. When it comes to the visual arts, Ackroyd's assessments can be a trifle quirky. He finds the Venetian portrait tradition, for example, curiously lacking any "personal character." In fact, as just one of many contrary examples that come to mind, Catena's great portrait of Andrea Gritti, the Doge who built that palace, depicts a face that is the apotheosis of calculation.
On the other hand, Ackroyd's evocation of Venetian light — and of the role distinctive building materials, like terrazzo and Isturian limestone play in refracting it through both memory and art — fits lovingly and convincingly into the rhapsodic tradition.
As Ruskin at his most lucid put it in volume two of "The Stones of Venice": "The world is full of vulgar Purists, who bring discredit on all selection by the silliness of their choice; and this the more, because the very becoming a Purist is commonly indicative of some slight degree of weakness, readiness to be offended, or narrowness of understanding of the ends of things."
Venice, as Ackroyd so vividly portrays it, is the still-living rebuttal to vulgar purism.


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9:30 pm
Mexico -- One Plate at a Time with Rick Bayless "Mexican Microbrews and Pub Fare" Many of us experienced our first Mexican beer on a beach with a squeeze of lime. Now we're happy to see a beer revolution rumbling in the Baja peninsula. Rick takes us from the Tecate brewery, which started in 1944, to the Tijuana brewery, makers of several microbrews. D
10:00 pm
Caprial and John's Kitchen: Cooking for Family and Friends "Farmers' Market" Caprial and John bring home treasures from local growers. They showcase their finds in fresh crab cocktail with roasted pepper coulis.G
10:30 pm
Rick Steves' Europe "Dubrovnik and Balkan Side-Trips" From Dubrovnik, a remarkably preserved medieval fortress city, Rick ventures into less-visited corners of the former Yugoslavia. In Bosnia, he visits Mostar. In Montenegro, he sails the fjord-like Bay of Kotor.G
11:00 pm
Theater Talk "Happy Birthday, Ethel Merman" We discuss the career of Broadway's all-time greatest star Ethel Merman with Tony Cointreau and James Russo. The close personal friends of the late diva, now archivists of her estate, share stories and keepsakes of the incomparable star. D
11:30 pm
Closer to Truth "What Is The Grand Structure of the Universe?" Galaxies and clusters of galaxies, untold billions of them, adorn the cosmos. How did such large-scale structure of the universe come about?. D


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Muscle Mustangs & Fast FordsFeatures
Pinstripe Chris: Sharpie-Dressed Man
Artist Pinstripe Chris (Chris Dunlop) is trusted to draw freely on expensive cars with permanent Sharpie markers.
When thinking about incredibly talented automotive artists, a few names come to mind. Sure, Chip Foose tops the list of auto artists that can conjure up an idea and almost-effortlessly transfer it to a piece of paper. However, another name comes to mind lately – Chris Dunlop, also known as Pinstripe Chris.
I had the chance to talk to Chris about his amazing artwork, and he is probably one of the most down-to-earth guys I've had the pleasure to talk to within the auto industry.
Chris and his lady made the move from the asphalt farm of Washington D.C. area -- Rockville, Maryland to be exact -- to a more laid-back Huntington Beach, California where he can take in that salty air and focus on cranking out amazing pieces of art for a living.
Chris told us that he is greatly influenced by the incredible artist Steve Stanford and, of course, the Overhaulin' man himself Chip Foose.
If it wasn't clear already that Huntington Beach is where he should be, the sign was clear as day when he ran into the man, Chip Foose, at a local art store not long after making the long haul from Maryland.
One thing Chris is seriously known for his Sharpie creations. Sure, he can create a killer piece of art on any type of canvas, and that just happens to include cars. Chris is usually armed with a permanent industrial-strength Sharpie marker where he puts his freehand talent to work on the top of someone's ride. Whether they want the whole car covered head to tail in original art or just some artistic racing stripes, Pinstripe Chris is the man for the job.
If you're a Ford Mustang enthusiast, you have probably seen his work and may or may not even know it. Remember the MM&FF Sharpie Ford Mustang feature we brought you a few months back? The artwork covering Trevor Jackson's white 1999 Ford Mustang GT took 70+ man hours and 12 Sharpie markers to keep the tips from becoming dull.
"There's a lot of clear coat over the artwork so there's no fading," Chris tells us. "It's no different than protecting new paint under the clear coat."
The original plan was just to go with the C-pillars and roof but Trevor felt the "Sharpie Mustang" appeared unfinished, so he had Chris finish off the Ford Mustang with a two-tone art job.
If you haven't noticed, Chris likes to add details that you might not see the first time scanning over his art. Check out the placement of spark plugs, pistons and other cool details incorporated into his artwork.
Other Sharpie'd cars include both a new and classic Camaro, a Fiero, a few motorcycles, and most recently, a Maserati.
You can catch Chris here on his Facebook page or visit his blog for more of his incredible artwork! Whether you're into classic cars or exotics, Chris has something for you to appreciate and check out what prints are available! This guy's talent is out of control.
I crossed paths with Chris at the 2013 SEMA show and I didn't even realize it. Chris was outside with two other artists near the Ford setup airbrushing away on a hood.


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No. 86,395
K.S.A. 1998 Supp. 21-4603d(a) requires the district judge to consider all of the listed nonprison alternatives explicitly and on the record, including any available community intermediate sanction center, before sending a qualifying offender to prison.
Appeal from Scott District Court; PHILIP C. VIEUX, judge. Opinion filed January 25, 2002. Affirmed in part, reversed in part, and remanded with directions.
Sandra Carr, assistant appellate defender, and Jessica R. Kunen, chief appellate defender, for appellant.
John Shirley, county attorney, and Carla J. Stovall, attorney general, for appellee.
Before BEIER, P.J., BRAZIL, S.J., and JOHN W. WHITE, District Judge, assigned.
BEIER, J.: Paul A. Miller appeals the district court's revocation of his probation and imposition of his underlying prison term without consideration of placement in a community intermediate sanction center (CISC). He further appeals from the imposition of a $1,000 fine.
Miller entered a guilty plea to burglary of a farm building, a level 7 felony. The district court placed Miller on probation for 36 months, with an underlying prison sentence of 23 months. The court also levied a fine of $1,000 and ordered restitution of $200 and payment of other costs and fees of approximately $500.
A year later, the court found Miller had violated his probation conditions. Noting Miller's criminal history of more than nine felonies, his past failure to appear in court, and his age of 24 years, the court concluded the Labette Correctional Conservation Camp was not an appropriate placement. The court ordered Miller to serve his original prison sentence without discussing any other alternative placement.
Miller argues the district court committed reversible error when it failed to consider placing him in a CISC, as required by K.S.A. 1998 Supp. 21-4603d(a), before ordering him to prison.
Interpretation of a statute is a question of law, over which an appellate court exercises unlimited review. State v. Patterson, 25 Kan. App. 2d 245, 247, 963 P.2d 436, rev. denied 265 Kan. 888 (1998). When a statute is plain and unambiguous, the court will not speculate as to the legislative intent behind the statute and will not read such a statute to add something not readily found therein. State v. Alires, 21 Kan. App. 2d 139, Syl. ¶ 2, 895 P.2d 1267 (1995).
K.S.A. 1998 Supp. 21-4603d(a) provides in pertinent part:
"[P]rior to revocation of a nonprison sanction of a defendant whose offense is classified in the presumptive nonprison grid block of either sentencing guideline grid or grid blocks 5-H, 5-I or 6-G of the sentencing guidelines grid for nondrug crimes or in grid blocks 3-E, 3-F, 3-G, 3-H, 3-I, 4-E or 4-F of the sentencing guidelines grid for drug crimes, the court shall consider placement of the defendant in the Labette correctional conservation camp, conservation camps established by the secretary of corrections pursuant to K.S.A. 75-52,127, and amendment thereto or a community intermediate sanction center. Pursuant to this paragraph the defendant shall not be sentenced to imprisonment if space is available in a conservation camp or a community intermediate sanction center and the defendant meets all of the conservation camp's or a community intermediate sanction center's placement criteria unless the court states on the record the reasons for not placing the defendant in a conservation camp or a community intermediate sanction center." (Emphasis added.)
Miller concedes the district court explicitly considered placement at Labette and decided it was not appropriate for him. However, he insists the court still was required to consider placement in a CISC explicitly and to reject it for reasons it put on the record before sending him to prison. The State responds that the "or" in the first sentence of the passage quoted from the statute contradicts Miller's argument. In its view, either consideration of Labette or consideration of another conservation camp or consideration of a CISC is sufficient. The district court need not explore each placement in each case.
The problem with the State's argument is that it requires us to ignore the second sentence of the quoted passage. The second sentence makes it clear that the legislature expected the district judge to address each of the possible alternative settings in each case. No defendant was supposed to be sent to one of Kansas' full or filling prisons without explicit consideration and rejection of each of the listed nonprison possibilities. This includes any available CISC.
The issue then becomes whether such an animal exists anywhere in Kansas and, if so, whether it was intended to house qualified offenders only from the judicial district or community in which it is located or offenders from anywhere in the state. Nothing in the record in this case answers the first question, and our thorough review of the statute's legislative history and subsequent legislative action authorizing spending for the creation of CISCs sheds no light on the second question.
In State v. Morrison, (Case No. 84,823, unpublished opinion filed July 13, 2001), our Supreme Court, after granting review of a Court of Appeals decision, remanded the case for resentencing when neither Labette nor a CISC had been considered by the district judge. The justices rejected the reasoning of a prior opinion from this court that the district judge's omission did not merit reversal because the offender did not meet admission criteria for Labette and no CISC existed anywhere in the state. In essence, according to Morrison, a district court's failure to abide by the mandatory language of K.S.A. 1998 Supp. 21-4603d(a) can never be harmless.
The Court of Appeals panel's finding in Morrison that CISCs were "no more real than the emperor's new clothes," State v. Morrison (Case No. 84,823, unpublished opinion filed February 9, 2000), had been based on a letter submitted by defense counsel in response to an order to show cause. The letter stated that, although money had been approved by the legislature in 1998 for the creation of CISCs, the centers never materialized. A later letter from defense counsel asserted that the first letter was in error and that one such center was located in Wichita.
On remand from the Supreme Court, District Judge Gregory L. Waller ultimately entered an order in Morrison that the center in Wichita that had been described by its facilities coordinator as a CISC was not, in fact, a CISC as that designation is used in the statute. Although we would like to take judicial notice of Judge Waller's finding, even though it is limited in scope, we cannot. Judicial notice shall be taken only of
"the common law, constitutions and public statutes in force in every state, territory and jurisdiction of the United States, and of such specific facts and propositions of generalized knowledge as are so universally known that they cannot reasonably be the subject of dispute." K.S.A. 60-409(a).
Judicial notice may be taken only of
"(1) private acts and resolutions of the Congress of the United States and of the legislature of this state, and duly enacted ordinances and duly published regulations of governmental subdivisions or agencies of this state, and (2) the laws of foreign countries and (3) such facts as are so generally known or of such common notoriety within the territorial jurisdiction of the court that they cannot reasonably be the subject of dispute, and (4) specific facts and propositions of generalized knowledge which are capable of immediate and accurate determination by resort to easily accessible sources of indisputable accuracy." K.S.A. 60-409(b).
Given the conflicting information supplied to the courts so far, it is plain that the status of the Wichita facility is not a candidate for judicial notice. See also Jones v. Bordman, 243 Kan. 444, 459, 759 P.2d 953 (1988) (court may not take judicial notice of contested factual findings reached by another court). Moreover, even if we could take judicial notice of Judge Waller's finding regarding the Wichita facility, the mysteries only deepen as to what other CISCs may or may not exist in Kansas and from where their residents may come.
We have no choice but to reverse this case and remand to the district court for an evidentiary hearing to determine whether any CISCs exist statewide and, if so, whether they were intended to be available as nonprison placement options only for offenders from their home judicial districts or communities, as opposed to offenders from anywhere in Kansas. We suggest that the parties contact and arrange for the testimony of Charles Simmons, Secretary of Corrections, on these points, as well as legislators familiar with the statute's history and any later related appropriations. Should the district court determine that one or more CISCs exist, and that the court was intended to have the power to place Miller at one such facility, it must do so or explain its reasons on the record for why such a placement is inappropriate.
Miller next argues the trial court failed to comply with the requirements of K.S.A. 21-4607 when it imposed the fine of $1,000. The State responds that the issue is not properly before the Court of Appeals, because Miller did not file a notice of appeal on this issue within 10 days of sentencing. See K.S.A. 22-3608. Miller concedes his notice of appeal was untimely, but argues the fine constitutes an illegal sentence that can be corrected at any time under K.S.A. 22-3504.
We agree with the State. Miller's untimely notice deprives this court of jurisdiction to review this issue.
Affirmed in part, reversed in part, and remanded for further proceedings consistent with this opinion.


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Insider trading case may open Pandora's Box on forex markets
One of the biggest insider trading cases in Australian history puts the spotlight on the forex market. Ben Butler and Georgia Wilkins report.
- ABS scandal: Keeping the bureau's statistics under wraps
- Malcolm Maiden: Tighten the reins on currency trading
It's the crime where no one is sure whether or not they are the victim.
Someone - most likely one of the globe-spanning banks that back the secretive retail forex market - must have been on the wrong end of a series of now notorious insider trades allegedly perpetrated by a pair of 20-something Australian university friends.
But, a week after 26-year-old NAB employee Lukas Kamay and his mate, 24-year-old Australian Bureau of Statistics worker Christopher Hill, faced court charged with offences that could see them jailed for 10 years, global financial institutions have yet to figure out which of them lost out in the multimillion-dollar trades.
Either that, or they're just not telling. Most of the alphabet soup of banks touted as liquidity providers by the two forex brokers used by Kamay, Pepperstone Financial and AxiTrader, declined to comment. However, it is believed a legal team at BNP Paribas is still investigating whether it was exposed to one of the trades.
The ambiguity around who lost out is perhaps to be expected in an industry that, despite its vast size and glossy marketing that targets retail investors, operates largely outside of the regulatory and media spotlight.
Every day, about $4.5 trillion churns through the global forex market - which, unlike the sharemarket, operates 24 hours a day. And Australia is a key part of this global circus, punching above its weight due to the strength of its economy and the high yield available to investors.
The dollar ranks fifth on the list of most traded currencies, and the Australian-US dollar is the fourth-most-traded currency pair in the world, according to the Reserve Bank.
It's a trade that has long been a trap for the unwary. In the early 1980s, farmers desperate for finance plunged into the forex market, snapping up low-interest loans denominated in Swiss francs.
But the loans, essentially a bet on the Aussie dollar remaining strong against the franc, went horribly wrong when the dollar plunged in 1985 and 1986, costing some borrowers their farms.
Industry figures say the foreign exchange market is secretive and unregulated by its very nature, as most transactions occur on an over-the-counter basis, through a dealer or broker, rather than a central exchange. This means that any information available to regulators and consumers is limited, particularly compared with other markets such as the sharemarket, where companies are required to release information to investors under continuous disclosure rules.
Complicating matters, what most retail clients see as forex does not actually involve buying and selling foreign currency; it is instead a bet with the broker as to the direction in which the currencies involved move.
Those brokers then hedge their exposure to trades through the big banks that provide their liquidity.
One source says the over-the-counter market, including foreign exchange, was ''self-regulated and always has been''.
Another was blunter, saying that ''they're all pirates in retail''.
Banking experts have stressed the difficulty in trying to regulate a market as big as forex.
''There are trillions of transactions in the foreign exchange market each day, so it is beyond the capacity of any individual regulator,'' George Gilligan, a senior research fellow at the University of New South Wales law school, says.
''If there is chronic loss of confidence again in capital markets, you run the risk of plunging into the vortex of another global financial crisis.''
But despite the risks, forex is extremely popular with day traders seeking a fresh thrill away from the equities markets.
And with most of the big brokers offering a mobile phone app, traders can win or lose while at the hairdresser or waiting for the bus.
According to documents filed with the court, Kamay did just that, using his iPhone to bet on movements of the Australian dollar just moments before the ABS put out key economic statistics.
Federal Police allege the 23 trades netted Kamay almost $7 million - making it one of the biggest insider trading cases in Australian history.
The insider trading busts have given the forex market more attention, even if it's not the kind of attention the industry had been seeking.
Before the dramatic arrests, Pepperstone had been gathering a few finance media headlines as a potential float on the Australian Securities Exchange, while Sky News viewers might occasionally have seen ads for a UK group called Knowledge to Action, which spruiks training courses designed to turn clients into gun forex traders.
Knowledge to Action's website features plenty of its tanned founder, Greg Secker, ''a multimillionaire by his mid 20s'', and success stories from graduates of its courses - including a Youtube video of a ''trader success day'' filmed on a yacht in Sydney Harbour.
However, a Knowledge to Action spokesman said forex was not a way to get rich quick.
''The guy who thinks he's going to be flying a helicopter in three months after paying $5000 to do a course is not our ideal candidate,'' he said.
Meanwhile, broker Halifax Investment Services promotes itself using a celebrity ''ambassador'', former Test cricket captain Mark ''Tubby'' Taylor.
According to Taylor, who also advertises Fujitsu airconditioners, Halifax is pretty much the greatest thing since sliced bread.
''They just offer me the best all-round solution for managing my investments,'' Taylor says in a promotional video on the Halifax website.
It seems the US regulator in charge of foreign exchange markets, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, disagrees.
Last month, after being taken to US Federal Court by the commission, Halifax agreed to a permanent injunction barring it from accepting American customers.
Following the global financial crisis, the US brought in strict new laws cracking down on the sale of exotic financial products to ordinary mum and dad investors.
While retail foreign exchange dealers are still allowed to operate, since September 2010 they have been required to register with the commission and comply with new rules, including holding $US20 million in net capital.
The commission alleged that because Halifax allowed US residents to apply for an account, it was in breach of the rules.
Halifax said it was happy with the outcome because it did not admit to any wrongdoing and had in any case recently bought a US company through which it could legally do business with Americans.
It's not the only Australian retail forex provider caught up in the commission's crackdown.
Enfinium, which trades as Vantage FX, was dragged before the US courts in 2011 for allegedly offering to sign up retail customers - including those with annual incomes of less than $15,000.
In February 2012 it also agreed to a permanent injunction against signing up US customers, and paid the commission an $80,000 penalty.
Halifax has also run into trouble with its local regulator, the Australian Securities and Investments Commission, which in April last year raised concerns of a laundry list of problems at the broker, including inadequate supervision of staff, inadequate breach reporting and deficiencies in complaint handling.
Under an enforceable undertaking with ASIC, Halifax agreed to hire an independent consultant to overhaul its risk management procedures and assess the competence of its staff.
But regulation in the US appears tougher than in Australia, where retail forex houses are required to have net tangible assets of 10 per cent of their average revenue, half of which must be in cash.
It appears unlikely one of the forex providers Kamay used to carry out his alleged insider trades, AxiTrader, would meet the strict US standards. According to its latest financial accounts, as of June 30 last year, AxiCorp Financial Services, which trades as AxiTrader, had net capital - assets minus liabilities - of about $6.13 million.
Customers are also warned that AxiTrader may use client money to ''hedge our exposure to you … or hedge our exposure to other clients''.
''Your moneys may be co-mingled into one or more trust accounts with our other clients' moneys,'' AxiTrader says in its product disclosure statement.
''Should there be a deficit in the segregated trust accounts and in the unlikely event that we become insolvent before the topping up of the segregated trust accounts in deficit, you will be an unsecured creditor in relation to the balance of the moneys owing to you.''
This is contrary to standards set by the Australian CFD Forum, which represents the big contracts for difference providers, and says providers should hold client money in completely separate bank accounts.
AxiTrader, which also provides CFDs, opposed the standard, which was approved by the competition regulator on Thursday.
In a submission to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, it said the move was motivated by the ''self-interest'' of the big CFD groups.
Business Day chased AxiTrader all week in an attempt to find out what had happened in the Kamay case and whether the allegedly dodgy trades put other customers at risk.
Calls to the company and emails to its head of trading, Emanuel Georgouras, went unanswered until late on Thursday afternoon, when a man who refused to give his name phoned to say a statement from AxiTrader was on its way.
In it, AxiCorp chief risk officer Justin Friemann said the company's ''risk management practices were strictly applied during the relevant period and that all of the relevant trades were automatically fully hedged''.
''As a result, AxiCorp was not exposed to market movements. AxiCorp is subject to liquidity requirements under conditions of its Australian Financial Services Licence and at no stage were those conditions at risk.''
AxiTrader ''can confirm that, following internal assessments of a series of trades, AxiCorp reported suspicious activity to the Australian Federal Police, AUSTRAC and [ASIC],'' he said. ''Subsequent to making these reports, AxiCorp provided assistance and support as requested by the investigating authorities.''
The transparency of the forex market could change under new rules being introduced by ASIC. These will require institutions to report information on derivatives trading to relevant authorities and the public.
Last month the second phase of the rules was introduced, requiring financial entities with $50 billion notionally outstanding to disclose information to the regulator. The last phase will be introduced in October, requiring smaller entities to commit to the standards.
The G20 has also moved to improve the integrity of the foreign exchange market, with its spinoff, the Financial Stability Board, announcing in February its intention to review the setting of foreign exchange benchmarks. The review is chaired by Reserve Bank assistant governor Guy Debelle, and will report its findings at the G20 meeting in Brisbane in November.
David Lynch, chief executive of the Australian Financial Markets Association, welcomed the efforts to improve transparency.
''It's an appropriate forum to deal with these issues given the global nature of the market,'' he says.
And the corporate regulator is currently investigating potential manipulation of foreign exchange benchmarks in Australia, following similar action by authorities overseas.
Regulators have focused on the potential manipulation of benchmarks relating to the euro, US and Australian dollar.
ASIC announced the probe in March but has not specified the focus of its inquiries or which banks would be targeted. However, it is believed the regulator has widened the inquiry to take in other potential misconduct in the forex market.
ASIC has also set up working groups to look at online retail forex, especially overseas players who hold an Australian financial services licence and target local investors.
If the big banks allegedly burnt by Kamay do manage to figure out which among them suffered a financial loss, they may be able to claw back the money.
Juliette Overland, at the University of Sydney business school, said such action would be possible under the Corporations Act.
''If this were to occur here, it would just add to the seriousness of the potential consequences for the parties in this case,'' she says.
Overland says if the total profit made in the case is $7 million as alleged, it would be the largest amount ever made in an Australian insider trading case - far greater than the $2664 that Rene Rivkin was sent to jail over.
''Since the amount of money involved is considered a significant factor when sentencing is occurring, this could be expected to influence the severity of any sentence imposed, if the trader is ultimately found guilty of insider trading,'' she says.
Whatever the outcome for Kamay and Hill, it seems the forex market's days in the shadows may be coming to an end.


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November 2011 4xForwardPosted in Features on November 1, 2011
I swear I can't make this stuff up. It's not that I'm uncreative, but nobody would believe me if I tried to explain away a photo like this, so I won't even try. What happens on the Ultimate Adventure stays on the Ultimate Adventure, except of course when it's shown in our coverage like the fine photos in this issue.
Yes, that is Feature Editor Ali Mansour and Zone Offroad Products representative Carter Reed in full mullet attire on the side of a road somewhere in the wilds of Oklahoma. The picture doesn't do justice to the event, or the boys. As with any inside joke, you had to be there.
What does all this have to do with the UA and four-wheeling? Simply put, the UA is an event for and by readers, and both these guys were just that before they got a job in this industry. Every one of us on staff came up through the ranks of regular wheeling with nary a clue that someday we would be part of the largest 4x4 magazine on the planet and also wheeling on the Ultimate Adventure. We never thought we'd see these mullet-heads dancing on the side of the road, either. But guess what: You can be there too! We are already taking applications for next year online, and next month we will print the application in the magazine.
Now in its 12th year, the UA constantly evolves to meet the want, needs, and challenges of the wheeling world we live in. It's plenty of fun, but darn hard work too. It is basically a bunch of wheelers getting together and having fun wheeling.
This year we picked six readers to join us, from a very qualified dozen finalists, who we showed you on our website. We'll do the same again next year, but remember, it isn't a vote or a popularity contest, just a way for our readership to comment on what we have to offer. We know we picked a great crop this year, and are sad we couldn't take everyone we called or even considered. But as we all know, the larger the group the slower the trip, and we only have a short week in the sun to get it done. Still, we like a lot of entries because there is more potential for a good cross-section of our readership. We love that diversity of people and vehicles on the trail, and want to show it off to the rest of the world.
So break out your keyboard right now and read the rules and regs of the UA, then sign up for the trip of a lifetime, with or without your hairpiece.


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Auburn (New York)
Auburn is a city in the Finger Lakes region of New York.
Get in[edit]
The best way to get to Auburn is definitely by car, though visitors can also take one of five city bus routes via Centro bus system. Auburn has a population of 29,581 people according to the 2000 U.S. Census, and is 25 miles west of Hancock International Airport in Syracuse.
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Auburn's riches are outstanding—whether going to an Auburn Doubledays (farm team for the Toronto Bluejays) baseball game, visiting historic homes and museums, or taking part in the annual 'Great Race' triathalon, Auburn has something for everyone. Be sure to visit the nearby wineries and savor premium Finger Lakes wines. Hunters and Anglers will want to visit Auburn's Bass Pro Shops in the Fingerlakes Mall, the only Bass Pro Shops in the northeast. This is 'shoppertainment' at it's best! Hotels, motels, country inns and B&Bs are all available to suit every taste and budget, or those that love the outdoors can stay at one of the many campgrounds in the area. If shopping is your favorite past time, you'll love the many antique shops in and around Auburn as well as the famous MacKenzie-Childs, Ltd. furnishings you can purchase at their facility in Aurora, only 25 minutes south of Auburn.
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314 Clark St. 1.5 mi from bass pro shops. Reasonable prices and generous portions. Great veal parm. Italian-American food. July 2015.
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Shockwave Tour Featuring Fear Factory Canceled
The Shockwave tour, which was set to kick off on Friday, July 6, featuring Voivod, Fear Factory, Cattle Decapitation, Misery Index, Havok, Last Chance to Reason and the Browning, has been canceled just two days before the launch.
While Fear Factory issued their own statement saying that they would not be appearing, a simple and informative post on the tour's official website confirmed that the whole thing is now off due to low advance ticket sales, as well as the recent departure of Voivod from the trek. Those factors combined forced promoters to table the tour. What a shame, as this was shaping up to be one of the most brutal tours of the busy summer season.
Fear Factory's statement read as follows.
We are truly disappointed not to be part of the Shockwave tour. We send our sincerest apologies to all our North American fans planning to come out this summer, but we will be back. Please look for Fear Factory headlining dates in August.
So there is some good news, and that's the fact that the band will still tour in support of the recently-released 'The Industrialist' this summer.
The statement from the Shockwave official site is as follows:
It is with great disappointment that we have to make this announcement. With the recent departure of Voivod from the Shockwave Festival lineup, as well as low advance ticket sales, we have decided to pull the plug on the Shockwave Festival. For purchases made with a credit card, your card will automatically be refunded. All other refunds are available at point of purchase. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this has caused.


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That city and country governmental bodies focus on different responsibilities is a given. There are, however, areas of overlap.
Once such task is that of public safety. Even though each entity utilizes separate organizations to accomplish the task, such as the county having a sheriff's office and the city having a police department, the customer is the same person.
Which is why we're having a difficult time understanding opposing decisions regarding fireworks this year. On Thursday, the Hays City Commission is expected to ban both the sale and use of consumer fireworks for the Fourth of July weekend. On Monday, the Ellis County Commission opted to allow sales. Use will be decided closer to the holiday.
Current drought conditions are the same throughout the county. Rains during the past week have helped slightly alleviate the exceptional and extreme portions, but even the best areas only can boast of severe drought conditions. Add to that a drier-than-usual forecast for the next six weeks -- and we'll likely be experiencing a hot, dry and windy Independence Day.
The county vote wasn't unanimous. The newest commissioner, Barbara Wasinger, noted the foolishness of the decision when casting her nay vote. Ellis County Rural Fire Director Dick Klaus said he is in favor of banning the use, but will wait to make a formal decision. And County Administrator Greg Sund had pointed out the mixed message created by having sales but no use if that ends up being the case.
But commissioners Dean Haselhorst and Swede Holmgren don't want to pass on the business opportunity. Haselhorst believes neighboring counties will fill the void. Holmgren noted the small church groups that depend on fireworks sales as fund-raisers.
We believe the decision to allow fireworks sales is short-sighted and potentially dangerous. It is not a stretch of the imagination to imagine many residents who, if allowed to buy fireworks, will use them even if there's eventually a ban.
Why borrow trouble? We don't know. The risk-reward component of the county's decision should have sided in favor of safety concerns. Placing the responsibility of ensuring there are no grassfires or burned homes and vehicles in the hands of individual residents is not the proper route to take.
The Ellis County Commission erred on this vote. The general public would have understood and dealt with a fireworks-free Fourth. Instead, they'll be forced to hope for the best.
As the dissenting Wasinger said: "It's just foolish."
Editorial by Patrick Lowry


text: No. 1 NFL draft picks since 2000 You are hereHome » Photos » No. 1 NFL draft picks since 2000 The first choice in the annual selection of college players by professional football with player, position, team and college: Jameis Winston poses with a Tampa Bay Buccaneers cap and NFL football after he was selected as the number one draft pick, Thursday, April 30, 2015, in Bessemer, Ala. (AP Photo/Butch Dill) 2014 – Jadeveon Clowney DE, Houston Texans (South Carolina) 2013 – Eric Fisher OL, Kansas City Chiefs (Central Michigan) 2012 – Andrew Luck QB, Indianapolis Colts (Stanford) 2011 – Cam Newton QB, Carolina Panthers (Auburn) 2010 – Sam Bradford QB, St. Louis Rams (Oklahoma) 2009 – Matthew Stafford QB, Detroit Lions (Georgia) 2008 – Jake Long OL, Miami Dolphins (Michigan) 2007 – JaMarcus Russell QB, Oakland Raiders (LSU) 2006 – Mario Williams DE, Houston Texans (NC State) 2005 – Alex Smith QB, San Francisco 49ers (Utah) 2004 – Eli Manning QB, San Diego Chargers (Mississippi) Note: Manning was traded to the Giants for the No. 2 pick Phillip Rivers 2003 – Carson Palmer QB, Cincinnati Bengals (USC) 2002 – David Carr QB, Houston Texans (Fresno State) 2001 – Michael Vick QB, Atlanta Falcons (Virginia Tech) 2000 – Courtney Brown DE, Cleveland Browns (Penn State) Prev Next Share 1 0 Share Tweet Tumblr


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There are a number of reasons that individuals take the time to fully bring back 1969 ford mach mustangs for automobile programs and individual pleasure. One of the primary factors people invest a lot time, energy, and money restoring 1969 ford mach mustangs is the power that is contained because particular mustang design. The engine upgrades that were offered throughout the launch of the 1969 ford mach mustang for sale in Boone IA transformed the mach mustang from the typical household vehicle into a racing enthusiasts dream.
Production of the Mustang began in Dearborn, Michigan on March 9, 1964 and the vehicle was presented to the public on April 17, 1964 at the New York World's Fair. It is Ford's 3rd oldest nameplate currently in production. After it was seen on television and in print it was wanted by every blue blooded American. Everyone wanted to be the first to buy A mustang in Boone IA.Initial sales projections predicted less than 100,000 units for the very first year. This mark was surpassed in 3 months from rollout. Another 318,000 would be offered throughout the model year (a record), and in its very first eighteen months, more than one million Mustangs were developed.
Buy Vintage Ford Mustangs
All of these were VIN-identified as 1965 designs, but a number of modifications were made at the conventional opening of the new design year (start August 1964), including the addition of back-up lights on some designs, the introduction of generators to replace generators, and an upgrade of the V8 engine from 260 cu into 289 cu in. When it comes to a minimum of some six-cylinder Mustangs fitted with the 101 hp 170 cu in Falcon engine, the rush into production consisted of some uncommon peculiarities, such as a horn ring bearing the 'Ford Falcon' logo below a trim ring emblazoned with 'Ford Mustang.' These characteristics made enough difference to warrant designation of the 121,538 earlier ones as "1964 1/2" model-year Mustangs, a distinction that has sustained with perfectionists. Mustangs For Sale in Boone IA are easy to find now with online shopping.
The 1973 OPEC oil embargo brought with it more rigid pollution laws and the desire for fuel-efficiency. This was also the first time in vehicle history that the Big 3 were needing to take on imports. The new Mustang II was smaller sized than the very first variation but, due to the additional equipment needed to fulfill new US emission and safety policies, was heavier than the very first design. Efficiency was decreased and in the very first year just 385,993 cars were sold.
Second generation Mustangs for sale in Boone IA were offered in between 1974 and 1978 and offered in a coupe and hatchback version. 1979 the Mustang was redesigned a third time. This time it was based upon the larger Fox platform and the interior was actually huge enough for 4 people. The trunk was larger therefore was the engine bay. The body styles readily available included a coupe, hatchback and in 1983 a convertible. In 1979 the Third generation Mustang worked as an Indianapolis 500 speed automobile and Ford developed 10,478 celebratory reproductions. The 3rd generation Mustangs were produced from 1979 to 1982.


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One consequence of O'Bummer's government services shutdown is that Mt. Rushmore can now only be seen from the Canadian side
Moderators: Minimalist, MichelleH
Just before the weekend, the National Park Service informed charter boat captains in Florida that the Florida Bay was "closed" due to the shutdown. Until government funding is restored, the fishing boats are prohibited from taking anglers into 1,100 square-miles of open ocean. Fishing is also prohibited at Biscayne National Park during the shutdown.
CNSNews.comreported that, because there are only a little over 230 active-duty Catholic priests to serve some 275,000 Catholic military personnel, the government has contracted with non-military priests to help perform Mass and other religious functions. But according to the Archdiocese for the Military Services, these non-active-duty military priests face arrest if they perform Mass or other religious services on military bases during the government shutdown, even if they volunteer their time.
John Schlageter, general counsel of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, explained in a letter on the archdiocese website that during the shutdown, contract priests hired by the federal government to fill in on military bases when no active duty priest is available "are not permitted to work — not even to volunteer. During the shutdown, it is illegal for them to minister on base and they risk being arrested if they attempt to do so."
Private-property owners on Nevada's Lake Mead have been kicked out of their homes by National Parks Service officials as part of the federal government shutdown, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported Saturday.
TUSAYAN, Ariz. (AP) — Nearly two dozen people have been issued citations for entering Grand Canyon National Park. All of the citations will be handled by the U.S. Attorney's Office. Wright says each of the 21 citations issued as of Monday has a mandatory order to appear in federal court.
Minimalist wrote:Your shithead tea bagging asshole pals refuse to pass a continuing resolution to fund government operations. What is Obama supposed to do? Pay them with confederate money. I'm sure the southern assholes would like that but you had best wake up.
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Accept Compliments with Grace
Allow others to contribute to your self esteem
Do you find it nigh on impossible to accept compliments but easy to accept and be hurt by criticisms?
Research has shown that people with low self esteem find it very difficult to accept compliments (1)
When people try to compliment you, do you automatically try to deflect it or even argue with them? Or perhaps you feel they have an agenda or are trying to 'get round you' in some way? It could be you distrust compliments because you assume people are trying to soft soap you for their own ends.
People who can't accept compliments tend to be more down on themselves and less positive about their abilities and attainments. But when we accept compliments we are actually behaving with more humility.
Accepting compliments as a way of giving other people credit.
If we disregard what other people say then we are basically denying the possibility that they can see something in us that we can't see our selves. This is to deny that they have the ability to perceive clearly. When you begin to accept compliments you'll be more respectful of other people as well as developing more self respect.
Avoid a pitfall of depressive thinking
People who think in depressive patterns externalize good things but internalize bad things. This means that if something doesn't work out (such as a relationship or piece of work or…anything at all) they tend to exclusively blame themselves: 'I completely messed up that relationship!' They internalize the bad thing by exclusively blaming themselves but when things do work out they externalize it by putting the cause of that good thing outside of themselves. So if they are promoted at work it was because their work place didn't have time to hire anyone else rather than because they were the right people for the job. If they do well in a competition it's because the judges were being kind. In other words the cause of the good thing comes from outside of themselves.
This is clearly a way of going through life that is likely to make you feel worse, which is why depressed people often unwittingly use this style of thinking. When we can't accept compliments, but take criticisms to heart, then we are internalizing the bad stuff and externalizing the good stuff. By learning to accept compliments you'll be thinking in a way that is less depressive and more optimistic.
This doesn't mean you'll go round being arrogant and thinking you are automatically superior to others but it will mean that you can be fair to yourself more of the time and start forming a better self-image which will make you more confident.
This hypnotic session Accept Compliments will enable you to objectively recognize your strengths and appreciate where you have done well. This will lead to greater enjoyment and positivity in life.
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(1) The Rountree Report 2001 Nicolas Emler 'The causes and consequences of low self worth'.
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Charles and Ray Eames received a commission to design the interiors of three lobbies in the new Time & Life Building at Rockefeller Center in New York City. In addition to outfitting these spaces, this major project encompassed the development of the comfortably upholstered Lobby Chairs and a group of stools made out of solid walnut.The lathe-turned stools, which were also conceived by Ray to be used as small occasional tables, have distinctive individual profiles. The sculptural and decorative character of the stools makes the most striking impression when they are grouped together. These pieces were inspired by an African stool that stood in the living room of the Eames House, as shown in a photographic series by Monique Jacot from the year 1959.