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I just completed this painting today and thought I'd share :)
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Blue Winter
Posted by Faye at 2:06 PM 4 comments
A Week of Gratitude ~ Day 6
"I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought; and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder." ~ G.K. Chesterton
Since this is the week that Americans celebrate Thanksgiving Day, I'd like to take this opportunity to start the week off with Gratitude.
Today....I am grateful for all that I have. This time of year we hear of all those families that depend on food from the Food Banks or Salvation Army. We hear of families living in our very towns, cities and Country that do not have a warm home, food on the table, enough clothes, no where and no how to celebrate Christmas.
I am grateful that I have all of those things and am able to share from my blessings to help just a few others have a little more than they would have had.
Posted by Faye at 9:37 AM 1 comments
Friday, November 28, 2008
Over at my Sister, Rachel's Blog I found this GenderAnalyzer. It's just cool how it looks at your Blog and tells you what gender writes it. I'm thinking the word "Gramma" was a bit of a give away :)My sisters wasn't as lucky...LOL
Posted by Faye at 3:01 PM 0 comments
A Week of Gratitude ~ Day 5
"I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought; and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder." ~ G.K. Chesterton
Since this is the week that Americans celebrate Thanksgiving Day, I'd like to take this opportunity to start the week off with Gratitude.
Today....I am grateful for being a Gramma. Three precious children have been given to our family and each one is special!! Being a Gramma has added a whole new experience to my life, one that I did not expect would be so wonderful. Now every time I go shopping I see things that one of them would love. I watch for sales on kid's clothes and stock up on them for Birthdays and Christmas. I buy movies that I know they'd love...and guess what??!!....I love watching them with the kids...yup, even the animated ones....we laugh a lot together. I have their bathroom stocked with Princess & Spiderman bubble bath, shampoo, toothbrushes and toothpaste. The Kleenex box has that theme going on too, and although it is the guest bathroom as well, the decor is in fresh, fun colors. A little overboard???...maybe, but my grandchildren are worth it all and more!!! :)
Posted by Faye at 9:10 AM 0 comments
Thursday, November 27, 2008
A Week of Gratitude ~ Day 4
"I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought; and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder." ~ G.K. Chesterton
Since this is the week that Americans celebrate Thanksgiving Day, I'd like to take this opportunity to start the week off with Gratitude.
Today....I am thankful for my warm, cozy home. I love to curl up on the couch, with the fireplace burning, to read or watch TV or a movie. I love to work at the diningroom table on my laptop or scrapbooking. I love to work in the bright & sunny spare room, painting. I love looking out of my livingroom window, watching the birds gather at the bird-feeder eating or diving from the roof tops to gather with their feathered friends. I thank God for my home!
Posted by Faye at 10:09 AM 0 comments
Happy T-Day....
first to my to my Sister and her family and next to all my American friends.....
HAPPY THANKSGIVING...wishing you all a Blessed day filled with family, friends, good food and THANKFUL hearts.
Posted by Faye at 10:02 AM 0 comments
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
A Week of Gratitude ~ Day 3
"I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought; and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder." ~ G.K. Chesterton
Since this is the week that Americans celebrate Thanksgiving Day, I'd like to take this opportunity to start the week off with Gratitude.
Today....I am grateful for all my family and friends. I'm filling out Christmas cards to send off and that has shown me that I have many wonderful people in my life. I'm SO grateful for each and everyone's support the past couple of years....I could not have made it without you...Thanks!!
Posted by Faye at 4:08 PM 0 comments
And the Mirror Ball goes to....
"After ten weeks of competition, the winners and new champions of Dancing with the Stars are..." [big pause} "BROOKE AND DEREK!"
I have to say, that I was hoping either Brooke OR Warren was going to win this Season's "Dancing With the Stars'" Mirror Ball!! I love this show with the challenges the Stars face with learning the dance routines, grinding thru the pain, long hours and a steep learning curve. I love Ballroom dance, although I confess, I have no idea how to dance Ballroom myself.
Posted by Faye at 3:54 PM 0 comments
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
A Week of Gratitude ~ Day 2
"I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought; and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder." ~ G.K. Chesterton
Since this is the week that Americans celebrate Thanksgiving Day, I'd like to take this opportunity to start the week off with Gratitude.
Today....I am grateful for the opportunity to join in The Chronic Illness Program and having a super team of professionals working for me for three months. This morning I started the exercise program with a personal trainer. It's hard work, but I am grateful for the opportunity to improve on my health.
Posted by Faye at 3:16 PM 0 comments
I've been tagged by Lael at Those Weird Homeschoolers
Here's what you do:
1. Link to the person who tagged you.
2. Post the rules on your blog.
3. Write six random things about yourself.
4. Tag six people at the end of your post and
link to them.
5. Let each person know they've been tagged
and leave a comment on their blog.
6. Let the tagger know when your entry is up.
6 Random Things About Me:
1)I just started an exercise program with the Chronic Illness program in the hospital. I qualify because of the obvious, I have Diabetes and Fibromyalgia, and I need to lose major weight...duh!!!
2)I just came from the lovely craft store we have near by and spent far too much....that's what I get for having toom many hobbies!!
3)Christmas is my favorite holiday by far...I love the tastes, smells, music, glitter...all things festive.
4)I have started filling out my Christmas cards and plan to finish off addressing the envelopes to mail them off by Dec.1st.
5)I love dogs! I am not a cat person! Why don't I have a dog?? Well, right now it would be too inconvenient, since I like the freedom of traveling and not worrying about my sweet doggie in a kennel :(
6)I am a social person and need to have friends or I get terribly lonely....but I also like my own space.
The 6 Privileged Ones I Tag:
Hippo Chick
# 6 is for anyone wanting to do this....let me know and I'll check yours out!! :)
Posted by Faye at 2:34 PM 0 comments
Monday, November 24, 2008
A Week of Gratitude ~ Day 1
"I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought; and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder." ~ G.K. Chesterton
Since this is the week that Americans celebrate Thanksgiving Day, I'd like to take this opportunity to start the week off with Gratitude.
Today...I am grateful for the wonderful man I married. I pray he is rewarded today for providing so unselfishly for our home.
Posted by Faye at 9:34 AM 2 comments
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Light a Candle
"You can curse the darkness or light a candle"
Such a small but very profound statement. With the Christmas Holiday just ahead of us, just about every home lights up with candles, Christmas trees, outdoor lights, etc. It's a tradition that speaks volumes in it's analogy of life. I think we all are drawn to light and it lifts our spirits on short winter days.
I just came home from my Great-Nephew's Birthday party and saw how his sweet little face lit up when he saw the candle flame. He tried his darnedest to grab the flame in his pudgy hand. I think our fascination with light doesn't dim when we grow up.
Posted by Faye at 5:35 PM 0 comments
My Top 10 List....
My friend over at Those Weird Homeschoolers did a Top Ten Christmas Gifts list, so I thought I'd make one too....so here it goes:
10) Diamonds...always a Girl's best friend :)
9) an Aromatherapy Air Purifier (far better than a Glade plug-in any day)
8) books (I love reading!)
7) a Vacation trip to somewhere warm and sunny
6) Painting supplies
5) a microwave that fits over the stove (to free up counter space)
4) more warm pants to wear in this frigid climate
3) a rock lamp (they let off healing minerals into the air)
2) Christmas day filled with my grandchildren's laughter
1) Happiness, prosperity and health for those I love
I realize that not all my Top 10 are tangible gifts, but are important to me. I suppose I could have wished for no more war, all the world's hungry to be fed, or something equal to it, but realistically, those things just aren't going to happen on a wish. So, go ahead and "steal" this idea and let me know if you are going to make your own Top 10 list and I'll make sure to check it out :)
Posted by Faye at 9:08 AM 1 comments
Happy Birthday....
To my great-nephew, Reagan, who turns 1 year-old today!!! What a sweetie-pie! Going to the big Birthday Bash this aft :)
Posted by Faye at 8:53 AM 0 comments
Friday, November 21, 2008
It's not been a bad week, just a very full week. (and that's what my hair looked like this morning, but I'm going in for a haircut, so no worries...haha)
Posted by Faye at 11:20 AM 3 comments
The Mother Letter Project
While browsing through my Bog Roll, I came across this very interesting post on Rocks in my Dryer It SO intrigued me that I had to follow through and see what all this was about. Please read an excerpt of the Post below and then follow your own heart...you may be surprised by the journey :)
"Let me tell you a little story.
Danny (not his real name, and you'll understand why in a minute) is a husband and father who wanted to do something special for his wife this Christmas. They were both fed up with the materialistic emptiness the holidays often brought: "typical American Christmas—gizmos, gadgets, whatnots, and an oversized helping of turkey," as he calls it.
This was spurred, in part, by a trip to Africa in 2008. When he saw the great need there, he knew he had to do something better with his money this Christmas.
He and his wife agreed that they would spend no money on each other this year, instead sending as much as they could to the humanitarian efforts underway in the village Danny visited. In place of material gifts to each other, they would make gifts for each other, gifts that didn't cost money--only effort and creativity.
He hatched a brilliant idea.
His wife is the mother of small children, a season of life often fraught with discouragement and exhaustion. He began asking some mothers he knew in real life to submit letters of encouragement to her, sharing their best bits of motherhood wisdom. He planned to collect the letters to give to her Christmas morning.
Danny's idea was well-received by friends, but he began to realize his "mother network" was fairly small. He wanted to broaden the scope of his idea and find a way for more women to encourage his wife.
The Mother Letter Project was born.
This is a simple blog that tells his family's story, and it invites women--strangers, friends, from all walks of life--to write a letter to his wife, encouraging her in her mothering journey."
See??? What did I tell you...you are just as intrigued as I was, right?? So, join in and write a letter. Go to "Danny's" Blog and read more.
Posted by Faye at 10:20 AM 0 comments
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
The Next Step Towards.....
CHRISTMAS of course :)
Since it's snowy and cold, it was time to replace the Autumn leaves with a more festive template.
Posted by Faye at 5:25 PM 1 comments
Happy 150th Birthday British Columbia
The Day a Colony was Born
November 19, 1858
Our Province of British Columbia started out at the Hudson's Bay Co. Trading Post that kept watch over the coffee-colored Simon Fraser's River for more than 30 years. The steady downpour dimpling the surface where it gurgled past steep, loamy banks leading up to the Square, enclosed by the timber Palisades of Fort Langley. The ceremony at Fort Langley was to
"formalize what had already been done on the Pacific slope by James Douglas, the former Hudson's Bay Co. factor from Fort Victoria and now governor of the colony of Vancouver Island, when he unilaterally exerted administrative authority over the mainland north of the 49th."
The Vancouver Sun Published their article today with a detailed story of our history.
"Now, by royal proclamation, a new colony was to be created and Douglas was to be its governor, too. Since there were already two New Caledonias on the map, Queen Victoria had decided the colony would be named British Columbia, combining the emerging notion of a British North America with the name of the Columbia district for which Fort Victoria was the administrative centre."
Posted by Faye at 3:46 PM 0 comments
54 Years and Counting....
November 19, 1954 my Parents declared to love each other :"to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health to love and to cherish, from this day forward until death do us part."
And 54 years later, they would say the same words over again...they are a living definition of the word "VOW"
Posted by Faye at 3:03 PM 0 comments
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
This Tickled my Funny Bone...
I'm sorry, but this article that I found at Explore North made me laugh....not that it's not all true, but that it paints this picture of Northern BC to Alaska as some kind of Pioneering Adventure...The Last Frontier...sheesh!
How to Drive to Alaska in the Winter
If the thought of making a trip to "The Last Frontier" scares you, the thought of driving there in the winter will terrify you. Here's how to make it a safe, fun adventure.
Difficulty Level: average Time Required: varies
Here's How:
1. Assess your skills honestly. If you have little winter driving experience and need to be in Alaska quickly, please only drive as far as your airport.
2. If this is a holiday trip, decide whether driving a car, camper truck or motorhome are most appropriate to your plans. Flying north and then renting a vehicle is a good option for some people.
3. When planning your itinerary, allow as much extra time as possible for new opportunities that arise along the way (or for the possibility of problems). Remember that the days get very short.
4. Use the Alaska Highway, not Highway 37. It is the highway of choice in the winter, and offers more services and safety as a result.
5. Prepare your vehicle well - tune-up, oil change and a full safety check. Ensure that you have winter or all-season radial tires that are in excellent condition. "Studded" tires are not necessary.
6. Carry some spare parts. Depending on your vehicle, that may be as little as a fan belt, thermostat and headlight, or a more elaborate kit if your vehicle is not common.
7. Prepare for deep cold. Carry a sheet of corrugated cardboard large enough to cover your radiator if it gets so cold that your heater starts to lose it's effectiveness. Window ice-scrapers are mandatory equipment.
8. Carry at least a good map, preferably a detailed highway guide. "The Milepost" is the undisputed king of Alaska-Yukon highway guides, but many listed facilities are closed in the winter.
9. Be prepared to spend the night in your vehicle. It isn't likely, but vehicle problems or weather can change your plans quickly. That means carrying an Arctic sleeping bag or lots of extra heavy clothes, and some food and water.
10. Everywhere you stop, ask about conditions ahead, both road and weather. Plan accordingly - don't leave a warm coffee shop and head into conditions you may not be able to handle. "Macho" has no place in such circumstances.
11. Snow conditions can vary dramatically in a very short distance. A good road may turn into a sheet of ice with no visible signs except to the highly experienced. You should usually be driving well under the speed limit.
12. Whenever you stop, clear the snow and ice from all your windows, and from your tail lights - they are often neglected. Bringing a hot coffee back into your car can ice up all your windows instantly!
13. If the temperature is below about minus 15 C., never shut your vehicle off unless you're at a lodge or other facility where assistance is available if needed.
14. Driving when it's snowing can be hypnotizing - be aware of the effects, and stop for a break occasionally if needed.
15. When meeting another vehicle, be aware of the possible "snow dust" that can drop your visibility to zero for a lengthy distance. I always ensure that nobody is behind me so I can slow or even stop when that happens - if luck isn't with you, the conditions seen in the photo at the top can go on for hours and hundreds of miles.
16. Now that we have all the cautions written down, think about how amazingly beautiful the North is in the winter. You will be one of the few who get the privilege of seeing it, so savour every mile of it.
1. Think border-crossing - do not bring a gun! If you must have one for some reason, you need to buy a permit at the border crossing for $50. You can speed things up by having the forms filled out - but don't sign them until you're with the Customs officer. The forms can be found here and full details here.
2. Don't take the calendar too seriously - winter can visit 9 months of the year in some of the passes.
3. Take your time!
Posted by Faye at 4:38 PM 3 comments
Sunday, November 16, 2008
New Wheels
Dad & Mom arrived at my house yesterday in these new set of wheels....a Jeep Compass!! They did need a vehicle more suited to driving a half hour up the Alaska Highway, where they live. They make at least one trip a week to town and the Highway can be treacherous in the winter. We tend to worry more now that Dad cannot drive anymore, so it's left up to Mom. It's a beautiful vehicle!
Posted by Faye at 5:18 PM 1 comments
Saturday, November 15, 2008
2008 Mom-preneur Shop-a-Thon
12 giveaway winners
Everyday for 12 days
Sponsored by the Women
in the Shop-a-thon!!
To help promote & feature some of the amazing women who have joined the Mom-prenuer Shop-a-thon, Tip Junkie set up the 12 Days of Junkie where there will be two winners every day!
Tip Junkie has hit the 5th day already, so go check it out and make sure you enter to be a winner :)
Posted by Faye at 3:47 PM 0 comments
Friday, November 14, 2008
World Diabetes Day
Today is World Diabetes Day. This year we're going blue....in every which way we can. Please take some time today to learn more about this Disease. I have been Diabetic for 20 years. Diabetes is a huge Generational Disease in my family....3 out of 4 grandparents, both parents, 5 out of us 9 siblings and numerous Aunts, uncles and Cousins have Diabetes. Here are a couple of great sites to learn more about this Chronic Illness.
Diabetes Corner and Tu Diabetes
Posted by Faye at 12:37 PM 1 comments
Relationships...complex, fulfilling, deep commitment, nurturing,maintaining...
the list goes on and on.
All of us are in a relationship, to differing levels our whole life. We are born a son or daughter, we are friends, we are siblings (if we're lucky)we have a teacher, a pastor, a boy/girlfriend,a husband/wife, a child(ren), a boss, are a co-worker, business owner...and serve in many more relational rolls in our lifetime.
I direct you now to an article my Hubby wrote : Relational Irritants in which he states "Here is a notion: relationships do not get complicated if we keep it simple. Simple only works if simplicity is the course of action right from the beginning.
You see, relationships, like your physical health, do not tangle up into a complicated mess if the daily bite size maintenance is done. The operative words here are "daily" and "bite size"."
It's a thought provoking article and one worth the read. You will also find a book recommended titled "Relationships : A Mess Worth Making"
We were created to be in Relationships...the most important one being with our God who created us this way.
Enjoy your weekend.
Posted by Faye at 12:21 PM 0 comments
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Fresh Cold Air
This morning I woke up to a bit more fallen snow. The temps weren't bad, so going out the clear the snow off the porch, steps and walk way was pleasant. I shoveled the entire driveway again as well, since it was melting a bit and that gave it a chance to maybe melt all the snow away....no such luck. Instead it's become crunchy and icy. I needed to go out, so I bought a couple bags of this new de-icer. It's environmentally safe and contains fertilizer to feed the lawns, instead of kill it....bonus. A couple of years ago all the grass along the sidewalk died and what melted snow made it's way to a bit of a dip in the front lawn died too...it looked terrible and one spot I had to make into a spot for some rocks and a planter.
So, now back to the Christmas theme...we used to have a live C-mas tree when the boys were growing up. When we moved up here and now live in a brand new home, I didn't want the mess of a live tree, so I talked hubby into a fiber-optic fake tree. As it turns out, it was really too big and took up so much space that it was hard to fit guests and family all in the living-room. So, today I decided to buy a smaller one, similar to, but a bit bigger(4')than the one above. Again, with the boys all grown up with families of their own, they enjoy their own early morning rise to open stockings and gifts, so by the time we arrive at my oldest son's home with arm loads of gifts, for a big breakfast,we open more gifts :) So, there is no point in crowding our living-room. The tree comes with lights, pine cones and holy berries already on it....all I have to do is decorate with our memorable ornaments.
So, now that I'm home and have had my fresh air and exercise, I'm ready for supper :)
Posted by Faye at 5:26 PM 0 comments
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Moving Right Along....
into the Christmas Spirit. Oh, I know....WHAT??!! Is she crazy??!! Yup :)
I love Christmas....it's my favorite time of year and this is when I start putting together gifts(actually I managed to start even earlier than last year), since last year I started a new tradition...homemade gifts. I have to think about and start out early enough not to feel stressed about how many days left. I do go out and do a bit of shopping for gifts as well, but keep it very low key and the gifts practical. The request of my sons for our grandkids is to please, please NOT give toys....they have more than enough and by us buying clothes or bedding sets or PJs or snow wear or such things it helps their budget.I have decided that I'm not going to brave the busy malls or stores this year but order on line and have the gifts sent already gift wrapped.
I don't do near the baking and cooking I've done in past years anymore either. I DO like to have lots of quick snacks, treats and meals on hand though, so I usually bake and make dishes ahead - seafood lasagna, Pork/apple Tourtiere,sausage rolls, cabbage rolls - for the days we're not eating turkey.
BUT....for now, it's just listening to Christmas tunes and working away at the gifts :) I made the above LO on Canvas for my Sister.
Posted by Faye at 12:37 PM 3 comments
Monday, November 10, 2008
We Remember....
Posted by Faye at 11:06 PM 3 comments


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We've been hearing an awful lot about Yuck through a variety of different mediums in the last few weeks, including on our own boards. So we decided to seek them out and yeah, agreed, they're pretty good.
We also thought you might be interested to know that they're offering a free download of one of their tracks, 'Suicide Policeman' from their blog, which can be visited here. You don't have to go there, though, you can just get the file straight from here. It's all very jolly and contains some super chord changes in the chorus - which is the best bit, obviously.
WARNING: It is in M4A format, but you'll most probably have some kind of software to deal with this. But just sayin'...
It is accompanied by this lovely piece of art:
They also have plenty of dates lined up, starting off with a performance at Dalston's Land of Kings festival this weekend.
23 – Barden's Boudoir, Land of Kings Festival, London
26 – The Rest is Noise, London %
27 – Arts Centre, Norwich %
28 – The Masque, Liverpool %
29 – Bodega Social, Nottingham %
30 – Stereo, York %
1 – The Victoria, Birmingham %
2 – Camden Crawl, London
4 – White Heat, London w/ Best Coast
13 – The Great Escape, Brighton
17 – The Harley, Sheffield w/ Japandroids
18 – Shepherd's Bush Empire, London w/ Dinosaur Jr and Built to Spill
19 – Joiners, London w/ Japandroids
22 – Stag and Dagger Festival, Glasgow
24 – Old Blue Last, London w/ Avi Buffalo
26 – Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff w/ Islet
29 – Dot to Dot Festival, Bristol
30 – Dot to Dot Festival, Nottingham
31 – Dot to Dot Festival, Manchester
5 – The Deaf Institute, Manchester w/ Smith Westerns
16 – Latitude Festival, Suffolk
31 – Field Day, London
% = w/ Times New Viking
Yuck also recently released a single, 'Georgia', for which you can watch the video below:


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Natural Environments for Cinema 4D – out now!
It's been a while since my previous series released, and I want to thank everyone for their warm feedback. I finally managed to find time for a new series, called "Natural Environments for Cinema 4D". Have a look at the teaser video:
And here's a short overview of the training content (to be clear, the final results are four stills, no animation included):
The series covers a wide variety of techniques that should enable you to create all sorts of different natural environments. The series is published by helloluxx under their in-house "learn." series.
Click here to go to the product page.
If you have any questions, feel free to ask! And for those brave enough to make the purchase, let me know what you think.
Interiors in Cinema 4D – out now!
Today my new tutorial series called "Interiors in Cinema 4D" was released. Have a look at the teaser video:
Totalling over eight hours, the series deals with modelling, shading and lighting the scene. The series is published by helloluxx.
Click here to go to the product page.
If you have any questions, feel free to ask! And for those brave enough to make the purchase, let me know what you think.
Cinema 4D R15 announced
Here it is: a new version of Cinema 4D! Personally I'm very excited about this release. I prepared a few video's on some of my favourite new features:
Team render:
Global Illumination:
Stay tuned for more R15 info and video's!
Jonas Winterland – Mensen zijn gemaakt van dun papier
This is a video clip I directed and animated for the Belgian artist Jonas Winterland, for the title song of his new album (translation: "People are made of thin paper").
I searched for a concept that would be easy to animate and could be produced within a few days time, which is quite a limiting demand given that 2.5 minutes of animation can quickly take weeks if not months to complete.
For more info about the song or the artist, go to jonaswinterland.be
Introducing the second character
Hi guys,
Here's a first shot of the second character for my short film "Dream in Color": the older brother.
The two brothers will be the main characters in the film. The film will further include the mother, father, and a few fantasy creatures.
From now on, I'll be putting more time in keeping the facebook page for this project up to date. So, if you would like to see updates like this on facebook, be sure to go to the Dream in Color facebook page and like it.
Thanks for reading!


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Courtesy of my mom, I have here a special 10-page section of the Spokane (Wash.) Spokesman-Review of Nov. 11, 2007 about that city's newly restored Fox Theater.
It's quite a section, and for John Clifford and others who might be interested in getting one by mail, perhaps a call to the newspaper's circulation department would bear fruit. Either that, or maybe your mothers have copies saved for you too.
To summarize matters, the Spokane Fox opened in September 1931, just five months after Pomona's, and closed in 2000, just as Pomona's did (although movies stopped being shown here some years previously).
Spokane's Fox had 2,350 seats, compared to Pomona's 1,711. Spokane's construction budget was $1 million, Pomona's $300,000. Spokane's was called a "deluxe" Fox akin to those in St. Louis, Atlanta, Detroit and Beverly Hills. A vintage photo shows the theater's exterior looked remarkably like Pomona's, only with a really lame sign on top. At least we got Spokane beat on that.
The theater, now 1,636-1,727 seats, will be home to the Spokane Symphony, which bought the building for $3 million, as well as to opera, pop and dance performances and high school graduations. Pomona's, which will also lose a few seats from the original size for access reasons, will have pop and rock performances, movies and community events.
A new life for the Spokane Fox began when word came in 2000 that the theater might be razed for a parking lot. After fund-raising, work began in late 2005 and concluded last fall. Cost was $31 million, including a $4.5 million operating endowment. As of publication the total raised was $28.5 million. "More than 1,000 donors pitched in to the 'Save the Fox' campaign," the newspaper reported.
Pomona's restoration is said to be around $8 million, financed privately and with government tax credits, with additional restoration (chandeliers, a pipe organ and other flourishes) possible later with private fund-raising. The City Council bought the theater in January 2002 for $1.1 million and it was sold to private owners in December.
Our Fox is slated to reopen in December. Can't wait.


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Demmler Surname Ancestry Results
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Opera. The innocent must be destroyed. Swedish premiere for Britten's heart-rending drama Billy Budd. Peter Mattei is making a special appearance for us in the title role.
"A dazzling production" Svenska Dagbladet
"… deeply moving." Svenska Dagbladet
"Unbelievably topical" Dagens Nyheter
"A fantastic event to have witnessed." Göteborgs-Posten
"A triumph for Peter Mattei" Dagens Nyheter
Introduction with musical entertainment
The introductions to Billy Budd begin with some musical entertainment.
The Small Stage 1 hour prior to performance.
Admission is free, but seating is limited.
Abraham & Isaac by Benjamin Britten
September 14 and 29, October 4, 6, 9, 12.
Abraham: Ingemar Anderson (tenor)
Isaac: Daniel Carlsson (counter tenor)
At the piano: Joakim Kallhed
The Göteborg Opera Treble Chorus sings Britten
September 18, 21 and 25.
From Benjamin Brittens "Cabaret Songs"
September 17 and 20.
Susanne Albertus, mezzosoprano
At the piano: Daniel Olmarker
Watch a film clip from Billy Budd
We are celebrating the 100th anniversary of the birth of Benjamin Britten - England's most prominent opera composer - with a Swedish premiere of his heart-rending drama Billy Budd from 1952, one of Britten's few operas for a symphony orchestra. It is a tale of a human's right to rebel, and psychological power struggles within a male-dominated heirarchy – Billy Budd only has roles for men.
In the original libretto, Billy Budd takes place on a ship. Handsome young sailor Billy arouses everyone's sympathies – as well as desire in some cases – and is falsely accused of mutiny. He is in a weak position, partly because of his stammer which makes it hard for him to express himself when agitated. He cannot adequately defend himself, and is sentenced to death.
Director Richard Jones has set the story in an English boarding school, with its tendency for bullying and underlying homophobia. The production comes from the Frankfurt Opera, where it was highly acclaimed. Richard Jones' Assistant Director Katharina Thoma will be responsible for our production. As in Frankfurt, Billy Budd will be played by one of the most dazzling international opera stars – baritone and Court Singer (Hovsångare) Peter Mattei, who is returning to our opera house after an absence of 13 years. The upright Captain Vere's role (originally written for Britten's life partner, tenor Peter Pears) will be played by Mathias Zachariassen. Billy's nemesis, Master-at-arms John Claggart, is interpreted alternately by bass Clive Bayley from the original production and The Göteborg Opera's own Mats Almgren. Experienced Britten conductor, Jan Latham-Koenig, most recently made a special appearance with us in Thaïs.
Billy Budd
After the huge success of Peter Grimes, Benjamin Britten's breakthrough opera, at Sadlers Wells in London in 1945, his operatic creativity really got going. For a time, in principle, he achieved one work a year – The Rape of Lucretia in 1946, inspired by classical antiquity; the comical Albert Herring in 1947. Sceptical of the great conventional opera establishment, he founded the English Opera Group and both of the works mentioned are chamber operas. However, people wanted to get the better of his scepticism and have him write more large-format operas. Billy Budd was originally staged at the Royal Opera Covent Garden in London in 1951, with the composer himself conducting.
The idea had been conceived much earlier, during Britten's years in the USA at the start of the Second World War. Herman Melville's novel Billy Budd had been finished in 1891, shortly before the death of the author, and was first published in 1924 (today Melville is best known for Moby Dick, yet another novel set onboard a ship). The English author, E.M. Forster, a full generation older than Britten, got Britten interested, having already become acquainted with the novel in the USA. However, as a novelist, Forster maintained that he was not used to writing for the stage and another librettist, Eric Crozier, was engaged. The three men sketched out an opera in four acts with all of the roles for men only, since the action played out onboard a ship called The Indomitable.
The libretto
The libretto follows the Melville book fairly faithfully. In the aftermath of the French Revolution, Britain is at war with France and the young, unspoilt Billy Budd is recruited into the warship's crew. He is loved by everyone, and really has only one fault: he stammers. Despite the title role for a young baritone, the story's narrator is the ship's commander, Captain Vere, written for Britten's life partner, tenor Peter Pears. Just like his antithesis, the malevolent bass role John Claggart, he is fascinated, even attracted by Billy. Claggart cannot endure his own attraction to the young man and decides to destroy Billy. He accuses him of mutiny, and Billy is unable to defend himself due to his stammer. Instead he knocks Claggart down with a blow that turns out to be fatal. Captain Vere is forced against his own personal convictions to sentence Billy to death. The end of the novel has Vere dying during a sea battle shortly afterwards, with Billy's name on his lips. It is also indicated that the "attraction" was due to Vere being the foundling Billy's real father. However, the opera ends with an epilogue, in which, many years later, Vere still blames himself for Billy's death.
The Music
For this, Britten wrote his very finest and most striking music, in which the sea is present in every bar, just as it is in Peter Grimes. The principal roles and the many secondary roles are strongly characterised. The great orchestral movement can swell from individual solo instruments, as in Billy's touching final aria, to enormous choral scenes with complex ensembles, as in the scene in which the battle against the French lets loose – in the latter, Britten's strong pacifist tendency also emerges.
Despite reasonable success at its premiere, the work didn't gain popularity quickly. Britten revised the work before a TV production some years later. Four acts became two, as he had composed a number of additional intermezzos for scene changes, and he also removed a scene from the first act in which Captain Vere instructs his crew. This film recording is now available on DVD, in which viewers can enjoy seeing Pears play Vere. On stage, this new version had its premiere at Covent Garden in 1964, with none other than Georg Solti conducting. Some years later, Britten himself conducted Billy Budd during a recording for Decca, on that occasion also with Pears and with baritone Peter Glossop in the title role. Even today, this recording still acts as a virtually inimitable reference piece. In Germany, the work was staged in locations that included Hamburg in 1972, with Sweden's Harald Ek playing Vere.
Although it is now staged throughout the world, it was 2001 before it had its Scandinavian premiere, when it was staged in Copenhagen in the old opera house with Bo Skovhus playing Billy. The Göteborg Opera production will be the first time this opera has been staged in Sweden, if you discount an abridged version for piano performed in Swedish prisons in the early 1990s. Our production comes from Frankfurt, with director Richard Jones, having moved the action from onboard a ship to an English boarding school with a naval background. It became an unprecedented success there in 2007, and has been reprised in Frankfurt several times, in addition to having been staged in Amsterdam. Our production also has major Swedish singing star, Peter Mattei, playing the title role, just as he did when this version was first staged in Frankfurt.
Göran Gademan


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Browse: Home / automobile
Exploded view of a differential by René-M. Viette, 1945
☛ Agence Eureka: "Différentiel ouvert" in L'Automobile, son mécanisme, sa conduite, son entretien, son dépannage by René-M. Viette, Mercadier-L'Homme, 1945, Fig. 10, p. 19. Image retrieved from Agence Eureka Flickr account (larger formats are available as well). The image shown above ―an exploded view of a differential― is one of 22 scanned from the book […]
• By Philippe Theophanidis on May 22, 2013 ― Published in Communication, Illustration, Technology | Tagged: anatomy, automobile, car, differential, exploded view, machine


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We had plans to take the whale tour Saturday afternoon. We hung out in Newport Beach beforehand. We grabbed lunch at BJ's Brewhouse. The family likes the ones in Vegas, so we thought it'd be quick and easy. Turns out they have a different menu; Amy and I weren't sure what to have. We eventually settled on pizza. It's deep dish, and supposedly Chicago-style so we thought we'd see how it measured up. It was no surprise that it wasn't even close. We agreed it was similar to Pizza Hut's pan pizza. It was edible, but I wouldn't order it again.
After lunch we walked around the boardwalk checking out the shops and art galleries. We passed time until our Whale Tour departed from Newport Harbor. We didn't see any whales on the tour, but we saw plenty of dolphins and sea lions. It was a fishing boat that took us out; it was extremely crowded. Thankfully, the seas were much calmer there than those I've experienced in San Diego. We all had an enjoyable time. It wasn't even chilly, it was the warmest temperatures I've ever experienced in California - thanks to the recent heatwave.
After the whale tour we walked over to Newport Beach to watch the sunset. Nicky played in the sand; and we watched the surfers catch waves.
After a couple hours, we drove back to Huntington Beach. There was a taco shop, Las Barcas, that I wanted to try. Sadly, they closed too early. I drove by a Five Guys, I've been wanting to try it for ages so I was excited to finally come across one. We stopped in, but they didn't open for business until Wednesday. Bummer. We ended up at Lazy Dog Cafe across from the hotel. Cute dog theme, which my mom loved. Nicky enjoyed the open kitchen (he loves to cook), the menu sounded great and service was friendly. It all seemed promising, except none of us were thrilled by our entrees. I had chicken with gouda on foccia with cajun fries, Amy had a cheese burger, and my mom had steak.
We crashed once we returned to the hotel; all the fresh air wore us out.


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A-list athletes and stars of the stage and screen all came out to walk the red carpet at the annual ESPY Awards in Los Angeles. There were world-class football, soccer, baseball and basketball players (the Miami Heat took home five awards), but no star shone more brightly than Olympic gymnast, gold medalist and sassy 17-year-old Gabby Douglas.
Douglas has come a long way from her days of sparkly leotards, and sported a gorgeous form-fitting black dress from designer IZAMYLOVA's Fall/Winter 2013 collection. The Olympian topped off her look with black pumps and a Swarovski-crystal encrusted clutch.
All grown up, the gymnast paired her sophisticated look with the perfect makeup to complement her blowout. Douglas opted for a smokey eye – a look she's used on the red carpet before – and complemented it with a nude glossy lip.
You can copy Douglas's red carpet ensemble for the perfect party look – just keep it classic. All you'll need is a black dress (Douglas's was structured like a combination corset-top and pencil-skirt that hits just below the knee), black high heels and a collection of cosmetics that will showcase the best features of your face.


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+ Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
By Gary Lucero on January 19th, 2009
Our rating::: ABOVE AVERAGE
Instaviz is a graph visualization app. It is based on the open source software Graphviz, which is available for the Mac, Windows, and Linux. With Instaviz you can easily draw shapes such as circles, ovals, squares, and triangles, label each, and then connRead The Full Review »


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Film makerDevin Super Tramp had an opportunity to spend the day shooting stunt man and "professional hardcore sitter," Aaron "Wheelz" Fotheringham.
Chuck from the Bronx takes no shortcuts when it comes to answering the call of challenges. Like most bros, he's willing to show off his manly prowess by owning a collection of sleeveless Tapout shirts and eating raw onions with jelly, chocolate syrup, and tears as condiments. Masculine Tim Allen-esque grunts give way to watery eyes in this feel bad video.


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Spectator Sports
We like our sports. That's putting it mildly. When we're not playing sports, we're supporting our local pro and college teams. The Tulsa Drillers baseball team (Colorado Rockies AA farm club) draws legions of fans to our gorgeous, intimate new downtown stadium: ONEOK Field. A few blocks away is the BOK Center, home to the Tulsa Oilers, our Central Hockey League team. We also support the Tulsa Athletics (National Premier Soccer League). Tulsa has two NCAA Division I sports programs to root for: the University of Tulsa Golden Hurricane and Oral Roberts University Golden Eagles.
BOK Center
200 South Denver Avenue
Tulsa, OK 74103Phone(918) 894-4200 MAP IT
Case Soccer Complex
7777 S Lewis Ave
Tulsa, OK 74171Phone(918) 495-6161 MAP IT
Case Tennis Center
712 S Delaware Ave.
Tulsa, OK 74104Phone918-631-2381 MAP IT
Collins Family Softball Complex
680 S Delaware Ave.
Tulsa, OK 74104Phone(918) 631-2386 MAP IT
Cooper Aerobics Center
7777 S Lewis Ave.
Tulsa, OK 74171Phone(918) 495-6059 MAP IT
Fair Meadows
4705 East 21st Street
Tulsa, OK 74112Phone(918) 743-7223 MAP IT
J.L. Johnson Stadium
7777 S Lewis Ave.
Tulsa, OK 74171Phone(918) 495-6161 MAP IT
Mabee Center
7777 S Lewis Ave
Tulsa, OK 74171Phone(918) 495-6400 MAP IT
ONEOK Field
201 N Elgin Ave
Tulsa, OK 74120MAP IT
Reynolds Center
3208 E 8th St.
Tulsa, OK 74104Phone918-631-4688 MAP IT
Tulsa Oilers Hockey
9128 E. 46th St.
Tulsa, OK 74145Phone(918) 632-7825 Office MAP IT
Tulsa Raceway Park
3101 N Garnett Rd.
Tulsa, OK 74116Phone(918) 437-7223 MAP IT


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In the spirit of politics, I'm going to allow myself to get very honest today…
I must admit – writing this post felt like pulling teeth for me – mainly because I've never really taken much of an interest in politics. However, when it comes to caring for our environment, I'm always interested, and our political leaders should be too.
Every year, the League of Conservation Voters (LCV) publishes a National Environmental Scorecard to help voters be more informed about the stance of political candidates on certain key environmental issues, including:
Climate Change & Clean Energy
Public Lands Protection
Environmental Funding
Greening Schools
Clean Water Funding
Offshore Drilling
Water Resources
Chemical Security
Land and Water Conservation
The LCV has taken the time to map out the voting records of each Congressional candidate for each environmental issue since 1970. As one writer recently pointed out, and as many jaded Americans may already know, merely judging a politician by his words is not enough. Actions speak louder than words, and some of this year's candidates have been "blowing green smoke" for quite some time. The LCV website has an online archive of every National Environmental Scorecard published, leaving voters with no excuse when it comes to knowing which candidates truly care about the environment. Take a look at the voting record of the representatives in your state, before you vote on November 2, and make sure to vote green this year!


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Andreas Qassim
Part One
Where it all started...
The Muppet Show was an early acqcuaintance for me. While the original show aired 1976-81, Mupparna didn't reach Sweden until 1978. Born in 1977, that would've made me around five or six when the show ceased its successful run on Swedish Television.
I clearly remember the Linda Ronstadt episode, the last but one episode of the entire series. Five year old me was enchanted by the closing number, "When I Grow to Old to Dream," and I have loved the song ever since. After that, Mupparna left Swedish television screens for what seemed forever.
Svenska Sesam...
In 1981, a Swedish version of Sesame Street called Svenska Sesam premiered. The title sequence with Hansson and Fia Jansson (the parrot and the pink hippo) was animated by Owe Gustafson. In the seventies he'd animated the titles for the highly popular Fem myror är fler än fyra elefanter (Five Ants Are More Than Four Elephants), an educational children's show that was clearly inspired by Sesame Street. Svenska Sesam mixed live action segments starring Swedish actors and no puppets with dubbed puppet segments from Sesame Street.
Swedish television in the early 80s...
Things were quite different in the early eighties. Today, in our part of the world, everything is available at an arm length's distance. Back then, we had only two state owned channels, TV1 och TV2. Cable TV was on its way, but it didn't reach our household until a decade later. TV-series aired one episode per week. That means whenever popular series like Mupparna or Dallas were on, the whole country watched.
TV-shows were commonly preceded by this digital clock, counting down the seconds. Just before the hand reached its destination, my mother would say "NOW!", and then as if by magic Mupparna began. I never understood how she did that. I tried placing myself in front of the TV when the clock was on, saying "NOW!" repeatedly, but Mupparna wouldn't start. It only worked when my mother did it...
There wasn't too much merchandise around in those days. So whenever you got your hands on a drawing pad with a Rolwf the Dog cover, or a Fozzie Bear mug, your luck was made. Not to mention if you got a plastic figurine. Boy, that was really something. Then there were the trading cards. All kids collected these and traded with each other in kindergarten and school. I had about half of the 78 cards (they were numbered, so you could keep track of which ones you had and didn't have). When I moved to Malmö in my early twenties, I was flabbergasted when I found the complete collection in a toy collector's store. I bought the remaining ones and mounted all the cards on a black piece of cardboard and framed it.
MuppetWiki article on the Swedish Muppet trading cards!
Muppet Comics...
There were no more than three muppet comic books altogether, Full rulle med mupparna (The Comic Muppet Book), Mupparna går i däck (Muppets at Sea) and Det milda gänget (The Mild Bunch). I read these over and over, drew in them, and cut out the muppets, until they literally fell apart, so we had to re-buy them every now and then. Then there was of course the Gilchrist Brothers' Mupparna (The Muppets) in the news papers and magazines. I used to collect these and make my own books. A month ago I got my copy of the first Gilchrist collection Short Green and Handsome. That was super precious. I felt like a kid again.
We didn't have a VHS player until I was like ten, so the only way I could stay in the world of the muppets was through the merchandise, the comics and drawing. As a kid I was always drawing. My best friend Axel was also good at drawing. We used to play with action figures, make clay films, stage puppet plays and draw books and comics. I often credit the muppets for being the starting point of my creative life. The truth is that I was very much affected by TV in general. If you go through my childhood drawings you'll clearly see what was on TV at the time, whether it was the Muppets, Tintin or V. The greatest inspiration was the combination TV-series/comic book/merchandise. Thus I watched, played with and drew Mupparna, Sesam, Fragglarna, Tintin, Star Wars, He-Man, G.I.Joe and Bamse. The latter is the Swedish children's comic book for which I've now been drawing professionally for ten years.
Fragglarna did its first run on Swedish television 1984-85. Like Svenska Sesam it was dubbed to Swedish. The voices were great, but I remember reacting to Doc's (Gerard Parkes) bad lipsynching. Of all Henson productions, Fragglarna is the one I have the most vivid memories of. Probably because I was at that age when your mind is like a sponge, absorbing everything it comes into contact with.
Fraggle Rock title sequence in Swedish!
I remember the first time I saw fraggle merchandise. I was at the local swimming pool with my mum, and in the reception, on the desk, right in front of my nose stood a Wembley plastic figurine. I was so excited! Shortly after we went down to the toy store and I got my first plastic fraggle and doozer. I think I collected them all in the end. Or is there anyone missing?
Then a few days before Christmas, I saw on the top shelf in our wardrobe a wrapped present that had been torn a bit in the corner. Underneath it I could spot a Fraggle Rock plush doll carton. On Christmas Eve (when Swedes open their Christmas presents) I discovered it was Boober, my favorite fraggle. Next Christmas I got Uncle Traveling Matt, another favorite. These worn out toys are still sitting on my bookshelf today.
By the time of Fragglarna I had developed a system of recording the TV shows (still no VHS player). I would hang a microphone in front of the TV loudspeakers and record the sound to magnetic tape. It required that my mother, my friends or whoever was in the room had to stay absolutely silent during the show. I was totally fascist about this! Didn't tolerate any noise whatsoever. Then I would listen to the sound and draw from memory. I made books and paper dolls, and sets or "cities" as I liked to call them. Through drawing I found I could stay in the TV-worlds as much as I wanted to.
I took this to an extreme with Tintin. At the age of seven or eight, I was so intrigued by Tintin going to the moon, I recorded the miniseries - four episodes I think - and then drew the whole story. I ended up with 460 pages that my grandfather later bound into a nice hard cover book.
Tune in next week for Part of The Life of a Swedish Muppet Fan, when you'll hear Andreas say: It's The Muppet Show, on VHS! YEEEAAAH!!!
The Muppet Mindset by Ryan Dosier


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Charity Quilt #029
Thankyou for supporting our '100 Quilts in 100 Days' Charity Fundraising Campaign. This campaign has been very generously supported by our wonderful suppliers and volunteers, and now its up to you, to keep the ball rolling! 100% of the profits raised will be donated to the local Geelong charity 'Kids Plus Foundation'.
Welcome to Charity Quilt #029 – Love Is A Rose
Finished Quilt Size is 1 metre square
Lovely traditional colors on this perfect sized lap quilt or wall hanging.


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How can I retrieve the post thumbnail (featured image) as an array?
Using get_post_thumbnail() I noticed in the WP documentation that there is a third parameter from, which I understand, one would be able to set it to return the values as an array instead of a string, but I can't figure out how.
The reason I want to return the image as an array is to exclude unnecessary attributes in the output such as 'wp-post-image' etc.
Problem solved:
$image = wp_get_attachment_image_src( get_post_thumbnail_id(), $size);


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This is a family website, so I have to be very delicate in how I talk about running back Rashard Mendenhall's end-of-game celebration during the AFC Title Game on Sunday. Click here to watch the video for a closer look at what Mendenhall did.
Mendenhall lays on top of quarterback Ben Reothlisberger and then… Well, you can see what happens. Anyway, Mendenhall's brief celebration was captured on YouTube for posterity and sent around the blogosphere, where it was greeted with hearty snickers.
But no one has actually ASKED Mendenhall about this little celebration yet. Media Day at the Super Bowl is a week away, and I have to think some enterprising young sportswriter will go up to Mendenhall and ask him point blank why he was rubbin' against his own teammate.
The thing is, Mendenhall has nothing to be ashamed of. He was excited. Guys do weird things when they get excited. They pat each other's buns. They hug. They pick each other up and jump around. I don't think there's anything more to it than that.
Mendenhall was really jazzed to be going to the Super Bowl, and in the heat of the moment, he got a little too close to his quarterback. Things happen. Sometimes even you can't explain why you do what you do when the adrenaline takes over.
He shouldn't hide from the question. He shouldn't try and say he was doing something other than what he was doing. He should just say, "You know what? Yes, I did that for a second. I needed to do that to something, and Ben was the only thing around."
We live in a more enlightened age now. Mendenhall's celebration could open the door to football players becoming more tolerant of being openly affectionate with one another. Bill Cowher once kissed Jerome Bettis on the sideline. There's nothing wrong with that, I say. You love your teammates. You love winning. Sometimes, that means your hips get the best of you.


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An interview with Rik Carlson – part of a series highlighting the accomplishments of ME/CFS Fair Name Implementation Committee (FNIC) members.
(Note: Rik Carlson should not be confused with ProHealth Founder Rich Carson. To read about Rik's latest project – the CFIDS documentary film "Invisible" – click here.)
Vermonter Rik Carlson grew up with the ideals of the sixties and busted his chops in the harsh reality of the small business world. In 1995 he came down with the flu, worked through it, and then was hit by ME/CFS, an illness whose severity he could hardly have imagined. Two years later his business was gone, he was on disability, and he had founded the Vermont CFIDS Association. In 2005, after years of effort, he published an autobiography – We're Not in Kansas Anymore. In this interview, Rik talks about his experiences with ME/CFS, his monumental fights with the insurance industry, the support/advocacy group he founded, and more.
Rik's Personal Story
Q: Stress and CFS is a touchy subject. On the one hand you seemed to thrive on the stress that comes with running a small business, writing "I'd have phone lines backed up and people waiting to see me, and with each person I was up to speed in a heartbeat and ready for more. I loved it! I was a player! I always wanted more." Your last month of work was your best ever – but you also wrote that "I ran myself ragged and felt it."
On New Years day you got sick, worked through it as you usually did; but a week after a good friend unexpectedly died it felt like you were hit, as you put it, "with a sledgehammer," and like "an anvil sat on my chest." You've talked to a lot of ME/CFS patients. There is some research evidence suggesting that some sort of stress may somehow trigger ME/CFS. Do you hear this kind of story from the ME/CFS patients you've talked to?
Rik: As a note, people with CFIDS are always trying to describe it. It's such an intense and bizarre disease that explanation is constantly warranted. While I talked about the anvil on my chest, or my body being made of lead, the woman who was bitten by the dog was being "crushed by an elephant," and one of my favorites (if you can have a favorite) was the woman who wrote me about "her head being stuck in a bottle of glue."
All the time – the type A personality and a trigger. Divorce, bankruptcy, car accidents, just last week we met someone whose trigger was a severe dog bite; but it's not always so intensely dramatic. Laura Hillenbrand [author of Seabiscuit] in her New Yorker article about CFIDS describes riding in a car and almost hitting a deer, an event more startling than severe.
Q: You've seen quite a few doctors. Have they come to an agreement on what happened to you? Do they think it was a virus? If so, do they think they know which one?
Rik: Ironically, my first physician had it right when he called it a post-viral syndrome. I asked if we should test for Epstein Barr and he said that even if they did, there was nothing to do, so why bother? Ooops. Then he left the medical practice and I began the search for primary care.
I was told that I fabricated it, and that it was depression (repeatedly), but then got some very good insight from an ND (Naturopathic Doctor), when he found non active natural killer cells and high titers for HHV-6. I soon understood the need for antioxidants and minerals to, at the very least, keep my body from getting something else. Sound pharmaceutical grade nutritional supplements are essential. I did find an understanding MD and added the "Meyers Cocktail" to my protocol. [An intravenous vitamin and mineral protocol developed in the 1970s by the late John Myers, MD, at Johns Hopkins.] He retired and I continue this treatment with the physician who bought his practice. She's terrific and we're back to Epstein Barr.
Recently I saw a cardiologist – and being in the presence of a new physician I was afraid to say the words (CFS). Many of us know what it's like to be filling out a new-patient form, and when we get to the part about Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, seeing the eyes roll at the other end. Nobody ever said it would be easy and nobody ever said it would be fair.
Q: You stated that something of a turning point in your health occurred when you accepted that CFS had basically won: "After 15 months I accepted the illness and threw in the towel; that was the day I started to heal. It was in defiance of human nature, of my own nature, and a terribly humbling moment. I remember like it was yesterday. I gave in to it. I lost." What did accepting CFS do for you?
Rik: It allowed me to accept the long term severity of this hideous disease and to make recovery a full time job and the whole of my object.
Q: You provide several almost blow-by-blow encounters with the insurance industry doctors or other personnel. I've never seen the ugly underbelly of the insurance industry so vividly portrayed. It's a dark side of the medical experience, yet it's one that ME/CFS patients need to negotiate as well as they can. As difficult as your case was, you negotiated it quite well. What steps do you recommend that ME/CFS patient take to enhance their chances with insurance companies?
- Maintain a diary.
- Secure a trusted advocate.
- Establish a relationship with a trusted physician.
- Keep a paper trail.
- Beware of physicians who are in cahoots with the insurance companies. Some choose business over healing.
Q: You had an interesting experience with cribbage. You said "Early on…I was obviously retarded. I struggled like a bastard with the rules and with adding the numbers. It was like weight training for my brain." Over time, however, it seemed to work – as you go on to state "It was indeed physical training for my brain and it worked. My mental clarity improved." Do you continue to find this kind of activity to be helpful?
Rik: It's amazing how mathematical skills become remedial. I struggle with simple arithmetic. How many with CFS lose control of their checkbook? Lately my course of study has been with computer programs, but once the snow flies, the cribbage board will resurface. Just imagining the combinations of 15 boggles my brain.
Q: Are there any treatments you want to pass on that have been particularly effective for you?
Rik: I had one very effective treatment with acupuncture, but only one. Also a very positive experience with hypnosis. Bottom line, however, is that I hang my hat on sound pharmaceutical grade nutritional supplements in conjunction with diet and life style adjustments. I seek rhythm to my daily activities. I take advantage of the 'windows', and do my best to not cross that 'invisible line'. CFIDS people know what I'm talking about.
Q: You described several small events that upset you terribly. I've noticed since I've got ME/CFS that I'm more likely to be bothered by small incidents and that if I do blow up it takes me longer to recover. I was intrigued reading old accounts of myalgic encephalomyelitis to hear ME patients report that a new kind of 'nervous tension' pervaded their lives. Does this ring true with you? Are you more on edge since getting ME/CFS?
Rik: In the early days, I was just so God awful sick that I was angry. In traffic, I was angry, but especially when someone did me wrong, I'd lose it.
Once at a pharmacy I had my arms full of stuff and was in line at the register, when the clerk closed the line and told everyone to go to another register at the back of the store. I flipped, mostly because I didn't have it in me to walk that distance and start all over again. I dropped everything in my arms, used foul language, left the store and came home with nothing. I was so embarrassed, and it hurt, and my sickness exacerbated rapidly. It was no fun.
On another occasion I was being ripped off for close to $300 at a car dealer and made a scene in the waiting room, warning the service customers to beware. I drew a crowd. Again, I worsened dramatically. I have since learned to control my anger.
I have learned to recognize when the cards are against me and when to walk away. I know when the vibes aren't in my favor at the grocery store and I just leave and work it out later. Like I said, I don't know if I'm getting better or getting better at living with it.
Q: You had a very alarming incident at the end of a long winter when you couldn't sit up and your blood pressure skyrocketed. A trip to the hospital revealed nothing dire and a cardiologist diagnosed a high heart rate due to inactivity. You got a pedometer, some (very small) hand weights and started a small exercise program. How has this gone for you? Did it clear up this problem?
Rik: The rapid heart beat has happened again, and now I'm on medication and I own a blood pressure cuff. It's easy for a physician to prescribe exercise but many of them don't understand how just a little too much can worsen us dramatically. It's being stuck between a rock and a hard place.
I recently hosted an art show that was literally years in development, and while I hired others to do most of the work, and I prioritized every activity, in the end, I still tried to act like a well person and it took me down, quite dramatically, and it was frightening. Nobody ever said it would be easy. I struggle for balance.
Q: At the end of your book you talk about the silver linings CFS can bring. You note that CFS made you slow down and that has led you to get in touch with experiences you might not otherwise have had. In her book Encounters with the Invisible, Dorothy Wall talks about how important the simple beauty of things became for her. I'm not in any way trying to turn CFS into a positive experience but in a few ways it sounds like this struggle has perhaps turned you in some directions you might not otherwise have taken, and some of them have been positive?
Rik: Dr. Andrew Weil, MD, wrote seven strategies for successful patients. The seventh one was "Find the silver lining. Many see illness as a gift because it forces change for the better." When I first read that I was fully embroiled in the malaise of disease and it infuriated me. There was nothing I could find that could even remotely be seen as a gift. How could he be so stupid?
As we know, CFIDS is a long term disease. I often say that I don't know if I'm getting better, or if I'm getting better at living with it. It's actually a little of both. I am at a stage now where I have made the major adjustments and my days are not filled with profound debilitation. For that I am grateful.
CFIDS has allowed me to be closer to my family and that's as it should be. 'Recovery' is a matter of priorities and family is #1. I have readjusted my skill sets to focus on computer generated art and that has become very rewarding, so what I once found unimaginable I now find to be true. Dr. Weil was right, but my anger was justified.
Q: You ended your book the same way Dorothy Wall did hers; eyeing a trip for the first time in a long time. In your case it was to be to an island. You'd made some real progress but your health still couldn't be described as anything other than awful. Did you make the trip? Have you made any more in the four years since the book was published? How are you doing now?
Rik: We did, and it was lovely. We went to Hornby Island in British Columbia and it was beautiful and remote and our friends understood my limitations and nurtured me. Other than the travel time, we relaxed on a bluff overlooking the ocean where the eagles soared. It was magnificent.
I did better than I expected. However, if I never travel in an airplane again, that would be OK too. Missed flights and time delays took their toll. Now, I do my best to stay at home. I live in a healing environment. I'm one with my cats and heat with wood. I have setbacks, and fear of relapse looms as a companion. Again, I seek rhythm. I consciously try not to get upset over things I don't control.
ME/CFS in Vermont
Q: In your 2006 letter to the CFSAC ["A Report on the Status of CFS in Vermont"] you talk about how you've seen people with CFS "just disappear." It often starts with a string of fruitless, sometimes humiliating physician visits. The next step is usually the loss of job, career and financial security; along the way relationships often break under the strain; there's the fall through society's frayed safety net; and finally a disappearance. For those who are not fortunate to have family or some other support they can fall back on, this disease, as difficult as it already is, can get incredibly grim. Do you hear this kind of story much?
Rik: Every day, and it breaks my heart.
Q: After two years of providing little more than sympathy, your primary doctor finally decided to tell you that your insurance plan covered a local 'CFS expert'. That, of course, got you quite excited. But not only was he not taking new patients; he wouldn't even give you a referral! The last thing he wanted was another CFS patient – they were too difficult and just took up too much time. What is the situation in Vermont with regard to CFS-knowledgeable physicians? Has it gotten any better over the past 10 years?
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Rik: No. Details of what's happening in Vermont will be made clear in our soon-to-be-released film [discussed later].
The Vermont CFIDS Association
Q: You started the Vermont CFIDS Association in 1996. How did this come about? What did you want to accomplish?
Rik: I attended a support group meeting for Fibromyalgia, and learned of a previous group for CFIDS. They had stopped meeting, so with a few phone calls I established a meeting place in the Congregational Church in Essex Junction and then put a phone call in to the television station. Barbara took me to the first meeting and when we arrived, there were 30 people! At that time, I just wanted to know how many others were sick like this, and what they were doing about it. I couldn't see beyond how very sick I was. The reward was to learn I wasn't alone.
Q: The Vermont CFIDS Association closed in 2000. It seemed like once the group ran out of doctors to speak before it, or potential cures to explore, the interest faded. But it seems to be up and running now. What has happened with the VCFSA and what is its status now?
Rik: We meet again once a month in a new location in a much less formal manner, but with the emphasis on support. Our secretary, Lainey Rappaport, is a tireless promoter and with a core group we always find new people. She maintains small public service ads, and through word of mouth we find each other. Our last May 12th event was to a full house and one member commented that with everyone all dressed up she felt like she was in church. Amen.
Q: Organizations need at least some money to run on. Does the VCFSA take much money to run? What are your major expenses? Where do you get your funds from?
Rik: We are an all volunteer group and no longer do fundraising or maintain a checking account. We are always in search of a healthy person who would want to restore our nonprofit status.
Q: In order to have an organization you have to have members and in order to get those you have to advertise yourself in some way. How do you find your members?
Rik: We operate through the web site (http://www.vtcfids.org), public service ads, and word of mouth. New people find us all the time.
Q: We keep hearing about how poorly the local support groups are doing across the country. What's the situation with local support groups in Vermont? Are there any? How have they fared over the past 10 years?
Rik: With people who are desperately ill and whose personal lives are in distress, the additional challenge of an active organization is usually too much to handle. We are in the northern part of Vermont and the most populated part of the state (more people than cows). Years ago there were a couple of groups in southern Vermont but I hear nothing from them anymore. Activity is limited to individual efforts.
Q: Looking at your biography I was struck by the thought that you were almost a group leader waiting to happen. As a small businessman you're used to starting up enterprises. You obviously have a flair for advertising and you're outgoing and comfortable with the public. Do you think that your background helped you in your support/advocacy group work?
Rik: Yes, but what has been more important is my gender. The way women are treated in the medical community as well as in the business world is abhorrent.
Q: In 2006, after years of work the VCFSA got the Vermont legislature to pass a bill to provide money to educate Vermont physicians about CFS using the New Jersey Consensus Manual on CFS Diagnosis and Management. How did this project evolve?
Rik: We actually did this twice. The first time we were trapped behind an outdated CDC definition and a medical establishment that thought we didn't exist. The second time I started by meeting with a single legislator, then put him together with our group and Dr. Friedman and the Consensus Manual. He arranged for testimony before a House committee and through an e-mail network we solicited the support of other legislators. We got it passed as part of the Department of Health budget. [Note: Kenneth J. Friedman, PhD, is an ME/CFS researcher, advocate, and co-author of the Consensus Manual. For more information see Cort Johnson's recent interview with Dr. Friedman.]
Q: You got nine representatives to sign onto this bill. What did this entail? Was it a matter of CFS patients and/or supporters meeting legislator after legislator until you got enough of them? How receptive were the legislators overall to this proposal?
Rik: Be it known that the most powerful political document is the hand written letter from a constituent to a legislator. E-mail, while convenient, runs a distant second. A true politician thrives on personal contact and our support was genuine.
Q: You used a CFS Treatment Manual that was produced by the New Jersey Department of Health in association with the New Jersey CFS Association as the basis for your packet. Other than using their Manual, did you interact with the NJCFSA in any way?
Rik: Our common denominator is Dr. Ken Friedman. We share support with New Jersey on our web pages and are extremely grateful for their Consensus Manual as a foundation tool. Without either Dr. Friedman or the Manual, we would be lost.
Q: What is the status of the Manual now in Vermont? Has the state done what it said it would – had it distributed it to the physicians in the state?
Rik: Half. They built a web page for us and have made the link available to physicians [scroll to bottom]. They will print copies for residents by request and also offer it as a .pdf file. We had the disability chapter rewritten by a Vermont attorney with the agreement that they would put Vermont on the cover, but that has failed to materialize. We do, however, maintain a courteous relationship.
Q: You had the backing of the Vermont Department of Health five years ago and passed similar legislation. But when the Dept. looked to the CDC for their [information] regarding treatment it didn't extend much further than assessing the patient for psychiatric disorders. Now the CDC has an updated website, a training program designed to educate primary care physicians, one of the program's trainers, Dr. Friedman, played a big role in your effort, you have a Consensus Manual…Is it easier for advocacy groups to be effective now?
Rik: Yes and No. While we have support from the Department of Health, we have yet to establish any significant recognition from the main stream medical community. To really be of help to anyone with CFIDS in Vermont, that's what we need.
- We need CFIDS to be taught in medical schools,
- We need CFIDS brought to the hospitals in educational training programs
- And we need the respect and attention deserving of a debilitating long term disease.
People with CFIDS in Vermont are dismissed. Many struggle to find understanding and support within the traditional medical community and repeatedly come up empty. Doctors need to be taught. Recovery programs need to be developed.
I hear stories of misdiagnoses and outright ridicule with regularity, events that fracture spirits and destroy families, and it breaks my heart. When we change that, we'll start to understand success.
Q: What does a support group need to carry something like this through? Is there any reason you can see that this type of effort shouldn't work in other states?
Rik: Dr. Friedman and the New Jersey Association have been very generous with their time and with the Consensus Manual. It's a matter of finding a supportive legislator and doing the same thing.
Q: What advice can you give groups contemplating similar efforts? What would you have done differently? What did you do right?
Rik: The only way you won't experience a modicum of success is if you quit. I'd have done nothing differently. Persistence is the key.
Q: In 2003 it sounded like you had a couple of hours of work a day available to you. Being an advocate obviously has its energy costs. On the other hand you're trying to make a difference with an issue that's very important to you, and that in itself can be quite energizing. Have your advocacy efforts affected your overall health in any way?
Rik: Forming the support group was a selfish thing. All I wanted to do was get better. When you run out of doctors, the next step is to find others with the same problem and find out what they're doing. Restoring my health is my full time job. I've learned and bettered myself as much or more from the group than any physician.
We were a temporary 501(c)3 – and when I learned how much work was required to be a full time nonprofit, I couldn't do it and no one in the group had the strength or energy required, and it lapsed. True recovery insists that you know when to say no.
Q: What's next for the Vermont CFIDS Association? Are there any more initiatives planned?
Rik: We meet once a month and our last meeting was very good. We support each other, and that's what it's all about. Of course we also recognize May 12 Awareness Day.
Also I am working with a close friend and associate on producing a film called "Invisible in Vermont" – which is a compilation of interviews with some of our support group members as well as Dr. Friedman and medical professionals. The purpose of the film is to provide a tool so that someone with CFIDS can show it to a spouse or relative, or neighbor, employer, or physician. Our goal is to provide credibility. The longest journey begins with a single step.
* This article is reproduced with permission of the author, Cort Johnson, © 2007 Cort Johnson. Cort Johnson, a noted research reporter, is founder of the website Phoenix Rising: A Guide to ME/CFS (http://www.phoenix-cfs.org) and publisher of the bi-monthly Phoenix Rising Newsletter.


text:
Watching Gov. Jerry Brown bang his head against the brick wall that is California's broken governance system is enough to make a person bang their own head against the wall.
Brown keeps trying the same budget strategy -- convincing Republicans to give him voters to put temporary tax extensions on the ballot -- even though it's not working because...
1. few Republicans would even contemplate voting for anything that feels like taxes,
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2. the potential price of getting even a handful of GOP legislators to vote for a tax vote involves changes that would add billions to the deficit.
3. the tax extensions Brown wants won't fix the budget problem -- they'll partially paper it over for a few more years as the budget system, all by itself, continues to make the hole deeper.
The only logical way out is for Brown to build a coalition for a redesign of the budget process and the governing system itself. But Brown won't go there.
Instead, his public statements have been bipolar. In one breath, he talks about California facing a crisis of democratic governance -- and compares it to the Civil War. In the next, he suggests that there's no other way to deal with the budget than his narrow plan, which can't work politically or fiscally. It's as though he has stopped listening to himself -- or has stopped thinking about what he's saying.
The governor recently told the CBS affiliate in LA, that "We are at a point of civil discord, and I would not minimize the risk to our country and to our state. It is not trivial. I've been around a long time, I'm a student of history, I'm a student of contemporary politics. We are facing what I would call a 'regime crisis.' The legitimacy of our very democratic institutions are in question." If he really believes that, how do temporary tax extensions solve that problem?