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family dysfunction

sigh-hi — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 18:37:08 GMT

I went through old photographs while at home for the holidays. You would think whatever happened then would have been resolved long ago. I mean you grow up and you get over things, only things tail you. Looking at old photographs you can see everything about to go wrong only you can't jump in and protect anyone. Nobody photographed sees what the future holds. Everybody looks either dangerously dead set or tiny and vulnerable.

wish list.

sigh-hi — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 07:46:25 GMT

I'm in my 30s. I need a new family. Can it be done?

awesome

sigh-hi — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 03:27:15 GMT

:afro: this guy is awesome. Haven't seen him around before.

I think I might be leaving the 50's for the 70's soon. I'm skipping the 60's. I don't really know why. Maybe I'll get back to it.

Here is a random observation...from a dumb ass. I was talking to a bunch of grown up 70's kids the other day, and I actually asked them what kind of music they listened to. Well I don't know why I asked since the answer is obvious.

Just interesting how there isn't a unifying force in music anymore. No longer are we all on the same page. Everybody is doing something different it seems. I like it. It's overwhelming how much music is out there to discover.

there's a blog feature? fucking sweet...

lo171 — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 10:10:25 GMT

The only advantage myspace had over facebook...

New Paintings by Sam Thorp at the Landmark Rex Theater on the Southside, June 12th

samthor — Thu, 14 May 2009 16:59:50 GMT

Thorp�s powerful figurative acrylic paintings portray the interaction of muse and created work. Though the use of vibrant colors and arabesque outlines, she describes the moods and emotions created by the relationships between artwork and the people who inspire them. The models/ muses are other local Pittsburghers and a Lesbian couple from France.

Exhibition runs from: Friday 12th of June to 2nd of July 2009
Gallery Opening: Friday 12th of June 7:30- to 11pm
Last day of Exhibition: Thurs 2nd of July

The Rex Theater is dedicated to the continuous exposure of contemporary and diverse art forms on the Southside with film projections, music performances, live gigs, and art exhibitions. The Rex is located on vibrant East Carson Street and hosts many open mike nights. There is no ticket required to see the art exhibition but other shows may require ticket purchase.

Gallery Coordinator: Lauren Toohey
The Rex Theater
1620 E. Carson St.
Pittsburgh, PA 15203
http://www.elkoconcerts.com/rextheater.htm

or check here: http://www.graphicanatomy.com

Dear Karma, the Universe, whatever

Sho Nuff — Sun, 03 May 2009 16:31:14 GMT

Fuck you, bitches! I'm back from the dead, and better than before.

Still I rise,

Me.

Spread Your Wings and Fly...

DaisyInk — Fri, 01 May 2009 21:00:58 GMT

You've never been a terribly outgoing person. In fact when it comes to social situations, you're really more of a turtle than a person. You spent years cultivating the ability to be invisible in a room full of people, ducking from the view of friends or family, finding a quiet corner to sit in with a book. It used to be that the very thought of going to a party made you panic.

You spent 2 years of your life playing hermit in the middle of nowhere in Oregon. And it's not that people don't like you. Truthfully, when you peek cautiously from your safe protective shell, you're funny, witty-- even charming. Until you get home and deal with the anxiety attack that was brewing throughout the event.

But for the last few years you've been working hard to fix yourself. You've been slowly but surely chipping away at your own insecurities, battling your demons, and building a nice comfy cocoon to emerge from.

And boy have you emerged. A look at your May calendar reveals a hectic weekend schedule. The mere fact that you had to USE the calendar and scheduler on your phone is a massive change. There was no way to keep the month in shape without it! Parties, Baby showers, trips to the flea market, the arboretum, celebrations, family time, even a birthday party for someone you don't really know. You peruse the marked days of your busy social calendar and wonder-- when did you become this person?

And it's not just May. In March and April too, you managed to stay busy-- not even realizing how much until it occurred to you that your laundry had only been done once overnight on a work night to replenish a vanishing supply of socks and undies. You review the past month, seeing photographic evidence of your sudden rebirth as a social butterfly.

In Mid March there was a party for a visiting friend, a late night and early morning as you trucked to and from Duncanville for celebrations and visitation.

The end of March of course was Wedding time. You learned a lot about your capabilities and limitations, discovered that you could go into a crowd and shoot even with many unfamiliar eyes watching you, evaluating you. You learned that you can work a 40 hour work week, and still do 40 hours of editing on top of it without collapsing. You learned that next time, you'll charge a lot more for your services!

In April, you spent much of your first two weeks editing Wedding photos and coordinating with the bride for handoff. Then a trip with the family to the skate park to watch your brother show off his boarding skills...

You realize it's a great place to people watch, and you grab random people and groups interacting, skating, watching...

Then a long-overdue trip to the hairdresser. No photos of that of course, since you're a typical photographer and refuse to have your own picture taken. And in the midst of all your running around, there were the typical unexpected animal resuce missions,

The bird your boss rescued from the street:

And the kitten that one of your dogs rescued from drowning during a vicious round of thunderstorms:

And then, the last weekend in April was the real test of your new social butterfly wings. A trip to Trader's Village in Grand Prairie. The grand-poobah of flea markets. Not only a massive place with tons of people, but you also took the trip there with some people you've never met before-- friends of friends.

You walked around for hours, bought a new ring, a cover for your cell phone. You people watched. You enjoyed the company of your old friends, and your new ones. You laughed, and ate, and took photos. And you were more than fine-- you were you at your best. And your work shows it. Spirited, fun, colorful. Granted you got distracted by everything there was to see, but the few shots you came home with were reflective of the spirit of the day.

You look back on the last couple of months, and forward to the next. You see a full schedule, parties, events, concerts. You see familiar faces and new ones, and you see yourself emerging further and further. A part of you looks at who you once wanted to be, at the quiet frightened places you used to retreat to, and you wonder why. Why it took you so long to break through.

Looking at it all though, you realize something far more important. It doesn't matter what took so long. It doesn't matter where you came from, or who you used to be. You're not that person anymore. All that's left for you now, is to spread your wings and fly...

A Hard Line view of Piracy

riffraff — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 03:28:38 GMT

We've all heard about the Pirates off the coast of Somalia, every day there are more and more Somali Pirates raiding the shipping lanes,taking ships and crew hostage to hold for ransom.

The Somali Government (or lack there of) is powerless to stop them, and so it seems is NATO, just yesterday a Canadian war ship under NATO orders, chased down and captured a small Somali Pirate skiff.... and what happened next is surreal ...They (The NATO war ship, confiscated all the weapons that the Pirates had on board....THEN... Let the Bloody Pirates GO!!

Why? because they have no real authority to arrest or hold the criminal Pirates ... WHAT A FARCE!!! As if this will curb or deter the Pirates.

What needs to happen is Nato needs to adopt many of the same laws of the seas that were written up in jolly old England back in the 14th 15th 16th 17 th and 18th centuries when it came to Piracy .

In other words grow a friggin back bone and start blowing the Somali Pirate boats out of the water , let the survivors (if any) swim back to shore !

Start putting armed soldiers aboard the big tanker ships , you can get the soldiers from almost any country as every one including the US and Canada regularly hire out their military .... Russia has a pretty huge military, hire them to ride aboard the big tankers and use extreme prejudice to repel any Pirates trying to chase down and board the damn ship.

Publicly hang any Pirates they catch ... hang them on Somali soil so the Bastards get the message loud and clear .... after 20 or 30 hangings and just as many Somali Pirate vessels sunk they will get the message and perhaps slow down if not cease their Piracy attacks on the tankers that pass through its waters.

Ramp it up and send a very large military force into Somalia on a search and capture mission and round the Pirates up , convict them and hang them on the spot ... it worked wonders in the previous centuries , it would work now.

Trouble is the world has become a bunch of granola crunching pacifists and the mere thought of actually taking any sort of violent action against the pirates is abhorrent..... yet we didn't even blink when Bush bombed Afghanistan and then Baghdad back into the stone ages ... go figure??

So what if Somalia is a poor country, so what if it has no real Government... that 's no reason to excuse their acts of Piracy ... there are many poor countries and many more on the verge of collapse...you don't hear them High Jacking ships and holding crews for ransom.

Yes some of the hostages will get hurt, possibly killed if we in the rest of the world started attacking the Pirates... many innocent Iraqi's and Afghan's were hurt or killed in the bombing attacks too ...can't fight a war or in this case combat Piracy without casualties either... let me validate that the way the United States Justified the Afghanistan & then the Iraq war(s) ... the Ends Justify the Means, and the casualties are a small price to pay for the greater good.

Agree or disagree , something we all can agree on is ... Something has to be done, the current catch and release rule is just NOT feasible at all.

Besides where do you think Al Quida gets a lot of it's funding from? ...they ain't holding telethon's on Al Jazeere Radio !

If we continue to do nothing the Piracy will NOT stop and the Somali Pirates will contue to take hostages.

A Wedding's Worth

DaisyInk — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 21:51:59 GMT

Most photographers have to decide at one point or another-- is a wedding worth it?
It's a trade off really, especially for your first.

You've been a semi-amateur/hopeful-pro photographer for about 3 minutes (ok, a year) and you've finally started to get the hang of photographing people. Granted, most of your really good shots are purely accidental and you don't even realize you got them until you're in editing... but still. Good stuff. Accidental, but good.

But when S. initiates a text conversation about shooting a wedding for a friend you're interested. After all, a day of work, some editing and some quick money right? And you could certainly use a boost financially, even a small one-- not to mention the potential to add something really impressive to your portfolio.

So you go back and forth via S. via text to the bride M. And it's settled. Since it's the first wedding you've shot you'll do it for $150, no limits on number of photos. The bride will get a CD with all the usable shots (be it 50 or 500), and then if she wants any printed, she'll pay cost for the printing. All in all not a bad deal-- you probably could have charged more, but then you'd have the added pressure of delivering to the price. At $150 if you totally screw it up, you'll feel a lot LESS guilty about it... at least in theory.

You spend 3 weeks getting more and more nervous, wishing you had more money to spend so you could get more supplies for the wedding-- including a separate flash unit, but you can only do what you can do. You start to think you've made a mistake about a week and a half before the wedding. You're not experienced enough, you're not good enough, you're not talented enough. You don't know enough to shoot a wedding. All of your doubts run through your mind late at night and you wish you'd just said no. What if you only get 5 good shots? Then what?

But it's too late to cancel now, and a week away from the event you try to calm yourself.... lot's of "I'm good enough, I'm smart enough, and goshdarnit people like me..." and other warm inspirational fuzzies.

Saturday comes and you rush to get ready and to the hotel on time. You meet up with S and finally meet the bride and groom for the first time. Once you take a good look at the wedding party, and the venue, you wish you'd had the time to go out and buy that flash unit. "Romantic" lighting is great, if you have the flash power to define the family below the arch on the far side of the room. You play with distance, angle, flash, flash diffuser and lighting, and finally get the lay of the land. You take test shots and adjust. By the time things get rolling, you're as ready as you'll ever be.

The preparation shoot is fine, lots of pictures of the setup and decorations,

and of the bride getting ready.

And then it's on to the actual ceremony. This is where things start to get a little... interesting. You've been warned to be ready for the unexpected and you tried but really, what can a novice do? Looking back now there's a list of things you wish you'd done before starting.

Like buy an external flash unit for example. Or that cross-hairs filter that you've thought about, the things that would have done to the Bride's tiara? :sigh: You can only dream. And buy one for the next wedding you shoot.

But there's more than that. Other issues to contend with that make not having an external flash so ridiculously unimportant. Like the second photographer. That's right, the second photographer. The one that wasn't hired. The one that insisted on getting in your way. The good news is that when the Priest asks for the audience to cease taking photos, he sits down. You don't. You move across the room, getting pictures he won't be getting.

The other problem, the bigger problem, everyone's problem-- is the videographer. From the bride you know that his video is beautiful! (aside from the streak of black and white that is you darting back and forth to get pictures-- oops) But unfortunately for you, and the audience, the videographer's light is blinding. He parks himself behind the priest, facing the audience, with his light on full blast. From the few times you perch in an actual audience-positioned chair, you're blinded. You joke with the bride later that she should show the video to the guests... a lot of them probably didn't actually see the wedding while they were there. And of course there is the moment when the rings are being exchanged and your only path to the shot is around the videographer-- who refuses to give you the space to get around for the shot. Which means the only shot you have of the rings being exchanged is the bride's ring at the very top of her finger.

You'll find the light from the video camera much more inconvenient when it comes time to edit your shots. It means extra time fiddling with the lighting and contrast controls. In a lot of caes, it also means playing with more layers and gradient fills than you normally would bother with JUST to get a final product that is well lit without being looking overly processed.

After the ceremony you're in luck! The second, un-paid photographer begins posing the wedding party for photos. For you, that's golden-- posing is NOT your strong suit-- you've always been more of a candid-is-ideal kind of photographer when it comes to people.

You step back and let him pose, but start to get annoyed again as he leaves you less and less time to get your shots. Even the Bride begins to be frustrated, since she's paying YOU, not him. A liaison is selected to speak with him. He is reminded that YOU are the paid photographer, and he needs to leave you time after posing to take your shots, and NOT to move into your frames.

Eventually he is ... well, chased off, for lack of better terminology. Then it's just you and the videographer, and the truth is at that point his light is actually helpful-- particularly since he has finally turned it down a notch from blinding to just... reallybright!

You follow along behind as the videographer now choreographs the shots, setting up the cake cutting,

The first wine sip (or lemonade sip since the videographer can't be bothered to wait for the actual first sip)

And the first dance, which is where arguably the most tender of your photos are created.

And when all is said and done, you hop throughout the reception, grabbing snaps of greetings, hugs, well-wishes and well-wishers, and ignore the aching in your knees and back, and the rumbling in your stomach. This day is not about you.

A few more shots of the Bride and Groom after the excitement has died down,

And then it's time for you to leave. A late dinner with friends to celebrate the end of your very long day, and then you spend the next week and a half in editing.

You go to work as usual, putting your 8 or 8 and a half hours each day, and then rush home from dinner to your laptop. You start by weeding through 550 photos, cropping and resizing those that are editable, or that at least might be fixable. When you finish, you're left with 279 pictures. Of those, some probably still won't end up presentable to the bride, but you decide to give them a try anyway.

For 4 or 5 hours each night, and most of the day on the weekend, you click and drag, edit and fill, play with gradients and contrast, light settings, color saturation, even brushes. When it's all said and done you have 297 photos to present to the bride. A small flourish and you add section headings so that when the CD is presented in slide show form, there is a separation between the preparations, the ceremony, and the reception:

The addition of which brings your final total to 300 pictures. 50 hours of work and 300 photos. And you only charged how much?

Well, there's a first time for everything. Who would ever have imagined that your first time out of the gate you'd end up with 300 photographs? You catch a lot of community flack during your editing process, and after, about how cheaply you did this wedding (heck, people gave you a hard time about it before you even started!). You keep reminding people it was your first, that you were concerned about being able to present even 50 good photos when it was done, that most of your work with people as subjects has been hit and miss-- at best!

And now that it's over you've learned quite a bit. Not just about the process, but about yourself. You know now that in a pinch, you can come up with quantity to match the big boys (and girls). You konw that with the right equipment (and even sometimes without it) you can create something that is truly beautiful enough to rival what the pros do. Maybe not consistently yet... but someday that consistent quality will come too.

And you know that you were right. And for the first time really, it resonates with you: you can do this. You SHOULD be doing this. Technique will come in time, and you'll learn more with each event you work, each photo you take, each piece of equipment you add to your arsenal. But for the moment, now that your first is all said and done, now that the CD has been handed over to the Bride, now that business cards are being handed out, now that people are starting to see what you can do, for now you revel in the recognition that you have found something you are truly meant to be doing.

And when people ask you if you think it was worth it... if you think it was worth doing 50 hours of work for $150 on a wedding for people you'd never met before-- all you can say is...

I do.

April is Occupational Therapy Awareness Month

TheyAllFallDown — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 18:41:24 GMT

[COLOR=Black]I am an occupational therapist. I have been practicing for over 21 years, and it still amazes me that there are so many people who have no idea what OT even is. [B]

Occupational therapy[/B] is the therapy based on engagement in meaningful activities of daily life, especially to enable or encourage participation in such activities in spite of impairments or limitations in physical or mental functions. Occupational therapy is a health profession whose goal is to help people achieve independence, meaning and satisfaction in all aspects of their lives. [/COLOR][COLOR=Black]Occupational therapists: [/COLOR]
[LIST][*][COLOR=Black]Apply their specific knowledge to enable people to engage in activities of daily living that have personal meaning and value. [/COLOR][*][COLOR=Black]Develop, improve, sustain, or restore independence to any person who has an injury, illness, disability or psychological dysfunction. [/COLOR][*][COLOR=Black]Consult with the person and the family or caregivers and, through evaluation and treatment, promote the client's capacity to participate in satisfying daily activities. [/COLOR][*][COLOR=Black]Address by intervention the person's capacity to perform, the activity being performed, or the environment in which it is performed.[/COLOR][/LIST][COLOR=Black]The occupational therapist's goal is to provide the client with skills for the job of living - those necessary to function in the community or in the client's chosen environment.
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[COLOR=Black]I have worked these past 20+ years in a variety of settings, including: drug and alcohol rehabilitation, acute care hospitals, rehab centers, nursing homes, children's ICU step down units, psych hoispitals, vent-dependent units, burn hospitals, and outpatient facilities. I have worked with patients who have suffered CVA's, orthopedic injuries, drug/alcohol addiction, mental breakdowns, neuromotor dysfunctions, spinal cord injuries, and many more afflictions.[/COLOR]
[COLOR=Black]
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[COLOR=Black]Occupational therapy focuses on enabling people to participate in meaningful and purposeful activities of daily life. An individual's "occupation" is an activity that "occupies" his or her time. For example, a child in grade school has the occupation of learning. An adult may need to learn how to write after a traumatic injury. And a senior may want to continue driving safely in order to stay active in the community. All of these daily life activities are "occupations" and participating in them is vital to maintaining overall health and wellness.

AOTA, The American Occupational Therapy Association promotes OT through it's "Tips For Living" presentation. Here are a few tips for living I have gathered to share here:

[/COLOR][COLOR=Black][I]Adults of all ages spend many hours every day sitting at a desk or in front of a computer while they work and then go home to surf the Internet for pleasure or catch up with friends and family through e-mail messaging. How a person positions himself or herself in a chair, and how he or she uses the computer equipment can affect not only comfort, but also health and well-being.[/I][/COLOR]
[COLOR=Black][I]Occupational therapists are trained to perform an "ergonomic" evaluation, or an evaluation that determines how well a person fits into his or her environment. A person who does not sit correctly in a chair or strains to use a computer may suffer back and neck pain and eyestrain. Most computer equipment and workstations are built to fit adults, but a few adjustments can be made to an adult's work area to promote a healthy lifestyle free of pain.[/I][/COLOR]
[COLOR=Black][I][B]What can an occupational therapist do?[/B][/I][/COLOR]
[LIST][*][COLOR=Black][I][B]Evaluate[/B] a person's current computer workstation setup to determine whether it is ergonomically correct to prevent unnecessary strain.[/I][/COLOR][*][COLOR=Black][I][B]Advise[/B] adults on what equipment can be used to create a healthy workstation, such as special keyboards, keyboard trays, document holders, footrests, and office chairs.[/I][/COLOR][*][COLOR=Black][I][B]Educate[/B] people and their employers about proper posture and movement to prevent injury and strain.[/I][/COLOR][*][COLOR=Black][I][B]Teach[/B] stretching exercises to do at home that support a healthy back.[/I][/COLOR][/LIST] [COLOR=Black][I][B]What can a person do to prevent back and neck strain?[/B][/I][/COLOR]
[LIST][*][COLOR=Black][I][B]Encourage[/B] proper posture of the head, forearms, back, and feet: The [B]head[/B][B] and forearms[/B] should be parallel to the keyboard and held only slightly above it. The [B]lower back[/B] should be supported while sitting in front of a computer. Place a small pillow or rolled up towel between the back of the chair and the lower back to provide back support. [B]Feet[/B] should rest flat on the floor or on a footstep.[/I] should be level with the monitor and the top of the screen at eye level. The [/COLOR][*][COLOR=Black][I][B]Arrange[/B] computer desk and equipment so as to avoid glare from sunlight. Sit the monitor 18 to 30 inches away from the person.[/I][/COLOR][*][COLOR=Black][I][B]Adjust[/B] the chair to an appropriate height for the person.[/I][/COLOR][/LIST][COLOR=Black]~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[/COLOR][COLOR=Black][I]Substance use typically refers to the misuse of drugs such as alcohol, amphetamines, caffeine, marijuana, cocaine, hallucinogens, inhalants, nicotine, pain relievers, and sedatives.

People who are addicted to a particular drug need to use increasing amounts of the drug, experience withdrawal, and have difficulty cutting down on use of the drug. Over time, daily occupations can be negatively affected by substance use, impacting relationships, work performance, and daily routines that support health and effective coping.[/I][/COLOR]
[COLOR=Black][I]People who suffer from substance abuse disorders typically need medical treatment in an inpatient or outpatient setting. However, intervention is increasingly occurring in an outpatient setting integrated with other community-based health services. In many cases, people with substance abuse disorders also have other physical and mental disorders, such as clinical depression, chronic pain, and HIV. Medication, counseling, rehabilitation, and self-help groups are most commonly used to treat these disorders.

Occupational therapy intervention differs from traditional drug treatment counseling by teaching the skills necessary for each individual to reestablish roles such as worker, spouse, parent, child, or friend without using drugs. People with addictions may learn effective coping strategies to balance responsibilities, manage money, effectively communicate with others, and cope with stressful situations.[/I][/COLOR]
[COLOR=Black][I]What can an occupational therapist do?[/I][/COLOR]
[LIST][*][COLOR=Black][I][B]Evaluate[/B] a person's ability to function on a daily basis.[/I][/COLOR][*][COLOR=Black][I][B]Help[/B] the person set both short-term and long-term goals in the recovery process.[/I][/COLOR][*][COLOR=Black][I][B]Implement[/B] ways in which the person can gain control of his or her life, such as through learning effective coping skills, developing money management strategies, completing household chores, taking care of other family members, getting and keeping a job, and learning how to socialize in situations that do not include the use of drugs or alcohol.[/I][/COLOR][*][COLOR=Black][I][B]Evaluate[/B] the likelihood of relapse and devise strategies to prevent a relapse.[/I][/COLOR][/LIST] [COLOR=Black][I]What can families do?[/I][/COLOR]
[LIST][*][COLOR=Black][I][B]Collaborate[/B] with the occupational therapist and other health professionals to learn more about drug and alcohol abuse.[/I][/COLOR][*][COLOR=Black][I][B]Support[/B] a friend or family member with a substance abuse problem so that he or she does not have a relapse and can engage in healthy alternative activities to enhance their quality of life.[/I][/COLOR][*][COLOR=Black][I][B]Help[/B] the recovering addict with developing and maintaining relationships that encourage an alcohol- and drug-free environment.[/I][/COLOR][*][COLOR=Black][I][B]Attend[/B] self-help groups, such as Al-Anon, to receive ongoing support and education.[/I][/COLOR][/LIST][COLOR=Black]~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[/COLOR][COLOR=Black][I]Do you have an older friend or family member who is finding it more difficult to manage daily tasks in the home? Do you worry about the health and safety of a parent living alone?[/I][/COLOR]
[COLOR=Black][I]Watch for clues that certain daily activities have become too difficult because of physical or mental changes. Are bills going unpaid? Is the person neglecting grooming or skipping meals? Does the home appear unkempt?[/I][/COLOR]
[COLOR=Black][I]As abilities and strength diminish, families and other caregivers must often help the older person obtain the assistance needed to maintain independence.[/I][/COLOR]
[COLOR=Black][I]Investigate and suggest resources such as bill paying services, "meals on wheels," lawn care, house cleaning, and window washing companies. Some elders will prefer professional help to dependence upon family members.[/I][/COLOR]
[COLOR=Black][I][B][U]Talking About Living Arrangements[/U][/B][/I][/COLOR]
[COLOR=Black][I]Introducing changes to the person's living environment or considering a move to more accessible housing is best approached long before safety issues become paramount.[/I][/COLOR]
[COLOR=Black][I]Too often, the individual is facing losses in other areas of life and resistance to change is increased.[/I][/COLOR]
[COLOR=Black][I]Introduce the idea of change through small, less intrusive modifications in the guise of gifts or services when you notice a need. For example, while replacing hard-to-reach light bulbs upgrade the wattage for improved visibility.[/I][/COLOR]
[COLOR=Black][I]If adaptations or repairs are needed such as adding railings on stairways or replacing worn or uneven floor covering, etc., offer to help the individual make choices and deal with contractors.[/I][/COLOR]
[COLOR=Black][I][U][B]Modifying the Home Environment[/B][/U][/I][/COLOR]
[COLOR=Black][I]The truth is that many aging people face limitations on independence in their homes only because the design and arrangement of resources no longer meet their needs.[/I][/COLOR]
[COLOR=Black][I]Enlist the help of an occupational therapist to aid you in identifying ways to improve safety in the home, to arrange resources, and to modify the environment to help compensate for disabilities individuals may be experiencing.[/I][/COLOR]
[COLOR=Black][I]Occupational therapists and occupational therapy assistants are specialists in helping people to deal with the effects of illness and injury on their ability to manage daily life.[/I][/COLOR]
[COLOR=Black][I][U][B]Introducing and Supporting Change[/B][/U][/I][/COLOR]
[COLOR=Black][I]The therapist can also help you and the older individual explore implementing changes in ways that may make them more acceptable.[/I][/COLOR]
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[COLOR=Black]I certainly hope these tips have been helpful, and I appreciate your participation in allowing me to promote my occupation.[/COLOR]

Pulled from my Blogger Blog Blog.

DaisyInk — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 05:08:46 GMT

A brief moment outside the box, if you'll allow it. This is something I've been working on after hearing one person after another "argue" in favor of California's Proposition 8. I do not understand how one person's love is such a threat to so many people. I am not asking to be wed in your church, to be anointed by your priest. I am not asking for you to approve of me, or the way that I love.

All I'm asking is that you see me as someone who is your equal-- and as such, deserves the same legal rights that you do-- including the right to marry someone I love. As for the religious part of the deal. Well- that's between me, Jesus and MY church don't you think? How about you trust the One that you Believe in and let me explain it to Him when it's my turn. I'll trust His judgement on the matter, how about you?

I am not the one who decided to use ONE word to describe both a civil and a religious institution. If I could, I would change it. Use a different word for what is legal and what is religious. But there is only one word. Marriage.

And this is what's been rattling around for the last week. Trying to put into words something I feel we shouldn't have to constantly try and explain. But we do. So I am.

IAM
IAM

I am a woman.
Kind, genuine, gentle, soulful, intelligent, compassionate, unique, visionary, strong, peaceful

I am a woman.
Someone’s daughter, someone’s mother, someone’s sister, someone’s friend, someone’s love

I am a woman.
A cashier, a writer, a photographer, a lawyer, a doctor, a teacher, a nurse, a mechanic, a grocer

I am a woman.
And I am tired of taking the blame

I am a woman.
My needs are the same as your needs: Humor, Love, Knowledge, Companionship

I am a woman.
But I am not a threat to you.

I am just a woman.
Not a threat to your faith, your marriage, your lifestyle.

I am just a woman.
If I am a threat to your faith because I am gay and have faith – I am not the problem.

I am just a woman.
If I am a threat to your marriage because I am gay and wish to marry - I am not the problem.

I am just a woman.
If I am a threat to your lifestyle because I am gay and wish to have children - I am not the problem.

I am just a woman.
If I am a threat to all you hold dear because of who I love – then I am NOT the problem.

I am just a woman
And if my love inspires you to hate—then perhaps the real problem is you.

I am a woman.
And I deserve the same rights, respect, and happiness as every other woman.

I AM. Are you?

--SarahCate--

as prop 8 goes to court....

samthor — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 14:51:06 GMT

I�ve noticed that opponents to gay marriage often argue in terms of vague moral abstracts. How 2 guys or 2 women sharing a life together will destroy the institution of marriage, corrupt the youth and bring down western society�. somehow.
But Queers have been living together as married couples for a long, long time. You can find instances of it in colonial times, renaissance and even ancient civilizations. The vote on prop 8 did not stop Queers from living together in a marriage like arrangement. All the marriage bans do is harm gay people when they are most vulnerable.

And I�m not talking in vague abstracts. I�m talking actual concrete examples.

Here�s one: Annie Leibovitz and her partner Susan Sontag.
http://www.afterellen.com/blog/julia...tz-is-in-a-jam

�As Suze Orman pointed out in her Valentine�s Day wish for gay marriage, same-sex couples do not have the same privileges as straight married couples when it comes to inheritance. If your partner passes away and leaves her estate to you, you have to pay up to 50 percent of the value of your inheritance in taxes. However, if you and your partner were recognized as a married couple, you wouldn�t have to pay a dime. And it is precisely this unjust double standard that got Annie Leibovitz into financial trouble.

When Sontag died in 2004, she bequeathed several properties to Leibovitz, who was forced to pony up half of their value to keep them. Yes, she makes a nice chunk of change from Vanity Fair, and yes, she probably could have just sold the properties when the market was good in 2004, but that�s not really the point. The point is she should never have been in the position of paying or selling to not pay as much in the first place. Her wealth and poor decision-making are incidental.

Some snarky commentators have remarked that Leibovitz is getting what she deserves for living beyond her means. In many ways, she probably could have prevented her current crisis, but I wonder how many of these �tough� commentators would feel if they suddenly had to pay half of the value of their homes to the government in order to keep on living there. �

Yea Though I Walk...

DaisyInk — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 14:43:56 GMT

You've had a rough week. The commute is long, and you've not been sleeping well. And now you have another issue to deal with. You're full to the gills with emotions you can't quantify, qualify, or even begin to deal with. You're too far away from the real problem to evaluate it properly, and your options are limited anyway.
You're afraid of losing something really precious, and you need something beautiful to distract you. You long for it, you seek it out, you look desperately for anything to ease you, to remind you that at least nature can be uncomplicated, simple, lovely.
Because that's what you want right now... simple. Lovely. Uncomplicated.

You can still remember when you first met. You remember how unique she was, you could see that right away. She was like no one you'd ever met until then. Even at 8 years old there was a piece of you that knew-- she was special. At 8 she was smarter, quicker, witter, worldlier than anyone else you'd encountered. She was a jewel in your life, one you didn't even appreciate until so much later.

You drifted in and out of each other's lives, mostly in and around Church-based activities, youth group, Christmas and Easter services. An occasional run in outside of church-- a chance meeting at the outlets, waiting in line for the SATs. Each time you walked away enchanted all over again.

And when you came home from college that first year, and you realized how lost you were, how unknown you were ... to yourself. You had no real opinions, no real personality, no real direction. You'd never fought for your own life, choosing instead to do what was expected, what was wanted, what was "right." You had spent so many years not bothering to ask why? Never bothering to wonder what YOU believed. You watched your life from afar, knowing there was something beautiful somewhere-- but never bothering to brush past the branches in your way.

And then you re-connected. And the two of you got to know each other-- for real. At 4am she was there for you. Long talks through the night, midnight trips to Denny's. Meeting her friends, talking politics. She challenged you. Constantly. "Because" was never a response to a valid argument. You had to think, had to fight, had to debate. You had to constantly be evaluating yourself, and your beliefs. You had to be able to defend them, to defend yourself in verbal battle.

And slowly but surely, you started to open. You started to flip the pages of your own book. You started to de-shutter the window of your own life. She made you. She kept you on your toes, and today-- you can fight. You can take a side, take a stand, even play devil's advocate. You owe her the credit for a thousand conversations. You owe her the credit for 500 debates, 1500 statements of opinion. You learned from her how to stand alone in a crowd, and how to do it gracefully.

It's been years now. Next year you'll have been in each other's lives for 20 years. And now it's decision time. Because what happened requires a decision. It requires taking a stand. Because she won't. Because she won't make the decision, at least not the one you know is right. And it's not just a difference of opinion. It's about life, her life. About living, and knowing that she deserves more than this. She deserves better than this. She deserves better than him. Because if you'd known the whole story months ago, maybe then... maybe you could have convinced her sooner. Let her know that she didn't deserve this, that NO one deserves this. That no woman deserves to be hurt. Deserves to be degraded. Deserves to be afraid.

Because she doesn't hear that now. Doesn't see it. And you are too far away, in distance and in emotion. You are too disconnected by your own emotion to make her see. Because now there is an edge there now that you cannot navigate. An edge you can't see a way past. And all that you want is to go back, to those days when you first met. You want to go back to when life was simpler, easier, before the world crept in and created this confusion, this pain, this anger. Before the world brought in manipulative relationships, co-dependent parents, and boyfriends with guns.

When it was just you and she sitting in the youth room, wondering who we would someday be. And now here you sit, wondering how to convince her to believe in herself, the way that she once convinced you. But all you can do, what you keep coming back to is just this:

"May we discover through pain and torment,
the strength to live with grace and humor.
May we discover through doubt and anguish,
the strength to live with dignity and holiness.
May we discover through suffering and fear, the strength to move toward healing.
May it come to pass that we be restored to health and to vigor.
May Life grant us wellness of body, spirit, and mind.
And if this cannot be so, may we find in this transformation and passage
moments of meaning, opportunities for love
and the deep and gracious calm that comes
when we allow ourselves to move on."

Dear Lord, protect my friend.

14 year old makes a video abusing his cat

samthor — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 19:59:17 GMT

the father defends it with a laugh saying nothing is wrong.
http://www.kenny-glenn.net/
(warning it isn't for the faint of heart)

but here we are in 2009 and some ppl are still acting like its the Middle Ages. At what point will these ppl ever evolve, ever learn... or at least stop reproducing offspring?

I'm NOT advocating any sort of violence toward the kid. But he needs to be taught compassion for other living things, as well as responsibility for the consequences of his actions. Otherwise what sort of a person will he grow into?

“Clouds come floating into my life...to add color to my sunset sky.”

DaisyInk — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 04:33:44 GMT

Whether or not they want to admit to something so pleibian... every photographer has at one time or another chased it. You are no different. With every camera you've gotten closer and closer, trying constantly to find the exactly combination of color and cover and distance that lends itself to the magic of it. Every evening is an analysis, are the conditions right, are the colors sharp enough, is there enough variety? You are on a constant and never-ending hunt for the perfect sunset.

Each place you've lived offered something unique, and there's never been any shortage of inspiration for it, and because no two are ever the same you've had lots of opportunity to practice. The downside of course, is that you actually take very few sunset shots-- because nothing ever looks quite right. But every now and then you think.. this is the night, this is the shot, this is the place...

And yet, when you get home and open the images, you fiddle with color and contrast and then... do the best you can before surrendering.

Sometimes, the color is wonderful... but the clouds are nonexistant

Sometimes the clouds are visually insteresting, but you aren't in a place where you can get a proper perspective on the evening

And every once in awhile, it seems like the setting is absolutely perfect-- but you can't hang around for true sunset, and the clouds won't cooperate... even if the rest of nature will

And there are the sunsets that can't be missed, sunsets that take your breath away for many reasons, be it the character of the sky or the contrast of the scenery

And sometimes, sadly no matter how beautiful the skies, your camera just isn't up to snuff...

.

But with each passing month you progress, refining your technique, learning and practicing, and every time you think... maybe this... maybe now... maybe this will be the magic shot.

So now, here you are... driving home and staring at the clouds-- hoping the rain will hold off for one more day. You decide to side-track to a new spot by the lake-- the one the Godmother showed you. You pull up and immediately know there's potential here, that this might be it... no, really... THIS might be The One. You park the car (semi-illegally), throw on your hazard lights, lock the door, and hike across the small ditch. You curse (as usual) having not brought your tripod and then start shooting.

Too light, too dark, too blurry (stupid tripod sitting at home). The light shifts, the clouds shift, the city stays the same. You second guess your position, your settings, your abilities. You take at least 20 shots, maybe 25... and then hope (as usual) that when you get them home something will happen. *

You open image after image and it seems possible. Individually they're striking-- the clouds swirl over the city and the colors are incredible. You spend hours at home, editing and adjusting, then reverting to your original images. The truth is the pictures themselves need to "fixing." But they do need... something. There is a scale that can't be grasped in the individual shots. An overwhelming awe that can't be seen in a single frame. And then you remember-- you remember reading about a feature in Photoshop. You google, hoping to find a way to do it in the more limited version that exists quietly on your computer for those tasks that can't be handled by Paint Shop Pro. Lo and Behold! Panoramic stitching.

You set up the process, realize it's going to take FOREVER on your rusty old laptop, and you leave it running while you go to dinner, hoping that upon your return something amazing will have happened... heck-- that ANYTHING will have happened.

In the door from dinner you cross your fingers and peek at the computer screen. A multi-layered image is waiting for your attention. You start to patch the holes and then decide it's easiest to patch if all 400 or so layers have been merged. The better to clone you with my darling.... or something like that.

To your surprise merging smoothes away the cracks and crevices and leaves you with a somewhat oddly shaped, but perfectly fused image. You select, and crop and re-size. Then soften the whole image by a step just to be sure the edges are invisible... and then you have it. You actually have it. And you realize you can't describe it, because some beauty defies description. Instead you save the image and realize that you've finally captured your own perfect sunset... at least until the next one.

Title Quote: "Clouds come floating into my life, no longer to carry rain or usher storm, but to add color to my sunset sky.” -- Rabindranath Tagore