text:
INT: If you would like to introduce yourself?
S: I'm Sarah, doing the interview as, well, interviewee.
INT: Thanks, Sarah. So, how old are you, Sarah?
S: I'm 31.
INT: How would you describe your gender?
S: I identify as a trans woman, all my pronouns are feminine.
INT: Thanks. Why are you taking part in the Brighton Trans*formed project?
S: Because it seemed like a really interesting idea, having that kind of oral history being recorded and also because Brighton's been a huge part of my life for the last few years. So, yeah, I'm just kind of looking to take part in interesting projects.
INT: So, now you've just said it makes me want to go straight into questions about interesting projects, so maybe I will if that's all right with you. What interesting projects have you been aware of, been involved with since you've moved to Brighton?
S: Well, the most interesting one is the one that I'm kind of most involved with and that's Trans Pride. A few years ago, when I first came here, someone invited me to a meeting, a Trans Pride meeting, where they were trying to get the first Trans Pride started in Brighton, and I couldn't make it but I thought it was a really, really interesting idea. I couldn't think of anything else remotely Pride-worthy about the trans community, about that there weren't any kind of Pride events in the trans community, and Brighton has this reputation of being really kind of trans-friendly. So I thought it was a brilliant idea and said that I'd give her a hand and see if we can make it happen. And that happened last year – it was the first one. I think in the run up to it there were about 10 people who were instrumental to making it happen, and in the run up to it we were like, "Ah well, we'll be happy if 300 people turn up, that will be amazing if 300 people turn up" – and for the last act of the day there was hardly any room in New Steine gardens for people to stand right at the front. I think we had a footfall of over 1500 people. So, yeah, I was blown away by how popular it was.
INT: That's a lot of people.
S: Yeah! I just – I don't know, I've been to main Pride and I just didn't feel that it was really inclusive of trans people, it just seemed to be an event for gay, lesbian and bisexual people and the trans bit felt like it was just kind of stuck on the end. And a load of trans people aren't gay or lesbian or bisexual, so they don't really feel included by that either. But at Trans Pride it was like everyone who was gender-variant said that they felt that this was a Pride for them, you know. I was I'm really pleased with the atmosphere as well.
INT: And do you think that Trans Pride needed to be in Brighton, or just that it happened to be in Brighton? Do you think there's any relevance to Brighton in that?
S: Yeah, yeah, definitely. I think Brighton definitely has a reputation for being trans-friendly, you know, one of the reasons I came here was because it had this reputation for being accepting of trans people. And it could have happened in London, but I think Brighton gave it that extra special kind of atmosphere that it would have been lacking anywhere else. I don't know, I just think people in Brighton are very aware of gender-variance and they've given it the thoughts that other people around the country haven't, it just seems to be more of an in-depth subject here, I think.
INT: I think you just said that you moved to Brighton because it was quite an accepting place, was that correct? Have you found it being an accepting place to be?
S: Yeah, yeah, definitely. I mean, I moved here, and I kind got offered a job at a bar almost immediately, and I thought "Oh, that's all right". I moved and I had somewhere to live – I was homeless for a while and I had a place to live in a women's space, almost immediately as well. And I know that, you know, I came from south Wales and before that I came from Jersey and I know that it would have been impossible for me over there to kind of have the opportunities that I've had here. Just people walking down the street don't really stare at you, like they do elsewhere in the country. People see someone who's obviously trans and they just don't react, they just go about their daily business. I think elsewhere in the country you're more likely to get a reaction out of someone for being obviously trans.
INT: And had you always wanted to move to Brighton or was it a spur of the moment thing? Like what actually brought you to Brighton aside from there's a side of it be it accepting, where did that come from?
S: Well, I don't know, I was kind of weighing up places to go and live and I knew two people here and I was visiting them and it was in October, and there was this really warm Indian summer happening, and so I just happened to be down here anyway and I remember sitting on the beach and there was the smell of barbecues in the air and the sun was going down and I just remember sitting there, thinking "I could live here, it seems like a really cool place". And I think on the beach I actually made up my mind to come here. Didn't know nothing, just, you know, it reminded me of home, similar atmosphere of, you know, chilled out people by the beach, but it's got this big city kind of vibe to it, if you go look for it as well.
INT: Sounds like classic Brighton.
S: I know [LAUGHS] All the cliché shit!
INT: No, but I mean these ideas, you know, don't come out of thin air.
S: Exactly, yeah, yeah.
INT: So, if I may ask about kind of when you were growing up and was it Jersey…
S: Jersey, yeah.
INT: How, how did you find growing up on Jersey and were you aware of your gender identity when you were growing up?
S: Well, I grew up in a high control religious group, called the Jehovah's Witnesses and I knew that I was different from everybody else about my gender identity when I was first aware of it about 5 or 6. I also knew that I had to hide this, I couldn't show this secret to anybody, so I kept it to myself and I learnt to compartmentalise my feelings and I learnt to hide who I am from everybody and, yeah, I did it well.
But then, as I grew up, I left the religion when I was 17 because I just couldn't stand lying to everyone, I wanted a life where I could be who I was, who I wanted to be and then slowly I accepted that I had to transition, but not for want of trying not to! I think I tried every other option to me possible, before I could transition, even eloping to Las Vegas with a girl that I'd met six weeks before to get married. And yeah, I tried everything to not transition, but eventually it was the only option left to me and it was the best thing I've ever done.
INT: Was there sort of a crunch moment that made you decide that you couldn't keep hiding anymore and you had to make that change, or was it just a bit more gradual?
S: Well, I knew that I couldn't transition in Jersey, that was… I was absolutely sure about that. Because Jersey's 9 miles by 5, it's tiny. I was aware of other trans people over there, I'd never met them, but my friends knew of them and, you know, they were always know as – excuse my language – but they were known as "that tranny", you know, and I didn't want to be that person.
I couldn't – I knew that I'd be making loads of mistakes, well, I knew that I'd be wearing the wrong clothes for my body shape, or, you know, I'd be doing things that would stick in other people's minds as a cliché or a stereotype and I didn't want that, and I knew that I wouldn't be able to get any work over there, if I transitioned, because all I ever did was manual work. And then I was searching for some way to get to the UK and I did it from meeting people on the internet and chatting to them and I met someone in South Wales and she said, "Come and live with me, I'll help you transition". So I was like "Okay then". I sold everything, got rid of everything,jumped in my car, went to south Wales, and that didn't work out. So, I jumped back in my car and went back to Jersey, and then I was living in my car on the beach, because I'd given up everything, I had nowhere to live. And then, when I was in Wales I met another guy and he said "Oh, come and live with me". So I spent two months in Jersey, living in my car, before I got the money together to get the boat fare back to the UK. It was kind of a convoluted story about how I came to the UK.
INT: And, are you likely to ever go back to Jersey?
S: I'd love to [LAUGHS]. You know, it's my home, it's where all my friends are. But again it'd be so difficult for me to find work over there, it's so expensive to live compared to here and I wouldn't be able to see kind of any of the activism and the work that I do over here, it's just non-existent in Jersey. You know, the third sector just doesn't happen. So I'm kind of stuck over here at the moment, but I'm just going to make the most of it, you know.
INT: And it seems like you have been making the most of it quite a lot with Trans Pride.
S: Yeah, really, really proud of Trans Pride.
INT: You mentioned that you came from a religious family, are you still in contact with your family or how's your relationship with them?
S: Jehovah's Witnesses preach that if a family member leaves the religion then they should be shunned, they should be cut off as a lesson to them. And so, when I left when I was 17… I wasn't actually shunned completely, my mum and my littlest sister were always really, really kind to me and fought to still to have a relationship with me. My dad, my oldest sister and my little brother never really bothered to speak to me or to have any relationship with me. And then 10 years later, when I came out to them, when I transitioned that was the final nail in the coffin with everybody, apart from my mum. My dad has banned all contact with me, so my mum still keeps in contact, but she calls me, you know, once every couple of months at the moment.
It's shit, but, you know, I can't do nothing about it, I've got to live my life.
INT: Yeah. So, in terms of living your life in transition, how do you see your transition?
S: Well, my gender identity has kind of evolved over the years. One of the things that held me back from transitioning was the thought that I had to have lower surgery. And then I got to used to that, that I had to have it and then I transitioned and then I kind of learnt that not all trans people kind of live to this binary and I learnt that some trans people only go so far in the medical transition. Some trans people do go all the way, you know, and that was a completely eye-opener to me because I'd been reading on the internet for years about how the NHS will kind of dictate this route and if you deviate it from a little bit, then you're not trans. And, so that's been a complete eye-opener to me. I mean now I don't even bother to try and change my voice, I'm a lot more comfortable in my skin, just because of the hormones that I've got, it doesn't really kind of matter – the insecurities that I've got about my body are outweighed by the feeling of happiness that the hormones give me I guess.
INT: Are you through the NHS for treatment?
S: Yeah.
INT: So, you were saying with the reading these sort of horror stories on the internet – in what ways have your personal experiences married up or not married up with what was being said on the internet? How are things different?
S: Yeah, it's completely different. [LAUGHS] I mean my only kind of access to the trans world was through the internet, so I think years ago my idea of being trans was a little bit warped by the horror stories you read on the internet. It took me 18 months of living full time as female before I got onto hormones, because I was moving about so much and I didn't get to Charing Cross. But I've been to Charing Cross twice and both times have been with doctors who are supposed to be terrible and both times they've been really, really nice, they've been really personable. I've been able to approach them with any concerns or worries that I've had and they've just said to me, what do you want out of this? And I said "Well, I want some hormones, please." And they were like, "Well, okay then, come back in three months, you seem to have filled the criteria so far and you can probably have some". And that was just like, "What?! I'm wearing trousers, you know!" So I've been completely blown away by it, by how different my perception was and how the reality actually is.
INT: And I think there's a really interesting thing in that, is that traditionally there's this idea that in order to conform with the gender identity clinics you need to pass as this traditional female, whereas actually, obviously there's modern femininity includes wearing trousers and jeans and stuff like that.
S: Yeah, I'm not really one for the twin-set and pearls brigade, you know.
INT: And how have you found being on hormones?
S: Amazing actually. I had the injection – the anti-androgen injection – which lasts for three months and apart from really kind of decreased sex drive I didn't think I felt all that much, to start with. So, I stopped, it was for three months and then I stopped taking it for three months just to see – because I couldn't really tell a difference, I don't know maybe it happened so gradually. So, I came off it for three months and then I felt the testosterone kicking back in, and then all of the feelings that I used to have came flooding back. So, then I had an extra injection, and then I came off them again, for a month, just before Christmas, just to make doubly sure that I knew what I was doing and it was the right thing for me. And within a month this time I knew, I knew that I'm doing the right thing. They've made me just feel calm, they haven't really changed my body that much at the moment but they just kind of bring a sense of serenity about myself, you know. It's the subtlest of differences, but it makes – it has such a huge effect. So yeah, I'm really happy actually.
INT: Sounds really powerful as well, yeah. And do you have any sort of wants with the future for your transition or are you quite happy where you are now?
S: Well, I want to… I want to at some point stop wearing wigs! Some kind of facial surgery and hair… something to do with my hair, probably plugs or something like that. But obviously that's kind of dependent on getting some money. But you know, for me my dysphoria was about my body shape and how I was perceived, and it's about my face as well, a little bit. But, at the moment I'm surviving, I'm carrying on without it, but if I won the Lottery I'd get some facial surgery and I'd get my hair fixed, but that's kind of it really it.
INT: I won't dwell on transition, because obviously it's not the whole of sum of us as trans people, but I think it's really important to bring out those experiences of transition. So, coming back to community and you talked about Trans Pride what place do you think that trans people have in the broader LGBT community?
S: Well, I think the idea of an LGBT community is already outdated. I think gender and sexuality, although they are different I think LGB people need to help the TQIA people. I think the idea that these minorities should all kind of be separate, because there's two schools of thought, isn't there, there's one that's kind of, you know, it's nothing to do with sexuality, trans people shouldn't be lumped in with them. But I think there's – and I hate word – intersectionality. I think people should look after each other. If you see injustice, if you see something that isn't right, you stand up for it and you join the fight, you help these other people to have a better life and so I think that the LGB community is key to getting the trans community, the intersex, the queer, the questioning, everything I think is to do with being, you know, a minority community and I think that we all have so much in common it would be stupid to ignore the LGB community and to say "Oh, we can do this on our own", you know.
But I think also trans people, gender-variant people need to have a separate identity, but they need to be able to accept help from outside, because I think I worked out the other night, I think it's about ¼ of a percent, less than a ¼ of a percent of people are trans. This was an American study, but a ¼ of a percent of 63 million in the UK is 150,000, you know, so in reality what are 150,000 people going to really achieve to change the laws, to lobby parliament, to do outreach in schools, to do this massive kind of community assistance kind of thing. I think we need the help from the larger society to really get anywhere.
INT: And how do you see yourself in that place, both in terms of where you fit into the community, because obviously you tick the T box, do you feel like – sorry, this is actually several questions at once – do you feel like you are part of other parts or sub communities within in that? And also, tying it in with the activism, how do you fit into that?
S: Well, I identify as pan-sexual, so, you know, I straddle both communities, I guess, the sexuality and the gender community. So, well, how does that fit in…
INT: Well, you were talking about activism and sort of having that fight, the greater fight. Does that influence how you are active?
S: So… I was quite vocal in the gay marriage debate because I might want to marry a woman in the future, you know, I married one in the past. So, I just think that if I were to just focus on gender, then, you know, I'd be letting down this other huge side of me, which is, you know, my non-binary sexuality. So, I don't know, I guess that it's kind of important to know who you are and to be able to stand up for it, to be able to fight for inequalities and injustices.
INT: And, I mean you're quite clearly quite an activist – what sort of particular issues do you think are really important to fight at the moment?
S: Well, at the moment, the thing that kind of strikes a chord with me is the mental health debate, because, you know, I've had struggles with depression and self-harm in the past, and I look at the figures for trans people, and it just it kills me seeing the number of trans people who've attempted suicide. I mean how can that be any good? And, for me, the best way to make the biggest difference is to help young people, so I've started a degree course in child and youth studies. And I've written a children's book, because I want to introduce this concept of gender-variance as absolutely okay, to young people, because then they can go through their entire lives with that idea, and I just think that that's the way to make the biggest, most lasting difference.
INT: For sure. So, where are you doing this degree course?
S: It's an OU course. I left school at 16, because I thought that the world was going to end and everyone was going to die. So, I didn't do any further education. So yeah, I'm doing an OU course now!
INT: Okay. Dare I ask why did you think the world was going to end?
S: Because that's part of the Jehovah's Witness teachings. [laughs]
INT: Oh okay…
S: It's like an end of days, doomsday cult. It's a high control cult. Yeah, it's mad, especially on the tiny insular island of Jersey. They get very scared and – on a tangent – but there's quite an active rumour mill on Jersey, within the Jehovah's Witnesses, and a lot of people were talking about the millennium being the time that Armageddon comes, and that God comes down and kills everyone who isn't a Jehovah's Witness. And, so, I left the region in I think it was February 2000, because I thought the end of the world was coming and there was nothing… I think that God hated me, because, you know, I was a… I was a raging tranny. [laughs] But yeah, I left because I thought I was going to die anyway so I wanted to have a good life.
INT: And I'm just really intrigued now that you've brought that up again. Do you have a relationship, a religious or spiritual relationship with a God or Goddess or what have you?
S: No. Well, I'm not atheist, I kind of believe in a higher power, I've got no idea what it is, I don't presume to know, because I'm a lowly stupid human. [laughs] Humans are just animals, you know, we're just the same as everyone else.
INT: And going back to education and so you're doing this degree course now, how have you found re-entering the world of education?
S: It's a lot less daunting than I thought actually, because with the OU they know that people haven't been in education for a while so, a lot of their beginning stuff, their course work is geared towards warming people up slowly. So I found it a lot easier than I thought it was going to be. And also, because I write a lot anyway, I just found it just really easy. A few pointers that I needed from a tutor as to how to format my assignments, I mean I'm only in the middle of an access course, so it's not like it's amazingly taxing. But I'm definitely going to carry it on, I'm going to see if I can get it done as quick as possible as well.
INT: Brilliant! And you've written a children's book, is that about gender specifically, or is it…
S: Yeah.
INT: … a children's book with that sort of subtle…
S: No, it's brazenly about gender. Well, it's a children's picture book, aimed for children aged 5-7, because that's when studies show that children become aware of gender. And the main character I don't mention what their gender is, in fact the last page of the book is, you know, are you a boy or are a girl, and I've just kind of deliberately made the whole book to be dripping with stereotypes and clichés about gender roles and identity. It's like a springboard for an adult or a teacher in a classroom, to start talking about what gender means to that child. A huge part of me wanted to write a transsexual children's book, in large letters, but yeah, I think I've done enough to get people's attention and not quite enough to really illegitimately rile anybody. [laughs]
INT: And, so there's that and there's just writing in general – are you writing about being trans, or being trans in Brighton or is it just an expression of creativity for you?
S: I don't know, it's a kind of an outlet for me. I write about myself, about stuff that's happening, about trans people in the media. It's just kind of something will fire me up and I'll just vomit onto a Word document and, you know, then I'll correct the swear words and publish it, I don't really think about it too much. I just go kind of "Grrr!" at the keyboard and whatever comes out I publish.
INT: And how do you publish?
S: I just stick it all on my own website, I've got my own website, sarah-savage.com. I just write stuff on there, sometimes it's about my past, sometimes it's about trans people being misrepresented in the media, sometimes it's just British Gas annoying me and me writing a complaint letter, you know [laughs]
INT: And do you get a lot of hits on your website?
S: Yeah, I think I had about 40,000 last year.
INT: That's a lot.
S: Yeah, I'm quite pleased with it actually, I looked at my year in review, and it was about 40,000, really pleased with that. Quite a few comments as well, but yeah, I mean because I've got such a large social media following I guess, people listen to me, people read what I write, and they respect me and they take me seriously, which is something that I'd never, ever had before. Before I transitioned I was like this happy-go-lucky kind of layabout, you know, I never really had a proper job – well, I had jobs but they were just informal things, that people phoned me up to come and do. Nobody would take me seriously, because I didn't take myself seriously, and now since I transitioned, it's completely the polar opposite, which takes a lot of getting used to I guess. Yeah, it's weird.
INT: So, social media sounds like a really important tool for you, how did you build up that many followers?
S: Well, I was on a Channel 4 documentary series called My Transsexual Summer, back when I was trying to move to England to transition, to begin my transition. I'd sent Channel 4 an email because they were asking for help with research for a documentary, so I sent them an email, they got back in touch with me and we got chatting. I said I'm coming to live in England, I intend on going full time living as female in role, and they were like "All right then, we'll meet you off the boat" and they followed me the first three or four months of my transition and living as female. And something like, I don't know, was it 3.2 million people watched the series when it premièred, and it's been syndicated in God knows how many countries, worldwide, from Sweden to Israel to Australia, to Canada, all around the world, which is weird. [laughs]
INT: Yeah, I can imagine. I mean, if you can, how do you feel about that? I mean in terms of… does it affect how you are in terms of being out? Did you ever want to be stealth or…
S: I don't… there was a lot of… there was a huge element of me owning my own story of, you know… When I was back in Jersey I didn't want to be, "that tranny". I didn't like those feelings because I had no control over how other people perceive me. On the documentary show, although I didn't have as much control as I wanted to, I still could control the narrative, I could act in a way that would kind of show me to be a certain type of person. You know, although, none of it was acted, but I knew that, I could have… I could carry myself with a little bit of dignity as much as I could, and I knew that it would be sympathetic to trans people in general. Before I agreed to do the show, I spent a lot of time with the executive producers and the producers and the camera people, and they gained my trust, I trusted them implicitly.
So, I'm glad I did it, I'm really glad I did it, it's changed my life completely, although it's still weird getting used to people recognising me on the bus. It's still weird, I mean my friends in Jersey could call me a celebrity, you know, and I'm not, I took part in a documentary series, I didn't take part in X Factor or some get famous quick type shows. I took part in this show because I remember seeing other TV shows about trans people in the past and I remember the hope that that gave me and I remember how that made me feel and I wanted to kind of have that opportunity to have an effect over someone else.
INT: That's really admirable. How do you feel about how you were portrayed with the final thing? Because obviously there was a lot of filming went on, was it four episodes they it took it down it to?
S: Yeah, four episodes of 42 minutes.
INT: And you were sharing that with 5 other participants.
S: Six other, there were seven of us in total.
INT: Okay. Were you happy with the way you were portrayed or did you have any misgivings or…
S: I thought that they showed me to be much more of a goody two shoes than I thought I was. [laughs] You know, I was… I was quite happy with it actually. I don't think I came across as wrong or anything, I think they showed me to be a little bit more shy than I am. But at the time I was literally day one of living as female they were filming, so there was an element, a huge element of being unsure about myself, lacking in confidence and that was what the whole summer was about for me, it was growing in confidence. But yeah, I was quite happy with how they showed me, it could have been worse. [laughs]
INT: Do you ever look back at like, on video tape, of what you were like a few years ago, because what year was that? Was that 2011?
S: I think it was 2011, yeah.
INT: Yeah, so about 2½ years ago, or maybe 3 years ago, do you look back on that and kind of think how much you've changed from that time?
S: Well, I never watched them, I watched the first series when it came out, but yeah, I've never seen them since. I know how I've changed, the biggest change, the most important change, has been in my head, and has been how I perceive myself in a confidence that I've got since, you know, it's not really about appearance, it's all about the change that's happened inside of me. And I know that, I was speaking to a friend from back home last night actually, and she was like the biggest thing is how I've changed and how I carry myself and how I see myself. I take myself seriously, which I never did before.
INT: In a good way.
S: In a very good way, yeah. [laughs]
INT: Good stuff. Moving on, you talked about jobs that you used to do, sort of odd jobs and things like that, and now, obviously, you're a student and you're studying, in terms of class, do you perceive yourself to be any particular social class?
S: No. I don't like the class system. I guess, you know, my mum was a child minder and my dad was a postman for 40 years, so, I'm most definitely working class, but, you know, I don't see the point of the class system, it's, it's the one percent and it's the everyone else. So, yeah, I don't agree with it. [laughs]
INT: Okay. Because my follow on question, and maybe this is still a bit relevant, but maybe not, is, do you think that that has an influence on your life in Brighton in any shape or form?
S: I don't know, there's a lot of questions that you could ask me, I mean like similar to this, and it's because of growing up in Jersey, you don't really have that kind of class system, like you do in the UK. I mean in Jersey there's two private schools and, you know, you're either an upper class private school person or you're an everyone else. So, yeah, because I don't really perceive class, I don't think it affects the way that I live in Brighton at all. It's like politics, there's not a party political system in Jersey, you know, it's quite an ancient kind of system that they've got over there, so I moved to England and it was only kind of last year I learnt the difference between the left and the right. So, yeah, I guess I just have a different kind of perception of the world, because of the Jersey thing, so…
INT: So I guess it's been quite a sort of a cultural change for you to move to not just Brighton, but England in general.
S: Yeah, yeah, completely.
INT: Does that… do you find that at times you don't feel like you fit in, because of that, or… I mean how do you feel like you fit into being in England or in Brighton particularly, actually?
S: I don't know. I've never really fitted in anywhere. I'm just the type of person that just floats in, you know, I do my thing, and then I float out again. Yeah, it's a huge cultural difference moving here, to the UK. I don't know, I've just always been a little bit different, I've always had a very different view of the world and I think people that I meet see that, and they notice that, and I think it's refreshing for some of the ones I get on with, so yeah, I think I'm just a little bit different than anyone else in the way that I view the world and the way I interact with it.
INT: So, bringing all that together, I mean where do you feel the future is for Sarah? What's next on the grand plan, or do you have any really long-term plans?
S: Yeah, this whole planning for the future thing is new, as well, because I never saw a future for me before I transitioned. I don't really kind of have any plans, I mean I'd love to own a house, before that I'd love to own a car, you know. So, those are kind of my short-terms goals and they're mostly money-related, but that's because I've always loved cars, you know, and I've never had… This house I stayed in, it'll be coming up for two years this summer, before this the longest I've ever stayed in one place was six months, before I was 18. So, you know this whole having one place to live for more than a year is an alien concept to me. So I think that effects how I make plans. So, yeah I'd like a more fulfilling life, materially because I love cars and I want, for the first time ever in my life, I want some kind of security in where I live. So, I don't know whatever it takes, if it's selling a load of books, so be it, or if it's finding a job and progressing through the ranks then that's what it'll be. I think an opportunity will present itself sooner or later and I'll make the most of it.
INT: And do you feel like your trans status has affected your financial security?
S: Yeah, I think so. Well, because, you know, if… if I wasn't trans then I would have stayed in Jersey, and I would have got a job and I would have felt more secure in my life. And also, because you know, I haven't… I wear a wig, I haven't had laser hair removal on my beard yet, I think that, getting a job and having to shave everyday and having to put make up every day, it's, it's a lot and it takes a lot out of your skin, it takes a lot out of you physically as well, because there are trans people I know who get up, and it takes them two hours before they'll leave the house, because they're putting their make up on. It'd probably take me half an hour to put my make up on and an hour to have a shave, and to let my skin calm down enough.
These things are starting to appear to be available on the NHS but obviously it's quite slow. So, I think that the being trans affected me, I would have got a customer service job, a customer-facing job because, I'm quite easy talking to people, but yeah, I don't know, I think it has.
INT: You mentioned there sort of facing people, do you find there's times where you are getting hostility or prejudice from the pubic or is that something that's quite rare?
S: No, I'd say it's quite rare, it's more of a self-confidence thing. If I know that I look rough in front of someone that I don't know, then I'm more likely to not say anything, not open my mouth, I'm more likely to not make eye contact. I'm more likely to try… or revert back to how I used to be, you know, a quiet kind of person who just keep to myself. And yeah, that's not how I naturally interact, I guess, because when I've got a face on and I've freshly shaven, I just feel so much better about myself. So, I'm just so much more confident. And yet, you know, if, you know, if I've… I don't know, it's a difficult one. [laughs]
INT: Okay. Well, going onto more sort of positive questions, being a trans person that lives in Brighton, and bearing in mind you've talked about Pride already, but please elaborate more if you want, what's the positive things about being trans in Brighton?
S: Well, there's so much of a support structure here, because of the reputation that it has, as being trans-accepting, trans-friendly, there seems to be, I don't know if it's backed up with figures, but there seems to be a density of trans people that there isn't anywhere else, and it's also some trans people that I've met seem to be broken people, you know, they seem to be affected by their transition, and that doesn't seem to happen as much in Brighton. People who are gender-variant in Brighton that I've met are go-getters, are people who aren't afraid for people to know that they're trans, and there seems to be that buzz around the city, it's probably the support structure. I think Trans Pride is a result of that, it hasn't quite contributed to that yet, but it will. That feeling of positivity and acceptance that especially is among the younger people, is just so infectious you just don't seem to get as many people who are so beaten by being trans.
INT: Do you have any, I don't know, funny stories or anecdotes about your time in Brighton, that relates to being trans or the trans community?
S: Yeah, I don't know. I'm was a stand up comedian, three times, but I don't think I'm really that funny. [laughs] I'll to you what my favourite experience was at Trans Pride. It just stopped raining I think and I was just sitting around the corner having a quiet beer and this woman walked up to me, and with a little girl, 6 year old girl and they said "Oh, you're Sarah, aren't you?" and I was like "Oh yeah", and then we got chatting. And it turned out this girl was completely obsessed with My Transsexual Summer and she was like the stereotypical, cute little girl with the short bob and two front teeth missing and she was just so happy to be at Trans Pride and everything was amazing, and then she was so happy to meet this person she'd seen on her television. And then I went over and introduced her to Fox and to Karen, who were both on the show as well, and I think we made this girl's week, you know. [laughs]
And just seeing that joy, that having that kind of effect on somebody, is just why I do everything that I do. I think it's just so important to be visible, because you can have that effect just by being visible, you know, you don't have to do anything other than be yourself.
INT: That's a really powerful message to put across. I've kind of, I think pretty much exhausted my sort of big list of questions, but is there anything that we haven't discussed already or anything we have discussed but maybe not in enough detail you'd like, that you would like to talk about?
S: I don't know, I don't think so.
INT: Okay, well, if there's nothing more you want to add, then we can close this interview.
S: Yeah.
INT: But thank you so much for sharing your time and if you want to add more I'm sure we can put it in at a later date.


text:
One Size Does NOT Fit All
There is often a misconception that businesses have when marketing their product or service: thinking everyone will want it.
Businesses who adopt the "one size fits all" mindset will fail. Here's why: Not every consumer wants the same thing.
We've all heard the idiom, "One man's trash is another man's treasure." Well, you might think your product or service is the best thing since sliced bread, but it may not align with certain people's wants or needs.
Don't just throw your product out there and hope it sticks. Target specific people that you know are going to be interested in it.
Sometimes it can be hard to not try and appeal to everyone, because in theory, yes—the more people exposed to your product the better. But that broad approach can end up hurting instead of helping your business.
Instead, it is critical to define the target market in the beginning stages of a campaign so you can take the proper steps needed to connect with that market, because connecting to that market is what will ultimately compel consumers to identify with and love your brand.

subset: commoncrawl


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|An area of particular interest to John and Quanser is the control of robotic manipulators.
John holds a PhD in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the University of Waterloo (2010). He earned a BEng in Computer Systems Engineering and a MASc in Electrical Engineering from Carleton University in Ottawa. Most of his graduate research work focused on controlling robotic manipulators, which is an area of particular interest at Quanser.
An affinity for math and science through his school years led John to take his first step towards an engineering career. But a summer spent at a science and computer camp run by engineering students at Carleton University really helped point the way. His decision to pursue that the engineering life soon followed. In his spare time John enjoys cooking, camping and skiing. Welcome to Quanser, John!


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Hello, April... here comes another busy month. Ahhh, I live for this! :)
The Many Hats I Wear...and a New Job!
in teaching - 5 comments
Hi friends! It's been THREE WEEKS since my last post! Needless to say, it has been a busy month. Reading the TPT newsletters this weekend made me wonder how I let three weeks slip by without updating my store or my blog (or my Pinterest boards....) Then I looked back at my calendar and realized how many hats I am wearing these days.... teacher, daughter, waitress, teacher, sister, waitress, girlfriend, teacher, blogger, friend, waitress, waitress, teacher, runner and book club member. Yes, I did a lot of teaching and a lot of waitressing this month. I also started training for another half-marathon, celebrated family birthdays, hosted St. Patrick's Day, reunited with old friends, spring cleaned, saw The Hunger Games, furniture shopped and attended a professional development training on the Orton-Gillingham reading approach. Anyway, I've come online to blog over the last few weeks but I always think I can't blog unless I really have something important to say or share. Tonight I do have something to say. Among my March craziness, I had a few interviews for jobs. I am happy to say that I got another long-term substitute job in kindergarten until the end of the school year!
5 comments
Congrats on your new assignment. You've been busy.ReplyDelete
Yearn to Learn Blog
Congrats! That is exciting!! I have missed you on here! :)ReplyDelete
Apples and ABC's
CONGRATS on the new job! Also, you have been TAGGED! Come on over to my blog to check it out:)ReplyDelete
Pencils with Pizzazz
Congrats on the new job!!ReplyDelete
I'm tagging you too :)
Rowdy in Room 300
Thank you everyone!ReplyDelete
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text:
I'm a Dubliner born and bred… so I'd like to think I know the city pretty well, but as with almost everything, it's a totally different experience with the kids in tow. When friends come back to visit now, we generally meet in parks and family-friendly restaurants, playgrounds and beaches… I generally avoid the city centre on a normal day if I've my two with me, never mind the old haunts, which are at the bottom of the list of suggestions, relegated by the evil twins (expensive) babysitters and unco-operative children!
As I mentioned, I'm mildly obsessed with getting fresh air, and making sure the kids get fresh air too, so we generally try and get out, and actually Dublin is a pretty cool place to get out and explore. Leave the city centre and you've mountains and coastline… it might not be Rio but… (sigh, it's definitely NOT Rio) but actually there are tonnes of activities to do – sea swimming, hill, coast and cliff walking, mountain biking, sea kayaking, kite and windsurfing. I know the weather is a prohibiting factor, but only if you let it and let's be honest, no one comes to Ireland for the weather. Besides, if you get a good day it's all the better because it's appreciated as such a bonus. Living here you just gotta get on with it, rain, hail, sunshine or snow. (But I will include blogs on 'what to do when it's raining'!) For now, I'm picturing sunshine.
I generally head out towards Howth, I grew up there although it's massively different now to when I was small. It was, and still is a fishing village. It was much quieter, more of a sleepy village, but now it's a very busy, bustling town and very much on the tourist radar- with good reason. It's lovely. There are amazing walks (and swims) along the cliffs and beaches, I still find the views across Dublin bay very beautiful, everyday it looks different. From the car park at Howth Head you've views across the bay all the way down to Wicklow, and then if you walk around the corner you're looking at the northern coast from Ireland's Eye, Lambay Island and the mountains of Morne in the North. Apparently you should also be able to see Wales "on a good day", I never have and I'm beginning to think maybe someone might have been taking the mick! It's especially lovely at night, when it's dark and the city lights are twinkling. Howth also has tonnes of great restaurants now, that it definitely didn't when I was a kid!
Further along the North coast is Malahide and Portmarnock, Skerries and Donabate, all lovely places to go for a walk on a beach, have some great lunch afterwards. But Dublin is not just seaside it's mountains as well. We're not talking the Alps here, the Dublin Mountains are more like hills but again great for walking and cycling. I'm more of a sea person myself, but I'm going to try and get up those mountains this year and have a little look around again.
So let's just say, this section will give the low down on great places to eat, fun things to do and places to visit that are all family friendly. All Dublin related blogs are found under the category 'In Dublin's Fair City' http://blog.thestorkexchange.ie/category/dublin-with-kids/ and I'll keep adding to it to keep it fresh.


text: I bought a new Rezound in February, less than a month ago my locations weren't updating and i lost 4G in a 4G service area (i was travelling and staying in STL) so i restarted my phone and it got stuck in a boot cycle. Since it's still under manufacturers warranty i went to a local store and had a new phone sent (yes it was a refurb), now here less than a month later this phone is now stuck in a boot cycle. I was wondering if its just my luck or if it's the model itself. Im going to a Verizon corporate store today and demanding a brand new phone, but i want to make sure this isn't a documented permanent problem with the model, or i'll be demanding a new model instead.


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Kareena Kapoor-Khan the face of BBLUNT'S First-ever TVC
Mumbai: Synonymous with cutting-edge hairstyling, hair care and expertise since its launch in 2004, BBLUNT has been a pioneer within the industry creating a niche for itself in Bollywood and breaking the traditional mold of hairstyling therein. In its continuing initiative to create new standards in Indian hairstyling, the brand introduced India's first integrated hair-care range for Indian hair and Indian weather, bringing to their consumers their salon in a bottle in 2014.
Armed with over 15 years of hair care and styling expertise, the Pioneers of the brand – Adhuna Bhabani and Avan Contractor now prepare to take this vision a step further and have collaborated closely with the best Product Development team at Godrej to launch BBLUNT Salon Secret High Shine Crème Hair Color. The launch range comprises of 7 of the most salon-requested shades developed keeping in mind Indian hair texture, skin tone and weather. The product consists of a 3-part ground-breaking formula V/s the regular 2-part formula which includes BBLUNT's Salon Secret – Shine Tonic.
Further talking about the launch, Avan Contractor, Co-Founder and Creative Director, BBLUNT said, "Years of our experience in the salon, films and fashion and working with various hair colour brands across the globe, brought in some important learnings amongst which shine was a very crucial aspect when it came to hair colour, probably as important as the shade and tonality itself. So after three years of extensive research and testing in collaboration with Godrej, we launched our labour of love – BBLUNT Salon Secret High Shine Crème Hair Colour with the aim to bring salon-like finish to home hair colour users. The unique element of our colour is the 3-part system, where we've included our BBLUNT secret of Shine Tonic in addition to the conventional Colourant and Developer. It's the mix of these three ingredients that will give the user a truly high gloss colour, along with a very natural and soft tone, depending on the % of grey."
BBLUNT has launched its first-ever TVC to create a buzz about this product and have got on-board Bollywood diva Kareena Kapoor-Khan to showcase this product. The style icon epitomizes just the confidence and attitude that is synonymous with the brand.
Excited to be part of this association, Kareena Kapoor-Khan said, "I am thrilled to be associated with BBLUNT, a brand that I've been a loyalist of for years. It is run by two hair experts in Adhuna and Avan that all of Bollywood trusts with their hair. They're responsible for changing the face of hair in Bollywood and I don't believe there is any brand that understands Indian hair better. BBLUNT's consistent edginess and ability to stand out of the clutter appeals to me. This new product range is a revelation in itself – a professional quality product that's got BBLUNT's magic – Shine Tonic, that I can personally vouch for gorgeous, shiny hair at-home."
With over 20 years' experience styling Bollywood and working with Indian hair and a whole premium product range in hair care and styling to their credit, Salon Secret is BBLUNT's way of really reaching into every Indian household.
Sunil Kataria, Business Head – India and SAARC, Godrej Consumer Products Limited (GCPL) added, "GCPL has been a pioneer in the 3000cr hair colour category and over the years we have been constantly striving to give our consumers products of superior quality and efficacy. Crème is the fastest growing format at over 20%. BBLUNT Salon Secret is our entry into the mass-premium hair colour category. The BBLUNT Salon Secret is ammonia free, provides 100% grey coverage and nourishes hair along with providing a deep long lasting colour with spectacular shine. The product is available in 7 fabulous shades across all E-commerce websites, General Trade, Modern Trade and Premium Beauty outlets."
Salon Secret is a first-of-its-kind, Indian hair-expert-developed, no – ammonia formula that ensures 100% grey coverage whilst delivering long lasting color with spectacular shine.


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10 Steps To Grow Your Customer Base
Winning new customers is much more expensive than selling more to your existing clients. Knowing who your best customers are can help you improve customer satisfaction and sell more to these existing customers.
Gaining new clientele is one of the most difficult aspects of running a business, so it is important to retain and look after the ones you already have, and sell more to them, but at the same time still looking for new customers.
In an upcoming 5-part blog series I'll be posting tips and advice on how to get to know your customers and understand your market so you can grow your customer base.
To start with, here's 10 high-level tips for growing your customer base. We'll dive into these more specifically over the next few days!
10 Powerful Tips To Grow Your Customer Base
- Focus on the right customers. Just because you might have a small business don't just think you can only sell to other small businesses.
- Stay connected with your customers. Engage with them. Build a solid relationship with them. The internet and social media marketing makes this extremely easy to do.
- Offer extra value. Always try to over-deliver so your customers will stay loyal to you and keep coming back for more.
- Don't be afraid to ask for referrals and testimonials.
- Understand and address your customer's key frustrations.
- Keep communicating with your customers. Don't let them forget about you. You can do this via online newsletters, social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook etc. Provide offers and information which may be of value to them.
- Make it your aim to get to know your customers. Find out as much as you can about them. Get to know their interests, their partner's names, how many children they have, what pets they have, what car they drive etc.
- Improve your customer service skills. This includes how you communicate with them, how you answer the phone to them and how you present yourself and your business. Whatever contact your customers have with you, it should always be a positive experience.
- Ask customers how you can do things better. No company is perfect but if you allow your customers to give you feedback you will keep them on side and loyal to your business.
- Create forums or Facebook groups where customers can share information and ideas. Create a community for them to be a part of. It all helps with the engagement and keeping them loyal to you.


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David Saks
David Saks was born in Memphis, Tennessee on August 1, 1952.
In 1990, the pianist and composer was honored by the Memphis City Council by having two of his songs, "In Memphis" and "One Last Bridge", adopted as the "Official Songs of Memphis" in unanimous resolutions. His music manuscripts are in the Library of Congress.
David has demonstrated empathy and compassion for those less fortunate, has made special effort to assist in community endeavors for the physically challenged, and has supported community service efforts for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital founded by entertainer Danny Thomas.
David has been a radio personality in Memphis for more than four decades. He started working for the ten watt, campus radio station known as WTGR in 1969 at age 17.
He attended Rhodes College and the University of Memphis.
In 1972, David was a visiting student and guest scholar in the Cambridge, Ma. home of Professor John Kenneth Galbraith (author of "The New Industrial State"). Dr. Galbraith was the United States ambassador to India under President John F. Kennedy and chair of the Department of Economics at Harvard University.
In 1974 he spent a year working and studying in Israel along with students from Harvard,
Yale, Princeton, Colgate, Baylor and Oxford Universities. In 1975 he was a piano student
of Art Bayer at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, and the late Herbert Hermann
at the University of Memphis. He's played Steinway Hall in London and New York and
included in the Steinway Registry.
David is also a licensed real estate professional and has dedicated himself to addressing the needs of fair housing while aggressively opposing predatory lending.
On August 16, 1977 David was visiting Graceland, the home of Elvis Presley, and left shortly before Elvis was found unconscious and taken to the hospital. On January 8, 1993, Elvis' birthday, David was honored by Graceland and the United States Postal Service as the recipient of the first officially canceled Elvis Presley first day cover, recognized by the American Philatelic Society as a great national treasure.


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One-of-a-kind two-story Contemporary Colonial in Middleton
A Tradition of Trust
Home buying or selling is an exciting time in one's life. It can also be complex, time consuming and stressful. As the only local real estate firm with a rich history dating back to 1908, we understand the challenges our clients face. Our Stark family team will use our experience to help you move from the life you have to the life you want.
"I personally invest myself in everyone who comes to work here, because I want to know that when they're serving customers, they're going to provide the very best experience they possibly can."
David K. Stark
See the Info that Matters
Join our Family
We look for people who truly desire to change their lives – and the lives of others – in a positive way. We owe this to our current agents and the clients we serve. That's why we invest resources to develop and support a team that has freedom to grow without limits – professionally, personally and financially. We're not just in the real estate business. We're in the people development business.
Founded in 1908, the Stark Company's four generations of success is founded on the promises kept; to customers, to staff, and to the community.


text:
A very frustrating error which goes something like this.
You type up a bunch of emails and then hit send, they will then sit in the outbox forever not sending. You close down and reopen outlook and the email items have magically disappeared no sign of them in drafts or deleted items.
This issue currently occurs in Outlook 2010 & 2013
Cause: The cause of this issue according to microsoft is the use of Network Archive .PST files , so if you have those attached remove them if you can or move away from them slowly.
The other reason is 3rd party addins, the most common culprit is the itunes/icloud addin.
not so much a solution but a way to recover your emails that were not send.
1. Download MFCMAPI -> http://mfcmapi.codeplex.com/
2. Load the mail profile on your computer if possible , otherwise run mfcmapi on the clients machine
3. Right click the mail profile and click Open Store
4. Navigate to the Recoverable Items folder , Right click and select Open Contents Table
6. Find your email, right click and export message to .msg
there you have it, its not a total loss you can retrieve the emails. It would be nice if Microsoft fixed the issue though
best of luck , hope it helped
A computer blog to help you solve all your frustrating windows errors and lots of random tutorials
Sunday, November 9, 2014
Outlook Messages stuck in Outbox then Disappear - Recover Email Items
5 comments:
- AnonymousOctober 8, 2015 at 1:58 PM
Many websites teach people to just delete stuck Read receipts with no mention of how to recover the stuck message. Your tutorial rocks!!ReplyDelete
Sincere thanks.
- AnonymousNovember 18, 2015 at 8:07 AM
This worked perfectly. Had a user that would occasionally get a backup of her outlook profile and was able to recover the outbox. ThanksReplyDelete
Hi. Thanks for that. I cant see a 'Recoverable Items folder'. I am using outlook for IMAP email (Gmail). Is that the reason?ReplyDelete
- AnonymousFebruary 8, 2016 at 7:46 AM
I'm with Avi, I'm not seeing any Recover Items folder...?ReplyDelete
- AnonymousAugust 24, 2016 at 4:29 AM
This lead me in the right direction, though I cannot see "Recoverable Items". However, Outlook -> Folders -> Recover Deleted Items provided the described solution as well!!ReplyDelete
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


text:
Dwyane Wade Is Playing Head Games
It's amazing how twitter has become such a popular medium for tracking NBA free agency. Chris Bosh had a telling tweet showing that he and Dwyane Wade were at dinner together but were missing a third amigo. Wade all but confirmed they were talking about LeBron when he said James is on a different page from them. D-Wade also has been utilizing his twitter account during free agency, only he's been playing head games. Check out this odd tweet:
Wade is laughing to himself in the "l2ms" and clearly screwing around. So who knows little here? I think you can interpret that tweet in one of three ways. One, he's saying what little do Heat fans know that he's leaving. Two, he's saying what little does the media know because he's totally playing them and enjoying all their errant reporting. Or three, what little do the teams recruiting him know that they're wasting their time because Wade is re-signing in Miami. I really am convinced it's option three. From what I understand, Wade has a camera crew following him through the free agency period, so maybe this is all part of a big joke for him. Perhaps he's using those teams for some sort of Punk'd kind of gag. Before long we'll know our answer. In the meantime, Wade's taking the opportunity to rack up twitter followers by the thousands.
Dwyane Wade on Twitter


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Congratulations! 4 million SeoClerks orders achieved and free $5 coupon
SEOClerks Bug - Revenue Purchases Counter Incorrect
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Happy 6th Anniversary SEOClerks
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Community Feature Suggestion: SEOClerks Emails?
Why is the Want to Buy so full of spam?
Is The New Text Editor Weird And Bad? What Do You Think Guys?
Error while trying to login into SEOClerks
Issue - Website logs me out whenever i try to BUMP or Edit a service
Set a custom affiliate commission on your services (API Searchable)
How Much Are You Worth? - How Can You Calculate This?
English proficiency test as a requirement for Level 3, 4, 5 and X - What do you think?
Request for a "To-Do list" or "Quick Delivery orders in queue" page
About coupon 5$ is it withdrawal or not?
Happy Thanksgiving! Buy 3 get 10% back promotion starts now!
Charge Extra for "prioritized support"?
Whiteboard animation videos. - Here's one of mine. Feedback would be appreciated.
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FiverrClerks - From Fiverr Zero To SEOClerks Hero. Part 8.
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Shipping module added to SEOClerks and ListingDock
Fun Friday Contest-Most unique profile avatar or picture


text:
-Dheepan Perisamy, 16, Kuala Lumpur
Hmm…I guess this can be considered green. I got bored of my long denim jeans so I cut it into shorts and used the remaining bits as material for a bag I made myself. And I'm still using it now!
-Alicia Foo, 16, Malacca
When trekking through the National Park in Pahang, I donated my remaining pocket money to the Adopt-A-Fish programme at the Ikan Kelah Sanctuary, which was established to protect the endangered gold-finned river fish.
-Goh Ni Kol, 16, Kuala Lumpur
I help my dad make our own compost. We really enjoy doing it. From piling up our vegetable and fruit peelings in our aired container to maintaining its moisture levels to finally using the black and powdery product for our vegetable and flower garden. The long process gets the two of us feeling somewhat content.
-Thulsimalar Shunmugathason,17, Malacca
I always sort the paper to give to the recycling lorry that goes around with 'Sau Gao Pou Chi'. I use both sides of the paper. I do not leave the tap on when brushing my teeth. I do not use the air-conditioner at night when it's chilly, and the list goes on. I hope these little actions will conserve and preserve our environment!
-Eer Kai Song, 16, Selangor
I cut down on my consumption of beef.The production of one kg of beef releases the equivalent of 36.4 kg of carbon, not counting the other harmful gases.
-Alicia Loh, 15, Selangor
When moved to a new house a few years ago, my mother and I realised that there were no trees around the neighbourhood. My siblings, my parents and I planted trees throughout the area. Now there are banana trees, papaya trees and even chilli plants in our neighbourhood.
-Patricia Anne Naikar-Roges,17, Kuala Lumpur
To tell the truth, the greenest thing I have ever done is just watering the plants and trees in my house garden!
-Ruth Kezia Hope Muthu,15, Negri Sembilan
I use rechargeable batteries and recycling newspapers.
-Bhavina Kaur,14, Kuala Lumpur
Article Source http://www.nst.com.my/channels/niexter/survey-the-green-thing-i-do-1.82249


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A house is a place you live. A home is a place that feels like it is uniquely yours. A lot of people have a house, but not everyone feels like they have a home.
Looking for a way to make your house feel more homey? If you buy decorative outlets and switches for your home, you'll be able to put your own mark on your property.
They Can Brighten Up Any Room
When you use standard outlets and switches, they blend in with the rest of the room. Unless you are looking for them, you probably won't know that they are there are all. When you switch to using something decorative, however, your room will look a lot brighter.
Do you feel like some of the rooms in your house look a little bit dull? If so, why not spice them up? The right decorative switch will bring new life into any room.
They're A Great Way To Show Off Your Tastes
There are so many different kinds of decorative switches and outlets. No matter what kind of taste you have, you should be able to find something that appeals to you.
It's important for people to have ways of reflecting their interests. This is true of adults, and it's true of children as well. You should try to find outlets and switches that are the right fit for every room that's in your home.
They're An Affordable Way To Freshen Up A Room
Major home renovation projects can be very costly. Thankfully, you don't have to make big and expensive changes if you want to improve the look of a room. Decorative outlets are one of the more affordable ways to improve your room's appearance.
If you want to improve a room for the better, but you don't want to spend a lot of money, why not look at some of these switches. You should be able to find something you like that doesn't cost much at all. You'll be impressed when you see how much of a different the right outlet can make.
They're Easy To Install
You aren't going to have to hire someone if you want to install a new switch or outlet. This is something that you will easily be able to do on your own. Because they're so easy to install, you'll be able to start using your new outlet in no time.
You don't need a lot of tools in order to install something like this, and you don't need to follow a complicated set of instructions. You should be able to get everything figured out without much of a problem.
You should feel like your home is the perfect place for you. Everything in your home should reflect your tastes and interests. If you're not happy with the home that you're living in, then you need to make some changes. Adding decorative outlets and switches to your property could be an excellent place to start.


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FOLLOW THE READER: A farm in Umbria
In the Umbria region of Italy, we'd like to recommend Aziende Agricola Montali, a farm with 1,500 olive trees and nine guest rooms in a series of stone buildings with wooden beams and terra-cotta tiled floors. It's on a secluded and beautiful piece of land with panoramic views of the surrounding countryside.
Just south of Lake Trasimeno, it's within about an hour of Assisi, Perugia, Spoleto, Todi and many other great places in Umbria and lower Tuscany.
The owners are a wonderful couple who take great pride in the accommodations and delicious vegetarian cuisine. Breakfasts feature pancakes, crepes, homemade granola and yogurt. Gourmet Italian dinners include wine and dessert, and the menu changes daily. Some of the produce is grown in their own garden, and everything served is locally produced.
Double rates including breakfast and dinner are 90,000 lira per person per night, equivalent to $110 for a couple. Contact: Alberto Musacchio, Via Montali, 23, 06068 Tavernelle di Panicale (PG), Italy; phone / fax: 011-39-75-835-0680. Ellen Pasternack Berkeley


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Electoral Commission Chairman Samuel Kivuitu declared that Kibaki had garnered 4.5 million votes, beating out Raila Odinga by a little over 200,000 votes in what was the closest race in Kenya's history.
The result followed an electoral process that was originally dubbed the envy of Africa, but dissolved into chaos after violence broke out on Saturday over repeated delays in announcing the results.
Just an hour after the results were announced, Kenyan television showed Mr. Kibaki being sworn in for a second five-year term. He appealed for calm and promised a clean hands government.
In the Nairobi slum of Kibera, opposition candidate Odinga's stronghold, people took to the streets in protest after hearing the news. They were chanting "No peace! No peace!"
President Kibaki had seemed headed for defeat after early results showed Odinga with a one-million vote lead. Voters had also ousted many Kibaki allies and politicians tainted by corruption allegations in simultaneous parliamentary elections.
Earlier in the day, Election Commission Chairman Kivuitu had gone to announce the results, but had to be hustled off the stage when members of Odinga's Orange Democratic Movement began shouting in protest. He later announced the results from an office nearby.
Both Odinga and President Kibaki's camps had each accused the other side of massive rigging in the election. Kibaki ally Uhuru Kenyatta, who lost to Mr. Kibaki in the 2002 election, says that Odinga must now tell his followers to keep calm and avoid violence.
"What we are really concerned about is that our opponents rather than encouraging their supporters to remain calm are actually the ones who are inciting the violence in various parts of the country and that is tantamount to intimidation," Kenyatta said. "What if we were to do the same? What would this country be? So the key thing is that our opponents should tell their supporters to hold their horses, and let the legal constitutional process be completed."
Electoral observers had initially said the process was fair, but the delays in announcing the results led observers from the United States and the European Union to withhold their assessment. On Sunday, the European Union said its observers were blocked from the count.
After the results were announced, the European Union said that the electoral commission had failed to make the counting process credible, partly because it did not address evidence of possible vote-rigging that the European Union and electoral commissioners themselves have reported.
The commission said it had "some doubts" about the process and cited the case of the Molo constituency, where official results read out in the presence of the European Union had declared Mr. Kibaki the winner with 50,000 votes. However, in the tally read out by the electoral commission later, Mr. Kibaki was said to have captured 75,000 votes in that constituency.


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A CyanogenMod 10.1 (CM10.1) test build, featuring Android 4.2.1 (Jelly Bean) has been released for the HTC Desire S, by XDA developer Flinny. This guide will help install the firmware on the device. However, IBTimes UK reminds its readers it will not be held responsible for any damage to the device during the process. This file and guide are meant only for the HTC Desire S and users are warned bugs are likely, since the ROM is in its development stage.
- Ensure appropriate USB drivers are downloaded and USB debugging mode enabled
- Ensure bootloader is unlocked (click here for help)
- Ensure device is rooted and ClockWorkMod (CWM) Recovery is installed
- Ensure all data is backed-up
- Ensure battery has at least 80 percent charge
To Install CM10.1 Android 4.2.1 ROM on HTC Desire S
- Download Android 4.2.1 CM10.1 (Jelly Bean) ROM to computer
- Download Google apps package
- Connect device to computer with USB cable and copy downloaded files to SD card, without extracting
- Disconnect device and switch it off
- Re-start in HBOOT mode (to do so, press Volume Down and Power until HBOOT menu appears and then use Volume keys to navigate to Recovery and Power to select the option(if that doesn't work, try this alternate method)
- In Recovery perform a Nandroid backup of existing ROM (to do so, select Backup and Restore > Backup and return to main Recovery menu after completion)
- Next perform a full data wipe by selecting Wipe Data / Factory Reset > Yes and return to main Recovery menu after completion
- Use Power to select Install Zip from SD Card and select Choose Zip from SD Card. Now, locate ROM, select and confirm installation
- After installation, repeat above selection step to install Google apps package
- After installation, return to main Recovery menu and select Reboot System Now (first boot may take some time)
- Note: To return to previous ROM, boot into Recovery, select Backup and Restore > Restore and select ROM from list
The CM10.1 custom firmware, based on Android 4.2.1, is now installed and running on the HTC Desire S. Browse to Settings > About Phone to verify software version.
[Source: Android Jinn]


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Katthy Cavaliere: Photographs and Drawings - Art Collector
|Caption for the image: Katthy Cavaliere, nest, 2010, performance production still. Courtesy of the Estate of Katthy Cavaliere.
Katthy Cavaliere (1972 – 2012) was an Italian born Australian artist who worked across performance, installation, photography, video, film and drawing. This exhibition of selected photographs and drawings curated by Grace Burzese, complements her career-spanning retrospective Katthy Cavaliere: Loved, curated by Daniel Mudie Cunningham, concurrently showing at Carriageworks.
Exhibition opens: 6-8pm 24 August 2016
Exhibition closes: 18 September 2016
Location: Galerie pompom, 39 Abercrombie St, Chippendale NSW 2008
Contact: 0430 318 438
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com


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Dependent and Spouse Employment
Depending on his or her visa status, an international spouse of an international student, visitor, or employee may be able to seek employment.
Eligible for employment
Spouses in the following visa categories may be employed after receiving the appropriate authorization.
- J-2 dependents (spouses of J-1 students and exchange visitors) are eligible for full- or part-time employment. J-2 dependents must file form I-765 with USCIS and receive the Employment Authorization Document (EAD) card before beginning employment. Visit the Apply for J-2 Dependent Employment webpage for application instructions.
- E-3 dependents (spouses of E-3 employees) are eligible for full or part time employment with an Employment Authorization Document Card (EAD). E-3 dependents must complete the form I-765 for E-3 dependent employment authorization.
Ineligible for employment
Spouses in the following visa categories may not be employed or engage in business under any circumstances.
- F-2 dependents (spouses of F-1 students)
- H-4 dependents (spouses of H-1B employees)
- TD dependents (spouses of TN employees)


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Meet 'Pope Ron Paul Jones', the fresh new face of American culture:
Pope Ron Paul Jones went down to Washington DC one day, looking for the government. Luckily there were many signs directing him and he followed them for a few days. Unable to find the actual government, but nevertheless convinced that it actually does exist, PRPJ began to form a favorable opinion of the government. He started to talk animatedly to people about the good things the government in his mind stood for.
He exclaimed things like,"Look at how great this country is...that shows our government is top notch!"
and,"Look at how patriotic our people are...that shows our culture is strong!"
and,"Look at how impassioned the political debates are...that shows we are inclusive!"
and,"Look at how wealthy our leaders are...that shows our people are prosperous!"
Everyone he met agreed with Pope Ron Paul Jones. He was filled with a swelling pride to be a citizen of America. What a lucky, happy man. It was beautiful day and the sun was glinting off of the reflecting pool at the mall. PRPJ looked deep into the pool and contemplated all the wonderful things about America. How could life be any better?
Pope Ron Paul Jones went down to wall street one day, looking for the economy. Luckily, there were many economic indicators and he analyzed them for a few days. Unable to find the actual economy, but nevertheless convinced that it did actually exist, Pope Ron Paul Jones began to gain great confidence in it. He was compelled to share the confidence in his mind with everyone he met.
He exclaimed things like,"Look at how great these markets are...this shows the genius of our financial system!"
and,"Look at how confident the traders are...this shows our how robust our economy has become!"
and,"Look at how much money is here...this shows the incredible value of the financial institutions!"
and,"Look at how so many people of the world trade with us...this shows the fairness of the markets!"
There was little disagreement with Pope Ron Paul Jones, and he became filled with awe and inspiration at such a magnificent system. What a remarkable situation the markets created. What a lucky, happy man. It was a beautiful day, and PRPJ decided to have lunch at the four seasons restaurant. He looked deep into the pool and contemplated all the amazing feats of wall street. How could life be any better?
Pope Ron Paul Jones went down to hollywood one day, looking for entertainment. Luckily, there were many beautiful people who all gave him excellent advice towards his search. He followed this advice for a few days, but was unable to find anything other than distractions. Nevertheless, he was convinced that entertainment actually did exist and began to become very excited. He was determined to share the excitemnet in his mind with the people of hollywood.
He expounded,"Look at how great these studios are...this means the product is top notch!"
and,"Look at how beautiful these people look...this means they are all working very hard on their acting!"
and,"Look at the multitude of special effects that can be created...this means that imagination can come alive!"
and,"Look at the apparent wealth of the culture...this means that entertaining can truly lead to happiness!"
The good people of southern california were ecstatic to have such a wonderful audience, and they took Pope Ron Paul Jones out for a night on the town. They wined him, dined him and he had a wonderful time. What a lucky, happy man. The next morning, PRPJ took a long walk on the beach, gazing longingly out across the ocean. How could life be any better?
Pope Ron Paul Jones went down to the art gallery one day, looking for beauty. Luckily, there were many guides there to direct him and he followed them around for a few days. Unable to find beauty, but nevertheless certain that it existed in art, PRPJ began to become very upbeat about the prospect of of beauty in art. He shared his upbeat state of mind by making many statements to the art show community.
He intoned,"Look at how great this show is...this means that the art is top notch!"
and,"Look at how intense the artists are...this shows that beauty will be pursued with vigor!"
and, "Look at this incredible gallery...this shows that art has an important, special place!"
and,"Look at how the art dealers prosper...this shows how the quest for beauty can be successful!"
The people all agreed with Pope Ron Paul Jones. What an astounding community of warmth and possibilities. He was filled with the spirit of the muse. What a lucky, happy man. The day was perfect, and PRPJ decided to meditate. How could life be any better?
Monday, April 13, 2009
Liberatationalism I
Posted by Lies and Propaganda at 8:16 PM
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Delphine, when did your son develop atopic dermatitis?
It appeared when he was about 4 months old. Up until then, our son had beautifully soft and smooth baby skin. When I was young, I never had eczema. However, my husband had it for quite a long time. When he saw the red patches on Hugo's face and elbows, he immediately thought that it was eczema. Hugo started scratching and his skin became extremely dry. His condition was finally diagnosed as being atopic dermatitis.
Is Hugo's atopic eczema a problem?
Yes! First of all, it is very unattractive. When he was little, he obviously wasn't bothered by this aspect. However, it was very hurtful for both my husband and me when people made comments about our son in the street or looked at him in a funny way. When he got older, he developed a terrible complex because of his scaly skin. His friends at school even started making fun of him. And at night, he couldn't sleep very well because his skin was so itchy. He would sometimes scratch his skin until he drew blood!
The solution
Have you found an effective treatment?
We meticulously followed all of the advice that our dermatologist gave us. We did everything we could to prevent Hugo from coming into contact with dust mites, animal fur, mold and mildew... We washed our carpets, curtains and Hugo's stuffed animals on a very frequent basis. When we gave him a bath, we always used gentle soap and fragrance-free cleansers. This way, he was in contact with very few irritants. And, we made sure that his skin was always optimally moisturized. Luckily, Hugo's atopic dermatitis finally went away when he was about 10. When I look back, I think: "what a nightmare that was!"


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Change the column name
Explains what the feature is or what its benefits are to the user or customer.
You can change the text that is shown for the column names in ThoughtSpot to make the names more meaningful to users. The column name is what they will type to add that column to their search.
Column Name is the name that will be displayed to users for that column in ThoughtSpot. The default is the name you gave the column when you defined the table in the database or imported the CSV file from the browser.
- Find the Column Name for the column whose name you want to change.
- Type in the new column name, as you want it to appear in ThoughtSpot.
- Save your changes.


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Washington, DC (PRWEB) July 21, 2014
Today, the National Hockey League (NHL) released a new sustainability report, saying, in part, "We believe it's important to invest in clean, renewable energy sources, such as wind, solar and hydro in North America. Supporting clean energy will help achieve long-term benefits for our business, such as price stability."
After reviewing the report, Rhone Resch, president and CEO of the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), released the following statement:
"From San Jose to Winnipeg and Tampa Bay to Montreal, communities that embrace professional hockey are embracing solar energy, too. We commend the National Hockey League and Commissioner Gary Bettman for their ongoing commitment to renewable energy and a cleaner environment. They recognize, like so many others, that clean, affordable and reliable solar energy creates thousands of new jobs on both sides of the U.S.-Canadian border, pumps billions of dollars into our respective countries' economies and helps to significantly reduce pollution. We're proud to share our 'green team' colors with the NHL and look forward to being part of a winning 'power play' that benefits both of our great nations as well as the environment."
About SEIA:
Celebrating its 40th anniversary in 2014, the Solar Energy Industries Association® is the national trade association of the U.S. solar energy industry. Through advocacy and education, SEIA® is building a strong solar industry to power America. As the voice of the industry, SEIA works with its 1,000 member companies to champion the use of clean, affordable solar in America by expanding markets, removing market barriers, strengthening the industry and educating the public on the benefits of solar energy. Visit SEIA online at http://www.seia.org.


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Featured Tutorial
Featured Macro
Excel Magic Trick 636: Dynamic Frequency Table & Histogram Chart
See how to create a dynamic frequency table and histogram chart using Defined Name formulas for dynamic ranges that use the INDEX function. See other formulas that use the COUNTIF, IF and ROWS functions that help to make it fully dynamic. This dynamic chart and table will update anytime that new data is added to column A.


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By Kevin Godbee
Yesterday we learned a neat trick from Alan Rubin on how to do a test to find out how much the wrapper leaf adds to the flavor of a cigar. Today, we have a great industry-insider secret that the vast majority of cigar smokers probably do not know about.
First, a few obvious things. Cigars are all natural, handmade products, therefore, no two are exactly alike. While great care and expertise are utilized to produce consistent crops, it is usually not 100% possible. Each year, there will be variations in the leaf, even when it is the same seed grown in the same field. Because of changes in climate – temperature, humidity, rainfall, and the amount of sunlight, plus the evolution of the soil contents – the leaf will vary each year.
So how do cigar makers continue to market their cigar lines year after year and maintain a consistent flavor-profile? All cigars are blends of different leaves, from different plants, and even from different positions on the plant. These specific blends all have a recipe. While food recipes don't change, cigar recipes sometimes have to. Recently, that happened on one of my favorite cigars, the Alec Bradley Maxx.
At 45-seconds in on this 1:44 outtake clip, you can hear Alan tell us about it. (Look for links to more clips further down the page.)
Video rendering, please wait a moment …
Alan Rubin Answers a Trick Question on Wrapper Leaf
Alan Rubin Talks About the Alec Bradley Black Market Cigar
Alan Rubin – "We Want to Make Sure We Deliver"
Alan Rubin on the Alec Bradley "Fine & Rare" Cigar


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Saturday, October 17, 2015
the word HATE
6 comments:
Great post, Ellie! I absolutely love the picture! It's so true! Thankfully, I'm not one to hate people but I have said before, that I hate my legs. I say it as in because they have been injured for four years now. Of course, right after I said that, I watched a video of these people who were so happy and they didn't have legs. It definitely reminds me to always be thankful. Even though they bother me and hurt, I need to be thankful to have them and being able to walk.ReplyDeleteReplies
Thanks so much! It really does help me to know that you liked this post. Sometimes I'm not sure I'm speaking sense. Thanks! Yeah. God has a special plan for you! :)Delete
This is very true. I think a lot of times people forget to love those they don't agree with or think are bad people, and this is a very good reminder.ReplyDeleteReplies
Thanks! :) Yeah we shouldn't hate them. Thanks again! :)Delete
- AnonymousOctober 18, 2015 at 2:04 AM
This is so true Ellie! I tend to say I hate people when I'm angry at them or when they're being annoying, but sometimes I say it for no logical reason at all. Thank you for this post! It helped me a lot :)ReplyDeleteReplies
Thanks Simi! Yeah I understand. Me to. No problem! I'm so glad I could help you! :)Delete


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Wednesday, 25 April 2012
Coming soon - a baby!
What do you do when you don't feel inspired? I try to think of someone special who I could do something for. Well not always, but it did work this time. I have a massive amount of things that I'm suppose to knit and sew and I just haven't been feeling like doing anything. But then I thought to do something very tiny and little for this little kicking machine inside of me. And voilá, I got my inspiration back!
Yeah you got it right! We're getting another baby! Yay! And if you're thinking it's a boy based on the colour of the onesie, well you're wrong. Or you might not be.. We don't know what we're having, the brown material was just the only thing I had.
Fox is done by a stencil that I whiped up. Actually I made two different sizes, smaller one for the sleeve and a bigger one at the front. I'm also thinking of making one even bigger for a different project.. See I'm all inspired and have too many ideas in my head again. Gotta love it. I'm not a very artistic person as you can see, but I like the fox. Simple and cute. I'm on a roll now.
13 comments:
Ihanaa!! Onnittelut ja halaukset koko perheelle! <3ReplyDelete
-Suvi II
Hurjasti onnea koko perheelle!! :)ReplyDelete
Onnellista odotusta!ReplyDelete
oi kun ihanaa! oikein paljon onnea koko perheelle!ReplyDelete
Onnea! Nyt pitää tulla käymään sit syssyllä et näkee teidän KOKO perheen :)ReplyDelete
- Anonymous26 April 2012 at 10:02
Love it love it love it!ReplyDelete
hi! i loooooooooooooooove your fox! so cuteReplyDelete
Onneksi olkoon ja mukavaa odotusta.ReplyDelete
Söpö kettu.
This is so adorable! I love it!ReplyDelete
- Anonymous27 April 2012 at 17:33
Hirmuisesti onnea vielä virallisesti tänne!!! Oon niin onnellinen teidän puolesta! <3 Kohtajokaksinkertainen aunty Suvi!ReplyDelete
Totally cute!!! And Congratulations. :) It's great to get one's creative juices flowing - I have a list that is too long to accomplish before our little bubba arrives, but getting a few odds and ends done does inspire one to get more done! :)ReplyDelete
Happy planning!
congratulations!!!! that is the cutest onesie in the world!ReplyDelete


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House Sitting
Drop-In Visits
Dog Walking
Hosting Preferences
Traveling Preferences
- Available
- Unavailable
Sara has been walking my blind baby for about 2mos. I find her to be very reliable. She's prompt but also treats the owner with kindness and respect which is just as important. She helps me get the little one ready as he's so excited to see her; it's sometimes difficult to get his wiggly body in the harness. I will miss her
About Sarah
Love to get out walking with pups!
I love to explore Pittsburgh neighborhoods and parks with a pooch friend! I have experience walking many breeds of dogs, and I'll work with your dog - whether energetic or needing to take their time - to find a route that works. I am also reliable and dependable - when I say I'll be there, I mean it. My favorite thing is watching the dogs explore, sniff and run their energy off outdoors. Rain, cold and heat don't ...


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There were some fab artists at this years fair, and if I had more money, would definitely have bought something more than a couple of postcards, hopefully next year. There were just so many fantastic prints to choose from. There are certainly some new local artists I shall be watching out for (and saving up for).
• Some awesome linocuts by Rob Barnes
• Brilliant screen prints by Richard Horne
• Amazingly intricate Linocuts by Vanessa Lubach (I especially loved the chickens)
• Lovely linocuts by HJ Jackson
• Bold and colourful linocuts by David Jones
(Click on the names for links to the artists websites)
The Print Fair website can be found at: www.norwichprintfair.co.uk


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Bajra or Kambu is a millet gown in India which has a high nutritional value. Bajra is rich in iron,vit B, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin. It has same quantity of protein as wheat. Sometimes we used to have less dosa flour for making dosa. During that time I used to add some bhajra flour and little rice flour to the dosa flour and increase the quantity of dosa flour. All healthy items will be wasted by our kids so you can add the bajra flour to this to make it healthy and nutritious. You get ready made bajra flour in all departmental stores.
Ull Need :
1. Bajra / Kambu Flour - 1cup
2. Rice flour - 1/4 cup
3. Left over Dosa flour
4. Salt
5. Oil
6. Onion
Method :
1. Mix Dosa flour, Bajra Flour and little rice flour for crispness.
2. Add little salt and onion if needed
3. Add water little by little and mix well without any lumps
4. The batter should not be very watery
5. You can add curry leaves also
6. Heat dosa pan and pour one laddle and spread like dosa.
7. Turn and cook the other side
8. Serve hot with Idli powder or Chutney.


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Its first appearance was this weekend at UMMA (The University of Michigan Museum of Art) for Carly and Nick's wedding. Pictured above right and on the left is a colorful escort card table design composed of garden roses, deep purple hydrangea, mini green hydrangea and stock flowers.
The aisle was lined with terrace hangers filled with bright orange protea, ranunculus, rose and stock flowers accented with scented geranium foliage.
The museum is such a stunning venue the art and flowers go so well together
Carly and Nick requested half low and half tall centerpieces the tall centerpieces were designed in a 24" clear glass cylinder filled with blooming cherry branches and topped with abundant mounds of hot pink peony, garden roses, bright orange pin cushion protea, orange parrot tulips, ranunculus, and deep purple stock flowers... the low centerpieces included succulents and were designed in compotes
I love UMMA for photography because besides all of the art in the background you can shoot from the mezzanine and get some really great aerial shots... Also so in love with how the gold chivari chairs complement the ornate gold frames on all of the paintings. Must recommend to future UMMA clients
After the ceremony we flipped the room for the reception at which time the gorgeous cake by Zingerman's Bakehouse was placed below the chuppah.
The Museum is logistically difficult to deliver to because the art has to be climate controlled etc.. but all the work was worth it a very worthy venue for our the birch chuppah (my baby :)
~Sweet Pea


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We are the Relevance Agency.
Established in the region in 1976, part of Horizon Group/IPG.|
A dynamic team of 48 professionals with extensive experience across corporate, consumer, technology & healthcare practices
Offices in Dubai, Abu Dhabi Jeddah, Riyadh, Cairo, Beirut, Kuwait, Casablanca (servicing Middle East and North Africa)
Average client relationship of over 6 years
Staff retention of 7 years, one of the highest in the region.
2015 International Agency of the year
Strong Arabic capabilities
Offering all Golin proprietary and award winning tools in the digital and creative space (Bridge and bright Collective)
Golin MENA is one of the top PR Agencies in Dubai, UAE and across the GCC region


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Bye Bye GFC, Hello Bloglovin'.
4 comments:
I hope GFC doesn't go away. I know lots of people like bloglovin, but I haven't signed up yet and it doesn't seem as widely used as Google. I have a Linky blogs account and I have hardly anyone following me that way - most of my followers do so through GFC.ReplyDeleteReplies
I hope GFC isn't going either. However, it seems that Google has been trying to phase out GFC for over a year now. They actually want everyone to switch to Google+. (Like that is ever going to happen.) I guess it's a wait & see game. It seems that when someone follows you via GFC, most use their Google Reader to read the feed from your blog. So, without Google Reader to read the feed, it seems like there really is no need for GFC.Delete
Hey There! I am now following by Bloglovin also!ReplyDelete
Take care,
I'm so sad that reader is going away because GFC is SUCH a huge deal to us bloggers! :( I seriously am quite upset about this change. Anyway, yes I transfered all my blogs to bloglovin so you'rs is on there now. :)ReplyDelete
Blue Eyed Beauty Blog
Exercise Encouragement Group Blog
Thank you for visiting my blog! Type a few words in the box please... I would love to hear from you! Have a fantastic day! ♥


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Tried to reboot it, and it got to the "windows wasn't properly shut down" screen, and my keyboard did not work for me to select "boot windows normally" so it counted down and started booting up, however, once it got past the XP loading screen, the computer just restarted. Great! Now, I'm scared. I get another harddrive I have lying around, plug it in, and windows starts booting up but my mouse/keyboard don't work.
Now, I don't know what to do and I am very scared because I have my entire graphic design portfolio on my harddive (unbacked-up, of course, because I'm an idiot). What should I do? I tried several different keyboards and none worked, although they light up briefly for a second, then are not recognized at all. I also tried a keyboard that plugs into the traditional keyboard port, which also didn't work.
So uh, help please? Really scared for my data !


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Relax with friends, make new friends, and just take a break from the daily grind.
Paso Robles Casino hosts regularly scheduled weekly Poker Tournaments.
Whether you're an experienced tournament player or have never played a tournament in your life, we have a tournament for you.
If you're just looking for a little fun and an introduction to Tournament Poker,
try our Friday Night $5 Rebuy Tournament or our Wednesday Night $20 Rebuy Tournament.
If you want something a little more serious, try our Sunday Progressive Knockout Tournament.
Wednesday Night
$20 Rebuy Tournament
Friday Night
$5 Rebuy Tournament
Saturday Night
Sunday Progressive
Knockout Tournament
Tournaments start at 6:00 PM


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Coming out and open about suffering is difficult. They call infertility a silent struggle. If you know me, I'm like "Silent's" loud middle sister. I think part of me hoped if I shared about infertility openly then I would suddenly become fertile. I could be like "Whoops, guess we weren't really infertile!" What that caused was me sharing with people at around 1 year of unsuccessfully trying to conceive. And as I shared with some people about our infertility, I got brushed off and minimized—my pain was not recognized, not counted worthy yet. And I partly can't blame them.
In hindsight, that year was the hardest year to date of our infertility journey. Lots of different circumstances caused that pain, but mostly I hadn't yet trusted God, I hadn't yet learned what it meant to walk by faith, I hadn't yet learned how to grieve and have anger and take it honestly to Jesus.
Over those next couple of years, among the MANY lessons God taught me, one that keeps resounding is to not compare pain. There is such pain in this world. There is such joy in this world! But when we start comparing pain only 1 of 2 bad outcomes can result. We either encounter people who are walking through seemingly more difficult circumstances and we feel stupid for feeling so bad about our own circumstances. Or we minimize someone else's pain and become even more of a victim in our own.
We try to make ourselves feel better by saying "I should be so thankful that is not our story!" The problem with that is that it puts us in a place that feels like we shouldn't call our pain suffering. It feels like we aren't allowed to be sad about our circumstances because "things could be so much worse".
Well at least I'm married, being single would be so much harder!
Well at least God has given us finances to pursue fertility options!
Well at least my husband is open to adoption, oh how painful that would be if he wasn't!
At least we don't have a major diagnosis that prevents natural conception!
Or we make others feel minimized in their pain and carve an even deeper hole of sadness for ourselves.
Well at least they already have a child they can give their love to!
They've only been trying 1 year, they could get pregnant any month!
They don't know what it's like to long for children with the love of your life!
At least they're already parents through adoption!
I'm guessing one of these hit a nerve with you, they do with me. Do you see the problem with comparing pain? Oh how sick and twisted it is. At first, mentally calculating whose pain is worse seems comforting. We make ourselves the greater victim, and sometimes that elicits a similar response from others. (Side Note: Why does people feeling bad for us feel good? Gross.) Then we realize that all we're doing is trying to decide in our mind if the other person is allowed to suffer or not. Equally gross.
Somewhere along the lines, someone said to me "The most painful thing is the thing you're going through." I love that because it acknowledges my great pain, and also helps me acknowledge other's great pain. I've seen women in great grief from secondary infertility, I've seen women in utter sadness as they wait for a spouse, I've seen women be almost crushed under the weight of marriage difficulties, I've seen women be completely laid low by waiting on their children from another country, and I've watched from afar others silently grieve the ache of a full-term belly and no baby in their arms. Suffering is suffering. How dare we make each other the victim to God's good plans for our lives or minimize where he is doing hard work in us.
This new perspective was like a glimpse of heaven at a dinner table a year ago. Joey and I had dinner with 2 other couples who have also walked through great and very different suffering from ours. We were able to look across and around the table and say, "God has counted each of us worthy of this suffering, what an honor!"
Mother's Day in particular, let's recognize that all of us, mothers or not, walk through life with different difficulties, not better or worse, but different and altogether God-glorifying in their own respects. Cheers to that!