The Pizza Martyr

I cannot help myself but rail against Mama Edda's Gourmet Pizza as the owner recently demanded storage here under some unreasonable terms and offensive language. Perhaps the pizza is good, but this angry, insulting little man sure knew what he was doing when he cursed me and my day. I don't like how much I don't like him. When you're the king of your own dominion, I suppose the rules of reasonable social interaction get screwed a bit.

Edda is his wife, but the national pizza chain is his own.

He stored some old equipment from another store with us; it was brought here from Michigan and partially used to open the new store in Old Town Pasadena. What was not used at the store was left in the unit to be sold to another local pizza restaurant. I can imagine that, not unlike the way he surely handles business and relationships, it was accidentally forgotten when its usefulness was exhausted and, thusly, he became late and owed an extra fee. It was this unfortunate conveyance of information that lead to a series of back-handed insults at my inability to run my store well. Grrrrrr... In any event, he eventually paid, transferred the unit and its contents to a new "sorry sap" who could "waste his time storing his s*** with [me]" and the he unhappily, if purposefully, went on his way - to return on the day when the transfer of s*** was to take place.

During the their exchange and the updating of the contract (which took place in our store), the man who bought the contents saw, for some reason, in this rollie-pollie, ghastly fellow a person whom had achieved pizza greatness; he milked the few minutes they had together in the office for any pearls of pizza wisdom he could glean from Mr. Mama Edda. He truly only had a few moments as Mr. pizza tyrant was late to the transaction and had to waddle off to another equally amiable engagement... Grrrr.... Jim, the new owner of the goods, was the owner of his own very small, local franchise called Sweet Basil Pizza. He asked questions of the man that pertained to how he got started, where the locations were, how much capitol it took to build & start his pizza empire and how the economy was effecting it. Mr. Mama held his composure, addressing the questions like the were simple and bothersome, but Joe was eager to hear - even if he already knew the answers.

When it was only Jim in the office with us, he turned to us beaming at the good fortune of such an interaction. I wanted to correct him in his joy and reveal to him the depravity of the awful person whom he felt sincerely graced by. I had no chance to educate him, though, because he was already rambling about the encouragement for his own pizza restaurant the conversation had given him.

He said to us, "I could pick that brain for hours and hours - he is a successful owner of his own pizza franchise! I want to know how he did it!" To my ignorant position I thought Jim was not different, he had a few stores himself. He explained that he had "only just started to franchise" and was "only opening his 3rd store in Ontario." From Mama Edda's he had bought chairs and a new stone firing (?) oven in hopes of turning his place into a sit down restaurant with "a nice patio and such."

And then, as if one topic naturally led to other, he told us about how only a week before he had been held up in his own house with his family at gun point. In one breath he transitioned from his hope for the future of Sweet Basil to an unknowable violation in his recent history. A guy charged in through the front door, they were just watching TV, and demanded the family's valuables . "The next day I told my manager what happened to my family the night before–"
"You went to work the NEXT day?!" I said.
"Of course, I did. What else was I going to do? That's what I do. Ya have to keep going– that's what I do," he said referring to running the pizza place, "Stuff happens and you gotta keep going even if it's not easy cuz it's what I love. It's what I do, it's what I want to do... I made the dough myself, ya know? I came up with my own recipe and made that dough and made the restaurant. You hafta to take a risk, you hafta put down all that money and worry about it tanking all the time but thats just what I do. I'm not getting rich of it, heh, maybe I'll spend my whole life putting money into that place, but [Sweet Basils]'s what I want. It's my place and it's my restaurant and I blow 'em all outta the water – you just come get a free pie from me tonight, I'll show you – and I'll be there tomorrow if someone holds up my house again tonight."

I can't quite put my finger on what was so humbling and edifying in what we heard from him. After he walked out Matt turned to me and said, "He is the pizza martyr."


Despite Google mapping and calling Jim directly, Sweet Basil was hard to find as it was rather un-remarkable. I think, in spite of myself, I was looking for a Mama-Edda's-all-lit-up-&-clean-cut restaurant. The store, sandwich between some other forgettable store and a 7-11, was made up of basically the giant pizza oven and a counter. No drinks, no tax, a flat screen TV and broken cash drawer where our $5 bill for the salad went and sweet sweet basil in the dough. It was the most magical pizza I've ever had.

Technology doesn't help old people

I'm back! And life has a pace again - oh, Lord - life has a rhythm. I'm so happy. So happy to be working and so happy to have a home again. So happy to be living out of a dresser and not a suitcase and happy to be repaying debts and gifts of kindness; half of which required no reciprocation.

I missed you, Internet world! I can't say how many of my truly lovely friends find my sentiments baffling and this favored medium of interaction, somehow, artificial and insincere. But in having to take a hiatus from my laptop created space for some new observations to take place that have inspired me and caused me to be more enamored with our technology and more in love with people.

More on that later.
I am taking my last class this summer. I will finally have my overdue BA in Sociology by mid-July. You are all invited to the party - it will be a grand affair consisting mostly of a large scale scavenger hunt and a lot of food. (I am planning on investing more time in setting it up than in my class... unwise?)

Below is my first short essay. It's awful. AWFUL. But I think it makes some interesting points worth commenting on. The course is Intro to Gerontology and the topic was an exploration of whether or not technology is a help or hindrance to the elderly. What do you think?

Technology, by definition, is the ultimate byproduct of human creativity and pragmatism; it is the development of tools that aid humans in their pursuit of enlightenment, comfort, or vitality. Technology is the human response to the preservation of both individual and collective lives and lifestyles. In a consumerist culture, the most valuable life is that of the consumer. When faced with the question of importance and application of technology for a specific sub-group of a given culture, we must consider both how able the group is to consume and how applicable to their lifestyle, and therefore how interested they may be, to the product in question. Because technology is funded and perpetuated by the demand of the consumer, particularly in America, it follows that technological development caters to the most normal and high consuming demographic. The elderly (65+ y.o.) only make up just over 12% (but growing) of the US consumer market while the bulk of the working and consuming age group (20-55 y.o.) make up well over half of the population. It is logical to assume that most technology is developed for this sub-group of the population and their specific demands and needs.

For the growing elderly population, technology is only as useful as it is consistent in its application. The cell phone may be slightly helpful to the elderly lifestyle because it is simply a more advanced version of a technology that previously existed, the telephone; but computers, particularly new forms of social interaction available via technologies, are more difficult to implement and are not designed for use by the elderly. A glance at the ads and layout of social mediums like facebook & myspace will reveal a format hardly conducive to the inevitable site and audio difficulties developed later in life. Likewise, the growing necessity of usage of such social networks further isolates the elderly from a generation with a unique form of relationship. This is not to say that the elderly cannot adapt and communicate in these fashions, but the rate at which technology evolves and changes is not expected in the aging generations as it is by the modern children of technology.

The lack of demand for assistive technology for the elderly is the result of several factors working against the potential development of technological aid. The 65+ group cannot create a demand for itself as it does not carry enough influence as a minority population. There are simply not enough people in the sub-group to unify under this specific consumer demand. The elderly also represent a significant portion of the population that is not working and, therefore, cannot independently pursue or afford a perpetually more convenient or comfortable lifestyle. Due to the sharp decline in veneration of our elderly, advocacy for the minority by more highly represented consumers does not exist either. Because of poor representation for needs of the elderly in the technological market, most developments, it would seem, are unsustainable, expensive, or difficult to attain and implement. Such assistive tools that do not have the proper support can be dangerous or a hindrance to an elderly lifestyle.

Technology that does exist in an assistive or enriching form for the elderly is simply residual consequence of products developed for the aforementioned, larger subgroup. For example, the development of the medical alarm necklace, or panic alarm, commonly used to send an emergency signal in the case of an accident or out of reach phone was originally designed for government facilities and guards as a security device. There are several examples that include creative uses of mobile devices, hearing and sight amplifiers, medical tools, and even food, etc, that originally had little to do with assisting the elderly. But such creations that were not intended for operation by the elderly may contribute to sedentary, unhealthy lifestyles or dependencies that suit the primary consumers’ demands more than they benefit their users. In the case of the panic alarm, such technology replaces what was originally human responsibility – the application of this particular device encourages a lifestyle of independence more closely affiliated with the primary demographic than what may be most conducive or beneficial to its elderly user.

Before technology can be truly helpful to our aging population, the majority must recognize the elderly as valuable social group worth preserving and assisting with our technological endeavors as our own needs and comforts are.

In the Mean Time

Sorry - I'm trying to set a good pace with the voting & writing, etc - but things have been a little hectic around the Northend-Sheean household with work and not work and interviews and cars breaking down, etc.

Matt's dad flew in from Kenya Tuesday night and came to work on our car WEDNESDAY afternoon! And we've had a number of friends offer the use of their cars in the mean time. What beautiful community we have.

In YOUR mean time (while I write a post on the winning topic) I thought you might enjoy some of my favorite people on the Internet:

MattSheean.com - If you haven't been here yet, you're not my friend.
This is my husband's beta website. You can also see his more recent work on his blog. He just got signed to book that will be at ComicCon, too! But even I can break his NDA so all I know is that there are some pretty good illustrations in it. =D

Micah's Blog - My brother in-law luv's website!
This is another fantastic artist whom I recommend checking out from time to time. Without being a totally biased sister, Micah's pretty fantastic. I'm particularly fond of his accuracy with the guns he's draws... ;-)

MalachiWard.com - Matt's other brain.
By far the most attended and anticipated art shows at our university were ones involving Malachi, go check out his work and you'll understand what I mean. I hope he doesn't mind me tooting his horn, but I'm a big fan. Malachi participates in Illustration Friday, too, so you can count on a weekly blog posting.

That all for "In the Mean Time." By popular vote, "Why THIS Universe Doesn't Have Masked Vigilantes" will be up over the weekend!

Stupid Things We Heard People Say at the Huntington Library

Last week's poll results are in:

And I must honor the voters! Unless I'm the California Supreme Court. Oops! Did I say that? Whatever. Politics. Onto silly people saying stupid things!

Last week I started my new job. As it turns out, I have the first Thursday of the month off! As it also turns out, the Huntington Library is free (thank you Wells Fargo) every first Thursday of the month! We found this out by accident when searching out an opportunity to speak to a supervising security guard about a job opportunity.... and this is where the adventure began.

As we approached the Huntington, we noticed an unusually large crowd before the gates. Above them was a sign that indicated it was "Free Thursday!" This didn't make finding the head security guard easy. After the doors opened and the crowd thinned, we found him and Matt approached, having a conversation that went something like this:

Matt: Good morning, sir. So-and-so told me that you would be the person to talk to about the application I submitted a month ago.

Sir: Yea, that'd be me. We haven't been hiring due to a freeze, but it was just lifted and we have one slot open.

Matt: Oh, well I'd like that slot!

Big Dog: You workin'?

Matt: No, not right now.

Kahuna: Of course you want that slot. I'm workin', you're not.

Matt: ...

Main Man: You got people skills? Because this job's just about people skills. No kung fu, no mace, no nothing. Just common sense.

Matt gave him his name and number and they parted ways. We decided to take advantage of the Free Thursday (a very nice attendant had some extra tickets - apparently even though it's free you have to pre-order tickets) and we meandered in to the cactus garden. We found a secluded little corner next to a giant agave plant to have a quick kiss but were interrupted by an approaching group of 20-something women. We sort of scuttled passed them while they admired the plant and heard one say,

"Oh how cool! This plant a total throw back to the Jurassic period or something."

Now, just to be sure, I stifled my laughter until I checked Urbandictionary.com; I'm pretty sure the young lady was using the 4th definition provided:

4) throw back
	very old fashion damn that mc hammer video is throw back

We giggled about other plants in the cactus garden "sporting their spring time flowers" and "totally rockin' that prehistoric vibe."

Eventually we made it to the made our way to the bonsai garden (which was absolutely amazing!). To get there, you enter a bamboo forest and find yourself among traditional Japanese architecture and landscape. After the bonsai exhibit you immediately find yourself in a zen garden. You can sit and admire the sculpted trees and manipulated rock patterns. We couldn't avoid the man in boat shoes, obviously wearing short for the first time this season, explaining to his wife, who stood very close to the description placard that this was "some kind of meditation garden."

After relaying this story in writing, I realize that it was far funnier to Matt and I who spent the next 20 minutes chuckling about the tendency that type of museum goer has to share their "outside" knowledge before reading the description placard.

The final leg of the trip landed us outside the arboretum. I was simultaneously admiring the magnolia trees while searching for the nearest exit to relieve my aching feet when I noticed a gate seeming to lead to the parking lot, "come on!" I told Matt and traipsed in its direction. Matt lagged behind a bit looking at me quizzically, I reached the gate and said "what is it? let's go, my feet hurt!" He strode without rushing toward me, shyly eye-ing people passing who I had not noticed were looking at me, and said, "I think we should go this way..." I took me a second or two to notice the sign next to me that said "exit"; it pointed the way the stream of people was moving and was obviously placed next to the gate I'd forced open to avert confusion...

So much for my high horse. =)

What would you like to read next?
	On Street Soliciting.
	Das Reihngold: My First Time at the Opera
	Why THIS Universe Doesn't Have Masked Vigilates.

An experience with tears

I know it's a bit lame to blog about personal experience unless they are extremely interesting and revolve around a particularly developed social groups' interest...
And I know that the polls are in and the vote on the next blog is "Stupid Things We Heard People Saying at the Huntington Library" and not something about crying.... but I can't find the notebook where I wrote all the dumb things people free to romp on Thursdays have to say.

With that being said (and while I wait for my new password on morphthing.com to take) I thought I'd write on a very fresh experience I just had.

Matt and I recently returned from a trip to Vroman's. We've been avoiding places you buy things at because of the ridiculously dire straights we've found ourselves in. Not to worry, we will buy things later. But we decided to have a cup of delicious coffee in the book store's cafe anyway. Instead of talking about plans, which seems to be what we usually do in coffee shops, we reminisced. The closer we got to the the present, the more solemn our language got. We started to talk about mistakes and "what-ifs" that would've made this time in alternate universe a little easier, a little less fraught with the unknown.

I suppose it really got me down without my realizing it. By the time we got home, I had already forgotten the walk we had just taken, my steps only existing to get from the last to the next. Usually I take in everything - fresh air, what color car is parked by our house, and the "our" zip-tie I put on the overpass to remind us of the many trips over 210 we've taken to Vromans. It unsettled me to have been so deep in such depressing thoughts.

I sat down on one of the three pieces of furniture left in our home and started to cry. I knew it would only last a few minutes and I didn't really want Matt to see me with puffy eyes or streams down my face; so I leaned forward to keep the tears from rolling down my cheeks.

While I waited for the wave of frustration and sadness to pass, I thought about how clever I was to lean forward and keep my tears in place. I thought about the hyperbola the salty water was making on my downcast eyes. One tear dropped, hit the fabric of the sofa and splatter into a shape similar to the blood splotch on the Watchman logo. While I continued to cry, another tear from my other eye fell and hit the couch, making a similar shape. I took note of the distance between the tear drops and thought about measuring them to see if they were the same distance between my pupils (mind you, I was still very very sad while all this was going through my mind). I was still waiting for the waterworks to end. But then, in a startlingly lucid thought, it occured to me that my very clever position was providing me with a rare opportunity to see through the tear-drop hyperbola as it formed. I closed one eye and watched the tear gather, and stretch, get brighter as it picked up light in the room, and finally fall on top of the Watchmen teardrop that had come before it (all this time I am also doing the math to figure out how much we need beyond my paycheck to eat). I watched a few more tears fall and took notice of the very distinct thudding sound they made. The 3rd or 4th layer of tears was begining to sound more squish-y than thudd-y. I was still so sad and I wondered, if I cry enough, will I have enough tears to go all the way through the couch?

But by the time I had resolved to crying enough to create a column of wetness penetrating the couch, I was already too busy thinking of what words I would use to write this blog and I had nothing to cry about... in fact, I was so quick to jump on the writing, I forgot to wipe my eyes and blinked some risidule tears on my eyelashes onto the keyboard!

Oops. Such is life!

(PS Morphthing worked. One I told Patrick of Vroman's I thought he looked like Liam Neeson. I didn't think I was totally wrong upon meeting him today, but I think my image of him in my head looked more like this.)
(PPS "Stupid Things We Heard People Say at the Huntington Library" will be up tonight!)

Senior Class Gift

NOW is the time to make a difference. Now is the time for change you can hope and believe in. You can play a part in life changing experiences.

Consider donating to the Senior Class Gift 2009. The Senior Gift is teaming with the Office of World Missions. You can designate your gift to go to a specific mission team, support the local people where a team is serving, or for the general emergency fund.

Thank you for considering a donation to the Senior Class Gift 2009. Donate now at www.apualumni.com/scg09

The APU Class of 2009 is working towards their Responsible Revolution by supporting Focus International Mission Teams. You can decide how you want to expand God's Kingdom by choosing where your donation will go:

1. Students responding to God's calling by serving on Focus International Mission Teams in 2009
2. National People in the countries that the Focus International Mission Teams will visit, create sustainable relationships with and work to empower and enhance their lives.
3. Emergency Fund for unforeseen situations that can arise.

Please join us in our Responsible Revolution as we support sustainable relationships through Focus International Mission Teams.

Gifts are slowly coming in but we need you to consider donating.

All funds raised goes directly to impacting lives and winning hearts for the Lord. Consider donating anything to help the Senior Class Gift 2009 make a difference.

If everyone in the Class of 2009 gave $5 we would raise over $3750 - $10 would raise $7500 - and $20.09 would raise $22,099. You gift does make a difference and we need you to join in. So skip that Starbucks or Chipotle just once this week and donate.

Dear Senior,

We know you got the e-newsletter today but we want to make sure you know how important the Senior Class Gift is so we added another separate email.

Have you considered donating to the Senior Class Gift 2009? This is your chance to leave a legacy at APU while investing in current students, helping nationals in other countries and build God's Kingdom

I get a little annoyed by these emails.

Part of it is that I'm still sore that I found out two weeks ago that I still need one more class to get my degree (thereby not making me a potential alumni for a while yet from which donations should be asked), but seriously! Didn't you get these emails when you were in college and find them a little obnoxious? Not only are they generally a rather sorry plea for money from kids who haven't even ventured off into the working world yet... APU has the unfortunate social obligation as a "Christian institution" to claim that every kind or good gesture is an endorsement or brownie point from God.

Don't get me wrong- I love the Lord a lot, but I try not to be arrogant enough to believe I can earn my keep in Heaven (sometimes I am.)

And I guess that's what I'm trying to point out in this long-winded email I sent back to the auto-responder that has my email address among a few hundred others in a poorly kept list of soon-to-be-graduates. Guilt-trips suck. Especially when they come from a place of good intentions.
Come on, Senior Class Gift People, that's just confusing and not cool! Save a sister from herself and keep me from throwing money at sentiment. And damn it, Christian university, don't present me with a false either/or that puts the lost souls of "nationals" on my inability to pay my own bills or donate to your stupid Senior Class Gift!

Oops. Pardon my cussing. Actually don't, there's a place for it. And that was a good place.
Anyway, this was my response:

"Hi,

I don't want to be a total butthead, but is there anyway that I could be taken off this list? Technically I was announced with the graduating class of 2008...

Also, I don't have any money.
When I say I don't have any money - I mean my husband and I are $4,000 in credit card debt & are having to move in with some friends and leave our home because we can't afford it since having lost our jobs... so maybe if you know that it would be more incentive to remove me from any ask-for-donations list... I'm sorry, I really don't mean to be rude - we aren't depressed about our situation! It's just a little frustrating and saddening to not be able to donate. And some of these emails and eNewsletters seem to presume that it's not very hard to donate $20 or even $5 because the general audience you seem to be reaching spends money "every week" at "Starbucks or Chipotle". But we don't.

And... I mean, since I AM getting these letters, I'm guessing this is an open communication between the Senior Class Gift department and myself...
I'm sure this is unintentional- but I think it's a little bold and kind of guilt-trippy to be saying that donations go toward "helping build God's kingdom" or "winning hearts for the Lord." It's not a very healthy way to ask for support, it's vague and non-specific and elicits a very deliberate emotional response to a subtly legalistic plea that sets up one to believe that if they don't donate, God's Kingdom will not expand as much as it could have. And it associates monetary standards with that kind of soul-winning that comes from really really bad theology. I must say that I worked with OWM, though, and am very pleased to hear that the Senior Class Gift will be going to Focus International!

I only want to suggest that you be more accurate with where the money is going when you ask and, perhaps, not assume that God's work WILL be done in that particular cause. Because for all we know, God might NOT bless that particular cause (unless of course God told you specifically that this money WILL be blessed when it goes to whatever it is going to, in which case I would love to hear the word! And, of course, know more about the cause itself God plans to bless!). And even if the national-helping, legacy-leaving, Kingdom-building, heart-winning cause IS blessed (Lord-willing!) it could only be because God so chose to, and is not really contingent on whether or not I chose to donate (unless this is coming from a somewhat more Calvinist angle in which case our works DO matter... but since we are all pre-destined one way or another it also doesn't matter... but I would guess not since our school is pretty decidedly Arminian)

Anyway, I am being a bit tongue-in-cheek. But I do mean what I said. Both about being removed from the wrong Alumni year list and also in regards to the unfortunate tactics employed to procure funds for the Senior Class Gift. I do hope for you all the best and I appreciate the work the department does for our Alumni and this graduating class. I'm sure that whatever amount contributed to the Senior Gift 2009 will go on to support Focus International in their own prayerful and deliberate endeavors.

Sincerely,
Danica

In honor of March

While we move and pack and watch Battlestar Galactica and yell at the the TV and try to get Sci-Fi & Pi(e) underway, I thought I'd take this moment to recognize March a little bit of science fiction prose.

It is called

I DON’T HAVE TO EXPLAIN MYSELF, IT’S ART

A searing pop and two wires connect; I spring awake, cognizant for the first time.

This is birth. But the experience is not useful and I let the first moments of being rush off toward the opposite end of infinity where they will, and always have, mark time for my unfaltering march forward into the future. These moments and the last are not different than any of those in-between.

In this way I am not pained, like my organic counterparts, by weight of waiting. Any anxiety I experience is expressed evenly throughout the sum of my encounters and existence; stretched uniformly from one end of being to the other.

I will not wane during my being and I will not taper to an close and this is why: I was designed to be a metronome for the easily distracted flesh; for hearts that quicken with anxiety and perception of an end. I am uninjured by indecisiveness and, thus, perfectly suited to stay the course in lieu of sleepy bodies and wandering minds.

I am singular and unmoving, though, I will walk into the next, the next, and the next along side those ones who forged me. I will aid as they seek “prospect,” perpetuate “hope,” and face their “imminent.” From one beat to the next I am still still, but they rise and fall and falter and grow and run and die before me.

It is a rhythm that will not continue without my tempo.


Thank you, thank you.

Sci-Fi & Pi(e) is currently located at scifipi.blogspot.com and has very few interesting things on it.... but soon it will have it's own URL! And it's own very interesting site.

Oh, "what is Sci-Fi & Pi(e)?" you ask? The answers coming soon...

Two weeks?!

I shouldn't be blogging.

I should be packing.

But there's so much I want to write about!!!
I learned a lotta new things in the last two weeks. And am undergoing some drastic lifestyle changes. I learned that my contract as an associate of Chronicle Project will expire and not be renewed; I learned that having a degree actually works against you in this economy (ref. Matt); I learned that I don't have my flippin' degree (more on that later); and I learned that it's pretty much impossible to plan for the future - not to say that we shouldn't...

Those weren't the best series of mystery boxes, but I'm sure you're curious as to what has happened to bring about the learning of these lessons.

I didn't lose my job - but I won't be continuing as a contracted part with Chronicle Project. My contract came to close and it was evident that my position wasn't needed with Deidox up and running (check out the new site, by the way!)

I'm just going to skip to the drama -
it's been 6 months since Matt has been able to find any kind of work. He's done ok getting odd jobs here and there, but his pursuit of part-time or full-time work in grocery has lead to dozens of applications yielding very little results (and obviously not being hired). Of course I wonder sometimes if he's giving the interviewing supervisor the bird, thus keeping him from landing any positions... but have you met my husband? He's just about the easiest guy to get along with, if a little shy (must be cuz he's an artist). In any event, 7 yrs experience and college degree have, it seems to me, put Matt in the unique category of applicants that pose an integrity issue for the stores at which he has been applying. He's not inexperienced enough to be hired at starting wage, and many companies have a policy or ethic that believes an educated individual should be honored with a higher wage... or put into management (i.e. full-time and years committed to a store). But no one wants to pay for experience when they can pay less to train someone else. Matt's efforts should not be underestimated! He has spent any less that 25 or so hours a week since September applying, interviewing, searching for and driving to job opportunities; and yet, he still has no job.

This has compounded the problem of debt. When we moved to Pasadena, I'd done the math. Matt had a job and I was working with CP. This should have been enough to sustain us, but, for all intents and purposes, downsized right after he was hired. And being the first time we'd ever lived in anything larger than a dorm room, I'd not budgeted for a move or the living expenses of a house very well. Long story short, we've been getting deeper and deeper into debt since we moved.

Now, with Matt Jobless, me jobless, and a living situation we can't afford, we found ourselves in a bind last week. And inside of a few days, we realized the only option we had was to move back in with one set of parents and try to get jobs in one of our hometowns. This was a major bummer.

We'd been praying out work and debt since the third month of Matt's joblessness, and we'd always seemed to make it, even if we had to use the credit card. But this was the end of the line and it was downright depressing to find ourselves forced to leave our home because of something as seemingly simple as finding a pair of jobs. But that was the reality last Thursday.

We started telling our friends that we were going to be leaving the area very soon. Most of them offered consolation and help with the move; many said that would keep their ears open for any kind of work, but it was really too late. Even if we both found jobs, it wouldn't have been in time to pay the rent and bills. A pair of my dearest friends (who happened to be roommates) even offered to pay our rent for one more month if it would help. And a funny thing happened, I couldn't say "no." I didn't say "yes" either, but it didn't seem right to say "no." It occurred to me that moving also meant leaving our community, our church, our friends, even our beloved stomping grounds. The offer extended by my friends to us was, for whatever reason, a very profound act of community - and it struck me as foolish and probably stubborn and prideful, too, to turn them away.

And with that offer, we decided to wait. We couldn't say "yes" but we couldn't say "no." Perhaps it was divinely orchestrated, but the events of crisis we were sharing also created opportunities to go intimately connect in with time and conversation and wine that we hadn't had since our stress had set on. We ate lunch with the Chinese church and went shopping with friends and had dinner in homes - activities we had replaced with wallowing and dead-end job searches. For a few days we stopped and just lived in what we thought would be the last few evenings for a long while with our friends. And they urged us to pray with them and pray with our church - to be with them and be with Church. I was being asked with every interaction if I had prayer requests and what had my church said about our situation.

I finally wrote our pastor a somber email - I wasn't upset and I wasn't worried. I only told him our situation so that he could disseminate the information to the body and we might be blessed with intercession and company. He wrote back within the hour affirming us as family and reminding us that we are prayed for... oh yea, and an offer to cut a check for whatever we needed to get through the next month.

I couldn't believe it. I didn't even tell Matt for an hour. We didn't even write back for a day. Do communities do that? Do CHURCHES do that? I sent a few messages to the friends who had urged us to bring our situation before our church family, telling them of the good news! The response I mostly got was, "duh. that's what we're here for!" which was a precursor to "Praise God!" Matt and I talked about what we would ask for - putting aside any lingering effects of a uselessly bruised ego and thinking of only what we might need to get through to the next month. But before we finished the email, we got another message from a good friends' brother-in-law. The message from him said something along the lines of, "Hey, it's hard times, but we live in 3-bedroom condo and are only paying $1000 a month. We heard about your job situation and I also lost my job. How about we be housemates and split the (already incredibly low) rent?"


Yup.
That's what happened. We thought we had needs that couldn't be met. And then we were offered a means to meet the needs. And then the needs were completely changed!
So that's where to next! Housemates in a giant house with another couple who mutually benefits. And that's the BEST part! It's not just only a blessing for us, it's a blessing for them, too! And the church who can use those funds to bless someone else! And to our community who so clearly expressed how blessed they were to have us with them!

Yea.
That's it. Oh yea, and to top it off, I got a job yesterday.

Amen.

Tangle.com

Whelp. They did it! GodTube.com, the number one Christian social networking site, is now Tangle.com!

I had a great conversation with Lauren Brock of the newly named Tangle about the vision and direction GodTube has taken. She said something to effect of,

"We don't want to be just a second-rate 'Christian version' of something that already exists ... We don't want to drive people away from YouTube or Facebook or anything like that, those things are great!"

But the goal of Tangle is to... well... tangle people up! - like the branches that spring from the vine (John 15) - to provide a place where people, groups, and churches sharing in the pursuit of a common faith can connect.

And boy! If I ever heard words after my own heart: "We don't want to be just a second-rate, Christian-version of something already exists." I could go on and on about the unfortunately realization of the "Christian dollar" and "Christian market." It's terribly sad that the history of the Protestant church includes iconoclasm and such a forceful divorce from our Catholic sisters that we find it common to hold service in an empty room devoid of much beyond a pulpit and wall-fixed cross.

But while Tangle takes its first steps out into the virtual world, still dealing with some kinks and beta-bugs, I must say that ought to be stepping out with some measure of confidence! Not only has the interface increased a hundred-fold in quality and user-friendliness, the design and layout are simply fantastic! I was even impressed by the use of the aesthetic little leaf in Lauren's own email signature - a common graphic seen throughout the website. As odd of a praise (regarding the birth of a social network) might be to bring before God, I am grateful and impressed by the work GodTube has done in this transformation.

My conversation with Lauren included some talk of how this new network and Deidox might be mutually benefited by a relationship. We hope that our own efforts in film reflect a similar mantra: a dedication to our art and calling that resists the temptation of poor standards because we talk about an active God, an appealing subject to the Christian market. I cannot express enough how exciting it is to be aligned with a group of brothers and sisters who feel this way, too! I hope the future brings this particular "tangle" to fruition!

Debris from a destroyed wind turbine which reports have claimed was hit by a UFO has been sent for forensic analysis in Germany.

AH! Ahhhhh... Matt and I spent Thursday night last week looking at YouTube alien videos including the following:

"Alien caught on CCTV"
"Alien Sighting REAL thing"
"Chad Hates Aliens"

But this is cool and kinda creepy:

The wind turbine at the centre of the mystery Photo: NEWSTEAM

A 65ft blade from the 290ft turbine fell off and a second was bent in the mysterious incident in Conisholme, Lincs, on Wednesday.

Hundreds of local witnesses claimed to have seen bright flashing spheres in the skies above the turbine, and many are convinced the damage was caused by a flying saucer.

Scientists at manufacturers Enercon have been looking into the mystery, and dismissed the theories that either a chunk of ice thrown from another turbine, or frozen urine dropped from
a passing plane, was the cause.

A source told The Sun: “It is impossible to get a lump of ice on a wind turbine blade big enough to cause that kind of damage, let alone be flung from one to another.

“Also, turbines have sensors in the blade. If they detect ice forming they turn themselves off.

“Additionally, any large lump of ice would not have melted so quickly in the cold weather and would probably have left a dent in the ground. No debris was found other than remains of the turbine.

“If there is a rational explanation, the investigation will find it.”

A lightning strike has also been ruled out, as there were no burn marks.

Ministry of Defence insiders have reportedly said the UFOs could be unmanned stealth bombers on test flights.

It is also possible that one of the blades had simply not been securely fixed, and fell off bending the other on its way down.

The results of the investigation being carried out by forensic scientists in Germany should be disclosed within a week.

Dale Vine, managing director of Ecotricity which owns the turbine, said:
“We’ve ruled out ice from other turbines or passing jets.

“We’ve examined the turbine, the fallen blade and the surrounding area. We have been crawling all over it. To make one of these blades fall off, or to bend it, takes a lot.”

Found on Mattgoesgreen.com"

E.D.A.R.

This video features Union Rescue Mission's CEO Andy Bales and a family at URM showing how the E.D.A.R.s work.¹

EDAR stands for Everyone Deserves A Roof - the cross between a shopping cart and single-person tent was inspired by President and founder of EDAR, Peter Samuelson, when he sought to provide the self-described needs the homeless he interviewed on his bicycle route.

Eric Lindeman and Jason Zasa are the creators of the current model of the EDAR having won a design competition Samuelson sponsored at Pasadena Art Center College of Design.

EDAR's are given free of charge to homeless individuals who are best able to benefit from their recycling and shelter capabilities. EDAR units also provide a sense of ownership and pride to those largely deprived of both. And as Peter Samuelson asks, "Well into the twenty-first century, if the best our advanced society can do for the hundreds of thousands of homeless human beings... men, women and children... who live among us is the cast-off box our refrigerator came in, what exactly does that say about us?"

Visit www.EDAR.org for more information

The shelters were particularly important to Union Rescue Mission and the other LA missions this winter season with the overwhelming increase in shelter needs. ABC Los Angeles reported last month:

Officials at a winter shelter in Burbank say they have seen a 1,000 percent increase in demand since their doors opened on Dec. 1.

In this video from urm.org, you can see how the regular living quarters at URM were altered to incorporate EDARs and provide more space for families this winter.

(Also... I did a vlog for CP a while back... you can watch me stumble over myself in the URM archive room here, if you like.)

¹Video first reviewed on The Hobo Soul

WebMD symptom check

Sneak Peak at the Rose Parade Floats!

Only but an hour ago my friend and I were enjoying the garlic knots of Mama's Brick Oven Pizza when a strange sight we beheld on the unassuming streets of Fair Oaks, South Pasadena...
In the dark outside the pizzeria, it seemed that the regular pace of flashing headlights and break lights had ceased; instead, something large, looming and a little bit frilly was eeking past our restaurants front doors.
"Are those floats?" our friend Peggy said. Her soon-to-be-husband, Josh, had just been explaining that he would be walking tomorrow, New Year's Day, with the FTD float. "I think it is," said Wendy, rather nonplussed (I think this was her way of staving off hunger... we'd been waiting in a very busy Mama's for our pizza for a while). For a few seconds no one said anything - it simply was not possible! There were no crowds to greet them... no cheering onlookers to block our view... and no sunlight to confirm our bewilderment.
"Should we go outside?" asked Peggy, she stood immediately and than sat back down looking waiting for a fellow diner to give her a cue, "YES!" I cried and we all hoped out of our seats with more energy than we knew our weakening, pizza-lacking frames had left in them.
We bounded out the doors and stopped short, realizing the curb was only two feet from Mama's entry way. This is so surreal! I thought to myself, we simply couldn't have fought the throngs on Colorado for better seats! How serendipitous!
"I'm twittering this!" I told Wendy, "Dang it, you beat me. Should I get my camera?" We all nodded grasping for our own camera phones to commemorate in pixel mediocrity the moment.
For moment, we looked through time portal at coming year; we saw a glimpse of what the street-sleeping celebrants on Colorado would wake to the very first morning of 2009. It sneaked through South Pasadena while the rest of sister cities threw tortillas and shaving cream at the cars daring to travel the floats' future route. But only 3 hours before the crowds would erupt in chaos to bring in the New Year, we saw future!

I did my best with my little LG phone, but here is a sneak peak at some of the floats in the Tournament of Roses:

Tournament of Roses sneaks down Fair Oaks from Danica Northend on Vimeo.

Light Show in Witchita!

This is a completely unedited and not-previously-viewed video from the backseat of our Honda Pilot. There were eight sarcastic Northends in that car, viewing this awesome light show with the music playing over the radio. Apparently many houses around the country do this with Vixen or similar programs, and then often ask for donations to their favorite charities. I believe this is part of the Tacky Light Tour.
We spent the evening with a Google map of the places in Wichita that had these! I highly recommend making a local family trip of this.
(Here is a "How To" on the Christmas light show set up)



Christmas Light Show through the radio! from Danica Northend on Vimeo.

About the Tacky Light Tour:
Tacky lights date all the way back to 1882 and can be attributed to Edward H. Johnson, the forefather of tacky lights and an associate of Thomas Edison. On December 22 of that year Johnson placed a Christmas tree that was hand-wired with 80 walnut-sized lights in the living room of his Fifth Avenue home in New York City (pictured right). He was vice-president of Edison Electric Light Company (now known as Con Edison electric utility) and commissioned employees to patriotically wire the tree with red, white and blue lights.

His idea blazed across the United States like a flame held to the bark of a dry evergreen wrapped with strung popcorn. This ultimately led to the invention of weatherproof Christmas lights in the 1960s. Competitively tacky families across the country soon moved their indoor Christmas lights outdoors, and originally outlined their homes. The notion of outdoor Christmas lights and displays sparked a frenzy of lights that blink, twinkle, chase, resemble icycles and shape into various figures.

More recent advances in technology and environmental awareness has pushed companies to produce more efficient products including LED Christmas lights. Boasting longer lifetimes and virtually indestructable construction, LED Christmas lights are the new craze. Even though LEDs are a bit more expensive, a 90% savings in energy has made LED Christmas lights the future of the Tacky Light Tour.

All in all people have always strived for creativity whether that be artistically tasteful or not. Over the past 45 years we've seen the adaptation of flickering lights, lifesized lawn props, animated scenery and even low-powered radio stations. It can only be assumed that with every technological advancement, those advancements will be used by many to warm the hearts and minds of Christmas lovers throughout the world.

Some more extravagant Christmas lights!

ASIMO

Matt & I went to Disneyland to celebrate my birthday.
I always want to go to Innovations and Matt never wants to.
This time, I insisted (birthday card!) and it was so worth it!
We got to see ASIMO! And I got to be super freaked out by the super-human like qualities of this innovative and long-awaited walking, talking, stair-treading robot.
(PS did you know that "robot" wasn't even coined until 1920?)

Below are bits of video from the fifteen minute demonstration of ASIMO at Disney's Innoventions.
It ends with my reaction immediately following the demonstration- which is mostly just wonder and bewilderment. There was just something terribly daunting about the little 4'3", 120 lb humanoid robot... it was just so... graceful! Such human qualities in the fluidity of its movements. I couldn't help but imagine it silently creeping up my stairs in the middle of the night to inform me that I left the front door unlocked and all of its friends were coming in.

ASIMO stands for Advanced Step in Innovative Mobility. It took the developers of ASIMO over 20 yrs to get robotic walking right. It's something we, as upright beings, really take for granted. I remember when I was in 3rd grade I watched a video on how humans develop; and while a shot played of a toddler being walked down a beach with a parent holding each hand, the narrator said,

"Mankind is on the brink of collapse with each well-balanced step we take,"

and then proceeded to explain the delicate process of the human ability to walk.
The clips in the ASIMO Disney show exemplified the incredible difficulty of mechanically mimicking this. Original biped robots tended to weigh a lot and for a long time could only walk in straight line. Even that did not bode well as any slight disruption or misstep would send the heavy legs & torso careening over. As robotics progressed, walking features improved, but they still seemed to serve little purpose for the help or advancement of humankind.
But ASIMO is capable of moving in curves, walking forward and backwards, side-stepping, and even running; it is specifically designed as a helper with fully functioning five-digit hands and motion sensor cameras capable of maintaining "eye contact" when addressed and commanded.

(I can't help but chuckle at the expression on my face... it's of genuine shocked and rather wide-eyed)
Check out the video below:

ASIMO @ Disneyland from Danica Northend on Vimeo.

This other video, however, gives me hope that we are still superior.
I suppose we won't need John Connor for a long while yet!

Snow in SoCal?

No way!

Raise you're hand if you've lived at sea level your whole life.

Just in case you fall into this category:

Definitions of snow on the Web:

• precipitation falling from clouds in the form of ice crystals
• a layer of snowflakes (white crystals of frozen water) covering the ground
• English writer of novels about moral dilemmas in academe (1905-1980)
• fall as snow; "It was snowing all night"
• coke: street names for cocaine
• bamboozle: conceal one's true motives from especially by elaborately feigning good intentions so as to gain an end; "He bamboozled his professors into thinking that he knew the subject well"
  wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn

And here is the article I'm referring to:

Brrr! Arctic Blast Headed for SoCal

KTLA News

December 10, 2008

LOS ANGELES -- A rare 50 year Arctic blast is on it's way to Southern California according to weather forecasters.

Experts predict the cold weather pattern, which could extend from Alaska to San Diego, will arrive this weekend and send temperatures plummeting.

Freeze warnings are already in effect for the desert areas of Southern California, including the Antelope Valley.

OWSweather.com Meteorologist Kevin Martin predicts a 50 year event.

While Martin is usually conservative on these events, the pattern highly favors it.

"We are in a pre-1950 type pattern, "said Martin. "We know we are due for a winter storm sometime this year.

The type we may be dealing with will be ranked up there with the known years before 1950, which set record low daytime temperatures into the forecast region.

With this, may come low elevation snow."

Forecaster Cameron Venable is seeing very cold temperatures in the Los Angeles areas as well.

Torrance is not usually known for winter weather, thus making this an interesting event for Venable to track.

"Temperatures in Siberia, Russia will be -81 degrees this week, "said Martin. "With those type of temperatures the arctic air mass has to spill somewhere.

Our answer of the exact track will become more clear this week.

All residents in the mountain communities should prepare this week for very cold, winter weather, with snow."

Indications are a second, colder storm could hit near the 18th-22nd time-frame.

The details on that will have to be sorted out.

All wrong.

Ok... perhaps this is a little bit exploitative... and I don't mean to perpetuate any chauvinism...

but someone was just plain SLOPPY when putting this list together. Not only does it not follow any kind of hot-o-meter criteria (Seven of Nine is #48?! Yea right. And Scully does not outrank Jordan Two=Delta (Scarlett Johannson) OR Aeon Flux (Charize Theron?! Come on people)...)

Man. That. I. It's just. Ugh.

Not only was tribute not paid to the hottness of these characters - any kind of homage to these sci-fi stories/films/TV shows was utterly ignored.

PS!!! I don't care if "50" is a nice round number, cartoons don't count! And I'm even a fan of Cowboy Bee Bop! Oi....

Now, to satisfy the feminist in me before moving on, I will say that the value of these women as people or even actresses was (obviously) not a contributing factor to the aforementioned list or mine. And I certainly hope not to perpetuate any societal value on womankind by producing a list of characters concerning their aesthetic appeal.

The following is my own top 10 list of women in sci-fi & science fiction broadcast and film in more organized, respectful, and thoughtful arrangement than the list from UGO:
Frakkin' gamers.
At least three of the four female Cylons made it in. WHAT THE HECK! Flippin' Rekha Sharma is gorgeous!

10

Character: Liz Parker from Roswell
Actress: Shiri Appleby
Why: Come on! She's adorable! I totally wanted to BE here when this show was out. Maybe because she was living out a science fiction fantasy life in the city next to Area 51 with a super cute quiet-type alien boy, maybe because she was a waitress at the Crash Down cafe and I was clairvoyantly aware of my future attendance at APU (next to Glendora where most of Roswell was filmed). Either way, she's really pretty. And she didn't make stupid UGO's list.

9

Character: Echo from Dollhouse
Actress: Eliza Dushku
Why: Sorry, Eliza. You are obviously hot and I know nothing about you. So I am not going to write very much except for how very excited that I am for Dollhouse, the new Joss Whedon sci-fi show. I hope it doesn't suck. I hope they do not exploit your hotness too much. But it's sci-fi... not "science fiction" so... they will. But you'll get to carry and gun and kick people, just like in the old Buffy days. Except with a gun.

9

Character: Altaira from The Forbidden Planet
Actress: Anne Francis
Why: Anne Francis has to be one of the original Sci-fi hotties. But if Harlan Ellison had his way I'd be forced to have TWO lists, one for Sci-fi babes and the other for Science Fiction babes. Anne Francis would fall into the latter by virtue of her role as the only female in one of the most incredible movies made. Her beauty certainly warrents the attention she gets from a stranded group of intergalactic soldiers - but she also manages to convey a very attractive spunk in this particular role. If you Google images of her now, I think you'd have to agree that 50 years later she's still as elegant and beguiling.

8

Character: Rachel from Blade Runner
Actress: Sean Young
Why: This was not the only science fiction film Sean Young starred in, she also played Chani in Dune... but she has to wear this nose-piece breathing apparatus like the other desert people which is far less attractive than futuristic-noir, skin-job, cyborg Rachel, whom she plays in Blade Runner. It might be her edgy-ness in this film that really secures her place in my top 10 - I'd put money on her hotness stemming from the gross kissing scene with Harrison Ford. Apparently they hated each other, but the chemistry came across brilliantly in their performances. Aside from the smoking, up-dos, and incredible costumes she gets to wear in this film, Sean Young was just a hottie. Period. Care to contest? I think not.

7

Character: Andrea from Star Trek episode "What Are Little Girls Made Of?"
Actress: Sherry Jackson
Why: Man, I was totally distracted by this particular hottie throughout the entirety of the episode. William Shatner even gets tied to an android-maker without clothes on and I still couldn't stop thinking about how pretty this lady was! Perhaps because she's the token red-head of my list. While there were some intentional elements in the show to bring out her obviously nice figure, I think she is sort of accidentally exeplifies sci-fi hottie-ness. Her character was kind of adorable, kind of stupid, and very pretty - did I mention she's also a robot? Just what ever ner dreams of.

6

Character: Amidala from Star Wars: Episode I
Actress: Natalie Portman
Why: So now I am beginning to get a little embarrassed of the sci-fi chicks I am posting... perhaps because Queen Amidala is my exclusive reason for ever watching Episode I a second or third time. And Natalie Portman is another beautiful girl! And not because she gets her shirt ripped off and we get to see those hard abs she probably spent weeks developing for 15 seconds of screen time and fan favors on every Pepsi can for 6 years. Whatever. She's still a great actress and she wore those costumes like a pro. And managed to look elegant and unburdened for the duration of the movie! She's also, like 5' 1" and I'm kinda biased to that. Natalie Portman is also one of those very blessed people to be photogenic from any freakin' angle.

5

Character: Leeloo from The Fifth Element
Actress: Milla Jovovich
Why: Okay... I'm not a fan of the skin-tight, skin-colored, leotard she wears through this whole film, but I suppose it definitely goes toward some kind of generally recognized hot-factor... but that's not why she's my number 3! Frankly, anyone who can pull off orange hair as well as Milla Jovovich deserves mad recognition. Not only that, but she mumbles in a totally fictional language so well that you are immediately endeared to her! Impressive. And you know you were feeling awful about your humanity when she accidentally discovered war. Not that that has to do with hottness - but if she can tugged at your heartstrings, she probably got you sufficiently riled up enough to have a crush on her, too.

4

Character: Emma Murdoch in Dark City
Actress: Jennifer Connelly
Why: Okay... I'm detecting a trend in tastes... like noir very much?
This is another fantastic movie with a fantastic cast and a fantastic performance by Jennifer Connelly. Did you want to be her in Labyrinth? Yes. (Boys, did you not want to be David Bowie in Labyrinth? Oh... no? What if you go to kiss Jennifer Conelly?) I actually think that Jennifer Conelly is the most beautiful woman on the planet - I really do. She did not make the number one sci-fi hotty on my list for two reason: 1) her character in this movie is definitely hot... but doesn't really get to interact or be effected by much of the science going on around her, she's really a backdrop for her pseudo-husband, John Murdoch; 2) eyebrows. This is the aesthete coming out in me... I think Jennifer Connelly is beautiful, including her eyebrows! But the first shot of her is this incredibly overblown, tight close-up and frankly, the DP managed to draw attention to them in a most unflatteringly fashion.
I feel bad for saying that... forgive me Jennifer Conelly!

3

Character: Inara from Firefly
Actress: Morena Baccarin
Why: This is definitely where it starts getting tough. These top four are pretty pretty ladies and Morena Baccarin is by the most underrated of them all (kind like the TV show of her sci-fi debut). When I think "pretty lady," she's who comes to mind. I don't think she has quite the same posture as the other top 4, but that's what I like about her. She strikes me as someone who wears make-up because it's fun, not because she has to. I saw a picture of her in a cowboy hat and that seemed to ring truest. She's an absolute knock-out, and she knows it, but maybe she just doesn't care all that much. She's sweet. And down-to-earth in the way she carries herself. Spunk. I seem to like spunk, and Marena Baccarin seems both sweet and spunky!

2

Character: Niobe in Matrix Reloaded
Actress: Jada Pinkett Smith
Why: Oh man! If this isn't another one of the most beautiful women ever! I just think Jada Pinket Smith is stunning! They could have done a lot more with her character in the Matrix. But, then again, they could have done a lot more with the Matrix. Either way, both her egos in that movie are pretty bad-ass. I'm not sure there's any way to make Jada Pinkett Smitth look bad. Well.. actually, one time she had this hair-do in the 80s... but who cares.
In any event, the characters she tends to play have so much poise and grace and I think this is because the actress behind them does naturally, anyway. Will Smith is a lucky man.
(PS, in an earlier version of this post, I confused her and Zoe Saldana (playing Uhura in the new Star Trek) who is also another gorgeous woman... if I had realized my mistake, I think I would've had to make room for her as well.)

1

Character: Jadzia Dax in Deep Space Nine
Actress: Terry Farrell
Why: Perhaps I like Terry Farrell because she never quite oozes sexuality like the other sci-fi babes so often do. In fact, not really any of my choices do. But Terry Farrell always looks like she's about to outwit you, not matter how skimpy her costume for some stupid off-world Star Trek photo shoot requires. And in all her candids, she's always got her tongue out - like a little kid ready surprise someone. On top of all that, she is another one who has no bad angles! And beautiful bright blue eyes and sharp features - the Trill spots just put her over the edge, too, right? She did not get a proper rank in the UGO top-5o. Not by a long shot.




Seven of Nine is not in this list because... let's face it. She got a lotta name dropping earlier in this blog and is definitely the culmination/epitome of Star Trek hottness anyway:


Something similar, only this guy just did "Fifteen Fabulous Fictional Females" and includes some comic characters, TV characters, and, of course, some sci-fi hotties.


If you glean anything from this blog entry, take with you the film titles. These are awesome awesome awesome films that you won't regret watching.

Christmas Bash!!

Dancing Elves invite you to a Christmas Bash at the Sheean/Northends:
For the record: we will all be performing these dances at the party.
As a bribe: Matt and I will DEFINITELY perform these dances at the party.

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Come come come!

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

"Trees for Trees" Press Release

Feel free to take and copy any elements!

Contact: Danica Northend
Tel. 626-395-7641
Cell: 925-200-7429
Email: Danica@chronicleproject.org

CREATIVE WAY TO USHER IN THE HOLIDAY DO-GOOD SPIRIT
A Green Non-Profit Organization Says, Take Home a Tenanbaum AND Plant a Forest!

This year Eden Reforestation Projects (ERP), a 501(c)3, challenges Holiday patrons to match the cost of their Christmas tree with a donation to replant forests in Africa in a pioneer program they call “Trees for Trees.”

“The average cost of one chopped-down white pine or douglas fir Christmas tree could be $40, $60, even $100 depending on the size,” says an ERP representative, “If someone were to dedicate that same amount of money to planting trees, they could plant four-hundred, six-hundred, or even one thousand trees! Whole forests can be plants at a marginal cost.”

Eden Reforestation Projects has been active since 2004 and has maintained a cost per seedling at 10¢. Every $10 given to ERP plants 100 (one-hundred) trees. ERP nurseries are established with these funds in areas of Africa suffering from desertification and climate change due to deforestation.

Rachel Oliver of CNN recently reported on the relationship between poverty and climate change saying, “it's the world's poorest who are often put forward as the ones who are likely to feel the affects of climate change the most and are likely to be able to deal with them the least.”

ERP president Steve Fitch's recent research and experience strengthen the overlooked correlation between environmental damage and poverty, “Locals shared with me about how their crops were diminishing... I was taken to the Udo escarpment and I saw where a deluge had gouged the earth and had killed local villagers. This, I learned, was common and directly related to deforestation.”

This Holiday season, ERP is asking fellow activists and the eco-sensitive to consider the green impact the cost of their Christmas Tree could have on the deforested and desertified countries of Africa. “Trees for Trees” provides an opportunity for Christmas Tree shoppers to lighten their carbon footprint and participate in a new Holiday tradition that, as ERP says, “Heals lands AND lives.”

Donations can be made and more information found on their website, www.edenprojects.org, including a series of short educational film clips.

###

For more information or to schedule an interview with an ERP representative, please contact Danica Northend at 626-395-7641 or mail Danica at Danica@chronicleproject.org.

Here's another nifty visual.

The Rocketeer

And we thought this was cool:


It gets so much better!

Wow. It's not the nerd or geek in me whose heart flutters watching this video, but the same spirit of awe with which my young parents and grandparents probably watched space-flight unravel.
Granted this is probably a slightly smaller "step for mankind" than landing on the moon, but it is a terribly over looked accomplishment!
"This man isn't just falling in style" Micah noticed while we watched, mouths gaping- in seconds, he rises above the plane from whence he dove, climbing to heights above the Swiss Alps!
This is no ordinary fantasy Rocketeer...

Some people go fishing on their day off. Yves Rossy likes to jump out of a small plane with a pair of jet-powered wings on his back and loop the loop above the Swiss Alps.

The self-built contraption took the former fighter pilot five years to build and perfect - and yesterday he gave it its maiden flight.

Stepping out of an aircraft at 7,500ft, Rossy unfolded the 10ft rigid wings strapped to his back as he plummeted earthwards.

Scroll down for more...

To infinity and beyond: Yves Rossy soars through the skies

Dangerman: Yves Rossy had a pair of 8ft wings and a jet-pack strapped to his back for the daring flight over the Alps

Passing from freefall into a gentle glide, he triggered the four jet turbines and accelerated to 190mph above the mountaintops.

Steering with his body, Rossy dived, turned and soared again, flying what appeared to be effortless loops from one side of the Rhone valley to the other.

At times he climbed 2,600ft before diving again, leaving a trail of special-effects smoke in his wake.

Scroll down for more...

Goodbye: The former pilot was launched from a plane at 8,000ft

After one last wave to the watching crowd, Rossy dipped his wings as he prepared for the piece de resistance, a manoeuvre he hadn't tried before...He flipped onto his back and levelled out again, executing a perfect 360-degree roll that even a bird would find impossible.

"It's like a second skin," Rossy said later after landing on the shores of Lake Geneva.

"If I turn to the left, I fly left. If I nudge to the right, I go right."

With his first big test under his belt, Rossy, 48, is ready for bigger challenges: he plans to cross the English Channel later this year, before attempting to fly through the Grand Canyon.

To do this, he will have to fit more powerful jets to allow for greater manoeuvring.

The four Germanbuilt model aircraft engines he currently uses provide 200lb of thrust each, enough to enable the 110lb foldable carbon wings, and Rossy in his 120lb flying suit, to climb at 200ft a minute.

"Physically, it's absolutely no stress," Rossy said.

Scroll down to watch Rossy in action...

Super speeds: The dare-devil reached speeds of 160mph

Scenery: Yves Rossy said he had no time to enjoy the view or scenery

"It's like being on a motorbike. But I have to focus on relaxing, because if I show any tension, I start to swing around."

Should things go wrong there's always a yellow handle to jettison the wings and unfold a back-up parachute.

"I've had plenty of "whoops" moments," he said.

Rossy says his form of human flight will, for now, remain the preserve of very few.

The cost and effort involved are simply too high for it to be produced commercially, he says.

So far, Rossy and his sponsors have poured more than £123,000 and countless hours into building the device.

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Rossy attempts to land with his parachute after the demo flight

But, he believes similar jet-powered wings will one day be more widely available to experienced parachutists.

That is, if they don't mind missing out on the breathtaking panorama unfolding above the Swiss Alps.

"I am concentrating so hard, I don't really enjoy the view," Rossy said.

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