tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25755972034239631902024-03-06T01:02:52.601-08:00GiGi's GabFormer Google Glass Explorer blog turned into GiGi's thoughts on everything. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12924769896507141813noreply@blogger.comBlogger23125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2575597203423963190.post-33250286334517965342017-07-08T16:25:00.002-07:002017-07-08T16:26:36.933-07:00The Greatest Loss <br />
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I was listening to one of my favorite Broadway play's soundtrack just recently on a road trip. 'RENT' captured my heart many years ago for the social issues it addressed, and its message of love. For those that don't know, the writer and composer of the play, Jonathan Larson, age 36, died the morning of the debut of 'RENT' Off-Broadway. It's ironic to listen to the lyrics of the songs, knowing how this incredibly talented young man died of an aortic dissection, suddenly. He never got to see the immense success his show would go on to have, the social awareness he created, and the message of love so many of us took home.<br />
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In one of the songs, 'Seasons of Love', the lyrics talk about the span of a year and say, "Remember the love, Measure you life in love. Seasons of love." This past year, and its four seasons, has been full of up's and down's no doubt. The loss of love, or what I thought was love. The loss of my rock, my grandfather. It made my previous loss seem so small. I'll never forget that call. My mom rang me to say that Pop was unresponsive and the fire department was there working on him. The day I had dreaded since I was a kid was here. I drove frantically to my grandparent's little house, the one where my Pop fed me ice cream on the counter, and proceeded to feed all the great-grandkids in the same spot for many years. We have photos of me as a child, my brother's children, and my own children, being spooned that sugary treat. A big smile on his face in every photo - from 1978 to 27 years later. The house where we watched our beloved Clemson Tigers every Saturday. You'd find me on the couch in his, "man cave" and him in his chair, snacks on a TV tray for us both. He'd curse Clemson for a bad play but praise them for good ones. The man who taught me how to drive. The man who was happiest when the babies were over. The man who lived for his family. The man who was rarely without a smile and a kind word. And there he was, unresponsive, getting CPR, on the kitchen floor where just a foot to the left was the table where we had shared so many meals, Christmas dinners, birthdays, and just simple conversations. </div>
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Being ex-medical, I knew it wasn't good. They had been attempting to revive him for almost an hour. Our Berea firemen were so good to us. They explained the procedure. I knew it. They'd work as long as they could, with their heart and soul, sweating and trying with all they had, as if it were their own grandpa, but he hadn't responded, and I knew that was the end for my sweet Pop. While he had 83 years on this earth, it wasn't enough for us. Had he lived to be 110, we would have begged for more year. Forever isn't long enough when you're blessed with someone like him. </div>
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Now all that remains are the memories. Sometimes they're too painful to recall, although they're happy memories. You are reminded of the loss. The absence. Voicemails he left on my phone are now safely tucked away. His voice in real time. Leaving a message for one of my kids or telling me something he read in the paper. Some reminding me of the Clemson kickoff time for the next game. While I would give anything for that phone to ring and me to pick up and hear him, the voicemails are all i have, a way of hearing him again, from the grave. He always ended them with, "Love you". I listened to them non-stop in the first couple of months after his death. To be honest, I can't listen to them right now. It just hurts too much. </div>
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A day after his death, our Clemson Tigers played for the National Championship. A day we had been dreaming of for years. I sat in his chair alone, wearing his Clemson shirt and hats. 5 seconds left and we won. I cried just as hard as I did when I heard the news he had passed. What I wouldn't have given to live that moment with him. I put a National Champ shirt in his coffin. That moment was ours. I celebrated for us both. </div>
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(Cherring on Clemson in 2016)</div>
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(National Championship one day after his death) </div>
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sxhlHDgLmHM" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sxhlHDgLmHM</a></div>
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(Pop's obituary the next day Clemson won the National Championship. Sometimes life is cruel) </div>
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I have felt guilt for not wanting to think of him. It's not a lack of love, it's a lack of him being here. A painful reminder that he's gone. As for the grief, I am thankful for it. That means someone loved me unconditionally. Someone who had such a huge impact on my life from the day I was born. It means I loved and I was loved. My kids and my brother's kids were cherished pieces of his legacy. They were his life. His death devastated them. My son was an honorary pallbearer. He literally helped carry the man who carried him for years to his final resting place. </div>
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Porch conversations </div>
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My kids are eleven, ten, and six. They never knew a life without Pop. He would show up at my house just to see his, "babies". Yes, even out of the toddler stages, they all remained his babies. My brother's kids, too. I am so thankful they will remember him. I will remember the moment I had to tell them that their beloved Pop was gone. It ripped my soul apart. They still cry to this day. But, I remind them that tears are just a reminder that they loved him and he the same. He would talk cars and Elvis with Mason or let the girls play, "spa", with him. He got hairstyles from the girls and he smiled through it all. As long as his, "babies", were happy. </div>
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(Pop, Sara Rose, and Mason)</div>
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(Pop and his Taylor, his namesake) </div>
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I spent the first few nights after his death with my Grandma. They had been married 65 years. Then, he was gone. Anyone who knew them as a couple would say being around them was fun. Non-stop banter and laugh-out-loud insults were commonplace for a couple who literally grew up together. I knew she would be okay alone, but I had to stay with her. I couldn't bare the thought of her all alone for the first time in her life. I slept in his bed, with his shirt on. I slept like a baby, surprisingly. It's funny how things, such as beds and clothes, make you feel closer to someone who has recently passed. I still wear his shirts to bed every night. Pop and Grammy had two girls, one being my mom, and the other, my "other mother", my aunt. Pop always wanted a son. So, when my aunt was born, and he was told it was a girl, he hurled the baseball glove down the corridors of the hospital. One he got his hissy fit out of the way, he was partial to the daughters he had and the granddaughters who came later. He lived the life of having boys through my brother's son, Jake, and my own son, Mason. He had it all in his family.</div>
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(Pop and Grammy, 65 years later) </div>
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(Aunt Angie, Pop, and my Mom) </div>
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His funeral was fitting and beautiful. A man of faith. A man of good character who wouldn't hesitate to take the recently widowed food my grandma had prepared. He would have taken the shirt off his back for anyone who needed it, even if they were Gamecock fans! :) He gave me blunt advice when I needed it, and saw the good in those who had done me and my children wrong, referencing the break up I mentioned earlier. He never saw the bad in people. Only the good. And that example is one I hope my kids and my niece and nephew carry with them their whole lives. </div>
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(My babies saying a final goodbye to one of the few men who showed love and loyalty until the end) </div>
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As Adele said, "They say that time's supposed to heal you, but I ain't done much healing". That's me six months in. To the day. I don't know that I ever want to heal. But, I know I want to show love to my family the way he did to us. Rest In Peace, Pop. I miss you more every day. </div>
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Pop, your granddaughter plays this a lot. I'll see you again. Until then, my sweet memories will sustain us. </div>
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vTnWFT3DvVA</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12924769896507141813noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2575597203423963190.post-8152645921146284392016-07-19T18:25:00.000-07:002016-07-19T19:08:08.275-07:00The Death Of A Student<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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On January 4, 2016, I started a new, full-time job at Berea High School, my alma mater. It was really a dream job for me. Some teachers that taught me are still there and some of my former classmates are now teachers there. It was like going home again. I was hired as a full-time substitute, meaning I would go room to room as needed when someone was sick and the substitute job had not been filled.<br />
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On my first day, I was told that when nobody was out, or the substitute jobs had been filled, I would go to room 242 to be an aide. "You will assist Mrs Cloy with her students". Her class was full of freshman students who have learning challenges. It's a room I knew I would love.<br />
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Mrs Cloy was instantly welcoming. The students were a harder sell. They like routine, and a new person coming in mid-year would require some acclimation time. On my first day, I flopped into an empty desk next to a reddish blonde headed, lanky kid. He was wearing a Berea Baseball hoodie, big boots, and a big smile. It was a welcome sight amid the curious stares that covered the classroom. I guess that's the moment that Austin Stamey would claim his place in my heart as one of my favorites.<br />
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As time went on, the kids in 242 welcomed me as one of their own. The adopted my name, Ms. GiGi as opposed to Ms. McKelvey, a name that is dear to me and one I don't mind them calling me. A name my niece and nephew called me as babies. Mrs Cloy and I worked well together and I began forming bonds with each and every one of the kids. But, Austin was my first bond, and I never forgot that. It wasn't uncommon for him to lean over and tell me a joke or discuss the book, 'The Giver', we were reading everyday in class. He would often show me pictures of his beloved little sister, his mom, grandparents, or his slightly younger brother. His hand would shoot up every time Mrs. Cloy would ask a question or initiate discussion about the book the kids were so engrossed in. He wanted to learn. He took pride in his correct answers, and I took pride in his hard work. The last 10 minutes of class is free time, if they earned it. Austin often spent that chatting with me about random things and asking for a piece of gum he knew he would get. :)<br />
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Mrs. Cloy has a gift. She take kids with a wide array of challenges and needs, and finds a common ground for them to meet on. Nobody feels left behind or lost. Our class discussions are always lively and engrossing for the kids. She handles them with both love and discipline, something these kids need and crave. Not to mention the right amount of quirkiness, which the kids love. In return, they love her fiercely. She has taught me so much in our time together and has inspired me just as much as she inspires her students on a daily basis.<br />
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In April, I took over a class downstairs in a time of need, which took me away from 242 in the afternoons. Still, I was lucky enough to spend most morning with the freshman. Before that, my afternoons upstairs was with our juniors and seniors, with the amazing Mrs. Miller taking over the freshman. Mrs. Miller is another Berea gem. She loves those kids and they love her in return. She has been an amazing compass for what an aide should be. Mr Marlatt, a Navy veteran, and amazing inspiration with a kind heart, rounded out our little corner of the school. We are like a little family up there.<br />
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The bonus in me moving downstairs in the afternoons was that I gained my own room, which meant I could open my doors for, "B Lunch", the second half of lunch break, to students. They'd come in with their food. We listened to XM Radio and watched funny videos. Every day, Austin was in there. In fact, I wrote him a pass for every day of the week so he could be sure to make it once the main doors closed from the cafeteria to the academic area. I wanted my room to be a place where any student felt welcome to hang out. While I sometimes had 20 kids in there, Austin and I talked the whole time for the most part.<br />
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He lost his step-father suddenly a couple of years ago. We talked about his still weighing grief. We talked about his baby sister, his brother and mom, and we talked about random things. We talked about his dreams for his future. We talked about life. He would point out the girl he had a huge crush on. He would tell me all about ROTC, baseball, and proudly tell me of the climbing team he was a part of. I'll never forget the day he got to wear his fancy ROTC uniform to school for the first time. He felt so proud and looked so grown up compared to his sixteen years.<br />
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He would ask about my kids and my life each and every day. He was genuinely interested in my life away from school, and loved hearing of my travels and seeing the photos of the places I visit. He shared my photos on his Facebook page, telling me, " I want to go there one day". He talked of his faith and how that was a rock in his life. When the bell rang for 3rd block to begin, I always got a bear hug and a, "See you tomorrow, Ms. GiGi". On his last day of school, I got the same bear hug and him saying, "I am going to miss you this summer. I can't wait to see you next year". I still feel that hug. It's a memory I will cherish forever. He also left this sweet memory on my board. I normally don't take pics of notes students leave for me on my dry erase, but for some reason, I did, and I am so grateful.<br />
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At 5:31 A.M. on June 2nd, i was drying my hair. It was the last day of school for me. My iPhone notification went off. I looked to see an email from our amazing principal, Mr. Noel. The subject line was, "Student Death". My first thought was that our seniors has graduated the day before, and maybe something tragic had happened on the way to Senior Week at Myrtle Beach. As I opened the email, I saw, "Austin Stamey, asthma attack, cardiac arrest". I had to read the email three times for it to compute that it was actually Austin. My buddy. A numbness engulfed me that lasted until I walked into the school. When I first saw Mr Marlatt, the tears flowed. Our grief was palpable. Then, Mrs Cloy came in. Disbelief was setting back in. We had to break the news to Mrs. Miller, who had not read her email yet. We sat in Mrs. Cloy's room silent for a while, then the tears came.<br />
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His sweatshirt, which he wore every day, had been left in her class on his last day of school. He had said, "I will get it next year". I delivered it to his mom that same day. Even more amazing was what he had also left behind. Something the kids worked on, "Thank You", notes. He chose his mom. He forgot to take his home. And Mrs Cloy found it the day after he died.<br />
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As I walked up to Austin's house that day, I didn't know what to say. His mom had planned to come to the school to get his hoodie, unaware of the note from her son that she would receive. I offered to go get the items and she accepted. Her swollen eyes and look of shock made me insist. It's amazing how a piece of clothing, something she saw and washed every day, becomes a source of comfort to her. Then, the letter came. Austin's mom became overwhelmed with emotion. A letter from her son, at a time she needed it most. How that happened, I could never explain. But that letter was mean to be late to her. Her son, speaking in death, about how she had been his rock. He inadvertently left her a gift of comfort. A gift of love.<br />
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We had a candlelight vigil for Austin on the baseball field, a place he loved. A lot of young people showed up in spite of it being the first week of summer break. Their faces told their grief and loss. The funeral was the most emotional I have ever attended, yet such a testament to Austin and his loving heart, and his goofy side. He never met a stranger. I didn't feel like one on my first day in 242 because of him.<br />
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I think of him every day. I know I will miss him more as his seat will be empty on the first day of school. I know Mrs Cloy, Mrs. Miller, and Mr. Marlatt will feel the same void. We will have to talk to our kids about a sad reality that won't set in for them until the first day of school. Our kids are like family. They fight like siblings, but will protect each other fiercely. Austin's absence will forever change the dynamics of our corner of the school.<br />
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What do we learn from this? Maybe, that life is precious. We aren't invincible. We are blessed every day, even when time seem tough. Austin was a good young man. A gentleman.<br />
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I never want to go through losing a student again. You really do feel you have gained 20 children when you join a classroom. We spend more time with them we do our own kids. We know their strength and weaknesses, their fears, their past. As a mother, I want to nurture all of them. Because of that, his death hurts more. But, I gladly take that. Fly high, Austin. You will never be forgotten.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12924769896507141813noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2575597203423963190.post-33740648772201171322016-03-08T19:12:00.002-08:002016-03-14T17:28:42.823-07:00Columbine: 'A Mother's Reckoning: Living in the Aftermath Of Tragedy' Review - Jennifer McKelvey <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo of Columbine High School<br />
Courtesy of Jennifer McKelvey, February 2016</td></tr>
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April 20, 1999 changed our world drastically. Two boys, Eric Harris, and Dylan Klebold, loaded up their cars with guns and pipe bombs, after months of careful planning, and went to Columbine High School. They had one mission, to kill as many classmates as possible. When they arrived at the school, they told one student to leave. And he did. The rest were sitting ducks.<br />
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They carried duffel bags into the school cafeteria which contained two, twenty pound propane tank bombs, and were set to explode at 11:17 AM, a time that the cafeteria would have been the most crowded. They then went to their respective cars, which offered a clear view of the cafeteria area, to watch as the bombs went off. Luckily, the propane tank bombs did not detonate, as hundreds of students in the cafeteria for lunch could have been killed. From videos the boys made prior to the attack, they originally had planned to shoot any survivors or anyone trying to flee. Their cars both had explosives with timers which were set to detonate when they went back into the school. </div>
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The very first 911 call in this mass murder had nothing to do directly with Columbine, but everything to do with Eric and Dylan's planning. A small, timed explosion in a field about three miles away from the high school was placed by the killers to divert police so the killers could have more time to make the body count higher. Back at the school, eyewitnesses recall seeing Eric and Dylan at the highest point on campus with a clear view of the school. They were dressed in trench coats and carrying duffel bags. One student heard Eric or Dylan yell, "GO, GO", and the carnage began. The shootings started at 11:19 AM outside. The shootings end at 12:08 with the suicide of Eric and Dylan. For 49 minutes, the killers took the lives of thirteen; including twelve students, and one teacher, wounded many, and traumatized all who were there that day. They also put an end to carefree school days as students knew them.</div>
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In the time since the shootings, very little has been said by the parents of the shooters. Both parents released statements through their lawyers the next day. Eric Harris's parents have remained mostly silent since. Dylan Klebold's mother began to speak out years after the killings. In 2009, ten years after the shootings, she offered a self-written piece to Oprah's magazine about the events of that day and the aftermath. You can read it here: <a href="http://www.oprah.com/omagazine/Susan-Klebolds-O-Magazine-Essay-I-Will-Never-Know-Why" target="_blank">http://www.oprah.com/omagazine/Susan-Klebolds-O-Magazine-Essay-I-Will-Never-Know-Why</a></div>
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I have often wondered what the parents of Eric and Dylan endured in the days, months, and years in the aftermath of Columbine. Many were so quick to blame them almost immediately when it became known that the guilty ones had killed themselves. I never thought the parents deserved the harassment and death threats they received, but when the guilty ones die, the public goes on a witch hunt for those who knew them best, accusing them of everything under the sun. I always thought maybe they had missed signs, but now as a mother, I feel their pain more than ever.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sue Klebold, mother of Columbine shooter, Dylan Klebold (R).</td></tr>
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When you become a parent, your life changes. You hope and dream for your child. You hope you aren't screwing it up. Parenting is tough. When your children are small, you instill the framework for what you hope will become the structure of their moral compass, their work ethic, accountability, and you hope that when you release them into the world, they contribute, not take away. All in all, we really never know if we've succeeded, in spite of our best efforts, until that child shows you in the decisions they make and the path they choose. In spite of honest, best efforts, many parents did it, "right", only to have their kids end up bad. </div>
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When my kids do something bad, I hold them accountable. I explain the consequences, explain why it was wrong, and offer reasons why they should make a better decision in the future. Reading Sue Klebold's book, 'A Mother's Reckoning: Living in the Aftermath of Tragedy', I saw she too did the same thing with both her boys, the youngest being Dylan Klebold. Dylan had a very normal and stable upbringing. He played baseball, he tinkered with old cars with his father, he was his mother's sidekick as a child. He was an exceptionally bright child. They were active in his life. He wasn't abused or abandoned. He was seemingly like every other kid in the neighborhood. Nothing seemed odd.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sue and Dylan Klebold</td></tr>
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As Dylan grew into a teen, he became more withdrawn, but nothing out of the ordinary. Most teenage boys want their privacy and also relish in the beginnings of independence. They make their own friends, not ones set up by mom as a playdate, they get their license, they get a car. It's a rite of passage when you get these freedoms. You test the waters as a young adult under the watchful eye of good parents. Dylan was no different.</div>
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Dylan and Eric became friends a few years before the massacre. Both boys had numerous other friends, a misconception in the aftermath of the tragedy. It was reported for years that they were loners, only having each other. This isn't true. They had mutual and individual friendships, enough of them to dispel the rumors that social isolation was a motivation for the killings.<br />
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Early on, it was clear that Eric was trouble. In 1997, he had an AOL profile, as well as a webpage, that grew increasingly violent, threatening towards students and teachers at Columbine. It also included specific threats against Brooks Brown, a friend of Dylan's. Dylan gave the website address to Brooks. Brooks's mother, concerned with what she saw, informed authorities. After viewing the website, which Eric stated he had explosives, a deputy wrote a draft affidavit asking for a search warrant of the Harris house, but never filed it. Missed red flag? In her book, Sue believes that maybe Dylan gave Brooks the web address in the hopes that Eric would be stopped.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIzpxFH5njxK0nEnqoVV-_lF1H685Oq2DCuG4Fs2m0fYbFCcqQxr5Ql6IjZe4J2sVJucPuSR2ZhKtPX4B_rv3Kho8HQz9fJeDzcAuH-0G2pfqFReCPpUGFMJoPyHZ6mKYGXCOaMoyMpTE0/s1600/imgres.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="479" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIzpxFH5njxK0nEnqoVV-_lF1H685Oq2DCuG4Fs2m0fYbFCcqQxr5Ql6IjZe4J2sVJucPuSR2ZhKtPX4B_rv3Kho8HQz9fJeDzcAuH-0G2pfqFReCPpUGFMJoPyHZ6mKYGXCOaMoyMpTE0/s640/imgres.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dylan Klebold and Brooks Brown at Columbine High School</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eric Harris AOL profile at the time of his death. </td></tr>
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Eric and Dylan were both arrested their junior year for breaking into a van and stealing electronic equipment. This was, no doubt, a wake up call for Sue and Tom Klebold. Dylan was ordered to complete pre-trial intervention, which included classes and paying restitution. Eric was ordered the same, as well as to begin seeing a psychiatrist. Both boys were released from the program early and passed with rave reviews.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuyB4ed-do_G6Sa4sPK-3GhuYL2rRMiEeYCK1WMr5AgjtbHzEsPK0v3juyTg0b_re7FTtgtwXqLJY47Vx1UYL21OedsQH6I7KUIJHcs1zmzYm_u2-3q8-lB_1y99Jruqi7OKZ2Ab8rfnmR/s1600/images.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="469" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuyB4ed-do_G6Sa4sPK-3GhuYL2rRMiEeYCK1WMr5AgjtbHzEsPK0v3juyTg0b_re7FTtgtwXqLJY47Vx1UYL21OedsQH6I7KUIJHcs1zmzYm_u2-3q8-lB_1y99Jruqi7OKZ2Ab8rfnmR/s640/images.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dylan Klebold (L) and Eric Harris (R)</td></tr>
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Eric and Dylan began working at Blackjack Pizza together, meeting some of the people who would eventually supply them with guns, not knowing of their plans. Senior year came. The plans were in full swing for the massacre, but to Sue and Tom, Dylan seemed to be on the upswing. They visited the University of Arizona weeks prior to the massacre, a place Dylan ultimately chose to attend for college. They looked at dorm rooms, made plans, and he even went to prom a few days before the massacre. Everything seemed normal from Sue's perspective.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7e8NddkOMHI3tKobKO_y8EhYuJpYK1OOwWa96pDBl5ICW398lgAWBUUHBI_CfCdcUPRold2Qkcr3nSqqQnsT5FuN6rODgoXHSRAgU1AWzNemfc2gAZPJ449eIOump94btuP7sXcjy6fUA/s1600/84judg15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="536" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7e8NddkOMHI3tKobKO_y8EhYuJpYK1OOwWa96pDBl5ICW398lgAWBUUHBI_CfCdcUPRold2Qkcr3nSqqQnsT5FuN6rODgoXHSRAgU1AWzNemfc2gAZPJ449eIOump94btuP7sXcjy6fUA/s640/84judg15.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dylan Klebold, with his prom date.</td></tr>
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When someone is going to commit a crime or kill themselves, they rarely give blaring signs that they intend to do so. The most dangerous ones stay silent until you find out when the event happens. This is what happened with Sue and Tom. Sue was at work about 25 miles away from home when she saw the blinking red light on her work phone. It was a frantic message from her husband, telling her to turn on the TV, that there had been a shooting at Columbine, and Dylan had already been mentioned as a shooter. Sue initially thought maybe Dylan was hurt or couldn't call her. When it became clear to her on the ride home that Dylan indeed may be a shooter, Sue did the opposite of what most Columbine parents did that day.<br />
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The parents of students at Columbine no doubt prayed for their children's safety from the gunmen in the school. Sue Klebold, on the other hand, prayed for her son to kill himself. Yes, to end his life, so he couldn't take any more innocent lives. Can you imagine, as a mother, to have to pray for your child to die? It sounds so foreign, but I think Sue began very quickly to connect the dots. Deep down, she knew Dylan was killing classmates as she sped home to Littleton, CO.<br />
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In her book, she gives insight into what happened when she arrived home. Cops, then a bomb squad took over her home. They were only allowed to stand in the driveway as investigators executed a search warrant on her home. They found no explosives.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW-3YvTFHsF3ptbdMoKSEmX47t_XLAaWqmSKSIa04lKBKLF2GhNPAOztE1K7OpuKdg4uBidOr1_483zTKx2AxPItXswNeKtci3A18-ebIJld08LoA_soF2hTKvI86Nskw5y-CkZgKpGk8k/s1600/dylanhouse2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="476" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW-3YvTFHsF3ptbdMoKSEmX47t_XLAaWqmSKSIa04lKBKLF2GhNPAOztE1K7OpuKdg4uBidOr1_483zTKx2AxPItXswNeKtci3A18-ebIJld08LoA_soF2hTKvI86Nskw5y-CkZgKpGk8k/s640/dylanhouse2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Klebold home</td></tr>
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They had to escape to somewhere safe, as the press and the masses were hunting them down. They settled in with extended family for a while. She tells of seeing Dylan's body, dressed in a hospital gown, her final goodbye. They chose cremation for Dylan, as they knew his grave would be vandalized on a regular basis. She stated that her older son, Byron, didn't feel Dylan looked like himself at the viewing. That helped all of them in that moment. Eric and Dylan both had killed themselves by a gunshot wound to the head. Eric's body sustained the most damage. While their suicide photos are readily available, I have chosen to not post them here. While what they did was senseless and evil, the photos are extremely graphic, and most importantly, I do not condone suicide regardless of the circumstance.<br />
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In the months after the massacre, Sue was lost and grieving alone for the most part. Her husband was in the throws of grief, no doubt, but a mother's grief is different I would imagine. Not more, but different. Answers were few for a long time. After some time had passed, the families were able to view the, 'Basement Tapes'. The tapes were over four hours long. These tapes were the thing she needed to help with her being able to understand that her son, who she thought she knew, was a stranger to her. He was filled with rage. He used racial slurs, he used intense profanity and radiated hate. All of these things she and her husband had taught against. Yet, it seemed so natural to Dylan. The last tape is when the boys are heading out the door to unleash death and destruction upon kids sitting in a high school on what would normally be a standard day at Columbine had Eric and Dylan not been filled with the need to kill. The, 'Basement Tapes' largely never made it past the police. There were a few snippets and transcripts released, but a court order sealing the tapes made them pretty much inaccessible for the general public. The tapes were destroyed in 2011, along with other evidence from the shootings, at the discretion of the sheriff with the support of the families; the shooters, and the victims. They feared it may inspire copycats and bring raw pain back to the surface, both potentially disastrous and simply unnecessary. As far as we know, all copies are gone.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix9Sr3RSRseZN5AcGhyphenhyphenczowyDRwYUplpgNiwR-aDgmjGKcKmV9IFDHeCXnjK0OTHxMSUMeBNulvA5YrwO__BMfwU6jcBovAolO4lyLSHqn0B9c2iWw2rYaJ78sU3FVmJP9aCoKXCAcdSIB/s1600/tumblr_o3a14aOFeW1r31fpqo1_1280.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix9Sr3RSRseZN5AcGhyphenhyphenczowyDRwYUplpgNiwR-aDgmjGKcKmV9IFDHeCXnjK0OTHxMSUMeBNulvA5YrwO__BMfwU6jcBovAolO4lyLSHqn0B9c2iWw2rYaJ78sU3FVmJP9aCoKXCAcdSIB/s1600/tumblr_o3a14aOFeW1r31fpqo1_1280.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dylan Klebold, seen in, 'The Basement Tapes'. </td></tr>
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After watching the tapes, Sue felt Dylan lied to her. He had successfully fooled her. And, she realized that he <i>wanted</i> to participate. Until then, Sue had a lot of suspicion that Eric took advantage of Dylan, perhaps even brainwashing him. That theory was dispelled by the tapes. She does maintain that Eric's homicidal desires were a vessel for a suicidal Dylan. In his journals, Dylan talked about being depressed, had self medicated with St. John's Wart, a natural remedy commonly used for depression. Sue felt heartbroken when she discovered the pill bottle after his death, knowing Dylan was trying to get out of his depression alone. He talked about wanting to find love but he thought he never would. Eric's journals were filled with vile fantasies about rape and murder. Sue acknowledges that Dylan killed classmates out of cold blood, but, she feels in her heart he would have never done so without Eric. Dylan wanted to die and killing students in the process was something he chose to do in order to take his own life in the library that day giving him a legitimate reason to do so.<br />
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Although it took her many years, Sue is now very active with suicide prevention and has close friendships she has established by going to survivors of suicide meetings in Colorado. Regardless of what her son did to others, he also took his own life, a loss that any parent would feel. In the process, the massacre's aftershocks proved to be too much for Dylan's parents, and they quietly divorced recently. Not much is said about Dylan's older brother, Byron.<br />
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Sue seems to have found her new self. A mother who still loves and grieves for her son, a mass murderer, who changed the world for the worse on April 20, 1999. Much criticism for Sue has reared it's ugly head since the release of her book and accompanying book tour. I have to say that I think the, "outrage", is displaced now more than ever. Families of the victims are speaking out, berating her for the book. While I sympathize and cannot fathom their loss and pain, sixteen years on, I have to say, their blaming Sue Klebold is not well placed.<br />
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I am sure many people would love to, and probably silently do, point out our shortcomings as parents. The bottom line is that we cannot control what out children do to an extent. As small children, we have the most control over what they can and cannot do, yet they seem to trip up and embarrass us or disappoint us. We love them through it all. While I am close, but not quite the parent of a teen, I know what awaits. The constant worry, the distance that is caused by their sudden independence and figuring themselves out, and their friends we do not care for. At what point do we set our kids free to figure it out on their own? At what point do we know if we are raising mass murderers? We hope never. Statistically, we are good. Our chances of raising a killer are small. Nobody reading this would even think that one day, they could be in Sue Klebold's shoes. I feel for her. I really do. At the end of the day, no matter what your kids, do, you love them. Sue is no different, only she has a much bigger elephant in the room.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sue Klebold,</td></tr>
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I highly recommend, 'A Mother's Reckoning: Living in the Aftermath of Tragedy'. Sue gives us not only a glimpse into raising one of the participants in the worst school shootings in history, but also the grief, confusion, and public witch hunt that, to this day, continues. You may find some of yourself in Sue, or Tom Klebold. A loving parent who dedicates their lives to raising good kids.<br />
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I feel the pain of the victims families. They lost an innocent child on that fateful April day. We all send our kids off to school with the comfort that they're safe. On that day, and many more school shootings since, we've been reminded that isn't always the case. We gamble when we let our children out of our sight, yet we cannot follow them everywhere. All we can do is hope and pray that they're not the victim of a senseless tragedy, or God forbid, the one who causes so much pain. Be careful not to judge Sue Klebold. Just because her child was half the cause of so much pain doesn't make her immune to pain herself. Her eyes scream of disbelief and grief after all this time. Will she ever get over all of this? No. But, if she can educate as to the warning signs that she learned in retrospect, maybe many of these terrible breaking news event be prevented. Feel her pain as well as the pain of the parents who lost their children, or spouse, that day.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12924769896507141813noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2575597203423963190.post-24289051992776056642015-10-02T08:21:00.000-07:002015-10-04T08:50:48.940-07:00'The Martian' Movie Review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I got an alert on my phone that there was an advanced screening of, 'The Martian' in my city last night. My 8-year-old son and I have watched the trailer more times than I can count and we've counted the days until the release. He's a curious kid. He's the kind that always says, "I have a question", followed by me usually being floored at what comes out of his mouth, which sometimes leaves me to Google secretly to find and answer. I still want him to think Mom knows everything. I debated whether an 8:00 PM showing on a school night was a good idea since the movie start time is usually his bedtime. I needed to spend time with him, just the two of us, so I decided to be a "cool mom", and take him. (He got up great today, talking non-stop about the movie). </div>
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The movie doesn't waste any time in grabbing your attention. Within the first 7 minutes, we are in the thick of it. Matt Damon plays Mark Watney, and astronaut, and botanist, who is on the red planet for Ares Mission 3. He and his team are gathering samples to take back to earth when a fierce solar storm hits. Forced to abort their mission and get off the planet, Mark is lost in the storm on the way back to the spacecraft. They're forced to leave him, assuming he is dead. And, we have our plot. </div>
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Mark didn't die in the storm. In fact, this is not a story of a man who is severely injured and just waiting for a ride home. This is the story of a man who has amazing skills and wit, and is determined to not let the harsh environment consume him. He becomes the most bad ass problem solver I've seen on screen in years. He begins a video log, should he die, for whoever may visit the red planet in years to come, which details his extraordinary wits and brilliant scientific rigging to try and survive. </div>
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He has a limited supply of food for a mission that should have lasted far less than the time it will take to rescue him or send supplies, oh, and not to mention he has no way to contact NASA to let them know he is alive. He eventually makes contact with NASA and the brainstorming begins on how to bring him home. </div>
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I won't dive into specifics from this point forward, as I don't want to spoil the movie for anyone past what the trailer shows. The story has its moments of action, but I love how this movie relies on science to propel the storyline. You can go see plenty of non-stop action movies. They're a dime a dozen. This movie is almost a four-year college degree in science. And, I loved that for my son. As he listened to theories and concepts, some of which he couldn't wrap his head around. He was so excited about the theme of the movie, and constantly asked me questions that I couldn't Google as we sat inside the theater. It ignited the part of his brain that has the need to know. We have a list of questions that we will Google together when he gets home from school today. My kid left this movie wanting to know more about Mars and Botany. That was worth the price of admission alone. </div>
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For parents, the question is, do you take your kids to see this movie? From a ratings point of view, it is PG-13. It likely got the rating due to the F-word being said several times as well as a full backside nude shot of Matt Damon (or a body double). I like to think it was Matt Damon himself. Hey, he's not bad to look at, and damn if he hasn't aged well, if at all, since we first saw him in 'Good Will Hunting'. There are a couple of intense scenes full of suspense and also a graphic scene showing Mark taking care of an abdominal injury he sustains in the first few minutes of the movie. Overall, I think if your child or children are interested in science, space travel, and planets, there's no reason to not take them to see this creative and inspiring movie. Just be sure your kids aren't ones to repeat a few curse words. I think you'll be good to go. </div>
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Matt Damon gives, what I think, is his best performance since, 'Good Will Hunting'. His acting skills are like a fine wine that gets better with age. He nails the role. The supporting cast is perfect. Jeff Daniels plays the head of NASA. He perfectly captures the right mix of a man who supports the mission to bring him home with the hesitation of not wanting to have bad press should more people die in doing so. </div>
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If you love disco music, or love to hate disco music, you will enjoy a little running joke in the movie. I'll let you find out how it incorporates in. I'll just say that ABBA's, 'Waterloo', is perfectly placed in a pretty awesome scene. </div>
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The movie is beautifully shot and I highly recommend seeing the 3-D version if you can. You will feel as if you are on Mars along with Mark. The landscape shots are breathtaking. </div>
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The movie left me thinking about the space program and how ironic we have learned just this week that there is evidence of water on Mars. Will we ever see a manned mission to the red planet in our lifetime? My son asked me that last night on the ride home. I told him in his lifetime, I think so. Overall, I think you will leave the movie theater feeling like you actually paid your hard earned money to be entertained from the first to the last second of the movie. For me, it was by far the best film I have seen in years. Go see, 'The Martian', and take your science loving children with you!</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12924769896507141813noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2575597203423963190.post-15616097961087625102015-09-08T10:07:00.002-07:002015-09-09T05:16:36.949-07:00'Straight Outta Compton' Review:<br />
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While in New York City this weekend, I took in a showing of 'Straight Outta Compton'. I went in thinking it was a documentary, but quickly realized it was a drama. I wasn't disappointed for long. We were transported back to Compton, California in the late 1980's when five black men changed the music industry with reality, or "gangsta" rap. It also took me back to the time I got my first copy of "Straight Outta Compton" in 1988.<br />
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I was clothes shopping with my Mom at a smaller mall in our town. We always stopped by a little music store called Camelot Music. She browsed the Barry Manilow section. <gs class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="7b4fee63-1b2b-4874-a47e-437720445d63" id="e36a01bd-1fd8-404f-8542-ea8883865011">I had</gs> heard a few N.W.A. <gs class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="f4d9b459-f6da-4f08-b855-9426f7e32f88" id="d27517dd-4bfb-483c-aad1-7a60e679e5ce">songs</gs> at a friend's house playing in the background. When I saw the cassette staring me in the face, I figured I would try to convince my mom to buy me a copy. I grabbed the tape and walked over to her. I asked if I could get it. She looked at the front of the cassette and asked me what it was. I fumbled as I told her they were a new R&B group and everyone was listening to them. My mom, a trusting woman, took my word and said, "Yes". As we approached the register, the 16-year-old working reminded my mom that the music had explicit lyrics. She was half listening and nodded. They rang us up and we went home.<br />
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I ran straight to my room, put fresh batteries in my walkman, and hit the play button. "You are about to witness the strength of street knowledge<gs class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="704fcf36-7b26-46d2-b168-b04903cce564" id="2e6307c7-a0ce-47a7-8ee9-43651b5c97a0"> ...</gs> Straight Outta Compton". Now, picture an 80 pound white gir<gs class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="556c5a45-1d0f-4b4c-8172-0311576ad2af" id="393883c3-78de-4aef-8e62-176cc6252be7">l</gs> with hair th<gs class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="556c5a45-1d0f-4b4c-8172-0311576ad2af" id="27cafd2e-bac4-4e49-a722-ce1921272dc1">at s</gs>tood up about 6" in a poof with bangs, (thank you Aqua Net), chicken legs, jelly shoes, jean shorts, and an Oakley windbreaker on head bobbing and feeling like a bad ass. I rewound that song about 50 times before I had it memorized. Debbie Gibson seemed so childish all of a sudden.<br />
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I took my walkman to school, as it had just started that week. During lunch, I passed the walkman around my lunch table, letting my friends hear the hard lyrics flowing through the crappy headset. Their eyes lit up with a mixture of awe and shock. I wore that tape out within a couple of months. I read the reviews and saw the news on TV blasting the album as glorifying violence and some dismissed it as garbage, dumb street kids who were ignorant to reality so they resort to profanity and violence. I often laugh at the hypocrisy of how we can sit in a theater and watch tons of violence play out in front of our eyes, police being shot, drugs being used, women being beaten, and walk away feeling entertained, while N.W.A. <gs class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="2f4ea162-c177-4b89-b406-2f5d0018adfb" id="b2047a5d-a590-4b2b-9895-ee459a513082">was</gs> labeled as "The World's Most Dangerous Group" for putting these things into song. Of course, the ones who labeled it as such were men who wore 3-piece suits and worked in a high rise who had never once been profiled in their life unless it was for a magazine piece on how they were the best music critic in the business.<br />
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I'll never forget a few years later, when I had my first convertible with a tape deck. I was listening to "F- the Police" at a red light when a cop pulled up beside me. I immediately turned it down and just stared straight ahead. I glanced over to see him chuckling. Maybe it was my reaction or maybe it was the white girl with her hair pulled into a ponytail in a car daddy bought her blasting the song. I was the last person on earth who would ever have a need to say, "F- the Police". (I love the police. They keep me and my kids safe). Just wanted to put that out there.<br />
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I think the 'Straight Outta Compton' album was more of a social commentary of a life most of us can't imagine. When we were kids, most of us weren't stopped by police for walking down the street or standing in a group. These guys were. They were around gangs, they were around drugs, and they stepped away from that and made a name for themselves rapping the harsh truths of life in Compton and every other "hood" in America. I find it funny that the album had its strongest sales in suburbia. 80% of the sales came from people who had no real clue what the lyrics really meant. But it was catchy, and we all felt a little tougher <gs class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="228b927c-4bbe-48be-b3cf-1a3b269103d0" id="2472df61-02aa-4add-98d9-cd6860ce0f3a">listening</gs> to it. We were getting our street smarts from a cassette tape.<br />
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The movie itself was amazing. I wish there was more back story into the individual lives of the members of N.W.A, but the movie focused on how they came to be as a unit. And, if you have seen it, you will know what I mean when I say I was totally confused for 15 minutes into the movie about how they had Ice Cube looking like a teenager again. A quick Google search told me that Ice Cube in the movie was portrayed by none other than his own son, who worked for two years, taking acting classes, and who had to audition many times to land the role playing his dad. Ice Cube himself said that if a better "Cube" had come along, they would have went with him. That's how important it was to get this movie right to the members of the group.<br />
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N.W.A was served with a letter from the FBI who scolded them for encouraging violence against law enforcement and the group often found it hard to get security for their shows. They quickly had disputes over royalties and leadership of the group. In the movie, we see many familiar faces, Snoop Dogg, Suge Knight, 2Pac, and more. We are reminded of the rap greats that came to be because of N.W.A. In the end, they went their separate ways. Ice Cube became a phenomenal solo artist, movie writer, and actor. <gs class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="e62b69a0-ec36-483e-8c7d-0750f7ffe6b4" id="de4ad107-9267-4508-afd1-c661ac29e706">Dre</gs> became a <gs class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="e62b69a0-ec36-483e-8c7d-0750f7ffe6b4" id="d21210e3-eb74-423f-a615-d506af1a733b">bajillionaire</gs> with <gs class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="e62b69a0-ec36-483e-8c7d-0750f7ffe6b4" id="bd11e8b2-ec3a-4867-bc91-af8d072975ee">Beats</gs>, continued rapping, and created his own label which discovered Eminem. We all know that Eazy-E, "The Godfather of Gangster Rap", sadly died of AIDS in 1995.<br />
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As a whole, the movie is an intriguing look into how rap music as we know it came to be. I've heard it said that the release of the movie encourages violence against police. I say that's ridiculous. The movie in no way shows any brutality to the police. These songs were out long before the epidemic of police murders that we have today. The story was written well before that. Is it uncomfortable for us because we are reminded of the few bad seeds that wear blue and are depicted very briefly in this movie? Maybe. We bond with the characters, so it is hard for us to see them be profiled when we know they're not doing anything that would warrant nothing more than a nod and a smile from an officer. In Compton and other inner cities in the country, this is every day life. Most of us have no clue what it's like to grow up in gang infested neighborhoods, in poverty, and seen as less than human.<br />
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I highly recommend the movie to anyone who grew up listening to the early days of rap. The story is about building something, rising above the stigma and the assumptions, and making an impact in the music world.<br />
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There's a sequel being filmed right now, "Dogg Pound 4 Life" which focuses on Death Row Records.<br />
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Until then, I'll leave you with two words:<br />
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"By Felicia"<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12924769896507141813noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2575597203423963190.post-20079979818020086412015-07-20T21:23:00.003-07:002015-07-20T21:23:43.928-07:00Open Letter To Dylann Roof<gs class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="cd664d7e-318a-449b-ac51-6777077bef00" id="c1d7a93f-ae20-4d6c-b26c-128792c8d0bc"><gs class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="01d0b451-ba87-41d2-b10e-cab37ba1356e" id="d8bead70-b642-49c5-bf34-6a17eb18c299"><gs class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="9ff58d3c-8dbf-451f-a23e-8715a5194b7a" id="9a1f8929-8cc9-49d4-b145-4a1f09495fb2"><gs class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="20fea4b1-939d-4663-a458-5ceb180eaf35" id="125ce415-07a1-4549-9e11-aa7ea8bb3b32">Dylann</gs></gs></gs></gs>,<br />
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It may seem kind of silly to write an open letter to you. You are in solitary confinement. You'll never read this. But maybe somebody who has the same warped thinking as you will. Maybe they won't. Maybe this is just a heartbroken South Carolinian getting it out. I didn't know any of the victims of the mass shooting. I don't know their families or friends. I've been to Charleston countless times. I love my home state of South Carolina. I've never seen such love as I have in the couple of weeks since your "mission". Your plan backfired. You wanted to start a race war. You've reminded us that were are one race, the human race. And the outpouring of love and support our state has seen over the last week has been overwhelming. Sometimes, tragedy inspires beauty. And South Carolina has not allowed your mission of hate to divide us. It has united us.<br />
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When you walked through the doors of Mother Emmanuel, a predominantly black church, they didn't look at you, an awkward looking white boy, an outsider. They welcomed you inside as one of them, to escape the sometimes cruel world outside those doors, to find hope in a world of hatred and sadness. You said you almost didn't go through with your plan, as they were so nice to you. Instead, you brought the cruel world that they prayed for inside that church. You took advantage of kindness. In a <gs class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="838c6245-7fcd-4200-bf38-04da0ddf15b9" id="b09bac79-d849-4183-b676-a4c23df98e5d"><gs class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="049f0f4a-2598-4bce-a313-22b885fa732b" id="bb4c9e9f-182f-4687-a9ce-8c37634f4004"><gs class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="87c5cfc2-b797-45d9-967e-1d8ee4944cd1" id="2bd1669a-b5ba-400b-a2a8-716325d810d9"><gs class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="2febba83-9a2e-4e16-ba0f-3338bf299e87" id="25e48338-625d-4b95-a21c-e1436e62ceb0">Snapchat</gs></gs></gs></gs> taken just before <gs class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="838c6245-7fcd-4200-bf38-04da0ddf15b9" id="06e3c672-64a9-47f1-9d2d-9b6cd4e608d4"><gs class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="049f0f4a-2598-4bce-a313-22b885fa732b" id="9c1f61f2-4050-4b13-b38b-af2368bcc2a6"><gs class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="87c5cfc2-b797-45d9-967e-1d8ee4944cd1" id="fd0bdb3e-e5b7-4fdb-bd1a-d9612e9faf51"><gs class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="2febba83-9a2e-4e16-ba0f-3338bf299e87" id="d3f573cd-6488-499d-8cde-9f1769307923">your</gs></gs></gs></gs> rampage, we can see the very members you shot, smiling, totally comfortable in your presence, yet unknowingly sitting in the midst of a cold blooded killer. That video is one <gs class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="d9d9d078-002a-4c3b-823d-92edc3476a0f" id="2f77329c-0788-46d2-9e47-5b55b403ba18">I</gs> could only watch once, as I saw a glimpse of you, sitting amongst them, as they carried on their Bible study with you in their midst, in their eyes, an equal, moments before you coldly took their lives.<br />
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In spite of the warm welcome and gracious people who thought they may be helping you along in life, you saw them as less than equal. You took a gun from your backpack and decided to go through with your plan. You shot many rounds, killing nine and injuring others, and forever changing the lives of the many who knew and loved those lost souls. A six-year-old "played dead" to avoid your bullets. Someone asked you to please stop. You didn't. You ran out of bullets. You planned to end your life. When you realized you were one bullet <gs class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="83286840-6ba1-470c-9751-8128329022cb" id="3782514c-7ad8-4dbb-a05b-eff00d09a521">short to do that</gs>, you left. You left a trail of death behind you, and you also left a sobering reminder that hate is alive and well.<br />
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For the most part, there doesn't seem to be anyone or anything to blame other than yourself. You used the internet to find like minded idiots such as yourself to fuel your hatred. Rumor has it, it all began when a girl you had a crush on chose a black man to date instead of you. There doesn't seem to be the mental illness defense that many other mass murdering cowards use to try and justify their actions of evil. I am glad you didn't get the chance to kill yourself. I am glad you will sit in a jail cell. A scrawny kid who isn't such a big threat to those around you on the inside as you were <gs class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="1482a88c-0da8-4dec-89d0-cf65db851631" id="b358cc86-fcd5-40b6-abcf-d597bf55e111"><gs class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="982a2e24-877f-41e5-9633-3b1672d326c1" id="67d8a8d8-91cf-4594-9202-54c243d21e52">to</gs></gs> others on the outside. You will sit through a trial. You will hear from the victims families, the injured. You will see <gs class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="34c88202-e6be-4266-bf2e-5137f13a1b3c" id="89739b05-c0ee-428b-8109-5f0b6aab33e0"><gs class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="b4cbee8b-d7bf-4207-97c4-98cba20f9979" id="53ad5277-0699-4cd4-be6f-fa4f1f06c52c">graphic</gs></gs> photos of the death you caused. You will be held accountable for taking nine beautiful lives who were showing <gs class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="ccda7a04-42b2-494b-9d87-53d9590ece8a" id="1baa8a8b-b62c-45f4-865f-3d94bd5ff856"><gs class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="c1ebaece-cea8-4013-b21f-55e25502f3dd" id="328ef3a4-e30f-4b2f-aba6-1f75833e836d"><gs class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="1285900a-4130-42af-8484-18b8dd48288e" id="83d274c7-dcae-48de-9cbd-3868342f16ce">you</gs></gs></gs> love and compassion.<br />
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The scariest part of it all is that people like you still exist in our world. I hope and pray that my loved ones never happen to be in the right place at the wrong time, yes, I said right place. In the last 3 years, you and James Holmes went into everyday, normal places, and took many lives. He chose a movie theater on opening night of a highly anticipated midnight release. You chose a house of God. Are we safe anywhere anymore? Maybe not.<br />
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I'll never forget being in New York City on the subway alone after midnight a few years ago. I missed my stop and ended up in Harlem. When I saw the sign in the station, my heart sank. I had heard nothing but bad things about Harlem and the people who lived there. But, I had no choice but to keep going up the stairs and out. It was dark. There was a convenience store right across from the stop. I could see four black men under the streetlight. I hesitated, but I walked over to them and explained I was lost. One guy laughed, "Yeah, that's an understatement". They all burst out laughing. Then, another gentleman in their group asked where I needed to be. I told them the station I needed to stop at. They gave me directions. And then, wait for it, they walked me to the entrance of the subway station to make sure I stayed safe. I thanked them and they told me to be on high alert since it was late and I was alone. In my gut, I felt terrible for the moment of hesitation I had. I assumed. I was wrong. Beautiful lesson learned for me.<br />
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Love will always outweigh the hatred in our world. While I may not move mountains in changing the world, I can make the biggest difference I have the chance to make right here in my own home as I raise my three beautiful children. I have always taught them that race, religion, and color come in many forms and we're all equal. My oldest kids have learned about segregation and the Civil Rights era from me and at school. They both think that time in history was unjust. In their little hearts, they don't see any difference in themselves, their friends who are black, their Japanese friends, or friends with disabilities. People are people. I hope that they will carry that with them their entire lives, passing that down to their own children one day.<br />
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In time, we won't remember you. We will remember and honor the lives you took. We will also remember how our state became one under such tragic circumstances. We will tuck our kids in every night and hope they do not turn from the innocent <gs class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="c382b815-3788-4448-b79b-cc635cebca88" id="16ffac0d-b9b1-43c1-bd63-a19b76ac4644"><gs class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="c58a443a-adc8-49b7-9020-f8312d43c2a6" id="6cd2873e-e1ab-4d17-b24d-ddb7ae50ac28"><gs class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="f404d76b-f242-45ca-9710-e43172760b31" id="6aa55fd9-8504-453b-96aa-9665a205bcf5">souls they</gs></gs></gs> are into one filled with hatred, or ever encounter a soul who is. Will racism ever go away. No. But, those of us who think racism and violence is pointless and full of heartache outnumber people like you. Too bad you didn't have a TV <gs class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="c1d0120d-bfc2-4a9c-9fd1-80f96f17660b" id="ee9c2aa3-d502-44f6-9a49-72df06d3e12b"><gs class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="f47f8ddd-161b-4234-b153-e6a5b7b24711" id="e0666d1b-7edd-4268-89f1-38707fd03ba1"><gs class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="80f6d5e9-8435-4801-8c74-d0f74f79fff9" id="d94a4fb9-cb6e-4bcd-9b31-aea156dd9387">in</gs></gs></gs> your cell to see the thousands who gathered on the bridge in Charleston; black, white, red, yellow, immigrants, every ethnicity you could imagine. You would not have only seen that your race war was a failure, you would have seen the tears from all walks of life were the same transparent tears we all cry in times of sadness. United in grief. Determined to not let you "win".<br />
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I am so proud of my state. I stood in line to get <gs class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="e391e958-767e-494a-943b-8c02d2665364" id="f246e6dd-7437-43c3-bda7-2b48bd820211"><gs class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="9c5b6416-8b48-4b17-878a-606cd71c0878" id="c9965f86-0f32-4710-b7d5-fd07e68352cb"><gs class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="d27b4b9e-c0b8-459e-8b3f-bceee6dc47f1" id="db41ef64-2646-4da0-a8e2-943bbdb66132">t-shirts</gs></gs></gs> for my family to honor the dead. I stood in line with people from all over the color spectrum. Poor, rich, middle of the road. None of that mattered. We were all there to pay respect to those who died at the hands of a heartless coward. Their deaths are not in vain.<br />
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I took my kids to the site of the shooting. We stood in awe of the <gs class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="8529f749-b9c0-4773-af4a-98dab936007c" id="e22878b6-c6f0-45a3-85d6-b0f900fa8208">outpouring</gs> of love in the form of letters, cards, pictures, flowers, and the friendly and united conversation. My son, who is eight, asked me quite loudly, "Mom, how do I honor the ones who died?". A young black man overheard him, bent down, put his hand on my son's shoulder, and said, "You already have, little man". The young man had tears in his eyes. He gives me hope for our future and maybe my own son gave him some hope, too.<br />
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I asked my kids in front of the church what they hoped would come from this, and what they wanted to see in their future. This is what they agreed on: "Peace. For everyone to get along and love each other". Then, my son said, "Let's take a picture holding up a peace sign". While their dream my never fully be a reality, may they go into this world with that attitude and be a part of the solution.<br />
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May we never forget the Charleston nine. May we never forget their last lesson they taught all of us on earth - to love without hesitation. It sadly cost them their life, but we've all heard the phrase, "What would Jesus do?". And they did. They chose love. To open their doors to someone seemingly in need. You took advantage of that. May they rest in peace.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12924769896507141813noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2575597203423963190.post-37188637356525268312014-03-13T10:09:00.001-07:002014-03-13T17:04:58.264-07:00Flying The Friendly Skies? In the last six months, I have traveled a lot. I have spent countless hours in a <span class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="46fa7ac6-c644-4156-9cc4-fcde959a77ba" id="5e8d5e54-dbe9-4063-b333-62c7c14b3c47"><span class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="1726f0ac-2bc8-41d3-9062-1b71a52b382e" id="79914e27-041f-4468-b8fb-7e81f9054313">terminal watching</span></span> my flight delay <span class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="46fa7ac6-c644-4156-9cc4-fcde959a77ba" id="a7f62bfd-93b3-4c53-afc8-fe856086d425"><span class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="1726f0ac-2bc8-41d3-9062-1b71a52b382e" id="bd5e763f-36cf-45fe-ac75-9e0cc78dac59">time increase</span></span> minute to minute knowing my connection is shot. I've had flights cancelled ten minutes before boarding. I've stood in long security lines only to have my boobs frisked, and they didn't even have the decency to buy me a drink first. I've dealt with grumpy airport staff who give off the vibe that they would rather be having a root canal than check the validity of your driver's license. I've shared the airport with outright rude passengers that make me wonder how people can be so miserable all the time. I guess they get their frustration out IN the airport and I am doing it here. I've had flight attendants who gave me the death stare because I asked for one more creamer for my coffee.<br />
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(The all to familiar notification on my phone when traveling)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC7NB-xFaKh_Q8KJihF9kFPOIKkk7rUv3YTdKdLv4seAu81dXCzwcLsxDyLABRBXUjfxQWYab_eN8hkZ7BHjiSnwzAI-KNsg_T_izSbarIP7SAyo-wCyajs1iMaXuJ0WwThs4tP17DEd3V/s1600/1454561_10153518580245192_1776652092_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC7NB-xFaKh_Q8KJihF9kFPOIKkk7rUv3YTdKdLv4seAu81dXCzwcLsxDyLABRBXUjfxQWYab_eN8hkZ7BHjiSnwzAI-KNsg_T_izSbarIP7SAyo-wCyajs1iMaXuJ0WwThs4tP17DEd3V/s1600/1454561_10153518580245192_1776652092_n.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></a></div>
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(The worst thing you can see while waiting in the terminal to board) </div>
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Don't get me wrong, I have had some amazingly fun times on the pressurized metal tubes and have met some really cool people. I sat next to DMX on a flight from Washington, DC to Greenville, SC (my hometown). I had a <span class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="d14ff10f-4944-4dae-a96d-c7d3203fdb80" id="caf28aa6-2b34-409d-80a7-ca75b4a6d133">seatmate</span> who is the drummer for Edwin McCain, (I'm looking at you, Tez). I've had flight attendants who made my trip so much fun with their cheery attitude and wanting to make the flight fun for all. I've had pilots who were intrigued with my Google Glass and were happy to try them on and snap a cool picture for my 6-year-old son. Yes, nice people are all around, too.<br />
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(My seat mate, DMX) </div>
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(My favorite seat mate, Tez Sherard, Edwin McCain's drummer)</div>
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A good or bad seat mate can make or break your flight. I have had both. <span class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="010c0ae6-9d8d-4d25-bff9-b5c29b025a2e" id="1cdfd0ab-f4e9-4704-b4fa-224c143d9ed6"><span class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="3db128f0-a2aa-4cee-9409-9c325a5e7344" id="654601d7-1878-4aa1-b6a2-6c23bf1565d6">The good</span></span> seat mate is someone you can engage in a fun conversation with and make your flight fly by. I talk a <span class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="0a57ed23-99b8-44b0-9f4a-dc5d49f5d66f" id="d556177c-3df4-46ba-9cfb-fe45434c9d9a"><span class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="0a968a0e-a916-4381-b74d-afa3a4edbd61" id="5e29eafb-32c4-4ab8-94dc-bcc98929775c">lot but</span></span> I always <span class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="0a57ed23-99b8-44b0-9f4a-dc5d49f5d66f" id="9fb4865e-a373-4fc6-bc16-c7ffe576f0bf"><span class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="0a968a0e-a916-4381-b74d-afa3a4edbd61" id="94582187-56d3-49a5-a293-e7889efe1925">read the</span></span> people I am sitting next to. If they say a quick, "Hello", and quickly put their ear buds in, I pop my Beats on my head and get lost in iTunes. We say, "Goodbye", at landing, and that's that. Some <span class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="6ad0b40e-5e38-4542-a90b-484d9591ba6b" id="489d311e-5cce-468c-86f2-7c02fc88ddab">talk</span> your ear off non-stop as you look at your lonely headphones and wonder, would it be incredibly rude to just put them on, close your eyes, and tilt your head back. </div>
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I would have to say that the worst seat mate is the one with no regard for your comfort during your time sitting 4 inches away from them for hours. By this, I mean the people whose breath smell like they ate a whole onion directly prior to boarding. Or, the ones who spent the hour before boarding at the bar downing Jack Daniels. It costs $1.54 to buy some breath mints at the Hudson News that's in every airport across the country. And, don't forget to shower before you fly or at least put some deodorant on. I sat next to a guy who was very nice looking, but smelled as if he had just spent a year in the desert in the middle of summer. I literally had to spray breath spray on my finger and rub it under my nose. </div>
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Moving away from the people you share your travel experiences with and moving on to the airlines themselves. What happened, airline industry? I remember when flying was a pleasure. It was something people looked forward to just as much as the destination they were going to. You got served with a hot meal that you wouldn't eat if you were on the ground, but in the air, it may as well be a $300 a head meal in a fine dining institute. Don't even act like you didn't get excited when you saw the food cart come rolling down the aisle. Now, you pay $8 for packaged crackers, some trail mix, and a piece of chocolate.<br />
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Speaking of money, flying is nothing short of highway robbery. Yes, I know some will say I should drive or take a Greyhound, but those people clearly haven't flown lately. First your fare will be ridiculous and sometimes it makes no sense. For example, I needed to fly to Philadelphia. The choices were Greenville to Philadelphia, $398 & Greenville, SC to NYC via Philadelphia, $220. I thought I would one-over the airline. I decided to book the Greenville to NYC via Philly and just hop off in Philadelphia. NYC was where I would end up and fly out of, but I needed to go to Philly first. I hopped off the plane and smiled as I knew I had saved over $100. However, the day I was to leave from NYC to come home, I got this message as I checked in:<br />
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It said my reservation was, "Out of sync" and I needed to call the airlines. I did so and was floored in the process. Apparently, hopping off your flight is considered <span class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="7207af7a-0b60-4013-ab6a-5aedfcf0af9a" id="21f5fc7d-ac38-4d16-b46a-4cc174730cd9">abandoning</span> your itinerary. The result? A $200 change fee and the difference in fare, which is astronomical the day <span class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="dc0a5d19-d176-459b-a981-fd3347227fa3" id="40732d20-1471-4326-a177-303ec472f25c">of</span>. Well played, US Airways, well played. Lesson learned.<br />
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Baggage fees will eat you alive. When I first started traveling to NYC last year, I brought two check-in bags for a 3 day trip each time. Hey, I am a woman. I prepare for the worst. After a few months of almost having to take out a 2nd mortgage on my house, I downsized to one. $60 each way adds up fast. Now, I am the master of the carry on bag.<br />
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An eye opening experience came to me two weeks ago. My 2-year-old came down with a nasty stomach bug on a Tuesday. I added it up and figured I would be full blown sick by that Thursday night and unable to fly to Colorado that Friday. My prediction came true. I called the airline Friday morning explaining that I was vomiting like a fraternity brother and I wanted to do the responsible thing and travel at another time. I didn't think it was fair to be actively vomiting on a booked flight with over 200 people, exposing them all to the incapacitating illness that would likely ruin their vacation. Us Airways informed me that I could cancel, but I would have to pay the $200 change fee to re-book my flight at a later date and any change in fares. I protested in between pukes. I told the agent I would be glad to bring a huge garbage bag to the terminal with me and apologize for exposing everyone to my illness as we boarded. US Air didn't flinch. They were more than ready to infect the entire airplane to collect $200 from me. I decided to not be selfish and fly sick, so I stayed home. I will owe them $200 to re-book in addition to the over $500 in fares I paid for when I was healthy.<br />
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Will airlines get any better? I don't think so. The pilots and flight attendants hands are tied. I don't blame them for the conditions on board the aircraft. You get a free drink on all <span class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="3f82893e-020f-4f73-82bb-b14808ef0de9" id="cb8f8608-c250-4114-b1b3-02ec308f8130"><span class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="3f82893e-020f-4f73-82bb-b14808ef0de9" id="cb8f8608-c250-4114-b1b3-02ec308f8130"><span class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="3f82893e-020f-4f73-82bb-b14808ef0de9" id="cb8f8608-c250-4114-b1b3-02ec308f8130"><span class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="3f82893e-020f-4f73-82bb-b14808ef0de9" id="cb8f8608-c250-4114-b1b3-02ec308f8130"><span class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="3f82893e-020f-4f73-82bb-b14808ef0de9" id="cb8f8608-c250-4114-b1b3-02ec308f8130"><span class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="3f82893e-020f-4f73-82bb-b14808ef0de9" id="cb8f8608-c250-4114-b1b3-02ec308f8130"><span class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="3f82893e-020f-4f73-82bb-b14808ef0de9" id="cb8f8608-c250-4114-b1b3-02ec308f8130"><span class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="3f82893e-020f-4f73-82bb-b14808ef0de9" id="cb8f8608-c250-4114-b1b3-02ec308f8130"><span class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="3f82893e-020f-4f73-82bb-b14808ef0de9" id="cb8f8608-c250-4114-b1b3-02ec308f8130"><span class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="3f82893e-020f-4f73-82bb-b14808ef0de9" id="cb8f8608-c250-4114-b1b3-02ec308f8130"><span class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="3f82893e-020f-4f73-82bb-b14808ef0de9" id="cb8f8608-c250-4114-b1b3-02ec308f8130"><span class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="3f82893e-020f-4f73-82bb-b14808ef0de9" id="cb8f8608-c250-4114-b1b3-02ec308f8130"><span class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="3f82893e-020f-4f73-82bb-b14808ef0de9" id="cb8f8608-c250-4114-b1b3-02ec308f8130"><span class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="3f82893e-020f-4f73-82bb-b14808ef0de9" id="cb8f8608-c250-4114-b1b3-02ec308f8130"><span class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="3f82893e-020f-4f73-82bb-b14808ef0de9" id="cb8f8608-c250-4114-b1b3-02ec308f8130"><span class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="3f82893e-020f-4f73-82bb-b14808ef0de9" id="cb8f8608-c250-4114-b1b3-02ec308f8130"><span class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="3f82893e-020f-4f73-82bb-b14808ef0de9" id="cb8f8608-c250-4114-b1b3-02ec308f8130"><span class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="3f82893e-020f-4f73-82bb-b14808ef0de9" id="cb8f8608-c250-4114-b1b3-02ec308f8130"><span class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="3f82893e-020f-4f73-82bb-b14808ef0de9" id="cb8f8608-c250-4114-b1b3-02ec308f8130"><span class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="3f82893e-020f-4f73-82bb-b14808ef0de9" id="cb8f8608-c250-4114-b1b3-02ec308f8130"><span class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="3f82893e-020f-4f73-82bb-b14808ef0de9" id="cb8f8608-c250-4114-b1b3-02ec308f8130"><span class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="3f82893e-020f-4f73-82bb-b14808ef0de9" id="cb8f8608-c250-4114-b1b3-02ec308f8130"><span class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="3f82893e-020f-4f73-82bb-b14808ef0de9" id="cb8f8608-c250-4114-b1b3-02ec308f8130"><span class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="3f82893e-020f-4f73-82bb-b14808ef0de9" id="cb8f8608-c250-4114-b1b3-02ec308f8130"><span class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="3f82893e-020f-4f73-82bb-b14808ef0de9" id="cb8f8608-c250-4114-b1b3-02ec308f8130"><span class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="3f82893e-020f-4f73-82bb-b14808ef0de9" id="cb8f8608-c250-4114-b1b3-02ec308f8130"><span class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="3f82893e-020f-4f73-82bb-b14808ef0de9" id="cb8f8608-c250-4114-b1b3-02ec308f8130"><span class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="3f82893e-020f-4f73-82bb-b14808ef0de9" id="cb8f8608-c250-4114-b1b3-02ec308f8130"><span class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="3f82893e-020f-4f73-82bb-b14808ef0de9" id="cb8f8608-c250-4114-b1b3-02ec308f8130"><span class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="3f82893e-020f-4f73-82bb-b14808ef0de9" id="cb8f8608-c250-4114-b1b3-02ec308f8130"><span class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="3f82893e-020f-4f73-82bb-b14808ef0de9" id="cb8f8608-c250-4114-b1b3-02ec308f8130"><span class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="3f82893e-020f-4f73-82bb-b14808ef0de9" id="cb8f8608-c250-4114-b1b3-02ec308f8130"><span class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="3f82893e-020f-4f73-82bb-b14808ef0de9" id="cb8f8608-c250-4114-b1b3-02ec308f8130"><span class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="3f82893e-020f-4f73-82bb-b14808ef0de9" id="cb8f8608-c250-4114-b1b3-02ec308f8130">flights and</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span> that's about it. The planes are typically nasty for the most part and they're are all pretty much run down. I ripped my new jacket and scratched my arm on this broken armrest which US Air didn't feel responsible for. Thank god I didn't get Teatnus:<br />
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I could go on and on about the pitfalls of airports and flying, but that would require a book deal and about 1,000 pages to play with. I guess when it comes down to it, when your wheels touch the ground at your destination, the hassle, and the empty wallet is of little concern. I've had a blast traveling. I've met amazing people, seen fantastic concerts, and made memories that will last me a lifetime.<br />
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(Neil Young at Carnegie Hall - amazing show!)</div>
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(Allie Mills, mom from 'The Wonder Years' at a subway station on Upper West Side) </div>
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(Cyndi Lauper concert in Englewood, NJ) </div>
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(Nellie Furtado and I after Cyndi Lauper and Friends concert, NYC) </div>
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(P<span class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="1a76f371-0227-4aa4-b150-24fc4edf0c72" id="3e04bb16-1fac-4b62-9b57-c0251b81f6b1">!</span><span class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="1a76f371-0227-4aa4-b150-24fc4edf0c72" id="8bec8614-5831-42fd-bde4-1d10166a4477">nk</span> at Barclay's Center, Brooklyn)</div>
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(This view may just be worth all the money and hassle)</div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12924769896507141813noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2575597203423963190.post-47850955033043117422013-10-13T20:13:00.000-07:002013-10-13T20:33:00.274-07:00Mariano Rivera's Last Yankee Home Game With Google Glass<span class="GingerNoCheckStart"></span>Sometimes the stars align and things happen that are nothing short of magic. I was in New York City a few weeks ago and I had the chance to see <span class="GINGER_SOFATWARE_correct" ginger_sofatware_markguid="18f42954-9e74-4833-b82f-0df983ce10ff" ginger_sofatware_uiphraseguid="2dee4296-cc4c-4f25-afff-197eece80444" grcontextid="Mo's last home game:0">Mo's last home game</span> as a New York Yankee. I am a huge Yankee fan. I cut my toe the other day and I pretty sure there was a bluish tint to the color of my blood. Ok, maybe not, but you get the point. I have said the entire season that I would give anything to be sitting in that stadium as Mo took the mound one last time. Well, it happened. To explain how I got to that point is another blog in itself, but let's just say that at the very last minute, I had my Yankee tickets in hand, and was on the D train to the Bronx.<br />
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I exited the station and could feel the energy of Yankee Stadium hit me like a train. It was as if we were in the World Series (Not this year, so this was as close as we were going to get). That was the atmosphere. It was electric. We all knew we were coming to say goodbye to the best closer in the history of the game, and future Hall Of Famer. We were watching a man come back from an almost career ending ACL tear. He came back to finish it this year. His way.<br />
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A man like Mariano Rivera, to me, is a true role model. He's humble, he's a family man, he's played with integrity, and has been a consistent standout on the field. How many times have you read a bad headline about <span class="GINGER_SOFATWARE_correct" ginger_sofatware_markguid="0b583b3a-084f-4826-949e-0787bea5ff59" ginger_sofatware_uiphraseguid="9ab1e6e4-1f7d-4797-875b-06d4c606ccec" grcontextid="Mo:0">Mo</span>? Probably none. He loves the game. It shows every time he steps on the field. I could go on and on.<br />
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The game was exciting, but we all knew what we were waiting for. The call to the bullpen, one last time, make the call to bring Mo out. The time came. The crowd rose to their feet. The sounds <span class="GINGER_SOFATWARE_correct" ginger_sofatware_markguid="48cae2a1-a402-4012-bc66-6ff83844de17" ginger_sofatware_uiphraseguid="475632a5-4467-4bdd-88a2-92b885143b76" grcontextid="was:0">was</span> almost deafening. Then, he emerged.<br />
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One last trot to the mound. You could see he was taking it all in. Tens of thousands were on their feet, chanting, "We Want Mo". I had goosebumps.<br />
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You have to wonder what was going through his mind at this moment.</div>
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A few warm up pitches</div>
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The time came for the last pitch. <span class="GINGER_SOFATWARE_correct" ginger_sofatware_markguid="b16c27a1-359b-46e5-8d6a-074ae3a1607e" ginger_sofatware_uiphraseguid="c0c877a0-1c89-4d94-8475-11e660a26462" grcontextid="Mo:0">Mo</span> stood on the mound for a second, the crowd on their feet, a roar filled the air. He gently tossed the ball a few times.<br />
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After doing his job and giving the fans one last glimpse of near perfection on the mound at Yankee Stadium, Rivera's last at-home game was over.<br />
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I love the above photo. The three Yankees who have been there the longest, Jeter, Rivera, and Pettitt (who also retired), went to the mound to hug their teammate. <span class="GINGER_SOFATWARE_correct" ginger_sofatware_markguid="39bede8c-8d02-4a5d-a276-48d9461e7b74" ginger_sofatware_uiphraseguid="f214a7c1-0a01-4cb0-8b72-69d21430e50a" grcontextid="Pettitt:0">Pettitt</span> was content to stand aside and let Mo have his well deserved moment.<br />
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And a video shot with Google Glass (not the best quality distance wise but gives you a nice idea of the atmosphere).<br />
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rxychWLsAfI" target="_blank">Meeting on the Mound</a><br />
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Rivera and Jeter hug</div>
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<span class="GINGER_SOFATWARE_correct" ginger_sofatware_markguid="6e7a9d54-5124-482c-b8f2-b4640f46c31c" ginger_sofatware_uiphraseguid="aeed50d8-10ee-481c-9aad-27f646adfef0" grcontextid="Mo:0">Mo</span> tips his hat to the fans and the players. </div>
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<span class="GINGER_SOFATWARE_correct" ginger_sofatware_markguid="fd1f5102-a67e-4ad5-8495-a5b4e601f7ae" ginger_sofatware_uiphraseguid="3a2fef07-3e18-4b1e-9f06-3356a04b94ea" grcontextid="Mo:0">Mo</span> wiped away tears as he exited the field</div>
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Rivera scoops up dirt from the mound</div>
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As a woman, I felt the emotion of the moment, and I don't think that was lost on any man in the stands. I saw grown men wiping away tears. Probably because we know we're screwed now, but still, tears. :)</div>
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I am so proud as a Yankees fan to have been there that night. I don't know what Rivera plans to do in retirement, but I know we haven't seen the last of him. I hope he enjoys the time with his beautiful family and knows that he has inspired a lot of young players, new fans, old fans, and <span class="GINGER_SOFATWARE_correct" ginger_sofatware_markguid="9971969d-ed05-488c-b616-32fb7c56ce8e" ginger_sofatware_uiphraseguid="702dd269-1175-47ac-92fa-02347ad36a99" grcontextid="has encapsulated:0">has encapsulated</span> what a true baseball player really is. </div>
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Good luck, Mo. We will not only miss your positive force on the roster, but also the feeling knowing when you're on the mound, and it's a close one, that we'll be okay that game. </div>
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(All photos are copyright of Jennifer McKelvey. Please do not use without permission). </div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12924769896507141813noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2575597203423963190.post-12727724179718119982013-10-01T10:15:00.000-07:002013-10-01T10:15:04.881-07:00Here's the link to the Fox Carolina interview I did about Glass!<br />
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<a href="http://www.foxcarolina.com/story/23572659/upstate-woman-testing-out-google-glass" target="_blank">Upstate Woman Tests Google Glass</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12924769896507141813noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2575597203423963190.post-35283979725176313412013-09-30T22:26:00.002-07:002013-09-30T22:26:33.082-07:00Just a quick update to share a local news station, Fox Carolina, and the story they did on me being a Glass Explorer. I will share the interview clip tomorrow when it becomes available!<br />
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<a href="http://www.foxcarolina.com/story/23572659/upstate-woman-testing-out-google-glass?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter" target="_blank">http://www.foxcarolina.com/story/23572659/upstate-woman-testing-out-google-glass?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12924769896507141813noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2575597203423963190.post-80114425504259195992013-09-17T12:45:00.000-07:002013-10-14T14:22:07.163-07:00Strolling Around Manhattan With Google GlassI had to go to New York City last week for business but I was able to mix a little pleasure in there. I grabbed my Google Glass to document my adventures in the city.<br />
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I don't know if those who have Glass have had the same experiences as I have had out and about with them. Either people whisper, "She has Google Glass", or they'll just come right up to you and ask about it. I love people who do that. I like to talk to anyone who will talk back. Further, I like to see the excitement on people's faces when they try Glass on for the first time.<br />
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My experiences with people approaching me about my Glass happened immediately upon entering the airport here in Greenville, SC. I had two Marines who were about to ship out asking to try them on. They were really excited and we talked about how Google Glass could change their jobs for the better. I'm sure you all have a few of these photos; the ones where you're telling someone how to take a picture. Here is one of those:<br />
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This is in Charlotte. I was delayed by 3 hours. There was a Federal Marshall who was intrigued with Glass.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiStjAZ7T7OWRMuJqWnJ-o5YT7B_Us_0GQrwmorM62b_73VHsMg-OTIICq4gEWWglotPEIaAphXUuqUiYd8e78m_s3YYkPNHYCtDNX99MCrVgdrYbWbM-Z0fApQWkh3QZPHfFOePObz1nJ/s1600/1235180_10153291970510192_1436263309_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="356" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiStjAZ7T7OWRMuJqWnJ-o5YT7B_Us_0GQrwmorM62b_73VHsMg-OTIICq4gEWWglotPEIaAphXUuqUiYd8e78m_s3YYkPNHYCtDNX99MCrVgdrYbWbM-Z0fApQWkh3QZPHfFOePObz1nJ/s640/1235180_10153291970510192_1436263309_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
This was on the ferry from Liberty Island to Manhattan. A group of men were talking about Google Glass and didn't notice I had them on. A friend overheard their conversation and I walked over to share with them. :) They were amazed. (No, I was not about to go all Mike Tyson on him although it looks like I have my dukes up).<br />
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I loved having Google Glass while I walked around in NY. I was able to still see where I was going while getting some nice footage. Below is a short video <span class="GINGER_SOFATWARE_correct" ginger_sofatware_markguid="e045e388-35aa-4bda-8113-6b7b9b30ca46" ginger_sofatware_uiphraseguid="a524c760-db13-4540-8ede-04b54bd2883c" grcontextid="at:0">at</span> the 9/11 Memorial.<br />
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I love the clarity of the video and the audio is not bad at all. The only little thing I noted is how after I scale the Freedom Tower and go back down to the water, there's a short blackout with Glass as it adjusts to the light.<br />
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On a side note, and the most important point, I really was moved at my time spent here. I had been to New York shortly after 9/11. In fact, it was still smoldering and recovery was still well underway. I came back later on when the cleanup was over and it was just a an empty space and it was almost hard to picture such horror taking place there. But, I could feel the weight in my heart. I could see the images that played over and over on the news. I could see the faces of those who lost their lives and the faces full of grief from those left behind.<br />
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I went here last week with a friend who had a very beautiful way of explaining how they felt when they visited the memorial. If you stand right beside the edge, you can feel a rising of air. It clearly feels as if the air calmly floats up. It's almost, in a poetic way, as if the souls are rising. Rising above the horror and the terror of that fateful day. The explanation of that from my friend gave me cold chills and peace as I looked at the countless names of people I never met, but grieved for.<br />
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The reminder that, even in times of great loss and sorrow, life goes on, is the new Freedom Tower. It's symbolic to me in that it's like a Phoenix rising from the ashes. Anytime this tower was in my view, I stopped to look.<br />
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I went to Central Park, an oasis in the city. The green reminded me of home. If you've ever been there, you know that it's a nice break from the concrete jungle just outside the borders of the trees. There's also some beautiful spots to take photos. I snapped a few with Glass while there.<br />
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I love how the texture of the rock is captured in this shot as well as the clarity of everything in the photo.<br />
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This may be my favorite Central Park photo I took. You see the trees that line the city and you see the buildings towering over, reminding you that you're in the middle of Manhattan.<br />
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I also took an afternoon to go visit the Statue of Liberty. I took a video of the view:<br />
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And, a photo!<br />
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My time in New York went by way too fast for my liking, but all good trips have to end at some point. I loaded my luggage into a taxi and told him to take me to LaGuardia. I got a few shots of NY on my way out.<br />
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Overall, having Glass with me really enhanced the post-trip reminiscing a fantastic long weekend in the greatest city in America (besides Greenville). I got the shots I could have gotten with my phone or camera, but would have missed the view in doing so. This is my major love affair with Google Glass. The hands-free option has me sold completely. Battery life is still leaving much to be desired for me and I hope a software update in the future will solve that problem. And, off topic, I lost my Glass charger when I changed rooms at my hotel. Any micro-USB works and I have had no problem charging until I can get a replacement.<br />
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I am really excited to take Google Glass to Disney World when I take my three kids in the hopefully not so distant future! Capturing their faces as they roam a place they love will be priceless.<br />
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Goodbye, New York. See you soon!<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12924769896507141813noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2575597203423963190.post-18392479697245692013-09-08T09:54:00.000-07:002013-09-08T10:12:18.090-07:00The Camera On Google Glass: The Good And Bad. <br />
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I've been overall very impressed with the photo quality of Google Glass. In the right light, the photo is, in my opinion, <span class="GINGER_SOFATWARE_correct" ginger_sofatware_markguid="9c688485-ad63-4c14-98af-50668003bdb9" ginger_sofatware_uiphraseguid="f5df0580-f0cd-47b9-bd04-afe9d3217dbf" grcontextid="comparable:0">comparable</span> to photos taken with my Nikon. The colors are rich and the textures are captured nicely.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9Rzz_-4PVzu9EVPEWG1J-QcKWAYP8Dvask1RMdIbCHt3xhOe6qTheILm4-JFR2hWefRDONdijw5xD80uBukGVtQA1wnDlNbYccmne2peHnesxM9yC6PqF9GxVdbbxHxNIc2MbTy3soA03/s1600/20130907_124812_874_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="293" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9Rzz_-4PVzu9EVPEWG1J-QcKWAYP8Dvask1RMdIbCHt3xhOe6qTheILm4-JFR2hWefRDONdijw5xD80uBukGVtQA1wnDlNbYccmne2peHnesxM9yC6PqF9GxVdbbxHxNIc2MbTy3soA03/s400/20130907_124812_874_1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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This is where I use Google Glass the most. I take lots of photos and videos of my kids. Yesterday, we went on a hike and I brought Glass along.<br />
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It was cool to be able to walk around with three kids in tow and film our little adventure. I have a 2-year-old, so she needs a hand on her at all times. I couldn't have done that with a phone in my hand recording and still get the shot I wanted. The convenience of Glass was awesome. I took a few videos along the way:<br />
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<object class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="http://i1.ytimg.com/vi/62u0OaZ_WeY/0.jpg" height="266" width="320"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/62u0OaZ_WeY?version=3&f=user_uploads&c=google-webdrive-0&app=youtube_gdata" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/62u0OaZ_WeY?version=3&f=user_uploads&c=google-webdrive-0&app=youtube_gdata" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></div>
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The one issue I see with Glass is that where there is direct sunlight on the subject, there's almost a glow that comes off of them and the colors wash out. I know this isn't a problem unique to Glass. I wish there were something in Glass that could adjust to extreme brightness and even out the sunlight. If you watch the video, you will almost see a glow coming off of my son's bright yellow shirt. While it's nothing that ruins the video, it lessens the quality of the video for me. There is a shimmer of light coming off of him. It reminded me of how the vampires in 'Twilight' glow in the sun. (Yes, I took my niece to see the movie. No, I didn't enjoy it). <br />
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I also wonder if the glowing issue was just the scene - we're in a darker area of the woods with a burst of light coming in directly where my kids were standing? I've taken other outdoor videos that have been just fine, as you can see below:<br />
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<object class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="http://i1.ytimg.com/vi/o_DYLu-VoaQ/0.jpg" height="266" width="320"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/o_DYLu-VoaQ?version=3&f=user_uploads&c=google-webdrive-0&app=youtube_gdata" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/o_DYLu-VoaQ?version=3&f=user_uploads&c=google-webdrive-0&app=youtube_gdata" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></div>
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Another thought I had yesterday was how it would be cool for Glass to have something in the actual glass part that is like the Transition lenses. As you go out into the light, it dims. I know we have the Maui Jim clip-on sunglass frames, but I didn't want to use those since it was darker in places we were in the woods. I don't know if having something like this built in would work, but it's a thought. I have found that the screen is hard to see in bright sunlight or bright rooms. If I do not have my frames on, I find myself holding a hand up in front of Glass to better see. Below is a photo of how Transition glasses work.<br />
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On another subject, I still cannot tether Glass to my Samsung Galaxy S4. I had to go buy a portable internet device to connect and am paying a monthly fee for 5G of data. I still fully believe that, when they're released publicly, they need to be stand-alone. I don't think many people will necessarily want to eat into their phone data plan to connect Glass. I am lucky enough to have unlimited monthly data, but a lot of people do not. </div>
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I am very excited that Google has announced a stand-alone Glass App Store. <a href="http://mashable.com/2013/09/04/google-glass-app-store/" target="_blank">Mashable: Google Glass To Have <span class="GINGER_SOFATWARE_correct" ginger_sofatware_markguid="3b2b9b3f-2405-4db3-801d-f20c97e245c9" ginger_sofatware_uiphraseguid="a2a6e2ad-ab3d-4e8e-ae86-50753b0320b0" grcontextid="App Store:0">App Store</span></a> This is a great thing for Glass and reinerates the stand alone aspect of Google Glass. The fact that you may not have to depend on your phone for anything will make Glass more marketable. I wouldn't want to buy a product that only does a portion of what I need it to do. I don't want to have to drag my phone out of my purse to use and app that Glass doesn't support. I'm excited to get a peek at the app store once Googles <span class="GINGER_SOFATWARE_correct" ginger_sofatware_markguid="23c35823-8601-4b71-93af-6a2bfb12a2f0" ginger_sofatware_uiphraseguid="a8493d8a-5e91-4b95-8957-3a14971d1160" grcontextid="rolls:0">rolls</span> that out. I do think that gaming will be quite difficult on Glass, so I'll be interested to see if Google develops games unique to Glass.</div>
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I am excited to see the development of Glass before it "goes live". The cool thing is that, as a Glass Explorer, we get to watch the evolution of a revolutionary product. I do know that the final version of Google Glass will probably be much different than the ones we have now. The nice thing about this blog is the interaction I get on Google + with other Explorers and how they often times confirm my opinions or even share tips and tricks to solve problems I may be having. There's a lot of changes that need to happen before it is ready for prime time, but I know Google will release a stellar product in the end! </div>
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Keep on keeping on, Glassmates! </div>
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Some say that their Glass does dim in the sunlight. Mine does not. I wonder if this is a flaw in my Glass? I'll have them checked out when I am in NY next week! </div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12924769896507141813noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2575597203423963190.post-19393257084220042402013-08-30T23:14:00.000-07:002013-08-30T23:14:51.847-07:00Return Process<span class="GingerNoCheckStart"></span>I wanted to follow up to a previous post in which I showed how Google Glass had become loose at the eye piece that projects the images. I still haven't figured out how that happened. I don't handle Glass by that part and when adjusting, I am always very careful to not touch the glass itself. I still believe something just gave way.<br />
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I contacted Glass via telephone first. They requested a video to be sent by email if I could provide that and they would take a look at it. I sent the video and received a follow-up call <span class="GINGER_SOFATWARE_correct" ginger_sofatware_markguid="4a2d711d-036f-48b0-8f48-e3613a210ca7" ginger_sofatware_uiphraseguid="fa05e6a3-ae01-4777-907d-84ff99c4cbe5" grcontextid="by:0">by</span> a Glass staff member later on that day. They decided that I should receive a replacement pair.</div>
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1. I could ship Glass back and, upon receiving, they would mail me a replacement. I was told the entire process could take up to 2 weeks. </div>
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2. I could provide my credit card, they would replace a hold for the full price of Glass, and immediately ship me a new pair so there was no lag time in me being between shipping, processing, and receiving a new pair.</div>
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I decided to let them place the hold, as I have four things coming up that I didn't want to have to cancel. The best thing about Glass is that I am able to visit places I normally wouldn't be able to visit; radio stations, college football practices, etc. </div>
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I received my replacement pair the next day with return UPS postage and insurance already paid for. Interestingly enough Glass insured for only $100.<br />
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The whole process was painless and the hold on my credit card was quickly released.<br />
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The Glass team was really understanding. I know I have tried to return other types of electronics only to have the person helping me pretty much implicate me in destroying said product. I didn't get that at all with the Glass team, and I appreciate that as a consumer. Sometimes things just break at no fault of your own and this was one of those cases.<br />
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<span class="GingerNoCheckEnd"></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12924769896507141813noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2575597203423963190.post-32615605298463030552013-07-29T17:30:00.004-07:002013-08-25T12:44:35.746-07:00Calm Down. I'm Not Going To Invade Your Privacy With Google Glass.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqdZLYOsPbbNgSe9mQGeSulUMdRCbMReDlqeQUHZ5ygP2lz5O2zRnCk2xJnUOt68JjnG5tlFmmDmHc3DjDdJMvWCgSjy5jGnb8NkbwIS8mIvK4xb4hu94bQLEjlvZnxjhL3_CZKGsoN-Ss/s1600/Screen+Shot+2013-07-29+at+7.51.48+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqdZLYOsPbbNgSe9mQGeSulUMdRCbMReDlqeQUHZ5ygP2lz5O2zRnCk2xJnUOt68JjnG5tlFmmDmHc3DjDdJMvWCgSjy5jGnb8NkbwIS8mIvK4xb4hu94bQLEjlvZnxjhL3_CZKGsoN-Ss/s320/Screen+Shot+2013-07-29+at+7.51.48+PM.png" width="254" /></a></div>
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I've been reading a lot of concerns lately about Google Glass and privacy. While I always try to be respectful of the concerns others have, I really think a lot of unnecessary hoopla is being raised about Google Glass. I may offend you when I say this, but here it goes: I really don't want to film you as you go on about your everyday life. I don't care to take a picture of you or capture any conversations you may be having in public. BUT, if I did, I wouldn't need Google Glass to do it.<br />
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There, I said it. Filming unsuspecting people is as old as the moving picture. We're all probably on someone's vacation tapes as we strolled through Disney World or frolicked in the waves while on vacation at the shore. I have videos of other people's kids who happen to be riding the same merry-go-round as one of my kids. I'm sure my kids are in stranger's home movies as well in the same fashion. That's life. Cameras aren't illegal. What happened with cameras is that they've become smaller, more portable, more convenient, and less obvious. I am sure most of you reading this have a <span class="GINGER_SOFATWARE_correct" ginger_sofatware_markguid="259d1aa6-e1ea-48e6-916d-b4a399b103e6" ginger_sofatware_uiphraseguid="07c62a13-7adc-4907-9e18-19e4d3a1129c" grcontextid="smartphone:0">smartphone</span>. You've probably taken a photo of yourself and your friends in a crowd. Did you ask every person in the background if it was okay that they were in your shot? Probably not. Yet, to some, since I wear <span class="GINGER_SOFATWARE_correct" ginger_sofatware_markguid="e8b49ea7-1604-48ed-85cf-310ab3c643fc" ginger_sofatware_uiphraseguid="3444ad1f-cca6-4904-92cb-7df9e1836db4" grcontextid="Glass:0">Glass</span>, I am in a different league. Some see me as an intruder and suspicious.<br />
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Those of us who have Google Glass have our own intentions. Mine happens to be filming my kids and the cute things they say and do. Some have much bigger ideas that aspire to capture things that appeal to the masses more than my three kids. And yes, some have ideas that may invade your privacy. You can't assume that everyone with Google Glass is a pervert or is on the government's payroll to spy on you. In fact, this small percentage of people with ill intentions aren't going to their first rodeo with Glass. They've been at it for a while. First it was probably with a disposable camera, then with a grainy first-generation camera phone, and now with iPhones, iPads and yes, Google Glass.<br />
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To be quite honest, when you're recording with Glass, it's pretty obvious. If you don't hear me say, "Ok, Glass. Record a video", you'll see me doing this just before I start recording you:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcv7k0BvOFpVFBBJuMr6Cx0cjMNrZYgo7O5REInwYfck0rDZcah2ts4YMQaY5IQ5fOO_EB11Rc6iDpFPECxIrq7V0hAsFuXNC1JBhiFRBx9uIOybh1u_nUrCb8Su03X0mrFrCiofC9YuQm/s1600/Screen+Shot+2013-07-29+at+7.59.22+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcv7k0BvOFpVFBBJuMr6Cx0cjMNrZYgo7O5REInwYfck0rDZcah2ts4YMQaY5IQ5fOO_EB11Rc6iDpFPECxIrq7V0hAsFuXNC1JBhiFRBx9uIOybh1u_nUrCb8Su03X0mrFrCiofC9YuQm/s320/Screen+Shot+2013-07-29+at+7.59.22+PM.png" width="240" /></a></div>
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And, you will see the white light reflected in the prism. I say, "me", because I am writing this. What we will refer to those who would actually do this to you is a "Glasshole". Day or night, it's obvious when Glass is recording a video. If you suspect someone is filming you specifically, ask them, just as you would if you see someone with their cell phone in a suspicious position. Better yet, ask them to show you what we call a "Screencast", a mirror image of what we see through Glass live on the cell phone we're tethering with. Ask them to scroll through their feed. If you see yourself in the <span class="GINGER_SOFATWARE_correct" ginger_sofatware_markguid="8a589d8a-4c26-4248-a1d0-445494f9e7cf" ginger_sofatware_uiphraseguid="1b403606-a6ba-4f9c-abe8-4697029f6a4d" grcontextid="feed:0">feed</span>, on a video or photo with you as the main subject, you've encountered a Glasshole, and punches are fair game. </div>
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There are many websites that offer very clever recording devices straight out of a James Bond movie. There's a camera that looks like a ballpoint pen. There's a camera that looks like a button you pin on your jacket. In other words, to the hard-core creepers, wearing Glass on your face is too obvious. If I wanted to spy on people or secretly record them, I'm going all out and buying some secret agent man watch or something. </div>
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Sure, there are places where Glass shouldn't be worn. Dressing rooms, hospitals, movie theaters, and doctor's offices are just a few examples. This is a common <span class="GINGER_SOFATWARE_correct" ginger_sofatware_markguid="c88c94dc-a1be-4837-8c28-884b0e2b2b8a" ginger_sofatware_uiphraseguid="5d35d093-0340-4531-822c-3be0438b9ee0" grcontextid="sense:0">sense</span> thing. The same rules apply when choosing when to whip out your phone and record a video. Personally, I wouldn't wear Glass when I am at dinner or in a situation that would divert my attention from who I am with. You see people doing this all the time with their phones, though. You can see a table of five at a restaurant and nobody's talking. They're texting or trying to beat level 175 on Candy Crush. Glass will be no different once it goes mainstream. It may even be common to see people walking around with Glass on. In a year's time, this may not even be anything worth talking about. </div>
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As far as the NSA concerns go, do you not think that there are hidden camera on the streets and elsewhere that capture far more than you'd care to know about? The very device you surf the internet with is far more subject to being spied upon than my Google Glass. Privacy concerns reach way beyond Glass to me. I understand the concern. They're new, they're "in your face", and they're different.<br />
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Essentially, all I am saying is, chill out. There's always a bad seed. There's always exceptions to the rule. They're everywhere. They're wearing Glass. They don't own Glass. They're carrying <span class="GINGER_SOFATWARE_correct" ginger_sofatware_markguid="faabf06b-b8ea-4768-8ef7-c4650b291f4a" ginger_sofatware_uiphraseguid="99ec989f-22ef-4d7f-a960-f2e2b381f80b" grcontextid="smartphones:0">smartphones</span>. They carry old phones. People will always find a way to invade your privacy if they want to. One thing you don't have to worry about it Google Glass owners getting an upskirt photo of you. Can you imagine? </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRYzVI0VHNUgK3m0cTQ37XPEjtlnnG6g5vW7EUaXIBO6yUwgTQDYc7YwQz-kjJD8pqpHXmnR_x2gzsp8vw9zAKqG76r59JVLm2-SCdqTJ0fLu2XEW06ilki8s2A8A-u9Mdquq6dZI-i-Zr/s1600/5558216_std.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="171" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRYzVI0VHNUgK3m0cTQ37XPEjtlnnG6g5vW7EUaXIBO6yUwgTQDYc7YwQz-kjJD8pqpHXmnR_x2gzsp8vw9zAKqG76r59JVLm2-SCdqTJ0fLu2XEW06ilki8s2A8A-u9Mdquq6dZI-i-Zr/s320/5558216_std.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12924769896507141813noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2575597203423963190.post-37689959675398622702013-07-28T14:43:00.002-07:002013-07-28T14:43:29.589-07:00Houston, We Have a Problem<span class="GINGER_SOFATWARE_correct" ginger_sofatware_markguid="afec0039-5378-4136-aa44-40e2b6a6e29d" ginger_sofatware_uiphraseguid="06797a5a-ef16-4f8c-92b3-e87a5403df09" grcontextid="My:0">My</span> Google Glass hit a snag today. The glass portion has become very loose and will not stay in one spot. If I move it to adjust the screen, it flops back down and doesn't stay. Phooey! There was no injury to Glass itself. I treat them like a newborn baby. It started when I simply went to move the screen gently.<div>
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I called Tech Support and spoke to a very helpful young man who is on the case. Here's a video explaining the problem that I sent to Google. (My kids make a cameo). :)</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/W1GTTVAojsk?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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I'll keep you guys posted as to the process of getting a replacement or having them fixed!</div>
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-Jennifer McKelvey</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12924769896507141813noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2575597203423963190.post-57422448358496450952013-07-25T21:47:00.001-07:002013-07-25T21:54:56.987-07:00Bedtime Ritual With My SonThis is a short and sweet update. My son and I have a bedtime ritual that we've done since he was 3. We made it up as we went along and have added a thing or two along the way. I've always wanted to capture it but it was not possible with my iPhone. Google Glass did the trick!<br />
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I present you the Mommy and Mason bedtime ritual! I'll look back on this when he's all grown and <span class="GINGER_SOFATWARE_correct" ginger_sofatware_markguid="5a8c2f28-f3fd-4eb0-8d48-e7f1c348fbde" ginger_sofatware_uiphraseguid="231c1a1e-3761-4722-bfda-385bc4054de2" grcontextid="smile:0">smile</span>.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12924769896507141813noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2575597203423963190.post-29150995909904266842013-07-13T21:57:00.000-07:002013-07-14T08:55:34.136-07:00So FarI've had Google Glass for a week now. It has been a learning process that I do not even profess to fully understand yet. I am from South Carolina. My city is pretty amazing and is full of people from all walks of life. Google search, "Greenville, SC", and you will see what a beautiful place I get to call home. Greenville has become a very hip town and somewhat "<span class="GINGER_SOFATWARE_correct" ginger_sofatware_markguid="9bf6808d-c16a-4938-96a9-3b897e3eee60" ginger_sofatware_uiphraseguid="7e7d4869-ea42-4991-a6b1-414daabdb901" grcontextid="cityfied:0">cityfied</span>" in comparison to many southern cities. I have been hoping to get out and show our beautiful city through Glass, but Seattle seemed to have sent their weather our way. It has rained non-stop since I have been home so I have mostly taken videos of my kids.<br />
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I went grocery shopping tonight and I thought I would take the Glass along. The responses were hilarious. Some people stared and didn't say anything to me. You know they were just trying to figure out what I was wearing on my face. Some flat out ask what they are. A few had a "Nerdgasm" and said, "OOOohhhh! Is that Google Glass?", which was followed by 20 questions. The best one was an older, very southern man. He said, "Them's about the most fancy corrective glassed I have ever seen. <span class="GINGER_SOFATWARE_correct" ginger_sofatware_markguid="8f99e77e-d823-4c1f-960a-4d4bb39db398" ginger_sofatware_uiphraseguid="bd2880df-0b83-40cf-b94e-2dbd8eb12515" grcontextid="Yer:0">Yer</span> eyes must be very bad to have that thick of a lens on that right eye". The people behind me snickered and I spent about 2 minutes explaining Google Glass to him. When I was finished, he said, "Y'all kids and <span class="GINGER_SOFATWARE_correct" ginger_sofatware_markguid="369d248a-f380-4038-949c-8bf4095c476a" ginger_sofatware_uiphraseguid="e0db423d-e8da-4fb6-9c5e-1faf3cd6753c" grcontextid="yer:0">yer</span> technology. I can't even use the remote that came with my TV. I have seen it all now".<br />
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During the week I have had them, I have made some notes about my thoughts for the future of Glass. On a technological level, these things are pretty awesome. It's still weird for me to see a screen in the distance. I still fumble with the commands a bit. But I think that the final product will be mind blowing. Below are my praises for Google Glass:<br />
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1. The biggest appeal for me is the ability to quickly take a photo or video. My kids are busy. They rarely slow down long enough for me to grab my phone, open the camera, and get it set to take a photo or video. Before Glass, I missed a lot of really cute moments that would come and go while I fumbled with my phone. With Glass, I tilt my to wake the screen and speak my command. Boom. You have the photo or video within about 4 seconds. With my phone, it took 8 seconds. (Yes, I timed it).<br />
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2. The picture and video quality are superb. I have an iPhone and a Samsung Galaxy S4. I also have a Canon Rebel handheld camera. With Glass, I have found that the clarity of the photos is much better than I could have imagined. Take the photo below for example. This photo is original; no filters & no enhancement. The contrast of the blue sky and the green leaves on the trees is very cool. The quality is very high.<br />
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3. While the right side of Glass is obviously bigger, it is not very noticeable. You forget you're wearing them after a few minutes.<br />
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4. The <span class="GINGER_SOFATWARE_noSuggestion GINGER_SOFATWARE_correct" ginger_sofatware_markguid="6b037b8e-6be7-4622-b697-f35678e64644" ginger_sofatware_uiphraseguid="83c3a120-7c76-4e86-9888-24f2c3bba833" grcontextid="bendability:0">bendability</span> of the frames is awesome. My 2-year-old has already tested the durability of Glass a couple of times. While she gave me a near-heart attack, Glass took a beating and kept on ticking. This is important to us who have children. While kids are wonderful and the best thing about life, it's pretty much a law that Mom and Dad can never have anything nice. I've had 1 iPhone that needed to go potty and 2 iPhones that needed a bath. I am treating Glass like my 4th newborn. I'm very protective. I do let my kids put them on and walk around. It's interesting to play the video and see how they see the world.<br />
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5. Social interaction. People are curious, as I touched on above. It's a conversation piece. I find that I talk to a lot of people I normally wouldn't interact with when I go out with Glass. I have had nothing but positive feedback. I know some have had things shouted at them in a negative way. So far, I haven't experienced this. But, I haven't ventured out too much.<br />
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6. I have had good results from the voice commands. <span class="GINGER_SOFATWARE_correct" ginger_sofatware_markguid="bba16152-d35e-4222-941c-95351087674c" ginger_sofatware_uiphraseguid="daab55f3-78b2-423d-8fc6-ceb26f72613b" grcontextid="Glass:0">Glass</span> seems to get it right the first time. I am not running into the problem of it getting my dictation wrong, which is a common problem with my Siri.<br />
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7. I like the ease of sharing a photo with my Google + circles and Facebook friends. Adding text is a breeze as long as you tap quickly enough while the photo is <span class="GINGER_SOFATWARE_correct" ginger_sofatware_markguid="ac40432f-7a94-49ee-ae55-acc381d11c75" ginger_sofatware_uiphraseguid="be46a51a-11bf-4b49-bc2b-2d5327ba9a45" grcontextid="uploading:0">uploading</span>. There's major room for improvement in this department, as I will highlight below.<br />
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8. The directions seem to be pretty amazing. From my home, I have played around with them. The display is pretty awesome. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to use them while out, which you will learn about below.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXAKc31iHR1WWlMMzvLX0NB6tol_nn_hb8ucJaQyMjW9EOzE5DCPHujYdtt2dXcBkeyGYCBpjJOe1oqdLnGSaAr9Kv3pAvwUI6XMjJ4WhRqcA_pyLVqkSCJvz4gFa4890rxGaXxsZtzTgY/s1600/Screen+Shot+2013-07-13+at+1.50.43+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="163" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXAKc31iHR1WWlMMzvLX0NB6tol_nn_hb8ucJaQyMjW9EOzE5DCPHujYdtt2dXcBkeyGYCBpjJOe1oqdLnGSaAr9Kv3pAvwUI6XMjJ4WhRqcA_pyLVqkSCJvz4gFa4890rxGaXxsZtzTgY/s320/Screen+Shot+2013-07-13+at+1.50.43+PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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Now, for the things I think need major improvement before Google Glass will appeal to the masses:<br />
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1. I have a Samsung Galaxy S4 as the Android based phone needed to get the full benefit of Glass. The only problem is that I have had no luck in tethering since I left the Google appointment in New York. I stepped out onto the streets of NY after my appointment. I asked for directions to the nearest subway. I saw this:<br />
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I went back to Google where for 30 minutes they tried to get me tethered. We were on the phone with AT&T, who were pretty clueless when it came to Glass. In the end, the couple who <span class="GINGER_SOFATWARE_correct" ginger_sofatware_markguid="76109521-996e-4358-b326-cecedb7105a0" ginger_sofatware_uiphraseguid="b9dda87f-40c4-4d7f-b461-53fbadbc5383" grcontextid="were helping:0">were helping</span> me at Google did get me connected in some way, after an almost heated debate amongst themselves about which was to go, but I lost that connection as soon as I left Google. I didn't go back because my time in NYC was limited and I didn't want to spend it all troubleshooting when it was clear we weren't going to be successful. I have since heard of others who are having problems connecting with the S4 but some are able to. Google Glass needs to have an independent data plan like the iPad does. It eliminated connectivity issues and it doesn't eat into your phone's data. </div>
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2. Since I have no tethering capabilities, I am unable to use directions. Bummer. Essentially, I have a wearable camera when I go out of my <span class="GINGER_SOFATWARE_correct" ginger_sofatware_markguid="fd2b51da-30b5-47bc-a47b-518a8062ea8c" ginger_sofatware_uiphraseguid="30f9775a-cfc6-472f-8e78-854e1d5426b0" grcontextid="Wi:0">Wi</span>-Fi range. I hear a fix is coming sometime this month for people having issues with the S4 tethering. In the meantime, I have downloaded 3rd party apps to connect, but still no luck. </div>
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3. There is a big need for some sort of organization. For now, you're bound to doing the finger swipe for a couple of minutes if you want to show someone a photo or video that was taken a while back. I would like to see a folder option on the main screen where you can separate your timeline by relevancy. Most times, I will just grab my phone to show someone a photo or video that was taken at an earlier date. This gets old, fast.</div>
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4. No iPhone support. Let's face it. A lot of people own iPhones. For now, all you can do <span class="GINGER_SOFATWARE_correct" ginger_sofatware_markguid="173d672a-1457-4dcd-a37d-dd28d5ae3657" ginger_sofatware_uiphraseguid="669cc764-b3cb-471d-8b15-e7fbdb47ff55" grcontextid="is connect:0">is connect</span> via Bluetooth, but this eliminates a few features of Glass, such as directions. While in NYC, I was told that an iPhone app is supposed to happen, for now, you're out of luck in unlocking the full experience of Glass unless you have an Android device.</div>
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5. The Google + integration is great. There's a problem with that for me. Most people I know are not on Google +, but rather on Facebook. I know that Google would love for Glass to move the masses from Facebook to +, but I don't think that will happen. You can share a photo on Facebook, but that's all you can do with Facebook from Glass. You can't even upload a video you have taken from Glass. However, you can upload a video to Google +. Google will need to make a Facebook app that puts your entire timeline and all the features that a Facebook app on your phone provides. </div>
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6. Speaking of the Facebook app, Google will need to <span class="GINGER_SOFATWARE_correct" ginger_sofatware_markguid="d5173f2e-ed8f-42d5-b910-9acbab25e27a" ginger_sofatware_uiphraseguid="7d4755c6-e649-4389-9d3a-3ad89876770f" grcontextid="make:0">make</span> pretty much any app you can get on your <span class="GINGER_SOFATWARE_correct" ginger_sofatware_markguid="c9c89242-e333-4f00-aa98-6a29b7dd99f5" ginger_sofatware_uiphraseguid="7d4755c6-e649-4389-9d3a-3ad89876770f" grcontextid="smartphone:1">smartphone</span> available on the Glass. If we're wanting to use Glass in the same manner as a phone, it all has to be available from Glass. Why wear Glass if you have to grab your phone to do various things? The whole point is that Glass is a wearable computer. I have heard Glass may be getting its own app store sometime in the future. I am eagerly awaiting any word that this is a go. </div>
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7. Since I have no tethering capabilities, connecting to <span class="GINGER_SOFATWARE_correct" ginger_sofatware_markguid="de5522ba-c328-4055-9759-b0d97e19ac42" ginger_sofatware_uiphraseguid="c41007f7-0e36-4a68-b625-2be7553f0988" grcontextid="Wi:0">Wi</span>-Fi when out is nothing but a pain. You have to find the hotspot, enter the password, generate a QR code, scan that, and connect. Open <span class="GINGER_SOFATWARE_correct" ginger_sofatware_markguid="c816a4d7-92eb-45a8-9b05-eb8cb0f84bc7" ginger_sofatware_uiphraseguid="385b72e9-4a76-4c6a-bc22-916a1da7ec9b" grcontextid="Wi:0">Wi</span>-Fi is easy, but when you're visiting someone's home or a place that requires a password, you're in it for at least a minute before you're connected. If you have to connect via a website portal, you're out of luck all together.</div>
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8. Battery life needs a major improvement. I have found that after taking 8-10 minutes of video, your battery drains to the point that Glass needs to recharge. If you're out and about, this leaves you having to buy a backup battery to keep charging on the go. I've done it, and believe me, if you wear Glass while charging to a portable device, you look ridiculous. The charger's cord is thick and flat. If you think you stand out just by wearing Glass, try charging on the go. This really makes you choose what you're going to do with Glass. Want videos? Forget turn-by-turn directions. You need to save all your battery for videos. The occasional use of scrolling through your timeline and taking photos seems to be easier on the battery. You can get several hours of battery life by doing this. </div>
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9. While the design is super cool, I don't know how often I will be wearing them in public. They're so new and different. A lot of people have not heard the first thing about Glass, so that makes you stand out even more. I'm the type person who has never worn clothing to draw attention to myself. Glass does exactly that. I think Glass will be reserved for the occasional outing downtown or things like zoo trips. </div>
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10. Glass needs some sort of option to lift the unit up for those of us who don't have symmetrical ears. Obviously, my left ear sits slightly lower than my right. This leads to the screen being tilted just a bit. It's noticeable in photos and videos. Maybe an addition of removable pads to slide over the smaller side to keep them raised would help? They could come in the box just as the larger and smaller nose pads. </div>
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I could go on and on about the good and the bad. The above are my major praises and gripes I've formulated in the week I have had Glass. Do I think it's ready for its public debut? No. I knew going in that this was essentially a glorified prototype and the version of Glass I currently have will look like a dinosaur once the "real" version hits stores. In the end, I feel fortunate to be among the first guinea pigs. I do think that the development of Glass will grow at a fast pace. I think the potential is there. There's just so much to do before these will be a "must have" on the market. Sure, Google could open these to the public now, and they would make a big profit just because it's a new gadget and a different one at that. But, compared to the <span class="GINGER_SOFATWARE_correct" ginger_sofatware_markguid="50d300f2-6b0f-4845-aa32-cd3e88a20733" ginger_sofatware_uiphraseguid="7991f695-20ce-45c6-9bc1-ff64860864f7" grcontextid="smartphone:0">smartphone</span>, it's lacking. I look forward to helping move Glass forward. It'll be neat once these are mainstream to say, "Hey, I was one of the first to have those". </div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12924769896507141813noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2575597203423963190.post-18628809771008004722013-07-12T19:27:00.000-07:002013-07-12T19:27:16.632-07:00Stormy SouthHi, all! I just wanted to share a video I made today with my Google Glass. I was on my front porch hoping to catch some lightning on video. At about the <span class="GINGER_SOFATWARE_correct" ginger_sofatware_markguid="cd8aac4d-3cb3-4df0-a222-4253b01dd2bd" ginger_sofatware_uiphraseguid="57857f00-0857-4ed1-8068-5418352b7b52" grcontextid="::0">:</span>07 mark, you can hear a very loud explosion in the distance. It scared me half to death. I ended up learning that a transformer exploded when hit by lighting about a half-mile away.<br />
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As for the Glass, the audio is actually pretty decent considering the size of the microphone. You can hear the rolling thunder in the distance and the explosion is loud. Believe me, it was much louder in person, but you will get the gist of it. <span class="GINGER_SOFATWARE_correct" ginger_sofatware_markguid="55f55f24-1005-4221-851e-8280d2212d37" ginger_sofatware_uiphraseguid="68572f1f-2bcd-4443-a90b-05fff18b47a1" grcontextid="Glass:0">Glass</span> did not capture just how dark the clouds were. They had a much darker tone in person. In the end, the storm passed and all was well my way.<br />
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I am currently composing my biggest blog to date. This will cover the good, the bad, and the ugly about Glass. Well, there's not too much that's ugly about Glass, but there's a lot of improvement needed before this goes on the mass market. There's also so much amazing potential.<br />
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-JenniferAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12924769896507141813noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2575597203423963190.post-72363469980946386682013-07-11T20:14:00.001-07:002013-07-11T20:14:46.135-07:00Short Tour Of Our Saltwater TanksGood Thursday, everyone!<br />
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Just a quick update this evening ... I've had a busy day!<br />
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I took a Google Glass video of the saltwater tanks we have here in our house. I wanted to see how clear the tank looked on video. I think it turned out pretty well.<br />
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I am still enjoying my Glass. For me, I find that I use it for photos and videos mostly. I think one of the features that needs to be introduced at some point is the ability to file things in separate folders that are accessible on a separate "page". It's a bit hard to scroll through news updates, emails, and everything else to get to a specific photo or video I want to show someone. That's going to be a huge time saver when that's an option. Just scrolling through your Glass can also drain the battery a bit.<br />
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I have really enjoyed letting my friends and family try Glass. I kind of feel like a pro now in telling people how to navigate their way around. I still feel like I have a lot to learn, though.<br />
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On the tethering problem front, it seems it is a problem with the Samsung Galaxy S4. AT&T has been clueless <span class="GINGER_SOFATWARE_correct" ginger_sofatware_markguid="9a7b622b-0ac6-4a3a-8195-a364f9680924" ginger_sofatware_uiphraseguid="77b24a76-4d06-4c0e-937e-3b58bbe2fee7" grcontextid="since:0">since</span> Glass is not familiar to them. I think I will give Google a call tomorrow.<br />
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Hope you enjoy the video! My mission with Glass tomorrow is to scare the daylights out of my kids while wearing Google Glass. We're always trying to scare each other so they expect it. I need to get creative. Game on!<br />
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-Jennifer<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12924769896507141813noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2575597203423963190.post-36972108006694962262013-07-10T20:37:00.000-07:002013-07-10T20:37:54.221-07:00And Then She Fell From Her StageI have 3 kids. Their ages are eight, six, and two. They are all in different stages. My oldest, Taylor, is a girlie girl. I swear there was a mixup at the hospital or something. I am such a tomboy that it's hard to believe that something so prissy came out of me. If she didn't look exactly like me I think I would ask for a DNA test. :) She's an old soul who has such a giving heart. I have never seen as much compassion in such a small child as I do <span class="GINGER_SOFATWARE_correct" ginger_sofatware_markguid="c145806c-b7e0-43d4-a95b-635374e6c15a" ginger_sofatware_uiphraseguid="54d8df53-aee6-43ae-b996-d6ce72901ecf" grcontextid="in:0">in</span> her.<br />
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My son, Mason, is a boy's boy. He's athletic, a whiz at XBox, and a tender soul who has his feelings hurt easily. He's also the family comedian who keeps me laughing all day long. His "Masonism's" as we call them are regularly posted to my Facebook for all to enjoy. In fact, tonight, he asked me if he could try and trick the Tooth Fairy with a huge shark tooth we got at the beach last week.<br />
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My youngest, Sara Rose, is my tomboy with a bit of girlie mixed in. She's loving and tough. She can football tackle her brother. She looks exactly like her Daddy. In the South, we say, "She looks like her Daddy chewed her up and spit her out". (A way of saying she's the spitting image of him). She's at that cute stage where the world is her audience. I caught this video today of her putting on a show for me. She loves to sing and dance. And, given the fact that she's two and was wearing her sister's shoes, she fell. Google Glass caught it all.<br />
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No worries - she was fine. No tears were shed and this type thing happens on a daily basis around here since the child has absolutely no fear. I have no clue what she was singing. Again, another cute moment captured through Google Glass. In fact, she has watched the video over and over tonight and has laughed until she had tears in her eyes.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12924769896507141813noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2575597203423963190.post-7874216410832560422013-07-09T20:47:00.001-07:002013-07-09T20:47:20.550-07:00This Is Getting Fun!Yesterday I blogged about my experience getting Google Glass. Now that I am home and have had some quality time getting used to them, I have been taking advantage of how Glass allows me to capture the fun times with my kids. They find it very cool to look at a video playback of what I see when I look at them. Yesterday I took a few videos of my smallest as she was swinging. The cool thing about Google Glass is that when you're using it, your kid makes eye contact with you. When you're filming with a cell phone, you aren't looking at your kid. You're looking at the screen. I love the freedom of being hands free and still capturing moments like this.<br />
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Today, I caught a little impromptu dance party in the minivan. I was listening to the 90's on 9 channel on Sirius XM. Boyz II Men came on and my kids were jamming. If I hadn't had Glass on, I would have had to run around the car to the driver's side door to get my phone and the moment would have been gone.<br />
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As we arrived home, I noticed that the sky was looking kind of scary as thunder rolled in the distance. I looked up through Glass and got this shot of the fast moving dark clouds.<br />
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I am finding that the camera option seems to be the biggest chunk of my Glass use. As more apps become available I look forward to seeing what else I find useful.<br />
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Hope you guys enjoyed the videos & storm photo! I'll post more tomorrow. There's no telling with my crew what I may capture with my Google Glass!<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12924769896507141813noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2575597203423963190.post-12667154780957993152013-07-08T10:39:00.001-07:002013-07-08T10:55:14.904-07:00Getting Glass<br />
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It was like Christmas morning in July. On July 5th, I hopped on a plane to head to New York City to pick up my Google Glasses. I decided to do this <span class="GINGER_SOFATWARE_correct" ginger_sofatware_markguid="ceb59484-6846-4406-92f6-e0eb42ef5de0" ginger_sofatware_uiphraseguid="03aaa1df-f44d-47de-9f06-d3f3c4d2effa" grcontextid="in:0">in</span> a day trip as I didn't want to be away from my kids overnight. The flight up was beautiful. I sat next to a cute couple who were half drunk and hilarious. After about an hour-and-a-half, I saw this:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Flying into Laguardia</td></tr>
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After getting off the airplane, I made my way to the taxi lines. I caught a cab from LaGuardia to Chelsea Market. The cab fare was around $35 and took approximately 15-20 minutes. I was about an hour early for my appointment so I walked in the Chelsea Market and had lunch. You will find plenty to keep you occupied in the Market if you're early. There are plenty of food options at reasonable prices and places to sit and wait. Google told me I was free to wait there in the waiting room on the 8th floor, but I was starving! </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cab from <span class="GINGER_SOFATWARE_correct" ginger_sofatware_markguid="1fa8fe95-3f30-4e33-baea-2163e16d6b55" ginger_sofatware_uiphraseguid="ee216954-7da8-4d97-bb74-84f8cda6e0ce" grcontextid="Laguardia:0">Laguardia</span> to Google - $35</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chelsea Market</td></tr>
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My appointment was at 1:00, so I made my way back up to the 8th floor at around 12:45. They checked my ID and gave me my cool little "Glass Guest" card. No, you don't get to keep it.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Glass sign in the waiting room</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Waiting for my appointment</td></tr>
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After about 5 minutes, my guy came and got me. The first thing we did was go look at the color options. They look different in person and you can change your color selection there. They allow you to try them all on. After that, you're taken to your table while you wait for your <span class="GINGER_SOFATWARE_correct" ginger_sofatware_markguid="9aaa881b-4593-4b72-848f-2e31552ef53f" ginger_sofatware_uiphraseguid="d0dd39b4-321d-4d04-8805-71010d4210e3" grcontextid="box:0">box</span> to be brought to you. A very nice lady offered me a beverage; beer, wine, soda, etc. The box came and the fitter told me to open it. They really want you to unbox it. The packaging is very sleek and contemporary. I removed my Glass and we were in business.<br />
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After a very quick setup, which includes you entering in your Google account into their laptop computer, your Glasses are ready to be put on and instructions on how to use them <span class="GINGER_SOFATWARE_correct" ginger_sofatware_markguid="1643f498-0332-4ffc-bc4e-6b53664f2b9b" ginger_sofatware_uiphraseguid="7ed116f5-75fc-48f9-a74f-260d37f10cb6" grcontextid="begin:0">begin</span>. It was kind of overwhelming at first, as it is when you get anything new. I thought, "I'll never remember half of this". However, after 5 minutes, it was smooth sailing. I had the issue, and still do, of getting the right fit. My screen always looks tilted. Obviously, my ears are not symmetrical, as most people's aren't. We worked on that for about 10 minutes. </div>
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I was impressed with the My Glass web app. It's very clean and straight forward. After a quick instruction of how to use the website, it was time for me to use Glass for the first time. I was taken to the platform to get a nice snapshot of the city. You've all seen the same picture a bunch of times I am sure, but here it is again for good measure. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Obligatory 1st photo<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me with my Glass</td></tr>
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Before I knew it my appointment was over with. I thanked everyone and left. I got about 2 blocks down the road and initiated a hangout with friends. I was not tethered. I tried everything. I called AT&T and they verified that tethering was enabled on my phone, (Samsung Galaxy S 4). I returned to Google to troubleshoot. We worked for 30 minutes to try and get my phone to tether. No dice. The nice man and woman at Google did something that got me connected inside. They were working so fast that I wasn't able to keep up with what they were doing. I am an iPhone user and Android is still very foreign to me. All I know is that they went through the usual steps and had no luck to get my phone to tether to my Glass. Again, when I left the building, I lost that connection. I still cannot tether when I am out and about. I plan to call Glass today to further troubleshoot. Any suggestions would be welcome, so please comment if you think you have an idea that may work.<br />
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I had a few hours before I needed to be at the airport so I decided to go to Times Square to get my kids something from the Disney Store. All I can say is that when you're out with Glass, people stop you about every 5 steps. I took more photos with tourists that I can count. The interest level was through the roof. Some knew what it was and some didn't. I spent a lot of my extra time in the city interacting with people. I ran over to Yankee Stadium briefly since I bleed Yankee blue. Before I knew it, it was time to head to the airport. After talking to lots of people in the terminal about my Glasses, it was time to board and bid adieu to the greatest city in the world (besides Greenville, SC).</div>
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So, I've had Glass for a few days now. Here are my observations:</div>
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- From a tech standpoint, these are really cool. The screen resolution is much better than I anticipated. The voice controls are spot on for the most part. The response time is amazing.</div>
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- I am still getting used to the look. I think they look cool but I have had a few family members remark how they look, "silly". This will be a non-issue once they hit the mass market. It'll become commonplace to see people wearing them.</div>
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- The battery drains quickly if you take videos. The Glass also heats up a bit. Hopefully a fix will come to extend battery life in the future.</div>
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What I'd like to see with Google Glass:</div>
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- Better social media integration. While I love Google +, I use Facebook often. Right now, the extent of using Facebook with Glass is sharing a photo. I would love to see the ability to share video as well. In addition, getting Facebook notifications and being able to see your timeline would be awesome. I think this will be crucial in selling this to the public. </div>
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- I can't wait for more Apps to become available. I would love to see a good weather app that goes beyond the visual forecast. Let me see radar that's based on my location. This would be awesome when you're out and about and it looks like a storm could come up. </div>
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- I have two email accounts. One is Gmail and one is iCloud. I would like the option to check email from other accounts as well. The ability to compose emails is greatly needed. </div>
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- Eventually offer Glass with LTE. Since I have had non-stop problems tethering, I would love to see Glass have its own independent internet access. </div>
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I totally understand that these are essentially prototypes. The Glass that eventually goes on the market will be completely different than the ones we have now. I am excited to be a part of the process. So far, the experience has been fun and interesting. We'll see what the future holds. I am most looking forward to testing new apps and see how Glass can grow from these. There's so much potential there. </div>
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Until next time, keep exploring! I am planning to do a daily blog with photos & videos documenting my experiences as a busy mom of 3 with Google Glass! </div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12924769896507141813noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2575597203423963190.post-90845329940534346312013-06-26T12:51:00.000-07:002013-06-26T12:51:11.268-07:00I Am A Glass Explorer! <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitMAVzOAmR8V_SrUFMjRHS-qlobmUvQ6120A-sQPdOjV1p3s83UD6ybMqKxKhYMMMSIdNepq5QYAnSTY7UhVHGu2Q3G7FCdkRC6lNDjiHaUdJ-KUffpu6mWpcer74BoCisJbmG37N4L4aG/s1600/google_glass_grey-580-90.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitMAVzOAmR8V_SrUFMjRHS-qlobmUvQ6120A-sQPdOjV1p3s83UD6ybMqKxKhYMMMSIdNepq5QYAnSTY7UhVHGu2Q3G7FCdkRC6lNDjiHaUdJ-KUffpu6mWpcer74BoCisJbmG37N4L4aG/s1600/google_glass_grey-580-90.jpg" height="179" width="320" /></a></div>
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When I sent the short essay on why I would be a good pick to become a Google Glass Explorer, I didn't think anything would come of it. Surely with the number of applicants of greater stature and knowledge of the product would overshadow this housewife and mom-of-three. I don't write amazing tech blogs. I didn't know much about the product other than the awesome demo video I had seen on Mashable. I did think it would be amazing to get an early hands-on experience with this product before the general public. Who doesn't want to have something not may have? Most of all, I wanted to see if it could help me as a busy mother.<br />
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How many times does your kid do something incredibly cute only for your phone to be in the other room or you were a tad too late in getting the camera up and running? You miss that moment. You wish you had your camera in your hand and ready to go. Maybe you just missed the next viral video because you weren't prepared. I imagined having Glass and saying, "Take a video", at the times when I otherwise wouldn't have a chance of capturing those moments.<br />
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Imagine my surprise when I received a response that I had been chosen to take part in the program!<br />
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I was pretty shocked that I was chosen out of the thousands of applicants. I began to dig deep into what the Glass could do. It looks like it will be a pretty amazing experience to have these! I am one of two people in the state of South Carolina who will have the Glasses. I often worry that someone will snatch them off my face and run. I wonder will people stare at me like I am an alien? We shall see.</div>
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I go to NYC next week to pick up my Google Glass. I am like a kid at Christmas. I can't wait to get home and start using them in everyday life. I plan to use this blog to document my experience with Glass and show the readers the way Glass can benefit your life. Stay tuned! </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12924769896507141813noreply@blogger.com2