November 24th, 2011

I’m Thankful

I’m thankful for so many things, but most of all I’m thankful for these two jokers.

I hope everyone has a happy and safe thanksgiving! I’ll have some fabulous recipes tomorrow to help you get through that leftover turkey!

November 22nd, 2011

Wordless Wednesday: Pizza Face

That is his THIRD piece. I don’t even want to think about my grocery bills when this kid hits high school.

Do you have a Wordless Wednesday post? Link up below! Have a safe and happy thanksgiving!

November 22nd, 2011

Some thoughts on UC Davis

I not only went to UC Davis, I loved UC Davis and the town of Davis so much I stayed there for 5 years after I finished classes and frequently campaign with my husband about moving back. It’s my favorite place I have ever lived. That said, I was deeply saddened and slightly ashamed when the pepper spray event of last week came to light.

If you aren’t aware of the incident I am referring to, in a nutshell: students and others protesting peacefully as part of Occupy UC Davis were asked to disperse, some did not, they sat down, made a circle and then were pepper sprayed. Then the police and administration lied about it. There are full details (and video) here.

Photo via Occupy UC Davis facebook page

I feel that it is important to note that the actions taken were by University police. I must say that when I attended UC Davis, the university police were seen as something of a joke, being bike cops who rode around in shorts didn’t help with the respect thing. I do not know if that is still the case, but seeing University police in full riot gear was unsettling. The pepper spray seems like an abject display of authority. The police were not being threatened, they were not encircled, the police were proving a point.

No one can know the whole story without being there and I have read some conflicting reports in the comments of various stories, but I don’t believe the students should have been pepper sprayed. Based on some reports, the act of using pepper spray violated university policy and (at least) two officers involved have been placed  on administrative leave. Personally, I would like to see the Chancellor resign.

While I am so disappointed in the behavior of the university police and administration, I am not ashamed to be an UC Davis alum.  I am so, so proud of the students. They remained nonviolent in the face of aggression and have continued to do so. One of the most amazing things I have read is that the students chanted “You can go” to the police. And the officers did just that. I hope that UC Davis continues to set an example of peaceful protest.

November 21st, 2011

Sponsored: Making Memories To Last A Lifetime

I am so excited to be talking about LiveOn today. I think it is amazing and such a good idea. At first, I must admit that I was a little skeptical. I wasn’t sure why I needed yet another place to keep photos online. And then, I read some more.

From the LiveOn site:

We promise to keep your memories forever. Not 100 years, not 500 years, but forever. We have an intricate backup system of servers that will act as your personal vault, ensuring your stories are here for all future generations to enjoy. This promise of memory preservation is the number one focus of our company and we will do everything in our power to keep this promise to you.

And then I got it and fell instantly in love.

When my sister and I were cleaning out our parents house, we found boxes of unmarked photos. Some were ones of us and we didn’t know the context, year or story and some were school pictures of mysterious cousins and assorted relatives. Our chance to learn the story had irrevocably passed.

The age of digital photography has made this even more complicated. Now people store thousands of photos all over the place and sure facebook has albums, but we don’t know what will happen with facebook in the future or what about the stuff that just gets lumped together like wall photos and mobile uploads? LiveOn is so much more.

Spencer's birth story in progress

This service allows the user to create memories that can be passed on. Photos become videos with music, detailed descriptions and optional voice captions. It really is an opportunity to tell the whole story. One of the best parts is that I can create my life’s timeline. I cam go back and enter major milestones like my wedding or graduation and move forward to Spencer’s birth and birthday parties and beyond. All the while, I would be moving at my own pace.

I find the time capsule feature super interesting:

A Milestone is a memory that you create and save and send to someone on a specific date. What a great idea for making something now to give to your child in the future. I love it. There is a tribe feature where you can view the milestones and timelines made by your friends.

LiveOn would be great not just for your own memories but for loved ones. I would have loved it existed after my mom’s cancer diagnosis. I could have scanned photos and helped her narrate her own timeline before the stories were lost forever. It really is a great service, you should check it out.

 For 20% off LiveOn Rewind services, use the coupon code: cgc48.

Thank you to LiveOn for this sponsored opportunity to blog about storing and sharing my most important memories with those closest to me. Although story ideas were provided, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you again to LiveOnfor sponsoring this blog post. Please click here to learn more about storing and sharing your most special memories. I was selected for this sponsorship by Clever Girls Collective. All opinions expressed here are my own.