Sunday, August 31, 2008




Well, last night I thought I was going to see a film which turned out to be a concert SPONSORED by the film festival people. Four of us, Erin (new art instructor), Joan (freelance designer), Maria (math instructor), and me (graphic design instructor) met at Fricano's in Muskegon and then went to the film turned concert event...description following;

Rock The Boat
Four Finger Five and the USS LST 393, in conjunction with The Muskegon Film Festival, are pleased to announce the Rock The Boat Fundraiser; a fundraiser to benefit The USS LST 393 and The Muskegon Film Festival. Join Four Finger Five for a night of Boat Rocking Entertainment on the deck of the legendary Navy ship The LST 393 located at the Mart Dock in Downtown Muskegon. Rock to the music of Four Finger Five while a VJ spins a montage of short films from MODERNCINE. Music, movies, a killer sunset and a couple of great causes. The event is for 21 and over. Tickets are available at the door for $8 per person. In addition to the fundraising event, a special raffle will be held to benefit the Family of Troy Vanderstelt, a Real Estate Agent of Muskegon who was brutally murdered at his office. Please help remember and honor a special friend. All proceeds from the raffle will be donated to The Family of Troy Vanderstelt Educational Fund. For more information about Rock The Boat or the Family of Troy Vanderstelt Educational Fund Raffle, please call 231-727-0805 www.muskegonfilmfestival.com

The video is a brief (thank goodness...I need a class on shooting videos) screenview of some of the breakdancers that exhibited their talents prior to the concert.

Thursday, August 28, 2008

Back to School

Second day of faculty seminar days and I'm anxious to get to the lab! Classes start on next Tuesday and we've got a lot of new things going on! Creative Suite 3...already loaded on all the lab computers (Indesign,Photoshop and Illustrator). New Blackboard features that allow all classes to be included immediately. We can simply use it to upload our syllabi and course documents or we can get easily not use it at all..our choice.

I've built this avatar...hopefully shown below. But each time I try to add her, it totally messes up the layout! Maria, where are you NOW?


Get a Voki now!

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Women of Courage




Last night's dinner, Women's Equality, reminded me of a group of women I saw this spring in Thailand. The focus of the speaker and the evening in general was courageous women. The speaker, Megan Raphael is one of the authors of The Courage Code. Her topic was the feminine face of courage, the quieter side of courage...the side women usually display.

Although we all have plenty of examples of courageous women in our lives here in the US, I was especially drawn to these Thai woman living in Longneck Karen Village. Their livelihood and to some extent, the village's, depended on their willingness to keep their collars on. Our guide indicated the women thought it an honor to wear and it was perceived as a token of beauty, but I wonder. The perception, according to our guide, that the neck muscles are destroyed is false...it simply (simply?) lowers the shoulders after years of wearing. They can and do take it off whenever they choose. An older woman also had brass rings on her knees and legs. This is a family tradition and we met three (maybe four) generations of collared women. They seemed to quietly celebrate this badge of courage.

But here and now? The quieter side of courage? Listen to one of our sisters in childbirth, protecting her young, mourning the loss of a child, speaking out for family, her beliefs, her rights...there's no whispering going on here! I'm proud of the outspoken women I've met over the years. I embrace their strength and congratulate them on their willingness to stand up and be heard. Maybe one day, Longneck Karen Village will find another shoulder to lean on...

Tuesday, August 26, 2008


Well, now that I've started, I'm going crazy! Last week-end, before I left for Vegas, the kids, grandkids and I all went to Leon Sr's cabin for the day. I just finished my final design for the theater, my homework was started (not done) I hadn't packed and was leaving the following morning for a week's vacation in Vegas and surrounding area...but how could I pass this up??

Who Am I?

Well here it goes...my first foray into serious blogging. I can't imagine who might be interested in my thoughts, activities, and general goings on...but I have to try it! My friend Maria...a serious blogger and great techie...has not steered me wrong thus far, so it is on her recommendation that I begin this process.

I have three great interests in my life...family, travel and work. So the majority of my stuff will definitely be about one of these.

Here is a link that introduces me and some of my art and design in more detail...


http://sandoval-slater.prosite.com/


Road trip 2021

 A picture review of 2021 Sister Trip. As baby of the family, I’ve committed to visiting my three older sisters as often as possible, before...