August 30, 2017 http://www.melodybussey.com
Colleges and Universities in South Carolina: Ingram Meta Title: Colleges and Universities in South Carolina/domain-name.org Meta Description: A brief look at some of the colleges and universities in South Carolina. Discover what each school has to offer and which could be the best fit for you. Colleges and Universities in South Carolina Overview: Students seeking higher education in South Carolina will find a variety of reputable colleges and universities to accommodate their academic career goals. Choosing a college can be overwhelming, but with a brief profile of some of the top colleges in South Carolina, the selection task should be easier. The University of South Carolina (UofSC) is the state’s pride and leading university, but it’s not for everyone. South Carolina offers other four-year and two-year colleges that cover degree programs for less money and a smaller campus population. For students needing more specialized institutions for law, faith-based, and military programs they will find schools like Southern Wesleyan University, Converse College, and The Citadel to be suitable choices. Many post-graduate students of South Carolina’s four-year universities boast salary earnings higher than the nation’s average income. In addition, some of those graduates have become notable alumni and made significant contributions to their professions. University of South Carolina in Columbia: As the Palmetto State’s alpha school, the University of South Carolina was founded in 1901 and has survived the dark years of the Civil War to become a bright beacon of restoration and unity in the state. Known for its traditional horseshoe campus design, UofSC is the state’s largest university boasting an average of 36,000 students and an 18:1 student to faculty ratio. In the UofSC system there are eight schools throughout the state. Physiology, Pathology and Related Sciences, Biology, Research and Experimental Psychology and Finance and Financial Management Services are the most popular out of 100+ majors offered at the university. With its prestigious faculty and successful graduation rate, the university is one of the top producers of Fulbright Scholars and has received several national awards including the American Association for the Advancement of Sciences. Some of the distinguished alumni include: country musician Darius Rucker, Fox News Co-Host Ainsley Earnhardt, and state senator Lindsey Graham. Furman: Located on a 750 acre campus in Greenville, South Carolina, Furman University is a highly respected liberal arts college and one of the prestigious private universities in the state. With a student-faculty ratio as small as 11:1 and an emphasis on integrating “a guided journey of self-dis-
covery into a personalized academic path,” students are given the Furman Advantage; which ensures that each graduate is excels both intellectually and spiritually. Acceptance is highly competitive and selective resulting in enrollment size of about 2,731 students. However, the student satisfaction rate is at 89 percent; proving the success of the Furman Advantage and high caliber education the school provides. Out of the 60 academic programs rooted in liberal arts and sciences, Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, Business Administration, and Biology are among the most popular majors of students. U.S. Men’s National Soccer starClint Dempsey and one of the most famous Christian/Country music artist Amy Grant are two of the most significant alumni of Furman University. Coastal Carolina University: In Conway and only a few miles from Myrtle Beach, Coastal Carolina University is a public liberal arts college that features undergraduate degrees in 73 major fields of study. Marine science, management, Exercise and Sport science, Communication and Psychology are the popular undergraduate majors due to its beautiful location along the coast of South Carolina. For their masters programs, the university offers 17 disciplines with Ph.Ds in Coastal and Marine system sciences. With a total undergraduate enrollment of 9,615, the student-faculty ratio is at 18:1. Coastal Carolina University prides itself on being America’s 100 Best College Buys and producing famous actor, Michael Kelly and top five PGA golfer, Dustin Johnson. The Citadel Military School: Earning the top ranking for Public College in the South six times, the Best Value in the South, and the top public college for Veterans in the South, The Citadel is South Carolina’s premier military college. It is the landmark and pride of Charleston. As the nation’s well known Corp of Cadets, The Citadel consists of 2,300 undergraduates from 45 states and a dozen countries. Those cadets are rigorously trained and educated to become future leaders in the nation’s military. The school offers 20 undergraduate majors and 27 master’s programs, with a student/faculty ratio of 12:1. New York Times Best Selling author, Pat Conroy and Colonel Randolph Bresnik of the United States Marine Corps are two of The Citadel’s prestigious cadets. Clemson: Giving UofSC competition for the most popular public university in South Carolina, Clemson is ranked 23rd in the nation and has one of the most recognized sports programs in the NCAA. However, Clemson is primarily a science and engineering school with the most selective public research universities. The undergraduate student body is about half of UofSC’s with an average of 21,000 undergraduate and graduate students combined. Clemson offers over 80 majors and 110 graduate degree programs with Marketing, Engineering, Biological and Biomedical Sciences as their most popular majors. Clemson’s bragging rights includes the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education as a Tier 1 school, the number seven ranked school in student
retention rate, and a long list of famous alumni; from Dolph Lundgren to James Dickey to John Edwards, and a collection of professional football players. Southern Wesleyan: Southern Wesleyan University provides a liberal arts and professional education motivated and shaped by Evangelical and Protestant values. As one of South Carolina’s private universities, Souther Wesleyan is a proud member of the Wesleyan Church and is home to about 700 residential students in Central, South Carolina. The university features over 40 degree programs with emphasis on faith and service to the community. South Carolina State: South Carolina State University (SCSU) is South Carolina’s only historical black college and since its conception the university has dedicated its efforts to providing quality education to African-American students. Eventually, white students integrated in 1966 and today the average undergraduate population is near 5,000 with a student-faculty ratio of 17:1. The university offers undergraduate degree programs in Biology, Education, Business, Engineering Technology, Computer science/Mathematics, and English language/literature. However, the only university in South Carolina to offer a Bachelor of Science in Nuclear Engineering is SCSU. Among the most popular majors are: Biology/Biological Sciences, Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences, and Criminal Justice/Law Enforcement Administration. Hall of Fame footballer, Deacon Jones and American political commentator, Armstrong Williams are some of the distinguished alumni. University of South Carolina in Spartanburg: Just off the I-85 freeway connecting Atlanta and Charlotte sits the 33 acre University of South Carolina Upstate campus in Spartanburg. It is home to about 6,000 students pursuing degrees in over 40 undergraduate disciplines in the liberal arts and sciences, business administration, nursing, and teacher education. The student-faculty ratio is 17:1 with Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse, Non-Profit/Public/Organizational Management as some of the most popular majors. Ranked #10 Best Colleges in the South, Upstate is one of the fastest growing universities in the state. Converse College: Converse College is a private liberal arts university dedicated to educating and training women. Located in Spartanburg, South Carolina the university provides over 30 undergraduate programs for an average of 1,389 female students. The 12:1 student-faculty ratio ensures that each student receives optimal attention throughout their academic career. Visual and Performing Arts, Education, Psychology, and Biological and Biomedical Sciences are some of the most selected majors. Converse College’s two most notable alumni are former Miss South Carolina, Kimilee Karyn Bryant and American poet, Ellen Bryant.
Sources: http://www.sc.edu/study/colleges_schools/ http://thefurmanadvantage.com/education-that-transforms/ https://collegestats.org/colleges/south-carolina/largest/ http://www.bestcolleges.com/features/best-colleges-in-south-carolina/ http://www.sc.edu/study/colleges_schools/ https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/university-of-south-carolina-3448/academics http://www.ranker.com/list/famous-university-of-south-carolina-alumni-and-students/reference
September 5, 2017 http://www.melodybussey.com
Meta Title: CAREERS YOU CAN START WITHOUT A COLLEGE DEGREE/domainname.org Meta Description: DISCOVER SEVEN CAREERS YOU CAN START WITHOUT A COLLEGE DEGREE. Careers You Can Start Without A College Degree Overview: Although a college degree can give a student advantages and create more options for a career path, it is not necessary. Every year high school juniors and seniors feel the pressure of the college admissions process with the promise of landing their dream career or just finding financial stability. The pressure is often validated by statistics. On average, bachelor degree employees make two-thirds more than their non-degree counterparts. However, there’s the student loan debt crisis to consider. A 2015 report from the Institute for College Access and Success showed that out of the 68 percent of college graduates who opted to borrow money to pay for their education, the average debt upon graduating was $30,100. An argument could be made that starting a career before investing in higher education is more financially responsible. While assessing this costbenefit analysis — and possibly the equivalent of the chicken-egg dilemma— here are seven careers options that any student can consider. Elevator Installer: It is not a joke. In any major city with rapid development, elevators are necessary. From commercial high rises to luxury condos and hotels, elevator installment and operations are expected but often overlooked by the general population. Yet, the average salary of elevator installers falls between $43,233 and $80,870 due to the demand and economic increase. All that is initially required is a high school diploma or equivalent. After that, potential installers learn the trade through a five year paid apprenticeship offered by unions or independent contractors. Both should eventually lead to acquiring a license, depending on the state. Multimedia Artist: For those needing a creative outlet but also demonstrate computer tech savviness, beginning a career as a multimedia artist can alleviate that creative itch but also provide a stable income. The average base line salary is $63, 970. Although most multimedia artists have bachelor degrees, it is not often required. The internet and social media has changed the way business is done. Most, if not all, companies need an online presence to engage and accommodate consumers. Whether commercials, video games, graphic design for marketing, or movie special effects the multimedia industry covers a broad canvas of mediums and technologies to choose from.
Plumbers: Plumbing is another one of those common jobs that are often overlooked and underrated. However, a plumber’s job is the backbone of every construction development and one of the most reliable for job security. When plumbing fails, it can clog up a home or city’s entire day. And it is a job that cannot be outsourced. The demand will always be there so long as modern societies function the way they do. With a baseline of about $49, 574, plumbers can start earning a comfortable living. And those who make above the national average are able to start their own businesses. An apprenticeship, vocational training, and a license are what this skill requires to get started. Personal Caregivers: The projected job growth for personal givers from 2016 to 2026 is 35.4 percent. As the elderly population in this country increases so does the demand for personal caregivers. And until science can alter or reverse our biology’s course, a society will always need the willing and ablebodied citizens to care for its aging counterparts. The job requires performing daily personal tasks that include bathing, basic housekeeping, running errands, and assistance with medication. Unfortunately, that demand does not reflect in the salary, which is at a median of $21, 895. Regardless, personal caregiving is a career that requires little training, encourages empathy, and is accessible without a college degree. License Practitioner Nurse: Perhaps a step above personal caregiving in health care is the License Practitioner Nurse (LPN), which does require certified training. However, certification or postsecondary degrees can be achieved in two years or under. LPNs are among the best jobs for the future due its more rewarding cost-benefit results of smaller time investment and educational costs. Compared to registered nurses — who earn an average of $98,288 — LPNs still earn well with a median of $67,418. In addition, they get to reap the benefits of providing basic healthcare to the increasing elderly population through advancing technologies and career opportunities. Self-Enrichment Education Teachers: With a compelling expertise and desire to share knowledge about self-improvement or a specific skill, students and adults can make a reasonable career out of teaching. Tutoring, yoga instructing, computer program training, music lessons, or even offering basic personal finance consulting can lead to a career earning an average salary of $36, 872. The need and desire for a causal approach to instructing allows about 26.7 percent of those self-enrichment educators to run their own business from it. Some subjects may still require certification or formal training, but more often than expected, having a competent grasp of material or mastered skill set will suffice. Dental Assistant: Aside from the studies linking oral care to general healthcare, the value of an attractive smile is almost impossible to overlook. Whether pursuing a full time professional career as a dentist or seeking a job for financial reliability, prospective dental assistants will find the dental industry to be a sure bet for job security and an average earning of $36,788. Community colleges offer one
year programs to gain certification for routine tasks that include updating patient records and sterilizing equipment. Although some states might require that certification, other states allow dental assistants to begin right out of high school. Sources: http://www.kiplinger.com/slideshow/business/T012-S001-best-jobs-without-a-collegedegree-2017/index.html https://www.cbsnews.com/media/10-best-jobs-for-people-without-college-degrees/ https://www.forbes.com/forbes/welcome/?toURL=https://www.forbes.com/sites/laurencebradford/2016/07/06/13-high-paying-tech-careers-you-can-get-without-a-college-degree/ &refURL=https://www.google.com/&referrer=https://www.google.com/
Blog Posts: Hard Times. Hard Copies May 2016 Amidst my monthly Pity Party, I exchanged emails with a dear friend about my frustration with the screenwriting craft. Me: I’ve actually been thinking the same thing about shifting to the novel. I miss writing pure prose. That’s how I started out; poetry and prose. Short stories. And reading your sentences makes me fall in love with prose writing again. I used to write better sentences. It’s truly a shame that studios/production companies can’t see the value/genius in your writing. You’re a master at nuance and character psychosis/logic. I would seriously teach a class using your scripts. Please write a novella so that your audience can be directly connected to your storytelling style/genius. That’s what pains me more than anything; the wide and perilous gulf between my stories and its audience. We write these screenplays for an audience that won’t see it. Instead it’s devoured and shitted out into the abyss by the industry sharks before it reaches land. Her: It bothers me too that all that work is kinda for nothing...so here's something I do. Make a hard copy of your final draft and save it in the bookshelf. It makes it more real, like a product you can touch and feel. It's helpful when you hit those moments when you feel like you are just living in your head and maybe are crazy...it's literature, really. I even thought of how to publish collections of screenplays....and call it: the best movies you never saw. So keep writing. It's good for the soul and you've got great ideas. I wrote a really great sentence the other day and it made me very happy, so sometimes that's enough, you know?
She’s right. Nowadays I only print a copy for a table read or because some contest/fellowship program demands it. I forget how giddy I become whenever I print out hard copy and cradle it in my arms like a new born. But this idea of setting the copy on the shelf like a book, to let it take up physical space instead hiding away in the digital space of a desktop folder; a pdf document, validates the achievement and all those years on the narrative battlefield. I like to think my handwritten journals provide empirical evidence of my existence. The hard copy scripts could provide the mythology of my existence? I don’t know. They’re small victories; trophies. Perhaps made more important because they’re often all we get as writers. If writing truly is an unnatural act, then I suppose it would follow that the true rewards are supernatural. But from time to time it just feels good to trade them in like Dave and Buster tickets for a packet of Sweet-Tarts and Jaw Breakers.
MORE THOUGHTS ON STEVEN PINKER’S THE SENSE OF STYLE November 2014 “Writing is an unnatural act.” (Darwin) The spoken word is older than our species, and the instinct for language allows children to engage in articulate conversations years before they enter a schoolhouse. Even your biology is working against you in every attempt to write. So much so that the possibility of achieving great writing begs the need for divine intervention. However, I believe the difficulty is a gift. The act of writing is an achievement unto itself. Great writing has spiritual rewards. Therefore accepting the reality that writing is hard, is not an act of cowardice, nor of defeat, nor is it an excuse for bad writing. It's a call to arms, or it should be, to engage the metaphysical mine field between the writer and the reader. In chapter two, Pinker's illustration of the relationship is particularly compelling to me. We're constantly forced to imagine this mine field whereby our conversation with the reader will take place. Therefore the goal of every writer must be to "have a clear conception of the makebelieve world in which you're pretending to communicate." This is why the rules of grammar and the tools of narration, and the adherence to tone are important to writing. The writer isn't physically in the vehicle with the each reader to guide them through the streets of the writer's ideas. The text must be a reliable map for the reader. Pinker references a book called, Clear and Simple as the Truth that I will add to my collection. He and the book offer the Classic Prose style as viable tool and template for writers to build the simulated world. As a freelance screenwriter, I'm especially fond of Pinker's, possibly unintentional, analogy of filmmaking to explain the Classic Prose style. One of commandments of screenwriting is: Show. Not tell.
A writer of classic prose must simulate two experiences: showing the reader something in the world, and engaging her in conversation. In every scene a screenwriter must influence and guide the reader's eye to places and characters in the scene. Ideally this will inform the director in translating the script to screen. The filmmaking analogy can also explain why passive voice can be useful, despite the preference of active voice in most prose writing. Passive voice allows the writer to act as a cinematographer focusing the reader's gaze at a specific action. The filmmaking analogies can help one understand active and passive voice better. Using it to explain the Classic Prose style warms my cinematic heart.
THOUGHTS ON STEVEN PINKER’S THE SENSE OF STYLE: PROLOGUE AND CHAPTER ONE October 2014 The only way I can explain it is that Steven Pinker, not only wrote the book with my company in mind but even his publishers chose the release date to accommodate me and orchestrated along with Pinker's agent, an interview with Psychology Today. Then made sure my aunt would convince me to drive her to the Ventura Barnes and Noble last month, where the PT issue containing said interview would be sitting at my eye level on the newsstand, waiting for me. Sigh. This book, The Sense of Style: the thinking man's guide to writing in the 21st Century, is everything I need right now; everything you need. So far I've read through the Prologue and first chapter. It's refreshing, encouraging, and most of all it is accessible. The prologue offers both praise for the style manual ancestry and respectful criticism of it. I liken the message as unto an adult son sitting down with his anti-tech father to explain to him why the smart phone is indeed and incredible tool and invention worth recognizing. It is not, as our elders would claim, the evidence of a declining civilization. How and what the smartphone exposes about each culture's flaws and limitations the evolving struggle to communicate the musings of our mysterious existence on this planet is not enough to call for its eradication in effort to pull us several generations back. As people age, they confuse changes in themselves with changes in the world, and the changes of the world with moral decline...every generation believes that the kids today are degrading the language and taking civilization down with it."
I point this out because I was going down the same youth-shaming path; believing this new generation was bound to bring upon us the great language apocalypse our literary ancestors feared. This created a cognitive dissonance that I needed to sort out. While being horrified at most social media-speak and the laziness of texting, there remained my everlasting adoration for words and the evolving music of language. The beauty of the English language is its rich complexity, its humorous contradictions, and its noble attempts to honor a long line of heirlooms from its Germanic and Latin heritage. When the style and grammar rules feel like shackles to prevent the imaginative expression of identity, then we all lose. Instead, we should change the rhetoric to create an image of the rules as a set of sexy craftsman's tools; inspiring excitement at the chance to exercise our imaginations and dreams. Chapter One is aptly named, "Good Writing". And I became nostalgic about my own writing journey; the books I read that shaped my love affair with prose writing, as I read Pinker's examples. Since screenwriting has been my focus for the past five years, I've been immersed in screenplay format; all its rules and structure which is often times antagonistic toward prose. After all, feature films are the director's medium; a visual medium as the critics and script readers like to remind us. However, thank the moon for Scott Myers' blog and his efforts to combat all the "rules" and myths about screenwriting. Good writing is good writing, no matter the medium or format. That is not meant to be criticism towards the formatting rules of the screenwriting craft. It's more of a criticism of how a writer should follow them for every story. Once again, it's about changing the language to "tools" instead of "rules.". But I'm digressing... One of my favorite examples Pinker uses is a passage from his wife's book,
Betraying Spinoza: What is it that makes a person the very person that she is, herself alone and not another, an integrity of identity that persists over time, undergoing changes and yet still continuing to be--until she does not continue any longer, at least not unproblematically? I stare at the picture of a small child at a summer's picnic, clutching her big sister's hand with one tiny hand while in the other she has a precarious hold on a big slice of watermelon that she appears to be struggling to have intersect with the small o of her mouth. It's the way she ends the first paragraph with "unproblematically" that made me smile. Such a fascinating and unexpected way to describe the complexity of her dilemma. I stopped a few times during the reading of the first chapter to read passages from my own collection; The Collector, The Impressionist, The Picture of Dorian Gray, The Winter Zoo. In those moments I long to abandon everything for the sake of writing prose again; spend the next year reading all the books I can. The last line of the first chapter emphasizes and reiterates the goals of The Write Trainer. It's also why I feel this book was written for me at this exact time. We shall both benefit from this fortuitous event. [The writers Pinker mentions] write as if they have something important to say...as if they have something to show. Write with conviction.
Ventura Breeze Article Portfolio: Selected Articles April 30, 2008 With gas prices rising to Biblical standards and an election process that would make Brutus and Cassius blush, a little angelic haven is much to be desired. Things From Heaven, residing benevolently in the downtown district of Ventura off Main Street, has for over twenty years provided such a place of tranquility for many people seeking a little bit of the divine. From the angel paintings of Andy Lakey, the drug addict turned artist, to the incidental post-it-prayer shrine spreading through the largest angel shop in the nation, Keith Richardson and his lovely wife, Francesca have turned a crumbling drug rehab center into a spiritual rehabilitation of sorts. Stories of people struggling with life's many woes have found restoration and hope through the presence of angelic figures, images, and books. Whether they are Buddhist, Muslim, Catholic, Christian, or just spiritual, "We have an angel for you," Richardson said. Things From Heaven has been featured on several television shows such as: Good Morning America, a CBS special, and TNN. In some ways it has put Ventura on the map. "This is a really good spot for us, for many reasons: we are on the route between Santa Barbara and Los Angeles and we are in an emerging downtown Ventura; although it wasn't emerging when we got here." Richardson said. Also, they have access to a bigger media outlet. If that isn't enough, the building resides on the old lot of the mission gardens. The fascinating part about the store is that the Richardsons didn't intend for it to be an angel store. It started as a thrift store and after Mrs. Richardson had several recurring dreams of an angel store, it became one; but not just any angel store, the largest in the nation. How? "I think some people open angel stores for the wrong reasons." Richardson said. Another reason
for their success and survival is good 'ole fashion customer service. "It's not easy to open your heart to everyone who walks through the door. We care for every religion." Mrs. Richardson added. "A good percentage of people come in here because they have lost a loved one and they want to get a memorial gift or something for the funeral." Richardson said. It takes a great deal of emotional energy to handle people's struggles. Fortunately, the Richardsons work well as a team. Inspired by the various customers and the success of the store, Keith Richardson has also written several books, which are featured in the store. Several of them have been translated into Japanese, which has brought more attention to their store. His new book, "The Secret of the Butterfly Lovers," is being translated into Portuguese. Keith Richardson will also be interviewed on the Vision Networks Donna Seebo Show, on Wednesday, May 19 from 3:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
April 9 2008 The closest I have come to martial arts is a poor attempt at reenacting The Crane Kick in Karate Kid. Dennis Belt the Chief Instructor of Ventura Aikikai (formerly known as The Moving Centre), has been training in Aikido for thirty years, and has taught it for twenty-five years. "I had always had an interest in martial arts." Belt said. "I did karate when I was younger. It just happened that Aikido was the thing that was offered when I was looking for a class." Once he saw it, he knew it was the right thing for him. He is now a Certified Shidoin teacher and a continuing student of the Aikido art. His dojo is hidden away from the Ventura noise at 3669 Arundell Circle, behind the Target. It is a place of serenity. Unlike other martial arts, Aikido, or as it is translated from Japanese, "the way of harmonious spirit," is non competitive. There is no winner or los-
er. "You can never defeat every opponent." Belt commented. "So instead of trying to defeat opponents, you neutralize them." I found that difficult to comprehend, as I suspect some young Americans would, when I stepped into the dojo on Thursday March 27, 2008. A handful of Aikido students and a few curious participants, like myself, attended a free introduction course of sorts. I was immediately struck with the calm, quiet, and composed nature of the art; three things that are completely foreign to me. Dennis's wife, Patricia, taught the class and is also an instructor at Ventura Aikikai. Her and a few other students were very patient with me. Since I have a talent for making simple tasks very complicated, I stumbled over many of the basic maneuvers. One of the unique parts of the Aikido training is that it is self-paced. Beginners classes are on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The advanced classes are on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. Attending all days is not required. The student decides what days are best. "There is not really a set curriculum. You just keep training and improve. As you improve, other classes will open up to you." Belt said. And the Dojo is offering a great introductory deal of three months and a uniform for $200. They also offer classes for children 7-16 years of age, on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. Aikido requires patience and awareness. "While Aikido is a powerful, efficient style, it is truly a defensive art. I can't do something to you unless you do something to me." Belt said. Instead of creating energy, one uses what is already there. The goals of Aikido are fundamental:
-Create harmony with yourself. -Produce a relaxed, strong, and supple body. -Instantly adapt for any situation, which carries out into daily life. -Awareness of yourself and the world around you. Aikido is an infinite art and demands a complete transformation of mind and it's relationship to the body. Several of the students have been training for several years. Despite the fact that Dennis is a 6th Degree Black Belt, he continues to learn from his teacher, T.K. Chiba Shihan. "When the founder, Morihei Ueshiba, died at 86, he said he felt he was just scratching the surface of it." Dennis said. The idea of music is comparable to it, in that one never stops learning. "Once you learn to play an instrument, there is always more, you can always play it better." Dennis added. And so it is with Aikido. After the introduction course and I had learned to relax, I was curious to know why someone should learn Aikido. "In today's world it's very easy to be distracted by all sorts of things. It's easy lose track of the true nature of life." Dennis commented. "Aikido is not a religion, but it is founded on the principles of the universe. It enables you to get in touch with the true essence of life." Dennis Belt has and continues to integrate these principles into his own life as well. "It has made me realize that the true path of life is not always the easiest." He said. "But it is the most rewarding." For more information on Aikido and The Ventura Aikikai, check out their web site at www.themovingcentre.com .
April 9, 2008 Jim Whalen has ran approximately, 8,000 miles in the 2,000 games of basketball he has officiated over thirty years. On February 7 at St. Bonaventure High School, the well known and respected Ventura coach and referee, officiated his last basketball game. Whalen has an extensive history and impressive resume with basketball. I sat with the former player-coach-basketball-official, in his beautiful home overlooking the 101 and the Pacific Ocean, to ask him a few questions about life on the court and in the stripes. VB: Why did you decide to officiate basketball? JW: I've always had a love for basketball. I started out in the sixth grade as a player. And then when I coached, I decided I still wanted to remain somewhat in the game, so I took up officiating. And then I went into administration. When I got out of it I decided to go back and do some further things on officiating and it ended up being thirty years. VB: What about officiating basketball, other than your love of the game, appealed to you the most and the least? JW: Well, the most was the exercise I got out of it; getting a running game of about three of four miles a game out of it. So, I got exercise and got paid for it. And I enjoyed working with young people. It keeps you young being around young people. Those would be the pluses. The minuses would be the travel; having to go long distances for games. The travel involved wasn't always worth the money. VB: Do you have any memorable games that you recall officiating; special games that you enjoyed? JW: I always enjoyed most of the games. I always went out and did my best. The playoff games are a lot harder. There is more pressure on you. I can recall one at St. Bonaventure. I
made a last call at then end of the game, with about seven seconds left. I think it was against St. Anez. I called it against St. Ynez, not intentionally. It was a call I thought I had to make, however, the coach from St. Ynez didn't think so. I took the film afterwards and reviewed it and I was right. It made me feel a lot better. VB: Because you had coached for so long, did you find it difficult to think as an official rather than a coach? JW: Yeah. Particularly, among the players where they would do something and you wanted to coach them. That's one of the things they tell us, "we're not coaches, we are officials." But I found myself sometimes telling a player or trying to help them in a situation. I'd make a comment on a freethrow or something like that. VB: Why retire now as opposed to a year ago or two years later? Why now? JW: Well, it's just time, I guess. Being one of the oldest members in the association, I still feel like I can keep up. But my eyesight is going a bit more and I was probably going to have to wear glasses next year. I've lost a little hearing. Healthwise, I still feel good. It's just time. After thirty years you just reach a time, where you want to go out while you're still healthy. VB: What do you think about going back for another year? JW: Nope. Some of my friends said "Oh yeah, you'll be back." But I'm absolved. VB: What now? JW: I still teach a couple of bowling classes for the college. And I bowl in a league, mainly in the summer. I play on two senior softball teams. Other than that, I do running and stay busy; and just enjoy life. VB: If you could officiate or could have officiated any basketball game, college or NBA, what would it be?
JW: The ideal would be the finals of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament. That would be exciting. I'd rather do that than the NBA finals. I just enjoy college and high school ball. I'd much rather watch a good high school game than the pros. The pros sort of pace themselves. VB: Which two teams would be in the finals that you officiate? JW: This year I have UNC. So UNC could play UCLA. That would be nice. Jim Whalen, now in his early seventies, has spent more time on the court than I have on this planet. The hardwood floors of Ventura County will surely miss him. Feb. 6, 2008 Sean Jonathan's confidence and dedication may be mistaken as arrogance, however, when you see his cliental list and the line that extends halfway up to city hall, you'll see he has every right to be. Sean has 85 stores across the nation, as well as Canada and Mexico. 85% of Miss California contestants shop at his home business base at California and Main Street. The shop of the same name as the address, attracted even Miss Afghanistan, who travels all the way to Ventura to buy her dress. His advertisement appears once a year in Teen Prom. The newly crowned Racquel Breezley wore a dress he designed for her in the recent Miss California USA competition. Miss California Teen USA 2008, Taylor Atkins, shops at his store regularly as well. Why are these people shopping there? Unlike the majority of working Americans, Sean Jonathan actually loves his job. "This is my art. You are my canvas," he tells his clients. Sean personally designs all the dresses in his store. He is your personal shopper and designer. He refers to each client as a "blank canvas," in which he simply "splashes his paint on them." The Oxnard native has been in the business for ten years. After finishing design school in Colorado, he took over the shop full time from his wife, who owned it first. He had found his
true passion. "When you find something you enjoy, that you truly like, why take a day off?" He asked. His shop is open seven days a week from 11a.m. to 6p.m and he meets over twenty women a day. Sean is "hands on from start to finish," with all of his dresses. "The only part I don't see is the beads put on." Keep in mind, this isn't The Gap or the mall you are walking into. So don't expect loud club music or fancy advertisements spread all over the walls of his small shop. And don't expect any annoying sales associates. But don't' be fooled either. Those beautiful elegant gowns watching you from the walls and hangers are colored in quality and care. They also have the potential of transforming you into the object of envy and confidence at your next formal event. Best of all, Sean keeps track of every dress so you can avoid the cataclysmic case of seeing someone else in the same dress. "I don't just sell any dress to any girl. I sell the right dress to the right girl." What's so special about finding the right dress? Taylor Atkins, the Miss California Teen USA crown holder, answered that question. "The fit and color. How you feel in it." No doubt, Sean's dress played a role in Miss Atkins' win. "The confidence shows within," She added. Miss Atkins is a regular client of Sean's and has been since she was 15. After winning Miss Ventura County Teen USA 2007, her agent at Toay Productions took her straight to Sean. "They definitely cater to you," Miss Atkins said about Sean and his assistants, who are very patient. Rhonda, a mother of another teenage daughter, said that she "stood in line for four hours, [her] first time." It was obviously well worth it, because she still takes her daughter there for formal gowns. "The customer service is great. The people are really nice." She said. Her daughter added, "the salesgirls never lose patients, even with the girls who try on one-hundred dresses."
Can you afford to pay for the right dress? You can't afford not to. However, Sean's prices are reasonable for everyone either looking for Prom or the Red Carpet. The typical price for a Sean Jonathan dress: $300. Feeling like $1,000,000 at your next formal event; priceless.
Ray Bradbury Article: Ventura Breeze 2008 By John-Arthur Ingram The first time Ms. Victoria Peasley met Ray Bradbury, was in an English pub at a film festival in Long Beach. featuring Bradbury’s film, Moby Dick. cheek and he returned the favor.
It was
She kissed him on the
That was a long time ago.
However, the sentiment still remains. On October 28, 2007, I had the pleasure of interviewing the warm and charming Ray Bradbury at the Ray Bradbury Theater Festival, hosted by Ventura’s own Rubicon Theatre Company.
I
had never met Bradbury or any great literary author before in my life, and in short, I was nervous. At noon, Bradbury was available for book signings.
I stood
in a steady moving line of eager fans of all ages that came to spend a day with one of our finest American writers.
The
Rubicon provided an intimate and comfortable setting for the great author and his loving fans, which helped calm my nerves. He was among friends that have become connected to him through many of his stories.
It was comforting to see him respond to
everyone with patience, gratitude, and joy.
When it was my
turn, I approached him with awe and splendor. As a young 25 year old aspiring writer, I couldn’t resist beginning the interview by asking the 87 year old literary master, for some advice. was simple.
It
He told me, “there is only one advice you can give
to young writers: Do what you love and love what you do.” continued with, “don’t listen to anyone.
He
Do what you want.”
Bradbury was obviously a rebel and it paid off.
His friends and
various critics along the way, tried to tell him what to write and he didn’t listen.
He loved word tales and Edgar Allan Poe,
despite what they thought of it.
He did what he loved and the
“damn stuff is still around.” What I found more meaningful to me is that he started on the same writing journey as I have.
He began as a poet.
to be a poet when I was in high school.”
“I wanted
He stated and then
admitted with humor, “my poetry in high school was lousy.” However, he kept writing and when he was thirty he began to seriously pursue and write poetry. when he was forty-three.
He wrote a poem about football which
got him into writing decent poems. there.
A door of opportunity opened
However, he didn’t stop
His work shows a wide range of talent, from the short
story all the way to film.
“I became all these things,” he said
and he has done just that.
He is a poet, novelist, playwright,
screenwriter, short story writer, pulp fiction writer, mystery writer, fantasy writer and the list continues. Ray Bradbury gave me a dose of what many writers struggle with, and that is hope for a great literary future.
For others,
he gave what Malcolm Mcdowell brilliantly stated as “eternal optimism.”
To see how much of a positive impact a writer can
have on so many lives, is more than inspiring. Ms. Victoria Peasley isn’t a writer, but she joined the Southwestern Manuscripters and attended Sunday’s festival solely because of Ray Bradbury. everywhere.
His optimism attracts people from
At the festival, she wasn’t the only one to receive
a hug and a kiss from him.
Several others, including me,
enjoyed a nice photo with him, a signature, and a few minutes of laughter and gratitude.
I concluded the interview by asking him
his favorite word. He laughed and responded, “Ramshackle.
It
describes me.” Thank you Mr. Bradbury for giving the ever changing and challenging literary world your “eternal optimism.”