These are the touching words of Nick’s best buddy, Brian. Nick it seems, is one of those guys who’s always just doing something nice for his friends – the veritable unsung hero. So Brian decided to get all his friends together and use Shareagift to give Nick something he’d really love. Not for his birthday, not for Christmas – just for being an awesome guy.

This year Nick was planning to go to the South by Southwest (SXSW) festival, but didn’t have the budget for the pass. When Brian found out that Elon Musk, Nick’s life-long hero, was keynoting the event, he knew he had to find a way to get Nick there.  So he created a Shareagift Page and got all Nick’s friends together in secret to collect the funds so he could go.

(For those of you who may not know what I’m on about, SXSW is an awesome music/film/interactive festival held each year in Austin, Texas. It. Is. Very. Cool.)

In just 10 days fourteen of Nick’s friends had chipped in and reached their $995 target to buy his pass. They gave it to him together last week and he was absolutely thrilled, posting to Twitter to say, “Every once in a while I’m reminded that my friends and family are awesome! Actually I’m reminded of this everyday. #Thank you”.

Photo thanks to Aaron Camenisch, University of Kentucky

Brian gave us some ace feedback saying, “The platform worked great.  It was easy to setup and share with friends.  It’s a great concept and allows you to give larger gifts by sharing the burden with a group”.

And Nick very sweetly wished us all the best with Shareagift, saying “It’s already changing my life!” (Nick – we might be slightly in love with you )

We hope you have a brilliant time at the festival (for which read: We’re all horribly jealous and want to come with you). Brian, you and your friends are the real heroes of the story for us – now we just have to find ourselves an equally awesome bunch to send us there as well!

There is never just one reason;  that’s what I’ve learnt.Looking back  there were too many.I am amused when a  stranger, a well meaning colleague, the man you just met, says ‘so why did it  end?’ I stare blankly, unsure as to which reason to give, and then reply, ‘and  then I grew up.’And yet the reasons  beat themselves in the interior of my mind, my heart.The fear, control, the endless emotional abuse,  beatings, humiliation.

The humiliation.The slow death of my Spirit.It was dying slowly inside me and my world  was a prison with all looking in.So I  left.I left with my  three daughters and one unborn nestled in the safety of my womb.The baby’s heart still beating in my stomach,  I walked.Not with my head held high,  not with my possessions, but with my face throbbing from a beating.My girls’ eyes wide with fear and nothing  else.

But I have to move the story  on.Away from the days of confusion and  chaos, living in a single room, sleeping with my three girls squashed against  me.The heart still beating in my womb  against my broken heart.Broken.  Unfixable.

And it was the day I sat on the  mattress with no job, no house, no possessions and thought of the beating  heart.My world was broken and I had to  keep my three daughters safe.I couldn’t bring  another into the horror of my existence.

So I sat in the waiting room  looking at the teenagers in front of me chatting, chewing gum, their gold hooped  earrings dazzling in a cruel pantomime laughing at my reality.They spoke unashamedly about how their mums  didn’t know about the outcome of their one-night-stand: an aborted truth.I am a mum, I know and I let her  go.

I cried until I was put to sleep  and when I awoke the tears were still full in my eyes.The heart beat no more… And ever since I  continue to ache and grieve. Sometimes, when I’m driving I  look in  the rear view mirror expecting to see you in your car seat but you’re not there. And today, my Love,  you should have been five and I woke up this morning with my womb aching,  staggering into the bathroom, my hand on my tummy and sat on the floor. The dull  ache of grief.And now, I seek to release the grief; to ask you to not be angry with me and to forgive me.

Yesterday he was taken to the vets as his temperature was high. At the Vets it was even higher and concernwas expressed because the Metacam he’d been given in the morning should have been having some effect – what would it have been if he’d not had the Metacam!

Two injections were given and a request to see Finlay the following morning.

Throughout the evening Finlay just slept with very little interruption at all. He was kept cool by sponging his head to release heat. He had to be carried in and out of the house to do his stuff, and continued to sleep solidly until 4am when he woke up and took himself out through the dog-flap.

When proper morning came, he was still lethargic and refused food, although he trotted down the drive to the car for the journey to the vets. He wouldn’t come out of the car without encouragement! The pee he did outside the Vets seemed clear of blood.

Fin’s temperature had reduced, but because of his not eating, another antiobiotic injection was given and tablets provided for the next 5 days. If there is no pronounced improvement over the next 5 days then he must return to the vets.

On his return, he was carried into the house and placed in his bed where he slept, unmoving for the next couple of hours. He was awaken and offered a piece of chicken which encouraged him to get out of his bed and eat a little more. He’s now in the garden, but no doubt on his return he will be placed in his bed for a restful afternoon.

We’ll keep you informed of his progress.

In honor of Fall Out Boy’s return, we want to hear about why you love them! Send in your FOB stories; when you became a fan, why you became a fan, concert stories, a special moment you had because of them…anything at all! Email your stories to musiccreatesus@gmail.com!

Premiere: trailer for home, stay. Featuring Lauren’s Story.

home, stay is looking for contributors to share their stories, their history with the jersey shore. these memories will construct the road map for the film and the journey to share what our shore was, is, and can be as efforts to rebuild are underway. the end goal? a collaborative film, a collage of memories that allow the viewer to travel along the new jersey coastline. though the stories shared may be specific to one contributor, these are our memories – they belong to all of us who have lived on the shore, loved the shore, and care about our shore and our ever-changing environment.

those who wish to contribute their story may submit to homestaythefilm@gmail.com.
Please include:
-Name (First only is okay)
-Current Location
-NJ Hometown (if applicable)
-Favorite Jersey Shore Spots

2nd Bladder Cancer Scan : Scottie Dog News.

My growing up memories start with my parents’ very loud and destructive fights. They had to get married very young and I remember hiding with my brother during their fights. They would scream at each other, break things, and the cops were called several times. My father liked to party a lot. Many times my mother would wake up my brother and I in the middle of the night so we could drive around to look for my dad at various parties to bring him home. My dad would also do drugs with his friends in front of us. Eventually, my dad stopped the partying and retreated to his pole barn constantly. He would come home from work, eat supper, and would go to the barn until late at night. He didn’t have much to do with us, and he barely said two words to us everyday. He had a short fuse and would get so angry at little things – screaming out terrible swear words! I was very quiet growing up and learned it was best to stay quiet and out of everyone’s way.

When I was about 15, I started hanging out with some new friends and eventually we started to drink. It was easy to get the alcohol and it soon became our weekend habit – to get drunk and look for the next party. As I drank more, I seemed to feel more confident and would talk and flirt with boys. I had never really had a boyfriend up to that point and pretty soon our weekends were always the same – we would get drunk, go to a party and make out with boys. That was our weekend ritual for a couple of years! Looking back now, I was looking for attention from guys. I liked to hear them say I was pretty and nice. I never heard my father say anything like that – he never told me I was pretty or even said that he loved me.

When I was 18 I found out I was pregnant. Even though my mother had brought us to church growing up, I knew right away what I was going to do. I didn’t tell the baby’s father and made an appointment at an abortion clinic. When I checked into the clinic they told me it would be at least a 3 hour wait but I could quickly get my mandatory “counseling” session done with right away. I went back to the “counselor” who quickly started to tell me that at 8 weeks, it was not a baby in me, just a blob of tissue. I quickly told her every child was a gift of God and I believed I was committing a sin, but that I was scared and had no idea how I would do this on my own! She told me I could go back to the waiting room and that it would still be about a 2 ½ hour wait. I went outside to have a cigarette and wept – thinking maybe I would just run away – trying to figure out how I could do this on my own. I was outside for about 10 minutes and they called me back – somehow my 2 ½ hour wait turned into 10 minutes. I think they were afraid I would leave.

After it was done, I felt so empty inside. I remember going home and having a constant fear. I was sure I was going to hell. I was scared of my dreams and afraid of the night. But not until I had children did I realize all that I had lost! Every August 20 I weep for what I lost and what I did. My baby would be 20 years old now. I wonder so much about this child. I wonder if it was a boy or girl and I would love to see him/her interact with my children I have now. But most of all I ache to hold him/her and say how sorry I am!

I tell this story for a few reasons:

If you are a parent, especially if you are a father with a daughter…
I beg of you to tell your children how much you love them and how special they are! Do not assume they know! Tell them traits they have that you think are wonderful, take them on little “dates”, love them – it is never too late to start. Don’t make them look for those things from someone else! I don’t want to seem like I’m blaming what I did on my parents or others – believe me, I made my own choices and only I am responsible for that! But if I can prevent it from happening to someone else that would be great!

For the young person out there who might be lonely or feels unloved, who might be looking for love and attention from a girlfriend/boyfriend, alcohol, drugs or whatever it may be…
Trust me those things will only satisfy you for a short time and then you will feel empty again. The only way to feel completely whole and loved is by God’s grace, love, and mercy. It might be a hard concept to understand, but only God can fill the empty areas in your life. I strongly encourage you to read your Bible daily, get a good devotional book, and pray constantly to God. He wants you to talk over EVERY detail of your life with Him and get to know Him! Maybe find a trustworthy older mentor to confide in. Maybe a pastor, youth pastor, someone from church, etc. God loves you so much. He thinks you are to die for! And He strongly desires a relationship with you!

To the woman who might have had an abortion like me…
I want you to know I understand your pain and guilt. It’s hard not to feel guilty because I know I brought this pain on myself. It is the consequence of my own sin. Last year after Sanctity of Life Sunday at church, my son asked me what an abortion was. When I told him what it meant, he said to me “I’m so glad you didn’t do that when you were pregnant with me!” It broke my heart in two! We will have sad moments like that our whole life, but I want you to know how much God loves you. He doesn’t want you to live under condemnation. If you sincerely ask Him to forgive you, He will and not only does He forgive you, but He will remember it no more! God loves you so much and has a great plan for your life!

For the woman who is facing an unplanned pregnancy…
You may feel overwhelmed, frightened, or confused about what to do next. Who can you tell? What are your choices? What if you are not ready to be a parent?

Whatever choice you make will affect your life and your baby forever. This will be one of the most important/difficult decisions of your life.

Before you make the choice of having an abortion, seek out alternatives. There are plenty out there. There are hotlines, pregnancy resource centers, counselors, adoption agencies, financial/medical help…the list goes on. You have plenty of options and resources available to you to help you get through this pregnancy and beyond. Options that will help you make the right choice for you and your baby. Options that will not result in the pain that follows an abortion.

If you don’t know where to turn, there is a nationwide (USA) crisis pregnancy line that is available 24 hour/7 days a week. Talk to someone who cares about you and your baby. Call 1-800-BETHANY.  http://www.bethany.org

Spectrum: a wonderful word. We have spectrums for so many things. Light, sound, colour, madness, aberrance. And of course, there’s the clown’s spectrum, which so divinely fools us all.

Life: an overture of shifting spectrums. A dizzyingly wondrous waltz. It can leave you disoriented, but curious for one more spin. And in the 1-2-3 of the waltz lies utter stillness. Our utopia, our nirvana. This is the pianissimo of our waltz. Most softly played, most discretely felt, most easily missed.

Change: a terrifying, beautiful concept. That defining moment the key of your waltz shifts from major to minor. The sudden movement leaves us unsure, captivated. Unfamiliar sounds, sights, deviances suddenly engulf.  Sometimes we must dance to the madness of our tunes. But sometimes we need to stand very still. And this is our eternal struggle; when to dance and when to stand still.

My spectrums have been shifting and twisting. My waltz still counts 1-2-3, but it murmurs and hums and hisses to itself. It changes beat and moves keys, indiscriminately. It likes to tease me, sometimes mock me. My spectrums were linear, orderly. But now, my spectrums have spectrums. And I’m finally finding something in the ever-changing landscape of my mind. Not sure what this ‘something’ is yet. But it breathes and has its own rhythm. It moves and grows. It’s the evolution of my spectrums. From the chaotic primordial soup rises a new state of mind.

Journeys: they are never easy. We must plan, we must pack, we must tell our loved ones we’re going. The journey of our spectrums should be treated with the same rigour. But the spectrum waltz catches you unaware. It forces itself upon you, seducing you. It will take you down dark, lonely, unknown paths. You must be the conductor of this waltz. Let go and you will never finish that symphony.  We all have utter darkness in us, it terrifies and confuses. Love those low notes, they add depth to your ever-changing tune. Embrace them gently, but keep them controlled. My darkness knows she can move with ease. She’s nimble and agile, sometimes more than me. She has taken me on some amazing journeys. But I always come home, she always fades out.

Home: this is for you to decide. But know this. The darkness and the clown’s spectrum, the waltz with its 1-2-3, the screams and the silence, the dance and the stillness, the darkness and the light – they always remain with you. They are you.

lauren’s story

As the filmmaker, I’m choosing to begin this journey of exploring the Jersey Shore post-Superstorm Sandy with my own. To understand my nostalgia for the Jersey Shore, I knew I had to see it with my own eyes.

I’ll swear to the public I was born a New Yorker (which is technically true) but I grew up in New Jersey. I was never really introduced to Shore culture as a child – I came to appreciate it in my own way, in my own time as I became a teenager. From day trips to the beach around Labor Day Weekend as a last summer vacation hurrah, to performing at the Stone Pony with my band, and later revisiting the beach as a source of serenity during a bluer period in my recent years, my appreciation for the Jersey Shore has grown. The last time I truly visited before Superstorm Sandy was for Father’s Day – I built a new tradition with my older sister to treat our father to a seafood meal in Point Pleasant. When the storm hit, I immediately thought of this place – can we still create memories after Sandy showed us her wrath? The urge to reconnect with memory has stricken me since, and all my emotions about the shore came surging back into the foreground of my mind. I know I’ve worked to push aside my Jersey connection, but Sandy has forced me to confront it, remember it, and cherish it.

Stay tuned within the next two weeks for more images and footage from Lauren’s Story.

Reblogged from Sparhawk Scotties:

• 

Thought we'd fill you in on Bobby's little "health issue".  It's a long-ish story, so get a slurp of water and a bone to nibble on whilst you read!

A couple of Thursdays ago, he wouldn't come out of the bedroom for his breakfast and when he eventually did, he just turned his nose up and waddled back. This is not like Bobby at all.

Read more… 670 more words

He asked her if he could hop around but she said ” NO! I own this part of the forest now, shoo!!” He said “excuse me, you do not own this part of the forest it belongs to the animals.” NO it doesn’t, it’s mine, all mine” said Bertha.

Benny was enraged and hopped right at Bertha. Bertha just sat there waiting for Benny to make a move, because she knew exactly what to do.

Finally he got close enough and she stuck her tongue out and gulped him down and just sat there for the rest of the day.  

Name: Zack
Tumblr: themusicalsuperbeing

At Shareagift we’re consistently intrigued and amazed by the innovative and original ways people use our group funding service, but this is one we’re especially proud of. Dave Gandy, founder of Font Awesome, chose to integrate Shareagift into his own site as a way for users to thank him for this work – by contributing towards his Gift Page for a shiny new iMac.

Dave’s Shareagift Page

For those of you who don’t know about Font Awesome, it’s a very cool web font icon set, used and loved by designers and developers worldwide. In fact, according to GitHub (a leading repository for open source projects), Font Awesome was the most popular new open source project in the WORLD for 2012.

Dave created Font Awesome to be absolutely free – putting in hundreds of hours towards the project as something to give back to the open source community. And, having looked at all the group gift giving sites available, he chose Shareagift as the best mechanism to help his followers give something back to him.

Check out the Contribute section on Dave’s site to see how he’s using Shareagift – and check out his project in general, as it is really cool and we’d like to help spread the word about it.

Thanks for using our site Dave, you rock.  Hope Font Awesome goes on to be discovered to the delight of millions of designers and developers around the world – and that you get that sparkling new iMac very soon

Shareagift Page for Dave’s iMac integrated in the Contribute section of Font Awesome

Name: Tyler
Location: Cypress, CA

This picture shows both of my music tattoos. The symbol is that of the band Coheed and Cambria. I’ve been a fan of theirs since I was 15 and got the tattoo when I turned 18. No matter what is happening in my life, their music always inspires me and makes everything seem okay. The lyrics around the symbol say “Don’t Breathe Until You Formally Know Me”, by Atmosphere. These lyrics always remind me that I don’t want to be judged on looks or what someone said, but who I am as a person.