Vigoré C
TM
(Vee-gor-ray: Vigor, Vitality)
hicago
“Capturing the Art of Life”
V
Cover Artist
Vigoré
Vigoré Captures The
Art of Life for our readers enjoyment, our contributors exposure, our advertiser’s prosperity, and now for our subscribers benefit, promoting artistic expression, people, life style, businesses and the development of Chicago as a great place to thrive financially,visit, live and enjoy life.
The Art of Life
begins with Imagination & Creativity expressed through many forms of art producing pleasing results, making thier way into our life experience - entertaining the senses and the mind.
Vigoré is the only Chicago focused magazine promoting emerging, new and established artists, people, businesses and current topics.Do your part to keep art in the media and become a subscriber to Vigoré Chicago magazine. Vigoré is an Italian word that translates into English as vigor or vitality. Vigoré originated in Chicago and is the perfect magazine name for the people, culture and artistic talent. Vigoré reinvents the magazine industry providing the best offer by any publication for advertisers, contributors and subscribers In-Print (actual magazine) and On-line (Internet, flip-magazine) for a total market connection.Visit the website for details. www.vigorechicago.com or www.vigoremag.com
“It is my sincere prayer that Vigoré assist in the achievement of helping others.” Sante Furio Founder, Vigoré Chicago magazine
Printed by Press Proof Printing
With no censorship, worry or fear,
VigorĂŠ believes - The Greatest
God
Artist of all Time is
COVER PHOTOGRAPH
... a blend of colors and designs, includes humans, mammals, birds, butterflys, fish, all of nature and the universe!
Juvenile Semicircle Angelfish P H O T O GR AP H E D BY
L Y NN FU NK HOU SER a gi fted artis t
Adult Emperor Angelfish being cleaned by a cleaner wrasse
Juvenile Emperor Angelfish
LYNN FUNKHOUSER The Story of an Ocean Pioneer A WOMAN TO HONOR
Every industry is made up of three main kinds of people: participants, leaders, and pioneers. The vast majority of individuals that comprise a given industry are participants or members, who generally follow the actions and recommendations of a much smaller number of industry leaders, none of whom would be in their positions of authority if it weren’t for the drive, vision, and determination of just a few pioneers. Lynn Funkhouser is one of these pioneers in the world of scuba diving and dive travel, as well as being an internationally published photographer, author, lecturer, environmentalist, and adventuress. Lynn’s diving career began not in the water but in the air. She worked as a TWA flight attendant for many years, a position which she used to travel and dive the world before turning in her wings to devote herself full-time to a life of diving and photography. At the onset of her career, recreational dive equipment and technology was an emerging and rapidly changing field that Lynn played an integral role in shaping through testing of dive gear, while paving new ground as one of only a handful of ambitious and highly qualified water women like Zale Parry and Dr. Sylvia Earle, in this male dominated industry. Of the many beautiful destinations Lynn has explored, the Philippines captivated her attention the most, and for good reason. The Philippines are comprised of 7,107 islands, making up the northernmost point of the Coral Triangle, an ocean area of approximately 2.3 million square miles that
Oceanic Thresher Shark The tail is 1/3 the length of its body which makes it the most graceful shark.
encompasses six countries in the Indo-Pacific: Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, the Solomon Islands, and Timor-Leste. The Coral Triangle (CT) accounts for less than 1% of the world’s ocean surface Lynn surrounded by her precious area but is home to underwater camera gear one-third of the world’s coral reefs. The CT is the only place on Earth that rivals the biodiversity of the Amazon Rainforest in both species richness and environmental importance and the Philippines is considered by scientists to be “the Center of the Center of Marine Diversity”. It’s easy to see why Lynn has spent 2 months there every year since 1975, diving over 260 islands, and has taken countless photographs documenting the incredible variety of life found in these waters. Lynn Funkhouser is an inaugural member of the Women Divers Hall of Fame and was recently named the Beneath the Sea 2014 Diver of the Year in Arts. As a founder of the International Marinelife Alliance (1986), Lynn went undercover to photograph and document fishermen using blast fishing and cyanide to capture fish, living alone in a hut on the island with them. Written by Alexandra Rose
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Whale sharks (Rhincodon typus) feeding on plankton at the surface.
A diver emerging from behind a collection of purple sea fans in Tubbataha, Philippines.
In 1972, Lynn Funkhouser was the first volunteer at Shedd Aquarium and the first female diver in the Caribbean Reef Tank. (There were none before Lynn and now there are over 600 volunteers.) Lynn did every dive, every Saturday and Sunday for 2 years.
www.lynnfunkhouser.com lynnfunkhouser@rcn.com 5
Trunk fish
Male Cardinal fish brooding eggs
FACES
and COLORS of underwater LIFE
Female Spinecheek Anemone fish in Red Anemone
Weedy Scorpion fish Cowfish Tomato Anemone fish
Puffer fish
File fish
P H OT OGR AP HS BY
L YNN F U NK HO US ER
Squid at night
Conch Shell Eyes
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Contact LYNN FUNKHOUSER to learn about the fascinating stories behind the FACES. 7
Flamboyant Cuttlefish
Green Sea Turtle
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L YN N FUN KHOU SE R Baby Hawksbill Sea Turtle with reflection
Green Sea Turtle
Hawksbill Turtle eating corals in The Canyons, Puerto Galera
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Lynn photographing a sea turtle in Tubbataha, Philippines
Lynn photographing a Hawksbill Sea Turtle eating coral. Tubbataha Reefs, Philippines. Photos by Scott Arni. 9
COLOR & Design
Natural design elements Hermit Crab in Murex Shell
Zebra Crab on Fire urchin
Crinoid
Welcome to the color palette of the underwater world. LYNN FUNKHOUSER has shined a light on life, captured in photographs. Thank you Lynn for sharing your life’s passion, dedication, achievements and expertise. Moray Eel being cleaned by Cleaner Shrimp
Spotted Porcelain Crab "grabbing" plankton
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Sponge crab
PHOT OGR APH ED BY
L Y NN FU NK H O USE R a g if ted artist Lionfish (Photographed in the Philippines where they are a beautiful resident and not an invasive species.)
LYNN FUNKHOUSER was inducted into the Inaugural Women Divers Hall of Fame (2000) and the Chicago Filipino American 2011 Hall of Fame as Friend of the Filipino. She has also received numerous honors & awards including, but not limited to the SEASPACE /PADI Environmental Awareness Award (1994), a Lifetime Achievement Award from The Philippine Aquatic and Marinelife Conservationists Association, Inc., and most recently she was awarded the prestigious 2014 Beneath the Sea Diver of the Year Award for the Arts.
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Lidia Wylangowska ANGELS DO EXIST "Angel" Triptych 2011 80" h. x 108" w. oil on wood “...blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed”. John 20, 19-31 Once upon a time here was the Enchantment Land. Everyone who lived there, did so in peace and harmony. I do believe this place still exists. In our hearts.
Painting by Lidia Wylangowska www.lidiawylangowska.com ewalidia@yahoo.com www.facebook.com/ lidia.wylangowska 9
"Ambience" 80” x 36" oil on wood
ANGELS DO EXIST They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone. (Psalm 91:10-12) Painting by Lidia Wylangowska www.lidiawylangowska.com "Pianissimo" 2012 40” x 36”" oil on wood "Memories of Green" 2013 72” x 36”" oil on wood
"Agnus Dei" 2012 36” x 44”" oil on wood
Heavenly and Earthly ... living the mystery of
PASSION & BEAUTY
"Wild at heart" 2010 36" w. x 80" h. oil on wood
Lidia Wylangowska My art tells my story. It's a story of my world, of my thoughts and emotions entwined in an internal dialogue. And some of it can be expressed only through painting. It is incredible, how fairy-tales I heard once-upon-a-time, in my childhood actually influenced my life and defined who I am. As an adult, I still believe in happy endings and that good will prevail. The Enchanted Pencil is one of the stories I remember very clearly. This special pencil could materialize anything drawn, such as doors that lead to any place imaginable. I realized this story has become hardwired in me. And now my paintings are those doors. Doors that lead me to my own world of peace and harmony. A world where dragons, wyverns, basilisks and dwarfs roam free. Where life has a deeper meaning which I do not yet comprehend but searching for this meaning is a fascinating process.
Painting by Lidia Wylangowska www.lidiawylangowska.com www.facebook.com/ lidia.wylangowska "Eva" 2011 40" h. x 36" w. oil on wood
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Niagara Falls Discover America What’s on your BUCKET LIST?
Niagara Falls is truly a wonder to experience. Photographs cannot reveal the spectacular beauty of Niagara Falls. The Maid of the Mist Boat tour will position you close to the Falls and the Cave of the Winds will allow you to get wet and feel the water splash against your body. Niagara Falls State Park is America’s oldest state park. Located between the cities of Niagara Falls, New York, and Niagara Falls, Ontario, the park includes three massive waterfalls. There are people that live in both cities that have not visited the Falls. Only approximately 50% of the full water capacity flows over the Falls. Water is diverted to U.S. and Canada power plants. For overnight visitors Vigoré strongly suggest staying on the U.S. side of the Falls. The Maid of the Mist and the Cave of the Winds is accessible from the U.S. side which gives access to the horseshoe Canada Falls and the American Falls.
The border crossing could be a time extensive experience from thirty minutes to two hours. On the Canada side only a few minutes from Niagara Horseshoe Falls, are three great places to visit. The Bird Kingdom, only a five minute walk from the Falls, the Butterfly Conservatory located on the grounds of the Niagara Parks Botanical Gardens, ten minutes north of the Falls and Niagara-on-the-Lake a well-preserved 19th century village, with its charming inns, upscale restaurants and elegant architecture, is the heart of Ontario’s wine region. 18
It’s worth the time to accept an educational experience about how Niagara Falls was formed. Start on the U.S. with the Maid of the Mist, Goat Island and the Cave of the Winds. Then cross the border (bring your passport) for the Journey Behind the Falls, Table Rock, White Water Walk, and the Whirlpool Aero Car.
From the U.S. side experience the American Falls and the Bridal Veil Falls. On the Canadian side is the well known Horseshoe Falls. For a quiet moment visit the Botanical Gardens and the Butterfly Conservatory.
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Annie Edson Taylor, on October 24th, 1901, became the first person and the first woman (with her cat) to go over the Falls in a barrel and survive.
Taste the water and feel the splash against your body with the Cave of the Winds (there is no cave). The poncho issued rain protection and water slippers help to stay dry and climb the stairs to play in the water.
Photographs by Cay Clark
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ANGELA KEEFE Bedhead Boudoir Photography "You look gorgeous with a little Bedhead"
Stylish, Sexy, Sensual &Sweet
with a touch of tasteful seduction
97% Confidence 3% Sex Appeal
I started shooting boudoir photography
99% of clients show up nervous and our job is to put them at ease. Once they are in hair and makeup and I've spent the last 90 minutes getting to know them, then we can begin the photo
almost 3 years ago not knowing exactly
shoot. Now after they have
what I was getting into. Over the
professional makeup, lashes and signature hair styling
years I have had many different
they feel confident to begin the shoot. During the shoot
types of clients, wide array of
I often show inspiration poses on an iPad or physically
ages and reasons for
do the pose then have them imitate it. I ask them to put
booking a boudoir
their personality and attitude into it. I have had so many
session. One thing they all have in common is
clients at the end of the session tell me what an awesome experience they had. It makes them feel sexy. Mission accomplished!
the need to "feel sexy".
www.bedheadphotography.com 312.907.6214 text friendly "LIKE" us on Facebook for a FREE digital image when you book a session
Angela Keefe - owner Bedhead Boudoir Photography
GERRY LANG
American Indian, Chicago Muralist Studio Artist, Educator The Chicago based artist Gerry Lang, was born into the Native American based “Colored” community of Winton, North Carolina. Upon moving at an early age with his parents to Virginia, they were obliged to move into the African American based “Colored” community of Truxton, in Portsmouth Virginia. Thus began a very perplexing period in his life, and also became the source of much of his art. He studied Studio Art at Hampton Institute, Hampton Virginia, and received his MFA at Michigan State University, East Lansing Michigan. Beginning in 1968, Lang was invited back to Hampton, where he served as Professor of Art for fifteen years. It was a very fertile and dynamic time. Gerry expressed the Boldness and Beauty of that rewarding and rigorous time through his art. Finding inspiration in the character and talent of his African American Professors, friends and students, he created minimalist “Modular Unite Clay Constructions” and monumental “Cookies Jars.” These works were exhibited at the Virginia Museum of Fine Art in Richmond Virginia, the Chrysler Museum of Art, in Norfolk Virginia, and Historically Black Universities. Lang was awarded an Art Residency at Cite Internationale Des Art, in Paris France, in 1981. There he discovered that being an artist from the United States held more interest to the Parisians, than his ethnicity. This freedom to just “Be”, led to a solo exhibition in Paris, and inclusion in two international exhibitions; one in Paris, the other in Tunisia. The performance artist, Joan Jonas, performing at the American Center in Paris, inspired a series of drawings questioning gender roles in the USA, and were followed by photography and his discovery of the “Portrait Plate,” while skiing in Switzerland.
While living in Paris, Gerry’s great grandmother came to him in a lucid dream admonishing him to Honor his American Indian ancestry. In 1989, he opened Hand Heart Mind Studio Gallery In Geneva Illinois, and embraced this paradigm shift. This became a very exciting and prolific time for him. He curated “Standing In Sunshine,” an exhibition that included American Indian and non – Indian artists. Lang also taught art classes, and began painting and creating “Dream Bowls” and “Prayer Bowls” in terra cotta and porcelain.
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With this work, he began developing the visual vocabulary he uses in expressing his Meherrin-Chowanoke ancestry. Upon relocating to Chicago, Lang was invited to create art in public spaces with Chicago Public Art Group, The Illinois Arts Council, The National Museum Of Mexican Art, After School Matters, and The DuSable Museum of African American History. He recently curated “Standing In Sunshine: Chicago,” an exhibition hosted by The Clift Dwellers, Chicago, that included some of the most noteworthy Chicago Indian artists. Since being in Chicago, I have facilitated or collaborated in the designing and creation of over twenty public art mural and sculpture projects… encouraging participants to look deeply into their own beauty and their own culture for inspiration. “Indian Land Dancing,” a massive bricolage mural, was a collaboration of the Chicago Indian community and Chicago Public Art Group and is located at Foster and Lake Shore Drive. “Eugene’s Dream,” is a 10 ft. x 47 ft. ceramic and broken tile mosaic mural, depicting images of the children’s poetry of Eugene Field, and is located at Eugene Field Park’s Field House, Chicago Park District. My studio work is organized around Storytelling. It speaks of identity and re-remembering the parts of me that went into exile. It is an out-picturing of my inner world and the collective unconscious. Beauty, Truth and “Quantum Memory,” await me there. I enter through dreams, meditation, my daily life, and from living in and being a part of several racial and cultural traditions.Gerry is a member of the Meherrin Chowanoke Indian Nation of North Carolina currently resides and makes his art in the Chicago artist community of Pilsen. LangStudios "Have something wonderful made for someone you love." Gerry Lang • Cell: 773.203.2361 • langstudios@gmail.com http://www.slideshare.net/gerrylang44/linkedin-8275692
Shoes
“The perfect shoe can change your life.”
It’s hard to imagine a life without shoes. For many of us, yes I mean women, life would not be worth living without that final decision of which pair to wear before stepping out into the world. After all, a perfect pair of shoes can change your life, Cinderella. But women haven’t always had the comfort and luxury of that closet full of footwear to make our ensemble complete. It seems that until four thousand years ago, everyone went barefoot.
The first shoes were made of a single piece of rawhide and enveloped the entire foot. Many women may currently have that same shoe in their closet. They were worn for both warmth and protection. Today, women rarely consider warmth and protection when making a shoe purchase. Sandals originated in warm climates where the soles of the feet needed protection, but the top of the foot needed to be cool. Did they have sandals in eighteen different colors back then? I think not. In Europe pointed toes on shoes were fashionable from the 11th to the 15th century. Ah, the pointed toe, which brings us to another fact, that many people already know; sixty-two percent of shoe wearers say their feet hurt. The other forty-four percent must be men. In the Middle East heels were added to shoes to lift the foot from the burning sand, which is how the love/hate relationship with high heels began. We thought this next trend started with the new millenium, but in Europe in the 16th and 17th centuries heels on shoes were always red. Throughout the world, each pair of shoes were made identical for both feet, until left and right footed shoes where first made in Philadelphia. In Europe, it wasn’t until the 18th century that women’s shoes were different from men’s. Six-inch-high heels were worn by the upper classes in seventeenth-century Europe. Two servants, one on either side, were needed to hold up the person wearing the high heels.
-Cinderella
Boots were first worn in cold, mountainous regions and hot, sandy deserts where horseriding communities lived. Now we wear our boots with short-shorts and tank tops. Heels on boots kept feet secure in the stirrups. In the Middle Ages a father passed his authority over his daughter to her husband in a shoe ceremony. At the wedding, the groom handed the bride a shoe, which she put on to show she was then his subject. Today, in the U.S., shoes are tied to the bumper of the bridal couple’s car. This is a reminder of the days when a father gave the groom one of his daughter’s shoes as a symbol of a changing caretaker. In China, one of the bride’s red shoes is tossed from the roof to ensure happiness for the bridal couple. In Hungary the groom drinks a toast to his bride out of her wedding slipper. It is a possibility that this is allowed only because the bride knows she will never wear that pair of shoes again. The average increase in the protrusion of a woman’s buttocks is 25% when she wears high heels. The average American adult woman shoe size is 8. In 1986, 12% of American women had shoe sizes 9.5 and higher, but in 1998, 30.4% of all women’s shoes sold were size 9 and above. Current statistics may be depressing. Either womens’ feet are getting larger, or their feet hurt so bad that they finally have to buy the correct size.
Fifteen percent of the female population has over thirty pairs currently in their closets, a statistic that could be contested as too low, and a fact well hidden from the significant other. Also, thirty-three percent of women have trouble finding the room to store all of their shoes.
On average, women purchase four pairs of shoes per year, at an average cost of $277 per year.
This could be contested. 97% of women say that their shoe shopping has never created any financial problems. However, one survey indicates that 13% have hidden at least one shoe purchase from their significant other.
Artwork by: Lindsey Kate "Woman's Best Weapon" Lindseykatemeyer@gmail.com
LETTERS FROM ACROSS AMERICA handwritten & typed, polished & rough
V Special Interest
Why do politicians blab such blibber blubber with thier tongues made of rubber Stop it, stop it, that's enough why do they say such silly stuff. If these words sound childish then hopefully they will penetrate the minds of politicians that speak and act like children. Mature adults accept responsibility and the consequences of their words and behavior.
As a veteran of two conflicts I want to make aware to others the possibility of WWIII coming to America. RED DAWN could happen in this century in the United States. A perfect storm with a mixture of elements: uncontrolled illegal immigration, cartel drug organizations influence with drugs and money, cyber attacks on banks, increased gang activity with restricted police policies, terrorism groups and individuals in America, Russian aggressiveness, China’s influence on the America debt, continued loss of manufacturing and jobs in the United States, a weak economy, disgruntle citizens, gun control of citizens, reduction in military spending, American isolationist global position, nuclear weapon development of foreign countries reluctant to follow UN guidelines, weak alliances, the attack on Christianity and religious expression, a liberal perspective taught at all levels of education from global warming to God and light bulbs to liberty, failure to teach the U.S. Constitution, Bill of Rights, and Declaration of Independence at middle eduction levels, the political abuse, bending and violation of the U.S. Constitution, lack of nationalism from an official national language to protecting the American flag. If you do not know the reference “RED DAWN” then see the movie(s). Ask yourself - What would you do? One Generation effects the next generation and the next and the next.
The content of “Letters From Across America are submissions from amateur writers and not the expressed opinions of Vigoré Chicago magazine. Vigoré Chicago magazine takes the “observer” position providing an outlet for voices to be heard. The names of the contributors have been omitted for their protection. Vigoré invites written or print-out letters mailed through the United States Postal Service.
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Vigoré meets Kelley Beaman & Megan Clark Rising Stars on the Social Beverage Scene
SOCIAL ENJOYMENTS LAUNCHES IN CHICAGO! Get ready for the city’s soon-to-be most popular, great tasting, lower calorie libation: SOCIAL SOCIAL Enjoyments, a delicious lower-calorie, all natural and gluten-free alcoholic beverage, is now available in Mariano's, Whole Foods, Target, Walgreens, The Goddess and Grocer, Plum Market, and for bars? Trump, Untitled, The Bedford and more! SOCIAL is different – it was created by Chicagoan Leah Caplanis with health conscious women in mind. After overcoming thyroid cancer which involved abstaining from alcohol for three years, Leah was determined to live a vibrant and fun-loving life. She searched for an alcoholic beverage that allowed her to celebrate her balanced lifestyle without the negative effects of alcohol. Finding few suitable choices, she decided to launch her own
product: SOCIAL Enjoyments. SOCIAL provides an alcoholic option and lifestyle brand that complements women’s desire to live dynamic healthy lives and express the joyful SOCIAL butterfly within! With 88 calories for 10.5 ounces, SOCIAL is one of the least calorie alcoholic beverages available with less calories than a same-size vodka soda and just over 1/3 of the calories of a Skinny Girl margarita. It is all-natural and gluten free! The Hibiscus Cucumber taste is flavored with organic extracts and is lightly sweetened with organic Stevia. Plus, at 4% alcohol by volume, it provides an alcoholic refreshment that SOCIAL calls a “balanced indulgence.” SOCIAL’s wish for women is to have a tasty alcoholic option that leaves them feeling guilt-free and empowered the day of and after, so they can lead active lives and meet their full potential.
SOCIAL Enjoyments’ mantra is “Freedom to Enjoy Life!” Conveniently offered in a sleek can, which is better for the environment and keeps the product fresher longer, and brewed in the midwest. SOCIAL can simply be chilled and enjoyed. Or, with mixability in mind, it can also be used to create a wide variety of SOCIAL cocktails. Chicago bartenders are already trading in soda water for SOCIAL and mixing up tasty skinny creations! Rather than a tasteless Vodka Soda, try a flavorful vodkaSOCIAL. Whether you’re out and about at a festival, concert or favorite nightlife destination, picnicking in the park or entertaining at home, SOCIAL is the perfect beverage to refresh and delight. Future plans are already in motion to launch two additional flavors in November 2014.
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About Leah Caplanis SOCIAL Enjoyments is the brainchild of 31-year-old CEO Leah Caplanis. After eight years with Nestle USA, she quit and began fulfilling her dream of building a startup that matches her passions, health and happiness. After being diagnosed with thyroid cancer in 2010, she began following a strict vegan diet and studying under the thought leaders in the holistic health community. On her road to recovery, she was ready to reintroduce drinks into her lifestyle. With cutting edge health practices and products at her disposal, she created a beverage that she could feel good about drinking and serving to her friends and fellow women of the world. She teamed up with brewmaster Ray Klimovitz, co-founder of Izze Beverage Co., and fellow graduates of The University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business to create this lifestyle brand.
About Megan Clark Megan Clark leads Social Enjoyment's Sales Department, as the Vice-President of On-Premise Sales. Her primary areas include sales, intern development, health and wellness education. With 8 years experience in the alcohol beverage industry, she has shown proven success with distributors and suppliers. Prior to joining, Social Enjoyments Megan worked for Pisco Porton as the Area and Regional Manager for the Mid-West Region. She launched the brand in Chicago, and followed with 5 other states shortly after growing the brand 150%. Megan managed the Brand Master, who trained hundreds of bartenders and mixologists in the region. From 2010 to 2012, Megan was the Assistant State Manager for Sidney Frank Importing Company. Previous to this, Meg worked for Major Brands Distributor as a Sales Analyst and Sales Representative. She holds a Bachelor of Science and Masters in Accounting from the University of Missouri, Columbia. She is an active member of Fireside Chats and Christian Small Groups.
truly learn about ingredients and understand what we're putting in our bodies. I want everyone to understand what is meant through organic, sustainable, etc. Farming has changed the nation and lead to obesity and simply people don’t understand what they are putting in their bodies and are sold on clever marketing instead of education. I want to help teach people about pure ingredients. SOCIAL is all natural and organic which is easy for me to share and sell to others. It's a product I truly believe in and understand. Exercise is also very important to me. It starts my day and gives me mental clarity. I think an open mind leaves one open to many great moments and opportunities.
My second mantra of 2014 is "Dare to be." I leave it open ended because its always changing. Dare to be bold, dare to create change, dare to laugh, etc. To dare is edgy, progressive, and responsive. This journey we’re about to embark on is very daring and I can't wait to go along for the ride. Megan can be reached at meg@socialenjoyments.com or 312-852-8338.
53336 00500
Megan is extremely passionate about health and fitness, which is why Social Enjoyments was a natural fit. Balance is very important to Megan, which she can find through the wellness elements in Social Enjoyments. Megan is a triathlete, who enjoys imbibing in cocktails and SOCIALs with friends and family often!
One mantra for 2014 is “Live in the present.” This is so important that we fully enjoy the journey to the goal. Life goes so quickly and you want to soak it all up and enjoy the majority of it. This isn't accomplished when you're spending time doing worthless paperwork and chasing goals that you aren't passionate about it. I want to help build not only a brand, but a category. A category for a woman like myself who enjoys a balanced life. To me balance is eating healthy and exercising my body and mind, while at the same time enjoying time with my friends and surrounding myself with inspirational people to learn from. I want others to 25
Finally, a drink that matches your lifestyle: Sparkling, Light & Full of Flavor! Let’s #beSOCIAL and #drinkCLEAN! Please visit SOCIALenjoyments.com or follow SOCIAL Enjoyments on Facebook, Twitter (@88SOCIAL), Instagram (@88SOCIAL), Tumblr, Wordpress, and Pinterest! Try a luxurious spin on SOCIAL with this cocktail created by Rad Sips! The Classic SOCIAL 1.5 oz champagne .75 oz St. Germain 1.5 oz SOCIAL .25 oz lemon juice 1 oz extra-dry Vermouth 2 drops rose water A SOCIAL girl is always intelligent, fun and classy. See the Chicago skyline through a rose-colored glass with this cocktail.
BATTAGLIA F O O T W E A R
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1718 North Clyborn • Chicago T: 312.787.3237 www.battagliafootwear.com info@battagliafootwear.com or battaglia-footwear@msn.com
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Smart Fish Swim In SchoolsÂŽ
Creating a Masterpiece The Art of Swimming
8 month old infant
By Susan Wainscott The art of swimming is like a masterpiece that is created and inspired by someone with vision and passion: a parent, teacher, or coach. Susan Wainscott, founder and CEO of Swimtastic Swim School, compares the creation of this masterpiece to putting together a thousandpiece puzzle. Like each corner of a puzzle or the four corners of a swimming pool, the foundation for success begins with four key pieces: a 90 degree warm-water pool, professional teachers, small class sizes, and individual attention. Susan and her husband Barrett have provided this foundation for twenty-five years, teaching thousands of infants and children the art of swimming. They have taken Swimtastic from their backyard pool to a franchise brand, and over the past ten years they have owned and operated two indoor, year-round swim schools in the Milwaukee area.
to hold his breath during our water adjustment phase, as we gently squeeze a water-filled wash cloth over the baby’s head and face. Then, with the first dip of facial immersion, we teach the infant to increase his breath hold from one second, to three and then five and beyond. When a committed parent faithfully brings his baby to the once a week program, we can often teach him to swim before he learns to crawl or walk. This paints a clear picture that infant swimming is a tremendous activity for parent/child bonding, but it is also a development tool; promoting strength, muscle coordination, safety skills and social interaction, as the child learns to move and swim comfortably and confidently through the water with precision and expression. This is another important piece of the puzzle and a part of the journey of creating a masterpiece.
Born to
SWIM:
The personality type of the child: eager, terrified, or timid, determines the type of teacher best suited for his needs. It is our hope, that through these relationships, each child will learn to love the water. This leads to the ultimate beauty of the art of swimming; the relationship between the child and the water. Over time, with practice, focus, and determination, the puzzle pieces fit together as the masterpiece begins to take shape.
easier then crawling or walking
As Susan explains:Nature provides the first piece of the puzzle; an infant’s innate ability at birth to hold his/her breath underwater. Beginning at the age of six months, every skill we teach focuses on breath control. An infant learns
Relationships Life is about relationships. Relationships are fundamental to any child learning the art of swimming. Whether a parent is giving a newborn a bath or a coach is working with an Olympic swimmer, the parent-child-teacher relationship is another key piece of the puzzle that creates a genuine love for the art of swimming. Effective communication is critical in this relationship.
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Awakening As when an infant discovers his ability to hold his breath underwater, an awakening occurs when a child first learns to swim independently. This is the moment every parent, teacher and child celebrates. It is a gift that every parent treasures and this gift lasts a lifetime. I still hear my son saying, "Hey mom! Look at me!" When an infant kicks through the water and surfaces for a breath, or an Olympic champion glides through the water with beauty, grace, and style, leaving us breathless, an awakening has led to a form of art.
INCREDIBLE
life experience
Timing Whether it is marriage, family, or a career change, life is about timing. In swimming, timing is everything. If it’s baby’s bath, a swim class, or the perfection of a skill required to master a swim stroke, timing is another key piece in the art of swimming. As a professional swim teacher, identifying the exact timing for progression at every stage is critical for success. Knowing when to transition a child from bubble blowing with a wand to bubble blowing in the water, from breath holding to exhaling at the surface level, or to underwater swimming, the timing is crucial with even the most basic skills. An individualized approach to the introduction of each new step meets the needs of all our children. The use of proper timing is one of the reasons we have successfully taught so many children the art of swimming.The art of teaching swimming is a gift. It is the art of teaching that puts all the puzzle pieces together and creates a lifelong swimmer and a beautiful masterpiece.
This is the art of swimming
Visit Swimtastic at
www.swimtastic.com for a location near you or for franchise information. ©Copyright 2011 Swimtastic Corporation. All Rights Reserved
Susan Wainscott is the founder and CEO of Swimtastic Swim School
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WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY BECAUSE
I Believe
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Have Faith
INSPIRATIONAL WORDS is a scheduled feature. Amateurs, emerging poets and professional writers can submit works to appear in print or online to be highlighted in subsequent issues. For submissions visit www.vigorechicago.com Vigore (vee-gor-ray), A Chicago focused magazine “Capturing the Fine Art of Life” 29
NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER GIVE UP
Christopher sChroeder never-die-attitude I’m not an Olympian. I’m not a professional athlete. But I am an athlete. I believe inside every athlete is a unique struggle. My struggle is to provide balance in my life. My goal is to become the best version of myself, athletic and otherwise. My dream is to become an Olympian.
The struggle seems constant and goals are achievable. However, I believe dreams are all that matter. Dreams define an individual. Definition isn’t based on the dream becoming reality. Regardless of the outcome, the act of passionately pursuing dreams is the purest form of success. Unfortunately, a large percentage of the world’s population does not choose to pursue dreams. Some blame life. Some were never given a chance. However, I think many simply don’t believe in themselves. I used to relate with all of them. I grew up in a house full of pain. Shortly after I was born my dad went to jail. My mom worked multiple jobs and struggled to raise three kids on her own. At the time she was not a happy person and that affected my brothers and me in a big way. We saw her take on a defensive ‘me against the world’ attitude and soon it became a way of life for all three of us. We didn’t even find allies in each other.
courage
On my seventh birthday my parent’s divorce was finalized and on that day we moved into the trailer park. Unfortunately, my mom had to work late nights and I was often left home alone. The idea was for my older brothers to watch over me but, as I said, we didn’t get along that well and they had their own friends. I had no clue how to connect with my peers. I wasn’t the best behaved but I wasn’t out of control. Many parents didn’t want me hanging around their kids. I remember calling my friend and his mom told me to never call again and to stop hanging around her son. I was seven. At this time of my life I felt absolutely worthless. I felt hurt. I felt abandoned. I was very lonely and very sad. I hated my life. While all these emotions encased me inward, hate was my reaction outward.
Running began chipping away at many years of hurt by converting that negative energy into something positive. It became my Zen, my preferred form of meditation. I was able to connect and realign with myself and the world.
With every mile I ran I gained more clarity. Sure, I didn’t have the best childhood but I’d remind myself that there were people in far worse situations and many of them still have the moxie to go after their dreams. I’ve heard many stories about athletes that had been diagnosed with life changing diseases, had lost loved ones, had near death experiences, had divorced, or had been morbidly obese or physically challenged. Each story touches me. My heart goes out to each and every person that has been faced with such adversity. It’s the will and never-die attitude of those people who chose to continue living with passion in the face of adversity that inspire me.
My biggest strength in life is empathy. I learn and I apply based on the experience of others. Their stories motivate me to be the best version of myself before potential catastrophes arise. I pay homage to others less fortunate. And I do not take my health for granted. Over the years my reasons for utilizing endurance sports as an outlet has matured. It began only as an inward focus for stress relief and growth. Now, I reach outward in efforts to make meaningful connections with others.
This unhappiness continued for many years. However, in the midst of this unhappiness there was a spark of hope. Instead of choosing to hate the world I chose to go for a run. Before I knew it I had run two miles and found myself feeling at ease. I had never run longer than two miles but, feeling good, I finished eight miles and embraced the struggle for the first time using all that negative energy as fuel. I didn’t realize it at the time but it was the first step toward a happier future and the beginning of a new journey. 32
V Special Interest
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My goal is to become the best version of myself
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www.vigorechicago.com or www.vigoremag.com info@vigoremag.com • Ofc: 312.836.0420
VIKTOR Sculptures in Granite Commissions Invited For more information about Viktor contact Olga Bugaeva 708.389.3038 monumentalartworks@gmail.com
At the young age of 6, Viktor found his love of art and sculpture through a potato and a peeler. While helping his grandmother in the kitchen, preparing a traditional Russian feast, he had the task of peeling potatoes. When left alone to his own devices, Viktor decided to get creative and make his very first horse potato sculpture. When his grandmother returned to the kitchen, to her surprise and amusement, she saw that several of the potatoes were in a rough image of a mini horse army. At that point, everyone knew that little boy would be a great artist one day.
Chicago is the home to
VIKTOR, a sculptor of granite.
Viktor has created captivating sculptures that have traveled to national and international museums, exhibitions and private collections. He is mostly known for his incredible talent at capturing the essence of a person in his portrait work. Italy had Gian Lorenzo Bernini an Italian artist and a prominent architect who worked principally in Rome. He was the leading sculptor of his age, credited with creating the Baroque style of sculpture.
Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni, commonly known as Michelangelo, was an Italian sculptor, painter, architect, poet, and engineer of the High Renaissance who exerted an unparalleled influence on the development of Western art.
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SYLVIA EARLE
Philippe Cousteau (ocean explorer, pilot and film maker)
Lloyd Bridges (environmental activist, Hollywood actor, scuba diver enthusiast)
Earnie Brooks (famed photographer, ocean explorer, philanthropist)
Phil Nuytten (marine scientist, inventor and professional scuba diver)
The sculptures on these pages are currently displayed at the Google Headquarters in Mt. View, California until a more permanent home is arranged.
Sculptures in Granite Commissions Invited For more information about Viktor contact Olga Bugaeva at 708.389.3038 monumentalartworks@gmail.com
It takes Viktor months of intense labor to create each sculpted piece in his Vuam Ocean Pioneers Collection. Of course, if you ask Viktor he would say it took him his entire life; from the moment he decided to be a sculptor, to the day he thought of the idea to create the collection and to the time that he picked up the hammer and chisel to carve each bust.
VigorÊ meets Carlos Gaytan Chef / Owner Mexique Chef Carlos Gaytan’s culinary journey has been one of hard work, persistence and dedication. Having arrived in Chicago in early 1991, he began a career at Sheraton North Shore Hotel, quickly working his way up to pantry cook, line cook and banquet cook during his first year of employment. He earned a position as a Chef Garde Manger and discovered he possessed a highly artistic and creative ability to carve on ice, fruit and vegetables. He participated in many food and ice carving competitions, winning several awards. Having perfected his skills in handling both hot and cold foods for over six years, he began his employment as Chef Garde
named one of the top new restaurants of 2009 and best restaurant in 2010. In 2011 Chef Carlos received the American
Culinary Federation Windy City Chapter Chef of the Year Award for his extraordinary achieve-
ments. Mexique has had the honor of participating in Chicago Gourmet for the last three years and Chef Carlos was chosen as one of five Celebrity Chefs in the 2012 Taste of Chicago. Chef Carlos has also shared his love and knowledge for cooking as professor of Regional Mexican Cuisine at Kendall College Culinary School.
Manger at the Union League Club of Chicago in 1996. For over seven
Chiles en Nogada Stuffed Chile poblano with ground pork, dried fruits, walnut/goat cheese sauce, pomegranate mustard seed caviar
years he worked under the guidance of Chef Michael Garbin. He honed his ability to cook a wide variety of foods and ultimately became the Banquet Sous Chef. The Union League Club has ranked as the second best private club in the nation and it became the place where Chef Carlos Gaytan gained the additional knowledge he needed to lead a successful career. In April of 2004 he was offered the position of Chef de Cuisine at Bistrot Margot where he worked tirelessly and passionately at creating the art of food. Over the years, he has worked with renowned French Chef Dominique Tougne and has participated in such events as the Confrerie de la Chaide de Rotisseurs, the Moet and Chandon Brunch and the Annual Flora Springs Dinner Auction in Napa Valley.
Chile ancho and chocolate foie gras torchon, pumpkin and quince relish
In 2013 Mexique received its highest honor yet by being a Michelin one star recipient. In 2013 Chef Carlos participated on the famous television program Top Chef , arriving to the semi final phase and is currently participating in Master Chef South Africa due in 2015 . In 2014 ,
Today Chef Carlos Gaytan is thankful, as he was able to see his dream become a reality in May of 2008 by opening his own restaurant Mexique on Chicago Avenue in Chicago.
Mexique received for another year, the Michelin one star.
With great creativity, love and dedication he applies his knowledge of French cooking techniques and ingredients to his roots of traditional Mexican cuisine creating a revolution of Mexican gastronomy. Mexique has received much recognition since its opening. Within the first three months Mexique was recognized as one of the best restaurants in Chicago and
MEXIQUE 1529 W. Chicago (312) 850-0288 mexiquechicago.com
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CHICAGO: EMERGING WRITERS & BOOKS
Chicagoland AUTHORS AUTHORS & BOOKS Vigore Magazine Book Review of
A Tear and A Tear in My Heart ~ A collection of Italian immigrant short stories by Bernard J. Bruno By Vigore book reviewer Mark A. Rudis
The characters slowly emerge from incomplete to allegorical. Their simplicity helps the reader anticipate the transition. In the big city setting of Chicago in the not too distant past we observe in a peculiar way the simple acts of immigrants coming to America. They need work. They produce Italian families outside the poverty of old Italy and inside the strange, potentially successful city of Chicago, a place that reflects its own set of problems. They have family tribulations and legal problems, and they share their incidents in the English language but use the thoughts and mental constructions of the old Italian way of thinking and speech. Next in arrives the Chicago “Outfit”, a distinctive Mob kinfolk who make their own social and legal manner of contributions to the local culture. Italian-style tragedy or comedy or irony is curious; thus, hopefully, it’s best have known Italy or Italians before entering these pages.
Bruno establishes his characters in a manner similar to Italo Calvino as each main character represents a behavior to be observed, a point to be made. Thereafter, a Bruno character becomes everyday real, not surreal. In some stories, the author appears as himself as lawyer for immigrants or their children who try to navigate, for example, unions and labor law. In a story of small Italian bakeries, the union enforcers act not much as thugs but as semi-well-intentioned stooges protecting their interests and source of bread for their families while trying to pull a fast one. The bakers, neither heroes nor adversaries, merely want to bake and not have their loaves thrown into the street, an act which creates shame and humor more than fear.
The author is arbiter who understands all sides, though he leaves the reader to observe and make his or her own judgment.
A disheveled popcorn street vendor reveals a tragedy travelling long over time from old country to new. Paci, dismally poor and goofy, exemplifies a secret honor and revenge in the same moment, and his honor is in turn honored in a different way by old friends. Paci interacts with the narrator only with nickel popcorn, remains distant and incommunicative, and yet Paci tells the whole story of the burden of protecting loved ones by not speaking as an act of sacrifice. Few of us learn the value of not speaking, and the sad story of Paci will provoke the reader only to sigh, and will remind us of past sadnesses and past sighs.
Bruno writes with an imperfect voice, almost in vernacular. The effect places him closer to the characters; however, at times, this creates an uneasiness, a kind of discomfort arising from knowing too much about a person. At the end of each story Bruno presents a terse judgment, as if the tale was a parable with a moral to the story. But these moral statements seem something else, too. Visualize an old Italian man speaking with gestures, then ending his speech with a shrug - a shrug symbolizing understanding of the human condition. The shrug is the moral of the story.
CHICAGOLAND AUTHORS & BOOKS is a scheduled feature in Vigoré Chicago. Emerging authors and writers can submit published works to appear and be highlighted in subsequent issues. For submissions visit www.vigoremag.com 39
A Harsh Winter Forges New Discoveries as an Artist Telltale signs of the season changing marked by crimson, orange, and golden leaves descending against the backdrop of cool, crisp, blue skies remind me once again, fall is upon us. Fuzzy caterpillars inch their way across the country roads lined with rows of corn and beans drying out in perfect time for harvest. Enormous spiders meticulously weave their colossal webs among the shrubs and the air grows cooler as sunsets light the skies on fire. Pumpkins, gourds and brightly colored mums perch themselves among the porches as burning embers from backyard bonfires fill the air with the smell of smoke and melted marshmallows. Indeed, fall has arrived! I consciously breathe in and seize the beauty surrounding me knowing that very soon, the last of the brilliant colored leaves will fall and the trees will be naked once more. The green grass will fade, the birds will fly south for refuge and winter will set in. This is the reality we face living in the seasonal Midwest. Generally speaking, I am able to find joy in the changing seasons. Winter is no exception. Even then, I look forward to the freshly fallen snow, warm evenings curled up under
Natalie Wetzel Making art is a way of life for me – deep, dynamic and transforming.
a fuzzy blanket lying next to a roaring fire and the holiday season spent with friends and family.
However, last winter is one season I could have done without. It seemed as if it would never end. The days were short, the arctic air was bitter and the cold winds were relentless; the ground was covered, more often than not, with layers of stubborn snow that refused to melt. Seldom did the sun ever peek through the heavy clouds of gray offering even the slightest gesture of hope. As a small fine art boutique owner called The Pod in the heart of Uptown Normal, we rely heavily on wellestablished foot traffic. Naturally some days are busier than others but for the most part, people find their way into our 40
Natalie Wetzel , The Pod, Uptown Normal, 104 East Beaufort Street, Normal, IL 61761 • https://www.facebook.com/ShopThePod
establishment all year long. This was not true last winter. Days turned into weeks that passed without a single person entering through our doors. My soul grew weary and hope diminished. I began to dread going into work each day. In an attempt to make productive use of my time there, I turned to my love of painting and creating to fill my days. Desperate for the sights and sounds of early spring, I did something unusual for me as an artist.
First came a series of radiantly colored butterflies, followed by whimsical birds, frogs, turtles and trees. Somehow in the midst of one of the worst winters in our history, my heart sprung fresh hope through these new creations. A renewed purpose was birthed within me and joy had returned. As seasons go, even that dreaded long winter passed. Eventually, people returned to the streets of Uptown. Much to my surprise, customers welcomed my new approach to art making. So much so, that my little critters were being sold much faster than my traditional abstract paintings. Today, I continue to work back and forth between using both abstract methods and more representational imagery. Perhaps something lasting and wonderful came through that dreaded winter season. In hindsight, I realize it helped to forge a new path of growth and discovery within me as an artist. For that, I am grateful.
I abandoned my typical abstract ways of working and exchanged it for more representational subject matter that seemed to lighten my own spirit. 41
Natalie Wetzel , The Pod, Uptown Normal, 104 East Beaufort Street, Normal, IL 61761 • https://www.facebook.com/ShopThePod
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Natalie Wetzel , The Pod, Uptown Normal, 104 East Beaufort Street, Normal, IL 61761 • https://www.facebook.com/ShopThePod
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Rising Star - Leigh Loftus
Voila! Food Photography& Image Consulting
For Business and Individuals I’m a photographer, artist, image consultant and visionary at large. I launched my photography company in 2009, after completing my degree at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago. I had no idea what the future would hold, all I knew was that intuitive feeling that if I keep going in the direction I’ve started, big things were bound to happen. I started with weddings and portraits, and slowly found myself working with any and every photographer I could in various facets of the photo business. My first year I was approached by the Palmer Leigh Loftus House Hilton Chicago to complete a few small projects for them, of course, with vigor, I said “absolutely!” The food and beverage director at the time asked if I could photograph food. I had no idea whether or not I could, but in the face of that fear, I shared with them that I hadn’t photographed food before, we agreed to take the photos and if they weren’t happy with them, they wouldn’t have to pay me. One week later I find myself in their dining room, a whole studio set up of lights and a chef that’s ready to get to work. The first dish is brought out and I begin shooting. I’d shoot, then I’d review the image, “Not quite right,” I’d think to myself, so I would adjust, often times having no clue what the outcome would be, but again I would persevere until I saw something I was happy with. ALAS. . . 20 minutes or so later, I’d finally created the image, that to me seemed to really capture the beautiful textures, colors and overall presentation of the dish in front of me. That very moment was the moment my love affair began with the art of food. The images turned out beautifully, all of us were beyond satisfied with the results and we’d just formed an entirely new partnership. This was the beginning of my business. I began to research different chefs in the city and I would literally reach out to them to let them know I would love to work with them. My second client was David Burke Primehouse in the James Hotel Chicago. I contacted the head chef at the time, Rick Gresh, and asked if I could show him some of my work because I thought he and I would make a great team. I had no idea how prominent this restaurant or this hotel was, I simply knew that one hotel had hired me, so I may as well pitch this to others. Rick and I met, and immediately he wanted to work with me, introduced me to his marketing team and we started to work with one another… I was onto something!
Fast forward about 4 years and I have now worked with countless restaurants and hotels across Chicagoland including but not limited to: The Palmer House Hilton Chicago, The Peninsula, The Dana Hotel, The Godfrey Hotel, The Acme Hotel, Lockwood Restaurant, David Burke Primehouse, The Berkshire Room, Shanghai Terrace, The Kerryman, The Park Grill, Roy’s Chicago, Devon Seafood and Grill, Zed 451, 50/Fifty Restaurant Group: The 50/Fifty, Homestead Restaurant, Roots Pizza, Westown Bakery Berkshire room, CS Magazine, Where Chicago Magazine, Today Chicago Woman Magazine, Zaggat Chicago, Dockers, Boston Financial, and Kendall College.
This year is a tipping point in my career. It’s the 5th year in business and I’ve started to have the yearn for something bigger. So, I asked myself what do I see missing with my clients. I see them hiring me annually and occasionally bi-annually, I see their marketing teams and PR teams requesting more images, and I see their overarching attentiveness to their budget. So, I ask myself, “how can I better engage my clients, so that it’s not this one and done, bottom line experience? How can I really integrate myself into fulfilling their photographic needs?”
“Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time.” - Thomas Merton Voila. . . Image consulting! I see the opportunity now to work with all of my already established clients to provide them with image consultation. Chances are if you are coming to me once for photography you could use a continued gallery of images that are cohesive and representative of your company. What I am doing now is working with my clients, their marketing and PR teams to look at their calendar year, this includes the marketing plans, PR plans, social events web and print based promotions etc. This creates the opportunity for my clients to really see the value of intertwining a photographic element that best aligns with their budget and the rest of their strategic marketing plans, creating visual content that is as quality controlled as their product. Yes, I am still a practicing photographer, only now I am fully invested in the development and strategy of your company. No longer is the experience of working with me “one and done,” I genuinely care about the success of your business and the success of our partnership. Loftus Worldwide is an image consulting company, our mission is to work with our clients to fully understand their company’s vision and to assist in producing the highest quality of visual content that tells their story to the world.
Leigh Loftus • 773.969.6488 Leigh@leighloftus.com • www.thinkleigh.com 44
Jewelery as
WEARABLE S CULPTURE designed & created by
Robert Trisko
trisko2.com • 320.253.5346 • ian@trisko2.com
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From Paula Heckenast Our tans are fading and it is getting colder. It's time to shake up your skin care routine! To ensure you always have a beautiful finish, it's important to invest in your skin. In the dry winter months your skin is more likely to become dry and flaky. Since your body hydrates from the inside out, first and foremost remember to drink plenty of water. Next, I recommend a gentle cleanser for all skin types. I like to remove my makeup using a makeup toilette, then follow with an organic gentle cleansing cream, and finish with an organic night cream. In the morning I rinse with water and then apply an organic day cream. Looking to try something new? Try out a gorgeous purple toned lip color to shake things up this season. Paula Heckenast, CEO & Founder www.citylightsmakeup.com Telephone: (708)969-0680 Find us on your favorite social media site! Paula Heckenast Facebook City Lights Makeup Artistry Facebook Twitter @MUAchicago Instagram @citylightsmakeupartistry •HD MAKEUP •AIRBRUSH MAKEUP •WATERPROOF MAKEUP • HAIR STYLING • WAXING • TATTOO COVERAGE • PLUS MORE!
Makeup & Hair: Paula Heckenast City Lights Makeup Artistry Photographer: Jennifer Avello Model: Brooke - Factor Women Stylist: Jessica Moazami - Factor Artists
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V Special Interest
B
utterfly eauty
Fashion designers take notice of nature for next spring and summer apparel designs, color blends and patterns from butterfly beauty.
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VIGORÉ Endorses TITAN COMMUNICATIONS as ONE of the best marketing companies of 2014
SeaHorses
East meets West • Medicine
A different approach towards healing and medicine Serious, Humorous, Interesting - Centuries old remedy without the side effects or warnings of Western (U.S.) ED drugs - think about it before laughing
Are you in a truly fulfilling relationship? Do you have a great sex life? If the answer to either of those questions comes up negative, you might take a lesson from the seahorse. Apparently these unusual creatures of the ocean have the secret to a long and happy relationship.
What is the secret? Dr. Amanda Vincent of Oxford University's department of zoology in Canada studied the unique mating and reproductive process of the seahorse and uncovered many of their mating rituals. For starters, they have only one mate for life. Yes it’s true. No partner is abandoned for a younger seahorse or for one with a bigger habitat, and no secret rendezvous in the sea grass near the coral reef next door. It is believed that this lifetime relationship enables the seahorse “couple” to become an efficient and effective baby-making team, producing around 1,000 young per year, a family large enough to break up even the happiest of couples. Yet, these two dedicated lovers remain steadfast in their commitment to each other. When mating, the female seahorse deposits her eggs (100-600) in the male brood pouch and the male fertilizes them internally. The male carries the eggs in his pouch for three to six weeks. He then releases the fully formed, miniature (only one centimeter long) seahorses into the water. Sounds like a plan – daddy seahorse is just as important as mommy in bringing their baby seahorses into the world. No wonder they remain so close.
What a team! To further reinforce their bond, the happy couple greets each other every morning and sometimes in the evening, an interesting yet sometimes overlooked mating ritual. They spend the rest of the day separated, the male takes care of the eggs and the female goes out to hunt for food. Ah yes, absence does make the heart grow fonder Even before Dr. Vincent’s discovery, the mystical seahorse has long been viewed with awe, a kind of submarine saint. The seahorse looks like a Gothic hallucination, with the profile of a horse, the snout of an anteater, and the spiraling tail of a dragon curling inward towards its belly and head. The scientific name for the seahorse is hippocampus, Greek for "bent horse." Seahorses range in length from about a 1/4 inch to 14 inches and come in a variety of colors and species. They swim vertically, as if by magic, beating their fins up to 70 times a second. These one of a kind species of the deep blue are found in temperate and tropical coastal waters all over the world. Seahorses live a happy and fulfilling life, but they also provide many services for us on land. Ground up and mixed with herbs, seahorse has been used by the Chinese for centuries to treat many illnesses such as: arteriosclerosis, kidney disease, respiratory infections, and circulatory disorders.
The Chinese have also used seahorse as an aphrodisiac. The Chinese have claimed it as a possible cure for infertility and sexual impotence, but we could expect nothing less from our fertile friends from the sea. Mix some seahorse
with a few herbs and throw away that bottle of Viagra. And yes, seahorses can also be eaten. Whole seahorses are made into soup. The taste is similar to dried scallops. The Cantonese have a Seahorse Soup recipe that calls for 4 seahorses, pork stock, ginger and carrots. It is considered an added benefit to the meal if the male seahorse happens to be pregnant. Of course one must be careful when trying to eat the seahorse. They are served anatomically intact. All this demand for the power of the seahorse has caused an international sensation, with trade, mostly dried seahorse used for medicinal purposes, valued at $40 million a year.
The best quality seahorses used in traditional Chinese medicine are the smooth, pale, large seahorses—now selling in Hong Kong for up to $550 per pound. So it seems that the seahorse is valued all over the world to cure what ails us, to provide a gourmet meal, and yes to improve our sex lives and teach us a little lesson on how to keep that love alive. Sea Horse Cocktail Ingredients: 60ml Vodka, 30ml Apple Juice 30ml Cranberry Juice 1 teaspoon Pernod 1 teaspoon fresh Lime Juice To make this cocktail pour all ingredients over ice and serve. Garnish with mint leaves.
An estimated about one in ten American men experience recurring ED at some point in their lives, by a number of causes, both psychological and physiological, and is not always treatable with drugs. The U.S. pharmaceutical industry top 3 companies posting sales of $3.1 Billion in 2006. 50
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POINTILLISM
POINTILLISM by Marc Rubin “Coral Reef Fish” 1992 Marc Rubin’s Pointillist works are not only influenced by the Pointillist works by George Seurat and Paul Signac but by Seurat’s principle that contrary elements can be brought into harmony to achieve a successful depiction. Rubin wrote his own principle in 1977, “Synchronism”. It is defined as: “Intentional Fine Art that combines two or more genre’s/styles of art from any place or time into harmonious balance.” Although Pointillism takes an inordinate amount of time as there are no shortcuts. Marc Rubin makes Pointillist works because as he says, “It’s the coolest art style ever invented and everybody loves it, especially me.” Even before Marc Rubin began his thesis work in pointillism he was absorbed in classic modern art. Marc had been exposed to the Art Institute of Chicago from his early childhood through his parents' love of art. He would meet and become friends with Jean DuBuffet and Salvador Dali in the mid 1970's. Dali saw incredible magic in pointillism . Although Marc Rubin’s works in Pointillism are masterful, his first love is modernism. It originally made sense to study George Seurat and his Pointillism as it is considered the starting point of all modern art. If you ask Rubin he will define him-self as a Fauve, the name of recognition self used by Henri Matisse and George Braque. 54
commissions invited Available print on canvas For more about Marc Rubin visit www.MarcRubin.com
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Alternative material expands the creative potential of stone sculpture by Marc Rubin These indoor-outdoor works are made using man made stone; various types of concrete. The final stone can have many unique qualities that depend on the type of sand aggregate used in the mix. Steel rebar can also be embedded in the concrete for strength. The dancing girl is 42 inches tall and weighs about 80 lbs yet because of an embedded rebar she stands on one toe.There are 2 basic concrete sculpture techniques used in the pictured works. One starts with a formed block of concrete that was infused with a substance that delays hardening for 16 to 20 hours. This type employs classic stone carving techniques like those used in marble sculpture however the piece must be completed in one set time period. The other employs adding concrete to build the sculpture just like classic works in clay. The difference is that when fully cured the piece is permanent stone suitable for indoor-outdoor display. Epoxy based paint can also be applied to fully cured works.
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Ancient Mesopotamia and the YEZIDI By Marc Rubin
Who are the people suffering genocide at the hands of an Islamist terrorist army that is seeking to dismantle Iraq and Syria to establish an Islamic Caliphate? They are Christians and Yezidi. Iraq – Mesopotamia - The Land of Two Rivers, is now known to be the birth place of civilization. While all Iraqis will proudly speak of their regional heritage and their unified ancient history in the land known as the Levant (Fertile Crescent) the Yezidi speak of a unified code of laws that include monotheistic worship. Their laws began with the 7 laws of Noah and later expanded to include the Judaic 10 Commandments. They practice a moral way of life that includes celebrating nature and giving thanks to the One God who created everything rather than an organized religion. The Yezidi we are seeing via news media in northern Iraq are the remnant of a clan of people who were scattered throughout the Levant in approximately 2800 B.C. after invaders from north of Syria invaded and destroyed their core city of Asshur. Those invaders called themselves Assyrians. It took the invaders three tries over a century to destroy Nineveh the first time. Later it was rebuilt by several Mesopotamian kings often incorrectly identified as Assyrian, they were the Akkadians. Its final destruction came in about 600 B.C. Many tablets from King Ashurbanipal's library, the last Akkadian king, were buried with artifacts. Archeologists discovered the subterranean Nineveh Sargon’s bronze death mask. King Sargon was born vault during the last century that sheds light on the Yezidi and all in the ruins of Nineveh.He rebuilt Nineveh but also Akkadians. After a thousand years of wars of domination and genetic improved Babylon and made it his capitol. blending the term Assyrian took hold. Today most Mesopotamians refer to themselves as Assyrians but not the Yezidi who maintain the faith and traditions of pre-3000 B.C. Mesopotamia. They do not intermarry with people of non-Mesopotamian lineage. They will not convert to either Christianity or Islam. For that reason they have been often misunderstood and much maligned for many centuries. They are, in fact, the descendants of the region of Mesopotamia known as Akkadia whose greatest central city was Nineveh. A look at the ancient art and artifacts of the Akkadians will give you a fuller understanding of these people. Recent re-dating of archeological discoveries coincides with Yezidi tradition of an approximately 10,000 year history. The art, music, textiles, engineering, agriculture and architecture of the Akkadians and Sumerians had developed for 6,000 years before the beginning of Egypt.
King Sargon's solid gold Helmut
The Yezidi are said to worship Angels. Akkadian artifacts like this lady’s head veil above makes it clear that Angels were an important part of their mainstream daily culture. An Akkadian lady's head piece with pomegranate flowers and fruit plus angels. 3500 B.C. 57
The pomegranate flower was used to denote the number of children born to a woman.
problems and opportunities that exist between the “public’s interest” and the “public’s best interest” There is a respected heritage on the existence and requirements of the “public’s interest” and the “public’s best interest.” Some may dismiss “public interest” as simply a rationale for one’s private view of the world. Critics of public interest have expressed that public interest concepts are almost always imprecise and expansive. Others argued that public interest is about an ideal rather than a scientific discrete construct. An important distinction between “public interest” and “public’s best interest” is that “public interest” is an ideal, whereas “public best interest” has specific, identifiable content. Public Interest is the more encompassing term and, as an ideal, the more elusive one. In a particular context, the “public interest” refers to the outcomes best serving the long-run survival and well-being of a social collective, to give the meaning of, as a “public.” This is a simplistic definition, but the focus is on outcomes, not on policies, intentions, or specific actions. This focus is suitable for an ideal concept. The “public interest” concept cannot, then, endorse any specific policy or action, only the public interest ideal. However, the “Public Interest” specific actions affect real-world policymaking, appearing to serve the public’s best interest.
determining the “public” can present problems however these problems seem no greater than determining the “interest.” For hundreds of years, philosophers and others have debated whether the public interest is best viewed as general or specific to the case. An especially important aspect of this definition is that “public interest” is dynamic. What is in the public interest changes not only case-by-case but also within the same case as time moves forward and conditions changes by a public motivated to secure its common interest as a public. It can be stated, the public’s interest cannot be known in any important sense in the absence of social inquiry and public discussion and debate.
a simplistic definition would be; public interest is emotional and public’s best interest is economical.
problems of public interest Public interest can have a positive or negative and protective or destructive effect on the public. Public interest also can create an effect producing a completely different result as planned. Public interest raises awareness through campaigns, emotions, insight and knowledge. To fuel awareness and change, Public Interest groups many times distort a true perspective or only show one side, to move people and public opinion along with politicians in their direction. In desperation to remove all obstacles, often plans are laid by “public interest groups” to create anger and fear. In the United States political realm, Public interest performs important functions. The Public interest (groups) initiates the process of identifying problems and often pro-
something
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motes to encourage specific outcomes without specific action and not providing resolutions. These include aggregating and representing the Public Interest of individuals in a way that a single individual would not be able to do. Public Interest helps to facilitate government by providing policy makers with information that is essential to making laws, and educating legislative members and the public on issues.
public interest groups that affect policy can be a group of persons working on behalf of or strongly supporting a particular cause, such as an item of legislation, an industry, or a special segment of society that affects the “public’s best interest”. Politicians can be moved by interest groups for the welfare or well being of the publics best interest and commonwealth. Public interest groups is any association of individuals or organizations, usually formally organized, that, on the basis of one or more shared concerns, attempts to influence public policy in its favor. Public interest shares a desire to affect government policy to benefit themselves or their causes. The “Go Green” programs and policies is a current example fueled by celebrities and former politicians. Their goal could be a policy that exclusively benefits group members or one segment of society (e.g., government subsidies for farmers, electric cars, windmill energy, solar power) or a policy that advances a broader public purpose (e.g., improving air and water quality). public interest attempts to achieve their goals by bringing pressure to bear on policy makers to gain policy outcomes in their favor. The term “interest” rather than “interest group” is often used to denote broad or less formalized political constituencies, such as the energy interest and the environmental interest, segments of society that may include many formal interest groups. Similarly, public interest is often used when considering local government entities working to influence national governments (e.g., a local government seeking to secure funding from the national government). deception of public’s best interest
Political influence, power play economics and private interest often move to create the illusion of public interest which are in direct contradiction to the public’s best interest. One example is in the oil, natural gas and coal energy, and wood, pulp, paper products and the printing industry. Fueled through strong public interest and supported with enforcement by the EPA, unions, federal and state regulations, all applying a great amount of economic and public pressure to protect the environment have diminished the United States energy, wood and pulp industry. There has been a dramatic reduction of new oil wells and oil fields opened and mills opening in the United States with more energy operations and mills reducing operation days and other mills totally closing. a strong “public interest” to protect the environment, diminished manufacturing in the united states, pushing reliance on foreign energy, decreasing energy exports to foreign countries, opening china and indonesia to make paper for u.s. market, both creating an economic cycle that is not in the “public’s best interest”. The public’s best interest could be achieved, at a global level, by boycotting the purchase of foreign manufactured products that do not meet the US environmental protection agency manufacturing standards. The United States has reduced emission while other industrial growing countries have increased emissions three fold. 58
The “Public’s Interest” to protect the United States environment and reduce pollution has moved in an extreme direction, supported by government, which is not in the “Public’s Best Interest”. In the situation of energy and paper, Public Interest is emotional and Public’s Best Interest is economical. The cost to the United States is the loss of global leadership, loss of domestic jobs, loss of tax revenues, loss as a global energy and paper product provider, and diminished scientific development of earth bound energy sources and the wood, pulp and paper industry process.
Positive Results of Public Interest.
The positive effects of Public Interest has pushed initiatives to the point where paper companies are saving the forest and the environment, (but loosing the forset to home, resort and hotel development), by diverting waste from landfills, decreasing the overall carbon footprint of paper products and decreasing dependency on coal and other fossil fuels. The paper industry’s goal continues to recover 60% of all paper that Americans consume for recycling. Using old paper to make new paper uses 30% to 50% less energy than making paper from new trees. Pollution is also reduced by 95% when used paper is used to make new sheets. The process for making paper for print in the United States utilizes more than 60% biofuels. Biofuels are considered neutral with respect to the emission of carbon dioxide because the carbon dioxide given off by burning them is balanced by the carbon dioxide absorbed by the plants that are grown to produce them. Paper mills even use what’s left over from the manufacturing process to generate bio-energy on site.
Unions: Public Interest often is not in the Publics Best Interest
Unions have a history of expressing the “Public’s Interest” engaging many restrictive and empowering aspects not in the “Public’s Best Interest.” Unions can easily be viewed in the “public’s interest” and its’ power and influence utilized to support the “public’s best interest” to protect wages, benefits, working conditions and job retention. Not in the public’s best interest can be the stubborn nature of Unions not to negotiate resulting in job lost. Unions acting in the Public’s Interest have pushed for more benefits and higher wages. The result is major corporations, inform their workers they must accept lower wages and benefits to make US companies competitive with their foreign rivals. Companies are demanding Union concessions and that workers accept concessions, claiming that this is the way to “save jobs.” The AFL-CIO and SEIU unions have given little or refused concessions accepting job layoffs claiming that State and Federal Democrat representatives will answer the problems of newly unemployed workers.
Going Green: Problems and Opportunities Going Green is a “public interest” but often taken beyond practical application or not properly industry applied can be counter productive to serve the “public’s best interest.” Often going green is not in the public’s best interest but a strong public interest. When International Paper announced the closure of a mill in Franklin, Virginia, politicians and 59
newspapers mused about the possible redevelopment of the site as a biomass power generation plant, a wood pellet manufacturing plant, a cellulose ethanol plant, or a “green” mixed-industrial facility. Any of these proposals would offer only a fraction of the jobs that are being eliminated, and none would fully utilize the specialized machinery at the mill. The facts show that newly planted and cut trees for paper production keeps the forest from being sold for commercial development. Trees can be replanted in places where they were harvested and also in places where they don’t currently grow. Through public interest, some people still believe that saving trees is the leading solution and trees will be saved if we stop using paper by using electronic storage and usage. The old days are gone when it comes to the destruction of forest for wood, pulp and paper products. Replanting methods and faster growing trees allow for a balanced approach. In contrast, not in the public’s best interest, electronic devices are much more complex and expensive to recycle, recover and reuse due to the toxic nature of their components. The average data center serving our electronic devices consumes the same amount of energy as 25,000 households, every day of the year.
By contrast, electronic server farms powering computers are the fastest growing users of fossil fuel in the world, and the energy they use doubles every year. Plus most electronic data usage requires more print
paper in the paperless system. The paper most time is discarded and hopefully recycled with the data as back up. Electronic devices do not grow anywhere or on anything and are not a renewable resource.
Public Interest diminishes Tree Growth.
Going Green may be too expensive for the financial health of many communities forcing jobs overseas. China and Indonesia “Green” concerns are not pursued with vigor. The “Print Grow Trees” campaign shows that supporting print on paper gives landowners the financial incentive they need to keep America’s woodlands safe from commercial development. The public interest to save trees has created a situation to diminish more tree growth. An average of 4,000 acres of forest is being converted to commercial development every day of the year, year after year. Trees contribute to many ecosystem benefits such as water, wildlife and carbon sequestration. Financial pressures are causing the owners of almost 60% of America’s woodlands to sell or transfer their land to commercial development at an alarming rate.
Problem: Public Interest creates Tax Loss and Unemployment
Public Interest often claims victory to save nature and be in the Publics’ Best Interest. As in the recent past and continuing today, the regulated use of oil and coal deposits, barriers to access energy deposits and closure of wood, pulp and paper plants, results in the loss of thousands of jobs. For example, with the many paper mills closing in the US, reports estimating that there could be over 3,600 jobs lost at one paper mill and countless jobs never created with the regulations that block access to natural energy. The report predicts a dramatic impact on truckers, loggers, local businesses and restaurants resulting in a spike in the unemployment rate. The region’s tax base will also take a severe hit. For example, in the Isle of Wight County’s economic impact study estimates that $19.2 million in state tax revenue and $13.5 million in local tax revenue will be lost with the mill closure.
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Politics: Problems and Opportunities
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Which party or party coalition controls the government influences the relative importance and impact of the public interest within society. For example, in a democracy, if a left or centre-left government is in office, it is most likely that allied groups (e.g., labor unions and environmental groups) would have more influence on and be consulted more often by the government, whereas business groups usually have wider importance when a conservative government is in office. Often public interests are advanced through politics for the public’s best interest. Politics and public interests are inseparable. Public interests are a prevalent, permanent, and essential aspect of all political systems, democratic, authoritarian, and totalitarian regimes alike. No political campaign would be complete without opponents arguing that their respective policies, even if contradictory with one another, are in the “public interest” or “public’s best interest.” The fact is that determining one from another is blurred and almost impossible, at least doing so in a precise, obvious or deductive way.
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Problems and Opportunities Lobbying strategies and tactics
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Although strategies and tactics vary between and within political systems, among democracies, it is in the United States that interest group activity is most accepted and displays the widest range of tactics. In order to accomplish public interest goals, interest groups develop a strategy or plan of action and execute it through specific tactics. Research conducted in the United States provides major insights into the factors that determine interest group influence. Money is important in explaining the influence (or lack thereof) of interest groups, but, contrary to what might be believed by the public, it is not simply money that determines political clout. Factors determining the influence of individual interest groups include the group’s financial resources, the managerial and political skills of its leaders, the size and cohesiveness of its membership, and political timing, presenting an issue when the political climate is right. The United States system designed by its founders, safeguards or prevents government action. The so-called “advantage of the defense” operates. All Public Interest has to do to stop a proposal is to get a sympathetic committee chair in the legislature to oppose it or a President or Governor to veto it. To get a proposal enacted requires that it clear hurdles in both houses of the legislature and be signed by the Executive. A country’s political climate influences strategies taken by interest groups. Which party is in power (such as one favorably disposed to an interest group’s agenda), the major issues facing the government, and the country’s budget circumstances will influence the types of strategies an interest group uses. In the United States groups pursue a different strategy when the Republicans are in power in Washington, D.C., and in the states than when the Democrats are in power. As a philosophy in the interest of individualism and economic values there are three central principles. First, it is human centered. Values are based on the needs of humans, not society. Second, social and government institutions are a means to satisfy individual needs. Third, individualism is of supreme value, not the society, and that all individuals are of equal moral value.
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Public’s Interest and Public’s Best Interest share an artificial distinction because they have soft boundaries and inevitable meld. There is a distinction, even somewhat unrealistic, in that it reflects two largely separate points.
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Ski Way Past The Sign
area into the Vasquez Peak Wilderness, the boundary where both natural law and state law say you are on your own. In the southerly distance is another small sign, a landmark it later turns out, well into the out-of-bounds and, upon leaving the Vasquez Cirque trail, I make it my next stop.
By Mark A. Rudis
The sign’s letters were carved to read Vasquez Peak Wilderness, but it is now so weather beaten and wind worn that the relief on the old board is barely definable. I take a picture of the sign, look around, see tracks from a skier no older than a day that look like they are going in the right direction, and, being unfamiliar with the way to get to the Zero Creek dropin (the made up name of the prominent feature visible in the distance from the ski area), I figure, great, unexpected help.
I ski-hiked to the sign, then too far. The out-of-bounds slopes seen from the Panoramic chairlift for years drew my vision and aspiration into a very steep, untracked cirque formed as an arc, almost a semi-circle, of cornices that grew, captured much of the blowing snow from the prevailing northwesterly winds. The northwesterly, larger, more susceptible-to-breaking-off cornices were jeopardy, avalanche terrain, certain snow slide territory. The smaller, more stable cornice tapering to a terminus at the southwest part of the arc was the goal. There are no official rules for skiing out of bounds other than it is out of bounds and no one from the ski area’s ski patrol is ever going to risk his or her job by going where you and they are not supposed to go. Your risk. Period. Colorado law makes it clear that enjoying its wilderness means you are on your own. You make your own rules regarding weather, equipment, survival strategy, and you alone own your consequences. It’s best to know the lay of the land. Mountain navigation lends itself to a contour system, not a grid system; thus, the hiker/skier/trekker more easily orients on drainages from the peaks and ridges, observes the way water, if present, would drain down a slope. Following a drainage down to a known river or valley floor or up to a known peak is a reliable method of routing. Confidence in the mountains comes not only from topography maps, but from doing the treks, getting lost, and finding the way again by observational skills. Zero Creek, First Creek, Second Creek and so forth are the numbered drainages extending up from the lowest tributaries of the Fraser River to the top of Berthoud Pass. The Fraser River collects the water from these arithmetical creeks, and then flows into the Colorado River. Today was the day. I asked Rupert to partner with me because ordinary survival protocol says don’t go skiing and ski-hiking alone in the backcountry. He declined, and I, being intimate with the solitude and challenge nature can provide, went by myself. Some days are better suited to alpine skiing using the type of ski to which most people are accustomed, viz., a step-in binding and contoured profile for cruising on intermediate slopes or zippering bumps, and other days are better suited to telemark skiing using a ski with bindings that permit the skier to lift the heel while performing a “genuflect” gesture to control turning. Telemark skis, like cross-country skis which permit heel lifting, permit more comfortable and consistent walking movements when hiking over snow for longer distances. The telemark (“telie”) technique is old, predating the stem technique that predominates today’s skiing. Telie skiing is fun, a different kind of athleticism. Today is for telies. The gate into Vasquez Cirque (neighbor to the unnamed cirque above Zero and First Creeks) leads to a hike of twentyfive minutes plus to get to the premier slopes within Vasquez Cirque that are maintained and patrolled by ski patrol. Every thirty yards or so small signs with the universal slashed circle remind hikers that the region to either side of the trail is closed. A little less than half way on the trail, on the left side, is a small unnoticeable sign slightly different than the standard slashed circle announcing usual warnings of backcountry dangers; this is the marker permitting exit from the ski 61
The lay of the land was different than those perspectives observed from the chair lift or from the gate or from standing in-bounds and looking out, but still familiar. This subtle clue of how to navigate mountains was key, but I, having spent decades hiking in the mountains, thought pleasantly but not analytically of terra nova, and merely enjoyed the mind trick of new perspectives on a view of slopes and contours seen a thousand times before. I hiked in a circumnavigation of a shallow summit. The slope of the trail, and now absence of trail, had been such that hiking was required in the shuffle step associated with telemark skis. Now the ground slightly descended so I could start to glide and I viewed somewhat steeper terrain ahead and thought hiking was done, skiing was here. Having circumnavigated about ninety degrees of arc around the shallow summit, I thought I must be getting close. The beauty of my surroundings and the mild but embraced fear of going into terra incognita energized me and in a way anesthetized my mind so even though I actually had hiked/glided a mile or more, the feeling was that I had only gone several hundred yards. It was looking great! A couple of low-rider turns on the telies, then a stop to make reconnaissance. Nowhere close to Zero Creek drainage or even First Creek drainage - this looked more like Second Creek or even Third Creek. Returning to Zero Creek, if possible at all, would require a tight, high traverse back to the north. The slow slog back began and the possibility of regaining enough elevation to make the drop-in at Zero Creek appeared less and less likely. Arriving closer, looking up, dismayed at missing the goal, I estimated I stood more than one hundred feet below the Zero Creek drop-in, on a ridgeback that extended down parallel to the drainage. The snow, a concoction of crushed ice/snow cone textures that had become hard and massive, looked terribly loose an prone to sliding. I measured the possibility of dropping into Zero Creek drainage from this lower outpost on the ridgeback, but thought it would be safer to have dropped in where planned because there were two sets of tracks there from the previous day that, in a way, certified the snow was stable. The area surrounding the tracks showed no evidence of
sliding or breaking, so, ipso facto, it was safe. But by me, safety was only a mental construct because the evidence suggested otherwise. I stared down the ridgeback to the next, then next again possible drop-ins – each looked the same dismaying gravidness prone to sliding. A mental debate of three possibilities: hike up by side-stepping to the originally planned drop-in, or, traverse back to Second Creek, or, continue down the ridgeback and hope for the best. Decided: down the ridgeback, toward the dwarf trees that delimit the edge of tree line. (Tree line is a funny phenomenon: it occurs at different elevations around the world. Here in north central Colorado tree line happens at about 11,300 feet.) Cruising down, drifts had built up of varying height and steepness along the ridgeback. Skiing over or around the drifts above tree line, and then below tree line among dwarf trees was fun. I studied a potential drop-in back into a lower section of Zero Creek from several feet away of a cliff’s edge, not close enough to get a good look to see whether the slope was a clear shot into the drainage, a drop in elevation of maybe two hundred feet or so. I took a step toward the edge and then stopped with an abrupt thought. If this is a cantilevered cornice and not a cliff edge, and I step to the cornice edge and it breaks, then I’ll involuntarily end up in the drainage with a ton of snow on top of me. But how can I know if I don’t look? Or don’t look and move on? Survival mode kicked in and intruded on my fun, and despite no luck finding a suitable drop-in that would lead me back into Zero or First Creek, respect for potential breaks of cornices was the right attitude. I move on, leaving the ridgeback with its attendant cliffs above, and I ski gentle terrain that drains in the near distance toward to a knoll, a crown with a steepness radius that becomes even steeper as it opens into a bowl below. Nice looking. I had skied into favorable terrain. Though this slope-into-bowl surely would take me away from preferred Zero or First Creek, the egress by way of Second Creek or Third Creek would be exciting because: 1) I had never seen it from the top looking down, and 2) it would lead me to the highway only another mile or so up from where Zero Creek or First Creek, my familiar intended egresses, met the highway. Thus, this good-looking bowl would lead to an equivalently good though farther away egress made attractive by celebrated large rock faces along the way. Either way required a hitchhike back to my car once I reached the highway. Because the crown of the slope increases in steepness, I plot out a mental line to ski to the bottom of the bowl. As I stand near the top of the crown, just a few arc degrees below, and while mentally mapping, I nonchalantly traverse a few feet to change my angle of view for no reason other than completing a view as one might complete a thought. Then, I feel it, a butterfly in the stomach coupled with an un-weighting through my legs, simultaneously as I hear it, a sound that was like gently biting into a snow cone. A snow slab had broken beneath my feet, and slid, moving me with it. Only a few feet later it stopped. An avalanche. I am standing on top of it. I am scared to death. Singular thought – death. I was on my feet, standing upright, was I? The slab measured approximately, irregularly about twentyfive-by-thirty yards in surface area, and maybe a couple of feet thick. I gingerly without thinking take steps upwardly and perpendicular to the sloping crown, over the tear in the snow and small crevasse created at the border of the broken slab. Several yards beyond the slab I had just stepped off of, I
feel it and simultaneously hear it again. Another slab beneath me had broken loose and slid moving me with it adjacent to the first slab, and stopped after sliding only a foot or so. Scared to death. The singular thought of death now brought with it an ancillary thought – there is no escape. I repeat my delicate walk upwardly and perpendicular to the slope of the crown, over the mini crevasse, onto new snow and then I feel it and simultaneously hear it again – a remembered sound of teeth biting gently into a snow cone, another slab, smaller, had broken beneath me. Death, no escape. Am I ready to die? I guess so. It is my time, don’t fight it, accept it. I “see” death with any next few steps. So I stand still. Once I accept imminent death, it turns out, I start to think of a strategy. Figure this out. Death thoughts cloud the mind. How to escape, think!? Well, can’t just stand here, so I shuffle toward a rock outcropping, almost an arête, determined to stand on the rock, an island of safety, until I figure this out. A final few steps, another small slide and snow-cone sound, and I feel the rocks gouge into the bottom of the skis signaling safety for now. I think hard. No ideas coming, no avalanche equipment, not beacon nor shovel nor inflatable avi pack. Observe the lay of the land. Escape means stepping onto the slope on either side of the rock outcropping into the bowl; all surrounding snow looks like it will slide. Lesson 101 of the avalanche is now learned because, standing within it, I see how one works. Recent slides all around me and in front of me, I study each of them. How could I not have seen these before!? Can I figure this out…. Retreat by hiking up and back to my point of entry into the wilderness is not possible because it would take many hours, well into night, with no confidence that the snow above was any more stable than the snow surrounding the rock outcropping. Failure right, left, above and probably below. What a conundrum: the analytical mind meets survival instinct, both rally, but neither disposition has a potential solution. No retreat upward, so … walk on rocks, stop and figure. Side slip along rocks. The depth of snow near the rocks appeared shallow. Thus, if progress along the side of the rocks while side-slipping produced a mini-avalanche - no problem because I could leap/fall back onto the rocks and the snow should be insufficiently deep. I moved onto the snow, and the method worked until the island of rocks ceased, and there was more bowl-of-snow beneath me. This snow field all around looked like it could avalanche. But, it had to be crossed, whether sideways or down. A long pause to make reconnaissance. Trees stood downhill one hundred or so yards away along the far side of the bowl. Beneath my rock island, I side-stepped directly below and knocked down small slabs (small snow-cone sound), no bigger than twice the size of my ski length, and repeated the process downward until about ten such small slabs had settled above me. The knocked-down snow directly above me looked stable and not too deep. I figured it was time to ski the remainder of the slope into the bottom of the bowl in one straight shot. At the bottom there was no potential for avalanching – right? It must be so, I thought, because when one adds up the masses and the vectors, the bottom looks benign. Anyway, time to get there, and then plan the next step to get to the trees to skier’s right-side along and below the bowl. I take a straight line down. Another field-sized slab breaks beneath me, and though there is no significant slab sliding because I’m close to the shallow-angled bottom of the bowl, in my panic while skiing at a moderate speed consistent with 62
wet, heavy spring snow, I fall head first into the snow. The snow just had collapsed beneath my feet, had sunk almost a foot, and the resulting loss of balance caused me to fall head first into the just-created broken, not-quite-knee-high wall of snow in front of me. The slab was sliding on top of me, my mouth full of snow sputtering and spitting, panicking while inverted in a darkish environment, and then … nothing happens but me sputtering and flaying arms. I look up. No slide coming my way, just sun shining nicely during a mostly cloudy day. I flop around like a fish to try to get my feet under me, and then spend minutes clearing out the snow from goggles, neck, sleeves, and hat. I think of my kids, now mostly grown, and miss them terribly. Damn, should have prepared the distribution of my property and money to them by will or trust so they won’t need Probate court. It would have been so easy to have prepared any kind of testacy documents myself. I apologize out loud to them. The bowl’s bottom narrows to a small two-tiered valley, rocky with small trees on the high side, a clear sloping trail on the lower. The trees, now closer, reveal a proper mature forest. I yearn to be there as it appears safe. Blocking my way is a short cliff, maybe eight-to-twelve feet high, which I just want to ignore as this is the kind of gentle cliff in good ski conditions that easily can be jumped. The same doubts as above immobilize me. But, shallower slope means less potential energy in the slope. This thought reassures a bit. Hmmm. A straight line shot to the trees seems best. Ready, go, drop, ski, and a tense few seconds. I cross the threshold of the trees and calm down. The road is still a couple of miles away, and the small increasing sense of security in the trees feels good and helps thinking. It’s an easy ski through sometimes tight pines with a comfortable slope; gravity does the work and lets my
muscles and mind relax. Following the contours of the obvious drainage, I soon leave the trees and emerge into a snow field I must cross below large, one-hundred-plus feet high rock walls, familiar because they are a prominent sight when seen in the distance from the highway. Huge avalanches recently, probably last night, had slid and created debris fields below the walls. Dread. Even though debris fields are stable, I just bear the chill of fear while crossing, as continuing sweat dripped into my goggles, my ski pants already heavy with leg sweat. Once lower in the trees along summertime hiking trails, I just ski-hike, feel safe yet feel afraid to cross small streams not because they’re dangerous, it’s just now I will survive and fear taking a chance, a funny paradox from an hour or so ago. A click sound from the ski bindings starts, and it sounds like it’s gonna break any second. I ignore the sound as I cannot spend mental energy worrying about it – I’ll face that set-back if and when it happens. The terrain flatter, the occasional sounds of the road had been audible for ten minutes. On the road, I walk a mile before a young couple, grad students, picks me up in their Alaska plates’ pick-up truck. The couple is friendly and asks about the area because they had never been before. I respond to questions of our valley, town and ski area in a casual voice, a disconnect from the still racing mind and the body’s animated, adrenaline-dosed exhaustion. When they ask how was skiing today, my voice can only manage that I had been scared to death and it was avalanching a lot up there. © Mark A. Rudis Nov. 4, 2103
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CHICAGO is know for its’ Black & White designs from furniture, clothes to print. LET’S
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Amazing Color Blends Male parrotfish are far more colorful than they were when they started life as females. Their parrot-like beak rasps the algae from corals and deposits the indigestible coral back as sand on the reef. It has been estimated that a large parrotfish can deposit 5,000 pounds of sand a year.
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Green Sea Turtle see page 8 P HO TO GR AP HED BY
LYNN FUNKHOUSER www.lynnfunkhouser.com lynnfunkhouser@rcn.com
The beautiful pink male squarespot anthias has a harem of 8 to 12 females. Females are yellow and look very different than the pink males. If the male should die, the dominate female becomes male. You can see this female in transition with the square spot developing. The transition takes 2-3 weeks for the sex change to become complete.
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