Mike deGruy is a great storyteller, teller of truths.
From his website,
“… When it seemed time to return to Hawaii and finish his degree, two things happened in sequence that changed the course of his life.
The first of these incidents was on April 2, 1978. Mike and a fellow researcher were diving in a little known area of the Enewetak Atoll. Mike was taking still photographs when he was violently attacked by a Grey Reef shark, ripping the top of his right arm off and leaving him bleeding profusely in the “sharky” waters of the lagoon. His diving partner was less severely attacked by the same shark. They were 10 miles out, no land in sight and there was nobody in their 21 foot boat to help. Needless to say, things were grim for the two researchers as they were separated at the surface – left alone to deal with a dire situation in the middle of a lonely ocean.
It is still a mystery as to why Mike was not eaten that day. Enewetak is famous for its enormous population of sharks Mike was bleeding heavily, hundreds of yards away from an empty boat, his diving partner nowhere to be found, rough seas surrounding him and he was severely injured. It was the fact that he was 100% convinced he was going to die that saved his life. When you are already dead, there is no reason to panic, so Mike just rolled over on his back, used his left hand to clamp off the blood flow from his right arm, and slowly kicked toward the boat, waiting for the inevitable – even imagining where the first attack would hit him. The second attack never came and when Mike finally reached the boat, he saw blood on the gunwales his friend had made it back he called up and was helped into the boat. Two years and eleven operations later, he is fine, only a partially operating right hand and ugly scars left as reminders.
… For the last several years, in addition to continuing filmmaking, Mike has become a speaker, master of ceremonies and interviewer for a wide range of audiences. He has interviewed James Cameron, Sir David Attenborough, Al Gore and many others on stage and brings decades of experience of world travel, interactions with media broadcasters, dealings with foreign agencies, hundreds of ocean stories and tales of creatures great and small, to entertain his audiences. Mike has dived under the ice at both poles, been to all continents, become a submersible pilot, dived hundreds of times in many types of submersibles, filmed the hydrothermal vents in both the Atlantic and the Pacific and had more meals on the Titanic, now resting at 12,500 feet deep, than did the doomed passengers.”
“Birthday thought: I consider myself a proudly visible member of the most invisible segment of our society – older women. I want to help redefine what society thinks an older woman should think like, look like, talk like, act like, work like – and fuck like. :)”- Cindy Gallop
Happy birthday to one of my favorite peeps! Cindy Gallop.
Two weeks ago I made a new dream board collage of goals I want to achieve in the next few years.
I have travel destinations glued on this board, next to items I want to eat, materialistic things I’d like to wear, and magazine cut outs representing Peace On Earth, all this and the car I want to drive, the BMW ACTIVE E. I made this board with one of my best friends, so today when I finished having breakfast with mi mums randomly at Corky’s, we open the door to find the BMW Active E parked right in front of our eye balls!!!! I texted Iris right away to tell her the dream boards are working, and positive thinking is 100% totally real. Think happy thoughts! And remember that other people exist, and they need your help in thinking positive too.
Me and my heart flipped. My mom loved seeing me overjoyed. Yes it is a car, yes this sounds materialistic. But what it means to me is that even luxury vehicles are thinking eco-friendly, finally, it is 2012. So you can help save the planet and still look caked up.
I had fun asking Darren, the sales guy from Center BMW, all the questions that popped in my head. He had all the answers and invited me to test drive it sometime. I’ll be back in a couple of weeks (due to school, and my Vegas work trip) to take him up on his offer. :)
It feels so good to be in menstrual pain. I love that my ovaries and uterus have me confined to my bed, and occasionally they let me escape to the couch. ♥ The female body is amazing.
You may have already seen this on le zine,
No one would ever know that I was menstruating unless I talked about it. Or unless you’re around me enough, I turn into a mega bitch (it comes so natural to me during this time.) Oh and my bosom’s are heavier, always pretty though. There’s also no evidence in any bathroom trash can because I use the reusable Diva Cup! I love being a woman.