by Tiff -

EZ-Combs

While watching CNN this past weekend, I was inundated with a wacky commercial for EZ-Combs, the latest hair accessory to be peddled on TV infomercials.

At first glace I wanted to vomit. It looks pretty fugly. Am I right or am I right? But then they started to demonstrate how you use it, and then I realized me – a woman without any finger control – might be able to use it on my own.

It looks simple enough: Insert one side, stretch it and pull it to the other side of your head, then insert the other comb. Sure, it may look ugly, but being able to put my hair up on my own on a sweltering summer day? Priceless.

I can always put a bandana over the whole EZ-Comb emsemble anyways.

Has any quad-ess used this baby yet?

– Tiff

by Tiff -

And So It Begins

Look! Obama’s only been President for 2 days and look how science is already moving forward: FDA approves embryonic stem cell study

The FDA was able to finally approve Geron Corporation’s embryonic stem cell human trials yesterday, which have been on hold for years thanks to Georgey boy’s influence over the FDA. Being that his administration banned Federal funding of embryonic stem cells in 2001, other governmental offices were also influenced in all viscinities of embryonic stem cell research, whether it was known publically or not.

But not anymore! With Obama as president governmental offices like the FDA can now decide freely.

So very soon, a lucky 8-10 acute injured people will be getting embryonic stem-cells injected into their injury sites. They’ll be closely monitored (duh)….and I’m sure crazy awesome things will happen. Will they be fully healed? Nope (at least that’s my guess). But if they even get their pinky movement back that’s something.

When I attended the World Stem Cell Summit last fall, every researcher there stressed how vital embryonic stem cell research is compared to adult stem cell research. Embryonic stem cells, they say, hold the most promise.

People like me, the “dinosaurs” of the SCI population (I’ve been paralyzed since 1993), cannot be involved in the study due the scar tissue that’s formed over the years. A little FYI for ya: Even though it hinders any possible neve regeneration, our human bodies are programmed to put scar tissue around the damaged area of the fragile spinal cord. Getting the scar tissue off it so the stem cells can get to it? Yeah, not easy.

I’ll be following this study like a hawk. Look for updates as they’re released from Geron.

Yay science!

– Tiff

by Tiff -

Cooking: What’s Your Favorite Dish (to make)?

What do you really enjoy cooking?

I absolutely love cooking my Mom’s classic white sauce recipe. It’s a heart-attack waiting to happen, but at least you’ll die with a smile on your face. The recipe:

– 1 stick of butter

– 1 pint of heavy whipping cream

– 1 tablespoon of garlic sauce

– 1 cup of grated parmesan cheese

Melt the stick of butter on low heat. After it’s fully melted, add the whipping cream while stirring constantly. After the two have mixed, add the garlic salt. Right before serving, add the parmesan cheese. Stir in (still on low) and make sure the cheese entirely melts into the sauce. After that, serve over your favorite pasta and enjoy!

I usually add frozen peas and pre-cooked cubed ham into the sauce too (added at the end), and serve the sauce over a fettucini pasta. NOM.

– Tiff

by Tiff -

Fun Game!

Which Jonas brother will eventually come out as gay, and then move onto a huge solo career? #1: Joe, #2: Nick , or #3: Kevin?

You know at least one of them has to be gay. This is the entertainment industry, people!

My guess is #1 (the furthest to the left) . Joe is the 19 year old who broke Taylor Swift’s little ‘ol country girl heart. See, totally gay!

Your turn!

– Tiff

by Tiff -

All Day Lipgloss?

On a whim last week I bought a tube of Maybelline’s Super Stay gloss (in a pretty pink tone to break-up the winter blahs).

I’ll admit I doubted it’s ability to really stay. “Gloss? Really? All day?” But I’m here to announce to the interwebz that yes indeedio, this stuff really works.

Tip: Apply it as evenly as possible. It can easily shift over your lip line before drying all the way, and will look totally ridiculous (and it’s not easy to fix/wipe off). So be careful.

And yes, it does cost a few more dollars than your average lipgloss, but the fact that it stays on a helluva lot longer is worth it. And do I really have to mention again that lip color that doesn’t need to be reapplied all day is a good thing for women like us?

– Tiff

PS. Is Maybelline paying me to pimp-out their products yet? *echo*

by Tiff -

Freelance Writer For Hire

Need a well connected disability-genre expert to help give you fantastically fun, yet informative articles? Looking for content to draw in readership, and (hopefully) sponsors?

If so, then I’m your woman. I’ve been the resident SCI Life columnist for New Mobility magazine since 2004, author of Tiff’s Corner, a dating and relationship advice column for Lovebyrd.com since 2005, and have written freelance for nearly every major disability publication in the country.

I’ve also sucessfully branched out into non-disability publications, including Playgirl and Nerve.com.

And my latest foray into new media – podcasting – has turned into a weekly podcast series for women with disabilities called No Free Rides, for Xable.com.

Edgy, thought-provoking, dependable, and professional. That’s what you can expect from our partnership.

To contact me (email is preferred) and for resume requests, please use tiffiny@beautyability.com.

Happy 2009!

– Tiffiny C.

by Tiff -

Back To Your Regularly Scheduled Programming

My PCA’s are back, the holidays are over, school is back in session…

2009 has officially begun. I am so glad things are back to normal.

Things in the disability world are pretty quiet right now, so not much to blog about these days. The only news I can think of:

– Johnson & Johnson announced they will no longer be selling the iBot in the USA this year (low sales. bummer).

– States across the nation are facing budget deficits and looking to cut programs (with disabled people crossing their fingers that the cuts won’t dramatically affect them).

– And people everywhere rooting for stem-cell research are waiting with bated breath, hoping Barack Obama will reverse Bush’s veritable stem-cell ban. Hopefully in February we’ll see this happen!

Ok, that’s all I gotta say for today. Now it’s your turn: Comment, amuse me, tell me something interesting, people!

– Tiff

by Tiff -

Windows Vista = Crap

Dear Mr. Bill Gates,

Why on God’s green earth did you allow your company to create one of the shittiest running systems ever? Dell forced your piece of crap on me when I bought my laptop last April, and ever since, my dismay at Vista has become greater and greater. The most annoying thing, other than the weekly system freeze-ups of course, is when IE will all of a sudden close because of a mysterious error, then restart again, but without RESTORING the session! (unlike the fabulous Mozilla). This is simply unacceptable.

Is it that hard to add this feature?

Please, publicly apologize for the abomination that is Vista. Much like the writers of “Heroes” Season 2 did.

Yours,

Tiff