Why I Will Not Be Watching the Sex & City Reboot

For all I know, Kim Cattrall doesn’t even want to be involved in the reboot, but I feel possessed to say something. This was the first TV show I binged after all. It holds a special place in my heart, but Samantha holds an even deeper space in my heart. Like deep, deep. Just call her Samantha, the heart miner.

As a young twentysomething woman, this show literally showed me, and women all around the globe, what our sex lives were capable of whether that be good or bad, but in Samantha’s case, it was always a very good thing. She was the best character in the show. And I’m not just saying that because I’m also blonde and have been known to have a voracious sexual appetite.

No. Kim Cattrall’s portrayal of a financially and sexually independent woman in her 40’s (gasp), was unheard of in any other arena of media at the time. And honestly, I can’t think of any other character that has been portrayed since Samantha that has been better when it comes to possessing these fierce fucking qualities.

Samantha in many ways made the world better for women. While the other characters wiled away, pining for a husband or crying over over a man that said goodbye on a Post-It, Samantha was on the offense at all times. She never let a man’s ineptitude veer her off her goals in life. Eh-hem…now why isn’t she returning again?

Sure, Carrie, Charlotte and Miranda are all adorable and look great in clothes, and I’ll admit, I squeed when their storylines had a happy ending just like every other person watching, but do I really care what’s going right now in their lives? Nah. The only character I honestly would love to see are right now is Samantha, and unfortunately she’s not going to be in the reboot. I’m afraid Jason Matheson from The Jason Show is right, and she’ll probably be killed off in the first episode in some funeral scene while the other ladies sit around her coffin wearing luxe black designer clothes and big sunglasses.

There are rumors that Sarah Jessica Parker did not get along with Kim Cattrall in real life, which is why Samantha Jones will not be in the new series. Really? Are they that immature to forgo such a monumental and important character over on-set emotions? Who knows what the truth is. Only those who are involved know. All I know is that Samantha won’t be in the reboot while so many minor characters are…and I simply cannot observe this travesty. My heart is broken.

Now excuse me while I go watch Mannequin.

#samanthajonesforever

Perfectly wheeled wedding in Palm Springs

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I see a lot of awesome wheelchair wedding pics online all the time, in my line of work, from my thousands of wheeled friends n FB and on Pinterest, but recently a photoset of a wedding/reception really impressed me. Jana and Cory (married for nearly 2 years now) got married at the fab retro hotel, the Ace Hotel, in the just a fabulously retro location Palm Springs, Cali. If you plan on getting married this year and are a bride using a powerchair, Jana and Cory’s photos by the talented David Richards Photography is something to behold. Check them out

Ps. I absolutely love her dress choice. Strapless in a wheelchair can look so good. And even better news, the happy couple is loving married life.

Really, no need to be embarrassed for liking us

cuteI recently wrote a blog post on the bizarre subject of people feeling embarrassed for being attracted to wheelchair-users, as if it’s akin to finding a child or corpse attractive. I have been countlessly taken aback by backhanded compliments since my spinal cord injury stemming from this. Eg: “So and so found you hot, BUT he was too embarrassed to say so…to anybody.”

*Sigh* Having a SCI can be way too complicated sometimes. Read the entirety of my thoughts on this subject on Easystand – “Embarrassed for Being Attracted to a Disabled Person?”

The Latest on Male Sexuality and Spinal Cord Injury

Out of everything we lose when we become paralyzed, the effects on our sexuality can be the hardest. Ask any guy with a spinal cord injury what he misses most and chances are he’ll say his sexuality.

But the good news – there’s hope for a better tomorrow. There are constant discoveries being made and experts lining up to give advice, all aiming to give men with spinal cord injuries this part of their life back.

Still aren’t sure it’s possible? Watch our three videos to see what we mean. Read this entry

SCI Superstar: Ashlee Lundvall

Growing up with a Dad as a pastor, Ashley Lundvall was raised to be positive, but after a teenage freak accident, her nature was challenged….but only for a short while.

Now a motivational speaker, Ms. Wheelchair Wyoming, a wife and mother, this determined woman got over her fears and vowed early on her wheelchair wouldn’t take anything more from her. Strong women are what we love to profile here at SPINALpedia, and Ashlee Lundvall could very well be the cover girl for them.

Whether she’s hunting in the wilderness of Wyoming or taking her daughter out shopping, she is a great example of what can be achieved in spite of a spinal cord injury, and we love her for it. Read this entry

No Free Rides Episode #106 – Integrative Therapy Pioneer Chanda Hinton Leichtle

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Chanda and her husband Paul.

In podcast #106, Tiffiny is joined by the gorgeous Chanda Hinton Leichtle, a C5-6 quad from Denver and the famous namesake of the Chanda Plan Foundation, a non-profit dedicated to bringing free non-Western integrative therapies – acupuncture, massage and adaptive yoga – to people with disabilities all over the country.

During the show, Tiffiny has Chanda open up on her early years post-injury (after being accidentally shot in the neck at age 9), and shares how she found the strength to leave her small rural town in Nebraska after high school to attend college in Denver, where entire life changed. At age 21, she hit a rocky patch – increased chronic pain that dropped her weight to dangerous levels.

But this hard experience gave birth to an amazing organization – the Chanda Plan Foundation. What saved Chanda were non-Western therapies, and she and the foundation have dedicated their lives to spreading the excitement of these therapies to as many people with disabilities as possible.

Tune in for a great conversation, and to to hear two quadriplegic women gush about yoga. You can’t go wrong with this episode.

– Learn more: Chanda Plan Foundation

Apply to receive direct services from the Chanda Plan Foundation

No Free Rides is sponsored by Easystand.com

Show run time is 45 minutes. Listen via the player below.

Wheelchair Dating Advice Direct from the Source

Everyone has an opinion on dating, but not everyone has one when it comes to the wheelchair side of things. Most people, let’s be honest, don’t even think about wheelchair-users in the realm of dating, but the truth is that many of us want to date or are currently dating. We too are in need of dating advice.

Fortunately there are a handful of wheelchair-users who love doling it out. They may not be as plentiful as the Dr. Ruth’s of this world, but they’re out there and they’re recording their advice just for you; and w00t, they’ve made some amazing videos.

Straight from the heart advice coming right at ya, here are three unforgettable videos from wheelchair-users on the sticky topic of wheelchair dating. Read this post

SCI Superstar: Rafe Biggs

Even 10 years ago, long before his injury, Rafe Biggs PhD was not your average guy. A man with a sympathetic soul, he’s taken the torch of disability and sexuality and elevated it to new heights, and he isn’t afraid what society may think.

Founder of Sexability, an organization dedicated to helping people with disabilities discover sexual pleasure, Rafe has made it his mission to help people with disabilities have better sex lives. And he’s gone a step further in this quest, uncovering the mysterious world of “transfer orgasms;” the theory that the brain can find new areas on the body to experience intense pleasure.

To learn more about this beautiful man who’s dedicated his life to helping to improve the sexuality of people with disabilities, check out his amazing story below. Read this post

Let’s Make Some Melodious Sounds

We’ve blogged about music before here at SPINALpedia, but there are always new musicians to profile. So many of us love music and find ingenious ways to create it  after our injuries.

It can be easy to just walk away from the instrument, but don’t fall prey to such an action. Our videos below prove you don’t have to.

All it takes is to realize that it’s not going to be like it used to, and that that’s okay. You can still enjoy making music even if it’s different. You just can’t let your injury or disability take away your love of music, along with so much else.

Check out our three videos below that will certainly inspire you to try to get back into music. Read this entry

Bring On the Sassy Wheelchair Ladies

Every year young girls who use wheelchairs become the next line of fierce disabled women, and the latest girls to blossom into strong, proud women are making some awesome videos full of spunk and strong opinions; spectacular videos the world needs to see.

From calling out people on things that annoy them to showing some surprising sexuality despite the presence of a wheelchair, here are three fresh videos from female wheelchair-users who show us we have a bright future to look forward to full of strong disabled movers and shakers. Read this entry