Ethics, hypnosis and shady dealings in Salt Lake City UT We may be laid back and unpretentious in the Salt Lake Valley, in the shadow of the Everlasting Hills with fashion trends still to catch up and some of our ideas well tested by time but the Sate of Utah and its larger urban centers have an air of eager endeavor unrivaled anywhere. Smaller population, good roads and modern amenities, encourage locals to go out and meet people, especially those of like interests. So on a Tuesday evening I can meet with the Salt Lake Hypnosis Society in South Salt Lake. I can learn and practise induction techniques and suggestions that allow me to hypnotise anyone, give me people skills as well as internal confidence for my sales career. I like the personal development offered. I have become more awa... 07/02/2013

Sandy UT is definitely in the HOT part of the country A century and climbing is promised to Sandy UT for the next week with perhaps a 3 degree dip for the National Holiday. I live in that part of the country currently labeled HOT - although not as HOT as some.  Assaults on records appear the order of the day, for each day. for a sustained period. We have been given the possibility of a stray thunderstorm tomorrow (possibly the most expected, least likely event of the season).  June is rapidly entering the history books of passing without any evidence of precipitation. Utah achieves its sparce grandeur by being high altitude desert receiving 10 - 12 inches of rain a year. (In my past life I was used to 120 inches as being a bare minimum.) Last winter's snow has just retreated to the high... 06/28/2013

X marks the spot - Sandy Utah I like to think that I am really involved in my hobby activities especially the low cost, or no cost ones.  Observing seismic activity (earthquakes) in seven day intervals in the Intermountain West with me located in the middle of the observed area suits my criteria. My information comes from the University of Utah Seismic Station just up the road in Salt Lake City UT. This precise information is updated regularly as it is reported. I could check hourly and often find new results. My choice of weekly intervals allows me easy observations of recent events. Be assured ~ I observe, never predict. My aim always is to inform, never to alarm. Nevertheless there is a certain charm and excitement in living in "earthquake country". This week's map shows a minor eart... 06/27/2013

Always a place for hypnosis in coaching and business For the past 15 years or so I have dabbled with Hypnosis; not the theatrical kind of turning people into cavorting chickens, but the deep relaxation style. I first experimented with self hypnosis for pain relief. A long induction and a descent into a meditative state with the suggestions taking the place of destructive medications.   Over time I was able to work with others who would benefit from my boring story with descent to relaxation that made up my induction, then to be followed by post hypnotic suggestions to suit the occasion. More recently I have worked with short inductions (seven or eight words) with surprising results. Imagine if I was to shake your hand and without releasing your hand to give you my elevator pitch. My wif... 05/07/2013

The weather may be fickle but nature will not be denied.   Spring's arrival may not have been as precise as one might have expected after a long winter, but Spring is definitely here. Fruit tree blossoms have made their appearance here in Sandy UT; dandelions have been quick to compete with green grasses ~ their yellow flowers holding their own with their brightness suggesting inevitably that lawn mowing is back on the weekly "to do" list. Daffodils seem more golden than usual inviting the reading of poems of old. Even if I might take extra clothing with me "just in case", it seems to get less and less use. Failure to take my gloves led to cold hands on a TRAX platform several nights ago. It had been a conscious decision to leave the gloves behind... I am always in awe of new growth and... 05/04/2013

A lot to look at. Seismic events for the week - the Intermountain West Let's look at the seismic events (earthquakes) for the Intermountain West (Utah to Yellowstone). 116 events in the last seven days - all in the micro range. I get my data and maps from the US Seismic Service located at the University of Utah. My intention is always to inform, never to alarm. I make a hobby of observing seismic events for the Intermountain West on a weekly basis. If you draw a corner to corner X on the map, you will find that I live at the cross-over in Sandy UT. Normally I comment on, say, 15 - 50 events for a weekly perion. This week's event, then, appear to be a little above average. The latest two events (both near Cooke City MT) weighed in at 2.7 and 2.1 earlier today. As you might guess, the eve... 05/03/2013

Seasonal change in Sandy UT. Wait a few minutes... By and large the weather in our high altitude area of the Intermountain Corridor is predictable and mostly enjoyable. It's Springtime in Sandy UT Now for the changes. We warmed; we cooled again (repeat several times with very cool nights); some little rain: then enough sunshine to bring out predictable blossoms and blooms; the only home flooding on a dry day came from a broken canal carring snow melt; mountains with plenty of snow for die hards. So yesterday, May 1, I left home in a snow storm. An hour earlier there had been a colorful sunrise over the Wasatch Front mountains, now smothered in white. So as we watch seasons change in Sandy UT, there is something for everyone. If one needs a variation, then you can either wait a few minut... 05/02/2013

Joys of hiding in plain sight Perhaps its just an effect of a long winter, or could be laziness attendant to old age, but I have somehow acquired facial hair (where little has been known to grow on top for many decades) suitable for a disguise. Some acquaintances half stop and continue warily. They may be shaken and hesitant. Eventually they see through the disguise. My wife had never seen me thus equipped, but seeing the change day by day, weakened in her comment especially when several of her friends remarked that it was an improvement (ie "hides his face"). Perhaps it might survive to Pioneer Day (Utah's biggie, July 24). Young children approach with confidence and curiosity, probably thinking of Christmas (still some 240 days distant). Several people have shown their acceptance by g... 04/28/2013

Sandy UT is well served by TRAX My city of Sandy Utah enjoys the services of the Utah Transit Authority light rail system TRAX. At Historic Sandy, we are a stop on the Blue Line (the oldest), easily linking to Red and Green lines with attendant bus services to allow the Salt Lake Valley to be easily accessible by public transport. Linking to FrontRunner takes you even further afield. Today saw the opening of the City to Airport extension of the Green line. With this airport link, visitors can now take in the sights and delights of urban Utah, historic features and modern facilities. All good reasons to put Utah on your places to see. Utah is not just a state "somewhere out there, and somewhere up in the mountains". We are a friendly welcoming people. At Sandy UT, I revel in the scenery ... 04/13/2013

Did he not see his shadow, or does he need glasses? Some eastern rodent, called Phil, made his annual media jaunt recently in predicting an early Spring.  Seemed like something that I might understand considering we had the previous month with maxima below freezing.  Heavy snow just sat there waiting for an upward climb in warmth before offering any melt. We are only weeks away from the calendar start of Spring.  Perhaps Phil should have taken more than the presence or absence of his shadow into account when determining seasonal change for the nation. My outlook is onto falling snow, and with the promise of more snow.  Forecasters suggested 1 - 3 inches.  Perhaps they use pixie rules. So I might assume their overnight prediction of three inches may be really another foot. And their "30 ... 02/23/2013

Seismic Activity in the Intermountain West Even though I do not always communicate the results publicly, I have a hobby of observing Seismic Activity (earthquakes) for occurances over seven day periods for the Intermountain Corridor (Utah to Yellowstone). Draw a corner to corner X on my map, and you have me living right at the cross over, in Sandy UT - hence my observed area of interest. My information is obtained from the US Seismic Service located at the University of Utah. The information provided is updated hourly. Fifty three events for this week is not unusual. Most events are under 3.0 which places them them in the micro category. This week produced three events (3.1, 3.5, and 3.7), all at Enoch UT, in the minor earthquake category. Such readings in other states might produce nat... 02/13/2013

It's a White Christmas for Sandy Utah I am now officially IN for the Season.  Warmth has returned to my extremities (nose and fingers). I left for an electric scooter ramble in Sandy UT between snowflakes.  Outward mile was quite OK. Return trip not so much. A blizzard was dropping snow by the bucket full ~ horizontally as well as vertically. My scooter testified to the depth of several inches as I made my return to home parking. CL did not see any humor in my request for a photographic record  before she broomed the scooter and me to remove the snow. I had put on my glasses for eye protection ~ these were coated in ice. I could understand her concern  but the dozen or so insistent emergency sirens had not had a damaged me as their target. All is now peace and warmth and chocolates so e... 12/24/2012

When the only sign of color in my picture is a... Since I have belonged to Active Rain, I  have become used to having a camera with me at all times. Sometimes it may be odd in checking pockets for wallet and watch, I also include still and video. Over time, this photography habit has allowed me to appreciate my local area, and all the beauty that it holds. Sandy UT and the Salt Lake Valley are alive with photo opportunities. Scenery, people at work, seasonal change, happenstance - all produce likely subjects.  Of course, the holidays and festive lights entice me into recording events well into the evening hours. Saturday morning produced the accompanying photo.  An event that I had not experienced before. It was 10am after a good snowfall of eight or so incles, (promised 1 -2 inches of ... 12/16/2012

The romance of mineral fossicking continues in Utah Coal, oil and gas may be the modern attractions. Let us not forget copper and gold and gems. Utah is mineral rich.  To the west of me, and obvious every day the sun shines, is the Bingham Mine, the world's largest open cut copper mine, rich also in gold and silver. The history of Utah reveals miineral wealth. In 1909, Sandy UT had 28 hotels and many other establishments to service its silver mining operations in Big and Little Cottonwood Canyons. Books written in the 19th, 20th, and now the 21st centuries, detail gold prospecting efforts in this State.  They give clues of where to go to be part of this romance.   When I looked to make Utah my home, I came with the attitude that gold never ran out here: people just stopped looking ~ the... 12/07/2012

We are tolerant of weather in Sandy UT Yesterday we had a little rain - we need it. The Salt Lake Valley is high altitude desert. ( 10 - 12 inches a year ~ if we measure it carefully). A lot of our water comes from snow melt. Clear and cold. This requires snow falls, and our mountains are blessed. Light rain here in the valley, the mountains shrouded in mist, welcoming snow that is enjoyed by so many from the farmer to the snow boarder (some are both as the occasion merits). Sometime soon the cloud will pass to show off our splendor, the mountains of the Wasatch Front close by. The Greatest Snow on Earth. We will get more snow in the valley, to blanket the area, to give visitors and residents the signature view of Sandy UT and surrounds that is our annual reward. As residents, we get al... 12/06/2012

A wonderful time to be in Sandy Utah All of the leaves designed to fall have fallen, and some others too as the wind makes its presence know ~ now mostly from the south   Being outdoors is not uncomfortable, but you might need a coat. It is a different experience: its late fall in the Salt Lake Valley, Utah. Sandy UT along with the other Utah towns is preparing for winter, a signature time in this high altitude desert.   Mountains of the Wasatch Front are receiving night snow so they are prepared for the winter sports that bring the onslaught of visitors, national and international. Our reputation: the Greatest Snow on Earth.   While the mountains gain more snow, on the valley floor we are getting some rain. For visitors, this is rarely an inconvenience – for locals much needed moisture... 12/02/2012

Late nights and early mornings in Sandy Utah It is the end of November and the end of a grueling/beneficial challenge. A post a day (minimum) for the month with an added emphasis on local events. I realize that my writing and photography have improved, except for a few lapses, for personal gratification, into Strine; hopefully these were understood by all of my readers.  I made a deliberate effort to ensure I had adequate  photos on hand to illustrate my local writing - to give virtual visitors an understanding of what I was seeing in Utah, in Salt Lake City, the Valley of the Great Salt Lake, and particularly in my home of Sandy UT. I am happy that this work is building a local reputation. I now have enough photo collages from my ActiveRain posts to publish in ebook form. Far from this... 11/30/2012

Santa is as busy as a lizard drinking Santa lives in a Lantern in Salt Lake City Utah The sign on the lantern says so. This structure is to be found in the City Creek Center on the ground level out in the open air. Quite a change from Santa getting a mere decorated seat somewhere in a store. Beside Santa's Lantern is a much smaller version which houses some of the attendant elves.  These are responsible for making your bookings to enter Santa's Lantern. What less could you expect? I shall check back in coming weeks to further observe activity. Looks like City Creek Center is trying to give Santa more restful accommodation. At the Sandy City Mall (10400 S State Street) Santa has traditionally had his abode in the NORAD headquarters, where visiting children are informed how North American... 11/29/2012

A break in the frenzy in Sandy UT   Gray Thursday, Black Friday, Small Business Saturday... and a gap to Cyber Monday. How many distractions do we need? Who has money still to spend for Holiday cheer?   I tend to avoid crowds and demur sales. Both have a habit of breaking my routine and my planning.   Because of strange happenings today and a very early start to tomorrow, I was dispatched to collect milk at 6pm at our local Walmart, Quarry Bend in Sandy UT, with the largest square footage of any Walmart in the USA.   Hunt it, shoot it, bag it – my style.   There must have been at least three other people beside myself and the associates in the store. The general population is shopped out already? And Christmas still a month away.   The light side of me might suggest that people are cont... 11/25/2012

And now on to Christmas   Just a month to Christmas, and the signs of the Season begin to overtake our days.   Commercially we are being enticed to spend, as if our lives depended on it. Our thoughts are being directed to family and friends with suggestions of “Peace on Earth” urging us to ignore all else.   I enjoy Christmas in Sandy Utah. I can now celebrate it in reality with cards showing snow scenes, like those of my incongruous past where such scenes were viewed in shorts and not much else, such is December in the Southern Hemisphere.   On the corner of 9000 S and State Street, (NE corner) in Sandy UT, there are “live” Christmas trees for sale. M & T (the vendors) have set up a great site for their run to Christmas. “Live” against “fake” - USA farmed against foreign imports. All s... 11/24/2012