“Aspire to inspire before you expire” shared T. Denny Sanford. Over the past two years I have seen Denny speak on 4 special occasions—the unveiling of his portrait at the Sanford Consortium, the naming of the Duane Roth auditorium, the opening of the Sanford Center at National University further down Torrey Pines, and last Wednesday for the Wealth & Legacy Foundation’s Inspiration Awards.
Joking with Award Host RJ Kelly I asked, how in the hell did you get him to speak? You’re not even a blonde?! Oh snap, did his program put me in my place with his stellar performance. RJ Kelley’s mad talk show host skills are a force to be reckoned with. And last week’s candid interview was Denny at his best. RJ asked the question… and Denny struck a chord deep inside every person sitting in that auditorium. “What do you want to be remembered for?” Silence… gulp… In the end, his message was not about how much money you can earn or give away. It was that everyone, at the end of the day, wants and needs to feel loved. The desire to share that love is the passion and force that drives him to continue giving and creating and inspiring. We gleaned a lot from his talk with RJ Kelley. Clearly Denny has a charisma that pulls you in and his zest to live life is infectous.
Yes we love Denny because he is our World’s Oldest Living Teenager (WOLT). We thank him for his generous donations, especially to our local research community. We are excited about his innovative new programs at National University – Inspire, Harmony, and Institute of Philanthropy. We admire and respect him for his pledge to Bill & Melinda Gates not to give away 50% but 95% of his wealth. But what I think and am certain many would agree, we really loved about Denny last week was when he brought us back to that one core truth… we simply need to be loved. If you don’t feel that “when you put your head down on your pillow at the end of a long day, what’s the point?” Denny gets it. He really gets it. Sheesh… tearing up here. RJ Kelley, you keep rockin’ that mic! I’ll be over here pouring our World’s Oldest Living Teenager a Pinot.
Upcoming Events (I’ll be at the fun table…)
Mainly Mozart – Mozart & the Mind 12-year-old piano prodigy Gavin George pounding out Beethoven? SOLD. This weekend’s Mainly Mozart Series is off the hook! Keynote performances at TSRI will include other such greats as Anton Nel and Grammy-nominated pianist Geoffrey Keezer. But this 3-day event is so much more than just the concerts. It is an opportunity to learn of the amazing research and connections going on between music, science, and “groundbreaking” neurotechnology at UC San Diego. There will be talks on campus on subjects such as “the family link between autism & extraordinary talent.” How about the role of early music training in “improving the the social and cognitive function and bridging the poverty gap?” How computer music systems and neurotechnology offers a creative outlet for motor-disabled individuals? Told you this event is rad. They are even going to have a family of Balinese musicians perform. Now that’s a unique experience. Bali… oh how I miss you. Can’t wait to hear which talk and performance were your favs. Sep 25-27, 8 a.m.-8 p.m.
Athenaeum Jazz Concert Series Time to give it up for another awesome fellow Triton – Mark Dresser. When not in UC San Diego’s Music Department molding musical geniuses, you can find Dresser hitting the stage with his American double bass. Jazz buff and curator of the Athenaeum jazz series Dan Atkinson explains “there is a real sense of happening when Mark performs, he is 100% committed and evokes that same level of passion in his fellow artists.” That’s what I’m talkin’ about! Sounds like this Dresser knows how to take it up a notch. My childhood was spent at my parents’ jazz club listening to such greats as Chet Baker, Bobby McFerrin and Pete Escovedo. Diggin’ that there is a jazz scene in San Diego and there will be some cool vibes on the Mesa this weekend. So slide on over to TSRI and celebrate the works of one of our local legends. Sep 27, 7 p.m., TSRI
ECE Seminar: Diagnosing Disease on a Microchip David Issadore from the University of Pennsylvania will give a talk on his recent work with colleagues from the Abramson Cancer Center. This group of scientists is developing a Hybrid microchip diagnostic for the early detection of Pancreatic Cancer. Studies have shown that circulating pancreatic cells can be found in the blood as early as Pre-stage 1, at the very onset of the disease cycle. Issadore and his team are using their hybrid chip to overcome challenges in getting accurate measurements of rare cells outside of the body. This approach allows them to profile rare cells directly in unprocessed biological samples. I get lost in the scientific detail but do understand that this non-invasive, highly accurate diagnostic test is a game changer. I have lost a childhood friend, athletic director and dear aunt to this disease. For others of you out there who have lost loved ones to this unforgiving cancer, know that there is hope on the horizon. Sep 29, 10-11:00 a.m., Jacobs Hall Room 2512, UC San Diego
Spring 2008, Southern India. When Ajay Balachandren boarded an overcrowded train heading home on holiday, he had no idea that the trip to visit family would change his life forever. Ajay, an engineering student, was accidently pushed from the typically overcrowded boxcar, landing on the tracks and suffering a horrific neck injury. Ajay was left quadriplegic.
Fast forward to last week when in walks Sanjiv Prabhakaran, local CEO of Bytes Inc. Turns out Bytes Inc. is one of Ajay’s employers. Yep… that’s right. Ajay, unable to move his arms or legs, utilizes a voice recognition system to work on his computer. Cómo? Sanjiv explains it is like a grid or matrix on your screen. Ajay commands the cursor to move to certain coordinates and then dictates the data that he wants entered. “Kinda like battleship,” I ask? Yes. And Sanjiv responds that you couldn’t believe how fast Ajay works. Hmmm… an example? “It takes the average person one minute to enter 2 business cards when typing, Ajay can do it in about 3 minutes using voice recognition. Damn! Crankin’ it. When Sanjiv first hired him, Ajay was working on simple data entry for CRM. More confident, he worked his way to Excel File and Macros. (Not even gonna pretend I know what Macros means.)
On Sanjiv’s first visit with Ajay in India back in 2014, a year after hiring Ajay, he remembers tearing up on his first encounter. But Sanjiv quickly recognized the “pure energy inside Ajay” and that nothing was going to get in this man’s way. Does anyone see a correlation here? Ajay is a fighter. His decision to find a solution which allowed him to remain productive and provide for himself financially was life changing. Through his work he has been able to build his confidence. His mother and sister have been by his side, helping him with what we may view as simple, but to Ajay have been meaningful and helpful tasks, like turning on the computer, changing his positions and doing a bit of quality control by helping proofread his data entry.
With the opportunity to support himself financially, Ajay has a great sense of self-esteem and knows his self-worth. This combination of strong will, family support, and physical therapy has helped Ajay find the determination to heal and his family now see the first signs of mobility in his fingers. Sanjiv delivers this news with a huge smile and you can sense the pride he feels for his employee. He hopes to raise awareness first here in San Diego via the Rotary Club and then world wide about Ajay’s story and similar triumphs.
I look forward to Sanjiv’s future visits to the café to learn of Ajay’s progress both physically and career wise. I also look forward to the stories of others who have found the strength to overcome their physical challenges and continue to work. And I can’t wait to hear of the amazing individuals who employ them. Listening to Sanjiv it is clear both are gaining so much from this meaningful experience.
Always,
Amanda
That’s What SHE Said: Inspirational Tear Jerker Warning
Sanjiv Prabhakaran and Ajay Balachandren
Archive
OCTOBER 23, 2023
The Problem With Bright Red Tuna
Many Americans still think bright red tuna means it's fresher (it's not)
You know the tuna I’m talking about. It’s easy to mistake for a cube of watermelon. It’s the color of a Lyft logo. Appears to be glowing a vibrant, tantalizing purity. Tuna that bright red or pink means it’s… what, extremely fresh? Bursting with nutrients?
I thought this was widely known, but a chef recently told me very few of his staff members were aware of this, and almost none of his customers. So, especially with the recent proliferation of poke joints, I thought I’d be helpful with this PSA of sorts.
Bright red or pink tuna means it has been gassed. In its natural state, fresh tuna is dark red, almost maroon, sometimes even chocolatey-looking.
But here’s why I personally tend to back away when I see bright red or pink tuna:
1. IT’S MUCH HARDER TO TELL IF IT’S FRESH OR NOT.
It can be left out for days and it will not turn brown. In one study, the University of Florida found that carbon monoxided tuna kept its bright red color for 11 days in the fridge. “The carbon monoxide actually hides the quality of a fish,” says Tommy Gomes, fifth-generation San Diego fisherman, host of The Fishmonger on Outdoor Channel, and owner of seafood shop Tunaville in Point Loma. “It’ll make a poor-quality fish pretty like a rose. I’ve seen them take an old piece of brown tuna [and] put the gas on it, and it comes out looking like cherry lemonade.” The gas also masks the smell of old tuna (which is one way you can tell if tuna’s getting past its eat-by stage). “Since there’s no smell, it falsifies the freshness,” Gomes explains.
2. I TRUST GOVERNMENT HEALTH ORGANIZATIONS, BUT ALSO RECOGNIZE THEY’RE NOT PERFECT.
The 1992 USDA food pyramid suggested carbs should be the bulk of our diet (they corrected that in 2005 and 2011). The government approved the fat substitute Olestra, which gave people all sorts of tummy issues. Margarine and other trans fats were also approved, then banned in May 2019. There are some smart humans in the government, but even geniuses make mistakes. So I tend to go with my gut: tuna in its natural state, or tuna treated with carbon monoxide? Easy choice.
So why gas tuna at all? Because of us. Consumers don’t like brownish fish. Tuna oxidizes quickly. It’s difficult for tuna fishermen and women to get it to market quick enough before it turns that brownish or chocolatey color. Customers erroneously think all brownish-looking fish is old or bad and will pay more for “fresher-looking” fish. So in the 1990s, the FDA allowed companies to gas the tuna and keep it artificially bright red for long stretches at a time.
“There’s nothing wrong with a hot chocolate–looking tuna loin,” says Gomes. “But, here in America, we want [it] seared on the outside, rosy pink on the inside.”
What fresh tuna should look like
Gassed tuna is also often imported and less inexpensive than fresh, un-gassed tuna, says Gomes. “So, to be fair and honest,” Gomes acknowledges, “for families on a budget, gassed tuna is one of the best alternatives out there for frozen seafood.”
In theNew York Times article cited above, a sushi restaurant owner reported his sales of tuna tripled when he started using gassed tuna. So that’s obviously good for the small business owner, as well as grocery stores. Food waste is a massive epidemic—the US throws out about half of edible seafood. If gassed tuna gets Americans to eat perfectly edible tuna they otherwise might throw out, that’s a step in a good direction.
But it’d be better if we as consumers knew that fresh, non-gassed tuna is supposed to be dark red or maroon—not bright red or watermelon pink, like a majority of the tuna I’ve seen at local poke shops. Ideally, we would look at a piece of bright red/pink tuna and think “Oh, hey there, carbon monoxide.”
The most important things about buying tuna is to trust the source (whether grocery store, fishmonger, or sushi joint). It also should be shiny and somewhat translucent, and not have slime or an off-smell.
Troy Johnson is the magazine’s award-winning food writer and humorist, and a long-standing expert on Food Network. His work has been featured on NatGeo, Travel Channel, NPR, and in Food Matters, a textbook of the best American food writing.
A perfectly designed home rarely happens by accident. Those kitchens that feel effortless and rooms that seem to tell a story the second you walk in? They’re usually the work of someone who knows exactly what they’re doing.
It’s knowing which ideas will actually work, which materials will hold up over time, and how to turn a collection of choices into a space that feels intentional. That’s where a professional interior designer comes in.
For the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) California San Diego Chapter, the goal is to help people see interior design as more than just the finished look. Behind every well-designed space is a process built on technical expertise. Designers are educated in everything from professional software and construction details to building codes, space planning, materials, and functionality.
Courtesy of ASID
“People don’t always realize how much goes on behind the scenes,” Kirsten Recce , current president of the ASID California San Diego Chapter, says. “Our designers are not just doing furniture placement and color selection and picking out new fluffy pillows. That’s not what they’re trained for.”
ASID members bring formal education, continued learning, and industry knowledge to their projects, helping create spaces that are not only beautiful, but designed to work. A paint color that changes completely depending on the lighting. A material that looks beautiful in a showroom but doesn’t make sense for everyday life. A layout that photographs well but doesn’t function for the people living there. These are the details where professional guidance can make all the difference.
Still, one of the biggest misconceptions about hiring an interior designer is that it’s reserved for massive renovations, luxury homes, or people who already know exactly what they want. The process can feel intimidating. Where do you begin? Is a designer worth the investment? What if you only need help with one room?
ASID’s answer: start with one hour.
ASID’s Spruce Up events break down one of the biggest barriers between homeowners and professional design: knowing where to begin. Held twice a year, the community program gives homeowners the chance to work directly with an ASID designer through a one-hour, $125 consultation in their own home. Whether you’re looking for advice on furniture placement, window treatments, kitchen and bath updates, remodeling ideas, vacation rentals, color selections or something else entirely, the upcoming September 2026 event offers an approachable way to get expert guidance before committing to a full project. Signups are open through Sept. 7, with consultations taking place Sept. 21 through Oct. 31. Proceeds benefit ASID San Diego’s educational and community programs. Register here!
Courtesy of ASID
“It’s a great opportunity for people who are in that exploratory phase,” Recce says. “Maybe they’re not sure they want to hire an interior designer yet, or they think it sounds daunting or expensive. This gives them a chance to discover what working with a designer is actually like.”
Design is personal. A good designer isn’t just creating a beautiful room; they’re helping create a space that fits the way someone lives.
“We’re a resource to all of San Diego County,” Recce says. “It doesn’t cost anything to pick up the phone and call and ask. We’ll answer.”
Growing up, Laika Nur, MD, Scripps Clinic sports medicine specialist, loved watching beach volleyball when the Association of Volleyball Professionals tour came to her hometown of Chicago. A talented volleyball player herself, she remembers sitting in the stands all day, and once, even got a couple autographs. Years later, Dr. Nur was attending a professional event focused on women’s sports, and the discussion turned to a new professional women’s volleyball league. The general manager and coaching staff for San Diego’s team, the Mojo, happened to be in attendance, and Dr. Nur took the opportunity to ask them if they needed a team doctor. Flash forward to the Mojo’s inaugural 2024 season, when Dr. Nur officially became the team physician. Click here to read more about Dr. Nur and how she incorporates lessons she learned on the court into her practice.
For more nutrition, wellness, and healthy living tips, sign up for the San Diego Health newsletter here.
