Tuesday, August 31, 2004
pat robertson's heart attack
U.S. Rep. Ed Schrock (VA) abruptly announced his retirement late Monday, citing unspecified allegations that 'called into question my ability to represent the citizens of Virginia's 2nd Congressional District.'
the allegations? that he is gay. wowsers. Schrock is ranked by the National Journal as the second most conservative member of Congress and he cosponsored the Federal Marriage Amendment.
the man just up and quit. that must make him gay. anyone else think of that dad on American Beauty?
the allegations? that he is gay. wowsers. Schrock is ranked by the National Journal as the second most conservative member of Congress and he cosponsored the Federal Marriage Amendment.
the man just up and quit. that must make him gay. anyone else think of that dad on American Beauty?
Labels: crime and social justice
Friday, August 27, 2004
for the third year in a row
'The number of Americans in poverty and without health insurance each rose by more than 1 million in 2003. The median household income was virtually unchanged, but women lost ground against men for the first time since 1999.'
as if we needed another reason to vote against Bush.
as if we needed another reason to vote against Bush.
Monday, August 23, 2004
this is the one
If you know only about one current event, this is it. The photo caption: 'Craig Sorger went out to play and was killed.' Two twelve year old boys are standing trial for the murder of another kid. As adults. At a hearing in July 2003,
Chief Deputy Prosecutor Stephen Hallstrom argued this case, though "tragic," is not extraordinary. "It's not extraordinary, in the strictest sense of the word, to have juveniles killing people," he said.Oh, and to make it more interesting:
Hallstrom's argument stunned Brent De Young, one of Jake's attorneys: "I looked over to see if he was saying that with a straight face."
The trial judge has been censured for incompetence, the prosecutor has been convicted of a drug felony, and the county's public-defense system is the subject of a class-action lawsuit.This is going to be good.
Labels: crime and social justice
Sunday, August 22, 2004
not your typical sunday
[note: this post irritated me so badly, i had to remove it. it should have been: excitement, anticipation, disappointment and fear. sorry you may have missed it, but i feel better now.]
Thursday, August 19, 2004
affordable housing
Norfolk is one of the worst areas when it comes to affordable housing. Taking Virginia as a whole, the Housing Wage is $15.79. This is the amount a full-time worker must earn per hour in order to afford a two-bedroom unit at Fair Market rent price. This is 307% of the minimum wage. Working at minimum wage, you would have to work 94 hours to afford a place to live! The average renter's income in Virginia is $36,622, but in Norfolk, that number drops to $25,726. This is why people in this area have a hard time.
At work, lack of affordable housing always comes up and is the cornerstone of many of the grants that I write. I had the priviledge of attending a Norfolk Homeless Consortium meeting yesterday where I learned of a very important meeting. Here is my public plea.
For anyone who lives in Hampton Roads, I encourage you to attend a meeting held at Willet Hall in Portsmouth on October 7. This meeting is put on by Empower Hampton Roads, a group that works to change public policies regarding affordable housing, education, and employment. We are talking about housing for people who make under $50,000. That's me. That's you. That's 58% of Hampton Roads (and 87% of Norfolk). As a single mother who works in the social services field, this will always be me. I have accepted that. I enjoy what I do immensely. But come and support the need for affordable housing in Hampton Roads. That's all.
At work, lack of affordable housing always comes up and is the cornerstone of many of the grants that I write. I had the priviledge of attending a Norfolk Homeless Consortium meeting yesterday where I learned of a very important meeting. Here is my public plea.
For anyone who lives in Hampton Roads, I encourage you to attend a meeting held at Willet Hall in Portsmouth on October 7. This meeting is put on by Empower Hampton Roads, a group that works to change public policies regarding affordable housing, education, and employment. We are talking about housing for people who make under $50,000. That's me. That's you. That's 58% of Hampton Roads (and 87% of Norfolk). As a single mother who works in the social services field, this will always be me. I have accepted that. I enjoy what I do immensely. But come and support the need for affordable housing in Hampton Roads. That's all.
Wednesday, August 18, 2004
breaking up is hard to do
... so lets publish it on the internet! yes, this site will let the world know who broke it off with who.
Monday, August 16, 2004
if i were...
If I were a day of the week, I'd be: Friday*
If I were a time of day, I'd be: 11:11
If I were a planet, I'd be: Neptune
If I were a sea animal, I'd be an: octopus
If I were a direction, I'd be: North
If I were a sin, I'd be: envy
If I were a liquid, I'd be: milk
If I were a tree, I'd be: a dogwood
If I were a bird, I'd be: a raven
If I were a tool, I'd be: a phillips head
If I were a flower/plant, I'd be: a carnation
If I were a kind of weather, I'd be: a thunderstorm
If I were a mythical creature, I'd be: a phoenix
If I were a musical instrument, I'd be: the drums
If I were an animal, I'd be: a tiger
If I were a color, I'd be: gray
If I were an emotion, I'd be: delighted
If I were a vegetable, I'd be: corn
If I were a sound, I'd be: purring
If I were an element, I'd be: water
If I were a car, I'd be: a Town and Country**
If I were a song, I'd be: Brass in Pocket
If I were a book, I'd be: The Sneetches
If I were a place, I'd be: the beach
If I were a taste, I'd be: peanut butter ice cream
If I were a scent, I'd be: marsh
If I were an object, I'd be: a paperweight on the CIA Director's desk
If I were a body part, I'd be: teeth
If I were a shape, I'd be: a Pentagram
If I were a number, I'd be: i'd like to be 34, but i know i'm 9
* almost great, but not void of lurking problems
** of course, there's a story behind every one of these...
If I were a time of day, I'd be: 11:11
If I were a planet, I'd be: Neptune
If I were a sea animal, I'd be an: octopus
If I were a direction, I'd be: North
If I were a sin, I'd be: envy
If I were a liquid, I'd be: milk
If I were a tree, I'd be: a dogwood
If I were a bird, I'd be: a raven
If I were a tool, I'd be: a phillips head
If I were a flower/plant, I'd be: a carnation
If I were a kind of weather, I'd be: a thunderstorm
If I were a mythical creature, I'd be: a phoenix
If I were a musical instrument, I'd be: the drums
If I were an animal, I'd be: a tiger
If I were a color, I'd be: gray
If I were an emotion, I'd be: delighted
If I were a vegetable, I'd be: corn
If I were a sound, I'd be: purring
If I were an element, I'd be: water
If I were a car, I'd be: a Town and Country**
If I were a song, I'd be: Brass in Pocket
If I were a book, I'd be: The Sneetches
If I were a place, I'd be: the beach
If I were a taste, I'd be: peanut butter ice cream
If I were a scent, I'd be: marsh
If I were an object, I'd be: a paperweight on the CIA Director's desk
If I were a body part, I'd be: teeth
If I were a shape, I'd be: a Pentagram
If I were a number, I'd be: i'd like to be 34, but i know i'm 9
* almost great, but not void of lurking problems
** of course, there's a story behind every one of these...
to make it more interesting...
Sabrina answered these questions:
If I were a day of the week, I'd be: Monday
If I were a time of day, I'd be: noon
If I were a planet, I'd be: Pluto
If I were a sea animal, I'd be a: giant squid
If I were a direction, I'd be: South
If I were a sin, I'd be: n/a*
If I were a liquid, I'd be: apple juice
If I were a tree, I'd be: a pine
If I were a bird, I'd be: a raven
If I were a tool, I'd be: a hammer
If I were a flower/plant, I'd be: a sunflower
If I were a kind of weather, I'd be: a winter storm
If I were a mythical creature, I'd be: a mermaid
If I were a musical instrument, I'd be: a guitar
If I were an animal, I'd be: a bear
If I were a color, I'd be: blue
If I were an emotion, I'd be: surprised
If I were a vegetable, I'd be: a carrot
If I were a sound, I'd be: water
If I were an element, I'd be: fire
If I were a car, I'd be: a punchbuggy
If I were a song, I'd be: Drift Away
If I were a movie, I'd be: The Powerpuff Girls
If I were a book, I'd be: a coloring book
If I were a place, I'd be: the mall
If I were a material, I'd be: cotton
If I were a taste, I'd be: chocolate
If I were a scent, I'd be: brownies
If I were an object, I'd be: a lamp
If I were a body part, I'd be: a nose
If I were a subject in school, I'd be: science
If I were a shape, I'd be: circle
If I were a number, I'd be: 20**
* we skipped this one, she's seven.
** want to see my answers? click here
If I were a day of the week, I'd be: Monday
If I were a time of day, I'd be: noon
If I were a planet, I'd be: Pluto
If I were a sea animal, I'd be a: giant squid
If I were a direction, I'd be: South
If I were a sin, I'd be: n/a*
If I were a liquid, I'd be: apple juice
If I were a tree, I'd be: a pine
If I were a bird, I'd be: a raven
If I were a tool, I'd be: a hammer
If I were a flower/plant, I'd be: a sunflower
If I were a kind of weather, I'd be: a winter storm
If I were a mythical creature, I'd be: a mermaid
If I were a musical instrument, I'd be: a guitar
If I were an animal, I'd be: a bear
If I were a color, I'd be: blue
If I were an emotion, I'd be: surprised
If I were a vegetable, I'd be: a carrot
If I were a sound, I'd be: water
If I were an element, I'd be: fire
If I were a car, I'd be: a punchbuggy
If I were a song, I'd be: Drift Away
If I were a movie, I'd be: The Powerpuff Girls
If I were a book, I'd be: a coloring book
If I were a place, I'd be: the mall
If I were a material, I'd be: cotton
If I were a taste, I'd be: chocolate
If I were a scent, I'd be: brownies
If I were an object, I'd be: a lamp
If I were a body part, I'd be: a nose
If I were a subject in school, I'd be: science
If I were a shape, I'd be: circle
If I were a number, I'd be: 20**
* we skipped this one, she's seven.
** want to see my answers? click here
i've been thinking
we fight a lot. we are obsessed with war, fighting, winning, losing. we have the war on terror, the war on drugs. we fight the good fight. we beat a dead horse. we have a fighting chance. we fight the good fight. we divide and conquer. we kill time. we have the battle of the sexes. we shoot down ideas. we hit the books. hit the head. hit the bed. hit the road. hit..whatever we can.
have i left any out?
have i left any out?
Friday, August 13, 2004
friday the 13th
it's friday the 13th so i thought i would share some news: 'A state Health Department report released Thursday found that 25 percent of Virginians questioned in a survey said they were sexually assaulted as children. '
oh, and happy birthday mom!
oh, and happy birthday mom!
Thursday, August 12, 2004
birth month meme
[quiz] the directions say to pick your birth month and cross out what doesn't apply to you. here goes:
JUNE:
Thinks far with vision. Easily influenced by kindness. Polite and soft-spoken. Having lots of ideas. Sensitive. Active mind. Hesitating, tends to delay. Choosy and always wants the best. Temperamental. Funny and humorous. Loves to joke. Good debating skills. Talkative. Daydreamer. Friendly. Knows how to make friends. Abiding. Able to show character. Easily hurt. Prone to getting colds. Loves to dress up. Easily bored. Fussy. Seldom shows emotions [this depends on who you are]. Takes time to recover when hurt. Brand conscious. Executive. Stubborn.
JUNE:
Labels: quiz
more prison-race stats
i've written about incaceration before and here is more unnerving news: More Young Black Men Have Done Prison Time Than Served in the Military or Earned a College Degree. The article states that '20 percent of all black men born from 1965 through 1969 had served time in prison by the time they reached their early 30s. By comparison, less than 3 percent of white males born in the same time period had been in prison. '
Also, 'black men in their mid-thirties at the end of the 1990s, prison records were nearly twice as common as bachelor’s degrees.'
Also, 'black men in their mid-thirties at the end of the 1990s, prison records were nearly twice as common as bachelor’s degrees.'
Labels: crime and social justice
Thursday, August 05, 2004
the bug is still there
mad as hell
because i cannot sleep...i have been plagued by dreams for the past few nights... not really bad ones, but not good ones either. i keep dreaming things that i think have really happened, but they didn't*.... and i'm so sore and uncomfortable since my bed sucks.... and now that i can't lay on the couch because half of it is a gaping whole... and my house is hot as hell...
* for example: i had lost a movie forever ago and i swore that i found it, but it must have been a dream. i thought i had a fight with the time card at work, but it must have been a dream. i thought i was visited by a friend, but apparently not. silly stuff, really, but i swear they happened. i don't even remember many of the dreams, but i know it wasn't good.
* for example: i had lost a movie forever ago and i swore that i found it, but it must have been a dream. i thought i had a fight with the time card at work, but it must have been a dream. i thought i was visited by a friend, but apparently not. silly stuff, really, but i swear they happened. i don't even remember many of the dreams, but i know it wasn't good.
Wednesday, August 04, 2004
confused?
'Hampton Roads is the 10th most difficult metro area to get around in...Norfolk is the most confusing cities, as opposed to just congestion...Norfolk scored 8.6 out of 10 in the confusing geography category, which includes natural obstructions such as waterways, plus street layout and sprawl.'
I knew it wasn't just me.
I knew it wasn't just me.
Monday, August 02, 2004
you can't win
a motorist was beaten up for observing the speed limit in Germany. 'The truck driver told them he felt provoked by the motorist because he was actually driving 30 kph in a 30 kph area.' How dare he.
personality
[quiz] i took the IPIP-NEO Personality Test. There are two versions, long and short. I took the long version, but it still only took a few minutes - very quick questions. This is a summary of my scores:
Your score on Extraversion is high, indicating you are sociable, outgoing, energetic, and lively. You prefer to be around people much of the time.
Your high level of Agreeableness indicates a strong interest in others' needs and well-being. You are pleasant, sympathetic, and cooperative.
Your score on Conscientiousness is average. This means you are reasonably reliable, organized, and self-controlled.
Your score on Neuroticism is average, indicating that your level of emotional reactivity is typical of the general population. Stressful and frustrating situations are somewhat upsetting to you, but you are generally able to get over these feelings and cope with these situations.
Your score on Openness to Experience is average, indicating you enjoy tradition but are willing to try new things. Your thinking is neither simple nor complex. To others you appear to be a well-educated person but not an intellectual.
So I guess I am pretty much average, but very outgoing and agreeable. Anyone care to agree? Disagree?
BTW- I scored above 90 on the following: Excitement-Seeking, Cheerfulness, Sympathy, Immoderation, and Liberalism (that was the highest, go figure).
Your score on Extraversion is high, indicating you are sociable, outgoing, energetic, and lively. You prefer to be around people much of the time.
Your high level of Agreeableness indicates a strong interest in others' needs and well-being. You are pleasant, sympathetic, and cooperative.
Your score on Conscientiousness is average. This means you are reasonably reliable, organized, and self-controlled.
Your score on Neuroticism is average, indicating that your level of emotional reactivity is typical of the general population. Stressful and frustrating situations are somewhat upsetting to you, but you are generally able to get over these feelings and cope with these situations.
Your score on Openness to Experience is average, indicating you enjoy tradition but are willing to try new things. Your thinking is neither simple nor complex. To others you appear to be a well-educated person but not an intellectual.
So I guess I am pretty much average, but very outgoing and agreeable. Anyone care to agree? Disagree?
BTW- I scored above 90 on the following: Excitement-Seeking, Cheerfulness, Sympathy, Immoderation, and Liberalism (that was the highest, go figure).
Labels: quiz
you made it down here?
what? you want a reward?
