Hee Hee Whites Kid You Know..

The Similarities between Obama and Sarkozy..

extend to their opinions on Iran and the nuclear arms problems there, the fact that both of them are referred to as President (although in different languages) and that they can both enjoy good old fashioned bad for you food. The two presidents dined together at Ben's Chili Bowl, a Washington D.C landmark fast food joint where the presidents enjoyed hot dogs.

Where Do People Volunteer?

According to this graph published in a study by the state of Maine on volunteerism among it's citizens. I consider this graph to be fairly representative of the majority of states. What I found to be interesting was that Civic community service and volunteering for social services were not the highest, I assumed that those areas of service would be fairly high in percentage.

March 27th

On March twenty seventh I worked my second Saturday at the Habitat for Humanity build site at Edes Avenue. My second Saturday I volunteered to join the paint crew, coincidentally with the same crew leader as the previous week. We ended up having to do a little more than just painting though! We spent the first three hours cleaning up trash and decrepit furniture that homeless people had amassed on the Habitat for Humanity staging lot. This was pretty gross, there were a lot of empty pill bottles and moldy couch cushions, and after three hours I was so glad to be done. We then had our lunch break and we got to talk to some of the other volunteers and to some of the home owners, and that was really fulfilling. After lunch we began painting the wall panels, big plywood sheets that were much, much heavier than they looked. After painting panels in the direct sun for four hours I was rocking a pretty rad sunburn, which still has my left shoulder reduced to a stinging mass of redness, and some good sized blisters from the plywood. I also was basically covered in "Sea Breeze Blue" paint, which although meant for the houses ended up in my hair and all over my clothes.
I had an amazing time at both of my shifts and I feel like I will definitely be returning to volunteer my time for some shifts this summer.

Saturday March 20th

Saturday March 20th was my first day volunteering for Habitat for Humanity. At this point I feel like I have researched a lot and learned quite a bit about homelessness in our region of the world. Now I feel that I am prepared to begin chronicling my experiences at the build site. The twentieth was a really gorgeous day, not to hot but definitely not at all cold. Compared to my work the following week, this day was pretty easy breezy and the only bad side effects was some neck pain from craning my head to get paint up all day. I spent most of the day up on the scaffolds painting under the eaves and erecting walls inside some of the houses. Some of the homeowners were there and it was a really cool experience to spend the morning working on their future homes, and then share Gatorade with them at the lunch break.

The Habitat for Humanity fact sheet page pretty much outlines the program and I found it to be an excellent source of information prior to beginning work

Poor Polar Bears :(

Although some people still maintain that global warming is a myth, in my opinion it is indisputable that mankind is having some adverse on our earth's weather. This video about the effects of global warming on polar bears habitats and I found it to be very informative.

Progression in Nuclear Arms Eradication

President Obama has long espoused the rather ambitious goal of ridding the world of all nuclear weapons. A recent article in The Guardian discusses how Obama's campaign against nuclear warfare was boosted last night when Russia indicated that there has been agreement between the two nations on a historic nuclear arms reduction treaty. Although it has not been announced that any deal has been struck, White House officials did say that the two nations are "very close" to agreeing upon a treaty, going so far as to say that one of the only steps left was for the two presidents to agree upon a treaty signing date. I think it is very good that in the past couple decades our two nations have progressed so far on the issue of nuclear arms.

Hee Hee

Haha Oh I love Flight of the Conchords..

Aid To the Homeless in Contra Costa County

Several years ago I volunteered at my church tutoring homeless children and helping set out a lunch buffet. My church, Saint Perpetua's, participated in a rotation where homeless families would spend one week at a church and then move to a different church, where they were provided with food, shelter and services for their kids. Ever since then I have been curious about homeless shelters in Contra Costa County. I did some research and one organization that popped up was Contra Costa Interfaith Housing, this is a non profit organization dedicated to ending the struggles of homeless people in Contra Costa County. The program's main goal is to promote self sustainability and to break the cycle of homelessness. According to some statistics on the website Contra Costa County has the eleventh highest homeless population in our entire nation! That really shocked me.

Edes Avenue Habitat for Humanity Project

Below is a picture taken at 10800 Edes Avenue, the Habitat for Humanity home building site where I have been volunteering my time for my community service project. I went last saturday, March 20th and I will be going again this upcoming Saturday, March 27th. This was a really rewarding experience and I am excited to go back, at first I was apprehensive, especially because I manage to hammer my thumb even hanging up a poster, I more or less figured that I would be more a hinderance than a help. I really felt good though that evening when I got home and could shower off all the grime, especially since I had seen first hand the progress being made on some one's future dream home.

Hee Hee Flight of the Conchords..

Makes me laugh really hard. I love this song.

Couple Shot Dead in Cold Blood

Two families were attacked in Juarez, Mexico by probably drug cartel assassins. Each family had a spouse with ties to the United States consulate in Juarez. An article discusses the tragedy, saying that "The slayings came amid a surge in bloodshed on the border and drew condemnation from the White House". I can not believe that these terrible murders have occurred, and I am appalled that these lives were shattered because of drugs. I think that the drug trade is one of the most horrific and terrible impacts on our world. Two men and a pregnant woman were murdered, and two young children were harmed, that these people were casualties to a trafficking industry which destroys millions of lives a year is a continuation of this tragedy. I think that all drug education classes should discuss the people who are effected by the drug trade, I know that hardcore drug addicts would not be swayed by the tragic stories of the casualties of drug trade, but if it becomes part of the drug-education program then maybe a new side of the tragedy that is the drug world.

Shame of the City part 5

San Francisco needs to find a solution for the thousands of men and women who spend their times on the city's streets. Federal aid money is available but the city needs to have a solid, viable plan to cope with the issue before the government will give them money.
The fifth and final installment of the "Shame of the City" series discusses the lack of a plan in San Francisco. In recent years San Francisco passed the Care Not Cash bill, which offers the homeless services instead of welfare payments, which can arguably be used to purchase drugs or other harmful things. San Francisco needs to offer more shelter.
In New York there are less than two thousand homeless living on the streets, while San Francisco has almost 5,000 hardcore homeless. New York has 8 million inhabitants and San Francisco has 800,000, this discrepancy in homeless population with regards to total population is ridiculous. San Francisco has one of the worst problems in the entire country, and although California is well known for its altruistic citizens, and liberal "hippie" attitudes, the people in need of help are not being aided.

Shame of the City Part 4

San Francisco's homeless problem is vast, in part largely to the liberal atmosphere of the city and the temperate climate which makes the city quite tempting to homeless drifters. The fourth installment of the series I have been blogging about discusses the way that the city's aid programs and inhabitants quite frequently enable the homeless instead of doing them any real good. Homeless are issued tickets for "squatting" charging them fines that they can not pay, and they are often arrested for possession of drugs or paraphernalia, resulting in their being sent to a rehab center to be cleaned up. The rehab stays are not the problem, the fact that post-rehab the homeless are immeadiately bounced back onto the street is.
Also sympathetic passerby handing out money to the homeless often provide the men and women with means to purchase their daily supply of crack or heroin.
San Francisco needs to figure out a more viable plan for dealing with the problem of homelessness.

SHUT UP LINDSAY LOHAN!

An article in The San Francisco Chronicle discusses Lindsay Lohan's lawsuit against the E-Trade company. Claiming that the joke about one of the stock trading babies' girlfriend being "Lindsey the milkaholic" is a slur against her. I disagree however and believe that if she is actually trying to claim that no jokes can be made including the name Linsday and references to substance abuse, then she is probably just craving attention. No actual references are made to "Lindsay Lohan" or even "Lindsay the Celebrity/Pop Star" so I think she should just simmer down.

Does the First Amendment Cover Funerals?

Today the Supreme Court agreed yesterday to hear the case of a marine killed in action, who's funeral was picketed four years ago, with anti-gay protesters bearing signs with slogans like "Thank God for dead soldiers". An article in the San Francisco Chronicle discusses the case and the fact that members of a Kansas church have picketed military funerals to spread their belief that the deaths of soldiers in the war are punishment for our nations tolerance of homosexuality.
In my opinion the First Amendment should not permit protesters to picket private events like funerals or memorial services. Whether or not someone has freedom of speech, they should not be permitted to intrude on events such as funerals with their opinions on the deceased's life or actions.

The funniest video ever....

This is probably inappropriate, but I haven't laughed this hard in eons..

Shame of the City- Part 3

Upon seeing homeless men and women living on the streets, many inquire why they don't take themselves to a shelter. In the third installment of the "Shame of the City" series the homeless shelter at Fifth and Bryant is discussed. Many claim that they would rather sleep on the streets than in this "drug haven" while others definitely consider the shelter a more than viable option. This emergency shelter, Multi-Service Center South, or MSC as it is most commonly called is considered to be one of the toughest shelters in the city, where "anything not tied down is stolen". However for many it is considered to be the best option they've got.
When everyone enters the shelter they are handed a thin, gray wool blanket and instructed to pick a three inch thick mat on the floor. Many of the people inside bring in alcohol and drugs like crack. Pretty much as long as an individual is not obnoxious, they can get away with breaking any rule. The shelter is used as a night time haven for many, drug users and innocents, who are happy to have a roof over their heads and a plate of nutritious (albeit not tasty) cafeteria food to eat.
Everyone morning by 7am everyone is gone and the shelter is deserted until the following afternoon at 4:30 when everything began again. The shelter offers support groups and tuberculosis testing, because living in the congregational setting puts the men and women at high risk for the illness.
Although many insist that they are too terrified to spend a night in the violent drug den of a shelter, there are really relatively few disturbances and 75% of shelter guests are satisfied with their safety and treatment.

The Shame of the City, or the Victims of Society?-Part Two

When most people think of homelessness, they think of lonely individuals living on the street, however there are some families that live without homes or shelter. In part two of the "Shame of the City" series in the San Francisco Chronicle, homeless families are discussed.

The main focus of the article is the Silver family, who for the past four years have lived in their van. The family is on a list for housing, but they still have several years to wait until they are placed in a home. The Silver's are lucky because they are together, and their seven year old son and eight year old daughter are still able to go to school and do well despite their situation. The family earns money at Giants day games when the disabled father pan handles from his wheelchair, while the mother and children wait in the van several streets over. The father says that he is ashamed and does not want his children to see him asking for money.

It is rare to see full families living on the street because state authorities will take children away to be placed in foster care if they are considered to be living in a unhealthy environment, which the street most definitely is. The Silver family defy typical homeless stereotypes because the children both do very well in school, the family attends church every Sunday and neither parent is a substance abuser. For these reasons, the authorities have not attempted to remove the children from their parents. Unfortunately the family's homeless status has negative effects on the kids at school, although their teachers are supportive for the most part, other students frequently tease Ashley and Tommy.

Homelessness is devastating in all circumstances, but to see an entire family suffering this plight is truly heartbreaking. I'm glad to have the opportunity to help build homes for homeless families and dramatically alter their circumstances.

The Shame of the City, or the Victims of Society?-Part One

In December 2003, the San Francisco Chronicle published a series on homelessness called "The Shame of the City". In this series reporter Kevin Fagan dove into the city of San Francisco to figure out why there were so many homeless people living so miserably, and blatantly destitute in such a sophisticated and progressive city. Despite the cities efforts, and millions of dollars thrown at the problem, there are still 3,000-5,000 "hard core" homeless living in the city, this kind of homeless man or woman are the type most visible in the city, sleeping on the street and panhandling. They are unfortunately, also the most difficult people to help.
Part one of the series is called "The Island", this segment is about a 40 by 70 foot traffic island between 12th and Mission Street and South Van Nuys Avenue. The segment describes the everyday tragedies experienced by the collection of homeless people using the traffic island as a home base who spend their days pan handling and doing other things to get money. The article describes the death of the so-called leader of traffic Island, a man named Tommy. Like approximately 170 other homeless people a year Tommy lived and died on the streets, he contracted necrotizing fasciitis and soon thereafter died. Tommy was a heroin addict who taught the other residents of the Island how to pan handle most effectively and looked out for the others.
Tommy is just one example of the many people who have succumbed to homelessness, as are the others on the Island. Many are prostitutes, several are one legged, and almost all of them are drug users ( a majority use crack and/or heroin). These people are often ignored or even abused by the people who walk by them on the sidewalk, when they really just need counseling or healing. Those classified as "hard core" homeless don't want help though and that is the main problem. One of the men living on the Island was so against receiving any outside help that he krazy glued his skin when it split instead of going to a doctor.
On a good day the panhandlers can make about $40, which is almost always put towards a $10 crack rock or a $20 bag of heroin, and that is quite often the best that they strive for.
Homelessness is a terrible tragedy and as the story of the men and women who live on the Island shows, the homeless are individuals who want a better life, they are all somebodies son or daughter and they all were children who were full of potential at one point.

The People of America Vs. Insurance

Consumer advocates are suing Blue Cross Anthem, accusing the insurance company of illegally jacking up rates and forcing their clients to settle for inferior health plans or plans with higher deductibles. An article in Reuters discussed the case, quoting one of the plaintiffs in the case, Mary Feller as saying "Blue Cross has a gun to our heads". When Americans are forced by their insurance company to drop into inferior health plans or to pay higher deductibles simply because they are aging, we have an issue. Insurance companies should be around to help people pay for their medical expenses, not to induce stress and worry in already sick people.

Now it seems like people pay for insurance every month, for their cars, homes and themselves, but then are scared to use it. People get into car accidents and then pay for the damage out of pocket because they are terrified to have their insurance deductibles raised sky high. The same thing is happening with medical care and that is terrible.