One year plus..Happy Holla days!

I'm sure you've noticed the hiatus around these parts lately...* looks around, sees no one*... Well I have!

I'll sum up my last year by saying federal government fellowship and baby rearing. There..nuff said? I hope so. I'm living in Albuquerque,NM now and experiencing the interesting life of Southwesterners...not a whole lot different from the South in general, and I'll be using this blog to describe my daily occurrences in detail.


Look out beautiful people- I'm back~!

What an Idiot!!!

SO sad...
While Americans think that John Mccain has some sense, I've known all along that he is a dimwit. To support my point, I'll refer to his complete ignorance on HIV issues- something key for any presidential candidate.


In March of 07, on a so-called "Straight-talk Express" he was asked about HIV and whether condoms can prevent the spread of the disease. The babbling idiot had this to say....

The bus had been rolling for a half-hour and McCain was holding court on everything from Iraq to college basketball. ("Who woulda thought? VCU," he exclaimed upon boarding.) And then someone asked about public funding for contraception in Africa to prevent the spread of AIDS.

"I'm sure I've taken a position on it in the past," he stammered as he looked to his communications director. "I'm sure I'm opposed to government funding."

Sensing a vulnerable moment, reporters kept the questions coming. What about sex education in the schools? Should it mention contraceptives? Or only abstinence, like President Bush wants?

"I think I support the president's present policy," he said, tentatively.

More questions: Do condoms stop sexually transmitted disease?

A long pause.

A stern look.

"I've never gotten into these issues or thought much about them," he said, almost crying uncle. "Obviously, we all want to stop the spread of AIDS. Everybody wants to do that. What's the most viable way of doing that?"

Well? The reporters asked?

In a last ditch attempt to rescue himself, McCain told an aide to go get a briefing paper prepared by Oklahoma Sen. Tom Coburn, a doctor, who he said has been advising him on "these issues." But the aide couldn't find the briefing paper. "We've lost it," McCain mumbled.

"Whether I support government funding for them or not, I don't know," McCain said about contraceptives. He then said he'd look into it for the reporters, who finally let him off the hook and moved onto other subjects again.


Ummm... hello????? There are some serious crickets in this man's head. Thank you for being a POW but I believe mentally- John Mccain has not recovered from those years. Do us a favor old man- retire, sit this one out...the presidential race is for people who ACTUALLY KNOW somthing about this county and real issues....

geesh.....

The Real Weapons of Mass Destruction

Since George W. never found any WMD, it seems as though the real WMD, rape, may be getting a little time on the international agenda.

Rape, mass rape, brutalization and scarring of women's gentalia and reproductive systems as an act of terrorism is not a new tool of war!However,because of pandering and buck-passing, it is only now getting much needed international attention. In the case of the Congo, a entire hospital has formed in response to the need for repair of women's internal organs after these vicious and horrendous attacks. These unimaginable situations are not only happening in Congo, but in Darfur and other areas where genocide and decades of civil war are playing out.

Soldiers seeking to divide and conquer, terrorize and just plain destroy communities do so by seeking out women,most times girls to violate in the name of war. Why the lack of media attention, you ask? Some international aid organizations deem this as solely a criminal issue while others stick it under the human rights umbrella( which often keeps other orgs far away from it)allowing no one to take real responsibility for demanding results to protect the innocents of war.


Here's an excerpt on the purpose of Panzi Hospital in South Kivu,Congo....


The gynecologists at the GRHP have been practicing in the province for 25 years. A new pathology has emerged as a result of the war: genitourinary fistula secondary to sexual violence. These acts are committed not by known persons within the survivors circle, but by perpetrators from outside. The aim is the destruction of the community within which she lives. Once committed the survivor, her husband, children and extended family become traumatized and humiliated as well as members of the community. It aims to ruin relationships thus promoting dysfunctional family units. The Christian values that normally exist strongly within the Congolese communities have been lost as a result of the atrocities. As well our research has been limited by focusing on the medical statistics with no mention of the psychological trauma experienced by these women.

One such story involves a young woman and her aunt coming from the field in Baraka, a village in the south of South Kivu. Upon reaching the river, they were intercepted by seven solders who forced them to carry each of them on their back in order to cross the river. After carrying the soldiers the young lady was forced to have sexual intercourse with each soldier. The last soldier inserted the point of a gun within her vagina and shot a bullet causing destruction of her vagina, bladder, rectum and buttocks. She was taken to a medical center in Baraka, from where she was transferred to GRHP by the ICRC. She underwent six surgical procedures before being transferred to Addis Ababa for further treatment.

This triggered an outcry from our institution. Our denouncement of sexual violence towards the population has been heard by Doctors without Borders, Amnesty International, and Human Rights Watch. Observers from these organizations have been dispatched to these villages and after a report from Human Rights Watch our issue has been heard by the international community. We have been fortunate to receive donations and investments by many organizations and hospitals. Experts in psychological war have also become involved in attempts to put an end to the practice of abusing women as an instrument of war. Since 2002, humanitarian efforts have intensified and the international community sensitized to the issue, making our cause a globally recognized issue.


The hospital is carrying a major torch in the rehabilitaion of survivors of these despicable attacks.In addition to psychological counseling (often with husbands)survivors are trained in sewing, soap making and other livelihood skills to enable them to reintegrate into society with a newfound/restored sense of worth.


So after all that- what's a lady/girl/man/boy to do? Read more here- www.igwg.org for info on gender-related violence. You can also ensure that your senator supports Foreign Relations Committee's plan for rejevenating the State Department's Gender efforts including a unified "Office of Women's Global Initiatives"

Retourner et Ecrire.....

Hey You!

*crickets chirping*

Well even if there is no one listening- I thought it important to come back to the blog world. At least for a minute anyway. Thanks Silvia!!! ( Why is it that someone else always has to inspire me to come back to my own blog?????) I guess the truest answer is that I've been trying to live life more and be in the moment- which often times cancels out time to stop and right about it. But hey look at me now!!!! I'm flying on this thing.....

I suppose I should use this "return" blog as a reintroduction/update piece. Maaaaannnn, where do I begin? Since it would be in neither of our interests to recap everything that has happened since Sept. 07 I'll fast-forward to today and give you a list of things currently on my plate.

1. Sahana!!!- Yay she is one now and getting so big, rather just being big. She walks and tries to talk a bit too.

2. I'm in Bham with my sweetie pie. I've been out of DC since about a week before Xmas 07 and its been great being away from that great stresser of a living situation! That entire scenario was threatening my chi in a major way. So, ummm glad to say that it's done for!!!

3.Fellowships- Since I left DC I took the first month or so recouping and figuring out the next path in life. I interviewed for two really prestigious fellowships in the last month ( one just yesterday) and Inshallah I'll be off maximizing one of those opportunities in the Fall.

4. Bicycles, Cameras, and Sewing Machines- Ummmm..errr...my new hobbies.. Did I mention I can even make shoes?????

5. Books- My Ladygirlfriends and I are in a uber-hip bookclub just blocks from my house that has also kept my days in Bham filled with some degree of intellectual dialogue.

6. Manuscripts, Manuscripts and Manuscripts- I just have to get two of these published while I'm on Sabbatical- Did I mention that that's what I'm calling this time off????

So there you have it- the past 5 months of my life in a nutshell. In my next post, I'll try to either elaborate on the above enumerated list or go on to something completely random.

peace.....

today....today....today

***RAnDoM BlaBBerInG BeLoW******************

Phew, it's hard work working huh? Since I'm back in the job zone, your gurl is in dire need of some extra zzzzzz's. Where do I get these from is the question. There is a saying that fat people say there are too many hours in the day, while skinnies say not enough- and if that is true, I must be skinny as hell!
Seriously I need about 32 hours to get everything done at work, play with Sahana, cook dinner, have some me time, and take a killer ass nap. Awww, the life......I think I'm just fishing around in my brain, preparing for the next wave in life. On one hand it's pretty frustrating having so many things to do, on the other,it's cool just to sit and chill......Like I'm doing now.... Having a glass of wine contemplating whether to sleep with my bambina or getting to work.......Work is always better with good wine, but so is sleep....if only I had those extra 8 hours I could do both.....

Damn you deadlines!!!!!!

Random neighborhood observations.......

I've been meaning to blog about the random crazy cookie cow shit I was greeted with when I return to DC. Some how,err I don't know child rearing has put my attention elsewhere. But now that the youngun's sleep and I just returned from a whimsical sidewalk journey up my block, I figure what better time than now to write it all up.

I guess I should preface this rant with the fact that my experience in DC can only be compared to where I've lived before , i.e. my other normal and abnormal living situations. My spots in Alabama and Georgia, hell even living in Ghana were freaking penthouses compared to the rat hole spot I'm chillin in now. My apartment isn't crap, what makes this city living a challenge are the following: the crackheads that hang out on the corner next to the bank, the countless "big booty bent over" fliers that I have to step over on my way to the train, or the smell of boiling piss when I try take a shortcut through the alley to get to the train.

Even when I lived in the projects, I didn't encounter as much tomfoolery. I mean who wants to buy a damn 10 pack of cheap ass toothbrushes from a man with his pants held up by a rope? I sure as hell don't.

Who wants to buy a pair of size seven pleather boots from a lady with no visible teeth? I sure as hell don't want none of that........ Did I neglect to mention that this is all within a block of my front door. My lovely front door to my lovely apartment with my lovely mother and daughter posted up inside......


Really, I'm just ranting cause funny things aren't as funny as they used to be. I know that things like this happen in any city, but when the people you would share a laugh about it with are miles away.....it just ain't the same......So I guess these damn crazies are only helping me to make my decision to catch out of this wigged out c-i-t-y....... *Sigh*

Now I really suck raw eggs....

I gotsta apologize my peopolians.... It's been a long time. It's been 3 months and 3 weeks to be exact.And I'm not jsut saying that cause I'm handy with the mathematics. I know this cause that's how old my daughter is and looks like I went into labor shortly after writing that post.

My, my,my how things DO change. To describe my situation now, um, I'll have to call it taking a long-lasting chill pill. Yeah! That's it I've been trying to come up with some cool way to to describe my recent hiatus from all things non-infant. So, while this blog could be come all things infant, I decided to post all those things on my other page..... http://the-usual-plus-child.blogspot.com

As for this page,I'm back to my sometimes critical analysis of random shit happening around me.I'm back from maternity leave with a beautiful baby with a beautiful existence, so yeah i;m ready to step back in the saddle. But slow, though. Like I said, that chill pill is longlasting ( at least one of them is foolproof :))

I'm posting like a crazy crackhead this month- I think I'll do a marathon of random shit that you'll be happy or half-interested to read. Let the turtle games begin!!!!!


Oh yeah- that's my sweetie pie...

So I guess I suck....

Well not really, it's just that I've been doing a lot more living and less writing in the last months. I haven't traveled anywhere outside of the US but I've been on somewhat of a different voyage. That one headed towards my new definition of motherhood/mama-isms/child-zone.

Preparing for this new world hasn't exactly become a new course of study but it has caused me to look a bit deeper into myself. Hence the lack of postings- sheesh I can't tell all my business can I? :) No, really the best thing is that I've been open to the changes that are presenting themselves and I like to sit back and observe how rapidly life's course ( or what you think life's course is) can morph.
I take it as an opportunity to shift and redefine- something we all need to do from time to time.

Does this mean I'm no longer an international traveler? Hell nawls- I'm just reading up on how long infant passports are good for....
Does this mean I'm no longer a feminist? Umm don't be silly- at this point I'm thinking on writing my manuscript on feminism and thee child-zone- now that's going to be interesting...
Does this mean I've softened up and my views on life are all totally up in the air? Now this is just a crazy question- Steadfastness aside anyone who encounters a life altering situation and does not manage any sort of change is kinda off their rockers eh? Of course most of my ideas are the same but I never claim to know it all and I am glad to learn from everyday life, no matter what life it is....

International Women's Day

So People all around the world today- societies- men, women, and children are celebrating International Women's Day. Celebrated on 8 March, International Women's Day (IWD) is the global day connecting all women around the world and inspiring them to achieve their full potential.


Activities are as diverse as the women who celebrate them.Just to get an idea of what's happening with women all over the world - here's a link to activities in 43 countries.

Women throughout the world are celebrating- what are you going to do?

the tax and other things....

apparently I didn't know this phenomenon had a title until I came into position at my new j-o-b. The tax refers to the payment through services,overtime, ass-kissing,and just general overworking that one must embark on when entering a job. Interestingly I haven't quite been able to figure out if my such tax is a black tax or just a new employee tax, so in that case I'll just call it the "tax".

Needless to say the "tax" has been whooping up on me over the last few weeks. And did I mention I was with child? This betta not be the pregnancy tax! I might have to mess some fools up if that's the case. You know when people start to assume that you're a cripple because you're with child.... Learn my history first morons.....geesh... Anyways, not to worry, I've been paying and taking care of me-self at the same time. Matter of fact, I decided to take a break from paying the tax on a sunday and update this blog.


Let's talk.... It seems since my last blog I worried a few people. No I'm not having a nervous breakdown and I'm not emotionally scarred from being pregnant in a new city ( although the last one could be a viable choice). I'm feeling quite good about bringing new life into the world. The range of possibilities for this new life are unimaginable and I'm glad I get to shape it.

For those looking at the title of my blog and wondering endlessly, I'll answer a quick question for you......
Does feminism come into a contrast with being a young mother?
Not exactly. This is something I'd actually wondered myself early on. But let's look a little deeper. Feminism as an idealogy is not based on women and girls shaking off motherhood, babies and housework but simply stating the obvious- this is not the enitre spectrum of our woman/girl hood. Women and girls are people and are not to be enclosed in a box of traditonal gender roles. That last statement would probably scare the shit out of my future mother-in-law but that's just the approach I'm taking. This is about to be a radical seed! Look out world, and I hope you all are ready for my piece of peace......

Get ready to meet our peace loving, no-nonsense taking, humanist Love child in 92 days.....

been so long....

I'm missing you babeee.............



Yes, it has been a while and I do apologize for skipping over all the good things there are in this world to write about.

Life as I know it, or knew it has taken a turn. A minor bend in the road has revealed itself and those things often take time to get used to. I think I'm adjusting farily well,considering my normally not-so private nature I think I've taken the personal time to deal with this new, new life... So the news that's kept me from writing, you say?

I'm going to be a mother..... How's that? More to come.....

the weekend....

This weekend started out very rough and by rough I mean something around 20 degrees with the windchill. Uuhh...did I mention how I don't like to go outside when it's cold? Yeah...that's still the same.


My homie Kristal and I decided on Thursday we'd go down to Adams Morgan and hang out at Bukom, a local West African restaurant/bar. Needless to say once I saw the temperature report for Friday, that was a no-go. I know I'll have to get out of this soon- I will need groceries in January again-but I can't just jump out there into sub-zero weather. I do that on the way to work and I barely make to the train station without a snotty nose....Yuck.....you never can tell when your nose is nasty in winter and that's just one more reason to stay cozy indoors.

On the brighter side of things, friday turned out to be really cool, no pun intended...Another friend was conned into comming over( a ploy by myself when she wanted to borrow the vacuum) and we ended up playing my favorite game, Scrabble. The shits addictive really it is....especially when you're winning ....we went through all the old times from college romances gone wrong, having to keep some knucklehead off of a friend, getting caught cheating and all the other dramas that happened in our dorm room. the night was beautiful and all indoors with heat-provided by my landlord.

Saturday was by far the best though....2 words Home Depot....I ended up getting a power drill to finally put together my home library and plants to make this place home. Visual noise is serious problem that f*cks with your psyche. I have soooo many boxes with books and books and books to put away, but thanks to the depot I'll be good by later this evening.

I'm living the simple life....just happy to have good friends,scrabble and a power drill make up my weekend.....ahhh life is good.......

being too critical?

Two nights ago I went out for the first real time alone in DC. I staggered out, despite feeling completely drained by work, to see my favorite production of all time, A Raisin in the Sun. Somewhere around 7th grade I fell in love with Lorraine Hansberry's seminal work and was committed to playing Beneatha one way or another. In the Spring of 2005 I got my chance on stage at the Carver Theater in Birmingham.
See my photo with Asagai...<--------

In addition to being directed by my favorite director, Niyi Coker, A Raisin turned out to be one of the most rewarding experiences ( at least in my adult life). It'd been a while since I'd done any acting and getting back to a great form of self-expression was what I really needed at that point in life ( i.e. crazy ass boyfriend, too much adult responsibility, other people's respoonsibility, caring for children, raising adults, you know the usual crisis-forming scenarios).

Given that background, as I left the theater I started to wonder if I was being too subjective in my critique of the production at H street's Atlas theater. It's opening night and most of the kinks in production get worked around week 1. Seated, I found myself reciting lines and remembering the blocking & passion I had in my performance. Intermission is when it really hit me, I need to cut that shit out....Let these people perform the piece like they want to , like they've rehearsed. Yeah,yeah, yeah, I gets that way sometimes...meditation helps most of the time, but being away from my nag champas and floor pillows I found it difficult to really get free. I eventually did, of course and by the time Act II rolled around, the actors had warmed up and I'd cooled down...enough to really enjoy the play. Laughing out loud (i meanLOuD) and seeing the actors for their rendition of a truly magnificent work.
The show ended and even though I didn't find myself giving a standing ovation, I could truly appreciate others loving what I'd fell in love with a long time ago. Congrats on a fab opening night Cast......and umm look out for me, coming soon to an audition near you....

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Throughout the play I enjoyed the gentlemen who played Asagai. His Nigerian accent was stellar and so was his performance. Lively, passionate,understanding...mr As-a-guy...you get my vote of superior, you and mama, and walter, and ruth...Keep the embers burning.....I was just hating that's all....lol....

World AIDS Day

As you all may know by now, today Decemeber 1st is World AIDS Day( WAD). People from Timbuktu to Papua New Guinea are out spreading the urgent message of "accountability" for this year's activities. Accountability, which reflects a need for governments to step up to the plate and honor their committments to the global HIV epidemic, is the theme of WAD.

In just about every city across the globe there are programs, demonstrations, and activities designed to bring heightened awareness to some of the newestHIV issues plaguing the human race.

Just a few of the newest issues are the urgent need for more funding for technologies like microbicides and vaccines, continued political will to treat all patients ( regardless of stigma surrounding their personal infection stories), and increased awareness of the role gender inequality plays. Activists are encouraging everyone to know their HIV status and get TESTED! The more you know, the better you can protect yourself. Find a test center near you and make your way to it...and while you're at it check out local WAD activities in your area.

Damn you done F@#ked up now......

Your boy( or former boy) "Kramer" is the latest to have his racist tag showing in what will be the MVP headline of the day for me. Another one bites the dust? Well, it all depends on how you look at it.....



According to my fellow African American co-worker, "they'll be giving his ass a medal by the end of the week!" I'm not so sure, but I hope his ass is finally washed up like he was starting to be. It's a shame I don't feel any sympathy for kats like that. You know the kind that pretend "anger" makes them do things....As I like to see it, some people try really hard to suppress their racist urges ( and being a member of another minority or traditionally discriminated group doesn't change this) but sometimes that tag is just showing.....


The way he figures it Richards doesn't think he's a racist .....just a victim of anger,unfortunately his situation couldn't be more problematic. If it only takes your ass 30 seconds to anger to the point of calling someone a nigger...you got more than anger issues..
Granted in fits of anger,we've all put our feet in our mouth but that usually takes some time and a little manipulation. But hey...if if it floats right up to the surface, sorry dog but there's probably a whole lot more where that came from.....Basically that was some shit you MEANT to say......not a fluke......

ANyways, it's UnliKely that the rest of America will side with me but I'm hoping the Jewish influentials in Hollywood will do us a favor and pull the plug on any future efforts of this man in TV..... (*that might make him more of a racist tho....hmmmm.......)

And don't forget to tell him...."ummm Micheal your tag is showing".......


Who's next? I'm sure I'll see another tag hanging before long.........

what sucks..what doesn't......

So I thought that DC was the cause of most of my most recent problems...only to find out it was all really me...wow...revelation! Anyone who knows me or who at least reads this far into my blog, knows I HATE cold weather. And by cold weather..... I mean anything less than 50 degrees is cold. Anyways, starting a new gig and moving to a new cold ass city would normally be the start of a great adventure. Unfortunately, I have been a lot less than adaptable than my blogs name would suggest.
Hell..... now that's what sucks.......

Being in a rut and telling yourself you are not in a rut is a tad self defeating, na'mean? The truth is I've been blogging on the sly and even less talking to myself. *Gasp!@#@* Revelation #2......I better stop while I am ahead....nawl......

Anyways, Yeah, I've been slacking in ery'thing mostly cause I lost a little bit of my home when I moved here. Not because I'm getting old...I'm not...but because I think I couldn't connect to solid ground fast enough once I got here...and that I blame on cold ass weather...........

I've always like to fantasize about dimensions of our personalities that are connected to the weather,climate, and overall environment. I am now my own subject.....and as it research would have it...much like the conclusions I reached well over a decade ago........I need SunLight!! Damn it! I mean I need sun and heat together to keep the chi flowing. I can quote some Deepak now and say how life offers it's gifts and reminds us to cherish the sun and the moon together...but damn I don't feel like it....

It beeeees that way sometimes. Although, I've begun to embrace Jack-ass Frost and 'nem ( I'm trying to wear socks..baby steps people..baby steps) I know I still have a long way to go. Let's just say I can't wait till Spring and I can high step in my flip flops on the Metro. Ahhhh life for the living...that's what I call Summer..That's what doesn't Suck....

..I'm working to embrace this thing and maybe I just need to touch my other favorite body a little closer to me in the meantime....you know to uhhhh help me work this thing on out with a little heat.....
Bikram Yoga anyone?

Female Fish sellers have increased risk of HIV.....

As has been heavily stated all over the world.....women everywhere are at increased risk of HIV acquisition. This week's case describes female "fish madams" near Lake Victoria exchanging sex for fish to sell in the markets.

Around the lake there are numerous women whose livelihoods depend on their ability to gather and barter fish. The fishing is done by men who return to shore with never enough fish to go around. This is of course caused by lack of fish in the world's ocean a consequence of disobeying fishing regulations, global warming, and environmental pollution. The result?..less fish..less money..more poverty & risk..........women who want or need the fish to sell give sexual favors in exchange for say a week's worth of income.

The danger of this fish-sex trade is magnified when women travel to different beaches gathering more fish, having sex with more partners, or with fish van drivers who can assure a faster return on their fish sales.

Several groups are working with these fishing villages to spread information on the risk of HIV in the fish-sex trade and condoms are being promoted. The unfortunate element is the practice remains the same only + condoms and an increase in HIV testing and counseling.

What women( and all others in poverty) need are economic alternatives to employment that eventually lead to sex exchanges. Assistance organizations should of course push for safety in the mean time,( hell that's what I do) but true change happens when poor people's options change... oh and don't even get me started about environmental regulations in Africa........



More about the fish crisis minus HIV implications....
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/4182972.stm
African fish crisis
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/4172280.stm

Let's play catch up...

So it's been awhile since I blogged, this statement will be followed by a long series of excuses which will begin here...... 1. Work is very busy, projects are rising from thin air and I "new employee" am still demonstrating worthiness. 2. Hell I'm tired when I'm done with the job, 3, my wifi access in the basement I call home is quite limited-still working on getting that service beyond wifi piracy...

Anyways with all those excuses,I still find myself thinking about the blog and all the great things I shoulda been blogging about. As a new Washingtonian, I have been involved in some disastrously strange incidents, particularly when I'm wearing my orange glasses. Like these-^^^


These glasses have managed to attract some of the strangest strange .....

I'll start with the latest and go backwards in freak-ass events.....


So I hop off the Green-line train on my way to the crib when I decide to stop at the grocery store for a little tofu gourmet treat, right......
I'm done and dragging about 7 plastic grocery bags( hell, 7 paper bags are hard as hell to carry several blocks)down the street when I get to my block.
* There is always some shady activity on this street just cause there is a nice dark alley, i.e. crazy person's paradise*
So I turn the corner behind Bank of America and what do I see?

The woman above.....well at least a very similar looking white
woman with no shoes on * automatic sign of a crackdeal/impending blow job- if she's no hippy or no beach nearby,damn*......talking to some cracked out looking black
dude....I'm like awww hell nah! get off my block,right? I proceed to
walk by them ( Cause I'm carrying several bags that have begun to create deep markings in my skin and hell I ain't moving) as I hear the woman say " I need some crack...man I need some money".

The dummy black dude has the nerve to look at me and attempt to ask me for some money,like uh..... "excuse me miss" I just starting shaking my head and saying "Don't do it, don't even" in response to his ridiculous begging for crack $$. You think I finance crackdeals and blowjobs? ummm hell nawl....damn fools...Did I mention it was about 30 degrees outside?...crazy I tell you....


*Disclaimer* I am very sensitive to drug dependance issues and their social cause and the proliferation of drug abuse issues in lower class communities. I am however not into supporting drug abusers in my neighborhood via monetary donations, thank you...


Random DC craziness number 2 coming up soon!

A simple reminder.....

Every now and then we hear a song that takes us to a far away place.We may have never been to this place or had the opportunity to evoke such raw emotions, but nonetheless, we step into the singers shoes. Earlier this week, as I'm settling into DC( aka finding little nook-and-cranny coffee shops I hear one of my favorite songs playing. I had one of those moments. I haven't experienced the particular details of this song's story but Gladys sings it so well, you'd think you had...

So without further adieu, I'll let Gladys do the talking...and uh...see where it takes you.......


"kleenex anyone?"

Go Cali!

This is why I love California! Cutting edge ideas everywhere you turn. Why do people with HIV need to be beggars or recipients of just any old thing? Cause it shows how the world really feels about them. Go Cali, with your cutting edge, humanist compassion and loving approach...Who's next? Alabama you say? hmmmmm let's see about that. Read on peoples.......

Public Health & Education | New York Times Profiles California Organic Food Bank for HIV-Positive People


[Sep 26, 2006]


The New York Times on Tuesday profiled the Food for Thought Sonoma County AIDS Food Bank, a not-for-profit organic food bank and garden in Forestville, Calif., founded in 1999 to provide produce to HIV-positive people. About 450 HIV-positive people, including 60 women and 75 Latinos, regularly visit "what may well be the country's hippest food bank," the Times reports. "It's important that the people not just be passive recipients of care, to be conscious of what they put in their bodies," Allen Nishikawa -- an analyst at the Sonoma County, Calif., Department of Health Services -- said, adding, "It's part of a bigger movement to get people to be more thoughtful about things as basic as eating." Horticulturists from the Occidental Arts and Ecology Center help manage the garden, and many of the garden and food bank's volunteers are HIV-positive. According to the Times, the food bank -- which receives some federal funding but draws most of its budget from private donations -- "serves as horticultural therapy for the volunteers." Volunteer coordinator Stewart Scofield said, "You can't give away food without an emotional and spiritual component," adding, "We're friends and neighbors taking care of each other" (Brown, New York Times, 9/26).