composed on 11/5/07

Like a proud 6 year old on the first day of first grade, there is something special about this brand new spiral notebook and every brand new spiral notebook. Like a small schoolgirl, it's a chance @ a fresh start. New notebook, new life?

The Baltimore Sun/ article "Poverty Politics" 2/08

Here are excerpts from a very powerful article on social inequity

POVERTY POLITICS (BY D. MAC KINNON)

BOTH PARTIES EXPLOiT tHE DESTITUTE AND HOMELESS INSTEAD OF GIVING THEM RESPECT AND A PLACE AT THE TABLE.

Homelessness and poverty are among the most misunderstood , patronized and politically expedient issues.

As one who grew up on welfare and was often homeless as a child, I admit to being protective of a class of people that is shunned by all but a rare few in society.

John Edwards, in his quest for economic just for the poor of AMerica, began and ended his presidential campaign in the crippled Ninth Ward of New Orlenas.

He has brought much needed attention to an issue that begs for a constant media spotlight.

Neither the democrat nor the republican nominee is ever going to make ending poverty central to his or her campaign, because it's impossible.

Tonight, across this country 200k men and women who wore our uniform, will go to sleep under bridges and on grates.

O'Reilly rebuffs: Poor households in America have lots of stuff. 97% have a color tv, 78% a dvd player, 80% an air conditioner, 73% a car or truck, 63% cable or satellite tv, and 43% of poor households in the u.s. own the home they are living in:

McKinnon-O.R.'s "welfare queen" attack on the poor is as misleading as it is hurtful. Does He know what crushing poverty is really like?

 Does Mr. O'Reilly know what it's like to continually have your phone, electricity and your gas shut off for nonpaYment? Does he know what it's like to be continually evicted from your apt.? Does he know what it's like to go without heat for days or weeks in the dead of winter?

(p.s. i've experienced all of this)

Sometimes, tv and dvd is the only escape the poor have. Beyond the front door, they often face crime lawlessness, gang and drug warfare, and a horrific life that only those who live it can imagine.

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My comments (elana's comments)

wow, what an article! eye opening for so many. to see the entire article go to www.sunspot.net, and look for the february article "poverty politics"

The Ellen Degeneres Show/more favorite quotes

Ellen's guest was Patty Sanger who plays the matchmaker on "Millionaire Matchmaker" a show I have never seen. One of the comments was so graphic, it shocked ellen, but I'm not going to include that one on this website. Here are some of Patty's comments:

"Most mill. men want a woman who will give up her career!" (this comment shocked me)

"Men don't like women with curly hair" (this is ludicrous in my opinion)

Now here's a great quote by my beloved Ellen: "YOU HETEROSEXUALS ARE WEIRD!" (she said this to patty!)

Favorite Quote

This quote was a commercial, an ad for Louisville, KY.

"A city can inspire you and fill you with optimism, or it can make you wish you had stayed in bed!"

"The Miracle of Life"

I guess for most people who have never been pregnant, they might wonder: "what's the big deal about an ultrasound?!" But preg. women get all excited about the whooshing, and the picture, and the excitement about the new life they have created.

Today I had an echogram. I thought about how similar it is to the ultrasound. I heard the whooshing of my heart, and saw the picture. The tech. said that I have a very "imogenic heart" (kinda like being photogenic) She said not everybodys heart is so easy to see! Anyhow, she said the chambers look clear and normal by what she can tell, and I thought to myself that it is amazing that my heart would look normal, given what it has been thru.

The "echo" goes to the cardiologists who will read it, and then see if there are any problems. (The reason an echo was ordered is because I have chest pain, irregular heartbeat, and collapsed 2 weeks ago in my bathroom)

I'll know the results in 3 days, and I'll let you know what's goin' on. Have you ever had an echo?

"A most unusual find!" 2/19/08

Should I pick it up? Nah. I walk a few more steps. Pick it up! I walk back and pick it up. It's a fully wrapped fortune cookie. I have to know what my fortune says! Here's what it said:

"You have a natural grace and great consideration for others!"

"The Oprah Show" Suzie Orman helps "penniless" woman

I enjoy these financial counselors, I read their articles, books, watch their shows etc. But I do have a major critique. I've never met or seen a counselor who knows how to help people who truly did lose it all.

I was excited initially when I heard the advertisement for this particular Oprah Show where Suze was going to introduce us to a woman who lost "everything".

Yes, her situation was sad , however, she really didn't lose it all in the way that I did, so Suze WAS able to help her. When one truly doesn't have any assets, no car, no place to live, no phone, no family and no close friends, they aren't going to "dig out."

O.K. Here's the situation, in case you didn't see the show. The promo showed Suze asking Sheila: "So you don't even have money to buy milk tomorrow, do you?" Sheila replied "no"

I thought: this should be fascinating, they are finally going to help a penniless person. "Sh." (sheila) came home one day and found that her husband had committed suicide. She has 5 kids. Huge house, they were materially very wealthy. Turned out though, that he was verbally and physically abusive. They had a very traditional relationship and Sh. hadn't had a job in many years. The husband (we'll call him Warren or W.) was spending money on "stuff" instead of on the mortgage, and to be mean, he purposely cancelled the life insurance policy before killing himself.

So, Suze, advised that Sh. and her kids move into a 1 bedroom apt! That did surprise me. S. said that since Sh. and the kids had all been sleeping in the same bedroom for a year, there is no reason why they can't continue. Sh. does own a car. (a huge difference between she and I, the car is the key to getting employment) And Sh. is going to be going back to hairdressing. In the meantime, S. called 12 of Sh.'s family members for a meeting. Told them they are going to have to "gift" her financially, give free childcare, meals, and a monthly grant of 1k for a year. Sh. will be getting 2400 a month, since her husband died, then the 1k a month that S. told family to do for her. Then S. asked her to have an estate sale where she earned 13k in one day.

It was a great show, and always a learning experience, but Oprah asked Suze, "but what if a woman truly has no money at all?" Suze replied: "there is no such thing as running out of money, that's impossible, if a woman says she's run out of money she is lying!"

Oprah said "O.K.aaaaaaaaaaaaaaay"

So, obviously Orman is a bit naieve and has no exposure to poverty at it's worst. I'm still waiting for the day that these "experts" help the poorest of the poor pull out.