Visions & Views from a Visiting Voyeur

Loud mouth insight to the nothing and nowhere. Deep thoughts and questions that have no where else to go...

I was glancing over news worthy articles when I ran across one that made me whence in fear. Apparently, while I was at work today and everyone else was using cardboard to sleighed, the postmaster general was recommending that the rule that establishes a 6 day a week mandatory mail service be lifted. So what's the big deal? The post master is suggesting that post offices be able to choose when to deliver, generally choosing to not deliver on days that are the lightest in mail. Wow so what happen to whether rain, or sleet or whatever the rest of it is the mail person will deliver my mail?

We seem to be in such dire times that even the post office can't do its job. Since email, blogging, cell phones and other types of communication have become popular, good ole' snail mail seems to be sadly falling to the waist side. I am a bit surprised they didn't ask for a bailout, everyone else is.

The story actually reminded me something a friend told me. She was having some trouble with her mail person picking up her mail. It seems that picking up mail is now an option according the local establishment. I wonder how she will fare now that the post office is so destitute that it can't deliver the mail either.

Scary times folks. Have you hugged your local post person today? http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090129/ap_on_go_ot/meltdown_post_office_22

Ta ta for now...

I have been busy the last few days. I am taking 16 credit hours of college as well as work 40 hrs a wk so to say I am busy seems a misstatement. The good things so far is 3 of the classes have kind of started on the same foot, scientific method. I am really glad because I am still trying to organize myself so I get it all done and done right. Three of the classes are very important because they are classes that go toward my major. Making a good grade in them is a must.





Okay so I stopped for a few minutes to give my brain a recess and created the following...

This really isn't too random. I am actually studying the different theories and stages so I decided to get creative with one of them. Sometimes doing something like this helps me to remember them better. I have learned about Erikson's Theory before but I needed some refreshing.

Besides studying I actually got some away time this morning at church. I baked some yummy cinnamon rolls (homemade) and had a interesting conversation about entitlement vs servant mentality/how we live our lives vs the role model Jesus presented for us. A lot of great discussion and information. I love it when you can sit with friends and acquaintances discussing things and everyone pitches in so that when you walk away you have a even more balanced thought.

I also read about an article put out by the AP. It discussed the current proposed stimulus initiative and how lobbyist and special interests groups are not counting themselves out even though Pres. Obama has said he will put a stipulation on it so that the money doesn't go to earmarks (pork belly legislation). They are probably right next to me in terms of the thought that the groups have politicians to much in their pockets. The article actually stated as much. The good ole boy mentality of you scratch my back then I'll scratch yours will never be done away with or at least watched over better unless someone really looks into what is going on. I don't think it should be anyone with interests in the outcome either. That tends to push bias into any reports that are made.

Well I guess I need to get back to eeekkkkk evolution and life-span development. I am not a supporter of evolution so I guess I will just grit my teeth and push forward.

Ta ta for now.

I was talking with a friend, she blogs at http://www.misswisabus.com/, today about the state of our nation, mommy blogger and social aspects. Some how we got into a discussion on conformity and I had a thought and my blog topic tonight.

As I have written before, a professor of mine and I am sure others feel that humanity is inherently good. Some of the proof that the professor lined out was how people waved hello to people who pass by. I was walking into the college I attend and opened the door for someone. The thought about humanity being inherently good popped in my head. I don’t know why I am struggling with that phrase. Perhaps because it goes against values and morals that I deeply believe? What if I am wrong? Then does what I believe about humanities goodness mean that I am also wrong about other strong held beliefs. Before I start going insane because I have now found out the sky is really red and the grass purple I came to this thought.

What if really people are just conformist? People here in Middle America wave at each other because it is what you do. People open doors for others because it is what they know to do. It is not about that good feeling you get when you step out to be nice or being friendly. No it is doing what you know is expected or desired in society. It is more of a learned response just like when someone asks you how you are. The normal learned response is fine and how are you? I am sure that some do it out of friendliness or for the warm fuzzy. I know I do it normally because I guess I wanted to be treated with the same respect and kindness. But I observe others and I don't know if they give much thought into why the do what they do.

I don't know if there is anything wrong with that. I see things that raise a flag for me. Tonight I also watched Horton Hears a Who. Wow do I have a lot of thoughts about that movie and some things I understood from it. Perhaps a discussion for another night. To be or not to be a conformist... not sure which one. Maybe that is one more reason I am just a visiting voyeur. My heart leads me away from the confines of society and leave me standing on the outside with what I hold to.

Ta ta for now...

Today is the day that is honored as Martin Luther King Jr.'s Birthday. He helped to lead a great movement and was the spokesperson for much needed change in America. I consider MLK to be a hero of mine.

Though it is his birthday, I thought instead of honoring him with mention of the “I had a dream” or the many things he as well as many others did to push civil rights to the forefront, I would instead talk about a recent documentary I watched. It is called “Scandalize My Name: Stories from the Blacklist”.

This story, narrated by Morgan Freeman, talks about the days right after WWII during the big “Red Scare”. Men like O'Neal and Canada Lee who stood up for the rights of African Americans and humans in general and were put on the “list”. I remember in part of the movie Jackie Robinson goes before the HUAC committee. Jackie Robinson went before the panel to defend the African American race. He stated that if Paul Robeson was a communist and had said or implied what he was accused of that he didn't represent those of his race. That was aired. In fact I tried to find a clip to put in here and couldn't find one with even that part of his discussion. What wasn't aired, however, was this part of his statement:

Just because Communists kick up a big fuss over racial discrimination when it suits their purposes, a lot of people try to pretend that the whole issue is a creation of Communist imagination. But they are not fooling anyone with this kind of pretense, and talk about “Communists stirring up Negroes to protest,” only makes present misunderstanding worse than ever. Negroes were stirred up long before there was a Communist Party, and they’ll stay stirred up long after the party has disappeared–unless Jim Crow has disappeared by then as well.

Very powerful words I think. Men and women were turned away from jobs and treated like criminals because they stood up for the right to be treated as equals and gain the rights that were established long ago.

So I say three cheers for MLK and for those men and women who went against the odds for what they believed in and changed the world. I don't see how I would be here today speaking so freely seeing the wonder and beauty in how each person is fearfully and wonderfully made. Like snowflakes no two are exactly alike and we are the better for it.

Ta ta for now.

Tonight I was with some folks. The normal pleasantries were exchanged: How are you. I'm fine and you... The whole exchange brought to mind a scene in a movie I like, “Yours, Mine and Ours.” I will try to set up the scene for you.... Henry Fonda and Lucille Ball have started dating. Both widowers (it still wasn't kosher to be divorced then), Henry decides to take Lucy home to meet the kids... the 10 kids. The children, under orders to be their best manners, have cook dinner and got the adults their drinks. Now I don't know if anyone else has ever been the child of a parent dating but what happens next seems inevitable. The older boys are in charge of getting Lucy a drink. So one of them fixes the drink, another helps out by putting a bit more liqueur in it and the server decides it needs just a tad more of something else. Poor Lucy has just been served a dive bomber and is going to be blown out of the water. Being the polite person that she is, as any person would be, she drinks her drink, raising her glass and proclaims it is wonderful, wonderful, wonderful... I bet Lucy.

So where am I going with this right. It seems like even in the worst situations we are trained to be pleasant and cordial. How are you someone asks? Trained response: Great, wonderful, wonderful, wonderful... All the way up until we do what poor Lucy did and dump mash potatoes in the poor unsuspecting little girl's lap. It seems best for everyone if we put anything other than being wonderful out of sight and mind. Well that is until we pick up something like a drink, or food or sex and say wonderful wonderful wonderful.

I have heard that many times when we don't deal with the stuff that is going on inside of us than that stuff deals with us. We find other outlets and become abusers and users all to be able to put on the wonderful front. We binge and purge, or spend. We do whatever it takes so that the world never has to know that we aren't wonderful.

Now I realize that there is a time and place for letting it all hang loose. But let it not be at rehab. Nothing harder than having to compete for hanging out the laundry with strangers.

Take time, don't let things eat at ya, and forgive.

Ta ta for now.

Today, a friend and I were discussing the conflict between Hamas and Israel. She said that in Denver there was a pro-Israeli demonstration and Chavez supporters somehow got mixed up in the event. http://denverstuff.blogspot.com/search/label/11%20Jan%202009%20pro-Israel%20rally So what is the significances of this? Well in September Russia parked 2 bombers on the shores of Venezuela right after the conflict with Georgia and certain statements from the USA. http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/americas/09/10/russia.venezuela/index.html Russia will be helping Venezuela build a nuclear power plant. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7751562.stm And last but not least Russia will be partnering in a gold mine venture on Venezuelan shores. http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N13543195.htm

So why is this note worthy? Well we are Israeli allies and we have recently pissed some Russians off. Folks I don't want to be an alarmist, okay maybe I do, but I don't think Obama is our biggest problem right now. Wow it took a lot for me to say that since I really think Obama is delusional at best if he thinks he can really pull his stuff off. I digress... So I guess I am just waiting to see what President-elect does about this conflict. If he decides to stand with our allies then we might be looking at World War III. If he decides to try to talk, which has never worked before with these particular parties, I am afraid that any foothold the USA might have in the middle east will be severally weakened. And should we have our foot there? I am not completely sure which side of the coin to take stock in.

Israel says it is looking to protect itself, but part of me thinks maybe they just want to get the Gaza strip back. Hamas and the Palestinians say they just want to not be persecuted anymore and to have what is rightfully theirs. How does one determine who is right and wrong in this. It just looks like a lot of toddlers who want one thing and won't settle for anything else.

So get your things in order, kiss your loved ones and put your head between your knees because things look like they are going to get very hot and sticky soon.

Ta ta for now.

Tonight is going to be a bit short. I started my training for the triathlon and I am tired. Tomorrow morning comes early as well. So here come a condensed version of my thoughts.

"No one has to remind you of the high cost of anxiety. Worry divides the mind. The biblical word for worry (merimnao) is a compound of two Greek words, merizo (to divide) and nous (the mind). Anxiety splits our energy between today's priorities and tomorrow's problems. "-- Max Lucado, Traveling Light

So today I am not allowing my mind to be divided into millions of pieces before it lays itself on the pillow. Sleep well world...

Ta ta for now.






Last night I found another interesting story via my Netflix. It is called "A Walk to Beautiful". The story surrounds 3 women, I think it says 5 but I only remember them really speaking about 3 of them, who are Ethiopians. It really touched me and perhaps it will touch you as well.



The basic story line follows these three/five women on their journey to a hospital that specializes in fixing fistulas. A fistula, I believe, is a tear in the wall of the bladder or rectum that leaks into the woman's birth canal and it continues out of the body in an almost constant stream of excrement. I am trying to be as polite about it as I possibly can. The women developed the fistulas after having difficult birthing which related in the babies dying. That in itself is heartbreaking. Many of the women were in hard labor for days and one saw her baby pulled out in pieces.

In Ethiopia is shameful to not be able to have children or to not be a productive working member. Females carry up the water, take care of the garden, keep the house and children. I believe one of the doctor's said that as soon as they can walk they are given a jug to carry water and by the time this one girl was 8 years old she was carrying more than the doctor could lift. She said that the females do a lot of work and eat very poorly. This results in them being small in stature and their frames being narrow and tiny. This means that they have difficulty giving birth because their pelvis is to narrow and small. Many get married at a very early age, 12 or 13 and babies are soon had there after. There very few hospitals and many are really far from the villages in the big cities.
So these women with fistulas are shunned and pushed out of their homes. They can't work because of the constant pain, discomfort and issue of the fistula. They can't give birth because of the problems caused by the previous birth. Their husbands and families turn them out and marry other women. They are seen as shameful and weak. So when they get the hope that their fistula/leaking issue can possibly be fixed they pack up whatever they can and journey to end their shame.

This really impacted me because it one had me face that though I don't agree with their culture it is their culture. Two it made me want to write this and ask those who can to help. Without the life restoring surgery these women live a life of despair. Many take their own lives to end their shame. Please take a moment and consider watching this...http://www.walktobeautiful.com/ or


Ta ta for now.




Okay so today was actually a day of nice no pressure creativity. I have been trying to learn how to enhance photos I have taken. Some of them I have put in some digiscrapbooks. Just thought I would share a few of both...


I call this one Doggie Dancer... a little humorous I think.

Pictures of a place called Turner Falls. Beautiful Oasis....


And these pictures were taken on my vacation in Arkansas...

If you want to see more photos I have taken look to the right side panel. There is a slide show and I took all of those pictures. I have really come to enjoy seeing the beauty that surrounds me.


Ta ta for now.

Tonight I set out to watch something that was more stimulating than mind numbing. I found an interesting documentary called Girl 27. It is about a massive scandal and cover up in the 1930's.

Apparently, MGM and its founder Meyer was holding a big shindig for all of his sales reps. He wanted them to feel important and basically boast to them their success. He rents out a whole hotel, brings in major entertainers for the sales staff to enjoy (all being men of course) and of course lets not for get wine, dine and line up the females for 'em. During part of the big convention event a party is held at Hal Roach Ranch. 156 girls, I believe, were called into perform at the "event". Many under the age of 18. So it seems that MGM held a party that had booze, a bunch of grown men, and underage females. Hmm does this sound wrong to anyone else?

So when one of them claims that she is raped, Girl 27, why is so many surprised. Of course this 17 year old female must be lying. According to the papers and the filmmaker she is portrayed as a tart and a slut. A girl who is known to be impure and of a questionable nature. She files her charges 3 times and each time they are dismissed. Was she lying or did power and corruption bury her story and her justice?

I think this story is a wonderful example of how power and money can and is used for evil. How even in the 1930's, when even I am a bit nostalgic and hope that people are better to each other, each person involved looks at what is in it for them and continues to rape poor Girl 27 again... and again... and again. I hear the proud 'we have come so far" voice in the film and I think to myself that we have come closer to treating victims of such heinous things such as this rape better. However, the shame and stigma of speaking out against such violation is still largely looming over our society. And when one is believed the perpetrators get minimal repercussions.

Rape, molestation, abuse, assault whatever you want to call it steals something that doesn't even have a word to describe it. Perhaps security is somehow fit into the word. Or trust. Or innocence. But it is something that is lost forever. How can one put such a small cost on such a priceless thing.

More info on Girl 27. http://www.vanityfair.com/fame/features/2003/04/mgm200304
Definitely interesting enough to view personally.

Ta ta for now!

So what should I say first. Well shocker of the day goes to this story. It now appears that the "adult film and entertainment" industry has hit hard times. According to a report from MSNBC.com (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28549145/): a founder of one adult magazine and another founder of immature adult exhibitionist dvds now thinks the government should give them 5 billion dollars. According to the article "the economy has made America's appetite for sex go limp." This has caused their sales to plummet and they worry that it could put some people in the industry out of work and on hard times... no pun intended. These entrepreneurs of adult entertainment stress that just like the big 3 auto companies, they have employees to pay who have families to feed.

Okay so before you go out to help these folks in their mission please take a moment and think about this. This industry promotes sexual addiction, demeaning of females, promotion of gender bias roles and views, and normally illegal activities. Now I know some of you are screaming your mantra that you can't legislate morality. Bull pooh! What are rules and laws but what society sees and deems as right vs. wrong. What society values as good and justice is how laws and rules are made. The only way to not factor morality into the equation would be to live in a lawless state. I don't think if anyone really thought about it would truly want to do that.

Mr./Mrs./Miss/Ms. Adult Entertainment Industry worker,

I am sorry because of hard economic times you will be out of a job. Honestly I would never want to see a person suffer. However, I really don't think bailing the corporations that provide you jobs or even the automakers will be as beneficial as they say it will. It will bring on more debt and most of the money will never see your pockets. Perhaps an education and retraining stimulus package for the workers would be more beneficial.

Oh well.

Ta ta for now.

Tonight I was trying to find a way to make things work in regards to my degree. I hit a roadblock and so I am trying to find how to get around it. In my pursuit of to make a plan I had to contact a teacher I previously had. This teacher is what I would call a mentor of sorts to his students. He makes you think. I think that it is important to question and investigate what you are learning. The goal of education shouldn't be that you turn out to be a carbon copy of your professors and their professors or even worse the people who they are teaching about. Growth means new life, fresh ideas and knowing what you know all the way down to your toes.

It made me think about other teachers I have really enjoyed learning under. We have walls of memorials for war heroes. We have comic books for fantasy ones. But I would like to start a mini-blog tonight listing some of my heroes that are just everyday average people who took the time and had the heart to impact my life.

I read something that said that mentors, when they mentor, come the closest they can to the feeling of immortality because they are able to pass along the torch to someone who will hopefully continue to pass it to generations to come. When you give your time, experience, knowledge and wisdom to someone who is less experienced and needs guidance it is a gift that keeps giving. When you are passionate and believe in the person your gift means that much more.

So here is the list of my Rock Stars!

Annette – She is no longer on this earth but she lives on with every heartbeat of the children she touched. Without her I probably wouldn't have pursued my dream to get an education and do something I am passionate about. She believed in me when no else did. And she was a just the church bus driver! Okay she was more than that to me but to anyone who didn't know her that was what she was.

Mrs. McKnight – Not sure where she is at but she taught me more than grammar, punctuation and literature but the stories behind the scenes. I will never see negro spirituals the same or not look deeper into the things I read.

Mrs. Iaquinta – She challenged me and had great insight and knowledge. Even when I got upset with her I knew she had my best interest at heart. She was honest and I admire her a lot. I gleaned a great deal from her.

Mr. Harris – I came into his class dreading it and came out with a peaceful and greater knowledge of the subjects. He believed that I could make it!
My 4th grade teacher – Okay I can't remember her name but she was awesome. I was the backwards, shy, outsider kid. I wrote a play just because I wanted too. She not only read that play but then proceeded to get the whole class into putting it on for the whole 4th and 5th graders.

Mrs. Rutherford – She was the head librarian and my boss for work study. That poor woman didn't know what to do with me. Probably the best things she did was to let me sit in the stacks and the archives (which I dreaded at the time) when there was down time and read. I read psychology and sociology journals, magazines, books on this and that. I read about philosophy and different cultures. I even spent a few days reading parts of the Koran and parts of the Pentateuch. I love knowledge and she encouraged me feeding my hunger for it. She was patient, kind and very wise.

Wow this list keeps growing and I could go on forever. I would just like to add quickly D. Larus (VP of Global Marketing he he he). He was cranky, he scowled and was very eccentric. I learned so much about marketing, business and corporate inner workings that I don't think I would have ever learned inside a classroom. Oh something of note: In England anytime apparently is a good time to go to the pub. So if you might get a call from your boss, the president, and he isn't in England with you, if you're getting sloshed there please let your assistant know far in advance... enough said I think...

Ta ta for now!

Illegal immigrants are a hot topic in the news and for many people. November 1st, USA Today posted a story online http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2009-01-01-public-housing_N.htm?csp=34 about public housing and illegal immigrants who are using it. According to the article, .4% of people using public housing are illegal immigrants. The thing that spurred the article was the realization that President-elect's aunt is currently using public housing in Massachusetts and isn't in the country legally. She applied for asylum but was denied by the federal government and told to leave the USA. She refuses to leave and is fighting deportation while living in a public housing unit.

This little tidbit of news of course has brought to light for the media how illegal immigrants are able to work around the system and gain public housing. There are many citizens in different cities across the USA who are on waiting lists that have a holding time of more than 3 years. Some critics say that if there was a crack down on illegal immigrants who are using this assistance then perhaps there would be more openings for citizens to gain assistance.
I honestly think one of the people in the article hit the nail on the head.


Elliotte Skinner, 48, applied for public housing in San Diego in 2000 and lives in a cramped studio with a shared shower. He says focusing on illegal immigrants misses the point.
"There's too much blame on illegals for the country's problems," he said. "Their numbers are so small (in federally funded housing) they don't even make a difference. The real problem is we don't have enough affordable housing." (USA Today 1/1/09)

I know there are critics out there that believe down to their toes that we give to much to the poor and low income. The thought that if they would just work harder or make bigger sacrifices that they would be able to take care of themselves isn't factual. Many low income or poverty stricken citizens are working very hard. Some have mental illness or have hit hard times due to layoffs, the economy or how business and commerce are run.

I am many feel that it would be great if we only had to take care of ourselves. Honestly, however, life has never been and never will be like this. We are not individuals on an island but boats on a see and when the storms of life rock one boat it effects the others as well. We are interdependant people. We wave high to each other, we pick up the item that the person in the grocery store dropped and give it to them. And though it seems quite overwhelming we need to help each other whether it be through the government or through nonprofit agencies.

I am not one for immigrants being able to stay here illegally. Not because I am racist, or cruel but because I feel it does a disservice to those who work so hard to become legal citizens. And I could spend time discussing how I wish we would give each illegal immigrant so long to become legal or if found they will be deported but I want to focus more on the great need that we have in America. Something is broken and it needs to be openly and with great concern relooked at. And by parties that aren't influenced by whether they will get votes or positions from what they decide. Jesus himself said the poor you will have with you always! We need to figure out how to make our society a healthier one.

Ta ta for now.

Tonight I want to discuss the things that we allow ourselves to get entangled in. I am studying to go into the counseling field. I am not stating this to say that I am in anyway 100% knowledgable in the area of counseling or in Psychology or Sociology. I do have a keen interest in it and at times can't help but fervently research topics and beliefs. I have read about addiction, mental illness, criminal behavior, family, isolation, abuse and the list goes on and on. However, I am not an expert and can only provide the information I have.

One of the things that crossed my screen was info on codependancy, relationship and/or love addiction.

I believe codependancy is defined or as CODA describes has some of the following patterns: denial patterns (I don't know how I feel), low self-sesteem patterns ( judge everything I think, say or do harshly, as never "good enough." ), compliance patterns (I put aside my own interests and hobbies in order to do what others want), and control patterns (I have to be "needed" in order to have a relationship with others.)http://www.codependents.org/foundation-docs-patterns.php Some believe that relationship and love addiction are the same thing as codependancy while others see them having similar components but being separate issues. Some experts don't even recognize relationship and/or love addiction. I honestly don't want to debate that particular aspect because I don't have enough knowledge in myself on all sides.

Relationship addiction is as one person described it as, "all consuming activity that kept me pursuing to be pursued, doing what I needed to do to keep the buzz going". Relationship addicts tend to stay in relationships even if they feel they no longer love them, the relationship is abusive or the other person is pursuing means to get out of the relationship.

Love addiction's characteristis are similar. Some say that love addiction encompasses relationship addiction. Some of the characteristics are: lack of nurturing and attention when young, feeling isolated, detached from parents and family, compartmentalization of relationships from other areas of life, outer facade of "having it all together" to hide internal disintegration, mistake intensity for intimacy (drama driven relationships), hidden pain, seek to avoid rejection and abandonment at any cost, and afraid to trust anyone in a relationship.

These three things, I believe, infect our societies more than most anything else yet they are the least acknowledged. Listen to the radio, watch the tv, read the newspaper or get a book. We are entangled by this so greatly that society is blind. But the blinders are slowly falling off it seems. Lifetime, Oprah, and even Sports Illustrated is discussing the effects. It is however a disease with a foundation in shame or even worse in acceptance.

If any of what has been said rings something in you please view the links below:

http://www.recovery-man.com/loveaddict.htm

http://www.codependents.org/

http://www.brightertomorrow.net/

Well that is it for me. Put a fork in me cause I'm done! Ta ta for now.



I saw this quote on my sparkpeople page and thought that it was quite thought provoking. It reminded me about those who choose to fight for causes that they believe in and the different ways they go about it.
I was actually talking about this with a friend today. We talked about Martin Luther King Jr, Midnight Oil, and the song "The Wall". Others like Nelson Mandela, Mother Theresa, and others give their life for their cause. Whether it be for civil rights, end to genocide, helping the hungry, or bringing to light oppression like that of indeginous group , these people came to an awareness of some sorts then took up the cause to do something about that awareness. Some made songs showing their protest, some went to prison, and some sat demanding in silence that something be done. Some choose to show it with violence and some with passive protest. There is a time that someone must stand against what is evil. Another thought:
Ecclesiastes 3 (NKJV)
1 To everything there is a season,
A time for every purpose under heaven:
2 A time to be born, And a time to die;
A time to plant, And a time to pluck what is planted;
3 A time to kill, And a time to heal;
A time to break down, And a time to build up;
4 A time to weep, And a time to laugh;
A time to mourn, And a time to dance;
5 A time to cast away stones, And a time to gather stones;
A time to embrace, And a time to refrain from embracing;
6 A time to gain, And a time to lose;
A time to keep, And a time to throw away;
7 A time to tear, And a time to sew;
A time to keep silence, And a time to speak;
8 A time to love, And a time to hate;
A time of war, And a time of peace.
Ta ta for now!

I was going to write today about a story I read discussing illegal immigrants and public housing. I will leave that to another day. I decided instead to voice my concerns and aggravation I have about my education and the institution I am attending.

I am sitting here tonight trying to figure out how to ask for an advisor to be assigned to me. An advisor ? Who would want someone like that? You can do anything if you pull up your bootstraps and try hard enough right.

Well as I mentioned earlier I was sent a letter telling me that I have too many hours to be able to get financial aid. Then yesterday I received another letter. Ms. College Student, we regret to inform you that your GPA sucks and you could be thrown into the dungeon. Okay, that is a bit of an exaggeration but it did say that I could be suspended. Now I have been down that road before and so I have been working really hard to not go down it again. This semester and last semester I had a 3.0 GPA. So rightfully so, my frustration is mounting. I want to scream and say why hasn't my overall GPA gone up. Calgone take me away! Bit dramatic, I know.

Before I go into a fury of weeping and gnashing of teeth , I decided to go to the school website and see if I could request an Academic Advisor. I go to their web-page. I click on the button and nada. I can't tell heads from tales on how to ask for one. I did find a nice little pdf that talks about what academic advising is.

They want me to be successful. I love this little tidbit “Advisors are always available to assist the students throughout their academic life at ?, but it is a great reward when we’ve taught the students “how to fish” and given them the resources to do so.(ejw)” Well I want to say “ help I've got a stick, line and darn it all I can't seem to catch a fish.

It also talks about an IEP. Hmmm I don't seem to remember getting an IEP. I went to an office, I discussed a few things but to be honest, I got told I had to take a class prerequisite before college algebra and that I needed to talk to a professor in a department to get some of my classes that didn't transferred approved. Now they didn't tell me which classes either. They said to show the professor the transcript and work it out. Next phrase I love “When a student is able to take their IEP and use it to plan their future classes, then Academic Advising has been successful! (ejw)” Maybe that is why I got two letters for Christmas that were more of a piece of coal then a present.

I really do love the college and the opportunities it has provided for me. I am just frustrated that some kind of miscommunication or something has gone haywire and now I am not sure if I will be able to continue my education in the spring. I have waited so long to be able to go back and finish my degree that it is sad that the possibility of doing that is going to be ripped from me.
Well I guess I am going to keep trying and hopefully when I finally get a hold of a human I will try to remember that they have thousands of others they have talked too. I thought about doing a sit in but perhaps Starbucks and a good muffin might be a more appropriate form of action.

Of course I could just surrender. Darn that word! Or powerless. Now that is something I can remember not wanting to admit. But I guess I am powerless, someone else is the only one who can take care of it and I guess I have to surrender it out of my hands if I want help.

Ta ta for now!

Who is the better cook?

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