Poverty Is Not an Accident

Poverty Is Not an Accident
Nelson Mandela

Wednesday, November 28, 2007

Satan Day on Craigslist



You are reading http://livinginthehood.blogspot.com/

Now, look. I've needed help from people. But I went about it in a sane and rational way.


Free Stuff on Craig's List SPECIFICALLY tells posters we are NOT to BEG for free stuff! We're only to post FREE STUFF! Not complicated, you say? Well, it's almost Jebus' birthday, and the frauds are out, begging for stuff on Craig's list.


THERE'S FREE STUFF, ALL OVER TOWN! And, if you're not TOO lazy, just keep looking at free stuff on Craig's List, and you'll find EVERYTHING! Today, I saw a commercial chicken roaster! Like in the grocery stores!


So, I posted the following. Of course, it'll get flagged, but I just needed to VENT! The pictures were included. That's Jenna Bush, worshipping Satan, right in front of daddy.


BUMS! grrrrr.... 'tis the season....


==================

Satan's Day
Reply to: see below

Date: 2007-11-28, 4:51PM MST


Please, I'm so poor and I really need goodies for my spawn! Satan's Day is coming and I have nobody to burn on the altar! Pity me! Send me worthy sacrifices! Boo hoo! Now, where did I put that bottle of thunderbird? And Hail Satan!


Go to the charities, leach and leave us alone!


(505) 666-0000
Location: Albq.
it's NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests
===========
CREDITS
============
Original Post
christmas
Reply to: xxxx@craigslist.org
Date: 2007-11-28, 4:04PM MST
please if you have anything extra for christmas that i can give my children i can do yardwork or housekeeping they would be thankful and grateful for anything thank you and god bless
it's NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests

Sunday, November 18, 2007

Nov. Peace Talks

You are reading http://livinginthehood.blogspot.com

I transcribe these for Paul Ingles, http://paulingles.com every month. Usually, if there's a noteable one, I'll put it in my radio blog.

But this one pertains to poverty.

=======
KHAMISA: At that stage, I was angry, but I wasn’t angry with the kids. I think I was angry at American society. I felt we had failed our responsibility to our kids, because they join gangs to get respect, protection and belonging. We must do more so those kids do not have to join gangs. I wrote several articles. I’ve also written a book. I have voiced my anger, not to the kid who actually took my son’s life, but to society, as a whole.

BOSS: I read an article you wrote, a couple of months after your son’s death, on your foundation’s website [ http://www.tkf.org ]. You drove to Mammoth Mountain in Southern California. You’d gone to spend a few days in solitude and reflection. Can you tell us what came of that experience?

KHAMISA: According to the Sufi tradition – I’m a practicing Muslim of the Sufi tradition, which is a metaphysical interpretation if Islam – we have prayers for the dead at the funeral and ten days, thirteen days, forty days and prayers every year and prayers every year afterward. The most significant are the forty days prayers. At the forty-day prayers, my spiritual mentor counseled me. According to the Sufi tradition, it ends the grieving period. I was told that the spirit, or the soul, of the departed person stays in close proximity for the forty days, which are allocated for grieving. After the forty days, the soul moves on to a new consciousness, in preparation for the forward journey. Because souls do not die. I like to think of my son as not dead, but at home, or in a different dimension. I was counseled that excessive grieving after the forty days, by friends and family members, would impede the soul’s journey. I was counseled that, instead of grieving, I should do good deeds. Good deeds, done in the name of the departed, are spiritual currency, high-octane fuel, for the soul of the departed for the forward journey.

It was in Mammoth, about three and a half months after my son’s death, that I got the inspiration to start the foundation. I thought that the enemy here was not the killer of my son. Rather, it was the societal forces that forced a young, African American man into a gang at the age of eleven. To prove himself to the gang, he killed my son. If I was able to solve that problem – so kids would not have to join gangs to gain respect, protection or belonging – then, we would improve society.

The foundation just celebrated its twelfth anniversary. It amazes me, how well the foundation has done.

BOSS: Let’s talk about some of the programs. On the web for the TKF Foundation, the Tariq Khamisa Foundation, it reads, “Empowering kids, saving lives, teaching peace.” There are several school-based, violence-prevention education programs. Talk to us about one of them, “Violence Impact Forum.” I know it’s for students from fourth to ninth grade.

KHAMISA: Violence Impact Forum is a live assembly. We have a video, which we have developed, where the murder scene has been reenacted. The kids first look at the video and then we are introduced. We are on stage, live, Ples [Felix] and I, as, “This man’s grandson killed this man’s son. Here they are, as brothers.” Then, I give my testimony. Ples gives his testimony. We then have panel members, male and female, both ex-gang members. They have powerful stories. Then, we engage the kids into a Q & A. It’s a very intensive, emersive, hard-hitting, reality-based encounter. It always amazes me. There’s on fidgeting. There’s pin-drop silence. Very often, I’ll ask the audience, “How many of you have lost family members, as a result of violence?” It breaks my heart when three quarters of the hands go up. We have six, key messages which we try to impart in these live assemblies.

BOSS: One of them is, “You can make good and nonviolent choices.” In this era of violent, media images, which are so pervasive in this culture, and so attractive to youth, how is this message presented in a way appeals to young students?

KHAMISA: You’re right. The violence is extremely pervasive. We are, by far, the most violent, first world nation in the world. I started with a simple premise: violence is a learned behavior. Nobody was born violent. None of our children was born violent. If you accept that violence is a learned behavior, then nonviolence can also be a learned behavior. Who teaches it? At TKF, we teach it. Let me answer your question by an example.

After the Violence Impact Forum, we plant a garden. It’s a very healing thing. We plant a tree in memory of my son. For all the family members the kids have lost, they plant flowering plants. This becomes an alter for them to visit. It also becomes a very visible presence of our program on campus. It reminds them of the key messages we taught.

After that, we have another program called, “Ending the Cycle of Violence.” We’ve created six, multimedia vignettes, around our six, key messages. One example would be that we have a lesson on empathy. It’s a big word in many of these schools. We usually have a theme, “I don’t know you until I walk a mile in your shoes. You don’t know me until you’ve walked a mile in mine.”

It was a seventh grader. His name was Alex. He had all the signs: the swear, the encounter, the colors. You could see the gang member, written all over this kid. Somehow, this lesson on empathy got to him. The homework is that they have to practice empathy for the whole week. The week after, before they get their lesson on compassion, they’re asked to share their homework on empathy. When the teacher asked, “Who wants to share the lesson on empathy,” it was Alex. Remember, this was the most disruptive kid in the class. What he shared was very powerful.

He said, “I was walking in my ‘hood last weekend. This kid gave me a dirty, angry look. The rules of the ‘hood are, if a kid looks at you like that, you go beat him up. Because you taught me, ‘You don’t know me until you’ve walked a mile in my shoes, and I don’t know YOU until I walk a mile in YOURS,’ I walked up to this kid and said, ‘Why are you giving me a dirty look?’

“The kid said to me, ‘I’m not giving YOU a dirty look. I’m angry. My brother was shot and killed last night.’”

We asked, “What did you do, Alex?”

He said, “I held his hand. We cried together. I gave him a hug. I told him, ‘I know how you feel, because I lost my uncle six months ago.’”

One lesson! When you think that this kid walks the ‘hood, every weekend. Tell me you can’t teach nonviolence. There’s more power in this. What could have become a fight became a compassionate action.

One of the key messages we teach is that, from conflict, love and unity are possible. I talk about the fact that I would never have met Ples, if his grandson had not taken the life of my son. Ples is African American. My roots are Eastern. Azim is Persian/East Indian name. I’m a Muslim. Ples grew up as a Christian. And he’s as close to me as my own brother. We hang. In fact, I’m having dinner with him tonight. He has met my entire family; I’ve met his. We have this love for each other. I cannot even put it in words. I always tell him that he helps me carry my load; I help him carry his. We are water bearers for each other.

I always tell people, “I want you to notice something here. This is not Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., meeting Gandhi. This is an investment banker, meeting a green beret. Ples was a green beret. The point I’m trying to make is that, if he and I can do it, we can all do it. I think that is very teachable.”

The President of the Foundation, Mark Fackler, always says, “If TKF is successful in meeting its mandate, the only outcome can be world peace.” Kids are our future leaders. If we can teach them, now, that from conflict you create your brother or sister, you create love and unity – if you apply the principles of nonviolent peace making and forgiveness – maybe, someday, we’ll have world peace.

BOSS: Let me ask you about Tony Hicks, the fourteen-year-old who killed your son. From what I understand, he’s still in prison. You met him in prison. Could you describe that experience?

KHAMISA: It was five years after the tragedy. It took me many hours of meditation. I’d met his grandfather and guardian at nine months. It’s a whole, new equation, to come eyeball to eyeball with the person who actually pulled the trigger on your son. I could tell, when I first met him when he was nineteen years old. I was thinking, as I was walking up the steps of the prison to meet him, that I was not going to like this kid who took the life of my one and only son. When I met him, I was quite surprised. He did not portray typical attitudes of a nineteen-year-old in our culture. On the contrary, he was remorseful, well mannered, and soft-spoken. I could see that my forgiveness of him had also transformed him. Quite frankly, when I looked deeply in his eyes, I did not see a murderer there. I saw another soul, just like me.

He was eleven, when he joined the gang. He ran away at fourteen. The same day he left his house – where his grandfather loved him – he joined his homeboys. They drank a lot of alcohol. They smoked a lot of drugs – a lot of pot. When they got hungry, they wanted to jack the pizza deliveryman. Somebody put a gun in Tony’s hand. Take a fourteen-year-old, in our society, who is angry, who has run away, who is now high on alcohol and drugs, and give him a gun. Is that a recipe for disaster, or what? Then think: how often does that happen? It happens a lot!

Not only did I forgive him, I went the extra step by telling him, “Tony, when you come out of prison, you have a job at the Khamisa Foundation. You can come work with your grandfather and me.” I gave him an opportunity to redeem himself.

What’s amazing about this story is that he has exactly done that. He just turned twenty-seven; his birthday is September 22. Two years ago, he aced his G.E.D. in prison at the sixty percentile, self-taught. He’s now doing counseling courses, learning Spanish (because we work with a lot of Hispanics here). He reads five books a month, and this kid used to hate to read. He knows that he can’t be about gangbanging, drugs and violence, if he’s going to work with the Foundation, teaching kids about the principles of peace making and nonviolence.

I’ve written a letter to our governor in California, to see if he would consider commuting Tony’s sentence, because I would hire him. I think he would serve society a lot better, working with the Foundation, trying to keep kids away from making the same, fatal mistakes he did – rather than just serving time in an adult prison.

Sunday, November 04, 2007

I'm so scared

You are reading http://livinginthehood.blogspot.com

Ma is completely irrational now. I can tell, when I'm speaking to her, that she doesn't comprehend what I'm saying, that it's getting all twisted and garbled in her mind. What little feedback she gives tells me this.

In addition to her inability to: hear, understand or remember what I'm saying, she's expressing some SERIOUS paranoid delusions about me.

She thinks that, because I've gone to some friends about my concerns, I'm bad mouthing her, embarrassing her and sabbotaging her. Actually, I'm seeking impartial feedback from them. Is it over-reaction, for instance, that I'm afraid of Ma because she said, "Contact my lawyer?" She won't let me speak to her when she's in her room, so I've sent email, which she hasn't read. When I asked her, repeatedly, how I can communicate with her when she's in her room, she refused to answer and finally said, "contact my lawyer."

She said she was joking. The tone of voice was threatening. How was that funny? Frightening me, threatening me with a lawyer is FUNNY? Am I over reacting? My friends say I am not.

She has violated her contract, again, about when she will move out. Now, she wants to move out in spring.

First, it was 3 years; then, it was 1 year. Now this.

She has upped the date because I went to my friends for counsel.

She's accusing me of other things, too. If she were CORRECT about my motives, I would have to be a violent, irresponsible sociopath to behave as she's accusing me. The smallest mistake -- such as putting a can of soda over the lattice across her bedroom door, which popped open when it landed on the floor -- is "evidence" of how destructive and dangerous I am!

If I protest, if I raise my voice in absolute panic and distress over these accusations, she sees it as further proof of what a "crazy bitch," "obstinate bitch," "stupid bitch" I am.

If I can get her to follow a train of logic long enough for her to begin to be aware of how ludicrous, outlandish and irrational her delusions are, she either gets right in my face, if I don't grant her easy escape, or RUNS to her room to shut the door on me! She WILL NOT acknowledge that her accusations are unfair. She WILL NOT acknowledge that I'm perfectly rational to feel upset and frightened by them.

If she really believes I'm such an irresponsible, violent, criminal (yes, she calls me that, too, and a "bad neighbor and citizen:), sociopathic person, might she not "defend" herself against me, physically, if she feels threatened?

I'm beginning to suspect neurotoxins. She takes MASSIVE quantities of vitamins and herbal suppliments.

I'm also wondering if she's developing alzheimers.

Far worse, and more dangerous for me, her siblings posthumously diagnosed her very violent and abusive father with bipolar disease. I don't know whether he really was or not. But he abused, molested and terrified ALL of them, throughout their childhoods.

Ma has had one "manic" episode, in the past. It sounds like it was quite severe, and that she was quite irrational and disfunctional.

I'm afraid she could hurt me. She's bigger and stronger than I. She's a black belt in several martial arts. She has access to weapons.

If I had the financial resources, I'd throw her out of here right now.

Ethical Slut in ViriDiana blog

You are reading http://livinginthehood.blogspot.com

http://viridianariverstone.blogspot.com/

Wednesday, October 31, 2007

recycling bathroom

You are reading http://livinginthehood.blogspot.com

I'm not allowed to speak to her, when she's in her bedroom. I have to email her from elsewhere in the house. This, and the following, post are examples.

Frankly, I'd prefer not to have to speak to her.

As I drove her to work today, she refused to speak to me because she has a sore throat. She said I should email her. I told her I've sent more than five emails this morning alone and hadn't received replies to any of them. I still haven't.

She refuses to flush toilet paper, presumably for environmental reasons. But she'll throw recycleables into the trash, with her soiled toilet paper?

I see you've put an empty sunblock container in the
bathroom trash, along with your shitty toilet paper.
I'll have to fetch it out, to put it in recycling. I'd
appreciate it if you didn't put bathroom recycleables
in that trash. I don't wany your shit on my hands.

listening

You are reading http://livinginthehood.blogspot.com

Last night, I told you I wanted you to dump the
bathroom trash into the farthest container on the
street, in front of our neighbor's house. I then said
that there is a piece of chicken wire, next to the
trash barrel there. I wanted you to cover the bathroom
trash with that chicken wire, to prevent shitty toilet
paper from flying all over the street, when they pick
up the container today.

It's a good thing I needed to put some old food from
the refrigerator in the trash this morning. I saw the
chicken wire, on the sidewalk in front of our
neighbor's place, and put it in the container. I don't
want bad feelings with my neighbors, and would
appreciate your cooperation in that effort.

When you agree to do something and then don't follow
through, I feel very distrustful of you. It's very
stressful to have to follow you around to see that
you've kept your commitments. I don't need the extra
work or emotional stress

to a group of significant others of transexuals

You are reading http://livinginthehood.blogspot.com

I've been with Ma 3 yrs. Knew she was a mtf when we got involved.
Actually, she was intersexed, designated male by family. Her story is
further unique in that she castrated herself when she was 13, all
alone. She's closeted, so I can't talk to anybody, really, about
what's going on.

She has systematically excluded me from her life over the past, 3
years. After 1 year, we were no longer intimate. I tolerated that, as
I love her. I don't know if I'd hoped things would improve in time,
or if I was just willing to settle.

But things have deteriorated. I honestly believe she sees me as
second class and that I'm not a priority in her life, emotionally,
socially, etc.

I helped her finish her bachelors degree. I wasn't allowed to talk to
her while she was studying or doing anything work related. I did most
of the household chores, including her laundry, meals, etc. I was her
volunteer research assistant, editor, etc. for school.

Last summer, she said she didn't want to live with me anymore. This
was less than a month after her graduation.

I said that I've put up with her special requirements for three
years, in order that she complete her degree. Her needs have been the
primary focus of the household. I said I deserved three years, back,
in order that we might improve our relationship/friendship/whatever.
She agreed.

I got sick and couldn't do the outside chores fast enough to suit the
landlady. We got an eviction notice in August, with a move out date
of Oct. 31, today. I've packed, moved and unpacked almost every item
from the house and cleaned the property, sick.

During the move, she announce she will only live with me long enough
for me to establish the household. Then, she'll move out and I'll
need a roommate. This will happen in about ONE year, she said. I was
completely floored.

She resents every bit of work she has done, related to the move, that
was NOT about her personal items, directly. She takes it out on me in
very passive aggressive and indirect way. For some event, totally
unrelated to the move, she'll behave shabbily toward me. I'll ask why
she's treating me this way and she'll reply with something oblique
like, "you're high maintanance." Compared to her, I certainly am not.
So, I'll ask her to elaborate, and she'll voice her resentment at
packing my stuff!

We just moved to a new place.

Last night, she announced that she will move out if she
feels "unhappy." She feels unhappy, most of the time. She's a
compulsive overeater. She has body dysmorphia. She's emotionally
repressed. She's chronically depressed. I suggested she look for a
therapist, but she says that's not a priority right now.

Mostly, she's unhappy when she treats me like I'm second class, and I
have the nerve to call her on it and expect to be treated as an equal.

I am disabled and low income. I'm neither as strong nor as
economically secure as she. Now, any time I dare to ask her to do
such things as: not leave used toilet paper on the bathroom floor,
listen to what I'm saying, consult with me before she makes major
decisions that affect me, do her chores..... she threatens to move
out because she's not happy.

She's becoming VERY verbally abusive. She does and says things she
KNOWS provoke me, to try to get me angry enough so she can threaten
to move out. She ignores me when I speak. She makes lots of noise
when I'm sleeping. She won't grant me access to her bedroom, even
though the internet connections and other, vital things are hoarded
there. I'm not allowed to speak to her when she's in her bedroom and
must EMAIL HER from elsewhere in the house!

Basically: she's ACTING LIKE A MAN and I'm sick of it!

Tuesday, October 30, 2007

Finally moved in!

You are reading http://livinginthehood.blogspot.com




Well, I guess I can say we’re officially moved in to our new place: a 2-bedroom duplex near Kirtland Air Force Base. It’s a quiet street. We have a pretty large yard, with concrete walls.



Our neighbors in the front pester us constantly: staring at us, calling the landlady to complain about nonexistent problems, parking in our yard and driveway… creepy stuff. They’re trying to get out of paying their own rent, and are constantly citing reasons, as unsubstantiated as they are. We ignore them, whenever possible.



I have to make one, more trip back to the old place. I have to get my outdoor plants, some cans of paint nobody from Freecycle would take, some tools & cleaning supplies. I need to rake, clean the floor and clean the refrigerator.



After three years and an accumulated $18,000 rent, the landlady there couldn’t let me clean the yards at my own speed. I’ve told her I’m running a constant fever, that my teeth have caused a systemic infection, that I require oral surgery to remove dead teeth from my mouth. I was cleaning, but it wasn’t fast enough for her.



It’s not like it’s an upper middle class neighborhood, dwelling, etc. There’s so MUCH wrong with that house, I wouldn’t know where to start. Basically, repairs are all half assed and slap dash and there are NO right angles: floors, walls, and ceilings…. Ma and I can’t figure out WHY she thinks this place is so la-dee-dah.



I’ve built 2 sheds in the back of this place, for my chickens (apx. 6 of them, but they run so fast, who can count?), ducks (one pekin, one muskovie, both males – less quacky) and the goats, of course.



Tall bamboo surrounds most of the yard. I need to trim it, as much is over 15 ft. tall and tangling in power lines.



I’m building a 10 x 16 ft. patio enclosure off the kitchen door, so I can smoke outside without freezing, grow some plants, and store some kitchen stuff I don’t use often.



I’m investigating the possibility of keeping a colony of honeybees, too. This whole colony collapse thing has me worried. Maybe I can help by raising some healthy bees?



I haven’t written here consistently since I was volunteering regularly at KUNM, three years ago. The main reason is that a staff member, whom I knew pretty well, backslid into her cocaine addiction, began harassing me and was reading this blog CONSTANTLY, so she could email threats to me! She wasn’t just threatening me; she was threatening Ma, so I stopped writing. I ran into her at a grocery the other day; her mom is still paying for her, to keep her from hitting bottom and recovering. She has HUGE, dark circles under her eyes.

She asked me, “are you still afraid of me?”



I answered, “Yes.”



She said, “but that was YEARS ago!”



I said, “And I never got an apology.” As far as I know, she’s still out to get me and needs to be avoided.



But I think I should start writing again, anyway.



The move has been pretty exhausting. We bought an old Penske rental truck with a 10 ft. box on the back. That REALLY helped! It has a ramp and everything. Still moving is painful and I am really sick. I can’t wait to give our old neighbors, the Sernas, the keys to that place and drive away for the last time!



Now I’m off to find coffee; I got up at 4am today: not too unusual, but still…

Sunday, August 26, 2007

Freecycling is not Wal*Mart shopping

You are reading http://livinginthehood.blogspot.com/

To all participants in Albuquerque Freecycle http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FreecycleABQ/

I'm a private citizen, not a big box store. Respect my privacy.

If you agree to pick up an item, arrive on time. If you can't make the appointment, email me. Otherwise, I'll be sitting outside, in the heat or cold, waiting for you. My time and health are more valuable than that. You don't get to just stroll in, at your leasure.

Don't ask about other: items, animals, vehicles, people, structures on my property. My contract with you is for specific items. There's no window shopping. You can ask me if I have something specific you need, but I probably don't, if you didn't see it posted in Freecycle.

Other items you may see, sitting out, are my business. They may be for other Freecyclers. They may be junk. They may be my idea of exterior decorating. It doesn't matter to you. Don't ask if you can have them.

My personal history isn't your concern. I don't have to answer questions about my personal life. It's not your busines to question me. I don't know you. You are a stranger, and a guest at my home. Behave yourself accordingly. I don't need to worry that you're "casing the joint."

You CANNOT use my restroom. Plan your bathroom trips before you arrive. You may drink water from my garden hose; I will not invite you into my house. NEVER wander around my property without my permission and personal escort. I will call the police.

Do NOT spam my email in box with half a dozen or more messages. Think about the questions you want to ask me, before you hit "siend." DO NOT demand that I send you a reminder email or make a phone call because you can't keep a persoal calendar to remember our appointment. Keep the directions to my house & our appointment time; do not delete them. I don't like giving out my phone number, usually; I only do so on a case-by-case basis. You don't need to know who I am.

I give clear directions to my house. If you don't understand west from east, left from right, etc, you need to use an online mapping service, or a friend, to help you get here.

Bring whatever containers, tools, gloves, transportation, tie-downs, help you need. I cannot provide them, unless I've specifically stated that in my Freecycle ad.

Play nice and I will do the same. Otherwise, you'll go on my "list," and I'll never respond to your requests again.

Friday, August 24, 2007

more freecycle posts

You are reading http://livinginthehood.blogspot.com/

OFFER: Corrugated metal OLD TOWN
2' sheets, apx. 10' long. 5 of them. These were used, when I got them.They have some minor tears and minor rust. They're screwed onto my shedwall. I have a cordless drill with attachments which you can borrow.I need the taker to remove them. Each is held on with less than 10 hex.screws. Not a difficult job, but I MUST save my strength for this move!You should probably come EARLY (6-8am) in the morning, or late in theevening. This steel is exposed to sun, most of the day, and gets hotenough to fry meat on.Bring: gloves, pick up truck. These aren't heavy. Most people can carryat least 1 sheet; I can carry 3 at a time. Close to the street, so nota long walk with them.

TAKEN, PPU: Sewing machine
For somebody's granddaughter, who wants to learn to sew. If she can learn on THIS machine, she'll be able to sew on ANY machine!

Thursday, August 23, 2007

Things I'm giving away on Freecycle

You are reading http://livinginthehood.blogspot.com/

If you don't know about freecycle, it's a yahoo group, all over the country, dedicated to keeping stuff out of the landfills by recycling it to others who need it. It's sorted by geographical location. The albuquerque group has about FOUR THOUSAND subscribers. If you need something, or want to get rid of something without throwing it away, this is the place for you.

OH, by the way, PPU means Pending Pick Up.

OFFER: Books Old Town
Fiction & non. How to's, literature, social sciences. Many feminist orlocal or historical or queer or....ecclectic interests.They'll be available starting Friday, as it'll take a coupla days toget them out to the storage shed.

OFFER: 2 unsightly, double-burner hot plates OLD TOWN
Great designs: hot pans, hanging over burners, cracked the knobs onone. The other one has been cleaned so many times, I've rubbed thepaint off. Obviously designed by people who'd never use them. They workGREAT. They're just ugly.

OFFER: World's ugliest drier --electric OLD TOWN
It's kinda scab red. Some kid hung on the door, so you have to keep itshut with a strong magnet. It needs the "pigtail" wire, which you canfind at any hardware store for about fifteen bucks. Got it from aneighbor who swears it works great.

OFFER: Ugly, little chickens OLD TOWN
I don't yet know if they're roosters or hens. They're a motley crew ofhalf breed muts. If you can catch em, you can have em.

OFFER: vinyl LPs OLD TOWN
No collector's items here: cats scratched the backs, so they won't sellfor much. Jazz, '70s rock, classical. Obscure artists like DeniseWilliams, who was discovered by Stevie Wonder. One Donna Summer, to myunending embarrassment.If you lay them over flower pots in the sun, they melt into a pot-shapefor house plants.Crappy frisbees; tend to crack.Good for leveling crooked table legs.

OFFER: Mystery microwave: Does it or doesn't it? OLD TOWN
Work, that is. I think it blew a fuse. I know the turntable motor isdead, but can be replaced. I blew up a bowl of chili inside, so it'sdecorated with chili jerky.Inside is barely large enough for a small chicken (no, not the ugly,little ones, I'm giving away.)Any obsessive compulsive tinkerers out there?

OFFER: unfinished needlework kits. OLD TOWN
Some cross stitch, lotsa needlepoint, a few of those what are theycalled? crewel? things: embroidering with yarn.When I was 20 yrs. younger, I had a horrible job. It was either doneedle work, or become a mass murderer. Unfortunately, I bore easily,so I seldom finished any. I have a filing cabinet full. gag.

OFFER: Billyuns & billyuns of glass jars OLD TOWN
They're salsa, pnut butter, etc. jars, with lids. I used them for myhomemade salsa. If nobody takes em, I'll haul them to the recyclingplace, so the Chinese can melt them down and resell them to us at wallyworld, or something. Free, dead spiders included in some jars.

OFFER: decent potting soil OLD TOWN
I'm moving with my containers, but not the dirt. I probably have acoupla hundred lbs. And, if you'd like, I'll throw in some goat- andchicken-poopy straw, for extra nitrogen. Yummy! Has some shreddedpaper, rocks and styrofoam peanuts mixed in, but that's good for theroots. I just can't lug my dirt across town again for this next move.I'll make more when I get there. Plants died in this hideous heat,anyway. sigh

OFFER: Inflatable snowman with busted fan OLD TOWN
Ripstop nylon, lighted, almost as tall as I am, and slightly fatter.Fan's busted, but here's what I did when my Halloween "Tigger" had thesame disease: I stuffed it with those packing pillows and bubble wrap.The light shines thru just fine and, frankly, the extra weight of thepacking materials keeps it from flying to Texas on windy days.So, if you need an inflatable snowman that doesn't inflate, I'm yourgal.

OFFER: Pallets OLD TOWN
I made goat fences outta em. Some are 6' long. Most are 5x5 or less.Great for alienating the Neighborhood Association.

OFFER: lotsa pens & pencils OLD TOWN
I don't know how I got so many of the lil stinkers, but if you knowsomeone who needs to write stuff a lot, I got yer back.

TAKEN, PPU: unfinished needlework kits. OLD TOWN
Going to a nursing home, to keep old people off the streets. THANKS!

OFFER: color tv OLD TOWN
Has a rabbit ear antenna hook up. You can buy one of those adapters tocoax cable, though, to attach it to a vcr, etc. That way, you can use aremote to change channels. Otherwise, you might ACTUALLY have to getsome exercise, get off the couch, walk to the TV and change the channel(gasp) by hand.Worked, last time I plugged it in. Has a pretty big screen, for an oldfart. Don't know dimensions, off hand.It's on top of a fridge I'm giving away, so the sooner you get it, thehappier I'll be.

OFFER: Dog House, in pieces OLD TOWN
It's huge. The base is about 8x4'. It's white press board, chip boardand 2x4s. We got it off another freecycler. Had to take apart, to fitin my big truck!Was hoping to reassemble for my goats, but, now that we're having tomove, I ain't takin it with me.It's a jigsaw puzzle, but, if you fix it up, it'll CERTAINLY keepanimals warm! Big enuff for the KIDS!!!

OFFER: Roll of roofing tar OLD TOWN
Got this off another freecycler. Was gonna reroof the huge dog house.Since that's going, this has got to go. White gravel, black tar paper,new roll.

OFFER: very orange, plastic construction fencing OLD TOWN
Good for keeping chickens out of stuff or in something. Very durableand doesn't rot in the sun. Had it for years, don't need it any more.It's about 4' tall and I have enough to pretty much wrap around mywhole, front yard.

TAKEN: tv, jars, spiders, pens & pencils, needlework, LPs, roofing,
And thanks to those of you who simply sent fan mail, because I made youlaugh. There will be more dead spiders, soon.

TAKEN: orange construction fence
Man, you guys'll take anything....

TAKEN, PPU: inflatable snowman
Well, THAT's a relief!

OFFER: incredibly worthless comforters/blankets OLD TOWN
They have thick, kapok batting that would be great for quilters whoaren't fussy. Or, just sew 2 sheets together to make a duvet cover. Ifyall don't take em, I'm throwing em at homeless people under the bridge.I also have some polyester blankets, kinda fuzzy.Don't ask what sizes; I have no idea.

OFFER: foam futon thingy that folds into chair/spiderman print OLD T
Incredibly ugly, but worked as futon pad. Several blocks of thick foamrubber, with a round "pillow/backrest" piece at the top.

OFFER: weird assortment of dishes & mugs OLD TOWN
Mostly, I have a stack of glass plates, but I have several, largerdinner plates, too. I have about 6 coffee mugs. I also have atremendously-unnecessary collection of plastic camping dishes and mugsand those tall Coke drink containers, like you get at the takeoutplaces.

OFFER: foam couch cushions, OLD TOWN
USed em as the back to my futon couch. about 3" thick. No covers, justfoam.

OFFER: 2 black, "iron" looking metal futon frames OLD TOWN
One has some screws loose, but who doesn't, really? It was obviouslyused by a VERY heavy person, or a bed jumper, as it's a little bendy inthe middle. The other one is just fine. I've slept & sat on both andlived to tell. When covered with padding, who cares, anyway?

OFFER: Useless bicycles, 2 adult, 2 itsy bitsy OLD TOWN
The little ones are pink & purple huffys, with white tires.The bigger ones are so-called, "Mountain" bikes, with screwed up brakeand/or gear levers. Frames ok, but.... great for tinkerers.

OFFER: stumps & logs OLD TOWN
I used them for cat scratching posts and decorations in my yard. Hardto split for wood. None over 2' tall. Good decorations, but I'mevicted, so they gotta go

TAKEN, PPU: spiderman futon, foam cushions, stumps & logs
Now, it's a challenge: what weird stuff can I find around this housethat yall will want? WHEW!I think I'm gonna let yall take most of my stuff & just get more onfreecycle, after we move. Why haul it around town?

TAKEN, PPU: itsy bitsy bikes
But the adult bikes still haunt me.

TAKEN, PPU: not bendy in the middle futon frame
Who's up for the bendy one? I swear: you CAN sleep on it! We've slept on it while camping.

TAKEN, PPU: Adult BIkes YIPPEEEEEEE!!
Apparantly, people in the east mtns. read and tinker a lot.

OFFER: Sliding windows & Glass Door OLD TOWN
This one breaks my heart. These are nice windows, got em off other freecyclers. The sliding glass door is attached easily to my porch and you'll have to help me get it down and apart.
The other 2 windows are about 5' tall. one's black and about five feet wide the other one's a lot wider and it's plexiglass.
I was going to use them to "greenhouse" my goat & chicken shed this winter. Dang.
I HATE getting evicted! Trying to find a cheap house that'll take 2 goats is a real job.
I'd throw in the landlord for free, if I could, but I don't think you'd like it.

TAKEN, PPU: worthless blankets & comforters
You're a very sporting crowd.

OFFER: Pekin Ducks, OLD TOWN
I posted this on craigslist, as I wanted to require a small adoption fee, as I DON'T want these ducks eaten or abused. They can't live with dogs. They need a small pool, no more than about 4" tall, without bricks to step up on.
I have 3 females: PeeWee, Molly and Dolly
I have 3 males: Lucky, Plucky and Herman
Your choice.
They're shy of people, but fun to watch. The females quack loudest. Lucky's 3 years old, but the others are under 1 year.
They eat duck, dog, people, cat, dog, chicken food. They're quite fond of melons and mushy fruits. They'll need a dog house or some protection. They do fine in cold winters, even swimming in icy water.
These are my friends and I'll miss them very much. So, please, don't reply unless you're willing to commit some effort into some very lovely creatures. You need a fenced yard that dogs can't enter. DON'T try to keep them inside; they poop compulsively! No cages!

OFFER: apx. 1 doz. quart bottles of "Sno Bowl" toilet cleaner OLD TOWN
I found these in a dumpster, outside a dollar store. They smell kinda perfumy and they turn the water blue. They're good for disolving mineral deposits. Never used em much, but a whole case? in a DUMPSTER??? so, take as many as you need. the bottles are a little dirty, as they've been stored outside. They even have some ancient chicken poopies on some of them. We can haul them into the front yard and spray em with the garden hose.

OFFER: odd assortment of 1 gal. cans, house paints OLD TOWN
Most are latex, some are oil. indoor, outdoor. Got them from Rinchem, the place you take toxic chemicals. They let people take em on Fris and Sats, in the afternoon. Was gonna paint my truck & the dog house.
Some cans incomplete, most have been opened. LOTS of colors. More than 2 doz cans

TAKEN, PPU: toilet cleaner
You'd think our toilet would be a lot cleaner than it is, considering how much of this I had laying around! Guess you actually have to USE it, though.

TAKEN, PPU: my house paint collection
a couple of you are coming to pick thru it. If anything is left, I'll repost after the weekend.

Wednesday, August 01, 2007

Wal*Mart thinks social responsibility is "Crazy"

You are reading http://livinginthehood.blogspot.com

http://walmart.feedroom.com/?fr_chl=afed84f55abea2bbd4fb7a726728c0eab5a61346&rf=sitemap

So, it's "crazy" to ride a moped -- or, perhaps, a scooter? -- to work, huh? My scooter gets NINETY MILES PER GALLON! And my electric bicycle is even MORE green, than that. BOTH can pull trailers with a hundred pound payload. I only pay $75/year insurance on my scooter, and nothing on the electric bicycle.

"Crazy:" a pajorative for someone with a mental disability. Like the mentally ill don't get stigmatized, enough, already????

Wal*Mart buys Chinese products, made by near slaves. They pollute in HUGE volumes. They underpay workers 'til they need food stamps!

I'll tell you what's crazy: shopping at WallyWorld! BOYCOTT!!!!!!!!!!!!

Tuesday, July 24, 2007

Hillary needs no defenders

You are reading http://livinginthehood.blogspot.com

http://www.milkandcookies.com/link/64689/detail/

He invokes Jane Fonda, of all people. Jane Fonda: tomahawk chop, exercise video and, now "Christian" self-promoting opportunist.

And John Kerry was just the flip side of Bush: elitist, privileged pretty boy.

And the fact that the whole thing was some sort of apologia for Hillary? She voted FOR the Iraq invasion, did she not? Don't get me started.

So, the Dixiecrat pundits and spinners have finally developed a spine? Now that seventy percent of the population opposes the wars, Bush and Congress?

Where were they years ago, before WE killed more Americans in invasive wars than died in 9/11? Where were they when our budget surplus was SQUANDERED for the likes of Halliburton and Lockeed Martin?

Imbedded sychofants; that's who and where they were.

Do I trust MSNTV? No. Do I trust middle aged, privileged white guys in suits, even if they wear pink (how ironic!) ties? No.

I think for myself. And I think I'll STILL vote the Green Party ticket.

http://www.milkandcookies.com/link/64689/detail/

new stuff

You are reading http://livinginthehood.blogspot.com

There's some new stuff in ViriDiana: http://viridianariverstone.blogspot.com/

Tuesday, June 19, 2007

recallmarty.com

You are reading http://livinginthehood.blogspot.com

My posted comment to http://recallmarty.com

Rogi said...
"fucksmoking" represents the elitist attitude embodied by Marty: anybody who even APPEARS to be less-than upper middle class must be disappeared from the streets of Disneyquerque. You can now be arrested for sitting too long at a bus stop. You can be arrested for SMOKING at a bus stop. You can be arrested for being addicted on public transportation. You can lose your house for having ONE WEED that's ove 4" tall in your yard; the city will condemn your house and sell it, if you refuse/can't comply. You can be held criminally liable for animal abuse if there are flies, bees or ants in your yard!

ALL of these laws are SELECTIVELY enforced, and city government openly admits that. If your neighbor wants to persecute you, the city will gleefully comply.

It happened to me. I lost my home, my pets, most of my belongings and everything in my bank acc't. when my house was "condemned" as "substandard," after a persecution campaign by the neighborhood CIA (community improvement association.)

Was I selling drugs? Was I running an auto garage or salvage yard from my house? No.

I opened my home to the neighborhood kids. I helped them with their homework, their abusive & neglectful family members. I gave them food, clothing, school supplies. I taught them: cooking, gardening, animal husbandry, auto repair, carpentry..... I took them to museums, planetariums, parks, nature preserves...

For this, the gang unit was called on me. The POLICE wrote a report in which they said I was a "paranoid scizophrenic and self-proclaimed witch" (I'd said I was a curandera.) I was immediately homeless. I was FORCED into an ambulance for a psychiatric evaluation. I was billed $400.00 for the ambulance. My animals were destroyed. Neigbhors broke in and stole most of my possessions, including my check book. Nobody in the neighborhood would rent to me. I had 15 days to pack, only during daylight hours. If I was seen there after dark, I'd be arrested for "trespass."

No drugs, guns or other suspicious crap was ever found on the property or my person.

THIS is selective enforcement.

By the way, you can't smoke a cigarette, from what the signs say, within 100' of the door to a business. Most places I shop (not big box stores), there are other business entrances, less than 100' from each other. Where can employees smoke on break? I've also heard it's illegal to smoke in your parked car at a business parking lot!

Marty isn't getting those Armani suits for nothin', folks. Who's paying him to turn this town into Disneyquerque?http://rriverstone.com

Thursday, April 26, 2007

Stigmatization

You are reading http://livinginthehood.blogspot.com

These are my replies to the Program Director of KUNM.

Marcos,
I realize you're very busy, with many facts and details which you must remember. So, I'm giving you the benefit of the doubt, and assuming you've forgotten I have PTSD.

"Paranoid" is one of many psychiatric terms which are frequently misused, in popular culture, as epithets. This furthers the stigmatization of, and discrimination against, people with physical disabilities that have been diagnosed as "psychiatric."

It is inappropriate for any supervisor to use psychiatric terminology in such a casual way with a subordinate, especially one who is challenged by psychiatric stigmatization, such as I.

Further, I wasn't being paranoid; I was asking for clarification.

I was also asking to be addressed with respect. Your reply indicates I can't trust you to do that, and I find it frustrating, frightening and discouraging.

Your reply was still unclear, and I still don't know why you've objected to my post to the ideas list.

http://www.antipsychiatry.org/stigma.htm
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), is unlikely to help much, despite its aim of eliminating discrimination in employment against people with disabilities, including alleged psychiatric disabilities. As Jonas Robitscher, J.D., M.D., said in his book The Powers of Psychiatry prior to the enactment of the ADA: "The disclosure that one is or has been mentally ill can lead to rejection, and other reasons for the rejection can always be found. ... Forcing private employers to hire the disabled would raise issues of invasion of privacy and problems of enforcement. Stigmatization will continue to be a problem, and discrimination will continue to exist" (p. 241-242). In areas covered by the ADA, availing oneself of its protection will probably require large amounts of time spent in litigation and a lot of money paid in lawyer's fees, with uncertain results.

From: Rogi Riverstone
Sent: Thursday, April 19, 2007 10:43 PM>
Subject: RE: [KUNMIDEAS-L] kunm.org/psa/ page has> misinformation.> >
"Bring something like" what?> > I have no idea why you object to my post, nor do I> see> you offer any alternative remedies.> >

I suppose I must "obey" you, simply because you've> told me to, but I don't know: why, how. I'd> appreciate> a little respect, rather than demands of arbitrary> obedience.> > Is it because Dean doesn't work there anymore?> Because, if that's your objection, the information> should have been removed from the page very long> ago,> and was public record. I simply quoted a public> website. So, I see nothing untoward that I've done.> >

-----Original Message-----> > From: Gather ideas from KUNM volunteers> > [on Behalf Of Rogi Riverstone> > Sent: Wednesday, April 18, 2007 11:15 PM> >
Subject: [KUNMIDEAS-L] kunm.org/psa/ page has> > misinformation.> > > >

If you want more control over frequency and> > placement> > of your announcement, contact our Coordinator of> > Donor> > Relations, Dean Shelton: DeanShelton@kunm.org /> > 505-277-2163.> > > > Rogi Riverstone>

Thursday, April 19, 2007

Green apartheid

You are reading http://livinginthehood.blogspot.com

Commentary: Green apartheid`Green economy' can be a luxury, and the gap between the haves and have-notsis widening
by Kent Paterson
Albuquerque TribuneApril 19, 2007

http://abqtrib.com/news/2007/apr/19/commentary-green-apartheid/

In the age of global climate change, green solutions are the in-thing. NewUrbanism-style living, sexy bicycles, nifty electric cars and fluorescentlight bulbs are rolled out as answers to the ecological crisis that is sinking Planet Earth.Visionaries who would've been dismissed as eccentric cranks or just plain ignored a decade ago are gaining a prominent place in the public discourse.Their solutions are interesting, innovative and futuristic.Yet, many proponents of the new green economy possess an upper-middle class bias that will only further pulverize hard-pressed working-class people if their ideas are put into practice without any fundamental changes in the political economy.

In New Mexico, examples of the new eco-classism are everywhere.The redevelopment of downtown Albuquerque provides a neat lifestyle for the yuppies who live in trendy lofts, charge their morning espresso and bagels on credit cards and cherish walking or biking to work. But an emerging eco-apartheid exists for workers who commute in jalopies from affordable sections of town, shop for cheap food at Wal-Mart and resort to payday loans to survive.

Street cars are cute additions to the New Urbanist landscape but do absolutely nothing for the many New Mexicans who live where basic bus service is either non-existent or an annoying joke.

A salient example of eco-elitism in action is in the battle over a town-home development planned for Northeast Albuquerque. Press coverage frames the fight in terms of low density vs. high density and New Urbanism vs. suburban conflicts. But the hoopla is meaningless to many - if not most - Duke City residents who can't afford either the pricey town homes or the existing single-family dwellings.

Familiar class and color lines are already etched in the changing natural -not economic - climate. While thousands of expensive new homes are sprouting up like desert wildflowers outside Las Cruces - carbon emissions reductions,anyone? - environmental refugees from last summer's Hatch flooding, the vast majority of whom are working-class Latinos, get a Federal Emergency Management Agency trailer park off Interstate 25 in Rincon.

On April 14, a new movement was launched in the United States. Called "Step it Up 2007," the coalition staged more than 1,400 actions in support of demands to reduce carbon emissions 80 percent by 2050. Step it Up promises more actions in the months ahead, including star-studded concerts in the mold of Live Aid. Movement spokesman and eco-guru Bill McKibben said that Step it Up aims to unite the citizenry across economic and racial boundaries.

"This is a global crisis that will affect all of us and requires immediate and bold action," McKibben affirmed. Noticeably absent from the April 14 actions was a clear message in solidarity with the still-displaced, low-income African-American refugees from Hurricane Katrina, who are among the first victims of environmentally excused ethnic and class cleansing. Prancing around in polar bear suits is a clever protest tactic, but organizing a national movement to ensure that all citizens have access to affordable, environmentally-efficient homes is another matter altogether.

At a public forum sponsored by KUNM-FM radio earlier this year, former NewMexico Environment Secretary Judith Espinosa was the only panel participant to cast the climate crisis in down-to-earth, class terms.

"Not everyone can afford to buy PNM's green wind power or green energy," Espinosa said. "Not everyone can afford a $26,000 Camry that is a hybrid vehicle." She raised the provocative question of why the budding green economy is so expensive when the ultimate price of our current, fossil fuel-based one is incalculable. Espinosa, who has a long history of community activism and service in working-class Chicano communities, is one of the few leaders with a green vision and an economic-justice outlook. More voices like Espinosa's are needed in the emerging climate change movement. Otherwise, it will be dominated by a well-intentioned, but well-off, white-hued green gentry.

Paterson is a writer and journalist based in Albuquerque who specializes incovering Mexico.

Wednesday, April 18, 2007

Email to the "Ellen Show"

You are reading http://livinginthehood.blogspot.com

The video of the cursing baby, carrying a beer bottle, is not humor. It is child abuse. I'm sick of seeing "prison mentality" on my tv. I expect better of YOU! So, stop cozying up to gangsters, thugs and trash who have no respect for healthy life.
The guy who made that tape could get a visit from Child Protective Services for that garbage. It doesn't deserve any more attention than a news report.
Can't you do better than THAT??

Tuesday, March 27, 2007

Personal Attacks

You are reading http://livinginthehood.blogspot.com

There's a lively discussion, on the KUNM Volunteers Ideas List, about freedom of speech, hate speech and program content. You can read my replies in my Radio Blog.

Today, I had to write this:

It's funny. Heterosexual, white males are allowed to question the wisdom of pornographcally violent content in programming, and, while their opinions may be addressed and challenged, nobody says, "YOU don't know what you're talking about..."

And it's interesting that most of the defenders of free speech vs. hate speech in the Street Beat dialogue are able-bodied, straight, white guys of privilege, btw.

When I, a mixed-race, disabled, queer woman assert an opinion, I get personal attacks. Is this because the privileged find it necessary to attempt to silence, even destroy, anybody who inconveniences them with needs different than their own? Am I being told to shut up and get in the back of the bus?

Twice in the past week, I've been encouraged, by webmasters of the KUNM site, to post to the forums. I remember an attempt by one of them to "shame," silence, and discredit me for doing just that! The forums were dead; I knew that; I utilized the resource to publish commentary & poetry, based on programming and news stories.

I'm using my experience as an EXAMPLE here. I am NOT soliciting pity. I'm a very strong person, and I can CERTAINLY stand up to this. I lived in the so-called "War Zone" for 15 years and suffered the impact of a popular culture that's turning us all in to prison inmates and guards. How many of the posters here have had their crotches and breasts grabbed, on a regular basis, simply for walking to the store for groceries?

But others in marginalized subgrous, treated the same way, might not be so lucky. And I think it creates an atmosphere where others WON'T voice opinions and concerns, for fear of being singled out.

Personal attacks do NOT promote dialogue. They are unhealthy to this freedom of speech we are so adamant to defend.

This is a COMMUNITY. We ought to treat each other with respect and honor the dignity of our members.
I'm not going to shut up, just because a few people find my words inconvenient.

My concern is for those others who are more easily intimidated by an atmosphere which promotes personal attack.