My Resume

Please feel free to make suggestions :) Thanks!

Found a new blog I like :)

It's really difficult to find a sane person these days, it seems. The Litterbox Revisited is written by a sane person :)

The Quilt

The Quilt

My mother gave me a quilt, made especially for me by my grandmother, when I was about ten or so. It was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. You could just feel the love that had gone into it with each tiny hand sewn stitch. I think she gave it to me at such a young age, to make me feel like I did have a family that loved me, besides her. She understood that something like that was so important to an only child being raised by a single parent. From the day I got that quilt I had it on my bed, even if that bed, later on, was in the back seat of my car.
Last night, I was looking at that quilt and thinking that my “family” is in about the same shape as that quilt. It is virtually nonexistent all around the borders and what does exist, is hanging in strings. It is dingy and worn and possibly beyond repair, but yet, I want to repair it. I went to sleep last night dreaming of how I could possibly repair it. How could you repair something like that without carefully removing every last hand sewn stitch, removing that wonderfully warm flannel backing, the real cotton batting and possible half of the once beautiful teal blue border? The only part of that quilt that was sewn on a machine was the outlying border. Then, even if you went to all that trouble of removing all the stitches, what would be the point? It would never, ever be the same. Much like a broken family.
This time of year makes me wish for a family more than any other time of year. I see all the commercials of happy families coming together to decorate their homes and share presents and just go socialize with friends. We won't be doing that because there are only the two of us and at the present we are in much the same shape as that quilt.
The boy is pulling away from me as he should be. In fact, he should have done it several years ago but he didn't, because he knows, when he does I will be totally alone. He doesn't go and I feel guilty every day that he stays because I know I can't make it without him. He is sick of me and I am so sick of me. It has been two years since I got my license and no job yet. I have just gotten to the point that I cannot even make myself go look for a job. Being able to handle rejection has never been my strength, in fact, letting rejection get to me is the worst quality I have. Maybe writing all this down and actually putting it out there will have some effect.
The thing that makes me the most ill is that I do have ideas for possible jobs, but even after thinking about how to talk someone into hiring me I just don't follow through with it. I just can not muster enough belief in myself to go on and do it. For example, there was this job opening with the state health department for a Social Worker V. Now, I know I would not qualify for that job but I know I would make the person they did hire an excellent assistant. This is basically what they wanted for that position:
“Interviews clients and/or family to assess the client's current developmental level, ego strengths and deficits, situation strengths and weaknesses and mental status. Discusses the proposed plan with the client detailing the recommendations and the reasoning for them, and identifies alternative interventions and methods. Evaluates social work program effectiveness; implements procedural changes to ensure proper compliance. Teaches concepts of appropriate social work principles internally and externally. Coordinates external services for clients and serves as client advocate to ensure continuing services are received. Meets with community groups to discuss and review available programs and to identify areas where resources need to be expanded or reallocated. Develops treatment plans through consultation with professionals from areas such as nursing, psychology, psychiatry, medicine and chaplaincy. Monitors and documents progress of clients and makes service/treatment plan adjustments. Provides individual/group supervision of lower-level social service staff. Conducts community planning, needs assessment and evaluation concerning societal conditions which impact on social functioning.”
In the ad on Careerbuilder there was also mention of grantwriting. Now this job interested me very much, possibly more than any other job I've seen over the past two years. It's in public health and works with single parents. I know I could provide this person with awesome tools to enable her to do her job better. But did I try for it? No. Why? That is the question. It makes me sick that I just can not muster the belief in myself to go on out there and go for something I think I would be good at. Shoot...

Anyway, I kind of got off track...but it helped :)

H.R. 3590 ENR Best Known as the Health Care Bill

So, I got sick of people posting Fox/Tea Party crap on Facebook, I decided we should all read the actual health care bill. The thing is, I have also come to the conclusion, the powers that be don't really want us to do that. My computer crashed three times as I was trying to get to a pdf file to link to on here. I persevered :) The title link will take you to the bill, but you might want to start with this page first...just in case you don't have years to wade through the whole thing. That page will give you a more detailed table of contents, so you can scroll down and take note of just where you want to start. Have fun!

New Oxford English Dictionary...Bite Me!!!

Threw my New Oxford English dictionary in the trash this morning. Why? Along with seeing her on Dancing with the Stars and with her new reality series "Sarah Palin's Alaska" their honor of her new made up word "refudate" was just the straw that broke the camel's back.

" Sarah Palin's reality show scored huge ratings for its premiere Sunday night, while the guardians of usage at the New Oxford American Dictionary awarded the former Alaska governor the higher-brow distinction of coining 2010's "word of the year" — "refudiate" — via her Twitter account....
The former governor used the word in a Twitter message last summer, calling on "peaceful Muslims" to "refudiate" a planned mosque near the site of the 9/11 attacks in New York. When critics pounced on the made-up verb, Palin deleted the Tweet and replaced it with one that called on Muslims to "refute" the site — even though that usage made no sense, either, since to refute is to prove something to be untrue.

But in a release today, the New Oxford American Dictionary defended Palin's use of the word. "From a strictly lexical interpretation of the different contexts in which Palin has used 'refudiate,' we have concluded that neither 'refute' nor 'repudiate' seems consistently precise, and that 'refudiate' more or less stands on its own, suggesting a general sense of 'reject,' " the New Oxford American Dictionary said in a press release.

And lest you think the New Oxford editors were only hailing "refudiate" as a publicity stunt, let the record show that Palin's coinage was also named to the honor roll of the Global Language Monitor project — together with terms such as "spillcam" and "vuvuzela."

It has already started...the media push trying to prove to us that Sarah Palin really is smart enough to be president. Makes me sick...

An Open Letter to Republicans from The Opinionated Liberal's blog

I know you all are not expecting me to keep quiet about the election...are you?? I will be getting back onto my soapbox shortly, but for now The Opinionated Liberal has formulated a letter to Republicans that I wish I had written. See below:

"Dear Republican-controlled House,

I am writing this as a concerned citizen. You won the election this year, but why? While I respect the election process, I do have some things to say about the process and its outcome. Did the Democrats have weak candidates? Do Americans not like their ideas? Was the Democratic base unmotivated? Sure, maybe these are partly true. But, I have to say the major reason Americans voted against the Democrats was the economy. While we may not technically be in a recession any longer, there are still a lot of people without jobs. So was this a referendum on Obama, or was he made a scapegoat for the economic situation? My vote is for the latter.

And on the election process; with the SCOTUS decision in Citizens United v. FEC, corporations can spend unlimited money secretly to influence campaigns. And to whom will they be donating that money? Conservatives, who promise to deregulate their industries and save them billions of dollars. And in 2010, the corporations were spending. Corporate influence is the driving force behind so much corruption in Washington. So what will you do to resolve the issues raised by this decision?

Now I would like to talk about some of your campaign talking points. If your new message is truly that of fiscal responsibility, what programs will you be cutting? Medicare or Social Security (thus alienating seniors from your party)? The bloated army (thus alienating your own base)? How about your own pay? Since taxpayers are on the hook for your paycheck, shouldn't you cut your pay? Isn't this just another form of a government handout? And about the healthcare thing; if you defund the healthcare bill, you should say no to the insurance that you get because of your job. If regular Americans don't deserve good healthcare, why should you be getting it at our expense? Will you raise taxes on Americans to reduce the deficit? Don't just say that you'll cut waste/fraud. That is a talking point, not a real solution to reducing the national debt.

What will you be doing to help create jobs? This leads me to a side note: You know, if government doesn't create jobs, and what we need is a smaller government, then why do Republicans even run for office? Doesn't that contribute to the problem as they see it?

And with regards to deregulation of the market to "get government out of the way," let's explore what that has led to in the past:

1. The housing bubble collapse.
2. Fraudulent, predatory loan practices.
3. The Deepwater Horizon disaster.
4. The credit crisis.

# The practices on Wall Street, such as trading derivatives, that contributed to the recession.
# Decreasing value of the dollar.
# Oil shortages.
# Deadly mining disasters.
# Increased prices of things like oil, gold, and materials for manufacturing.
# Lots more billionaires.


All of this eventually required Bush programs like TARP, the bank bailouts, and the "stimulus bill," which cost taxpayers about $1 TRILLION to prevent a worldwide depression.

On the flip-side, what has regulation given Americans?

1. The 40-hour work week (as opposed to working 60 or more for little pay).
2. The right to unionize and petition for better working conditions.
3. Laws against child labor.
4. Safe food and medicines.
5. Safe railroads, roads, airports, and other infrastructure.
6. Safe working conditions.
7. A minimum wage.
8. Social security and Medicare.
9. Clean air and water.
10. Beautiful natural parks for our children and grandchildren to appreciate.
11. The FDIC, which protects you in case of runs on banks.
12. A credit card bill of rights.
13. Allowing children to stay on their parents' healthcare until age 26.
14. Health insurance companies can no longer deny coverage because of pre-existing conditions, or drop you if you get sick.
15. Much more.



So I think I have made a good case for regulation. It isn't perfect, and isn't always right, but it is better than allowing kids to work in sweatshops and having the fear of losing your job because someone else will work for lower wages. Deregulation may make companies richer, but it doesn't make them hire. It gives them incentives to avoid that.

So, what is your real plan for America? If you give tax cuts, you raise the deficit, and you are not fiscally responsible. If you cut social programs, you will reduce the deficit, but you will lose voters. If you cut the size of the military (which I think is practical), you will lose your own base. If you use Keynesian fiscal stimulus to get the economy going and create jobs (and create programs like FDR did in the New Deal), you will raise the deficit, and look like complete hypocrites to those who voted for you. So how can you possibly stay true to your supposed values without losing almost everyone who would vote for you?

In addition, I have some concerns about your platform in regards to civil rights. Why can't gay people openly serve in the armed forces to defend the country they love? Why do you say you oppose the government intruding in private lives, but want to deny gays the right to marry? This is government intrusion in the bedroom. The common argument I hear is that if homosexuality is allowed, then bestiality and pedophilia will follow; however, this is a fallacious slippery slope argument. In addition, I have a problem with those who speak out against gays, but are either secretly homosexual themselves, or are committing adultery. If you are the party of family values, why isn't adultery a crime? Why is it OK to allow adultery, divorce, and domestic abuse for straight couples, but it is not OK for two people who love each other to get married?

And why should Freedom of Religion apply only to Christians? Placing the Ten Commandments (which it is absurd to say our government is based on, and I could write a whole book in support of my view) in public places discriminates against all other faiths, and against non-believers. And about the "Ground Zero Mosque," why can't a house of worship be placed in New York? It is OK for a strip club to be on the street, but not a mosque? This is bigotry, and is an example of blunt racism. Religious extremists attacked America, not Islam. And denying Muslims the right to build a house of worship, besides being unconstitutional according to the First Amendment, is no less than religious extremism.

Also, what will you do about immigration? Demonizing all immigrants as drug traffickers or as lazy, welfare-sucking bums sends the wrong image to the world. It also avoids the problem we have; that is, it is hard for people to become American citizens. We need institutions to teach immigrants the English language, and allow these people to become taxpaying, patriotic, hardworking citizens. And, we need to punish businesses who hire illegals. So what is your plan?

Also, what will you be doing about education? Because many of our jobs are lost permanently overseas, education will be the key to revitalizing America, and create a long-term solution to the jobs crisis. An educated workforce will create the innovators that create the jobs of tomorrow, and the technology of the future. These could be jobs in medicine and curing disease, or the green technology that will free us from our dependence on foreign oil. Yet study after study shows we lag far behind the world in areas like reading, science, and mathematics. What will you do to address this crisis?

As you can see, I have some problems with your platform, and serious questions about your economic plans and promises. In conclusion, I have this to say:

The rhetoric worked during the election; you won the seats. Now it is time to own up to those big words with bigger deeds. Get to work. Help restore America, and make us a world leader again. You burned America once, and we won't tolerate it again.

Sincerely,
The Opinionated Liberal"


That pretty much sums it up, doesn't it? We have so much work to do and so little time. I'm taking suggestions on how we can change from a nation that can only understand instant gratification into a nation prepared to be patient and support the one's elected to change the ugliness, even if politics doesn't always allow us to revel in the whole pie...we have a portion for now....patience is a virtue.

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month

I have an entire section devoted to domestic violence and homelessness. I have found some new links. It seems the state of Florida is taking domestic violence in their state very seriously. Kudos to them! I wish all states would do the same so all intimate partners being abused could empower themselves enough to remove themselves from the situation.

First Step (English) also available in Creole (way cool) and Spanish

FCADV resource links page

Some interesting ones I have never seen before:

Southerners on New Ground

Pets and Women's Shelters (PAWS) Program

Mending the Sacred Hoop (Native American and Alaska Native)

National Latino Alliance for the Elimination of Domestic Violence (ALIANZA)

Asian & Pacific Islander Institute on Domestic Violence

Institute on Domestic Violence in the African American Community

The Women of Color Network

*edit*

I found some more. I have been looking for links concerning domestic violence against older women.

Developing Services for Older Abused Women: A Guide for Domestic Abuse Programs

Interactive Training Exercises on Abuse in Later Life

Golden Voices: Support Groups for Older Abused Women

State by state resource list for victims of domestic violence in later life (2008)

Violence Against Women Online Resources

Many pdf's written by human service providers on all areas of domestic violence, including the one's listed above after the *edit*