Waypoint

"According to an Activity Summary posted on the Cedar Rapid's official website, there have been 669 assaults in 2013 from January to September. The website does not define assaults, but as there is a "Misc. Sex Crimes" which rates at 548, it may be that sexual assault is also in that list. There were also 451 known cases of domestic abuse in town, and 63 cases of stalking.

In our community, one of the largest provider's of help is the Waypoint center. Waypoint offers shelter and support for those who are experiencing homelessness, poverty, domestic violence or sexual assault. It also provides service to over 600 children of varying socio-economic classes, and 24 hour hotlines for people in need."

The above is part of a paper on community resources that I wrote. I've really learned a lot in my investigation class. I'd think I'd like to volunteer at Waypoint or ASAC. I want to see if I have the disposition to handle it. If I follow the path I'm thinking about, I know that I would be dealing with people at some of the worst times in their lives. I need to know if I'm the right kind of person for the job.

I'm Back

I'm trying really hard right now. Last year was good for me to explore ideas about women. Now I want to see where I can put this into action.

Southern Gothics

I love southern Gothics like I love air and if I could I would spend my entire life wasted on them. I found this cool piece the other day describing the genre and I'd like to share! My love for them is initially why I liked SPN in the first place because that really was the best description for it.

"The decaying ruins of the old American South are crawling with ghosts. Spirits stilted in time, haunting overgrown forests and hiding in forgotten places so overgrown with the unkillable greenery that they bear no resemblance to what they once were. It is just an ocean of trees, suffocated by the Japanese invasion of creeping vines. Time has stopped, and they have been left behind. Even the trunks of the strongest oak trees bend in defeat of the southern sun that would melt any other setting built of less resolve. Old plantation homes turn to dust that dances in the wind, carried off to parts unknown and leaving behind nothing but the legend once held within their walls. The creek of a rocking chair on an old wooden porch and footsteps crunching against gravel roads create a soundtrack to this journey.

Crumbling towns too small to grace the pages of any map becomes the stage for a cast of colorful characters who stand at the brink of a dying culture and look to the rest of the world with an unwavering pride and determination that can only be found in the Deep South. You won’t find a celebration of the southern belle on the arm of her handsome beau. Broken souls and broken bodies walk the desolate streets in rags passed down from better days. Our hero is an outsider, hindered by some grotesque abnormality of mind or body. Their world is a lonely one, plagued with a soul crushing sense of abandonment. They do not belong in this world because everything here fights to snatch away the innocence that society places such a high value on. But such a fleeting idea will turn to ash in their hands and slip right through their twisted little fingers.

Their world is a violent one. Tensions ride high on the backs of racism and classism and sometimes it is the wild and untamed children who must rise in revolt of the ideas of the bygone age of their ancestors. They balance on the edge of a knife, forced to balance naivety against desperation. Our heroes will soon learn what they are capable of in the face poverty and alienation."

403

Notable Women In American History

A list of women who have made notable contributions to America's development.

Anne Hutchison---Created antimonism. Was banned from her colony in MA in 1630's for her views in NY.

Abigail Adams--wife of John Adams and John Quincy Adams. She was a political activist for women's rights and had political influence over her husband.

Phyllis Wheatly--former slave who wrote poetry.

Abigail Pitcher---brought water to fallen contintal soldiers.

St. Elizabeth Ann Seton--first US patron saint. Parochial education founded in MA.

Elizabeth Clovis Lange---founded the Oblate Sisters of Providence, the first black Catholic order in the US

Sojourner Truth (1797-1893) Preachaer that raised money for abolition of slavery and women's rights. Helped black Union soldiers.

Dorothea Dix 1802-1887) Nurse that advocated for improved conditions in asylums, prisons, and poorhouses.

Harriet Beecher Stowe--Wrote Uncle Tom's Cabins, an antislavery novel that enraged the north for the conditions and the south for what they called exagerations.

Elizabeth Cady Stanton--A friend of Susan B. Anthony, she fought for women's suffrage when the 14th and 15th amendment to address women's rights. She helped organize the convention at Seneca Falls in 1848. There, in NY she read her Declaration of Sentiment, which listed the discrimination of women, and adopted an 11 step resolution. This document was signed by 68 women and 32 men out of around 300.

Susan B. Anthony---A Quaker, she fought for women's suffrage. She believed that men and women were equal. Inspired nation-wide suffrage movement. Friend of Elizabeth Cady Stanton.

Lucy Stone---She was the first woman in MA to earn a college degree.  Advocated equality and abolition.

Julia Ward Howe---Wrote "Battle Hymn of the Republic", and helped form National American Women Suffrage Association.

Harriet Tubman--She helped run the Underground Railway, freeing more than 300 slaves. She also helped union soldiers in SC.

Elizabeth Blackwell---the first female doctor. She recieved her degree in Geneva in 1849. Trained women in medicine.

Mary Baker Eddy----Founded Church of Christ, Scientist.

Mary Walton---Manhattan inventor, helped reduce emissions and noise emaluation.

Louisa May Alcott---Little Women!!!!!!!!!!!

Annie Oakley---a great shot of the West.

Jane Addams---started the Hull House, she was famous for helping disadvantaged people. In 1931 she shared the Nobel Peace Prize.

Nellie Bly---often went as a undercover journalist, sided with the poor people. She exposed corruption and abuse in mental hospitals.

Emily Greene Balch---In 1947 won the Nobel Peace Prize. Founded Women's International League of Peace and Freedom. Advocated for peace in WWI and WWII.

Anne Sullivan---friend and teacher of Helen Keller.

Margaret Sanger---advocated family planning and contraception.

Jeanette Rankin---first woman ever elected in Congress. One of the few to vote no on WWI and WWII.

Frances Perkins--first woman in the US Cabinet. She was an important component of FDR's New Deal as Secretary of Labor.

Eleanor Roosevelt---US Rep to UN, wife of FDR, Democrat, fought for racial equality.

School

"“High school, it seems, has changed. It has become competitive. Young men and women — 13 to 18 years old — must work more or less tirelessly to ensure their spot at a college deemed worthy to them and their families. So rather than living their adolescent lives — lives brimming with desires and vitality, with vim, vigor, and brewing lust — these kids are working at old age homes, cramming for tests, popping Adderall just to make the literal and proverbial grade. And for what? So they can go to a school that puts them in debt for the rest of their lives. School has become a great vehicle of capitalism: it quashes the revolution implicit in adolescence while simultaneously fomenting perpetual indebtedness.”" ===Daniel Coffeen, The Scholastic Swindle: Quashing Adolescence

AHAHAHA.

I need money so bad for school right now it's not even funny. I'm going to die dude if I can't pay for school. Someone send me links to scholarships so I don't have to eat Ramen out of the plastic carton and use my water only on Mondays and Wednesday's. PLEASE.

The other day at school in the cafeteria there was some big ruckus set up with posters about a 100,000 scholarship. My interest was piqued, but I could tell immediately that it was a scam of some sort just by the people and the way it was being offered. 100,000 dollars is a lot of money, it's not something colleges just give out for free. You have to earn that kind of money. You have to earn ALL your money. And you have to do it the right way because if you don't you might just lose it all.

I was looking at the average tuition rates for Iowa and there like 8,000. It's a great school----close but not too close to home and family and friends, 2nd party school in the country, part of the Big Ten, and is definitely one of the best schools in the country. But I don't know. Something in me wants to get out of Iowa, dude. I wanna go places. I want to go somewhere warm and meet people with a different twang. I want to see the ocean or skyscrapers that go to like the 70th floor. 

I know I shouldn't complain and that fact is that I'm probably just going to Iowa. It's pretty much perfect for me and I have some money saved up for it already---half of a year of tuition, hahahahahahha//cries.  But I don't. Something inside me just wants to leave and I feel like I need to answer it just once to see if it's not just baby-bird syndrome wanting to test its wings. 

This has been a post about college. But seriously fools send me some money I'm desperate I don't want to join the workforce after high school or God forbid end up at a local community newspaper because I would just end it right then and there that is literally one of my biggest fears.

503

P&R Part Dos

I'm just going to keep talking about TV because I'm tired and TV doesn't require a lot of thought. My parents bought ice cream and I ate way too much way too fast and I have the metabolism of a fat infant. Also I have an hour until the time ends. So I'm just going to keep writing about Parks & Rec Characters because that's easy and because I love them.


I love Tom Haverford. He's ambitious, spunky, and funny. His perfume Tommy Fresh may smell like shit apparently, and some of his actions have been pretty horrible (usually to Ron--for example, shooting him in the back of a head on a hunting trip, or bringing Ron's exwife Tammy on a date to get back at ron for dating his ex-wife, Wendy), but his personality isn't the worst. He's Leslie's secretary or something, and owns part of the Snakehole Lounge. He's the show's character that keeps the series up to date with the real world, like with technology and TV. When he's not making an ass out of himself to women and to potential business partners, and just lets himself be, he's actually really funny and genuine and excitable.

I adore Donna Meagle. She's beautiful, strong, caring, and thoughtful. She doesn't take anybody's crap and she knows what she wants. She's very self-possessed, and she always brings out the best in everyone else. I hope she gets more screen time! She's also a part owner of the Snakehole Lounge with Tom. Also, she has a Mercedes, which is like the love of her life. She generally gets along with everyone, but if she doesn't like you, she'll let you know, like with the annoying dude that's friends with Tom.  We don't know much about her background yet, except that she has a brother, and that she loves Twilight and LOST, but I'm eager to find out more!

Andy Dywer is a gem. He's so stupid, but endearing and earnest and wants so hard to help and make people happy that no matter what he does you know that he's trying his hardest despite the odds (which he doesn't always understand). He used to date Ann Perkins at the beginning of the show, but he moved out after his legs healed and Ann got sick of him schmoozing. He's now a shoe-shiner at the Pawnee center and is currently dating April and working his music career, haha. One of the things that I love about Andy is that he virtually can become friends with anyone if he wants to. The only character he wasn't terribly fond about was Mark, and that was because he was dating Ann when Andy wasn't over her yet. But he manages to bring out the best in people like Donna, and he's pretty much a giant dorky, lovable puppy.

474

Parks and Rec

So besides working and playing with the new puppy, I've been watching a ton of Parks & Rec this weekend. It's super hilarious---reminds me of a mix of 30 Rock and The Office. I have to admit, I didn't like it that much at first, but now that I've started the third season, I am LOVING it. Besides it being funny, I actually really enjoy the characters and their growth. So I'm going to write 100 words about each of my four favorite characters and that will be a blog post.

Leslie Knope, played by Amy Poehler, is kind of like the female Michael Scott in the first season--that uncomfortable, formal, high-aspiring boss that makes everyone uncomfortable. But as time goes on, she really grows into her own person, and moves away from that frame she was based off of. She's a great role model for everyone, and the show does not hide from the fact. She's kind, caring, considerate, ambitious, passionate, and good-hearted. She doesn't stop no matter what.

Before I started watching, I had seen pictures of Ron Swanson--and Infinite Drunk Ron Swanson---so I had never heard his voice. I was actually really surprised! It's so smooth and deep! Anyway, Swanson is definitely one of my more favorite characters in TV, period. He hates people, but he he's level-headed, makes good choices (unless it's in concern to his ex-wife, Tammy), and he genuinely does care about the people in his department. There's this one episode where he gives Leslie some advice on the guy she's dating, and it was really insightful and considerate----and it spoke tons about his character. Since then, he's always stuck out in my mind.

April Ludgate. She's the secretary to Ron Swanson, and as he put it---he can't fire her, because it would be literally impossible for him to find someone who does a worse job. Right now she's dating Andy, and it's really really cuteeeeeee. I like how Aubrey Plaza plays her. She manages to keep April her typical antisocial self but give her layers and feelings too---definitely not a flat character. It's little things, like when she gets flustered about talking about Andy, or when she's having a buddy moment with Ron and then barely smiles that make me like her.

Ann Perkins ahaha. Played by the lovely Rashida Jones, Ann is a local nurse and Leslie Knope's best friend. She's kind of awkward and quiet, but she sticks up for herself and takes care of people when they need her. My favorite side of Ann is seeing her as a nurse, because she does not mess around. A lot of people don't like her character---calling her flat and awkward, but I actually like her. I wish she had more story lines besides just dating, but there's something about her that feels real. 

479