|
|
Wednesday, May 14th, 2008
| |
1:02 pm - Better than a gas tax holiday
|
|
| Tuesday, May 13th, 2008
| |
2:22 pm - Thanks Mom Bone Marrow Donor Drive
|
Consider going to the National marrow donor program to join the Mother's day bone marrow donor drive going on through May 19th.
Generally to become a bone marrow donor it costs a fee that covers the cost of the test kit used to type you for donation. During this drive registration is free for the first 10,000 people to register online and the first 36,000 people who register in person.
They have an especially dramatic shortage of minority bone marrow donors. Please spread the word.
Turns out I don't qualify to donate - deferred due to chronic back and neck problems. But you may be able to.
|
|
(6 comments | comment on this)
|
| |
10:21 am
|
|
| Sunday, May 11th, 2008
| |
11:31 am - To all my friends who are mothers
|
You amaze me. You have such strength and patience. I hope you can take some time today to relax and be taken care of.
Happy Mother's Day.
|
|
(2 comments | comment on this)
|
| Saturday, May 10th, 2008
| |
9:57 pm
|
Biking on a warmish spring night===good.
I bought a new bicycle on Monday. I'm enjoying it, I am.
|
|
(comment on this)
|
| |
10:03 am
|
|
| Wednesday, May 7th, 2008
| |
7:19 am - small joys
|
The other day I celebrated the fact that the last batch of eggs I hard-boiled came out perfectly. Even days later the eggs peeled easily, and were a wonderful consistency.
What small joys have you celebrated lately?
|
|
(30 comments | comment on this)
|
| Tuesday, May 6th, 2008
| |
8:06 am - R.I.P., Mrs. Loving
|
Yesterday marked the death of Mildred Loving, subject of the 1967 Supreme Court Decision that ruled anti-miscegenation laws unconstitutional.
I just wrote her a wikipedia article of her very own. One of those quiet individuals who quietly decides to stand up against injustice, not to get attention for herself, but to defend everyone's right to love.
I will celebrate Loving Day on June 12, and I hope you will join me. It was not until 2000 that the final mixed-marriage law was taken off the books (in Alabama), and we still have a long way to go towards equality in this country. Mildred Loving supported same-sex marriage as well. It is always a joy to read the words of someone who seemed to feel that the reasoning is as simple and obvious as it looks to me:
Surrounded as I am now by wonderful children and grandchildren, not a day goes by that I don't think of Richard and our love, our right to marry, and how much it meant to me to have that freedom to marry the person precious to me, even if others thought he was the "wrong kind of person" for me to marry. I believe all Americans, no matter their race, no matter their sex, no matter their sexual orientation, should have that same freedom to marry. Government has no business imposing some people's religious beliefs over others. Especially if it denies people's civil rights.
I am still not a political person, but I am proud that Richard's and my name is on a court case that can help reinforce the love, the commitment, the fairness, and the family that so many people, black or white, young or old, gay or straight seek in life. I support the freedom to marry for all. That's what Loving, and loving, are all about.
(June 12, 2007 statement by Mildred Loving)
|
|
(14 comments | comment on this)
|
| Sunday, May 4th, 2008
| |
7:20 am - starting my morning with the top Youtube result for The Daily Show
|
|
| Friday, May 2nd, 2008
| |
12:16 pm - Getting on the bandwagon
|
|
| |
11:37 am - So tired...
|
Have not been getting enough sleep. I feel like I could sleep for days. Have begun shopping for a new mattress, which should help with the rest thing. Recommendations of stores or brands are welcome.
In other news, 60% of black kids in the U.S. can't swim and they suffer a much higher rate of drowning than white kids.
Uh, if anyone knows someone with black kids who don't know how to swim I'd be happy to give free lessons. I nearly drowned when I was a kid, but I have always loved swimming. I believe it would be best if every child were taught how to swim. I wonder how many public swimming pools there are in Detroit, compared to other cities, all of a sudden...
|
|
(22 comments | comment on this)
|
| Thursday, May 1st, 2008
| |
8:49 pm - Election May 6 -- please vote for school board and library candidates, school funding
|
There are three school funding tax millages on the May 6 election ballot in Ann Arbor, two of which maintain about 44% of the district's funding, and one of which covers capital improvements (the first two have been merged into a single proposal, covering both non-residential and residential property taxes). Ann Arbor has one of the best school districts in Michigan and we get that by paying for it, folks.
Dexter and Ypsi also have school funding proposals on the ballot.
You can read the the proposals at the Washtenaw county clerk's website, and also see who the candidates for library and school boards are.
|
|
(2 comments | comment on this)
|
| |
1:19 pm - getting a little caught up - here's some nice news to pass on
|
|
| |
12:59 pm - Google Transit includes AATA
|
Now you can plan your May celebrations of Bike to Work Month to include public transit using Google Transit. Their areas covered include Ann Arbor and Ypsi via AATA ("The Ride") so get out of your car and walk, bike, and ride!
I had a nice walk downtown yesterday, myself. Now I just need to get me a bike...
|
|
(5 comments | comment on this)
|
| |
12:36 pm - Another electronic recycling event May 10, 9 am-2 pm at Pioneer High
|
|
| |
11:01 am - Everybody who lives in the Ann Arbor library district: fill out survey on library and parking
|
From a library email asking for input on possible design features or downtown parking and a reconstructed library:
One year ago, the Library conducted focus groups with over 100 persons
in our district to discuss the future of the Downtown Library. We
learned a great deal about what people love about the Downtown library
and what they feel can be improved. This year, the Library has hired
Luckenbach|Ziegleman Architects and Skanska to work with us to develop
two programs: one for a renovated and expanded Library and the other for
a new Downtown Library, both to be located at Fifth and William. At the
same time, the Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority is moving
forward with a site plan to build a large underground parking structure
on the "library lot". The convergence of these two activities led us to
develop a joint survey asking for feedback on both the library and
parking.
Please take this opportunity to contribute to the important decisions
that will need to be made by the AADL, the City of Ann Arbor, and the
DDA.
You do not need to be a library user or a resident of Ann Arbor to fill
out the survey, which can be found here:
http://www.zoomerang.com/Survey/survey-intro.zgi?p=WEB227QYHKFE6J
All feedback is appreciated.
In addition, you are invited to attend any of the following Public
Meetings at the Downtown Library to review our work and add your
thoughts to the discussion:
Monday, June 2nd 7:00 - 9pm
Wednesday, June 4th 10:00 - noon
Sunday, June 8th 3:00 - 5 pm
|
|
(3 comments | comment on this)
|
| Monday, April 28th, 2008
| |
12:42 pm - The tide is turning
|
![[info]](http://p-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) madkingludwig continues to be my source for uplifting Obama campaign videos...
I've been meaning to post about the election again, to fight the ennui that I feel as I watch how it fails to be decisively won and how people continue to mischaracterize each others' positions instead of working on plans to save our country from the Bush affiliates like McCain (he once wasn't, but he is now, I'm sorry) and other rich people who don't give a damn about the actual issues in the country. Obama may not be poor, but he does give a damn. This I believe.
I've been meaning to post because I read an article in Harpers recently called "Numbers racket: Why the economy is worse than we know", by Kevin P. Phillips. (you have to be a subscriber to read it online. I encourage you to subscribe or check it out in the library.)
In this article, Phillips discusses the past decade of presidents cooking the statistics to make things look better than they are. Statistics like the unemployment rate, the rate of inflation (did you know certain foodstuffs and other things that have gotten more expensive lately are excluded from the consumer price index?) and the gross domestic product. What is very clearly stated in this article is that this is something the Clinton administration did just as much as any previous administration, and they also did not correct the deceitful, misleading practices of years' past.
The Clintons are part of the problem. Part of the entrenched deceit and the ignoring of real troubles, masters of the "spin" factor. Nobody could spin things like Bill Clinton's people. And I don't trust his wife, either.
No, knowing and stating these things about the Clintons doesn't mean they aren't true about Obama. We don't know him as well, do we? But the article points out that one of the critics of manipulating national statistics is one of Obama's campaign consultants. He's talking to the right people and he sounds like he's willing to listen. To listen to all Americans, especially the small Americans who don't have a lot of cash, but who care. To discuss important things. And I WILL vote for him if given the opportunity.
The fact that the entrenched two-party system could rob me of that opportunity saddens me immensely. What do we do if he doesn't win the primary? Leave? Revolt? Vote for him anyway? Bitch Moan and complain? I'm starting to feel like we need a backup plan, here.
|
|
(4 comments | comment on this)
|
| |
11:02 am - want a propane tank? or a charcoal grill?
|
I have what looks like a 20lb LP gas tank that's maybe a third full of liquid propane. My ex left it here, saying I could take it back to the mobile station and get a deposit back for it. He was wrong about getting a deposit back. I could have just dropped it off there but I'd rather get something for my trouble. I'd part with it for $20 or two hours helping me in the back yard (gardening-this will involve shovels). The tank alone is worth $30.
I thought I'd see if anyone here is interested before I put it up on Craig's list.
Updated to Add: I also have a completely extra weber charcoal grill that Bill decided he didn't want to take. Let me know if you want it. (TAKEN)
|
|
(4 comments | comment on this)
|
| Saturday, April 26th, 2008
| |
3:34 pm - Spring!
|
|
I missed posting on Talk Hard! yesterday, so I posted today even though Saturday is usually my day off. Today's post is about having sex outside. Now I'm going to go get outside myself and, um... garden. That's it. ;)
|
|
(4 comments | comment on this)
|
| |
1:04 pm - Hello new peoples!
|
One of the neat side effects of the OSBP debate is I've met and friended new LJ-ers and a bunch of people have friended me, but I'm swamped with email and stuff at this juncture (it's spring, I've got plants to plant and a bonfire to dance around. You know how it is) and I haven't had a chance to look around yet to see who everyone is, so I don't feel like I've met everyone yet!
Please consider this an invitation to introduce yourself.
|
|
(10 comments | comment on this)
|
|
|
|
|
