Category: Community

Keep it light and fluffy.

Hello, citizens of Docudharma!

How’s it going? Just thought I’d pop in and see how my old friends are 🙂 Hope you all had a great Christmas, and will be having a great New Year’s Eve too. I know this doesn’t make for a proper diary, but feel free to treat this as an open thread, and to throw about some recipes for New Year’s eve or share pictures or whatnot.  

Mystery donor rents rooms for homeless in Colo.

December 25, 2009

AP

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — Fifteen homeless people are getting hotel rooms for Christmas, thanks to a mystery donor who paid for the rooms.

Employees at the Express Inn in Colorado Springs say a woman paid $640 Tuesday for four rooms for a week. She insisted the rooms be given to homeless men and women camping along Fountain Creek.

She gave the name “Linda Craft,” but the Gazette newspaper could not find anyone by that name. She said God told her to buy the rooms.

(Happy Christmas, Kyoko

Happy Christmas, Julian)

So this is Christmas

And what have you done

Another year over

A new one just begun

And so this is Christmas

I hope you have fun

The near and the dear ones

The old and the young

A very merry Christmas

And a happy New Year

Let’s hope it’s a good one

Without any fear

And so this is Christmas

(War is Over)

For weak and for strong

(if you want it)

The rich and the poor ones

(War is Over)

The road is so long

(now)

So happy Christmas

(War is Over)

For black and for white

(if you want it)

For yellow and red ones

(War is Over)

Let’s stop all the fight

(now)

A very merry Christmas

And a happy New Year

Let’s hope it’s a good one

Without any fear

And so this is Christmas

(War is over)

And what have we done

(if you want it)

Another year over

(War is Over)

And a new one just begun

(now)

And so this is Christmas

(War is Over)

And we hope you have fun

(if you want it)

The near and the dear ones

(War is Over)

The old and the young

(now)

A very merry Christmas

And a happy New Year

Let’s hope it’s a good one

Without any fear

War is over

if you want it

War is over

now

Happy Christmas

Not forgotten: Salvation Army hosts memorial for area homeless who have died

by Kari Knutson

December 22, 2009

“Mark, age 19.” The name and age drew gasps when read Monday at the Salvation Army’s Candlelight Memorial to remember those in the La Crosse area who died while homeless or previously homeless.

Six other names were read and candles lit in their memory. An eighth was lit to honor the unknown who have died.

“Homelessness is much more prevalent in La Crosse than people think,” said Kathy Bolling, emergency homeless shelter case manager.

Just when things are looking about as down for me as they can get, I find the bottom dropping out again.  I am currently registered with Cuyahoga Community College for the spring semester, reliant on what financial aid I can get to pay for classes and transportation, as well as food when money allows.  I can’t get a job.  Often,I must raid the student food bank just to have enough to eat for the week.

This past semester I learned that my financial aid would be cut off because I had reached the maximum number of course credit hours (93), and would have to file an appeal for further financial assistance.  I did that, got the paperwork months ago, got it filled out, but was told repeatedly by the financial aid office to wait until December, when grades were due to be posted.  So I handed the paperwork in on December 8th, when I was told to, and was informed that it would be two weeks for the process to be completed.

I found out yesterday that the process may take another two weeks or more, partly because of the holidays and partly because FAFSA has decided to take its sweet time.  I have until January 6th to make payment arrangements with the campus business office so I can remain registered for courses.  If I am not approved, or if I haven’t made payment arrangements by the 6th, I will be dropped from my courses and will receive no money from FAFSA.  Payment arrangements must be made with a deposit up front.

This isn’t simply a matter of wanting to remain in school to finish up the required courses to earn my degree.  It’s quite literally a matter of survival.  Because I can’t get a job (no one will hire me), financial aid is all I have to live on.  Without it, I have no money for food, no money to pay for my telephone and Internet connection – I need at least a phone line for prospective employers to get a hold of me, no money for transportation, to say nothing of money for classes and textbooks.  Everything depends on the dubious mercy of FAFSA getting around to reviewing my appeal some time after the first of the year.

So I am typing this entry now, at a public library terminal, reduced to begging you for money, food, and any job postings on Cleveland, Ohio’s west side.  Bear in mind that the only transportation I now have is my own two feet after the 31st of this month, so it has to be within a reasonable walking distance from where I live.

I am willing to provide my full name and mailing address for those of you able to donate money, food, or both.  PayPal locked me out, and I have no other online means of accepting donations.  You can reach me by e-mail here: [email protected]

I’m in a pretty dire situation, so anyone able to help out please do so.  I’m not too proud to beg, not after more than two straight years of unemployment and existing each and every day under the threat of homelessness and starvation.

Just saw this at dKos and wanted to bring it to attention here.

EOE.

crossposted from DK. Comments might be of interest.

Banning

Yes, this is another great opportunity to express your opinions. What do you think about banning?

I’m still fucked up about this shit. I know it will come back.

Tonight I rock, tonight I get out of it, into y’all.

But tomorrow it will come back. teh pain.

So I’m ask of all of you, would it benefit the liberal blogosphere to have some kind of a platform to unite around?  I’ll keep it brief, since this should be more of a discussion than a lecture.

Let the navel staring begin!