Valentine Smile
On Valentine's Day we think of those
Who make our lives worthwhile,
Those gracious, friendly people who
We think of with a smile.
I am fortunate to know you,
That's why I want to say,
To a rare and special person:Happy Valentine's Day!
By Joanna Fuchs
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Thursday, December 10, 2009
comedy through the ages
14
the age i was when
i loved you so much
i told you everything
i lost you
i lost myself
i was torn apart
15
the age i was when
i got my first job
i was harassed continuously by an older man
i started being completely responsible for myself
i started to spiral downward
i was still heartbroken and felt alone
16
the age i was when
i still didn't know how to put the pieces back together
i got my second job
i moved again
i wanted to quit school
i missed you so much it hurt
i couldn't stop crying
i had no money
i was hardly eating
i was living in a house that had the electricity and water turned off every other month
i was falling apart even more
17
the age i was when
i moved again
i trusted the wrong people
i really wanted to quit school
i realized that i couldn't count on anyone
i felt hopeless
18
the age i was when
i wanted to believe in love
i wanted to feel special
i wanted to trust people
i wanted to be happy
i still wasn't happy
i still wasn't whole
i still hurt so badly
i was betrayed by my family
i was hurt by lies and fakes
i was looking for more
the age i was when
i loved you so much
i told you everything
i lost you
i lost myself
i was torn apart
15
the age i was when
i got my first job
i was harassed continuously by an older man
i started being completely responsible for myself
i started to spiral downward
i was still heartbroken and felt alone
16
the age i was when
i still didn't know how to put the pieces back together
i got my second job
i moved again
i wanted to quit school
i missed you so much it hurt
i couldn't stop crying
i had no money
i was hardly eating
i was living in a house that had the electricity and water turned off every other month
i was falling apart even more
17
the age i was when
i moved again
i trusted the wrong people
i really wanted to quit school
i realized that i couldn't count on anyone
i felt hopeless
18
the age i was when
i wanted to believe in love
i wanted to feel special
i wanted to trust people
i wanted to be happy
i still wasn't happy
i still wasn't whole
i still hurt so badly
i was betrayed by my family
i was hurt by lies and fakes
i was looking for more
Monday, December 7, 2009
what now
What now?
What now my dear?
You are not listening I fear
to the sounds of growing up
lost in the rumble of trying to jump
back to the past
because it went too fast
what now?
what now my dear?
You are not listening I fear
to the words escaping my mouth
paying attention to the back and forth
of your parents hurtful words
wishing you were a bird
what now?
what now my dear?
You are not listening I fear
for you are too busy
making things messy
attempting to distract yourself
from the fact that you're all by yourself
What now?
What now my dear?
You are not listening I fear
to the path
let's do the math
one road that holds your dreams
one road that doesn't gleam
listen to your heart
it knows the rhythm of this part
trust it
as you see fit.
What now my dear?
You are not listening I fear
to the sounds of growing up
lost in the rumble of trying to jump
back to the past
because it went too fast
what now?
what now my dear?
You are not listening I fear
to the words escaping my mouth
paying attention to the back and forth
of your parents hurtful words
wishing you were a bird
what now?
what now my dear?
You are not listening I fear
for you are too busy
making things messy
attempting to distract yourself
from the fact that you're all by yourself
What now?
What now my dear?
You are not listening I fear
to the path
let's do the math
one road that holds your dreams
one road that doesn't gleam
listen to your heart
it knows the rhythm of this part
trust it
as you see fit.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Mother refuses to abandon child, Army arrests her
The following article is from Yahoo. Click the title of my blog entry to directed to the story:
Soldier mom refuses deployment to care for baby
AP – This undated self-portrait provided by Army Spc. Alexis Hutchinson shows Spc. Hutchinson and her son, …
Slideshow:U.S. Military
Play Video Video:Injured in Iraq, war veteran now pursuing dream WRAL Raleigh
Play Video Video:Mourners grieve for soldiers killed at Fort Hood AP
By RUSS BYNUM, AP Military Writer Russ Bynum, Ap Military Writer – Mon Nov 16, 9:32 pm ET
SAVANNAH, Ga. – An Army cook and single mom may face criminal charges after she skipped her deployment flight to Afghanistan because, she said, no one was available to care for her infant son while she was overseas.
Spc. Alexis Hutchinson, 21, claims she had no choice but to refuse deployment orders because the only family she had to care for her 10-month-old son — her mother — was overwhelmed by the task, already caring for three other relatives with health problems.
Her civilian attorney, Rai Sue Sussman, said Monday that one of Hutchinson's superiors told her she would have to deploy anyway and place the child in foster care.
"For her it was like, 'I couldn't abandon my child,'" Sussman said. "She was really afraid of what would happen, that if she showed up they would send her to Afghanistan anyway and put her son with child protective services."
Hutchinson, who is from Oakland, Calif., remained confined Monday to the boundaries of Hunter Army Airfield in Savannah, 10 days after military police arrested her for skipping her unit's flight. No charges have been filed, but a spokesman for the Army post said commanders were investigating.
Kevin Larson, a spokesman for Hunter Army Airfield, said he didn't know what Hutchinson was told by her commanders, but he said the Army would not deploy a single parent who had nobody to care for his or her child.
"I don't know what transpired and the investigation will get to the bottom of it," Larson said. "If she would have come to the deployment terminal with her child, there's no question she would not have been deployed."
Hutchinson's son, Kamani, was placed into custody overnight with a daycare provider on the Army post after she was arrested and jailed briefly, Larson said. Hutchinson's mother picked up the child a week ago and took him back to her home in California.
Hutchinson, who's assigned to the 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade of the Army's 3rd Infantry Division, joined the Army in 2007 and had no previous deployments, Sussman said. She said Hutchinson is no longer in a relationship with the father.
The Army requires all single-parent soldiers to submit a care plan for dependent children before they can deploy to a combat zone.
Hutchinson had such a plan — her mother, Angelique Hughes, had agreed to care for the boy. Hughes said Monday she kept the boy for about two weeks in October before deciding she couldn't keep him for a full year.
Hughes said she's already having to care for her ailing mother and sister, as well as a daughter with special needs. She also runs a daycare center at her home, keeping about 14 children during the day.
"This is an infant, and they require 24-hour care," Hughes said. "It was very, very stressful, just too much for me to deal with."
Hughes said she returned Kamani to his mother in Georgia a few days before her scheduled deployment Nov. 5.
She said they told her daughter's commanders they needed more time to find another family member or close friend to help Hughes care for the boy, but Hutchinson was ordered to deploy on schedule.
Larson, the Army post spokesman, said officials planned to keep Hutchinson in Georgia as investigators gathered facts about the case.
"Spc. Hutchinson's deployment is halted," Larson said. "There will be no deployment while this situation is ongoing."
___
Russ Bynum has covered the military based in Georgia since 2001.
MY THOUGHTS:
How is it okay to arrest a parent who asks for an extension on deployment to find someone to care for their child while they are away? It's not okay. Soldiers are the defenders of our country. They deserve respect, admiration, and support. The woman in the story I am referring to is a military cook. Is this a crucial position that only a set number of people can do? I understand that someone else should not be shipped out in her place. She signed up for the job and it was her call to be deployed. It wouldn't be fair for someone else to have to fill in for her. But she is a single parent to a 10 month old child. She doesn't have anyone to care for her child while she is away. It could be weeks, months, even a year before she is back.
The military says that single parents without another caregiver for their children are not deployed. Why was this woman arrested then?
I don't understand things sometimes.
It is a scary world for soldiers when they are deployed to places like Iraq to fight in a war that has lost it's meaning. I support my country. I support our troops. I could never do what they do. They are brave, strong, and incredible.
I could never go to a country that lacks the very things that Americans take for granted. Like clean running water, air conditioning, clean clothes, houses, food. I am very grateful and thankful for the things I have. I am thankful for the people who gave them to me.
The government should be helping our soldiers. They should be protecting them. Single parent soldiers should not face having their children forced into foster homes so that they can be deployed.
Soldier mom refuses deployment to care for baby
AP – This undated self-portrait provided by Army Spc. Alexis Hutchinson shows Spc. Hutchinson and her son, …
Slideshow:U.S. Military
Play Video Video:Injured in Iraq, war veteran now pursuing dream WRAL Raleigh
Play Video Video:Mourners grieve for soldiers killed at Fort Hood AP
By RUSS BYNUM, AP Military Writer Russ Bynum, Ap Military Writer – Mon Nov 16, 9:32 pm ET
SAVANNAH, Ga. – An Army cook and single mom may face criminal charges after she skipped her deployment flight to Afghanistan because, she said, no one was available to care for her infant son while she was overseas.
Spc. Alexis Hutchinson, 21, claims she had no choice but to refuse deployment orders because the only family she had to care for her 10-month-old son — her mother — was overwhelmed by the task, already caring for three other relatives with health problems.
Her civilian attorney, Rai Sue Sussman, said Monday that one of Hutchinson's superiors told her she would have to deploy anyway and place the child in foster care.
"For her it was like, 'I couldn't abandon my child,'" Sussman said. "She was really afraid of what would happen, that if she showed up they would send her to Afghanistan anyway and put her son with child protective services."
Hutchinson, who is from Oakland, Calif., remained confined Monday to the boundaries of Hunter Army Airfield in Savannah, 10 days after military police arrested her for skipping her unit's flight. No charges have been filed, but a spokesman for the Army post said commanders were investigating.
Kevin Larson, a spokesman for Hunter Army Airfield, said he didn't know what Hutchinson was told by her commanders, but he said the Army would not deploy a single parent who had nobody to care for his or her child.
"I don't know what transpired and the investigation will get to the bottom of it," Larson said. "If she would have come to the deployment terminal with her child, there's no question she would not have been deployed."
Hutchinson's son, Kamani, was placed into custody overnight with a daycare provider on the Army post after she was arrested and jailed briefly, Larson said. Hutchinson's mother picked up the child a week ago and took him back to her home in California.
Hutchinson, who's assigned to the 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade of the Army's 3rd Infantry Division, joined the Army in 2007 and had no previous deployments, Sussman said. She said Hutchinson is no longer in a relationship with the father.
The Army requires all single-parent soldiers to submit a care plan for dependent children before they can deploy to a combat zone.
Hutchinson had such a plan — her mother, Angelique Hughes, had agreed to care for the boy. Hughes said Monday she kept the boy for about two weeks in October before deciding she couldn't keep him for a full year.
Hughes said she's already having to care for her ailing mother and sister, as well as a daughter with special needs. She also runs a daycare center at her home, keeping about 14 children during the day.
"This is an infant, and they require 24-hour care," Hughes said. "It was very, very stressful, just too much for me to deal with."
Hughes said she returned Kamani to his mother in Georgia a few days before her scheduled deployment Nov. 5.
She said they told her daughter's commanders they needed more time to find another family member or close friend to help Hughes care for the boy, but Hutchinson was ordered to deploy on schedule.
Larson, the Army post spokesman, said officials planned to keep Hutchinson in Georgia as investigators gathered facts about the case.
"Spc. Hutchinson's deployment is halted," Larson said. "There will be no deployment while this situation is ongoing."
___
Russ Bynum has covered the military based in Georgia since 2001.
MY THOUGHTS:
How is it okay to arrest a parent who asks for an extension on deployment to find someone to care for their child while they are away? It's not okay. Soldiers are the defenders of our country. They deserve respect, admiration, and support. The woman in the story I am referring to is a military cook. Is this a crucial position that only a set number of people can do? I understand that someone else should not be shipped out in her place. She signed up for the job and it was her call to be deployed. It wouldn't be fair for someone else to have to fill in for her. But she is a single parent to a 10 month old child. She doesn't have anyone to care for her child while she is away. It could be weeks, months, even a year before she is back.
The military says that single parents without another caregiver for their children are not deployed. Why was this woman arrested then?
I don't understand things sometimes.
It is a scary world for soldiers when they are deployed to places like Iraq to fight in a war that has lost it's meaning. I support my country. I support our troops. I could never do what they do. They are brave, strong, and incredible.
I could never go to a country that lacks the very things that Americans take for granted. Like clean running water, air conditioning, clean clothes, houses, food. I am very grateful and thankful for the things I have. I am thankful for the people who gave them to me.
The government should be helping our soldiers. They should be protecting them. Single parent soldiers should not face having their children forced into foster homes so that they can be deployed.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
What decides Independent Status:
For the 2009-2010 award year, the law defines an independent student as one who meets at least one of the following criteria:
* was born before Jan. 1, 1986; * is legally married on the date he or she applies ("legally married" includes applicants who are separated but not divorced); * is working on a master's or doctoral program in the 2009-2010 award year; * is currently serving on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces (or is a member of the National Guard or Reserves called up to active federal duty for a purpose other than training); * is a veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces; * has dependent children who receive more than half of their support from the applicant; * has legal dependents, other than children or a spouse, who live with and receive more than half of their support from the applicant; * had no living parent, was in foster care, or was a dependent/ward of the court since the applicant turned age 13; * is (or was) an emancipated minor as determined by a court in the applicant's state of legal residence; * is (or was) in legal guardianship as determined by a court in the applicant's state of legal residence; * was determined by the applicant's high school or school district homeless liaison as an unaccompanied youth who was homeless at any time on or after July 1, 2008; * was determined by the director of an emergency shelter or transitional housing program funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development as an unaccompanied youth who was homeless at any time on or after July 1, 2008; or * was determined by the director of a runaway or homeless youth basic center or transitional living program as an unaccompanied youth who was homeless or was self-supporting and at risk of being homeless at any time on or after July 1, 2008.
A student who meets none of the above criteria is considered dependent and therefore must complete all parental questions on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), as well as provide a parent's signature.
You should contact the financial aid office at your school if you believe that your circumstances warrant a special determination. The school's decision is final and cannot be appealed to the U.S. Department of Education.
If you have other questions about financial aid, application procedures, eligibility formulas or other student aid topics, please contact the Federal Student Aid Information Center (FSAIC) at 1-800-4-FED-AID (1-800-433-3243) or 319-337-5665 between 8:00 a.m. and midnight EST, Monday through Friday, and 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Saturday. You may also e-mail general questions about financial aid by clicking on the "Contact Us' link at our Web site (www.FederalStudentAid.ed.gov) if you have further questions.
WHERE DO I FIT IN THIS? NOWHERE.
* was born before Jan. 1, 1986; * is legally married on the date he or she applies ("legally married" includes applicants who are separated but not divorced); * is working on a master's or doctoral program in the 2009-2010 award year; * is currently serving on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces (or is a member of the National Guard or Reserves called up to active federal duty for a purpose other than training); * is a veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces; * has dependent children who receive more than half of their support from the applicant; * has legal dependents, other than children or a spouse, who live with and receive more than half of their support from the applicant; * had no living parent, was in foster care, or was a dependent/ward of the court since the applicant turned age 13; * is (or was) an emancipated minor as determined by a court in the applicant's state of legal residence; * is (or was) in legal guardianship as determined by a court in the applicant's state of legal residence; * was determined by the applicant's high school or school district homeless liaison as an unaccompanied youth who was homeless at any time on or after July 1, 2008; * was determined by the director of an emergency shelter or transitional housing program funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development as an unaccompanied youth who was homeless at any time on or after July 1, 2008; or * was determined by the director of a runaway or homeless youth basic center or transitional living program as an unaccompanied youth who was homeless or was self-supporting and at risk of being homeless at any time on or after July 1, 2008.
A student who meets none of the above criteria is considered dependent and therefore must complete all parental questions on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), as well as provide a parent's signature.
You should contact the financial aid office at your school if you believe that your circumstances warrant a special determination. The school's decision is final and cannot be appealed to the U.S. Department of Education.
If you have other questions about financial aid, application procedures, eligibility formulas or other student aid topics, please contact the Federal Student Aid Information Center (FSAIC) at 1-800-4-FED-AID (1-800-433-3243) or 319-337-5665 between 8:00 a.m. and midnight EST, Monday through Friday, and 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Saturday. You may also e-mail general questions about financial aid by clicking on the "Contact Us' link at our Web site (www.FederalStudentAid.ed.gov) if you have further questions.
WHERE DO I FIT IN THIS? NOWHERE.
Education in a little place called the United States
This is posted on the White House website under President Obama's Plan for Education:
Guiding Principles:
Providing a high-quality education for all children is critical to America’s economic future. Our nation’s economic competitiveness and the path to the American Dream depend on providing every child with an education that will enable them to succeed in a global economy that is predicated on knowledge and innovation. President Obama is committed to providing every child access to a complete and competitive education, from cradle through career.
Restore America’s Leadership in Higher Education
President Obama is committed to ensuring that America will regain its lost ground and have the highest proportion of students graduating from college in the world by 2020. The President believes that regardless of educational path after high school, all Americans should be prepared to enroll in at least one year of higher education or job training to better prepare our workforce for a 21st century economy.
To accomplish these overarching goals, the President is committed to increasing higher education access and success by restructuring and dramatically expanding college financial aid, while making federal programs simpler, more reliable, and more efficient for students. The President has proposed a plan to address college completion and strengthen the higher education pipeline to ensure that more students succeed and complete their degree. His plan will also invest in community colleges to equip a greater share of young people and adults with high-demand skills and education for emerging industries.
My question:
Why isn't this happening?
Guiding Principles:
Providing a high-quality education for all children is critical to America’s economic future. Our nation’s economic competitiveness and the path to the American Dream depend on providing every child with an education that will enable them to succeed in a global economy that is predicated on knowledge and innovation. President Obama is committed to providing every child access to a complete and competitive education, from cradle through career.
Restore America’s Leadership in Higher Education
President Obama is committed to ensuring that America will regain its lost ground and have the highest proportion of students graduating from college in the world by 2020. The President believes that regardless of educational path after high school, all Americans should be prepared to enroll in at least one year of higher education or job training to better prepare our workforce for a 21st century economy.
To accomplish these overarching goals, the President is committed to increasing higher education access and success by restructuring and dramatically expanding college financial aid, while making federal programs simpler, more reliable, and more efficient for students. The President has proposed a plan to address college completion and strengthen the higher education pipeline to ensure that more students succeed and complete their degree. His plan will also invest in community colleges to equip a greater share of young people and adults with high-demand skills and education for emerging industries.
My question:
Why isn't this happening?
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Silly misunderstanding running through our minds
You
only know
so much
I
only know
so much
You
have heard nothing
I've said
I
have learned
to listen
to all
the words
even when
I don't
want
to hear
them
You
struggle
with thoughts
feelings
pains
problems
looking to
others
to solve them
I
want to
help
want
to make
it all better
for you
but
I can't
I don't
You
only
make things
WORSE
I
only
know
myself
You
want
something
that's not real
the
person
you made
me up
to be
the
idea
that I
am
special
right
for
you
That's
NOT
true
we
both know
but
You
do not
spare me
the
pity
or
the regret
of
hurting
you
I
try
to
tell
you easily
You
don't
even
believe
what you
say
about me
I
know
we
aren't meant
to be for
each other
You
know
we aren't
meant
to be
together
I
won't change
You
want comfort
I
can't give
You
want love
I
don't have
You
want sex
I
won't give
There's
no
point
to
lie
to
ourselves
anymore
You
are not
who I thought you
were
I
am not who you
want me
to be
I
am okay
with that
You
will be too.
only know
so much
I
only know
so much
You
have heard nothing
I've said
I
have learned
to listen
to all
the words
even when
I don't
want
to hear
them
You
struggle
with thoughts
feelings
pains
problems
looking to
others
to solve them
I
want to
help
want
to make
it all better
for you
but
I can't
I don't
You
only
make things
WORSE
I
only
know
myself
You
want
something
that's not real
the
person
you made
me up
to be
the
idea
that I
am
special
right
for
you
That's
NOT
true
we
both know
but
You
do not
spare me
the
pity
or
the regret
of
hurting
you
I
try
to
tell
you easily
You
don't
even
believe
what you
say
about me
I
know
we
aren't meant
to be for
each other
You
know
we aren't
meant
to be
together
I
won't change
You
want comfort
I
can't give
You
want love
I
don't have
You
want sex
I
won't give
There's
no
point
to
lie
to
ourselves
anymore
You
are not
who I thought you
were
I
am not who you
want me
to be
I
am okay
with that
You
will be too.
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