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*all photos (CC) Sam Dodge & Pete Prodoehl
Archive for the ‘life’ Category
help me decide…
October 7th, 2010
How can we help Haiti?
January 14th, 2010
(re-posted from divinewordlutheran.org… don’t worry.. i wrote/posted that one too)
It’s all over the news. We all feel badly when a tragedy like this hits. But how can we actually provide a helping hand when we can’t even wrap our minds around the devastation? Not everyone can catch the next flight to help out first hand, so the rest of us turn to our pocketbooks… and our prayers.
Presiding Bishop Mark Hanson and the ELCA office have released the following. Please read through and help if you can!
ELCA NEWS SERVICE
January 13, 2010
Presiding Bishop Details ELCA Response to Haiti Earthquake
10-013-JBCHICAGO (ELCA) — The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) is responding to the earthquake in Haiti through the Lutheran World Federation (LWF), wrote the Rev. Mark S. Hanson, ELCA presiding bishop, in a Jan. 13 letter to members. Hanson, who is also president of the LWF, noted that the ELCA has committed substantial funds to support relief efforts, and encouraged members to share information and provide financial gifts.
The Jan. 12 earthquake caused considerable structural damage around the capital city, Port-au-Prince, and may have killed “more than a hundred thousand people,” Hanson wrote, quoting Haitian officials. Relief agencies’ immediate concerns were for the safety of survivors, plus needs for water, sanitation and communication.
In a brief interview, Hanson told the ELCA News Service that “this is a time for the ELCA to come together as we have so often done in our history.” He said the church has the capacity to respond to human tragedy, and “members are called to bear witness to our faith by responding generously and working with partners” to provide relief.
The presiding bishop asked members to contribute financial gifts to the church’s relief efforts. Members can provide gifts online at ELCA.org/haitiearthquake or call 800-638-3522.
In his written message, Hanson noted that the ELCA already is responding through the LWF’s Haiti Program. “Given the devastation caused by this earthquake, the ELCA has committed an initial $250,000 from ELCA International Disaster Response for Haiti and has authorized an additional $500,000 as congregations respond both to the immediate needs and long-term rebuilding efforts,” he wrote.Hanson reported that LWF staff in Haiti escaped injury. The LWF is a global communion of 140 member churches in 79 countries, representing over 68.9 million Christians.
“We also give thanks that we have trusted and effective partners on the ground in Haiti who already are at work helping earthquake survivors,” he wrote. “The ELCA is the largest regular supporter of the LWF’s program in Haiti, which helps communities escape the deep poverty in which so many Haitians live. Since staff is already in place, no precious time will be lost in shaping an effective response. The work of providing food and shelter and in helping people to rebuild their lives is under way.”
The ELCA is thankful for partners in the relief effort. Hanson wrote that the LWF staff in Haiti is coordinating the responses of Protestant and Orthodox churches throughout the world through Action by Churches Together (ACT). The ACT Alliance is a global alliance of churches and related agencies working together in disaster response and development. The ELCA is member of the alliance.The ELCA churchwide organization is also coordinating with the efforts of the ELCA Florida-Bahamas Synod, which is working to provide disaster support “to and possibly through the emerging Lutheran church in Haiti,” he wrote.
Details of the ELCA’s response and resources for congregations are posted at ELCA.org/disaster on the ELCA Web site. He asked members to share information about “the urgent need in one of the United States’ closest neighbors and the effective means by which their church is responding.”
free advice for the taking..
September 24th, 2009
since this idea was too long to fit in a tweet, i’m posting it as a blog. (novel idea, right?)
so we have all heard a lot about this great healthcare debate.. right? so what’s one more post to over-saturate the subject 
but in all seriousness.. this is a huge issue in our country. the united states is the only developed country that has the issue of people going bankrupt because of medical expenses.. because we are the *only* developed country without universal health care. in 2001, half of all american bankruptcy filings were linked to medical issues (which brought the bankruptcy numbers up 2,300% more than it was just 20 years before). and this isn’t something that’s just effecting the unemployed.. or “those” people in urban areas…. or *enter some other term you use for people that you don’t think are in your close circle of friends here*…. there’s a rising number of suburban poverty and lack of care for our neighbors in the suburbs… even our friends and neighbors that are employed full time are loosing their health insurance. actually, 46 MILLION of our neighbors, friends, family and co-workers were without health insurance in 2007. 46 million. that’s 46,000,000 people. that’s the entire population of spain.
so yea.. we’ve probably heard all this before.. from politicians.. media.. etc. but i’m saying it again. something. must. be. done.
and i think some politicians have been doing a great job of making a strong case for this much needed health care reform. but we’re still getting absolute ridiculous rumors that are being made up and used to scare people. maybe we need to get more personal. sure, it’s easy to read over the numbers and reasons for reform if you think of the problem being for “those people”… and not “our ????????? ???? ????? ? ????? people”… our neighbors, friends, family and co-workers.
so here’s an idea: lets do some research. figure out the people who are so vocally refusing to listen to the health care reform issues… find out who in their life is really suffering because of the current health care system. friends.. family.. heck, even their hair dresser, dog groomer or babysitter. then bring that person with their family to the debate. then have the person opposing health care reform say to their friend’s face
why they don’t support helping them out with a universal health care option.
we need to make this personal
*hops off her soap box*
Current Mood: 
hopeful
hopefuli love living in milwaukee
September 11th, 2009
i’m sure i’ve said it before.. but i’ll say it again. i do love this town. maybe it’s because we live almost half of our year bundled up in layers of clothing with hats, scarves, mittens and snow boots… staying inside where it’s warm… short days of sunlight.. (etc.) but summer in this town is always filled with fun stuff. this weekend is (as far as i know) the final ethnic summer festival at the summerfest grounds: indian summer. it will be fun.. it always is a fun time. and i love the fact that milwaukee does these festivals almost every weekend.
so far this summer we have attended (at those same festival grounds):
if you notice, me and jackie have attended every single ethnic festival on the lakefront festival grounds. also notice that in that list, the biggest summer festival here in milwaukee, summerfest, was *not* listed… nor was it attended. and this was by design. i remember the days when i really loved going to summerfest… and now i just get annoyed by the loud music and rowdy drunk crowds. maybe i’m getting old… but i’d rather not have to pay $15 to have overpriced beer spilled on me. (“get off my lawn!” ????? ????? ????? ????? )
well look at that.. it’s 2:30am. when’d that sneak up on me? *shakes her cane at the air*
time for bed ???????
the epic 2008 recap of tapps: the soundtrack!
May 29th, 2008
prepare yourself for a really long entry. see, i have been spending the past couple years creating mix cds of songs that meant a lot to me and recapped my previous year, and sent them to my friends. well after spending all the time on last year’s cd, i never got around to sending them out. so i’m doing something different this year.. i’m making my 2008 soundtrack cd a digital one. enjoy my 2008 recap. it was a rough one… so hang on.. here we go
01: dilate – ani difranco
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my 2008 started off rough, right from january 1st. a relationship that i thought was going well and strong, really wasn’t. at least for the other person in the relationship. i felt suddenly distant and alone while still in a relationship. suddenly my apartment felt so lonely and different.
02: lights on – the pierces
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january 4th marks the day i posted my first video on seesmic after getting an invite code from seesmic founder & CEO, loic. while i just thought “hey, this a cool little website”… it turned out to be much, MUCH more. throughout 2008 i have met and become close friends with many of the wonderful people i have met trough this “little website.” it also turned out to effect me in more ways than one. i traveled to two podcamps (boston and montréal) as well as a random weekend trip to NYC just to meet and hang out with these friends. this song was used in a great mashup video made by my friend hache in columbia.
03: give it 2 me – madonna
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february’s highlight was an extended weekend trip down to corpus christi to hang out and visit my birth mom and siblings. it was weird wearing flip-flops in february… but i had a blast (and i’m not even sure if this madonna song was out yet in february.. but it also relates to some videos i received later on in the year.. but it fits here as well, since i spent most of my nights while in corpus at my brother’s favorite gay bar, and they played a lot of madonna hah!)
04: fill the fields – the restoration project
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come march of 2008, while still working at my old job, had interviewed and got my current job. both jobs i was blessed with great coworkers and a job i loved… the new opportunity just offered a less stressful location (driving-wise), more creative “stuff”, and a bit of a pay raise. i started the new job on april fools day
05: broken – lifehouse
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fast forward to april 2008… where my relationship roller-coaster really gets going full speed. two days before our two year anniversary, the relationship is officially called off. (for the first time)
06: heartbeats – jose gonzález
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i turned 29, and put an offer on my first house
on the same day.
07: lovely day – bill withers
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for some reason this song reminds me of my shortest lived relationship in june. she was a great person… just not right for me. i got caught up in all the attention i was given…
08: into the nightlife – cyndi lauper
&
09: my heros (SUV) – the cliks
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in june i had the opportunity of seeing the true colors tour and meeting cyndi lauper. it was a great show and me and my ex had second row seats. i still can’t believe i payed so much money for those tickets, but it was worth it. the show was great. (and i even got some pictures & videos of the show… shhh Who Framed Roger Rabbit psp )
10: bala com bala – thievery corporation
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i used to attend summerfest all the time… but had gotten out of that habit lately because of a) cost (seriously, $8 for a wine cooler?) b) the insanely large (and many times very annoying) crowds of people and c) the parking nightmare. but was convinced by my friend jenn to make an exception this year. so we made the walk down to summerfest to catch the thievery corporation in concert (video here). and it was well worth it. what a great live show! even if i was standing on unstable benches and getting beer spilled on me.
11: grey – ani difranco
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“what kind of paradise am i looking for? i’ve got everything i want.. still i want more.” closing and moving into my first house was an amazing experience.. yet having a whole house completely to myself proved to amplify my feeling alone.
12: comatose – skillet
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after closing and moving into my house, i had about a day to settle in, and then was off to oshkosh, wi to take pictures at lifest. the highlight of the music festival for me was seeing skillet in concert for the first time. and not only that.. but having an all access pass for the festival and being able to see and photograph the show from ON the stage… was awesome.
13: rock lobster – the b-52′s
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still not having any time to unpack my boxes at my new house… the following weekend was my first podcamp. i flew to boston and had the chance to meet some of my amazing friends i’ve met through social media. rock lobster came on at one of the bars we were at on the last night together. fun times i tell you. (and the picture of orchid8 and rojopelo pounding on the bar floor during the song… priceless) the weekend was just what i needed.
14: stuck – melissa ferrick
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settling back into reality… and back into the relationship roller-coaster. waiting for the shoe to drop..
15: ain’t no sunshine – bill withers
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not only was i addicted to listening to this song for a while this summer, but i also learned how to play and sing it.. and played it on seesmic. (which, for me is a big deal.. since i am very self conscious on my singing abilities [or lack-there-of]) “this house just ain’t no home”
16: el scorcho – weezer
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enter september… my first trip to montréal… my second podcamp… and one of the most amazing weekends of the year. another great weekend of meeting and hanging out with some of the greatest friends i’ve met through social media. are you seeing a trend in this year yet?
17: inside and out – feist
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i love this song. lyrics kinda sorta fit.. but not exactly. i still love the song. and i think i learned about it sometime around late summer/early fall. so there.
18: everything’s easy – girlyman
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this is actually a live recording from the girlyman show at UWM that i attended in october. girlyman has been one of my favorite bands ever since i was introduced to them a couple years ago. it was great to finally catch them live in concert and get to meet them.
19: heart beat – melissa ferrick
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melissa ferrick came to milwaukee in october. with all the new house expenses, i had cut my “live music” fund to almost nothing… so i ended up volunteering to help out at the show to get in for free. it was fun. i also got to take pictures there. as for this song, it’s my latest addiction. it also has a bit of a deeper meaning as well.. but i’m not sharing any more than that. hah!
20: athiest – the restoration project
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also in october i hosted my first house concert. tracy howe of the restoration project played a concert in my living room. it was great fun. i even started planning my second house concert for later in the year before the first house concert was even complete. one of my favorite things about owning a house is having the ability to do things like these house concerts and inviting my friends to come and enjoy my talented musician friends.
21: feel like makin’ love – marlena shaw &
22: untouchable face – ani difranco
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back to the emotional relationship roller-coaster soundtrack… that’s all.
23: music is my hot hot sex – CSS
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this band was introduced to me this year. and i have found it very fun and helpful to listen to CSS while coding CSS. music is always playing at my house while i’m here. music is my girlfriend.
24: alla this – ani difranco
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ani’s new album was released this year. and it’s full of happy music. this one is my favorite. “i am many things, made of everything, but i will not be your bank roll. i won’t idle in your drive-thru, i won’t watch your electric sideshow. i got way better places to go.” better places.. like flying to NYC to spend a weekend hanging out with some amazing friends and having an amazing time. oh, and it’s great to have elected a president that i will happily follow and serve. time to un-do all the crap that we’ve buried ourselves in this past 8 years…
25: black hole sun – steve lawson & lobelia
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welcome december and my second house concert… and the wonderful opportunity to meet two great friends (also met through social media… do you see the pattern *now*? i hope so) in person for the first time. what an amazing experience to have two of the most talented and lovely people in my house for a weekend of great music and even greater fun! this show was also recorded.. so check it out here
26: all around me – flyleaf
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it’s been quite a year. but i’m alive.
happy national"coming out" day everyone!
May 11th, 2008
one thing i’ve learned in life, is that it’s easier to live one life, instead of several. by coming out, and uniting the “multiple lives” we sometimes put on, it not only gives the LGBTQ a greater visibility in this world, but it also can be a great source of inner peace. i know it has for me. acknowledging who we are can be difficult, but also rewarding.
head on over to HRC.org for more info
oh, and ps. if you haven’t heard. one more state in our country has embraced equality, and has finally overturned the ban on gay marriage. congratulations connecticut! three down… 47 to go….
none of us are safe
March 10th, 2008
when people get together for a common, and good purpose, it makes me happy. this is one of those examples. none of us are safe until all of us are safe.
a sense of urgency
February 19th, 2008
first off, before i get into the “meat” of my blog entry, it’s cold. it’s really cold! i spent an extended weekend in corpus christi, tx… where the coldest day was 72 degrees. (and my sister kept saying “it’s chilly today!” and i wanted to hit her. hah!) i took a bunch of pictures (obviously) and i got some of them online already, i’ll add more later. (i would do it now, which is what i usually do.. but then i get distracted by 209847809736567 other things and never finish my blog entry. so i’m going to focus on one thing at a time. hey maybe this herbal “focus formula” really is working. hah!) i’ll make sure to blog a link to the pictures.. or even chose some of my favorites and add them here.
for some of my friends in my “everyday life”, and twitter, you’ve heard me say that i was going down to corpus christi to visit my b-mom and siblings. (wow. you can tell i’ve never had siblings.. since i keep spelling the word “siblings” wrong.. thanks spell check) it was a fun trip. i even met more of my b-family that live down in texas. it was fun having siblings to pick on hang out with. my brothers and my b-mom all assisted in keeping me out too late and losing sleep. it was so much fun, and it was a really great vacation.
but one of the things that i noticed while i was down in texas (ok.. i remember realizing this every End of Days video time i visited texas… but every time it still shocks me) was the amount of “jesus fish” cars and big mega churches. but then in the same breath.. i notice lots of really BIG cars with only one person in them…. a lack of urgency to recycle, re-using shopping bags, and save gas! at first i was thinking, well, maybe i’m just from a very “weird” area where this is such an important thing… but then i began thinking of comparisons and metaphors. Christians should be the first people to see the urgency of recycling, saving energy and caring for the planet. why? because GOD created this earth and has given us all these beautiful gifts to “take care of” for GOD. so why were there so many “Christians” that would chose to slap GOD in the face and say “no.. we don’t want your creation to remain beautiful…”
while i was driving home today… i thought of an analogy. lets say a mother has a young child. and that young child spent hours The Black Hole full A Good Nightnd Good Luck. psp creating this beautiful work of art with their own hands… paint… crayons… whatever. and they even signed their name on it. and they were so proud of this beautiful artwork. and they ran up to their mother and with a huge beaming smile, hands this artwork to her….
and she rips it up and throws it away.
that’s what we are doing to our earth. GOD was so proud of this beautiful artwork.. and we continue to “rip it up and throw it away.” we are too busy to separate our recycling. we are too forgetful to remember to bring a shopping bag with us when we go to the store. we want to drive cars that use more gas than they need to (just because they are bigger and faster… even though a smaller car would be fine for just the one or two people that ride in it.. i mean. yes. some people need more room for people or stuff or work etc… but not everyone needs an suv or a truck. i know this may come as a surprise for some people. for example… i can fit my whole drum set and everything else i need in my little car
) we leave lights on… we buy “new” stuff even when our “old” stuff still is perfectly useful… etc.
i know i’m not perfect. but i’m really trying to care for the earth. i even brought my little cloth shopping bag into target the other day. the lady at the cash register looked at me crazy when i said “i brought my own bag.” i also have just started switching out all my old light bulbs with energy saving florescent bulbs. i recycle more stuff than i throw in the trash. (really! i have twice as many recycling bins than the garbage. and they fill up much faster) and i tend to not buy things that aren’t in recyclable packaging. i also try to buy most of my food from the locally owned organic food store… so that i’m not buying foods that have used up gas by being shipped across the country.. or the world. and i always try to buy “fair trade” chocolate.. because people really matter too. (just because we are the richest country in the world, doesn’t mean we can step on the hard and honest workers of a “poorer” country.) and it’s really not that hard to make these little steps in the right direction. our world has a long way to go… and we all need to keep encouraging each other to continue making positive changes. because each individual (and their actions) matter in this world…
/me gets off soap box.
sorry. that is just one thing that i am passionate about. GOD provided this beautiful earth and beautiful people to live amongst.. and i want more people to be able to enjoy this beautiful gift that GOD has given us.
and lastly.. i voted today. i didn’t get a sicker. and that makes me sad.
merry Christmas everyone!
December 24th, 2007
ps. if you want me to send you a card (i’ll be sending them mid january, for various reasons) go over here and send me your snail mail address.
pps. if you remember last year i sent out a “mix cd of the year”… i will be doing that again this year. as an added bonus i’ll be sending them along with these cards. so if you want a cd, go over here and send me your snail mail address.