Real Help for Haiti (ONE Campaign)

Debt Relief for Haiti -- ONE Campaign

For a country like Haiti —- the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere —- a natural disaster can reverse years of development gains. Before the earthquake hit, the country faced tremendous challenges. But it had also found great reason to hope. Recent years had brought a more stable government and tenuous gains in the fight against poverty. The country had also reached a significant milestone in the debt cancellation process: $1.2 billion owed to bilateral and multilateral institutions had been completely dropped, erasing most -— but not all -— of Haiti's debt. With aid now pouring in, it's time to make sure that our support helps the Haitian people realize their dream for a stronger, more secure nation. While the Haitian and other governments work together on the initial rescue and relief efforts, we can help lay the foundation for a smooth recovery and rebuilding effort. First, the international community should cancel Haiti's $1 billion in remaining debt. This will help ensure that future dollars go towards rebuilding a stronger Haiti, not to servicing old debts. Our global community must also ensure that any emergency earthquake assistance is provided in the forms of grants, not debt-incurring loans. By providing grants, Haiti will be able to invest all their resources into education, health, the economy—rather than repaying new IOUs. Thankfully, the United States has already forgiven Haiti's past debts and now only gives assistance in the form of grants. We need Haiti's other creditors -— the International Monetary Fund, World Bank, Inter-American Development Bank, and countries like Taiwan and Venezuela —- to follow this lead and do the same.

Check out all charities and donors here at the BBB to avoid scams and fraud.

Aide in Haiti

Doctors without Borders are now asking for donations to be made to the emergency relief fund. Click here to donate and to read more.

UNICEF is also asking for donations to support those affected by the earthquake in Haiti. Click here to go to the website for donations.

CARE, a four star charity, has deployed many emergency relief teams out to Haiti. For donations and more information, go here.

I found a fellow bloggers unite blogger and I thought I would share his blog on this one. This is of course for an AWESOME cause! Please check out Coffee With Marty and how his coffee mugs are going to aide those in Haiti.

Please check the BBB for all charities and donation sites.

Giving books and giving smilies!

Giving books and giving smiles day is coming up on December 31! The objective is to provide unprivileged children in India books that they have never had the opportunity to read and some even touch. Books are the gateway to learning and enrich the mind of a child in so many ways! Details here about the cause!

Pondering..

Can you cry under water? How important does a person have to be before they are considered assassinated instead of just murdered? Why do you have to "put your two cents in".. But it's only a "penny for your thoughts"? Where's that extra penny going to? Why does a round pizza come in a square box? What disease did cured ham actually have? How is it that we put man on the moon before we figured out it would be a good idea to put wheels on luggage? Why is it that people say they "slept like a baby" when babies wake up like every two hours? Why do people pay to go up tall buildings and then put money in binoculars to look at things on the ground? Why do doctors leave the room while you change? They're going to see you naked anyway. Why do toasters always have a setting that burns the toast to a horrible crisp, which no decent human being would eat? If Jimmy cracks corn and no one cares, why is there a stupid song about him? If the professor on Gilligan's Island can make a radio out of a coconut, why can't he fix a hole in a boat? Why does Goofy stand erect while Pluto remains on all fours? They're both dogs! If Wile E. Coyote had enough money to buy all that ACME crap, why didn't he just buy dinner? If electricity comes from electrons, does morality come from morons? Do the Alphabet song and Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star have the same tune? Why did you just try singing the two songs above? Did you ever notice that when you blow in a dog's face, he gets mad at you, but when you take him for a car ride, he sticks his head out the window? If our knees bent the other way, what would chairs look like?

Advice you would give yourself way back when...

It's gonna be ok! Don't take that! You don't need it. Really. Be easier on yourself. Prepare yourself for the world. It's harsh. Love yourself more. Overcome your fears. They will come at you like bullets. You have to grow up soon. GET IT TOGETHER! Tell mom the truth. Trust mom with that secret this time. Mom is going to support you! Stop beating yourself up over something you cannot control. If you would have told her (mom) when it happened, she would have listened!!!! Trust people a little more but take heed. Spend more time with your friends that care instead of "significant others' that didn't. Make yourself a priority; not an option! (Love ya Ren) Leave. He is going to do it again to you, so leave and never look back!

World AIDS day

World AIDS Day

Objective: World AIDS Day, observed December 1 each year, is dedicated to raising awareness of the AIDS pandemic caused by the spread of HIV infection. HIV/AIDS has been a global epidemic for more than 27 years. Most of today's youth have never known a world without it. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently published national HIV incidence (new infections) that showed much higher numbers that previous estimates. The time is now. Together, we can prevent the spread of this pandemic – through awareness, care, prevention, education and research. On December 1st, individuals and organizations will recognize World AIDS Day. This year’s theme is leadership – from all sectors, including government, but also leaders among individuals and families, communities, non-profits and other organizations. The question is not should you participate, but how can you? Both NIDA and AIDS.gov recognize the leadership of Bloggers Unite and invite bloggers to join them in their mission to prevent and stop the spread of HIV/AIDS.

Another great source for World AIDS day HERE.

International Youth Day - Aug.12

Yes yes today is the 11th but I wanted to start today on International Youth Day project @ Bloggers Unite.
International Youth Day was created by the UN to promote youth awareness and causes. It was set to draw attention to issues of the youth world wide. All around the world, concerts and events are celebrate to honor the world's youth.

Youth are the future of our world. Not only the future, but the present. Presently our worlds' youth can be motivated to strive for excellence for tomorrow.

I invite YOU to blog for Women's Equality!

Straight from the source to you: Blog for Women's Equality! http://worldyissues.blogspot.com
August 26, 2009

Objective: Since 1971, August 26th has been Women's Equality Day. Lets blog about everything that still needs to happen for equality for women!

In 1971, August 26 was deemed Women's Equality Day. It still stands today! Although this was a great leap in history for women, we are still faced with so much sexism today. The point of this event is to celebrate the day by blogging about how far we've come with women's rights and to especially blog/rant about everything women still have to deal with today, worldwide! Let's change the world!

peace&love, Madelyn
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/2/stop-senseless-sexism

Isn't it ironic?

Oh come on. You know you LOVE that song and now it'll be stuck in your head for the rest of the day/afternoon/night.

So I trying desperately to move back to the place I tried desperately to move out of. The irony, eh?

I moved to Birmingham with good intentions. That I will find good work in an appropriate time frame, that my daughter would be happy, my husband be happy, kittens, rainbows, butterflies, balloon animals...

WRONG.

So I am back to square one. Starting completely over. Going BACK to "there" (I actually have a catchy little nickname for "there" but not right now...).

To be honest, I am ready to be "there." The irony again right? Deep down, I feel like this will be the big breath of fresh air so to speak or even the new beginning of the end maybe? Who knows. This time, I have two little girls in tow! What a ride. What an adventure. Hope everyone is holding on.

The fourth of July and being free.

So, my fourth consisted of volunteer work. I did something different. Something I have not done before. I decided to go with my Celebrate Recovery group to a halfway house about 2 hours south of Birmingham to help out with the fourth of July festivities for the inmates. Some may wonder why one would want to spend time with prisoners; people that have committed crimes. Well, these are guys who want to learn to live in the "real" world and start over. These guys are the ones that are happy just to get a pack of ketchup. Things we that are "free" take for granted.

I can remember not being so "free" at one time in my life. Looking out and seeing others walk around, just simple things such as that. However, it didn't even compare to most of those guys. Some where in for 14 plus years. They said they haven't even eaten a meal like we provided for them in 10.

Some may think, so what? They don't deserve any better. They've committed crimes. They deserve to NOT eat well on the 4th. However, if we must say that, how many people would we really be including? How many people are walking around society that do not want to better their lives and keep committing crimes? They are the ones that got to eat that huge chunk of BBQ this 4th.

Ok, I need to sweep the cobwebs...

...because THIS blog needs a good cleaning!! So long since I've blogged. What a shame!! My blog turned me in to DHR for neglect Leave comments!

Joseph Palermo, I think you're my new BFF. Re: Ann Coulter's "The View" appearance.

If you want to classify that as an "appearance."

More like an embarrassment to human-kind. OH WAIT. She isn't a human.

WTF was she thinking going onto the "The View?" Does she not realize that EVERYONE despises her? They'd rather thump her adam's apple over and over than to read her rectum filled excuses for books. She is definitely sharing the oxycontin stash with Rush. Definitely.
J. Palermo's blog:

Remember that crazy woman in Pittsburgh who carved a backwards "B" into her own cheek and then claimed that rampaging black men had assaulted her because they saw a "McCain-Palin" bumper sticker on her car? Well, Ann Coulter's routine on The View this morning proved that she's just as crazy as the Pittsburgh woman (although, unfortunately, more politically influential). Ann Coulter shills for a right-wing political movement dedicated to shredding the social safety net designed to provide assistance to poor working mothers by savaging these same single mothers as the scourge of society for rearing "70 percent of rapists, murderers, and other criminals." She then weaves this diatribe into being part of a gigantic "Liberal" conspiracy to destroy everything that is wholesome, pure, and good in Coulter's version of Norman Rockwell America. She claimed today that "forty years of social science research" backs up her Dickensian, "Are there no workhouses?" worldview. But, whoa, does she leave out a lot! Little things that tend to undermine her "argument": like forty years of social science scholarship documenting the feminization of poverty. But no one should expect Coulter to bother to Google Barbara Ehrenreich or Katha Pollit or Susan Douglas or hundreds of other scholars and researchers on the subject. Coulter's "free market" prescriptions for addressing the feminization of poverty via draconian reductions in social spending contradict her whole take on the meaning of "victimization." Coulter's pure, unalloyed, crystalline hypocrisy was on full display on The View when she kept whining about being "attacked" because a couple of smart women asked her to explain some of her bogus assumptions. Coulter, like Sarah Palin, is used to being surrounded by a gaggle of star-struck horny white Republican men who lob her soft balls and nod in agreement with all her übermenchen social theories. What was most astonishing about her appearance on The View today was her shtick whereby she tries to cast herself as some kind of "moral authority" hurling stern judgments on other women's lives. Sheez! Give it a rest already! Whoopie Goldberg summed it up as the segment was tossed to a commercial. She said to Coulter: "You can dish it out but you can't take it." I'm glad Goldberg asked Coulter if she has any children or stepchildren. That is a relevant question. If someone is going to indict an entire group of women who struggle each day to pull together a livelihood for their children she should be prepared to answer personal questions about her own circumstance regarding children in a public forum. The women of The View asked Coulter about widows and women who left abusive relationships; do these women too provide fodder for Coulter's attacks? Of course they do! I wish Ann Coulter would just go away. And I wish she would take Joe the Plumber and Rush Limbaugh and Sarah Palin and the whole Republican "movement" carnival act with her. But I know that will never happen. These right-wing corporate media darlings have access to piles of money to circulate their "ideas" in the public discourse as promoted through "books" and A.M. talk radio shows. Their authoritarian, racist, "eat the poor" ideology serves the interests of ruling corporate elites; so these barren, windswept notions will be shoved down our throats no matter how many Barack Obamas we elect. "Global warming doesn't exist!" "Labor unions are evil and corrupt!" "Liberals coddle single mothers and single mothers raise children to be criminals!" "Cut corporate taxes and regulations and prosperity will 'trickle down!'" "Ketchup is a vegetable!" "Trees cause pollution!" And so on, and on, and on.

There is a video at the end of the blog if you can stomach it. XOXO--
A poor liberal mom of two that'll have heathens for children.

10% off at Daisyfly Designs! Custom made jewelry, stationary, and photos!

Visit the DaisyFly Designs Shoppe for custom made jewelry, stationary, & photos! Right now, the store is having a 10% off sale! Don't miss out!

The shoppe also has gift certificates available in $5, $10, $25, $50, and $100 amounts. Buy them and give them as gifts for birthdays, showers, or just because!

So, what doesn't kill a mother and wife...

...will it make her stronger?
I know a mom and a wife that wants to wake up the next day knowing what the future holds for her children. I know a mom and wife that wants to know if she is going to be able (she and her husband both) to provide for her children in the following months.

I know a mom and wife that went to college and busted ass to get her much desired education. She busted ass and kicked it as well. She worked at various places for money. She pulled out too many student loans because her crappy pell grants weren't enough to cover her school expenses. The student at the time became pregnant. However, it didn't stop her. She continued on because she was a fighter. She went to school up until the day she delivered her first child. She was taking a Spanish exam only a few days before her labor was induced. She even returned to school as soon as the next semester started, leaving her child in the care of her mother-in-law.

By this time, she was a mom and a wife as well as a student. She suffered greatly with post-partum depression and would have to leave class in tears because she couldn't make it through the day. This mom and wife kept going. She finally finished school. Her baby was at her graduation.

This mom and wife applied for many jobs but was turned down here and there. This mom and wife was offered no more than 8-10 dollars an hour a week. Some places with no benefits. So her husband stepped BACK in and took over the duties of work. He worked while she was in school, with a low paying position as a restaurant server. So the husband went back to work as a server. The family wasn't eligible for many things, because the father had not completed his immigration paperwork. It didn't matter they invested so much money and time into it for him to do the right thing the right way. It didn't matter. They didn't care.

So the family kept on going. Kept on counting on their pennies and dimes to live. Was put on waiting list after waiting list for aide, section 8 help, and so on. Time went on. The mom and wife had baby number 2 in April 2008. The husband had finally found a wonderful job! FINALLY! FINALLY a break for this family!! He became the manager of a restaurant. He was making good money and they were finally able to pay the bills. However, 6 or 7 months went by. Husband lost that wonderful job. Just like that. So quick. Everything started again, except this time, with two children in tow. The family went to Salvation Army and was turned down for "lack of funding." United Way wouldn't help because of the city they lived in. They didn't "cover" applicants in the particular area. The place that financed their vehicle wouldn't work with them on payments; so that lead to repossession of the vehicle. Their only vehicle.

The mom and wife was already in the middle of filing bankruptcy, after a failed debt consolidation attempt. That was due to using up credit and maxing cards out to support the family during the time spent in college.

Now the family faces so many things. Having to break an apartment lease early and suffer the disadvantages of that; so they can move into a place where they can get back onto their feet (due to the help of a family member).

Garnishment of wages. Poor credit for years and years. Pure and utter failure. Despair. No light at the end of the tunnel. And so on.

The family sold everything they had except for their computer. Their computer only had gotten offers of around 20$; however, they had to sell furniture, precious items, and so on. Just to make it.

I can tell you that they are not giving up, they will not give up, no matter what happens. They are a family and that is what families do.

I am not only telling the story of this one particular family. I am telling the story of many families across the United States. Where across the country in the "land of opportunity" , suffrage is an understatement.

Thoughts about Auburn University football.

First, I want to say that I love my school. I am an alumnus and Auburn will always be near and dear to my heart. What I do not like is what has happened to Auburn's head coach, Tommy Tuberville. Actually, I think it is downright shitty what they did to him. Everyone seemed to have forgotten that it was Tommy that lead the winning streak seasons. It was him. He recruited and LEAD those star players that we will never forget (Cadillac, Ronnie). It was HIM. He is the one that lead his AU Tigers to victory for 6 straight years against Alabama. It was him. He lead that team all of this time. Of course winning streaks have to come to an end. Everyone knew that Auburn couldn't win every single game forever. What college football team does? NONE. For instance, look at Alabama. They had their losing streak. Now, it is obviously their time to shine because they have a good leader along with a group of devoted and strong players. They have proven themselves this year that they can comeback with a bang. All teams can do the same if they put forth the effort as well as having the strength of good leadership. However, what happened to Tommy Tuberville was just downright eff'd up in my humble opinion. JUST because he lost to Alabama (let's forget the other 6 times in a row that his team won) he gets the boot. Let's just forget that the graduation rate was higher when he was in charge. None of that mattered obviously. We now see what was and is important exclusively. Winning. Beating Alabama every single time, which we knew would come to a close at some time or another. So Tommy will venture out and get a new job with another team. Then, he will have his chance once again to build up a strong team just as he did with Auburn. Then, it'll be Auburn's turn to play that team that he builds up. Because teams always make a comeback, always. Just look at Alabama! Auburn will do the same. Obvious that winning is important, nothing else, is obvious.

The stigma of AIDS and homosexuality.

All persons who suffer with AIDS are human beings and should be treated as such. To throw the stigma of AIDS around like some sort of novelty item is repulsive. The negative energy used against sufferers should be turned into something positive. Something more exceeding and exceptional to the cause. There are persons whom automatically throw around the notion that homosexual couples are the main problem in the world wide AIDS epidemic. It seems that beliefs (meaning the ones that only believe in male/female unions) are blinding common sense. In a sense, that would be UNPROTECTED SEX as a main factor in the spread of AIDS. No matter what the sexual preferences may be of the unions. I will not agree that shouting/assuming/blaming AIDS is acceptable or even humane when they are hashing over their views of homosexuality. Why do these said persons unconsciously (or even consciously) deem homosexual couples the problem for the rampant spreading of AIDS? Did "they" ever consider that unprotected sex is unprotected sex, no matter what the sexual inclination of the couple is? I presume that is a big fat greasy bowl of no. I am from the South. Let me first say that not all Southerners are homosexual haters. (How about that. A stigma of Southerners.) However, I have had unfortunate chances of witnessing horrible stigmas, so it really troubled me how fellow human beings can automatically jump to THEIR resolutions about AIDS and homosexuality. Persons are recurrently quick to shout that homosexual couples are at fault when it comes to the epidemic of AIDS. They tend to forget other factors. Some factors being people taking part in the usage of contaminated needles, infected blood contact, and lets not forget the unprotected sex part between ANY unions. These factors are literally left out of the equation. All elements of the ramification of AIDS should be considered when examined because it cannot be just the fault of one person, or even ten. More education on the behalf of most would be more considerable and logical, but unfortunately, some would rather stay in the dark and stick to their stigma blame games.

Today is the day. AIDS awareness.

I could provide all sorts of links and information on AIDS on this blog today. However, I am not going to. I just want to say that AIDS is the number one killer of the planet. If we do not do anything together, as one, AIDS could destroy our entire world. Spread AIDS awareness to everyone you know, then tell them to spread the word. Any information you can share with others can make a difference! The use of needles, unprotected sex, blood transfusions, youtube videos, AIDS research websites, and finding other sorts of resources on the internet can be your support. So today, December 1st which is AIDS Awareness day, do your part. Spread the word about the spreading of the number one killer. AIDS. Please click on the banner above, Bloggers Unite for AIDS awareness for more information and blogs about the cause. Join Bloggers Unite and take your part.

Win a $100 giftcard to Home depot! Not too shabby, eh?

GO ahead and enter, you know you wanna!! Who wouldn't? Just think. Gifts, gifts, stuff for yourself, gifts, stuff for yourself! The possibilities are ENDLESS! The contest is here at A Table for Five and you must enter by Sunday, Nov. 30th at 10:00 PM ET. Hop to it! Peace, love, happiness, and all that requires helium,

Tips I adhere to for those rare theater dates with my husband.

So this is the deal. I NEVER get to go anywhere with the husband unit. Ever. He is always working and we are as broke as a joke. So my dear lovely sweet sugar coated mom decided to spend the night with me and let us go on a movie date. So of course, I pick the movie because I am desperately aching to see Twilight. Desperate as you can see in a cry/whine blog entry I have below. But. I am thinking. We don't need to spend this $20.00 for tickets. We will want popcorn. Candy. Drinks. So I do the OH THE HORROR unthinkable. I pop my own popcorn. I smuggle my own candy. So we go on a date, just under $25.00 because the friggin' drink itself was almost $5.00! Yes. I am that desperate idiot smuggling a plastic Walmart bag full of popcorn inside my purse. So sue me. After all. I was doing the ever popular bring your own bag and stuff tactic so we can save the plant..thing. Right? *huge cheesy grin here* So save the planet and money. Bring your own popcorn by smuggling in some jiffy pop in that over sized purse. Now, where is my damn snicker bar?

Send the message about Drugs and HIV.