Voting is Sucide.

So you think voting matters? I'm sorry to say but you're wrong. Go to this page, CarterCenter.org and ask yourself, "Why is it that the Carter Center does not watch U.S. elections?" They have looked at First Peoples Nations elections, they've looked at elections in places where we're told that there is no "democracy." Places like Jordan, and parts of South Africa, and South America yet they have NEVER, not once, done a survey of the United States. Why? Perhaps this is why, Carter Center and why they don't watch U.S. elections

The fact of the matter is that by voting you are allowing some old white man who's only interest in you is as a commodity, not as a human being, as paid for a politician to vote for you. You've given your ability to say "Yes" or "No" away. I'm sure some of you will say that by not voting I'm not participating in my community or working for the betterment of society. I say you're doing more then that, you're working to destroy and undermine everything you claim to uphold and love. I spend roughly 10 hours a week working with young men who've been not only pushed aside by society but who have been purposefully handed a shit sandwich and told to eat big bites. When they throw aside what they are given and try (I'll admit in ways that are no better) to make something else for themselves they are locked up and treated as if they were trash. I go and spend 10 hours a week with incarcerated youth. What did you do today? Am I doing enough? I doubt it. In fact I know I'm not, but hey I'm doing more then you ever will on November 4th.

You say voting matters. What happened in 2000 then? Remember that one, the majority of the people who are allowed to vote (another problem all together) voted for one man yet he didn't get in to the White House? Why, I thought your electoral system was about empowerment for the people?

What about Jim Crowe's lesser known grandson? You thought that Women earned the Right to to vote with the 19th amendment? Or People of Color with the passing of the 15th?

You have no idea how many lies you've been told. So when it comes time to "vote" think about what you're really doing and look in to what is really happening when you step in to that little booth.

First Day at Maple Lane School.

So today marked the first day that my Program went to Maple Lane. Maple Lane is a maximum security school for young men who've some how run afoul of the law. The majority of them are from poor family and are people of color. But they have been lucky enough to be able to participate in the Gateways Program for Incarcerated Youth. Everyone who reads this knows where I came from and where I am so to say that I have a divergent past from them is to say that the Earth is round. The Gateways Program takes young men at Maple Lane School as well as another of the same time and puts them in college classes with students from Evergreen. In order for them to be in the program they must have a G.E.D. a High School Diploma or be close to getting one.

This is my first time speaking to anyone who has spent any time what so ever in a long term lock up. I'm still thinking about what happened today and the world they live in is so totally different then the one I live in that I don't really know what to say.

I can safely say this, in all the time I've been at Evergreen the greatest seminar I've ever had was the one I had today. We discussed a book called "A Peoples History of Sports in the United States" by Dave Zirin. We've yet to even start reading the book but today we discussed what the author could possibly be writing about. Given that the guys I have class with are in jail for something I saw some of the more encouraging and helpful behavior one person could ever exhibit toward another and this from men who society says are no good, trouble and can not on any level be trusted. I met your average 17 and 18 year old men. I'm sure as I digest what happened today I'll be better able to describe what happened but to say the least it was a life changing experience.

So I Heard Back From that Journal I Tried to get Published in.

They rejected my first draft of my paper. I'm not really up set about it as the reason it was rejected was that I tried to do too much with it. I kinda thought that would happen when I wrote it so it's not too surprising that they turned me down because of that. Now I'm working on doing something different with it and resubmitting it. I'm hopeful, in fact I could submit about three or four papers from what I did last quarter... If only I had the time. :)

Ode to the Dude who Rode to Work With Me the day Before Yesterday

So the day before yesterday on my way to work, I caught up to this guy on Cooper Point turning on to Evergreen Parkway. He was doin' a fairly good clip (about 30 MPH) when I caught up to him. I passed him with a polite "on your left!" As I rounded the corner on Evergreen Parkway, there was this older dude walking his dog, I slowed down waiting to pass him. About that time I hear an "on your left!" and my bikin buddy pass us. I catch him again as we make the turn on to Overhulst Road, and give him a little "on your left!" and as I go by I say "tag?" we then proceed to leap frog past each other for a little bit until he said he was too tired and we rode the rest of the way to the college chatin'. It was a good way to start my day, and left me in a fantastic mood for the rest of the day. I made me wish that I had someone to ride to work with everyday, because it was so much fun.

It reminds me of the few times Cassie and I rode to work together when I was working at the Law Office and she at the "Job From Hell". I find it a lot more enjoyable to ride with people then by my self.

I also heard back from the Journal I am trying to get published in. They rejected my paper as it was last quarter and I need to do some re-writes... Nothing too major in my mind, they were things that I'd been warned about when I first started on it so I'm not too worried. I'll start to re work it tomorrow.

Holy Shit I Graudate in June

So I've been reviewing my progress in college and just realized that I graduate in June. I'll need to take a few more credits over the summer or take 20 credit hours for two quarters but I'll graduate in June regardless... It's strange, I've been in college since 2003 and I'm about to finish off my BA... It's exciting but strange at the same time because it means I have to get a grown up job soon... Or go to Law School and put that off for another three years or so.

It's funny because I started to update my resume so that it includes my degree (not that I have it yet but still) and all the wonderful things I've done in college.

It's so strange.

Also Collin spent the weekend up here with me and it made me remember how much I missed him being around. I really don't want him to fly home today.

God I fuckin love you right now.

I got out of my old apartment and in to a house with five of the most awesome people I know, my brother is visiting me this weekend and I just drank some coffee... Life is fucking good right now!

Shit it's been a long while hasn't it?

So, here we are... It's been a long time since I post anything, mostly because I don't have Internet at my house... Well I didn't until one of the new neighbors got an unsecured wireless network. Now I just barrow theirs. :)

I started this thing while I was living in the dorms to keep my family and friends in Shit Lick updated as to what I was doing and how I was. Now I talk to them more because I get better phone service here and I don't have to go sit in my car in the parking lot to talk on my phone. I finished my paper for my program last quarter. In fact I finished it more then a month ago, I'm happy with it and as soon as I sort my shit out I'll submit it for publishing. My Faculty from winter quarter really likes it and wants to share it with other educators as a voice from an extraordinary person. I'm very excited about this as that was the whole reason I wrote it, to be used as a voice from my community to the ordinary educational community. Whether or not it's really that good I don't know but I am proud of it so I'd like to get it out there, all that's really left to do on it to be published is talk to a reference librarian about what key words I should use so that the publisher knows how to reference it in the quarterly.

I'm watching "Weeds" while I write this so I'm kinda not paying attention to my writing.... Oh yeah and I need to go pick up Lauren in ten minutes...