Thanks to a great friend, Spencer Craft, I'm not going to be a jailbird.
We went to District Court yesterday and he showed the prosecuting attorney his lease on his apartment on Hill Street in which I was arrested for criminal trespassing.
The attorney obliged and said Noli processi.
So I don't have the Hill Street Blues anymore!
But last night when I got back to our campsite one of my camping buddies lambasted me and said all I care about is computers.
So, I'm antisocial today.
I don't know his intentions but it hurt my feelings.
We're all praying today for our good friend Otis who undergoes surgery at the hospital in Springdale.
He's battling bladder cancer and hopefully they'll be able to extract the devious tumor and it won't have spread elsewhere.
Otis is one of the greatest friends a person could have.
Pray for him.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Faux pas
Oops! My slip was showing yesterday!
Gadzooks!
While praising Mike Rusch and Rick Boosey for their awesome food distribution project I committed an infamous faux pas.
Mike and his altruistic band of helpful Christians started an organization entitled the Cobblestone Project. I errantly mislabeled them the Cornerstone Project. My bad!
I'm currently writing about their endeavors and hope to have it published in the very near future. That all rests with Kent Marts, editor extraordinaire of the Benton County Daily Record.
I also probably need to break this down into paragraphs.
The last two nights my campmate Dewayne had the misfortune of being "hazed" by Pepe LePew, our skunkmate who enjoys partying at our expense.
Mike and Rick loaded us up with soup and homemade potato chips. I pulled a fast one on Dewayne and put a bag of those scrumptious Boosey chips in his tent.
Alas, Pepe smelled those delicacies and kept pawing at Dewayne's tent all night long. Once he even jumped on Dewayne's arm.
So Dewayne sought another tent and went to CEO for a voucher.
But he forgot and left a bag of Ramen noodles in his tent which tickled Pepe LePew who crunched and munched on them last night.
What's the next chapter in the saga of the voracious skunk?
At least he hasn't sprayed us with his love juice yet. Or maybe I should rephrase that and call it his I hate to be annoyed juice. So, leave this skunk alone!
Gadzooks!
While praising Mike Rusch and Rick Boosey for their awesome food distribution project I committed an infamous faux pas.
Mike and his altruistic band of helpful Christians started an organization entitled the Cobblestone Project. I errantly mislabeled them the Cornerstone Project. My bad!
I'm currently writing about their endeavors and hope to have it published in the very near future. That all rests with Kent Marts, editor extraordinaire of the Benton County Daily Record.
I also probably need to break this down into paragraphs.
The last two nights my campmate Dewayne had the misfortune of being "hazed" by Pepe LePew, our skunkmate who enjoys partying at our expense.
Mike and Rick loaded us up with soup and homemade potato chips. I pulled a fast one on Dewayne and put a bag of those scrumptious Boosey chips in his tent.
Alas, Pepe smelled those delicacies and kept pawing at Dewayne's tent all night long. Once he even jumped on Dewayne's arm.
So Dewayne sought another tent and went to CEO for a voucher.
But he forgot and left a bag of Ramen noodles in his tent which tickled Pepe LePew who crunched and munched on them last night.
What's the next chapter in the saga of the voracious skunk?
At least he hasn't sprayed us with his love juice yet. Or maybe I should rephrase that and call it his I hate to be annoyed juice. So, leave this skunk alone!
Sunday, September 13, 2009
cleanliness
Cleanliness is next to Godliness.
Thanks to the caring and sharing heart of Henry Ho, one of my blog mentors, I now have a clean slate at the library, i.e. no more fines, and I will have clean clothes due to his friendly laundry service.
Sometimes those drudgery chores, like laundry, translate into luxurious thank you very much for your friendship and good cheer.
Indeed, it was serendipity for me when Henry approached me one Saturday morning and said he wanted to help but didn't know how. The friendship blossomed into a meaningful relationship for both of us.
Henry read some of my articles and encouraged me to blog. Thanks to the computer expertise of Glenn Miller here we are.
I encourage followers to respond with comments, suggestions and other helpful input.
Thanks for reading and thanks for caring and sharing.
Sometimes just one person's heart touches another's heart and the feeling keeps nurturing a friendship between two people from different backgrounds whose lifes intersect in an interpersonal bonding relationship.
I'm blessed and know that someday I'll be able to pass it on in similar fashion.
Thanks to the caring and sharing heart of Henry Ho, one of my blog mentors, I now have a clean slate at the library, i.e. no more fines, and I will have clean clothes due to his friendly laundry service.
Sometimes those drudgery chores, like laundry, translate into luxurious thank you very much for your friendship and good cheer.
Indeed, it was serendipity for me when Henry approached me one Saturday morning and said he wanted to help but didn't know how. The friendship blossomed into a meaningful relationship for both of us.
Henry read some of my articles and encouraged me to blog. Thanks to the computer expertise of Glenn Miller here we are.
I encourage followers to respond with comments, suggestions and other helpful input.
Thanks for reading and thanks for caring and sharing.
Sometimes just one person's heart touches another's heart and the feeling keeps nurturing a friendship between two people from different backgrounds whose lifes intersect in an interpersonal bonding relationship.
I'm blessed and know that someday I'll be able to pass it on in similar fashion.
Saturday, September 12, 2009
homelessness alone
Sadly, today I witnessed a truly homeless man.
There are haves and have-nots amongst the homeless.
Some of us are fortunate to have a tent and some trustworthy camp-mates who aid us in our travails. We are the haves.
Then, there are the have-nots who don't have any friends and sleep wherever their head rests that night.
I saw a man, who shall remain anonymous, asleep on the bench at Lot 56.
He lost his tent and all his belongings during a flash flood. That's at least the second time he's seen his personal sleeping accomodations swept away by a deluge of water.
Now he's destitute.
That's the definitive homeless man who needs help more than anyone else. He can't cope on his own.
He relies on others. And sometimes there's no one to help him, so he just sleeps wherever there's a vacant bench.
I'm bewildered but know how he feels because last year at this time I was sleeping in an abandoned house on Leverett.
Alas, one night I returned and the house had been razed to the ground. All that was left was a pile of bricks.
Crestfallen I went to the Walton Arts Center and slept in the "garden" two nights.
Finally a man befriended me and permitted me to camp out with him.
Again, the only people who can truly help a "homeless" individual is another homeless person who cares and shares his humble surroundings.
More on this later. I'm just still trying to fathom why some are haves and others are have-nots.
There are haves and have-nots amongst the homeless.
Some of us are fortunate to have a tent and some trustworthy camp-mates who aid us in our travails. We are the haves.
Then, there are the have-nots who don't have any friends and sleep wherever their head rests that night.
I saw a man, who shall remain anonymous, asleep on the bench at Lot 56.
He lost his tent and all his belongings during a flash flood. That's at least the second time he's seen his personal sleeping accomodations swept away by a deluge of water.
Now he's destitute.
That's the definitive homeless man who needs help more than anyone else. He can't cope on his own.
He relies on others. And sometimes there's no one to help him, so he just sleeps wherever there's a vacant bench.
I'm bewildered but know how he feels because last year at this time I was sleeping in an abandoned house on Leverett.
Alas, one night I returned and the house had been razed to the ground. All that was left was a pile of bricks.
Crestfallen I went to the Walton Arts Center and slept in the "garden" two nights.
Finally a man befriended me and permitted me to camp out with him.
Again, the only people who can truly help a "homeless" individual is another homeless person who cares and shares his humble surroundings.
More on this later. I'm just still trying to fathom why some are haves and others are have-nots.
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
stereotypes
I just read a dynamic expose of the myths of homelessness.
1. Homelessness is not a recession-induced phenomenon.
Income inequality and persistent poverty are silent causes of homelessness since the Reagan years.
2. To end homelessness we need more affordable housing. There is no county in America where a person earning minimum wage can afford the median cost of housing, so being house poor leads to more homeless individuals.
3. We need both sandwiches and solutions. Just feeding the homeless doesn't resolve the main issues like how to extricate one from this predicament.
4. Stereotypes are wrong -- most homeless people fly under the radar.
We can't see it.
Most people stereotypically envision a homeless man as bedraggled, sleeping in a paper box with a bottle of whiskey in his hand or someone panhandling for drugs or cigarettes.
There's families in need sleeping in cars or in tents.
5. Get mad and do something.
1. Homelessness is not a recession-induced phenomenon.
Income inequality and persistent poverty are silent causes of homelessness since the Reagan years.
2. To end homelessness we need more affordable housing. There is no county in America where a person earning minimum wage can afford the median cost of housing, so being house poor leads to more homeless individuals.
3. We need both sandwiches and solutions. Just feeding the homeless doesn't resolve the main issues like how to extricate one from this predicament.
4. Stereotypes are wrong -- most homeless people fly under the radar.
We can't see it.
Most people stereotypically envision a homeless man as bedraggled, sleeping in a paper box with a bottle of whiskey in his hand or someone panhandling for drugs or cigarettes.
There's families in need sleeping in cars or in tents.
5. Get mad and do something.
VAHope2009
The Veterans Administration plans a Hope 2009 event at the Jefferson School Sept. 17.
No cost services include dental and vision exams, haircuts, legal advice, substance abuse counseling, housing assistance, Social Security services and employment opportunities. Clothing and groceries will be available along with lunch.
Each client will be paired with a volunteer who will stay with them throughout the process.
Sounds like a very worthwhile project.
Yes, there is hope because there are individuals willing to help.
One doesn't have to be a veteran to participate.
No cost services include dental and vision exams, haircuts, legal advice, substance abuse counseling, housing assistance, Social Security services and employment opportunities. Clothing and groceries will be available along with lunch.
Each client will be paired with a volunteer who will stay with them throughout the process.
Sounds like a very worthwhile project.
Yes, there is hope because there are individuals willing to help.
One doesn't have to be a veteran to participate.
Monday, September 7, 2009
laborday
This week unravels a ravenous array of exquisite cuisine and Razorback camaraderie.
On Wednesday I've been invited for fine dining with Nate Allen, sports writer extraordinaire, and Norm DeBriyn, former Razorback baseball coach.
We're pigging out at the Pig and Whistle barbecue.
In 1979 while covering the Razorback baseball team I tabbed them the "Sultans of Swing."
Apropos, while battling the Texas A&M Aggies during a Southwest Conference doubleheader, the song "Sultans of Swing" by Dire Straits was played over the loudspeaker system at College Station during the break between games.
Inspired perhaps, the Razorbacks rapped out 26 hits to set a school record.
Then, Wednesday night DesaRae Richardson has invited me over to her house for a meal and a shower.
The topic of conversation will be both of our desires to help the homeless.
DesaRae has applied for government funding for a homeless shelter.
More to come soon.
On Wednesday I've been invited for fine dining with Nate Allen, sports writer extraordinaire, and Norm DeBriyn, former Razorback baseball coach.
We're pigging out at the Pig and Whistle barbecue.
In 1979 while covering the Razorback baseball team I tabbed them the "Sultans of Swing."
Apropos, while battling the Texas A&M Aggies during a Southwest Conference doubleheader, the song "Sultans of Swing" by Dire Straits was played over the loudspeaker system at College Station during the break between games.
Inspired perhaps, the Razorbacks rapped out 26 hits to set a school record.
Then, Wednesday night DesaRae Richardson has invited me over to her house for a meal and a shower.
The topic of conversation will be both of our desires to help the homeless.
DesaRae has applied for government funding for a homeless shelter.
More to come soon.
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