Request for NYers (Internship)

A friend of mine who is a seminary student Hong Kong is interested in doing an internship (of some sort, it doesn't have to be official) some time this year in the New York area. He's very interested in urban and HIV ministry, and has extensive work with youth.

He doesn't have the homophobic tendencies that are common in that diocese, if this concerns you. He is bilingual, and is a great person who would be a great asset to any church. I know of a few places where he could stay with low rent (although if you have housing that would be great too).

If people could put the word out and get back to me soon, that would be awesome!! Thanks.

Fractured elbow

I had a fun evening Saturday, I went to a roller skating party for someone in her late 20s. Managed to fall 4 times in the same way. My arm hurt a bit, but I didn't think too much of it. IT continued to hurt, and today I went to an orthopedist. It's fractured. I don't need a cast, but I do need to be careful. It was otherwise a lot of fun, even though I haven't skated since I was 10.




After that I watched the Eagles/Cowboys game. I think breaking my elbow was less painful.


UPDATE: My arm is doing much better, thanks for your prayes

Of all photos..

This photo of me appeared on the NJ Star Ledger website. We were in line to get into the gallery of the state house to hear debate on the marriage equality bill... for almost 4 hours.

I think you can pick me out.



For more photos go to http://photos.nj.com/star-ledger/2010/01/post_174.html

In state tution for all of NJ's Residents a possibility

For the first time in ten years, both the NJ state Senate and Assembly Appropriation's Committees voted to send a bill allowing undocumented students who have graduated from a NJ high school and attended high school in NJ for at least 3 years to pay in-state tuition to the floor of both houses.

This bill had been sitting in committee for a decade and will now be given a vote. Interestingly, it is actually in the state's financial interest to pass this bill, as a Rand Corporation (and the NJ Legislature's own studies) have shown that Latino women with higher education contribute $9000 per year more to the state revenue than the same demographic without. There will also not be a significant loss to most state schools, according to many universities. It will simply give an underclass of the population an opportunity to better themselves and better the US population.


See N.J. Assembly committee approves bill allowing undocumented immigrants to pay in-state tuition for a full article (although not complete for wholly accurate) article.

Rejoining the World

I've been intending to rejoin the blogsphere for a few months, and yet it somehow keeps not happening. I suppose whenever the fancy strikes me, I'm either not near a computer, or I get distracted. But I will try to get back on board, really.

So what have I been up to?

I'm working at Middlesex County College in NJ as their Urban Centers Librarian, and I LOVE it, but I don't get benefits, so I'm still looking.

I've been volunteering with Garden State Equality trying to get Marriage Equality in New Jersey before the new governor takes office in two weeks since he has promised not to sign the legislation. This has been both invigorating and depressing, and forces me to utilize skills that aren't my strongest.

I've continued to be involved in working toward social change, including by serving on the NY Executive Committee of Solidarity. I've also been working with local people to get some sort of study group started in central Jersey.

I spent Christmas in Chincoteague, VA and a few days after in Baltimore (photos perhaps to come), and have gotten back in touch with some fun people.

A fellow I know from community theatre and I have gone out on a few dates, which has been good for me. It's been over five months since my last relationship, and I think I'm beginning to be ready to put a toe in the water, but this sort of thing has never come naturally to me.

First date: Carnegie Hall, rear orchestra to hear Musica Sacra perform Handel's Messiah (NYT review). He also brought the score so we could follow along. It was the first time I have seen a performance of the entire show (the entirety of the three parts), and it was an incredible performance.

So I suppose I am keeping on keeping on and will try to blog and post more regularly.

Peaceout.

Episconinjas Unite!

Bike meets Car

Today I was hit by a car on my bicycle on Rt 27 in Highland Park, NJ while crossing River Road. While I (and other cyclists) were in the crosswalk, a car barrelled around the corner and struck the side of my bike. I and my bike went onto the hood of the car and then rolled onto the street where I hit my wrist, knee, and head. After I moved over, the driver of the car shot me a nasty look and drove away. (This is a highly bike populated zone, over the next 20 minutes I saw at least 20 cyclists cross this intersection, and many cars make the right turn at safe speeds).

Since my bicycle was not rideable (although appears reparable), I sent the friend I was with to get my car so I could load the bike onto my car bike rack. I called 911 to report the hit and run. Since no one got the plates of the driver (I was busy being hit by a car and my friend was busy checking that I was okay), and I only recalled the color of the car and gender and approximate age the driver, the officers were honest that the driver was unlikely to be found, unless she felt guilty or scared and turned herself in.

I went to Robert Wood Johnson hospital where they took x-rays and checked for evidence of a concussion (there was none). They also gave me a tetanus shot.
A friend drove me to where the friend I was biking with had left my car, and drove it to my apt so I could get a change of clothes for work. She then drove me back to New Brunswick where I spent most of the day reading and resting and then going to to work in the evening. I am feeling a bit lethargic with a small headache and shoulder pain as well as prescriptions for muscle relaxants.

That's it for now.

A weekend in York, Pa

I spent this past weekend "getting away" by visiting my best friend in York, Pa. We had a great time hanging out, eating junk food and taking pictures in abandoned buildings.






We had a picnic with some close friends from college at Rocky Ridge County Park where we ate and played catch at the overlook.



I was also able to visit with my undergraduate advisor and some other professors with whom I was able to discuss possible directions for my future. Although I have begun the discernment process, I feel that I need to be sure that I have other avenues available. One of these is the possibility of pursing a Phd (or masters) in history. I was honoured when my undergraduate advisor told me to let her know when I needed letters of recommendation.


I was able to meet up with a few other friends and repair a friendship that I was worried was irrepairable.


Although I wish I could have stayed through Monday (I needed to leave early Sunday morning for a meeting), I'm glad that I was able to spend the weekend with good friends.

"Show me what a police state looks like!"

I got back from Pittsburgh, and it has sobered my ideas of American Democracy.

On this permitted "PEACE MARCH" there were officers in riot gear carrying batons and tear gas lining the entire (over 5 mile) route. There were children on this march who now understand that the police are not our friends.

Officers came from as far as Alabama to take part and tried to provoke the marchers, but we would not be provoked. Even the militant anarchists agreed to behave themselves, and did.

We were there to protest the direction the participants in the G-20 summit were taking the world. Some were there to protest capitalism, others were anti-war, while others advocated for environmental sustainability, but no one was in the mood to "start something." This wasn't the time.

The police didn't like that. Under the auspices of a free concert, the police rounded up over 100 potential attendees, and arrested them, many are still unaccounted for.

I read in the local paper that authorities expected protests to be as far as Pittsburgh Airport. The airport is very far. IF they had bothered to ask the people planning the protest, they would have known no one was interested in that.

We simply want to exercise our first amendments rights and apparently the authorities don't like that.

Visit http://www.flickr.com/photos/40256030@N08/ for more photos.

Update on G-20

Today there was a non-permited march.

PITTSBURGH - Police threw canisters of pepper spray and smoke at anarchists protesting the Group of 20 summit Thursday after the marchers responded to calls to disperse by rolling trash bins and throwing rocks.

The march turned chaotic at just about the same time that President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle arrived for a meeting with leaders of the world's major economies
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