Limericks against Universal Higher Ed

(You know I've having a fed up/off day when I start writing limericks)

It’s not that my expectations are high
That isn’t what I mean to imply
But with students in college
You expect some basic knowledge
And these kids, they don’t even try

Maybe a student or two
have some inkling of the work they should do
but the rest of the time
I can feel the decline
Of the language I thought that I knew

Sometimes I just have to pray
That this is an isolated display
Of why the system is broken
And we need more than token
Words to repair the disarray.

The notion that higher ed is for all
Will quickly be this nation’s downfall
The poor get further indebted
And we all will regret it
When there’s a clog in the lone bathroom stall

Smoke Pot and Wear Condoms

This is written in response to listening to comedians and others talk about Christianity, especially the line about a religion that says that "sex is wrong and Christian rock is good."

Evidently, I've had a different experience with clergy than many others. Aside from the large amounts of cursing and drinking, there was also confirmation class.

We were sixteen years old and were told not to do drugs, but if we had to do drugs, to smoke pot, but to only do it once. Also, don't have sex, but since we were all going to do have sex anyway, to be sure to wear (or carry) condoms. And if our parents wouldn't get them for us, they (the priests) would. The same went for the gynaecologist. More to the point, if we got pregnant, it created more work for them.

Ditto Catholic school, where the sisters distributed an extremely detailed list of what type, how to use, the reliability, and where to get every form of contraception imaginable -- that it was a sin to use.

Poem written while waiting at the West 4th subway stop

Today the NYC subway was broken,
and NJTransit delayed from AC to Hoboken,
Getting to NYU was a pain,
And next weekend I get to do it again,
Maybe then I will have better luck,
But for now I ask "MTA, what the f#@k?"

Second Job!

The library I used to look for at Rutgers offered me 15 hours a week through June to finish a project I started when I worked there a while ago.

Not wonderful hours, pay, or work, but its something, and will be a much needed supplement to my current (and more fun) librarian job.

I had grand illusions that being a librarian would be "glamorous."

Oh well.

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!