Just a quick "hello, goodbye" before getting back to work. I have a 5-8 page paper due tomorrow for a Communications Law class that I need to finish up. Then, on Tuesday, my second paper for Feature Writing class (this paper is on homelessness). Two more short articles for Advanced Reporting (due by the 28th), a short report for Editing, as well as my third (and last) test in Communications Law, and I'll be finished for the semester.

One more year and I'll officially get my BA in Journalism. Wow. Doesn't seem possible, and yet, it feels like forever. I just wish my late SO was here to enjoy this. He was immensely proud of my accomplishments, and I know he'd be proud of this, too.

Periodically, I've asked myself, Why am I doing this (going to school)? But I know why: I want to be able to write about injustice, whether in the medical field (www.northsidehospitalproblems.blogspot.com), the government, or on the street.

We're all in this life together, folks. No one--not you, not me--inhabits their own little planet. We all occasionally have this mind-set that, well, I'm not hurting anyone, so why should what I do matter? If that is really true, great. Paint your house blue. Put little pink flamingos on your front lawn. May be tacky as all get-out, but that's fine.

But if the government makes it easier to hurt the environment (http://www.thenation.com/doc/20040308/kennedy; http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/3390901.stm; http://www.motherjones.com/news/qa/2004/10/09_402.html; http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/asection/la-ed-epa17mar17,1,431425.story), when hositals don't act responsibly (http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/sptimes/access/1433799461.html?dids=1433799461:1433799461&FMT=FT&FMTS=ABS:FT&date=Feb+23%2C+2008&author=LISA+GREENE&pub=St.+Petersburg+Times&edition=&startpage=1.B&desc=STATE+THREATENS+HOSPITAL), then we, as a people, need to responsibly bring this out into the open.

How do we fight injustices? We bring them to light. We can write those in power, whether our representatives in Congress and/or the Senate, both on the state and federal level. Write a letter to the editor. Go to a city council meeting. Make yourself heard. Organize.

But here's the deal: if you open your mouth, if you work for change, it MUST BE NON-VIOLENT!!! You can't affect positive change with violence. True, you may temporarily make people change their ways, but in the end, violence always begets violence. If you use violence, you will lose in the long run.

Why?

Stop for a minute. None of us wants someone to violently make us do anything. Hit me, I'm liable to hit back. On top of that, hit me often enough, I'll start thinking of you as a violent jerk, someone who just doesn't "get it." But talk to me like I'm an intelligent human being, give me your reasons logically, back them up with facts, and I'm more likely to listen. In the end, I may not agree with you, and, if not, then it'll be for my own logically thought of reasons.

Non-violent organization, non-violent protests, writing to those in power, lobbying for the rights of all of us...That, my friends, will help to bring about the changes that will help us all.

I can't believe it...Tonight, the temperature is supposed to drop into the 40s. So what, you ask? This is Florida. It's April. The temps have been in the 70s and 80s the past couple of weeks. I'd gone ahead and put the extra blankets away, etc.

Then, last night, it started getting, well, cool. Grabbed the hand-knit blanket and put it on the bed. On top of the quilt that my late step-father's mom had made. (That's another story; the lady made the most beautiful quilts. I got this one in a round about way. Wish I had a couple more.)

But now, it's getting postively chilly. The wind is blowing outside and there is definitely cold air coming under the front door. Somehow, it doesn't feel like a Florida April.

Just goes to show you: the second you think you have everything figured you, you realize you don't.

Such is life...

It's been one of those days. You know the kind: you have things to do, but somehow, you just can't seem to get motivated.

I had it all planned out: after getting the dishes done, I was going to do some major writing for three of my journalism classes. There are several loose ends I still need to tie up, but still...And now, instead of working on them, I'm working on my blog.

Also, I'm listening to some really good jazz on Tampa's own WMNF (88.5 on the FM dial). For those not fortunate enough to live within earshot of WMNF, one can go to http://www.wmnf.org/ and click on the "listen now" link.

One of the great things about 'MNF is that they are truly an eclectic radio station. They have gospel, jazz, reggae, a 2-hour Women's Show (Saturday morings, 10 a.m. - noon, eastern time), Celtic, hip hop...If you don't like what they're playing now, wait a little while. I once pulled up their play list for their afternoon show; there was some Arthur Godfree (yes! from the 1950s!), followed by some Hendrix. Another time, I had it on in the work van. When I had to pick someone up, he was thrilled: he was able to hear two Patsy Cline songs in a row. Of course, it bothered him that something by Cream followed (I'm thinking Crossroads).

Also, there are no commercials. Yes, you read that right. No commercials!!! It's publicly funded.

The only two stations I've ever heard that were more eclectic were a couple of pirate stations, one in Tampa, the other in Knoxville. The Tampa one (I'm thinking 88.9) might have Tchichovsky's 1812 Overture, followed immediately by some Jimi Hendrix, Foo Fighters, then Ella Fitzgerald, Roy Rogers...you get the picture. The one out of Knoxville (KFAR; 90.9) was also very eclectic (yay, Rachet! yay, Mama Mayhem!). Unfortunately, both have been shut down.

Anyone who has a chance to listen to WMNF, please do so. Also, please help support them; we must support our publicly funded radio stations to keep them in the hands of the listeners.

'S all I'm saying.

Time to update...

Another semester is winding down. I've signed up for both summer and fall semesters. By this time next year, I'll have my BA in journalism. This will be both a relief and a little nerve-rattling.

I found out yesterday that a short story of mine won second place in a short fiction contest. My first--very first!!!--money as a writer. YAY!!! The story is about a homeless couple. When I wrote it last year, St. Petersburg had a tent city for the city's homeless.

http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/sptimes/access/1231233551.html?dids=1231233551:1231233551&FMT=FT&FMTS=ABS:FT&date=Mar+12%2C+2007&author=DEMORRIS+A.+LEE&pub=St.+Petersburg+Times&edition=&startpage=1.B&desc=Church+offers+space+for+60+homeless+to+camp

http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/sptimes/access/1249909061.html?dids=1249909061:1249909061&FMT=FT&FMTS=ABS:FT&date=Apr+4%2C+2007&author=ABHI+RAGHUNATHAN&pub=St.+Petersburg+Times&edition=&startpage=9&desc=SLASHING+OF+TENTS+WAS+LEGAL%2C+POLICE+REPORT+SAYS

Why write about a story about a homeless couple? Aren't all homeless yucky, disgusting drunks? Well, no. True, there are enough people living on the streets who have: 1) alcohol and/or other drug problems, 2) mental health issues, or 3) just plain unmotivated to justify the stereotypes.

Then there are the other reasons.

According to the National Coalition for the Homeless's website (www.nationalhomeless.org/publications/facts/domestic.pdf), one in three homeless women in Minnesota was homeless because of domestic violence. Others become homeless because of rising housing costs, while minimum wage is creeping up slowly.

Add to that the fact that once someone is on the street, it is difficult to get off the street. If one looses a job, then housing, how does one get a house without a job, a job without a phone number and/or address?

The punchline is this: you never know why someone is on the streets just by a glance.

That, folks, is my rant for the day.