March 1 is Zero Discrimination Day

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Curi9ZRRDXo

People who discriminate narrow the world of others as well as their own.I believe in a world where everyone can flower and blossom

— Daw aung San Suu Kyi,
nobel Peace Prize laureate

MARCH 1 IS ZERO DISCRIMINATION DAY
Zero Discrimination Day is the opportunity to celebrate everyone’s
right to live a full and productive life with dignity—no matter what
they look like, where they come from or whom they love.
By joining hearts and voices, individuals, communities and
societies can transform the world every day and everywhere. Zero
Discrimination Day is a moment to highlight how everyone can
become informed and promote tolerance, compassion and peace.
WHAT DISCRIMINATION LOOKS LIKE IN 2014
Discrimination is a violation of human rights. It is illegal, immoral,
hurtful and dehumanizing. Too many people around the world
face unequal treatment because of their race, religion, nationality,
sexual orientation or identity, disability, gender or age.
Discrimination can happen anywhere: at work, at school, at home
and in the community. Discrimination doesn’t just hurt individuals
or groups of people—it hurts everyone.
There are many things which can be done to counter
discrimination and encourage acceptance; speaking up when
something is wrong; raising awareness; supporting people who
have been discriminated against; and promoting the benefits of
diversity.

ZERO DISCRIMINATION CAMPAIGN

UNAIDS has a vision of zero new HIV infections, zero
discrimination and zero AIDS-related deaths. Without achieving
zero discrimination it will be impossible to realize zero new HIV
infections or zero AIDS-related deaths.
This is why, working with Nobel Peace Prize winner and UNAIDS
Global Advocate for Zero Discrimination Daw Aung San Suu
Kyi, UNAIDS launched the “#zerodiscrimination” campaign in
December 2013.
The campaign calls for transformation to achieve zero
discrimination and adopts the butterfly as the transformative
symbol for zero discrimination.
The next phase of the campaign is the lead up to the very
first Zero Discrimination Day which will be celebrated annually
on 1 March. Everyone can show their commitment to zero
discrimination––by mobilizing social media networks and
encouraging others to participate in the campaign.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iverlIH__h8

Titica's Story

I have been beaten and stoned for who I am. I have suffered so
much humiliation but I am ready to lead by example and help
overcome stigma and discrimination in my country and beyond.
Titica is a bold, talented and unique pop star. Her first album,
“Ground,” was a hit not only in her home country of Angola but
globally, attracting fans in countries such as Brazil, Germany,
Mozambique, South Africa, and Spain. Titica has performed
on tour around the world and was officially named a “diva” at
Angola’s largest annual gala, attended by President José Eduardo
dos Santos himself. But her success didn’t come easily.
As a transgender woman, Titica has had to overcome stigma,
discrimination and abuse. Today, as a UNAIDS Goodwill
Ambassador, she hopes she can turn her experience into a
positive message to change attitudes in Angola and the world.

WHAT WE CAN DO:

Like the zero discrimination day page on facebook at http://www.facebook.com/zerodiscrimination

On March 1 use the Butterfly as your proifle picture on your social media platforms in honour of zero discrimination day

Snap a photo with a butterfly and post to facebook/tumblr,if you don't have a camera or no butterfly around I figure that photoshopping and other creative expressions will do just as well) facebook link, tumblr link

Join the conversation on twitter using hashtag #zerodiscrimination

FACTS:

In only four out of ten countries worldwide do equal numbers of girls and boys attend secondary school (UNESCO. Teaching and learning: achieving quality for all. EFA Global Monitoring Report  2013/14, Jan. 2014)

Nearly 80 countries have laws that criminalize same sex sexual relations (nop, not just Uganda) ( UN Office for the High Commissioner for Human Rights. Discriminatory laws and practices and acts of violence against individuals based on their sexual orientation and gender identity. A/HRC/19/41, 17 Nov. 2011)

In Malawi, Namibia and Botswana, almost one-fifth of men who have sex with men report they are afraid to seek health care services (Baral S et al. HIV prevalence, risks for HIV infection, and human rights among men who have sex with men in Malawi, Namibia and Botswana. PLoS One 2009, 4.)

In Bolivia, 13% of adult women cannot read or write, compared with 5% of adult men (Global Campaign for Education. Gender discrimination in education: The violation of rights of women and girls. Feb. 2012.)

Disabled people are four times more likely to report being badly compared to non-disabled people (World Health Organization: 10 facts on disability, September 2013)

BBC News - Uganda: Museveni 'seeks US advice on homosexuality'

BBC News - Uganda: Museveni 'seeks US advice on homosexuality'.

Although I am as straight as can be the rights of all human beings are important to me so that includes the rights of the LGTB community.



Now I was reading this. first on the N.O.S text pages (Dutch prime public broadcaster) but since that is in Dutch and I am blogging in English I use the BBC version of the story.

I have a few problems with this. First... How on earth can ever be proven someone can be born gay? I fully believe that this is indeed the case but how to prove it. If it could be proven it would mean that it should be somewhere in our (or their) DNA right? It is not that you can ask a new born "hey..are you gay by any chance?) . The only way (imho but I am no scientist) is to see if it is in our DNA



Now... if it is in our DNA we have another "problem" because it would kind of prove that LOVE or the ability to love someone is also in our DNA. Extrapolating THAT further we could conclude that feelings like love, hate, fear and kindness are also DNA regulated.

I always was under the impression that things like love (and hate) was prove of the fact that there is more then just a body of flesh and blood but that "inside" that body something "soul like" resided. However if any and all actions we take in live can be traced back to a certain genome... where do God and soul come in play then. The only "prove" of their being more (as far as humanity goes) is kind of gone.



Lucky enough, for me personally, their remains enough for me to prove that there MUST be something more. For example the "perfect" life conditions we have here on our little blue planet have to much "coincidents" for me to be just a random thing. You can see it in Biology but also in mathematic (as you can see in this blog by my good friend Shaun

Now... the second problem I have is the following.: Museveni seeks US advice in this matter. US Advice??? is he insane? Sorry, I love my US friends very much, I have nothing against the U.S citizens in general but common. This is the country that until recently had a "don't say don't tell" policy in their armed forces, the country that brings a state before court to try and stop the rights of gay people to be married. The country where nationwide broadcasting "fair and balanced" news channels are actively campaigning to get rid of laws that make things equal to the LGTB community, the country where being gay is seen as identical to being a pedophile or goat fekker. The country where science can be bought for the right price. And this is the country he asks advice from.



It's like asking Kim Yong Un for advice to research the possibility that people can be free.

I fear for the LGTB community in Uganda and more... I fear for the LGTB community in many many other countries because if there can't be found an answer the law will go through and if this law goes through it will be repeated by many other gay unfriendly countries and that will NOT be limited to the so called "third world" and middle eastern countries but there might be some "western" civilisations invoking it as well.



Although we can't do much, we CAN protest. I have found two petitions on the internet  that you can sign.

The first one is directed at Citibank / Barclay's group. This is an organisation that deals a lot in Uganda and them speaking out against it would surely make an impression. If you have business with either Citibank or Barclay's (or one of their companies under another name)  please sign this petition (heck... if you don't have any business with them sign it as well

http://www.change.org/petitions/citibank-and-barclays-condemn-uganda-s-kill-the-gays-bill

The second one is a petition on Change.org. A website I guess most of us are familiar with by now. This petition is addressed to President Museveni and should be signed as much as possible since it goes straight to the legislator. Sign yourself, have your partner sign, your neighbour, your sister, brother, mother and heck... your pastor as well. (tip of the day: most of us have multiple email addresses. If you have only one (which should be the one from your ISP then) you can make a free email address on:

Live , gmail ,  guerrilla mail , and many others

Act NOW

In Loving Memory: Manja ??? - 20 Feb 2014

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4_imvJMnG0

she past away about 2 hours ago. We don't know why, what happened and when. 36 hours ago everything was fine but since yesterday evening we noticed she did strange and had a problem walking. We called a vet but where told we could only come if we could pay in cash or if they had an ok from the organisation we get help from. I was unable to arrange that today and had hoped to go to the vet with her tomorrow. It will now be with a different reason :(

We had her for just a while, she was like us... she had been homeless until my bro found her and after a short while gave her to us (not because he didn't love her mind you) and she has lived with us for a little over 6 months. In those months she has given us great joy and fun and she will be dearly missed indeed.

short request

I have opened a crowd funding project to help my wife. Please take a look and share. If you can help it would be nice, if you can't no hard feelings. I don't really expect it to work but as we say in holland : if you don't shoot you never hit anything.

http://www.dreamordonate.nl/505-mobiel-met-een-aixam

To "The Wolf Pack" .....

great blog, nice introduction of the members of the Wolf pack.

Mavadelo, proud Wolfpack member :)

My "art" - a slideshow post

I like to play poker, at home with friends or online for "play money" . Because of that I have been a member of a pokersite for a while called Railbirds. Nowadays it is a site for the real money player but there was a time that play money players had a lot of fun there as well. Because of the fun there I decided to join a poker clan and started playing some small tournaments, real money but small sign up fees like 1 dollar and such.

That was real fun and after a while I decided to host some tournaments myself. In order to get players to come to my games I decided that those that won the tournament would get a "custom" table for their Full Tilt Software.  Making a custom skin was fairly easy if you know how to handle graphics software and over the months I have hosted, I made a nice selection of tables.

You can view these tables in the following slide show. Music is Cry me a river by Crystal Gale. If you play online poker yourself and want a custom table let me know what room you are playing and I will look if it is possible to make a custom skin for that software. All my work is free of charge but if you like a donation to a charity of your choice is always apreciated :D

New Day. the Night Shelter part 2

This is part 2 of a real story that starts here

New Day–Patty LaBelle

Before we started with the N.O.I.Z, when it still was just a plan, one of the issues we discussed was which people would be eligible for a job as volunteer and what we could and should offer in return.The ideal situation would be that everyone that applied would be able to get a chance but we also knew that a lot of those applications would prove to be unrealistic. We knew that there would be people among it that had the intention to really change their life around but that there would also be a lot of people that simply wouldn’t be able to make it for a number of reasons. There where the drug and alcohol addicts. These people would have the first intention to do what is needed but their addiction would come in the way. Their where the mental cases which depending on what was “wrong” with them could work very well but could also mean they could be flipping out or snapping at a moments notice. There where the young kids aged 16 to 20 who came with all the right reasons but proved to lack responsibility and so on. Getting volunteers out of this available lot would mean a lot of talking and planning.

The first days we kept running the shelter therefore with the help of the squatters, some former homeless and a few people from the other shelters, meanwhile having interviews with the candidates for a place as volunteer. The plan was as following. The homeless volunteer would work shifts at the shelter, either night or day shifts, and in return they would have their own place to live. They would be able to apply for social benefits, get a financial aid to work on debts and if needed they would get help with other problems that they might have like addictions, reconnecting with family and things like that. We had come to an agreement with the city council that all who would come work for the foundation would get a priority treatment and the social security office and that they could work while retaining benefit (In the Netherlands when you have social benefits, you can’t just go out for volunteer work, you need to have permission or risk losing your benefits)



Of course applications for volunteer work poured in and after a lot of interviews we managed to form a team of volunteers that should be able to run the shelter day and night. It consisted mainly of young people between 20 and 30 years, some of them with light addictions but nobody with major issues. This was of course on purpose since our first weeks had to be about forming a structure, drawing out the lines on how the shelter and everything involved with it should and could work. During all this time talks with the city continued and the risk of us having to leave the building always remained in the background We knew beforehand that the building we occupied would be a long shot when it comes to getting it as permanent place so part of our “demands” was that we wanted a permanent place for the shelter and a permanent solution for the housing of the volunteers.Now, if the city wants something from you they expect that you do this within a certain time frame, for example you have to fill in forms and return them within 14 days. However when you want something done from city other means of measuring time seems to come in play. Maybe they have a calendar there that misses a few days after each page or they have clocks that run at a tenth of normal speed.. I don’t know. Fact was that this all went very slow



Running a shelter will cost money, even if you run a shelter in a building that costs you nothing. Just the mornings alone needed several loafs of bread, loads of milk, coffee and tea. Thins like cheese, peanut butter and other products to put on the bread. There was the need for soap , shampoo and toothpaste. Then in the evening people of course where hungry when they walked in so there was the need for a hot meal and again loads of coffee, tea, sugar and milk and then the next day rinse and repeat.

To be able to pay for (most)  of this a small contribution was asked. I am not entirely sure anymore but I believe we asked ƒ2,50 (we still had guilders back then) for sleeping and I believe ƒ1,50 for a hot meal. Of course (especially in the starting period) if someone didn’t have the money he was still welcome. The shelter proved to be a huge success and that winter we made sure nobody had to sleep outside.



Slowly but surely winter came to an end but still there was no solid agreement with city council. this was the moment the sympathy and public opinion would probably turn from “it’s winter you can’t kick them out” to “I couldn't care less” thus giving police the opportunity to remove us from the building without to much outrage.) Luckily however we had been successful in showing that our shelter was a viable alternative for the existing shelters, that our concept of “self governing” was working and that the city was indeed better of with keeping us alive so finally, a few day before winters end , there was some result. The agreement was made that we would close down the shelter for the time being after the winter while the city would search for a suitable building for us where we could return with the shelter the following winter. Also the city agreed to keep the current group of volunteers together. This was done by putting us into a cheap hotel until more permanent housing was arranged.

Winter ended and the shelter closed down. We all went into the hotel waiting for what more would come. days became weeks and weeks became months

Then, just a few weeks before the next winter the most important issue got solved. The city could not find a suitable building for our shelter so in the end they decided to build us one. On a vacant lot near the main railroad that runs through ton, and right opposite a police station, a pre-fab building was erected. You might have seen similar buildings on building sites. They often house the on-site offices and/or lunch accommodations for the workforce. Now they got used to create a shelter complete with kitchen, showers and big living area. It had 2 rooms for the volunteers (who still didn’t had their own housing) a room for couples, one for the woman and 4 regular rooms. Each room had beds for 8 persons. There was a special luggage room that could be locked and everything else you need or want for a shelter. From then on, the N.O.I.Z was an official night shelter, accepted by the city and police, loved by our clients and cooperating with other organizations like the Salvation Army and other night shelters.



Funny thing was that working in our new location proved to be a more difficult task then in the old location. The old building we had was of such a big size, that the volunteers could have their own space when off duty. They could have a good rest and relax a little while in the new building they didn’t have that privacy. I can recall many days that I came out of a night shift just to be awake the whole day due to noises of working people in the building. This was certainly not a good situation and thus tensions rose. We have had many little crisis during that first year but amazing enough they all stayed within the group. Our clients never ha to deal with them apart from them having to wait a bit because someone had quit and a replacement had to be “called in”. I have worked many shifts that where not mine due to things of that nature.

but then at last, , we got word that housing was available. City council had found two houses near the edge of town that was perfect for us. There where enough rooms to house all volunteers and it was accessible enough to be in town quickly if people had to go to their shift (where ever and whenever these would start again). Now the contours of our new organization took shape and our promise to the volunteers that they would be able to get a new chance to get off the streets could finally be fulfilled. Now with housing for the volunteers and a building to run a night shelter we finally had what we set out to accomplish. The N.O.I.Z was running and was there to stay.

This all happened long ago but the shelter is still running strong. I have worked there myself for a good 3 years in which I almost exclusively did the night shifts. This year it will celebrate it’s 20th anniversary and I am very proud of that. The pre-fab building have gone and the shelter is now situated in a nice building near the center of town. It has merged with one of the biggest organizations in regards to social work with homeless and addicts but is still true to it’s self governing principles. Every night about 30 people sleep and eat there, every day and night a group of former homeless is doing their shifts meanwhile working towards independence and a brighter future.

As you might have seen, this all took place in a period of my life that I was also enjoying the greens and some other things like mushrooms and mdma so the timeline could be a little off target. However all events have happened in this timeframe and I have told them to the best of my recollection. I have avoided names since I take privacy very serious and there might be people that do not want to be associated with the N.O.I.Z for whatever reason they might have. This article remains subject to corrections if I encounter major errors.

Moral of my story if there is any would be that no matter what your circumstances are you have always the choice to change things around. If even a homeless can house other homeless then others should be able to help themselves and others as well.   If you are in a situation that requires action, make that choice and act. I hope you liked my story and maybe we meet again in another blog

Mavadelo

the Night Shelter–A story about turning misfortune into opportunity

A track produced and written by Pringle and Jeebase to raisefunds and awreness for the Oxford Night Shelter for homless, this track features: lewis byfield,Joseph aristide,David McMahon (Pringle) Calvin (A.G) Charlton Allen and michael hicks. this Track is availible To buy on itunes using the following link. its only £0.79 and goes to a great cause ...

Link for above song

This story starts somewhere around autumn 1994, I had a good summer behind me in which I had been playing the Djembe on the streets of Utrecht and a few weeks on the beaches of Scheveningen, a beach town near the Hague together with a good  friend (by now my best friend and brother from another mother). We had made some good money and had a lot of fun but summer had come to an ending and preparations for winter had to be made. This basically meant planning ahead where to go for a bed for the next 3 or four months. In 1994, the amount of shelter for the night was limited in Utrecht and besides that it was bound to certain rules that made it tricky to be certain of a place to sleep at night.  There was a place where you could stay 21 nights a month but you had to make sure to be there within a certain timeframe to make sure you had the spot and there was a place where you could stay for 5 days a month leaving 2 or 3  days a month without options. The total beds between the two locations was 41 beds and there was the “sick bay” from the Salvation Army but to be honest… you had to lay in front of it half dying before you had a chance of getting in. The total demand was around 90 to 100 at minimum.

Now of course not everybody wanted an inside place to sleep and my town has some excellent outside spots that are like a hotel room for us, and as long as it was summer or early autumn there was no real shortage in available beds. However as winter closed in, the demand got higher and tensions rose between the different groups in the shelter between each other and towards the social workers.Mix in with that the fact that the volunteers of the shelters where under-trained, often belittling, inconsiderate or just plane rude and you got a recipe for trouble. Now on the streets certain people draw together of course, groups are formed and there is a certain hierarchy. I had the good fortune to reside in the group of people that, though not “top dogs”, could move, talk and deal with almost all other groups. Although most of us smoked marijuana on a regular base and did mushrooms or lsd once in a while, we where also the group that always looked for ways to improve our lives.

Now word came about winter. During winter a special arrangement should come in place ensuring more beds. This system however was fairly new and implementation was always a struggle.

My bro (we weren’t “bro’s” back then mind you but he is my bro now so I will call him that for the remainder) had been involved in trying to get a sort of Union for Homeless and had asked me into some of the meetings at that time. During one of those the idea for a new kind of night shelter was born. This should not only be a night shelter for the homeless… no this should also be a night shelter by the homeless. They would be responsible for the shifts to keep the shelter running, they would be responsible for the cleaning, the cooking, the grocery’s the finances. Greeting the guests, keeping an eye out during night time, do the laundry, be on “the board” etc etc.

One night, just a few days before winter would begin, I was sitting kind of “high” in the night shelter, my bro was sitting on the other end of the room Suddenly one of the volunteers of the shelter came to me and told me there was a phone call for me. This was very odd, your typical 1994 homeless had nobody that would really could have the urge to call right?  On the phone was one of the people I had met during the meetings. It was a young man, around 25 I think. I knew he worked at the foundation that was running the night shelter as well. He asked me to come to a certain address and to come alone.

Upon arriving there where 4 people present, the young man, his girl friend, a man I knew to be a photographer and friend of bro and a man I knew to be a homeless one who also had been involved in the meetings. They told me they where making plans to actually start with the night shelter and that they wanted me among the founding group to make the board complete. Why bro wasn’t asked I don’t know and it wasn’t told to me either and to be honest, I was still a bit high, I was a bit blown away, I was confused….but also honored and excited. So I accepted.

After a long night of talking and planning, preparations began. There was of course the need for a building, there was the need for an official by notary approved foundation so we had a legal say, there was the need for beds or anything that could serve that purpose, sheets and blankets and pillows and pots and pans…. the list was endless. Besides that there was the problem of funding…..we had no money.

Pink Floyd–Money

Well, for most of the things we got help from a group of squatters. They promised us that if had a building the would have matrasses and blankets and other things, also there was a group called Emmaus who also promised to help out.And now it was only the matter of a good building. Then one night I got the call, the next morning there would be a building squatted, I got an address and instructions on what to do and the game was on.

By some means unknown to me, somebody had gotten hold on the keys of the building in question, so the actual squatting was a breeze. Someone turned the key, opened the door and the N.O.I.Z as we had called it was born. Of course, since this served a higher purpose, just squatting the place wouldn’t help us to much, if police reacted quick enough they could have us in problems or out in no time so we made sure we started up with a lot of noise  . We called the press, had banners and flags on the building and made our presence and objective known to the public in general and city council and our homeless friends in particular. N.O.I.Z stands for Nacht Opvang In Zelfbheer, it is kind of hard to translate but it comes down to something like Night Shelter In Self Government.

The place we took was an old building in the heart of the city. It was also in close proximity of a daytime center which was the alternative (and still is for many) for walking outside.It was from the 1800”s had several floors and big rooms with high ceilings.  At the back there was a huge space where an old commercial kitchen had been but all the kitchen equipment was gone. The ground floor rooms where used as “living room” for our guests, our “office”, the recreational area and the kitchen. on the first floor there where several big bedrooms the size of a good dormitory which got layered with matrasses and appointed to certain sleeping types and gender. a dormitory for those that snore, a couples dormitory, a ladies dormitory and a few men's dormitory. And there where the showers and toilets. The building used to be a refugee shelter for a while hence the kitchen in the back.

Now two things went into motion of course. In the first place we had the responsibility to run a night shelter for as much places we had to offer. Run it at least just as good if not better then the existing  ones. Negotiations with the police to make sure we could stay. Negotiations with the city council to get our intentions across and get permission to continue the project, thus being eligible to apply for financial aid. Talks with the press for I think obvious reasons. Get the public opinion behind you and you can achieve great things

All members of the founding board had their own field of operation and although I have been to meetings with the Councilor of Social affairs my involvement with the more theoretical side of it was small. My work was being the representative to the press on behalf of the homeless part of the members of the board and I had the supervision for the night shifts which meant working long nights since a lot of those shifts I worked myself. In fact in all my time that I worked for the N.O.I.Z I have worked maybe 4 evening shifts and also just a few day shifts.

Since winter means that the holidays are coming city council decided that we could stay at least till the end of winter. The still unofficial Foundation was made official by signing the needed paperwork (together with my marriage license the only time I was really proud to sign something) and the everyday business of a shelter became daily life.but that is for a next time.

so far thanks for reading

Mavadelo

Today is the day we fight back against mass surveillance

https://thedaywefightback.org/events/

Always look on the bright side of life. My story

Always look on the bright side of life

I was born on Sunday August 18 1968 in Utrecht, a mid-sized city right in the heart of the Netherlands. I was the last of 8 children in a family where the father had left just 3 months before I was born. Needles to say I was one to many for my mother and thus my first 4 years where years of hunger and neglect until I got “rescued” by child protective services and placed in an orphanage / children's home where I stayed for about 6 months until I got placed in a foster family.



I got lucky. My foster parents where kind and loving people who treated me as their own son. I got send to a good school, was a member of the boy scouts and a show band. Always enough to eat, toys to play with and after a few years even a little sister entered the picture. she was also from an orphanage although I was only in foster care while she got adopted. Not that my foster parents didn’t want to adopt me, it was just not possible at the time for several reasons.

Life was good for a while although at very young age I made some decisions I probably shouldn’t have made like starting to smoke the Mary Jane when I was 13 (and regular smoking about a year later) and starting to gamble at 15. For a long time I blamed the fact that I was a foster child for this behavior but in retrospect I can say that this was just a good excuse of course.

Then at age 15 I got the urge to find out where I came from, who my parents really where, what my sisters and brothers looked like…. well… I guess the normal questions a foster kid is asking him/herself at a certain point in life. I wish I never had done that. Yes I found my family and dang, was I in for a shocker.



Being raised in a decent Catholic family I was totally unprepared for what I met. An (in my eyes)  A-social family, uneducated, rough, a sister married to an ex-husband of my mother. Another sister married to a Muslim (not that I have anything against Muslims ), brothers that where borderline criminal (mind you, this was through the eyes of a “child” that had lived in a protective environment for the previous decade) and somehow I reacted to this in a way that was extreme.

I started to gamble even more, smoke harder stuff, I started to lie about almost everything, dropped out of school and started to wander the streets. My parents (foster.. but I always called them just parents) had no idea what to do with me and they decided that a special housing project where I could learn to handle my own affairs would be the best place for me to send and so they did.



Well… it wasn't my time to learn to be a responsible independent person yet, all I wanted was to party, have fun and do whatever I dang well pleased and thus the project was a waste of time. Both for me and that project. So after about 6 months they showed me the door and I went homeless for real for the very first time in my life.

Being homeless was awful…..the first days…until I met some street-wise people who were willing to show me the ropes. I quickly learned where to go for food, shelter and money. How to get social benefits in several places at the same time, where to find the shops that had their produce out on the street before opening hours (you had that back then, shops that had fruit, veggies and bread behind the store out in the open for me to take) and so I got a “free pass” to live my life “however I dang well pleased” I really have been extremely lucky… I never got caught and because of that I have a blank slate till this day.



I traveled several years all through the country and Europe. I have seen the sunrise on Spanish beaches, picked grapes and oranges, worked for carnivals and the circus. I slept in fancy hotels when money allowed and in haystacks when it didn't but in all my years “on the street” I maybe slept 4 weeks really on the streets. For the rest of the time there was always a place to lay my head, be it that haystack, an abandoned factory, a shelter or a shack. And above all… I always kept a positive outlook at the world.

I can tell you stories about going to bed in an old factory with a “junky” laying down next to me just to wake up with a dead person next to me, or about how several bosses kept denying me my pay for work done but that would make this article up to 4 times as long and is better kept for another occasion so let me just say that being on the streets was not all fun and games.



Fast forward to 1990, I went to Arnhem, a Dutch city near the border with Germany. A friend told me there was loads of work and in fact, he was right. I worked for a temp agency at a company that was in the business of making garbage dump sites “environmental friendly” Basically what they did was layering the ground with a sort of thick plastic that stopped the crap from sipping into the ground. Best job I ever had. We had to work from sun up to sun down but because it always was “on location” the company paid for a hotel and every day I got 25 guilders for meals. Since I did this together with that friend, we had 50 guilders and really only needed like 20 a day so in fact our boss paid for our marijuana as well. After 5 days of work we came back in Arnhem, went to our bank to collect the pay we earned the week before and then started to party until it was time to go to work again.



(yes they deserve a plug from me, You have a company in Holland in need of Technical Textile.. click the logo and check out their business)

Pink Floyd–Run Like Hell

Of course since this was a temp job it ended after a few months and since I am not a saver I ended up with nothing and on the streets again. Lucky for me I had gotten some connections in one of the coffee shops in Arnhem and they offered me a car that had no engine anymore to sleep in and after a few days they even got me a small room which I paid for by doing chores in the shop and around the house in the beginning and after I got social services I paid a small rent. Idiot that I am I fekked that up by being a bit….greedy… when it came to selling the greens (which was one of the things I had to do in the shop of course) and I had to flee (literally, don’t mess with drug dealers) Arnhem and went back to Utrecht

By now we have progressed to 1994 and we had a particular cold winter in the Netherlands and nowhere near enough sleeping places for the homeless. So me and a couple of friends decided to take things in our own hands and we squatted a place and turned it into a shelter. We did an excellent job I must say, we even made it on the mainstream news programs and since we where smart enough to do it in the Xmas season the city government didn’t dare to kick us out. It went very well, we had around 50 guests every night, we provided meals, had a sick bay and after a few weeks we made it into an official foundation with me as one of the founding members and member of “the board”. We even won two prices for volunteer organizations within our first year. I have worked there for a good 2 or 3 years until I met my current wife. I will address the shelter story more in-depth in following blog as well.



The light in my eyes, love of my live and thorn in my side my wife

When I met my wife, I had just returned from a well-earned vacation to Israel and had just started running night shifts in the shelter again. One evening a girl who was a guest with us got a “love letter” from somebody and I heard Lijda (yep.. that’s her name) sighing..”I never get love letters” . Since night shifts are kind of boring and I had nothing useful to do I figured, you know what I write you a “love letter”

In this letter I explained to her the reason I wrote it but at the end I added that although it was not my first intention.. I would not mind exploring the possibility of us getting together. Well, she didn’t mind that either and we decided to try to see. Little could I know that less than 3 months later I would go down on my knees and asked her to marry me and she would respond with yes.



Now, I stepped into the shelter project with the idea that it would bring me an easy way to have a bed and breakfast while at the same time helping some other homeless friends as well. Never it was my intention to use it as means to get of the streets indefinitely, heck..I liked that freedom and was fully planning to one day go back and re-start my traveling But you know? I follow the principle that a woman does not need to be on the streets if she is with me. The fact that I don’t mind doesn’t mean that she has to feel the same and so we decided that it was time to find a permanent solution.

Now you must understand that being homeless is like an addiction and in a way has it’s own “twelve step program”. It can be 6 or 14 steps as well but the same first step as with any addiction. “acknowledge you have a problem that you can not solve without proper help” which trails of course step 2 “seek professional help” There is nothing more difficult for an addict then to acknowledge his problem and to seek help. Most of us have a healthy distrust and dislike for “social workers”, especially those “hugger types” (in Dutch we call them goat wool sock types because they seem to wear them a lot), those people who went to social studies thinking they can change the world while they never actually met the people they going to help, think we are all piteous, can’t think for our own and are helpless in general. They often work according to “what they learned from the books” thinking they do good while actually not having a clue at all.



We found an organization that was willing to help us with our financial startup and with a little help from the N.O.I.Z (the night shelter) we where able to rent an apartment in one of the suburbs of Utrecht. This worked all very well and after 3 years of being engaged we decided to get married. Our wedding was great, we had a nice wedding dress for my wife (red) and I had a beautiful cream tuxedo (which was actually about 2 sizes to big and tightened with a safety-pin on the back side), a nice wedding cake, a great diner and a lot of guests both homeless and family. AND they mingled together very well I must say. I will never forget how my mother was dancing with “ome Kees” (Uncle Kees)  one of the most well-known among the homeless and street paper sellers in town. A woman of good upbringing dancing with a hobo…. it was awesome Unfortunately I don’t have any wedding pictures left, you will learn why.

After a few years in our new home, the organization that helped us with our finances cut us loose, we had to do it ourselves. Something I had never done before and something they didn’t learn me either. Of course this went haywire… within a few months I had a debt for rent, electricity and water and to make matters worse Lijda started to get problems with walking. These health problems got worse by the day and although the doctors searched and looked, nothing could be found. However it still got worse and worse and after about 6 months Lijda ended up in a wheelchair because even a few steps became a huge problem for her.



It soon went downhill from there and after a little while we got shut off from water and electricity. Now luckily I got a little wiser then I was before and I asked for help from a neighborhood Centre and although it was not really what they normally did they went out of their way to make sure my wife got a place in a sick bay of the Salvation army (you can’t leave a disabled wife in a house without heat, water and electricity, that’s just plain wrong) meanwhile I stayed in the house…..until they kicked me out due to the rent not being paid in time and I was homeless again.

I stayed a while in one of the shelters in Utrecht (I couldn’t go to “my own” shelter, pride got in the way ) meanwhile working with the Salvation Army to “fix” the problem. They where able to find a place for my wife with the promise that as soon as it was possible I would get a place there as well which happened about 2 months later.

While all of this was going on, my “brother from another mother” who was also a former homeless, had started “stichting straat advocaat Utrecht (Street lawyer foundation Utrecht) which had as purpose to help those homeless that had trouble with city and social services, where booted from shelters for something silly, help with income and more of those things that are completely normal for “housed” people. Since I was knowledgeable with computers I joined his organization to do some network and system admin duty’s soon followed by joining one of the projects of the foundation called “Amoras”

Amoras was bro’s initiative (actually, the N.O.I.Z was also his idea, unfortunately things happened which caused him not to be present in the founding period. The complete N.O.I.Z story and Amoras story probably will be told in another blog)



During a food festival cooking some lamb, that’s me seen on the back



Same festival, Bro showing his ribs

Amoras was all about enabling the homeless and poor to have at least a few hot meals each week. We cooked 3 times a week for about 100 people, everybody regardless of where he/she came from was welcome and the costs for them where 0. Although it wasn’t “Gordon Ramsey” food we provided good nutritious and yummy food which was well received by our guests. Basically bro was the chef since he had been send to cooking school when he was in the army, I was his sous chef and then we had 2 or 3 friends that helped us chopping veggies and doing mise en place (for those not knowing this phrase, it’s french and has nothing to do with mise or places it means making things ready). Meanwhile in the “dining room” we had some friends handing out the food , coffee and tea. We have done this for about 3 years until the city council stopped the sponsoring in favor of a Christian group that promised to invest (but never did)

Meanwhile me and my wife where living at this organization where we had our own rooms, Lijda got help with her “new” disability and we got renewed help with getting out of the financial problems. We have lived there for a good 4 years while getting back on our feet. I must say I had some good times there but I was happy when after a few years they came to us telling they had an apartment for us where we could live indefinitely. It had an elevator specially for wheelchairs, a nice balcony and best of all, it was situated right on the border of one of the biggest canals in the country. right on the edge of town but still close to everything we could need like a shopping mall, hospital and public transport.



That high-rise right on the water front is where I live and following picture is the view I have when standing on my balcony



And so we are completing this “short” version of my life. My wife and I are nearing our 15th marriage anniversary, we have become debt free and basically enjoy live. We have kind of given up on finding out what is wrong with my wife (although a recent conversation with Shaun from http://prayingforoneday.wordpress.com/ has given us some new ideas to pursuit), we have a cat, friends and are slowly getting out of this homeless surroundings. Lesson learned I have still kept my financial aid person to help me make sure all bills  and we still have food when the month is nearing it’s end. But for the rest we are on our own and doing well.

Like I said, being homeless is like an addiction and the bad part of getting clean is the following: If you have been an addict for (say) 5 years, your road to recovery takes at least 10 years. If you have been homeless for 5 years the same is true…. me and my wife have been homeless for over 15 years so logic tells us our recovery could take up to 30 years, we are not in the safe zone just yet. However… to get back to the title of this blog… Always look on the bright side of life. We have gone through hell and back, we have grown and learned. We have become older, wiser, more responsible and above all more in touch with ourselves. In the end it all comes down to choices. How do you choose to live your life and how to make it better. Even when in deep doo doo you have the choice to do something about it but maybe you need to swallow some pride and ask for help. This counts for many situations, not only for those homeless and/or addicted. Together we stand strong and with a positive outlook on life the help will be found.

Some of the things mentioned in this blog will be elaborated more in future blogs, maybe I will even tell some of the things that didn’t make it to this blog. Some events and/or persons I have left out due to the fact that privacy is a good thing and me posting things others can recognize and fit on to certain persons is something I like to avoid.

I thank you for reading this and hope to see you again for another blog, lots of love also from my wife to all that read this



Mavadelo aka Martin

The Day we fight Back Dutch Edition

 



De gewonnen strijd tegen SOPA en PIPA was een goed voorbeeld van de gezamenlijke macht van kritische internetgebruikers. Die energie wordt nu door een aantal organisaties (waaronder bijvoorbeeld de Electronic Frontier Foundation, Boing Boing en Mozilla) opnieuw aangesproken, maar nu als antwoord op massaspionage.

11 februari 2014 is daarom uitgeroepen tot The Day We Fight Back, een dag die dezelfde impact moet hebben als de SOPA Blackout Day (het is nog niet bekend of websites die dag opnieuw op zwart gaan). Het initiatief is tegelijkertijd een gebaar ter nagedachtenis van Aaron Swartz, één van de meest prominente vertegenwoordigers van de destijds gewonnen strijd tegen SOPA en PIPA.

De oproep luidt:

Beste gebruikers van het internet,

In januari 2012 versloegen we de SOPA en PIPA censuur wetgeving met het grootste Internet protest in de geschiedenis. Deze maand, een jaar geleden, is een van de leiders van die beweging, Aaron Swartz, tragisch overleden.

Vandaag staan ​​we voor een andere bedreiging, een die het internet ondermijnt, en het idee dat ieder van ons leeft in een werkelijk vrije samenleving: grootschalig onderzoek.

Als Aaron zou leven, zou hij in de frontlinies staan, vechten tegen een wereld waarin regeringen waarnemen, verzamelen, en al onze digitale acties analyseren.

Nu, aan de vooravond van de verjaardag van Aaron's overlijden, en als viering van de overwinning tegen SOPA en PIPA, die hij hielp mogelijk te maken, kondigen we een dag van protest aan tegen grootschalige controle, dit zal plaatsvinden op 11 Februari

meer info kun je vinden op https://thedaywefightback.org/

The Day We Fight Back against against mass surveillance (YOU CAN HELP)

I haven't heard anything yet regarding this here in the Netherlands but I will certainly look if something is done and ACT :)
No Government should be allowed to "rule the interwebs"

My favorite Poem

 

Desiderata (Latin: Things to be desired)

Go placidly amid the noise and haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence.
As far as possible without surrender be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even the dull and ignorant; they too have their story.
Avoid loud and aggressive persons, they are vexations to the spirit.
If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain and bitter;
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.

Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.
Keep interested in your career, however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.
Exercise caution in your business affairs; for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is; many persons strive for high ideals;
and everywhere life is full of heroism.

Be yourself.
Especially, do not feign affection.
Neither be critical about love; for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment it is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. But do not distress yourself with imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness. Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself.

You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be,
and whatever your labors and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul.
With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be careful. Strive to be happy.

____________________________________________________________________________________

I guess many people out there know this poem by now.

The common myth is that the Desiderata poem was found in a Baltimore church in 1692 and is centuries old, of unknown origin. Desiderata was in fact written around 1920 (although some say as early as 1906), and certainly copyrighted in 1927, by lawyer Max Ehrmann (1872-1945) based in Terre Haute, Indiana. The Desiderata myth began after Reverend Frederick Kates reproduced the Desiderata poem in a collection of inspirational works for his congregation in 1959 on church notepaper, headed: 'The Old St Paul's Church, Baltimore, AD 1692' (the year the church was founded). Copies of the Desiderata page were circulated among friends, and the myth grew, accelerated particularly when a copy of the erroneously attributed Desiderata was found at the bedside of deceased Democratic politician Aidlai Stevenson in 1965.

Whatever the history of Desiderata, the Ehrmann's prose is inspirational, and offers a simple positive credo for life.

 

Support your local homeless and poor

As you might understand this is a subject close to my heart.. Being a former homeless man myself I have seen and experienced these things described in above song myself.

Let me give you an example. You probably all have seen people selling street papers like the Big Issue. In my town they sell "straatnieuws" (streetnews) and I have done so myself as well. Now imagine you stand in front of your local supermarket. It is raining, you haven't slept all night, you are hungry and frankly...you smell a bit. The there comes a suit out of the store and you offer him your magazine just to be greeted by "get a job"

think about it.........

Yes.... you just got told to get a job while you are making an honest living.

 

This, amongst other things, is what the homeless people of this world hear on a daily base. I have seen homeless being send away from stores because "the customers don't like it". I have seen homeless send out of church because people felt uncomfortable when praying. I have seen homeless people been beaten up just because they found a warm AC outlet roster on a building and tried to warm themselves while some "rich kids" where walking by and thought they could "clean the streets from this filth"

Somehow we all can feel compassion when we see people getting homeless due to a natural disaster, we are eager to draw our wallets to help the people of Haiti, New Orleans or Java. But on the other hand, if we look at the homeless and poor in our own cities, we kind of assume that "they did it themselves"

Of course, there are some that are to blame themselves for becoming homeless but to be honest, that is just a fraction of the number of homeless there are around.. There are a multiple of reasons why people can become homeless. Among those are burning down of your house, divorces, unemployment, release from jail (and mind you, not everyone going to jail is a criminal), Problems with family and many more. In fact I think that if you take 100 homeless people you will have at least 90 different reasons why someone became homeless.

Now, how can you help

First, preventing homelessness

Tackling homelessness is not just about getting people off the streets. It's also about finding lasting solutions to stop people from becoming homeless in the first place.

This is a job best done in collaboration with your local government, get them to build affordable housing, get them to help small and middle sized businesses to survive economic hardships, get them to start foodbanks, get them to provide small loans. Most homeless and those about to get homeless don't need hand-outs, they need a chance!!! Give them that chance.

Other organisations important for the prevention of homelessnes are your local church, the salvation army, schools (frontline workers that can recognise those in need in an early stage) and of course social organisations that focus on preventing homelessness and helping those already homeless. Those can be helped by donations and believe me, if we all help the size of this donation doesn't matter. even a few pounds/euro's/dollars can then go a long way.

How can YOU help yourself

Buy a street paper on a regular base, did you already bought the issue of this month how about slipping the seller a coin or two. A list of most street papers around the world can be found here so check that to see if a magazine is sold in your town.

Volunteer: there are many organisations that work in this field but they all rely on donations and volunteers to do their job. Giving one day or part of a day/evening probably won't hurt most of us but can ensure the survival of these organisations, check your local volunteering office (if present)  or yellow pages for info where to go

 

Let's list all (or most)  options to help out

 

1. Understand who the homeless are - Help dispel the stereotypes about the homeless. Learn about the different reasons for homelessness, and remember, every situation is unique.
2. Educate yourself about the homeless - A homeless person may be someone who lost their job, a runaway child, or someone with a mental illness. One of the first steps in helping people is to see them as individuals and to find out what they need. Notice them; talk to them. Most are starved for attention.
3. Respect the homeless as individuals - Give the homeless people the same courtesy and respect you would accord your friends, your family, your employer. Treat them as you would wish to be treated if you needed assistance.
4. Respond with kindness - We can make quite a difference in the lives of the homeless when we respond to them, rather than ignore or dismiss them. Try a kind word and a smile.
5. Develop lists of shelters - Carry a card that lists local shelters so you can hand them out to the homeless. You can find shelters in your phone book.
6. Buy Street papers - This newspaper is sold in almost every major American and European city and is intended to help the homeless help themselves. For every paper sold, the homeless earn money to better his situation
7. Bring food - It's as simple as taking a few extra sandwiches when you go out. When you pass someone who asks for change, offer him or her something to eat. If you take a lunch, pack a little extra. When you eat at a restaurant, order something to take with you when you leave.
8. Give money - One of the most direct ways to aid the homeless is to give money. Donations to nonprofit organizations that serve the homeless go a long way.
9. Give recyclables - In localities where there is a "bottle law," collecting recyclable cans and bottles is often the only "job" available to the homeless. But it is an honest job that requires initiative. You can help by saving your recyclable bottles, cans, and newspapers and giving them to the homeless instead of taking them to a recycling center or leaving them out for collection. If you live in a larger city, you may wish to leave your recyclables outside for the homeless to pick up -- or give a bagful of cans to a homeless person in your neighborhood.
10. Donate clothing - Next time you do your spring or fall cleaning, keep an eye out for those clothes that you no longer wear. If these items are in good shape, gather them together and donate them to organizations that provide housing for the homeless.
11. Donate a bag of groceries - Load up a bag full of nonperishable groceries, and donate it to a food drive in your area. If your community doesn't have a food drive, organize one. Contact your local soup kitchens, shelters, and homeless societies and ask what kind of food donations they would like.
12. Donate toys - Children living in shelters have few possessions --if any-- including toys. Homeless parents have more urgent demands on what little money they have, such as food and clothing. So often these children have nothing to play with and little to occupy their time. You can donate toys, books, and games to family shelters to distribute to homeless children. For Christmas or Chanukah, ask your friends and co-workers to buy and wrap gifts for homeless children.
13. Volunteer at a shelter - Shelters thrive on the work of volunteers, from those who sign people in, to those who serve meals, to others who counsel the homeless on where to get social services. For the homeless, a shelter can be as little as a place to sleep out of the rain or as much as a step forward to self-sufficiency.
14. Volunteer at a soup kitchen - Soup kitchens provide one of the basics of life, nourishing meals for the homeless and other disadvantaged members of the community. Volunteers generally do much of the work, including picking up donations of food, preparing meals, serving it, and cleaning up afterward. To volunteer your services, contact you local soup kitchen, mobile food program, shelter, or religious center.
15. Volunteer your professional services - No matter what you do for a living, you can help the homeless with your on-the-job talents and skills. Those with clerical skills can train those with little skills. Doctors, psychiatrists, counselors, and dentists can treat the homeless in clinics. Lawyers can help with legal concerns. The homeless' needs are bountiful -- your time and talent won't be wasted.
16. Volunteer your hobbies - Every one of us has something we can give the homeless. Wherever our interests may lie -- cooking, repairing, gardening, and photography -- we can use them for the homeless. Through our hobbies, we can teach them useful skills, introduce them to new avocations and perhaps point them in a new direction.
17. Volunteer for follow-up programs - Some homeless people, particularly those who have been on the street for a while, may need help with fundamental tasks such as paying bills, balancing a household budget, or cleaning. Follow-up programs to give the formerly homeless further advice, counseling, and other services need volunteers.
18. Tutor homeless children - A tutor can make all the difference. Just having adult attention can spur children to do their best. Many programs exist in shelters, transitional housing programs, and schools that require interested volunteers. Or begin you own tutor volunteer corps at your local shelter. It takes nothing more than a little time.
19. Take homeless children on trips - Frequently, the only environment a homeless child knows is that of the street, shelters, or other transitory housing. Outside of school -- if they attend -- these children have little exposure to many of the simple pleasures that most kids have. Volunteer at your local family shelter to take children skating or to an aquarium on the weekend.
20. Volunteer at battered women's shelter - Most battered women are involved in relationships with abusive husbands or other family members. Lacking resources and afraid of being found by their abusers, many may have no recourse other than a shelter or life on the streets once they leave home. Volunteers handle shelter hotlines, pick up abused women and their children when they call, keep house, and offer counseling. Call your local shelter for battered women to see how you can help.
21. Teach about the homeless - If you do volunteer work with the homeless, you can become an enthusiast and extend your enthusiasm to others. You can infect others with your own sense of devotion by writing letters to the editor of your local paper and by pressing housing issues at election time.
22. Publish shelter information - Despite all of our efforts to spread the word about shelters, it is surprising how many people are unaware of their own local shelters. Contact your local newspapers, church or synagogue bulletins, or civic group's newsletters about the possibility of running a weekly or monthly listing of area services available to the homeless. This could include each organization's particular needs for volunteers, food, and other donations.
23. Educate your children about the homeless - Help your children to see the homeless as people. If you do volunteer work, take your sons and daughters along so they can meet with homeless people and see what can be done to help them. Volunteer as a family in a soup kitchen or shelter. Suggest that they sort through the toys, books, and clothes they no longer use and donate them to organizations that assist the poor.
24. Sign up your company/school - Ask your company or school to host fund-raising events, such as raffles or craft sales and donate the proceeds to nonprofit organizations that aid the homeless. You can also ask your company or school to match whatever funds you and your co-workers or friends can raise to help the homeless.
25. Recruit local business - One of the easiest ways to involve local businesses is to organize food and/or clothing drives. Contact local organizations to find out what is needed, approach local grocery or clothing shops about setting up containers on their premises in which people can drop off donations, ask local businesses to donate goods to the drive, and publicize the drive by placing announcements in local papers and on community bulletin boards and by posting signs and posters around your neighborhood.
26. Create lists of needed donations - Call all the organizations in your community that aid the homeless and ask them what supplies they need on a regular basis. Make a list for each organization, along with its address, telephone number, and the name of a contact person. Then mail these lists to community organizations that may wish to help with donations -- every place from religious centers to children's organizations such as Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts.
27. Play with children in a shelter - Many children in shelters are cut off from others their own age. Shuffled from place to place, sometimes these kids don't attend school on a regular basis, and have no contact with other kids. Bring a little joy to their lives by taking your children to a local shelter to play. Plan activities such as coloring, playing with dolls, or building model cars (take along whatever toys you'll need). Your own children will benefit too.
28. Employ the homeless - Help Wanted - General Office Work. Welfare recipient, parolee, ex-addict OK. Good salary, benefits. Will train. That's the way Wildcat Service Corporations Supported Work Program invites the "unemployable" to learn to work and the program works! More than half the people who sign on find permanent, well-paying jobs, often in maintenance, construction, clerical, or security work.
29. Help the homeless apply for aid - Governmental aid is available for homeless people, but many may not know where to find it or how to apply. Since they don't have a mailing address, governmental agencies may not be able to reach them. You can help by directing the homeless to intermediaries, such as homeless organizations, that let them know what aid is available and help them to apply for it. If you want to be an advocate or intermediary for the homeless yourself, you can contact these organizations as well.
30. Stand up for the civil rights of the homeless - In recent elections, for example, volunteers at shelters and elsewhere helped homeless people register to vote . . . even though they had "no fixed address" at the moment. Some officials would not permit citizens without a permanent address to vote.
31. Join Habitat for Humanity or other comparable organisations- This Christian housing ministry builds houses for families in danger of becoming homeless. Volunteers from the community and Habitat homeowners erect the houses. Funding is through donations from churches, corporations, foundations, and individuals.
32. Form a transitional housing program - One of the most potent homeless-prevention services a community can offer residents who are in danger of eviction is a transitional housing program. These programs help people hang on to their current residences or assist them in finding more affordable ones. The methods include steering people to appropriate social service and community agencies, helping them move out of shelters, and providing funds for rent, mortgage payments, and utilities. For information, contact the Homelessness Information Exchange at (202) 462-7551.
33. Write to corporations - Some of the largest corporations in America have joined the battle for low-income housing. Through the use of the tax credit or by outright grants, they are participating with federal and state government, not-for-profit and community-based groups to build desperately needed housing in Chicago, Cleveland, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, and dozens of other cities. Contact various organizations and ask them what they are doing.
34. Contact your government representatives - Our legislators rarely receive more than three visits or ten letters about any subject. When the numbers exceed that amount, they sit up and take note. Personal visits are the most potent. Letters are next; telephone calls are third best. Housing issues don't come up that often, so your public officials will listen.
35. Push for state homelessness prevention programs - While states routinely supply aid for the poor and homeless, many do not have programs provide funds and other services to those who will lose their homes in the immediate future unless something is done. Homelessness comes at great financial and human cost to the families who are evicted or foreclosed.

thanks to justgive.org for providing this neat ordered list of ways to help.

 

I kindly thank all of you for reading my blog and I hope this has given you the inspiration to help out to the best of your personal abilities, don't think I can't...think "what are my options" and act. Not just during the winter months and/or holiday season, the homeless and poor need help all year round

 

With Love

Mavadelo

Psychologist For Teen Drunk Driver Who Killed 4 And Got No Jail Time Defends 'Affluenza' Diagnosis - SFGate

Psychologist For Teen Drunk Driver Who Killed 4 And Got No Jail Time Defends 'Affluenza' Diagnosis - SFGate. a followup for my previous post

Affluenza or the madness of the elite

http://edition.cnn.com/2014/02/05/us/texas-affluenza-teen/

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/feb/06/texas-teenager-affluenza-escapes-jail-second-time

(story taken from second website)

The world (or at least part of it) has gone mad.

A Texas teenager who avoided prison after a psychologist described him as suffering from "affluenza" has been ordered by a judge to attend an undisclosed rehabilitation facility.

Ethan Couch was given ten years' probation last December for killing four people and seriously injuring two while driving drunk. On Wednesday, district judge Jean Boyd again did not issue any jail timeand assigned him to the centre in a court hearing that was closed to the media.

The sentence handed out by Boyd last year outraged the victims' families and the case attracted national attention after a psychologist called by the defence testified that the teenager had "affluenza", indicating that his behavioural problems were influenced by a troubled upbringing in a wealthy family where privilege prevented him from grasping the consequences of his actions.

Critics said the outcome was an egregious example of a justice system that treats the rich and the poor differently.

A statement from the Tarrant County district attorney's office said that the judge "ordered the teen be placed in a lock-down residential treatment facility, where he will remain for an undisclosed period. She ordered his parents to pay for the cost of his treatment."

As a condition of his probation, the teen is not allowed to drive and must refrain from any alcohol and drug use, among other things. If he violates any condition of his probation over the next ten years, he could be sentenced to up to ten years behind bars."

Prosecutors had originally asked Boyd to sentence Couch to 20 years' detention, while his lawyers recommended his parents pay for him to seek therapy at a $450,000-a-year rehabilitation facility in California.

Wednesday's hearing was scheduled after prosecutors once more tried to argue he should go to prison, this time as punishment for charges related to the two injured people.

Couch, from Keller, near Fort Worth, admitted four counts of intoxication manslaughter. He was speeding last June when he lost control of his Ford F-350 pick-up truck, swerved off a suburban road and ploughed at up to 70 mph into a group of people who were helping Breanna Mitchell, whose car had broken down.

Mitchell, a youth pastor named Brian Jennings, Hollie Boyles, and her daughter, Shelby, were killed.

Couch had seven passengers. Two were riding in the bed of the truck and were seriously injured. One is paralysed and unable to speak. The other suffered broken bones and internal injuries.

Lawsuits seeking damages from Couch and his family have been filed by several of the victims' relatives.

Aged 16 at the time, Couch's blood alcohol level was three times the adult legal limit and there were traces of Valium and other drugs in his system, according to prosecutors, who said the group had stolen beer from a Walmart.

"Money always seems to keep [him] out of trouble. Ultimately today, I felt that money did prevail," Eric Boyles, husband to Hollie and father of Shelby, told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram after the trial.

The psychologist, G Dick Miller, told CNN he wished he "hadn't used that term. Everyone seems to have hooked on to it. We used to call these people spoiled brats."

"Affluenza" is not a condition recognised by the American Psychiatric Association. The term was coined as far back as the 1950s andpopularised in the late 1990s, when it referred to the stress caused by obsessive consumerism.

Last month, Mike Gatto, a California assemblyman, proposed a bill banning the "affluenza defence" from being used in the state's courts. "I just think it really is one of those times where unless we're proactive it could become something that's far more common," he said.

___________________________________________________________________________

Really?? Because he is from a rich family he doesn't grasp the consequenses of his actions? Will this be the new "rich protecting the rich" defence? This kid should have gone to jail the first time. And to be honest, this judge should be fired asap.

I have been homeless so "naturally I do not grasp the concept of me not being allowed inside our home and thus I should not be send to jail if I get arrested for breaking in" right???

Giveawayoftheday: 1-abc.net Password Organizer 7

In these days, everyone has many different passwords, to login to a messenger or an e-mail account, security codes for online banking, PINs for his telephone and so on. 1-abc.net Password Organizer allows you to organize all your passwords and login data, you only have to remember your master password. It also allows you to generate passwords on a random base that nobody would think about.

If you want to have fast access to your password data, there are also many useful features inside this program: you can define a path that should be executed just with one click which could be an executable file or your favourite program for example. You can also enter a website here, which would make sense if you would like to login to any password protected online service like eBay or Twitter. And if you do not want to copy and paste your data each time you need it, you can also use global hotkeys for it.

http://www.giveawayoftheday.com/1-abc-net-password-organizer-7/

 

This giveaway is valid only today. Free alternative is LastPass

 

Good Morning Music: Candy Dulfer - My Funk

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=waoUychgyXs&w=560&h=315]

live at '30. Leverkusener Jazztage' 2009/11/12
broadcast by WDR Rockpalast 2010/02/21
written by Thomas Bank / Candy Dulfer / Pete Philly
Musicians:
Candy Dulfer (saxophone / vocals)
Jan Van Duikeren (trumpet)
Arjen Mooijer (keyboards)
Chance Howard (keyboards / vocals)
Ulco Bed (guitar)
Manuel Hugas (bass)
Kirk A. Johnson (drums)
Leona Philippo (vocals)

 

About Candy Dulfer

Candy Dulfer is a woman that can blow some serious sax. She was born on September 19, 1969 in The Netherlands, and is the daughter of sax legend Hans Dulfer. Thanks to him, she studied the works of many other jazz legends and learned the craft. At the age of 12, she played with Rosa King, who she has thanked for "showing her the way". It wasn't too long after that when she formed her own band called Funky Stuff, whom Madonna requested for back up on her European tours. But if there are two people she is really thankful for her getting her a break in the music business, it would be Prince and Dave Stewart. Prince had made her the center of attention for his video "Partyman" (she played a solo in the video), and she played backup on another one of his albums. Dave Stewart recruited her to play sax on the title tune for the Dutch Film, _Lily Was Here (1989)_. This lead to a record deal with Arista, and her debut album, 'Saxuality' (on which the tune Lily Was Here is featured along with a remix of the song by DNA). The album was a hit among the "smooth jazz" crowd. She continued in 1993 by releasing her second 'Sax-A-Go-Go'. The album featured a song written by Prince, along with remakes of other tunes. After this, Candy went back to The Netherlands to release the album, 'Big Girl' in 1996. Her next album, 'For The Love Of You' followed in 1997 in which she showed her versatility by singing on a few of the tracks. In 1999, she released 'What Does It Take'. The album got critical praise and many said it rivals Saxuality as one of her best. 'Right In My Soul' was released in 2003, on which she also sings. Candy continues to have a huge fan base in The Netherlands and Europe, while having a loyal following in the United States (which includes former president Bill Clinton).

Shaun's Life And Times Chat Radio Show - Help me...

good blogger, nice chap. listen in when he starts and give him a shout :D

Anonymous message to the World - 2014

reblog from http://prayingforoneday.wordpress.com/2014/02/05/anonymous-message-to-the-world-2014/

The scapegoat called NSA.. blatant lies of Dutch Minister of internal affairs

Hi

We all know the facts as presented by Edward "hero of the people" Snowden. The NSA is listening to our calls, reading our mails and watching our text messages.

On October 30 2013 there was an interview on the main Dutch news program "Nieuwsuur" with minister Ronald Plasterk from Internal Affairs.

http://nieuwsuur.nl/video/569130-plasterk-over-de-nsa-en-afluisteren.html

At a certain point you will see him waving with a paper and you will hear him say "unclassified". He is telling there that the paper is from the NSA and that it basically confirms that they are collecting "meta data" . The announcer then asks if it is about the 1,8 million tapped calls in December of 2012 and he responds " yeah yeah...it is more in general that they have tapped calls" the interviewer then asks how the official reaction will be and if the minister already knew about this which is followed by "well...they should respect our laws of course and no I didn't know about it". He continues about how it is not acceptable to spy on your allies or their citizens and how "upset" he is about it.

Fast forward towards yesterday. A letter was send by this same minister to the Second Chamber (our senate / house of commons) informing them that it was NOT the NSA that was collecting this data but our own "NSA" called the AIVD/MIVD. First responsible person for this organisation.....minister Ronald Plasterk and it was not only collecting but actively sharing it with the NSA.

basically this person



lied to these persons



using this person and his organisation



as



Watch out, your government might be lying to you while blaming an easy target (NSA)  because...well...who doesn't believe that nowadays

so watch out because

Giveawayoftheday (KooRaRoo Media 2.3.0.0)

Hi all.

I go to a site (basically)  everyday that has free software for you to download and "try". The site is called giveawayoftheday (hereafter called GOTD) and it offers a fresh piece of software everyday.

How does it work.                                                                                                                             Every day at  8 am GMT (9am GMT+1, midnight for PST timezone) the new software will be posted on http://www.giveawayoftheday (you might be redirected to a localised page if your in non english countries like Germany or the Netherlands) and you will have 24 hours to download and register the software. This software is YOURS to keep and in most cases it is a lifetime license however some developers opt for a subscription based license (for example Iobit will regular give out a half year license for their Advanced System Care pro)

there are a few rules which are posted clearly on their website but I will post them here as well. 1) No free technical support; 2) No free upgrades to future versions; 3) Strictly personal usage.

Todays offering is KooRaRoo 2.3.0.0

KooRaRoo Media is a DLNA server and media organizer that allows you to stream your video, music and photo files to all DLNA devices on your home network, including TVs, BluRay players, home theater systems, audio-video receivers, games consoles, media players, tablets and smart phones. KooRaRoo has on-the-fly transcoding to automatically convert files that are not compatible with your device, based on device-specific profiles that are fined-tuned for your specific device. Also includes extensive parental controls to limit media delivered to certain devices.

Extensive organizing features include a variety of automatic and manual playlists as well as total freedom in rearranging the layout of your media library. Supports multiple video and audio streams per file as well as your preferred audio language. Allows playback of backed up DVD disks as a single movie. Supports external, embedded and burned-in subtitles. Many more features!



You can go to the giveaway site by clicking the following link

http://www.giveawayoftheday.com/kooraroomedia/

If I find out how to do it I will place a ticker on the sidebar so you will see the daily software deal right away every day :) have fun with it

p.s All software you download fro GOTD is legal software and always checked that there are no viruses, adware and/or spyware. However they use a protection program called Themidaa, this might trigger your AV software. the software hwowever is completely safe to use. If a serial is provided in the readme that comes with the zip file more often then not it can be used to register the trial download from the official website. Always keep in mind that trial software comes with bloatware like opencandy so be careful when installing and remove checkmarks to avoid aving a my conduit bar or opencandy pop ups