Madness

Hello Everyone,

Evelyn here,

I have come to believe that there is a madness in the neighborhood and that some people just can not stop themselves from creating their own pain by doing just the things to insure that they are unhappy. 

I believe that they are unhappy because they are far from God and His holy words.  This is sad to say, but I have lost many of the words needed to pray for them.  So, this short prayer is all I have to often them.

"Dear Lord, find the hearts of those in pain and lead them to your holy scriptures and your loving embrace. Rid them of the madness that drives them to insensible acts, which can only brings them more pain. Teach them the value of repentant and the grace of forgiveness. Amen

Evelyn out.

LEGISLATIVE UPDATE

Hello everyone,

 

Evelyn here,

 

Below are two exerts from the Attorney General's newsletter News Briefs –AG News. The first deals with a recent law to strengthen protection for those in domestic violence shelters and the second deals a new bill that makes it a crime give false information to law in enforcement investigators. At the end, I have went out on the limb and added two comments of my own. However, there are probably people who know me that might believe I live on that perpetual limb, so adding my voice to this would not seem strange to them.

 

***********

March 24, 2006 - Volume 4, Issue 12:

 

LEGISLATIVE UPDATE

 

Safe Shelter - The House Future of Florida’s Families Committee

approved HB 761 on March 22. This bill enhances penalties for those

who trespass or enter dwellings that are domestic violence shelters.

The bill is sponsored by Rep. Jennifer Carroll and co-sponsored by

Rep. Aaron Bean.

 

False Witness - The House Criminal Justice Committee approved HB 919

on March 22. This bill would make it a crime to provide false

information to investigators looking into felonies or missing persons

and is sponsored by Rep. Michael Grant and Rep. Charles Dean.

 

************

 

I have always been of the opinion that these two laws should have been in place decades ago.

 

Looking at this brief on HB 761, I believe that the laws governing neighborhood disputes that results in harassment and/or acts of violence should be strengthen to protect the victim. Moreover, I believe that there should be stronger in-depth investigations into

perpetrator(s) named in the dispute to protect the victim(s) from further and/or future harm reporting. Too often, the opposite is true.

 

As for HB 919, I believe that this law could be expanded make it a crime for to a group of citizens to knowingly provide false information to a reporting and/or patrolling officer who answers a call about a illegal drug sell in a neighborhood, theft of mail, willful destruction of private property, and illegal trespassing and entering of private dwellings.

 

Evelyn out.

 

 

A Message from Attorney General Charlie Crist

Hello everyone,

Evelyn here,

Below is an exert from the AG's Newsletters.  From time to time I will post exerts Attorney General's newsletter when they fit the guidelines of this blog.  This particular article relate the story of Brandon Silveria and hazards of teens drinking and driving.

************************

A Message from Attorney General Charlie Crist

All across Florida this month, high school and college students are
enjoying the annual ritual of Spring Break. The week-long hiatus in
the middle of a semester presents teens and young adults with many
opportunities, and many choices.

Unfortunately, some of those choices - the wrong kind of choices - can
have a lifetime of consequences.

Earlier this week I was in Jacksonville, where I joined several
hundred high school students to hear from a young man who knows
first-hand the devastating effects that can linger long after a single
bad choice.

His name is Brandon Silveria, and he was a typical teenager living a
good life with his father, Tony, in Los Gatos, California. Brandon was
a football player, active on his high school rowing team, and had a
girlfriend, a job and a promising future.

All that changed one fateful night, when he chose to drive home after
having a couple of beers at a party. That poor choice nearly cost
Brandon his life and forced him to endure years of difficult
rehabilitation, and he will never be the same.

Showing a resilience and determination far beyond his years, Brandon
has turned his personal tragedy into a campaign to prevent other young
drivers from repeating his life-altering mistake. Brandon and Tony
Silveria now travel the country spreading a message focusing on proper
choices, resisting peer pressure and coping personal tragedy. They
have spoken to almost 3 million students across the nation.

Through the efforts of the Century Council, Brandon and Tony were able
to share their message with students at Episcopal High School in
Jacksonville. If even one student in the audience takes this message
to heart, who can measure the value of the life that might be saved?

Sadly - but not surprisingly - young drivers are the ones most likely
to be involved in crashes . . . especially if alcohol is involved. In
2004 (the last year for which statistics are available), more than
16,000 drinking drivers were involved in crashes in Florida, with 771
of them including fatalities. Although drivers between the ages of 15
and 24 make up just 13 percent of all licensed drivers in Florida,
they represent 29 percent of drinking drivers involved in fatal
crashes.

The message is clear: Young drivers are far more likely to make bad
choices, especially when it comes to mixing alcohol and driving. With
Spring Break still going on in some school districts and the prom
season just around the corner, it is vitally important for teens and
young adults to be encouraged, persuaded or warned into making the
best decisions possible.

Their lives, literally, may depend on it.

Charlie Crist

*******************************

Evelyn out.

MONK

Hello everyone,

Evelyn here,

Some time back, I overheard members of my parish talking about a television show on the USA Studios Network, called Monk. Not having seen the show, I thought the series was about a clerical monk turned detective, and it sparked my interest so I decide to watch the show one evening. 

I caught a marathon of the show and discovered that it was about a detective named Monk but that he has never been a monk. Go figure, I heard of it in church and I had a modern day Brother Cadfael in mind. Brother Cadfael was a 12th century fictional monk created by the late author Ellis Peters. The Cadfael stories are a great read, if you can find them. Nevertheless, I was not disappointed in the show Monk. 

I was immediately caught up in Monk and his hypochondriac personality. As I laughed my way thorough several of the marathon reruns, I thought to myself that this guy is worst than Colombo, but by some miraculous means he solves the case, catches his man or woman all while risking life and limb in a germ riddled world.

Recently, I learned that Monk is on Friday nights at 10 PM ET. I like this show and recommend it to everyone who likes playing arm chair detective and having lots of laughs doing it.

Evelyn out.

A Little Nickel Bag - Conclusion

Hello Everyone,

Evelyn here,

Below is the conclusion to"A Little Nickel Bag" the Story of Doris. I have not written this narrative to exploit the sadness and death of an old friend.  I wrote it because I am genuinely upset by the rise in illegal drug use that is present in my area and so close to my home.  I truly hope this will be helpful in stopping someone from starting on Doris' tragic path or help someone who is on that path turn away from it.

***************

Near the end, I believed that Carl attempted to get her off the drugs, and another friend said that he told her that he would leave his wife and come back to her if she stopped using. Whether she believed him or not no one really knows because whatever he said or attempted to do to help did not make difference. Doris had become a true addict. She was driven to seek more and more of the drugs, and she paid less and less attention to her other needs and that of her children.

 

Time seemed to past by quickly but it was maybe another year but Doris worsened and finally died of an overdose. She was found dead with the three girls with her. She had been dead at least a day or more. Carl did get children in the end. When I heard the news of her death, I was shocked because she was so young and applauded because that truth about consequences drug addiction became a reality and no one a textbook read.

 

 Doris lost it all. All her dreams, her children, and the man she once fought in the street with another woman for. However, it was her addiction to illegal drugs that killed her in the end. To this day, I have never forgotten her. She dies not because Carl walked away from her, even tough he played a large part in her unhappiness. Doris paid an awful price for her drug use.

 

Today, that little nickel bag of the late 60’s might cost more now and I do not want to know, but the cost is a human life should still be priceless. The pullers do not see you, your family, my family, or me in the same light as we see each other. They only see green.

 

Since years since Doris death, I have worked as a nurse and sometimes with drug abusers and although their stories vary, their pain is similar.

 

Today, I am a former nurse, but the problem with illegal drugs and those who sell them and/or use them has only grown. From what I have seen, the sellers are younger and have less concern for the dangers they bring into their lives and their neighbors lives. 

 

The Doris’ of this world are never forgotten.

 

March 09, 2006

****************

 

I have changed the names of the people who were involved in this story to protect the innocence.

 

Below isa link to the Drug Action Network with has several other links that I feel might be helpful to people who have a problem with illegal drug sells in their neighborhoods.

 

http://drugactionnetwork.com/kids/

 

Update: Here is a link to The Florida Alliance for Drug Endangered Children (Florida DEC)

 

http://floridadec.org/

 

Evelyn out!

 

Indy Is BacK! Well Almost...

Hello again,

Evely here.

Below is a quote taken from today's TV Guide.Com Entertainment News. It is about the making of a fourth installment of the Indiana Jones' movies.  I am a great Indy fan, and I wish  more movies in this genre were made of the same quality, which were fast, fun and, totally adventurous.

*****************

"ALL I HAVE TO SAY IS "HURRY": Harrison Ford is, like, totally Indiana Jonesing to do another Raiders of the Lost Ark follow-up. "Steven Spielberg and I now have a script in hand that we both like," the actor tells a German magazine. "I believe that we can start with the filming soon." The working title: "Indiana Jones and the Perils of Medicare."

***********************

For the full article by Matt Webb Mitovich, click the link below.  http://www.tvguide.com/News/Entertainment/

Evelyn out.

 

Even Rocks Pray

Hello everyone,

Evelyn here,

The above picture is really, really cool.  It was sent to me by my friends on the job.  Thank girls! You're great group to work with.

Enlarge the picture and tilt your hear to the left.  I saw it without tilting. The picture is truly amazing and beautiful.

Evelyn out!

A Little Nickel Bag: Installment Two

Hello everyone,

 

Evelyn here,

 

Below is today's installment of “A Little Nickel Bag”.

 

 

 

Regardless of the personal cost, many people have and do get involve with illegal drugs do for various reasons, and Doris reasons appeared obvious to everyone who knew her. She was following Carl. If doing drugs brought her closer to him, then she did it. It was a crazy and baseless reason, but it is true. She wanted Carl, and I think at one time, they had truly loved each other. We all thoughts that they would one day marry.

 

They probably would have if Carl had not been the player with more than one female companion. Doris knew these other women, and I think the knowing broke her heart. I know that it broke my heart about her. She knew she was not the only woman in his life. Yet, she clung to him and the clung to hope that he would change and marry her. They came close once, but they broke up. It was not hard to guest why.

 

During the time they were separated, Doris did wonders for herself and her children. We all believed she had finally ended it with Carl and would never go back to him. She was out the relationship for more than a year, and then she met someone new and married the guy. The marriage did not last long because for reasons no one knew she started seeing Carl again. In addition, Carl was now into the drug scene.

 

Carl was using drugs and selling a little on the side, which made it easy for Doris to get hold of the stuff easily. When we saw them together we could hardly recognized them because they did not look like the same people or act like the same people.  I started avoiding them because they would not listen to anyone about dropping the habit. I could not help avoiding them because I thought what they were doing was wasteful, and I guess I have not changed much in that line of thought.

 

Sometime lately, a year or more, Carl stopped using; Doris did not seem to have the will to do it to follow him anymore. He went through rehab, she tried and failed. They separated.

 

Time went by, and Carl continued to work on cleansing himself of the drugs, and met another woman, Sara. She was the total opposite of Doris. Sara was strong and independent and had a family with money. She was also educated and helped Carl pull himself together. He was a changed man after meeting Sara, and I think he loved her because they married in no time at all.

 

Nevertheless, things only worsen for Doris she was still hooked on whatever drugs she was taking, and her dependence on Carl grew worst, he seldom saw her and only did so because of their three small children. Carl did take care of them. Doris did try again to clean herself up when he tried to legally get the children. She did not want him to have them, and it was an on going battle that she lost because she could not stay off the drugs for long periods.

 

To continues …

 

Evelyn out.

National Women History Month

Hello everyone,

Evelyn here,

March is Women History month and below is a link to some 300 encreible women in history.  Enjoy!

http://www.britannica.com/women

Evelyn out.

 

A Little Nickel Bag

Hello everyone,

Evelyn here,

I am distressed of late by a problem that has affected my neighborhood, as I am sure it is a problem in several other neighborhoods in this city. I am particularly distressed and concerned about its rapid growth on street up and on the corner from me. This problem is the use and sell of illegal drugs such as marijuana.

The sell and abuse of this drug is not an unreported occurrence, but its sell has been very hard to rid of, and each time I see the young men on the streets along side cars and smell of it on the street, I am reminded of what such habit cost someone I once knew.

The following narrative is based on a true event that happened more than thirty years ago and will take up a few entries over the next week or two. I have changed the names of those once involved and those still living. However, I feel strongly that this is a story that must be told because those who are selling illegal drugs today are no different from those who sold it thirty years ago. They neither care about the people they sell the drugs to, nor of the many lives that are either damaged or lost for their illicit profit. In addition, many are made victims of their illegal trafficking of these drugs and those who tried to rid of the drugs from the streets are victimized, but I am tired of being a victim. So, I write this in the hope that someone will help clear our streets outlawed business.

 As a former psychiatric nurse, I hope that after  read this narrative in its entirety that it is of help some readers to think twice before taken the illegal drug.  Just follow the entries below.

A Little Nickel Bag

A Little Nickel Bag

by

Evelyn F. Altheimer-Fain

 

That is how it started, just a little nickel bag of marijuana. She did not want to die. I do not believe that anyone who cannot kick the illegal drug habit ever wants to die of an overdose, but unfortunately it happen to her. She was barely twenty. All of us were very young back then, but she was always different. We (the ones she left behind) believed it was because she loved the wrong man. That is not news, and regrettably, what she did to keep his love cost her everything, including her life.

 

Out of respect for her families still living, I will name her Doris. She was a beautiful dark skinned Africa-American woman, barely in her twenties as were most of us. We loved her because she appeared to have it all together.

 

I cannot say that we were the best of friends because there was that bit of envy and rivalry that two women sometimes carry toward each other when both are young and attractive. We got alone simply because we did not let those emotions overwhelm us. Still, we were not the type of friends who went shopping together each week or sat watching the soaps. 

A Little Nickel Bag

A Little Nickel Bag entry 2

 

The drug abuse was not something that was immediate in her relationship with Carl (not his real name). The drugs in her life were something she got into because he was doing it, and since she loved him, she did as he did, and followed his into Hell.

 

Back then, illegal drug uses was not a new phenomenon, but it was not an open topic at the table. Fortunately, I was among one of the first groups of teens in my high school the get a formal anti-drug education that was thorough enough to open the eyes of any high school student of the late 60’s. 

 

When Doris came into my life, the drug scene was full with young people using, losing, and dying for it. There were various kinds of drugs with various names such as cocaine, heroin, Mescaline, crack , uppers, downers and  other acids, which I had heard about but do not remember their names. Nevertheless, it is thought that those who became addicted to harsher drugs started by smoking the subtle little plant marijuana.

 

To continue …

 

Evelyn out.

What A Week!

Hello Everyone,

Evelyn here,

and what a week, in deed.  I do not want anyone to think that once the JMT's concert at our parish was over that I stop my activities in any way. In truth, I have been very busy. The "Rite of Election" mass was held this past Sunday, which was the first Sunday of Lent and prior to it, I went the rehearsals for it.

We sang at 2 PM and 4 PM for all the new elects, and I want you to know that I was extremely excited and overjoyed about the hold thing because it was my first time singing at the St Jude, our cathethdel. One of our members recorded us and we sound like angels or at least I felt that we were the quality of professional singers that day.

Beginning March 19, 2006, we start again with rehearsal for the Chrism Mass, and I still sing the Contemporary choir and the Traditional choir at Blessed Trinity. So, for me it is rehearsal, rehearsal and more rehearsal without a complaint from me.

Although I am still dealing with some matters less than tasteful to my thinking, such as someone stopping into the far left lane on 34th street South after blindly pulling out in front of me, seeking the reimbursement for the overdraft from Enterprise, and keep less than stable persons out of my email, I am holding my own, and I believe God will see me through these trouble times. 

 

Lunch Break

Hello everyone, Evelyn here,

Yes, I here in the middle of the day.  Actually it's my lunch break and I drove home to check on the delivery of a package I have been expecting for a week now.  Not here but I expect it soon. 

I really want to say something about Spammers.  I have no idea how these guys get email addresses, but I was amazed that someone who I suspect was a spammers emailed mailed me about a propose deal, he claimed to be from Africa. However, I do not know or care if it was true. I spammed the email without reading any further.  I told some co-workers about the email and low and behold I hear on 90.5 Spirit FM radio news that someone claiming the be form South Africa was spamming and had spammed someone in California.

Though I did not read the entire email, felt fortunate to have spammed it.  nevertheless, now I have a someone sending me email that is dirt.  I spammed it also.

Be careful out there.

Evelyn out!

More on Domestic Violence's Ugly Face

Hello everyone,

Evelyn here,

Below is another letter to Dear Abby on the subject of domestic violence.   The letter points out that domestic violence is horrendous and demeaning act forced upon another person, and that thousands lose loved ones to this detestable act each year. The letter also subjects that domestic violence can be stopped by teens, but as it stand now, many teens are victims of physically, sexually or verbally abused and many know their abusers who sometimes gain the confidences of troubled teens by appears as a friend. 

To learn more about this horrendous act and how to end this ugly circle read the article below.

__________________________________________________________________

Breaking Cycle of Abuse Must Start with Our Youth

By Abigail Van Buren

 

Sun Feb 26, 8:17 PM ET

 

DEAR ABBY: Your recent letters regarding domestic violence bring important attention to the dangers of this problem. Unfortunately, every year thousands of Americans lose loved ones to this terrible epidemic, and most are left wondering what they could have done to prevent it.

 

Too often we assume that violence happens only to other people -- people of a different race or culture, people who live in a different community, or people in a different type of relationship. But domestic violence does not discriminate. It can touch everyone -- through friends, co-workers and family members who are suffering silently without our even knowing it. Many of us also know abusers -- people who may seem charming and likable on the surface but cause fear, self-doubt, pain, even death, to those they claim to love.

 

Recent studies show that as many as one-third of teens experience abuse in a dating relationship. And, more than half of teens say they know friends who have been physically,sexually or verbally abused. The need for early intervention to change these shocking statistics is clear.

 

We must reach out to youth and talk openly and often about these issues so we can help them to avoid the terrible sorrow felt by families and others who are victims of abuse. Each of us has the right to a safe and healthy relationship free from violence, coercion and fear. -- JESSICA ARONOFF, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, BREAK THE CYCLE

 

DEAR JESSICA: Thank you for an important letter. I hope it grabs the attention it deserves from teens and their parents. Your statement that as many as one-third of teenagers experience abuse in a dating relationship, and more than half of them have friends who have been physically, sexually or emotionally abused, will shock many people, I am sure.

 

Readers, Break the Cycle provides domestic violence education, information and help to students ages 12 to 24 throughout the country. It teaches what healthy relationships are and helps them to recognize the warning signs of abuse. Break the Cycle lets them know that help is available if they are suffering or in danger, and shows them that they deserve safe, supportive, non-violent relationships.

 

There are opportunities for interested people to help in this endeavor. To find out more about this worthwhile program, log onto www.breakthecycle.org, or call toll-free at 1-888-988-8336 (TEEN). I have supported Break the Cycle in the past, and continue to do so, because the earlier young people learn to differentiate between healthy relationships and obsessive, destructive ones, the healthier our society will be.

__________________________________________________________________

The link to this article can be found on today's Yahoo.com's Entertainment page.  Why place it on the entertainment page, I have no idea. However, domestic violence is in no way entertaining. 

What is the meaning of abuse?

Abuse means to inflict upon another an injury by the use of unreasonable confinement, intimidation, and/or cruel punishment, which often times result in physical harm and mental anguish. 

Furthermore, keep in mind that domestic violence is not limited to one adult upon another or an adult upon a child.  Because there is also a real life abuse called, Elderly Abuse, which is not always committed by a child upon his/her parent but by a care-giver, a family friend, a neighbor or a neighbor child.  This type of abuse often goes unnoticed and the victims' stories are usually discredited as being unbelievable because of the victims advance age to that of the abusers, and/or because of the victim supposed mental state, such as saying he/she is "senile".  However, many abused elderly suffer from the same feeling of shame and helplessness as the younger victims from the same degrading act of physically, sexually and/or verbally abused. 

Abuse of the elderly when reported must be taken as seriously as reports of child abuse.

Evelyn out.