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.

 

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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.

 

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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.

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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

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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!