just laura

Photo of the Day

Today on the way home I saw a man walking along the street wearing a cowboy hat and boots! It might not seem that exciting for you Southerners out there, but in Seattle it’s a rare occurance! Let’s here it for the cowboys!

Photo of the Day

Creepy crawlies… It’s that season again!

This weekend I’m heading to Baltimore for 4 days to attend the Points of Light Convention. Any Baltimore readers out there? Anyone want to suggest sites to visit?

Photo of the Day

Summer time here means everything is green in the Emerald City!

Friday night I left work and hopped directly on to a redeye flight to Baltimore. When I arrived at 11am Saturday morning, it was raining but happily Raelynne picked me up from the airport and took me right to breakfast where Annalisa joined us shortly. I spent the day wandering town with these two and it was quite lovely all around. These women rock… I’m so glad I’m getting to see them while I’m here for the big conference. Annalisa took me on a fantastic driving tour of the whole city (or so it seemed!) and we capped the day with dinner and coffee on Charles St (dinner at Thai Landing and coffee at Donna’s). Following that, I headed over to the Everyman Theatre to see their production of The Pavilion. While I was initially bummed because it was sold out, I was soon connected to the staff (thanks Rae!) and I ended up volunteering and getting squeezed in for free! Afterwards we bonded over drinks at a great dive bar (The Charles Club) then finally headed home after a long day. I was pretty tired by the end of the night, but it was worth it to hang all day with such great gals. :)

Today was the conference and as one would expect, there were lots of bigwigs and important people to mingle with. John Bridgeland spoke. Les Lenkowsky spoke. Rosie Mauk was there. I actually ran into four different random folks I knew from Washington… small world, eh? I even ate dinner with old coworkers from my last nonprofit… it was nice to catch up and tell stories about the old folks. :) Anyway, it’s after 11 and that means it’s time for me to look through the catalog of sessions and plan my day. I already know my lunch is booked, dinner is booked, and drinks tomorrow will hopefully be with Sameer, who happens to still be in Baltimore on a client project. Should be another good day!

It’s sunny today in Baltimore… who knew? :)

I’m home again in sunny Seattle… a bit swamped with work and life. :) Tonight I’m heading to the pier for an orientation. I’ve got to say that I’m quite excited about the upcoming shows happening as part of Summer Nights at the Pier! I’ll be seeing Melissa Etheridge, The Doors, Lyle Lovett & His Large Band, India.Arie, John Hiatt & the Goners, and Joe Cocker. They also just added a Bjork show and I’m quite excited about going to see her too! This should be a great summer for music!

So I just signed up for Friendster last night and added a few friends who were also on the site. Needless to say I’m now connected to 13,486 people in my Personal Network… does that seem a bit crazy to anyone?? Anyone else out there on Friendster? Any thoughts?

Mini-burn

Sad news! There’s going to be another mini-burn next weekend… at the exact same time I committed to being at the John Hiatt concert! I found this photo online and saw myself in it… it turns out it was taken at the first burn I went to in Seattle back in April of 2001. I’ve been to a few of them since then and always have a great time! Dancing, drumming, fire-dancers, costumes, general mayhem, and eventually police. How can you resist? Maybe I’ll skip out early on the concert and head to burn! What to do, what to do…

Today was kinda rough… it was another long day at the office where I’m fully aware of just how much I have to do and how little seems to get done. I worked some on Saturday and put in another 13 hours today, but still am nowhere near caught up. To make matters worse, I had to skip a photo logger photo shoot meetup tonight which I was quite bummed about. I apparently held up the rest of the group who patiently waited for me for a half hour… then two people called me to tell me so. Ouch. I know they were just calling to be nice, but I still felt guilty. Kind of like I’m now behind in optional social engagements in addition to work commitments. I suck. Kinda one of those days you’d have rather stayed in bed or not seen/talked to anyone. How’s anyone else doing out there? Talk to me people…

My night just got better: Wouter just posted new photos! Too funny!!

Lexington Market in Balitmore

The famous Pike Place Market in Seattle has lots of fish. The famous Lexington Market in Baltimore has lots more variety… they’ve got fish, and chicken feet, and rabbit parts, and cow head pieces, and more. Quite a selection…

Truly Tragic News (aka Things That Make Me Want To Cry): Cutting AmeriCorps programs across the country would mean millions of underserved youth go without academic support, hungry families go without food, seniors go without services, sick go without medical care, and community members ready to volunteer would have no venue to serve. I’m reaching out to you people. If you’d like to take 30 seconds to send a note, please do. If you want to read more, I like this AP article that speaks in clear terms about the current bleak situation. What is doesn’t tell you is that most programs were already cut 50-80% this week, including programs here in Seattle as well as across the country that were shut down entirely by these cuts. If anyone is interested in further supporting these programs, there will be a rally Friday at noon at Steinbrueck Park by Pike Place Market. The public is encouraged to attend.

AmeriCorps cutting funds to volunteer groups

By Jennifer C. Kerr, Associated Press

Posted on Tue, Jun. 17, 2003

WASHINGTON – Caught in the middle of an accounting dispute between two federal offices, AmeriCorps – the national service organization hailed by President Bush – is cutting funding for volunteer programs across the nation.

The Corporation for National and Community Service, which oversees AmeriCorps, yesterday announced its first round of program grants for the coming months, and many nonprofit groups saw their funding scaled back or wiped out.

“This will be a difficult year for AmeriCorps,” said Sandy Scott, spokesman for the federal agency. “Many good programs that deserve funding won’t receive it.” The corporation approved 53 grant applications this year – enough to support an estimated 3,000 AmeriCorps member positions. Last year, the corporation approved 255 state competitive grants, which provided money for about 16,000 volunteer positions.

Scott said more grant announcements would be made this summer and the corporation remained hopeful that it would reach its goal of 50,000 volunteers.

But the groups that organize volunteers to mentor children, build homes for the poor, or clean up polluted streams described the cuts as drastic and said they would have a ruinous impact on their operations, in some cases shutting down entire programs.

“This is the wrong time in America to be cutting national service,” said Michael Brown, president of the Boston-based group City Year, which helps recruit and train young volunteers in 14 cities nationwide. The outcome for his group: 820 spots funded by AmeriCorps through state competitive grants have been slashed to 187 available slots for volunteers.

Paul Schmitz, chief executive officer of Public Allies, said the cuts were “absolutely devastating not just to us but to the entire field.” His group, which is based in Milwaukee, mobilizes young volunteers, and it receives about a third of its funding from AmeriCorps.

AmeriCorps volunteers usually spend about a year working full time in community-service projects. In return, they receive stipends of $9,300 a year and educational awards of $4,725 for college or graduate school.

The corporation laid most of the blame for the cash shortfall on a dispute between the General Accounting Office and the Office of Management and Budget over how much money AmeriCorps must set aside in a trust, which goes to pay college scholarships for volunteers.

The corporation also has been saddled with questions from congressional investigators about its own business procedures for approving more volunteer positions than it had money for last year. The result is that money from this year’s budget will have to go to pay volunteers slated for service last year, further draining the pool of slots for potential volunteers this year, according to the corporation.

Bush has issued calls for more Americans to volunteer in their communities, especially after the Sept. 11 attacks.

For next year, the President requested an increase of more than $150 million for AmeriCorps, which was created by President Bill Clinton. That would allow for an expansion of the program to cover the enrollment of about 75,000 volunteers, and boost overall funding to $554 million.

It is not clear whether that funding will become a reality, though, especially given that the GOP-led Congress voted to cap AmeriCorps enrollment at 50,000 volunteers this year.

The nonprofits that depend on AmeriCorps grants said they needed help from Bush, in the form of a supplemental funding request to Congress for additional money.

KIRO TV was filming down at the Save AmeriCorps rally today so hopefully we’ll get even more coverage and support for these programs! Many thanks to the parents, kids, alumni, program staff, community, and local businesses and nonprofits that showed up to support AC! It’s still hard for me to believe so many programs are being cut or closed. Especially considering the there’s bipartisan support and there’s a president passing legislation that has increased the size of the program. We’re each welcome to our own opinion, and since this is my blog, let me give you a little of what I think. When I’m know that millions will go without food, shelter, victim services, and health care, or academic support because of AmeriCorps funding cuts, I’m not willing to just roll over and play dead. I encouraged readers in my last entry to help fight the cuts, and one fatalistic comment left me quite sad. It suggested the cuts were inevitable and suggested we “channel energy into other volunteer” opportunities. I can respect the writer for wanting to focus on the positive side, but I can’t give up the fight that easily knowing how many millions will be affected.

How can you act like you care, choose to do it for you’re life’s work, and then just give up when cuts are announced? The education system sucks… let’s not try to fix it? Kids need support… let’s not educate or mentor them? Our community has people without adequate food, shelter, and health care… let’s just leave them out to die? I can’t think of a worse betrayal to the community than just giving up trying. Happily, I know I’m not alone. Newspapers across the country have run supportive, pro-AmeriCorps Op-Ed pieces in papers as small as the Olympia daily to papers as large as the Washington Post and NY Times. Because of the fight we launched just last week after “The National Conference on Community Volunteering and National Service,” an AC bill was introduced in the Senate two nights ago and it PASSED! Bush released a statement yesterday saying the bill was “the essential first step toward maximizing enrollment this year to benefit the nonprofit organizations that count on AmeriCorps members to offer help and hope to people in communities across the country.” Who knew I’d ever be agreeing with W on my web site!? However, while it clarifies some questions about the future of AC, the bill does not address the supplemental funding necessary to keep programs alive in 2003. We’re told that Fiscal Year 2004 will be just fine, but without 2003, those program will have already closed their doors and shut down. We cannot skip a year and we cannot afford to give up fight.

I’ll get off my soapbox now, but I still encourage folks to write their leaders in support of the program (especially republican leaders like Jennifer Dunn who are influential and necessary to ensure continued bipartisan support). The end. Thanks for listening!

The Solstice Beach Burn last night was good fun… my new roomie Erin joined me for the festivities. :) Today’s carnival for the kids was a fantastic success. :) And now I’m off to a party, a dinner, and a play. Hope everyone’s well!

“You wouldn’t think something as complexly busy as life would be so easy to overlook.”

That Diane Ackerman sure is one bright woman….

Beal and I

Today I posted pictures from my trip to Austin last month. Enjoy!

Ship in Inner Harbor

Today I posted pictures from my trip to Baltimore earlier this month. Enjoy!

Have I mentioned lately that I might get laid off in August? Besides the initial suckiness, there are two good things that could come of it: I’d have lots of free time (yeah travel!) and I’d at least have some unemployment trickeling in (yeah money!). Well, today my bubble was burst just a bit when I found out that nonprofits aren’t “required” to pay unemployment. What?! It’s optional to lay us off and let us rot? You’d think the for-profit world would pay their employees enough that if they got laid off they could have saved some money to get them by. Nonprofits don’t pay much in the first place… there’s no way people can save tons in case they get laid off. I want a revote.

Lyle Lovett will be entertaining me down at the Pier tonight… yeah!! (Or should I say yee-haw?)

Dieter is a nice boy. Dieter took me out for ice cream this week. Dieter took me to a park last week and played on his bike for my entertainment. Dieter is my friend. Thanks Dieter!

Meghan’s bridal shower today in Tacoma made for a lovely Saturday afternoon. On the hour drive between Seattle and Tacoma, I couldn’t quit thinking about how Seattle has got to be one of the most beautiful places in the world (when it’s sunny out). Mt. Rainier kept me company for the whole drive, and the sun kept me warmed from head to toe. Once at the bridal shower, I had a chance to catch up with my cousin and aunt, had a chance to play with her two sweet kittens, and had a chance to finally meet her friends from work and college. I also learned many new facts about my cousin in two hours that I hadn’t learned in the first 20-something years of knowing her. Fave food: Thai. Fave ice cream: Rocky Road. Favorite actor: John Cusack. Seems basic enough, but felt kind of odd admitting I didn’t know any of those before today. I guess when family reunions are limited to three days over the Thanksgiving holiday, there are time constraints and size constraints that keep some of the learning to a minimum. I keep thinking we need to develop Jeopardy questions or something to keep us learning… maybe I’ll finally do that this year. Last time around I brought the “Book of Questions” which provided for much sharing and a heated conversation. Fun stuff!

Anyway, after the shower, I drove on over to my favorite place in Tacoma: the Museum of Glass. It was a beautiful, warm, sunny day and I had fun running around snapping photos till my memory card was as full as could be. (I think I got a little pink from the sun, but that’s okay by me). If you haven’t been to the Museum of Glass yet, I highly recommend it! I promise to post some pictures so you out-of-towners can still enjoy the view, even if you’re not here in the NW. :) Hope everyone is well! Looking forward to the Pride parade tomorrow. Take care!

Today I went down to the Pride parade and had a great time! It warms my heart to see so many pro-community groups down at the parade. I always like the Dykes on Bikes who kick off the parade, and I don’t know if I was super emotional today or what, but it seriously brought tears to my eyes to see so many strong women receiving so much cheering and support from the crowd. It was beautiful. (And I promise to post lots of pictures later!)

Imagine the glorious feeling one gets from snapping the perfect photo. Imagine the thrill one gets from snapping the perfect photo of the perfect mullet! Imagine the surprise one feels when their mullet photo is posted on some punk’s web page, claiming he took the photo himself this weekend!!! Imagine the smug satisfaction felt when the punk was caught cheating by some savvy surfer and the photo was correctly attributed to me? Priceless indeed. :)

Am I wrong for wanting the kid to give a little credit where credit is due?