Here in DC there is always a community event or "week event" of some sort going on. Next up is DCWEEK. Who will be attending this event?
DC WEEK is a week-long festival in the District focused on bringing together individuals and organizations of all talents including; designers, developers, entrepreneurs, and social innovators. DCWEEK festivities take off November 4th with a variety of different events, workshops, and parties throughout the week.
Other than all of the cool get together events DCWEEK is also putting together a Give to the Max Day with local non profits on Wednesday November 9th. This is a one-day fundraising event to unite the DMV communities with a goal to raise over $3 million in donations and grants. It is really simple to set up a Razoo Give to Max page and even more simple to become a fan of or donate to your favorite local charity. The best part of this event is that local charities and communities are encouraged to work with one another to raise money for each other promoting a united community. Check out two pages Megan and I support Samaritan Ministry of Greater Washington and Academy of Hope.
Your favorite bloggers have registered for DCWEEK and we plan on attending some of the meet & greets and workshops. Hope to see some of you there!
--Krystal
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Friday, October 28, 2011
Made in America
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| This picture is from Ford's Theatre, but with the flags I feel it can be used for this post as well. |
America has been known as the land of opportunity. Immigrants, citizens and all alike could come to America find work and support their family. In September of 2011 the unemployment rate in the United States was reported at 9.1%. It is my belief that this unemployment rate is so high because of the dying American industry.
A couple of weeks ago my Dad went to a conference in DC. At this conference he brought back a lot of small goodies local companies were distributing to guests. Knowing that I am a big American History nerd and enjoy materials representing that history he let me have this small foam Capitol building model. I loved it and was very excited about it. For some reason I flipped it around and to my surprise saw in big bold letters "Made in China." This was very amusing to myself and those around me that such an infamous American building toy was not made by the hands of Americans. The more I thought about it I began to wonder what goods are American made? One of the critical reasons that the US economy is in such dire conditions is because of the vast amount of laborious jobs that have relocated outside of US borders for cheaper labor.
So I started to do some research on American made goods and found some interesting results. There are several websites dedicated to American goods or services. If you check out Made in USA they provide lots of information on American made goods/services and many additional resources as well including articles about why it is important to buy American products. Americans are losing jobs, the economy is suffering, and disadvantaged individuals in these countries abroad are being exploited. All of these serious problems are a result of the decrease in American Industrialization.
Now my issue is not with Americans purchasing goods that are not made in America. I think the really issue is the lack of goods that are made in American. There are millions of able bodied individuals in this country who are out of work because in many cities especially urban areas there are simply not enough jobs for everyone. It is just as important to export goods and services as it is to import them. If we are constantly importing goods are economy will remain unbalanced.
What goods have you found in your home or while shopping that were surprising made outside of the US? American flags? American footballs?
I also found some cool videos of individuals take the "Made in America" challenge on ABC News. Follow the link
--Krystal
Saturday, October 22, 2011
The Parking Lot Movie
Has anyone heard of this movie? It is full of social commentary and comes from an unusual perspective!
Here's a brief synopsis:
Some guys work as parking lot attendants in Charlottesville, VA. They enjoy the job because they look at it existentially and try to find purpose in this superficially simple job. They deal with a lot of people who park their cars in the lot and then have to pay. Some of the interactions are positive, some are not. The guys comment on the kind of cars people drive and what that means about them, and what the car symbolizes in society, and therefore what a parking lot attendant actually means. The guys come to resent most of who park and find a lot of injustice. They deal with both the feeling of being a "gate keeper" and conversely the feeling of being on the losing end of a class warfare battle, as many who use the lot feel a certain entitlement.
I found this a fascinating societal study. People who these parking lot attendants might interact with normally in other social settings were treated as subpar in the parking lot. People fought over small fees of $1 or $2. People made condescending remarks to them along the lines of "it seems you're stuck in a rut" or "My son/daughter is graduating today; if you got your act together and did the same, you wouldn't need to be here."
The attendants made interesting insights about the car as a huge factor in the American identity--just another facet of our day-to-day. They comment, "we own it, but it also owns us" meaning that in many ways, the car can actually become a hindrance (ie when we need to find a place to park it). The attendants found the job to be a constant power struggle--they could put cones into the lot to keep people from parking in certain places, in exchange people would argue with them over payment, drive off without paying, or be little them. This goes back to the sense of entitlement that many car owners they encountered felt. One attendant commented (about the thought process of an SUV owner), "I bought this car, there must be a place to park it. Like it comes with it's own parking space." There is a lot of resistance toward paying the parking fees. Another attendant said when people asked why they'd have to pay he'd began explaining capitalism.
It was clear that the people using the lot felt they were of a higher social status than those working in the lot. It was also clear that most felt inclined to act upon this. Often it was subtle, a patron might use a certain tone of voice, but other times it was blatant. Friday and Saturday nights, for instance, the gate was broken at least one time per night. Others argued they "didn't know they had to pay" (despite driving through a gate and taking a ticket) and others argued the sense of having to pay for a place to put the car.
Each attendant had a different group of people they disliked most--the frat boys, the alumni, the SUV drivers, UVA parents, etc. These attendants all made connections between this seemingly simple job of working at the parking lot and society and justice at large.
Watch the trailer here!
Then go watch it.
My favorite: "What if Rosa Parks had a car?"
--Megan
Here's a brief synopsis:
Some guys work as parking lot attendants in Charlottesville, VA. They enjoy the job because they look at it existentially and try to find purpose in this superficially simple job. They deal with a lot of people who park their cars in the lot and then have to pay. Some of the interactions are positive, some are not. The guys comment on the kind of cars people drive and what that means about them, and what the car symbolizes in society, and therefore what a parking lot attendant actually means. The guys come to resent most of who park and find a lot of injustice. They deal with both the feeling of being a "gate keeper" and conversely the feeling of being on the losing end of a class warfare battle, as many who use the lot feel a certain entitlement.
I found this a fascinating societal study. People who these parking lot attendants might interact with normally in other social settings were treated as subpar in the parking lot. People fought over small fees of $1 or $2. People made condescending remarks to them along the lines of "it seems you're stuck in a rut" or "My son/daughter is graduating today; if you got your act together and did the same, you wouldn't need to be here."
The attendants made interesting insights about the car as a huge factor in the American identity--just another facet of our day-to-day. They comment, "we own it, but it also owns us" meaning that in many ways, the car can actually become a hindrance (ie when we need to find a place to park it). The attendants found the job to be a constant power struggle--they could put cones into the lot to keep people from parking in certain places, in exchange people would argue with them over payment, drive off without paying, or be little them. This goes back to the sense of entitlement that many car owners they encountered felt. One attendant commented (about the thought process of an SUV owner), "I bought this car, there must be a place to park it. Like it comes with it's own parking space." There is a lot of resistance toward paying the parking fees. Another attendant said when people asked why they'd have to pay he'd began explaining capitalism.
It was clear that the people using the lot felt they were of a higher social status than those working in the lot. It was also clear that most felt inclined to act upon this. Often it was subtle, a patron might use a certain tone of voice, but other times it was blatant. Friday and Saturday nights, for instance, the gate was broken at least one time per night. Others argued they "didn't know they had to pay" (despite driving through a gate and taking a ticket) and others argued the sense of having to pay for a place to put the car.
Each attendant had a different group of people they disliked most--the frat boys, the alumni, the SUV drivers, UVA parents, etc. These attendants all made connections between this seemingly simple job of working at the parking lot and society and justice at large.
Watch the trailer here!
Then go watch it.
My favorite: "What if Rosa Parks had a car?"
--Megan
Thursday, October 20, 2011
A Definition of Poverty
Poverty is the extent to which one does without resources. I've recently come across this definition of poverty in the book A Framework for Understanding Poverty. I'm not sure I'd ever looked at a dictionary definition of poverty before, but this one makes sense to me. Resources can be anything physical, financial, emotional, spiritual. It can be support, health, role models and other relationships, and access to "hidden knowledge"--this last one referring to cultural norms that vary between working class people and upper class society.
Poverty is further broken down into two subcategories: generational and situational. In the past week, I have discussed with many at my organization if they think there is a noticeable difference in these two types of poverty.
It seems, that much like the upper class divide of "old family money" and "making your own million" type money, there is in fact a difference.
The people I discussed with seemed to find that people who suffer from generational poverty have become part of a certain counter culture of poverty. They know which churches and organizations are giving out food on what days, they have power structures in the streets and shelters, and they aren't too concerned with getting a job.
With situational poverty, it is less ingrained in people to live in a certain way and these people are perhaps more motivated to get on their feet again. They are unfamiliar with the culture of poverty and are less likely to thrive in this situation or even to get by.
Either way, poverty is systemic. It roots back to fundamental problems in our class system. It is something that snowballs and is intricately entwined into the fabrics of society.
I'd love to hear thoughts of people reading this blog--but many I've discussed with seem to think that the DC neighborhoods fall more into the category of generational poverty. These are people whose learned behaviors come from few educational opportunities, few community resources, and missing parents, young parents, and high crime. This has become the norm, and therefore has become a culture. Even if it is one big "situation" for example, the felony that landed someone in prison for several years that knocked them into their current situation, this situation was spurred from the fact that generational poverty already existed for this person. Looking at it this way, it makes sense why so many of the people filling our prisons are minorities. It's systemic. Our country's very foundations have created this culture, in particular for minorities who were once imprisoned and whom resources were once witheld. It's not enough to suddenly say, "here, come take it, you can," because it's a lot more complicated than that. Yes, there are equal opportunities for all now, but that doesn't reverse what has been done. Some people are playing the catch up game in order to even be able to reach these new opportunities now open to them.
According to A Framework for Understanding Poverty, there are four main reasons that people leave poverty:
1) they have a specific goal or wish that motivates them
2) they are experiencing something so painful that anything would be better
3) someone "sponsors" them (such as an educator, mentor, role model, etc) out or convinces them that they could live a different way.
4) a specific ability or talent provides an opportunity
With this in mind, how can we alter the culture of poverty? What sort of efforts can we put in place to halt the systemic, cancerous growth that is poverty, violence, lack of education...?
--Megan
Poverty is further broken down into two subcategories: generational and situational. In the past week, I have discussed with many at my organization if they think there is a noticeable difference in these two types of poverty.
It seems, that much like the upper class divide of "old family money" and "making your own million" type money, there is in fact a difference.
The people I discussed with seemed to find that people who suffer from generational poverty have become part of a certain counter culture of poverty. They know which churches and organizations are giving out food on what days, they have power structures in the streets and shelters, and they aren't too concerned with getting a job.
With situational poverty, it is less ingrained in people to live in a certain way and these people are perhaps more motivated to get on their feet again. They are unfamiliar with the culture of poverty and are less likely to thrive in this situation or even to get by.
Either way, poverty is systemic. It roots back to fundamental problems in our class system. It is something that snowballs and is intricately entwined into the fabrics of society.
I'd love to hear thoughts of people reading this blog--but many I've discussed with seem to think that the DC neighborhoods fall more into the category of generational poverty. These are people whose learned behaviors come from few educational opportunities, few community resources, and missing parents, young parents, and high crime. This has become the norm, and therefore has become a culture. Even if it is one big "situation" for example, the felony that landed someone in prison for several years that knocked them into their current situation, this situation was spurred from the fact that generational poverty already existed for this person. Looking at it this way, it makes sense why so many of the people filling our prisons are minorities. It's systemic. Our country's very foundations have created this culture, in particular for minorities who were once imprisoned and whom resources were once witheld. It's not enough to suddenly say, "here, come take it, you can," because it's a lot more complicated than that. Yes, there are equal opportunities for all now, but that doesn't reverse what has been done. Some people are playing the catch up game in order to even be able to reach these new opportunities now open to them.
According to A Framework for Understanding Poverty, there are four main reasons that people leave poverty:
1) they have a specific goal or wish that motivates them
2) they are experiencing something so painful that anything would be better
3) someone "sponsors" them (such as an educator, mentor, role model, etc) out or convinces them that they could live a different way.
4) a specific ability or talent provides an opportunity
With this in mind, how can we alter the culture of poverty? What sort of efforts can we put in place to halt the systemic, cancerous growth that is poverty, violence, lack of education...?
--Megan
Saturday, October 15, 2011
Luray Caverns
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| Shot of the cavern. |
Today I took an exciting trip to Luray Caverns in Luray, Virginia. I mostly wanted to post pictures of my trip, brag about the awesome weather we had, and encourage you all to plan your own trip to the the caverns when the opportunity presents it self. For mire than 125 years, Luray Caverns has been known as a natural wonder since its discovery in 1878.
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| All monies thrown in the wishing well is donated to new charity each year. |
After our cavern tour we drove up to the skyline to check out an even grander view. For just a short drive up the mountain the view is more than worth it.
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| On top of the world |
--Krystal
Friday, October 14, 2011
Take control of your health
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| Signage at concert |
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| Uh Huh Her take the stage |
Throughout the month of October there are several events, campaigns and ways to increase your knowledge of breast cancer prevention. What I enjoy the most about the Keep a Breast Tour is the way they encourage individuals to take their health into their own hands and make learning of breast cancer prevention a fun activity.
Anyone else attending any interesting workshops, rallies, or other events on breast cancer prevention? Please share because many of us know someone who has been affected by breast cancer in some way.
--Krystal
Sunday, October 9, 2011
DC Farmer's Markets
After a terrible September--usually my favorite month--we are due for this gorgeous, gorgeous, October weather. Zero humidity and that blue sky that is only that crisp and brilliant this time of year.
Get outside!
It is also a great season to visit the local farmers market. All my favorite foods are in season--squash, sweet potatoes, green beans, apples...
And apple cider!
It's a great way to get fresh, healthy, and colorful foods as well as support and take part in your community. These markets are local gathering places for neighbors each weekend. You are also reducing your carbon foot print by buying things that come locally and in season. Some of the markets sell some delicious baked goods, cheeses, or icecreams in addition to the fresh produce.
Some might think that shopping at the farmer's market is more expensive than the grocery. At surface value, this is true, but one ought to consider the environmental costs of shipping food from other countries or states. One also might want to consider the health costs of eating foods that have been altered or treated with chemicals or preservatives.
Another great feature of our local farmers markets in DC is that they take food stamps and WIC. Some of the farmers markets even give you bonus money or double your dollar for shopping with food stamps! Simply stop at the EBT/WIC table, where a volunteer is sitting with a card swipe machine, before you enjoy the rest of the market!
This is an important attribute as this federal money is now being used to support the local economy and local farmers. Any food stamps money is bringing federal dollars to our local economy.
It's great weather for the markets this fall and many will close at the end of next month, so get out there while you can! Go early, when the streets are quiet. I love weekend mornings in DC. You are rewarded for getting up early with quiet streets, people walking dogs or jogging, or sipping coffee at outdoor cafes. Less cars and great morning air and light. Do it!
happy long weekend, DC!
--Megan
Get outside!
It is also a great season to visit the local farmers market. All my favorite foods are in season--squash, sweet potatoes, green beans, apples...
And apple cider!
It's a great way to get fresh, healthy, and colorful foods as well as support and take part in your community. These markets are local gathering places for neighbors each weekend. You are also reducing your carbon foot print by buying things that come locally and in season. Some of the markets sell some delicious baked goods, cheeses, or icecreams in addition to the fresh produce.
Some might think that shopping at the farmer's market is more expensive than the grocery. At surface value, this is true, but one ought to consider the environmental costs of shipping food from other countries or states. One also might want to consider the health costs of eating foods that have been altered or treated with chemicals or preservatives.
Another great feature of our local farmers markets in DC is that they take food stamps and WIC. Some of the farmers markets even give you bonus money or double your dollar for shopping with food stamps! Simply stop at the EBT/WIC table, where a volunteer is sitting with a card swipe machine, before you enjoy the rest of the market!
This is an important attribute as this federal money is now being used to support the local economy and local farmers. Any food stamps money is bringing federal dollars to our local economy.
It's great weather for the markets this fall and many will close at the end of next month, so get out there while you can! Go early, when the streets are quiet. I love weekend mornings in DC. You are rewarded for getting up early with quiet streets, people walking dogs or jogging, or sipping coffee at outdoor cafes. Less cars and great morning air and light. Do it!
happy long weekend, DC!
--Megan
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
"Justice"
A number of high profile cases have come to a head in the past few months, including the Casey Anthony case, the Troy Davis case, and just yesterday the verdict was read at the Amanda Knox case.
All of these people came to the stand claiming their innocence. Two of them were let go, one was killed. Two of them were young white women, one was an African American male. That's three high-profile cases where the guilt of the defendant was uncertain. The two white women got off, and the African American male was given the death penalty, despite claiming his innocence to the very end. I will let that speak for itself on behalf of our nation.
What is justice to you? What does that word mean? Does there necessarily need to be retribution for one's actions? Can we no longer take someone's word for it when they tell us what they have or haven't done? Who's job is it to decide whether you have paid for your sins and how best you should do that? When is death the answer?
That's a lot of questions. It's got me thinking though...who has the right to decide? Who am I to "cast a stone" and reprimand someone or celebrate in someone being punished or killed?
What is justice in our eyes? Revenge? People should get theirs? Equal treatment? You get what you give? I think that comes around naturally. Who is another human being to decide that someone else deserves "justice?"
The word comes with a negative connotation now. If "Justice is being served" by someone being killed by our government, I want nothing to do with it. The death penalty is so archaic and uncivilized. Our system is so fundamentally flawed. It doesn't uphold true justice. Who are we killing and is that fair?
Minorities are more often to get the death penalty and be locked up. Minorities are more likely to be convicted of crimes. Our justice system is more likely to fail minorities.
To the point, I don't agree with our "justice" system, and I don't believe in other people determining what is just. We are not God and we are not to judge. It is time to re-evaluate the way people are treated and the systemic problems that lead people to our criminal justice system. Instead of executing people and normalizing that--so that millions can grow up thinking that "justice" means death and the government can kill "bad" people--we ought to be putting time into community endeavors and correctional facilities. We ought to be making our neighborhoods a safe place to live for everyone, that would be a just thing to do.
No "justice" was served when Troy Davis died in the arms of our government. Blood is on all of our hands for that. No other civilized nation executes people anymore. Our nation, as big as it is, should uphold peace and equality and be a model for others. We need to lead by example, and right now the message this country is sending is that death and killing is acceptable, so long as it is done out of revenge and "justice." That's the same reason people get killed on the streets.
--Megan
All of these people came to the stand claiming their innocence. Two of them were let go, one was killed. Two of them were young white women, one was an African American male. That's three high-profile cases where the guilt of the defendant was uncertain. The two white women got off, and the African American male was given the death penalty, despite claiming his innocence to the very end. I will let that speak for itself on behalf of our nation.
What is justice to you? What does that word mean? Does there necessarily need to be retribution for one's actions? Can we no longer take someone's word for it when they tell us what they have or haven't done? Who's job is it to decide whether you have paid for your sins and how best you should do that? When is death the answer?
That's a lot of questions. It's got me thinking though...who has the right to decide? Who am I to "cast a stone" and reprimand someone or celebrate in someone being punished or killed?
What is justice in our eyes? Revenge? People should get theirs? Equal treatment? You get what you give? I think that comes around naturally. Who is another human being to decide that someone else deserves "justice?"
The word comes with a negative connotation now. If "Justice is being served" by someone being killed by our government, I want nothing to do with it. The death penalty is so archaic and uncivilized. Our system is so fundamentally flawed. It doesn't uphold true justice. Who are we killing and is that fair?
Minorities are more often to get the death penalty and be locked up. Minorities are more likely to be convicted of crimes. Our justice system is more likely to fail minorities.
To the point, I don't agree with our "justice" system, and I don't believe in other people determining what is just. We are not God and we are not to judge. It is time to re-evaluate the way people are treated and the systemic problems that lead people to our criminal justice system. Instead of executing people and normalizing that--so that millions can grow up thinking that "justice" means death and the government can kill "bad" people--we ought to be putting time into community endeavors and correctional facilities. We ought to be making our neighborhoods a safe place to live for everyone, that would be a just thing to do.
No "justice" was served when Troy Davis died in the arms of our government. Blood is on all of our hands for that. No other civilized nation executes people anymore. Our nation, as big as it is, should uphold peace and equality and be a model for others. We need to lead by example, and right now the message this country is sending is that death and killing is acceptable, so long as it is done out of revenge and "justice." That's the same reason people get killed on the streets.
--Megan
Sunday, October 2, 2011
Hello Fall
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| Megan reaching for an apple high in the tree as I look on. |
For those of you that enjoy being outside and picking fruits and vegetables would like the pick your own farms in both Maryland and Virginia. You can come to some of these great orchards in the suburbs of DC and pick your own apples, pumpkins, berries, peaches, vegetables and more. Another cool note about these farms is that most of them host special events and hayrides. A good one to check out is Becrafts farm on New Hampshire Avenue in Silver Spring.
The Fall is also a great time for various events throughout the DMV area. For one of the largest wine and entertainment events in region join the fun of Taste of DC. Held on Pennsylvania Avenue from October 8th-10th. There will be great DC restaurants, food trucks and musical performances. This is a great community event and a portion of the proceeds from the Taste of DC will be donated to the DC Central Kitchen, the American Red Cross and our friends at Bread for the City. Look for your favorite bloggers to be in attendance to this event as well.
These are just a couple of the Fall events coming up in the area, but we will be keeping you updated on where we are this Fall and anyone who knows of an event we should check out feel free to share. Enjoy the season and check out the video below as Megan immerses herself into North Carolina culture.
--Krystal
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