One Girl Revolution

I've been reading a lot lately about how cities in Ohio are trying desperately to cope with the foreclosure crisis, specifically the glut of abandoned homes that are one of the most visible consequences. These buildings quickly attract scavangers who strip the house of everything, including metal siding and copper pipes that are sold for scrap. From there, it's not unusual for drug dealers to move in and use the structures, making the neighborhoods dangerous for the remaining residents. It's something that worries me, especially since I have family in NEO.

That's one of the reasons why Youngstown's approach to urban renewal is so intriguing to me. Where other cities have tried desperately to redevelop abandoned areas and tried a number of schemes to bring in new industry, this city is changing its approach entirely - not by giving up, but reinventing itself. Abandoned homes (or, too often these days, abandoned neighborhoods) are torn down, roads removed, and the land returned to an open field. The city saves money in the long run, the dangers of crime and safety/fire hazards are gone, and...

...well, I don't quite know the next step, but I can't help but think of the possibilities. Perhaps there could be small farms, large community gardens, or other sustainable activities like wind/solar farms. This company in particular might be interested in such a proposition, especially since they're based in Ohio. (Warning - site plays annoying music. Turn it off at the bottom left of the page.) I'm sure there are plenty of reasons why none of these ideas would work (and I'm sure plenty of people would be happy to tell me why), but I enjoy my idealistic musings. Even if they just left things empty and let nature take its course, it's a better alternative than letting the city rot. I'm hoping Flint, Michigan, will follow its example.

Perhaps this is how America finally goes green(ish) - not with a banner-waving revolution, but with quiet, practical, positive changes. That's one of the reasons I'm proud to be a Midwesterner. We may take a lot of crap and get beaten down on a regular basis, but we pick ourselves up and get back to getting things done with little fuss and fanfare. We do what we need to do, no matter what it takes.

Way to go, Ohio.

Tiny Choices = my new favorite blog.

Man, I have a ton of links to post, but all I want to do now is write an entry about me. I've gotten boring!

I want to thank everyone who commented and offered advice in my previous post. eponabast, mavra_chang and I will be getting together this weekend, so we'll probably be redecorating my bag then. I might also go to the local Goodwill on my way home from work today and see if I can find any other canvas totes that can be converted into shopping bags. I could technically buy them new, but if I can save money and conserve resources by buying used as opposed to new, I'd be most happy. Of course, if I can find some more of the bags I got from trade shows that would be best. As much as I despise my job, the perk of free stuff is always nice.

If I have my act together, I'll remember my camera for some before/after shots.

I also collected a bunch of paper that I'm hoping eponabast can use to make handmade paper to keep or sell, if she so desires. She wants to set up an Etsy shop at some point, and I can't wait until she does - she's about 80 billion times more artsy and crafy than I am, so I know her stuff is going to rock. It's also a way for me to finally, finally put all the junk mail I get to use. Here's hoping it's the right stuff.

It's been absolute ages since I've had friends close enough to hang out with on a regular basis, and it's had a profound and positive effect on me. I'm more relaxed, for one thing, and I'm learning new things instead of just spinning my wheels in impatience. All of that has in turn boosted my confidence. I'm embarrassed for the awkward idiocy that was my high school and college years, and now that it's behind me, I'm making up for lost time. I feel better, look better, take better care of myself. The last quarter of 2005, all of 2006, and the first half of 2007 were hell, and though I'm still pissed that I had to go through it, I learned quite a bit from that period. Rule one - don't let other people chip away at your sense of self, your dignity or your confidence. It isn't worth it. It I were the tattooing sort, I'd get a tattoo as a symbolic gesture to remember that lesson. However, I have no desire to get one. But I would like to get some sort of...something. Something that I could wear or look at on a daily basis and remember the lessons of hells past and think to myself, "I've made it through that, and I'm strong enough to make it through anything."

If I had a place to plant it, I'd buy a sapling for the occasion. Maybe I should donate money to a tree-planting charity. But I'm afraid I'll forget it if I don't see it often. Hmmm...

I had a dream last night, but the only thing I can remember about it was that I was swimming in a pool with shadownex. I had a black T-shirt on while I swam.

I've worn T-shirts over my swimsuits since...a long time. I can't quite remember when. It was all about covering up the fact that I was huge at the time, and I did it for so long that it just became a habit. I'm going to be taking a swimsuit to Ireland in case there's an indoor community pool near theycallmeboy; I promised that I'd teach him how to swim back in March, but the timing didn't work out. It occurred to me that this venture will mark the first time I've gone swimming at all in at least five years, and possibly the first time I've gone without a T-shirt while swimming in at least 10.

Of course, I'm still planning to do the world's fastest locker room changing session and jump in the pool before theycallmeboy comes out. I'm not bikini material yet.

That's all I've got right now. Think Ima go out for a walk. Stretching your legs is always good.

...I'm planting a tree and getting my Boy's name on a DVD. It's a steal for $5, and the DVD name cred is just an added bonus.

No occasion for this gift. None needed. :)

( Mr. Mojo Risin... )

( Gotta make me a set list... )

( Giving and getting )

( They come when you least expect it... )

( And all the fish that lay in dirty water dying )

A new study suggest that diets may cause more problems than they solve - and that it might have just been better for overweight people not to diet at all. (There's a bit more about it here.) I do agree with their findings that weight loss/management has to be managed in the long term and made a lifelong goal. I only started making progress myself when I concentrated on exercise, then started moving (slowly) toward healthier food choices. And unlike dieters, I don't make certain foods verboten anymore - I just try not to go nuts. Your mileage may vary, of course, but this seems to be the best fit for me.

Of course, there's the psychological component as well. I'm starting to train myself not to eat when I'm bored or to reward myself with food anymore. It can be a hard, hard habit to break, but you reap the benefits fairly quickly once you do. I'm sure I still have a long way to go, but I'm proud of my progress so far.

Bigger Than Cheeses just saved me $10 and a couple of hours.

A new bill treats climate change as a matter of national security, as well it should. This is an issue that does and will affect everyone, including every single American. It's high time we remembered (or should that be "learned") that we are neither immune nor invincible to the issues that affect our fellow nations or our planet. We are the stewards of this planet, not its overlords.

Immigrants who take DNA tests to prove they are related to the families they left behind can find themselves in a shocking and heart-wrenching situation. Stories like these need to be publicized - the U.S. has a history of treating immigrants as "the other" instead of as equals. It's a lot harder to discriminate when you put a human face and story on an issue.