SHEsaysWITHaSMILE.blogspot.com

Things I wish I'd said ..departing Seattle. By none other than (me!) Sandra, tvgp

Diehard fans only... Disconnected stories and thoughts from a place of the most beautifully overwhelmed: /and know in advance how pissed off I am this thing won't space my thoughts the way I want... But what the hell, They're all squished together this time around anyway. PARAGRAPH SPACE HERE: you know how you are supposed to put earplugs in or read a book or open a laptop on the airplane if you don't want to get stuck next

posted by SHE @ 8:24 PM 0 comments

a first for both of us (mayor matt mahan!) and (me!) sandra harrison kay

 it was mayor matt mahan's very first state of the city address as mayor

and it was my, very first time, ever attending a state of the city address  (robert too..)

***

i never went to hayward's, or kept track of who the mayor even was..   ditto for san leandro, san lorenzo,    -but paid some attention in pleasanton  (where i was the poet laureate 2013-2015), without attending a state of the city..   

my high dive jump into the cold and polluted ocean waters of politics really starts here:

NOTonNOBLE

***

skipping lots to get here:    our drive to the city of san jose college campus where mahan's event was held

-the  (graffiti is way too soft a word); 

-the ugly, disturbing, gross, highly visible vandalism that has taken over the sound walls along 680S en route to the city of san jose campus..       -does anything degrade a city faster?

HIDEOUS.   and growing exponentially in size and amount..   both sides of the freeway, for miles..

this exponential growth of destruction of public property, this vandalism, and degradation of our city screams the following:

criminals feel empowered    -no one is getting caught. 

laws are not being enforced.            -no one is cleaning it up.

**

my husband and i have witnessed (in portland oregon) what it looks like, when a city, state, community just utterly gives up.  the criminals [vandals, drug dealers, thieves, addicts, etc]  have literally won and own (for free, by the way; ownership comes via intimidation)  -but these criminals own certain territories   -no healthy people, businesses, schools, libraries, stores of any kind exist where criminals have won,   -healthy people have all left for safety reasons; businesses have left..  buildings are boarded up, windows broken, litter/trash everywhere   -some places look broken beyond repair

it really is like a metastasizing cancer

my husband and i have also watched with great interest the documentary seattle is dying   -the cry from the public and small business owners,  like when did we just stop doing anything about it?  we just watch it grow.. no one is DOING ANYTHING TO STOP THIS  -why have they tied the hands of law enforcement officers?!?!

i ache!

i ache! with the knowledge san jose is at a fork in the road of its history

in my six years here now, i have seen san jose heading, slowly, painfully, in the direction of those fatally cancerous sections of portland and seattle we now consciously avoid, and steer any friends/family away from

i ache!

i ache!  with the hope,   -having had our NOTonNOBLE VICTORY,  -having new leadership now, and new leadership on the way..

i ache! with the hope san jose can put the brakes on empowering criminals and start empowering law enforcement; that's the way it should be!

this post could potentially be a thousand pages long, let me point out briefly

    in order to maintain law and order, we need law enforcement officers that are given the autonomy and authority to enforce the laws!    -write!

in order to recruit and retain high quality law enforcement officers  -we need to not just pay attention to pay & benefits,  but  -culture-

until we improve the culture for law enforcement officers  -un-demonizing them, and giving them back the authority and autonomy that belongs to them..

anyway,    we need a lot more law enforcement officers...     

/side track...    do you realize that by just enforcing this ONE LAW, we could save hundreds of small businesses!!

our 'homeless'

our population of drug dealers, drug addicts, criminals, mentally ill,  -and small % percent of people experiencing temporary financial hardship..

our growing population of boxes, tents, garbage, dangerous make-shift shelters with any number of potentially threatening,  dysfunctional/criminals loitering, panhandling, camping out purposeless and unemployed (or unemployable)

they have been ALLOWED to accumulate near small businesses..

this population and pollution is a HUGE DETERRENT for customers.

now, otherwise thriving small businesses are struggling and adding to the crisis!

     -this CAUSES even more people to struggle..!   small business owners, who are healthy, who are working, who are contributing..       they have enough obstacles already, 

we do not want to ADD ON to the challenges any small businesses face, by allowing a decrease in their customer base DUE TO A PREVENTABLE PROBLEM!

we want to HIGHLY SUPPORT ALL SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS! in these plazas

give them a fighting chance by REMOVING ENCAMPMENTS IMMEDIATELY!

    if you do not, you are contributing, consciously, to your unemployed population and crisis.

****

where should they go?  

     

the 'temporary, immediate' relocation should be to somewhere in the outskirts!   -not residential areas, not near other businesses.. not where they threaten the safety of any one

     -while we continue to thoroughly, comprehensively, address the issue that threatens to turn san jose into seattle

TINY HOMES ARE NOT A SOLUTION

an ongoing frustration for me, is that the mayor,  -people in leadership in any variety of cities

they talk about our homeless    -that is, -our population of unhoused drug dealers, drug addicts, criminals, mentally ill,  -and small % percent of people experiencing temporary financial hardship.. 

as if they are dealing with a fixed number

                 we have 6000 unhoused..   build 6000 tiny homes; problem solved

NO!!

build 6000 tiny homes, and 6000 more 'unhoused' will find their way to san jose.

your heart might be in the write place, but you are creating a HUGE INCENTIVE for even more  

 drug dealers, drug addicts, criminals, mentally ill,  -and small % percent of people experiencing temporary financial hardship.. 

to fill our streets, sidewalks,  businesses parking lots, open spaces, etc.

****

    /back to:  vandalism/destruction of property along our freeway sound walls.

we,  that is,  us, robert and i,  and countless neighbors,  -we all take care of the smaller vandalism/destruction issues within our neighborhood by taking the initiative and covering it up, cleaning it up ourselves.

that, and we have had some success by reporting it via 311.

but the sound walls..    the size, the scope, 

it is too much for us, or trust me, we would have it cleaned up before you finished reading this.

what we learned, to our surprise, and education, is that these sound walls are NOT THE CITY OF SAN JOSE'S RESPONSIBILITY

the freeway sound walls are CALTRANS RESPONSIBILITY!

AND, that captures another frustration for me, ongoing..   learned during NOTonNOBLE

    -just figuring out who is responsible for what, from neighborhoods, to districts, to city vs county vs state,   vs citizen, vs. lawyer, vs. judge...

   figuring that out, takes so much time/energy i'd love to use for other things!

anyway, 

as i write this..   the message to everyone who lives in, near, or travels through san jose:

      too bad.

just the way it is.    nobody has done anything about, nor will do anything about it..

learn to live with it; watch it grow...    -certainly from my first day in san jose, throughout the 6 years,  -that has been the message i receive each time we drive to/from san jose airport, via the oakland/13th street path..      AWFUL!     and without any action..   PERMANENT AWFUL...

****

i think one of the BEST, one of the BOLDEST, one of the MOST PRODUCTIVE, one of the most RESTORATIVE, STATEMENT moves anyone in san jose leadership could do write now:

to make sure, at this fork in the road in the city's history, 

that we turn toward "restored to its former glory"   vs.   "criminals, vandals own the city"

is to MAKE CLEANING, RESTORING OUR SOUND WALLS A TOP PRIORITY

    -this makes a statement, visually, for everyone who lives here, drives here, has friends/family, visit here..

makes it more attractive and healthy for everyone!   business people, traveling people..   investors, guests; everyone who loves and cares about san jose

of course, 

how do we un-empower the vandals we have empowered?

caught & consequences!        we need to also make caught & consequences TOP PRIORITY if we ever hope to create enough disincentive that we don't have to perpetually make this a priority

ideally, it should be an IMMEDIATE, VITAL BIG PROJECT  -that then requires manageable maintenance;  like weeding...

anyway, 

i think,   the writeousmom in me thinks... 

when you catch a vandal..   when you catch them, selfishly, ignorantly, destroying public property, disrespecting san jose, spreading ugliness           

a)   thank you! for catching them..

b)  they should be made to clean up sound walls for (variable) hours.

c) they should be made to make a public apology

and 

demand..     an essay where they have to write why they did it, and more importantly, why they should never do it again                  -this is like, parenting 101..  and it gets great results!

    -what i've learned, 

most people hate writing essays so much, that might, all by itself, create enough deterrent

and, on the occasions, someone enjoys writing the essay,   -well, we have ourselves a writer..

on the occasions, they enjoy making a public apology, because they like an audience..  well, we have ourselves a public speaker...

on the occasions, we find someone who enjoys restoring the walls to their former cleanliness and beauty..

i mean, 

it's not hopeless; that's my point.

      a clean, beautiful, safe,  -graffiti free-  san jose...

i have my dreams.

****

QUESTION:   -because in casual conversation it was shared that CALTRANS..  well for caltrans cleaning up our sacred sound walls is not a priority  [that already shows..]   -and robert and i,  we wondered..

we wonder...   like, what if the city of san jose, just took the initiative and got the job done?   -with an understanding caltrans can't get to it write now...   but it desperately needs addressed.  

****

they are doing something write in newport, laguna, hunting beach areas...    nice and clean there.  attracts vs. deters people away...               clear messages;         law enforcement maybe?    

my other dream is to go back to when our parking lot signage read:   violators will be prosecuted.

now all of our parking lot warnings are to the law abiding citizens:  park at your own risk.

we have to stop empowering criminals.

     aren't you so excited to bring your family shopping here?   ... to leave even an empty car in the lot...

more later..  

in Jesus name,  amen

posted by SANDRA MICKANEN @ 10:53 AM 0 comments

NOT TODAY

*****

the movie linked above is not the same movie as the one referenced below.  the movie linked above is funded, directed and produced by my cousin's church in southern california  -friends church-

it is not currently playing close enough to pleasanton, california for me to see it in a local theatre, but i support the cause. it is set in india, but we all know this evil is not geographically restricted to any one area.  i'm also very aware slavery has not been abolished; it thrives under a new name: human trafficking.  as a three time kidnap/rape survivor, i am highly sensitive to the terror/violence/suffering of these victims...   and infuriated by the widespread evil.   this is how we do God's work:  bring the evil into the light; rescue/love the victims into healing; capture and remove the evil predators from society.  i do not currently have the energy to speak more about predators write now.  i thank all God's warriors...  in Jesus name!   amen



*****

ORIGINAL POST NOVEMBER 26, 2012:

Things I wish I'd said ..departing Seattle. By none other than (me!) Sandra, tvgp

Diehard fans only... Disconnected stories and thoughts from a place of the most beautifully overwhelmed: /and know in advance how pissed off I am this thing won't space my thoughts the way I want... But what the hell, They're all squished together this time around anyway. PARAGRAPH SPACE HERE: you know how you are supposed to put earplugs in or read a book or open a laptop on the airplane if you don't want to get stuck next to some person that just won't shut up. How that's just about the politess way to say thanks but no thanks to a conversation with a stranger on a plane... Well, that old let me take my kindle out trick sure didn't work for John from England sitting in 8C on Alaska airlines this morning... I'm not sure what they put in my coffee at the Seattle airport but no kindle in the amazon world could stop me from makin' friends with my airplane seat neighbor. -John from England... Transplanted to Washington... And you know me by now... I'm no good at small talk but great with the BIG QUESTIONS... we talked God.. And/or the lack thereof... And about photography.. Traveling.. World violence... Childhoods... Marriage.. And I had to whip out my camera and do a little show and tell about my upcoming website: TheHeartSeen.com. ... Here's where I can blog again and say the things I'd wished I'd said in the actual moment.. 'cuz I was showin' John from England a heart I-spied here, and a heart I-spied there... Here a heart... There a heart... Everywhere a heart, etc. And when I got to the one I found in the bubbles in my coffee from Petes in Pleasanton... He said,"you're looking for them". -now, I have to break down the tone in that comment for you... The indication was... I was forcing it. Do you know what I mean? What he meant? -I do see hearts everywhere I go... But other people... Well, anyway.. It does happen sometimes.. Sometimes those hearts in my environment are so obvious and conspicuous and perfectly shaped even a blind man could point to it... And sometimes... There's a little work and imagination involved. A specific angle and distance... And perspective... And timing... And receptiveness... So, when John from England said, "you're looking". I knew what he meant... The subtext... And it is much more gratifying to find.. To notice... To reveal Vs. To project... But as I thought about that more... You know what I wish I would have said? I wish I woulda said, "well, haven't you ever looked too hard for love before?" PARAGRAPH BREAK HERE: I'm in the process of...processing. A most surprising, amazing, awesome family visit with my handsome prince to see my dad and family in Seattle... thank you Jesus for pictures!! We packed a lot in in a short time... I'm genuinely overwhelmed and I'm not writing just for pleasure write now... I'm writing so I don't crack.. PARAGRAPH BREAK HERE: in all my life... In all my schooling, in all my tv, interview, biography watching and reading... Never have I cried when President Lincoln died. Until yesterday... When I saw Lincoln... At the Lincoln... And I just don't know how anyone can watch that movie and not replace the word slavery with trafficking... And in fact, I saw a poster on the wall for a movie about human trafficking coming out soon... And when I saw that poster -for this upcoming movie I know nothing -nothing!- about... I sure did wonder to myself... Is this a genuine documentary which is intended to help victims.. Help STOP the crime... Or is this a secretly veiled how-to movie length video... Sexual assault and suicide fall in the same category here... There is a real art to covering the subject matter without exploiting... Without increasing the crimes you wish to prevent. Mass media Attention is both mandatory to prevent and necessary to spread... You must be very careful... And then I had to wonder... Cuz that seems like all I can sometimes do... Can the exact same movie do both? Prevent the crime/spread the crime... Is the result with the viewer? The moviemaker? And if you knew how much I've experienced and have on my mind vs. What will leak out here on my blog you would hand deliver me some sleeping aids... PARAGRAPH BREAK HERE: Oh, my feelings got hurt recently... And I keep trying to remember EXACTLY the words Dave meyers said back to his wife when she was so hurtful and mean to him... It was something about how.. Something like, " good thing I don't let you determine my self worth for me". And I think one of the most important lessons of my entire life to date has been that: to know my self worth according to God and Jesus... Not man. And when I say not man... I mean that sooo literally. It's taken a hundred years it feels like to build up a half of cup's worth of self esteem and even longer than that to unhate the male species... And just when I think maybe I graduated... I'm back fillin out applications for a campus that will have me... PARAGRAPH BREAK HERE: I will never stop reading the bible or going to church... But outside of those truths, here's another one... You know how there are physical laws... Laws of physics, etc. Well, I want to guarantee you this: -all you atheists and agnostics and -Doubters and seekers and those with unrooted faith... There are spiritual laws equal to and in fact superior to physical laws... More tried and true.. More consistent... As undisbutable... But infinite! Among these spiritual laws is this : God is love. Many of the spiritual laws -I'm sorry... ALL of the spiritual laws are true for HUMANITY -not just given religions... That is in fact what makes a spiritual LAW, -law. All spiritual laws are applicable to all of humanity. There is no segregation, preference, superior, inferior anybody or any religion... LOVE for example... Love is the greatest example.. Must you be a Christian? Muslim? College graduate? Wealthy person? Dying? Noble? ... Put anything here... LOVE is applicable for all of humanity. Now, I know from my own spiritual meditations and lessons and studies... Well, I know where I'm at... Only another follower/student will understand ... But if you could see a spiritual school the way we can see elementary - middle school - high school through college, etc. -and what lessons you need as a pre-requisite in order to get to the next level... Well I'm currently studying this: perfect love casts out all fears. I will be on this lesson for some unknown amount of time... But I cannot proceed without a deep, deeply rooted understanding of this truth; this SPIRITUAL LAW. I love you! And close with a huge "thank you!" to my family in Seattle... And my handsome prince... I will have to capture those awesome memories in photographs... Amen! posted by she @ 8:24 PM

posted by SHE @ 10:34 AM 0 comments

WHAT IS PERFECT LOVE? asks (me!) Sandra, tvgp

So, as I mentioned in my departing Seattle post, the current class in spiritual school I'm enrolled in is: perfect love casts out all fears. And I know a deep and full understanding of this **truth is a mandatory pre-requisite for whatever the next level is... So, I've been in study. Part of my study of course includes then.. Answering the question, what is perfect love? Cuz i have no need to study what fear is, i already have a PhD from that university. So, my homework includes reading 1 Corinthians 13: 4-8. And 1 Corinthians 13:13. Which naturally leads to studying the entire book, write. ** = truth as another spiritual law. Remember I wrote about that in my departing Seattle post also... What qualifies as a spiritual LAW; it is applicable to all of humanity, no person or religion can claim it as their own. There is no exclusive club or potential monopoly. -like love, truth is applicable to all of humanity. With so much gratitude in my heart for all that Jesus is teaching me... The empowering visions, the sweet whispers of wisdom and encouragement, the love notes and signs... To the whole world I wish you a merry Christmas.

posted by SHE @ 10:16 AM 0 comments

Dear Mayor of San Jose, Matt Mahan and City Council -from (me!) sandra harrison kay

i am inspired to respond in a thorough way to the recent email sent by Mayor Matt Mahan:

MARCHING ON

***

 specifically to the video with the beautiful young mommy-to-be

initial reactions; processed assessments; a lot of repetition from prior blog posts on the topic.

   [keeping in mind, i did vote & support Mahan for Mayor; i am entirely opposed to these densely populated caged tiny home sites  -already written about]

initial reactions    -not another mascot story, honestly..  stop it.    and mascot is my own vocabulary, to help me distinguish between sales pitches/propaganda and truth of the larger picture

that is, if you want to find public and funding support for these tiny homes [failing everywhere, the results are in and being ignored]  but if you want to continue the failing trend, then you show the public the one, or two, or maybe even 5 out of hundreds of people who are most likely to elicit compassion  --as if (said person) represents the entire demographic of who will benefit from these failing tiny home sites.  -your best example if you will,    -featuring..   a young woman whose original home was so toxic/dysfunctional she fled to the streets,   -there does not appear to be a drug, or alcohol, or mental illness issue [which is the population of homeless lining our streets, and sidewalks, and storefronts..  parks & school yards   - and the populations we most need addressed..  comprehensively; not expensively/temporarily..   

anyway,   -and she was working at mcdonald's  -commuting by bus, until that became too difficult because of how far along in her pregnancy..

[pausing here to pray blessings on you, your baby, your husband, your life journey]

now,  it bothers me still, that we are presenting some of these problems like they have never existed before..   like none of these services already exist, and we are all just now figuring out what to do..

-nothing is new here:  poverty; drug addictions; mental illness; criminals/prematurely released inmates..

and i'm going to,  for a brief moment, discuss, in an isolated way, financial hardship  -i have already written about rent control and how that could help enormously -preventing!-  the HTLC Community from being forced out on the streets..  and then having the city pay gazillions to temporarily shelter them, and then land them back in subsidized housing..

     /of course,  yes..   what does HTLC stand for?    

Hard-working, Tax Paying, Law Abiding Contributors.    -where you have a community of people who have a track record of working, contributing, and paying rent successfully, but increasing that rent forces a move..    this can and should be prevented.   we, on the whole, would spend less subsidizing rent in the first place, than allowing it to increase; scramble for what to do..   re-place everyone rent dis-placed..

I was especially struck in this video with the young mommy-to-be, when our Mayor asked how we could help.. one of things she mentions is how hard it is to come up with first and last month rent to get into an apartment.    "I second that motion sister-in-need!"    As i have also already written about, I am no stranger to financial struggles, working multiple jobs, living cash-advance to cash-advance, trying to graduate to paycheck to paycheck...   and one day, eventually -save!

what she says IS TRUE.   -sometimes you can have a person who is working full time, contributing,   -and the hourly wages meet monthly requirements, but trying to save, save, save..   when really every dollar is already exhausted with rent, food, daily expenses..   -this 'lump sum' requirement becomes a gigantic hurdle; often insurmountable   -eliminate the 'lump sum' required and these same people are able and will and do successfully pay rent monthly. 

and i'd like to pause here and dedicate a song to all the HTLC out there...   "cheers! & amen!"

in the bigger picture for me.. i believe we should create every incentive we can, and positively reinforce the genuine efforts of HTLC's..

and we want to create every disincentive we can, and have significant consequences for selling/using drugs; any type of criminal behavior; for freeloaders; for anyone who manipulates the system.. and takes without giving

   -and over and over, i realize the scope of our crisis is so tied to economics.. the cost of living vs. wage earning potential even for HTLC's

-and over and over..   write now, in our day to day lives, both my husband and i..  and anyone/everyone we talk to about it

no one has ever seen as many 'hiring now' signs  'we are hiring' signs than we are seeing every day, everywhere we go..  in fact, over the p.a. system at our local safeway, they made an announcement for shoppers to hear  "we are hiring..."

when we look around, we cannot understand how any young person could possibly be unemployed..  opportunities are everywhere!

   [thinking here of course, of that perfectly able young man, in front of safeway with his sign, 'i'd rather beg than steal'   -and i am still upset with myself for not doing what went through my mind, which was to go sit next to him with a sign that read, 'and he'd rather beg than work'

keep also in mind,  i am someone who worked 3 different jobs just to rent a room..     

and this is what we want to see  -write..   people making an effort..  doing what they can, with what they've got..    not entitlement..   not,  i'd rather steal, or beg, or collect welfare than work..

we have to pay close attention to incentives/disincentives..     pay close attention to helping vs. enabling

pay close attention to what is..  and what is NOT successful..    

am i wrong in believing that we want to DECREASE our homeless population, not watch it continue to exponentially grow..

we want to INCREASE our workforce, and DECREASE welfare..

sometimes i wonder...  

and i do wonder..   how many people living on the streets in different cities, neighboring cities of san jose,  -how many more will come as a result of these free offerings?  what is the plan when your plan attracts even more homeless?

and i wonder..    when can the public see an audit of how the services san jose already offers?

and what i would LOVE FOR THE PUBLIC TO SEE..  is the results

the success stories (or not) from places like Mercy Multiplied,  or Joyce Meyer Ministries, Dream Centers..  

vs. the services san jose has been offering

who is getting it write?   remember none of it is new..   the results are in:

where do we see the highest number of people succeeding? in what programs?   -so many have been around for scores and decades..      WE ALREADY KNOW 

where do we see real success?  -freedom from drug addictions?  freedom from alcohol addictions?  freedom from mental illness.. and/or a hospital/home vs. street     -freedom from a life of crime..   and/or jail, to prevent more innocent victims    -freedom from abuse; freedom from abusers..

our united states of america, and cities within are PACKED with PROGRAMS that have been in existence for very long times..   which ones are getting the best results? government? church? private?   let's audit them all and compare and share with the public at large

let's duplicate what has been working; cut what hasn't..

-there is NO NEED to spend gazillions, colonizing otherwise healthy land space [destroying middle class/creating a tiny class] with 

 densely populated caged tiny homes sites which provide free housing to drug addicts, mentally ill, prematurely released inmates, freeloaders..

and with our small percentage of HTLC who are experiencing exclusively financial hardship

    -rent control..    helping with first/last rent payment 'lump sums'...     subsidizing proactively to reduce displacement, increase stability    -it's a phD level economic issue, i realize..  but addressing living wages..  cost of living... 

****

and i mentioned before.. where you have exclusively financial hardship..  but an otherwise, good, hard-working reliable person..   let san jose screen and assess..   and create a screened/assessed list of qualified candidates for renting rooms..   and connect people who have rooms to rent, with this qualified population..    -potential win/win..

****

-drug addicts need rehab..    not a free tiny home shelter while they remain a slave to drugs and jeopardize the safety of others

-mentally ill, need medical attention & hospital homes    -not a free tiny home shelter, where they jeopardize the safety of others

-criminals belong in jail..   not free tiny home shelters where they are free to claim new victims

a number of times during open forums regarding NOTonNOBLE.blogspot.com we heard [staff] who work with homeless say 'stop criminalizing the homeless'   and, i did not think of it in the moment, but had i, i would have said, 'yes, but let's also stop decriminalizing the criminals'

  -if you only listened to this staff, it would be as if we exclusively have a population of saints down on their financial luck.     -what san jose citizens are witnessing is much more seattle is dying than i just can't find affordable housing.. 

p.s.  what rules/principles/guidelines are we employing?  i know several individuals and families who moved out of state..    -because they can't afford it here..     

i know individuals and families who moved within california, but to cities further away     -because they could afford it there

is everyone supposed to be able to afford living anywhere they want?    

when i was working a variety of jobs, i rented a room, because i could not afford an apartment..   i chose to rent a room instead of driving the distance i would have to drive to afford an apartment or studio and for proximity to my children. 

there are countless homes, neighborhoods within california, and the USA out of our financial reach; knowing this, we do not entertain the idea...

lots to consider, when it comes to the affordability factor and where we permanently or temporarily live...

****

and i will close with my recent experiences..     1.  berryessa community park, -a young teenage girl, was it drugs? mental illness? some combination?   this i dont know, but i do know, she was waving her arms all around, cussing up a storm, yelling at the sky..  a plant..    the sidewalk..

and every passerby reacted the same..   noticing..   walking waaay around her to avoid conflict/risk of potential violent outburst..       -and it kept flashing in my own mind,  seattle is dying..  this is really happening..

we are just letting high risk populations grow, and nothing is being done about it.   i imagine a time in the near future, that when we see/come across a person, like the one mentioned above   -instead of everyone noticing/going waaaay around   -while she just stays there.    -there is a number to call, and first responders with training/authority can and will relocate her immediately to the appropriate facility based on professional triage assessment. 

****

driving to and from the grocery store..    a tent/homeless camp in the middle of a sidewalk; and then a few blocks, another tent/homeless/grocery carts/garbage..   go up, and another one on the left side of the street; one on the curb, where cars are forced to drive around..

we cannot accept this.   it used to be that litter/garbage/loitering/vagrancy/disturbing the peace  -blocking a public sidewalk, taking up a bus stop, making cars drive around you, when you are the one illegally on the curb.. 

once upon a time, we did something about it.  they were removed..  relocated; placed appropriately somewhere other than the middle of the sidewalk, the entry to a small business,  -leaning against a public bathroom at a local park..

and i am not fan of 'equal distribution' thinking i hear the city of san jose employing..

-sounds so fair initially, each district sharing the burden/responsibility.. but each district is not equal when it comes to open land space, the ratio of businesses/schools to open space, etc.   amount of hospitals, services, churches, libraries, volunteer resources, etc.       

i am a fan of,  -one place [santa clara fairgrounds comes to mind, with acres and acres available]; to relocate people living in tents..  one place, the city/staff/volunteers can go to provide services; one place our garbage trucks go for garbage pick up, one place for portable toilets; supplies/maintenance; one place for food donations, etc.     this makes sense economically.. for efficiency..     and would eliminate the guess work for what to do, when we do return to allowing our law enforcement, healthcare providers, first responders in general, to proactively RELOCATE homeless away from our sidewalks, schools, parks, businesses, restaurants, parking lots, creeks, etc.

****

for wisdom, discernment, guidance

a prayer, we see San Jose restored! beautiful, safe & clean..  a great place to live, a desirable place to visit..       a city we are proud of..     a leader 

in Jesus Name,   -amen. 

posted by SANDRA MICKANEN @ 11:12 AM 0 comments

"..gotta story for you..." (Me!) Sandra, tvgp

If I get to chit chattin' with the customers at the register, chances are pretty high these days /having blogged for almost ten years..

that eventually they'll say something that serves as a memory trigger for one of my posts

Several times in the past month or so.. Someone will say something and I'm like, "oh! I've gotta story for you..". Then I handwrite the address of my blog on scratch paper and what word or phrase they should type in the the search bar

Most recently (which will help explain my re-posts of older blogs) a woman at the register mentioned working at heritage estates..

[Ding.. Ding.. Ding...]

(Me!):  "did you say heritage estates? .. Here in Livermore?  Oh.. I know heritage estates..  I played the flute there...

/and I slowed down on the delivery of the rest of this story on purpose:

Yes.  -twinkle, twinkle, little star.   True story.

Mmm hmm.   I was in my 40's.

I thought maybe during my divorce instead of drugs and alcohol that maybe I should learn to play the flute.

I had never played an instrument as a child.. Or learned to read music or anything..   Yeah..  So that was one of my big flute debuts..

With Bernie Burke..   Twinkle, twinkle little star at the heritage estates."  (I could feel my face blushing some; you never know who will find it amusing and who will find it.. Stupid)

The man behind the woman at the register, he was listening too.  -had no choice really.  And he goes, 'I think you should have done drugs instead'

I had to laugh at that one.  "Yes," I said with a smile.."I believe that was indeed the consensus after my big performance"

And they laughed back.

***     ***

But..  Heritage estates! I also have the story about rescuing midnight in the garden of good and evil..

-so I wrote that down for her too..   You have to enter that in the search bar "garden of good and evil"

***

The upshot of our exchange might result in me teaching another one of my "must love blogs" classes at heritage estates.  -help these remarkable seniors capture their memories for family and friends; who knows how many strangers.  I certainly encourage it..

Think always.. What I wouldn't give to read from the journals of my great grandparents, grandparents, parents, aunts and uncles..etc.

Especially the feeling of reading a memory book by my grandma.. Completely glued to every word..

But there was ONLY THREE PAGES!?!?   Then she stopped.  Oh! I still ache over it.

***

Anyway..  Ordered some business cards yesterday.  I finally tired of handwriting SHEsaysWITHaSMILE.blogspot.com.   in search bar, enter (variable) here.

-soon I will only write what to type in the search bar...

Sex appeal.

Seattle

Shady characters.

Sweetest kid in america.

69.

Cigarettes.

Quantum butter fly's

Robin Williams

Maya Angelou

Jeanette walls

Earthquake

Imaginary conversation

Paul McCartney

Embarrassing

Math

Money, money, money

...long list...

But not every story/post would interest every person.. So it works out kind of cool to direct people only to posts relevant to a conversation we've had..     Like the gentleman I met at the aquatic center who worked for the government on the census bureau

"Census bureau?!...  Why you might be the only person I've ever met who might actually appreciate my poem:  census of a different kind..    You just type that in the search bar.. Census.

Add that to my "21 reasons I love to blog".  Which is now at about 213 reasons...

posted by SHE @ 8:01 AM 0 comments

DIGNITY ACRES EMERGENCY CAMPGROUND as suggested by (us!) robert & sandra

 

IMMEDIATELY SECURE  -ONE PLACE-   THAT SERVES AS AN EMERGENCY/CRISIS WAITING PLACE

      This gives first responders a secured and specific place to immediately relocate anyone and everyone who is currently -illegally- camped at/on/near our local businesses, strip plazas,   -who are currently and consistently CAUSING BUSINESSES TO CLOSE, be boarded up and attract even more illegal loiterers, toxic trash, fires, etc.

     Cost effective and efficient emergency response:  One destination for basic human dignities:  portable toilets, garbage pick up, food donation, social services out reach 

                                             We recently witnessed a person illegally camped on the sidewalk between two businesses.  This illegally camped individual, already a deterrent to any potential customers,  walked to a patch of grass near the parking lot, took off his pants and defecated on the lawn like a dog.  I can promise you that no person who witnessed this is returning to that strip plaza. This uncivilized behavior is literally killing San Jose’s small businesses.  Owners, employees and customers are currently forced to deal with the injustice which inevitably leads to their ‘permanently closed’ sign.   And whatever sad story or circumstances might predicate this illegal camping and disgusting defecation in public; there is nothing that makes it okay for this man to deter customers and destroy the health of a local business; an otherwise successful strip plaza.  

                           San Jose’s business owners are our hard working, tax paying, law abiding citizens who contribute enormously to a good culture, way of life, our best examples of democracy and opportunity. San Jose’s business owners create and offer jobs; create and offer places to shop, eat, visit, explore, experience.  San Jose’s businesses, strip plazas and malls are positive entities! They, their employees, their customers all deserve legal protection and an immediate response to their reports of illegal camping/loitering/vagrancy.      Liberating our Police to Enforce the Laws/Ordinances we already have on the books, would immediately save countless businesses, restaurants, stores; immediately save countless jobs!  Immediately save San Jose in general.

                           And  -very specifically- it is when they stopped allowing police to enforce these laws that resulted in seattle is dying.    -see documentary.

If the current pattern is left unaddressed:  We have strip plaza after strip plaza which turn into dump sites; We have very temporary ‘clean ups’ which only shuffle, relocate and further disseminate the problem.

I cannot remind enough that our ‘encampments’ [drug dealers; drug addicted; mentally ill; criminals/prematurely released inmates & those facing severe financial hardship] THIS population IS NOT A FIXED NUMBER, but an infinite population   -the more San Jose supports; the more San Jose will attract.   It is a hemorrhage.  Yet another reason an EMERGENCY CAMPGROUND, with tents/pallets, and the human dignities [portable toilets, garbage pick up, food donation, social service outreach]  is the best possible and most responsible response to the current crisis.  San Jose should dignify and deter, not enable and attract 

DIGNITY ACRES EMERGENCY CAMPGROUNDS is where first responders can legally relocate anyone illegally loitering/camping and spare San Jose the even more severe consequences of having so many businesses, restaurants, grocery stores, salons close at such a preventable and rapid rate.

We can simultaneously be working on a more comprehensive solution to all the layers of this complicated issue.   But in the meantime,

Let’s give first responders a place they can legally relocate the population currently camping on public sidewalks, camping on park benches, camping in bus stops, camping on/at/near local businesses.

      Simultaneously:  Audit every homeless services/support organization for results.  Close the ineffective; double down on the ones getting positive results.

      Simultaneously:  Improve the ‘culture’ not just the pay and benefits to attract quality police officers.  San Jose needs law and order, not more crime and chaos.   Police Officers have incrementally and systematically had their autonomy and authority removed while being demonized by the media at large.

Of course! We should immediately weed out any corruption  -But we need to invest in, believe in, support, celebrate and recognize our noble law enforcement officers for the incredible jobs they do in very hostile and high risk environments.  Safe, clean, neighborhoods; safe, clean shopping experiences, safe, clean parks and schools and libraries; safe, clean walks, hikes, bike rides.  Safety for business owners, employees, customers   -none of this happens without our officers ability to enforce laws; without their ability to prevent crimes, protect citizens and properties.   And none of this happens with an understaffed police force   -all working mandatory overtime.

      Simultaneously:  Review all the pitfalls and consequences of the unsuccessful tiny home agenda that plagues other cities and course correct.   Review, research when the USA, when Calif, when San Jose had the largest middle class; the most people safe and thriving   -When San Jose was the cleanest..   Encore & Repeat

      Simultaneously:  CLEAN!  Emergency/Task force to remove the crude, ugly, degrading gang graffiti which currently covers San Jose’s soundwalls and serves as a free ‘high crime rate’ billboard advertisement to thousands who drive our freeways daily.    Employ a strong ‘caught & consequences’ program for this very costly vandalizing of public property crime

Meanwhile, Our current myriad of long standing successful ‘homeless services’ shelter organizations, who are (and have been for years!)  ‘successfully’ helping the people they serve transition to independent (or subsidized) living     -Each success opens a spot for someone at DIGNITY ACRES EMERGENCY CAMPGROUND to move from the waiting list, to their shelter.  

Meanwhile, We need experts to triage/assess who can transition with some financial help vs. who needs a hospital/institution; vs. who needs rehab first and foremost vs. who belongs in jail for criminal activity.. etc.

The goal at all times is a safe, clean, beautiful, thriving San Jose.  Restored to its former glory! 

posted by SANDRA MICKANEN @ 12:46 PM 0 comments

External Memory Storage -for (me!) sandra, tvgp

yes.. my blog  -external memory storage.   -there is apparently not enough room in there..  keeps spilling:

so, yes..   I laugh at myself, at the.. paradox? irony? contradiction?   -because, I am in love; its true.  and we have been so intimate; as lovers tend to be..   and, yet

Robert:  "I might just pop in the bathroom while youre taking a shower, to brush my teeth.."

(me!):  "you will not.  I do not know you well enough yet.."

***

and good Lord, do any of my imaginary readers remember (#?) of my most  -most!- embarrassing life experiences?    how there was that one time I added more water to the toilet, to avoid having the splash echo throughout the neighborhood..   and how,

how I learned, that the water level in the toilet  -is at the level that it is, for very good reason..

because if you add more,  and are sitting, as females tend to do,  and then go to wipe...

honestly..   I am not my mother's brightest child.. just a very self-conscious one

and, there I was facing the same dilemma in Robert's room...           where he paused the TV show we were watching, so I wouldn't miss anything when I used the restroom..

but then, when he paused the TV show:    

            -dead silence-

so after a prayer, I just opened the bathroom door back up, and sat next to him, in a cold sweat, with a blushed face,  "I can't go.  it's too quiet!  it seems like it will echo to three neighbors down in each direction.."

and, that's when I learned that not only is he sexy as all get out, but he is compassionate too.   and, I just love thanking him for being sexy and compassionate.

and he seems to like the way I express my gratitude.

***

revisit:  kernel of truth.  how excited I was, when I realized..   it does not mean  -small.   which is how most people employ it in conversation..  as meaning a small amount of truth within a larger communication

but what it really speaks to is this:   truth,  -is like a popcorn kernel in a microwave   -it pops out under pressure.

interrogators are well aware; so are parents...

***

what you see is what you get   -revelation here for me also..  because most people employ this in conversation as a way of saying,  -this person has nothing to hide; no agendas; no manipulative persona to mask.. no façade   -what you see (the good, the flaws) is what you get.

but,  -what this can also mean!  has to do with understanding the law of attraction:   what you see

in a person  (what you choose to see, when we know everyone has flaws, strengths and weaknesses)

is what you get.  

so, if you see the flaws; the flaws will be magnified; if you see the strengths; their strengths will be magnified.           -what YOU see.. is what YOU will get

***

rape on college campuses/by students:   my most immediate response is that we need to bring back the guillotine.  -and as ive written in length before, I will just note:

1.  the college students responsible for raping other students   -they have 'qualified' for college.  they have files..   with letters of recommendation from teachers, professors..  singing their praises.

they have academic credentials..  good grades/test scores

how does this GARGANTUAN evil and unevolved character quality get missed?   by so many people in teaching and leadership positions?   -what have we been teaching about the importance of respecting fellow human beings vs. how important it is to succeed academically?  get good grades, and 4.0's

we need to TEACH the importance of respecting fellow human beings with even more vigor, passion and emphasis than we do math and science  -and until students demonstrate this as a core competence    -no diploma; period.

I try to imagine that..   a shift in what pressure students experience..  write now, they feel pressure to make good grades, pass certain tests,   -pressure to qualify for specific colleges

what if the pressure they experienced was   -you better be able to demonstrate respect for others..   you better know all the humanitarians...   you better be able to demonstrate you are evolving in that direction...

and, currently, it is all, hush/hush..  because  -money and reputation-  for colleges are at stake, and  -who would want to send their young adult child to a college where...   and, so they are at risk of losing student populations; i.e.,  TUITION.

but making money and reputation more important than truth, safety and justice is exactly the mentality that breeds the problem in the first place; and contributes to its growth

   -show me the college that does not hush/hush the issue

  -show me the college that addresses it immediately, loudly, boldly   -holds rapists entirely accountable; publicly   -the college that punishes the crime; the criminal.. and works to make the college campus a safe place for everyone  -where truth and safety are more important than $$ and reputation..

because that IS the reputation worth risking/fighting for    -and these students are the future of the world      -each campus/population a micro-version of the world to come..

and the more we can improve the culture on each campus..

truth, safety, justice, respect for one another    /no one should graduate unless!

the better off the world will be.

                          /should we send rapists to jail.. or back to a type of mandatory school where you must learn what apparently you did not...

***

I am near the end of a gentleman in Moscow..    I positively love the writing! the story! the characters..  and as you know, I forced myself to read it slowly..

we all want to stretch out our favorite things/times/reads.. yes

and it was my plan to finish reading it on the airplane to montana..  but,

I ended up sitting next to one of the easiest and most engaging people to talk to, and we talked the entire flight!    name a subject   -food, movies, documentaries, India, God, prayer, college, family, friends, Tolstoy,    -he is a phD student at univ of Utah, if I remember correctly, and is going to contribute to making the world a better place via,  -flexible solar technology

never did get his name, but..   enfolded in my prayers for success..

and it struck me..  the last time I talked through an entire flight..  /ignoring the fact he tried the kindle trick to dissuade me

well, on that occasion I blamed the seattle coffee..   I usually respect social queues pretty quickly,

but,

maybe, it wasn't the coffee.. maybe, it turns out, I just delight in meeting total strangers.

***

"Thank You!"  here to my dad and Chris.. turning me onto memorywell.com     -So moved by the founders story..  her dad's story..    her motivation..   and her ted talks..

would love to be a part of that team    -and when they ask what languages

I answer:  English; Secular and Christian.

   -and I am absolutely convinced..  well, whenever I hear about a book translated into (#) languages,

I think,

this is really what languages they should be translated into:  Secular, Christian, Atheist

etc.,

and I hope one day, students will take me up on the challenge:   translate Robert Schuller's work.. from atheist perspective

translate Christopher Hitchens -from spiritual or Christian perspective

apply world views to interpret biographies;   -that is all any of us are doing at any given time

interpreting our lives according to...

***

tbc.

posted by SHE @ 11:52 AM 0 comments

DIGNITY ACRES EMERGENCY CAMPGROUND Solution to Save San Jose, California

DIGNITY ACRES EMERGENCY CAMPGROUND  

 

posted by SANDRA MICKANEN @ 1:10 PM 0 comments

SOLVE for HOMELESSNESS where the most people possible thrive by (me!) ~topps

 i am going to put aside suspicions that san jose city council members have political and/or financial agendas and motivations

and for the sake of real problem solving, give all members, the benefit of the doubt, and 

work this through, with the understanding that they  -really believe-  caged tiny home sites are an actual solution to homelessness.

i want to point out, that my husband and i, have zero political aspirations, and nothing to gain financially from trying to problem solve in a more thorough way.   our motivations are to protect our neighborhood, our schools, our sacred perc ponds     -to help prevent caged tiny home sites from colonizing places/spaces which causes way more problems than it solves. 

i must first refute the argument/suggestion that people who are against caged tiny homes sites, are also against the unhoused people they are placing inside said sites.    Nothing could be further from the truth.

We need to look at resources/infrastructure and we need to look much closer at the cost of destroying for the all in a misguided effort to help the few.

      -what we currently see, is caged tiny home sites [with very dense populations] next to homeless encampments; not replacing homeless encampments, but adding to:

i.e.,  monterey/bernal intersection in san jose.   the densely populated, caged tiny home site is just across the street from a homeless encampment.   -and in the same area, there is homeless living in their vehicle, and trash randomly along the road.

posted by SANDRA MICKANEN @ 7:08 AM 0 comments