Month: November 2007

Signs

/ Anita Marie / 6 Comments

It’s been one of those weeks,

you know

one of those weeks.

Here’s the deal-

This guy puts up a billboard and spews hate filled bile from it

every chance he gets.

What he does has been called

” thought Provoking “

The only thing that billboard provokes in me is the urge to do some serious

Projectile Vomiting.

And in case your curious- yes I’ve driven by the ” The Sign ” and in all the years I’ve driven by it I’ve learned one thing from what I’ve read on them-

TO KEEP DRIVING…. 

I’d advise you to do the same.

07:36 PM PST on Saturday, November 17, 2007

By ROBERTA ROMERO / KING 5 News

LEWIS COUNTY, Wash. – A longstanding controversial billboard in Lewis County is once again garnering attention. Over the years, the owner has used the board to air his opinions about everything from politicians to homosexuality.

The latest message is raising deep concerns in the local Hispanic community. The grinning face of Uncle Sam is what drivers usually see first.

Then the written message on the billboard near I-5 gets clearer:“No Mexican Olympic teams?? All the runners and swimmers are here!”

Owner of the billboard Mike Hamilton, who did not want to go on camera, says he’s trying to deliver a serious message on illegal immigration — but in a funny manner:“I wanted to use humor to draw attention to illegal immigration,” he said. “My goal in the sign is to stir things up and inspire people to educate themselves about the subject.”

Hamilton has definitely stirred things up. While residents in the area are well used to the political and pointed messages on the billboard – this time people are speaking up

. The message seems to be especially painful for the growing Hispanic community in Lewis County. According to the U.S. Census, the population of Hispanics has doubled from 3,500 to 7,000 living in the area. Many are not laughing at the message“Very hurtful – I am Hispanic and I’m proud of it and that’s really wrong,” said Adelina Petersen, resident.

Others say it’s an obvious joke that is thought-provoking. “It makes you stop and think about it you know? I mean look at all the illegal immigrants we do have here you know,” said Travis Jones.

Yeah  look what’s happening to them:

 

FBI REPORT DOCUMENTS HATE CRIMES AGAINST LATINOS AT RECORD LEVEL

 

Hate crimes rise as anti-immigrant campaigns fill the airwaves and fuel anti-immigrant local ordinances

November 19, 2007 WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Federal Bureau of Investigation Hate Crimes Statistics Report released today demonstrates the real societal impact of anti-immigrant campaigns launched over the airwaves and through anti-immigrant legislation.

The report shows a sharp increase in the number of hate crimes reported against Hispanics based on their ethnicity or national origin to the highest levels since the reports were first mandated by the Hate Crimes Statistics Act.

According to the report, in 2006, Hispanics comprised 62.8% of victims of crimes motivated by a bias toward the victims’ ethnicity or national origin.  In 2004, the comparable figure was 51.5%. 

 Since 2004, the number of victims of anti-Hispanic crimes increased by 25%.    

 “Anti-immigrant hatred heard on the radio and cable shows reaches America’s neighborhoods with real consequences,” stated MALDEF President and General Counsel John Trasviña. “Heightened anti-immigrant sentiment has blocked immigration reform and seeks to turn local police into immigration law enforcers thus making it more difficult for victims to report crimes.

The FBI report should serve as a wake up call to our nation’s leaders to take action on comprehensive immigration reform, reduce tensions and safeguard the basic civil rights and liberties of all Americans.”

The report goes on to demonstrate the steady growth of anti-Hispanic hate crimes after 2004.  2006: 576 anti-Hispanic crimes against 819 victims 2005: 522 anti-Hispanic crimes against 722 victims

2004: 475 anti-Hispanic crimes against 646 victims

2003: 426 anti-Hispanic crimes against 595 victims

2002: 480 anti-Hispanic crimes against 639 victims

Founded in 1968, MALDEF, the nation’s leading Latino legal organization, promotes and protects the rights of Latinos through litigation, advocacy, community education and outreach, leadership development, and higher education scholarships.

For more information contact:
Estuardo Rodriguez: 202-631-2892
Peter Zamora: 202-293-2828

 

For Your Consideration…

/ Anita Marie / 4 Comments

             Roloff Farms

and  Direct Access Solutions

Present a special email announcement!
Dear Anita,

Happy Thanksgiving from Roloff Farms!

 

 

Here at the farm, we have much to be thankful for-not in the least all of the encouragement, insight, and wisdom we receive from our fans. 

 

 

We follow our thanks with an apology, for we didn’t initially intend this letter to be sent to such a wide audience.  Our original intention was to send this message only to Little People or others who might have an interest in the company Direct Access Solutions, Inc., the premier provider of accessibility products for traveling Little People.  You may have seen Mike and me working with some of these products on “Little People, Big World.”  As you know, we don’t normally use this list to plug our own handiwork.

 

 

However, it has come to our attention that several major hotel chains have been hesitant to invest in DAS kits simply because they’ve received little or no feedback from their guests.  The number of responses from Little People staying in their unequipped establishments has been surprisingly low. 

 

 

We understand that many LP’s are fiercely independent and are happy to make their own adaptations, even if they are dangerous, like standing on top of an upside down trashcan.  However, we’ve heard from countless other LP’s who have stayed in hotels, used a DAS kit and have been very satisfied with the product during the course of their trip.

 

 

And here’s where we come to the nitty gritty. 

As you and your families embark on your holiday travels, we’re asking you to help us support hotels that support LP’s.  Even if you’re not in need of a DAS kit yourself, we encourage you to ask the front desk upon checking in if the hotel provides any sort of accommodation for people of short stature or restricted mobility.  This isn’t just limited to LP’s. 

We’ve heard stories of young children, aging grandparents, and those suffering from various skeletal and muscular ailments who were unable to access everything in their hotel room and could have benefited from a DAS kit. 

 

 By speaking up and bringing visibility to this issue, you’re helping to pave the way for a more comfortable stay for others.

 

An even more powerful step you can take to help ensure that more hotels provide DAS kits is to fill out the comment card in your hotel room at the end of your stay.  Little Person or not, if you or someone you know had trouble accessing any element of your hotel room, the establishment needs to know!  They can’t make changes unless they know there’s a problem.  On the other hand, if you stayed in a hotel that was DAS equipped and you were happy with the availability of the product, let someone know about that too!  Positive feedback is greatly appreciated in the hospitality industry, and helps to assure the hotel that they made a good investment with DAS.

 

In fact, we’re so excited about the difference you can make through something as simple as a comment card, that if you take a picture of your completed card and email us a copy before January 30th, we’ll send you a special gift from the Roloff family. 

 

You can email your comment cards to kaitlin@mattroloff.com.

 

Another option is to have the hotel make a copy of the comment card.  They’ll keep the original, and you can send the copy to:

 

          Matt Roloff

          Hotel Comments

         22115 NW Imbrie Drive           Box 317          Hillsboro, OR 97124  However you get us your comments, be sure to include your name and contact information, the name of the hotel, and the dates of your stay.  Again, if you send us all of this information before January 30, 2008, the Roloffs will send you a token of their appreciation. 

 

In the future, if you would like to receive more updates and announcements specific to DAS, please click the “Update my Profile/Email Address” link below.  From there, simply check the box next to “Direct Access Solutions” and you’ll be added to that mailing list.

 

 

 

Thank you for your time and understanding.  Together, we can make a difference and help hotels across the nation become equipped for guests of all sizes.  We look forward to hearing from you in the beginning of the year!

 

With gratitude,

Matt Roloff and Family

Norad Tracks Santa

/ Anita Marie / 2 Comments

this clip is from 2007 but the link below will go to

NORAD

2008

Click the link below to track Santa

NORAD TRACKS SANTA 2008

 

I.B. Sux To Be You Award Winner

/ Anita Marie / Leave a comment

5977.jpg  

from

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

SEATTLE — The Lynnwood deputy police chief accused of taking money that was being held as evidence has pleaded guilty to theft.

The U.S. attorney’s office in Seattle says Paul Christopher Watkins entered the plea Friday in an agreement with prosecutors. The 50-year-old Everett man faces up to 10 years in prison when he is sentenced Feb. 22 in federal court.

Prosecutors say Watkins stole between $70,000 and $120,000 in 2002-2005. The money had been seized in police investigations and should have been returned to owners or turned over to the city.

AND FURTHER INFO FROM

 KING5.com Staff

Lynnwood PD deputy chief pleads guilty to theft

SEATTLE – The deputy chief of Lynnwood Police pleaded guilty in federal court Friday to pocketing thousands of dollars that should have been seized during criminal investigations.Paul Christopher Watkins faces up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine when he is sentenced next February.  The government plans to ask the judge to go beyond that range.

He’s the second highest ranking official in the Lynnwood Police Department.

According to the Department of Justice, Watkins admitted that he stole the money while serving as commander of the investigations division between July 2001 and March 2004.

Prosecutors say that money should have gone to the City of Lynnwood or back to its rightful owners.  They plan to argue at sentencing that Watkins stole between $70,000 and $120,000.

Prosecutors say they are concerned Watkins destroyed records about the thefts just hours before a search warrant was issued.

On the night before the raid, FBI agents saw Watkins walk out of his south Everett home with garbage bags full of shredded documents.

“That night they observed him leaving his house carrying large garbage bags,” said Mark Bartlett, Assistant U.S. Attorney.  “They watched him go to various public dumpsters in Lynnwood and dumping this shredded material into dumpsters.”

Steal This Scene

/ Anita Marie / 3 Comments

m0hgkt3m.gif

Here’s the deal- I describe a scene.

Right after you read it answer the questions below.

Here we go:

You’re at a meeting.

A bunch of people with guns join the meeting and line up behind you.

Each one takes a turn going to the front of the room to tell you ‘how it is’.

You’re not allowed to do anything but listen.

Quick- who are they and what year is it?

 

Ho Ho Your Mama!

/ Anita Marie / 2 Comments

exorcist003.jpg 

for the love Santa’s Tiny Reindeer… 

somebody….tell me this is a joke 

 

 

Santas warned ‘ho ho ho’ offensive to women

Wed Nov 14, 9:45 PM ET

Santas in Australia’s largest city have been told not to use Father Christmas’s traditional “ho ho ho” greeting because it may be offensive to women, it was reported Thursday.

Sydney’s Santa Clauses have instead been instructed to say “ha ha ha” instead, the Daily Telegraph reported.

One disgruntled Santa told the newspaper a recruitment firm warned him not to use “ho ho ho” because it could frighten children and was too close to “ho”, a US slang term for prostitute.

“Gimme a break,” said Julie Gale, who runs the campaign against sexualising children called Kids Free 2B Kids.

“We are talking about little kids who do not understand that “ho, ho, ho” has any other connotation and nor should they,” she told the Telegraph.

“Leave Santa alone.”

A local spokesman for the US-based Westaff recruitment firm said it was “misleading” to say the company had banned Santa’s traditional greeting and it was being left up to the discretion of the individual Santa himself.

It’s Right Human

/ Anita Marie / 3 Comments

225px-universalhorrorcharacters.jpg 

Not only do I write, I can bake a mean enchilada and fry a sinfully good lumpia on top of that I can do other things like work on Human Rights Issues.

This news article is from the Everett Herald here in Washington state and this story is about an Ordinance that I’m proud to say I’m helping to put together.

The Luis Moscoso quoted here is my husband, Jerry Hebert (also quoted) is the type of person who not only makes the world a better place…but a fun one too- Dave Somers and Roger are truly good guys and I’ve enjoyed working with them.

So I’ll stop babbling now and let you read on…

County needs commission to stand up for citizens, activists say

By Jeff Switzer
Herald Writer

Members of a new group of minority-rights activists say a recent rise in racial bias and discrimination in Snohomish County is pushing them to better protect and explain the importance of civil rights.

The Snohomish County Citizens Committee for Human Rights has gained momentum on its efforts after meetings were held this summer for an anti-gay group and what was billed as an illegal immigration summit.

Members also say the community must rally against racist graffiti and swastikas recently scrawled with spray paint on fences and cars.

To make progress, the Snohomish County Council needs to approve a local human rights commission in county government to hear concerns and stand up for the rights of residents, said Luis Moscoso of Mountlake Terrace, a member of the effort.

“I do believe in the area of human rights; there’s a lot more we could be doing,” he said. “We need to take responsibility for managing the communal climate we live in here.”

Moscoso reported progress on the proposal to the state Human Rights Commission at a meeting in Snohomish on Friday.

The County Council might consider a formal proposal next spring, he said.

“I applaud this effort,” Human Rights Commissioner Shawn Murinko said. The community is the best place to respond to civil rights debates, “and it only makes good sense to form these groups,” he said.

The state panel and its staff are advising the cutting-edge effort in Snohomish County, Commissioner Jerry Hebert said.

“The community is the one driving this,” Hebert said.

Earlier this year, Everett created a 15-member diversity board aimed at ridding city government of discrimination based on race, religion, income, gender, physical ability or sexual orientation.

County Councilman Dave Somers and county finance director Roger Neumaier have attended meetings of the planning group for the countywide effort.

“We support the human rights cause that the group is working on and we are looking forward to receiving the proposal so we can review it,” Neumaier said.

Unlike the state Human Rights Commission, which enforces state anti-discrimination laws, a local commission would be a more accessible venue to discuss race and discrimination issues as they arise in the county.

“We need ongoing community dialogue that is managed in a safe venue, where everyone feels safe to come to talk about what’s going on,” Moscoso said.

It might also be able to address community concerns.

“I would like to reinforce we’re not here to solve all the problems of the world,” Moscoso said. “There already are human rights laws on the books in Washington. This would be another way to enhance understanding and implementation in our community.”

Reporter Jeff Switzer: 425-339-3452 or jswitzer@heraldnet.com.

Get Paid WRITE!

/ Anita Marie / 4 Comments

skeleton.gif 

So this Writer’s Strike…do you think it’s just about money?

Well okay, it’s about money but there’s a little more to it then that.

For me it’s all about telling people who tell stories that- ” you know what….it’s really nice of you to speak up, to share your ideas to open up your soul and mind and let anyone with a DVD player or 10.00 bucks wander around in your head for awhile…but at the end of the day your voice ain’t worth a nickle”…and I’m not joking there.

So read up on this, especially you Labor People ( okay…you KNOW who I’m talking to here ) and show a little support for your Union Brothers and Sisters.

Here are some links…educate yourselves.

Start HERE

Max’s place has done a few posts here and I’d say take a look at the BBC article here

And pass the word along…

amm