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Democracy Derailed by Greed Virus

I don’t usually weep with strangers I meet on the street. Maybe it was the beautiful summer evening. Or that I was returning from a lovely evening with beloved friends. Or that we shared our despair at how quickly and completely the greed virus has derailed our great democracy.

It feels like the political equivalent of the e-bola virus that causes internal organs to bleed. Our country is bleeding internally, that’s for sure. It seems that everyone is either hanging on by a thread or watching friends and family hang on.

Syndicated from New Community Vision

Not everyone is as normal as you think

Okay, you who stopped at Subway (or the pizza joint, 7-Eleven, McDonald’s, Chipotle, _________ (fill in the blank) for dinner on the way home, perhaps you imagine that others go home and dinner is on the table. The chances are good that their dinner choices are equally pathetic. Maybe some do but millions of others do not. It is those who do not for whom this message is especially intended.

Syndicated from New Community Vision

Short-term temporary housing – who needs it?

Actually, many people. Particularly now, bridge housing that provides breathing room while formulating a long-term strategy could be a life saver. Having the good fortune to choose from a range of healthy, non-nutty, safe and affordable options increases the likelihood of making wise choices, reducing stress, improving health, experiencing a sense of community and eliminating price gouging.

Syndicated from New Community Vision

Tired of doing dishes?

I’m a rinse & hold girl myself.

I rinse my dishes and stack them neatly. After the next snack or meal, I rinse and neatly add to the aforementioned neat stack. Mine is a very small kitchen. After a while, when I really have to wash the dishes, I boil a big pot of water and it goes quickly, with hygienically sterile results.

Syndicated from New Community Vision

Meet Mary Crenshaw

Running errands last Saturday, I met Mary Crenshaw, a non-crazy CTA bus rider. She suggested that I put my heavy backpack between us, under her walker that needs a repair that would “cost a fortune.” If you are getting by on Social Security (maybe she has other resources but maybe she doesn’t) $15 to repair a walker is a fortune. My hunch is that the walker needs a bolt and a screw.

Syndicated from New Community Vision

Rescuers R Us

The adults will show up any minute now, waken us to assure us that this is merely a nightmare and everything will be okay. Right?  Then I remember that the “adults” are themselves the problem—Congress, ham-handed Rahm Emmanuel, tone-deaf obstructionist Republicans. It reminds me of the disturbing Leonardo DiCaprio / Ben Kingsley movie Shutter Island in which it became confusing to distinguish reality from a nightmare.

This  nightmare is the new reality. The problem is that no one is swooping in to waken or rescue us.This graph illustrates the precipitous drop in civilian employment.

Syndicated from New Community Vision

The Power of Shared Housing in Curbing Addiction

The idea of shared housing is born of the innate human need for social interaction. Having someone to communicate with, establish rules, and share goals with, is one of the most powerful tools for a healthy body and mind. Shared housing goes beyond aiding our mental state; it encourages us to improve our nutrition, begin an exercise program and even seek medical attention when necessary. Yet since the late 20th century, an additional benefit has been observed: its power to keep crippling addictions at bay. In this blog, we share the results of a powerful experiment which reveals that shared housing is already playing an important role in recovery and rehabilitation all across the US and overseas.

Syndicated from New Community Vision