how to be a volunteer firefighter

recipient:

Oriental Trading/ PO Box 2659/ Omaha, NE 68103-2659

sent:

Vienna Volunteer Fire Department Volunteer Training Schedule and eHow’s How to Become a Firefighter

reasoning:

heading home for Thanksgiving, i was able to get a ride from RVW’s brother (and my friend), DVW.  a car ride with a good acquaintance is infinitely better than a tight, cramped, and long Chinatown bus ride with a bunch of strangers. however, our ride up to Bucks County, PA took much much longer than expected, we hit traffic every single time we entered a new state: MD, DE, and PA. but that gave us time to listen to Kanye’s new album (3 times!), Jim Gaffigan’s Beyond the Pale, and Mitch Hedburg’s Do You Believe in Gosh?

also, the ridiculous amounts of traffic gave us time to catch up. i learned that DVW is in the process of becoming a volunteer firefighter for fairfax county, va.  yes, people actually volunteer to go through classes, exams, and physical training to help out with firefighting duties – for no money. while they aren’t on call, they do get pages when any firefighting activity such as a hazmat spill, or water mane leak occurs, and in some particularly huge, and complicated situations, they will be called in to support. i asked DVW if he was simply going through this lengthy, and expensive (money and time) process just so he could run into a burning building, or fight against a hurricane – for no monetary funding – but out of the goodness of his heart to save people. he said yeah, that and the free gear -> apparently a lot of t-shirts, sweats, and being able to carry around your own complete firefighting outfit in the trunk of your car.

how to be a volunteer firefighter: 

• high school degree or GED, though a degree in Fire Science would be useful
• enroll with your local Fire Department and begin their training
• Physical Exam - test your ability to handle the stresses of emergency services
• EMT Basic
• VISIT (Volunteer In Station Training)
• Level I/II – classroom training about the history of firefighting but also how to tie knots
• EVOC (Emergency Vehicle Operators Course) – parallel park a fire truck, and  which alarm is better for a hazmat spill and a cat being stuck in a tree
• hydraulics - the fundamentals of getting water through a pump to a fire

once fully trained, DVW is expected to donate about 20 hours/month, go to the station, temporarily replace career firefighers, act as a standby to other local fire departments, and help out with bingo night (which occurs every now and then). he can serve for 6 months, or however long he wants, continue his studies to become a career firefighter, or just stay on the volunteer lines.

jacob blumenfeld

recipient:

Boston Home/ PO Box 7602/ Red Oak, IA 515191-2602

sent:

Jacob Blumenfeld’s The Jewish Poor in New Voices, along with recent Beijing: Night light “Free Tibet” Banner

reasoning:

i was lucky to meet Jacob in the summer of 2006, when he and CPV were extremely kind to let me crash on their couch while i interned for Domestic Workers United in the Bronx. it was a transformative summer to say the least – my first experience biking in a city, i learned to screenprint & mosaic, attended countless race and gender inequality workshops, walked around brooklyn, hung out in the subway station @ 2 in the morning, sat in on smart discussions and was just immersed in an activist social justice inspiring world.

recently googled Jacob to see if he had written and published anything new, and was surprised to find all these links describing 5 Americans Arrested for Protesting in Beijing.  their “Free Tibet” banner in English and Chinese in bright blue LED lights quickly caught the attention of Chinese officials, and all were quickly detained.  i was slightly freaked out to read “their whereabouts are unknown”, but more internet searching found the 5 have been deported back to the states.

spinach & butternut squash lasagna

recipient:

Creative Home Arts Club/New Member Processing Center/P.O. Box 3449/Hopkins, MN 55343-4711

sent:

Cooking Light’s Spinach & Butternut Squash Lasagna taken from Our Kitchen Sink

reasoning:

whenever i get hungry and it’s not even close to a proper mealtime, i indulge in Tastespotting. it’s basically food porn to me. i like that it’s one of the more aesthetically pleasing blog aggregators, as food bloggers are known for taking pretty and professional-looking pictures of whatever they are making. as the heat in my apartment is still broken, and it’s been below 45 degrees this whole week, i saw this spinach & butternut squash lasagna recipe and forwarded it to my roommates as a possible weekend meal. we could buy spinach & a butternut squash from the farmer’s market sunday morning and fashion this lasagna that very night.

my friend, DDW, came over, and was instrumental in the butternut & spinach prep. JE made an amazing white beshamel sauce. MB helped with the noodles and creating the layers. while it was over a 2 hr undertaking, it made the whole apartment smell amazing and warmer. finally we sat down to eat around 8, and apart from the “OHMYGAWD, this is amazing”, the 4 of us chowed down in complete silence and inhaled the entire pan of lasagna in about 30 minutes. so yummy. definitely a recipe that will be made again. JE suggested it to his mother to make for thanksgiving.  even that seems like much too long of a time from now…. boo not having leftovers b/c i’d like another serving of this tonight.

LV Child, Beejoir

recipient:

RADAR Magazine/ Subscription Department/ PO Box 421942/ Palm Coast, FL 32143-7557

sent:

image of Beejoir’s LV Child, along with artist interview

reasoning:

i stole this from kanye’s blog, and click on it immediately because it was so different from everything else that he posts: models, new urban buildings, modernist design or inventive new artists. Beejoir – LV Child Sculpture: this little African child tagged with the louis vuitton logo all over like one of the famously expensive purses. the thing that struck me was how, even at the most basic analysis level, this piece is about mass consumption in this global economy – Louis Vuitton = luxury, physically branded upon like an object, an emaciated African child in fetal position (though looking up… at what?). but not every reader saw it that way.

kanye’s love for LV is not a surprise. he’s a big fan of and worked with takashi murakami, and lyrics to Stronger include “Cause this is Louis Vuitton dime night, So we gon do everything that Kan like“. some of the comments to this post are surprising, if not a bit alarming: “These are dope!”, “MAN, YOU DON’T KNOW ART. THESE SHITS IS HOT, SON; & MAD EXPENSIVE! FUCK YOU MEAN?, or “they look like baby Obama’s”. -> OMG, really? they look like baby Obama’s?

but luckily there are just as many commenters who write: “I actually really hate these, it makes me kind of feel like they are slaves and they are just being look at as if they are property and not human…..seems kind of disrespectful to me.”, “If you stamped/or dressed all the hungry children with louie vuitton shit–would they be worth feeding then?..would that get your attention?”,  “If we have a fancy logo on us, is that enough for you to care about us?”.  they also come in gold. beejoir’s work definitely revolves around the new global, overindulgent consumerism. while the artist was successful in getting his message across, what does it mean when he’s also made 100 copies of the sculpture and selling them for $500 apiece?

remembering those forgotten

recipient:

Glamour/ PO Box 37690/ Boone, IA 50037-2690

sent:

Foreign-Born Veterans of the US Armed Forces MPI FactSheet, coauthored by Iris Ho (!) and Aaron Terrazas

reasoning:

an often-forgotten holiday (veterans’ day), and perhaps an even more forgotten group (immigrant veterans), this factsheet demonstrates the long-standing history of immigrant involvement in the military (they are highly recruited, especially during wartime).  the emphasis here is on immigrant veterans, those who have served in the last major wars of the 20th century. the numbers are basic, of where they are from, what war they served in, and where they currently live. while we were unable to get more specific information – data about current income, occupation, citizenship status, etc. with this FactSheet published and out on the web, hopefully another organization will be able to build on it and draw conclusions about the immigrant veterans demographic. whether or not we support a war, it’s hard not to support the soldiers, especially those who aren’t natives of the country they are fighting for – that sort of loyalty, and willingness to (literally) die for – commands a certain level of admiration and respect.

a new second class citizen

recipient:

US Weekly/ PO Box 8252/ Red Oak, IA 51591-3252

sent:

John Sherrfius editorial cartoon in Daily Camera, Boulder, Colorado

reasoning:

even with last tuesday’s victory, i guess it’d be just too good if we got it all: President Obama, and a No on Prop 8. outside of the group that believes homosexuality is wrong on a religious basis, most Americans are generally approving or accepting of gay people. perhaps only in a “whatever you do inside the confines of your home is your business…” because somehow when wanting the rights that everyone else as, as a citizen, as a human being, people get all up-in-arms about it, saying “no no no, the constitution says marriage is between a man and a woman”. many people don’t want to redefine ‘marriage’, but during the slave era, the marriage between a black man and a black woman wasn’t recognized, 50 years ago, some states wouldn’t allow a black man and a white woman to marry (ex: barack obama’s parents – and look where he is now….) the constitution isn’t the end all, be all since 1787, the concept of marriage has been redefined and broadened many times over. it needs to be again. The fight continues.

YES WE CAN!

recipient:

Real Simple/ PO Box 64523/ Tampa, FL 33664-4523

sent:

Barack Obama’s victory speech in Grant Park, Chicago

reasoning:

Hiroko Masuike for The New York Times

America, we have come so far. We have seen so much. But there is so much more to do. So tonight, let us ask ourselves – if our children should live to see the next century; if my daughters should be so lucky to live as long as Ann Nixon Cooper, what change will they see? What progress will we have made?

This is our chance to answer that call. This is our moment.

is it too cheesy to say : yes we did! (?) i’m still in happy disbelief, almost can’t believe last night happened. i woke up smiling and still dancing. DC last night – amazing. i was at U & 14th St – people dancing in the street, on top of bus stops, high fives and hugs all around. i so wish one of my friend’s had a car with a sunroof so i could stand and cheer as we drove through the streets. change is going to come: end of Global Gag Rule, closer to universal healthcare, and this step closer to equality. the whole time i kept thinking about how i’ll be able to retell where i was, and how it was the night it happened. kids can believe they can become the next president  because it really happened.  next step: how to be at the white house on inauguration day.

field guide to the urban bicyclist

recipient:

Health Research & Educational Trust/ 1 North Franklin/ Chicago, IL 60606

sent:

New York Times: Field Guide to the NYC Bicyclist and European Support for Bicycles Promotes Sharing of the Wheels

reasoning:

i bought a U-Lock and the check for my bike has just been cleared, so i can officially start riding around in the city. i envision myself to be the closest to the fixed-gear rider, with the one leg cuff pulled up, the messenger bag across the back, and plaid button-down.  but maybe not the fixed-gear part, i still can’t figure what gear my bike is in, and how to change that. i would love to be the vintage-bike fashion girl, but i’m not near cute enough for that. so i will opt for the opposite and be grungy & indie hardcore, instead. how classy does their noble rider look? those red pants, that jacket with the fabric pocket and those cairn terriers in the front. The Sartorialist would be gushing all over that man. the group that seems to be missing from the urban bicyclist field guide are those who bike more for the sake of biking, and not as much for fashion. they have the one leg rolled up, the standard bike helmet, and whatever work clothes for the day. their form follows function. the practicality of riding bikes in the city is starting to catch on, SmartBike DC just started but like the models in barcelona, and portland, it is already very popular. with bikes being the best urban accessory, i just hope there will be more creative bike racks, more bike lanes and more pedicabs… and maybe one day, more bikes than cars!

–> happy happy birthday to my mother today, who if knew that i was riding around the city, much less without a helmet on, would move me out of DC, herself, and back into the car-loving suburbs of Pennsylvania. love you! i’m being as safe as i can, i promise!