the reason whywe lost in Florida!

From the Los Angeles Times Sunday edition...

The Truth About Teen Pregnancy
Suddenly, teen pregnancy seems pervasive. Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin’s pregnant daughter, Bristol, and pop star Britney Spears’ sister, Jamie Lynn, both now 17, made recent headlines. And a high school in Gloucester, Mass., drew national attention when nearly 20 students became pregnant. In fact, after dropping steadily for a decade, teen birth rates rose slightly.

It’s too soon to say if this is an aberration or signals a trend, but we do know that American girls are far more likely to get pregnant than teens in other developed nations. The U.S. teen-pregnancy rate is about 7.5%. According to figures from the Alan Guttmacher Institute, that’s almost twice as high as Britain and four times higher than Sweden or France. Why? “American adolescents are as likely to have sex as European teenagers but less likely to use contraception,” says Kristin Moore of Child Trends, a nonpartisan research center that studies childhood development.

The U.S. spends $2 billion annually on sex education, including $176 million in federal money for abstinence-only programs. An analysis last year by the nonpartisan National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy found that two-thirds of programs that included information on both abstinence and contraception had positive results. The study found no strong evidence that abstinence-only programs work.

— Lyric Wallwork Winik

and my apologies to the other friend who's birthday is today but lj drops the info before the day is fucking over here on the west coast godammit.

I am on my way to Vegas! Well, in a couple weeks that is. I'm a Vegas virgin so I'm open to suggestions about what to see and do even though I'll be working most of the time and won't be there for much site seeing. I'm trying to figure out what classic hotel on the Strip I want to stay at. I'd love to take in some shows but it's not in the budget right now so mostly I'll be walking and gawking! Must say, I'm kinda excited.

I am not officially in love with Tina Fey. She was stunning and brilliant as Sarah Palin last night on SNL! And damn NBC for yanking the video off YouTube.

The funniest quiz I've ever succumbed to......absolutely the best results! So meeeeeeeeeeeee

Your result for Reincarnation Placement Exam...

Traveling Circus

58% Intrigue, 49% Civilization, 63% Humanity, 29% Urbanization.

Take Reincarnation Placement Exam at HelloQuizzy

Hope you have a great day all day and then some, celebrate you!

thank you nicci

Your result for The Perception Personality Image Test...

NBDC - The Illusionist

Take The Perception Personality Image Test at HelloQuizzy

vacation has not been restful yet. painful family drama took up first 8 days. Vegas costume job far more difficult to finish than wanted. hope to mail it off by saturday. hit the sadness that usually comes once a summer yesterday. feeling weary and wanting reassurance.

good news is it's raining today, hallelujah!

miss you and miss contact.

Oh, and did I mention that Peter Greenaway is on the staff of the graduate school in Switzerland? Swoon. I wonder if I'll be in one of his classes!

Rollercoaster and then some. Having a family pool party this Saturday in the mountains opened up a nasty, stale can of worms. I'm remaining positive and did have to set some firm boundaries with my older brother and his wife, Allison's parents. They are not doing well, in my book, and it's taking a toll.

The talk with my father went very well and special thanks to your encouragement and especially to djaza for some sage advice. He was excited and happy and even a bit teary eyes, I believe that my spending 3 summer sessions in Switzerland was the big point for him. He has spent many pleasant business and pleasure trips there and he just glowed saying, "I want to go!"

I imagine he will, he has offered to pay for half the schooling. "I'm not giving you anything, it's out of your share of the inheritance." I figured that was the bottom line.

I'm leaving in about an hour and can't wait to be doing nothing. I want to rest easy and sleep well and have fun. I have to take some work but that will wait a bit.

Seems there's trouble with their new computer so I won't be online except for occasional visits to the library. I'd wanted to do much researching for grants but guess this was just meant to be.

Later, gators!

I have my admissions interview this afternoon at 4:30. Been up since 5am, had diarrhea, the standard for nervousness in my book. Printed out my letter of intent, work and artistic history, blah blah blah, now to pass the next 4 hours in relative peace of mind would be really good. I'll be tired by the time it comes around (may take a wee nap if I can) and that could be a good thing. I just want to be myself regardless of the circumstance or situation, this is my daily goal.

Two friends phoned and imparted great words of reassurance and praise, thank you Monta and Sarita, the timing could not have been better.

I need to get some work done in the meantime.

Directed and produced by Kristi Toguchi (that's her in my red outfit centerstage, the one Nikon chose for their icon, and that would be Cheryl and her husband, right hand bottom as the Lindley Lopez Circus, and her son Shane in the gold and black doing his whip-dominator routine, and her daughter Sadie in the lyra next to the blue logo.

I can't go, I'll be on vacation, but please do help spread the word. It's going to be an annual event.

Zirk Ubu at Rich's nightclub tonight!

W making another stab at dismantling what we've worked so hard to protect by lifting the ban on offshore oil drilling!!! And he uses the hook of rising fuel prices instead of the truth that there's just more money in it for his cronies! If you lived on this coast, you would know the impact this is going to have!!!! Spend the damn money on alternative energy sources godammit!!!!

Oh yeah, and I paid off two accounts left over from the out of work period 2 years ago. Nice! Now to rack up some big debt for the schools.

Book: The Book Thief. Rich, luscious, poetic phrases that please the ears and heart. Must read more books by this man.

TV: Clatterford. It's Ab-Fab for the next life phase.

Cheese: Legendary Cheddar. Best damn aged cheddar I've ever tasted. Must get more.

Two weeks and counting!

Just back from a whirlwind trip to Los Angeles to the fabric district, again. Second time in 3 days. my backside is sore and I am exhausted. But I've got some delicious colors for some dynamite costumes and if I could just get enought rest, I'd probably feel good. So I'm gonna shower and fall asleep watching some movie deserving of more attention than I've got to give.

i'm back, i had a blast, what a party. aimie said is all ended up beyone her wildest dreams of good. came home last night and crashed. i am pooped but got the wee ones (well, they're not so wee anymore, 10 and 7) for the day so back in the car for my driving, ugh. but i sure had fun!!!!!