What's interesting here is that you fail to mention in this post is that many residents at 1811 saw a drop in their personal drink consumption, and some have eventually become sober.

Alcoholism is a disease. Alcohol is also used by many to self-medicate a mental health issue that cannot receive more acceptable treatment due to a failing mental health system. Also, if I spent every day worrying about where I was going to sleep, whether or not I would be safe, and how the rest of society would react to me, I'd drink, too.

Harm Reduction models are better than anything else out there and I hope that if we can't appeal to people's hearts, we can at least appeal to their pocket books.

Fair doesn't come into the picture. Humanity does.

Evergreen Grad here representing. Not only is Speedy the Geoduck the most awesome of all mascots, he is also the MOST PHALLIC. When they debuted the new mascot costume while I was at school, the giggling would not end.

Lyrics from our fight song (although, being a notorious hippie school, we don't fight, really),
"Go, Geoducks go,
Through the mud and the sand,
let's go.
Siphon high, squirt it out,
swivel all about,
let it all hang out.

Go, Geoducks go,
Stretch your necks when the tide
is low
Siphon high, squirt it out,
swivel all about,
let it all hang out."

And yes, I want to remind everyone that it is an accredited college.

Um, didn't the whole world just freak out because America finally elected a black man? Of course it's news that Iceland just elected the first openly gay pm!

The marginalized populations of society need visibility to break out of assigned cultural stereotypes. Iceland and the US have twice in as many weeks made huge strides as regions of people who are willing to get over themselves and their collective preconceived notions. When a person with high visibility in a community is associated with a cultural sub-set (speaking hierarchically for pure reference), it gives more individuals the chance be confronted with their own bias and prejudice. To be shown common humanity.

I know it isn't fair to assign this responsibility, to ask Obama or Sirgudardottir to represent all the people they share a race or sexuality with, but I really do think it's positive. We're in this mess together, as a planet, and the sooner we can introduce ourselves to each other in all our gorgeous diversity the sooner we can start helping each other.

Yes, I just made it about world peace. So what?

Anon:

Obviously it's beneficial to have resources available for the homeless. However, can you imagine how insulting it is to be told that others know what is best for you? Sometimes it's a hospital bill when your family couldn't afford insurance, sometimes it's a history of abuse that makes you leave your home. Giving Spare Change is up to the individual, but don't just sit there and not do anything at all. You have an opinion? *DO* something about it.

The article you link to encourages a fallacy: That anybody can pull themselves up by their bootstraps and live the American Dream. That kid has youth, health, and strength to help him succeed. He also *planned* it. Believe me, when somebody becomes homeless, there's a whole lot that can happen that isn't planned and can't be overcome with a wink and a grin.

I work at a Shelter in Seattle. Leaving food extras isn't as demeaning as it sounds to some people. Most cities have enough emergency feed sites that if someone has been in a city long enough, they know how to get food they need. However, it isn't as though the local Salvation Army is making special vegetarian or allergen-free meals. No, you get crud food with very little nutritional value. So yeah, something left over can be a real change from the white bread and processed cheese lunches that most homeless folks have to deal with.

Also, the idea that cities that offer good services for *fellow humans* are just asking for more homeless people to come and take advantage, that's called the 'magnet theory' and it's archaic. Although this almost always falls on deaf ears: Please, any body who just made a snarky or ill-informed comment about the homeless here, please, do you best to volunteer (not just once!) at a shelter, or take the time to get to know several people experiencing homeless. They're not all the same, they're not all amoral druggies, and usually they're some of the kindest,most unique folks you'll ever meet. I sure like 'em better than housed jerks.

I was recently devastated to learn the plural was not 'octopi'. And then I read an example in which 'octopoda' was used and this I can get down with. And I eat octopus.

hah! I went to the Whiskey museum last September during the Int'l Bourbon festival there in Bardstown (my partner is a bourbon-swilling kentucky native). It's really fabulous and has some great prohibition-era signs like 'Eternal vigilance is the price of decency'.