Sunday, April 29, 2007
OKlahoma City Memorial Marathon
Thursday, April 26, 2007
Oklahoma City Arts Festival Time!!
FESTIVAL OF THE ARTS (link)
Hurry ,the festival only runs 4-24/4-29
tues-sat11:00-9:00
sun-11:00 -6:00
WARNING;NO PETS
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
This is what I published last year..(Feb.)06
No Dogs, no smoking ,and no backpacks!?by Ted Leon
Has anybody noticed how the homeless are highly discriminated against in the downtown area of Oklahoma city? And we aren’t talking about the average derelict that hasn’t showered in who knows how many moons and smells profusely like mouthwash heaven with a little tinge of piss and vomit. And don’t we all wish just a little sometimes that “those” people would just move down the block downwind and from hearing distance. There are some reasons that the “civilians are justified in their discomfort.
The new homeless are the families with kids, the out of work man or woman. Those who lived from paycheck to paycheck and got hit by some misfortune and are now at the mission or staying with families, just trying to get a hand up on the situation. Most people don't see this discrimination because it is done on the sly so that the average “citizen” won’t take notice. Some homeless just think that is the way things are run. These policies are done under the guise of safety ,comfort and convenience." Security” they cry. Under the guise of “Homeland Security” or some other smoke screen. One example of discrimination is the policy of “Mc Donald's’” at Western. On there bulletin board on the wall next to the cash registers is an 8x10
Paper that states that for the safety and comfort of their guests all backpacks and large bags must be left in the foyer. These precautions are for security reasons. All guests who choose to leave these items are reassured that a security guard will watch them.
First of all ,the foyer is not more than a few feet from the door .If there is a bomb that goes off in the glass foyer it will be a mess.
Secondly, the comfort of the guests will not be effected by a backpack. Homeless people are not the only ones who use them. Believe it or not, other “classes “ of folks use them. They are quite the rage in the States ! The management must believe that any one with a pack must be homeless and not some poor fool going to work on foot who stopped by for a bite. What a great inconvenience it is for the working poor or anybody for that matter ,having to worry if somebody will steal their pack in the foyer….see ,the security guard is not there in the foyer “watching” your stuff. Now, nobody is aware of this policy except the man with the pack ,
because he will be the only one asked by the security to put the pack in the foyer or leave. People in cars don’t have to bring their packs in ,unless they have something in it they want to work on, and they won’t be asked to conform to policy.
By the way ,the notice on the bulletin board is inconspicuous.
People get the feeling they are not welcome.
Drugs /source unknown
Despite numerous declarations of a "war on drugs" over the past three decades, Americans continue to produce, use and sell illegal narcotics. Illegal drugs are both a symptom and a cause of some of American society's most intractable problems, including high crime rates, homelessness and the breakup of traditional two-parent families. To explore America's drug policies and drug culture is to examine the criminal-justice system, the health-care system, wealth and poverty in America, and even racism.
Beginning in the mid-1980s, the federal government and many states enacted mandatory prison sentences for people convicted of even minor drug offenses, and major sentences were set for drug dealers and traffickers. Thousands of drug lords and drug users alike have been prosecuted -- contributing to an explosive growth of the U.S. prison population. But because demand for drugs and the financial reward for selling them has remained strong, there have always been new traffickers ready to step in when others wind up behind bars!
Fatal fall from parking garage is second incident last month(The Oklahoman) Contributing: Staff Writers Chad Previch and Joe Wertz 1/26/06 Oklahoma City police are investigating the death of a man who apparently jumped from a downtown parking garage — the second person to do so this month. About 9 a.m., the victim, whose name has not been released pending notification of relatives, plunged from the seventh level of the nine-story garage at 1 N Walker, police Capt. Jeffrey Becker said. “There were quite a few witnesses,” Becker said. “This happened right in front of the (Greyhound) bus station.” The victim is described as a white man in his 60s who may have been a transient in the area, Becker said. There was no immediate indication of foul play, Becker said, and the death is considered an “apparent suicide.” Jan. 11, an Oklahoma attorney jumped from the same garage, a police report states. Witnesses told police they saw the man fall to his death. He was identified as Mark Lowery, 52. Prior to that, the last suicide committed at the garage was on Dec. 10, 2003, police records show Fatal fall from parking garage is second incident this month Contributing: Staff Writers Chad Previch and Joe Wertz Oklahoma City police are investigating the eath of a man who apparently jumped from a downtown parking garage — the second person to do so this month. About 9 a.m., the victim, whose name has not been released pending notification of relatives, plunged from the seventh level of the nine-story garage at 1 N Walker, police Capt. Jeffrey Becker said. “There were quite a few witnesses,” Becker said. “This happened right in front of the (Greyhound) bus station.” The victim is described as a white man in his 60s who may have been a transient in the area, Becker said. There was no immediate indication of foul play, Becker said, and the death is considered an “apparent suicide.” Jan. 11, an Oklahoma attorney jumped from the same garage, a police report states. Witnesses told police they saw the man fall to his death. He was identified as Mark Lowery, 52. Prior to that, the last suicide committed at the garage was on Dec. 10, 2003, police records show Fatal fall from parking garage is second incident this month Contributing: Staff Writers Chad Previch and Joe Wertz Oklahoma City police are investigating the death of a man who apparently jumped from a downtown parking garage — the second person to do so this month. About 9 a.m., the victim, whose name has not been released pending notification of relatives, plunged from the seventh level of the nine-story garage at 1 N Walker, police Capt. Jeffrey Becker said. “There were quite a few witnesses,” Becker said. “This happened right in front of the (Greyhound) bus station.” The victim is described as a white man in his 60s who may have been a transient in the area, Becker said. There was no immediate indication of foul play, Becker said, and the death is considered an “apparent suicide.” Jan. 11, an Oklahoma attorney jumped from the same garage, a police report states. Witnesses told police they saw the man fall to his death. He was identified as Mark Lowery, 52. Prior to that, the last suicide committed at the garage was on Dec. 10, 2003, police records show.
(There was alot of depression, when I 1st arrived at the mission ,amongst the peoples that I met in the beginning, probably brought on by repressed anger that was usually justified and brought on by these persons own actions.Most knew how they got there and why. How do I know ? I asked them! One guy named Dave( a master carpenter)gambled his way to poverty and destitution.This guy didn't drink or do drugs ,but he made up for it w/ his gambling.I asked him what the emotion was that drove him to keep doing the insanity of gambling what he no longer had...ego,false pride ,arrogance..the feeling that the big score was next...the addiction to the way he felt,even though he was losing ...just like a drug reaction(allergic).
Others are serious boozers,pill heads,crack heads,meth heads,paint heads...etc...compounded by their stupidty or what other handicaps they claim.
My best friends turned into these peoples and as easy as it would be for me to turn away and go elsewhere ..I can't!Repeat!All my friends...whereever I go...this is happening.Can't turn away.Iknow what I can do! Not turn away!Not further stigmatize them by playing the me and you game.This is why I came to the CRM,to be amongst the" sick".That is how I embedded my self into these peoples lives ,to entrust myself to them, by example.And I don't sugar coat!There are alot of people caught in the grip of their diseases who really don't care for me (I don't preach)as they are aware of my stance and are threatened by it though they are not under any threat or duress,except to become human again,and that what scares them the most!)4-24 ted leon
The 1st article I wrote last year and it showed that my attitude was a little more angry and unfocused towards both groups( homeless and homemore ) and I published a rag called the CRM TRASH that I distributed to the mission people who,most, got a kick out of it and also a little angry too...but that's what most of them did, got angry and did nothing...I guess I'm still a little mad! There were a lot of other articles thatI wrote that did not get saved because of some reason or another...but they were great, take my word!These I just happened to send to my email as an attachment...I wish the original format could be displayed here but the link I had set up w/ 4shared.com did not display or read as intended. 4-24 ted leon
Homelessness/unknown source
Increasing numbers of people living on the streets in small as well as large cities across the U.S. prompted growing concern in the 1980s and 1990s. Surveys by the U.S. Conference of Mayors (USCM) reported annual increases in demand for emergency shelter from the mid-1980s on. In 2001, the USCM reported, emergency shelter requests rose an average of 13% in the cities surveyed.
Precise estimates of the number of homeless people in the U.S. were difficult to obtain. As part of the 1990 census, the U.S. Census Bureau attempted to count the number of homeless individuals living in the U.S. Counters for the bureau found 178,828 people in shelters and 49,793 living on the streets. Advocates for the homeless claimed that the true figure was much higher, however, possibly as high as three million. In 1999, the National Coalition for the Homeless estimated that on any given night, about 700,000 people are homeless, either sleeping on the streets or in shelters.
One reason often cited for the rise in America's homeless population was the growing trend toward deinstitutionalization of the mentally ill. As a consequence, many former mental patients found themselves released from mental hospitals or institutions without any viable alternative but to live on the streets or in homeless shelters. It is estimated that one-quarter to one-third of homeless people are severely mentally ill.
(in my opinion,1/3-1/4 is a very liberal number, as I would say that the mentally ill ratio is a lot higher,as close as 1/2 - 3/4,as a result of drug induced mental illnesses ,in addition to the "regular" mentally ill.)
Again, this where I say how bad this crack,meth,and pharmaceutical drug epidemic is effecting/affecting our already disfunctional world and the people that live in it and the ones we interact with and care for and hate for and hate and love...ted leon 4-24
children like this are our concern and our hope!To beautiful and to much potential to turn our backs on them.
Please Bless and pray!All Gods' creatures.Pray for our beauty,not Doom!
Sunday, April 22, 2007
Boy!last weeks workout!
This Pic is on the campus of
Oklahoma City University
Well let me tell you mister ...it was a good week for me in the excercise department, as I had plenty of stamina and focus to ride out to Lake Hefner 3x this week from downtown(to ride and sunbathe), then down to norman for smoothies ,lattes ,yogurt and CD burning at Oklahoma Universitys' Bizzell Library.Then lunch at Food for Friends over near the Norman Jail.(good old fashioned spaghetti with marbled ice cream and cookies for dessert.Then later over to Oklahoma City University to check my email and the sites I am not able to access at the other Oklahoma City areas that offer free computer usage,.. and then of course to my friends houses for catch up.Wait a minute ,I also went over to Capitol Hill Elementary to use the Oklahoma City Community college technology center located within.They have Cd/DvD editing program for video and audio.If you happen to see me around town riding honk the horn in a friendly manner and I probably won't shoot you the finger(lol).
PS Can you average the miles I rode this last week(excluding the bus ride to norman),I'm not sure ...I 'll tell you later!
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
Do I spend all day at the CRM?
Friday, April 13, 2007
hated to see Roy Adams demise..
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
Now look at this!(Bike)
I made it over to the Family Life Center and met w/ Becky and what a joy
she was to behold...polite ...and the prettiest thing you ever did see !Now the Center was really nice with it's decor that was comforting and homey.Many thanks to the people that all had a hand in this to provide such a nice gift!Many Blessings to you all and may peace be with You and Yours.
To reach Becky at the family Life center call405-360-5300 and ask for the bikes and Bibles program.Tell her I sent you.
Here is the Taco bell at about
6:00 am,I was trying to capture
the majesty of the sky w/its'
purples and pinks and blues,but
the wind was not cooperating,maybe next time!
Friday, April 6, 2007
Riding my "new" bike.....
Thursday, April 5, 2007
This CHURCH's is the friendliest...
I wish" other" places would cater to the customer
just like the good old days as these folks do...a smile(LOL),hello,
thank you,oh my ,how I get all dizzy from what used
be common decency.Now it is like a luxury unless...
I hope it does not end..the owners were in and it
looked like they were discussing
plans with a remodeler...don't change the people!
they might be "new" (the owners) and I hope they
don't decide to make some changes that are
detrimental
to the decency of the place.
700 NW 23rd
One of these is color and one sepia!
I like it!!(Myriad gardens)
This photo is of the Cafe Do Brasil
on walker near downtown.I liked
the way the bricks
and shadows...
Tuesday, April 3, 2007
Bad seed,Bad Human,Bad Adam
This here folks is big O Bad Ass Adam W Tate.He likes to HIT!See,I've always encountered bullies in my travels and he is your typical bully.Big-6'0",200 lbs,ugly!!!Thing is with bullies is that they like to hit on things smaller themselves.dogs,cats, 5'4"people like me,and especially defenseless children.Adam Tates DOC Oklahoma record(click)Sunday morning he tells me to come here while he was sitting on a bench.I go.He tells me to sit.I say no,just tell me what you want .He says sit down !I say F***k you ,you don't run things like you think you do and you don't run me.He gets mad and says he 's going to kick my ass.I say OK, but let me do a couple of things and then I'll see you outside.I do my thing and come back to the pavilion area.See ,you cannot fight in or around the mission w/out being subject to "vacations".But I know this guy is a bully and he's hurt other people, people who cannot defend themselves. I can. I will. But this idiot tries to get my goat by slapping me right out of the blue, in the mission And the security volunteers just stood there and turned away.But con Adam wouldn't accompany me to property away from the mission , in the dark,w/no witnesses...because he's a bully.He did 5 years for beating or injury to a child.That must have been severe!I am an instrument of fate(not my will),your fate!Happy times Adam!
Psycho stalker security guard
that patrols the area .Every other SG's
that I have encountered that works for this company has been polite and civil except this guy .He goes out of his way
to make sure that you know that you are being watched ,like following behind me for three blocks
in his truck,five feet behind me ..He has done it plenty of times before and always has a few choice words to throw in
...like "scum""homeless vet scum""get your homeless vet asses to the VA and get your dope and get off my streets""I'm keeping America safe from scum like you..." just to name a few that stickout in my head.I finally had enough and remembered that I had a video camera...and from what you can hear from me is that I'm fed up and pissed and that is the goal of this weirdo..to harass who he considers undesirables....make them cry ...lose their heads...make his sorry excuse for a person feel better by belittling people.I wonder how many people he has mistaken for homeless and treated them to the same....hospitality!I 've written his company( who at this time remain nameless).
Monday, April 2, 2007
The death of Milton in Crack Haven.
He was the one that would take your money for your purchases at the Greek store(cashier), and I am not going to lie and say he did it with a smile , for he rarely smiled, but he was a decent fellow. Hate to think of him in his last moments wondering if maybe he could have survived if someone hadn't been so busy smoking crack and phoned the EMSA earlier. He was tired. rest with God,Milton.