New UF Peace Corps logo idea, rough sketch and processed with MS paint, let me know what you think!
Monday, April 27, 2009
A Small Victory
I never thought a response from a House Representative could make me so happy. After numerous attempts to contact Rep. Cliff Stearns about the HR1066 Peace Corps Expansion act I finally got a response!
Dear Mr. Maresco:
Thank you for contacting me to express your support for the Peace Corps Expansion Act (H.R. 1066). I always appreciate hearing from constituents, and greatly benefit from knowing your views. I work every day to best represent the people of Florida's sixth congressional district and it is helpful to know the concerns that are most important to you. As you may be aware, H.R. 1066 was introduced on February 13, 2009 by Representative Sam Farr (D-CA). This legislation proposes to amend the Peace Corps Act to authorize new appropriations for the Peace Corps and to increase readjustment allowances for Peace Corps volunteers. H.R. 1066 has been referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs where it awaits further action. While I do not serve on this committee, you can be assured that I will bear your thoughts in mind should this legislation be presented to the full House for a vote. Again, thank you for contacting me. If I can be of any further assistance on this or another federal matter, please do not hesitate to contact me. For your convenience, you may receive further information from me on issues important to the 6th District at www.house.gov/stearns. Your thoughts and comments are always welcome.
With kind regards, I am Sincerely, Cliff Stearns United States Representative
This may not seem like much but it really is. I have contacted a dozen representatives and usually just get the automated response that they are really busy and cant respond. Coming from Cliff Stearns, who has a subpar voting record when it comes to funding service initiatives, this really is big. I urge all of you to email your representatives and Cliff Stearns down in FL, to get them to sign on the bill. Anyway that is my rant for now, time to get back to this UF PC logo design.
Dear Mr. Maresco:
Thank you for contacting me to express your support for the Peace Corps Expansion Act (H.R. 1066). I always appreciate hearing from constituents, and greatly benefit from knowing your views. I work every day to best represent the people of Florida's sixth congressional district and it is helpful to know the concerns that are most important to you. As you may be aware, H.R. 1066 was introduced on February 13, 2009 by Representative Sam Farr (D-CA). This legislation proposes to amend the Peace Corps Act to authorize new appropriations for the Peace Corps and to increase readjustment allowances for Peace Corps volunteers. H.R. 1066 has been referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs where it awaits further action. While I do not serve on this committee, you can be assured that I will bear your thoughts in mind should this legislation be presented to the full House for a vote. Again, thank you for contacting me. If I can be of any further assistance on this or another federal matter, please do not hesitate to contact me. For your convenience, you may receive further information from me on issues important to the 6th District at www.house.gov/stearns. Your thoughts and comments are always welcome.
With kind regards, I am Sincerely, Cliff Stearns United States Representative
This may not seem like much but it really is. I have contacted a dozen representatives and usually just get the automated response that they are really busy and cant respond. Coming from Cliff Stearns, who has a subpar voting record when it comes to funding service initiatives, this really is big. I urge all of you to email your representatives and Cliff Stearns down in FL, to get them to sign on the bill. Anyway that is my rant for now, time to get back to this UF PC logo design.
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Bon Voyage Party
I will admit the weather right now in Gainesville is beautiful. The time for sweltering heat and stagnant air is approaching, but for now it is perfect. I was able to catch about five hours of sleep after work yesterday before I had to wake up and get ready for the Bon Voyage Peace Corps BBQ at Lake Wauberg. Amy wanted everyone to bring a dish from their host country, but since I don't have one nor the time to cook I opted for a Publix sandwich platter. This idea was great because I was able to walk to chilis and have a couple libations while the sub was getting prepared. It was so nice to just be outside in the afternoon on a Saturday. Working nights has turned my complexion into shades that rivals other parts of my body (eek) so It was defininetly good to get a little sun. I arrived at Lake Wauberg around 2:15 and was greeted by about 25 RPCS and Peace Corps applicants. There was food everywhere. Thanks Sam for the leftover Mongolian horshor, was great for dinner at work. Horshor looks like an empenada filled with pork, onions, and sometime sheep innards, yum. I grabbed some food, sat down and had a conversation with a plesant woman named Anne who served in Thailand during the 60s! She had some great stories about her service and was actually a volunteer when JFK was assassinated which I thought was pretty crazy. A session followed where RPCVs answered questions from the applicants and parents. It was a fun day that was enjoyed with great friends, food and weather. I made it back home just in time to play the guitar for 15 minutes and then head to work. Right now I am sitting at my desk computer about to pass out. Only 3.5 more hours to go...
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Earth Day!
Today has been a good day. Tomorrow is the "Tea Party" at Tim and Terrys in Gainesville so if your a RPCV, PCV, applicant, or just someone interested in Peace Corps come hang out! I also want to share a bit of encouraging new from the morepeacecorps campaign that I recieved in an email:
Dear Peace Corps Friends and Colleagues,
The White House is beginning to hear our voices!
Today, we received the attached letter from the White House Director of Presidential Correspondence who hand picks the letters which reach the president's eyes. Heartened by this epistle, I am urging 100 personalized, hand-written letters by Friday, April 24 to President Obama urging robust funding to Peace Corps in 2010.
You may have seen this article in today's NY Times about Mr. Kelleher who selects 10 letters from tens of thousands to bring to the President's attention. As luck would have it, Mr. Kelleher is an RPCV that served in Sierra Leone in the 1980's.
http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http://www.nytimes.com%2F2009%2F04%2F20%2Fus%2Fpolitics%2F20letters.html%3F_r%3D2%26scp%3D1%26sq%3DMike%2520Kelleher%26st%3Dcse
Said Mr. Kelleher, Obama's "mailman," in the NY Times article today, “We pick messages that are compelling, things people say that, when you read it, you get a chill,” said Mr. Kelleher, 47. “I send him letters that are uncomfortable messages.”
This time I'm urging you to take action in a different way - no form letter. Please hand-write your letter and tell your story (and if you can, please scan and send me a copy at rajeev@morepeacecorps.org or simply let me know that you took action). Tell the story of who you are and what the Peace Corps did for your life. Who did you meet in your village or town and how did that person influence your life? Be personal. The only thing we ask is that you include the request for $450 million to Peace Corps in the President's FY 2010 budget. If you can mention the 15,000 and growing supporters of the MorePeaceCorps campaign, that would also help.
Mr. Kelleher is yet another example of the profound legacy of Peace Corps volunteers. Lets get the attention of this natural ally. If you can send me a copy, it would help. My address is: rajeev goyal, morepeacecorps c/o M+R Strategic Services, 80 Broad Street, Suite 1700, New York NY 10004
I want to thank RPCVs Judy Figi, Collier Perry, Elisabeth Therrien, Mary-Anne Tirone Smith, Anna Whitcomb, Paul Thompson, Dan Kane, Jocelyn Sese, Linda Piso, and Joel Neuberg for volunteering in various states and districts! I also wish to thank Jill and Bernard Jacquot who wrote me from Paris and Colin O'Hara who is serving in Macedonia and conducting outreach to Jim Langevin's office. You are inspirational.
Here is the address for our President:
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500
Best Wishes,
Rajeev
Thanks everyone for your support on this, we really need to work together to champion this cause. Would also like to thank Amy again for the final PC globe talk of the semester on Eastern Europe that she had last week. Anyway its earth day so I think I am going put in a phish cd and plant a tree in a pair of hemp sandals... joking about the phish part =)
Dear Peace Corps Friends and Colleagues,
The White House is beginning to hear our voices!
Today, we received the attached letter from the White House Director of Presidential Correspondence who hand picks the letters which reach the president's eyes. Heartened by this epistle, I am urging 100 personalized, hand-written letters by Friday, April 24 to President Obama urging robust funding to Peace Corps in 2010.
You may have seen this article in today's NY Times about Mr. Kelleher who selects 10 letters from tens of thousands to bring to the President's attention. As luck would have it, Mr. Kelleher is an RPCV that served in Sierra Leone in the 1980's.
http://www.facebook.com/l.php?
Said Mr. Kelleher, Obama's "mailman," in the NY Times article today, “We pick messages that are compelling, things people say that, when you read it, you get a chill,” said Mr. Kelleher, 47. “I send him letters that are uncomfortable messages.”
This time I'm urging you to take action in a different way - no form letter. Please hand-write your letter and tell your story (and if you can, please scan and send me a copy at rajeev@morepeacecorps.org or simply let me know that you took action). Tell the story of who you are and what the Peace Corps did for your life. Who did you meet in your village or town and how did that person influence your life? Be personal. The only thing we ask is that you include the request for $450 million to Peace Corps in the President's FY 2010 budget. If you can mention the 15,000 and growing supporters of the MorePeaceCorps campaign, that would also help.
Mr. Kelleher is yet another example of the profound legacy of Peace Corps volunteers. Lets get the attention of this natural ally. If you can send me a copy, it would help. My address is: rajeev goyal, morepeacecorps c/o M+R Strategic Services, 80 Broad Street, Suite 1700, New York NY 10004
I want to thank RPCVs Judy Figi, Collier Perry, Elisabeth Therrien, Mary-Anne Tirone Smith, Anna Whitcomb, Paul Thompson, Dan Kane, Jocelyn Sese, Linda Piso, and Joel Neuberg for volunteering in various states and districts! I also wish to thank Jill and Bernard Jacquot who wrote me from Paris and Colin O'Hara who is serving in Macedonia and conducting outreach to Jim Langevin's office. You are inspirational.
Here is the address for our President:
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500
Best Wishes,
Rajeev
Thanks everyone for your support on this, we really need to work together to champion this cause. Would also like to thank Amy again for the final PC globe talk of the semester on Eastern Europe that she had last week. Anyway its earth day so I think I am going put in a phish cd and plant a tree in a pair of hemp sandals... joking about the phish part =)
Saturday, April 11, 2009
clarity
So its been another thrilling night at the QC Lab. Had to come in on good Friday and now its 3:15 on sat morning. These cheez-its I've kept stashed in my locker and the Jimmy Eat World "Clarity" cd I put in the radio have been my life line tonight. Well its been almost two months since I was fully cleared and still no word from the elusive PO, Amy says they will call sometime during the summer since I was nominated for a program leaving in november. This really is a true test of patience, but it is allowing me some time to finish paying off this AMEX bill, blah. On a good note Amy held a Diversity in Peace Corps meeting on Thursday which was great. Always good to see the RPCV friends to help keep me motivated. Had a few good couple of days off that included some kareoke, flacos cuban food, and an easter check in the mail from the rents, not to shabby. Have a great holiday everyone.
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