Back to school

I'm getting that back to school feeling I always get. My stomach hurts and I just want summer to keep going. I love school and I still feel sick before it starts every year. I am also feeling incredibly unmotivated. I am getting anxious about all I have to do and how tired I am. I think as soon as I make a timeline and see the dissertation as a series of tasks that I can check off, then maybe my motivation will return. That is my next project.

SiCKO

Last night we saw Michael Moore's new movie SiCKO. Definitely go see it!! He has done it again! It was amazing. I have so much to say about it, but it really just needs to be seen by everyone. It is a powerful film and it shows how our country treats those who are in the lower social strata. I loved how he compared the U.S. to other countries like England, France, and Canada who see every human life as valuable. The scenes in the hospital in Cuba were moving and inspirational. I left crying (which isn't saying much, I know), but I completely support his statements that we can change the world. I have always felt (and please don't think I am comparing myself to Michael Moore, because I am not anywhere near his greatness) that if I say what I believe out loud about how change is possible and that we could help people, then I would be labeled an idealist and laughed at. But he has the courage to say it and hopefully people will listen. How can they not, he supports everything with evidence.
I think I have a past posting about health care and rural poverty from my research. I know I heard many stories from my participants about their parents and the medical attention they were not receiving for various ailments. It is terrible really. Please let me know what you thought about the movie if you have seen it. If you haven't. . .go. . .now!

Jonesport by the Sea

After Upward Bound ended I spent a few days in Joesport, my mother's hometown and one of the most beautiful places on Earth. Jonesport is also located in Washington County which has the highest poverty rate in the sate of Maine. It was depressing to see how much property was for sale in this small coastal town. When I went online to see the prices of some of these properties, they were outrageous!

I talked with a few "locals" about what has been happening and why so many people were leaving Jonesport. They feel that it may be due to the new plan to make regional schools. Currently Jonesport's elementary school has about 100 kids and Beals Island's elementary school has 40. What the governor is proposing is to close both of the schools and build a new regional school in Machias (about 30-40 minutes away) and bus the kids from both Jonesport and Beals to the regional school. The people in the community are distressed because both of the schools are paid for and they are important parts of the community.

People are also concerned that it will lead to more drop outs because some of the kids aren't motivated as it is to stay in school, knowing they will be fishing for a living, so making it harder to get there might contribute to the problem more. This will most likely also eliminate Class D sports because of the consolidation and sports are a huge part of the culure of these small towns.

It is sad to see what is happening to such an amazing place. If any thing, I think they need more resources brought to them, not taken away. What will happen?