Salon Weekly
~ In 4 Color Coded Sections:
- Table Notes
- Announcements
- Articles
- Books, Reviews, Magazines
A Weekly Email Publication of The Lloyd House
Circulation: 560
Growing out of the Monday Night Salon
For info about the Salon, see the bottom of this email
Join us at the Lloyd House every Monday of the year at 5:45 for pot luck and discussion.
3901 Clifton Avenue
Cincinnati, Ohio
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Section One: Table Notes
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( PLEASE NOTE: These notes have not been edited by the speakers and should not be taken as an accurate expression of the speakers’ meanings. ellen)
At the Table on Monday, 4/3/06: Adrienne Cooper, Shari Able, Ilya Stein, Cheryl Hayden, Mr. G., Mira Rodwan, Marvin Kraus, Gerry Kraus, Judy Cirillo, Michael Gallagher, Vlasta Mollak, Spencer Konicov, Ellen Bierhorst, Janet Kalven, Chad Benjamin Potter, Steve Sunderland.
(Today, the notes will be summarized rather than published in full for reasons of technology.)
Announcements:
Judy C. is having a fund raiser to benefit the Contact Center in Over The Rhine tomorrow Sunday 1-3. Entertainment and snacks. 320 Amazon Ave off Clifton. RSVP 961-1297
Mira: the n ew national office for the “Wobbliles”, the IWW, has opened in Northside.
Marvin: a new law provides that all Ohio voters may vote absentee, not just th ose sick or away. This will work for the May 2 election coming up. Also there will be a new voting system.
Discussion of housing in Cincinnati
Spencer told how unnecessary it is for people to complain they cannot afford to own their own home. He just b ought a four family, took the top two apts. For himself as a 1300 sq. ft apt for something like $180 k. He thinks if people are willing to live in neighborhoods considered by some to be undesirable, there is plenty of good housing in any American city.
Janet related experiences looking for housing in San Francisco, in Paris over the decades, living and working as a Grail member.
Steve: a huge increase in the number of people needing and using the Free Store food bank this year... Mostly white families with children. ... UC has become the most expensive college in the state system. There is a breakdown of the social contract. I am not nearly as concerned about the ability of middle class folks to purchase their own homes as I am about people affording the necessities of life.
Spencer: more about the tendency of realtors not to show properties in places like North Avondale to people who could afford Amberly Village because the commission is less if they sell a less expensive property.
I frequently call the cops for violations on my new street... I am vigilant and very active. When the officer comes I am polite, I take down their name. This transforms the conversation. I get great service.
Chad, an undergraduate, has purchased a home in University Heights (Klotter St.) overlooking OTR. Rents the lower apts. To grad students. Right after I moved in there was a robbery up the street. Gun. Most of the people on Klotter are upper middle class.
Anonymous: I live in a mixed income housing building with a number of apartments. But the poorest tenants are having trouble making the rent. They need subsidies.
Marvin: the poor are exploited. Kroger charges more for a gallon of milk in a poor neighborhood than in a wealthy one. Two organizations serving to advocate for the poor are “Working in Neighborhoods” and “Communities United for Action”. They have programs to advise home buyers so that they are not swallowing the bad advice of the loan companies.
Spencer: There is much beautiful real estate available at very reasonable prices, for instance in Evanston (near X.U.) But I bet none of you here would live there because of fear. ... Who are these Working in Neighborhoods people?
Marvin: they are Sisters (Religious). They work for very low wages.
~ end of table notes ~
And... A salute to Spring, to our SW Ohio valley, and a gracious lady:
Hugs to everyone,For Patsy’s 40th Birthday 15 April 1981
by Ellen Bierhorst
written for my lifelong friend Patsy Wright Morrison (WHHS ‘58) whom I call affectionately “Babes”.
We’ll have to be in heaven, Babes,
Before we sit and say it all and how it’s been;
How hard, how great, how dark, how deep.
Can’t talk about the match, still serving this game.
But can I hum this for you now?
...lovely lacy maples’ pale and feathery flowers
before the leaves...
There is a moment, this moment now,
Before the spring becomes a budding summer,
Before the leaves tip out.
The first blush of colors, pale transparent green, wispy russet,
this Other moment, when sings a strange brief melody:
The trees are shyly blooming their tender flowers.
Later, leaves will bud and come with thicker songs
Of deep Ohio clay and limestone bedrock,
Our sturdy Mother all summer long.
But now is a moment apart;
These sloping ridges and fertile beds forget their serious pregnancy,
Spring mists its early colors on the trees.
Oh sure, in lawns and gardens showy fruit trees astound the eye,
Imported ruffles on the scene.
But sweet and best are the silver harps of Maples, Oaks and Elms,
...here and there a trill of Redbud.
This time, this early solo before the overture,
With its separate fairy feeling,
This moment apart reminds me, Babes, of you.
...lovely lacy maples’ pale and feathery flowers
before the leaves...
Ellen
Section Two: Announcements
Hey Lloyd House Drumming Circle!
Every Saturday evening, 7 - 9 , drumming, musical improv, dance, chant, jam. Wonderful fun. BRING : good vibes (mandatory), Optional: instruments, kids, snacks, friends... Costumes? ... Animals? ... Extra-terrestrials? ... 3901 Clifton Ave.
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4/8 Correction of table notes with appologies to John Kelly
John writes: Ellen you had stated that my mother passed for white. She could have passed for white but always stated she was "Negro". That was the correction. It was around the statement of me writing a book called memories of Mom.
4/1
The Savior has Come and his name is Steve.
The Prince of Computer Geeks
Can rescue you, too, from the frightening purgatory of computer non-functionality.
Such low rates! Such a mensch! Such speed! Such command.
I am immensely relieved. ellen
All platforms: Windows, Mac, Linux.
Up to the minute up-to-date
...and even a nice guy.
<stephenJ@inexistence.com>
513-251-9620
Steve Jakubiec (pronounced ja-COO-bik)
4/8
Lubows selling wonderful house in N. Avondale
Dear Friends and Neighbors,
After 32 years here ---- at 4136 Rose Hill Ave---- we are ready to move on to the next part of our lives. ....
It is with much regret that we are moving away from neighbors and close friends ----not far-----to a condo in Clifton, near Mount Storm Park.
Some particularly good features of our home include:
Asking price: $489,000
- new gourmet kitchen (2002)
- 2nd floor and basement laundry areas
- new two unit central air for all three floors (2004)
- 4 bedrooms and 3 full baths on second floor
- master bedroom suite with solarium
- 2 bedrooms and full bath on third floor
If you know anyone who would like to look at our house before we list it with a realtor, please have them contact us at 281-0266 or by email at jlubow@fuse.net.
Thanks,
Judy and Bob Lubow
Wednesday April 12 ... Alan H undley is an amazing yoga teacher, massage and watsu therapist, tai chi practitioner and all round h ealer. ellen
New Tai Chi for Arthritis series of 6 classes starting at Shine Yoga 3330 Erie Ave. in Hyde Park call 513-533-9642 Wednesday April 12 11 am and 6 pm. Classes are 1 hour in length, include Qigong and learning a 12 movement form -Sun Style developed by Dr. Paul Lam. Check out the web site below for more details. $60 for the series.
Also: New TCA class beginning at Hands of Light Chiropractic offices in Beechmont (close to Beechmont Levy) at 12:30 pm on Wednesdays 513-231-2892.
Richard Leirer Qigong Master Teacher back in Cincinnati at The New Jerusalem Church in Glendale. Saturday May 13 10 am to 5 pm. Great big private back yard for outdoor practice. $80. Register with a $10. deposit made to Three Waters,LLC sent to Alan Hundley 12 Burton Woods Lane Cinti 45229.
Feel free to contact me for more info. at 513-281-8606
Alan Hundley LMT, LLC
Three Waters
http://www.threewaters.com
4/8
The Cincinnati Earth Institute's Spring edition of its online EcoNews is now available at
http://cinciearth.org/html/newsletters/CEI_EcoNewsSpring06.pdf. Enjoy!
Cincinnati Earth Institute
www.CinciEarth.org info@CinciEarth.org
phone 513.207.0038
4/8
We have an opportunity to elect a progressive Democrat to Congress (for the seat that Rob Portman vacated).
Dr. Victoria Wulsin is for health care for all, a secure social security, tax fairness, jobs, a responsible budget, women's rights, alternatives to war. We need her, Congress needs her, our country needs her.
Please visit her website www.wulsin4congress.us <http://www.wulsin4congress.us> to learn more about the campaign.
Then vote for Dr. Victorian Wulsin in the Democratic party primary election on Tuesday, June 14.
Whether or not you're in the district---
Please volunteer to work on her campaign
4/21
Mike Murphy and Panel on Peak Oil at the Mockbee
--Saad Ghosn is putting together the 4th Annual Peace
& Justice Art Show, April 21--May 7, at the Mockbee. He's asking me to do a
powerpoint presentation on peak oil, and I would like to have a panel
discussion of how we go about creating a Post-Carbon Sustainable Society, or
at least Networked Oases of Sustainability, in the looming wreckage of
petro-based society. Mike
Tri-State Treasures
Tri-State Treasures is a compilation of unique local people, places, and events that may enrich your lives. These treasures have been submitted by you and others who value supporting quality community offerings. Please consider supporting these treasures, and distributing the information for others to enjoy. And please continue to forward your Tri-State Treasures ideas to jkesner@nuvox.net.
I need your help: please submit your Tri-State Treasure in the format exemplified at the bottom of this email. Thank you.
Sincerely, Jim
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Ongoing Treasures:
Music with Pianist Ed Moss @ Schwartz's Point [Every other Tuesday; dinner @ 7 PM; music @ 8 PM]: Ever enjoyed the musical renderings of iconic Ed Moss? Ever passed the historic flatiron building topped by the clock at Schwartz's Point (Vine & McMicken) & wondered what it's all about? Do you like to eat gourmet home-cooking in an eclectic atmosphere? Now's your chance to explore all three at once. Every-other Tuesday, Ed invites you to join him & his musical guests. Next party is Tuesday 11 April. Recent musical guests included Cincinnati Symphony maestro Paavo Jarvi, Romanian pianist Mihaela Ursuleasa, & saucy songstress Pam Ross. The evening begins @ 7 PM with special seasonal dinner buffets prepared by Ed for you. A recent menu included a hearty tagliatelle/salmon bake, spicy brussels sprouts, bok choy salad with crabmeat, & French peasant bread with New Zealand butter. "Gemütlich" is the German word that describes the atmosphere Ed strives to provide: warm & congenial, pleasant or friendly. Who could guess, looking at the outside of the building, what a fabulous sanctuary for jazz you'd find inside. Schwartz's Point is also available for your private party. Reservations required; suggested minimum gratuity is $15-25. Schwartz's Point, 1901 Vine Street @ McMicken Avenue, Cincinnati's Brewery District, Cincinnati, OH 45202. (Green lights aside the Vine Street doors indicate the room is open; push hard on the right-hand door to enter.) More info & RSVP @ 513.651.2236, fashionette2001@yahoo.com, locrianlad@yahoo.com, & www.home.earthlink.net/~sandrikasaw/edhomealt.html.
Making a Legacy, Living the Legacy [thru July 30]: This exhibition, guest curated by Cincinnati artist Thom Shaw, is a fascinating & fertile example of the diversity of talent by African American artists living in Cincinnati & the surrounding area. Making a Legacy, Living the Legacy is not only a sampler of local talent, it also serves to add knowledge & insight into the motivation & creative aesthetic of Black artists. The artists featured in the exhibition include Thom Phelps, who creates installations with recycled materials; Joyce Young, a painter whose vibrant canvases have an ethereal feel; Melvin Grier, an accomplished & award-winning photographer; Carolyn Mazloomi, whose contemporary quilts are nationally known; & Ellen Price, who uses her printmaking skills to question her own identity & cultural heritage. At Cincinnati Art Museum, 953 Eden Park Drive, Cincinnati, OH 45202. More info @ 513.639.2984, information@cincyart.org, & http://matrix.cincinnati.com/museum/event.asp?eventid=2152.
Call for Entries for the next Quarterly Underneath Cincinnati: Accepting submissions for the April 16th screening to be held at the Southgate House in Newport, KY. All original, independently produced films under 30 minutes are eligible. See your film screened in the Southgate House Ballroom on a 25 foot high screen with a professional sound system. Become eligible for the 2006 Best of Underneath to be held at the world renown Contemporary Arts Center. Showing your film & getting feedback is better then letting it sit on the shelf. And it's free. Send your film to Underneath Cincinnati, PO Box 19928, Cincinnati, OH 45219. More info @ sara@underneathcincinnati.com & www.underneathcincinnati.com.
Reds & Reading for Kids & Teens [thru May 3]: Win Cincinnati Reds tickets & a chance to be in a “READ” poster with a Reds player. Anyone age 18 & under is invited to write a 25–50 word review of a favorite book. Kids ages 6 & under may write a 10-word review with help from their parents. Get a book review form at http://cincinnatilibrary.org/news/2006/redsandreading.html or any of the 42 Library locations. Enter as often as you like. A random drawing of the book reviews will be held for 4 “READ” poster winners & 84 sets of 4 tickets to a Cincinnati Reds game, courtesy of the Reds. More info @ 513.369.6959, rick.helmes@cincinnatilibrary.org, & www.CincinnatiLibrary.org.
Smallest Witness: The Crisis in Darfur through Children's Eyes [Exhibition thru 26 April]: This exhibit features 27 drawings by children from Darfur who escaped massive ethnic cleansing. These children from 7 refugee camps drew scenes of animals, flowers, & village life, which they juxtaposed with violent images. The children insisted that their story of the crisis in Sudan be told to the world. Presented by The Center for Holocaust & Humanity Education & The National Underground Railroad Freedom Center. At The Freedom Center, 50 East Freedom Way, Cincinnati, OH 45202. More info @ 513.487.3055, chhe@huc.edu, & www.holocaustandhumanity.org.
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Kennedy Heights Arts Center Spring Guild Show [Saturdays 8 April - 20 May @ 10 AM - 4 PM]: Paintings, photography, sculpture, pottery, jewelry, & fiber. Opening Reception: Saturday 8 April @ 6-8 PM. At the Kennedy Heights Arts Center, 6546 Montgomery Road, Cincinnati, OH 45213. More info @ 513-631-4278 & jrulli@cinci.rr.com.
Philharmonic Jazz Goes Latin [Sunday 9 April @ 7 PM]: Rick VanMatre & Mark Gibson conduct a full orchestral concert featuring the Jazz Ensemble combined with the 90-piece CCM Philharmonia to present well-known Latin Jazz. The music will include well-known works like “A Night in Tunisia” by Dizzy Gillespie, “Cuban Overture” by George Gershwin, the beautiful “Tangazo: Variations on Buenos Aires” by renowned Argentine tango composer Astor Piazzolla, & two new works by young composers featuring jazz soloists. $10 general admission; $5 for high school & college students. At Corbett Auditorium, University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, Corry Boulevard off Jefferson Avenue, Cincinnati, OH 45221. More info @ 513-556-6638, Katie.Rankin@uc.edu, & www.ccm.uc.edu.
The True WWII Escape of Curious George [Sunday 9 April @ 4 PM]: Generations encountered the inquisitive little monkey, Curious George, in books & on film. Louise Borden discovered George's authors Margaret & H.A. Rey, Jewish refugees who fled Nazi-occupied Paris on bicycles, with their manuscripts for Curious George. Borden's new book, The Journey That Saved Curious George, tells of the escape & its historical context, & her quest to make history come alive. Lecture with book signing. Presented by The Center for Holocaust & Humanity Education & The National Underground Railroad Freedom Center. At The Freedom Center, 50 East Freedom Way, Cincinnati, OH 45202. More info @ 513.487.3055, chhe@huc.edu, & www.holocaustandhumanity.org.
Co-Creation: The Key to Success [Monday 10 April @ 7-9:30 PM]: This workshop offers a way to relate to your God. For some, understanding God’s power helps them to realize their individual potential. Rev. Leo Booth speaks on using this insight to create healthy & prosperous lives. Formerly an Episcopal priest, Rev. Booth is a Unity minister, internationally acclaimed author, lecturer, & trainer on spirituality & recovery from depression, addictions, compulsive behaviors, & low self-esteem. He contributes to newspapers across the U.S., has authored 10 publications, & has appeared on television including The Oprah Winfrey Show. $20 with pre-registration by April 9; $25 at the door. At New Thought Unity Center, 1401 East McMillan Street, Cincinnati, OH 45206. More info @ 513.961.2527, LouFreeman@ntunity.org, & www.ntunity.org.
Teaching Children Today About the Holocaust [Tuesday 11 April @ 7:30 PM]: Dr. Racelle Weiman presents literature, exhibitions, & state-of-the-art mixed media for children. Discussion for parents, teachers, & community members addressing the questions: When & how should we teach the Holocaust? How can we convey the lessons of compassion, social responsibility, & optimism? Presented by The Center for Holocaust & Humanity Education. At Mayerson Hall, Hebrew Union College, 3101 Clifton Avenue, Cincinnati, OH 45220. More info @ 513.487.3055, chhe@huc.edu, & www.holocaustandhumanity.org.
Annual Tenebrae Service sung by the Choir of St. Peter in Chains Cathedral [Wednesday 12 April @ 7:30 PM]: An ancient cathedral service featuring the choral music of Holy Week, including Gregorian chant, the Lamentations of Jeremiah, Allegri’s “Miserere,” & works by Byrd, Gibbons, Poulenc, Casals, & Bruckner. One of the best attended events at the cathedral because of its sublime choral music & the acoustics of an impressive cathedral space. Free. At St. Peter in Chains Cathedral (next door to City Hall), 8th & Plum Streets, Downtown Cincinnati, OH 45202. More info @ 513.421.5354, info@StPeterinChainsCathedral.org, & www.stpeterinchainscathedral.org/music.asp.
Space Meets History [Wednesday 12 April @ 8 PM]: World-renowned astronomy historian Owen Gingerich will present “Four Early Books that Changed the Universe.” Mr. Gingerich is a professor of astronomy & astronomy history at Harvard University. He is a leading expert on the dawn of Renaissance thought in astronomy & author of "The Book Nobody Read" & "The Great Copernicus Chase: And Other Adventures in Astronomy History." A reception, book signing, & viewing of the night sky through the Observatory’s historic telescopes will follow the lecture. $10 per person; RSVP required; limited space. At Cincinnati Observatory Center, 3489 Observatory Place, Cincinnati, OH 45208. More info & RSVP @ 513.321.5186, deanobservatory@zoomtown.com, & www.cincinnatiobservatory.org.
Nature Egg Hunt [Saturday 15 April @ 1-3 PM]: Imago's Nature Egg Hunt returns for a 5th year. This unique version of an egg hunt has children hunting & hiking their way through our 16-acre nature preserve searching for Nature's Eggs: brightly colored acorns, pinecones, & other seeds. All children will receive a prize bag, while a few grand prizes will be awarded. The day also includes crafts, face-painting, & an enlarged petting zoo. Although all ages are welcome, the hunt is recommended for ages 8 & under. Pre-registration recommended but not required. $4/child, $2/adult, adult Imago members free. At Imago, 700 Enright Avenue, Cincinnati, OH 45205. More info @ 513.921.5124 & office@imagoearth.org.
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Tri-State Treasures is compiled by James Kesner.
To submit Tri-State Treasures, or to request your email address to be added or removed
from the list, send an email to jkesner@nuvox.net and specify Tri-State Treasures.
Please submit Tri-State Treasures in the following format. Also look at TSTs above for examples:
<10-word description of the treasure [date @ time]: Brief description of the treasure; what is it; why is it wonderful & unique. Cost. Sponsor. Location including address & zip code. More info @ telephone, email, & website.
--
Ellen Bierhorst Ph.D. is a holistic psychotherapist with over 30 years experience serving individuals and families. Expert, caring, rapid service. Most insurance plans will cover. Call 513 221 1289. Special areas of interest: issues of young adulthood, couple communication, GLBT, trauma recovery using EMDR, clinical hypnosis, parenting skills, alternative lifestyles, addictions (tobacco, alcohol, drugs, overeating), weight loss. What is "holistic"? Ans: body/mind/spirit; open to alternative healing modalities from chiropractic to homeopathy, acupuncture, etc.
s
4/28
Bruce Weil has run the Steel Band program at the Nation’s first Montessori Public High School for many, many years and is a saint and a genius. Their programs are good music, loads of fun, and light and life for the heart and spirit. Great cause, wonderful family entertainment. They’ll have you up on your feet dancing around. I promise. Ellen. Might just be there myself.
Clark Montessori Steel (Drum) Band
“Funk for the Whole Family”
Fri. 28 April 7 – 10
BENEFIT FOR THE DROP IN CENTER
At Starlight Ballroom
Just West of where Kellog intersects I-275 not far from Old Coney Island
Www.Hoxworth.org/clark
Or call: 363-7184
$15 or $10 if you buy 4 or more
PEACE, JUSTICE, FREEDOM, THE EARTH: JOINING THEM ON APRIL 29
For the first time, an important part of the environmental movement and an important part of the antiwar movement, as well as the National Organization for Women and others, are joining to bring an end to "global scorching" and the Iraq War as well as to end attacks on the Constitution and on the poor and the middle class by the present US government.
This broad coalition is calling for a major march in New York City on April 29.
Says the call to this march:
· No more never-ending oil wars!
· Protect our civil liberties & immigrant rights, and end illegal spying, government corruption and the subversion of our democracy.
· Rebuild our communities, starting with the Gulf Coast. Stop corporate subsidies and tax cuts for the wealthy while ignoring our basic needs.
· Act quickly to address the climate crisis and the accelerating destruction of our environment.
Among the initiating groups are ---
United for Peace and Justice
NOW
Rainbow/PUSH Coalition
US Labor Against the War
Friends of the Earth
Climate Crisis Coalition
Peoples Hurricane Relief Fund
Readers of The Shalom Report will be especially interested to know that UPJ has decided to refuse any further alliances with "ANSWER" in organizing any demonstrations, etc.
The UPJ steering committee did this by a two-thirds majority, out of its experience both of deep political differences between ANSWER & UPJ in organizing the antiwar actions last September, and of serious failures by ANSWER to adhere to and carry out commitments the two groups had agreed to beforehand.
You may recall that The Shalom Center was so indignant about the involvement of the bitterly anti-Israel ANSWER in the September 24 antiwar rally that we held an independent pro-peace Shabbat service during the rally time of that weekend,and then took part in other aspects of the weekend when ANSWER had no role.
Now we can take whole-hearted part, especially since our other concerns Oil, Global Scorching, the US Constitution are also on the agenda.
###################
The Climate Crisis Coalition has just installed a Climate Crisis News Engine on its website (www.climatecrisiscoalition.org). Each morning from its various ³newsfeeds,² CCC identifies a dozen or so stories to post on the site. They get rotated on the home page. (To see all the stories click Climate Crisis News Engine
http://www.climatecrisiscoalition.org/climatenews/
###########
Shalom, Arthur
Rabbi Arthur Waskow, director
The Shalom Center www.shalomctr.org voices a new prophetic agenda in Jewish, multireligious, and American life. To receive the weekly on-line Shalom Report, click on --
http://www.shalomctr.org/subscribe
Local Forest Habitat Restoration Events and Neighborhood Clean Up - Clifton
Green Up Day and Great American Cleanup dates have been realigned.
April 22 is the Great American Clean Up coordinated by Keep Cincinnati Beautiful.
Kerry Crossen P 513.352.4384 F 513.352.4389 www.keepcincinnatibeautiful.org
Rawson Woods April 29, 10-12. garlic mustard pull and trash clean up. Meet your neighbors at the corner of Middleton and McAlpin. Info. Joy at 221-8285.
May 6th is Green Up Day coordinated by the Cincinnati Park Board. Burnet Woods garlic mustard.
Cindi Nugent 861-8970 x20
April 22
MUSE Silent Auction - Latin Music by Jackie Rago
(note from Ellen: Jackie Rago is a fireball Latina, the most amazing bongo player, assorted percussion instrumentalist I have ever heard anywhere. Very cute to watch as well. I will be shelling out for this event. And you can get fabulous bargains at the silent auction. Plus... Muse deserves our support!)
Order Tickets Now! <https://www.musechoir.org/shop/index.php?cPath=23>
www.musechoir.org <http://musechoir.org/>
MUSE Cincinnati¹s Women¹s Choir
presents
4th Annual Gala Evening with the Muses
featuring Latin music
by Jackie Rago
Catherine Roma Artistic Director
Saturday, April 22
St. John¹s Unitarian Universalist Church
320 Resor Ave (Clifton)
Silent Auction
Wine & Cheese
Private Performance by Jackie Rago
6:30PM
Public Concert with Jackie Rago
8PM
Entire Event: $40
Public Concert Only: $15
Tickets available online at:
www.musechoir.org <http://www.musechoir.org>
muse@musechoir.org
(513) 221-1118
handicap accessible, sign language
childcare available with reservation by April 14
Call (513) 221-1118
MUSE receives operating support from:
City of Cincinnati
Ohio Arts Council
Community Shares
Fine Arts Fund
In Observance of Cover the Uninsured Week:
Rally For Health Care For All
Saturday, May 6, 2006 — Noon to 2 p.m.
Veterans Plaza in Columbus
(On the Third Street side of the State Capitol)
QUESTION: When will the Ohio General Assembly act to provide coverage for
the uninsured?
ANSWER: When enough Ohioans unite to demand it!
1.3 million Ohioans lack health care insurance and their number increases every
day. Millions more Ohioans have limited coverage and are just one serious illness
or injury away from bankruptcy. Skyrocketing insurance premiums jeopardize
Ohio’s families, businesses and jobs.
OHIOANS DESERVE BETTER!
A brief peaceful demonstration will follow the rally.
Bring signs and banners demanding health care for all.
Need transportation to get to Columbus? Free bus seats available in some cities. Contact:
Northeast Ohio Dave Pavlick 216-447-6080 dpavlick@uaw.net
Northwest Ohio Bob Masters 419-244-1559 bobmasters@sbcglobal.net
Southeast Ohio Arlene Sheak 740-592-1879 seospan@yahoo.com
Southwest Ohio Don Rucknagel, M.D. 513-931-3459 ruckndl@fuse.net
Central Ohio Alice Faryna, M.D. 614-442-9310 alicyna@yahoo.com
East Central Ohio Tony Budak 330-568-7002 tonybudak@clnews.org
West Central Ohio Sheilah Conard 937-313-6226 GMVSpan@aol.com
For more information, write or call Single-Payer Action Network Ohio (SPAN Ohio)
c/o GCC/IBT Local 546M ▪ 3227 West 25 St. ▪ Cleveland, Ohio ▪ 44109
Phone: 216-736-4766 ▪ Email: spanhealthcare@aol.com <mailto:spanhealthcare@aol.com> ▪ Website: www.spanohio.org <http://www.spanohio.org/>
Speakers: Barbara Baylor, Minister for Health and Wellness Programs, United Church of Christ Justice and Witness Ministries; Noel Beasley, International Vice President, UNITE HERE Union; Bill Burga, President, Ohio AFL-CIO; Michael Ehlert, Case School of Medicine, American Medical Student Association; Tim Kettler, Owner, Action Septic Service; Dennis Kucinich, U.S. Representative; Cathy Levine, Executive Director, UHCAN Ohio; Dave McCall, Director, United Steelworkers District 1 (or his designee); Dale Miller, Ohio State Senator; Patricia Moss, President, AFSCME Council 8; Dave Pavlick, SPAN Ohio Executive Committee, UAW Region 2-B; Johnathon Ross, M.D.; Michael Skindell, Ohio State Representative; and Harold Wilson, NAACP, Cleveland Branch.
This rally is endorsed by: A. Philip Randolph Institute – Ohio Chapters; Action Performance Exhaust; Action Septic Service; AFL-CIO Coalition of Labor Union Women in the Miami Valley; American Federation of Government Employees Local 3840; American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Council 8; American Medical Student Association (AMSA); Archer’s Flowers & Gifts; Archwood United Church of Christ (Cleveland); Athens Area People for Peace and Justice; Carmels Mexican Restaurant; Central Ohio Federation of Musicians Local 103, AFM; Cincinnati AFL-CIO Labor Council; Cleveland Jobs with Justice; Coalition for Affordable Healthcare in Ohio (CAHO); Coalition of Black Trade Unionists (CBTU) -- Columbus Chapter; Columbus Jobs with Justice; Communications Workers of America District 4; Community Organizing Center – Columbus; Cuyahoga County Library Union, Service Employees International Union District 1199; Dayton/Sidney/Springfield/Miami Valley AFL-CIO; Doudna Chiropractic; First Baptist Church of Dayton; Graphic Communications Conference/International Brotherhood of Teamsters Local 546M; Green Party of Ohio; Hair On The Square; Hancock County AFL-CIO; Hyde Park Coiffures; Kettering Oakwood Automotive; Mayo Industries; L&H Tractor Sales; McFarland’s Barbershop; Murphy’s Furniture; National Poor People’s Economic Human Rights Campaign (PPEHRC); Noble Satellite & Appliance; Northeast Ohio American Friends Service Committee (AFSC); Northeast Ohio Chapter of PPEHRC; Ohio AFL-CIO; Ohio Conference on Fair Trade; Ohio Democratic Party; Ohio Federation of Teachers; Ohio Jobs with Justice; Ohio National Organization for Women (Ohio NOW); Ohio State Council – UNITE HERE; Ohio State Labor Party; Patriots for Change; Physicians for a National Health Program (PNHP); Portage/Summit United Auto Workers CAP Council; Results – Columbus Group; Service Employees International Union Ohio State Council; Single-Payer Action Network Ohio (SPAN Ohio); Sterling Studio; Stop Targeting Ohio’s Poor (STOP); Summit County Progressive Democrats; The OM Yoga Studio; The Sandwich Shoppe Restaurant; The Empowerment Center of Greater Cleveland; The United Church of Christ, Justice and Witness Ministries; Toledo Area Jobs with Justice; Turkish Cuisine; UA Local 50 Plumbers, Steamfitters & Service Mechanics; United Auto Workers Region 2-B; United Auto Workers Local 420; United Auto Workers Local 1050; United Auto Workers Local 1050 Retirees Chapter; United Auto Workers Local 1250; United Auto Workers Local 1327; United Food and Commercial Workers Union Region 4; United Steelworkers Union District 1; United Steelworkers Local 302L; United Steelworkers Local 1375; Universal Health Care Action Network of Ohio (UHCAN Ohio); Village Bakery & Café; Welch Insurance Agency LLC; Women for Racial and Economic Equality (WREE); Women Speak Out for Peace and Justice
Music: Deborah Van Kleef – Folksinger
For more information, write or call Single-Payer Action Network Ohio (SPAN Ohio)
c/o GCC/IBT Local 546M ▪ 3227 West 25 St. ▪ Cleveland, Ohio ▪ 44109
Phone: 216-736-4766 ▪ Email: spanhealthcare@aol.com <mailto:spanhealthcare@aol.com> ▪ Website: www.spanohio.org <http://www.spanohio.org/>
Lloyd House has Space Available
2/18/06 Now available: small single on third floor. ...
Jason's room, small single on third floor, one W facing window, double bed size suspended sleeping loft, large closet. Bathroom right outside the door in the hall. Shares third floor kitchen with 3 other housemates. $350.
Also, first floor room for office, studio, ...? This is a large oak paneled room with Rookwood fireplace. Currently furnished with king size loft bed platform, sofa, arm chair, Dhurrie rug, long oak library table. Could share the living room with me as a waiting room. Has its own outside entry door. A very handsome room. Terrific for massage practice, for instance. $320?
And come summer barring a miracle job for Alan in the city, we will have his beautiful two room suite available on second floor, plus sleeping porch.
Other Perqs: off street parking, free laundry, high speed internet, living room with piano, TV, DVD, VCR, community iMac Computer. Dining room seats 16+. Veranda off dining room with Hatteras swing, furniture. Easy access to Monday night salon pot luck, Saturday morning Dharma Study group, Sat. evening drumming circle, and ....
The Lloyd House is a stimulating, friendly, multi-cultural environment. Good vibes are required, as is a rock solid financial responsibility. Housemates can be as private or as friendly as they wish. Know anyone who might like to explore this? No undergraduates, no pets, no smoking. Prefer someone who would be interested in participating in the Salon and/or other activities here. Call me: 221 1289
P.S. It feels like something new might be about to happen with regard to the use of the Lloyd House. Help me dream that up. 221 1289 or email Ellen ellenbierhorst@lloydhouse.com v
4/1
I have spent many many hours sitting on cushions in Buddhist centers over the past thirty plus years, but never until now had the opportunity to study the actual suttras or suttas , the scriptures, what the man actually said. I am enjoying tremendously my Saturday mornings with Richard Blumberg and Liz Hamilton and others at the Dharma Center in Northside, doing just that...reading the key teachings. Impressive erudition! Come join us. Every Saturday, the Dharma Center behind the Northside post office on Hamilton Ave just north of the RR tracks. The Dharma Center entry is on the tiny street Moline that flanks the building. 9:30 - 11. Ten minutes of sitting practice. Interested? Contact richard@WmBlake.com or...just come.
Section Three: Articles
Contents:
- Sustainability: from Mike Murphy, Don Sayre, John Robbins
- Richard Blumberg: answers to FAQ on Buddhism.
- Washington cuts housing assistance program budget
- Even the rich struggle to get good health care. The system is breaking down.
- Jeanette rants against our health care system. Says Medicare sucks.
Mike Murphy and Don Sayre on Sustainability in Cincinnati
4/1
dasayre@aol.com ; Mike Murphy <mailto:mmurphy10@fuse.net>
From Mike:From: dasayre@aol.comFrom Don Sayre:
Date: Wed, 15 Mar 2006 13:05:57 EST
To: lloydhousesalon@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [LloydHouseSalon] Sustaininnati
Long before and far that way from now I enjoyed a potluck conversation or two at the Salon. Always intriguing. Then life interrupted and I left the neighborhood, the city, the state, the region. Now, am in some desert, still searching for meaningful opportunity.
Along the search, a few years ago, at the first Sustainable Northwest conference (Portland OR), three significant speakers presented discussions on the Business Alliance for Local Living Economies (BALLE). Judy Wicks. Michael Shuman. David Korten. A year later I drove to Philadelphia from Cincinnati to attend the 2nd annual gathering of BALLE members as a freelance writer on sustainability. The people and what they promise holds my attention.
I would like to recommend your investigation into BALLE, what it offers, what you offer, what a union to the two offers. Judy runs White Dog Cafe and White Dog Cafe Foundation in Philadelphia, promoting local foods and teaching the homeless to work in the restaurant and bar in return of living wage (<http://www.whitedog.com/foundation.html>). Michael is well published on going local and creating self-reliant communities. David started Yes Magazine and is also an author on living local. http://www.livingeconomies.org/
The latest lloydhouse gnus mail inspired this one...about house makeover and sustainable cincinnati...a $1300/month mark twain energy bill outlay for a bulldozer of a castle...or something like that.
Ellen--I'm thinking of setting up a MeetUp site to be called 'Sustainable Cincinnati', similar to the one Donna Askins has set up out in Elgin, IL, which is called APPLE [Alliance for a Post Petroleum Local Economy]. Associated with the Post Carbon Institute in Oregon. Google on both terms. Costs $12.95/mo.
When I think about it tho, the APPLE name, while creative, ties the whole thing too closely, too exclusively to petroleum. Whereas Diamond, Toynbee and others repeatedly point out civilizations are pretty much governed by Liebig's 'weak link' law of the availability of the weakest item in the web of resources which a particular society/civilization depends on. 'Sustainable' is more positive, covers them all, without being particular, and tends automatically toward local economy.
Also, google on 'sustainable tompkins', the county where Ithaca, NY, is [and where the EcoVillage is located]. And 'Willits, CA, relocalization,' [which is where Ecology Action is located, and John Jeavons' Bountiful Gardens].These two sites are templates, paradigms for what I'd like to see happen in 'Sustaininnati.'
Well, maybe our friend from the desert does indeed have the best word: Sustaninnati. Mike
(This conversation was carried out on our Yahoo Group site...check it out:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/LloydHouseSalon
Ellen.)
4/1
Energy Conservation Engineer John Robbins (presented at Salon last year)
on Peak Oil prophecies: “No doomsday; conserve!”
Mike et al,
....
.... None of my
events talk about or stress the dooms-day nature of oil running out. I
present it as an opportunity to change ! So I don't see the wane of oil as
negative. We'll see prices go up and up and up, for sure. The most
immediate and larger problems are why so many folks willingly continue
demanding, using and paying for energy guzzling ModelT structures, vehicles,
lifestyles and work habits while fuel costs they complain about rise
steadily. We'll be "hit" again and again by waves of price rises before oil
supplies actually begin running out. The immediate issue is lowering our
use and cutting costs, not worrying about post-petrol yet. Solutions
abound, but most rely on those reductions! IMHO
JohnR
(John is an engineer, architect...designs systems for living that are sustainable. Energy efficient. Check out below.)
Address
John Robbins
Robbins Alternate Energies
3519 Moffett Rd
Morning View, KY 41063-8748
Primary Contact Information.
Primary Phone: 859-363-0376
Alternate Phone:
Fax:
Email: johnfrobbins@insightbb.com
Web Site: home.insightbb.com/~johnfrobbins/
Posted on the Weekly: 4/8/06
(Note you can study Buddhism with Richard—and ellen and others— every Saturday 9:30 – 11 am, at the Dharma Center in Northside on Moline right off Hamilton Ave behind the Northside post office.
richard.blumberg.org : is what i do : blog
22 Aug 2005 09:21 pm
is what i do : trust the Buddha : respect rationality
Buddhism and Christianity
The following post is in response to a request that Bill, over at Faith Commons, made for a “quick list of parallels between Buddhism and Christianity.” It is cross-posted, in a somewhat different form, to the Faith Commons site.
Unfortunately, Bill, there’s nothing quick about Buddhism. And, while there are certainly some parallels between the teachings of Jesus and those of Siddhartha Gautama*, the Buddha, there are very few similarities between Buddhism and Christianity. I’m going to take a stab at giving you an overview, of the similarities and of the differences (always with the understanding that this is as I see it, and I would hesitate to call myself a Buddhist; rather, I am one who finds the teachings of the Buddha more complete and truer than those of any other sage I know.)
There are three things, I think, that most clearly distinguish the Buddhist teachings from the Christian scriptures: the authenticity and coherence of the scriptural documents, the differing natures of Jesus and the Buddha, and the vast differences in the core doctrines. I’ll take these one at a time.
The authenticity of the documents. Although the Buddha predated Jesus by about 500 years, the oldest records of his teachings are almost certainly a more authentic reflection of his actual words than many of the teachings attributed to Jesus. There are a three main reasons for this.
First, the Buddha had a long career as a teacher. He achieved his enlightenment when he was 35, and he died at the age of 80; in the intervening 45 years, he travelled throughout Northern India, teaching and attracting followers, and he took a very active and well-documented role in creating the monastic community of monks and nuns* that endures to this day. One whole section of the Buddhist teachings, the vinaya, is concerned with the rules of conduct that govern that community, and it’s probable that the core of that set of rules was established by the Buddha himself.
Second, the followers of the Buddha were extremely proficient at memorizing (similar, in that regard, to a lot of other cultures in which writing had not yet developed or was not commonly used to disseminate ideas.) And they understood that one of their important purposes was to listen closely to the Buddha’s damma talks and to carry them to others in as nearly verbatim a form as possible. The Buddha, in his turn, used many devices in his teachings to make them easier to memorize and repeat. There are a lot of numbered lists; there is also a lot of repetition, and exceptional consistency with regard to the expression of the core ideas.
Third, the monks, just two years after the Buddha’s death, convened a large council, at which they agreed that they had the responsibility for remembering the dharma as the Buddha taught it. To that end, they organized into groups with particular areas of responsibility: one group had responsibility for remembering the core teaching concerning the nature of the human condition and the ways to overcome the suffering inherent in that condition; another group took responsibility for remembering the rules of the vinaya—the governance of the order and the prescribed conduct of the monks and nuns; a third group took responsibility for teachings on the philosophy that provided an underpinning for the teachings. Each group met regularly and repeated to one another the teachings for which it took responsibility. Organized in that way, with that sense of purpose, it’s probable that they maintained the teachings with considerable fidelity through the several centuries during which they were transmitted verbally.
The whole council of monks met two more times over the next two hundred years to confirm that they were, in fact, fulfilling their responsibilities; by the time of the third council, writing had developed to a point where the teachings were written down on palm leaves and collected in what is known as the three baskets, the tipitaka (from ti, three, and pitaka, basket). The oldest surviving record of the tipitaka is written in the Pali language*, and is known as the Pali Canon. Remarkably, the Pali Canon is accepted as authentic and its content is accepted as the core doctrine by all existing Buddhist sects, which in other regards are more different from one another than are Unitarian, Southern Baptist, and Greek Orthodox Christians.
The basket that contains the actual records of the Buddha’s teachings (and those of his closest disciples) is known as the Sutta Pitaka, and it gives a picture of a teacher who speaks with compassion, great self confidence, and a firm and consistent voice. There are more than 10,000 suttas; taken together, they form a body of literature probably three or four times as long as the Bible.
The differing natures of the teachers. The second basic difference between Christianity and Buddhism concerns the contrasting nature of Jesus the Christ and Gautama the Buddha.
While it’s possible to take from the Gospels a picture of Jesus that is distinctly human—a smart and charismatic person, standing in radical opposition to the orthodoxy of his day, leader of a small group of revolutionaries focussed on the overthrow of the priestly establishment and of the occupying Romans who supported it—that is not the Jesus on which the religion of Christianity or the Christian Church is based. The Christian Jesus is, above and beyond any other characteristics, a divine Being, Son of God Himself, Who took birth as a man to fulfill His Father’s heavenly purpose, and Who, after His crucifixion, was bodily taken back up to Heaven to sit at His Father’s right hand.
The Buddha, on the other hand, was quintessentially human. It was, in fact, his recognition of his humanity*—the fact that he was subject, as all others were, regardless of their station in life, to birth, aging, disease, and eventual death—was what lead him to shave his head, trade his princely garments for a simple yellow robe, and leave his home and family to enter a life of wandering, searching for the insight that would lead to release from the suffering and stress that attended every level of the human condition.
Not only was the Buddha not God, but there is, in his teaching, no concept of God as we in the West have come to understand Him (or fail to understand Him, as many believe). There were gods in the culture that the Buddha was born into—millions of them, in dozens of heavens. But they fulfilled an essentially metaphorical function in the Buddha’s teachings. The realms of the gods were more fortunate realms than our human realms—happier, with longer lifespans and fewer temptations to unskillful action. But what actually went on in those realms is not part of the teaching, and the gods themselves had little to do with what went on in the human realm. The Buddha is quite clear on the fact that the gods themselves were subject to kammic law; they took being, were subject to aging and illness, and eventually (albeit after unimaginably long periods of time) died. And were reborn again, depending on the quality of the kamma that their behavior had evoked, into another godly realm, perhaps a higher or lower one, or into the human realm, if their behavior had evoked negative kamma, or even, if they had been particularly unskillful, into the realm of the hungry ghosts or the animal realm.
But there is no single God, Who created the universe and mankind, Who is the authority for moral behavior, and Who will eventually judge each one of us and assign us our particular rewards.
When the Buddha was questioned about such metaphysical issues as gods and salvation, he always refused to give an answer. His purpose, the Buddha told such questioners, was to teach the truths of human suffering, the cause of that suffering, the way to end the suffering, and the practice of that way. The Buddha had come to those truths, not by any divine gift, but by his own efforts, pursued over innumerable lifetimes and culminating in the enlightenment he received, in 535 BCE, at the age of 35, after sitting in meditation all night at the base of a fig tree near the village of Bodh Gayh in northern India. And what the Buddha had achieved was accessible to anyone who was willing to undertake comparable effort and persist in it; it was a human achievement and require no supernatural intervention.
Contrasting doctrines. And that brings us to the most significant difference between Christianity and Buddhism: the vastly different doctrines at their cores. In what follows, I’m going to focus on two aspects of doctrine: what each religion teaches about the purpose of life and what each presents as the rules for living a good life—essentially, ontology and ethics. And I want to protest in advance that I am even less a Christian than I am a Buddhist; in all of what follows, I am on shaky ground.
The primary ontological focus of Christianity is soteriology: Christianity is all about sin and salvation. Orthodox Christianity views the original condition of humankind as a state of sin; the role of Jesus as Messiah, Savior, was to redeem that sin and save mankind from the fate that sinners are doomed to suffer. To carry out His mission of redemption, Jesus had to die on the cross and rise from the tomb. To benefit from Jesus’s sacrifice, to participate in salvation, it is only necessary to believe in Him.
The focus in Buddhism, on the other hand, is primarily psychological and behavioral. The condition of human life is dukkha (which is usually, but inadequately, translated as “suffering” or “stress”; in fact, it is broader than those terms, encompassing the familiar experiences of frustration, despair, dissatisfaction, general malaise.) Birth, the Buddha taught as the First Noble Truth, is dukkha; aging, disease, and death are dukkha. Even happiness is dukkha, because it is destined to end. In the Second Noble Truth, the Buddha explained that the cause of dukkha is craving—wanting what we don’t have, not wanting what we’re stuck with, wanting it to go on forever, wanting it to be over and done with. In the Third Noble Truth, we are told that the way to end dukkha is to stop craving—to give it up completely, without any residue remaining. And, in the Fourth Noble Truth, we are shown the way to end craving, that is through the practice of the Eightfold Path: right understanding, right purpose, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right diligence, right awareness, and right concentration.
Koan: How do you get to Carnegi Hall?
Right off the bat, as it were, Christianity puts more emphasis on faith, while Buddhism puts its emphasis on practice.
That’s not to say, as you all understand, that Christianity ignores the importance of good conduct, although it’s sometimes hard to discern, through the layers of authorship and frequently conflicting testimony, just what proper conduct consists of. From the Old Testament, Christianity inherited the misleadingly named Ten Commandments, which prohibit a number of behaviors, including the making of graven images, failing to give appropriate honor and pride of place to the Lord’s name, killing, stealing, failing to honor one’s parents, adultery, and covetousness. To those, Jesus added one big one: love your neighbor as you love yourself and be forgiving of his sins. In addition, hints are scattered throughout the gospels regarding behaviors and habits of mind that Jesus approves: humility, generosity, voluntary poverty, among others.
Nor do I mean to imply that there is no place for faith in Buddhism. In fact, a core principle of Buddhist practice is to profess one’s faith in the Buddha—that he was, in fact, what he claimed to be, i.e. perfectly enlightened, having achieved freedom from rebirth* and the dukkha that attends it. But the Buddha himself encourages us not to accept his message on faith alone; rather, he asks us to undertake the practice ourselves and trust our experience to tell us that the practice is what we need to embark on our own path to the end of dukkha.
When it comes to the conduct of a virtuous life, Buddhism is much more direct and explicit than Christianity, and more concise as well. There are five precepts that every Buddhist accepts, the practice of which will lead to action that is skillful, i.e. generative of positive kammic energy, rather than unskillful—producing negative kamma, harmful to our own well-being and the well-being of those around us, and hindering our chances of a good rebirth. The Five Precepts are eminently practical:
Do not kill.
Do not take what’s not given.
Don’t speak so as to deceive or spread discord.
In your sexual behavior, be faithful and treat your partner(s) with respect and tenderness.
Don’t take alcohol or any other substance that makes you careless and stupid.
(For monastics—monks and nuns—the list expanded considerably, and the basic five took on more rigorous meaning. Monks and nuns, for example, were expected to live celibate lives; the injunction to speak without deceit or hurtfulness was expanded to prohibit gossip and idle chatter.)
In addition to the kinds of skillful action covered in the precepts, many of the Buddha’s discourses covered the specific practices involved in following the Eightfold Path—how to preserve alertness in confused or difficult situations, what kinds of livelihood were most likely to generate good kamma, how to resist the temptations of the senses, the material world, and the rambling mind. There is a coherence and consistency to the Buddha’s advice, and a straightforwardness, that seems to me to be missing from many of the passages in both the Old and New Testaments that deal with behavior. The Buddha’s teachings were always purposeful, and the purpose was always the same: to bring an end to suffering.
Christianity and Buddhism are both rich topics for discussion, and many very smart people have spent many hours and many gallons of ink pursuing that discussion. In this article, I’ve tried to cover what seems to me to be the essential differences between the two traditions. In the parts about Buddhism, I’ve focused on the Pali Canon and the particular tradition known as Theravada; I’ve pretty much ignored the traditions that have evolved into Zen, the Pure Land Buddhism of China, or Tibetan Tantraism. That’s for two reasons: first, I don’t know very much about those latter traditions, and, second, all of the traditions accept the Pali Canon as a starting point.
In the parts about Christianity, I’ve also tried to ignore the doctrinal differences between sects and focus on the teachings that all Christians more or less accept. The result of that approach is that pretty much anybody who knows a particular doctrine very well can take issue with what I’ve said. If such issue is taken, it’s yours; I give it freely, and I’ll try to learn from whatever corrections you have to what I’ve said. I’m not interested in disputes about Christian doctrine.
You all know more about web resources for the study of Christianity than I do, and perhaps some of you know of resources that deal specifically with comparisons between Christianity and Buddhism (and other traditions as well.) For the study of Buddhism, one could do worse than start with Wikipedia; their articles on Buddhism are extraordinarily complete and well-written, and they include many links for further study. My own study of Buddhist traditions has benefitted enormously from the Access To Insight website. That site contains almost one thousand translations from the Pali Canon’s Sutta Pitaka; I think there is no better way to study Buddhism than to start with the Buddha’s own teachings. The Access To Insight site also contains a number of other essays and complete books on Buddhism, all well-written, competently translated, and intelligently organized. One particularly delightful piece, Bhikkhu Tissa Dispels Some Doubts, is as entertaining an introduction to Buddhism as I’ve seen, full of warmth and wisdom.
I hope that those members of Faith Commons who make an effort to learn more about the Buddha and the Buddhist traditions will report back on what they’ve found. I hope that they find as much pleasure, comfort and wisdom as I have found.
Thanks for listening.
......................................................................................................
Footnotes:
* Siddhartha Gautama
The term “Buddha” means “the enlightened one” or “the awakened one”. The man who would eventually become the Buddha was born Siddhartha in the Gautama family of the Sakya clan in northern India. (He was also known as Sakyamuni, “sage of the Sakyas”.) Siddhartha’s father was a clan chief (not quite, as some accounts have it, a king), the family was wealthy and powerful, and Siddhartha was raised in circumstances of great comfort and privilege.
* the monastic community of monks and nuns
Damma (Dharma):
What the Buddha taught is known as the damma: roughly, “the truth”, or “the way things are”. The community of monks and nuns is known, collectively as the sangha; the term is also used, more broadly, to include all those who have made some progress on the Buddhist path. The triad, Buddha, damma, sangha, is known as the Three Refuges, and the profession of Buddhism involves nothing more than announcing one’s intention to accept them as such: “I take refuge in the Buddha; I take refuge in the damma; I take refuge in the sangha.”
* the Pali language
Pali is an offshoot of Sanskrit, bearing roughly the same relationship to Sanskrit that Aramaic bears to Hebrew. Throughout this document, I’ve used the Pali terms for several Buddhist concepts—kamma and damma particularly, which might be more familiar in their Sanskrit variants—dharma and karma.* his recognition of his humanity
There is a legend that, before the Buddha was born, a sage predicted that the king would have a son who would either be a universal monarch or a great sage. To insure the former fate, Siddhartha’s father raised his son in a carefully protected environment, taking great pains to insure that the boy would never see anything that gave a hint of pain or suffering. But one day, weary of his pampered life, Siddhartha persuaded his charioteer to take him outside the sheltering walls of the palace and into the city. There, he saw, for the first time, an aged man, walking with the aid of a stick; another who was stricken by a disfiguring disease; and a corpse,being carried by his sobbing family to the funeral pyre. And he realized that even though he was vastly more privileged than those individuals, protected by his father’s wealth and power, he was still, as they were, human, and no power could protect him from the common fate: aging, disease, and death. It was then, on his return to the palace, that he bade a silent goodbye to his sleeping wife and young son and left the palace, resolved to wander in a state of homelessness until he had found an end to suffering.
* rebirth
I started to write a footnote glossing the Buddhist concept of rebirth, but it got out of control and became a post of its own. (which will be published in future Weekly editions. Ellen.)
4/8/06 Washington Cuts Housing Assistance Programs
From Mustard Seed Received by me on 4/6/06:
The President’s 2007 budget released last month includes significant cuts in housing assistance; the Housing Choice Voucher Program underfunds 70 percent of the state and municipal housing agencies that oversee the program, according to a study by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. Although Congress has debated the cuts affecting the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), it appears unlikely that these cuts will be opposed. Ironically, Congress is also considering yet another tax cut for the wealthy….Although the federal government began to address homelessness under President Johnson in the 1960s, according to the National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty, the annual homeless population is approximately 3.5 million people, or 1.3 percent of the U.S. population. 40 percent of the homeless population is comprised of families with children. In fact, 39 percent of the homeless are children, almost half of whom are under the age of five.
* The Mustard Seed is a weekly email publication of Mo. Paula Jackson of the Church of our Savior (Episcopal) in Mt. Auburn.I cannot tell you how many horror stories that I have heard about the quality of medical care that insured persons have had, including some in my family. It has nothing to do with the means of financing it. In fact, one of my neighbors, who is a wealthy woman, told me just last week about her mother’s disastrous care in a hospital in this town. Not knowing the facts about her father’s care, what else can I say? That said, this person is so uninformed and opinionated that I choose not to respond to that. I have had many encounters with people, including physicians who are speaking from their mid-brains, and trying to reason with them is futile. Sorry.
4/8
Ellen;
Regards,
Don Sayre
4/8
Steve Sunderland on the Violence of Hunger
Dear Friends:
1. Introduction to the Violence of Hunger: In the center of downtown and depressed Dayton is the House of Bread. This food pantry feeds one hot meal to adults every day of the week with breakfasts on the weekend for children and adults. Without the House of Bread, the poor and homeless community of Dayton is shut out of a solid meal. Without the House of Bread, the cold world of poverty takes the lives of children and adults. Walking through the door of this one story brick and spare building, after being lined up all morning in the cold, are those casualties of our broken mental health system, as well as the victims of a broken school system, also, the survivors of the Iraqi and Vietnam wars who "made" it just short of "back," and those who for a thousand unanswered reasons, just need a hot meal. The hungry of Dayton come in all the standard colors and ages and with a common shade of horror. The next meal is not known. They shuffle in, take their seats until the call comes to line up for the meal of the day. A low murmur of appreciation and friendship builds in the one large hall that serves as the lunchroom. Two Fridays ago, the meal was a chili, salad, juice and a cut of cake.
The meal comes from the success of the daily battle of the director, Bill Evans. He rounds up the money for the food and the rent, stretches it to cover the steady increase of children and adults, and worries about being in a constant and uncomfortable state of deficit. Bill is a slight man in build, in his 50s, with a full head of grey hair and a preacher's way of making every moment a "teaching" about the spirit of the people he is serving. He has kept the doors open for the past 9 years. Bill is hardened by the fight for money and food, softened by the generosity of the volunteers that serve every meal, and proud of his paid staff of 3 for their commitment and high performance. He is not a man who scares. "My door is open to everyone," he says with the swagger of someone who believes he is walking on golden ground. "I have seen it all," he reflects, as we watch people come in and find their seats. What he has seen is what hunger does to adults who are disabled by the fear of going hungry and not being able to make it to the House of Bread. He has seen children, so hungry, so thin, so afraid that they will miss their two meals on the weekend. Bill does not want to talk about the effect of violence on the adults and children or the increase in fear he sees as hunger robs people of respect.
But the strength and depth of poverty is such a power that even, Bill Evans, a veteran of 9 years of hard battle cannot avoid the fear of having too little to help as the wave of need rises dramatically. This fear is a real one: the House of Bread has provided 88,000 meals last year, up from 59,600 the year before. No one who works with poor people can swallow the rising numbers without being sick. Hungry people are people in need of the warmth of hot meal, the nourishing of a good friend who has sufficient housing, the satisfaction of knowing that there might be a job tomorrow, and, the ability to move across the line from poverty to predictability, from fear to food security. Poverty and especially hunger wears people down, drives their minds crazy, and fosters a kind of hopelessness that numbs and burns like constant frost.
Hunger is a look at the House of Bread, a stare from the center of the eyes that penetrates the marrow of the observer, and makes a statement: "I need a society that cares." The gesture of eating food from a soup kitchen is like getting a band aid from an aide station after a bomb has landed on you. All of the wounds cannot be covered. The blood oozes right through the bandage as the victim finds a way of using fingers to pick out the food that can be eaten. The hungry are imprisoned in a world sealed off like a great tomb. Dead to work, without adequate or even essential housing, lost on a path without guides, and forced to margins of brutal survival , the line for food and hope stretches out every day, a knarled and broken hand.
2. The House of Bread Restores the Social Contract: Last Friday, the first annual House of Bread Peace Dinner was held and over 200 people attended for a delightful meal provided by the students and faculty of the Wright State University school of social work. Under the supervision of Dr. Carl Brun, chair, the faculty and the students formed a team that sought to raise money for a week's food for the poor. Last Friday was a tough weather day as the wind howled through the Dayton area at 60 + miles per hour, the last spitting of Winter. The lights inside the House of Bread shone brightly as I drove up in late afternoon. I had come to help set up the dining room and to prepare to give a talk about "Hunger and Peace." The gigantic kitchen of the House of Bread was filled with college juniors, seniors and faculty in some stage of food preparation, cleaning, and nervousness about the actual number of people that would show up. Two hundred was the hoped for number but by 5 o'clock, an hour before the dinner, only 8-10 people were signing in. Kim Osborn, a graduating senior headed for UC's school of social work, was the field general of the kitchen, working everywhere, supporting the group, and making sure the bread was cut, the vegetables cooked and her fellow students involved. This was Kim's first big fund raising dinner and she was nervous about what details she had left undone that might undermine the success of the dinner. She is woman with a big smile to match her heart and her smile added confidence that we would have a good dinner no matter how many showed up.
In just one hour, the hall was filled with over 200 people who had bought a ticket and donated money for the House of Bread. Kim welcomed everyone with a fine and short talk suggesting that we all were working for the end of hunger in Dayton. Being a mother of a young boy, she urged us to think about how lucky we were and then she ordered the group to line up for the meal. Quickly, our community knew what to do as the students served a slowly moving line the fine salmon, chicken, salad and dessert that had been prepared for us. Family members of the students had come, along with faculty and their families. Friends of the House of Bread lined up with students and graduates of the Wright State programs. It was a different line in so many ways than the one I saw last week. Most people were jovial, happy to be a part of the evening's success, glad to be making a much needed contribution to this worthy cause. As I looked around, I saw no faces of hunger, despair, and horror. We had put those pictures out of our minds and there were no "regulars" from the House of Bread to make the statement. It was clear that whatever we mean by the "American Dream" had been met for our group. Our cars filled the lot, our dinner plates were full of very wonderful foods, and our ability to enjoy a meal together was evident.
Yet, I wondered about the "peace" of this evening being a temporary one. In the background of this day were the news of strikes and protests about the proposed act to punish immigrants. Thousands of Hispanic students and workers were protesting across the country about the potential break up of their families through deportations, at worst, and stigmatization of vulnerable people, at best. I didn't see these people at our dinner. Also, news about the French youth and young adults marching by the millions to protest a new employment policy of termination without cause were in our minds. How many people at this dinner had been laid off, fired or ceased work in the past week? Our joyous noise blocked any awareness of who these people were in our midst. The comfort of the evening was a hoax for the general population of Dayton and the United States. New layoffs were constantly being announced by General Motors resulting in hard questions about the future of work and the tenuousness of retirement. Health costs had shot thought the roof along with the cost of utilities, gas, and food. Hard choices were increasingly having to be made between those who thought their income was sufficient and now learned that unplanned expenses would bring deep uncertainty. It was no secret to anyone in the room that the Dayton public schools were in deep trouble. Private education, Catholic schools were also announcing increases in tuition. And, the college students were facing increasing their debt to handle the new increases in public and private college costs.
The line separating the "donors" and the recipients of the House of Bread did not seem great at all. The "promise" of predictable incomes for those in jobs and/or going to college seemed threatened by the "new" social contract being drawn. Who was taking seriously the dramatic increase in the numbers of people seeking food from pantries around the country? (25 million in 2005.) Who knew that many of the people seeking help with food are working people who are unable to meet their bills for rent, utilities, health care and food? (36% of the adults receiving food nationally, had at least one adult working.) The increases in the numbers of people getting food and living without health care had risen dramatically in the last few years. (45.8 milion people, a rise of 800,00 in the past year.) Warning bells were going off about the returning vets from Iraq facing more mental and physical health problems with cut backs in veteran health care. Who cared? Colleges, public state institutions, facing big reductions in their budgets, laid another round of increases on the students in the room, full time students and full time workers. How could the students stay in college and continue to amass such gigantic debt? Where was the outcry? Elders were foregoing meals, disabled people were being shut out by unintelliglble Food Stamp forms, and young children make up more than half of those receiving emergency food. For many of the diners, the social contract was ripped up and left with the dirty dishes.
In my remarks, I spoke to this double reality: "What kind of America is this? What can we do to regain the American sense of fair play, fair wages, and security based on trust in our government? Tonight, here at the House of Bread, we are making a statement: "Every person who needs a hot meal in Dayton can get a high quality hot lunch, thanks to the generosity of the Dayton community. The House of Bread stands with the poor, the hungry, those pushed out of health care and employment, and the House of Bread refuses to turn anyone away. We retake America through our work for and with the House of Bread as we reach out, middle class, working class and poor, to say that respect starts with food. What a simple and revolutionary and sad thing to say. Yet, the House of Bread inspires me, inspires those who know that individual and family peace can only happen if people are not frightened about their next meal."
3. The Hunger and Peace Lessons: Here is some of what I learned at the House of Bread.
A. Giving food and money for food to the hungry is a critical first step in personal and community peace. The world of the hungry is burdened by isolation from friendship and compassion. The world of the hungry is the world of fear and death. The act of crossing the line to predictable and good food strengthens the hungry in vital and numerous ways.
B. Eating hot food is a reminder of good times and the right to have a good life without hunger. Peace can flow when hope is warmed and digested. What the House of Bread does is renews that hope every day. Hope is the glue of peace.
C. Working in the preparation and sharing of food fosters community relationships of kindness that may not be evident before this action. Overcoming hunger means transforming the gap of adequate food into a bridge for compassion amongst strangers. Working and eating together brought us together in ways we didn't realize at the beginning of our day. We went from the noise of strangers to the enjoyment of the sounds of peace.
D. Food and peace are basic. They are basic to restoring the human spirit, overcoming the damage of violence and neglect, and necessary for removing the mask of indifference that hides us from the hungry. Serving and being served crosses lines of fear as our efforts to restore respect are recognized through personal involvement. "Thank you," a young woman spontaneously said at the end of the evening to the gathering. "You gave us something more important than money. You gave us your respect. I can't tell you how important this is to our community. We need to know that you know we are part of Dayton." Her strong words touched everyone with her love. Signalling our love.
(The House of Bread is at 9 Orth Avenue, Dayton, Ohio 45402.)
In peace,
Steve
Steve Sunderland, Ph.D., director
Peace Village
513.919.2538
professor of educational foundations and peace studies
University of Cincinnati
College of Education, Criminal Justice and Human Services
Cincinnati, OH 45221-0002
4/8
Jeannette Rants against our Health Care System
Ellen... Please check your data on medicare, this SPAN *tidbit* is totally bogus playing with fragmented statistics. It's not Social Security that's in trouble big time, it's the medical part of the system, and to top that off, the absolutely monstrous financial ruin is in the second part of Medicare. This we should emulate????
The source of the nightmare is our medical/drug/govt alliance with its vested interest in sickness and not in avoidance, nutrition and that route. "Health" care, what a joke! And setting ourselves up with govt funding reserves to pay for this sickness route is about as lemming a solution as any could imagine.
Which also puts the test to the claim that 'Medicare works, very successfully', even outside the question of financial sustainability. Modelling anything on the medicare nightmare is a gross injustice to the public. Let's just see how many medicare nightmares happen and then tally the 'how often' answer to the SPAN attempt to waive the 'uncaring' and 'incompetant' charges against the system because of the single payer freedom to change doctors. Keep in mind that *iatrogenic*, that is doctor/hospital/approved-drug-caused, death is the 3rd leading cause of death, right after cancer and heart disease. How can this fellow seriously claim the system works when it must surely be the 3rd leading cause of death among their patients. Not to mention the effect of their propaganda, people have been conditioned to believe that the drug/medical establishment is their defense against the afflictions of nature, with its disease and aging. The only thing that 'works' for this fellow better than the rest of the insurance schemes is that he's not deprived of patients because they lack insurance to pay him.
The whole system of medicine/health care of the approved and insured variety is the fraud. And the tokenism they've granted to a few alternatives is just that, an attempt to conceal the grotesque monster behind a facade of 'careful openenss'. Beware, be leery of tokenism. You are being sucked into their criminal operation.
We went to a homeopathist when I was in the corporate world with the big insurance *benefits* package, but the cost of that package far outweighed the cost of homeopathy without the insurance. So yeah, 'health' insurance is a ripoff but replacing it with medicare is not the answer, getting rid of the insurance/drug establishment is and the decline in participation is not the problem. Ending participation and freeing ourselves from the establishment must be accompanied by drastic changes in our lifestyle and nutrition. The key is taking responsibiity for yourself and your family, and taking it seriously because your lives depend on it. My father didn't, he didn't like our dietary changes and our casual lifestyle, so he left and indulged his past preferences and a lifestyle that negated the health benefits my mother's lifestyle had bestowed on him til her death 5 years before. Within another couple years he had diabetes and his first stroke.
My father had the full medicare and associated coverages and they ignored new signs of a stroke even though he was being cared for the past stroke. Then after the TIAs turned into a massive stroke (they didn't even check on him during the night when the TIA happened) they *labeled* him as "terminal" and demanded that he submit to being hooked up to a machine. He refused, with family's reluctant support, and the medical establishment made good their threat and refused to feed him. They would let him die, intentionally, because he was unable to feed himself and was at risk of choking. The whole insane affair is something I've been planning to write about. My sister called their bluff and said she would come the distance every day to feed him and care for him, and she did, and she proved that he was reclaimable. She fought with therapists who didn't want to work with the severe cases. She fought with admins who deprived her of information and had falsified his condition on the records based on therapists who by-passed his care, 'no change' when they hadn't even roused him from his nap. Within 6wks she had his weight stabilized and his interest was improving. By wintertime after almost 8months, when she was nearing exhaustion from the ordeal, he was able to sit with family and play cards, and his speech was returning. She turned over the feeding gradually to the staff, with frequent oversight until after the holidays. Within 2 months of the establishment taking full control of his care, they had killed him. They couldn't even take the care to feed him properly.
That wasn't Canada, that was Medicare. SPAN would inflict this scourge on all of us, and at a price that would bankrupt the state govt the way medicare is bankrupting our Social Security system. Please don't support that project.
Jeanette Raichyk
on 4/2/06 5:13 PM, Ellen Bierhorst at ellenbierhorst@lloydhouse.com wrote:
SPAN Ohio tidbit: Myth: "Universal Health Car will cost too much." Reality: not more, less! 25 to 30 cents of every dollar spent on health care currently goes to the insurance companies and HMOs. Compare this with only 2.9 cents for every health dollar that goes to Medicare. Look at that difference! If those billions were used for patient care instead of to the insurance and HMO companies, that would provide much of the funding required to cover the medical needs of all Ohioans. Learn more at www.spanohio.org
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