Come participate at the table! Ellen
Salon Weekly
~ In 4 Color-Coded Sections:
- Table Notes
- Activism & Cultural or Healing Events
- Articles, Letters
- Books, Reviews, Films, Magazines
A Weekly Email Publication of The Lloyd House: Circulation: c. 600. Growing out
of the Wednesday Night Salon . For info about the Salon, see the bottom of
this email. Join us at the Lloyd House every week of the year at 5:45 for pot
luck and discussion. 3901 Clifton Avenue Cincinnati, Ohio. To Submit events
for the Weekly, send (not attachment) me email, subject line
"Weekly-Events:(description)", in Times New Roman font, Maroon color. FOR ARTICLES, send me, in Times New Roman, Navy color. to
ELLENBIERHORST@LLOYDHOUSE.COM,. Saves me a
lot of work that way. Send submissions by Wednesday evening.
To: Friends on our Pot Luck Salon list (c. 600)... Now in our
sixth year),
(to unsubscribe see below, bottom of page).
................................................... Section One: Table Notes ............................................................................ (Note: these notes were taken at the table and have NOT been approved or corrected by the speakers. Reader
beware of inevitable misunderstandings and misrepresentations. E.B.)
At the Table on Wednesday 21 March 2007, first day of Spring!
3/21/07 Table Notes
Chris Metzger, Mary Biehn, Shari Able, Steve Sunderland, Derek LESTER, Julia Yardin, Mr. G., Mira Rodwan, Spencer Konicov, Richard Blumberg, Himavat Ishaya, Ellen Bierhorst, Gerry Kraus, Marvin Kraus, Chad Benjamin Potter, David Rosenberg, David Glober (welcome David and Chris)
Chris read the preamble. Song: “Come follow follow follow...”
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Mira: this Sunday at St. John’s U.U. church on Resor at 5 pm, two speakers sponsored by Earthsave. Vegan pot luck at 6:30. First speaker is salonista Mike Murphy on sustainable community. Second: bicycle city.
Peter Block’s civic engagement series for Northside last weekend. Once again he created a beautiful environment. Such a welcoming space. He is a gentle magician. I have been visited by late blooming Granny Power.
Steve: tomorrow press conf at freedom cntr announcing pub of a handbook to improve dialogue between Muslims and non Muslims. Over next year we will have dialogues. Break out of the smear campaign. What is moderate Islam? How is it connected to radical Islam? It is a project of the peace village. How can the Jewish community be sensitive to other religions, particularly to Muslims some of whom have declared they want to destroy Israel.
Shari: the Israelis have had great success with a TV program called “the Treatment”, about a therapist and patient talking for an hour. A reality show? It will be brought here.
TOPICS
Ellen: what topic next week for Conversation Café, Conversation Week. (see conversationweek.org)
Steve: smear of moderate Muslims and the struggle of Jews trying to figure out whether anti Israel statements are automatically anti Semitic. In the NYT today Stanley Fish says they are.
Gerry: 4 is there any relation between our street violence and the violence in Iraq?
Chris: 2 What does it mean to be an American? If you are one how do you feel about it?
Richard: 6 we are all aware that the media are owned by the corporate interests; also that there is a good deal of corruption in our governments national and local. When the only way in which the people have to learn about events is through mass media controlled by those funding the corruption, how can we find out what is going on? Second, are there imaginative ways to get that news out loudly enough to enough people that it can’t be ignored.
CONVERSATION
Richard’s topic. Media monopoly, corruption, ... How to we know what is going on?
Chad: (Hogreve). I did get into both schools in San Francisco and will be there in the fall. On the way to Fanchon’s today I was listening to commercial radio and heard a song about l ittle girls running away… one line with end word is abortion. They skewed the word to obscure it. It was a KISS station. It was shocking for me that this word was bleeped. Otherwise I would have said we could get the message out via radio.
Steve: Congratulations to Chad. (Masters in creative inquiry) My short take on this topic is in teaching at UC I have heard from Freshman and Sophomores such a misunderstanding of American, of teacher, of the facts of the constitution, and a literacy about the internet and phones that is dazzling. But no connection between liberal ed. And the technology. My students think the civil rights movement happened right after Lincoln was killed… Profound misunderstanding.
This question of how to penetrate a comprehensive manipulation of basic tenets of a civil society. This is a population that will never vote. We’ve got a major issue here.
Mr. G. you should pray that they never vote.
Chris: I’ve been in the newspapers 15 times for various inconsequential things. Not one announcement about me was ever 100% accurate. No political intention, no malice. Just simple facts. … fractured prisms. Amazing that we can even talk about the same events. … You are talking a bout the problem with the audience. But in late ‘80’s a network found that internat’l news was not profitable and they phased it out. All the other networks followed suit. … the news follows the taste of the audience.
Gerry: 1. As to those who write the news, they are probably former students of Steve. 2. I have an opportunity to interface politically when I ran for council. Candidates were contacted by Enquirer and given questions. When I answered one, they contacted me, “don’t you want to change your response?” So you know they are manipulating.
3. today on Diane Rehm, commentary on Sen. Clinton on U Tube. The new way to communicate.
Richard: Been thinking about this for last week or two. I have a blog. … I had Steve’s experience when teaching years ago. XU in early 80’s… asked how many read newspaper… not one hand up, a class in communications. It is clear that the Internet is doing what we are talking about. Especially dailykos and josh marshall blogs. The reason these things are important is because there is a critical mass of an audience developing for them. It is far from the majority, still a tiny minority, but they are vocal and present. When they start watching You Tube … the anti Hillary commercial put up, when that is noticed by hundreds of thousands of people, suddenly the major media pay attention.
Other cultures faced the same problem and were able at least for a time to effect change. Like the big character posters near the end of Mao’s regime. They were seen by the leaders of the society. The major media could not ignore them.
Also, about ten years ago in NYC, the Rev and Cost thing going on. Two guys in Greenwich Village were putting out tiny stickers with a word or two, signing them Rev or Cost. Everybody started looking at them, looking for them.
1% of the US population has 70% of the wealth and pay 5% of taxes…some such figures. Just that fact, print out, downloadable… ask people to down load and print on stickers and post all over.
Himavat: the ignorance in your students… I think they know they are ignorant; know they are manipulated by the media. Something inside all of us that wants to get to the truth. Answer is blogs or You Tube. Young people especially watch You Tube and blogs. They feel lost; want to be found. On purpose not reading newspapers. (?) You don’t censor the You tube and blogs; people have to filter themselves. …authenticity shows on the blogs and You Tube. People want it. …something inside each one wants to have truth.
Shari: On polls, whether people feel Bush is doing a good job… down to about 28%. How do these former bush supporters who no longer support, how do they get their info?
Chad most got info from their ministers.
David if the polls are based on voters … half the people vote. So used to be 35% thought bush did good job, now 20%... ? A month ago I heard interview of John Mayer on NPR; one of his best songs, best lines, “waiting for the world to change”. Made me question the assumptions I make about knowledge and social change. I tend to think “If we only had enough info. We’d know what to do. J” this guy doesn’t think this way. Thinks he can have much impact. … Half the people don’t vote. Think “It doesn’t matter.” This table doesn’t buy that. But we must realize that half the people don’t see it that way, think there is nothing we can do.
Julia There went the USSR from angry soviet housewives with fax machines who realized that they were being lied to about the supply of meat. … Talking one on one like us….
Mira Talked with a Vietnam vet who doesn’t watch TV, “all trash”. Unhealthy for him. Bumper sticker, “Freedom is the distance between church and state.”
Re. the veracity of blog info.—re. Wikipedia, invites people to make corrections to their info. Important to have different points of view.
Spencer: … correct info? Have to have intellectual substance in your mind to test what you hear. Steve, you have a problem.
Steve Interesting. The students are ignorant, but students turning out to combating hunger in Cinti., and in having dialogue with Muslims. Up to 2001 I didn’t speak with Muslims or understand variations within that faith. … what is learning? Hard to pin down. I do want my students to be knowledgeable on the issues of the day. It is a struggle for me to figure out what is going on, and I read a lot of papers. I feel I am being manipulated by authors like Molly Ivins, (whom I adore), Kurt Vonnegut … following them without checking their facts or their assumptions.
I am propagandizing for the continuation of the Collaboration, for ending the Darfur horror, for Muslim Jewish dialogue. And I am not controlled by the media…
I feel I am caught in the Orwellian world; no clue what the map of the world really is. These guys fired by the Justice dept… who are they? … “the lives of others” at the Esquire now about the humane German … I am bobbing in this muddy water. I don’t know how we get out of it.
Mr. G. I remember Spencer making a comment… I love Spencer. “I don’t know if there is God or not but I choose to believe it.” He and Steve both just made (irrational comments). Wait a minute. There are some t hings that are subjective, but others are knowable. … Core issue, we have lost sight of what “truth” means.
Gerry Majority of people in t his county are not interested in the things we talk about here at this table. … If I want to know what is going on in the Afr. Amer. Community I read the Herald. If I want the arts news I read CityBeat. … We here are a unique group. How many people sit around and talk like this.?
Mr. G. I am in five groups like this, but I agree, it is a small minority.
Digression… Jim O’Reily was not elected to court of appeals; was fined $5,000 for misleading campaign info. But Dale Mallory was elected to the State legislature despite his misdeeds. (Marvin Kraus)
Mira … when I demonstrate with Women in Black I speak to everyone. … I speak to youth on the street, too. Today at Clifton Nat. Foods a young Afr. Amer. Man passing out leaflets for bicycling in Cinti. It is important to talk with people, not just those of us safe in here.
Richard speaking to Gerry’s point about us being an elite group. I hang out at the Brew House in Walnut Hills. Diverse group. Cross section. They are all interested in to pics like this . They have interesting things to say, thoughtful. It can be interesting to engage in conversation, but rapidly the conversation bogs down on the absence of knowledge. The internet is helping. At the Brew House I can always check online via wireless.
I think it is dangerous to believe that we are an elite.
Marvin: a little test, ask yourself: if you h ear or read a word you don’t know, what do you do? There is a simple way to get accurate information. Dictionary. Do we ourselves check our accurate info?
Two questions: should people who do not know Lincoln’s first name be allowed to grad h.s.?
Should people who do not know Lincoln’s first name be admitted to the U of Cinti?
Shari: question for Steve. You said you don’t know what is going on at Walter Reed. Why don’t you feel you know?
Steve it could be a lot worse in some areas, fine in some areas. I don’t know that it is an
Auschwitz, but that is what the media is portraying.
Shari: I think the media did a good job. I don’t think we should be paranoid about everything we read. We know there is a problem in that hospital, and probably at every medical facility. (someone: the problem is always at the top but the people at the bottom are blamed.)
Mr. G. re. Marvin’s comment, a neighbor of mine, a guidance counselor at WHHS, told me when they construct an item for the College Board SAT, they test for cultural neutrality, test in sampling… … Our society is so diverse that there is very little that you can expect everyone to know. … when you read you get the lay of the land of what is being said. It is only “groupthink”. … the Cinti world cinema at the Museum in Eden Park and see uncensored films from Iraq…
David G: re. inaccuracies; I went to burning Man several years , a c ross between an art festival, a be – in in desert N. of Reno Nevada. Only 75% accurate in the press.
I also went to a society party in San Fran. And that was in the press and only 75% accurate. My fa. Died, in the paper 100% inaccurate.
I spoke with a National guard woman; these guys cowboyed their way into Iraq, had no Plan B, no resources. … I didn’t get the impression of Bergen Belsen aqujite. But did describe at Walt. Reed seriously wounded people having to move their own beds … said the story in the new did help. I asked her if she had a sense of betrayal by the government of the soldiers. She said yes.
Mira I just want to support what David just said. I have worked in a variety of nursing homes and it seems similar. The people who are poor but have relatives visit get some attention. People who complain might get retaliated against for complaining. The people even with reg. visitors daily don’t get all their needs cared for. Benign neglect. Asking too much of the lowest staff. I had no trouble believing the story about Walter Reed annex. The warehousing of the sick and the old. (weren’t there always warehousing?) No. (Steve: isn’t there a propaganda element to the Walter Reed story?)
Steve I have to pitch my propaganda, e.g. about the collaborative agreement, to what people will believe. The dilemma is What is the truth?
David G my informant was basing her comments on what soldiers have been telling her for several years.
Chris Barbara Tuckman, on the 14th century “The distant mirror”. A number of newsworthy events that happened in Europe in one decade were equal to the number of sig. events in the NYTimes in one week. … avalanche of information now… It used to be when I read the papers And I could read the papers and a s tory was brought out I could at least say, Ah, they are not going to take care of that problem. But now I feel despair that stuff is not being taken care of even if it makes the news.
Spencer: … in the next 20 years each person on earth will have half the resources that each of we have now. Middle east are going to get richer… low population, natural resources riches.
Steve it amazes me that no group called the demise of USSR. Nobody! Shocking to me. Has anybody a clue as to why S. Africa went the way it did. I never thought Mandela would get free in my lifetime. I can give you five more that … the continuation of China as a Communist state now.
Spencer the thing about the Chinese is there are more than one person making the decisions.
Steve … in China, in Saudi Arabia you can be put in jail from what you say. … In Kurzweil’s book “the singular” he talks about preposterous things… machine/human hybridization.
Richard Al gezira has an eng. Language channel now and there is not a single cable co. carrying it. There are two documentaries prod. By BBC, one by Richard Dawkins, just brilliant, another series by Jonathan Miller “A history of disbelief”… not ever going to be shown in the US. That is a control of the media just as strong as the state control in China, just not as… it is very secure.
David G: I also spoke on the train from CA, someone who claimed to have a relative in the State Dept., who claimed they had approached major networks to pay for juournalists to go to Iraq and focus on the reconstruction process, and no one took him up, they said because the viewing public would not be interested.
Spencer: most deaths in Iraq by improvised explosive devices IED. The right wing have failed completely and in the most tragic way. That’s a failure, immense.
Closed with song: Building Bridges.
~ End of Table Notes~
Hugs to everyone,
Ellen
Section Two: Activism, Cultural, & Healing Opportunities
Cellist Jennifer Wheatley at Rhos St. Café in Clifton
Hi Everyone!
This Friday March 23rd, my duo, The Lines and Spaces, is opening for
folk musician Pierce Pettis at the Rohs St. Cafe in Clifton.
Pierce Pettis has been described as "one of the more vital and
critically acclaimed folk stars of recent years" by Performing
Songwriting Magazine, and is considered to be a master songwriter of
his generation. He has released albums for Compass Records, as well as
for the prestigious Windham Hill/ High Street label. He has received
numerous songwriting awards including a 1999 Country Music Award from
ASCAP for "You Move Me" --co-written with Gordon Kennedy and recorded
by Garth Brooks on his album, Sevens. This Friday he will be joined by
Dave Gilliagan and David Wolfenberger
The Lines and Spaces is a newly formed duo featuring me on cello and
Sharon Udoh on piano. Sharon is a fantasitc local singer/songwriter.
Her work is a mix of blues, folk, and ballad, with a little jazz
thrown in here and there. We've been working together since January
and have received quite a positive response from our audience!
...
I hope you all can make it out to our show this Friday. I'd love to
see you there!
Love,
Jen
Free Homeopathy Lecture Sunday + discount
From Shirley Reischman (who is awesome...ellen)
Hello Everyone,
Attached are my flyers for my upcoming presentations. ... in Mason on March 25th. Both presentations will be on Sundays from 2-4PM. They are free and attendees will receive a discount for a homeopathic case study.
Shirley A. Reischman, LLC
home (513) 531-3060
jereisch@fuse.net
Protest homicide in Cincinnati
Saturday March 24, 1:15 pm
Dear CeaseFire Cincinnati Supporters,
Martin Jackson, 44, was shot in the intersection of Harvey and Rockdale avenues, and later died at the hospital. This is the 16th homicide this year.
http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070322/NEWS01/303220012/-1/all
Although we do not yet know the details of this shooting, it is particularly upsetting in that it disrupts more than 4 weeks of relative quiet in Avondale – our last shooting was on February 18th. This homicide occurred very close to the Boys and Girls Club in Avondale. We cannot sit by and allow our city streets to be filled with gun fire and death.
We are asking you – our local neighbors, elected leaders, faith based representatives and community members – to join us as we respond to this shooting promptly at 1:15 PM on Saturday, March 24TH. This response will only last an hour. We will meet in front of the Pride Center located at 3520 Burnet Avenue. We need a huge response! This is our time to stand up and say, “Enough is Enough! The violence has to stop.” We will also pass out information about outreach services to community members.
- Don’t forget, canvassing is also scheduled for this day at 12noon meeting at the Pride Center and working in the Forest and burnet area, so you have an opportunity to participate in both the canvassing and the response which together will be 2 hours, we will love to have you do that, if not please try and make one of these important CeaseFire activities.
Sincerely,
CeaseFire Cincinnati
Come to the LAST Wintertime sauna at the Lloyd House
This Sunday, March 25, sweat starts 3:00. Come early to help set up. $5 donation requested. Pot luck food at 4:30, then drumming / dancing after.
Sunday March 25 at 5 pm: EarthSave Cincinnati at St. John’s UU Church (320 Resor 45220)
Two Presentations:
“The World as We Design It” by salonista Mike Murphy and
“Bicycle City”* by Joe Mellett
Everyone welcome. Bring a vegan dish (no animal produces, no mystery ingredients) to share plus your own utensiles, plate, cup, napkin.
See
http://cincinnati.earthsave.org
*Speaking of Bicycles...
“Critical Mass”, a national movement for bicycling enthusiasts will now be having a gathering the final Friday of EVERY month at 5:30, Fountain Square.
Salon’s Swami Himavat rides again:
On Sunday, March 25, Vickie Fairchild and I will
jointly host our second in our series of four "Deepen
and Enliven Your Yoga Practice" afternoon workshops.
Vickie and I will start at noon on Sunday and go until
5 p.m. For more info. contact
Himavat Ishaya <pathfinders108@yahoo.com>
ACLU talk on Death Penalty
Tuesday 3/27, St. John’s in Clifton
Come and hear ACLU of Ohio Legal Director Jeffery Gamso, a former criminal defense attorney who has represented several Ohio death row inmates, discuss the mounting concerns raised about the Ohio death penalty. Ronald Keine, an inmate who was exonerated from death row, will join him.
Broken Justice: A Look Inside Ohio’s Death Penalty System
03.27.07 | tuesday | 7:00 p.m.
St. John’s Unitarian Universalist Church
320 Resor Ave., Cincinnati
The program will also have a letter writing station for activists to urge Ohio’s elected officials to put a moratorium on the death penalty and create a commission to study the system.
To RSVP, ... call (216) 472-2220. This event is free and open to the public. Free parking is available.
For more information regarding this event and others visit our website at www.acluohio.org.
Stand up! Get active! Make some noise! Our new website has all the tools you need to restore lost liberty.
Hear Coronor Dr. Owens on
New role of Coroner in Activism
THE CINCINNATI CITIZEN POLICE ACADEMY ALUMNI ASSOCIATION
program by Dr. O'Dell Owens on
Wednesday (this week? March 28?) 2007 from 6:00-7:30 PM
at the County Coroner's office.
3159 Eden Avenue at Goodman Drive in Corryville
513-946-8700 (Call them to check date)
"Dr Owens will provide an overview of the Hamilton County Coroner's Office, its interaction with police departments, forensic evidence and crime scene investigations and autopsy procedures.
Dr. Owens will also speak on the new role of the Coroner's office. Traditionally the Coroner's office has had very limited public health role and no emphasis on impacting behavior. The Hamilton County Coroner's Office as of January 3, 2005 strives to demystify the Coroner's office, develop a public health flare and initiate programs and relationships to change public behavior. Specifically Dr. Owens will share the Coroner's office work on violence, roll-over baby deaths, and public awareness around suicide. The lecture will also give a brief description of the Coroner's office and its various functions, including how a coroner arrive at cause of death."
RSVP for yourself and guests to Monica Ervin at 513-357-7554 or
513-352-2562 ASAP.
Help CeaseFire counter gun violence
Hello CeaseFire Cincinnati supporters,
On SATurday March 31, Ceasefire Cincinnati will be hosting 30 young people from the community of Avondale to participate in a project titled PhotoVoice. PhotoVoice is a photography based project. We are asking the young people to capture the affects, ways in which to solve and/or their feelings associated with gun violence in their community. Photographs can say many things and we asking the youth to capture what they see and feel in this project which will be shared with the community at an exhibit to be held in May.
On March 31, we are assisting the participants in going out into the community to capture the photographs and we are in need of volunteers who will assist the youth in completing this part of the project.
If you can volunteer on this day, please feel contact me as soon as possible.
March 31, 2007
@ the Pride Center (3520 Burnet Avenue)
9am to 5pm
(You do not have to stay the entire day. We will need your help mostly in the afternoon hours from 1pm to 5pm)
The beginning of the day will consist of a workshop for the participants… introducing them to photography, the power of a single image, the art and profession of photography and photo-journalist and the goals of this PhotoVoice project.
Thank You,
Anika Simpson
CeaseFire Cincinnati: Community Mobilization
513-559-5580 office
513-602-7032 cell
Special guest at the salon Wednesday 4 April
Lloyd House housemate Debra Martin will present on her 5 years studying in
the northwest with Swami Chetananda. His path is called Trika Yoga. I want
to hear how a regular Cincinnati girl came to decide to cross the continent
and enter the ashram of a yogi, staying for several years, and then
continuing her studies with him while living “off campus” some more years.
You will find Debra congenial, attractive, highly intelligent and
interesting. She also offers body centered counseling at the Lloyd House,
and will tell us more about that.
Ellen Bierhorst, Ph.D. Is a holistic psychotherapist with over 35 years experience. Specialty area: Optimizing Mental Health ~ “Better than well”. Also: healing trauma, strengthening families and relationships, alcohol and other addictions including food, and weight management, EMDR, GLBT, chronic pain and physical illness. Clifton. 513 221 1289 www.lloydhouse.com
Classes at Growth in Motion studios (that’s Fanchon Shur, salonista and world famous Cincinnati choreographer/movement artist/healer...e.b.) are in full swing as we gallop through the New Year. Check out all of our new Pure Movement fliers here <http://www.growthinmotion.org/fliers> ! (If that link doesn't work copy "http://www.growthinmotion.org/fliers" to your web browser) Enjoy and see you soon,
Chad Benjamin Potter
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.
Information about Tri-State Treasures and how to submit Tri-State Treasures is at the bottom of this email. Please help me by providing all basic information and formatting your submissions as described below.
Sincerely, Jim
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
MuralWorks: Murals will be popping up in neighborhoods throughout Cincinnati this summer as part of MuralWorks, a new ArtWorks public art & summer employment project. Artworks & the city of Cincinnati are partnering on the project, which will be funded by the city, UBS Investments, & Procter & Gamble. A 2-year commitment is for $400,000/year, but that could grow, says Tamara Harkavy, executive director of ArtWorks. Greater Cincinnati teens ages 14-19 will be hired at minimum wage & paired with professional artists to create public art. Projects have ranged from murals to publications to films. As many as 80 teens & 16 artists will be hired for MuralWorks. They will work ~22 hours per week, with the length of employment varying, depending on the size of the murals being created. Every city neighborhood is encouraged to apply for a mural. Applications will be screened by a steering committee whose members will include ArtWorks staffers, local artists, the public, & Carla Walker, the mayor’s chief of staff. Harkavy envisions at least 6 murals being completed this summer. Her hope is that it will grow into an ongoing program. More info including mural & apprentice applications @ 513.333.0388, allyson@artworkscincinnati.org, & www.artworkscincinnati.org.
~~~~~
Dealing with the Devil: Exploring the Religious Symbolism in Faust [Thursday 22 March @ 7 PM]: Cincinnati Opera presents an opera rap on the religious symbolism in Gounod’s Faust. Join Father Christopher Armstrong as he explores religious insights about Faust, from deal-making with the Devil & lost innocence in the garden to Marguerite’s ultimate salvation. Father Armstrong became an opera lover when he began attending performances at the Cincinnati Zoo Opera with his parents. He attended St. Gregory College Seminary in Cincinnati, the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, & Catholic University of America in Washington, DC; he holds doctorates in Theology & Canon Law. Father Armstrong is currently the pastor of Saint Antoninus Church in Green Township & has lectured at the Cincinnati Art Museum. Free; reservations are required. At Holy Cross-Immaculata Church in Mount Adams, 30 Guido Street, Cincinnati, OH 45202. More info @ 513.241.2742, JBellin@cincinnatiopera.org, & www.cincinnatiopera.org.
Rolando Matias & the Afro-Rican Ensemble @ Friday Jazz at the Hyatt [Friday 23 March @ 8:30-12 PM]: Great original music & standards artfully performed in the Latin-jazz tradition. Featuring Eddie Bayard on Tenor and Mario Abney on Trumpet. $10 cover; Free for Jazz Club Members; $5 for CCM & NKU students. Under 18 free. At the Sungarten Room, Hyatt Hotel Cincinnati, 151 West 5th Street, Downtown Cincinnati, OH 45202. More info @ 513.579.1234, waltb31@fuse.net, & www.jazzincincy.com.
Violin Virtuoso with Triage [Friday 23 March @ 8:30 PM]: Triage, featuring Eugene Goss on vocals & percussion & Billy Larkin on keyboards, will be performing with special guest Paul Patterson, a consummate master of the violin who is as comfortable in the classical world as he is in the jazz improvisation arena. An opportunity to see a true violin virtuoso mix it up with the eclectic sounds of Triage. $5 cover; free with dinner. At the Wintergarden, Mecklenburg Gardens, 302 East University Avenue, Cincinnati, OH 45219. More info @ 513.221.5353 & bilarky@fuse.net.
Dream Workshop [Friday 23 March @ 6 PM]: Explore the magical & mystical world of your subconscious through the symbolic language of Dreams. Discover why dreams reoccur, the nature of sleep paralysis, astral travel, lucid dreaming & more. This workshop will enlighten your dream time. Facilitated by Rev. Korinne. $15. At Aquarius Star, 1218 Sycamore Street, Cincinnati, OH 45202. More info @ 513.381.3436, lydia.stec@gmail.com, & www.aquariusstar.com.
Shakin’ the Mess Outta Misery [Fri. 23 March @ 7:30 PM, Sat. 24 March @ 2 & 7:30 PM, Sun. 25 March @ 4 PM]: This coming of age story revolves around Daughter, a young woman who lost her mother when she was a child. She was nurtured, raised, & loved by Her Big Mama & 7 other women who came together & taught her, through their life experiences, what to expect as a young lady & learn the ways of being a woman. Each woman has an interesting background; they use their colorful dialogue to school Daughter with wisdom & love. A heartfelt stage play. Written by Shay Youngblood. Directed by Donald Sherman. $20; group rates available. Presented by Cincinnati Black Theatre Company. At National Underground Railroad, Freedom Center, Harriet Tubman Theatre, 50 East Freedom Way, Cincinnati, OH 45202. More info @ 513.241.6060, Dsherman@cincyblacktheatre.com, & www.cincyblacktheatre.com.
International College of Integrative Medicine All-Day Lecture Forum [Saturday 24 March @ 9 AM - 6 PM]: This conference honoring Dr. Henry & Jane Heimlich features Dr. Julian Whitaker, Director of the Whitaker Wellness Institute & editor of Health & Healing, speaking on the future of integrative medicine. Other nationally-respected speakers: Dr. Jonathan Wright on bio-identical hormones & Dr. Sherry Tenpenny on vaccines & bird flu. Local speakers: Dr. Richard Chanin on mercury toxicity in dental fillings, Dr. Ted Cole on oxidative therapy in cancer treatment, & James LaValle on metabolism & weight. An opportunity to hear several respected speakers in the integrative medical field. $30. At the Northern Kentucky Convention Center, One West RiverCenter Blvd, Covington, KY 41011. More info @ 513.942.3934 & www.icimed.com.
Hotel Rwanda & Meet the Author [Saturday 24 March: film @ 11 AM; meet the author @ 1 PM]: "Hotel Rwanda” tells the inspiring story of real-life hero Paul Rusesabagina, portrayed by Don Cheadle, who was a hotel manager in Rwanda & courageously sheltered thousands of refugees from genocide. Then come hear Paul Rusesabagina, the inspiration behind the movie. He will sign his autobiography, “An Ordinary Man” published on the 12th anniversary of the 2006 genocide. Free & open to the public. In the Harriet Tubman Theater, National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, 50 East Freedom Way, Cincinnati, OH 45202. More info @ 513.333.7500, ETurner@nurfc.org, & www.freedomcenter.org.
Pancake Breakfast [Saturday 24 March @ 7 AM - Noon]: Enjoy an old-fashioned family event in the area’s only National Historic Landmark village. Glendale Heritage Preservation invites you to its 16th annual Pancake Breakfast. Enjoy all the Perkins pancakes you can eat, plus succulent sausages, fresh fruit cup from the 3-star Grand Finale, milk & orange juice from Louis Trauth Dairy, Wallingford Coffee, & real maple syrup from Madison’s Produce of Glendale. The event also features door prizes, a dandy silent auction, & a raffle. Buy tickets at the door; beat the crowds & come early. $6 per adult; children under 6 eat free. All proceeds benefit Glendale Heritage Preservation. At historic Town Hall, 80 East Sharon Avenue, Glendale, OH 45246. More info @ 513.771-4908 or inventor@fuse.net.
Saturn Night - Amazing Rings [Saturday 24 March @ 7-10 PM]: There is no more spectacular sight through a telescope than the ringed planet Saturn. Find out what the amazing rings are made of & what holds them together. See amazing images from the Cassini spacecraft that has been in orbiting Saturn since July 2004. Better yet, view Saturn through the Society’s telescopes, weather permitting. Presentations by Terry Endres of Cincinnati State College, astronomical activities, & displays for all ages & hot chocolate to take off the chill. Presented by & at the Cincinnati Astronomical Society, 5274 Zion Road (near the Mitchell Memorial Forest), Cleves, OH 45002. More info @ 513.374.3631, craig_niemi@yahoo.com, & www.cinastro.org.
Why We Meditate? Bringing Life to Life. A Day of Meditation. [Saturday 24 March @ 9 AM - 4 PM]: Bonnie Beverage, a teacher in the Theravada Tradition & one of the founding members of the Cincinnati Dharma Center, has taught the History of Buddhism for the past 8 years at UC. In this workshop, aimed at beginning & intermediate meditators, Bonnie will help you discover the proper techniques for effective meditation & will inspire you with the motivation to meditate regularly. Suggested donation: $20. Bring a brown bag lunch. The Buddhist Dharma Center, 15 Moline Street, Northside, Cincinnati, OH 45223. More info @ 513.541.1650, bonnie@cincinnatidharma.org, & www.cincinnatidharma.org.
Meshewa Early Childhood Center Open House Event [Saturday 24 March @ 9:30–11:30 AM]: Bring the family to the Cincinnati Waldorf School’s satellite location at Meshewa Farm in Indian Hill for an Open House. Meshewa Farm currently offers Morning Garden Music programs for parents & their babies ages 6-16 months. See the facilities, meet the instructor, participate in a class demonstration, & learn why other families choose Waldorf for their children's education. At 7550 Given Road, Indian Hill Village, Cincinnati, OH 45243. More info @ 513.541.0220 ext 13, marketing@cincinnatiwaldorfschool.org, & www.cincinnatiwaldorfschool.org.
By Hand & Mind: A Non-Cosmic Journey Through Book History [Sunday 25 March @ 2 PM]: Using examples from papyrus & cuneiform to fine press books & modern graphic novels, Kevin Grace, the Head Archivist at UC's Archives & Rare Books Library, will discuss & explore how the forms & functions of the "book" have changed over the ages. Readers, book artists, & craftsmen often respond to books in different ways, & through their responses they change our understanding of what books can be. Also, see the final day of the Parallel Visions VI Exhibition which includes several artists' books. In Art Building 105, College of Mount St. Joseph, 5701 Delhi Road, Delhi, Cincinnati, OH 45233. More info @ 513.244.4200 & www.msj.edu.
Dervish - Cincinnati Folk Life 2007 Spring Concert Series [Sunday 25 March @ 7 PM]: The second of three concerts in the Series. From Sligo in northwest Ireland, Dervish has long stood at the forefront of traditional Irish groups. Dervish concert performances are filled with myriad tones & moods ranging from high-energy tunes played with intuitive fluidity to beautifully measured songs to inspiring melodies that lift audiences from their seats. “The most compelling, most soulful Irish traditional folk band playing today.” ~ Steve Winick, Dirty Linen. General admission is $25. At 20th Century Theater, 3021 Madison Road, Oakley Square, Cincinnati, OH 45209. More info & tix @ 513.533.4822, cfl@zoomtown.com, & www.CincinnatiFolkLife.com.
Treasure Mapping Workshop [Sunday 25 March @ 1:00-3:30 PM]: As seen in the metaphysical movie "The Secret", Lydia Stec D.D. will guide you in creating your Treasure Map for what ever you want to manifest in your life. This process will align your intentions with what you would like to create in your life through the power of collage. Bring your favorite magazine. $20. At Aquarius Star, 1218 Sycamore Street, Cincinnati, OH 45202. More info @ 513.381.3436, lydia.stec@gmail.com, & www.aquariusstar.com.
An Evening with Ellen Sauerbrey [Wednesday 28 March @ 7 PM]: The Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Population, Refugees, & Migration for the U.S. Department of State discusses her mission to improve the life of global refugees. Free. Harriet Tubman Theater, National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, 50 East Freedom Way, Cincinnati OH 45202. More info @ 513.333.7500, ETurner@nurfc.org, & www.freedomcenter.org.
International Women’s Day Celebration [Thursday 29 March @ 5-8 PM]: Peaslee Neighborhood Center is hosting an International Women’s Day Celebration; evening of food & celebration. Bring a covered dish, a woman’s history that inspires you, & your open heart to share. Free. At Peaslee Neighborhood Center, 215 East 14th Street at Sycamore, Cincinnati, OH 45202. More info & RSVP contact Mary Grafe @ 513.621.5541x15 & outreach@peasleecenter.org.
Jayne Sachs Band & EG Kight In Concert [Thursday 29 March @ 7:30 PM]: These two award-winning artists singing for one performance to benefit Womens Way, an organization of men & women working to advance women in the arts & to help disadvantaged people. Jayne Sachs was the 2006 John Lennon Song Writer of the Year who writes & performs all original music in a style reminiscent of the Joni Mitchell & Billie Holiday sound. EG Kight, known as the Georgia songbird, has skyrocketed to the top of the XM radio charts as their number 1 blues singer. She will be performing here before going on world tour. Enjoyed by young & old alike, EG Kight has a southern charm that brings joy to every concert. Local treasure Katie Laur will delight the crowd as the evenings MC. Admission: $10. At The Madison Theater, 728 Madison Avenue, Covington, KY 41011. More info & tix @ 513.923.1414, womensway@fuse.net, & www.myspace.com/womensway.
Before The Music Dies [Friday 30 March @ 8 PM]: Never have so few companies controlled so much of the music played on radio & sold retail. When there are more bands & more ways to discover their music than ever, music seems to have split in 2 camps: the homogenous corporate product spoon-fed to consumers, & the diverse independent music that finds devoted fans online & at clubs across the country. At this Cincinnati premier screening, "Before The Music Dies" tells the story of American music at this precarious moment. Filmmakers Andrew Shapter & Joel Rasmussen traveled the country to understand why mainstream music seems so packaged & repetitive, & whether corporations really had the power to silence musical innovation. The answers they found on this journey are what makes this film riveting & exhilarating. “A great film… That these guys embarked on this undertaking with no connections at all, & got the footage that they did, is completely mindblowing; it just cannot be done. But they did it.” ~ PureMusic.com. Presented by WNKU. At Carnegie Visual & Performing Arts Center, 1028 Scott Boulegvard, Covington, KY 41011. More info @ 859.957.1940, www.imdb.com/title/tt0760307/, www.beforethemusicdies.com, & www.wnku.org/page_wnku.asp?p=0531410.
When the End of the World Comes: A Collaborative Piece About Race Relations in Cincinnati [Friday 30 March @ 7 PM]: The University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music presents this work addressing issues around the April 2001 riots in Cincinnati. Harriet Tubman Theater, National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, 50 East Freedom Way, Cincinnati OH 45202. More info @ 513.556.6638, 513.333.7500, ETurner@nurfc.org, & www.freedomcenter.org.
Tenor Mark Panuccio Cincinnati Recital Debut [Friday 30 March @ 8 PM]: One of Cincinnati’s favorite tenors will perform a number of familiar opera favorites guaranteed to thrill opera lovers & those new to opera; a selection of well-known Neapolitan love songs, plus works of Strauss, Britten, & Liszt. Mark Panuccio is a rising tenor & frequent performer on the Cincinnati Opera stage noted for the “exquisite lyric beauty of his voice, dramatic expressiveness, unfailing musical sensibility, & professionalism” (Opera News). Tickets: $22–$45, students with ID: $10. Presented by Cincinnati Opera. At Memorial Hall, 1225 Elm Street, Cincinnati, OH 45202. More info & RSVP @ 513.241.2742, JBellin@cincinnatiopera.org, & www.cincinnatiopera.org.
Cincinnati Women's Film Festival [Saturday 31 March @ Noon - 8 PM]: One of Cincinnati's best & most eclectic film festivals: a full day of films by & about women, fascinating people to meet & chat with in the audience, & it's all free. Spend a day exploring through the eyes of award-winning filmmakers from Japan, India, Africa, & the U.S. Come for just one film or stay the entire day. View 11 independent films & documentaries which examine such diverse topics as gender, social justice, cultural identity, tomboys, & feminist zines. Discussions will follow "Ever Shot Anyone," "Killing Us Softly 3," & "Shinjuku Boys." Presented by UC Women’s Center, Department of Women's Studies, & MainStreet Cinema. At Tangeman University Center's Mainstreet Cinema & Rooms 400 A&C, University of Cincinnati, Clifton, Cincinnati, OH 45220. More info including film schedule @ 513.556.6261, 513.556.4401, odumtc@ucmail.uc.edu, & www.uc.edu/ucwc/Film_Festival.html.
Call for Fringe Film Submissions [deadline is March 31]: Now accepting film submissions for Celluloid Fringe, an experimental film series that is part of the 2007 Cincinnati Fringe Festival running May 30-June 9. Celluloid Fringe, as part of the 4th annual 11-day festival, is a great opportunity for the Greater Cincinnati, Northern Kentucky audiences to experience the creativity & unique style of our local, regional, national & international filmmakers. More info from Jacquelyn Vaughn @ celluloidsubmissions@knowtheatre.com & www.cincyfringe.com.
Mariel [Saturday 31 March @ 7:30 PM]: A collaboration between the Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park 7 the Freedom Center, this world premiere musical addresses teen friendship and the American dream. Free; RSVP required. Harriet Tubman Theater, National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, 50 East Freedom Way, Cincinnati OH 45202. More info & RSVP @ 877.672.9965, 513.333.7500, ETurner@nurfc.org, & www.freedomcenter.org.
Peter & the Wolf & The Frog Prince [Saturday 31 March @ 11 AM]: Covedale Center for the Performing Arts hosts Frisch Marionettes as a part of their new Saturday Morning Children's Series. Adults & kids alike will enjoy this delightful Saturday morning program. $7 for adults; $5 for kids. Kevin Frisch moved from Cincinnati to New York City & joined Nicolas Coppola’s The Puppetworks of Brooklyn in 1986. Developed his own art, craft & skills as a puppeteer & artist, in 1995, Kevin established The Frisch Marionettes as an exceptional entertainment & educational experience for children & adults, proclaiming the many virtues of this unusual art form. Frisch Marionettes have built puppets, masks & costumes for The Central Park Zoo, New York Aquarium, & The Puppetworks Inc. They’ve been featured in People Magazine, Showtime, PBS, onstage with The Cincinnati Opera, & in the NY store windows of Saks 5th Avenue, Bloomingdales’ & Hermes New York. At the Covedale Center for the Performing Arts, 4990 Glenway Avenue, Cincinnati, OH 45238. More info & tix @ 513.241.6550, JenniferPerrino@Covedalecenter.com, & www.cincinnatilandmarkproductions.com.
Collecting a Legacy: The Bernard Kinsey Collection [March 31- June 3]: This exhibition offers a roadmap to the cultural journey & transformation experienced by African American art collectors as they embrace & acquire art & artifacts. Within the context of their own history & the past that speaks to them, we discover how the Kinseys are changed & nurtured by what they chose to collect. Ranging from painful-to-see slave owner’s documents, to brilliantly fiery expressions in sculpture, to private glimpses into thoughts of the ancestors, the Kinsey Collection reflects a rich cultural heritage which they have been driven to capture, inspire & sustain for future generations. National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, 50 East Freedom Way, Cincinnati OH 45202. More info @ 513.333.7500, ETurner@nurfc.org, & www.freedomcenter.org.
Women's History Film Festival [Tuesday-Friday 3-6 April @ various evening times]: An extension of the Cincinnati Women's Film Festival (see above), selected films from the Festival will be shown again. All films are free. Presented by UC Women’s Center, Department of Women's Studies, & MainStreet Cinema. At Tangeman University Center's Mainstreet Cinema, University of Cincinnati, Clifton, Cincinnati, OH 45220. More info including film schedule @ 513.556.6261, 513.556.4401, odumtc@ucmail.uc.edu, & www.uc.edu/ucwc/Film_Festival.html.
From Russia With Love: [Sunday 3 April @ 3 PM]: The Cincinnati Metropolitan Orchestra concert features an all Russian composer concert. Enjoy "Night on Bald Mountain" by Mussorgsky, "Ruslan & Ludmila Overture" by Glinka, "Procession of the Nobles" by Rimsky-Korsakov, "Danse Infernale" by Stravinsky, & "The 1812 Overture" by Tschaikowski, & more. Coffee & sweets before the concert @ 2-3 PM in the new Seton Commons Area. Free concert; donations are welcomed; free parking. At Seton Performance Hall, 3901 Glenway Avenue, Price Hill, Cincinnati, OH 45205. More info @ 513.941.8956, gharmeling@netzero.net, & www.gocmo.org.
Ongoing Tri-State Treasures
Italian American Film Festival [Wednesdays thru 25 April @ 7:30 PM]: Sante Matteo, Prof. & Coordinator of Italian Studies in the Department of French & Italian @ Miami University presents his Annual Spring Semester Italian American Film Festival. Free & open to the public. Mar. 28: Saturday Night Fever (1977), John Badham; Apr. 4: Scarface (1932), Howard Hawks; Apr. 11: The Godfather (1972), Francis Ford Coppola; Apr. 18: Mafia! (1998), Jim Abrahams; The Sopranos, 1st TV series episode; Apr. 25: The Sopranos, episodes from the TV series. In Room 46 Culler Hall, Miami University, Oxford OH 45056. More info @ 513.529.5932, matteos@muohio.edu.
Courage Under Fire: The 1961 Burning of the Freedom Riders' Bus [thru Sunday 25 March]: This collection of photographs offers an opportunity for reflection on the roles of personal courage, violence, law enforcement & the press in the Freedom Rides of 1961. National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, 50 East Freedom Way, Cincinnati OH 45202. More info @ 513.333.7500, ETurner@nurfc.org, & www.freedomcenter.org.
Mini-Grants for Keeping Cincinnati Beautiful [applications due Friday 23 March]: Up to $500 mini-grants per community. If you have a blighted spot in your neighborhood, see what you can do to improve it. Keeping Cincinnati Beautiful is a monthly e-newsletter that will keep you up-to-date on local solid waste, beautification, & community improvement issues. More info @ 513.352.4388, shirley.phillips@cincinnati-oh.gov, & www.keepcincinnatibeautiful.org.
Call for Fringe Film Submissions [deadline is March 31]: Now accepting film submissions for Celluloid Fringe, an experimental film series that is part of the 2007 Cincinnati Fringe Festival running May 30-June 9. Celluloid Fringe, as part of the 4th annual 11-day festival, is a great opportunity for the Greater Cincinnati, Northern Kentucky audiences to experience the creativity & unique style of our local, regional, national & international filmmakers. More info from Jacquelyn Vaughn @ celluloidsubmissions@knowtheatre.com & www.cincyfringe.com.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Advertisement:
Beautiful and Charming, spacious first floor office space at the Lloyd House, fully furnished including bodywork table, chairs, love seat, rugs, armchairs, wood burning (gas ignited ) fireplace. Rookwood even. Available by the hour. Share waiting room. Powder room. Outside entry. Terms: contribute 20% of gross to the house. Call Ellen 221 1290
.............................................................................................
Section Three: Articles
Contents:
- The Nuclear Dump thing
- Rob Ryan needs support for eliminating the stupid war on drugs
- “Propaganda” from Steve Sunderland: ‘Save the Collaborative Agreement’
- Swami Beyondananda on State of the Universe, 2007
The Nuclear Dump thing: Firebrand Jeanette Raichyk charges unethical behavior of UC Engineers testifying at hearing.
Ellen asks said engineers to respond:
From: Jeanette Raichyk <dectiri@earthlink.net>
Date: Mon, 19 Mar 2007 12:27:35 -0500
To: Ellen Bierhorst LH <ellenbierhorst@lloydhouse.com>
Subject: UC's engineering science support of unethical DOE efforts
Ellen, when I heard that you were planning an event around the pro/con opinions on Piketon, and read in your weekly that the nuclear engineering department mmbers were actively supporting the DOE after hearing what railroading and shellgames the DOE was engaging in, I wrote to the fundraisers for the mathematical sciences, which presumeably includes the engineers, or at least would be sensitive to the appearance of unethical behavior among UC's research crew.
Telling them in no uncertain terms that support for railroading and shellgames in a potential or actual research partner was baldfaced greed and the pits in research ethics. That UC's name was not going to be a matter of pride among the alumni.
When I relayed the concept of confronting the engineers' lack of ethics to one of the opposition organizers, I was told that the story of ethical misconduct went deeper:
"You can use the fact that Moldanado at the engineering dept,, has been placing Op-eds in favor of GNEP in local newspapers without disclosing that he is a paid consultant of the DOE Office of Nuclear Energy, which is the office that sponsors GNEP -- highly unethical."
There was enthusiasm for confronting the issues with students or faculty and Geoffrey Sea at SONG (opposition from the local area) who's very articulate and effective as an organizer was willing to serve on a forum or teach-in (whatever that is), and has UC contacts in other colleges, in case some of your group there on campus are thinking along these lines to clean up research ethics.
Jeanette Raichyk
And Ellen writes to U.C. Nuclear Engineer John Christenson (husband of MLK Chorale singer Dot):
Dear John,
One of the subscribers to my newsletter is a firebrand environmentalist (Jeanette Raichyk) who often resonds with heat to stuff in the newsletter. I would love for you to respond to her allegation below of unethical conduct on the part of you UC engineers who spoke at the Piketon hearing in favor of the proposal. Even better, come to the salon some Wed. and rebut. Or b est of all, send a response and also let me know what Wednesday (not tomorrow, though) you could attend... Although the first and second Wed. in April are already scheduled, no others are.
Hopefully,
Ellen
Rob Ryan asks for support.
Remember his presentation at the Salon on eliminating the war on drugs?
Ellen,
I am doing something that is one of the hardest things to do. Simply put, I am asking for your financial support. I have authored and introduced a resolution about human rights abuses and the drug war at the upcoming Amnesty International conference.
For some background, in 2005 I introduced a special resolution at the Amnesty International Mid West regional conference were it passed, but due to a later technicality all the resolutions from that conference were null and void. I then went on to National Conference in Portland Oregon and introduced the same special resolution. It made it through the resolution committee, but being a special resolution it was the last on the schedule. The clock simply ran out.
This year is different. This time it is not a special resolution and last on the agenda. I have gone through the resolution process from the ground up. I have introduced the resolution in three regional conferences with multiple sponsors where they were passed.
My personal finances are extremely stretched now that I have two kids in college (plus a dog with cancer) and I am asking for your help. Below is an estimated cost, not including time off work, to attend the AI annual conference. You will find the text of the resolution at the bottom of this letter. I firmly believe we need to have as many coalition partners as possible if we are ever to make headway in our reform efforts.
I hope you find this effort worthy and will assist me in whatever way you can. Your support, even if it is small, gives me more than funds; it gives me encouragement that what I am doing is worthwhile. I will provide a report to you after the conference for your donation. Please feel free to contact me if you have want more details or have any comments.
In the meantime I have done a few things that you might find interesting. I am now the radio show host of the Amnesty International Hour. I have had former law enforcement, city councilman, congressional candidates, and AI leadership discussing various aspects of human rights. Take a look at the radio show archive found at www.aiusa86.org. There are some previous shows tapings that I think you may find interesting.
Thank you for reading this far and I hope I have your support even if it is only a small amount. I have set up a PAYPAL account link from the web page below or you can send your donation to the address below.
Robert Ryan
9514 Conklin Ave
Blue Ash, Ohio,45242
513-207-3964
rrr@robryan.org
www.robryan.org
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Amnesty International USA
Annual General Meeting
Cost Estimate
Item
Expense
Gas
$105.88
800 miles
Lodging
$245.48
2 nights
Parking
$22.00
3 days
Food
$150.00
3 days
Registration
$80.00
fee
Misc
$50.00
Tolls
$10.00
Total
$663.36
------------------------------------------------
THE WAR ON DRUGS AND HUMAN RIGHTS
WHEREAS, the United States has the world's largest prison population, fueled by the War on Drugs;
WHEREAS the indiscriminate aerial spraying of herbicides from high altitudes in Columbia impacts the environment and human health, including genetic damage, skin tumors and thyroid damage, and is a direct result of the War on Drugs policies;
WHEREAS the incarceration of women convicted of low-level drug-related offenses has negatively impacted families, created drug war orphans, and dramatically increased the burden on social services;
WHEREAS Indonesia, Singapore, Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand, Iran, Saudi Arabia and China have death sentences and executions for drug offenses, and the United States federal drug law also has death sentence provisions;
WHEREAS the US War on Drugs disproportionately affects people of color, as evidenced by the fact that while 72% of drug users are white and 15% are African-Americans, African-Americans make up 37% of those arrested and 57% incarcerated for drug felonies;
WHEREAS a growing number of organizations such as Blacks In Government, National Black Caucus of State Legislators, Law Enforcement Against Prohibition, Human Rights Watch, National Organization of Women, Unitarians Universalist, New England Journal of Medicine, the American Public Health Association and more have taken positions against Drug War policies;
WHEREAS Amnesty International USA overwhelmingly passed a resolution titled "The waging of a war on illegal drugs, known as the War on Drugs, and its effect on human rights and environmental integrity" at its 2002 Annual General Meeting; and
WHEREAS the Amnesty International USA Board of Directors recognizes that the "War on Drugs has had a negative impact on human rights around the world," and called for "taking a movement-wide position on this matter".
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that Amnesty International USA take steps to educate its leaders and membership on the War on Drugs impact on human rights;
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that Amnesty International USA will work in coalition with the above-mentioned organizations and others to convey their common concerns regarding human rights violations in connection with the War on Drugs to the President of the United States; and
BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED that Amnesty International is urged to take a public position against the human rights abuses carried out in the name of the War on Drugs.
From Steve Sunderland, Peace Village
SAVE THE COLLABORATIVE AGREEMENT! Cincinnati's most important peace treaty, the Collaborative Agreement, signed in 2002, is at risk of expiring unless the community speaks out and demands full completion of the most important conditions. The Agreement, signed off by the police leadership, the police union, the mayor, city manager and members of the community, called for the building of trust between the police and the entire community, and especially the African American community. For too long blacks have felt targeted by the police for any number of serious and minor alleged violations. The killing of only black men in 2001 increased tensions until an explosion happened following the unnecessary killing of a 19 year old who was running away from a scared police officer. The city exploded as many in the community felt that the police were totally irresponsible in their use of force.
The reaction to the riots was to seek a problem solving process that would restore trust between communities and the police. An innovative approach of community and police discussion was initiated by the mayor and hte City Council. "Stakeholder" groups, from every corner of the city, were involved in sharing their experiences wtih the police and suggestions for ways of rebuilding trust. The police, with great initial reluctance, entered the process and communicated their ideas about what causes distrust, and what might make a positive difference. All of the ideas were gathered, combined into a proposal, reworked based on suggestions, and, after a long and difficult final negotiation, agreed to by the police, mayor, council and the communities.
The key provision that was seen as the major factor in improving police-community relationships was to build a problem solving partnership, at the community level, between the police and neighborhood representatives. This partnership would review crime patterns in each neighborhood based on police data. The community group would consult with the police on what strategies, police and/or community, might be tried to stop the trend in crime and, equally important, what could be done by this partnership to prevent the return of crime. Through the development of trust in the partnership, peace would be restored in every community as each group examined their special crime problems and police/community solutions. A federal judge supervised the entire process and a federal monitor was employed to review progress.
The monitor's reports noted success in certain areas of the agreement including the development of an independent citizens review board to examine community complaints, a different perspective on the use of force by police, and the development of training for the police in working with mentally ill citizens. But the major area the police leadership never fully accepted, as noted in the monitor's reports, was the heart of the agreement: the development of a police/community problem-solving partnership. Only the intervention of the federal judge has prompted the police chief to instruct the department to fully participate. Years of experience in problem solving strategies based on successful police and community relationships have only just begun. Unilateral police actions have undermined the partnership at important points: the sudden reassignment of police community officers; the Vortex program, and the poor compliance in collecting data on police behavior.
Happily, the killing of black citizens by the police has stopped since the Agreement has been in force. And, police safety has improved. But trusting police based on cooperation still waits for serious participation by the police leadership. Communities are tired of the lack of leadership by the mayor, the council and the police administration in implementation of the Agreement. Black citiizens continue to report distrusting interactions with the police and reports from the Rand Commission, the independent organization hired to review progress in the Agreement, reveal that black citizens are treated differently than white citizens by white police officers. The mayor and council, rather than seeking ways to improve the important begining of partnership efforts to reduce crime have been consistently silent. Their reluctance to speak out gives the police administration a freer hand to ignore the negative ways some police interact with the black citizens.
No one who sat in the early meetings to form the Collaborative Agreement can easily forget the stories by black citizens of being humiliated by repeated and unnecessary stops, searches and arrests. Citizens came to these meetings wanting to give the police, "one more chance" to work in cooperation with all citizens, irrespective of skin color. At the time of listening to the stories, a great fear hung over the city's future. Many openly questioned whether Cincinnati's police leadership had any supervision. Others noted the rare public statements of the mayor, council or of police leadership to end years of killing black citizens at the hands of the police. It was clear that black and white police groups operated with a kind of "truce" about making comments about unprofessional police behavior. Black officers reported feeling trapped by the desire to not look like they favored black people. White police officers resented being lumped into one group of people who were seen as "the problem."
The Collaborative Agreement sought to be both a symbol and a contract for partnership with all elements of the community. All stakeholders were asked to give the new peace treaty a chance to work. Developing realistic partnerships in communities in which relationships between the police and the community were strained were started. Everyone who was a part of the process realized that the police in the neighborhoods had a big job winning the "trust" of youth, adults, and business people. The "rules" for creating trust were not clear. Partnership groups were set up with unclear definitions of how far cooperation was supposed to go in the solution of crime. To this day, each community has pioneered their own approach to the level of involvement of the community in working with the police. The process, after many half steps, began to work as community police officers were seen as allies of the neighborhood. A police-community presence began to be felt, as the community relied on the expertise of the police as the police began to see who could really strengthen crime prevention and crime stopping behaviors. For many communities, this was the start of what was promisedi n the Collaborative Agreement.
This tender beginning was slashed when police leadership, without consultation, decided to end the way the police were involved in a community. The program that was familiar and effective in many neighborhoods was suddenly ended and a new approach proposed by the police leadership. Friction, provoked by the police leadership and the mayor, ensued as community leaders tied the future of their neighborhoods successful work to the deep involvement in the partnership with the community officer. Some communities were able to win back their community officers. Yet, the message of a "limited partnership" was clearly sent by the mayor and the police administration.
Successful neighborhoods depend upon a strong and caring relationship with key groups, including the police. High crime patterns choke off business opportunities, and make a neighborhood undesirable to raise a family, go to school, or feel like a living part of the city. Citizens make a neighborhood livable, exciting, and positive. The breakdown in partnerships within a neighborhood and the city leaders wipes away years of nurturing and lays a feeling of distrust and anger down. When pessimism builds, when people feel manipulated and abused by the police and government leaders, there are personal and social consequences. The Collaborative Agreement was a great step in the right direction of optimism through realistic relationships built on trust. Now, citizens need to again rally to support the continuation of a partnership with the police that can make a short and long term difference in the life of our city. This peace treaty needs to be extended, publicly endorsed, and made to work even better. We need not be afraid of peace, a peace that has justice at the center. We need not be afraid of the police leadership and the mayor and council who are dragging their respective feet. We can take action by writing the major, police chief, newspapers, and the federal judge and saying: "Let this Peace Treaty Continue!"
From our Salonista in Arkansas:
Chusti! (my nickname in high school- ellen),
For God's sake: celebrate Libby's conviction. Every once in a
greast while, something good happens.
Prof. Evan Bukey
Swami Beyondananda's
2007 State of the Universe Address
(read all through...laugh out loud. Emphases added. Ellen)
Humanifest Destiny
From Survival of the Fittest to
Thrival of the Fittingest
Note. This year, the Swami insisted on delivering the State of the Universe Address on February 2nd, Ground Hog Day because "it's the closest anyone comes to seeing their shadow all year." Said the Swami, "Look at us. America is the most heavily armed country in the world, and still we're afraid of our own shadow. We seem stuck in a state of emergency, so we must declare a state of 'emerge 'n see' instead. Like the ground hog, we must emerge from our separate little holes and see we are all in this together. And we must see our shadow -- otherwise, we're in for another long season of darkness. We must laugh at the shadow as well. I call on everyone to shine the light of laughter on the endarkened corridors of power, because there's definitely something funny going on. May we wake up laughing and leave laughter in our wake."
Another earth year has passed, and for what it is worth I am happy to report that once again the universe is doing just great, thank you, purring with perfection, ever-changing same as always. Light is still cruising along at 186,000 miles per second, and the expanding universe shows no signs of contracting. At this rate, it won't be long before they'll have to let the photon belt out another notch.
Meanwhile back here on our own little center of the universe, the human race seems to be racing against time. Those Concerned Scientists have just moved the Doomsday clock up to five minutes till midnight, and even some of the unconcerned scientists are getting concerned. With all due respect to Wilson Pickett, if this midnight hour ever comes it won't be love that comes tumblin' down. Well, maybe tough love.
The good news is, the alarm is getting louder, making it more difficult to hit snooze. The Chinese say crisis means opportunity, and opportunity sure seems to be knocking. If it knocks any harder, it's going to knock down the door. The polar ice caps are melting -- north and south -- which means on top of everything else this crazy world now officially has bipolar disorder. No wonder the penguins are flocking to Hollywood. The polar bears are now on the Endangered Species List, right up there with us. We humans do seem to have the Endangering Species List pretty much to ourselves, though.
An Evolutionary Upwising!
Fortunately, people are waking up and wising up. An evolutionary upwising is gathering esteem all across America, and not a moment too soon. Confidence in the powers that be in power hit Iraq bottom last year, and once again -- thanks to the Daily Show and Colbert Report -- fake news was the greatest source of truth. The "we're-going-to-heaven-and-everyone-else-can-go-to-hell" crowd continued to expose itself -- in more ways than one -- and more and more Americans awoke to the realization that the real abomination is to bomb a nation.
Riding on the groundswell of this upwising, the unarmed forces won an important victory in November. As predicted, the evolution was officially launched when the first big shot was fired the day after election day. And the farce was with us as well. The last two Republican Senators to concede defeat were Burns and Allen, and more than a few corrupt Congressfolk were shown the door and told to "say goodnight, disgracie."
The President, meanwhile, stepped up his counterintelligence program to the point where just about everything he does runs counter to intelligence. But now it looks like even Republicans may be ready to put the "decider" through the decider mill, no doubt afraid that with two more years of this, the party of Lincoln and Ford might go the way of the Edsel.
Something else happened this year. Thanks to Al Gore the media finally warmed up to climate change, and global warming became a hot issue. As soon as "Inconvenient Truth" hit the theaters, the Bush Administration counterattacked with it's own version of the story, "Convenient Lies." And the biggest cause of global warming? Global warmongering. We humans spend over a trillion dollars a year on weapons of deadlihood when we could be weaving a web of livelihood. No wonder the 'hood is so deadly. And we've rationalized this dysfunctional persistent "riches to rubble" war program as a "necessary evil" without bothering to stand for peace as a "necessary good."
Are We As Smart As Our Cells?
Now if you used to hate it when your parents compared you to someone else saying, "if so-and-so can do it, why not you?" you're probably not going to like what I'm about to tell you -- but here goes. Our cells may be smarter than we are. At least they've figured out how to live together in peace and harmony. According to cellular biologist Bruce Lipton, we have a thriving 50 trillion cell community under our skin where every participating cell is cared for. Universal health care, full employment -- truly no cell left behind. And the cells that do the most important work for the body as a whole, they get "paid" more. Our organs seem to get along too. You hardly ever hear about the liver cruising up the bile canal, invading the pancreas, and laying claim to the Islets of Langerhans.
Meanwhile back in the jungle, we pursue manifest destiny and survival of the fittest as our supposed biological imperative, except for one small detail. It doesn't matter how fit the individual is, if the species doesn't fit -- then out it goes into the recycling pile. If you thought "The Man Without a Country" was a sad story, wait until you see "Man Without a Planet." I hate to say it, but global warming may be nothing more than the Earth running a fever in the hopes of shaking a virulent parasite called homo ignoranus.
Now don't get me wrong. There've been some really great people. Gandhi. Mother Teresa. Elvis. (That's right, Elvis. I've been following his threefold path for years: "Love me tender ... please surrender ... return to sender.") But anyway, there've been lots and lots of lots of really wonderful individuals. Individually, you won't meet a nicer species. But put a bunch of us together, and we're hell on wheels. Did you know that over the 20th century, war caused 260 million deaths? Why if someone did just one 260 millionth of that, it'd be all over the 6:00 news with details at 11. And if any one of us did what we allow "all of us" to do, we'd be put away forever. I guess they must have modified the Ten Commandments while we weren't looking: "Thou shalt not kill, except in extremely large groups."
Spontaneous Re-Missioning
I've said it before, but maybe it bears repeating. It could very well be that the Ten Commandments are just too much to bite off all at once. Maybe we should start with One Suggestion: "We're all in it together." Each and every one of us is one with the same One. The Universal Oneness. The universe has us surrounded, might as well surrender. In the Creator's book, we are all number one -- and when we're all number one, there is never a need to treat anyone else like number two.
And perhaps instead of waiting for some Higher Power -- or for that matter, some hired power -- to save us, maybe it's time to embrace the world as a fixer-upper instead of rejecting it as a tearer-downer. Maybe we're all working for Habitat for Humanity, and making our habitat fit for humanity -- and all other living things -- is the ultimate do-it-yourself project. Let's face it. Our Mother Earth is suffering from a bad case of us, and a miraculous healing is required. So, if we want a spontaneous remission, we humans must take responsibility for a spontaneous re-missioning. We must change our mission from manifest destiny and survival of the fittest to humanifest destiny and thrival of the fittingest.
Here's another suggestion. Maybe we children of God manifest our destiny as humanity by finally becoming adults of God, and realizing we are the Creator's creation created to create. In other words, we aren't here to earn God's love, we are here to spend it!
Creationism vs. evolution is a silly conversation, particularly when both are true. I believe we were created to evolve, otherwise Jesus would have said, "Now don't do a thing till I return." If we want to bring the Higher Power to earth, we must do it through our own words, thoughts and actions. Supply-side spirituality, I call it: Be more supplying and less demanding.
I have often said that if you are dissatisfied with the current programming, turn off your TV and tell a vision instead. So I will tell my vision for the new year and new millennium. I see the upwising going worldwide as billions of people realize that each of us is a cell in the body of humanity, totally unique just like everyone else. Sure, the world is currently being run by a very, very small elite of individuals, but look on the bright side -- there are way, way more of us than there are of them. Where the healthy cells thrive, sociopathogens can never take hold of the body politic.
And what if each nation -- like each organ of the body -- set out its own mission to give its special gift to the world? It could be baklava, it could be bagpipes ... anything that brings harmony instead of harm. No more harmaments, and a farewell to harms! Imagine a peacemaker implanted in the heart of every nation, and billions of individuals signing on to a worldwide Humanifesto ratifying the One Suggestion. Of course, the conditions might not change overnight, but the conditioning would. And if we shift the conditioning, a shift in conditions will surely follow.
Imagine all the nations of the world thriving together -- in a great thrivalry -- and manifesting our destiny as a humanity ... to re-grow the Garden from the grassroots up, and have a heaven of a time doing it.
Can it be done? Well, consider the alternative. Are we going to just let our entire species flunk third dimension? Where's your species spirit anyway?
I know what you're thinking. The Swami is a hopeless optimystic, an overly-positive yea-sayer. But that is only because I understand that our future is not our past. Otherwise, why would we need a future? We could just all sit home and watch reruns. Each moment, we discard billions of universes as we choose one future over another. Beggar or billionaire, we're all in the futures market. The question for each of is, which future are we investing in? Here's the good news: There is a field of infinite possibility out there. And here's the better news: It's not a battlefield, it's a playing field. The game is Humanifest Destiny, and we have om field advantage.
C'mon, omies. Let's take the field.
Section Four: Books/Magazines/Reviews
...................................
Things Fall Apart by C hinua Achebe is a classic. Fiction, novel of a Nigerian (?) tribesman whose life is torn up by the arrival of white culture. 1959. I found it among my son David’s things, ... He read it in a college course, I think. Amazing work. Puts you in the mind set of the pre-colonial West African villager... So much rich information about daily life, outlook, customs, etc. Amazing and beautiful. Ellen.
...........................................
Amazed to be reading “The time of our singing”, a novel by Richard Powers. Good Lord! what a writer. Stay tuned. Jewish physicist marries Black vocalist/operatic musician, has three children in NYC in ‘40’s. Ellen
The Lloyd House Salon (usually about 12 people) Meets on WEDNESDAYS at 5:45,
EVERY Wednesday, 52 WEEKS/YEAR come hell or high water, as my mother used to say.
We of the Lloyd House Salon gather in a spirit of
respect, sympathy and compassion for one another
in order to exchange ideas for our mutual pleasure and enlightenment.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Our Salon blog is a promising interactive site: http:lloydhouse.blogspot.com
Also, we have an Interactive Yahoo Salon group, http://groups.yahoo.com/group/LloydHouseSalon
For Pot Luck procedures including food suggestions, mission and history visit
http://home.fuse.net/ellenbierhorst/Potluck.html .
You are invited also to visit the Lloyd House website: http://www.lloydhouse.com
> To unsubscribe from the Lloyd House Potluck Salon list, send a REPLY message
> to me and in the SUBJECT line type in "unsub potluck #". In the place of #
> type in the numeral that follows the subject line of my Weekly email. It
> will be 1,2, 3, 4, 5, 6 or 7. This tells me which sub-list your name is on so I can
> delete it. Thanks! ellen bierhorst
No comments:
Post a Comment