Salon Weekly
A Weekly Email Publication of The Lloyd House
Circulation: c. 450
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
To: Friends on our Pot Luck Salon list.
(to unsubscribe see below, bottom of page).
Saturday 14 May 2005
At the table Monday May 9: Spencer Konicov, Roy euvrard, Dan Hershey, Mira Rodwan, Jack Altekreuse, Neil Anderson, Roy Jones, Steve Sunderland, Judy Cirillo, Leslie Goldman, Pete Altekreuse, Gerry Kraus, Mike Murphy, John David Charter (Welcome John David!), Marvin Kraus, Ellen Bierhorst.
We were pleased to have an evening without any special presenter last Monday. Just us chickens. Discussed Mike Murphy's dream of a "Green Arts Living & Learning Institute" at Wooden Shoe Hollow; Roy Jones' topic having to do with racism, Dan Hershey's notion about "the war in Iraq is over; let's do the training of Iraqi soldiers and police on US soil where we will be safer," because "nobody wants to be the last American soldier killed or maimed in Iraq". Talked about how great the Muse concert was and their CD is. Steve talked feelingly about the problem of our humanitarian aid dollars going into the pockets of corrupt military and otherwise authoritarian regimes instead of helping relieve suffering. John David Charter, our newest member, spoke with much knowledge about Sierra Leone in W. Africa, which was the most stable and prosperous of the African states 30 years ago, but now is the most wretched. His dream, his program is to set up centers there where children can go and get a meal and also learn to read using computers. "Rice for Literacy Project" of the Dream Makers Foundation, John David Charter, Project Director. charterdia1@aol.com if you would like to know more or contribute. John David is a gemologist/jeweler and went to Sierra Leone on diamond business.
We had wanted also to discuss the trip to the sculpture show at the zoo last Sunday with Yvonne VanEijden (a fabulous experience!), and also the terrific three part series in the New Yorker on Global Warming. Too much topic, too little time.
The notes will be abbreviated this week. I was laid up for three days with a wicked sore throat. I am very much still gung ho about Shirley Reischman and constitutional homeopathy.
You may be interested in the email exchange I had with David Pepper... see the blue section.
I note that City Beat has endorsed Mark Mallory for Mayor.
We continue to miss David Rosenberg... sending you good vibes, David.
Hugs,
ellen
(for Articles: see below. First, the "Announcements" section.)...
Announcements:
June 5
... Planning Travel this summer?
A spiritual Retreat in Israel with Mindy Ribner and Rabbi Natan Ophir
Natan Ophir is a friend, a modern orthodox Rabbi born in US,
made alyiah to Israel many years ago, very wonderful Kabbalah teacher. ellen
Living Your Soul Purpose
with Mindy Ribner and Beit Miriam
A Spiritual Homecoming
in the Holy Land
June 5- June 20, 2005
Visualize yourself spending two weeks in Israel in the company of the most beautiful open-hearted men and women with a daily option of meditation, kabbalistic learning, yoga or chi-gung, along with psycho-spiritual group processes to integrate your growth and healing while traveling to the powerful spiritual energy spots in Israel, visiting new age and religious communities, learning with some of the most wonderful, dynamic teachers, home hospitality with beautiful Israelis and meeting widely acclaimed rebbes in Israel today.
This is not the standard synagogue trip or tourist trip to Israel, rather it is a unique and rare opportunity for you to support and accelerate your spiritual growth and personal healing in a way that is only possible in the Land of Israel.
Highlights of this trip include relaxation at a health spa at the Dead Sea upon arrival, a sunrise climb to Massada with an onsite meditation, days and evenings to meditate and explore the beauty of the Negev desert, an ecstatic Shabbat at the Carlebach moshav, the awesome festivities and learning occurring during Shavuot in Jerusalem, a mystical Shabbat in Tzefat, meditative hikes in the Judean Mountains and the beautiful nature spots in the Galilee and Golan Heights and so much more.
Land fee is $2500 which includes 4 and 5 Star hotels, two meals per day (full Israeli breakfast and dinner), our own air-conditioned bus, a professional tour guide. Add $650 for single occupancy.
This trip is spiritually guided and organized by Melinda( Mindy) Ribner, the founder and director of Beit Miriam. Mindy is a teacher of Jewish meditation and meditative kabbalah for over 20 years, an author of New Age Judaism, Kabbalah Month by Month and Everyday Kabbalah. She is a licensed psychotherapist and a spiritual healer in private practice. For more information about this Israel trip, contact Mindy at Ribner@msn.com or phone 212 799-1335.
Mindy is one of just three women who received ordination from the legendary Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach. She also offers a professional teacher training program in Jewish meditation, spiritual counseling and healing. In Jerusalem she will be joined by Rabbi Dr. Natan Ophir (Offenbacher), natan21@zahav.net.il, director of Beit Midrash Meorot at Yakar (see www.yakar.org). Rabbi Ophir received his MA and PhD in Jewish Philosophy at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem where he served for 16 years as the University Rabbi. He has been teaching kabbalah, Jewish thought and meditation in both academic and informal settings since 1994.
About Beit Miriam: In the footsteps of Miriam who in biblical times lead the women through the splitting of the Red Sea, singing and dancing to a fuller dimension of life, Beit Miriam offers new and unique models of Jewish worship, consciousness expansion, healing and spiritual community for men and women. Embodying the feminine within Judaism, Beit Miriam offers celebrations for all the holidays, Rosh Chodesh gatherings, a professional teacher training program and this Israel trip.
Itinerary June5-20 abbreviated version
June 6 Arrive at Ben Gurion Airport. Transport to hotel - there will be two pick-ups at the airport. Most people are coming in at around 8:00 A.M and three people are coming in around noon. Both groups will be met at the airport and transported to our hotel.
June 7 Travel with our tour guide Mark Sugarman to beautiful Ein Gedi, visit Qumran Caves, swim in the Dead Sea, hike in the awesome Judean Desert. And of course we will meditate, learn Torah and kabbalah. We will be staying at a health spa by the water. Massages and pampering health packages are available (extra cost) at our hotel.
June 8-10 Enter into the Desert. Here we will go to the depths of our souls in the way that can only be done in the desert. Rise early to hike to Massada and meditate there. Visit Arad, Sde Boker and explore the desert. We will stay for two nights at the beautiful luxurious Mitzpeh Ramon hotel and observatory.
June 10 Shabbat Menuha at the Carlebach moshav in the Modiin area remember the Maccabees?. Shabbat experience in the real original Carlebach style with ecstatic davening, kabbalah learning and mingling with people who were the original followers of Reb Shlomo. These people have lived in spiritual community since the 70's. Healthy food.
June 12 Everything so far you might say is preparing us for entering Yerushalyim and celebrating Shavuot. Highest of the High. Much happens in Jerusalem.
Full day of touring Friday in Jerusalem. Many different synagogues and minyanim to chose. Tikun Leil Shavuot is the Kabbalistic custom observed by all Jews to stay up all night learning Torah and exploring it¹s secrets. Amazing classes available. Avivah Zorenberg at 11:00 P.M at Yakar. Rabbi Dr. Natan Ophir will be there to guide you in setting up your personal choices.
June 13 We will join the festivities at the Kotel. Eat lunch at people's homes in the Old City and meet dynamic Torah and kabbalah teachers. Meet Torah teachers, rebbesŠ you may have to chose between meeting with the sheik of Morocco or Biana Rebbe or the Belzer Rebbitzen.
June 14 - Touring in Jerusalem. So much to see. we will chose what is most interesting and wonderful to us. Gala evening meeting Israelis at Yakar in Old Katamon.
June 15 - Up North Travel to Tiberias, Stay at the Nof Ginosar Kibbutz Hotel for two days, We will visit Tel Dan in the Golan Heights and the Banias, two of the most gorgeous places on this planet. Visit Amiran, a vegetarian new age moshav and Hararit, a TM moshav.
June 17 - We will go to Tzfat, visiting the city of Meron on the way which is the burial place of Rabbi Shimeon Bar Yochai. Visit tombstones of tzaddikim like the Rambam, Meir Baal Ha Ness (Master of the miracle) and others. We will also visit the synagogues of R. Yitzchak Luria andR. Yosef Karo, the leading kabbalists of Tzefat.
June 18 Celebrate Shabbat in Tzfat, attend many unusual synagogues, meet great teachers and people there.
June 19 - Explore Tzfat a bit more, travel to the ancient city of Acc then old Jaffa and back to Tel Aviv. Some people are leaving on the 19th but most are leaving on the 20th. Some are staying onŠ
It is a full schedule but we will pace ourselves as well and will be flexible as you never know what exciting new ventures hit the scene here in Israel. We will be learning, meditating, processing along the way.
Things to bring
1. Bring a canteen so you can carry water when you go walking or hiking. Also a thermos lunch box so if you want to keep some things from breakfast cold to eat during the day 2. A swim suit. Suntan lotion, casual clothes for hot weather and clothes for holiday and Shabbat observance. Women be sure that you have some modest clothes for the Kotel or other holy places we will enter. 3. good walking and hiking shoes 4. journal 5. sweater/jacket for cool nights in desert and Jerusalem. I am sure that there will be other things as well. But I am trying to get this out before Pesach ends.
When the Seder ends with the words " Next year in Jerusalem" we might just chuckle to ourselves with excitement that for us it will be in only a few weeks.
Love, Mindy
Please support belly dance and cultural performing arts wherever you live!
5/22
Pete Carrols sent this... a terrific drum teacher, retired German Prof at Miami. I am sure it will be super:
Michael Markus, Director of Magbana Drum & Dance NYC visits Oxford, Ohio on May 22, 2005 to teach a drum and dance workshop. The workshop will be at Withrow Court South Gym, Miami University, Oxford, Ohio 45056.
Drum Class 1:30-3:30 $25.00 (all levels)
30 minute break
Dance Class 4:00-5:30 $15.00/adult
$12.00/students
Drum and Dance Class $35.00/adult
$32.00/student
For more information on Michael Markus please visit: http://www.magbana.com/
This is sure to be a thrilling and exciting workshop. For those of you who have not experienced classes with Michael Markus, you are in for a great treat. He's awesome and one of the best.
For questions or more information you can e-mail Marcia Simmons at simmonmj@muohio.edu or Dylan or Rachel Walmsley at konneer@Earlham.edu.
Directions
Coming from the South take 27 N until it turns onto High Street. Take the first right at the first light onto Talawanda Street and then turn right into the first drive and Withrow will be on the left from the parking lot.
Coming from the North take 27S until 27 turns right but go straight and this becomes Church Street. Take Church Street to the end. Withrow is directly in front of you. Turn right on Talawanda and an immediate left into the driveway to the parking lot and Withrow is on the left from the parking lot.May
Rare Opportunities with Erik Bendix
(Erik is my Alexander Technique teacher these three years, a fantastic folk dance teacher,
a philosopher, poet, and an extremely graceful and deep guy. ellen)
Dear friends,
We have about 10 spaces left in Steven Shaw's Art of Swimming workshop
scheduled for May 30th at the Xavier University pool. I am about to make
the workshop available to people at Xavier too, so it may fill quickly once
I do that. If you were thinking of participating, now is the time to make
up your mind. You can reserve a space by contacting me and sending in a
deposit. The flyer with details of cost, times, and location is attached to
this message. Feel free to contact me with any questions (tel.
513-961-3981), especially if you want to come but are anxious about it. The
workshop is all about overcoming anxiety related to being in water, and
about finding ease instead. Let me know. Thanks.
Erik Bendix
This is the official announcement for the Art of Swimming workshop on
Monday May 30th (Memorial Day), from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the O'Connor
Sports Center at Xavier University. The workshop will be led by British
swimming pioneer Steven Shaw, who has applied the principles of Alexander
Technique to swimming, and by discovering how to eliminate thrashing and
gasping in the water has opened a way to ease, grace, and speed. He is
great to watch and learn from. He will only be in Cincinnati that one day,
and will not be available the following day (May 31st) for private lessons
as previously announced. He has agreed to offer some privates on May 30th
following the workshop. See the flyer for more details. Registration
information is also on the flyer, which is attached to this message. The
O'Connor Sports Center will be officially "closed" for Memorial Day, which
means that we (and the Xavier lifeguard we hire) will have the entire
building to ourselves for the workshop and lessons, an unusually quiet and
undisturbed environment as swimming pools go. It should be wonderful and I
hope you can come.
ALEXANDER TECHNIQUE LESSONS WITH ME: Many of you have been saying you
wanted to book Alexander lessons with me before I go - I would rather spread
that over the time left than squeeze it all in toward the end, so please
don't wait to call. Thanks.
More information on the events will be forthcoming closer to their
times, but I wanted to give you all a heads-up on the dates. As many of you
know, I plan to move from Cincinnati this coming summer back to our beloved
mountain homestead in Asheville, N.C., so these events are my way of saying
a fond farewell to all of you. In the meantime while I am still here I
look forward to seeing you soon .
Love, Erik Bendix
<erikbendix@hotmail.com>
5/14
[Reprinting this week's Tri State Treasures compiled by jim kesner. Some tasty bits. ellen.]
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 people, places, and events, and distributing the information for others to enjoy. And please continue to forward your Tri-State Treasures ideas to jkesner@nuvox.net.
Sincerely, Jim
~~~~~~~~~~
Tri-State Treasures - General:
Friends of the Public Library of Cincinnati & Hamilton County: Friends of the Library are people like you who believe in and support the Public Library of Cincinnati & Hamilton County. Their annual meeting is Friday 27 May @ noon in Room 3-B at the Main Library downtown. All Friends members are invited to attend but must RSVP by calling 513.369.6035 in advance of the meeting to insure sufficient space. The proposed Ohio budget for fiscal year 20062007 includes a 5% percent reduction in the Library & Local Government Support Fund (LLGSF). For the Cincinnati Library, this means an additional annual loss of about $2.5 million. Approximately 95% of The Library¹s funding comes from the LLGSF, which is based on a % of the Ohio personal income tax collection; so the cuts will be more devastating if the legislature passes the Governor¹s tax reform plan. The Friends support the Library by sponsoring programs & activities, but can not replace the money cut in the proposed 20062007 budget. The Friends is a non-profit organization dedicated to helping the Library make info accessible to the communities. The Friends purchases special library materials & equipment, & sponsors programs throughout the year. Funds are generated by memberships, book & shop sales, & gifts & grants. Members can go to the book sales on Wednesdays @ 10-12 AM & the 4th Saturday of each month @ 10AM-2PM. The June Book Sale on Fountain Square is open to the public Monday - Friday 6-10 June. More info @ 513-369-6035, friendsofplch1@fuse.net, & http://friends.cincinnatilibrary.org/.
Does Your Historic Home Have A Story To Tell? HGTV's "If Walls Could Talk" is currently looking for homeowners in the Cincinnati, Dayton, & surrounding areas who have made surprising discoveries about their homes as they've researched & restored them. Discoveries could range from uncovering old artifacts left behind in the attic to removing old paneling & revealing original wallpaper or forgotten murals. These types of tangible discoveries have inspired homeowners to ask questions & do more research on their home's history. If you have a story like this or know someone who lives in or has restored an old house, contact Jarrod Eddy of High Noon Productions ASAP @ 303.712.3230 or jeddy@highnoonproductions.com.
Tri-State Treasures - Specific:
2nd Annual Writers' Weekend In Cincinnati [Friday-Sunday 13-15 May]: InkTank & the Public Library of Cincinnati & Hamilton County offer a weekend of free writing lectures, panel discussions, performances, & interactive writing experiences. This is the only workshop in the country where writers, editors, & publishers volunteer their time to support local writers. Below is overview of the weekend; more info @ 513.542.0195, jsyroney@inktank.org, & www.inktank.org/.
<> Friday 13 May @ 7-9:30 PM @ Ensemble Theatre of Cincinnati @ 1127 Vine Street: Opening Reception, Welcome & Overview, & Meet The Playwrights: Seven Playwrights On A Stage; a smattering of Cincinnati¹s most exciting talent talks about the art of writing for the theatre.
<> Saturday 14 May @ 9 AM - 8 PM @ the Library @ 800 Vine Street: Registration, The Publishing Process, How to Create Interesting Fictional Characters, How To Be A Writer In Real Life, Cincinnati Columnists, Periodical Writing Panel, Use of Slang in Poetry, Escandalo Poetico (local Latino poets), the Art of Writing for Children, Getting Started on Your Novel, First Time Author Panel, Travel Writing Panel, What Does It Take To Be A Journalist, Self Publishing Panel
3:45-5:30 PM: Keynote Address by nationally renowned author Diana Abu-Jaber
8 PM @ 24 E 3rd St. Newport, KY 41071 (859-431-2201): Writers¹ Weekend Poetry Slam
<> Sunday 15 May @ 1-7 PM @ the Library @ 800 Vine Street: Women Writing for (a) Change, Web Based Publishing, Guerilla Playwrighting Workshop, The 700 Habits of Highly Effective Dadaists (potato)
5-7 PM @ 1311 Main Street, InkTank Headquarters: Moveable Feast Open Mic Poetry
Win Know Tickets To "Good Boys" [Friday-Saturday 13-14 May]: A pair of free tickets to "Good Boys" for the first 2 requests for May 13-14. Two strangers - one white, one black - meet on a park bench. Two fathers, linked by tragedy: one man's son executed a Columbine-style massacre, killing the son of the other. "Good Boys" deals incisively with race, faith and who, if anyone, should bear the blame. Email your requests to info@knowtheatre.com. More info @ 513.300.KNOW, info@knowtheatre.com, or www.knowtheatre.com.
Swing Dance Class [Friday 13 May @ 7-9 PM]: Come swing your way into spring. Learn about the many flavors of swing: East Coast, West Coast, Jitterbug, & Lindy Hop. This exciting style of dance is full of high energy & a joyful attitude. Swing dancing has held its popularity since its beginnings in the early jazz era. Now, learn to look good on the dance floor. Michael Drake is the owner of The Fitness Edge, which offers personal training & instructor training. He has 20 years experience teaching group fitness classes & has been social dancing for 5 years. Whether on the fitness floor or on the dance floor, breaking down complex movements into simple-to-understand components is Michael¹s specialty. $10 with pre-registration; $15 at the door if space permits. At the Friendship Hall at New Thought Unity Center, 1401 East McMillan Street, Cincinnati, OH 45230. More info and pre-register @ 513.961.2527 & LouFreeman@ntunity.org.
Malpractice Causing Missing Medicine? [Saturday 14 May @ 10 AM ]: Remember last fall when one political party claimed that physicians were leaving Ohio in droves due to out-of-control malpractice claims? Tim Bonfield, Medical Reporter for the Cincinnati Enquirer has done a careful study of this question & will present his results at the next meeting of the Association for Rational Thought. At the Dubliner, 6111 Montgomery Road, Pleasant Ridge, Cincinnati, OH 45213. More info @ 513.533.8142, rrdavis@fuse.net, & www.cincinnatiskeptics.org.
Rediscovery of the Ivory-billed Woodpecker [Sunday 15 May @ 3 PM]: The Cincinnati Nature Center, the Nature Conservancy, & the University of Cincinnati Department of Biological Sciences celebrate the rediscovery of the Ivory-billed Woodpecker with nationally celebrated wildlife artist John Ruthven who will discuss the research he conducted for his artwork & the Ivory-billed encounters of famous artists & naturalists. Ruthven¹s was commissioned to paint the Ivory-billed Woodpecker; his original painting will be on display. John Bridgeland, a Cincinnati native & key member of the Ivory-billed Woodpecker conservation team, will discuss the history & future of the Big Woods Conservation Partnership to protect the Ivory-billed Woodpecker. At the CNC Rowe Woods, 4949 Tealtown Road near Milford. Limited space; reservations required. $10 suggested donation to support the Big Woods Conservation Partnership [www.ivorybill.org] to protect Ivory-billed Woodpecker habitat & support research. More info @ 513.831.1711, rbarnes-kloth@cincynature.org, & www.CincyNature.org.
Juried Art Show & Sale [Sunday 15 May @ 11 AM - 5 PM]: Paintings, drawings, photography, sculpture, ceramics, fiber, glass, & jewelry. Outside & inside the Kennedy Heights Arts Center, 6546 Montgomery Road, Kennedy Heights, OH. More info @ 513.631.4278, wfeinberg@cinci.rr.com, & www.kennedyarts.com.
Angel Delivery's Mind, Body, Spirit Seminars & Expo [Sunday 15 May @ 10 AM - 6 PM]: Jayne Howard Feldman, Angel Expert, will speak along with 11 other free seminars. Over 60 exhibitors including intuitive readers, astrology, tarot, jewelry, Native American music & crafts, gems, crystals, holistic practitioners & natural products, & more. $10 admission; exhibitors may charge extra. At the Holiday Inn, 31 Prestige Plaza, Dayton, OH (exit #44 off I-75). More info @ 937.294.1922, mcsdayton@yahoo.com, & www.mbsharmony.com.
Bruce Menefield Quartet @ Sunday Jazz Brunch @ The Parktown Café [Sunday 15 May @ 4-8 PM]: "Intimate setting, outstanding musicians, the best meatloaf in the world everyone friendly. I met wonderful people and my compadres saw some old friends again. It just doesn¹t get any better than this." ~ Myra Greenburg. Enjoy the best jazz in town with friends - old & new - in a comfortable, relaxing, authentic West End environment. $5 admission buys the jazz & buffet. Parktown Café, 1726 Linn Street near Findlay Market. More info at 513.621.5683 & www.jazzincincy.com.
High Performance Schools - Optimizing the Health & Sustainability of Cincinnati¹s School Buildings - Town Forum [Monday 16 May @ 6-9 PM]: Learn about the qualities of High Performance Schools (HPSs), how they fit within Cincinnati Public Schools & Ohio School Facilities Commission building standards, & discuss how to provide the best school buildings for our community. As Cincinnati Public Schools strive to support academic achievement for every child & as School Planning Teams work to design facilities that promote better learning environments, it's important to understand the benefits of HPSs & how these benefits can & are being incorporated into new schools. Special guest, Todd Portune; moderator, Dan Hurley; panelists: Mike Burson, CPS Director of Facilities; Joel Stout, US Green Building Council; Franklin Brown, Ohio School Facilities Commission; Michael Deane, Turner Construction; & Robin Brandon, CPS Project Coordinator. High Performance Schools are energy efficient, sustainable schools built & operated to promote healthier learning environments for students, teachers, & staff while preserving natural resources for future generations. Schools with healthier indoor air quality have higher attendance due to less illness. Natural day lighting increases students' health, their performance 20-25%, & their attendance 3.2-3.8 days per year. Many features of HPSs do not cost more; in the long run, a HPS saves thousands of dollars to operate due to lower energy costs. Registration & light refreshments @ 5:30 PM. At Mayerson Academy Banquet Hall, 2650 Highland Avenue, Corryville, OH. Child care provided. Presented by Woman¹s City Club, Cincinnati Public Schools, Cincinnati Parents for Public Schools, & Northside Education Committee. More info and RSVP @ 513.363.0020, 513.471.6622, 513.363.0020.
Introduction To Homeopathy [Thursday 19 May @ 6:30-8:30 PM]: One of the fastest growing holistic health modalities. Have you ever wondered ³What is homeopathy & how does it work?² Learn how to help your family & yourself with safe, natural & effective remedies in this fun & informative class. Free introductory seminar presented by Shirley Reischman, a classical homeopath in West Chester, OH. Presentation covers the history & philosophy of homeopathy & indications for the use of 33 of the most common acute & first aid remedies. 11592 Rich Road, Loveland, OH. Limited seating. More info & RSVP @ 513.531.3060 & jereisch@fuse.net.
Studio Sessions IV: A Benefit for SmartMoney Community Services [Friday 20 May @ 5:30 - 9:00 PM]: This upscale networking event & fundraiser will showcase a blend of Jazz, Hip-Hop, & a wide range of urban artwork from local Cincinnati artists. A silent auction will be part of the festivities, allowing event goers the chance to bid on items donated from Cincinnati¹s finest events, eateries, & shops. Mouthwatering delights by ³A Perfect Brew² featuring Chief Dave Dennis. Soulful rhythms by DJ Splotty Kaeco & ³Triage² featuring Eugene Goss & Billy Larkin. Captivating artwork by Jymi Bolden, Jason Brake, Mark & Missy Fisk @ Mainly Art, Rhonda Gushee, Damian Hoskins, Michael Hurst, Christine Langford, Reginald Leary, Elliott Jordan, Cedric Cox Curator. Emcee is WB64 reporter Marjani Coffey. Produced by Hip-Notic Concepts. Attire: Chic. Tickets: $20 in advance, $25 at the door; includes admission to The Purgatory, dinner-by-the-bite, silent auction, & 1 drink ticket. At The Purgatory, 221 E. 12th Street @ Sycamore Street, Over-the-Rhine, Cincinnati, OH. More info @ Call 513-241- 7266 & ddansby@smart-money.org.
FrenchFest 2005 [Saturday 21 May @ 11 AM - 7 PM]: The wonderful volunteers of the Alliance Française of Cincinnati bring you the 2nd annual FrenchFest at Newport on the Levee Riverwalk Plaza. Experience the sights, sounds, & scents of a French country market. Enjoy food, fashion, jewelry, and flowers among an eclectic collection of vendors at this free, family event. Learn more about Greater Cincinnati & Northern Kentucky's local French community. Enjoy traditional French dance & music: Habeeba's Dance of the Arts will perform @ 5-6 PM; accordion music & Cajun band Lagniappe will perform @ 6-10 PM. More info @ FrenchFest2005@sparemac.com & www.france-cincinnati.com.
Green Cuisine [Saturday 21 May @ 11 AM - 2 PM]: Imago Earth Center presents Part 3 of their Easy Being Green workshop series. This workshop will examine ways to make environmentally friendly & socially responsible food choices. Learn what is meant by terms like organic, fair-trade, local, & meatless, & how these products are labeled. Bring an appetite to taste-test organic & meat-free meals. Go on a guided tour of The Gardens at Village Green. Members: $5; nonmembers: $8; registration & prepayment required. Target ages: 12 & up. At Imago Earth Center, 700 Enright Avenue, East Price Hill, Cincinnati, OH 45205. More info @ 513.921.5124, abeck-oliver@imagoearth.org, & www.imagoearth.org.
Second Chance Prom [Saturday 21 May @ 9 PM]: The theme of the 12th annual 2nd Chance Prom is Red Hot Love. Live music by The Modulators. Dress fun, formal, casual, funky. This citywide event is simply a wonderful mix of people enjoying a great party. Partiers range from 5-95 years. At the Off The Avenue Studio, 1546 Knowlton Street (behind the Provident Bank on Hamilton Avenue), Northside, Cincinnati, OH. $15 per person on a sliding scale. BYOB; chips, snacks, non-alcoholic drinks available. Proceeds benefit the OTA Studios, a community space. More info @ 513.542.0088 & urbanvillage@fuse.net.
2005 Columbia Tusculum Historic Homes Tour [Sunday 22 May @ 1-6 PM]: Visit Cincinnati's Oldest Neighborhood, tracing its roots to the 1788 Benjamin Stites settlement. Columbia Tusculum is Cincinnati's oldest neighborhood & boasts some of its oldest houses. Tour some of Columbia Tusculum's exquisite Victorian Painted Lady homes; most houses were built between the mid 1800¹s & early 1900¹s; styles range from period restoration to contemporary. Visit local historic buildings including the St. Stephen Catholic Church (established in 1867), Columbia Baptist Church (built in 1895; Cincinnati¹s oldest continuously operated congregation), The Manor House at St. Ursula Villa, and the beautifully renovated Carnegie Center. On the National Register of Historic Places and designated a city historic district. Art show, musical & dance performances, & an outdoor Homes Festival. Performers will include the Riley School of Irish Music, English Country Dancers, & Midwest Theatre Ballet. The Carnegie Center will showcase an exhibition by John B. Chewning: "Resume Speed A Photographic Vision of An American Byway," fine art photographs of Cincinnati¹s Route 50. Tour begins at The Carnegie Center at 3738 Eastern Avenue 2 blocks east of Delta Ave. Tickets are $15; $12 in advance @ any Cincinnati Provident Bank/National City branch or www.thecarnegiecenter.org. More info @ 513.784.7949, matyi@fuse.net, & www.thecarnegiecenter.org.
Sunday Markets on Main: Vendors, Volunteers & Visionaries Converge [Sunday 22 May @ 11 AM - 3 PM & every Sunday until mid-October]: A sidewalk marketplace, an organic marketplace, blankets on the ground, racks & stacks, not a conventional row of sterile booths, in the tradition of the Portobello Road in London (www.portobelloroad.co.uk/aboutpada.asp). Restaurants & merchants of Main Street will be open for business; street vendors will add to the variety & vibrancy of the experience. A festival of community and talents in the arts district of Over-the-Rhine with unique arts, crafts and antiques for sale. Sunday is the day to grab a bite to eat, explore emerging artists & experience an eclectic mix of mingling & marketing. This is a great opportunity for a variety of vendors, artists, craftsmen & buskers to be exposed to an urban, creative crowd looking for a unique experience. Main Street sidewalks between 13th & Woodward. More info @ 513-236-6242 jhill30@fuse.net, Marketsonmain@fuse.net, & www.irhine.com/.
Learn to Check Energy with a Pendulum [Thursday 26 May @ 6:309:00 PM]: How does the pendulum work? How to use the pendulum to check yourself, others, & the energy of anything: supplements, appropriateness/safety of foods, help with decision making. How to get your yes, no, and maybe swings with the pendulum. Pendulums available for purchase in class. Workbook included. $35 registration; pre-registration required. At WholeCare, 4434 Carver Woods Drive, Blue Ash, OH. More info & registration: JoAnn Utley @ 502.777.3865 & jutley5122@bellsouth.net.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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 Tri-State Treasures list, send an email to jkesner@nuvox.net and specify Tri-State Treasures.
June 1
Paul Ravenscraft and Kate Kelly send along the following re. tantrika etc.
Deva Premal and Miten Concert
Wednesday June 1, 2005 at 20th Century Theater, 3021 Madison Rd
Cincinnati, Ohio
Details on the concert:June 3,4
Wednesday June 1, 2005 at 20th Century Theater, 3021 Madison Rd
Cincinnati, Ohio
Concert at 8:30 pm, Dinner at 6:30 pm
-- 350 concert tickets will be sold, with 100 capacity for dinner
-- Event includes concert, cash bar, tables for sponsor information, and optional dinner
-- Concert-only tickets are $25, Concert/dinner tickets are $50
-- Attendees will be yoga practitioners & teachers, Ipsalu Tantrikas, and those interested in chant/kirtan from the Tristate region
-- Sponsors at $300 or more can display their business information at the event
Art Walk at the Essex Art Studios
Friday and Saturday 6-11 pm
Corner Essex Ave. and E. McMillan near Union Institute (where McMillan crosses Reading Rd.)
Call 244-3375
Free, o pen to the public.
scores of artist's studios displaying a lot of terrible art and some really good stuff.
Happens every even number month except not August
Fanchon and Bonia Shur
at the Aronoff
June 10, 11
We invite you to join us:
http://www.growthinmotion.org/html/growthPerformances.html
Choreographers Without Companies Concert
Presented by: Contemporary Dance Theater
Jarson Kaplan Theater, Aronoff Center
June 10 & 11, 2005
8:30pm
For more information on the piece, go to:
To purchase tickets, go to:
http://www.cincinnatiarts.org/tickets/results.php
For any further questions or if you would like to donate, sponsor or support this piece, please reply to this email address:
fanchon@fuse.net
July
Another spiritual journey in Israel this summer:
Dear Ellen,
Here is yet another reason to visit Israel this summer.
Enclosed is a description of a program slated to take place in Jerusalem at Yakar (where I direct my Beit Midrash Meorot Program). Do you think that your friends would be interested?
Natan
Jerusalem Summer Intensive
Kabbalah & Mystical Experience in Judaism
July 3-22, 2005
Sponsored by Tiferet Institute for Integral Kabbalistic Spirituality and
Ruach: A New Center for Spirituality and Learning, Siegal College
~
Two Core Courses & Special Evening Programs
Kabbalah & God: A Text-Based Introduction
Rabbi Yakov Travis, Ph.D.
Director, Ruach: A New Center for Spirituality and Learning, Siegal College
Mystical Experience in Judaism: Techniques & Testimonies
Rabbi Eliezer Shore, M.A., Doctoral Candidate, BIU
Each Course includes thirteen sessions comprised of a 2 hour academic seminar and 1.5 hour ³Beit Midrash² session devoted to studying the primary sources necessary for the seminar, in English translations, with original Hebrew/Aramaic texts for advanced students. Participants are expected to take both courses, but may enroll in only one, with permission.
Special Evening Programs include lectures by leading scholars, meetings with spiritual guides and mystics, experiential workshops, and evenings of spiritual music and song. Several day-tours to relevant sites will also be offered.
· Six transferable credits (Graduate & Undergraduate Level). Non-credit option.
· Different tracks for students of varying Judaica knowledge and textual skills.
· Open to men and women of all ages.
LOCATION: Yakar Center, Rechov HaLamed Heh 10, Jerusalem
COST: Program $750 Academic credit $500 (per credit hour)
Room and board provided upon request for additional fee.
· Scholarships and financial aid available to qualified students.
For more information, list of speakers, or to apply, visit www.siegalcollege.edu/spirituality
Accredited by Siegal College - an emerging leader in Judaic Studies, with over 100 students enrolled in graduate degree programs. Siegal College is chartered by the State of Ohio to offer undergraduate and graduate degrees. It is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Schools and Universities and is a member of the Association of Institutions of Higher Learning for Jewish Education.
July 8 - 10, 2005
EarthSpirit Rising:Summer Conference
Xavier University, Cincinnati, Ohio
(This is a national, important Eco Conference put on each year by our own IMAGO, that fab. movement up on Enright in Price Hill founded decades ago by the Shenks, Jim and Eileen. Last year it was in the Carolinas. This year it is right here. I will be leading one of the discussion groups on Saturday evening on how to build community in your own locale. See, people will be coming from all over the country and abroad for this. I will talk about building the salon. So this is a great opportunity to attend a great conference. Check out the stars who will be giving keynotes! See below. ellen)
EarthSpirit Rising:
A Conference on Ecology, Spirituality, and Community
All the details are on the web at: http://Earthspiritrising.org
A Council of Earth Elders follows the conference
All the details are on the web at: http://Earthspiritrising.org
For a conference brochure, registration or more information:
E-mail - earthspiritrising@imagoearth.org
Phone - 513-921-5124
Mail - EarthSpirit Rising 700 Enright Ave Cincinnati Ohio 45205
- end of Announcements -
A r t i c l e s
5/14
5/14
Interesting Interaction with David Pepper,
who consistently READS the Weekly!
After reading last week's edition where I said
David sent me an email lamenting my harping on that incident and his negative role in it. I was so impressed with his attention to our group that I took the time to make a suggestion to him. Our interaction including his response, below. ellen" Remember the Reading Rd. cross walk issue? Nana, the North Avondale Neighborhood Association, had council members, including David Pepper to a meeting to ask them to support the new cross walk, and had the impression that David Pepper would support them. However, then the city engineer testified that he was against it on "safety issues" (my eye! Clearly it is about moving cars.) So David Pepper voted against it, and so,innitially did John Cranley. However, then Nana people, including the Krauses (thank you!) got another go around for it, talked to John, and he changed his vote. David did not. So the cross walk passed 5 to 4. Thank you John. I am impressed that he listens to constituents."
From: "Pepper, David" <DPepper@ssd.com>
Date: Mon, 9 May 2005 17:09:12 -0500
To: ellenbierhorst@lloydhouse.com
Subject: Your e-mails
Ellen:
There are so many issues in this City, and I work very hard to work with
communities on them. Just in the last month, there were several votes
where community councils were blatantly ignored by a majority of
Council, and I stood with those communities.
As I've written before, I continue to be saddened that the crosswalk
vote, which was a good-faith disagreement on a technical concern over
safety, is the only one you seem to rehash again and again in a negative
light.
Since the crosswalk debate, there have already been several issues
involving NANA and the Kraus's, and I have worked with them on each one.
David
From: Ellen Bierhorst
To: Pepper, David; Ellen Bierhorst
Sent: 5/10/2005 9:50 AM
Subject: Constituent relations
Dear David,
I am very impressed that you are reading the Salon Weekly, which shows,
contrary to my previous impression, that you are interested in listening
to constituents! I plan to publish your remarks below.
About the Nana thing, the NANA people felt that you treated them
discourteously. I h ear in your responses to me that you are concerned
about neighborhoods--a very good thing-- but not that you understand
that your behavior was taken as disrespect of the Krauses and their
associates at NANA. You could entirely fix that with a simple apology,
you know. Thing was that you gave them the impression of support, but
did not communicate to them when you felt that you could not vote their
way. Perhaps you can understand how that would have been seen as
haughty or disrespectful.
One could argue the merits of the Engineer's report on the "safety"
issue, based on a simple examination of the intersection, but I feel
this is not the real point here. It's about the attitude of the elected
official, you, towards individual and groups of citizens who bring
forward their concerns.
I hope you understand that I am writing to you this morning because I
believe you deserve the most excellent feedback. Your dedication to
Cincinnati is evident, and your preparation (studying other cities etc.)
exemplary. You don't have to always accede to the requests of
constituents. Naturally you will not be able to. However, if you will
always treat them with dignity and respect, all will be well. May I
repeat, you could still fix the NANA situation by a note, an email, or a
phone call and acknowledge that you were in error not to explain to them
that you could not support their petition prior to the vote. Humility
is gorgeous in an elected official!
Respectfully,
Ellen Bierhorst
From: "Pepper, David" <DPepper@ssd.com>
Date: Tue, 10 May 2005 09:22:53 -0500
To: "Ellen Bierhorst " <ellenbierhorst@lloydhouse.com>
Subject: RE: Constituent relations
Thanks, Ellen. I do read your weekly because I appreciate the views and
passions of your group.
I am sending you my monthly update, where you can see that I work hard
to support the community--and sometimes am on the losing side for doing
so. I don't mind taking my lumps when people don't agree with me--but I
do work very hard to support communities, and I hope to show you over
time that that is the case, despite the one vote you know so well.
Since the crosswalk debate, there have already been several issues
involving NANA and the Kraus's, and I have worked with them on each one.
David
-----Original Message-----
From: Ellen Bierhorst
To: Pepper, David
Sent: 5/12/2005 4:32 PM
Subject: Re: Constituent relations
Great, David. I intend to print your note below and the update. Just
want to add, however, that my remarks were not about your hard work or
your positions... but about the grace of humility in a public servant.
Hope you "get" that.
thanks for all your work
ellen
(from David)
I do. Those who know me find me pretty down to earth.
David
5/14 Erik Bendix touts article on Iraq War: "Cuts effectively through the fog."
Check out this article on Iraq. It cuts effectively through the fog. Pass
it on. Erik Bendix
> Published on Thursday, May 5, 2005 by In These Times
> How to End the War
> by Naomi Klein
>
> The central question we need to answer is this: What were the
>real reasons for the Bush administration's invasion and occupation of Iraq?
>
> When we identify why we really went to war-not the cover
>reasons or the rebranded reasons, freedom and democracy, but the real
>reasons-then we can become more effective anti-war activists. The most
>effective and strategic way to stop this occupation and prevent future wars
>is to deny the people who wage these wars their spoils-to make war
>unprofitable. And we can't do that unless we effectively identify the goals
>of war.
>
> When I was in Iraq a year ago trying to answer that question,
>one of the most effective ways I found to do that was to follow the
>bulldozers and construction machinery. I was in Iraq to research the
>so-called reconstruction. And what struck me most was the absence of
>reconstruction machinery, of cranes and bulldozers, in downtown Baghdad. I
>expected to see reconstruction all over the place.
>
> I saw bulldozers in military bases. I saw bulldozers in the
>Green Zone, where a huge amount of construction was going on, building up
>Bechtel's headquarters and getting the new U.S. embassy ready. There was
>also a ton of construction going on at all of the U.S. military bases. But,
>on the streets of Baghdad, the former ministry buildings are absolutely
>untouched. They hadn't even cleared away the rubble, let alone started the
>reconstruction process.
>
> The one crane I saw in the streets of Baghdad was hoisting an
>advertising billboard. One of the surreal things about Baghdad is that the
>old city lies in ruins, yet there are these shiny new billboards
>advertising the glories of the global economy. And the message is:
>"Everything you were before isn't worth rebuilding." We're going to import
>a brand-new country. It is the Iraq version of the "Extreme Makeover."
>
> It's not a coincidence that Americans were at home watching
>this explosion of extreme reality television shows where people's bodies
>were being surgically remade and their homes were being bulldozed and
>reconstituted. The message of these shows is: Everything you are now,
>everything you own, everything you do sucks. We're going to completely
>erase it and rebuild it with a team of experts. You just go limp and let
>the experts take over. That is exactly what "Extreme Makover:Iraq" is.
>
> There was no role for Iraqis in this process. It was all
>foreign companies modernizing the country. Iraqis with engineering Ph.D.s
>who built their electricity system and who built their telephone system had
>no place in the reconstruction process.
>
> If we want to know what the goals of the war are, we have to
>look at what Paul Bremer did when he first arrived in Iraq. He laid off
>500,000 people, 400,000 of whom were soldiers. And he shredded Iraq's
>constitution and wrote a series of economic laws that the The Economist
>described as "the wish list of foreign investors."
>
> Basically, Iraq has been turned into a laboratory for the
>radical free-market policies that the American Enterprise Institute and the
>Cato Institute dream about in Washington, D.C., but are only able to impose
>in relative slow motion here at home.
>
> So we just have to examine the Bush administration's policies
>and actions. We don't have to wield secret documents or massive conspiracy
>theories. We have to look at the fact that they built enduring military
>bases and didn't rebuild the country. Their very first act was to protect
>the oil ministry leaving the the rest of the country to burn-to which
>Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld responded: "Stuff happens." Theirs was
>an almost apocalyptic glee in allowing Iraq to burn. They let the country
>be erased, leaving a blank slate that they could rebuild in their image
>This was the goal of the war.
>
> The Big Lie
>
> The administration says the war was about fighting for
>democracy. That was the big lie they resorted to when they were caught in
>the other lies. But it's a different kind of a lie in the sense that it's a
>useful lie. The lie that the United States invaded Iraq to bring freedom
>and democracy not just to Iraq but, as it turns out, to the whole world, is
>tremendously useful-because we can first expose it as a lie and then we can
>join with Iraqis to try to make it true. So it disturbs me that a lot of
>progressives are afraid to use the language of democracy now that George W.
>Bush is using it. We are somehow giving up on the most powerful
>emancipatory ideas ever created, of self-determination, liberation and
>democracy.
>
> And it's absolutely crucial not to let Bush get away with
>stealing and defaming these ideas-they are too important.
>
> In looking at democracy in Iraq, we first need to make the
>distinction between elections and democracy. The reality is the Bush
>administration has fought democracy in Iraq at every turn.
>
> Why? Because if genuine democracy ever came to Iraq, the real
>goals of the war-control over oil, support for Israel, the construction of
>enduring military bases, the privatization of the entire economy-would all
>be lost. Why? Because Iraqis don't want them and they don't agree with
>them. They have said it over and over again-first in opinion polls, which
>is why the Bush administration broke its original promise to have elections
>within months of the invasion. I believe Paul Wolfowitz genuinely thought
>that Iraqis would respond like the contestants on a reality TV show and
>say: "Oh my God. Thank you for my brand-new shiny country." They didn't.
>They protested that 500,000 people had lost their jobs. They protested the
>fact that they were being shut out of the reconstruction of their own
>country, and they made it clear they didn't want permanent U.S. bases.
>
> That's when the administration broke its promise and appointed
>a CIA agent as the interim prime minister. In that period they locked
>in-basically shackled-Iraq's future governments to an International
>Monetary Fund program until 2008. This will make the humanitarian crisis in
>Iraq much, much deeper. Here's just one example: The IMF and the World Bank
>are demanding the elimination of Iraq's food ration program, upon which 60
>percent of the population depends for nutrition, as a condition for debt
>relief and for the new loans that have been made in deals with an unelected
>government.
>
> In these elections, Iraqis voted for the United Iraqi
>Alliance. In addition to demanding a timetable for the withdrawal of
>troops, this coalition party has promised that they would create 100
>percent full employment in the public sector-i.e., a total rebuke of the
>neocons' privatization agenda. But now they can't do any of this because
>their democracy has been shackled. In other words, they have the vote, but
>no real power to govern.
>
> A Pro-Democracy Movement
>
> The future of the anti-war movement requires that it become a
>pro-democracy movement. Our marching orders have been given to us by the
>people of Iraq. It's important to understand that the most powerful
>movement against this war and this occupation is within Iraq itself. Our
>anti-war movement must not just be in verbal solidarity but in active and
>tangible solidarity with the overwhelming majority of Iraqis fighting to
>end the occupation of their country. We need to take our direction from
>them.
>
> Iraqis are resisting in many ways-not just with armed
>resistance. They are organizing independent trade unions. They are opening
>critical newspapers, and then having those newspapers shut down. They are
>fighting privatization in state factories. They are forming new political
>coalitions in an attempt to force an end to the occupation.
>
> So what is our role here? We need to support the people of
>Iraq and their clear demands for an end to both military and corporate
>occupation. That means being the resistance ourselves in our country,
>demanding that the troops come home, that U.S. corporations come home, that
>Iraqis be free of Saddam's debt and the IMF and World Bank agreements
>signed under occupation. It doesn't mean blindly cheerleading for "the
>resistance." Because there isn't just one resistance in Iraq. Some elements
>of the armed resistance are targeting Iraqi civilians as they pray in Shia
>mosques-barbaric acts that serve the interests of the Bush administration
>by feeding the perception that the country is on the brink of civil war and
>therefore U.S. forces must remain in Iraq. Not everyone fighting the U.S.
>occupation is fighting for the freedom of all Iraqis; some are fighting for
>their own elite power. That's why we need to stay focused on supporting the
>demands for self-determination, not cheering any setback for U.S. empire.
>
> And we can't cede the language, the territory of democracy.
>Anybody who says Iraqis don't want democracy should be deeply ashamed of
>themselves. Iraqis are clamoring for democracy and had risked their lives
>for it long before this invasion-in the 1991 uprising against Saddam, for
>example, when they were left to be slaughtered. The elections in January
>took place only because of tremendous pressure from Iraqi Shia communities
>that insisted on getting the freedom they were promised.
>
> "The Courage to be Serious"
>
> Many of us opposed this war because it was an imperial
>project. Now Iraqis are struggling for the tools that will make
>self-determination meaningful, not just for show elections or marketing
>opportunities for the Bush administration. That means it's time, as Susan
>Sontag said, to have "the courage to be serious." The reason why the 58
>percent of Americans against the war has not translated into the same
>millions of people on the streets that we saw before the war is because we
>haven't come forward with a serious policy agenda. We should not be afraid
>to be serious.
>
> Part of that seriousness is to echo the policy demands made by
>voters and demonstrators in the streets of Baghdad and Basra and bring
>those demands to Washington, where the decisions are being made.
>
> But the core fight is over respect for international law, and
>whether there is any respect for it at all in the United States. Unless
>we're fighting a core battle against this administration's total disdain
>for the very idea of international law, then the specifics really don't
>matter.
>
> We saw this very clearly in the U.S. presidential campaign, as
>John Kerry let Bush completely set the terms for the debate. Recall the
>ridicule of Kerry's mention of a "global test," and the charge that it was
>cowardly and weak to allow for any international scrutiny of U.S. actions.
>Why didn't Kerry ever challenge this assumption? I blame the Kerry campaign
>as much as I blame the Bush administration. During the elections, he never
>said "Abu Ghraib." He never said "Guantanamo Bay." He accepted the premise
>that to submit to some kind of "global test" was to be weak. Once they had
>done that, the Democrats couldn't expect to win a battle against Alberto
>Gonzales being appointed attorney general, when they had never talked about
>torture during the campaign.
>
> And part of the war has to be a media war in this country. The
>problem is not that the anti-war voices aren't there-it's that the voices
>aren't amplified. We need a strategy to target the media in this country,
>making it a site of protest itself. We must demand that the media let us
>hear the voices of anti-war critics, of enraged mothers who have lost their
>sons for a lie, of betrayed soldiers who fought in a war they didn't
>believe in. And we need to keep deepening the definition of democracy-to
>say that these show elections are not democracy, and that we don't have a
>democracy in this country either.
>
> Sadly, the Bush administration has done a better job of using
>the language of responsibility than we in the anti-war movement. The
>message that's getting across is that we are saying "just leave," while
>they are saying, "we can't just leave, we have to stay and fix the problem
>we started."
>
> We can have a very detailed, responsible agenda and we
>shouldn't be afraid of it. We should be saying, "Let's pull the troops out
>but let's leave some hope behind." We can't be afraid to talk about
>reparations, to demand freedom from debt for Iraq, a total abandonment of
>Bremer's illegal economic laws, full Iraqi control over the reconstruction
>budget-there are many more examples of concrete policy demands that we can
>and must put forth. When we articulate a more genuine definition of
>democracy than we are hearing from the Bush administration, we will bring
>some hope to Iraq. And we will bring closer to us many of the 58 percent
>who are opposed to the war but aren't marching with us yet because they are
>afraid of cutting and running.
>
> Naomi Klein is a columnist for In These Times, the British
>Guardian and The Globe and Mail, Canada's national newspaper and the author
>of No Logo: Taking Aim at the Brand Bullies.
5/14 Elizabeth Motter, our activist/harpist sends link to a resource for socially responsible action:
Greetings all!
Here is a very interesting site which may prove to be useful to as a
resource for socially responsible action:
http://www.caseplace.org/
Enjoy!
Elizabeth
(Elizabeth sends a steady stream of fascinating links and info to our yahoo group site, which y ou can visit and enjoy,... and contribute to as well. interactive Yahoo Salon group, http://groups.yahoo.com/group/LloydHouseSalon
We have 39 members as of 4/14/05. )
5/14
Local R.N. Joyce Kahle
writes from India where she is doing relief
work re. the Tsunami
Greetings to all from hot, hot India!
This update might be short -- I tried to write to you yesterday and then the internet connection started having problems, and I had to give up. So if we start the same problem today, I'm going to just quick send the message.
Margo and I really enjoyed our visit to Chennai last weekend -- ( right now that seems like a month ago!) Chennai is the fourth largest city in India, with a population of 6.4 million people! There seems to be no rhyme or reason to the lay-out of the streets, and the little map we had was very deceiving. We ate Chinese, Italian, and a good old American hamburger and we did finally taste a cold beer! You know that I don't even drink, but those few swallows of beer while it was still cold were great! We spent a lot of time getting caught up with email with a connection that was actually rather good there. The first day we walked very far, thinking the place we were going was just around the next corner. After about 5 KM in the heat and sun, we gave up and got a ride. An auto-rickshaw driver (that's the 3-wheeled taxi with no doors and a step up from a lawn-mower motor) took us to see some famous sites. My two favori tes were a church where St. Thomas, the Apostle, is buried that has a small museum about him connected to it, and the Little Mount Church, built on the site where he preached, lived in a little cave and prayed. He spent about 20 years here in India, and was martyred here for his faith. The people claim that a spring in the cave was formed when he touched the rock there and many cures have resulted from drinking the water. Both places had a very holy atmosphere and wonderful energy. We came "home" to our little Tsunami Community renewed in energy, although tired from an all-night bus ride. We are planning another weekend "get-away" two weeks from now, going to a town a little closer this time.
The last week was a busy one with visiting the four villages two or three times each, seeing over 210 patients, doing a few home visits to some of the people who are very ill, going to the salt fields to see the motors that have been rusted from the tsunami, and returning to see them repaired and working to pump water for the salt production process. It's rewarding to see the family so happy to have their motor working so they can again earn a living. The time between all this is spent with the tasks of daily living -- purifying drinking water for our little community (which right now numbers 6 of us), checking and replenishing our big bag of medicines that we take to two of the villages where we don't have a safe place to keep them between visits, sweeping the dust out of our little home (the church hall) several times a day so we can eat and sleep there, washing our clothes, (when the ASC Sisters haven't already done that fo r us that day), helping with dishes, doing my daily inspection for "ants marching" (usually finding some coming through at least one window or marching down the wall in the food storage area (the small sacristy room), getting the buckets of water filled in our "bath house" by using a hose connected to the neighbors' salt-water well, and just surviving the heat. This past weekend Margo and I cooked the main meal both Saturday and Sunday. Saturday we made tuna-noodle casserole (quite a challange with the noodles here, no oven) and orange-glazed carrots. Sunday's feast was fried chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, and green beans with peanut and lemon sauce. The ASC Sisters were happy to have experienced some American food and are looking forward to the next time we cook. (Needless to say, I was also happy to have some good ol' American food or something that wasn't rice and seasoned with hot chilies!)
I'm going to close for now. This little booth is hotter than h--- and I've sweat enough for one day. I think of all of you often and remember you in my prayers. Wherever we are, whatever our ministry, we are all doing God's work and doing our part to bring healing and peace to the little part of the world where we are serving. Thank you for being with me here in spirit and for supporting this work. Your love and generosity are wonderful-- we couldn't be here without you.
Have a blessed week and enjoy the springtime that you are having there.
Peace and love,
Joyce
5/14
Elizabeth MOtter organizes Day of Action
Meeting with Congressman Chabot
Saturday, May 07, 2005
Meeting with Congressman Steve Chabot in Cincinnati, OH
Elizabeth Motter was the coordinator of the Cincinnati, Ohio DFA National Day of Action.
Our meeting occured at 4:30 p.m. at Congressman Chabot's downtown Cincinnati office on the 30th floor of the Carew Tower. Five of his constituents were in attendance, including Jane Williams, Christina Wald, Paul McCauley, Atia Huff and myself (Elizabeth Motter).
We were met by the courteous staff, ushered into an office as a group and seated around a large table. Two aides, Michael Cantwell, District Director, and Matthew Clark, Senior Constituent Liason, listened to our stories. I read our prepared statement and one of the stories from the DFA Social Security stories that were collected in our area.
Jane Williams followed, reading an excellent letter she had written, detailing her experiences and history with the Social Security program and pointing to the lack of honest debate over this issue. Paul McCauley then spoke from his own personal experience and as a participant in several different retirement plans, highlighting the strengths of Social Security in these uncertain times. Christina Wald gave us a story of her family's experience, how Social Security allowed her family to keep their house after her father-in-law died leaving six children. She elaborated on her concerns about the uncertainties of the stock market and how everyone is still trying to recover from the "bubble" and how even those well-educated in the markets lose money on a regular basis, that it is not a game for the average citizen to play with their retirement.
At this point, the aides said they agreed with us and pointing out that Mr. Chabot would not support any plan that would lower benefits, though he favored the idea of giving people "options." Atia closed our statements by reading another sampling from the DFC story collection‹we left a copy of the stories with the aides. I made a final remarks and offered thanks, then our members and the aides talked casually for a bit. They assured us that none of us would actually be affected by the proposed changes and that the changes wouldn't affect disability payments. In we all replied to the effect that our chief interests are for our society as a whole, not for our own special interests.
‹Elizabeth Motter
5/6/05
Darfur
Do this now: visit links to find out what is going on.
http://www.icg.org
http://www.savedarfur.org
Then,
In One Minute
you can add your name to the "Greater Cincinnati Area List for Updated info and Calls for Action" by emailing darfurinfo@earthlink.net
In just four minutes you can call both senators and your congressional rep. with the current action information.
Got ten minutes? Send a handwritten postcard, fax or email to as many political reps. as time allows. (Letters are a no. Security can delay delivery for months.)
Add one minute more: send what you learn to your own list of family, colleagues and friends.
Contact your representatives regularly and ask, "What are you doing now about the genocied and humanitarian crisis in Darfur?"
Insist that we:
- Call for a civilian protectoin mandate for all peacekeepers deployed to Darfur.
- Incrrease the number of African Union troops on the ground.
- Deploy NATO or EU forces to Darfur to immediately boost the capacity of the peacekeeping force.
- Quickly implement the targeted sanctions as approved by the Security Council and extend sanctions to the oil sector where Khartoum makes most of the cash it uses to buy weapons.
- Enforce the ban on offensive military flights and support the International criminal Court's investigations.
- The US should take the lead in calling for a high-level meeting between the AU, UN, EU and other key international plyers to develop and then act on a structure for negotiations, in coordination with the implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA).
Contact info: www.whitehouse.gove, www.senate.gov, www.house.gov, www.take-a-pen.org (United Nations Organizations).
end of articles
The Lloyd House Salon (usually about 15 people) Meets Mondays at 5:45,
EVERY MONDAY, 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.
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Here you can post your responses to the weekly:
interactive Yahoo Salon group, http://groups.yahoo.com/group/LloydHouseSalon
We have 39 members as of 4/14/05.
Pot Luck procedures including food suggestions, mission and history at
http://home.fuse.net/ellenbierhorst/Potluck.html .
> Please also 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 announcement emal. It
> will be 1,2, 3, 4, or 5. This tells me which sub-list your name is on so I can
> delete it. Thanks! ellen bierhorst
- end of Salon Weekly -
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